people, atlas here.

it has been the most exciting week!

on monday, i almost caught a bird. i would have caught it, only elizabeth pulled me away at the last minute. i don’t know why. she’s so strange sometimes. (she said something about thinking it would fly away and then it didn’t but i wasn’t really listening to her.) she should have let me catch it. it was just sitting there, waiting for me. i wouldn’t have hurt it. i don’t care about birds. i just wanted to sniff it.

on tuesday night, i stopped to sniff a rock on the path. it was cold and wet and then it jumped up and hopped away from me into the pond. i tried to catch it but it was too fast for me. what was it? what was that cold wet hopping thing?!

can you believe all the excitement? and it’s only wednesday. i wonder what else will happen this week. maybe i will finally catch my rabbit.

(has elizabeth told you the story of the rabbit yet? if not, she should. it was the best day ever. for me. elizabeth remembers a runaway pup and traffic and a sprained ankle. i remember chasing a speedy rabbit. oh, the fun. maybe she should have chased the rabbit with me.)

once upon a time, i told you that if i were going to write a dog book, the dog book i’d want to write would be: “the things no one tells you about having a dog (& if they did, you wouldn’t believe them anyway)”.

well, here is another entry.

i was lying in bed one night, quietly reflecting on my day before i went to sleep. atlas’s butt was by my head. (who knows why. possibly because he likes to arrange himself at odd angles. possibly because he was asleep on the bed and i didn’t have the heart to make him move so i squeezed myself into the tiny space that was left.)

i was nearing slumber when atlas farted. did i mention that his butt was by my head?

the thing people do not tell you about having a dog is that after years of living with one, you will just smile at your beloved silly dog and try not to breathe through your nose and go back to your quiet reflection.

{remember when atlas was in a splint and we sat on the couch for two months? oh, sweet splinted atlas. i just love him.}

i am a treasure trove of information.

i read a lot. about everything. (to give you some random examples, i read about divorce & childbirth & recruiting talent, none of which apply to me at all.)

i am immensely curious. i love learning about things. i love trying things. i can make useful connections between things that seem completely unrelated.

i am also very good at explaining technical and abstract and confusing things in a way that is accessible.

if you have a question or a problem or an issue that is troubling you, there is probably something stored somewhere in my brain that can help.

whether it’s an idea, or a resource, or a place to look, or someone to talk to, or a different perspective.

in my quest to create a business that sustains me, i have tried to find a way to use this knowledge to create an offering that helps people with a particular problem and is of value.

i have the knowledge and the creativity to do this in a lot of areas. it is a beautiful way to be of service. and i cannot make myself do it. (for various reasons, none of which seem relevant.)

i’ve also tried to think of a way to share this information on my blog. the problem is that my knowledge is vast and is accessed best when someone or something draws it out.

so, i have all this useful information, and it is not often that it does anyone but me any good.

at the same time, one of the best things about me is atlas.

well, it is both atlas and my relationship with atlas.

atlas is wise & loving & much more succinct than i.

he is also one of my greatest teachers.

so together, we are starting an advice column: dear elizabeth & atlas.

it’s an advice column that’s gone to the dogs! (sorry, i couldn’t resist.)

think of us as your own personal version of dear abby.

if atlas doesn’t have an answer, i probably will.

(side note: advice might be the wrong word, but suggestion column just doesn’t have the same ring.)

here are the areas in which we can best be of service.

dogs. self-help. mindfulness. holistic wellness. photography. creativity. finding your style. communication. writing. relationships. inner work. books. dealing with stress & overwhelm & anxiety & body issues & self-hatred. healing. seeing things through new perspectives. accessing your inner wisdom. incorporating rest & play & pleasure. choosing joy. finding beauty in the ordinary. seeing yourself & others with love & compassion.

email us!

ask us a question. ask for our help. ask for ideas or suggestions.

we’re at: eahalt (at) mac (dot) com.

if it’s personal, we’ll answer you privately.

if it’s useful, and you don’t mind, we’ll share the question and answer on the blog. (once i decide on a day, that is.)

