Wedding Belles Blues

I think this would be a Kim, you've just got to lighten-up learning moment:

The eldest daughter of a dear family friend is getting married this Spring! This girl, is the sweetest, most charming and beautiful woman-child, as I refer to her, I have ever known.

Here's my rant for the day:

#1 Travel: The wedding and all the hoopla around it is in south Florida. (What? leave ravishingly beautiful New Jersey for Naples, Florida)?!

#2 Work: Whenever I am forced (classier: invited) to leave The Pet Set for a fabulous trip to the corner of Palm Trees, cocktails and The Naples Ritz Carlton, I freak out a bit. Ack...clients, artwork, accounting!

#3 Chester: Geez he's only 4 months old and I'll probably have to leave him with a neighborhood guy, who upon meeting Chester, offered to cut his nails. Once again, Ack! Maybe I'll ship him to England to visit with his friends at Labradors WorldWide, where I hear they eat a lot of cake.

#4 Wardrobe: Good doG! What do people wear in Florida? It's not like I can pack my suburban dog mom trashy clothes. Looks like a trip to Saks will be eminent.

#5 Fire. For my entire life, I've been irrationally frightened that if I leave my home for too long, it will burn down...and not while I'm at Stop and Shop picking out eggplant. No, this time, while I'm in Florida!

That's the official 'working' list...did I mention hair, shoes, mani/pedi, jewlery, gift for the bride and groom, gift for the parents, clothes for casual meals, clothes for fishing trips. Don't even MAKE me say bathing suit!

What does work? No Passport and customs to deal with -- just freaking Newark Airport. Oh right it's now Liberty freaking International Airport. Jet Blue is cute.

Wishing my little bride and groom a fabulous wedding and a long, fulfilling life together.

How can she do this to me?

Cheers!

[photo: Andrew Morrell Photography via: Flickr.com

Who Am I?

Many of us ask ourselves: who am I? am I a virtuous person? what is my purpose in life?

Recently, my beloved Trotter, a stunning Chocolate Labrador, lost his life to canine cancer. Aside from September 11, 2001--I'd never experienced such utter heartbreak.

I didn't think I was ready or worthy of another dog. Eventually, I became convinced that Chester should come home with me.

Chester is also a Chocolate Labrador. He's very beautiful & good-natured; but I don't know who he is inside yet. Who is he? What of his soul?

One of the reasons I founded The Pet Set is my belief that dogs have souls. I wanted to celebrate that aspect, in addition to a dog's grace and dignity.

Trotter had a magnificent soul. He was inspirational, empathetic and strong. That was who he was to me.

As Chester grows, I see external changes, of course. I'm hoping to understand what's inside soon...just as he is trying to understand me.

Dogs study our reflection...Perhaps the person he views is someone he will come to respect. I hope my soul will cherish him always.

Welcome!

There is a memorable Don Draper line from the award-winning television show, Mad Men who is counseling the character, Pete--as his father had died in a plane crash: "...There's work and then there's life..."

Center Lane observes both concepts; however the overall intent will be to talk about what happens in life's middle lane. Where I believe, everything else exists.

Some think the middle is boring. Perhaps, -- but I suspect in my scenario, it can allow an individual to pursue his or her purest self, without being tarnished by "work or life".

Here, I would like to share ideas that inform me and capture my imagination: politics, profound world events, human adventure...and of course, trivial things such as 'why is the supermarket jam-packed at the onset of a snow storm' or 'why do we care about what celebrities think'?

I am a serious person, intense to some. I'm informed I should "just go with it". doG, I hate that expression.

I'm hoping that my eventual followers and readers will share their thoughts, contribute, have some fun and let me know when I should "just go with it".