Responsible Pet Owners

Friends Forever
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By Akindman,

PET PROMISE

As a pet owner, I promise:

• I will never overlook my responsibilities for this living being and recognize that my pet's welfare is totally dependent on me;
• I will always provide fresh water and quality food for my pet;
• I will socialize my pet via exposure to new people, places and other pets;
• I will take pride in my pet's appearance with regular grooming;
• I will recognize the necessity of basic training by teaching my pet to reliably sit, stay and come when called;
• I will ensure that the proper amount of exercise and mental stimulation appropriate for my pet's age, breed and energy level is provided;
• I will ensure that my pet has some form of identification (which may include collar tags, tattoo or microchip ID;
• I will adhere to local leash laws;
• You can sign the Pet Promise by going to the AKC site and Responsible Pet Owners Days;
• It's up to us as responsible pet owners to reach the public and encourage and teach all pet owners on how to ensure happy lives for their pets. We owe our pets the care they deserve and the unconditional love they give to us;
• The American Veterinary Medical Association Executive Board has compiled their list for responsible pet ownership which we will include here;
• A commitment to the relationship for the life of the pet;
• Recognize pet ownership requires an investment of time and money.
• Keep only the type and number of pets for which an appropriate safe environment can be provided including proper food, water, shelter, health care and companionship;
• Ensure pets are properly identified (tags, microchips, tattoos) and registration information on databases is kept up-to-date;
• Adhere to local ordinances including licensing and leash requirements;
• Control reproductions through managed breeding - containment, spay/neuter;
• Establish and maintain a veterinarian-client-pet relationship;
• Provide preventive (vaccinations, parasite control) and therapeutic health care for the life of pets in consultation with and as recommended by the veterinarian;
• Socialization and proper training for pets which facilitates their well-being and the well-being of other animals and people;
• Prevent pets from negatively impacting other animals, people, and the environment by proper waste control, noise control and not allowing pets to stray or become feral;
• Provide exercise and mental stimulation appropriate to the pet's age, breed and health status;
• Advance preparation to ensure the pet’s well-being in case of an emergency or disaster including assembling an evacuation kit;
• Make an alternative arrangement if caring for the pet is no longer possible; and
• Recognize declines in the pet's quality of life and make decisions in consultation with a veterinarian regarding end-of-life care (palliative care, hospice, euthanasia).

Be One!!
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I encourage you to consider having a playmate for your pet – it does make a difference!

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Good links:

http://www.accordingtosherman.com/pets/index.html

http://itsthepits.rescuegroups.org/info/file?file=11757.pdf

http://canidaepetfood.blogspot.com/2011/12/winter-safety-tips-for-responsible-pet.html

http://www.ashwoodvet.co.uk/news/view-article.php?Title=TOP+TEN+TIPS+FOR+RESPONSIBLE+PET+OWNERSHIP

Showing him how to care for his pet
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Post It!
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Having Fun
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Friends Gathering
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Happy Playmates
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Exercise and Play Time
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What's going on?
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Let's All Eat Right Day

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By Diane Forrest, RN

It has been nearly a year since I started writing on this blog.  In that time I have written about everything from soup to nuts and lots and lots of chocolate.  Who knew there were so many days that recognized different foods?  While we didn't write about foods every day, on the days where food was the subject, it was not a terrible crime to indulge in the more unhealthy choices, as long as it was done in moderation.

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Today however is Let's All Eat Right Day.  It's not just about what you eat, but when you eat, and how much.  I have a friend who will be celebrating his 74th birthday this year.  Last summer he suffered some heart problems that resulted in the placement of two stints.  This served as a wakeup call for him.  Concerned about his health and heart, he began to make changes in his lifestyle.  While he was once sleeping and napping all through the day, he has now settled into a routine pattern, a set time to go to bed, and a time to wake up.  While he still occasionally wakes up during the night, he maintains his schedule and keeps his day more productive and energetic.  He also started an exercise program at the YMCA, and has been faithful to go 3 days a week.  The other days he either bowls or performs other activities.  The one problem he runs into is his eating habits.  He doesn't eat the right foods, at the right times, or right amounts.  I have tried to explain to him that he wouldn't drive a car without gas, so he can't operate his body without fuel.

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He complains that he doesn't like to eat when he wakes, so he will eat breakfast around 11:00am.  Sometimes he will eat a healthy bowl of Oatmeal with orange juice, but other days it may be just toast and coffee.  He doesn't eat lunch, but snacks of junk food until supper.  He will normally have a decent supper, but he doesn't complete the recommended daily allowances.

The recommendations by the FDA are as follows:

Milk and Dairy	2 -3 servings a day
Meat	2-3 servings a day
Vegetables	3-5 servings a day
Fruit	2-4 servings a day
Breads and whole grains	6-11 servings a day
oil and sweets	sparingly

When President Obama was elected, his wife, Michele Obama set about to promote healthy eating.  Not only has she started a vegetable garden on the grounds of the White House, she travels around informing and promoting healthy eating, especially encouraging school age children to eat better, more nutritious meals.

