friends | Change Is Hard

October 31, 2025
by dawnkinster 35 Comments

Trent McDonald

In the world of blogging friendships are made. Some people, mostly not bloggers, don’t believe people who only know each other online can be considered friends. But I’ve been writing blog posts since 2008, and I’ve made several good friends. A few I’ve even met in person. Either way, on-line or in person, they’ve all been important to me.

Trent was one of those blog writers I’ve never met in person. But I’ve read his blog, Trent’s World, and he’s read mine, for several years. This week we learned that he died unexpectedly on October 5th. It’s a huge shock. He was only 61, will always be 61, though his 62nd birthday is today.

He ran several times a week with friends, he kayaked when he was on Cape Cod. He walked his dogs daily, and had just gotten a puppy. His beloved boxer, Fiyero, died unexpectedly on September 10th, so he was glad to have a new puppy, named Ledecky, in the house again. Though he did say puppy Ledecky was, of course, a lot of work.

*Picture from Trent’s blog, Fiyero and Ledesky the new puppy.*

He wrote music and books, was taking singing and drumming lessons. He played trumpet and keyboard, and probably other instruments as well. He was reading a math book for fun. Yes, a math text book.

He had retired recently and was obviously enjoying his time free from work. I wish he had had many more years to enjoy all of his hobbies, his pets, his friends and his family.

Trent was always one of the first people to comment on a new post, and he always responded when you commented on his. Last November he was the first person to donate to my Giving Thursday Facebook page, as I raised funds for the Truck Safety Coalition in honor of my dad.

Trent posted twice a week, once to talk about his week, in a “If We Were Having Coffee,” where we guessed whether he was in New Hampshire or Cape Cod, and another post to talk about a smile he had enjoyed during the week, in “The Weekly Smile.”

Trent’s last blog post was October 4th, a coffee sharing post saying he was in New Hampshire. He responded to a comment on that post early in the morning of the 5th.

Nothing about any of this prepared us to lose him, and I imagine his wife and family are having a terrible time with the shock as well.

So, even if you never read Trent’s blog, please pause for a moment and think about his friends and family. I’m sure they could all use the good thoughts. I’m hoping he is with his Fiyero now, running on a beach, perhaps along with other pets and family and friends.

And I think what we could all do in his honor is share a smile. Even if it’s not every week, let’s share the things in our lives that make us smile. Trent made us smile, let’s keep the smiles going. I think he’d like that.

The next to last sentence in his last blog post: “Anyway, that is about it, I need to be on my way.”

Now he has gone on his way, much too soon.

Rest easy, Trent. (link to his obituary) You were a good guy and we will miss your writing and singing and music and short stories and books. We’ll miss hearing about your runs and your pups. Thank you for all the support you showed us, your detailed comments, your extra input when we needed it, your donations to causes that matter to us.

We are going to miss you.

July 6, 2025
by dawnkinster 16 Comments

Looking for stars – part 2

Camping in the woods is fun, but it’s more fun if it doesn’t rain every single day and night. I guess I should count myself lucky that it didn’t rain all day every day.

I had plenty of time to get out in between rain showers and explore. Since it became obvious I wasn’t going to have any cloudless nights I deicded to use my time to find good Milky Way shoot posibilities. After all it’s a Bortle 2 up near Sleeping Bear (meaning really dark with less light pollution.) and you really don’t want to waste all that night sky by not being prepared.

*Just imagine the Milky Way shining above the trees!*

But by Wednesday I was tired of battling the incessant mosquitoes and I was happy to head an hour further north to meet a couple friends in the little town of Northport. That’s at the tip of Michigan’s little finger. Really. Look at the map of the lower portion of Michigan and notice the mitten shape…and at the far upper left of the mitten is the little finger! Then imagine how wonderful it would be to live there!

Northport, way up there north of Traverse City, is beautiful and always fun to visit. I’m lucky I know a few people there so I have lots of excuses to go. This time I was going up specifically to buy a book at my favorite Independent bookstore.

I love to stop at Dog Ears Books when I’m in Northport, browse the books and chat with store owner Pamela Grath. And this trip was even more special because I was buying my friend, Karen’s, debut novel The Lost Woman. I’ve known Karen for a long time, and I’m so excited that her book has been published!

I’m ony on page 48, though I should find the time to sit down and just read. It’s so good. It’s almost like a very rich desert that you don’t want to gobble down too fast. You want it to last. But if I don’t find a bit of quiet to sit and enjoy the read it will likely be fall before I can tell you more about it!

*Author Karen and bookstore owner Pamela.*

Penny, like her sister Katie, is an anti-reading dog. No reading allowed mom!

Anyway…I meant for this post to show you all the pretty stuff I found up near Northport that day. But it’s really about good friends and good books…and that will have to suffice for now.