if we’re stumped, i’ll tell you, but i’m pretty good at research so i can probably point you in a general direction.

if you have questions about this service, please let me know.

we’re looking forward to your questions!

once upon a time, there was a tiny puppy. he had big blue eyes, silvery grey fur, and velvety soft ears.

the thing no one knew about this puppy was that his coat was actually a soul. it was a beautiful soul. his job was to keep the soul safe until the person he was holding it for realized that it was hers.

it took her a few years to realize that her soul was lost and to find it again but her soul was there beside her all along, caring for her, watching over her with love, waiting to be reunited.

on the day she welcomed her soul home again, there was a silent clap of thunder and a chorus of hallelujahs.

even without the soul, the puppy’s coat was silvery grey and beautiful. the only change was the addition of two tiny dim spots on his shoulders where the soul had been connected.

the end.

if you like this story, you might like the story club.

think fruit of the month club, only instead of fruit, it holds tiny stories that remind you of joy, magic & wonder.

i am especially fond of the story club because i created it to be something in which you both give and receive. when you join, you get to invite a friend to join with you. and, part of the cost goes to help me gift subscriptions to children in the hospital.

it is going to be magical.

won’t you come and join me in the story club?

i would love to have you!

this is your last chance to sign up for postcards from atlas!

based on this photo, it’s a good thing he’s practicing. i think i need to show him how to hold a pen.

hello, folks. atlas here.

wouldn’t you love to get actual postcards from me?

well, you can.

registration will close in the next week or two but there are still some spots available – and i’d love to have you.

happy happy arrrrrroooooooooooo! come on in, you know you want to!

six months of postcards from this cool dude: $33

the smile you’ll have on your face when you see your postcard in the mail every month: priceless

you can sign up for postcards from atlas today. they start in july.

(i found this photo in the archives, and i remembered that it was the one dress-up photo atlas did not mind at all. probably because he agreed with the sentiment.)

partly because it is most definitely not wednesday.

a very disgruntled atlas says, “please don’t click this link.”

{inspired by my sister helen and weird al and brought to you by my silly sense of humor.}

if you love atlas, and want to receive wise & silly love notes from him, you can sign up here.

did you know that atlas is my vice president and creative director?

well, he is, and he decided it was time he created his very own offering.

if you are a fan of his silliness and wisdom, you will want to read his letter to you.

have i ever told you that i read to atlas and tell him stories?

i do.

he loves it. he watches me for a while and then he sighs happily and closes his eyes while his entire body relaxes.

i don’t know why i’ve never talked about this before. i have long thought that reading to dogs is a lovely practice.

it seems like such a simple and easy way for dogs and people to quietly connect.

dogs like attention and affection. talking to them in a normal tone of voice is a way of giving them your attention while keeping them calm. the trouble is that it can be hard to talk to your dog for long; they don’t talk back and one-sided conversations aren’t much fun. reading to them is a great way around this.

you know how i got started? an animal communicator was talking to atlas and he told her that he liked it when i read stories to him at night. except i wasn’t reading to him at all. i read exceptionally fast so i had been reading a book aloud (beowulf, i think) as a way to slow myself down.

after that, i started reading out loud deliberately, just so he could enjoy it. not all the time, but often. (oh my. i just remembered when i tried to read him the craggy hole in my heart and the cat who fixed it. i thought it would be perfect. only i cried so hard through the whole book that i could barely get the words out.)

i also tell atlas stories, usually in the evening, when he’s quietly napping on the bed or in his crate. i sit next to him on the bed or lie in front of the crate and tell him a story. often, they are true stories. favorites include the story of how he came to live with me or the story of how he chased a rabbit and then i sprained my ankle or stories that involve squirrels and kitties.

so yes, reading to dogs. i am a fan. if you have a dog, do try it and report back!

if you don’t know what to read to your dog or you want something special, check out the story club.

(poor atlas. he looked at me so sweetly but instead of getting a story, he got a camera in his face.)