A for Pits Sake Christmas

http://vimeo.com/18179816

This video just brings a smile to my face and puts Christmas in my heart.

Body damaged, but not her spirit, and not her soul.

Shelbyville, TN - Though many animal shelters leave much to be desired, there are some that go above and beyond for their homeless charges.
Such is the case at the Bedford County Animal Control where orphaned, newborn puppies have been given a second chance due to a nurturing surrogate mother, and some out of the box thinking by a staff worker.
In early December, a man discovered seven orphaned newborn puppies huddled in an outbuilding near his home. The puppies had lost their mother - someone had either abandoned her or dumped her and she had been struck and killed on a nearby road.
The man took the newborn pups to the Bedford County Animal Control where staff did their best to care for the orphaned babies. But a human hand is not the optimal substitute for nursing puppies.
Shelter staff member, Brenda Goodrich, shared her plight with rescue contacts on Facebook and then something wonderful happened. Goodrich found another rescuer that had a mother Pit Bull with milk, but no puppies.
Nobody knows what happened to the homeless Pit bull's babies, but what they did know what that the stray was gentle, and perhaps she could help these 7 orphaned pups.
Celina Weissenborn, with the SPCA, had the puppy-less mother in foster care in Nashville. Goodrich drove the 7 puppies to the gentle mother and instinct took it from there.
Motherly instinct on the part of the homeless Pit Bull, and the natural instinct of a newborn pup to nurse on the part of the young babies.
The new mom quickly took to her orphaned charges - nurturing them as if they were her own. The mother, and the 7 puppies, will all be in need of new homes as soon as the pups are weaned.
Of special mention in this story - the mother that so graciously and warmly took on pups that were not her own has had a hard life of abuse. Her body is covered in scars and a portion of her front paw is missing. Her body is damaged, but not her spirit, and not her soul.

Why I don't watch the NFL

Dog owner can't forgive Michael Vick (either can I)

Quarterback shows greatness on the field, but evidence of former cruelty remains.

November 16, 2010|Bill Plaschke

While Michael Vick was screaming toward the sky, a black pit bull named Mel was standing quietly by a door.
On this night, like many other nights, Mel was waiting for his owners to take him outside, but he couldn't alert them with a bark. He doesn't bark. He won't bark. The bark has been beaten out of him.

 While Michael Vick was running for glory, Mel was cowering toward a wall.
Every time the 4-year-old dog meets a stranger, he goes into convulsions. He staggers back into a wall for protection. He lowers his face and tries to hide. New faces are not new friends, but old terrors.
While Michael Vick was officially outracing his past Monday night, one of the dogs he abused cannot.
"Some people wonder, are we ever going to let Michael Vick get beyond all this?" said Richard Hunter, who owns Mel. "I tell them, let's let Mel decide that. When he stops shaking, maybe then we can talk."
I know, I know, this is a cheap and easy column, right? One day after the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback officially becomes an American hero again, just call the owner of one of the dogs who endured Vick's unspeakable abuse and let the shaming begin.
Compare Vick's 413 total yards, four touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns against the Washington Redskins to the 47 pit bulls who were seized from Bad Newz Kennels, his interstate dogfighting ring. Contrast one of the best three hours by a quarterback ever to the 21 months he spent in prison.
Cheap and easy, right? Not so fast. Vick's success is raising one of the most potentially costly and difficult perceptual questions in the history of American sports.
If he continues playing this well, he could end up as the league's most valuable player. In six games, he has thrown for 11 touchdowns, run for four more touchdowns, committed zero turnovers and produced nearly 300 total yards per game. Heck, at this rate, with his Eagles inspired by his touch, he could even win a Super Bowl, one of the greatest achievements by an American sportsman.
And yet a large percentage of the population will still think Michael Vick is a sociopath. Many people will never get over Vick's own admissions of unthinkable cruelty to his pit bulls — the strangling, the drowning, the electrocutions, the removal of all the teeth of female dogs who would fight back during mating.
Some believe that because Vick served his time in prison, he should be beyond reproach for his former actions. Many others believe that cruelty to animals isn't something somebody does, it's something somebody is.
Essentially, an ex-convict is dominating America's most popular sport while victims of his previous crime continue to live with the brutality of that crime, and has that ever happened before?
 Do you cheer the player and boo the man? Can you cheer the comeback while loathing the actions that necessitated the comeback? And how can you do any of this while not knowing if Vick has truly discovered morality or simply rediscovered the pocket?
If you are Richard Hunter, you just don't watch football.
"When you look at Mel," said Hunter, a radio personality from Dallas, "you just don't think about how Michael Vick is a great football player."
A couple of years ago, Hunter and his wife Sunny were watching a documentary on Best Friends Animal Society, the Utah sanctuary where the court sent 22 of Vick's 44 seized dogs. It was after 1 a.m. when the show featured a Vick victim that had been so badly abused, it refused to move, behaving as if paralyzed.
"My wife said, 'Get out of bed, get on the computer and e-mail those people, I want one of those dogs,' " Hunter recalled.
Nearly 18 months later, they became one of six people to adopt one of the dogs. The process included a home visit by caseworkers, an extended visit to the southwest Utah sanctuary, home monitoring by a dog trainer and a six-month probation period.
"These dogs were scarred in many ways both emotional and physical," said John Polis, Best Friends spokesman. "It was something we had never really seen before."
Hunter and his wife quickly saw Mel's scars. The dog wouldn't bark, wouldn't show affection, and would spend nearly an hour shaking with each new person who tried to touch him.
It turns out that Mel had been a bait dog, thrown into the ring as a sort of sparring partner for the tougher dogs, sometimes even muzzled so he wouldn't fight back, beaten daily to sap his will. Mel was under constant attack, and couldn't fight back, and the deep cuts were visible on more than just his fur.
"You could see that Michael Vick went to a lot of trouble to make Mel this way," Hunter said. "When people pet him, I tell them, pet him from under his chin, not over his head. He lives in fear of someone putting their hand over his head."
 On Monday night, no, Mel was not hanging out by the televised football game. He was hanging on his owner's bed as they watched something on HBO.
"How can you support football when you know one of their stars did this to a dog?" Hunter said. "If more people saw Mel at the same time as they saw Michael Vick, he wouldn't be so lauded."
Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, the lessons learned from Vick's crimes were on display in a postgame quote from Eagles star receiver DeSean Jackson.
"We were like pit bulls ready to get out of the cage," he told reporters.
Cheap and easy, huh?

