Homemade Salt Dough Ornaments are a Big NO for Pets

Did you know that those fun to make "salt dough ornaments" are extremely toxic to animals, and in many cases, fatal? They are so easy and delightful to spend an afternoon making, however the main ingredient is what attracts pets to them, and that can lead to disaster. While there are many hazards which can present problems for pets during December, this is one I feel often gets overlooked.

The More Tough Things You Do.....

....the stronger you become. 

"Do more difficult things" ~ this was my phrase back in September, as I returned to a part of my life I'd had to take a break from. Volunteering is a big piece of my world, but for a number of reasons it had been months since I'd been able to help out at one particular place, along with getting back in shape physically.

   

Welcome, December: Images, Clip Art & Backgrounds for Month Twelve

And just like that.....December crept in overnight, on quiet, tiny feet, showing up this morning as the final chapter in 2024. I find the beginning of a month to be such an exciting time; an invigorating experience almost, full of promise and possibility; bursting with the promise of things to come and personal growth to be made.

Everyone Is Struggling

A few years ago we began noticing - or rather, couldn't help but see - the terribly detrimental impact of continued, daily, constant, stress. It was first responders who began to finally get the attention they needed and deserve, to help navigate the constant assault of negative situations and trauma, and then gradually we opened our minds to not just front line workers, i.e., police and firefighters, but to those equally affected, but in less subtle ways, dispatchers, correctional officers, etc.

Vintage Thanksgiving: Retro and Old-Fashioned Holiday Greetings

Happy Holidays ~ here we are in the middle of November, just two weeks away from Thanksgiving 2024. I've posted many of these images I've collected over the years on Pinterest and Facebook, but to my surprise I hadn't added them in a blog post.....so here they are. I hope you enjoy browsing these old time designs featuring kids on the farm, feasts, farm life, and Americana style greetings.

If You Don't Speak Up, Who Will? Animal Abuse and Warning Signs

I met another Jayla today - not the same coloring, but a very similar bulldog/pit bull mix, also used to make money for some lousy backyard breeder probably, and then discarded on the side of the road like trash. The other dog was luckier than our Jayla, being dumped at only three years old, whereas our girl went through that cycle of hell for seven years, leaving her with the body of a dog twice her age.

Let There Be Peace | November 6th, 2024

Today I thought to myself....I'm so old I remember when people didn't act like children, call each other names, tear one another down for their preferences, or riot after an election. Let's make this the year we stop that; let's get back to respecting one another; staying quiet when needed; creating a more peaceful and unified world.

National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week

Thank you to the dedicated humans who work tirelessly to help homeless and abandoned animals. While the demands of your career are more exhausting today than ever before, please know you are doing work few individuals can handle.

So Long, Month #10.....Goodbye, October

Goodbye October ~

I've learned to better accept things that have taken place recently, situations which all along, were out of my control. The last 31 days were not wasted, but I come out of this month realizing many do not and will not, ever grasp the struggles some of us face.

Reasons to Adopt a Shelter Pet: #14

"Reasons to rescue" ~ When you take the chance on a pet sitting in a shelter, waiting for a home, you are showing others it's cool to be kind. You may be teaching by example, or showing your children how to make thoughtful choices for the greater good, that it isn't always about just "buying", but taking in an animal in need.

Grief

I wish there were words I could reach up to pluck out of the air to describe certain times in life; pre-arranged phrases one could fish for in a pond or giant glass bowl, to use to spell out the tangled emotions which often pile up. There are days when it all feels complex and overwhelming, full of painful memories mixed with beautiful recollections and sweet images. Maybe i just put off letting myself be sad when things happen, trying to stay focused and get through.....maybe we all do that to some extent, but one day an anniversary date will surface and it feels like the world falls down with the scope of emotions and bitter sense of loss.

You - No One - Needs to Suffer Alone

I'm going off topic a bit, out of my normal scope of posts or conversations, and sharing something more serious and important with you today. September is Suicide Prevention Month, a tragedy that is some way has likely touched most of our lives, and September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day. Included below are several images I've collected over the years, added on Facebook in albums titled "Between the Lines"; content that feels essential and important to spotlight, and I will tell you why.

I Would Love to Volunteer But.....

The "Icky" Side of Volunteering, or Why You May Think It's Not For You

Helping out in our community, lending a hand, volunteering at an animal shelter.....questions/comments we hear constantly include "how do you do it?", "isn't that so hard?" and the very frequent "I could never go to the shelter, it's so sad there it would break my heart." Actually......what breaks hearts is NOT going to the shelter....but you may not know something, and thus the reason for this blog post.

