tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86023539446828306822011-05-25T12:19:54.818-07:00Why I Like Animals More Than People...at timesOf course, I like people!! I am a huge people person...but in the past few years I have had some interesting encounters with people and thought to myself...animals are just easier to deal with!MRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11601352858335332572noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602353944682830682.post-16528071553131837752011-05-25T12:19:00.000-07:002011-05-25T12:19:54.828-07:002011-05-25T12:19:54.828-07:00Reason #11: Animals inspire us to be more compassionate.<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I had the "dreaded" garage sale over the weekend. It's not that I do not like getting a great deal or getting rid of things that are no longer useful, but the preparation and commitment of a garage sale is not my favorite way to spend a weekend. I did luck out with one great day of weather but unfortunately the second day was rainy and gloomy. I was shocked that people still came out to view my garage of "junk" but I was also impressed with the enthusiasm my daughters and their friends had to "go on with the show" of their lemonade and treat stand. I was so proud of my girls when they told me a few weeks prior that they wanted to sell lemonade and treats and give the money to our favorite animal shelter, Animal House Shelter in Huntley, IL.!!! Their friends and neighbors helped out and they raised almost $30.00!!! I look forward to sending in the check with their happy and proud faces knowing they made a difference.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oii4ChoD5lg/Td1ViKg5WoI/AAAAAAAAAE8/S_HfKA7W4ow/s1600/lemonade+stand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oii4ChoD5lg/Td1ViKg5WoI/AAAAAAAAAE8/S_HfKA7W4ow/s200/lemonade+stand.jpg" t8="true" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YocqcV4hwps/Td1VloZAr2I/AAAAAAAAAFA/mzKgADgwjck/s1600/lemonade+stand+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YocqcV4hwps/Td1VloZAr2I/AAAAAAAAAFA/mzKgADgwjck/s200/lemonade+stand+2.jpg" t8="true" width="200" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8602353944682830682-1652807155313183775?l=urananimal.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>MRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11601352858335332572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602353944682830682.post-77354643986528849152011-05-16T07:40:00.000-07:002011-05-16T07:40:18.205-07:002011-05-16T07:40:18.205-07:00Reason #10: Inner peaceI have not posted in over a month!! I am still learning how to find the balance of it all (ie: life)!! I truly had some writer's block and when I saw this email from my Aunt in addition to saying goodbye to our foster kitties and coming off of a 6 hour Yoga teacher training class...I just HAD to post the email! So true and funny!<br />
<br />
<strong><u>INNER PEACE</u></strong><br />
<br />
If you can start the day without caffeine,<br />
If you can be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,<br />
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,<br />
If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,<br />
If you can understand why your loved ones are busy and can't give you any time,<br />
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,<br />
If you can conquer tension without medical help,<br />
If you can relax without alcohol,<br />
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,<br />
Then you are probably.....<br />
<br />
The Family Dog!<br />
<img height="200px" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=3d9ebadc11&view=att&th=12ff52ee3d1ee729&attid=0.0.2&disp=emb&zw" width="172px" /><br />
Namaste!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8602353944682830682-7735464398652884915?l=urananimal.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>MRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11601352858335332572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602353944682830682.post-19734803728259126432011-04-05T15:06:00.000-07:002011-04-05T15:08:30.475-07:002011-04-05T15:08:30.475-07:00#678<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bi1xGCvIXd0/TZM-VvU8FQI/AAAAAAAACrA/6EGiLfrXEw4/s1600/678.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bi1xGCvIXd0/TZM-VvU8FQI/AAAAAAAACrA/6EGiLfrXEw4/s320/678.jpg" width="318" /></a><br />
I LOVE this blog! This is one of my favorite post-it notes. On the theme of helping others, please visit <a href="http://www.animalhouseshelter.com/">http://www.animalhouseshelter.com/</a> and vote! They can win money to help save more animal lives!! <a href="http://thingsweforget.blogspot.com/2011/03/678.html">#678</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8602353944682830682-1973480372825912643?l=urananimal.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>MRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11601352858335332572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602353944682830682.post-36325133509685855762011-04-04T12:35:00.000-07:002011-04-04T13:13:43.813-07:002011-04-04T13:13:43.813-07:00Reason #9: Animals make great sleeping buddies!