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Sunday, December 29, 2013

Tricks And Treats At Christmas

I got a new quacker for Christmas!



After it was properly gutted I learned how to balance it upon my head!



Because when I do it I get a little TREAT!
Guess what? My grandkid likes treats too! Here he is on Christmas Day with ICE CREAM (whatever that is) - isn't it funny how he looks like a certain jolly old elf?
Posted by at 5:53 PM 6 comments

Tricks And Treats At Christmas

I got a new quacker for Christmas!

After it was properly gutted I learned how to balance it upon my head!



Because when I do it I get a little TREAT!
Guess what? My grandkid likes treats too! Here he is on Christmas Day with ICE CREAM (whatever that is) - isn't it funny how he looks like a certain jolly old elf?
Posted by at 5:53 PM 6 comments

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Black and White Sunday: Silhouettes on the Beach


Posted by at 1:31 PM 13 comments

Black and White Sunday: Silhouettes on the Beach


Posted by at 1:31 PM 14 comments

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Wordy Wednesday: Cecil and Orlando

Have you heard about them yet?

Here's the newspaper headline that caught my eye this morning:
Blind man, guide dog safe after subway track scare 
John Minchillo/The Associated Press

Ah, perfect for a still-dark-out coffee. A nice, heartwarming story of a heroic dog. Something to feel a little holiday glow in the morning. 

I read the whole article. Read about Cecil fainting and falling onto the subway track, despite the efforts of Orlando. "He tried to hold me up," as Cecil grew weak. Orlando followed his master onto the track, licking him and jumping in the roar of the oncoming train.

Orlando and Cecil lay in the trench between the rails as the train passed overhead. 

"The dog saved my life," said Cecil from his hospital bed. Ah yes, a miraculous story for the holidays.
 Wait, you haven't gotten to the heartwarming part yet.

It was the last three sentences that finally brought me wide awake:

                 "The Lab will be 11 on Jan.5 and will be retiring soon, Williams said. His health insurance will not cover the cost of a non-working dog, so he will be looking for a good home for him. If he had the money, Williams said, "I would definitely keep him."
Colleen Long and Kiley Armstrong, The Associated Press

What? This heroic dog loves his owner enough to face an oncoming train with him (and I don't believe any amount of training alone could make a dog do that). Yet as soon as he gets too old to keep working they will be separated?

Nuh - uh. Someone HAS to start a fundraiser for Cecil to keep Orlando. Hmmm, checking Google…

Now you are at the heartwarming part.

A gentleman named Mark Jacobsen started an account at Go Fund Me with a goal of $10,000. He's working with Guide Dogs for the Blind, the organization that raised and trained Orlando and matched him with Cecil. Here's the total as of 1:02 PM, Dec. 18 :
$22, 579
699 Donors
17 hours

Isn't that amazing? It's Christmas for crying out loud. Americans have been maxing out their credit cards since Thanksgiving and yet… As for the surplus, Mr. Jacobsen's page indicates that it will almost certainly go to Guide Dogs for the Blind to continue their work of providing service dogs. They're still formalizing the details because the page hasn't even been up for a whole day yet!

Here's the link so you can see news and updates for yourself:
And here is a link to the update from Guiding Eyes for the Blind:
Cecil and Guiding Eyes Orlando
Finally, here is a link to a much more detailed report:
Yes. There is violence and hate in the United States. But today this story reminds me of the true America, the people I actually see around me. Americans are the best, most generous people on the planet and today I'm proud to be an American.
Posted by at 1:29 PM 14 comments

Wordy Wednesday: Cecil and Orlando

Have you heard about them yet?

 Here's the newspaper headline that caught my eye this morning:
Blind man, guide dog safe after subway track scare 
John Minchillo/The Associated Press

Ah, perfect for a still-dark-out coffee. A nice, heartwarming story of a heroic dog. Something to feel a little holiday glow in the morning. 

I read the whole article. Read about Cecil fainting and falling onto the subway track, despite the efforts of Orlando. "He tried to hold me up," as Cecil grew weak. Orlando followed his master onto the track, licking him and jumping in the roar of the oncoming train.