Reactive Dog, Training Thoughts, and "Trigger Stacking"

The last time I posted something about dog training/working with a reactive dog, I got absolutely ripped to shreds. Not only did someone disagree with me, a trainer took my post and reshared it multiple times on their business page, listing day by day (for five days, I think), all the things I'd said that were wrong or incorrect in their eyes. That's okay; we are not all going to agree all the time, however I would not have gone that far to tear someone else down, but I post about training dogs because I realize other people struggle with their animals too. Not all are as challenging as ours, but when I came across this graphic on Pinterest, I found it particularly interesting as it addresses the cumulative effect of various "triggers" - and how one thing can be okay, two perhaps still manageable, but add in the THIRD stressor and suddenly you have a dog that is overloaded with anxiety or fear.

Should the time come when you are choosing to be kind or just walk away......

In late June of last year I was still regretting having been kind; still sad and confused about a difficult situation; sad and angry with myself for believing I could make a difference in someone's life. I felt disappointed for having followed my heart and done what felt right.... instead of staying cold and distant and not getting involved, even a year later, and then a couple of days ago, a post from a friend drifted across my Facebook newsfeed.

Planting Seeds for the Future (Growth Mindset)

Good morning! It is Friday, August 16th, and it's been quite a month. What seeds of growth have you planted this week? I found this adorable poster on Pinterest and it made me think of evolution and our constant process of self-improvement, and achievement.

The High Cost of Going Cashless | National Dollar Day

August 8th is National Dollar Day. While many folks are in a hurry to toss the idea of real money aside, please understand that there is a substantial downside to adopting a "plastic/electronic only" lifestyle. The first, and most commonly talked about, is the cost of credit card processing for small businesses, who do not have the power and clout of corporations such as walmart or Amazon, thus they cannot negotiate the amount of money it costs to accept a card.

What I learned this summer about Friendship

Where do I start - how can I summarize the last few months of wondering, confusion, sadness, and loss? What can I do to explain this hole in my life that opened up after losing someone special, after having to let go of something so precious, because another person.....changed. Something changed.....I don't even really know what it was, but I've learned that when people go through bad things, they sometimes cope by kicking everyone out of their lives, even the friends who cared so much. Too much, maybe.

Welcome Month Eight - Happy August 1st

Happy new month - hello to August, the biggest and best time of summer! It's hot and humid outside today so it feels exactly right to kick off a new series of summertime days.....yes, I had to pinch myself a bit this morning, upon realizing we are indeed, actually in month number eight. So much to celebrate ahead - there's a list of days further down in this post - but first, a collection of images and graphics to welcome in the month. 😁

I'm sorry, July.....I failed to accomplish all those things I'd promised

Oh, July.....I had Such. Big. Hopes. for you.

So many plans and things to do....and somehow the sand in the hourglass ran out and here I am, on the 28th day of month seven. It wasn't supposed to be like this....I was going to write, catch up on things and articles and practice daily steps for growth.....but I let things that happened swirl around me and derail those goals, and when there's only a little bit of sand left to trickle through the hourglass, a sense of desperation or wave of disappointment is often the most bleak sense one can have.

Why Choosing a "Real Florist" Makes a Difference

Why does "buying local" really matter? What is the reason many folks encourage their friends to "shop small", or select an authentic, genuine, independently owned business? I think I can best answer that by telling you about my amazing, talented, friendly, florist.....that I've never met.

  

Ideas for National Play Outside Day (1st Saturday each month)

Today is "Play Outdoors Day" celebrated the first Saturday of each month (we think it should be EVERY day 😍😃). How are you and your family going to enjoy the outside world? 😊

 

Welcome Summer Solstice: 1st Day of a New Season

Hello there! It's June 20th and we are officially in summer 2024. It's a hot one out there today - many heat warnings across the country to welcome in the season. Below I've included a collection of graphics and images to share, download and post on your social channels. Now, what does summertime mean to you? 😃🌴⛱️

Grief

I know - from having talked to many folks about grief - that this chart may be relatable for some, helpful for a few, and completely useless for others. There is no set path or one clearly defined pattern of sadness, loss, recovery of one's soul, and yet it might help someone to realize there ARE many stages and levels. 💞

Losing One of the Rescued Loves of Our Lives

I've posted a bunch of pictures and comments online this weekend - memories, snapshots, and a tribute to a beloved rescue dog we lost a year ago today. Many of you knew our boy's story, but for anyone who didn't.....a loss is magnified when the journey is tougher.

