:Good Karma…by the Dalai Lama

This morning I tried to set up blog entries, one each morning for the next several days. I thought I’d seen this capability somewhere in all the admin stuff. Alas. Alack. I’m sure it’s there, but my bag needs to be packed and the dogs need breakfast. Rick and I are taking a short trip in celebration of our 31st anniversary. It feels a little weird, given the current state of the economy. But, the trip was bought and paid for weeks ago with the exception of meals. Julie suggested the $1.00 value meal at Mickey Dee’s. There is a restaurant featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives…

So here’s the entry that would have automatically posted tomorrow….if only I could have figured out how!

20 Ways to Get Good Karma

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three R’s:
   –  Respect for self,
   –  Respect for others and
   –  Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.
7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and
    think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
20. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

:Kathy wonders…

I have always heard that a dog’s strongest sense is their sense of
smell–they discern through their nose.  But  Tess, our bugling guard
dog, set up a racket in the kitchen when she saw a huge paper monster
(a shopping bag) quietly sitting in the hallway.  She was in a frenzy
barking to let us know we were under attack by a strange object.  Our
other 2 dogs wandered over to sit by her, more interested in her
behavior than concerned about the shopping bag.  Pete and Sophie lead
with their sense of smell always.  Pete is the most curious of the pack
and will patiently watch and study something before sounding the bark
alarm.  You can actually watch him lift his muzzle high into the air,
catching scent…almost working his mouth as if to taste the new odor. 
Tess appears to be much more sight oriented–barking at her own
reflection in our sliding glass door or woofing at a shovel left on the
porch, out of it’s usual place.

Has anyone else observed these behaviors in their own dogs?  If Only
You Knew How Much I Smell You is an entertaining little book by Roy
Blount of dog stories.

Kathy

:Dogenes

Dr. Mary Whiteley has updated the Renal Dysplasia page on her website.
The information is easy to read, yet jam-packed with information.

:How to grade your dog’s food

Lots of goodies as I wade through my overflowing mailbox…

Found on Backyard Chickens discussion forum, Susan shared How to grade your dog’s food. Whole Dog Journal does an excellent of reviewing dog foods, from kibble to raw, but they are very, very strict on copying their articles. Otherwise, I would!

:Fuel Costs and the Changing Culture of Dog Shows

Vickie sent this excellent article….