After nearly 56 years on this planet, I think I may have finally figured out the whole “New Year” thing. I do not make resolutions – at least not any that impact my waistline. I will not keep them. An anniversary, my birthday, Arbor Day – some celebration will come up and all will be lost. I will then find myself defeated and adrift in a sea of guilt.
He doesn’t build toys, bake cookies or fly through the night delivering toys around the world, but he is one of Santa’s cutest helpers. For a few days every December, Santa Dog greets shoppers at the Bueche’s Food World in Flushing, collecting donations for the Humane Society of Genesee County. In his 40 years on the job, he’s raised an estimated $450,000!
Behind Champ’s deep, soulful eyes lies a story, one only he will ever know. That is because whoever had him before he arrived at the Humane Society of Genesee County dumped him in one of the dog runs behind the shelter after hours. That was more than 600 days ago.
Ever go somewhere on vacation and wonder how the locals are not in a constant state of giddiness about their surroundings? That recently happened to me and I was here at home, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula! I was on a boat tour of Pictured Rocks in Munising. The deckhands were more interested in chatting and looking at their phones than taking in the incredible view. I wondered, “Could they actually be bored with this?”
According to the Pareto principle, 80 percent of consequences come from 20 percent of causes. A formula frequently used to identify an organization’s problems and strengths, it is also the guiding principle behind the notion that most of the time, women only wear about 20 percent of the clothing items in their closets. Of course, that means 80 percent of what is in our closets goes unused.
Usually, the only time the word “resolution” enters my mind is at around 8:30 pm on December 31. I try to come up with a sweeping life change I will make over the next 365 days. It is always a worthwhile pursuit, like losing weight or being kind to everyone. You know the drill. By February 1, my lofty goals collide with donuts or bad drivers. I declare myself a failure and pledge to give it another go next year.
Does anyone actually use phones to make calls anymore? I like to call people, but I have recently learned that I am entirely uncool. Apparently, calling people on the phone is so 2007.
Quite a few people found new love during the pandemic, including me. No worries – my marriage is still solid. This great love of my life has four legs and a long tail. It started innocently enough. I was a television reporter back in May 2020, writing a story about new protocols animal shelters had to initiate to stay in-line with pandemic restrictions when introducing prospective pet parents to their potential new best buddies. Lonely people across the country were storming shelters to adopt pets.
When I open my personal email inbox, I am usually overwhelmed with invitations to shop from the many retailers whose offerings I browse online. The solicitations are filtered into one folder. I have been known to simply open that folder and hit “delete all” but in recent weeks, something has stopped me. I keep getting similar emails sent by everyone from small boutique owners to big-box store marketing departments, letting me know I can opt out of their Mother’s Day promotions. So far, I have deleted them all; but the sentiment gives me pause.
Since March 12, 2021 a pair of soulful, brown eyes have watched hopefully as people of all ages, races, shapes and sizes have passed by his cage. The sweet guy behind those eyes is a pit bull mix the Humane Society of Genesee County staff has named Ricco.
Of all the National (fill in the blank) Weeks we celebrate, only one runs two whole weeks. Go on, take a stab at it. What do you think it might be?
It’s official; I am a senior citizen. At least, that is my new reality according to seniorliving.org. While the site would not specify an age range for seniors, it politely points out that once you turn 55, you start to enter the senior age demographic.
