Dear Kathy Griffin, You're a Grown-Up...I Think

Dear Kathy Griffin,

I'd like to start out by simply saying I'm not a Trump fan, nor am I a Hillary fan, this has nothing to do with politics, so get that out of your head right now. What I am is a single mother who works hard everyday to teach her child that their actions, their decisions have consequences, sometimes good and sometimes bad. I'm also trying to teach him to think before he acts, to determine what will happen if he makes a certain choice? See, I want my child to be prepared for life...and if he makes a bad decision (he's human), there will be consequences he won't like and he has no right to complain about. Why? Because he made the decision to do what he did, it was in his control, it was his choice, no one held a gun to his head. 

Maybe you missed this life-lesson when growing up, maybe you've lived in Hollywood too long, I don't know. What I do know is you made a conscious decision to pose for that photograph. I'm sure you thought ahead about what might happen and you still made the choice, no one held a gun to your head to participate in that photoshoot...now deal with the consequences of your choice. Anyone with half a brain could figure out what would happen next. Boo-freakin'-hoo that people are saying mean things about you, you made your choice. Who flippin' cares that Trump (and his family) are mad at you, if you posted a gross picture like that with one of my family members or of me so my child could see, I'd be livid with you too, but you made your choice, you can't cry about it. And you can't be upset that people are generally upset with you, you lost the empathy card as soon as the photo was released. Besides, don't Hollywood black holes such as yourself suck up all the attention they can get, positive or negative? No, I don't think all Hollywood folks are black holes, so don't try and turn that statement around. YOU CHOSE to help create a grotesque photo under the guise of art / political statement, now sleep in the bed YOU made (which probably looks like the horse head scene from The Godfather).

See Kathy, this isn't a political post, it's a post about grown-ups being grown-ups and taking responsibility for their choices, not pointing the finger at someone else. Last time I looked, you appear to be a grown-up so stop being a victim and own your choice. You obviously have reasons for choosing to do what you did as vile and distasteful as it was. If my 11 year old child understands this concept someone as old as you are should too. Stand-up, own your choice, grow a set (of ovaries) and deal with the ramifications of your actions. Honestly, count your blessings you aren't rotting in jail for threatening the President of the United States, many people have gone to jail for less. You should also thank your lucky stars that you live in a country that allows you to make bad decisions, such as this, with the only backlash being mean words people are saying about you. I'm hoping you learned your lesson on this one and you grow up.

Sincerely,

A Mother Who's Trying to Raise Her Son to Own His Choices

Review: Blue Apron

A couple of months ago I reviewed the Hello Fresh food subscription service and wasn't wowed by it. This time I'm reviewing Blue Apron's service after receiving a coupon in the mail for $30 off your first order. When I try these services I often think, "if this could reduce shopping at the grocery store while still providing delicious, easy to prepare food, I'm willing to give it a try." As a single mom it's a struggle to find tasty, quickly prepared meals that can be cooked up after a long day at work or kid's sporting practices. I know, I could prep food for the week on the weekend, but honestly I'm exhausted by then. I have just enough energy to quickly vacuum up the pet fuzz and run out the door to wherever we're going that day. When sleeping in until 8:00 AM makes me feel guilty because I could have been up at five and accomplished a ton already, ugh! Sorry, single-mom exhaustion got the best of me.

The Blue Apron site is easy to navigate, you don't have to guess where to go and they shepherd you through the sign-up process quickly and easily. They do have an add-on wine service where they'll send you bottles of wine to pair with each of your meals. I didn't opt for this since I'm not a wine drinker, so I can't speak to the quality or brands of wine they would ship. They have two plans, a two-person that ships three meals a week for $59.94 / week ($9.99 / meal) or a family (four-person) plan that ships two meals a week for $69.92 / week ($8.74 / meal). I selected the family plan so there would be left-overs that are easily reheatable for a quick meal later in the week.

Unlike Hello Fresh which shipped out almost immediately, Blue Apron took a couple weeks to ship the first box. That's fine, I waited. The day arrived when I got home from work and saw the box by the front door. Picked it up and brought it inside. The box was in good condition, nothing was leaking and there were no foul smells emanating from it. Off to a good start. Opened it up and right on top were the recipe cards and extra cards on spices as well as an ad for their wine service. Everything was securely packed with the produce on top and the meats with ice packs on the bottom separated by a cardboard divider. I was impressed with the egg holder and the eggs were intact when opened. The produce looked fresh and both produce and meats were sustainable, non-GMO and organic. The one complaint I have with these services is what do you do with all the ice packs? I've saved a couple, so now I have a variety of sizes, great for the myriad of bumps and bruises that occur with the kiddo. But what do you do with the rest? Mine just went out with the trash. Put everything in the fridge and disassembled the box.

