Carolyn Holm

Dear Mom,
Sometimes I don’t know what you are going on about. Like when you laugh loudly.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Dogs don’t really have a sense of humor.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Humor is when one of us falls down?
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
What?
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
You laughed when Winston fell off the windowsill. 
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
That really was funny. He got startled, and jumped straight up in the air. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
And that’s funny?
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
And when he came back down, he slipped right off the windowsill. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
And that’s funny?
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
It was pure slapstick. I usually prefer more intelligent humor, but that one made me laugh out loud. I guess you could say it tickled my funny bone.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
You don’t always make sense. 
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy
That’s ok.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
There’s another one I don’t get. About the cat storms.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
The cat storms? 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
The cat storms. They talk about them on tv.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Maybe I missed that item. It was something about a lot of cats?
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Three cats. That may turn into four.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Wait, are you talking about Cat 4 Hurricanes?
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,             
Yes! A bunch of cats in a storm!!!! The newsman said they are dangerous! It sounds alarming!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Sweetie, you don’t need to worry about them. We don’t have hurricanes in Berkeley.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
That’s a big relief!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Do you have any other burning questions?
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Burning????????
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Well then, any regular questions?
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Yes!!!!! Who is the it guy?
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
The it guy? 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Yes!!! Who is it? You said he’s a wizard!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I don’t know what you are talking about, sweetie.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Yes you do. You said we should all be thanking our it guy.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Oh, our IT guy! Alec!
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
That’s what I said. Our it guy.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I get it now. But we’re talking “IT” not “it”. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
That’s what I said.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
IT stands for Information Technology.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
How are we supposed to know that?
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
It’s ok, all you need to know is that our IT guy is a friend named Alec who helps us with our blog’s technical issues. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
And he’s a wizard.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
And he’s a wizard.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
And he’s fine with being called an it guy?
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Let’s hope so.
Love, Carolyn

–

A note to our readers…

Poppy, Puffin, and Winston are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, and yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!

Dear Puffin
It’s so sweet when you walk around the house yowling for me.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
This petit cat does not do the yowl.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
But you do! I sometimes hear you in another part of the house, yowling loudly, and I figure you’re looking for me so I answer, calling out “Here I am!” And right away, you show up. 
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Perhaps it is the Winston who does the yowl.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
No, I’m pretty sure it’s you. You call me, I answer, you find me. It all adds up. And then you sit with me. I’m always glad to have you sit with me.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
This story sounds pathetic. Madame is exaggerating this, to make it sound pathetic.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin, 
I’m a writer, I know perfectly well how to make something sound pathetic. If that’s what I wanted to do, I’d go into great detail describing the vocals. The deep timbre of your voice. The echo in the hallway. 
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Toujours le sarcasm.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
I could make it cinematic. Add sound effects. And a musical element. A violin in the background. Or, no, a single plaintive cello.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
The sarcasm is something Madame cannot resist.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
No, I guess not. But I do like your yowling. Some say it could be a sign of dementia, but you’ve been yowling for years, so I don’t worry about it. 
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
This petit cat does not do the dementia.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
You certainly have no sign of dementia, as far as I can tell. You just yowl to find me. And I like to be found!
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
The house has many rooms and Madame moves from room to room without a sound for this petit cat to keep track of.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Maybe I should make a yowly sound of my own every few minutes, to check in.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
C’est ça. Toujours le sarcasm.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

–

A note to our readers…

Puffin, Poppy, and Winston are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, and yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!

Dear Winston,
I love it when you and Poppy promenade around the house together.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
We what??????
Winston

Dear Winston,
Promenade! You walk side-by-side together. In tight formation, shoulder to shoulder. I turn around and see you two following me like that, from room to room. 
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Poppy is my pal.
Winston

Dear Winston
It’s sweet that you love her. I wish she reciprocated it better. On her part, she seems to mostly be just putting up with it.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
She only wants to keep an eye on you. 
Winston

Dear Winston,
She does. I’m the center of her universe. It’s a lot of pressure being so important.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Still, I think she secretly likes my head bumps. 
Winston

Dear Winston,
She knows they mean love.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
And sometimes she wants to play with me!!!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
She does! Your zoomies set her off. She thinks it’s crazy fun to chase you out of the room.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
But when I cuddle up with her in her bed, she sits there for a minute, and then gets up and leaves the bed.
Winston

Dear Winston,
Don’t take it personally. I think she just prefers to sleep alone.
Love, Carolyn

–

A note to our readers…

Winston, Poppy, and Puffin are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, and yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!

