Lessons I’m trying to learn from Norman

Our puppy, Norman is 10 months old. He’s at the big, awkward stage where he doesn’t know how big he’s getting and he has trouble coordinating his long legs and big body. He still acts like a tumbling, happy, ball of fluff but he’s huge. It’s endearing and also terrifying because he can destroy the living room in under 30 seconds flat.

Still, as nutty and ignorant as Norman is, I think I have a lot to learn from this mutt of ours.

Live in the moment – Norman doesn’t worry about next week. He doesn’t worry about tomorrow, heck, he doesn’t worry about a second from now. He’s perfectly happy living in the moment…as long as the moment has fall leaves to play with and a squirrel to fascinate him.

I am wise beyond my years…ahem my 10 months of age

Forgive – Norman doesn’t hold grudges. Ever. There are no resentments in that little brain, no grudges and certainly no suspicions. He trusts us and will continue to trust us no matter what we do; even when I don’t allow him to eat the entire bag of blueberries (an obvious crime), he forgives me and asks for some cheese instead (Brie, if possible).

Smell the flowers – Well, Norman doesn’t smell the flowers, I mean, not literally. He actually tends to pee on said flowers but you get the drift. If we’re in the car. It’s the best! If we’re on a walk. It’s the best! If we go to a pet-friendly store. It’s the best! And, finally, when he passes out in the living exhausted from the days’ activities, that’s the best too.

This pink flamingo is the best!…even if it only lasts 5 minutes because I destroy it

One more thing to give you a little smile and a thank you for reading this post.

Reviews, reviews

Virgin River by Robyn Carr was a sweet, lovely book. It tells the story of Nurse Practitioner Melinda who has just survived the death of her husband and decides a change of place is just the thing to help her heal. She ends up in this tiny town in the middle of the mountains with quirky characters, a run-down cabin, one good-looking bar owner and a cranky doctor as a boss.

I loved the story, the setting, the run-down cabin and the hilarious terrible things that happen to her as a city-girl. I also loved Melinda. She was sweet without being icky or an idiot, feisty without being mean and hard-working and caring as a nurse.

I loved the situation she was in, from the cranky, older doctor, to the quirky inhabitants, Virgin River was awesome. I would live there in a second. The book flew from her arrival to the chaos of finding a baby abandoned on the clinic’s front steps and suddenly, I was half way through the book and loving every page.

I didn’t put the thing down until I was done. No wonder they’ve made it into a series on Netflix.

I have to admit, I had never read Robyn Carr until now. Obviously, a mistake was made. It will be corrected because I plan to revisit Virgin River. There are more books in the series and this seems like such a great place to live. I loved it.

King of Wrath was a book I wasn’t expecting. I was browsing through the romance section at my bookstore and found this book. I read a bit of the back and read the start and…well, the rest is history. What’s also history is that I returned, the next day and bought four more books by Ana Huang (all the books the store had by her). It was that good.

King of Wrath is the story of Vivian and Dante. Vivian is the youngest daughter of the Lau family and, when her father arranges for her to marry the most eligible bachelor Dante Ruso, she agrees because she has been told this was going to be her future for years, and she doesn’t want to disappoint her family. Dante agrees to the proposal only because he has to–he’s being blackmailed and has no other choice. Things are more complicated than my simplified explanation but I refuse to destroy the plot by giving more away.

The point is that theirs is an arranged marriage that benefits their families and is certainly not one of love. Vivian and Dante do not hit it off. He’s icy cold and remote, she’s determined and outspoken. They immediately want to kill each other.

There are sparks between the two from the get go and, this is certainly a spicy book, but there is also a love story and a growth arch for our characters. They are both wounded souls and find healing in the journey they are on with each other. I could immediately see why Ms. Huang is a best-selling author.

Certainly spicy, with a bit of who-done-it and a lovely love story, this book sent me running back to the book store to buy all the other books by the same author. I would highly recommend this one. A must-read for those summer days when you want to just relax or get away from troubles or forget that nagging to-do list.