Cold front coming through!

S. Texas has started to cool down...sort of. It's in the high 80's during the day and high 60's at night. For us, that's a cold front and we'll take it. :-)
Ive begun pulling out my winter boots...it's cooling off somewhere so that means boot season AND pulling out  soups, chili & stew recipes. I can't wait to try the latest Lentil Soup recipe I ran across.

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2-1/2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 small carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 lb. uncooked lentils, sorted and washed
• 5 cups fat-free vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)
• Large soup pot
• Colander
• Large bowl
• Food processor, blender, or food mill

Heat oil in a large, heavy soup pot. Add onions, garlic, and carrots and cook over moderate heat until onions are limp. Add lentils, broth, and water, and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until lentils are very soft. Stir in more warm water if soup becomes too thick. Pour soup through colander, catching liquid that drains off in a large bowl. Return liquid to soup pot. Puree 1/3 of lentil mixture in food processor or blender or through food mill; return to pot. Stir in remaining whole-lentil mixture. If desired, season with salt and pepper. Makes 12 servings.
Preparation Time: 50 minutes
Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories	Protein	Fiber	Carbs	Fat Total	Saturated Fat
165	11 g	12 g	27 g	2 g	0 g

10 Ways True Blood Got Dogfighting Right

We have a guilty pleasure. 

My husband and I enjoy watching True Blood after our youngest daughter has gone to bed. We kick back with a glass red of wine, often some cheese and spend adult quality time together. Several weeks ago, I was quite thrilled to see a gorgeous pit bull on the TV screen (Tommy shape shifts into a pit bull) UNTIL an episode showed Sam (Tommy's brother) trying to find him because he feels he might be mixed up in a dogfighting ring. END SCENE. 

My heart sunk and I was angry. I didn't want to have to wait an entire week to see where they were going with a "pit bull dog fighting" theme. I  thought long and hard about writing a letter to HBO letting them know that although I was a fan of their TV show, I would no longer be able to watch anything on their network if they portrayed this breed as menacing or vicious. I'm so glad I waited...

10 Ways True Blood Got Dogfighting Right

by Stephanie FeldsteinAugust 02, 2010 08:24 PM (PT)Topics: Animal Abuse, Dogs

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I'm a big fan of HBO's True Blood, but I was a little worried last week when it became apparent that the show was going to take on dogfighting. (If you're not caught up on the latest episodes, here's the obligatory Spoiler Alert warning.)