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Unfortunately, I am writing this post quite tired after getting one of the worst night's sleep I can remember! Not only did the lovely hubby snore all night but we had a wild storm which encouraged my youngest to come into our bed during the night. She is not toddler small anymore and has, as my husband likes to call it "the jimmy legs". My ribcage is sore as well as my shins. Pets on the other hand do not take up too much space, unless you have a 150 pound dog, but we do not. Our 60 pounder usually sleeps in her bed on the floor, but if one of our cats saunters in for a wee cuddle, they usually stay at the foot of the bed keeping my toes toasty! The cats also do naps in shifts, I found. They like to cuddle for about 15 minutes and then move onto something else...hence, "cat nap". They know their limit of snuggletime! If I wanted to feel this badly, I could have just gone camping (which we do once a year) and slept on an air mattress, on an incline, in a tent with mosquitoes and humidity. Can you tell I am crabby? :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W7vNvYpjrv8/TZokPi3Wh-I/AAAAAAAAAEg/ykae8V4Qgp8/s1600/Carly+and+Timone+nap+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W7vNvYpjrv8/TZokPi3Wh-I/AAAAAAAAAEg/ykae8V4Qgp8/s200/Carly+and+Timone+nap+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yAK1tdePz_U/TZojpZCyfaI/AAAAAAAAAEY/VGgUQbVhOkY/s1600/Ava+and+Chico+sleeping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yAK1tdePz_U/TZojpZCyfaI/AAAAAAAAAEY/VGgUQbVhOkY/s200/Ava+and+Chico+sleeping.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ndv3C7H54Wc/TZokHuARpbI/AAAAAAAAAEc/z0Dvb4sfrsU/s1600/Timone+and+Carly+napping+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ndv3C7H54Wc/TZokHuARpbI/AAAAAAAAAEc/z0Dvb4sfrsU/s200/Timone+and+Carly+napping+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8602353944682830682-3632513350968585576?l=urananimal.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>MRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11601352858335332572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602353944682830682.post-44801248549384809812011-03-31T14:25:00.000-07:002011-04-04T12:37:50.255-07:002011-04-04T12:37:50.255-07:00Reason #8: Animals do not create heaps of laundry!!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CD4WqWs2pik/TZTvJChJliI/AAAAAAAAADo/A1cpcFtfOm4/s1600/016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" r6="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CD4WqWs2pik/TZTvJChJliI/AAAAAAAAADo/A1cpcFtfOm4/s200/016.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cutting down the amount of laundry. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Even if you dress your pets up in those "cute" outfits, they still do not take up much space in the laundry heap. I dislike doing laundry. I don't mind the sorting and loading into the washer. I even don't mind transferring the wet clothes into the dryer or drying rack. But, I really dislike the folding, putting away and trying to find that matched sock that <strong>was</strong> there when you put them into the washer. I don't even have a large family, just two adults and two children's worth of clothes. So, here is a lovely picture of our kitten, Timone, cleaning our dog Wrigley. Ahhh, thanks for the break, buddy!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8602353944682830682-4480124854938480981?l=urananimal.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>MRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11601352858335332572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602353944682830682.post-64701076182692285252011-03-22T15:11:00.000-07:002011-04-04T12:38:27.826-07:002011-04-04T12:38:27.826-07:00Reason #7: Animals can teach some of life's great lessons.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jcaVhwwvFLk/TYkYdP1lV2I/AAAAAAAAADQ/QoKEdDyz0c8/s1600/photo%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jcaVhwwvFLk/TYkYdP1lV2I/AAAAAAAAADQ/QoKEdDyz0c8/s200/photo%255B1%255D.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newest foster litter 2011</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This is our second year working with our favorite no-kill animal shelter as a "foster family". We volunteer to take in animals that would otherwise be euthanized and give them a home until a family can adopt them. Yesterday, we picked up a litter of 6 week old kittens (pictured on left) and were reminded of some wonderful life lessons that do not require a long-winded lecture or self-help book. These unwanted, motherless kittens, endured hours traveling in a crate, were poked and prodded for their health, uncertain of their fate and began purring the <em>minute</em> I picked them up. It was as if they were telling me in those little motors how grateful they were that someone cared. Fostering animals is a great experience, especially if you have children and/or don't want to commit to years of owning a pet. My kids learn how to be <strong>patient</strong> with a timid and scared kitten, <strong>nurture</strong> a pregnant dog, the <strong>responsibility</strong> of feeding and taking care of a pet, see the <strong>acceptance</strong> of a litter welcoming an new, orphaned kitten, the <strong>compassion </strong>for living things and the <strong>joy </strong>of a foster pet being adopted. It is also a great lesson in the circle of life and always amazes me how these little creatures already have a personality different from one another the moment you meet them. I can't say enough positive things about working with your local animal shelter. Even if you do not have the time or space to foster animals, the shelter is <u>always</u> looking for volunteers, donations and support from their community.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8602353944682830682-6470107618269228525?l=urananimal.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>MRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11601352858335332572noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602353944682830682.post-50181332466093748872011-03-18T13:50:00.000-07:002011-03-18T13:50:03.400-07:002011-03-18T13:50:03.400-07:00Reason #6: Animals are the masters of living in the moment!<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Xxt8z3dzDt8/TYO6GgES4YI/AAAAAAAAADM/we7bqVDmwCQ/s1600/going+for+a+walk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Xxt8z3dzDt8/TYO6GgES4YI/AAAAAAAAADM/we7bqVDmwCQ/s1600/going+for+a+walk.