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Today is Let's All Eat Right Day; however it’s not just a practice for just one day, but every day.  This day was chosen to celebrate the birthday of nutritionist Adelle Davis who was famous for advocating healthy eating, especially via her bestselling book, "Let's Eat Right to Keep Fit."  While it’s ok to splurge occasionally on some "forbidden" foods, make a special effort to maintain a more healthy and nutritious diet.

The 26th annual Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering

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By Akindman,

Cowboy poetry is a form of poetry which grew out of a tradition of extemporaneous composition carried on by workers on cattle drives and ranches.  After a day of work, cowboys would gather around a campfire and entertain one another with tall tales and folk songs. Illiteracy was common, so poetic forms were employed to aid memory.

Typical themes of cowboy poetry include:

• Ranch work and those who perform it.
• Western lifestyle;
• Landscape of the American and Canadian West;
• Cowboy values and practices;
• Humorous anecdotes;
• Memories of times and people long gone; and
• Sarcasm regarding modern contraptions and/or ways.

The 28th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, the nation's greatest celebration of the American West, its people, culture and traditions, took place January 30 to February 4, 2012, in Elko, Nevada. Every winter for the last 27 years, cowboys, ranchers, rural and urban people have traveled en masse to this small high desert community, to join with friends, family and others who care about the rural West. Together, they listen to poetry and music, learn about cowboy culture in the U.S. and around the world, experience great art, watch western films, learn a craft, and gather to eat, drink and swap stories.

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Each February, the Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering – Texas Cowboy and Cowgirl poets, singers, musicians, and storytellers from all over prepare to converge on Alpine, Texas.  All those invited to participate are working cowboys and cowgirls, ranchers and ranch hands.

Cowboy poetry continues to be written and celebrated today. Baxter Black is probably the most famous, and possibly the most prolific, contemporary cowboy poet. Many cities in the United States and Canada have annual "roundups" dedicated to cowboy poetry. Cowboy Poetry week is celebrated each April in the United States and Canada.

There are other Cowboy/Cowgirl events throughout the US and Canada held at different months of the year.

Interesting Links to follow for more detailed information:

• http://www.alpineavalanche.com/gallery/news/article_8f134740-532c-11e1-9fe4-001871e3ce6c.html
• http://www.cowboypoetry.com/week.htm
• http://www.westernfolklife.org/National-Cowboy-Poetry-Gathering-General-Info/national-cowboy-poetry-gathering-home-page.html
• http://www.elkocva.com/cowboypoetry.shtml
• http://www.montanacowboypoetrygathering.com/
• http://www.azcowboypoets.org/

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American Soldier

American Soldier lyrics

Songwriters: Cannon, Chuck; Keith, Toby;

I'm just trying to be a father

Raise a daughter and a son

Be a lover to their mother

Everything to everyone

Up and at 'em, bright and early

I'm all business in my suit

Yeah, I'm dressed up for success

From my head down to my boots

I don't do it for the money

There's bills that I can't pay

I don't do it for the glory

I just do it anyway

Providing for our future's my responsibility

Yeah I'm real good under pressure

Being all that I can be

And I can't call in sick on Mondays

When the weekends been too strong

I just work straight through the holidays

And sometimes all night long

You can bet that I stand ready when the wolf growls at the door

Hey, I'm solid, hey I'm steady, hey, I'm true down to the core

And I will always do my duty no matter what the price

I've counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice

Oh, and I don't want to die for you

But if dyin's asked of me

I'll bear that cross with honor

'Cause freedom don't come free

I'm an American soldier, an American

Beside my brothers and my sisters I will proudly take a stand

When Liberty's in jeopardy, I will always do what's right

I'm out here on the front line

Sleep in peace tonight

American soldier, I'm an American soldier

Yeah, an American soldier, an American

Beside my brothers and my sisters I will proudly take a stand

When Liberty's in jeopardy I will always do what's right

I'm out here on the front line

So Sleep in peace tonight

American soldier, I'm an American

An American, an American soldier

YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ctVI5baftFo

Sweet Potato Month

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By Chef Diane,

Did your parents ever tell you about the tough time they had growing up?  My mother's story was she had to walk 10 miles, uphill, in the snow and carry hot sweet potatoes in her pockets to keep her hands warm, and then eat them for lunch.  She loves sweet potatoes, but only cookies them for the holidays.  She just likes them plain, with butter and topped with marshmallows.

When my dad started frying turkeys at Thanksgiving, he sliced sweet potatoes and fried them too, made chips.  Now you can even go to restaurants and order sweet potato fries too.  Seems to have been a big explosion in the awareness of sweet potatoes with good reason too.

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Did you know that the sweet potato ranks number one in nutrition?  Sweet potatoes are high in the following: beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin B6 and vitamin C; fiber, thiamine, niacin, potassium and copper. They are also a good source of protein, calcium, vitamin E.  Sweet potatoes rank highest in Vitamin A and beta carotene.  Vitamin A promotes good vision, especially in low light. It may also be needed for reproduction and breast-feeding. Vitamin A helps form and maintains healthy skin, teeth, skeletal and soft tissue, mucus membranes, and skin. It is also known as retinol because it produces the pigments in the retina of the eye.

