Monthly Archives: February 2023

Books I Read in January 2023

Books & Reading, Country Life, , , ,

I just realized that I never posted my list of books read for January and that I better get to it before it is time for February’s! I guess I have been too busy watching the girls, lunching with friends, and hanging out with family to remember. This is a good thing! So, without further ado, here is my list…

  1. Wild Maps for Curious Minds (Non-fiction)-Mike Higgans

This book was so much fun! If you see it at the library, get it! It looks at many different phenomena through maps. Where are the sunny places that could help power the world? Who eats the most fruit in the world? The most meat? Where in the world can you take the longest walk in a straight line? So many things I never knew I wanted to know, and now I do!

    2. Lucy by the Sea-Elizabeth Strout

    I almost didn’t get this book because I didn’t care for the first one I read by this author. I’m so glad I gave it a chance because I loved it. Lucy Barton and her ex-husband go to a house on the Maine coast to escape the Covid pandemic. A house on the Maine coast where you can walk on the beach every day is my dream, so I certainly don’t understand her complaining. I do understand thoughts and experiences she has in regards to the situation. And Lucy has some very profound thoughts and speculation that connects us all as human beings.

    3. Animal Life-Audur Ava Olafsdottir

    Domhildur comes from a long line of midwives. On her father’s side are the undertakers. They encompass both ends of life. The story takes place in Iceland. Quite a bit of it surround tales of Domhildur’s grand aunt, also a midwife. The main character has just delivered her 1,922nd child. A winter storm is approaching. This book was just interesting enough to keep me from putting it in the to be returned pile, but not by much.

    4. Fairy Tale-Stephen King

    OMG!!! This book is excellent. It’s not a horror book as you might expect from Stephen King. It is truly a fairytale. Sort of a cross between The Hobbit and Harry Potter. I got absorbed into this alternate world. Charlie Reade helps his reclusive, elderly neighbor, finding him after a bad fall. He also cares for, and grows to love, the neighbor’s elderly dog. Charlie learns about and enters the alternate world while looking to enact every dog lover’s dream. Making his dog young again. There he encounters many good people and monsters too. The adventure takes a new direction as Charlie tries to save his new friends and himself and return order to this foreign world. I can see reading this book again in a few years. I enjoyed it that much.

    5. Everything, Beautiful-Ella Frances Sanders

    This is a beautiful book! It teaches us how to see beauty in our lives, in expected as well as unexpected places. The book is a combination of prose and drawings/watercolors. I may have to buy this book for my personal library. It’s one of those that I can see reading again from time to time.

    6. Vegan Cooking for Two-America’s Test Kitchen (Cookbook)

    A number of these recipes look good to me. I made two of them and was pleased. I didn’t have the ingredients to make some of the others, but most of the recipes do have normal ingredients. Give it a go if this is your thing.

    7. The Lost-Jeffrey B. Burton

    I love this series. It’s about Mason Reid and his Human Remains Detection (HRD) dogs, aka cadaver dogs. This story comes with a murder, a kidnapping, the Russian mafia and a host of other mysteries. Lots of excitement.

    My bag of library books!

    Magazines:  Dogster (2), Country Home, The Home Edit, The Cottage Journal, Martha Stewart Living, Magnolia Journal, Mother Earth News

    Lots of good books this month. If you have time for an 800 pager, I suggest Fairy Tale as my favorite on this list. It captures that sense of magic that reminds you of being a kid.

    I hope you all had an enjoyable Valentine’s Day. This past Saturday, we hosted the annual family Valentines meal that my husband puts on every year. Lots of good food, treats, and memories were made and shared. Until next time!

    Never Too Old for Dogs, Part II

    Dogs & Other Animals, Rescue Happenings, Thoughts On Life, , , , , ,

    My first post about never getting too old for dogs generated enough feedback and comments that it got me thinking and I have more thoughts to share on the matter. They will come later in the post.

    I was using old profile pictures in my posts that I have taken over the past few years because it was easier. I didn’t want to mislead though, so this one is of me at 60 years old, as is the one in the last post. (Never Too Old for Dogs) If you’re wondering how I got my hair so much less poufy in this one, here is my trick. I put my hair in a ponytail when it is still wet and leave it that way until it dries. I have thick hair, so that is sometimes the next day. Once my hair is down, it does get “bigger” as time passes. Especially, if it is rainy or humid out.