Because Penny is also an anti-typing dog.

And it’s time to go off on another adventure with her. More later, I suppose.

April 28, 2025
by dawnkinster 23 Comments

Mini adventure

Last week a friend and I decided we needed an adventure, but neither of us had time for a long, fully planned and packed adventure.

But I have been feeling a keen need to find something amazing to photograph, something outside my own home and local parks. My friend had explored a colorful place, several weeks ago, just an hour north of us.

I asked her to take me there.

I mean — Saginaw Michigan just screams adventure. Right?

Of course right!

Saginaw is near the Shiawasee National Wildlife Refuge where you’ve all hiked with me to see pelicans and eagles and sandhill cranes.

Saginaw is not far from the Chippewa Nature Center where I’ve brought you along to find stunning color in the fall.

Saginaw isn’t even far from Midland Michigan and it’s Dow Gardens complete with a walk in the tree canopy. You’ve been with me there too, at least a couple times.

*The colors, all vibrant and saturated just go together.*

But this time we went to visit the Saginaw Shine Bright Mural Project.

*I liked the industrial grey edges surrounding the art, and the nondescript truck parked below.*

And let me tell you, this place satisfied all my photography cravings in one big ole splat of gorgeous color.

*A person sat playing music and reading.*

Though I don’t know that it’s a location I’d want to explore alone, and certainly not at night, it was fun to spend a bit of time there with someone else who appreciated the art. It’s huge and it’s bright and it will definitely make you smile.

No matter the angle you view it from, whether you sit in your car and admire it from across the river or get all up close and personal, it’s well worth the visit.

And on the way home we stopped for a barn.

*I liked the red car trying to camouflage itself in front of the barn.*

Of course.

April 24, 2025
by dawnkinster 26 Comments

Lots to report

Shhhhhhhh! It’s me, Penny! I’m trying to give you an update on things I’ve been doing without letting the mom know. Cause as you can see, she’s not giving me nearly enough online exposure. So I’m doing what they call an ‘end run’ around her and getting on here myself.

*Mom has been taking me on lots of walks in my parks.*

She’s sharing lots of stuff about her silly birds, and hardly anything about me and my adventures. All you’ve seen of me is the Easter picture. And to be honest I did that under duress. I mean pink is not my color!

*“Hey mom! I didn’t bark at those bikes!”*

Anyway.

Since I last wrote to you all I’ve been very very busy. I had a play date with Levi at his dog park which is about an hour away from my house.

*Me and Levi. I was watching my mom come back from the car.*

We had lots of fun and I made Levi chase me a few times.

Mostly we did our own thing, you know? He was into running and chasing his frisbee…

…and I was just into running.

Levi is a very handsome dude and of course the moms wanted a picture of the two of us together. And of course, as is stipulated in the sheltie bylaws, we made it very hard for the moms to get said picture.

*“OK here’s the deal. We never both look at mom at the same time.”*

Sit next to each other? No way. But maybe on our next play date we’ll be nicer to the moms. I guess it depends on the quality of treat being offered.

*“Listen, mom, we’re not going to SIT. So get the shot and let us go play!”*

And I also did a Rally Trial where mom signed me up to do two runs. A run is where you and your mom or dad walk around in a ring doing a bunch of stuff at little signs. You’re supposed to take your cue from your mom or dad who is supposed to be able to read the signs correctly.

Frankly it’s a bit boring because they don’t let you have treats while you’re in the ring. And without treats, what’s the point anyway?

*Mom said I did great and she’s proud of me.*

I did real good on the first run, I got 96 out of 100 points and second place in my group. But then mom rushed me right over to the other run without any breaks (and no treats!!) and we were all of the sudden in there walking around and I was sort of more interested in getting out of the ring, and also I forgot what the word “sit!” means.

*Mom says she’s always glad when we make it to the “finish” sign!*

I guess I just had a mental block. I don’t know what the big deal is, mom has those all the time! I still got a qualifying score, 80-something, but I didn’t place. Mom says that’s just fine. She says we have two legs of the three we need for a title in Novice Rally.

I’ve been taking her to doggie school every week to practice reading the signs. Between you and me, this past Tuesday afternoon she couldn’t read much of anything right and I got really frustrated with her. So I decided I didn’t know how to sit straight anymore. Or heel. Or wait. Waiting is my hardest thing anyway.

Mom says we’ll be in the basement working on that stuff this week.

*Come on down, mom! And bring the cheese!*

In fact, talking about the basement, my friend Lance and his folks came over and Mom and I did some work in our new basement, teaching me the tricks of Beginner Novice Obedience! Mom say she has great plans for me. I say I’m all in as long as there’s cheese involved.

