Who Are We and Why are We Moving to Boston?

My name is Miranda and I am 31 years old. Currently I've been living in West Roxbury and working on an MFA in creative writing at Emerson College. Before beginning my MFA I taught high school English in Los Angeles for five years. While my passion had always been for writing, I began my teaching career in Newton, Massachusetts after I received my undergraduate degree (in English and American Literature with a concentration in Creative Writing Poetry) from Brandeis University in 2002. Dissatisfied with the toll teaching took on my writing life, I moved back to the Boston area to begin an MFA in Creative Writing Poetry at Emerson College in 2008.

To tell you a little about myself. I have been sober five and a half years and am a (95%) raw foodist. I love to read, write, draw, paint, exercise, take walks, hike, and listen to music. I am a triathlete and I play the guitar and sing when I remember that I can (sometimes my busy schedule makes me forget the things I used to enjoy so much). I grew up in Maine with my mother and older brother and return there for Christmas each year. My father died when I was 14, but my parents were divorced when I was just a baby. (Yes, my mom is my hero! Imagine raising two rambunctious kids while battling Multiple Sclerosis.) I love the outdoors and part of why I left LA is my intense need for fresh air and clean water. The other reason is to be closer to my family. My mother is now living in a full-care nursing home and I know my time with her is precious.

As a child I went camping, fishing, and canoeing; I spent hours roaming the woods behind my house, building tree forts and catching frogs. Today I enjoy doing the same. I am quite handy with tools (though not formally trained) and like to create, build, or fix things. There is a certain satisfaction that can be gained only from working with your hands; it beats wasting time on a video game any day!

Let's see... I meditate regularly, have a strong connection with God, and enjoy the smell of fresh sage and nag champa incense and the ringing of my singing bowl. I am super green and totally against the use of chemicals (in my food, on my body, or in my home). I buy as close to zero waste as possible, recycle everything I can, and compost anything the dogs don't eat (which isn't much since one of their favorite treats are watermelon rinds - check out Luna eating hers below). I am a strong believer in public transportation and don't mind walking to take it. I traversed LA for two years with my bus pass and even though my students laughed at me and tried to hide when I happened to be on the same bus as them, I wouldn't have had it any other way. If possible, I would like to have an organic garden in my Boston area yard. Ultimately, my goal is to own my own ranch/farm with a large enough barn to house all of the animals I always want to rescue and nurse back to health (but never have the space or resources to do so) and use the space as an artists' retreat center/summer camp/boarding school so I could teach, write, be spiritual, and stay connected to the earth and my animals.

The "we" I speak of is myself and my beautiful dogs. They are my children and I couldn't imagine living anywhere without them. People have tried to convince me to give at least one of them away but I couldn't possibly do that. They keep me sane and bring me more love than I could ever give back to them, though I continue to try.

I am pleased to introduce them.

First is Luna. She is a 6 year old Shepherd/Spaniel mix who is about 26 lbs. She came to me in the backpack of a student when she was just three weeks old. At first glance I thought she was a guinea pig she was so little and furry. After no convincing at all I adopted her, bottle fed her, hid her in a box in my classroom every day for three weeks, and eventually relocated to a smaller, less glamorous apartment in order to (legally) keep her. She was an angel from the start and literally saved my life. I got sober because of her. She is gentle and loving and follows me everywhere. I can't even take a shower without her lying on the bathroom floor! Soft and addicted to snuggling, she loves everyone and everyone loves her!

Next is Chica. This lover is five and a half and about 68 lbs. She also came to me via a student. Her owners were going to drop her off at the pound after her mother was hit by a car, and being the sucker for a sob story involving a dog (and especially a puppy) I drove down to Compton (yes, me in Compton!) to pick her up. Again, I had to find a new apartment so I could keep her but it was worth it because she is a bundle of love! She will do anything to please her pack leader (that's me) and while she is certainly the next boss in line (her siblings totally look up to her) she's the best trained dog I've ever had; she follows every command I give her. She loves to exercise and her favorite thing to do (aside from playing fetch! fetch! fetch!) is go roller-skating down Hollywood Blvd. with her daddy. (I wish I had a picture to share! What a sight we are!) She is a snuggler and will let me hold her and hold her and hold her. If I've been hurt or am upset she's the first to lick my face. She loves people and children and can get along well with other animals (with controlled introductions, some ground rule setting, and supervision though not so much on leash but we're working on it). I recently fostered a puppy (yes, it came to school in another backpack) and she had fun playing Mommy for the weekend. She can look tough, but don't let that fool you! The two of us were on Animal Planet in 2008!

