For many years, I was intimidated by doctors. I grew up thinking the doctor was always right. I have a crooked little finger that resulted from a doctor telling my mom it wasn't broken. It apparently was. It wasn't until I had children of my own that I learned the value of getting a second opinion when you have any question at all about your doctor's diagnosis or the treatment he or she may recommend.

Country life was the cat's meow—. Really! It was everything we expected and a lot we didn't expect. Day to day, we never knew who we would find at the end of our driveway, on our doorstep, or even tied to a tree. During the years we lived in the country, there was a steady stream of tail chasers and tail waggers that were dependent on the softness of our hearts.

A nicotine fog is more than just smoke that fills a room, it's a fog that clouds your brain. Nicotine fools you into believing that although you want to quit, you can't. The bad news is that there are a lot of cigarette substitutes on the market today that keep the addiction going.

As I walked our Airedale Terrier, Bailey, I especially enjoyed watching my neighbor walk her Miniature Schnauzer. I've missed seeing them lately. Although her dog was 14 years old and blind, he still had the Schnauzer independence.

We all want to provide for our children, to give them a better life than we had, no matter how rich or poor a background we come from. Yet, I think the best way to provide for our children is to prepare them to lead a rewarding life.

Punishment, either mental or physical beats up a person or brings them down. Discipline teaches self control. Parents weren't meant to bully their children with punishment. We are meant to teach our children to learn social norms and control themselves within those norms.

Are our "feathered friends" really friendly? I have a ten-year old parrot (a green-cheek conure) and ruefully, I have to say, "Not mine!" I have been unable to train him to do a single thing.