One of the highlights of this spring occurred after catching a glimpse of a bird’s nest perched just outside my office window in a holly tree. Being at the perfect height to watch the progress of this new little round of robins right from the office chair was truly a gift from Nature.

After noticing that this brand-new nest was constructed right under my nose, almost literally, I quickly ran outside to peek and get a better look at whether there was something inside. Sure enough, there were four, perfect, little, bright blue eggs. I had never seen an actual nest with fresh little eggs so up close and personal before and was quite surprised at how exciting it felt, especially considering there was a time that I was not very fond of birds. Maybe that was due to Alfred Hitchcock.

Excitedly, I took a photo and began my investigation into what species of new life would be reared before my eyes and discovered they were robins. Digging deeper, I discovered their favorite foods, eating habits and everything else the search engine delivered to learn how to be the best host I could be for this new little family.

Though only three of the four eggs hatched, it was thrilling and so much fun to watch the progress and how the mom and dad co-parented these little miracles. Those tiny little beings feed relentlessly while the parents dutifully and tirelessly care for them.

We’ve got a jam-packed issue of goodness for you this month. One of my favorites as a dog-lover is the piece by Veterinarian Karen Shaw Becker, “Create a Dog-Friendly Yard: Plants, Paths and Play Areas to Wag a Tail.” I was especially happy to learn about the variety of herbs that can be planted around yards that repel fleas. It looks like I’ve got some more planting to do.

As always, my deepest desire is that each and all consumers of the content within these pages find something that helps improve their quality of life in even the smallest measures.

Peace,