Save A Frog Day

I am declaring it Save A Frog Day in Monkton - and I am going for the Gold Star.  Why, you may ask?  Well, I saved 8 frogs from the pool today - 9 if you allow me to count the one that jumped back in.  Don't they just look pleased as punch?

These two guys were intertwined (not sure why:-)) but at first glance, I thought the spotted one was a little snake wrapped around the dark one, but I think they are happy to be drying out in the sun, and can carry on later.

I told Barney that I am the front runner, and he is down at the pool now thinking he can come close. 

The Ayurveda consultation with Susan was really enlightening.  We had a good talk about things going on in my life, reviewed my evaluation sheet and my food journal.  It is important to understand your dosha, and I was shocked to find out that at first glance, she feels I am Vata reducing.  I thought for sure I had a strong Kapha dosha, but it seemed to made sense to me after it was explained a bit.

While she will be sending me more information on a balancing diet, she gave me a few things to start with - such a using ghee and incorporating guinoa into my diet.

  So, being enthusiast about getting my digestive track back into balance, I made quinoa and ghee this morning.  One was more successful than the other:-(

Back to the drawing board on the Ghee.

Also, I did not know that there was an Indian Market on Cranbrook Road, so I will stop in there and get a few items on my list.

Barney just came in - frogless - " Ha!" I say. " I laugh in the face of anyone trying to beat my record."

Save a frog today - it may be someone's prince!

Have you looked outside today?  The rain is coming down in a steady pattern, and if you zoom in with your super-power eyes, you can see the blades of grass with their mouths wide opened and the flowers are smiling from petal to petal!


I have been watching my grandkittens while Jess and Mikey are visiting national parks in California, after they left the Coachella Festival ("listening to bands that I have never heard of").  Here are Sumo and Otis watching the crows eat their breakfast, and then, Sumo outside in a tree before the rains fell.

You can also see Dandy in the background waiting for his breakfast.


Today, after work, I am going to Breathe Books in Hampden for an ayurvedic consultation with Susan Weis-Bohlen.http://www.breathebooks.com/ayurveda/index.php  Very excited about this and eager to learn more about myself.  In the meantime, working at home for the first couple hours (until rain subsides) is the call.  


Challenge for you today:  Make someone feel good about themselves by something you say or do.  It will make YOUR day!


Hugs,
Trish

My Morning..so far - in pictures

LingLing watches the crows eating their breakfast

Squirrel spots some pumpkin seeds

Oh Oh - Here comes an intruder

Let me stuff my mouth before he gets here

One more seed!

Isaac - poor boy is so underfed.

What did Clio do now?  Self-punishment?

Fed the 'pacas

Dexter's Pharmacy and schedule - done for the morning

Kitties get their eyes, teeth and ears cleaned - they really love this part of the day:-(

Challenge No. 1 - Barney's bathroom - spakled some last night and sanded this morning

Spakled the other wall

Dexter gets a special bath every other day.  He looks so happy.

Challenge No. 2 - Barney's Office to ready for painting - I cleaned one closet yesterday.

Challenge No. 2 - 1/2 of the office to sort, save, discard or donate.

The other half of the office - who said I did not know how to have fun??

I did find this!  Who knows who she is?

Bye for now.  Need to shower and get to work.

xxxooo

Trish

And Yet Another Package???

I must admit that I was almost orgasmic when I parked the car and spotted another package at my front door.  Two days in a row?? I  cannot take it.  This one was from Arbonne - the party Jess hosted last week.  I was curious to discover if they had used enviornmentally correct Cornstarch Peanuts and ready and armed to write a complaint if they did not....but, alas, they used ordinary packing paper - fully recyclable - so I could rest. 

I was first very excited to try my new lipstick, but I still had my 24-hour Target lipstick on which had about 17 hours left.  So, tomorrows tale will tell about that.  What I could not believe was that by becoming an annual 'partner' for $29, you could pick any product from the Arbonne line for free!  I selected the neck treatment cream priced at $85!  Cannot wait for that either.  Maybe next time you see me, you won't recognize me! (even if you do, please prentend you don't).