A summer to remember

It’s a funny time of year, summer. I always envision it as an endless stretch of sunny days and warm, calm nights full of laughter, friends and relaxation. Stress, illness or chaos never appear in any form.

This summer has been one to remember.

For one, we had to say goodbye to our beloved, spoiled Ocean. Our silly, lovely girl who we adored and still miss more than I can say. Hubby took it personally hard. Ocean was his girl and he was her one beloved human. She waved her tail for almost anyone but her heart was his alone. She adored him to the ends of the earth and back. Saying goodbye was particularly hard on him.

Awww! We miss you every day, Ocean

Still, we now have Norman who is completely clueless that Ocean is gone and seems determined to help us heal by eating toilet paper, dragging dirt into the house and waking us up at ungodly hours of the morning.

I’m therapeutic!

Then, of course, we had our British family come over for a visit and our home was a complete chaotic nightmare with four people staying with us for days. With their accents, funny expressions and inability to drive on the right side of the street, they were hilarious to have around. We miss them still.

And finally, we got Covid. It only makes sense, since both my hubby and I have been vaccinated and have had several boosters. We got sick and, unlike the other times, this time, we were sick for so long that we were convinced we were dying. One visit to the doctor and two inhalers later and we were guaranteed to survive. Still, this is two weeks later and we are still not done with our cough. Ugh.

How long until September? Sometimes, you just need a break from summer.

The piranha phase

When we got Norman we were very clear with the breeder. We wanted a calm puppy. Calm. The breeder, a lovely lady trying hard to keep the six puppies from destroying her house, nodded as if she understood and handed us Norman. Norman took one look at me and settled in my arms.

Hubby and I smiled at each other, delighted. Calm. Perfect.

Well…The thing is you fall in love. I certainly did. Norman was adorable. He was playful, loving and full of mischief. How could I resist those trusting, brown eyes?

He did sleep in my arms and he did arrive home all snuggly and loving. But Norman was busy doing one thing more than anything else while I fell in love. He was growing and getting a new set of teeth. His baby ones had to fall out and that meant they itched in his mouth. So, for a little while, Norman was more piranha than puppy.

He bit everything within reach. He wasn’t choosy, anything would do. He preferred hands but he’d chew on noses, ears, toes or even hair if he had to. For a while, Hubby and I bore the scars of those attempts on our arms.

It’s hard to explain to a puppy who doesn’t speak English that he’s not supposed to chew on the cushions or on cables. Norman loved the basket of dirty laundry that we had left as a special toy just for him. He also tended to love the never-ending toilet paper from the roll in the bathroom and those gloves you had? Great for him to chew on!

Many licky mats (see below) and scars later, we finally got through the teething phase and Norman started to act like a dog and not a rabid-piranha.

Me bite? Never!

Isn’t it funny how they don’t add this fact to the puppy description on the adds?

Two review for the price of…ahem, free.

Shards of Hope by Nalini Singh is a Psy-Changeling novel that’s not the first, second or third in a series but much further down the line. So, it’s expected that the reader will be at least familiar with the world that Ms. Singh has created. Still, it’s a book that can be easily read by someone who has only read one or two books of the series. It’s that reader-friendly.

Shards of Hope is the story of two Arrows, elite trained Psy-warriors that can endure the worst torture and still keep going. Aden and Zaira wake up kidnapped in a strange prison. They know very little of what is going on because they have been cut off from their psychic abilities. That’s one of the reasons why the book is really welcoming to a reader new to the series. They learn what has happened to them one bit at a time, and the reader can go along with them and learn as they do.

Their journey takes them to the home of a changeling pack that’s a heaven for them and where they start to heal and regain their Psy-abilities. Slowly, they lean on each other and learn to care for each other, something that had been forbidden for the Psy for centuries. They have to take it slowly, Zaire’s past is not something that can be easily ignored. She has endured too much and is too damaged to simply go into a relationship with no care or worries.