Orlando and Cecil lay in the trench between the rails as the train passed overhead. 

"The dog saved my life," said Cecil from his hospital bed. Ah yes, a miraculous story for the holidays.
 Wait, you haven't gotten to the heartwarming part yet.

It was the last three sentences that finally brought me wide awake:

                 "The Lab will be 11 on Jan.5 and will be retiring soon, Williams said. His health insurance will not cover the cost of a non-working dog, so he will be looking for a good home for him. If he had the money, Williams said, "I would definitely keep him."
Colleen Long and Kiley Armstrong, The Associated Press

 What? This heroic dog loves his owner enough to face an oncoming train with him (and I don't believe any amount of training alone could make a dog do that). Yet as soon as he gets too old to keep working they will be separated?

Nuh - uh. Someone HAS to start a fundraiser for Cecil to keep Orlando. Hmmm, checking Google…

Now you are at the heartwarming part.

A gentleman named Mark Jacobsen started an account at Go Fund Me with a goal of $10,000. He's working with Guide Dogs for the Blind, the organization that raised and trained Orlando and matched him with Cecil. Here's the total as of 1:02 PM, Dec. 18 :
$22, 579
699 Donors
17 hours

Isn't that amazing? It's Christmas for crying out loud. Americans have been maxing out their credit cards since Thanksgiving and yet… As for the surplus, Mr. Jacobsen's page indicates that it will almost certainly go to Guide Dogs for the Blind to continue their work of providing service dogs. They're still formalizing the details because the page hasn't even been up for a whole day yet!

Here's the link so you can see news and updates for yourself:
And here is a link to the update from Guiding Eyes for the Blind:
Cecil and Guiding Eyes Orlando
Finally, here is a link to a much more detailed report:
Yes. There is violence and hate in the United States. But today this story reminds me of the true America, the people I actually see around me. Americans are the best, most generous people on the planet and today I'm proud to be an American.
Posted by at 1:29 PM 14 comments

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Black and White Sunday: Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!
 from Amy, Ted, and Toby

Posted by at 1:17 PM 9 comments

Black and White Sunday: Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!
 from Amy, Ted, and Toby

Posted by at 1:17 PM 9 comments

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Trimming the Tree Part II

Are you sure it's supposed to look like this?

Ohh, so that's what it's supposed to look like!

Um. Tell me again why you want to put a tree inside the house?...

…and then hang things on it?

These are a few of my favorite ornaments. We have some that commemorate particular years (Baby's First Christmas for example). Others are glass or acrylic to add sparkle. Some are animals and birds just because I love them. 


Some of them remind me of places we lived. Many cute ones were given to us when my mother was in the Hallmark Ornament Club.


Now you've gone too far!
Unless you meant this for a chew toy, that is.

In years past we would wake up our kids to see the tree after it was decorated (by Santa, naturally). There would be hot chocolate and candy canes. This year we didn't put candy canes on the tree. Our children are grown and the youngest is far away. But we did open a bottle of wine and sit in the glow of the lights. Every year Ted says the same thing: "We have the prettiest tree/prettiest house I ever saw at Christmas!" and he keeps saying it until I agree with him. I never have figured out why he thinks our tree is so impressive but it's been 34 years since the first time he made a big fuss about it. Now his admiration of the tree is one my favorite things at Christmas.

Obviously Toby doesn't feel the same way. Maybe we pushed our luck with the antlers!

Posted by at 3:44 PM 5 comments

Trimming the Tree Part II

Are you sure it's supposed to look like this?

Ohh, so that's what it's supposed to look like!

Um. Tell me again why you want to put a tree inside the house?...

…and then hang things on it?

These are a few of my favorite ornaments. We have some that commemorate particular years (Baby's First Christmas for example). Others are glass or acrylic to add sparkle. Some are animals and birds just because I love them. 


Some of them remind me of places we lived. Many cute ones were given to us when my mother was in the Hallmark Ornament Club.


Now you've gone too far!
Unless you meant this for a chew toy, that is.