I tried the Pesto Shrimp & Gnocchi with roasted broccoli first. My son helped cooked which is rare. He made me promise not to burn the broccoli and add more garlic. What can I say, he's a kid after my own heart in regards to using garlic when cooking (proud mom, lol). We got everything chopped up and ready to go. The directions we not as clear as some recipes, I had to re-read everything multiple times to ensure I completed all the steps. This really slowed down the process, especially when putting on / taking off my "cheaters" to read. Ah the woes of getting old... Finally got everything cooked up and plated. It looked nice, smelled good while cooking but the flavor fell flat. It was ok. My son and I ate it, but wouldn't cook this recipe again on our own. One of the steps I didn't do was add salt at every step, literally. Add a veggie, put in salt. Add the next ingredient, put in salt, add a spoonful of this, put in salt. It appeared to be an excessive amount of salt, but this could, in part, have added to the bland flavor.

Next up was Pimento Cheeseburgers roasted Carrots & Parsnips. I was excited for this recipe, 1. who doesn't love a good burger, 2. who doesn't love pimento cheese spread and 3. who doesn't love roasted parsnips? Ok well, I know a lot of you may be going "ooh gross" to a couple of these items, I'm sorry, that you don't like these things. Just kidding, burgers aren't for everyone 😉. This recipe was clearer than the other, but again, I've read easier-to-follow recipe cards. The pimento spread was easy to make and it was tasty. The burgers are cooked in a frying pan, if the weather had cooperated I would have grilled them instead. The recipe for the burgers was pretty bland (in my opinion), beef, salt & pepper. I did use more salt than the last recipe and felt like I was using way too much. Anyway, the pimento spread on the burger was a great addition, I will definitely be trying this one again on my own.

Here is the list of recipes that I tried over the next few weeks:

• Cod & Tomato Stew - not looking forward to this one
• Moroccan Spiced Lamb & Beef Tagine - delicious if you like this flavor palate are aren't afraid of carbs (has both brown rice and potatoes)
• Chicken & Rice Casserole - boring, boring, boring, no matter how much salt I added
• Catfish Katsu & Yakiniku Sauce - the radishes marinated in the sauce & sauteed cabbage make this dish
• Roasted Pork with Apple Walnut Farro Salad - liked the Farro salad, the rest was bland
• Pimento Cheeseburgers - good combination, boring burger
• Pesto Shrimp & Gnocchi - an ok recipe, again not for the carb-adverse
• And one recipe I totally forgot, obviously not that memorable.

Pros & Cons: Overall the service was good I didn't have to call Customer Service, the shipment always arrived on-time and without damage to the box or contents with the exception of the arugula in the Tagine. The price is a bit more than Hello Fresh, but not by much. The recipes could be easier to read and follow and have more flavor with less salt. The "knick-knack" bags that held the smaller liquids, spice packets, butter, etc were a neat touch and it also included nutritional information, great for those who are watching / recording what they eat. I would recommend this service as long as you're not sensitive to salt and aren't looking for super spicy or flavorful dishes. Some of the prep work does take longer than indicated on the card, especially if you're not a professional.

If you've had experience with this service or any others, please feel free to leave your recommendations and feedback, we'd love to hear it.

Review: Drinking Tree Juice?

I like to try new things and am always browsing the "different" drink section seeing what is on the market. On my last trip to the store ran across Drink Maple, a natural electrolyte beverage. So I picked it up and read the ingredients, there was one: Organic Maple Water. It wasn't filled with sugar, it has no artificial colors or chemicals and who doesn't like maple flavor? This was great news since I'm always looking for a Gatorade replacement for my son. Plopped it in my cart and was on my way.

Later that night my son and I decided to crack it open. He was skeptical asked what maple water was and took a big swig. I was hoping he would think it tastes like pancakes, at least that'd the preconceived notion I had. Unfortunately, he was not impressed. He took another sip but it didn't get any better for him. My turn. Definitely had the consistency of water. Was not too sweet and had the distinct taste of maple, but wasn't overwhelming. I liked it, but probably wouldn't buy it again. That's just our preference. If you love all things maple, you NEED to try this.

