pharmaceuticals in the canines' lives

At this time in our pets lives we are juggling the medication schedule for six different pills, two eye drops, and one ointment. Three different dogs require the medication, and two of them also require eye and or ear drops. Our two year old English Bulldog named Violet still has to wear the cone to protect her eye, but the good news is that her scratch is healing. She  has adjusted to the protective collar, but she still hates it. My mopey girl thinks this device is forever.  She doesn't understand.

The humans in our household are blessed to only have to take vitamins and supplements. An  occasional pain reliever or allergy pill sometimes, but there is nothing to administer for the humans like there is for the dogs! 

This blog is not about complaining today, it is actually about gratitude. I am thankful for the medical care to help improve our lives. The responsibilties for these "children with fur" is not as overwhelming today as it was yesterday. I had a nights sleep (that was pretty decent) and I am ready to carry on.

It is a good day to get outside and get some sunshine on my head and be thankful for this day in May. 

Happy Wednesday.

will do anything for peanut butter

Peanut butter is a big deal in our house. It is the favorite treat for most of our dogs, and we humans eat it almost daily. My favorite way to eat it is in a smoothie with spinach, protein powder, flax seed, cocoa powder, almond milk, cinnamon, honey and ice. Delicious! It taste like a peanut butter/chocolate shake and is very filling. It looks terrible, but the flavor makes up for it.

My dogs just love the taste of it. Our Violet has to continue medication for her eye scratch and the only way I get her to take a pill is by hiding it in a dime- size glob. She is an expert in finding a hidden pill in meat, cheese, or other snacks. She quickly spits the pill out as she munches on the treat. With the gooey spread, she just swallows without hesitation.

This Monday at our house is a quiet one.The trust and calm that lives inside our dogs is what I strive for in my human life. It is too bad that I do not have it right now. I feel like our family is facing a painful cusp that edges to a (hopefully) stronger path for our future.
This point of transition will require a lot of hard work and a lot of faith for all involved.
I wonder if we are ready?

to ask for help

I am blessed to have the opportunity to create something new in the pet care market. With much guidance from the Women's Business Center, the Small Business Administration, and the Community-Minded Enterprises, I am writing a Business Plan and testing these new ideas. This time in my life is very exciting, but a bit nerve-wracking too.

I really think that the best lesson that I have learned so far is to just "dive in" and try!
My tendencies are to want to continue to fine tune my project forever. In my mind -I will always need to work on it and improve it. I am very critical of my own work and tend to over-analyze everything concerning dogs.

I love when God gives you signs that you are on the right path. 

This new venture started in a classroom and that makes me happy. I finished my college experience last year (when I graduated) and I loved it. School and adult learning agrees with me and makes me happy. Learning can be energizing and I enjoy collaborating with positive people.

Age is not a limitation or barrier. Age can be that enhancement and make a life with value. Experience in many things can gel together to support new ventures. Trust in the integrity of the idea. Surround yourself with people who want to try new things. Listen to their ideas and support their projects too. It is more fun to collaberate than it is to work alone.

Reach out. Enjoy. You are not alone.

Carson's eyes

As most of you know, my English Bulldog named Gus is my constant companion at home. I can count on his presence when I have my first cup of coffee in the morning- through the day, till the house grows quiet and it is time to try and sleep again. I have been his favorite human for all five years of his life, even though my husband picked him out and named him.

With our newest additions of Lil Blackie and his brother named Carson, I have watched as these six month old puppies decide how they "fit in" with our pack.

It is caffeine time again and a not so early morning -which means that Gus is beside me as I write this blog. He enjoys his place at my left foot, resting on the cool, wood floor in the dining room. I enjoy being able to check in with him with a scratch behind his ears or to pet him on his back. Everyone in my household is a creature of their habits, and we appreciate the rhythms of our day.
Carson wants to figure out how he "fits in" each morning.

Dogs enjoy being part of a pack. Most are very social and can have positive experiences if taught from an early age. Our female, Violet is restricted from her daily activities as she recovers from an eye scratch and it is traumatic for her. She loves her "take charge" days and does not understand why she cannot be with everyone else. Her pitiful whimpers at the bedroom door make me wish for a quick recovery. Her pack misses her too.

Gus has decided that it is okay if Carson joins our morning routine and sits at my right foot. He is patient with this wiggly puppy and loves that the pups want to be near him. Gus is the silent, patient uncle that is loving and loyal. They look to him as they figure out how they matter in the pack. 

