Disney World

We just returned yesterday from a wonderous vacation to Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando. We traveled via the Amtrak Auto Train, which carries you and your vehicle from Lorton, Virginia, which is close to Washington, DC to Sanford, Florida which is near Orlando, FL. We've done this many times and highly recommend it. If you live on the East Coast of the United States, this might be a fun way to travel by car, but not have to drive the entire way. Many families from New Jersey and New York drive down to Virginia and let Amtrak take the wheel for the rest of the trip. It departs at 4:00 PM and arrives at 9:00 AM the next day. Included in the price of your ticket is a wine and cheese tasting with crunchy snacks and fresh fruit for the kids (and me). You are also served a gormet dinner in the diner, snacks with an evening movie in the lounge and Continental breakfast the next morning. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate and bottled water are available throughout your trip. You can economize and travel in spacious coach seats (nothing like a cramped airline seat, plenty of legroom) or upgrade to a roomette which seats two comfortably during the day with a great view and transforms into two bunk beds at night. They also offer deluxe bedrooms that sleep two adults (three if they aren't obese) or a family bedroom that will sleep two small children in addition to the adults. Handicapped rooms are available. There is a private toilet, shower and sink in the deluxe rooms.

We stayed three nights at Disney's Polynesian Resort. Hawaiian pool, the monorail is in the hotel and we watched the Magic Kingdom fireworks on their beach every night. A great view of Cindarella's castle with the music piped in. You can't really enjoy the whole fireworks show in the crowd at the Magic Kingdom, but across the lake, wow, you take it all in.

We stayed three nights at the Wilderness Lodge Resort which is modeled after our National Parks. Breathtaking arcitecture. A geyeser goes off every hour. Wonderful pools and hot tubs. Beautiful grounds. The family style BBQ dinner in their Wispering Pines Cafe was so good we ate there twice. The servers are hilariously caustic.

We stayed our last like at the Hard Rock Hotel on Universal Studios property. This was a beautiful hotel and surpassed Disney on amenities. Q-tips, cotton balls, a make up mirror and Keurig hot beverage machine in the rooms. I never make tea in hotel rooms because it always tastes like coffee. I was really excited because we have a Keurig at home. Alas, the one in our room didn't work. The pool wasn't very deep. Most people sat in the water. Wasn't really our crowd, since we aren't drinkers. But everyone was nice.

Julia's on Vacation

Pink Balloons

Pink Balloons

Last week we focussed on gratitude, and deliberately called in all the incidents, people and influences that deserved our gratitude.  This week, I am going the other way.

This week I want you to accept there are people, and incidents that cause you grief and anxiety and there’s nothing –or at least- not much you can do about it.

But… and there’s always a ‘but’.  You can almost always do something.

First I want to draw you’re attention to the word ‘nothing’.  Or perhaps you can look at it from another perspective and split it up into ‘No Thing’.  And when you do that the connotation becomes something completely different.

It gives us a choice.  It reveals the fact (one I didn’t discover until my 50^th year!) that even when you do nothing, you have, at some level, chosen not to do anything.

This is so powerful a revelation I’d like you to take a moment before you read on to think about it…

What does it mean in personal terms?

If ‘no thing’ or ‘nothing’ means we have made a choice even if it is on a subliminal level, to do nothing, it implies – no it states – that we have a choice over every aspect of our lives, even it is only how we react to the events going on around and to us at that moment in time.

It puts the power back in your hands.  Instead of being a ‘victim’ you become empowered.

I never said it was easy!  It’s not.  Like most new things, it takes time to assimilate, and then to become a ‘part’ of you.  And because we are human, it is all too easy to slip back into the ‘victim’ mode when the muck hits the fan.

Here is a meditation to help you plug into the self-power and to strengthen yourself in times of adversity.

If you do not feel ready for this, then KNOW that is just Fine.  You are exactly where you are meant to be right now.

In this meditation, find that special place you use where you will not be interrupted and settle your breathing into a regular and comfortable rhythm.  Imagine you have a large supply of pink balloons at your side. Then quietly and without stress allow the details of a person or incident that is causing you problems to come into your mind.  Do not allow yourself to connect with the stress of the situation while you study the image before you.

Blow up one of those pink balloons and imagine the person or situation inside the balloon, with the knowledge that pink is the colour of love.

Seal the balloon, and release it and watch it float away.