    I got to watch my nieces over the weekend. I was so excited to see them! It was supposed to happen last week but didn’t work out. I had a flat tire on one car and transmission trouble in the other car. Both discovered in the same afternoon! It was not my day and let me tell you, I was none too happy that something came between me and seeing my girls. Both vehicles are repaired and roadworthy again. While watching the girls, I got more of those flexibility experiences that I was talking about last time to help keep me young. We again played hide and seek. The game is a favorite of theirs’. I took Zekie with me this time. He seems to understand the concept of Hide and Go Seek. Or he at least sits with me and quietly waits until we are found. This does not work with Shelby. She stands in front of where I hide and stares a hole into the spot, so that I am found almost immediately. All the girls have to do is look for Shelby. When I hid under the computer desk, Zekie crawled in with me while I crouched in the knee hole waiting to be found. All I had to do was point at the spot beside me and make a down motion and we were hidden. Zekie was the perfect guest on our visit. He really is a good dog if I am with him.

    Zekie resting after Hide and Go Seek.

    On to why I will never be too old for dogs. The main reason is that I think it would kill me to be without a dog. How could I survive without a constant companion who thinks everything I do is wonderful and is happy to see me at all times? Dogs are mental health aides! So, what are some ways to pull this off for the older individual?

    One. Stay healthy and active as much as you can. The better your health and activity level, the longer you will be able to care for a dog. (Or any animal.) The dog comes with built in health benefits. You should exercise and walk your dog. This will help to keep you both moving longer. There are studies that prove that people with pets age better than those without. Not just physically, but mentally as well.

    Two. Downsize to a smaller or less active breed or mix of dog. Note that the two things do not go hand in hand. A French Bull Dog and a Jack Russell Terrier are similar in size, but you are not getting the same level of dog. The terrier is highly active, mentally and physically. They are a lot of dog in a small package. Many young people cannot handle this type of dog. Shelters were full of them after the television show starring a well-trained Jack Russell, Wishbone, rose to popularity. The Frenchie on the other hand is a low energy dog that needs only short walks. And then, you have the greyhound (approximately 55-80 lbs.) who is affectionately known as a couch potato. Do your research. There is a dog who is appropriate for nearly everyone.

    Three. Who says you have to get a puppy? There are adult dogs who are in need of a home. Many through no fault of their own. Rescues and shelters have staff or volunteers who can help you choose a dog that fits your lifestyle. They know the personalities and habits of the dogs in their care and can guide you in picking a new best friend who is suitable for you. Some rescues even have Seniors for Seniors programs. This is when a senior dog is paired with a senior person. The rescue retains ownership of the dog and covers vet bills. The senior person provides a home for the dog and all daily care including food, walks, general grooming, etc. The person keeps the dog for the lifetime of the dog. Another benefit of this situation is, if something happens to the person, they know the dog will be taken care of. Someone from the rescue will come get the dog in this case and it will be rehomed or remain in foster care. It’s a win-win for all involved. Harder to place senior dogs get loving homes and the older person has a dog for companionship without the worry of expensive vet bills that can plague an older dog. The rescue I am involved with, Northeast Ohio Shetland Sheepdog Rescue (NEOSSR), has such a program. Public donations make such programs possible. Here is a link about our rescue, complete with a donation button! https://www.neossr.org/ Our rescue tries to help in whatever way is best for the individual and the dog. Some of our senior families have needed temporary help in caring for their dogs. We have had a team of rotating volunteers show up to walk a dog for someone recovering from surgery until he was back on his feet. Right now, we have a dog in foster care because the owner was hospitalized from a fall and is in a facility for rehab. The foster mom takes the dog the facility to visit its owner occasionally. We hope the owner and dog can both go home again but if not, we will be here to care for the dog. By the way, the foster mom was on her way to pick up this dog from a neighbor within hours of NEOSSR receiving the call for help. Our members are awesome!

    Four. Consider being a foster parent rather than having your own dog. You get the joy and rewards of having a dog around without the full-scale commitment. This option would also have veterinary care of the dog covered by the shelter or rescue. And though it may be painful when the dog gets adopted, you know that you gave the dog love and a home while he was waiting for his forever home. Most groups do give their foster families first rights to adopt if you happen to fall in love with your pup while you have him. And this happens often enough that there is a term for it. You are a foster failure. I have been a foster failure with several dogs. It is a term of endearment in the rescue world, and I am proud to be a member of this group. In fact, Shelby, Zekie, and Claire are foster failures. It can be a good way to try out a dog to see if he is a fit for your family. Many groups have a foster-to-adopt option. If the dog absolutely is not a fit for your home even on a foster basis, the group will take it back. It is helpful if you can keep the dog until it gets adopted or at least until the group can find another foster home. There are usually those of us crazy enough to foster most any dog. I have had to put up some foster limitations since we’ve had Zekie, and he is so much to handle. I would take them all, but sometimes you have to do what is best for the family and this includes the whole family, canines and felines as well!