Dear Poppy,
We need to have a talk.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I love our talks!!!!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
We need to talk about the barking.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Barking is hugely important. 
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy
Once in a while. A lot of the time it is hugely annoying.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
It’s how I protect you!!!!! You need to be notified!!!!!!! 
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Let’s talk about just what actually needs notification. So, for starters, keep on with the barking if someone approaches our front door. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Yes!!!!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
But when we are trying to talk with them, you can stop. And definitely stop when we invite them in.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
But the barks keep coming out.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
That’s what needs to stop. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
That sounds like a bad rule. 
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
It’s a good rule. Always, if it’s my rule, it’s a good rule.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
What about the back door?
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Same rules apply. And, by the way, the postman doesn’t count. He comes by every day. You don’t need to let us know. But deliveries, ok, let us know.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Got it.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Finally, you don’t need to bark every time someone with a dog walks past. Everyone in Berkeley has a dog. And they all seem to walk past our door.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
We live in a great neighborhood for walking!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
We do indeed. But you don’t have to bark at the dogs.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
What if I just bark when it’s a dog l I know personally?
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Are you counting dogs you’ve never actually met, but you’ve smelled their markings on our walks?
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Of course!!!!!!!! That’s how I know them!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
That’s what I figured. How about we limit it to the dogs you know personally, dogs that you’ve actually met? Spencer, Daisy, Kody, Rosie… well not Rosie, she’s your arch enemy.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I MUST bark at the enemies! 
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Ok, fine, how about you can bark for a short time to announce friendly dogs, and maybe for a little bit longer for the arch enemies. But please, knock off the barking every time someone with a dog simply walks within a block of our house.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
What about someone walking a cat?
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
No one in our neighborhood walks their cat.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom
It could happen. 
XOXO Poppy

–

A note to our readers…

Poppy, Puffin, and Winston are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, and yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!

Dear Puffin,
You gave me a scare last night!
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
The last time this petit cat gave Madame a scare, a hose was turned on him.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
I’ve apologized for that, sweetie. No, this was different. I woke up in the night, and found you were hogging the blanket, curled up on top of it, sound asleep. So I sat up and nudged you. Nothing. You didn’t move. You didn’t even react. I whispered “Puffin!” Still nothing! I said aloud “Oh my god, Puffin!!!” Still nothing!
Love Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Mon dieu, what does Madame require at 3:00 in the morning?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
I thought you had died! I was so upset!
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Such concern is gratifying, but this pauvre petit cat was just trying to sleep.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
I have to say you seemed to be out cold. But I may have over-reacted. Three in the morning is not a good time for mental clarity.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
It would seem a petit cat should have a decent night’s sleep without an emotional interruption.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
You rascal, you interrupt our sleep all the time. Every morning, the sun isn’t even awake, and you’re already nudging and staring face to face with me, saying “Madame, breakfast?????” And then you go to Monsieur and stare in his face, and shout “Monsieur, breakfast?????”  Back and forth.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Sans doubt, that is indeed time for the breakfast.
Regards, M. Le Poufin 

Dear Puffin,
But I’ve learned how to stop it. I just shush you with a “Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” 
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
C’est very clear, Madame.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Shushing is a human version of a cat’s hiss. And we all know what THAT translates to. Feline for “F—- off!” And it works every time.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Madame is surprisingly fluent in Feline.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

–

A note to our readers…

Puffin, Poppy, and Winston are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, and yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!