If you don't watch True Blood, here's the background: Sam Merlotte is a shapeshifter who was ditched by his family when he was just a pup. This season, he meets his family for the first time, including a younger brother, Tommy Mickens. In an earlier episode, the brothers go for a run in dog form; Sam picks his favorite breed, a collie, and Tommy shifts into a pit bull. It turns out that Sam's deadbeat dad has been taking both Tommy and their mom into the fighting pit for years. In this past weekend's episode, Sam tracks down the dog fighting ring to save his brother.

In theory, when a popular show decides to address an issue, it can help raise awareness. Or, it can end up diminishing — or even glorifying — the issue, and this is one show that's not exactly known for taking the high road with violence. But here are 10 ways that True Blood got it right this time:

1. You meet the pit bull several episodes before fighting was brought up; he was just another dog who ended up being a victim of people he trusted. Marshall Allman, the actor who plays Tommy, said of his canine actor counterpart, "He's totally sweet and like the nicest dog I've ever met."
2. The dog fighters weren't glorified characters a la Michael Vick, nor were they given any street cred for what they were doing. Sam and Tommy's dad is an abusive alcoholic and all the other guys in the scene were just random small town men there to gamble and watch dogs fight. No one was famous or particularly charismatic.
3. The fights weren't portrayed as lucrative. A lot of money can change hands at dog fights and focusing on the cash can add a kind of Poker World Tour attractiveness to the abuse.
4. It wasn't about animal violence. HBO could've gone for the cheap thrill of animals attacking each other or the adrenaline at the scene. But they skipped most of that and focused on the human relationships and animals as victims.
5. The fight was hard  to find and well-guarded — a good reminder that just because there aren't many high profile cases hitting the news, it doesn't mean fights aren't happening.
6. There are a lot of ways to portray dog fighting on TV, but apparently facing off two pit bulls isn't one of them. Allman said, "They weren't allowed to have two pit bulls in the ring at the same time because of animal protection laws." So, the presence of other breeds in the scene may not have been motivated by the producers' desire to take the heat off pit bulls, but for the viewers, the end result was the same: This wasn't about demonizing pit bulls.
7. Sam freed the dogs from their kennels and they all ran from the scene. None of them went after him or each other, which showed them as prisoners and victims, not wild animals who can't be rehabilitated or are undeserving of a second chance at life.
8. When you first see the fighting pit, you see a dog — presumably the loser — getting shot, and its body unceremoniously dumped on a pile of other bodies. They could've shown some guy celebrating with his bloodied winner, but instead they showed how the dogs are expendable, not beloved pets.
9. By putting a shapeshifter in the ring, it raises the question: Would you do this to a human? Would you put your own child in this situation as the Mickens do?
10. Tommy and his mother's relationship with their father, who is their handler in the pit, is a classic abusive relationship. Loyalty and guilt keep them with him, even though they get hurt. Now transfer that to their dog forms and, again, in puts dogfighting in a new light. Dog men often say that their dogs love to fight, that they wouldn't go in the ring if they didn't. But the shapeshifter angle highlights it as the result of an abusive relationship, not a real choice.

HBO deserves some credit here. Not only did they handle the actual dogfighting scenes well, but the way they introduced it through the human characters added some perspective to the cruelty of facing dogs off against each other. It will be interesting to see how Tommy, like former fighting dogs, goes through the process of learning to trust people again.

Zucchini Fettuccine with Sweet Butter

I found this  new recipe that I'm excited to try. Thought I'd share. :-)

1 1/2 lbs small zucchini (about 6), ends trimmed, halved lengthwise
1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp fresh lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper

• Lay zuchchini halves cut side down. With a sharp knife, slice lengthwise slightly less than 1/8" thick. In a colander, combine with 1tsp of the sea salt. Set aside to drain for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bring large saucepan of water to a boil; place a large bowl of ice water near the stove.
• Add zucchini to boiling water and blanch for 1 minute. Drain and plunge into ice bath. Drain again and pat dry with a towel. 
• Place a large pan over low heat; add cream and butter. When butter melts add zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and coats zucchini, about 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, remaining salt and freshly ground pepper. 
• Serve immediately and enjoy!

Doing the right thing, for the right reasons!