Do this for each situation that presents itself to you.

Notice how you feel as you watch those balloons float away from you.

Know that this is something you can do as frequently and often as you like.

When you have sealed the last situation into a balloon and released it, focus once more on your breathing, and when you feel ready to return to your surroundings do so.

Although it may seem a simple exercise, this is a fairly intensive meditation, so when you are finished, pamper yourself with candles –if that’s your thing- and a wonderful soak in a hotub, or something equally enjoyable.

Hemingway Cats

www.free-pet-wallpapers.com

Being an author, I have a particular fondness for Hemingway Cats or Polydactyls. The word polydactyl is latin for many digits. These cats have an extra set of toes on their paws and are also called Mitten Cats, since their paws resemble mittens.
There is some conflict on whether polys are considered a breed or not. Since the extra toe is a genetic mutation, some breeders consider it a flaw. Some breeders, especially Maine Coon breeders,recognize the polydactyl.
Back in the day, Polydactyls were very popular on ships. Those large paws helped them earn their keep as mousers. In fact, it was a ship captain that gave Hemingway his first polydactyl. The actual Hemingway cats, rather the descendants of the Hemingway cats, reside in Key West at Hemingway's former home. He left instructions in his will for his cats to be cared for. Their progeny, approximately sixty in number, can still be seen today at the Hemingway Museum.
Before they became popular with ship captains, they were often associated with witches and killed.
Their unique paws allow these cats to perform feats other cats only do in their dreams: open latches, catch things with one paw, etc.
If one parent of a litter is polydactyl, half the kittens will be polydactyl as well.
The only health issues that these kitties have that I'm aware of is that the extra claw can become ingrown and needs to be kept clipped.
Any Poly owners out there?

~*~

Shardai is a large sleek cat with attitude. He has the courage of a tiger and the disdain of a king. The fearless feline has only one weakness...his guardian. He would do anything for her, even come back from the afterlife.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/45570

E Book $0.99

~*~

Thanks Paul and Tami. This is a hoot.

A Poppy of a Different Color

 Okay, this is a post from an older blog, but I'm on the way out the door to my nephew's graduation open house and received a book contract two days ago for an August release date. (Check out my personal blog for my publication process updates.) Believe me, I need help! I'm a little harried. So here it is, my poppy story from last summer.

You know every seed is different from every other seed from basic biology class. Even though every plant in a field of corn, or wheat, or each pink petunia, might look the same to us, each plant has its own identity, a face as different as yours is from mine. Which means every packet of seed you plant contains the possibility of surprise, like finding a red green bean or a green sunflower.

In 2006 I planted some seeds for Papaver orientale 'Brilliant' from Thompson & Morgan Seeds. I selected the seeds for their orange bloom, and planted five pots in January, with plans to place them in my orange and pink garden later in the spring. (After all, you can only have so many poppies in a small garden!) Last year they finally bloomed. While two of the plants bloomed in slightly different shades of orange, and two had to be transplant so were set back and haven't bloomed yet, the fifth plant bloomed pink.


(Off topic: Have you noticed how difficult it is to photograph orange? It never seems to fit in with rest of photograph. Same with white and black.)

Both of these plants are huge, 40" plants with blossom stems reaching 48" and more, and luckily, the pink still goes in my pink and orange color scheme. Especially, since due to the poppy's taproot, it is nearly impossible to transplant once established.

Now, this could be a genetic change, but, what I suspect is more likely is that a seed from another poppy type somehow flew into the mix. However it happened, it was a great surprise!

Update: This year I had four pink poppy plants! The first one bloomed two weeks later than the other pinks, which bloomed before any of the orange poppies. When gardening always expect the unexpected!

Ancient Egypt and New Book

Last year, I had the unique opportunity of traveling to Egypt, cruising the Nile River and touring the monuments of Ancient Egypt. After immersing myself in the pharaonic civilization, I brought back hundreds of pictures and brochures about Egyptian gods, and even a map of Ancient Egypt to help in my research.

 

Osiris’ Missing Part,  my first paranormal romance, is set in mythological Egypt.

 

This book is dedicated to the many friends, readers and fans who love Ancient Egypt, a fabulous civilization, shrouded in mystery, glamour and mysticism.