In reading more about the company it was founded by two triathletes, Kate Weiler & Jeff Rose looking for a better product to use. In addition, http://www.drinkmaple.com/givingback/ each bottle sold will supply 200 gallons of clean water to individuals in developing nations wrought with drought and disease. Very cool of the company to do this.

Bottomline, as long as you like or love maple and are looking for an alternative beverage that isn't filled with crap ingredients, I'd give this one a try. What are some of your electrolyte replacement favorites?

However You Say It...Happy New Year!

2016...what can I say about it? This year has flown by with 50 hour work weeks, the never-ending tide of football, soccer, lacrosse & basketball while trying to squeeze in a work-out and grocery shopping...let's just say it's been batshit crazy this year. I know I'm not alone with those sentiments, time has flown by with gale force winds pushing us through time with no control. Now I find myself waiting to bring in the New Year and hoping the next one is better. So I got to thinking, why do we even celebrate New Year's? What is so darn special about the passing of time other than it inches us closer to meeting our maker? Well, we get to hang a new calendar, we get to "forget" the last year, we get a fresh slate to start anew...well, I don't hang calendars, I can't forget the last year and I have too many more gray hairs and wrinkles to start fresh. Nope, I'm a realist, nothing magical is going to happen on the first, so why do we even bother? Well it seems humans have been celebrating the New Year before Jesus was born, 2000 B.C. to be correct, but then the Mesopotamian "new year" was in what we call March and was aligned with the vernal equinox where many farmers would begin their planting. It wasn't until the Romans in 153 B.C. moved it to January 1st coinciding with elected officials starting their terms. Also, keep in mind those Romans increased the year from 355 days to 445 days just to mess with people's heads (I'm sure there was some logic to it). It wasn't until 1582 when we finally got to our current 365 days in a year with the adoption of the Gregorian calendar and through the centuries New Year's Day moved in relation to what those in power thought best. And new to me, New Year's Day is also a day of celebrating the circumcision of Jesus. He was Jewish after all and on the 8th day of life is traditionally when Jewish boys are circumcised...eight days after Christmas...think about it, "Happy New Year! SNIP-SNIP"

While we're singing "Auld Lang Syne" not everyone around the world is celebrating with us. For many people the New Year falls at a different time and has different meanings & traditions associated with it. Here are some examples:

• Ethiopian New Year called Enkutatash. It is celebrated on September 11 (September 12 in leap years). The new year is the end of the summer rainy season.
• Chinese New Year is the first day of the lunar calendar and is corrected for the solar every three years. The holiday normally falls between January 20 and February 20. The holiday is celebrated with food, families, lucky money (usually in a red envelope), and many other red things for good luck.
• Thai New Year is celebrated on April 13 or April 14 and is called Songkran. People usually come out to splash water on one another. The throwing of water originated as a blessing. By capturing the water after it had been poured over the Buddhas for cleansing and then using this "blessed" water to give good fortune to elders and family by gently pouring it on the shoulder.
• Hijri New Year in the Islamic culture is also known as Islamic new year is the day that marks the beginning of a new Islamic calendar year. New Year moves from year to year because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar. The first day of the year is observed on the first day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar.
• Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, is celebrated by Jews throughout the world. The date is not set according to the Gregorian calendar, but it always falls during September or October. The holiday is celebrated by religious services and special meals.

Whether you're celebrating on the 1st of January or another time, whether it's to flush the past or welcome the future we all can find at least one thing (maybe more) to embrace and be thankful for. Here's to another year ahead, more "natural" highlights and a few more smile lines.

2017 Here We Come!

Santa Died This Year & I Miss Him

This was the year. The year my kid stopped believing in Santa. I'm sitting here, sipping coffee from my percolator, contemplating what it means when your child stops believing in Santa. To me it's akin to a balloon popping but with no fun confetti flying everywhere, just a loud noise followed by silence.

I don't remember when I stopped believing, I do remember I was ok with it. I didn't have an older sibling to spoil it for me and I wasn't bombarded with TV and other social media saying it wasn't true, it just happened naturally. My son and I had the conversation last year and I left it up to him whether Santa was real or not. He asked and I simply responded back with, "Well, what do you think?" It worked, barely. This year was different. He came to the conversation armed with what his friends at school said, what he saw on TV and said, "Mom, you have to tell me the TRUTH. Don't lie to me!" I again asked him what he thought, he said he knew Santa wasn't real and stared me down like a cop interrogating a witness, just looking for any tell-tale signs I was fibbing. So right then and there I made the choice not to lie. I took a deep breath and told him he was right, there was no Santa. Those were hard words for me to say and I never knew how much I was going to dread saying them until I was forced to.

