Our family dog passed away about a year ago and of course, we all were absolutely devastated. Shannon was much more than a pet, she was a major part of our family. Shannon never went off to the boarding kennel in Fort Lauderdale when we went on vacation, she came with us and other vacationers loved her. She never had accidents in the house, except for the first week that she came home. She was only a baby puppy at the time, only nine weeks old.

My wife and I had purchased a home in Boca Raton about ten years ago, when the property values had skyrocketed. Unfortunately, the real estate values plummeted a few years later and we were completely upside down and inside out with our mortgage. It was awful. We didn’t want a foreclosure on our credit, so we went with doing a short sale for our home. That was bad, but not quite as bad as a foreclosure. We did the best that we could to cut our losses, minimize credit damage, and make it easier to move on.

Let me preface this by saying that I absolutely love my in laws, but sometimes they do things for my daughters that I just don’t approve of. I have no issue with the cute outfits they buy them, or taking them out for ice cream and cake before dinner however; they bought my girls a puppy and didn’t even give me or my husband the heads up about it.

As a restaurant owner, I have had to learn to deal with darn near everything. There are the people who don’t want bread and the people who ask for the nutritional values and calorie content; I just have to deal with it.

The other day, I hosted a dinner party for all of the people at my husband’s firm. They just landed a huge client, so the party was a big celebratory event. The food was absolutely delicious and plentiful, as was the wine and alcoholic beverages.

Last year, my great aunt passed away in Davie and I was left her beloved cat, Longfellow. While I understand that my great aunt lived alone and needed company, Longfellow certainly isn’t the picture perfect candidate for the typical family’s pet cat.

Our family has had our precious and beloved West Highland White Terrier for nearly fourteen years. She isn’t just a pet; she is truly a big part of our family. My children have not known life without her in the picture.

Recently, we had a big family reunion that was held at my home. Family had traveled from Michigan and Iowa for the reunion we host every five years, here in West Palm Beach.

Many people in West Palm Beach have Oriental rugs in their homes to add a bit of interest to otherwise plain floors. While having a completely tiled home is easier to clean, it can be quite monotonous from the design aspect. Oriental rugs can give the room a great pop of color, as well as be an interesting piece to discuss with guests. Unfortunately, Oriental rugs do get just as dirty as wall to wall carpeting however; they are significantly more dangerous to clean. Doing it yourself can damage the rug beyond repair.

I had a really nice condo in Fort Lauderdale but because of health issues with my elderly mother, I had to sell it so I could take care of her. In my family, assisted living facilities or nursing homes are not an option for older family members. Besides, my mother wanted to stay in her own home, and the doctors agreed that this would be the best thing for her. In all honesty, it didn’t make any sense for me to maintain the bills at my Fort Lauderdale condo when I knew I couldn’t stay there. I contacted a local realtor and they did an evaluation of my home.