Hey Mom,
You told Puffin not to get his knickers in a knot. His knickers?????
Winston

Dear Winston,
It’s just an expression. Knickers are pants.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
We don’t wear pants.
Winston

Dear Winston,
I know, sweetie. I was just entertaining myself. 
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
Yesterday you said Puffin is wearing his Holstein outfit. What does that even mean???????????
Winston

Dear Winston,
Holsteins are big black and white cows.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
He won’t like that.
Winston

Dear Winston
No kidding. He also doesn’t care for it when I say he’s got his Killer Whale outfit on. But we can’t let him get too self-satisfied. He would become insufferable. 
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
He says he’s wearing an elegant tuxedo. 
Winston

Dear Winston,
Which he accessorizes with a lot of pink. Pink nose, pink tongue, pink beans. I love his pink beans.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
I have black beans!  
Winston

Dear Winston,
You do! Glossy little black beans on all four feet. And glossy dark fur. And a spooky black mask. Your whole outfit is very dark. Like a demon! Cue the scary music…OMG, who summoned this Prince of Darkness into the unsuspecting world?
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
I have an outfit too?????  
Winston

Dear Winston,
You do! A Prince of Darkness outfit. You all have outfits.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
What is Poppy’s outfit?
Winston

Dear Winston,
She has skirts. She is our golden girly girl, all swishy with skirts, a pompom tail, and fluffy bedroom slippers!
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Bedroom slippers? You are not making ANY sense today!!!!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
That’s ok, sometimes sense is overrated.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
I think I’ll go crawl under the sofa cushions.
Winston

Winston,
Until you are summoned.
Love, Carolyn

–

A note to our readers…

Winston, Poppy, and Puffin are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, and yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!

Dear Mom,
I’m a cereal killer!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
You’re a what?
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
A cereal killer!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Okay, I think you mean a serial killer. First of all, I don’t think you know what that means. And, second, you are not really a killer.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I might be! I FINALLY caught a squirrel!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
We don’t know that you killed that poor guy.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I would have if you hadn’t pulled me off. I was shaking him to break his neck. Just like Molly taught me. But you pulled my tail!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Sorry. Your tail was the closest thing I could grab. You didn’t kill him, sweetie, but he was injured. He tried to climb up the tree and his hind legs were not working properly. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
What did you do with him? I couldn’t see because you stuck me in the house. But you came back with a bloody hand!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
That was my blood, sweetie, not his. He looked like he was in shock, so I was going to move him to a safer spot to recover, and he bit me, right through my leather garden gloves! What a set of choppers on that guy! 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
He shouldn’t have done that! No one is allowed to bite you!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I know, right? I’m The Goddess. But apparently no one told him that. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
It would serve him right if he died.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
It certainly would not. I’d have bit me too, under the circumstances. It was the appropriate thing for any creature to do. You’d bite too if you had just been attacked, and an attempt made on your life.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
The neighbor said he might have rabies!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Some critters do, but not squirrels. And I’m caught up on my tetanus shots. So, no worries there. Just a painful reminder that squirrels are equipped to chew through wood.
Love, Carolyn 

Dear Mom,
If he died out there, we would smell him.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Good point. Fortunately, we don’t smell anything yet. At any rate, he certainly disappeared. Hopefully he is somewhere recovering. Probably in the creek area next door. So, I’m keeping an eye out for a squirrel on crutches. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I killed him, I just know it. I’m an Apex Predator, like wolves and grizzly bears!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Yeah, when I look at you, the first thing I think of is a wolf.
Love, Carolyn

–

A note to our readers…

Poppy, Puffin, and Winston are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, and yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!

Cher Madame,
The kitchen she is in disorder. Complete disorder. The feeder doesn’t march. And this pauvre petit cat is starving.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
I know you are upset, Puff honey, but we had to make some changes.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
One does not care for changes, Madame.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
All this time we couldn’t figure out how you were gaining so much weight. I described to the vet how we measure your portion at each mealtime, and she was as puzzled as we were. And then two days ago I found you cleaning up Poppy’s food bowl. You have been eating her food!
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
C’était there for the taking. How was this petit cat to know it was only for the dog?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
You knew, Buddy.  Oh yes, you knew perfectly well. That’s why you NEVER let me catch you in the act. Until two days ago.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
No one explained to this petit cat that the dog food was the forbidden meal.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
I didn’t think we needed to! It’s a special food to keep her teeth clean – the nuggets are large and hard, so her teeth get cleaned just breaking them down. Who knew a cat could even get his mouth around them? You did the impossible, you rascal.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
There are other irregularities in the kitchen as well. The feeder does not march.
Regards, M. Le Poufin 

