This has been a really difficult summer for me. I wrote earlier about the death of my grandmother at the end of June.

She was a fantastic woman who was loved by all who knew her. Her smile could light up a room and she always topped to talk to people – even those she didn’t know.

I still miss her and probably always will. I was making a dessert for Labor Day weekend and it was the first time it hit me that I can no longer just pick up the phone and call her to ask what I’m missing or how much of something is supposed to go into the recipe. Our family truly lost a gem.

My second loss came at the beginning of August when my dog, Holly, died. She was 22 years old and still had so much spirit in a body that was failing. She was my companion through so much. We lived in several apartments and houses, and two different states. She saw me through heartache when relationships failed.

She had such a unique personality that one of my friends affectionately nicknamed her Freek – spelled wrong, because she was too weird to spell it right. Holly even answered to Freek when I would call her in from the yard.

She had such a large personality for a little body. Her death impacted my other dogs as well. How do you explain to a dog that her sister has died? I watched Ginny look around the house for her for a week. We would go to bed and Luna would look at me like I was forgetting someone.

Now, I am writing my next book – the first one that will be written without my foot warmer – a white, furry body that lay across my feet as I typed. Her snores will no longer echo through the room.

I’ve already written a dog into this story in her memory. It’s small consolation for missing her, but maybe letting her live on in print will help with the healing.