Nicholas (old goat) seems to be pairing well, mostly with Dandy.  It is going to take a little time for Isaac (other younger goat) to accept him.  But, he just got his medicine for his arthritis and we are hoping that it kicks in soon so he can walk a bit easier.

Dexter came to work with me today, along with some Surprise Shop browsing.  He is such a good boy - except for the horrible itching.  Hopefully, the Healthy Skin meds from Drs. Foster and Smith catalog will help.

xxxooo

YAY! There is a Package at the Door!!!

OK~who does not like to receive a package in the mail?  Even though you have ordered or purchased it, the anticipation of opening it is so much fun.  Last week, I ordered a bunch of pet stuff from Dr. Foster's catalog: for Dexter~  a special combo medication for healthy skin (he just scratches so much), flea & tick applications, special food and sweet potato fries treat (which he originally snubbed, but later ate).  for the kitties~ flea meds, special food and treats.  And the best thing is that it was all packed with Cornstarch Peanuts!!!

Have you ever had Cornstarch Peanuts in a package or can you tell the difference.  These peanuts are actually edible (not that one would eat them) so they are not dangerous around pets.  But my most favorite thing is that you can moisten them at one end and another one will stick to it.  You can make a chain or one of those beautiful necklaces reminiscent to the lovely noodle necklaces our kids made for us in kindergarten for Mother's Day!  I am like a kid who discards the toy and play with the box...except that I play with the peanuts!  Check yours out next time and thank your sender for using them - not only environmentally smart, but fun to play with.

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Goat?

Really, boys...Calling out your distress signal upon seeing Nicholas the 15-year old goad??? Mikey, Arthur and Churie should be ashamed of themselves.  What ninnies.

Working from home can have its advantages (might as well make the beds while I am back here) as well as its disadvantages (checking and answering emails from dawn to dusk) - but, hey!  I did not get out of my pajamas until 2:00!

I am working on a power point presentation of Baltimore County during 1812-1814, in recognition of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Baltimore (September 1814) during the War of 1812 and am finding that because this was  before the wave of agricultural prosperity that brought forth so many stone houses, there is limited information regarding houses and other buildings - other than the Perry Hall  and Hampton Mansions.. But, I think with engravings, maps and monuments, along with some Churches and a few vernacular houses, it could be quite interesting.  Also to include the dress of that era as well as social activities, etc.

 Another pitfall to working at home - getting so involved that you forget to plan dinner.......

Life is a Balancing Act

You lose two - you gain two.

Recently, I lost two of my kitties:  my beloved Jazzy and Tine-Tine.  So, yesterday, in beautiful downtown Monkton, with the sun shining and all being right with the world, we balanced the scales.

First comes Dexter, my sister's Shih Tzu.  He has to be the most lovable and laid-back dog in the world.  He goes to work with me, naps patiently while I run into the store, snores soothingly at the foot of my bed and basically is my shadow.  I am delighted to have his companionship.  Here he is with the boys: Churie, Mikey and Arthur.

Next comes Nicholas.  Nicholas is a 15-year old pygmy goat who has lost his 3 siblings and was very lonely all by himself.  He has arthritis in his knees (notice how they are roughened by kneeling down alot) and is trying to make friends with Isaac  and the other non-alpacas.  It is not going to be easy for him.  I truly understand the term "old goat" now.  But, this morning, he came somewhat running from the barn to the side fence to be fed with the rest of them.  And, he loved his peppermint treats for dessert.

The animals are happy, Mama is happy - thus, Barney is happy.  Southview Farm is in balance once again.

Did you miss me babies?

Being away for several days, I thought for sure my animals would be all over me with missed-you kisses!  Well, animal behavior is such a fun observation.

