Book for Cat Lovers

Dewey: A Small-Town Library Cat Who Changed the World, by Vicki Myron is a book that book- and cat-lovers alike will enjoy.

The pace of the book is slow and relaxed; its simple descriptions set the context for meaningful and thought-provoking narration by Dewey's owner.

When you want to curl up at night and prepare for sleep, do so with this book in hand. Your blood pressure and anxiety levels will take a nose-dive as you view your life from a feline perspective.

Are You Ready for School?

There's no question about it. I was as nervous as my children at the beginning of each school year. The beginning of September brought pre-school jitters - maybe on par with my preschoolers - mixed with both sadness and relief that the summer was over. I was awash with emotions.

My usual defense against this emotional onslaught was to go full swing into preparation and control. I made lists, schedules, daily and weekly objectives. I tried to think of everything, and I mean every little thing, that my children might need for the coming school year. If there was a sale for school supplies, I was there.

My children were as eager as I to prepare for school. Our mutual excitement hid our nervousness about the unknown that lay ahead: "Who will I know in the class? Who will the teacher be? How hard will be the work? Can I measure up? Will I make a fool of myself the first day?" I thought about these questions as much as did my children!

So I prepared further. Besides buying everything that my children did and did not need, I made the house ready for school. First, we put away the summer supplies, clothes and accessories and organized those for school; then, we bought snacks and drinks for the first few weeks and put them on a special shelf. Second, I began to wean my children off their summer time frame and put them to bed earlier. This change was not easy; although the days in any case were getting shorter many of their friends still stayed up late at night and woke up late in the morning. This change also meant I had to awaken earlier in the morning. Who wants to give up summer fun?

But I tried to stick to my preparations. I thought of this time as too important to ignore. I even tried to wake up before my children so that I could get my head together and be ready for whatever mood and behavior I might encounter.

As I look back, I remember the many days when despite my best intentions the evening or morning was tense and one or more children ended up in tears. But I tried my best. I wanted to succeed as much as did my children. We were in this together.