Search Results for: blog loving amp being loved

Fun and Free Activities for People and Pets

I’ve heard it said (and said it myself): a bored pet can be a destructive pet. Many animals are happiest when they have a job, be it herding sheep or performing tricks. But if your pet isn’t “employed” you can still keep him or her entertained. The best part is that it doesn’t have to cost a penny. Here are some fun, free activities for you and your pets! Grooming. Many pets like being brushed — it’s just a matter of finding the right brush and the right spot. My dog Moose, for example, is happy with any brush on … Continue reading →

Expect the Best

Expectations play a big part in our lives. Before we meet the one we are going to marry, we have certain expectations of what that person will be like. So long as these are realistic expectations and not based on the romantic idea of tall, dark and handsome, or blond and curvy or whatever the fantasy is, then expectations are a good thing. They are especially helpful if it helps us think through the type of person we are looking for and the qualities we would like them to have and those we know we could not cope with. When … Continue reading →

Rain or Shine, My Pets Are There

This hasn’t been a very easy year for me. In fact, of all my years on this Earth to date, this past one has been the most trying by far. And the most blues-filled. One After the Other It started last summer when we tried to move back to Jacksonville. Thankfully plans changed, but instead of life sailing along unencumbered as I’d hoped, I got sick in November –the same week Wayne moved home and we left to go to Denver for Thanksgiving. Then Wayne got sick, and I had a relapse and fell ill again. Come January and February … Continue reading →

Book Review: Did My First Mother Love Me?

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We don’t have enough books about the birthmother’s perspective on adoption (The Tummy Mummy and The Mulberry Bird being happy exceptions). Fortunately, one birthmother has written a book for her child to read if she ever asks whether her first mother loved her. Kathryn Ann Miller has fortunately chosen to share her response with all of us, realizing that not all of us will have access to our children’s birthparents and that not all birthparents will be able to articulate their feelings. Miller’s book: Did My First Mother Love Me? –A Story for an Adopted Child opens with a girl … Continue reading →

Gospel Questions: Turning My Back on My Brother

My non-member friend asked me: If I become a Mormon, does that mean I can’t talk to my gay brother? You absolutely do not have to give up a relationship with your brother if you join the Church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that marriage between a man and woman is ordained of God. Our Heavenly Father organized this world and set us here on the earth with the hopes that we would form family units, multiply and replenish the earth, and bring up our children with both a mother and a father, as much as … Continue reading →

Gypsy (1962) (1993)

“Gypsy” is a Sondheim musical based on the true life story of Gypsy Rose Lee, the most famous stripper in our history. This may seem like a strange movie for me to review, but let me explain why I found it worth discussing. Two versions of the film were done, one in 1962 and starring Natalie Wood and Rosalind Russell, the other made in 1993 and starring Bette Midler and Cynthia Gibb. I’ve seen them both, the Bette Midler version just last night. This review will encompass both films. Madame Rose has two daughters, one named Louise and the other, … Continue reading →

Book Review: The Mulberry Bird

The classic adoption book The Mulberry Bird, by Anne Braff Brodzinsky, seems to be one of those books that people either love or hate. I suspect that it all depends on the timing, which in turn depends on your child. Most people say their child loved it and seemed to find it reassuring. A couple of parents are sure it caused more trouble than it averted. I shared this ambivalence. I checked this book out of the library a couple of years ago and returned it without sharing it with my kids. This time, I put it on the shelf … Continue reading →

I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1998)

I watched “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” on the recommendation of a friend, and I really enjoyed it. The only way I could get my hands on it was to buy a used copy at Blockbuster, and I’m glad I forked over the money. It’s a keeper. Jonathan Taylor Thomas plays Jake Wilkinson, a college freshman who hasn’t spent Christmas at home since his mom died. The memories are just too painful for him, especially when his dad remarried not even a year after his mother’s passing. He’s become cynical and manipulative, not wanting to think about anyone but himself. … Continue reading →

Christmas Shopping for Your Mate

Buying a gift for a loved one can be tricky, time consuming, and complicated. In most cases, spouses want to buy a gift that their mates will enjoy and like. However, in some situations mates buy gifts just to satisfy the responsiblity of giving a gift. Some men are very in touch with the thoughts and ideas of their wives. They know what size clothing and shoes their wives wear and they know her likes and dislikes. They know her favorite stores and how to give her the surprise of a lifetime. These men usually have no trouble shopping and … Continue reading →

Family Fun At The State Fair—A Day Of Pig Races And Deep Fried Pickles

There aren’t too many places on the planet where you can watch a retired NASCAR announcer provide color commentary on a race between four pot-bellied pigs speeding around a sawdust track, and then 2 hours later gnaw unforgivably on a deep fried pork chop-on-a-stick. It happens daily at the Wisconsin State Fair. The annual 10-day event is famous around these parts for deep-fried everything, food-on-a-stick, a giant slide and world-class agricultural venues. What more could you ask for, right? That was my thought when I decided to brave the crowds (more than 800,000 descend on State Fair Park in Milwaukee … Continue reading →