For me, having to tell my son there is no Santa (or tooth fairy, or Easter bunny) signified an end to innocence, an end to the belief in magic, an end to the simplicity of imagination and childhood. I wanted one more year where I had to wrap gifts in the middle of the night and write out tags saying, "From: Santa" one more year where we would snuggle up and watch the Norad Santa Tracker and falling asleep just minutes before Santa flew over our house. The fun of moving Mr. Igglewiggle (our Elf on the Shelf) from place to place, seeing the notes and goodies he brought back from the North Pole. Just one more year where he believed in the magic and the possibility of his imagination.

This year was different. When I brought something home that was a Christmas gift, I just told him to go in the other room while I stored it away. He touched Mr. Igglewiggle for the first time ever as we made him our tree topper beside the angel. He would say things like, "Now that you don't have to buy all the gifts that Santa used to bring, you can save that money and we can go to Disney." His mind automatically went to the practical aspect of it. But I'm left with the longing for that magic that only Santa brings. The wonder and excitement in his eyes talking about the North Pole and Rudolph, he believed and through him I got to believe again too.

I always knew this day would come, but now Christmas is different. So, if your child still believes let them for as long as possible, enjoy the wonder and excitement they have because before you know it, it'll be lost forever.

Review: BarkBox - Fun Stuff for the Dog in Your Life

At this moment I have "Dogs just wanna have fun. Oh they wanna have fu-un" going through my head in the tune of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" from 1983. Yes, it's my '80s reference for the day, I can't help it. Now, some dogs like to cuddle with their families, some have the attention span of Dug from "Up" -- "Squirrel!" Some are just plain Fruitloops. Regardless of their personality, they end up being members of our families and as we know, some have more dysfunctional families than others. Anyway...a co-worker of mine loves to talk about his dog and what kind of mischief he (the dog) gets into. One day he (the co-worker) comes in and was talking about how his dog loves getting his monthly BarkBox package. So of course I had to ask, "What the heck is a BarkBox?" in my most incredulous tone. He goes on to explain it's a monthly subscription of goodies sent to your dog. These goodies are toys and treats all neatly packaged and ready for your pooch's enjoyment. Me, always looking for neat things to try and write about said, "Send me the link!"

I clicked on the link and it took me to the BarkBox site. They walk you through the signup process with fun cartoons / graphics. You get to pic your dog's size, the monthly plan from one month to 12, the more months the cheaper is it per month, and because my friend sent his referral link not only did he get a free month, so did I. How awesome is that? The website is straight-forward and easy to navigate and find what you need. They have neat little graphics, fun dog pics and "dog language" like "Spread the ruv..." throughout the site. It made signing up fun and easy! I signed up for six months, for a small dog at $24 / mos.

Like the litter in the background?

My son and I eagerly waited for the first box to arrive. He was just as excited as I was to see what Gizmo would do with it. The day came and it was waiting on the porch when we got home. We brought it in and let Gizmo sniff the box. We popped it open and everything was neatly packaged. There were five items in the box, two toys and three treats. The toys appeared to be well made and the treats were healthy. Gizmo sniffed the contents and you could tell he wanted to the toys, but then again what dog doesn't? Tags came off, dog got toys...and they actually lasted longer than most of the store bought toys we've had and disposed of within minutes. Gizmo is one of the best destroyers of toys I've seen in a long time. He can literally shred, pull apart, get the squeaker out, remove an arm or ear within minutes of putting his mouth on it. He can remove the inside stuffing of a toy quicker than The Flash can get a cup of joe at Jitters. Regardless, he loved his

Inside Box before Gizmo!

first BarkBox, he loved the toys and the treats. Which in turn made my son and I happy. It was a BIG hit with the pooch.

We've received a few other BarkBoxes since the first and each one has been a hit with the doggie. However since Gizmo loves to destroy the toys, I emailed them and asked if they had recommendations or other options I could choose from. In less than 24 hours they responded with a very fun email with lots of "dog language" like "Howloo" instead of hello and "Pee.S." instead of P.S. and provided me with two options one which was free and one that was a upgrade. How often do you find a company that will make a change that's free instead of just saying that the only option available is at an extra cost? I liked that! And even though it took me a couple weeks to respond, when I did they made the change without hassle and responded within a few hours. Yes, I said a few hours and it's Christmas Eve. I know they have template emails and maybe even a robo-email program, but it's still nice, as a customer, to receive a response that quickly and without a ton of hassle. What can I say, another plus for this company. 