According to the legend, the evil Egyptian god of storm, Seth, killed his brother Osiris, chopped him into fourteen pieces and flung them all over Egypt. Isis, goddess of family, reassembled thirteen of his body parts. Since she couldn’t find his supernatural male member where his godly power was stored, she reattached a human one.

Isis has always loved Osiris, the charming god of labor every woman adores. While dreaming of marriage, family and a son, she helps him fight Seth. Together they struggle to survive iniquities and perils.

His trip to the Afterlife has changed Osiris. He’s attracted to Isis and regrets his past womanizing. Guided by oracles she utters when they make love, they search lands and seas until they find his missing organ and he recovers his godly attributes. Osiris has fallen in love with Isis but the sins of his past and their unexpected consequences threaten to separate them more painfully than Seth’s mayhem and curses.

Chapter One

Ancient Egypt, at the dawn of time.

Isis, goddess of health and family, bent over the gilded sarcophagus and laid her cheek upon the lifeless face. “Osiris, my love.” Grief raked her and soft sobs escaped her lips as she stroked his chest with tender caresses.

In the temple of Louxor

After a moment of desolation, she exhaled at the futility of her moaning. Desperate words and kisses had never revived a dead body, especially one cut into several pieces. Determined to bring him back to life, she swallowed her wailing and stiffened her back. Adjusting his severed parts close to each other, she pressed them tightly together and sealed the junctions with her tears.

With the greatest care, she pressed her key of life to Osiris’ forehead, swept it over his chest and belly, and tapped his groin a few times while she recited a litany of prayers from the Book of the Dead. “Osiris, god of knowledge and work, I command you, leave the Afterlife.”

The body squirmed against the walls confining him. Clutching her key of life with all her strength, she brushed his lips with a cautious kiss and blew her godly vigor into his mouth. His chest rose and fell.

 

In the Temple of Karnak

Joy exploded in Isis’ heart. “Almighty Osiris, you’re alive. Finally.” Her voice resonated like a triumphant hymn.

His eyelids fluttered and he squinted. “Isis,” he muttered in a guttural voice she hardly recognized. “Where…what…?”

Dropping to her knees in the mud and the dewy grass on the bank of the Nile River, Isis watched him anxiously as he patted his neck and torso. His hand skated to his belly, skimmed down to the junction of his thighs and lingered over his shaft. Shock and fear twitched his face. He yanked back his fingers and heaved up his head for a better look at his groin.

 

The Nile River

“By my ankh-specter and its tau, this isn’t… Where is my…my…?” Osiris’ loud interjection ended in a groan that gnawed at Isis’ heart. It hadn’t taken him long to notice the unfamiliar member. Panic filled his eyes at the absence of his most prized organ and his gaze flitted from his crotch to her face.

A sigh escaped Isis’ quivering lips. Unable to detach her gaze from the area that should have harbored his fabulous shaft and now displayed a human penis, void of supernatural power, she debated how to reveal the tragedy.

 

The wife is always represented as a tiny statue at the feet of her powerful husband.

“You’re alive and awake.” To reassure him, she caressed his chest with her open palm and leaned forward to rain kisses over his taut flesh. “Still more handsome than any desert knight, my lord. A generous king of the earth that Egyptians revere.”

Her loving gesture elicited another growl of frustration. With a disgusted grunt, Osiris grabbed her hand and lowered it between his thighs. “This is not my glorious member, my pride. Isis, my godly power is missing. What happened?” His voice curt, his tone impatient, Almighty Osiris scrambled to a sitting position in the wooden coffin. “Where is my own penis?” His thunderous voice echoed across the clouded skies. “Answer me, woman.”

 OSIRIS' MISSING PART
Ellora's Cave Blush,  June 23, 2011
A sensual paranormal romance based on a legend and set in Egyptian Mythology. Feel the humor and emotion, share the action and suspense, as you explore Ancient Egypt from the Valley of the Nile to the Red Sea shore and beyond.

 

http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9394-osiris-missing-part.aspx

Book Length: Plus Novel

Book Type: eBook

Publisher: Ellora's Cave Publishing

SBN: 9781419934629

MSRP/List Price: $10.48
Our Cover Price: $5.24

http://www.monarisk.com/

 

http://www.monarisk.blogspot.com/

 

On Vacation

Sherry's on vacation and will be back next week.

Julia is in vacation.

Will be returning the second week of July. In the meantime - have a wonderful Fourth and spend lots of time swimming, barbecuing, having fun with your families and friends!

