The Divinity of Dogs

Before I get to today's topic, I'd like to address the inevitable comment from Mum:

But it's not Monday. You said you'd only post doggy-type thingies on MONDAYS!  

What can I say? It's a bonus doggy-type-thingie kinda day.  And now, back to our regularly scheduled blog:

Author Jennifer Skiff is writing a delicious book called The Divinity of Dogs. I email-met her thru HARO when she sent out a query for submissions and I responded with my story of Maggie & Millie. So fingers crossed, they will be in the book!

You can submit your own story here until October 15th.

I read it to John Morgan, author of Grasshopper Notes, and he said,

If there is a heaven, then in order to get in, everyone should have to answer the question, "How did you treat animals?"

AMEN!   :-)
P.S. See Mum? Really--short 'n' sweet! 
 

Eat, Pray, Love

So Mum & I went to see Julia Roberts in Eat, Pray, Love last weekend.  When I first moved out to the wilderness, more than one person suggested I read that book. And then chiro-sister got it for me for Xmas. Anyway, you know that line from Legally Blonde, where Reese Witherspoon dresses up for her first day of law school? And she says, "I totally look the part."  Well . . .

You can see Mum's reflection to the left. :-)

I'm wearing my Indian prayer beads and holding the Eat, Pray, Love bible in my hands. I walked in to the theatre, and Ticket Gal says, "Eat, Pray, Love?"  :-)  The movie was pretty authentic to the book, and the cinemetography is gorgeous. Mum & I were both hungry half-way thru Italy and starving at the end of Bali. [Let me splain: She spends 4 months in 3 countries; she eats in Italy, prays in India, and loves in Bali]. One of the lines from the movie that struck me was: You Americans know all about entertainment, but you don't know about pleasure.  Hmmm . . . .anyway, if you go, don't drag a guy to see it. It's definitely a chick flick. Unless he's a sensitive-new-age-burkenstock-wearing-guy. Just sayin'. And take something yummy with you so that you'll have something to eat while you're drooling over Julia's pasta.Preferably something sweet and decadent. And then go out to dinner to a nice little Italian place afterwards. No really, go after--it doesn't matter if you just ate yourself into a Thanksgiving food coma beforehand, trust me on this: you'll be hungry!

If you're a fan of the book, you'll enjoy the movie. I'll leave you with this quote from the book that ends the movie:
I've come to believe that there exists in the universe something I call "The Physics of the Quest"--a force of nature governed by laws as real as the laws of gravity or momentum. And the rule of Quest Physics maybe goes like this: "If you are brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting (which can be anything from your house to your bitter old resentments) and set out on a truth-seeking journey (either externally or internally), and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue, and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared--most of all--to face (and forgive) some very difficult realities about yourself . . . . then truth will not be withheld from you."

What would you take?

See the firetruck? See the smoke billowing out from in front of the firetruck? (Dirt road dust from behind; kinda looks similar).

I went down to the garage and it smelled like smoke. I looked out the windows and I see smoke coming from my neighbor's. I thought, What is he doing burning on a day like today?!  It was so windy. And the smoke was blowing in under the garage doors. And then I realize that the power is out. So I call Neighbor Dave. He answers with, "Hi, Hali. Yes the power is out. There's a fire and the fire department is on its way." Oh. So it wasn't the (other) neighbor burning trash. The wind knocked down a tree and took the power line with it and sparks flew and poof! Forest fire! Up behind Fisherman Willie's house. Yikes!

So long story short, I decided to "get out of Dodge," as my friend Susan advised. I packed everything as if I was going to lose it all in a fire. All my John Morgan stuff in a suit case, an overnight bag, my Important Box (with important papers), and my family photos. And my foot bath with tuning forks and whatever other healing modalities I could throw in the tub. It was so HOT, and the house smelled like smoke from the wind blowing it in as I loaded up the car. I called Neighbor Dave & told him I was heading out. And then I asked if he had taken any pictures of the fire. "That wasn't my first thought," he replied, dryly. If I were braver, I would've gone up and taken some photos. I dropped the dogs off at Mystic Pet and went to Mum's. Exhausted. But it made me think about all my stuff. And how attached I was to it like one of those pack-rat-hoarders you see on HGTV. And at the same time, I heard XM Radio Guy saying, "If EBay has taught me nothing else, it's that everything is replaceable." Indeed. Except the 90-year old photos of Mum's family in England.