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment"- Buddha. </em>I <strong>try </strong>to live by this quote but the biggest fault of mine is wishing time away. "I can't wait until this stressful day is over, I'll buy that top when I lose 10 pounds, when the kids are older we'll go there, etc." I wasn't in spin class this morning for five minutes before I was wishing it was over! :) Yoga is a great practice for being "in the now". You have to be present with the postures and the breathing to reap the benefits. The hardest part, for me, is the meditation at the end without clouding up my mind with the day's to-do list. No matter what is going on, an animal can live in the moment, no problem! One of my favorite things to do is ask the dog "Do you want to go for a walk?" Wrigley is always eager and willing and when outside she is SO happy and mindful of every scent, noise, green space, change in the wind and her family walking with her. You don't need to read Eckhart Tolle's book, The Power of Now (although is IS very good) to learn how to live in the moment, you just need to BE with an animal and watch how they do it effortlessly.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8602353944682830682-5018133246609374887?l=urananimal.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>MRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11601352858335332572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602353944682830682.post-48116900480477658032011-03-15T12:06:00.000-07:002011-03-23T12:12:14.261-07:002011-03-23T12:12:14.261-07:00Reason #5: Animals are more tolerant.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/FWuFhs29WH4/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FWuFhs29WH4&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FWuFhs29WH4&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div>Today, I was helping out a friend and agreed to pick her child up from Pre-School. I only had about twenty minutes between the time I had to pick her up to the time I had to be home to get our kids off the AM Kindergarten bus. Time was of the essence! I nicely asked the parents in line if I could "cut" to the front to get my friend's child first and knocked on the classroom door. I was surprised by the other parents and teachers who all seemed "put-out" that I was budging in line as well as interrupting class (which was late, by the way) to get my friend's child. Oh, well, I thought, they'll get over it. I would gladly let someone go ahead of me if they had an emergency. When I came home, I remembered a video I saw on You Tube that really did make me LOL. It is a slide show of animals in ridiculous costumes and they all look miserable, but <strong>tolerant</strong>! Even the music is perfect. It's not Halloween, but the images are a bit eerie and scary (in a funny way). I am pleased to say, I have never subjected my pets to this embarrassment, but I do think the scuba dog is my favorite!!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8602353944682830682-4811690048047765803?l=urananimal.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>MRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11601352858335332572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602353944682830682.post-53457859368188352952011-03-11T12:02:00.000-08:002011-03-11T12:02:32.718-08:002011-03-11T12:02:32.718-08:00Reason #4: Animals do not stalk you!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-OWU3CBpscy4/TXp-E0tzvJI/AAAAAAAAACg/2UsF92iX9I4/s1600/IMG00037-20110311-1332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-OWU3CBpscy4/TXp-E0tzvJI/AAAAAAAAACg/2UsF92iX9I4/s320/IMG00037-20110311-1332.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-qRmJcaALRDY/TXp-AxRIGKI/AAAAAAAAACc/svyxGJyAqlY/s1600/IMG00035-20110311-1330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" q6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-qRmJcaALRDY/TXp-AxRIGKI/AAAAAAAAACc/svyxGJyAqlY/s200/IMG00035-20110311-1330.jpg" width="200" /></a> Well, unless you are a Gazelle on a savanna in Africa or my kitten versus the fish tank. It is only midday and I have already received enough telemarketing phone calls on my land line and cell phone to want to switch my number! If it's not the incessant phones calls asking me to buy this, donate that, claim my free car and/or thousands of dollars, then it's my kids' friends who want ME to host a play date! I really do want my kids to have friends and learn to socialize with others, just not every waking moment. And the unannounced, last minute dates are the WORST! Really, do you think I am going to drop everything to host a play date which includes snacks, refereeing and the trashing of my house, so you can have a break?! It is the first sunny day in a long time and I will bet a million dollars (if I had it) that my doorbell will ring the minute the bus pulls away. TGIF! </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8602353944682830682-5345785936818835295?l=urananimal.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>MRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11601352858335332572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602353944682830682.post-1917503329361655752011-03-09T11:36:00.000-08:002011-03-09T12:08:29.839-08:002011-03-09T12:08:29.839-08:00Reason #3: Animals can problem solve effectively.<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-vhOuLVmAPhg/TXfW1iKys6I/AAAAAAAAAB0/_GFGlq1xl_c/s1600/IMG_3176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" q6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-vhOuLVmAPhg/TXfW1iKys6I/AAAAAAAAAB0/_GFGlq1xl_c/s200/IMG_3176.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>During another gloomy, dreary day in Chicagoland, I find myself wondering why I live here. Of course to be close to friends and family, but other than that (Chicago is a great city, too) the winter season is.....LONG! This morning to get out of my funk, I went to yoga, had some extra green tea, meditated, watched some funny T.V, tried to take a nap and read a book. As I came down the stairs, I found our dog, Wrigley, getting in some rays on the stairway landing. Not a huge area of rays, but enough to bask in some cheery sunlight for several minutes. Again, animals just "know" how to problem solve without reading a self-help book, phoning a friend or popping some pills! :) That's it for now....excuse me while I squeeze in next to Wrigley and pretend I am on the beach!<br />