The Value of Gratitude

Gratitude

When gripped in the throws of a negative situation, whatever it is, it is all too easy to allow despondency to colour our outlook at times.  It is all too easy to forget the things in our lives that bring us pleasure. 

Daily things like a child’s smile or laughter.  The contact from a friend or loved one. Anything that brings you joy or a sense of completion. They are the little things which make us smile and feel cosy in that moment of time but are quickly forgotten in the more basic and gruelling demands of the day.

So today I’d like to return to the breath meditation, so as you settle yourself comfortably where you won’t be disturbed and begin focussing on your breathing, this time instead of counting your breaths, focus on something, anything that happened to you today that made you smile and as you inhale, focus on that memory. Hold the memory for as many breaths as feels right to you then let it go.

Continue focussing on your breathing and then bring in another incident or person you feel grateful for and hold that thought while you focus on your breathing. Embrace the gratitude for as long as it feels right and then let it go.

Do this for as long as you feel comfortable, bringing in and connecting with all the incidents, people and memories that perhaps you took for granted and didn’t appreciate at the time.

Don’t be surprised if some incidents from the past, that appeared negative at the time suddenly reveal themselves as the catalysts that brought about changes for the better.  Embrace them in your meditation, offer your gratitude and let them go when it feels right to do so.

When you are ready, concentrate for a few more moments on your breathing alone.  Feel it centering you, and when you are ready let your focus return to your surroundings and present circumstances.

At times life can overwhelm us to the extent we forget to express, or even acknowledge, our gratitude for those little treasures in life that so often slip below the horizon before we give thanks.

Gratitude is like a flower, sow the seeds, and before you know it, you are noticing more and more positive things around you and your gratitude expands and grows in an ever increasing circle.

Savannahs

Picture from: http://www.free-pet-wallpapers.com

Most of us that love cats--and even those that don't--are fascinated by the wild jungle cats, their beauty, power and grace of movement. That is what makes the Savannah such an intriguing specimen. It's a combination of both.
The Savannah is the result of breeding domestic cats with Servals. Servals are a medium-sized African wild cat.
Savannah's have a filial number: F1, F2, F3, F4 and so on.
An F1 generation Savannah is at least 50% Serval.
An F2 generation is 25 to 37% Serval. This cat usually has a grandparent that is Serval.
F3 is third generation and is about 12.5 % Serval.
F4 is a purebred.
The physical characteristics of these cats are long, deep cupped ears, hooded eyes and they're very leggy. The early generation Savannah's have dark spots on a lighter coat, giving them the look of the Sevals. The largest known Savannah cat: Scarlett's Magic is forty- two inches from nose to tail and eighteen inches high from shoulder to toe. The largest Savannah's are normally the F1's with the most Serval in them. Their size goes down with their number.
Savannah's are very social and loyal cats. Like dogs they can be trained to walk on a leash and even fetch. These cats are also known for their intelligence and many can figure out how to open doors and cupboards. They love water and have been known to shower with their caregivers. They're jumpers. Some can jump up to eight feet.
Savannah's may either chirp or meow.
If you're thinking of getting a Savannah, check your stay laws first. Some states are more restrictive than others on hybrid cat ownership.
Savannah's have been accepted in the National Cat Association since 2001.

The Challenge of Successfully Mixing Perennials

Coneflowers with catmint.

When people think of a garden, they usually envision a perennial garden. Perennial gardens can be a massive grouping of plants that includes everything from non-flowering ferns to shrubs like Roses and vines like Clematis, and of course, perennials. Perennials are plants that go dormant over winter and grow new from the plant's roots every spring.

Gardeners who grow perennials have a tendency to become slightly crazed. Some become addicted to a certain plant family and grow only plants of that genus, acquiring every species and cultivar. Others go to Herculean efforts to grow a particular type of perennial not suited to their area. All perennial growers become opinionated in their likes and dislikes.

Developing a perennial garden can be a challenge. Perennials are expensive to purchase, but in a few years gardeners frequently have so many, they dig them up and give them away.  Many perennials have short blooming periods that leave the garden filled with ugly foliage. Some perennials, like Asiatic poppies, disappear all together leaving a barren hole in the garden. Gardeners often place perennials with dramatically different growing needs in the same garden, ensuring some plants will fail to grow. Often the end result is a perennial garden that seems more a green space than a flower garden.

