Tiffany Painter

Finding a Reason to Wag Your Tail
If you read my last blog, you learned about the rough start my family had with adding a dog to the family. I didn’t go into detail about the extent of the dog’s injuries, but it was pretty bad. Our poor, scared dog had to have a leg amputated because it couldn’t be saved. He had several large abrasions and several areas that needed stitches. Most of his long German Shepherd hair had to be shaved to allow everything to heal. Needless to say, he has not looked his best. Somehow, even with all of those injuries, he didn’t have any lasting internal injuries. More importantly, he seemed to want to live. The more care we provided, the more relaxed he got. He’s a dog who loves to be loved. He will lean into our touch and look across the room with his big eyes to get us to come sit on the floor with him. He enjoys being covered with a soft blanket and given a pillow to rest his weary head on. I hear you saying we are spoiling this dog, but I think he kind of deserves it. He’s curious about the two resident cats, but they give him his space and he is entertained watching them. He thought he was going to have to prove himself to the established dog, but they both were satisfied just going through a few acts of toughness – showing teeth, snapping at air, stealing toys – before they settled into a new friendship. Watching him struggle through everything this past month and come out the other side as a loving member of the family has taught me a thing or two. People have been saying life is hard lately, but I think life is always hard. You can either let that drag you down, or you can find a little piece of joy and let that lift you up. For my new dog, he has found some joy and started wagging his tail again. If he can do it after losing a leg and learning how to start life over again, I think I can find a way to wag my figurative tail, too.
11/20

what once stood so full
now stands empty before us
season to refill
11/23

enjoying the day
just hanging out at the lake
passing time with friends
11/27

when nap is so good
that gravity takes over
trying to hold on
11/28

thankful for mornings
golden sun pulling us on
new day filled with grace
11/30

another month gone
all the calendars ready
time to mark the days
November 30, 2024

haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, joyful, pets, thankful, Walks with Zephyr
It’s a Dog’s World
The first half of November has been tough. The entire world watched as we elected a new leader. There are so many things that can be said about that, but for me, it’s been challenging for an additional reason. A dog was adopted from the local animal shelter into my family. My son picked a dog that was scared and had been overlooked by other potential families for months. He knew it would take time to earn this dog’s trust, but he was prepared to do whatever he could to give this dog a fresh start and a happy home. Unfortunately, the dog let his fear dictate his actions and he ran away. For three days the entire family searched, hung posters, joined social media groups, and made phone calls. As the election took center stage for the rest of the world, a community of strangers came together to bring home a lost dog. People I didn’t know were spreading the word and contacting us with potential dog sightings. They were offering suggestions to help us find our dog. They were out searching the neighborhoods. When we got the call that our lost dog had been found after he was hit by a car, the animal control officer who brought him to the animal hospital was so concerned that she tracked my son down the following day to follow up on this dog. During the dog’s long stay at the hospital, a volunteer from the animal shelter came to visit him because she heard what had happened. Two weeks after adopting him, our dog is finally home. He is facing a long recovery, but he is surrounded by love, both from his family and a community of strangers who just wanted to save this one dog. And he trusts his new family and enjoys a good long neck rub.
11/6

cold morning wake up
warm sun has been extinguished
new world today
11/7

sometimes all you need
gentle weight of peacefulness
curled up on you
11/10

golden shades of fall
mixes with winter’s first show
highlights mountain peaks
11/12

some things stay the same
geese still fly south for winter
enjoy the lake rest
11/16

when there’s a new pup
getting all the attention
just going to pout
November 16, 2024

change, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, pets, thankful, Walks with Zephyr, winter
Power of Clocks
It’s that time of year again. I never know if we are starting Daylight Savings or ending it this weekend. I just know we fall back and borrow an extra hour of sleep. It’s harder when we have to give that hour back next March. The extra light in the morning is nice, but I don’t like how dark it will get in the early evenings. There is always talk about ending this insane clock changing, but it never seems to go anywhere. People grumble for a week until their internal clocks catch up and then it’s dropped until we have to do it again. I am in favor of ending the madness, but I don’t tend to like change in general. When you throw in the change in weather that seems to go hand in hand with the clocks, I know my mood will be changing as well. So whatever the cause – clocks, seasons, moods – it will be a dark few months until we can spring forward again.
10/23

