Sometimes I wonder what posseses me. Okay, I have been trying to streamline my life and have shed some writing/editing jobs that no longer "fulfilled" me or fit into my business plan -- it was a good feeling. I now had free time. What was I going to do with it?!

Apparently, free time and sleeping through the night were not high on my priority list because on Monday, I got a puppy. Her name is Henrietta Madison and she is a mini-poodle. She is so tiny (1 and a half pounds) that she looks like a guinea pig when she is outside walking around in the lawn. I am afraid the cats, if given the chance and if they had any natural hunting instincts, would be stalking her for an early morning snack.

She is rather cute and has definitely made herself at home. She has even won over the heart of our 100 pound dog, Spenser. To give Spenser his due, he is a gentle giant, but I still assumed that when push came to shove (or when puppy came to his food dish) there would be some conflict. There wasn't. Henrietta shoved her way into his dish and, with a huge groan, he laid down on the floor next to her.

At least with a puppy in the house I will have a lot of column material for the foreseeable future.

Writing thought for the day: Try to work these into a piece of flash fiction -- snow shovel, stiletto heels, and a piece of toast.