Like many amateur gardeners, I seem unable to resist a perennial sale. The urge to find some new cultivar, or something not grown before, is part of the fascination. I've learned as much from plant failures as successes.

Mixing plants is part science and part art. The science part is mixing plants that have similar growing needs. Checking the plant's nursery label or a good garden book helps eliminate the problem of knowing a plant's requirements. The art part enters in the mixing of plants. The intent is for the garden to have a succession of blooming plants, while ensuring plants that bloom together harmonize with each other. Usually I need to grow a plant for one season to learn the time of bloom in my area and how well it mixes with other plants. Once familiar with the plant, I move it to the best placement in my garden.

After many disappointments, I now experiment watching for the plants that look best the longest in my garden.  I have developed a list of characteristics for my perennial plant purchases.

Number one is interesting foliage that stays attractive for the whole growing season. The foliage is part of the garden for much longer than the flowers. Hosta, Sedum, Dianthus, Heuchera, and ferns are a few good selections. Siberian iris (Iris sibirica) also have season-long attractive foliage as do the low-growing Moss Phlox (Phlox subulata) and some of the Salvias.

Siberian Iris

The Second is hardiness and care needed to keep the plant attractive.  At the cost of perennial plants, it seems thrifty to grow ones that can survive harsh winters, humid summers and our generally unpredictable weather.  A plant can also be too hardy and become a rampant weed,  like Creeping Buttercup. While I love Daylilies and Shasta Daisies, I hate the deadheading needed to keep the plants attractive. Others need staking.

Third is the length of the blooming season.  The Sedum Autumn Joy, while blooming in the fall, carries light green flower heads for a long time during the summer. Coreopsis verticillata combines beautiful thread-like foliage and near summer-long bloom. Some of the Achillea, Campanula and Geraniums also have long blooming times.

Fourth is beauty of the bloom, which sometimes suppresses all the other characteristics. Which is why I have done a lot of deadheading on some very short-season plants like Iris and Daylily.

So my advice? Mix it up and see what happens. Make your garden pleasing to you,  And as you plant your perennials sternly tell them, "Don't sink your roots too deep. You'll most likely move in a year or two."

Wine in Napa Valley

How much do you know about wine? My expertise consists of recognizing a white or red wine or a rose Zimpfandel. Yes, I know my colors. Two months ago we visited Napa Valley and I listened with fascination as wine experts explained the properties of their wines and allowed us to taste samples.

I usually don’t drink. One can of beer or a glass of wine greatly improves my mood. More would make me tipsy.

Imagine, by 11:00 am I already drank three glasses, by 1:00 pm I added four more, and by 4:00 pm I totaled ten glasses of delicious wines. Yes, I was giggling, kissing my husband and loving every bit of the beautiful Napa Valley. In spite of the daze shrouding my brain, I learned a few things about vines, grapes and wines: The smaller the grape, the more concentrated the flavor. Skin color and thickness give wine (red and rose) its color and its aromatic qualities.

Acid and sugar level in the fruit determine the wine’s sweetness and percentage of alcohol. An average temperature of 57-59o F is ideal and good vineyards need very well drained soils. Slopes which have concentrated sunlight and better drainage are more suited to vines than flat lands.

In my latest book, PRESCRIPTION IN RUSSIAN, the heroine learns to drink vodka.

Excerpt: Fyodor handed Jillian her shot glass and raised his. “Welcome to Belarus. I’m sure we will have a great working relationship.”

Jillian considered her shot glass without touching it. A deep scowl furrowed between her eyes.

“What’s wrong? Is there a bug floating in it?”

“You expect me to drink this, straight? No ice, no water, no orange juice?”

“Why would you spoil the taste of vodka? We always drink it straight. Try it.” He clicked his glass against hers. “Nazhtrovia.”

She sighed, stared at the clear liquid in her glass, and slowly raised her drink.

“It’s not a medicine. Believe me, you will like it. Nazhtrovia.”

“Cheers. I mean Nazhtrovia.” At first, she sipped it slowly, then took a good swallow, choked, coughed, and cleared her throat. “Not too bad.”

Fyodor laughed. “You will get used to it.”

With time, she would get used to their vodka and hopefully to their food and traditions. Maybe she could get used to him and his children. Bozha moy, Good God, what was he thinking? 

