The Nicholberry Dispatch
You know it's scary when you're secretly hoping for a mild case of COVID...
BOOK NEWS
Last week, I mentioned that Puppy Brain has opened all sorts of unexpected doors. One of those was with Audible, who sent an entire crew to my house for a commercial shoot (including professional hair and makeup for me!). It was all rather glamorous and terrifying and, dare I say, fun.
As you all know, I’m not big on being in front of the camera. But when the first day of 2024 arrived, I made a deal with myself. It would be the year of “yes.” Yes to the things I normally decline (think scary, uncomfortable, and in front of the camera) and no to the things I normally accept (think safe, known, and behind the camera).
When Macmillan sent the email inquiring whether I’d be interested in doing a series of videos with Audible.com, old me raised her hand and said, “I vote no.” I had to tell her to sit down and instead allow new me to commandeer our email response. She said yes.
Collective me then spent the next couple of months fretting, laying awake at night thinking about being on a platform with nearly two million followers, and secretly praying that maybe I’d get a bad flu or a mild case of COVID (we’re being honest here, right?).
But July 2 came and with it, the shoot. As the crew filed into our home, greeting me with warm smiles and laughter, I began to relax. We went over the sequence and then I watched, mesmerized, as they transformed our home into a gorgeous studio. Zander had run to Trader Joe’s to get fresh flowers for me and they selected his little vase of greens to be on the table next to me, along with the mug Hannah had given me for Christmas. Max gave me a final pep talk and Brian coordinated all of the dogs who would be joining us in the shoot.
We were ready. And it went great.
As I’ve discovered so many times this year, those scary yesses yield a lot of growth. I’m so glad I did it, and can’t wait for all of you to see our final product! The first video drops on August 5, so if you aren’t following Audible yet on Instagram, be sure to do so.
SOMETHING TO READ
Tunnel 29: The True Story of an Extraordinary Escape Beneath the Berlin Wall
I know I’m listening to a good book when I find myself thinking about which closet I can clean out next so that I don’t have to stop listening. Admittedly, my major at UCLA was Political Science with an emphasis on US/USSR relations, but still. I cannot see how anyone wouldn’t be gripped by this exceptionally well-researched story of the heroic efforts to free people from East Germany by tunneling under the Berlin Wall. This book was on so many “best of” lists that I wondered if it could really be that good. Spoiler: it is.
SOMETHING TO INVESTIGATE
I am a big believer in pet insurance and consider it a non-negotiable for puppies, as they are just bound to get into something and require veterinary care. We send our puppy families home with one month of free insurance through Trupanion, but I also hear good things about the ASPCA and AKC’s. It seems that the quality of an insurance company can decline quickly (such is what I’ve heard about Nationwide), so do a thorough review every year when you renew your policy. But these are a good starting point! And if you have experience with a company, please put your comments here, as I really want all Nicholberry social media to be a place where we help each other.
SOMETHING TO CONSIDER
“Bravery is acknowledging your fear and doing it anyway.” - Cheryl Strayed
SOMETHING TO LOVE
Great quote from Will Smith (before the infamous “slap”)…
“God placed the best things in life on the other side of terror.”
Hi Kerry,
Enjoyed my first read of the Dispatch. A good reminder to have the courage to try new things. I bought two copies of Puppy Brain. One for my wife and one for our friends who had just picked up their Golden Retriever puppy. A wonderful book with so much information. My wife and I, in our seventies, hope to get GR puppy soon.