Isn't it funny that at Christmas something in you gets so lonely for I don't know what exactly, but it is something you don't mind not having at other times.” Kate Bosher Holiday festivities have built in power. Happiness and joy? Yes. Also the power to stir the pot, make waves, get us riled up over the small stuff, pushing buttons we may not be aware of until after it happens. You know what I mean.

It was Easter morning. I was seated at the kitchen table in my pajamas, stunned by the presence of the most amazing thing I had ever seen in my entire five years of life.

My mother was a delicate pretty woman who played the flute and was quietly artistic. She married a dark haired handsome man, a seeker of thrills who would be my father.

Grace was gone. Our one year old, comical and lovable Bassador was nowhere to be seen. We live in the high mountains of northern New Mexico with rough terrain, deep arroyos, rocky formations, mesas, and cliffs densely covered with pine, pinion and cedar trees. Mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats, bears, rattlesnakes and hawks live here. The territory is not safe for a young pup who had never been alone outdoors.