Neighbor Dave called later that night to let me know the power was back on. And so I picked up the girls the next day and headed back down my road, where I saw flares on the road and then this:

Yikes!

There were two woman sitting on the side of the road behind the car. I slowed down and said I was glad they were OK and I wish I had some emergency chocolate for them. Sometimes, it's the thought that counts. I didn't lollygag--you can see the police car up ahead and he was talking to some young guy. I've never seen anything like this along the road. I saw evidence of spinouts when we had snow, but wow! You have to be careful on a gravel road.

So lessee . . . this year, we've had a flood, a blizzard with a 5-day power outage, a drought, and a forest fire. What a year!

M&M Monday

Outdoorsy Girls

Yoohoo, girls! Where are you going???

Oh. Okay.

Back Porch Girls

Hullo.

Snoozy Girls

Maggie

Millie. Zzzzzz . . .

Funny Friday

See my avocado tree?

This is what lurks on it:

The stink bug season is upon us.

I have a live 'n' let live policy pretty much. Unless it's something that stings or is poisonous. And these guys are fairly innocuous. So far, I haven't had the stink part of the stink bug. They fly in the door when I go onto the back porch. Ha ha ha! They think. We're in!  My friend Susan posted this video which I thought was appropriate for the season, so here you go:

BEAR!

I popped down the road and stopped by Neighbor Chuck's. And there was the bear in his backyard again! So I got to take some pix off his front porch.

 

 

Can you see him? They disappear so quickly!

M&M Monday

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

A year ago today, I picked up M&M and brought them home. I felt compelled to get them, even tho I knew that taking on another pair of senior dogs would be a lot of work. But it has been totally worth it! They are my sweet girls, and I am so grateful to have them.

I've mentioned before that Millie likes tea--well, not any tea. Apparently, she is only partial to my PG Tips; proper British tea. I was in the other room, and I heard a slight thud. I came out to see that Millie had maneuvered my tea cup onto her dog bed and was eating the tea bag!

 

 Heh heh hehhhhhh . . . 

 

Nom nom nom

Maggie's feet

Both girls at my feet, so I stood on the sofa & took a picture.

They snooze throughout the day . . . 

Millie spilling off her bed. 

[Yes, I know, I know. The bright light from the window; if only I were a REAL photographer!]

Maggie snuck her bone outside & is guarding it from Millie.

While she eats the dirt.  ;-)

I never thought I'd say this, but here's to another year!

P.S. I have successfully failed to upload a video of Maggie thumping her tail. Will try again for next week.

Hummingbird Playground

I've had the most delicious days on the back porch. Yesterday I had 2 hummingbirds that started a chicken game with me. This is how they play: Fly side-by-side directly toward my face, and then about a foot in front of me, they separate and whiz past my ears. The first time, I thought it was a fluke, but they kept doing it! I'll have to see if I can get video of it. In the meantime, here's a few pix:

Look at those feet. So cute!

Quote-of-the-Day: Seth Godin

Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, and author of Delivering Happiness, is taking happiness on the road. He recently was in NYC with one of my other favourite authors, Seth Godin. You can see the whole interview here. I would add that Happiness's other friend is Gratitude and that Gratitude is sisters with Abundance & Generosity. Passion is the fuel for all of it. Are you happy? What's your passion? It's never too late to discover a new one or rekindle an old one.

P.S. We must've been on the same wavelength this a.m. because John Morgan's blog post today is Undefined Happiness.

M&M Monday

Every time I think I can't possibly post anything new for M&M Monday, I get something!  Millie likes  to hang out on the porch. Both girls can howl. I don't know what she was howling at, but here she is:

The other day, she was snoozing in the sun, and a hummingbird whizzed by a bit too close to her head. "Grrrr...roof!" she barked, in protest. That was also her response to a neighbor-dog from up the road who was trotting up the driveway. He did a U-turn when she barked at him. So funny!

Hummingbirds :-)

Just this past weekend, the mornings have been deliciously crisp. Il fait frais! The hummingbirds will be leaving soon. As I was snapping pix of M&M yesterday, I managed to get these:

Squishy-face hummingbird.  :-)

M&M Monday

 HAPPY Labor Day!