As a mom, I find myself telling my kids that practice makes perfect and the harder they work at something the better they get. I think I should remember, that when I'm pointing a finger, there's always three fingers pointing back at me. I have a blessed life and a wonderful family. However, there are personal goals I've let pile up (if you could take an inventory of my goals, they would look similar to the piles you see in the Hit TV show Hoarders). I found an article in my in-box today that really hit the nail on the head (see below). Personal awareness can be extremely hard; having to be honest with myself is not always fun. I've started working on my 'pile' of goals (since seeing the Merritt Wellness Center I am feeling healthy enough to do so) and I'm excited to start opening up my world to even more happiness, joy and fulfillment!

~Marla~

 

Doing the Right Thing—For the Right Reasons

By Tony Horton, creator of P90X^® 

We have become the United States of Quick Fixes.
Why are we so addicted to shortcuts, tricks, and magic potions? Far too many people in this country live in some kind of wannabe fantasy land. We're trying to keep up with the Joneses without working as hard as they do. This bigger, badder, and faster world doesn't give us an opportunity to stop and look at real and authentic ways to achieve greatness.

How many people have you talked to about Power 90^® who, when they find out they have to exercise and eat right say, "Forget it!" There are millions of people in this country who have absolutely no clue that you have to work hard, take risks, and be willing to fail over and over again to earn what's worth having. Hard work, risk, and failure . . . "Forget it!"
This is a very sad commentary that reveals what we've become in this country. We have the best of the best in the U.S. of A., but we hold the record for the highest percentage of fat people. Why do we reach for drugs, alcohol, sex, food, lies, blame, anger, hate, guilt, and self-pity far more often than power, courage, discipline, forgiveness, wisdom, and self-reliance? We've become a bunch of crybabies, filled with excuses, blaming everyone else for our problems!
The freedoms and conveniences we now enjoy were fought for by men and women who didn't think twice when it came to working hard, taking risks, and failing over and over again. This generation's selfish, lethargic, "woe-is-me" mentality is creating a country filled with folks who live in a constant state of quiet desperation. Our ancestors worked very hard to create a world with less stress and strife. So why are we more stressed out than ever?
The pendulum has swung way too far in the wrong direction. It's time to stop all the bitching and moaning and wanting, and the just wishing and hoping and dreaming things will change. We need to start living in the real world and begin to take some responsibility for what goes on in our lives. It's time to start exploring and searching and devoting and sharing and growing and working for what you want in this world.
It's really a matter of right and wrong. We know the difference between the two, but we still fail to behave in ways that allow us to be great human beings.

Right		Wrong
Work out		Don't work out
Eat healthy		Eat junk
Fail and try again		Fail and quit
Persevere		Blow it off
Forgive yourself		Blame others
Listen		Complain
Be kind		Be right (all the time)
Find out what you love		Ignore your greatness

This is a short list, but I think you get the point.
The list on the right will lead you down the road of endless short-lived pleasures that result in lifelong pain, fear, and sadness. The list on the left (which can be hard at first) will open you up to a world filled with happiness, joy, and fulfillment.
You might want to ask yourself how history will see you after you're gone. If you don't like the answer today, then it might be time to do the right thing.
Peace,
Tony H.

Homemade mayo--traditional cooking

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm learning how to eat more traditionally. The way my grandparents, grandparents ate. You can find more info to the right of this post (near the bottom) to help you understand what "traditional" means.

I've been scouring websites and books and starting to take baby steps in the right direction. It's certainly not something that is going to change over night, but is well worth the effort.

We ran out of mayo over the weekend so what better time than now, to try making our own.
Mayonnaise, it's certainly not a topic I ever thought I'd be talking about. It's white stuff you put on a sandwich or make a chicken salad with, not an interesting conversation piece at all. NOT UNTIL, I started my journey of traditional eating.

I know some folks are probably shaking your head and wondering why someone would want to make their own mayo, when it's convenient to pick some up when you're doing your weekly shopping. Most mayo you'll find in the store contains ingredients that most of us cannot say nor do we understand what the ingredients are and the effects these ingredients have on our body. Making it is simple and will take about 5 minutes (from the looks of the recipe as I'm getting ready to make it later this evening) & if it tastes as good or better than the store bought stuff, why not go for it.

Mayo Recipe

1 egg (farm fresh)
1 egg yolk
generous pinch of salt
1 tsp. organic dijon mustard (can add more if you prefer to suit your taste)
1 1/2 TBS. lemon juice

Mix in a food processor. Pulse a couple of times to mix.
Add 1 cup sunflower oil (you can use olive oil if you prefer, it just adds a stronger taste to the mayo). You want to add the sunflower oil very slowly to emulsify. It will probably take 3 minutes to slowly drizzle the sunflower oil into your food processor.

NOTE: You can also set some aside and put onion powder (to taste) for a healthy ranch dressing. 

Can't wait to try it and find out what my family thinks!

Mary Tyler Moore got me thinking...

Mary Tyler Moore certainly isn't scared!
http://www.peoplepets.com/news/celebrities/mary-tyler-moore-s-pit-bull-senses-her-diabetes/1
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Those that know me well, know how much I adore pit bull's. We have 4 that we rescued from different situations and when asked what kind of dogs we have, I am very aware that I've got a 50/50 chance of people either saying "Oh my gosh" with fear in their voice OR nodding their head and smiling because they know just how sweet, loyal, and misunderstood the breed is.

I have to admit, I wasn't always fond of them either. I too had heard they ate heads off babies or could kill you just by looking at you (Yep, it's similar to a Jedi mind trick! You'd be amazed at some of the uneducated comments I've heard people make about this breed).

My excuse... I was very young. My first pit bull, Petie, came into my life at the age of 17 and taught me how wrong I was.  He was a beautiful black and white dog with a huge block head and reminded me of Petie on the old tv show The Little Rascal's (hence his name).  Petie crossed the rainbow bridge quite some time ago, but I can still remember him lying right next to my eldest daughter as a baby or sitting with her on the front porch posing for a picture (a picture that I still cherish to this day).

My husband used to be one of the misinformed as well. He'd heard the media hype and although he's a very intelligent man, had never taken the time to find out the truth, nor did he really care one way or the other. He's a labrador lover and that was the only breed he needed to know and understand. Fast forward to today and you'll find him curled up with his dog (not a lab although he's still a lab lover, but a pit bull named Ceceil).

We are now two pit bull converts that enjoy long walks, lots of kisses, the overly excited wiggle-butt when we walk through the front door as if we've been gone forever (even when we just walk outside to check the mail) and yes, the occasional item that shouldn't be chewed, but is.

I'm so blessed Petie came into my life.

Summer cooking in S. Texas

I enjoy cooking and the long days of summer, however the two don't necessarily go hand in hand. Temperatures soar, humidity lays upon us like a sticky blanket and the last thing I want to do is make my kitchen a sauna.
I fixed a chicken salad with a new twist last week which was so scrumptious (my 10 year old loved it as well) that I had to send the recipe to sevearl of my friends to try. I can't actually take credit for the recipe as I found it at Hill Billy House Wife (check her site out, you'll love it).

Luau Chicken Salad

• 2 cups chicken, cooked and diced
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1/2  cup slivered almonds
• 1 (15 oz) can pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 cup seedless grapes, cut in half
• 1 small can water chestnuts, sliced

• 1  1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tblsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 Tblsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 Tblsp. curry powder

Put the chicken, veggies, and fruit in a large bowl.
In separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, soy sauce, and curry powder until blended well.
Pour dressing mixture over chicken mixture and toss until coated.  Chill in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.  Serve over a bed of romaine lettuce leaves.

Brutal Attack...

‎"In Texas, it is a criminal offense to abandon dogs...

Another free digital scrapbooking design by Smilebox

My new Journey

I believe there's always room for improvement and growth. Wellness is one area that I crave to improve. I have suffered from insomnia for years, exhaustion, feeling bloated or just not quite right. I often wondered if not eating meat would help (yep, that sounds crazy to some), cutting out sugar, should I exercise more, no caffeine...heck I would have patted my head and rubbed my stomach all while walking a straight line to find the right answer to my problems.

I was a diet coke and black coffee junkie. Needless to say, last month I quit cold turkey. I still enjoy the early morning stillness (prior to kids and animals waking) with a hot cup of decaf and the morning news, however not having caffeine, taking herbal supplements suggested by my wellness doctor(Merritt Wellness Center) and my compounding pharmacist (Moore's Pharmacy) and vitamins manufactured by the company I work for and a new way of eating (yes I still eat meat) has awakened my soul and allowed me to sleep more soundly than I have in years. I feel alive again and what a feeling it is! This new way of life is certainly a work in progress and I have a lot to learn. I look forward to meeting people on this path of wellness and learning from those that are miles ahead.

Here's to new beginnings!