New "Baby"

This afternoon my sisters and mom went out and bought a 6-week-old Yorkshire Terrier puppy. Cutest little guy you've ever seen in your life. We argued over a name for him all day (suggestions ranged from Mr. Rochester to Bruiser to Cocoa Puff to King Kong) before finally compromising on Skippy, short for Skipperdee or Skipperdoodle, because when he gets excited his run looks like he's skipping. Skippy's bigger than a Beanie Baby, but not by much. This evening before his bedtime, he got in a fight with a jump rope handle. We all melted. Our family hasn't owned a dog in over ten years, and we've never owned a puppy, so this is pretty thrilling. The little kids are enjoying the chance to baby something smaller than themselves. Pictures soon, I promise.

The workshop was great. My favorite discussion was of Pope Benedict XVI's address to university students just 3 months ago. I felt like he was speaking right to me. I especially like his admonition, to "always remember that every subject you study is part of a bigger picture. Never allow yourselves to become narrow." It reminded me of why I love my well-rounded major so much.

Theresa (the one I started my book club with) slept over last night and we had some wonderful conversations, plus did some serious shopping, preparatory to my conference this weekend. Still haven't started packing. Or finished reading. Wish me luck...