First BarkBox

I'll have to let you know how the stronger toys hold up against The Fruitloop, but I have nothing but positive things to say about BarkBox and their customer service. If you have a pup it's definitely worth a shot. Enjoy!!

BarkBox main page: www. barkbox.com

Referral link: https://www.barkbox.com/r/K1DEW1ZDO7

He's a Pistol, That's for Sure

Before I had my son, I had two dogs, Jack the Pomeranian and Joshua the Pekingese. Jack was with me for 12 years and Joshua, 17. They were my very first doggies and will hold a very special place in my heart. They were my loyal companions before my son and it broke my heart when they had to cross over the Rainbow Bridge. I still, to this day, remember their personalities and everyone once in a while have managed to call the cats, by their names.

Joshua

My son only remembers Joshua but they never bonded. Joshua was "old" by the time my son understood what a good friend a dog could be and Joshua just thought my son moved way too quick. Soon after that my son started asking for a dog of his own. I wasn't ready for another dog, it was too much work taking care of Joshua in his senior years, so I compromised and we rescued two cats, Boo and Shadow. This was my first foray into cats and it took some getting used to. They didn't always come when called, they didn't wag their tails when we got home for the day and they were just all-around goof balls, chasing each other, jumping to the top of cabinets and being nosy. Joshua wanted nothing to do with them, they also moved way too quick when all he wanted to do was sleep. They are good cats, very people-friendly and when it suits them, enjoy our company and each sleep with one of us at night. I still think they're kooky, but in a loveable way.

Shadow & Boo

Getting the cats appeased my son for a while. And I have to admit, they are more appealing to me than a lizard or snake (no offense to any reptile owners). In that time Joshua passed away so we were solely a cat home. It was nice for a while not having to worry about letting the dog out and cleaning the crate out. But something was missing. The cats, as wonderful as they are, simply are different from a dog. My son began to ride the bus home from school and we began to give serious thought about adding a new member to our family. My son and I discussed and agreed that we would BOTH have to like the dog and the dog would have to like us. My son would have to help with its care, walking it, picking up the poop, etc. The search in earnest began. We would looked online at the Humane Society of Northwestern PA, the A.N.N.A. Shelter and Because You Care and began to visit on the weekends. We met several dogs, but either we didn't agree on the dog or the dog showed no interest in us. I promised my son that when the right dog came along, there would be no doubt, we would love it and it would love us. Then one day it happened. We were at Because You Care to meet another dog. Unfortunately (or fortunately) that dog wasn't a match for us. On a whim we decided to meet Gizmo. They brought him into the meeting area and he came right over to us, wagging his tail and wanting to give us kisses. I think we knew right away we wanted him to become a member of the family.

We began the adoption process at Because You Care which started with an application and a check for the adoption fee. The adoption process was then explained to us. It wasn't a take-your-dog-home-see-ya-later type of process. They checked your vet and personal references. They came to your home and you had to show them where the dog would be inside and outside, have a post, fenced yard or run set up and they talked to you about your daily schedule, other pets in the house, all with the goal of ensuring the animal was going to a loving, safe home AND would work well with your life-style. You could tell the staff at Because You Care really wanted the adoption to be successful, for everyone to be happy. Also, part of the process was they didn't cash your check for the adoption fee until after the adoption was finalized. They aren't just after your money.

We got the call a couple days later that we had been approved for the in-home trial. My son and I were very excited, nervous, but excited. We went and got food, a crate, treats and toys for Gizmo. We picked him up on a Friday after work and the fun began. The first night and next day Gizmo was calm, ignored the cats and liked to sit on our laps. However as he became more comfortable with us and his surroundings it all changed. He showed aggression towards people coming into the house and barked at everything when outside, people walking, cars and bicycles passing, other dogs, leaves, you name it, he barked at it. When inside he would bark at everything when looking out the windows, started chasing and barking at the cats, grabbed and chewed socks, shoes, paper, anything that wasn't up high or in a closet. He also began to try and take food off our plates when we were eating on the couch. After a couple days of this my son and I were at our wit's end. I called Because You Care and explained what was going on, what the behavior was and we were considering giving Gizmo back. She shared with me more about Gizmo's history, that he came from a neglected, possibly abusive situation, that the prior owners called them and stated to come and get the animal or they were going to shoot him. Because You Care jumped in and rescued him immediately. She asked for us to be patient and recommended I speak with a dog behaviorist about Gizmo where they could evaluate him and provide guidance on how to work with him. I agreed to try this approach. My son and I were dedicated to try and make it work.