birds flying above
golden leaves sing a welcome
clear lake reflects all
10/26

shadows underneath
heat of sun still pushes through
warms this cool morning
10/28

can you hear the sound
of leaves crunching under feet
autumn’s melody
11/1

before morning sun
path still hidden in darkness
beating heart guides me
11/2

quiet morning swim
fog rolls across tranquil lake
sun last to arrive
November 2, 2024

change, fall, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, seasons, Walks with Zephyr
Rise and Shine
My dog doesn’t understand Sleep-in-Saturdays. Once he started stirring, the cats were quick to follow. Since I’m clearly not the boss around her, I was up too. After making it down the stairs in the dark without tripping over any fur friends, I started the circus routing of feeding them their personalized meals. Once I had my shoes and coat on, Zephyr and I were ready to head out for our walk. I switched to my prescription sunglasses and had the door locked before realizing just how dark it still was. I assumed the sun would be making its grand entrance soon and decided not to switch glasses. It didn’t take long to settle in and take notice of the surroundings. Today I was going to have to use my ears instead of my eyes though. The trail was silent with only the two of us up and out this early on a weekend day. By the time we got to the high school parking lot we were greeted with the caws from the crows hanging out overhead on the lights. They were either asking if we saw any food for them or warning us against eating anything we found because they already laid claim. Further along I could hear the honking from the geese flying south early on their winter migration. When we got to the dirt trail by the lake the silence was interrupted by the crunching of the gravel beneath our feet. A few people joined us with a nod of their head or a whispered wish for a good morning. The sun was busy trying to shine its light on us but was hindered by cloud cover. As we came back to the sidewalk in the neighborhood I spied a pile of golden leaves under a tree. Thinking about a friend who told me she loves the sound of walking through the autumn leaves, I turned my feet toward them and crunched my way down the center of them. The final sound of our journey was the squeak from my kitten welcoming us back. The walk may have come earlier than planned, but it was worth it to enjoy the lovely morning concert.
10/8

watching from afar
sun making its grand entrance
light after darkness
10/10

truce at water hole
keeping eye on each other
rough-housing timeout
10/12

detained mid descent
before the fall was complete
caught in sticky web
10/15

colors of autumn
reflecting back this morning
lovely earthtone hues
10/19

watercolor paint
canvas waits for morning tone
splashes across sky
October 19, 2024

birds, fall, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, walking, Walks with Zephyr
Imposter Syndrome
Last week I attended my favorite writing conference of the year. The opening speaker talked about her experiences with imposter syndrome. Writers battle these feelings frequently. Since hearing her speak, I’ve been revisiting her speech and my own experiences of feeling like an imposter. My takeaway is that I have been fighting a war in my head for most of my life. As a child, I always questioned where I fit in. Was I good enough for one group or another? Did I deserve the grades I got, awards I received, friends I had? Notice I never thought I earned those things? These feelings stayed with me into adulthood. Even as a brand new mother I remember questioning the hospital for letting me drive away in charge of the newborn baby buckled into his carrier in the backseat. What were they thinking trusting me to know what I was doing? When I was teaching I never felt sure enough to just wing it like some of my coworkers. I spent endless hours planning lessons and reviewing content to make sure I was smarter than an eight-year-old. My masters degree did nothing to ease my insecurities. Now that I am attempting this writing thing, I worry about being too old or not passionate enough to break through the gatekeepers. I don’t seem to have the same need to write that other writers talk of. For a job, I enjoy writing, but I’ve never thought of it as a hobby I do because it’s fun. I’ve always had stories playing in my head and like the challenge of trying to write them down so they make sense, but it’s not a driving force. Does that mean I’m not actually a writer? After hearing a successful creative person talk about her imposter syndrome, I think it’s safe to say the one thing we all have in common is that we all feel like we’re not enough at some point. The good news is that if everyone is worrying about their own self worth, chances are nobody is taking the time to judge you.
9/24