Dear Puffin,
Your feeder has been reprogrammed for Poppy’s microchip. It’s her feeder now. That’s why it no longer works for you.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
What is this pauvre petit cat to do without a feeder? Madame is planning a starvation.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
You don’t need a chip-operated feeder. No one can steal your food, because you inhale it so fast. It is all gone in less than a minute. So, we will now feed you in a regular dish. And honey, no one will let you starve.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
This petit cat does not do the inhaling.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
You don’t even chew, sweetie. I’ve never seen anything like it. 
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
This petit cat does not do the annoying slurpy crunchy chewing like the Winston does.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Winston does it right, sweetie. He thoughtfully chews every bite. He takes the time to enjoy it. Actually, in this he is more French than you are! He doesn’t cram it all down his gullet, the moment he is fed.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Gullet? Madame makes this all sound sordid. Alors, Madame is saying the feeder will no longer open when this petit cat stands politely before it?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
That is correct. It is no longer your feeder. That’s why it is in Poppy’s corner now. And you have a new ceramic bowl in the cat corner.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Bien sûr, Poppy will never figure out the feeder. 
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
She already has, Puff honey. Already has.
Love, Carolyn

–

A note to our readers…

Puffin, Poppy, and Winston are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, and yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!

Hey Mom,
We have new games!!!!!!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
We do! I thought we needed some new ideas because Puffin seems bored with the old game.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
He’s not bored with it. He just stops playing so he can go to Dad’s desk for a treat.
Winston 

Dear Winston,
That’s become an every-evening tradition.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
You are going to wear out that exclamation point key.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
???????????????????
Winston

Dear Winston,
Never mind.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
Dad keeps treats in his desk!!!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
I’m surprised you boys haven’t figured out where they are hidden.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
We can do that???
Winston

Dear Winston,
Probably not. If you could, Puffin would have already stolen them.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
I like the Feathers Wand. And the Slinky Tail. And the Hot Dot game. 
Winston

Dear Winston,
They are all good, aren’t they?
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
But the Hot Dot is magic. Your hand clicks, and the dot flies around!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
I think it is VERY interesting that you have made the connection between my hand and the dot. You of all people. You’re the first cat to look at my hand during the game, not always at the dot.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
I am? What’s the connection?
Winston

Dear Winston,
Never mind. Just keep chasing it. One of these days you might catch that dot!
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
What dot?
Winston

–

A note to our readers…

Winston, Poppy, and Puffin are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, and yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!

Dear Mom,
The car is a terrible terrible terrible invention.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I’m sorry, I know you hate it, but we had to take you to the Vet.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I am not sick!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
No, you’re not! Isn’t that wonderful? But you still have to go in once a year for an annual exam and some shots.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I’d rather not.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
We know. But you shouldn’t worry about it! Everyone there is so sweet. They all love you, and want you to stop worrying. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Why was the vet spraying cheese everywhere?
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
That certainly lightened things up. It was an accident. A hilarious accident. He wanted to give you a cheezy treat but the squirter blew it out sideways. All over him and on his keyboard.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
All that loud laughing was alarming.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I know sweetie, you can’t seem to tell the difference between laughing and shouting. But we were definitely laughing. Didn’t that make the visit a bit easier?
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
We still had to go in the car. Both ways.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
At least you didn’t barf this time. That’s usually reserved for longer trips.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
You hate the car too.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I don’t hate the car! Why would you say that?
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
You yell in the car. You yell things like “Hey dumbass, can you go any slower?” 
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I don’t yell, I just say things firmly. And I only say them when I’m alone in the car.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I’m there.
XOXO Poppy

–

A note to our readers…

Poppy, Puffin, and Winston are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, and yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!