*Lance and me being patient with the moms.*

Oh – and on Friday evenings I’ve been going on group walks with another trainer and a bunch of other dogs and their people. We’re walking around small towns and getting used to traffic and other people and other dogs. Mom says it’s working. I don’t go as crazy now when we’re out and about as long as mom has treats on her. She’s pretty happy with me and we have a lot of fun on the walks!

*A perfect evening to walk around an historic little town.*

I just know there’s more news to tell you, but mom’s almost done cleaning the kitchen so I better go inspect. Have I told you that the kitchen is my favorite room in my house? I call it the Food Room. You never know what will appear from hidden places there.

*Mom’s been taking me shopping too. I don’t know what the point is, she never buys anything.*

Talk later, your gal Pen.

August 17, 2024
by dawnkinster 46 Comments

Northern adventure full of smiles

What better way to gather smiles than taking a couple days to adventure with a friend in northern Michigan? I can’t think of a better way to grin for two days, and I’ve been meaning to share some of our smiles with you but time and events sent me off on a detour or two.

*On top of adventuring we saw some really cool barns.*

A couple weeks ago a friend from college and I took off to do some fun stuff. Stuff you always say you’re going to do but usually don’t get around to.

Like flying down a mountain on a plastic sled at Crystal Mountain Resort. You’ve always wanted to do that, right?

Haven’t you secretly yearned to be on that bobsled when you watched the winter Olympics? No? Really?

Well let me assure you that I was going much slower than an Olympic athlete on ice, and it was perfectly safe.

And oh it was such a blast! It was so much fun that we each rode down four times! (4 rides for $30 each)

*This is how they get the sleds and people back up to the top.*

We would have gone again, but we had other things to fit into our short two day adventure. Like visit one of our favorite places, Pt. Betsie.

*A few people were swimming. I got wet up to my ankles. It was cold.*

You all know that I try to get out there, even if it’s only for a few minutes, whenever I’m in the area. I’m not usually there in beach season, so it’s fun to see the sand filled with sun bathers and rock pickers.

*Lots of people looking for that perfect stone.*

We didn’t stay at the beach long, we were hungry and it was getting late. We checked into our hotel and then went to dinner at The Cherry Hut.

We had a nice dinner and more importantly bought a cherry pie to take with us.

*I kinda felt like the women having to wear this getup wasn’t fair. The men were in khakis and red shirts.*

Which we ate at the hotel. YUMMY!

The next day it was on to Boyne Mountain, further north, which has a relatively new Sky Bridge, built between a couple of ski mountains.

The ski lift here was longer and slower, giving us lots of time to enjoy the beautiful summer day.

The bridge is pretty long, and moves a bit with the people walking on it.

*You can spend as much time as you like out there.*

Handrails are handy.

*The top railing was about at my eye level, so I’m guessing just over 5 feet.*

In the middle of the bridge are a couple of sections of plexiglass so you can see below.

*Don’t overthink it and you’ll be fine.*

That was weird, but not too scary. Mostly I imagined how beautiful this will be in the fall.

*When those trees turn orange and red, man that will be stunning!*

And then we rode the lift back down, found our car and headed home. Well. Not directly home.

*We had to turn around for this one. “That’s a good barn,” we both said as we drove by.*

We did stop for a couple photogenic barns.

*Blue skies, red barns, white clouds. Can’t beat that.*

And a house.

Wouldn’t be an adventure without barns.

Or without friends. Thanks for the great time, adventure friend. You know who you are.

August 11, 2024
by dawnkinster 43 Comments

Loss x 2

Last week I lost two friends within 5 days of each other. They were from two different parts of my life and didn’t know each other but they were very much alike.

Friday August 2 a very special lady went to join her husband in heaven. Her name was Nancy and we’d been friends for almost 40 years. We met when she was hired by the bank where I was a trainer. She and four others were hired to be branch managers and I trained them for a couple weeks in our teller systems.

In 1985 I moved back into our branch system as a floating manager, and I worked in Nancy’s branch for several months, driving more than an hour each way every day. We became good friends when she invited me to stay with her, in her lakeside home, to ease my commute. She was gentle, sweet, empathetic and had a huge heart. She was always smiling, and had the best giggle. She was everybody’s mom.

And, 35 years ago, she and her husband, Bob, introduced me to my now husband.

*This is the only picture I can find of Bob and Nancy, from our wedding in 1990.*

When Bob and Nancy retired they moved to Arizona and, sadly, Bob died from pancreatic cancer shortly after. But Nancy and we have stayed friends, calling once in awhile, visiting when we could, annual holiday cards. During my last call to her she told me she was thinking about moving into an assisted living facility, and as she described it I told her it sounded nice. Then a few days later she accidently called my husband, and during their conversation told him the same thing.

She moved into her new apartment a few months ago, but suffered a fall and was in the hospital when her heart failed. Her son called me with the news.