after meowing,
chasing, jumping, and climbing
comes time for resting
9/28

early morning view
painted sky pulls me along
into a new day
9/29

stories in the sky
like words meeting on paper
waiting to be told
10/4

glowing path waiting
guiding day filled with wonder
gift from closest star
10/5

morning light hiding
still rising above us all
leafage can’t compete
October 5, 2024

haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, scbwi
Patience
I just spent a few days in Nashville visiting a bookstore on my list of places I want to see. This post could be about why bookstores are on this list, but instead it’s about an author event I attended. Parnassus Books, an amazing independent bookstore co-owned by the great Ann Patchett, hosted an evening with Elizabeth Strout. The award winning Strout has written several books over the years and introduced readers to quirky characters from small town, Maine. But the most interesting character that night was Strout herself. She could represent so many of us. Never quite sure she could make a life as a writer, she got a law degree, after a couple of attempts to finish law school, and briefly practiced law. Strout took a few writing courses but was told her work wasn’t good enough. In her younger days she thought the worst thing that could happen was she could end up waiting tables because her writing couldn’t support her. It was only after years of not really enjoying her job that she realized there actually could be something worse. It took years of practicing and trying and working at various jobs to pay her bills that Strout finally got her first book published. Since 2000 she has published many more with great success. Some call her an overnight sensation, but there are decades that happened before that overnight success. She had to put in the time and effort to reach her dreams. As a society we are used to success being achieved right out of the gate or never at all. We celebrate those who are great immediately and cast aside those who have to persevere. The Strouts of the world show us that we are all capable of so much more with a little patience and a lot of determination. Some dreams just come about slowly. We all need a reminder that the path might be a long windy one, but we should never stop believing in our dreams.
9/10

end of season bloom
time marks the end for a few
the start for others
9/11

notice books waiting
before heading to bookstore
to be read later
9/12

so many choices
how to pick just one
endless possibilities
9/14

my heart is fickle
madly in love every time
adore the indies
9/17

toes happy in sand
but just a block from the beach
place to please my heart
9/20

no longer needed
computers made obsolete
still enjoy seeing
9/21

interesting choice
carry-on bag limited
hope different flight
September 21, 2024

beach, dreams, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, joyful, Parnassus Books
End of a Season
It had to happen. The calendar was flipped to a new month and a new season. I know the official start to fall is not for a few weeks, but once a certain coffee company starts advertising the pumpkin spice again, I know summer is over. I will begrudgingly admit there are a few nice things about fall, just not that flavored coffee. The cooler mornings have some merit. Later sunrises trick my pets into a few more minutes of sleep. Watching people get excited over football is fun. Switching from shorts to jeans can be nice, maybe. I might be looking forward to mornings with a warm cup of tea instead of my iced chai. I never miss pulling weeds and think they may finally be going away. The changing of the leaves from green to yellow and orange is magical. All of these things are nice, but my heart is already counting down the days until next summer. There is a feeling about summer that no other season can capture. But I will stay open-minded and continue to search for the little things all the other seasons can provide. It’s a skill worth perfecting since I have to do it with so many people out there, especially during an election year. So alright fall, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.
8/27

morning sun calls out
let the light move you forward
away from darkness
8/31

behind wooden bars
looking for way to escape
obstacles sidelined
9/2

quiet place to rest
just minding his own business
hiding from kitten
9/4

lessons from the trail
whether hiking or living
simple rules to guide
9/7

just over the screen
a little face watches me
distracts me from work
September 7, 2024