It is very easy for me to just focus on my work of the day and my efforts to complete it. I can bury my head in my projects and not look up from them. Today I will work hard, but I will look up and I will look down. I will look in the eyes of my loving dogs and be appreciative for the blessing of having them in my life.

green smoothies with flax seeds added

When I was little dessert was a big deal. I am one of the youngest in a large family and money was tight. If my busy Mom had the time to bake we appreciated every home made morsel.

I am the busy Mom today but my immediate family is much smaller. I try to bake for my family but their reaction is different than my siblings in my childhood. The family is kind and appreciative but usually after one piece of homemade dessert, the remainder sits and grows stale. Sugary goodness has become the enemy and tends to be avoided by my adult family members.

Why is there such a difference between my childhood and now? As I watch half a double chocolate cake grow old, I ponder the reason that it lacks our attention.

Are we too busy to make our meals (and dessert) important?  I know that I search for better ways to utilize my time each day to get more work done. My "to do list" is always longer than the time allotted to complete it. I believe that is the norm. Our busyness seem to be multiplying and I question whether it improves our lives. Is more (completion) actually better for life in the big picture?

Faith, Family, Friends, Job searching, Business creation, Classes, and Volunteer work. Toss in some rowdy English Bulldogs and a Bloodhound and I think -- maybe the chocolate cake might help me handle this.  

Maybe it's my age? Am I a grown up because I mix spinach, flax, and protein powder with almond milk, ice and banana for breakfast?

 I hope that we ALL learn to eat dessert first. 

audiobooks, and Seth Godin's advice or "to ship it"

When I started this blog I had the grand idea that I would be one of the talented group that could write everyday. I thought that I could count on myself to establish a routine of when to write and the words of substance could flow from the keyboard. I had hoped to use this blog to check in with myself and stay present in my own life. This web log could keep me living in the now-- to check in on my own life. Reality can be different from our grand ideas.

As I look back at what I have written so far, I view my work with kind eyes not critical ones. The point of this is to see my world as I am and to live intentionally. I want to create art (of some kind) and eat an apple each day. I do not take for granted that my Gus comes to find me. I think often of the glimpses of our past selves. I appreciate these markers in my life and enjoy the look back.

Audiobooks in the car are an easy way for me to enjoy books when I am too tired or too busy to read. They are a great way to learn about something new or be carried away to another time by talented voices. My favorite classic in audio form (and maybe top ten in written) is "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee-- narrated by Sissy Spacek. Her voice is a perfect "Scout" and I love to listen at home (not driving) with eyes closed. I am transported back to childhood, tree climbing and the perfect father, Atticus Finch.

I wish that I had Atticus to explain to me what I should do when my world is crazy. I am not six years old, but his counsel at times of stress and anxiety would be appreciated. Maybe it is time to check out this one from the library again.

The puppies turned six months old today. They have the energy and the innocence of Scout at six years. There job is to grow up. They just bark at the world when it seems crazy.

When I went to Google to make sure I was spelling Miss Lee's name correctly and to check on the name of the state, the website told me that  just today Harper Lee gave permission to allow this work to become an ebook. Incredibly COOL coincidence. 

  

Let it Go

I do not always understand.
Sometimes my personal stubbornness or blinders skew the whole picture. When I get too far away from my true self, generally I get clumsy. I fell yesterday. I was mostly embarassed and suffer from a sore wrist, and bruised knees but I know myself. It is time to look at where I am on my own "List".

The generic horoscope in our local newspaper today stated  "You would be a lot happier if you allowed others to take the reins. Consider everything you could do if you didn't need to be present." This is interesting and appropriate.

A caregivers hardest job is preserving and highlighting his or her own life. Understanding that this is not a dress rehearsal should be freeing. To live a life with intention is a grand goal. A life with intention is not shallow, boastful, or selfish. It can be considerate, humble, and selfless. Perhaps an intentional life is payment for the opportunity to be alive?

The way that a dog lives is interesting to watch. Whether is is a play time, nap time or bedtime, the dog generally gives in fully to the activity. There is not a huge internal fight as to whether or not they should rest or not. The dog is not concerned with the work of the day or the schedule for tomorrow. The dog just does it.

Seth Godin writes "Worry is not preparation, and anxiety doesn't make you better." in his ABC book for grownups. It is not a coincidence that I read that today.

My dogs are pretty considerate, humble, and selfless. You can argue whether their lives have intention or not, but I know for sure-- that they are more free than I am. 

I should just do it. Hold on to what is important, and change and grow-- for my self, no one else.It is time to be less clumsy and more happy. No more tripping myself.