Writing about Alzheimer's ... Biking an insane number of miles ... Getting a new dog.

I've gotten so much great response here, in my email and on facebook to my post about Mom's Alzheimer's journey that I'm definitely going to post more from her journal--combined with my reflections--on an ongoing basis. Although so many people are hungry for stories about aging, caregiving and dementia, I find it very frustrating that I can't get an agent interested in my project. So I'll just keep posting here--and perhaps one day, an agent or publisher will recognize its value.

Mom read the entry and wrote me this email: "the! blog is beautluf!" [beautiful]. I'm so happy she's pleased that I'm helping her story to get out into the world. Like most writers, she's always had the impulse to tell important stories.

Saturday we did a bike ride with hundreds of other riders, the Tierra Bella--well, the "short" version that was "only" 38 miles. That was long for us, but in a good way. It was a beautiful day, and my favorite part was when we rode around the Uvas Reservoir. The water was still, reflecting the trees like a mirror. There were so many gorgeous spring flowers, and the sky was Technicolor blue.

Tomorrow we are adopting another dog, a little 6-pound, five-year-old toy fox terrier

named Spokey. This is what he looks like, although it's not actually him. I'll get a real picture of him soon. A friend of ours can't keep him, so we've decided to take on, yes, Dog #3. Spokey has already met Max (our 5-year-old Pomeranian) and Emily (our 15-year-old cat):as well as Rozzie, our 13-year-old Border Collie mix:

They got along great. It was clear the Spokey enjoyed being part of a pack. I know it'll be an adjustment to have another dog in our midst. But it's clear that Spokey is smart, learns quickly and has a great personality. He's confident yet not aggressive, and he loves to walk and play.

Rozzie had to have an operation last week to remove two lumps. We'll find out this week if they are cancerous. The doc seems to think so. Rozzie seems like she's in good spirits, though. Perhaps bringing another dog into the fold will make her old age more fun--and ours, too.