cats, change, fall, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, joyful, kittens, seasons, Walks with Zephyr
One Step Back
Things were going well for my dog after his elbow surgery eight weeks ago, until they weren’t. He slipped on the wet grass and hurt the same area again. We have an appointment for the vet later today. He seems to have set himself back about three to four weeks. Watching him limping again brought back how hard those weeks of recovery were for everyone. Anytime we move backwards instead of forwards it is hard. It could be a recovery from an illness, a career setback, or relationship changes. Feeling like you are moving in the wrong direction is never fun. But we have to remember life is not a straight path. The direction is always changing. Going backwards might just be about finding a different, and often better, course. Sure, I would prefer my dog not be injured, but it’s going to be okay if we have to shorten his activity and give him more time to completely heal. And if he needs more meds, I’m sure he won’t mind having cheese balls again during the day. (We were wrapping his pills in cheese to get him to swallow them). Rest is a great time for reflection and appreciation, and a little extra cheese is always nice.
8/6

sometimes mom is right
I’ll just try out this new bed
perfect for my nap
8/8

picture perfect day
any way you look at it
sitting in the shade
8/10

before the darkness
last of the light inspires
dream catcher awaits
8/15

parking in the shade
bigger not always better
cool ride for the win
8/16

stuffed backpack weighs down
wheels spin with every pedal
headed back again
8/20

change of scenery
following watery path
under bright blue sky
8/21

time to do something
together we can unite
vote for a shared path
8/24

balancing life with
bag of rocks, slab of concrete
trying to stay dry
August 24, 2024

haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, Walks with Zephyr
Olympic Firsts
I was watching the Olympic gymnastic competition this past week like everyone else. In between trying not to feel ancient as they referred to the twenty-seven year old athletes as old and in total awe of the gravity-defying tricks being performed, I wondered about their first times. The first time they let go of the bar they were spinning around and twist their body in a few different directions before catching the bar again. Or the first time they ran full speed at an obstacle only to use their hands to push themselves up and over it with a few somersaults thrown in for fun. Don’t forget about leaping all around on a plank that isn’t much wider than their foot. And in all of these things the pressure to “stick the landing” is always present. By the time we see them perform, they have practiced and mastered, mostly, these things. But what must have gone through their heads the first time they tried doing these impossible things? It kind of makes me rethink all the times I hesitated or doubted myself before trying something new. Most of my firsts didn’t involve life-threatening events. My firsts were more like trying something new at work, making a new dish in the kitchen, trying a new yoga pose. Watching these athletes puts it all into prospective. If they can be brave enough to literally fly through the air, I can be brave enough to try balancing on my hands in a crouched position. Maybe someday I’ll master that crow pose. If I don’t, that’s okay, but at least I tried something new. And I don’t have the entire world watching to see if I succeed.
7/29

just across the pond
past the smooth serenity
summer life reflects
8/1

shadows glide away
morning light makes an entrance
launch of vibrant dawn
8/3

adjustments were made
course corrections from living
sinuous timber
August 3, 2024

haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, Walks with Zephyr, wondering
Finding Your Why
In another life this coming week would mark the end of summer for me. The beginning of August marks the start of a new school year for teachers heading back to the trenches of education. I have many friends who are making the transition back to the classrooms over the next few weeks. For those who still enjoy all the good things about teaching it is a time of new beginnings, but for those who have lost their why (those who know will understand this), it is easy to get lost in the despair of leaving summer behind. For my lost friends as you start a new year, maybe aim for a different why. Your why doesn’t have to be so grand as dedicating your life to all those children who benefit greatly from your tireless efforts. The establishment wants those kind of whys. But your whys can just be because retirement is only a couple years away, or because health benefits are a good thing for you and our family, or because you enjoy a job that allows you be the boss in your space for a few hours each day. It’s okay for your job to just be a job. Teachers do not need to carry the burden of society on their backs. It is hard enough without all that pressure. If you got into teaching, you have already proven yourself to be a hard working, caring, compassionate person. On that first PD day when you are asked for you why, it’s okay if it’s just because that’s your job. You teach because that is your job. Don’t let it be your everything. Let something else be your passion for a change.
7/23

standing all alone
pole’s line drops below surface
long wait for answer
7/24

cruising neighborhood
no need for rider today
enjoying the sun
7/26

on the trail again
half walks better than no walks
will be running soon
7/27

take in a deep breath
savoring the morning view
ready for the day
July 27, 2024

fall, haiga, haiku, haiku Saturday, teaching, Walks with Zephyr