Beta-carotene is an antioxidant. Antioxidants protect cells from damage caused by substances called free radicals. Free radicals are believed to contribute to certain chronic diseases and play a role in the aging processes.

My great state of Mississippi produces 19% of the country's total sweet potato crop.  Mississippi has about 150 farmers growing sweet potatoes on about 8,200 acres (33 km2), contributing $19 million dollars to the state's economy. Mississippi's top five sweet potato producing counties are Calhoun, Chickasaw, Pontotoc, Yalobusha, and Panola. The National Sweet Potato Festival is held annually the entire first week in November in Vardaman (Calhoun County), which proclaims itself as "The Sweet Potato Capital", they also elect a Sweet Potato queen who goes on to participate in the Miss Mississippi Pageant.

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Since sweet potatoes are being recognized all month, you have plenty of time to try them, try some new recipes, or eat sweet potato fries instead of regular fries.  Who knows you may like them better, they are better for you too.

Another way to eat them is in bread.  A friend of mine gave me her sweet potato bread recipe, so I’m sharing it with you.  Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Bread

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Ingredients:

• 3 Cups sugar
• 3 cups self rising flour
• 2 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes (cook in microwave until done, scoop it out of the skin)
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1 cup shredded coconut (optional)

Directions

Mix all ingredients well, pour in greased loaf pan, bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for an hour, or until done.

Sweet Potato Nutrition Facts (for one medium size sweet potato)

• Calories 130
• Fat 0.39 g
• Protein 2.15 g
• Net Carbs 31.56 g
• Dietary Fiber 3.9 g
• Calcium 28.6 mg
• Sodium 16.9 mg
• Potassium 265.2 mg
• Foliate 18.2 mcg
• Vitamin C 29.51 mg
• Vitamin A 26081.9 IU

National Banana Bread Day

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Chef Diane,

My husband has 6 aunts all in their 80's and all in great condition, none of them have any medical problems.   Even though we had been married for 15 years, I had never had the opportunity to meet them all.  The summer before my husband passed away we were able to visit 4 of them. I took each of them a loaf of my banana bread as an introduction gift.  They all loved the bread, and to my surprise, my husband offered to send them some throughout the year.  I thought that was very generous of him, since I was the one who would be baking and mailing it.  And you can't send just one some, they talk.  So I had to make it for all of them.

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When my husband passed away expectantly a few months later, I continued to send the bread.  Not only was it therapeutic for me to bake it, but it also helped me stay connected to his family, and they loved it too.  The recipe I use is one my grandmother used and gave to me many years ago.  She made it often too because her brother-in-law worked for Dole, on the ship, and would always bring her a case of bananas.  She had to find some way to get rid of them all.

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Today is National Banana Bread Day.  My father always says that bananas are the perfect food.  I don’t know about perfect, but they are full of potassium and other vitamins and minerals.  So today, bake some banana bread and share with your coworkers or neighbors over some coffee. I’m also providing Granny's recipe, it always turns out perfectly.

Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup corn oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 ripe bananas
• 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  I normally use a loaf pan, but you can also use a Bundt pan too. Spray with cooking oil.  Cream oil and sugar; add eggs, 1 at a time.  Sift dry ingredients mix with creamed butter.  Add mashed bananas and nuts.  Bake for 1 hour or until done.

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Mend a Broken Heart

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By Diane Forrest,

“And how can you mend a broken heart?

How can you stop the rain from falling down?

Tell me how can you stop the sun from shining

What makes the world go round?”

This verse is from a 1971 song by the Bee Gees asking the question how can you mend a broken heart?  It is a good probability that anyone who has been in love has had a broken heart, and even broken a heart or two.  There are plenty of clichés' out there such as "If you fall off the horse, just get right back on", and "There is plenty more fish in the sea", and “it is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all", but these offer little comfort when you are the one with the heartbreak.

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There are many things that can cause heartbreak.  The break up of a relationship, a divorce, a death, estrangement with a family member, even the loss of a pet.  When my husband's beloved dash hound had to be put down it broke his heart, he cried for a week, and that broke my heart, watching him grieve.  It was easier to replace a lost pet, even though he missed his dog, the new puppy helped to ease the pain.  It is not as easy to replace a lost relationship.

Belief.net offers 12 ways to mend a broken heart.  They include:

• Go through it, not around it.
• Stand on your own.
• Detach.
• List your strengths.
• Allow some fantasizing.
• Help someone else.
• Laugh. And cry.
• Make a good and bad list.
• Work it out.
• Create a new world.
• Find hope.
• Love deeply. Again and again.

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Mending a broken heart takes time, don't expect an overnight recovery, there is a grief process to go through, and each person goes through each stage at their own pace.  The important thing to remember is that in time, you will recover.  Today is Mend a broken heart day.  If you are trying to recover from a break up, or know someone who is, check out this site for more information about healing.

http://www.mendyourbrokenheart.com/   Remember, you are not alone.