Red's Wrap
Happiness. It's relative.
Category: Dogs
Relationship Games
Later the cat will take a swing at the dog. The dog doesn’t know this will happen. He thinks they are friends and whatever animosity or suspicion there might have been has dissolved. The cat banks on the dog believing this. There is a… Continue Reading “Relationship Games”
Durant Diary: Entry #1
September 13, 2025 Durant is a 10-year-old retired sled dog from Willow, Alaska. He has run in four Iditarods, each 1,000 miles long. He is extremely strong and built to withstand great adversity and cold. He is friendly with people, tolerant of other dogs,… Continue Reading “Durant Diary: Entry #1”
Crazy Making Isn’t What It’s Cracked Up to Be
I wrote strategic directions for my life on one half of a torn envelope and my grocery list for chili on the other half and yes, the only direction I can find in my nightmare of an office is to buy a 14.5 oz… Continue Reading “Crazy Making Isn’t What It’s Cracked Up to Be”
No Voluntary Shrinking Here
So much of aging is about relinquishment. This comes in many forms. Sometimes, an older person’s physical condition is such that they have to relinquish doing certain things like driving and living on their own. To me that’s coping with reality. If I break… Continue Reading “No Voluntary Shrinking Here”
We’ll All Be Okay Friday Round-Up
So I was asked if all my short stories are about old people and it seems that they are. Somehow, I’ve forgotten how not to be old. I used to think – for years, into my forties and fifties – that I would always… Continue Reading “We’ll All Be Okay Friday Round-Up”
Black Dog Fetching Friday Round-Up
Black dog syndrome is a thing. Apparently, those who keep track of dogs in shelter know that black dogs are less likely to be adopted and more likely to be euthanized than other dogs. Our black dog can look fierce from far away, feral,… Continue Reading “Black Dog Fetching Friday Round-Up”
The Days of Dead Dogs
Our neighbor’s dog chased a rabbit in their yard, leapt where he shouldn’t have, and broke his leg in a terrible way, and our neighbor had to put him down. We have known this neighbor since we moved in. He was about 13. We’ve… Continue Reading “The Days of Dead Dogs”
Succession in the Woods
I had to take a breatherRecalibrateStop petting my dead dog in my sleep Camping seemed wise, immersiveMosquitoes Weak from campfire smoke but still biting My arms dotted with rows of bitesLiving dog Lying unaware on a bed of ticks She catches a disk of… Continue Reading “Succession in the Woods”
Old Boy’s New Place
Swirl slept downstairs last night. Coming up the stairs to our bedroom was too much for him, a bridge too far, as they say, even though he has been sleeping on the floor by my side of the bed for as long as I… Continue Reading “Old Boy’s New Place”
Tell Me a Sad Dog Story: Part Two
[Part One of this essay is here.} Punchy had settled at the far end of the dining room in front of the picture window, next to two hefty, branched out jade plants, and just a few feet from the cast iron radiator that threw… Continue Reading “Tell Me a Sad Dog Story: Part Two”
Snow Door | wisconsinacademy.org
Listen to Jan read her essay “Billy” presented on WUWM’s Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “At the Breakfast Bar” on WUWM Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “The Parish Hall,” on WUWM Lake Effect
“Fury Cannot Touch Me,” Modern Love, NYT, 9/29/11
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