I usually write M&M Monday & pre-post on Sunday. Today I'm writing in real time. We are coming up on our one-year anniversary together, and I marvel at how much I love these girls and how grateful I am for them. Here's a sweet pic of Maggie from yesterday trotting up the ramp:

Tum-dee-dum

These are from this morning. Do you notice something?

Besides the Sniff Fest going on . . . that's right, leaves on the ground. Fall is starting to . . . fall. Speaking of sniffing, here's Millie:

I love watching her sniff. Did you know that when you cook, dogs can smell each individual ingredient? They smell everything. So what a delicious thing for them to be outside --squirrels and deer and bears, oh my!  Speaking of . . .

Maggie led the chase! Of course they had scampered away before the girls got there.

*sniff*sniff*sniff*

Millie all tuckered out after the chase:

Look at that squishy-face. So SWEET.  :-)

Funny Friday: Convo with Mum

Hurricane Earl Convo
Me: Are you keeping track of the hurricane?
Mum: Oh, that's just on the east coast.
Me: You do know we live on the east coast.
Mum: Well, when I think of coast, I think of the actual coast.
Me:
Mum: Like the ocean.
Me:
Mum: Like in North Carolina.
Me: Well we're spozed to be in for some rain.
Mum: Oh!
Me: Time to fill the bath tub with water.
Mum: Do you have fans?
Me: Fans?
Mum: You know. In case the power goes out.
Me: Um . . .
Mum: You'll be very hot without the AC.
Me: But if the power goes out, how would fans help? They need electricity.
Mum: [laughter]

Yoga Convo
Let me preface this by saying that Mum has always been v. active & athletic. She goes to the gym & "pumps iron" regularly. Not to mention that last Saturday she was participating in a black belt promotion. But when she told me she was going to try a new yoga class at the gym . . . well,  yoga is a bit . . . sedate. But she promised to call after class with a report.

Mum: I just cahn't tie my body into a pretzel. It just won't go where it's supposed to go.
Me: Yeah, I was wondering how you'd like it.
Mum: Well, I can do the standing things. The warrior pose, that's all right. But I don't like getting on the floor.
Me: The floor?
Mum: Yes, you know. Lying on my back, trying to do the archy things.
Me: The archy things.
Mum: Yes. But I must say, for something that goes so slowly, you really feel like you've had a workout. My legs just won't bend that way.

And yes, she's going back for another class.

-able

Nametag Guy, Scott Ginsberg has a new book coming out: -able: 35 Strategies for Increasing the Probability of Success in Business & in Life.

"...you can’t make anything happen – but you can (greatly) increase the probability of that thing happening ... by making yourself more '-able.'"

He gives some examples of -able:

Advanceable. Addictable. Bookable. Brandable. Breakable. Buyable. Buzzable. Callbackable. Checkbookable. Discoverable. Engageable. Googleable. Invokable. Meetable. Nameable. Needable. Non-nextable. Openable. Pursuable. Referable. Requestable. Retweetable. Revisitable. Sellable. Show-Up-Able. Sought-after-able. Spreadable. Successable. Superiorable. Trustable. Unbullshittable. Unequalable. Yessable.

And then he challenges readers on his blog to create  their own -able.

My first thought was comfort-able. On my relaxation CDs, I begin with an homage to Dave Dobson:

All right, let's get comfortable.

But that wasn't quite right. As a massage & hypnotherapist, I help people to de-stress. Ah-ha! De-stress-able!

Hmmm . . . yeah, but . . . I don't like the stress word in there, because I facilitate relaxation. Ah-ha! Relax-able! Yeah . . . that's good. I could go with that. Except . . .

I want it to be more than that. In addition to massage clients, I also lead seminars. I don't want my clients or students to feel just relaxed. Relaxed is good, sure. But more than that, I want them to feel at ease. Think about it: when you feel at ease, things are easier, aren't they? Little upsets remain little, instead of blowing up. Isn't the world a better place when you feel at ease?  That's right. So here's my word: at-ease-able. Because when you feel better, you do better. Feeling at ease embodies relaxation & comfort. More than that, it's not just a physical sensation, it encompasses a sense of mental & emotional ease. In work, with friends and fam--

All right, let's get comfortable at-ease-able.  :-)

P.S. Click here for a chance to get a free copy of ~able, and create your own word. As Scott might say,  LET ME ASK YA THIS: What's YOUR -able?

What Teachers Make

I. Love. This. Just watch: