On February 12, 2022, I picked up my new 8-week-old puppy, Gracie. Gracie is a mini goldendoodle. I’ve waited a long time to get a dog, but now I am retired, so I decided I finally have some time to devote to adding a canine companion to my household.

This blog started as a series of emails to my mother. Because she lives a distance from me, Mom couldn’t directly observe my day-to-day activities with Gracie. So, instead, I emailed updates to Mom to keep her appraised of Gracie’s and my daily life together.