Dottie turns one year old today and we are off to celebrate her birthday with her brother, sisters, mom, grandma and assorted guardian humans. It should be fun!

Update: Here are a couple of party pics…

(left to right) Sister Lexie, Dottie, Hannah, Grandma Flora, sister Blondie, mama Annika, brother Lego

Grandma Flora and Dottie get airborne for hamburger “birthday cake”… yum!

I couldn’t sleep for anything the other night. Intending to drag myself out of bed around 3:00 am to watch the lunar eclipse, I found myself wakeful before midnight, mind-grinding on lawsuits, county inspections and staff schedules. Eventually I gave up and went out into the night. The air was unusually balmy and the sky—clear and brilliantly lit by the full moon—was almost bright enough to read by. Even with supplemental light, my eyes kept straying from my book to the sky until finally, the partial eclipse began. For an hour or so I lay in the hammock and watched as the sky got darker and the moon got smaller, further entertained by occasional shooting stars. Finally, just after the moon turned orange and the eclipse was total, trees blocked my view. Not yet ready for sleep I drove the Toyota down the road to a spot where I had big sky and the world to myself. Then the magic really began. Laying on the hood of the truck, luxuriously warmed by residual engine heat, serenaded by cricket song and the hum of the highway (or was it surf?) my worries drifted away. I felt more at peace than I remember being in a long while and it was glorious.

Even sleep deprived, the high lasted for a full day. Then, as fatigue set in, legal woes once again interfered with my mental tranquility. Last night was awful and this morning worse, as renewed tension created friction between Steve and me. After dropping him off at work, I called the Center to say I was running late. Instantly, Marcey recognized something was wrong and by the time I arrived she had rallied the troops (Joanne and Kim) to support me through whatever it was. Greeting me at the door with concerned looks and ready sympathy, they asked if my dogs were okay.

THAT helped me put things in perspective. Everyone I love (canine, feline and human) is alive and well. I work in the best place with the best people ever. And after a good (albeit weird) work day, totally by chance, we went out to dinner at the same time and place as Mike and Westi. We had the fun of sharing a meal with them and Westi even picked up the tab!

Okay… life is a bit more of a roller coaster than I would like but maybe—with the help of caring friends, family, sweet dogs and a goofy cat, not to mention a good lawyer and the absolute prince of real estate agents—we are going to make it through.

Maybe.