A Few of My Favorite Things...

From books to innovative dog products, it was a great year.

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS…

Oh what a year 2023 has been. Here are a few of my favorites from it (and because I hope this is a space where everyone gets to know each other better, please feel free to share a few of your favorites in the comments below!).

NEW FRIENDS

Instagram continues to wow me with the community of kindness that has flowed forth from my Nicholberry account. Here’s my conclusion: on the whole, dog people are good people. Thoughtful, compassionate, and kind, they set the bar for being human, and I’m certainly better for knowing all of them. I’m stunned to see my follower count continue to grow and honored that so many people choose to spend minutes of this precious life viewing what I’ve posted. May I continue to be worthy of your time in 2024.

BOOKS

Demon Copperhead. 

That’s all.

Not really, but it could be, as this book was simultaneously disturbing and compelling in the most exceptional way. I couldn’t quite get over Kingsolver’s voice. Actually, Demon’s voice. Unwavering in its consistency and relentless in its pace, I was drawn instantly into his world from the (brilliant) opening sentence: “First, I got myself born.” A must read.

Others I loved this year: Wild Game by Adrienne Brodeur and The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. The former swept my mind away from the daunting task of writing and the latter catapulted me into it. 

VANQUISHING IMPOSTER SYNDROME

This can count as a favorite thing, right? When my wonderful agent Leigh initially reached out to me about pursuing a book deal, I was nearly paralyzed with imposter syndrome. Through the proposal, auction, and initial manuscript process, it plagued me. For a month, I listened to Seth Godin’s Imposter Syndrome podcast on a loop.

Isn't doing your best all you can do? Dropping the narrative of the impostor isn't arrogant, it's merely a useful way to get your work done without giving into Resistance.

Somewhere in 2023, I realized that I’d dropped the narrative. While I will surely want to change things I’ve written in my book (because I, like you, am always learning), I finally arrived at a place of confidence. It was a shift in thinking - a recognition that I did work that matters. And it is that work in which I can have confidence, knowing that it will help so many dogs and their humans.

TRAVEL

“Home is not a place … it’s a feeling.” Though I’ve lived in California’s central valley for almost thirty years, the Ventura and Santa Barbara coastlines will always have my heart. When Brian and I decided to celebrate our anniversary at Santa Barbara’s Bacara, I had no idea how overwhelmed I’d be by the feelings of home. The smell of seaweed along the endless beach, the scenic ocean vistas, even the decaying fish along the shore. All thundered a sense of home.

It was the most perfect weekend of 2023, and the fact that the Bacara welcomed Rufus and Harper only further endeared us to this magical place. (Fun side note: while walking R&H, someone recognized me from Instagram and was so excited to meet R&H. What a small, small world it is).

PODCASTS

While everyone is busy posting their 2023 Spotify Wrapped, revealing their most-listened to artists, my Spotify history reveals my obsession with podcasts. For this Enneagram 5, podcasts are a dream! The year was filled with many familiar favs - Andrew Huberman, Tim Ferriss, Brené Brown - along with new favs Peter Attia and Oprah’s Super Soul.

And then of course there are all of the dog-related podcasts, including anything where Ken Ramirez (Karen Pryor Academy) and Kathy Murphy DVM (Barking Brains) appear as guests. Whenever I’m cleaning the puppy area or doing dog laundry, picture me listening to a podcast. 

DOG THINGS

While the Chilly Penguin continues to reign supreme in our world, there were two new discoveries this year that are worthy of mentioning.

Lysol Laundry Sanitizer: I know. It seems ridiculous to highlight something as banal as a laundry product, but this one is worthy for two reasons. First, it works. Not only does our laundry smell fresh and free of that lingering wet dog odor, but it feels clean. Second, I found this product in the midst of the Posie mastitis debacle (I’ll write about that someday) and was ever so grateful to have a product that I could trust to truly sanitize. While bleach would have done the trick, it’s limited to certain fabrics and colors and is unbelievably harsh on the environment. One of my followers turned me on to this Lysol product and I will be forever indebted to her for doing so.

West Paw Plugs: Only one question - why did it take so long for them to come out with this product? Finally, a way to prevent leakage when we fill these fabulous treat balls.

Diet Upgrade: After extensive reading and conversations with vets like Dr. Wolfe, we decided to incorporate a lot more organic fruits, vegetables, eggs, and meats into our dogs’ diet. If you could ask Rufus and Harper what their favorite thing of 2023 is, this would for sure be it (although playing on the beach in Santa Barbara would be a close second).

That’s a wrap for me! Looking forward to 2024 with gratitude and great anticipation.