    Thanks for sticking with me to the end. My route can be rather circuitous as I have lots of random thoughts that get recorded along the way. Sometimes those can be the most valuable, and I hope, enjoyable. My goal was to give you options and lots to think about. May peace, and good health, be with you.

    You can sign up to receive an email when I publish a new post if you want to follow along with the blog. There is an option for this on the top right-hand side of my blog page. https://sanctuary-acres.com/

    Never Too Old for Dogs

    Dogs & Other Animals, Thoughts On Life, , , ,

    I turned 60 years old recently. I did not see this as a big deal. After all, I’m not even old enough to qualify for Medicare. I fall into that donut hole that catches some of us between retirement and age 65. If the government does not see me as being of concern for health care, I should still be young, or at least middle aged, right? I’m going with it. I’m young! All in all, I do feel pretty good for my age. I don’t suffer too many aches and pains or other concerns. I do feel blessed about this.

    I credit part of still feeling young to the fact that I have a little brother who is 16 years younger than me. When he was in college, I was in my mid-30’s. Since I was his sister, it seemed natural for us to run around doing things together sometimes. We spent many a Friday night hanging out at the local Borders bookstore together. Ok, maybe mentioning Borders, dates me a little. That store has been gone for years and a sad thing it is. My brother and I also spent some afternoons at Lake Erie and took a trip to North Carolina to see the Biltmore and Colonial Williamsburg. We went to local festivals and events in northeast Ohio where we live. Including a few trips to the local Buzzard Festival when we would get up at 4:30 in the morning to be there for the first sighting of the turkey buzzards returning to the area for the season.

    As my brother became an adult and had his own family, complete with his wife and my two nieces, they all continued to keep me young of heart and mind. When you are playing with two little girls, it is hard to feel old. There is so much laughter and excitement. And all that crawling around on the floor and playing hide and go seek probably helps keep me flexible. Crouching behind furniture and hiding beneath clothes behind the closet door is sure to help. In case you haven’t guessed, my brother and I have always been, and continue to be, quite close. I’ve heard it said that everyone needs a “bandaid” person in their lives. Someone who thinks you can do no wrong and supports you through everything. We are that person for each other.

    Now that my daughter is an adult, she helps keep me young too. It is true, a daughter is someone who grows up to be your best friend. And when you have a daughter who is supportive and always willing to listen and cheer you on, you have a built-in support system. When my daughter, who is the next generation, wants to hang out with me and do things together, doesn’t this mean that I am young? We are enjoying the same things, so this means I have interests of a young person, right? I choose to believe that it does.

    Zekie, Claire, Baxter, Shelby, and Cassius

    I also believe that having five dogs, and three cats, keeps me young. The number of dogs varies sometimes, if we are pet sitting or fostering another dog or two. I read a book a while back that had the following quotes. I’m sorry, I did not write down the author’s name, just the words, but they are not mine.

    “I’m ten years older than when I brought home my last dog…and I hope I have it in me to be there for one more… I am almost sixty. What if I just don’t have the energy to keep up with the physical demands of a young dog?”

    I read this and I thought, wait, what? I am not having trouble handling my dogs and I am nowhere near done having dogs. In fact, I am still rescuing dogs and my specialty is dogs with behavioral issues. This is a part of who I am, and I don’t see that everchanging. I can’t even imagine ever having only one dog. (Don’t worry, my daughter says if anything ever happens to us, she wants ALL the dogs. Yes, she is definitely my daughter.)

    I will concede that there may come a day when I can no longer handle the large or troublesome dogs. I have a plan! When that day comes, I will get Pomeranians, and maybe a whippet and a French Bull Dog. It’s good to have a plan, isn’t it? Actually, our most difficult dogs have never been our biggest ones. And the most difficult dog of my life (Zekie!) has been a 35 pounder! Size is not a precursor to ease or difficulty. Small dogs are of course, easier to pick up when needed.

    Zekie

    And in reference to the above quote, I do not find it necessary to get my dogs when they are young. Young dogs are fun, but old dogs are equally rewarding. Bottom line, I have always been, and will ever be, a dog girl.

    So, from this 60 year old woman, you’ll have to watch and see what I get up to next. Because I am nowhere near done making a difference in the world. I have many things to do and try and see what trouble I can get into next.

    Take care, my friends!