Puppy

It was one of those rare mornings when I was at peace with the world. I had slept comfortably the night before, my sinuses were reasonably clear and nothing in the house was broken down. I awoke almost smiling. That's when my wife said, "You know what's wrong with you?" I had not been considering at the moment that anything might be wrong with me, though I was certain if there were, I would soon know about it.

Iam tooling down Winnetka Avenue one day recently, going maybe 22.5 miles an hour, when I suddenly catch a glimpse of red lights in my rear view mirror. It is a motorcycle cop, and he is waving me to the curb in front of a Taco Bell restaurant, so naturally I comply. I know what happens to Mexicans when they ignore a cop in front of a Taco Bell. I'm not sure what to do exactly, since I do not get stopped by cops very often, so I just sit there in the car, careful not to make any sudden moves.

Mimi Vestal remembers well the spring day last year when her husband, John, went to a Newport Beach pet store to buy a pooper scooper for the cats' box and came home instead with a Dalmatian puppy. "John was always bringing other people's animals in to say, 'Isn't he cute?' " she said. "He came in with this one in his arms and I asked, 'Whose is he?' He said, 'She's ours. I can't take her back because she was on sale. What shall we call her?'

On the third day of silence and meditation, I said just 14 words, all of them in the course of chopping vegetables for dinner. Days two, four and five were not much different. I'm not the quiet type. But this was my idea. So earlier this year, I drove most of a day to reach Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Marin County to immerse myself in the practice of mindful meditation. To be still, clear of worry over career, my teenage sons' futures, the renovations of our old house. To see whether I could stop -- just stop -- for five days and perhaps for a little bit each day afterward.

An orchid isn't exactly a puppy, but it is one of those gifts that requires regular care. If you're given one - or if you pick one up this weekend at the Santa Barbara International Orchid Show - you should know the basics. Brian Petraska, the Orchid Guy expert who will be offering demonstrations at the show, took the time to answer some fundamental orchid questions for this edited Q&A. You'll also find details on this weekend's event at the bottom of the post. We've all heard about misting orchids with a spray bottle, but what's really the best way to water orchids?

Justin and Brandy Besemer were newly married and trying to pay off their wedding debt when they decided their family needed a dog -- an American Bulldog named Kaila. Thus started one of their first arguments. Brandy, who had never had a dog before, wanted to spend a little over $300 a year to buy pet insurance. Justin, who had always had dogs, thought it was a waste of money. "His parents told me this horror story that made me insist we get it," explained Brandy, 28.

Blake Shelton: Rumor demystifier. Miranda Lambert: Sidekick. The case: Have they called it quits? The answer: Nope, y'all. The country couple took to Twitter over the weekend to ridicule a Life & Style cover story alleging that the two were headed to splitsville due to Shelton flirting with 26-year-old singer Cady Groves. And something pretty adorable ensued when the two tore down the fourth wall with a sense of humor. "Hey @mirandalambert… I just read in a tabloid that our marriage is falling apart!

Most people can tell you exactly where they were when the bus and all those children disappeared. In the way of small towns, the connections to that dark moment are personal. Lois Rambo, who runs the lunch counter at Pioneer Market Cafe in Chowchilla, says her daughter would have been on that bus if she hadn't stayed home sick from school that day. Jodi Heffington Medrano, who owns a salon on the square, was one of the children who disappeared. Photos: Chowchilla kidnappings Even those who weren't born yet can't remember a time when they didn't know the story of the Chowchilla kidnappings.

Poor, poor little rich boy Gordon Clune. Poor little starving Gordon Clune. --excerpt from a PBS Net forum about "Frontier House" The widely seen PBS reality series "Frontier House" captured the many sides of Gordon Clune and his Malibu family. It caught their whining side, complaining side, feuding side and cheating side.

Medical reality television has a new kid on the block: "My Extreme Animal Phobia," in which people face their terror of four-footed and creepy-crawly creatures. Why extreme? Because when it comes to mental and physical health disorders on TV, the bigger the better. The show, which debuts Oct. 21, features three people temporarily living in a clinic trying to overcome (with the help of a therapist) their acute fears about various animals. The premiere episode features people who are deathly afraid of spiders, pit bulls and snakes.