A couple of things

I hadn’t planned on this, but I think I will take the rest of the week off. It is the last week in August, things are slow as molasses, and I need a short vacation from cranking out the content. I will be back on Monday.

Meanwhile, meet Clara Bow! She came to live with us a few days ago, and is six years old. She’s already had quite a journey: as a puppy, she was rescued from a kill shelter, and then adopted by a family. But Clara freaks out around strangers—especially strange men—and can be a biter under those circumstances. The family couldn’t deal with that and surrendered her to Vanderpump Dogs, a shelter in West Hollywood. While that part of the story breaks my heart—because she went on to be at the shelter for 14 months, longer than any other dog there—if they hadn’t surrendered her, we would not have had the chance to add her to the family.

And she is just exactly the right addition: a very funny girl, spirited and sassy and playful, and the biggest cuddle bug there ever was. Adopting her was contingent on her and Mister getting along, of course, and that was a big if. But Clara quickly learned to give Mister a wide berth—he kind of adorably swats her little head with his paw to keep her in line. And now I not only think he tolerates her, but is actually happy she is here. They’ve been sleeping together at the end of the bed, and when my friend Ann came over the other day, she noted that Mister seemed livelier, and I think it is true.

I hope you are all enjoying the waning days of summer—it’s getting darker earlier and earlier, and the jig is mostly up. I’m so looking forward to September, and the fresh start it represents.