Don't mess with the hard-hearted

One thing you have to learn when you live in the country with pets, livestock and all manner of wild critters doing their call-of-nature things, you have to harden your heart to handle this life's realities.

My husband, John, grew up on a farm and ranch operation so he knows this well, yet somehow he's managed to preserve this big, soft-hearted, squishy, I-don't-wanna-be-mean center where his toughened-up heart is supposed to be.

Pam Burke

Of course, you know who has to be the bad guy then. That's right. Me.

And people think because I'm all sarcastic and kind of — let's say — bratty, that I'm...