In years past we would wake up our kids to see the tree after it was decorated (by Santa, naturally). There would be hot chocolate and candy canes. This year we didn't put candy canes on the tree. Our children are grown and the youngest is far away. But we did open a bottle of wine and sit in the glow of the lights. Every year Ted says the same thing: "We have the prettiest tree/prettiest house I ever saw at Christmas!" and he keeps saying it until I agree with him. I never have figured out why he thinks our tree is so impressive but it's been 34 years since the first time he made a big fuss about it. Now his admiration of the tree is one my favorite things at Christmas.

Obviously Toby doesn't feel the same way. Maybe we pushed our luck with the antlers!

Posted by at 3:44 PM 6 comments

Friday, December 13, 2013

See Beautiful: An Outdoor Tale Of Caring

The Outdoor Night Before Christmas

On the night before Christmas
All round the lawn
The creatures were huddled
And waiting for dawn.

The night was so cold
The thermometer froze.
To make it much worse
It started to snow.

In their holes, nests, and burrows
the animals cuddled.
Curling up tightly
For warmth as they snuggled.

Some fluffed feathers or fur
For more insulation,
But the night was so bitter
'Twas small consolation.

"Oh dear," thought the Vole,
"All the roots will be frozen.
Whatever will there be to eat
When I've risen?"

Owl hooted, thinking
Ahead, as is wise.
"We'll be thirsty tomorrow.
The water will be ice."

"The snow will be thick
On the ground before morning."
Grumbled Squirrel,
"I won't eat by going acorn-ing."

The Junco and Cardinal
And Capped Chickadee
Agreed that the snowfall
Would bury the seeds.

So as the humans dreamed
In sugarplum beds,
Poor miserable wildlife
Watched the cold dawn with dread...

What's this? Here's the Rabbit
Crying, "Be of Good Cheer!
My friends, come and see!
Our Christmas is here!"

Sparrow sang, "Look!
The feeders are full!
It's my favorite -
Sunflower seeds without hulls!"

"And peanuts!
And suet!
And safflower seeds!
Heaters
In birdbaths!
Mealworms! Thistle seeds!"

Then with joy
Did the creatures spring out of their nests,
Saying, "Thank you dear Humans,
This Christmas is the best!

And this thoughtfulness we will reward
All year long,
With our antics and beauty
And Dawn Chorus song."

Noses pressed against windows,
The Humans replied,
"Merry Christmas to us all
Whether in- or out-side!"

Caring for wildlife is Beautiful.
This post is part of the See Beautiful Blog Hop. Share the beauty you see with us!




Posted by at 2:10 PM 8 comments

See Beautiful: An Outdoor Tale Of Caring

The Outdoor Night Before Christmas

On the night before Christmas
All round the lawn
The creatures were huddled
And waiting for dawn.

The night was so cold
The thermometer froze.
To make it much worse
It started to snow.

In their holes, nests, and burrows
the animals cuddled.
Curling up tightly
For warmth as they snuggled.

Some fluffed feathers or fur
For more insulation,
But the night was so bitter
'Twas small consolation.

"Oh dear," thought the Vole,
"All the roots will be frozen.
Whatever will there be to eat
When I've risen?"

Owl hooted, thinking
Ahead, as is wise.
"We'll be thirsty tomorrow.
The water will be ice."

"The snow will be thick
On the ground before morning."
Grumbled Squirrel,
"I won't eat by going acorn-ing."

The Junco and Cardinal
And Capped Chickadee
Agreed that the snowfall
Would bury the seeds.

So as the humans dreamed
In sugarplum beds,
Poor miserable wildlife
Watched the cold dawn with dread...

What's this? Here's the Rabbit
Crying, "Be of Good Cheer!
My friends, come and see!
Our Christmas is here!"

Sparrow sang, "Look!
The feeders are full!
It's my favorite -
Sunflower seeds without hulls!"

"And peanuts!
And suet!
And safflower seeds!
Heaters
In birdbaths!
Mealworms! Thistle seeds!"

Then with joy
Did the creatures spring out of their nests,
Saying, "Thank you dear Humans,
This Christmas is the best!

And this thoughtfulness we will reward
All year long,
With our antics and beauty
And Dawn Chorus song."