Next, there is Vida. She is a five year old Pointer Mix who is about 56 lbs. In March (or May ... I forget) of 2007 I went to the shelter with a friend to help him pick out a kitten. After walking past every kennel (so I could give the poor little doggies some love) I came across her (scared and confused) in the very last one. She had just come off the street as a stray and was smooshed in the corner being bullied by two small yappy dogs. She jumped up as I approached and when she looked into my eyes I knew I would never get away with leaving her there. I immediately went home and asked the girls if they wanted a sister. Everyone I know told me I was crazy to do so, but five days later I rented a car and went to pick her up. I arrived at the shelter to find that she already had pneumonia! But, that didn't stop me from taking her home and nursing her back to health (she loves vitamin C tablets and herbal cough medicine!) She fit in instantly and is now one of the family! A bundle of energy, all wiggles and kisses, she enjoys long walks, runs, or skates, but also loves to lay in the sun and sleep. Play Play Play is the name of the game when I get home, but as soon as she's had some exercise she conks out. I've nicknamed her the face licker because she gives more kisses than you could possibly ever need and often jumps up to kiss strangers' faces on the street. They're always surprised and amused! She's a wonderful girl. In her doggie training class she is the star of the show and absolutely loves the agility course, jumping over barrels and climbing ramps and running down steep ladders. At night we go to the park down the street and she has a blast jumping over park benches! The two of us were also on Animal Planet the summer of 2008 as well!

And lastly, there is Buddy. He's a one and a half

year old mutt who weighs about 75lbs. Of all my animals, Buddy was the most unexpected. If I didn't truly believe that it was God's plan for me to have him I never would have kept him when I found him on the street. But I know it was. I woke that morning more rested than usual and was excited to get to work early. But before I could get my feet on the floor this nagging voice began in the back of my mind. It said, "Call in sick." At first it was quite polite, but because I wasn't listening it began booming. Over the years I've learned to trust my intuition and the messages that come to me, so I complied, picked up the phone, and climbed back into bed. Later that day I got a call from my night job at the time (Whole Foods) asking if I could come in early because I was going to be closing alone. Well usually I wouldn't be able to because I'd be teaching, but because I was at home I said ok. After showering and putting the girls in their kennels, I headed out to the bus stop. It wasn't a few seconds after I got there that Buddy appeared in the street, limping, and about to get hit by a car. Not seeing anyone who appeared to own him and thinking fast, I called to him and miraculously he ran out of traffic just in time. When he reached me he laid down on his back and began to lick my face. He let me check him all out to see where he was hurt and I discovered his front paw swollen and oozing. I looked around to see where his owner was, but by the looks of him I could tell he didn't have one. Someone had called animal control and knowing what happens to dogs in shelters I decided to take him home and keep him in the yard until I could be sure someone wasn't missing him. With some on leash introductions, and with lots of treats and distractions, the girls decided it was ok that he join the family. After getting no response to my Internet and street postings, and after finding no collar or microchip, I decided to keep him. My neighbors describe Buddy as the most chill dog they've ever seen, and considering he's only a little over a year old (according to my vet) that's a blessing! A couple of weeks ago he had his paw operated on and was castrated as well (poor boy) and has recovered nicely. I know I'm a bit insane having four dogs, but apparently that's what God had in store for me. Had anything happened differently that day, Buddy could have died in the street. I know I was sent there to save him and to help give him a good life. A week ago I awoke to find him in the middle of a severe, epileptic seizure. He had another one within an hour and less than 3o minutes later he was in my vet's office for an emergency visit. So now, with the help of my vet and a little research of my own, he's stable and doing well. He certainly is a special boy, and I know he's going to be one of the best dogs I've ever had. I look forward to sharing my life with him. (UPDATE: BUDDY PASSED AWAY DECEMBER OF 2010 DUE TO MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS RELATED TO AN INTESTINAL BLOCKAGE; WE MISS HIM TERRIBLY.)

All the dogs have been fixed. Chica and Vida just completed their official training course because even well-trained dogs can be better trained, no?! Chica, Vida, and Buddy have all been Canine Good Citizen certified and Buddy will begin Therapy Dog training before we head East. I hope to take him into nursing homes, hospitals, juvenile halls, and rehabs so he can spread some love and bring some joy and peace to those who need it most!

2008
We're moving out of our single with a private yard in Hollywood this August to venture back to the Boston area so I can begin my MFA in Poetry at Emerson College. While we're sad to leave our perfect living situation, we know that something better awaits us!

2011
We're moving out of our West Roxbury two-bedroom apartment with a private yard because our landlords, though they love us (I've been their property manager for the past three years) need the larger apartment and yard now that they have a new baby. They would love to give us a great reference, as would my roommate, previous roommates, and upstairs neighbors.

We hope that you'll consider renting to us, despite how many of us there are, or perhaps join us in our search for the perfect house with a nice big fenced yard. I am very serious about maintaining a strict, disciplined routine with my dogs so please know that I am not a negligent owner by any means. I take my role as pack leader seriously and know that my and my dogs' sanity depends on this. If I thought by any means that I would not fulfill the role as is required of being the owner of four dogs, I would be the first to admit it and relocate them. So rest assured that renting to us, or with us, would not be a mistake!