Finding out your friendship wasn't quite what you thought

That's a hard thing to learn; a jolt to hit a wall, find yourself in a situation where you've been there for someone else, only to discover an empty, cold silence echoing back....but we can't wear ourselves out trying to change people. Good friends are there to enhance our lives, not make them worse, or harder, and unfortunately, some people will never value friendships the way we might. That's a tough thing to learn - it is a raw, bitter kind of sadness which cuts deeply at the heart of a caring and empathetic human - it feels so difficult to accept that the energy and time I poured into a friendship is not reciprocal.

Welcome, June: a new month and 31 fresh opportunities

So many months.....twelve chances for a fresh start; another blank and untouched page in the notebook that is 2024..... but perhaps June IS a slightly more exceptional month. After all, May can be moody and fickle, weather-wise, teasingly offering summer-like days, mixed with ones that feel more like March; while July rolls in with scorchingly hot temperatures. So maybe month six is the perfectly balanced one, a pleasant blend of warmth, longer days, the end of school, blueberry season, and the beginning of summer?

Remember and Honor: Vintage Memorial Day Greetings and Images

As we move into the long weekend and the ending of May, here is a collection of images of remembrance and respect for Memorial Day. Did you know it was once known as "Decoration Day"? In the 1800's it was to be an occasion for honoring fallen soldiers and heroes, a time when local townspeople were encouraged to place flowers and flags at cemeteries and gravesites.

The Dog which Challenges You the Most

Everyone who has dogs - while we say they are all special, and that we don't pick favorites - has that certain canine which stands way, way out from the rest.

Reactive Rescue Pit Bull Challenges

Some days.... make you question everything. 🙄 Abused, neglected, and untrained dogs are already a challenge, and when one is easily overwhelmed it can be so discouraging.

We're Selling Our Kids A Lie

It's Tuesday (only Tuesday!?😉) of an overstuffed, crazily spinning circus of chaos this week....and then I see this that speaks so much more loudly than just the words on a photograph.....

Let's Not Let Today Be Overshadowed.....oops, too late. Happy Eclipse Day!

April 8th - here we are, a world gone crazy with eclipse charts, viewing predictions, and an endless stream of warnings filling up our social media feeds. Don't look at the sun! Do not DRIVE with your special eclipse glasses on. Avoid stopping in the roadway to observe the event. (when did we need to start being told all these things!?) 😏😂

Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day (March 29th)

Each year at the end of March, we pause to notice, honor, and thank, America's Vietnam Veterans. While the service of so many men and women is remembered everyday, March 29th is especially dedicated to YOU, our soldiers, heroes, and servicemembers of all branches. We humbly thank all who served, pause to remember those we lost, and are proud to say to all, WELCOME HOME.

Coastal St. Patrick's Day Greetings

It's a gorgeous weekend here in our corner of the world, a big, exciting parade on tap for today, and warm weather and sunshine at the beach. What could be more perfect!?

Some things are just not the right fit

I wish the act of moving on didn't cut so deeply. I wish I could embrace the act of releasing my grip on a goal, project, business partnership, etc., more gracefully and with enthusiasm, because it's okay to do so.

Sweet Inspiration & Positive Vibes: Candy Heart Designs for the Month of Love

These "Inspiration Hearts" - candy hearts with a twist - is a project I began in 2022. I was seeing a lot of images floating around with just the same old sentiments, and wanted more personal, relatable, and uplifting messages. They are free to download and use! Please share or save them to your phone or device, send to a friend, or repost on social media to spread some love this February. 😍

When you realize the work you did with your abused, adopted dog is FINALLY paying off

Yesterday was a milestone moment, when for the first time in a year and a half, another person besides the other half and I, took this boy for a walk. It's been a challenging year for us so far (and we're not even that far into it! 😂), and puncturing my foot left me with a wound that reopens each time I walk for an extended period of time. I cannot afford have something sideline me so we have an awesome pet sitter helping with the crew for a couple of days.

Just.....Reach Out to Someone

I've had so much on my heart lately, after the last month, holiday season, and this week. Feeling like so many of our friends and loved ones are facing challenges and struggles bigger than what any of us can fix or mend....knowing there are a lot of folks carrying heavy burdens we don't know half of.

It's a Good Day to Be Grateful! (International Thank You Day)

January 11th is International Thank-You Day, an occasion which reminds us to show appreciation to others, practice courtesy, and express gratitude to those who have made a difference in our lives. You could leave a note for a teacher, public safety worker, neighbor, friend or mentor, to acknowledge a recent act of kindness or to recognize the impact someone has had on you.

We Are All Our Brother's Keeper

Monday, January 8th: Just eight days into a new year, we should be looking forward with excitement and hope.... instead, a community is just trying to find the strength to get though today. This is a time when schedules are being made, goals set, and plans decided for the next twelve months.....but instead, a family, loved ones, and coworkers are facing the worst days imaginable.