When your dog gets excited, does he sneeze? I read on the internet, it means that they’re happy. Well then, our dog Scamp must be extra happy because when we’re getting ready to take our morning walk Charlie, Scamp, and me, our little fella turns into a sneezing fool. I mean, one sneeze right after another. It’s kind of funny unless you’re running late, then it’s kind of irritating. That’s because Scamp’s not a multi-tasker. If he’s sneezing, he can’t do anything else. Especially not sit still to don his halter and leash. Charlie was so taken with this trait, he wrote a poem about it. Hot to Trot Imagine you’re so hot to trot …

I was looking through old photo albums the other day, when I come across this Halloween gem. I don’t know what Irene and me were supposed to be, but it must have been some cold and crappy out. Check out the winter coats and boots. If you look close, you can see Irene has a knit hat on behind her cat mask. Maybe that’s why she’s holding it up, instead of wearing it. (That mask was probably a tight fit with the hat on.) I think I see the hint of a hood behind my mask. And what’s up with Irene’s cape, with the dancing circus dogs on it? My biggest concern when I look …

I thought I’d try something different this week, and do a video blog. I’ve been studying up on the fall fashion trends. Here they are in action. Enjoy! That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side! Coming Up This Fall  November 9-11: Makin’ Whoopie!, The Public Theatre, Friday at 7:00pm, Saturday at 3:00 & 7:00pm, Sunday at 2:00pm, Lewiston, ME December 10: A Holly Jolly Holiday with Ida, The Footlights Theatre, 2:00pm & 7:00pm, Falmouth, ME December 11: All New!, A Holly Jolly Holiday with Ida Kittery Lion’s Club (sponsored the Kittery Historical and Naval Museum), 7:00pm, Kittery, ME Check out my full schedule here. Join my mailing list. I’ll let you know when a new blog post goes up, where …

Last Saturday morning, our household was up earlier than usual. Charlie was going canoeing with the boys for a few days, and Scamp and me were gearing up for our little spouse-cation. I made eggs and toast for Charlie, sending him off in style, then Scamp and me went for a walk. It was going on 5:30 AM by then, and still dark outside. I don my reflective vest and grab the poop light and off we go. One of the things I love about my fourteen pound personal trainer is that he gets me outside and moving every day. This particular morning, it was in the mid-forties: crisp, clear, and blissfully quiet. It feels …

So, I’m working checkout at the A&P, right? When I hear this conversation out of the corner of my ear: two women, voices lowered, talking fast in a urgent sort way. I mean, who wouldn’t listen in? “He wakes me up every morning at 5:00.” “Every morning?” “Like clockwork. I don’t mind it so much on week days. I have to be up for work, anyways. But, it’s the weekends, too.” “You think he’d let you sleep in at least one morning.” “Nope. He just won’t give it a rest. At first I thought it was kind of cute, you know? But frankly, it’s wearing me down!” “I don’t blame you. Not every morning.” Well, …

Is it too early to switch over your clothes? I don’t know! Once minute, you’re eyeing that cable knit sweater. The next, it seventy degrees out. Same goes for that batch of soup you made on Friday when it was so chilly out. Then, you had to freeze it because it got hot and muggy. Early fall is funny like that. But, I don’t really mind it all that much. Heck, I’ll take every scrap of warm weather I can get! Charlie and me walk Scamp every morning around 6:00. But since the days are shorter now, it’s dark then. That means we have to don our reflective vests and Charlie brings what we call …

I’ve never seen as many dead squirrels in the road as I have this year. How about you? Charlie hasn’t written a poem in awhile, but this squirrel situation made him come out of retirement. Dead Rodents Everywhere! Walking Scamp along the road ‘Twas like a battlefield we strode We couldn’t help but stop and stare: Dead rodents everywhere! Squirrels a-plenty, chipmunks, too And there were more than just a few Critters free of all enslavement Plastered there upon the pavement Acorn hunting in the street Doesn’t always end up sweet They just don’t get alot of warning From commuters in the morning Caffeinated, running late Who has got the time to wait For some …

Me and the Women Who Run With the Moose were down to the Bangor Mall the other day. You know, living la vida loca. Came time for lunch, and we went to this cute little café that just opened up. (Can’t remember the name.) I ordered a Chipotle Chicken Panini with a side of sweet potato fries. After the waitress left the table, I says to the girls, “It just dawned on me, if we walked in here ten years ago, we wouldn’t know what half the things on this menu are. We’d be like, “What the heck’s a Panini?” “I know!” Betty adds. “Now, we get disappointed if they hand us a menu and …

So I go into Cumbies to pick up a Cow Tail. (For those of you who’ve led a sheltered life, that’s a caramel candy.) It was a reward for .…..well, I can’t remember what right now, but I know I deserved it at the time. I just love them things! Anyhoo, behind the counter is this guy from away whose name is Guy. That’s what it says on his name tag. I’ve seen him there before, but don’t know hardly nothing about him. See, his demeanor doesn’t exactly invite conversation. He must be about my age, I’m guessing: glasses, gray hair and mustache. Big chain around his neck that must have had a gold finish …

Why am I seeing apples on trees and yesterday at the Rite Aid, Halloween candy? That’s just not right! Summer just got started! The older I get, the quicker the seasons pass. Well, not winter. That one tends to linger, doesn’t it? While sweet, sweet summer is like a blink of the eye. Granted, this summer was a hot one. How hot was it? Well, it was so hot, you break a sweat just sitting there watching the tube. It was so hot, you could fry an egg on the sidewalk, bacon on the hood of your car: sizzling! It was so hot, my house has become a no underwear/no shoe zone. Just a loose …