Exciting News Straight From the Founder of Shady Pines Story town
Becoming a Special Kind of Mom
And So It Begins
Dear Readers, in honor of Mother’s Day I thought you’d like to hear from one of our neighbors who became a mom when she least expected it. Yes I’m talking about Edna Sanders. The day she and Harold adopted those two four-legged rascals her life changed forever. I’ll let her tell you.
“Oh, for heaven’s sakes,” says Edna. “If you’d told me I’d be getting teary eyed over a dog slobbering on my good apron or a cat slung over my shoulder, I would’ve laughed right out loud. But here we are, just before another Mother’s Day, and I can’t help reflecting on the sweetest surprise life ever handed me and my Harold: the day we became fur parents.”
New Family Members
“To say that adopting these two critters came as a complete surprise would be the understatement of the year. Or, any year for that matter! I won’t get into exactly how it happened because my author friend, Mary Jane McKittrick, talks all about that in her second book, “Boomer and Halley Lost and Found -Learning to Live in a Blended Family.” I’ll just say it was a life changing experience for all of us.”
“One evening, not long ago, I was sitting out on the back porch in my favorite big wooden chair that rocks a bit. I was admiring my garden of flowers that took such care to get to bloom. Boomer was lying on the ground gnawing on his favorite rawhide bone with his head on my feet. Halley was perched on the armrest. And that’s when it hit me. I never had children of my own. Life just didn’t work out that way for us. But in that moment, with the late sun painting everything in a warm glow and these two babies looking up at me like I hung the moon, my heart swelled so big I thought it might burst.”
I was a mama after all.
Not Always Easy
“Being a fur mom isn’t always glamorous. There are muddy paw prints on my clean floors, early-morning zoomies that sound like a herd of elephants, and the occasional “gift” of a half-dead lizard from Halley.
But there’s also the way Boomer leans against my leg when I’m feeling blue, like he can sense it. And the way Halley curls into the exact shape of my neck when I’m reading in bed, purring her little heart out.
There’s the laughter when Harold tries to teach Boomer to fetch. Sure as shootin’ he ends up chasing the ball himself while Boom sits there grinning like, “You do it, Dad. They healed something in me I didn’t even know was aching.”
Different Kind of Parent
“This Mother’s Day, I want every woman who’s loved a four-legged child to know this: your love counts. The late-night worry when they’re sick, the silly songs you make up for them, the way your heart lights up when they run to greet you—it’s all real mothering. The kindness, caring and love you show them is real. Fur babies don’t replace anything, but they sure do fill up spaces you never knew were empty.”
“To my Boomerang and my Halley’s Comet: thank you for choosing us. Not sure who was most lost at the time, but I’m sure glad we found one another. You made my Southern heart a mama’s heart.”
“And to every fur mom reading this—whether you’ve got horses, dogs, cats, birds, bunnies, or all the above—happy Mother’s Day. May your treats be plentiful, your lint rollers never run out, and your fur babies always know how deeply they are loved.
With sweet tea and even sweeter love, Edna Sanders, in the small Southern town of Shady Pines.”
Generally speaking, the first weekend in 
September signals the unofficial end of Summer. Yess-sir-eee. Labor Day on Monday, September 2nd becomes part of a three-day celebration for most folks in Shady Pines Story Town. I bet it’s the same where you live.
A National Holiday qualifies as a really good excuse to throw a party.
celebrate all the wonderful workers in our country who make our day-to-day living just that much better.
Ray’s father is in the Army and right now he’s serving our country overseas. 
Ray and his mom haven’t seen him in a long time. Staff Sergeant Robinson writes to Ray as much as he can.
And don’t forget to be grateful for all the grocery store workers who make sure you have enough of those picnic foods ready when you need them.
Finally, these hard working , underpaid United States workers decided they had to do something to improve their situation. So they joined
demanded better pay, fewer hours, and safer working conditions. 
Back here in Shady Pines our favorite mail carrier, Kim Dunworthy, is on a mission. She hurries to make her final delivery of our town’s letters and packages by Friday afternoon. Kim is excited to get to her parent’s home in nearby River City so she can help with party preparations.
It’s their Labor Day weekend tradition.
The Sanders’ family seems to be hatching a plan too. Once Harold locks the front door of his Nuts ‘N Bolts hardware store Saturday afternoon he’ll walk home. His wife, Edna, says she has something in mind.
“plan” on a holiday weekend, Harold arrived home to find a half filled blow up pool, an out of control water 
hose snaking 
in all directions, a drenched dog hiding in the bushes and a soaked cat howling in a tree.
Besides Boomerang the Australian Shepherd dog and Halley’s Comet a silver streak of a cat, Edna was waterlogged from the tip of her head to the toes on her feet.
Fortunately, this time the wooden table in the backyard is set for a picnic. Edna is humming as she brings out a pitcher of lemonade from the kitchen. Boomer dogs her heels and Halley tries her best to sneak up on a bird.
Can we talk? My name is Mary Jane McKittrick. (old photo) For more than a decade I’ve been writing stories about cartoon characters living in and around the fictional Shady Pines Story Town.
The truth is, we’re just trying to encourage and uplift. We want to underscore the urgent need to restore a gentler way of communicating with one another that transcends all boundaries and ideologies.
media or by email. Talk to friends and loved ones about the need for change.
It’s that time again. The days are shorter and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. 
You know what you need to do. Here’s our mayor, Beauregard P. Fibbs with a reminder.
To help get ahead of “Fall Back”, I’ve got 4 tips to help your child adjust to the end of Daylight Saving Time.
On Thursday morning, have breakfast ready 15 minutes later than normal, then naptime 15 minutes later and so on until the entire daytime schedule has been shifted.
Experts say by keeping the room dark you encourage the production of melatonin. With that one change you help them stay sleeping.
But when their routine is messed with, it can be a whole ‘nother layer of commotion!
In Shady Pines Story Town, and all over the country, people are buzzing about the upcoming Super Bowl. 
Bowl experience. Even if it’s a boring football game, the food can make up for it. “Goodness me,” says Edna. “What have I served in the past that was a real winner? Oh, chicken wings, of course!”
Then, when we do our screen to screen call and watch the game together from our own homes, it’ll be a party. Well, at least a 2021 – style party!” Harold nods his approval. “What a good idea. Which one are you going to share?”
“That’s a winner!” says Harold. Hearing the sound of paws scampering in his direction, Harold looks up.
“Hey, boy,” says Harold stroking the handsome dog’s head. “Is Halley messing with you again?”
Halley shakes her head. “Did he say work?”
“All right you guys. This game on Sunday is special so that means just one thing. I’m using my Super Bowl,” says Edna.
You probably can’t clear up the confusion for Boomer and Halley by game time Sunday evening.