To Buy link at TWRP


Cursing himself, Fyodor grabbed his shot glass and emptied it. She’d just arrived in his country and had acted as the conscientious delegate, dedicated doctor, and perfect guest, but otherwise she’d been assertive, poised, reserved, and somewhat aloof. Da, but she had lovely eyes and fabulous assets. And he was hard-put to deny his attraction.

Blurb:

An American Pediatrician

A Russian Surgeon

A woman who frantically avoids marriage and family

A man with four adorable sons who badly need a mother

Can attraction and love overcome guilt, duty, and a clash of cultures?

“Mona Risk writes heroes with heart, heroines with spunk in stories and settings that are simply unforgettable!" -- Roxanne St. Claire, Killer Curves, National Bestseller.

Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint Cookies

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup shortening

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg, separated

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts, walnuts or pecans

Jelly (I use raspberry preserves)

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix brown sugar, shortening, butter, vanilla and egg yolk in medium bowl. Stir in flour and salt until dough holds together.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Beat egg white slightly. Dip each ball into egg white. Roll in nuts. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Press thumb deeply in center of each. Fill depression with jelly.

Bake about 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool on wire rack.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

I'm off for the next three weeks,

But here are some photos of the results of our recent rains. Enjoy! Julia

Visualisation

Our sight is something we take for granted.  The impact it has on our lives and our psyche is vastly under-appreciated.

Imagery is the most basic communication we encompass as everything we process everything we experience comes through the mind visually.  Therefore it is imperative we take time to monitor the impact the images we allow into our mind to have on us.

Images… imagination.  What kind of impact does your imagination have on you when you are face with a bunch of less than stella incidents?  Do you find yourself second-guessing future events resulting from present events?  And if so, in what manner do you allow those thoughts and ‘imaginations’ to impact on you? Worry only exists in our imaginations and if not dealt with, can alter your physiology and make you more susceptible to various ailments.

If you are not careful most of the images that pop into our heads do more harm than good. Indeed, the most common type of imagery is worry and visualization by way of negative thoughts.

It is generally scientifically accepted that humans consciously use approximately 10% of their brain.  But that doesn’t mean the rest of it is lying dormant.  It’s not.  It’s busy processing all those images and coming up with conclusions based on your own state of mind.  And before you know it, your hidden mind is taking control and sending out impulses to your consciousness to which you respond.

Imagery and visualization meditation are at the centre of relaxation techniques, designed to release brain chemicals that act as natural brain tranquillisers that alleviate, among other things, anxiety and stress levels.

It’s not difficult.  Find a moment when you can centre yourself and deliberately bring up an image that either brings you joy, fills you with love, or simply relaxes you.  Hold on to it for as long, and in whatever form works best for you.  Notice as you do so how it makes you feel now, in this moment, and remember the power of the positivity it creates in you.

Hold onto that feeling as you return to the present and your current surroundings, in the knowledge you can ‘call on’/meditate on that image whenever you are feeling challenged.

Over a period of time you will create your own portfolio of images that will delivery and instil that ‘feel-good’ factor deep within your core when ever you need them.

Heat Stress

Given the heat index, this seems like a perfect time to go over the heat rules for animals.

The first one that everyone is familiar with is never leave your cat or dog in a hot car. On an 85 degree day the temperature inside a car can climb to 102 in ten minutes. Unlike humans, animals can't sweat it off. Panting is the mechanism an animal uses to reduce its body heat. If you see an animal locked in a hot car that appears in distress, call the local shelter or 911.

Also be careful just walking your pet. We walked our dog the other day in the evening and she still got overheated. I'm sure her age factored into it, but it was the first time I'd had to deal with heat stress. Its very unnerving. An animal can go down quickly . Luckily, we were close enough to the house to get her into a cooler environment.

Keep plenty of cool, clean water available for your pet.

If your animal is outdoors make sure it has plenty of shade.
We get our indoor/outdoor cat a lion cut every summer. It helps keep her comfortable on warm days.

If your cat is indoors make sure she/he isn't kept in a hot room with no way to cool down.

White cats are prone to sunburn. If your white cat is outdoors, you may want to use a vet-recommended sunscreen on the tips of his/her ears and nose.