Noses pressed against windows,
The Humans replied,
"Merry Christmas to us all
Whether in- or out-side!"

Caring for wildlife is Beautiful.
This post is part of the See Beautiful Blog Hop. Share the beauty you see with us!




Posted by at 2:10 PM 8 comments

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Santa Here's My List


Dear Santa,

As you can see from the above, you should consider placing me on your NICE list. Please fulfill all of my wishes:

1. World peace
2. Every companion animal a home

Okay that takes care of that. 
Now for ME, please deliver:

3. A one year Bark box subscription
4. A local agility class (that will take Santa magic for sure!)
5. My dad's knee fixed so we can hike more
6. A new squeaky toy

Thank you Santa!

Toby is joining Ranger's linky today! Make your list for Santa and join up too!
Posted by at 8:53 AM 8 comments

Santa Here's My List


Dear Santa,

 As you can see from the above, you should consider placing me on your NICE list. Please fulfill all of my wishes:

 1. World peace
2. Every companion animal a home

 Okay that takes care of that. 
Now for ME, please deliver:

 3. A one year Bark box subscription
4. A local agility class (that will take Santa magic for sure!)
5. My dad's knee fixed so we can hike more
6. A new squeaky toy

Thank you Santa!

 Toby is joining Ranger's linky today! Make your list for Santa and join up too!
Posted by at 8:53 AM 8 comments

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Wordless Wednesday: Trimming the Tree Part I


Posted by at 10:17 AM 8 comments

Wordless Wednesday: Trimming the Tree Part I


Posted by at 10:17 AM 8 comments

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Dreary Winter Day

Nothin' to do around here but sleep. It's bad enough that it's rainy and cold. But my mom has been sick for much of the past week. So all she does is sleep and watch TV. *heaving big sigh and dropping chin between paws* She says the germ bugs lined up inside her so she gets rid of one and the next one takes over. 
She says tomorrow will be better. I get to go to doggie day care to play with all of my friends. But for now I just have to sleep…and wait…Your pal, Toby

I did find a good movie to watch on Netflix. It's in French but the subtitles are easy to read and the movie is great. It's called 'The Intouchables'. It's about a quadriplegic and the ex-con aide he hires, and it's both very moving and very funny. I'm sorry I haven't been blogging much or commenting much. Hopefully tomorrow will be better for me and Toby both!
Posted by at 2:52 PM 5 comments

Dreary Winter Day

Nothin' to do around here but sleep. It's bad enough that it's rainy and cold. But my mom has been sick for much of the past week. So all she does is sleep and watch TV. *heaving big sigh and dropping chin between paws* She says the germ bugs lined up inside her so she gets rid of one and the next one takes over. 
She says tomorrow will be better. I get to go to doggie day care to play with all of my friends. But for now I just have to sleep…and wait…Your pal, Toby

 I did find a good movie to watch on Netflix. It's in French but the subtitles are easy to read and the movie is great. It's called 'The Intouchables'. It's about a quadriplegic and the ex-con aide he hires, and it's both very moving and very funny. I'm sorry I haven't been blogging much or commenting much. Hopefully tomorrow will be better for me and Toby both!
Posted by at 2:52 PM 5 comments

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Thanksgiving Value

val-ue:
noun
1.
relative worth, merit, or importance: the value of a college education; the value of a queen in chess.
2.
monetary or material worth, as in commerce or trade: This piece of land has greatly increased in value.
3.
the worth of something in terms of the amount of other things for which it can be exchanged or in terms of some medium of exchange.

Did you have a valuable Thanksgiving this year?

Looking at the paper upon our return from the Midwest, I came across the story of a young man who spent his Thanksgiving in a way he valued.

He camped out in frigid temperatures for 36 hours in front of a store that was to open Thursday evening. His mother delivered a foil-covered paper plate of the family's Thanksgiving leftovers for his dinner. He was successful in purchasing a 50" HDTV for $229. He says he'll do it again next year if the televisions have a similar discount on Thanksgiving Day.