How these damaged souls find their happy ending and how they start to heal their society from the imposed Silence is a great story that I really couldn’t put down. Ms. Singh is a very reliable writer. You can expect her to deliver great characters, a plot that’s hard to resist and a fantastic love story along the way. It’s really hard to leave the Psy-Changeling universe because it’s so amazing. I would highly recommend this book for any paranormal fan, romance fan or fiction fan. If you haven’t tried Nalini Singh yet, do it. She’s one of the best for a reason.

The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult is the story of a father’s love for his daughter and whether or not we can get past our mistakes and restart or if we live under their shadow forever.

Daniel Stone adores his daughter, Trixie. He’s the kind of father we all wish we could have, devoted, supportive, understanding and loving. He doubts himself and wishes he could do more. He tries hard to be the perfect parental unit and, when he stumbles, curses himself and tries again.

Meanwhile, Trixie is a young teen, trying to figure out how to survive high school. She’s got some good things going for her, like her father’s support, but she’s also got some things against her, like her boyfriend just dumping her. We can all laugh and shake our heads at the idea of young love ending but to a young person, those early relationships can carve great chasms of pain. Trixie, being a typical teen, doesn’t deal with the break up really great and makes decisions that would have long-lasting consequences.

This is one of the things I love about Jodi Picoult. Her characters are very, very human and very real. The things they say and do are the things most people would say and do under those circumstances. They also have, along with wonderful qualities, a dark side that makes them very authentic.

That’s what follows, events and challenges that force them to face the parts of themselves they thought they had left behind. And we get to be there for the ride. The Tenth Circle is a great book into human nature, what makes us and what forces us to take another look at our past. It’s a great book for a book club, a great read for a fiction fan and a great choice for those who want to read about a family that faces tragedy and tries, desperately to rise above it.

You guessed it! More reviews!

This one is another Jodi Picoult book. It’s called: House Rules and it tells the story of a single mom trying to do her very best with her two boys when one of them has Aspergers. To add a little more spice to her life, her son with Aspergers is charged with murder and he has to go to court.

The book is told through the first person, something that is really interesting because each character has their own point of view and attitudes. Their different voices create a richness to the structure of the story that would have been missing if there was only one narrating voice. I also thought it was brilliantly written because Ms. Picoult has to explain what each of the characters does while not giving away who the murderer is.

Jacob is the son who has Aspergers and reading the story through his eyes, was very interesting. From what I know about Autism and ASD, I think Jacob’s characterization was dead on. That is just how a kid with Aspergers would act. Jacob certainly thought in black and white and he had trouble reading and understanding expressions. It was so amazing to see people react to his replies and to leave him baffled because he couldn’t understand what they were reacting to. It was also painful because Jacob, like most kids, wanted to belong more than anything else. And he couldn’t.

Theo is Jacob’s younger brother, who feels a lot like an older brother because more is expected of him than of Jacob and he doesn’t get the breaks Jacob gets. He’s coping with his lot in life as well as any teen can when there is only one parent in your life and that parent is consumed with caring for your brother. Theo has to make his own dinner most days and figure things out on his own. He worries about how much money their family has and if he could get a job to help out. He’s also mixed up about his brother. On one side, he loves him and on the other, he hates all the things he misses and has to accept because of his brother.

Emma is the overwrought mother who is trying to be a mom to both her sons and feels like she’s failing at every turn. When Jacob’s brought to the police station, she still wants him to be honest and tell the truth; she doesn’t make excuses for Jacob. But she understands, almost better than anyone else in the book, what his limitations are.

One thing that surprised me in this book was the general lack of knowledge that all the characters had towards Aspergers. I thought ASD was better known than that. I also had a lot of trouble with some of the wording that students used for Jacob. They repeatedly used the R-word (something completely forbidden in Canada). The book was originally published in 2010, so it’s over 13 years old. Maybe that is why there is suck a lack of understanding. Or maybe it is the cultural difference between Canada and the States. Either way, I really hope there is been more acceptance and awareness in the States than this book portrays.

