It’s been a while since I’ve written here.
Months, actually.
Life filled up fast and loud—caring for my mom as her health declined, juggling the full weight of work as a one-person product-marketing team, trying to keep the house running, and somewhere in the middle of all that… trying to breathe.
Then last October, in walked a four-legged whirlwind named Whiskey.
Meet Whiskey
Whiskey came into our lives tiny enough to walk under the TV stand and loud enough to wake an entire neighborhood. He was supposed to grow into my future Doberman service dog for mobility and balance, but he’s become far more than that.
He’s stubborn and brilliant, equal parts muscle and heart. He has a knack for stealing remotes, socks, and attention—and somehow, he’s teaching me patience in ways no self-help book ever could.
When he turned one this month, I realized just how much life had changed. The days are busier, messier, and somehow fuller. My mornings start with leash clips instead of coffee cups, and my evenings end with one last “go potty” instead of one more email.
Lessons in Presence
Whiskey doesn’t let me live on autopilot.
He reminds me to step outside, to notice the wind, to laugh when things go sideways (usually involving a chewed blanket). He keeps me present—something I’d lost somewhere between hospital calls, deadlines, and fatigue.
He’s also teaching me to slow down. Training isn’t one-and-done; it’s daily repetition, showing up even when it’s frustrating or inconvenient. Sounds a lot like faith, doesn’t it?
The Birth of The Whiskey Project
Out of all these moments came the idea for The Whiskey Project—a new series here on MScapades about learning, healing, and rediscovering joy through this training journey.
It’s not really about dogs (though there will be plenty of paws and teeth marks). It’s about what happens when life gives you a companion who mirrors your own growth curve—impatient, curious, faithful, and still in progress.
Why I’ve Been Quiet
Between caring for my mom, re-entering church, and finding my footing again, I didn’t have words for a while. I think I needed to live the story before I could write it.
But slowly, I feel the rhythm returning—the desire to share what I’m learning in real time: the hard, the holy, and the hilariously human.
Faith in New Beginnings
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” — Isaiah 43:19
God’s “new thing” doesn’t always arrive wrapped in clarity. Sometimes it shows up with muddy paws and chewed leashes. Yet somehow, it’s exactly what you need.
Whiskey’s first year has been loud, costly, joyful, and sanctifying. Through him, God’s been teaching me to trust small beginnings—to see progress not as perfection, but as presence.
