The Barn Door: My town is going to the dogs

I post every month over at this great blog about life in the Midwest. Today’s entry is about the dog parks in the small towns near me and how it’s a shame people don’t know what they’re there for. Check it out.

Going to a dog park does more than give the dog exercise. If that were the only goal, taking them for walks would be the only activity required. Heck, it would benefit the humans, as well., Who couldn’t use a little workout twice a day? Dogs need to socialize with other dogs in the same way humans need to interact with other humans. How would you like it if you were raised by apes and never allowed to come within 100 yards of another human being? You’d probably assume you were being kept from them because they were dangerous to you. You might even start to think that you were an ape instead of a human, and that they were aliens.

via The Barn Door: My town is going to the dogs.

The Barn Door: Living Many Lives

It was time for my monthly post at The Barn Door a few days ago.  I went out and took several pictures of the farm I used to live on and then posted about how the location was the inspiration for my Coffman Cozy Mystery series..

On the 28th of every month, I will be posting something at The Barn Door about life in the Midwest, but the site has many contributors all talking about their lives in the Midwest also. Here’s a snippet of what I had to say, but I hope you will click the link at the end to read some of the other great posts.

As a writer, I can bring back the past if I want to. Or I can change the present to one that isn’t possible in reality. When the family decided it was time to sell the farm, I was lucky enough to be able to afford the small house, but not the other buildings or acres of farm land. I had a dream, you see, of filling the big house with artists and writers and composers. Adding a spirit of creativity to the existing aura of love and joy and peacefulness.

via The Barn Door: Living Many Lives.