Ironic, I thought. We spent about the same amount of money this man saved on his TV in order to - you guessed it - have Thanksgiving dinner with our family! We held my mother-in-law's hand in the nursing home, listened to our niece play her flute (we slept in her bedroom next to her trophy for best national soloist), ate dolmados and pastisio at our nephew's birthday dinner, and watched football all together, comatose on turkey, mashed potatoes, and rum cake. We connected with two of Ted's siblings and their spouses and kids, and met the new wife of another nephew. On the last day of our visit, Lauren and John drove down from central Illinois, and everyone got to meet our grandchildren for the first time.

Not too long ago I watched a documentary on Netflix simply called "Happy". It seems a psychologist realized that psychiatry was all about pathologies - what goes wrong to make people feel bad or lose touch with reality. But why are some people happy? The field of research into happiness caught on. The video goes around the world to highlight some conclusions of the ongoing research into this question.

It opens in a hovel in a slum in Mumbai. (How terrible, you think guiltily. The owner of this shanty earns his daily bread pulling a pedicab in his bare feet through the streets. We see the man eating breakfast with his family (squatting in the dirt) and going off to work in his rags. The narrator says, "Would it surprise you to learn that [the man] is as happy as the average American?"

Well yes, actually, I was surprised. But indeed, the man spoke of his joy at seeing his children at the end of the day. He calls his shack "a good house". He sees no reason not to be happy!

Turns out that material goods - once the necessities are met - have no bearing on happiness. Much of our happiness set point is genetic. BUT - Three factors that do bear upon happiness are: spend time every day doing something you love, feel that something you do every day is meaningful, and spend time every day with people you care about.

Our Thanksgiving was valuable. I hope yours was too.




Posted by at 10:47 AM 6 comments

Thanksgiving Value

val-ue:
noun
1.
relative worth, merit, or importance: the value of a college education; the value of a queen in chess.
2.
monetary or material worth, as in commerce or trade: This piece of land has greatly increased in value.
3.
the worth of something in terms of the amount of other things for which it can be exchanged or in terms of some medium of exchange.

Did you have a valuable Thanksgiving this year?

Looking at the paper upon our return from the Midwest, I came across the story of a young man who spent his Thanksgiving in a way he valued.

He camped out in frigid temperatures for 36 hours in front of a store that was to open Thursday evening. His mother delivered a foil-covered paper plate of the family's Thanksgiving leftovers for his dinner. He was successful in purchasing a 50" HDTV for $229. He says he'll do it again next year if the televisions have a similar discount on Thanksgiving Day.

Ironic, I thought. We spent about the same amount of money this man saved on his TV in order to - you guessed it - have Thanksgiving dinner with our family! We held my mother-in-law's hand in the nursing home, listened to our niece play her flute (we slept in her bedroom next to her trophy for best national soloist), ate dolmados and pastisio at our nephew's birthday dinner, and watched football all together, comatose on turkey, mashed potatoes, and rum cake. We connected with two of Ted's siblings and their spouses and kids, and met the new wife of another nephew. On the last day of our visit, Lauren and John drove down from central Illinois, and everyone got to meet our grandchildren for the first time.

Not too long ago I watched a documentary on Netflix simply called "Happy". It seems a psychologist realized that psychiatry was all about pathologies - what goes wrong to make people feel bad or lose touch with reality. But why are some people happy? The field of research into happiness caught on. The video goes around the world to highlight some conclusions of the ongoing research into this question.

It opens in a hovel in a slum in Mumbai. (How terrible, you think guiltily. The owner of this shanty earns his daily bread pulling a pedicab in his bare feet through the streets. We see the man eating breakfast with his family (squatting in the dirt) and going off to work in his rags. The narrator says, "Would it surprise you to learn that [the man] is as happy as the average American?"

Well yes, actually, I was surprised. But indeed, the man spoke of his joy at seeing his children at the end of the day. He calls his shack "a good house". He sees no reason not to be happy!

Turns out that material goods - once the necessities are met - have no bearing on happiness. Much of our happiness set point is genetic. BUT - Three factors that do bear upon happiness are: spend time every day doing something you love, feel that something you do every day is meaningful, and spend time every day with people you care about.

Our Thanksgiving was valuable. I hope yours was too.




Posted by at 10:47 AM 6 comments
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