Author: Ron Stempkowski
What's in a Legacy?
I love my neighborhood on the north side of Chicago. Walking with Kallie down the quiet–sometimes hidden–streets has been one of my favorite things this summer. (She was too young last yea... Read More
Our First Home
Writing my previous blog and looking at the photos I inserted into the post reminded me of our first year in LA. And of the first home Ken and I ever shared together. We didn’t live together in ... Read More
Camping Out in the Past (just a little)
During Kallie’s recuperation, her physical freedom has to be limited to ensure she doesn’t injure her newly post-op knees. Crating her is preferred, but my girl never appreciated being cra... Read More
A Xanax Diary, Indeed
My life lately–more than usual–is very dog-centric. Kallie had surgery on both knees on June 26 to alleviate stress on her tearing crutiate ligaments. It’s a serious procedure, but o... Read More
"Emotional Muscle" Memory
It feels like I’m standing on the edge of a great precipice. And I’ve stood here before. As I mentioned in a previous blog, my pup Kallie Kismet is scheduled for knee surgery tomorrow. (Co... Read More
The Unflattering History of Sports (and me)
My first attempt at sports left a bad taste in my mouth. The briny taste of tears, in fact. I was five or six and was “encouraged” to sign up for little league baseball like all the other ... Read More
A Blog about a Dog (or two)
A late birthday gift–of sorts–last year, I brought Kalpurnia “Kallie” Kismet Derson Stempkowski home one year ago today. She changed everything, and I can hardly remember (exce... Read More
…And Many More
Yesterday I turned 45. It’s my third birthday since Ken died, and it’s also a date that will forever fall two weeks after the profound date of his death. The dates have been so emotionally... Read More