A few things I've learned from Autumn.

AUTUMN
Not the season, but my dog. She is a Jack Russell Terrier. Yes, one of those crazy, high energy, jump and run around little dogs!
For some strange reason she has become very cautious of walking through the kitchen especially from the family room into the front hall. This occurs in the mornings or at night. The only thing Terry and I can figure is the shadows bother her. She also doesn't do well with new things or things out of place. She refused to enter the kitchen the other day because there was a Tupperware cake carrier on the island-not mine. She growled and cowarded in the doorway until we showed her what it was. If an empty cardboard box is laying around (any size) she will destroy it. If the laundry basket is sitting in the family room she will approach with caution-anything out of place is cause for concern for her.
I wonder how living in a house with 3 kids and 2 owners who are not neat this poor dog survives!
Other strange things this dog does is eat wood, well anything hard and crunchy. She will hunt and attack any bug or spider stupid enough to get in her view and prance proudly around with her kill before eating it. Except stink bugs-she refuses to eat them instead they're dropped at your feet.
If anyone has ever owned a Jack, they already know about the sudden and sporadic explosions of energy. She will without warning tear around the house at full speed. Another Jack trait is the jumping--I mean high jumping from a standing position-this causes many Jack to get into trouble because they wind up on top of counters-fortunately Autumn doesn't get on the counter tops. Yes, she also loves to tunnel which means any small space she'll hide in-even her cage is really too small-she won't go in the bigger one-we tried. She spends most her days in her cage with a towel over her-sometimes I have to check and make sure she's still alive.
Oh, about being in the cage-she can get out whenever she chooses. She has learned how to open it at will. Thankfully she does behave herself! One other thing she loves is to play in water-so much in fact that where we lived before she figured out how to turn the bathtub on-I'm not kidding.
When we first brought her home she was tiny and only about 6 lbs--she loved to crawl on my shoulder and hide in my hair. Now that she is too big to do that-she'll still try once it awhile-she sits on my lap at the end of day. That's probably my favorite thing she does.

So what have I learned about life from her?
First, it's OK to be cautious when going from one thing to the next.
Second, try to keep things in their places-it will cause less stress for all.
Third, if things get out of place be careful-check out what it is and destroy those things that don't need to be there. If you can't finish the job yourself drop it at the feet of someone who can.
Fourth, when the urge hits you-have fun and jump around-just stay out of trouble.
Fifth, be content in small spaces and enjoy being alone once in awhile.
Sixth, just because you can do something-doesn't mean you should!
Seventh, love those around you and let them love you!