Busy, Busy, Busy…and we wouldn’t have it any other way. An early spring makes for some exciting times at With a Little Help From My Friends. The entire family, animals and those of us who care for them, can feel it. Just walk into the foyer and watch as the dogs, Vinney, Summer, Sara and (soon to be adopted) Buddy the Beagle fairly prance with joy at the anticipation of affectionate attention and, hopefully, a walk that doesn’t involve slogging through the quickly melting sno

Today whilst fondling Buddy The Beagle #3’s silky ears, I wondered why so many beagles are given the name Buddy. Actually, it made me think of my colleague and friend who, with his wife, were so flummoxed by the responsibility of naming their first and only child that the lad was called “Buddy” for two years until a suitable name could be agreed upon. That said, naming children can be an onerous task. I never liked my own name—no one else in the family has a name anything lik