This post originally appeared on a blog site called "Rescue Dog Tales." He came with the name Pony-Pony. For obvious reasons, we changed it—quickly. But we didn’t go with my son’s suggestion: Brownie. To the child who’d named the goldfish with big eyes, Eyes, and the one with a gold cap, Hat… well, you get the picture. Instead, we admired the overgrown mane of this plain Jane equine and equated it with our favorite vintage animated cartoon character. Shaggy it was. Shaggy was

Access the audio version here. I avoid vacation. I don’t like the inconvenience of packing up and relocating to a place where I can do the same thing I can do from home. It drives my family crazy but honestly, it’s not my fault. Living in Philadelphia with its vast options for entertainment and recreation makes it easy for me to be a homebody. Quite frankly, I’m justified. So in August when I was invited to go on the rodeo “trail” with a friend of mine who’s a professional bu

Access the audio version here. Yeah, I have anxiety. For years I’ve said that I don’t but within every definition of the condition, it’s evident. I do. Leaving the house is an undeserved chore and I’d rather starve than watch the automatic doors greet me at the grocery. The thought of abandoning the isolated comfort of my cottage paralyzes me. But I do it. Because what I want in life makes the choice a necessary evil. I’m getting better at it. I’ve reduced my wardrobe to the