Let's start with the kitties.  Unfortunately, one of my cats passed away when I was gone.  I only had Tine-Tine for about a year as her owners had to reluctantly give her up, but at 13 she still outlived her two brothers.  Blessings to you little one. 

Merlin Bob gave me a hero's welcome - he is the farm ambassador and greets everyone as they come on the property.  (Really, he just pretends to be greeting them, he is actually a security guard in disguise.)  LingLing acted as if she could not care less if I am here or not (which is probably true) as long as there is food in the dish.  Clio and Amelia just decided they would great me on their own terms.

The boy alpacas, horse, donkey and goat are such males.  They were all over me like ivy on a wall.  The girl alpacas??  not so much.  Trish - the black one - came up and let me scratch her, then turned around and spit in my face.  Oh well....

Today, I decided to switch pastures between the female and male alpacas.  We have three pastures and the normal run is to have Dandy, Edward and Isaac (horse, donkey and goat respectively) in the right pasture; Mikey, Arthur and Churrie (boy alpacas) in the middle; and girls, Trish, Tami, Cha Cha, Binki, Missy Louise, Nellie and Little Ruthie (Cha Cha's baby)in the left.  The girls are used to going in the middle, but the boys have never been in the left one.  Oh, they were so funny running all over the place, checking out the sleeping quarters, seeing if any food was left in the bins, sniffing poop piles, chasing each other - guess it serves as a good diversion.  Wonder what the girls will think when they go back in and notice the invasion?

Water check:  drank 51 oz of straight water, and other liquids in excess of 64 oz!  The cats drank the rest of my water:-)  They love me...they really love me!

The pieces are everywhere and some may be difficult to find - but I am going to Sherlock-Holmes them with a vengeance.


I went to visit my ill first cousin and his wife in Georgia on March 16th.  This visit was planned in advance, but he subsequently had a double heart attack, coded, was brought back only to go into intensive care and then hospice.  I stayed with his wife, Jeannie, at hospice until he passed.  If only he had a DNR in place, he would have avoided unnecessary suffering and the family would have avoided helplessly watching him die.  A message to my family:  if there is no chance of me living a normal life in an event such as this, DNR!!  


Flying is another nightmare  - I am talking about flying in a plane - flying around the house with my special flying skills is another subject for another day.  It is even worse when you have to change flights midstream.  Atlanta Airport - forget trying to find the car rental place - and it is not "just around the corner".  You are packed like sardines into seats designed for a skinny teenager, the person who used the seat belt before you was a size 0,and the plane looks like it was built by the Wright Brothers.  Since you have to cram everything you can into your overhead bag so you don't have to pay to check one, it weighs more than the huge person who winds up sitting next to you and is impossible to lift to put into the compartment. Because everyone is already edgy, civility has been left at the hanger and no one offers to help - until it lands on the head of the aisle person who shoves it in and plops down with disgust.  So, from the time I had to leave my cousin's house in GA (4:00 am for a 7:00 am flight), return the car, catch flight no. 1, land in Charlotte, catch flight no. 2, go to off-site parking to retrieve my car and drive home - 8 hours have passed!  It takes 11 to drive down - which is what I shall do the next time.


So, I get home on Sunday, do a little stuff around the house, grab a glass of wine (or 2) and settle down in my comfy bed to rest and enjoy a surprise visit from daughter no. 1.  I wake up at 2:00 am with horrible stomach pains and am vomiting my guts out.  After no cessation for 5 hours, I got to ER, am admitted and treated for diverticulitis or possibly a viral intestinal infection.  The pain was like childbirth without a bonus at the end~  But, all better now and my 3 girls are helping me to get back on the right track at tempering stress levels and living better.


So, I am going around my life and looking for the pieces that are missing or need some attention in order for them to fit properly - starting with drinking my 8 8-oz glasses of water, eating a fiber-enriched diet, and moving about more.  Who knew?


Tomorrow, I will write about the reaction of my animals to my homecoming~


Hugs,
Trish