Fifty Shades of Red

Image Credit: Personal Archives A Toast To:  Four legged fur babies of past and present.  Song Pairing:   Finger Eleven - “I’ll Keep Your Memory Vague” (from the album, Them vs. You vs. Me, 2007). February 20th, 2026 marks National Love Your Pet Day. If you’re thinking “aren’t there other fur baby days?” Why yes, reader, thanks for asking. Let me tell you all about them! There are many official days throughout the calendar year that give pet parents and animal lovers a legit reason to celebrate. We’ve got National Dog Day, Cat Day, Puppy Day, Black Dog Day, Black Cat Day, Pet Day, Mutt Day…there are actually over 140 national days dedicated to pets, animals, and veterinarians.  For a full listing, ask Google. Animals being a part of my life started before I could even walk. My grandparents had Kaiser, I believe he was a Samoyed. Then there was Lady the Irish Setter and a lab named Zeus who lived next door and then…then there was Daisy. Daisy is not her real name. I w...

  Photo by  Inna Yashna  on  Unsplash A Toast To:  My girls. Song Pairing:   The Tragically Hip - "Ahead by A Century" (from the album, Trouble at the Henhouse, 1996). There is a saying older than I am about not judging books by covers. There is an even more iconic version of this having to do with wine and labels. Squirrel moment - Daniel Levy, please know there will always be wine and a place at my table for you. In true Red style I shall just get into it. I judge people. Always have. I was very clear in the About Me page of my blog that I would write without filter. With that often comes brutal honesty. First impressions are huge to me. My intuition is stronger than most, so generally my intention isn’t to judge but I can’t help it if my first impression of people is generally bang on. It’s all about a persons energy for me. Now do I ever fake it? Of course I do. I think it's unavoidable, especially today when speaking the truth can be dangerous. I have...