Before I ramble on endlessly, let me sum up by telling you that the book is an easy but captivating read. I was engrossed after the first paragraph. It is a little bit whodunit and a bit court-drama. There is even a small love story in there for the romantics out there. So, I would definitely recommend this one for any fiction, romance or mystery fan.

Yet more reviews!

These are different from the usual fiction reviews because these are nonfiction. And each of them is a gem in their own right.

The Gift of Fear by Gavin DeBecker. An amazing book. I could not recommend it more highly. Why? Well, first of all, it reads like a mystery novel. I turned those pages just waiting for the next part. Second, it has excellent advice to keep us safe (more on that later). And finally, it is recommended by Oprah, Newsweek, etc.

Gavin DeBecker is considered the nation’s (USA) leading expert on the protection of public figures. He has his own company dedicated to studying the behaviour of those who would harm us and most of us would want to avoid. He designed a computer system that is used by the CIA to screen threats to judges and is unerringly correct. He has studied psychopaths, stalkers and serial killers to learn patterns and ways to protect ourselves.

There were ideas and concepts in this book that made my jaw drop down to the floor. I had no idea how many ways there are to keep myself safe and, more importantly, what NOT to do when in a dangerous situation and how to spot one in our lives. It’s not only a great read, it’s a definite must read for safety.

When the body says no by Gabor Mate is my next recommendation in non-fiction. In this book, Dr. Mate explains the connection between mind and body to explain unexplainable sickness. He has dozens of examples of people who were A-type personalities, driven and ambitious, who kept working and going until they suddenly got very, very sick. And his message is one of emphasis on the idea of self-care.

The book is a bestseller but what moved me is the realization that, at times, our bodies are talking to us, giving us signals that tell us to slow down. When we don’t listen, they shout, and we get sick. It was a powerful message for me, because I am one of those driven, hard-working people who don’t slow down until they fall asleep in bed and, just this year, I had to take some time off from work because of a medical ailment.

I believe this is an incredibly important book for everyone to read, especially those of us who have grown with the western-supported thought that medicine is just for the body and the mind doesn’t influence illness.

My last recommendation is Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke MD. This book was simply fascinating. It explains just how we are actually creating our own misery by trying to avoid pain and disappointment at every turn. Dr. Lembke is a doctor so her explanation involves the biological parts of our mind that cause happiness, sadness and addiction.

What I found most interesting is that, by trying to stay constantly happy, we are actually sabotaging our own happiness. This is particularly important this day and age because we are living in a time when technology provides high-reward stimulus in seconds. Awareness is key and I found this book incredibly important to get that awareness. I would highly recommend it.

So, there they are, my 3 non-fiction reads that I would recommend whole-heartedly for just about everyone who can read.

Here’s the thing…

As life would have it, George moved from our house to our friends’. It actually seemed to work very well for everyone involved. I was struggling with medical physical issues and George needed someone who would be there, our friends had just lost their own dog and wanted a little creature for their patch of land. It was a good fit.

That, however, was last year. Medical issues or not, I was kicked out of the puppy-choosing committee and Lovely Hubby took over. Not long after, we got a puppy; Norman.

A little ball of trouble

Norman was (and is) incredibly adorable. You can’t see him and not want to kiss him or pet him or hug him. I was in love in seconds.

What are you doing?

Ocean was more cautious than I was getting to know him but she’s fallen for his charms as well.

Mine!

He might be little, but he’s a trouble maker. From toilet paper to slippers, nothing is safe around the house. And if you are eating a banana, get ready to share…

Hm…supper! My favorite!

It is hard to get upset at him when he’s just such a happy, little puppy. All he wants to do is spend time with us and love us. How can I resist that? The truth is, I’m soft putty in his hands (ah…paws). And he’s getting away with murder.

