Mel Curtis

Barney was with us for 13 years. He was a six-month-old puppy when we got him. It seems he was the last of the litter and no one wanted him. But we sure did. Unfortunately, he wasn’t house trained and when he moved in, he determined where he would do his business and what chair would be his throne. He…

Today’s distraction was yard work. My yard guy was here today, so I decided to jump in and get dirty myself. Mostly moving dead plants from the deck and putting pots away for the winter. I usually wait until more plants die and use the deck into the fall. But I just didn’t feel like it this year. I don’t…

I wasn’t prepared for how his ashes would arrive, I guess I hadn’t thought about it. I was getting the free scatter container, so I assumed it might be no different than something the Amazon guys bring. But the vet brought it by personally and it was this nice little gift bag, and his ashes are in a container in…

I have always seen grief like the waves of the ocean. At first, they slam you hard and even knock you off your feet. But each successive wave gets smaller and easier to endure until you’re standing in a gentle wake and your pain has been washed out to sea, leaving you with just the memory of the storm and…

You never have to worry about what to say. Nobody knows what to say. Most anything works that conveys a sincere feeling of understanding. And just being there, or in your case, knowing you are there. What doesn’t really help me is the usual platitudes we use at times like this. Like…you know you loved him and he loved you…