Enduring Love is odd (freaky character) and put me off ever wanting to get in a hot air balloon - unlike my mother whom I probably ought to gift a trip as yet, for her birthday (if not ON her birthday, considering it's November then). And I am no friend of owls. Since I am a housemouse.

It might not be so random and odd, indeed, that what you try to move away from (either of my elderly parents before I find myself in the position you are in and I swore I never would be) will continue to haunt you till you've cracked the code (which is sure to be about freedom).

I have put in my notes to self for a future life that all dogs need two parents. It sure as hell doesn't work for kids to just have the one. Why would you want less for your dog? You are perfectly sensible about not having a dog in any urban setting. I tried with totally the wrong breed (border collie) and I don't think it did Fern or me any favours. Still, I like to blame that failure on there being too many uncooperative sheep in our family. Never get a dog when three out of four don't really like dogs (and the most obvious pack leader - a hulking father - is not game at all.) All great tips to keep up on a post-it . (Been working on a piece involving Alzheimer's).

We live and we learn. But do we ever learn to let life just live?

Finally, corresponding to that ever growing urge to possess or consume less: in researching what this new dog of mine could best be fed on, I became terribly disheartened in the whole project. Okay, so being a diehard organic fishytarian doesn't help sort that problem out; but the culinary market for dogs is just MAD!