After the fall

Two months ago I lamented the death of the dragon tree that has lived in my office for ages: I'd accidentally knocked the top off the tree, leaving nothing but a stunted stem. I was ready to give up on the tree but my husband, who knows better, persuaded me to keep it watered and just wait, and now look: two new shoots are poking out of the stem! Every day they look a little bigger. How long will it take before they look like actual leaves?

Last year at this time I went home early because of a power outage and found my faithful dog Hopeful nearing her end, but I couldn't get her any help because of the power outage so I eased her through the night and buried her the next morning in the rain. I miss my dog and I still talk to her when I'm up on her part of the hill, but lately I've been wondering whether it's about time to look for a new dog. Do I have the time and commitment level to train a new dog in the weird ways of our household, or am I absent too much to make a new relationship work? I'm open to exploring the possibilities, to see whether something new can grow out of an old trauma.