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8602353944682830682-191750332936165575?l=urananimal.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>MRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11601352858335332572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602353944682830682.post-55777363904514657282011-02-19T14:47:00.000-08:002011-02-19T14:47:48.935-08:002011-02-19T14:47:48.935-08:00Reason #2: Animals are non-judgemental.<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We just returned from a wonderful program offered by our public library called Read To Rover. It gives kids in grades Kindergarten through 5th an opportunity to practice their reading skills with a therapy dog. I found it very interesting that when I asked my daughters if they wanted to practice their reading with a dog, they sprinted past me, book in hand, already zipping up their coats. It dawned on me that while I sit there and often repeat: "sound it out", "group the letters", "you <em>know</em> that word", "what's the root word", and annoyingly so-on and so-on, an animal <em>just listens</em>. Of course, I know an animal won't give feedback! But, for a child, there is a calm, supportive presence of an animal who loves your attention and company, no matter what you are doing. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a_G7OFni-20/TWBIL-tYAQI/AAAAAAAAABA/nETxwIqfetg/s1600/Read+to+Rover+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a_G7OFni-20/TWBIL-tYAQI/AAAAAAAAABA/nETxwIqfetg/s320/Read+to+Rover+1.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BazzmIQOuDw/TWBIOTLRYmI/AAAAAAAAABE/6Olcm6NUcqY/s1600/Read+To+Rover+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BazzmIQOuDw/TWBIOTLRYmI/AAAAAAAAABE/6Olcm6NUcqY/s320/Read+To+Rover+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8602353944682830682-5577736390451465728?l=urananimal.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>MRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11601352858335332572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602353944682830682.post-76839532133294050532011-02-11T12:33:00.000-08:002011-02-11T12:33:26.467-08:002011-02-11T12:33:26.467-08:00Reason #1: Animals can sometimes comfort like nothing or no one else.I was looking through photographs and as soon as I saw this one, I knew I had to post it as #1. I'm trying to start off with happy and loving posts, Valentine's Day is right around the corner, ya' know! It was a couple of years ago, and my 4 year old (at the time) was helping me at dinnertime by bringing the plates from the table to the sink. She dropped the heavy and sturdy ceramic plate right on her second toe. Yep, it hurt like heck! She howled and screamed it seemed for hours and nobody could console her. My calm and rational husband couldn't do it, her older sister tried jokes and distractions and I was only making it worse by demanding that she put a freezing cold ice pack on her now swollen teeny tiny toe. I finally got her to lay down on the sofa and elevate her foot with said ice pack. While she was calming down, we went outside to get some air and exhale. When I came back in, seconds later, I saw this encounter and HAD to take a picture of it! My daughter had fallen asleep (passed out from the pain, I am sure) and our dog Wrigley was sitting next to her reaching a paw out to her hand. I kid you not, we couldn't believe it! So, when no person could make it better, a four-legged friend did. <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ra43JsiMs_s/TVWcAn7V_BI/AAAAAAAAAAY/8eQ0wIm0Hb4/s1600/DSC05676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ra43JsiMs_s/TVWcAn7V_BI/AAAAAAAAAAY/8eQ0wIm0Hb4/s320/DSC05676.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8602353944682830682-7683953213329405053?l=urananimal.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>MRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11601352858335332572noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8602353944682830682.post-67453508227039945842011-02-10T15:07:00.000-08:002011-02-10T15:07:03.594-08:002011-02-10T15:07:03.594-08:00ReasonsI must begin this blog by saying that the <em>reasons</em> "Why I like Animals More than People...at times" are going to be numbered. That seems like the right thing to do. I am a teacher at heart and things must be numbered, right? In no way, shape or form does that mean Reason 1 is more important or more meaningful than Reason # 3, #5 and so on. Some of the blogs will be of situations that occurred in the past, but I am just now remembering because of that thing called "memory loss" when you reach...(ahem 37) or maybe I blocked it out since it was challenging to actually process the crazy encounter with that person. For me, animals are just sometimes easier to deal with and carry with them....No Drama....which I LOVE! <br />
Hope you enjoy the blogs!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8602353944682830682-6745350822703994584?l=urananimal.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>MRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11601352858335332572noreply@blogger.com0