Confessions of a Grandma

So, it is almost over.  We managed to avoid the end of the world on December 21st although, I  guess the fiscal cliff still looms.  Oh, but now they are calling it more like a fiscal slope so that’s all right then. There will not be a phenomenon such as 12-12-12 in the rest of my lifetime.  Oh, well, I took very little note of those dates anyway.  I am sure it would be handy to have your wedding date, or your birth date, or even your twelfth anniversary on that day.  Imagine the righteous indignation you could muster: What?!?  You forgot our anniversary?!?   Unlucky for me, though, because I am the one who always forgets those sentimental dates. According to a numerology article I read in an area magazine—the Sarasota area is tres new agey—the coming year will be a financially beneficial year for me (hence my refusal to worry about the financial cliff).  I hope so, as 2012 was not a banner year on the money front.  Still, we never...

My step daughter has four active children. About ten years ago they decided they all needed a puppy and they found Gracie, a female boxer. She was a great choice as their family dog. Boxers, as a breed, seem to genuinely like children and enjoy being active and playful. They require little in the way of grooming, but they need a lot of exercise, something four active kids who really wanted a puppy could easily accomplish. Gracie has grown into quite the gentle lady--quiet, obedient, well-behaved, intelligent, sweet, gentle, loving, loyal, and trust worthy. Then there is their second boxer, Buckwheat. Buckwheat is a male boxer the family took on in his adolescence five or six years ago. He'd belonged to a couple with a new baby. They just did not have the time or energy to give him the attention and activity that he needed. I don't believe he was physically abused, but his emotional needs were definitely neglected. Buckwheat is playful, loving, gentle and sweet. He can act dumb,...