We’ve managed to round up lots of joy this month, beginning with our annual adoration of pets. May is National Pet Month, and we always look forward to sharing our four-legged best friends (and colleagues, for those of us who work at home) with our readers. We hope fellow pet lovers find stories that are informative, entertaining and inspiring. It’s nice to know, for instance, that there are selfless and kind people like Dr. Harold Sims and his crew at Catman2 shelter, a nonprofit supported by the amazing American Museum of the House Cat. Find stories of other devoted animal advocates throughout this issue.
Gina’s Snoopy
With our busy lives and the sense, still, of making up for lost time after the pandemic, who couldn’t use some restorative “me time”? Asheville Salt Cave is Asheville’s go-to place for relaxation, whether it’s yoga, massage or salt cave sessions. And in Renée Trudeau’s Living Intentionally column, find ways (listen up, mothers!) to give yourself a break from unrealistic expectations.
Spring days mean plant sales and garden tours. Soak up some of Mother Nature’s bounty, too, by participating in North Carolina’s 2023 Year of the Trail events. Maybe a certain furry somebody would like to come along on a hike?
In May, we celebrate graduates, military members who lost their lives in service and, of course, mothers. Matthew Vollmer’s All of Us Together in the End is a memoir that explores the unknown in light of his mother’s passing. “Once my mother had slipped from the world, it seemed that, even though she was no longer anywhere, she was also everywhere,” he says about writing the book. If you’re fortunate enough to have your mother—physically—in your life still, choose some of the art, music, dance and theater happenings in WNC this month, invite her along and make joyful memories.