I think, now, about our last visit with her back in February of 2020. We stayed with her a single night, and then traveled around the state, visiting beautiful places. But I got sick on that trip and we didn’t want to infect her so we called her and told her we wouldn’t be coming back to the house, instead we’d find a hotel near the airport for our last night in Arizona. We told her we’d be back out to visit her.

And then….covid. We never got back out to Arizona to see her again, and that makes me really sad, but we will keep her in our hearts forever. She loved and grieved for her husband so much for the many years that she survived him that we’re thankful she is with him again. That must have been some reunion.

But man, I’m going to miss her giggle.

I’ll tell you about the other special person I lost in the next post. They each deserve their own space. And the combined grief is just too much.

July 2, 2024
by dawnkinster 33 Comments

Another boyfriend?

Hi everybody! It’s me, Penny!

You know there are three boy dogs in my neighborhood that walk by my driveway almost every day. Personally I think they do that just to catch a glimpse of beautiful me.

*These are a couple of my neighborhood boyfriends.*

And I have had a couple playdates with Lance, a very handsome sheltie-boy who is about six months older than me. I think he likes me too.

*I’m kinda sweet on my boyfriend, Lance, too.*

And just this week mom arranged for me to meet Levi, a four year old sheltie who lives about an hour away from me.

*This is my boyfriend Levi! Isn’t he a handsome boy?*

Levi and I met at a fenced in dog playground in his neighborhood. The moms picked the coolest day of the week because, as you know, shelties are always wearing a heavy coat.

At first Levi and I weren’t sure about each other. He wasn’t sure he wanted me in his territory, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to be there either. He’s a lot bigger than me!

*He can’t catch me! Well, he wasn’t really trying to catch me…*

In fact mom said this is the first time I looked small!

*Something smells good under here. Plus there’s shade.*

But eventually, when mom broke out the frissbee we started to have some fun. Levi just loved my frissbee and I chased him while he chased it.

After a little bit of running around we settled in a corner where there was some shade. Even at 68 degrees it was pretty hot. While the moms were talking I’d sort of peek around from behind mom’s legs and get Levi’s attention.

Then I’d race off and hide behind the slide and just dare him to chase me. Yep, I pretended I didn’t want to play and then I’d egg him on. I’m very skilled at being a tease.

We didn’t run around too much, because of the heat, but we’re going to get together again when it’s cooler outside.

When we meet again we’ll be more comfortable, cause we’ll already know each other. Levi’s mom says he went home and took a nap. I went home and bugged my parents for the rest of the day.

I guess I got a little wound up.

*Thanks, Levi, for inviting me to play at your park!*

Talk later, your most alluring sheltie-girl, ruler of all boy dogs…

Penny.

Wordless Wednesday

May 22, 2024 by dawnkinster 14 Comments

November 28, 2023
by dawnkinster 3 Comments

Progress

Today is Giving Tuesday. Go to Facebook and donate to your favorite charity.

Trust me, the staff and volunteers will appreciate it! Every dollar counts!

In my own fundraising campaign we’re making progress. I’m over $800 of my $1500 goal. I’m so thankful for every dollar and every person who donates. I’m also appreciative of every one of you that sends me virtual (and real) hugs and warm thoughts and comforting messages.

Never think you don’t make a difference. You all do.

September 17, 2023
by dawnkinster 13 Comments

Pops

I met Pops over a simple dinner at a chain restaurant in Arlington Virginia many years ago. It was the evening before our semi-annual Sorrow to Strength Conference, and Pops’ daughter, Pina, was attending for the first time. Her husband had been killed on his way to work when he was hit by a semitruck. My husband and I met her, her Pops and her mom, Veronica, for dinner to provide support and comfort, so she wouldn’t feel alone attending the conference the next day.

Of course she really wasn’t alone at all. She had her mom and her Pops, a retired Air Force Veteran, who pushed her around hilly Washington DC for the four days of the conference in a wheelchair because she was recovering from knee surgery.

But, getting back to Pops.

After dinner that night the waitress asked if we wanted desert. “Do you have any ice cream?” Pops asked. They did, but a limited variety. He hesitated. “I’ll have some if you do,” I said. They didn’t have his favorite flavor, but he decided we’d indulge because, he said grinning wide, “there’s no such thing as bad ice cream.”

I’ve never forgotten those words, or Pops, though we spent only a few days together.

Pops died last week at the age of 86, and yesterday his family and friends said their last goodbye. I remembered him in my own way, by picking up a container of his favorite flavor and indulging for a few moments, while thinking of him and his family.

There’s no such thing as bad ice cream.

I share this memory with you to honor Pops, in a way. He was a good, upstanding person with a sweet soul who made this world a better place. Thank you for your service, sir. And for joining me in a scoop of ice cream all those years ago.

Godspeed.

Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Tag Archives: friends