Gizmo

I began talking with Kel Ertl at Compatible Canine Companions. I shared with her Gizmo's behavior and asked for help. She explained a lot about the terrier breed, none of which I really knew (shame on me for not understanding prior to adopting) and possible reasons why he was acting out. I agreed to bring Gizmo out for an evaluation and to have her help my son and I on training techniques. Of course when we met Kel, Gizmo was on his "good" behavior, even when he met Kel's own dogs. We learned several techniques on what to train on and how to accomplish it. It was a very positive session and very glad we went. I'd recommend working with her if you have negative behavior in your dog that you'd like to see reduced or eliminated.

My son and I began working with Gizmo and found he's a smart, little guy who picked up on basic commands like "sit" and "down" quickly. We're currently working on "give it,", "stay" and come. The "give it" command is a must have with him. If a closet door is left open or clothes on the floor, he will find it in a split second and go. He is still requiring a treat for "give it," but that is much better than chewed shoes and socks. However, he seems to have a stubborn streak, not unlike my son :-) or maybe it's just his terrier instinct, when it comes to people-food on a plate and the darn cats. Many f-bombs have been dropped so far, but I'm working on that too, lol. Luckily the cats have their safe, dog-free places to go and Shadow is not afraid to chase Gizmo, which he thinks is a game. Boo has learned to just lie there and let Gizmo sniff and play, he'll tolerate Gizmo for a bit then gets up and runs away. The cat-dog relationship is still evolving and we're still working with Gizmo on the "leave it" command to draw his attention away from the cats. I believe we're going to need a new plan of attack for the food situation. He shows no food aggression when it comes to his dog food. Since it's just my son and I, we eat in front of the TV (no judging, lol). The little booger is quick and yesterday got my taco off the plate and all over the chair. Not a good night. It's times like that we force ourselves to remember where he came from, remember his positive traits and understand how we can help him become a better doggie. I'm not going to lie, it's challenging.

Gizmo

Not only are we working through the behaviors, Gizmo is a very active dog, if you couldn't tell from the above comments. It's a characteristic of the breed and the fact he's not even a year old yet, his birthday is coming up at the beginning of December. As I think back, I remember Jack and Joshua in their younger days, both were active as well. I lost a couple pairs of shoes and jeans to Jack and the corner of a dresser and half an aloe vera plant to Joshua. Gizmo is just a youngster still. We keep him exercised by walks, playing with him outside, taking him to the Humane Society's Dog Park for exercise and socialization and playing with him inside, fetch down the hall is a favorite. He's extremely agile and loves to bounce. If I had more time and we work on his commands, I could see him as an agility dog, he's flipping fast! Even with all that, he has energy to burn. We are toying with the idea of getting him a doggie friend he could play with. I waffle back and forth about this idea. Jack and Joshua got along wonderfully with each other, they would play, groom and sleep next to each other as well as having bonded with me. There are lot of things to consider, that I'm mulling over. I want to be sure we do what's right for the dogs and what's right for us, so no one ends up miserable. We are looking for a calmer dog who likes to play and will also bond with its humans.

Why am I sharing my experience with you? Honestly, I went into this with rose-colored glasses, thinking that we'd bring a dog home and everything would just...work. I did no research on breeds and didn't have a full understanding about their possible history and how it may affect their behavior. I just knew we were ready for a new family member and that we wanted to rescue. I can't say enough good things about the experience at Because You Care and Compatible Canine Companions they have helped us through the transition. When you're ready to adopt, I'd recommend: 

• Work with an organization that understands the rescue & adoption process and can provide guidance if things aren't perfect, one that isn't simply out to place as many animals with families regardless of the fit and collect a check. 
• Do research on different breeds and understand which ones may work well with your lifestyle.
• Be prepared to spend time training away bad behaviors and reinforcing positive ones. 
• And most of all, be honest with yourself and whether you're ready for a new family member. If you're not, there's no shame in that, it's better you figure it out sooner rather than bringing a dog home for a few months and figuring it out then.

I'm still convinced rescuing Gizmo was the right choice, even with his baggage. He has a couple nicknames, Bat Dog because when his ears are up, it looks like a bat and Fruit Loop, because that is exactly how he is sometimes. And while we have more work to do, I know with dedication, patience and love, we can get to that happy family space.

a.k.a. Bat Dog

If you have an adoption story you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you.

Website References:

• Because You Care
• Compatible Canine Companions
• Humane Society's Dog Park
• List of Erie Dog Parks
• List of Erie Rescue Groups