He jumped up at Hubby one too many times and, horror of all horrors, made him spill a cup of his beloved tea.

That was the end. Good Brit that he is, Hubby drew a line.

We start puppy school next week.

I’m adorable!

More reviews!

Nineteen Minutes is another book by Jodi Picoult and talks about what happens to the families before, during and after a mass shooting at a local high school. This premise had me from the start. I had a ton of questions for the book and came in all curious at what was going to develop. I wondered if Jodi Picoult could do justice to the different sides of this tragedy that, unfortunately, happens too often.

Thankfully, Ms. Picoult treats this very emotional subject with both respect and raw honesty. I saw what happened through the eyes of the terrified parents, the over-worked and devastated police, the quirky and realistic teens and the abused and tormented shooter. The book was an incredible view into how people react, come to grips with and cope when something as devastating as a mass shooting happens right in their midst.

I loved how realistic Ms. Picoult made her plot, how honest her characters were–especially the teens. I find some books simplify children and teens to serve the adult plot and it’s painful for the reader to try and ignore the ridiculous comments and reactions that some books force on their characters. Teens are moody, and difficult and wonderful and terrible all at once. They are not easy, or stupid or make decisions for no reason. This book’s portrayal of them was vivid, honest and right on the mark.

I also loved how this book treated the ending of the traumatic event because sometimes, in life, endings are complicated and this book honours that.

It is an easy read, one I started and enjoyed thoroughly. I would highly recommend it to any Jodi Picoult fan but also to those who like mystery, or fiction or family drama. A certain page-turner, it is a book with a very dignified portrayal of a human tragedy.

More reviews…

The Pact and My sister’s keeper by Jodi Picoult are both amazing reads. Continue further for their own individual reviews.

I read The Pact first and it was actually the first book I have picked up from this author. Well, it won’t be the last. The Pact tells the story of two families who have been friends for decades and who suddenly have to face a shocking event that challenges who they think they are and the friendship they had.

The Pact is a love story that doesn’t take away the rough edges that sometimes life throws our way. It is a realistic version of a romance story, one that doesn’t simply give us a serving of implausible facts and tons of sugary endings. This one is captivating, thought-provoking and mesmerizing. I couldn’t put it down.

The Pact is a book to savour. One that refuses to leave your mind long after the last page is turned. I would recommend it for any fiction fans, for any romance fans and for anyone who wants to read what happens to two families when reality gives them a dose of hard, teeth-rattling events.

My sister’s keeper is such a good book that they made a movie out of it. I was enthralled by the premise. A family, with two children, tries to fight the cancer one of them has. As the cancer starts to win, they come to realize that the only way to save their child was to magically find a donor. Rather than wait for a match to appear, they do IVF and create a donor. The story starts when that donor, who’s now a tween, decides she doesn’t want to continue donating to her sister.

All sorts of questions rose in my mind as I read the cover of the book. What will happen to Kate (the sibling with cancer) if Anna (the donor) wins her argument? What are the parents going to do? Do they have to choose between one sibling and another? Do they love one child more than the other? Can they let Anna have her way?

It is not just the ethics of the premise that stole my breath but the psychological impact of the situation, the haunting conversations between the characters and the twists and turns of the plot. Kate and Anna’s parents could have been me or anyone else. They are average people emotionally wrung out from having to cope with a child that has a vicious disease. They have tried to keep the family together, tried to maintain some sense of normalcy and have tried to cope. At times they have succeeded, and at others, they have failed. They make mistakes, they argue, they fight with each other. They are incredibly, achingly human and they made complete sense to me.

I ached for each person in this story and I loved the book for every page it gave me to read. It was simply glorious. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes fiction, a haunting story about a family going through incredibly difficult times and anyone who likes Jodi Picoult.

One note of warning: Do not watch the movie they have made of this book. I say this only because they have changed some things in the movie–most notably the ending and it is different from the book. I believe in respecting the author’s wishes for the story.