Happy Halloween

We went to the birds this year. My pretty peacock and my dashing parrott flew around the neighborhood collecting candy. I had a great bird related costume idea to be a "tweet." Like many things in my life, idea and execution didn't come together, so I went as myself, a tired but loving mom.

My tweet would have said, "This year the Ackermans say trick or tweet."

Fanciest Pug?

My favorite day of the year, Pug-o-ween, was this past Sunday. Our sweet Nalu, dressed as a peacock, won Fanciest Pug. Yes, I know this is a contradiction in terms, but I took the prize and ran. If only every day could be Pug-o-ween.

Nalu the peacock 

Embracing Fall

One benefit of Fall: adorable hats Some people love crisp air, college football, pumpkin patches; I am not one of those people. Every Fall I mourn the loss of long days, warm weather, and especially the summer ocean. But since I live in the Northeast U.S., and don’t plan on changing that anytime soon, I’m making a truce this autumn: I won’t hate Fall, and Fall won’t make me insufferable. Here are a few things I genuinely like about this time of year. If you can add to my list, please do. I’m trying here, people. Help a sister out. I like that we’re home more in Fall. In the Spring and Summer, Carl and I flee Philly almost every weekend to go somewhere, usually the shore. By September, I find I really miss my friends, my neighborhood, and my house. It’s nice to have weekends at home to rediscover things like the Please Touch Museum and La Michoacana. I cook more, I tend our house more, I feel more settled, more productive, and more grounded. Like every woman, I enjoy putting away bathing suits in favor of jeans, boots, jackets, scarves. This year, with the cooler weather, I finally discovered baby boy clothes just as cute as all the pink and frilly stuff for baby girls. My little man in a fleece vest, faded jeans and wool cap can compete with a tutu and sparkly shoes any day. Begrudgingly, I admit that autumn contains some of my favorite holidays. From the pressure-free Jewish holidays to the Thanksgiving feast, Fall holidays mean food and family to me. We also celebrate Friendsgiving every November, a gathering of some of my oldest and dearest friends, complete with turkey, stuffing, and spicy sweet potatoes. So maybe every day isn’t as beautiful as summer, but some highlights brighten the season, just like the chipotle peppers brighten Matt's sweet potatoes. As for Halloween, it's never been my favorite day. One year I rocked an 80s Miss America costume, with a floor length brown and gold sequin dress, complete with sequin bolero jacket. But most years I just feel pressured to have some great costume idea or some cool party to attend, and when I have neither, feel bad about myself. Now Pug-o-ween is a different story. You know, the annual tradition to dress your pug in costume. Nalu has dressed up as a ladybug, a hula girl, and this year she’s the prettiest little puggy peacock. The only thing better than one pug in costume is a party of forty pugs in costume. It almost makes October enjoyable. I’m not going to carve a pumpkin, or buy a haystack for the porch, or string up Halloween lights. I’m not going to don a Fordham Rams jersey. (Do they even sell those?) But maybe by focusing on the things I genuinely like about this time of year, I can temper the sadness I feel about summer ending. It’s worth a try anyway.

New Blog: 4 Broad Minds

Dear Readers, I hope you will come visit the new blog I started with some writer friends, 4 Broad Minds. I post there once a month. But don't worry, I will continue to post here on a weekly basis also.

As a thank you, a photo of my ridiculously adorable Pug (emphasis on ridiculous):

A Face Only a Mother Could Love?

Somebody actually told me that Nalu has a face only a mother could love. I, of course, know this to be untrue, but take a look for yourself. Have you ever seen a cuter ladybug? The pictures start on Halloween and journey back in time to Nalu's first trip to Beak and Skiff, apple orchard extraordinaire in Central New York, her peeking over Aunt Nell's boots back in May, her first trip to the beach in April, and her first day with us, on April 12. For anyone who's considering getting a puppy, it is just as much work as everyone says, but it is also endless joy. The smiles on our faces are no coincidence--it's hard not to smile when I look at her. Try it, I dare you.









I'm off to Europe for two weeks on Friday, but will be back with lots of material after November 20. Bon voyage to me!

Nalu

I've had writer's block for the past two weeks. Not with the book, thank God, that's still moving forward steadily and rather smoothly. But for the past two weeks I've been wanting to write about my gorgeous little puppy Nalu and unable to do it. To answer the FAQ about her, she is a black pug, her name is a Hawaiian word that means "wave," she will likely grow to be 15-20 pounds, although she's only 3 pounds, 7 ounces at the moment. I can hold her short squat torso with one hand, with her little legs on either side, sometimes running in the air, which I find hilarious.

Although I was prepared to love my little darling, fuss over her, cuddle her, I was not prepared for everyone else in the world to do the same. From little old ladies to small boys, from matrons to my personal favorite, the burly plumbers we met today, Nalu turns everyone into squealing, cooing sweetness, which is delightful to witness. Seeing people love her helps me see the goodness in everyone, the child in everyone, the pure joy that people can emit for a small helpless creature. One woman ran out of her office, another around the corner, just to pet her and fuss over her. Many people have pulled their cars over--Nalu literally stops traffic.

Other surprises about puppyhood include how little I mind picking up her poop. Honestly, it doesn't bother me in the least. I'm pleasantly surprised by the stores of patience I didn't know I had. She can be determined, nippy, crazed, disobedient, and still I'm consistently patient and kind. We had a rough day at the end of week 1, but since then, I've adjusted my expectations (poor Nalu is also the victim of my perfectionism) and things are going much better. "Bless her, change me" is one of my mantras. The other is "calm assertive." That's the attitude Cesar Millan says each owner should have toward their dog. It helps.

Sweet surprises include the excitement of my loved ones, the visits to meet Nalu, the gifts for her, watching her bond with my parents and Carl's parents, meeting lots of neighbors, the support of other dog lovers and owners.

One not-so-sweet surprise is how many people insist on comparing raising a puppy to raising a child. I know that our human minds look everywhere for comparisons, that it's hard-wired in us, and there are some points of similarity, but come on, I'm not starting a college fund for Nalu. She'll be full grown within a year, the hardest part of puppyhood is over quickly, and she can be left home alone for hours at a time without compromising her health or happiness. And though I'm not a parent, I'm pretty sure that none of those things are true for children.

I'm not surprised by how much I love her, but I am surprised by the worry and the guilt. I have flashes of irrational fear of finding her dead in her crate. And if she's alone for more than two hours, I find myself rushing home, anxious to rid myself of the guilt.

This journey with Nalu has just begun, and I'm sure there will be much more to say about it. There's lots more to say right now, which is partly why I was blocked. Getting a puppy is a huge thing for me. I went 32 years without having to be responsible for any other living creature, and now, there is a small animal in my home that relies on me for food, shelter, health care, training, emotional well-being, a creature who cannot be alone for more than a few hours. That's huge for Julie Owsik Ackerman, but I'm getting used to it.

I promise to post pictures soon.