If you are unsure whether an animal is suffering from heat stress, here is signs to watch for:
Change in the color of the gums and tongue
Disorientation
Glazed eyes
Vomiting
Staggering
Lethargy
Anxiety
Rapid heart and pulse rate

What to do to relieve heat stress:
Get your animal into a cool environment
Give them small amounts of water to drink
Wet the animal down with cool water
Apply cold towels to the head, chest and neck
Immerse paws in cool water
Take the animal to a veterinarian

And last but not least, don't forget to take care of yourself on these hot summer days. Enjoy them, but be smart.

Reducing Maintenance

I'm a lazy gardener who loves a beautiful garden. I have a gardening friend who enjoys working hours in her garden every day, weeding and deadheading. I don't have that passion, I just want the flowers. My time is limited and I dislike the tedium of daily maintenance as much as I hate a neglected garden.

My answer is to balance the drudgery work with an acceptable level of disorder. As a lazy gardener, I know that garden perfection is a fleeting thing, no matter how much labor is devoted to achieving it. A maintenance-free garden doesn't exist, but there are ways to reduce the work. One key to less work is planning. Keep notes of what you do and check your notes next fall. They will tell how you spent your time and let you plan changes for next season.

How much work is enough differs for every gardener. Find what works for you. My garden work happens in spurts. With the excitement of a spring's arrival, weekends in the garden are anticipated events, with daily tours to see "what's up." During the busy summer months, no more than four hours a week suffices between two or three of all-day efforts. Towards the end of summer work tapers off and ends with a couple days of fall cleanup. Much of that four hours is just touring the garden and plucking out weeds here and there.

There are several major maintenance areas in yards and gardens. Lawn area is the most demanding. Don't over fertilize your lawn. More fertilizer means more mowing. Get your soil tested and follow the test's recommendations. The money you save in fertilizer and time applying it covers the cost of the test. If you need to water, water deeply once a week. Keep up with mowing. Good lawn maintenance reduces labor.

Another way to save labor is to cut down on lawn size. Shrub beds, patios, decks, mulched areas, flower beds and groundcover cut down on mowing, plus add interest to your yard. In lawn-free areas, weed barriers and mulch reduce work. The most drastic solution is no lawn, but may not be possible. Most city and suburban home sites usually require at least a front lawn.

Plants requiring special care and gardens that need excessive weeding, staking, dead-heading, watering, or other care contribute to the work load. Hybrid tea roses are notoriously labor intensive. If you cannot live without roses, replace high-maintenance varieties with low-maintenance types, such as shrub roses.

Select plants known for their hardiness, and group them by their growing needs. Easy to grow plants, grown under the right conditions, provide beautiful results. A little research in garden books will tell you all you need to know.

There are solutions for reducing the amount of garden labor, time better spent relaxing in the beauty created by your efforts. 

Bananna Pudding!

Banana Pudding

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups cold water

1 (4 serving size) pkg instant vanilla flavor pudding mix

2 cups (1 pint) whipping cream, whipped

36 vanilla wafers

3 medium bananas, sliced and dipped in lemon juice

In large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and water. Add pudding mix; beat well. Chill 5 minutes. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon 1 cup pudding mixture into 2 1/2 quart glass serving bowl. Top with one-third each of the wafers, banana and pudding. Repeat layering twice, ending with pudding. Cover; chill. Garnish with strawberry and banana slices if desired. Refrigerate leftovers. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Can be layered into individual serving dishes.

Wait? Where do I live?

A field of mushrooms, on June 6th.

We've had so much rain that, aside from the golden grass, Louisiana has nothing on us!

The streams are flowing, the ferns are huge. We even found a stash of puffballs growing beneath some old fence posts yesterday.

I'll post a couple more photos of our hike. Pretty amazing!

Meditation - your friend

 

Sometime life throws us a nasty curve ball which for a time leaves you feeling impotent and vulnerable. We’ve all experienced them at some point in our lives, and knowing it happens to others – in whatever form - never quite gives us that strength we are looking for to help us meet the situation head-on.

Yes, I’m sorry, I’m afraid I forgot to post last week because ‘Life’ threw one of its curveballs in my direction.  And yes, for a while there, I went into ‘freefall’.  Why?  Because I forgot to centre myself and concentrate on my breathing to retain and maintain a sense of balance and purpose!  In other words, I forgot to meditate on the situation.

How many times does the solution to a problem reveal itself first thing in the morning? During the night, when our consciousness shuts off, our subconscious takes over and often discovers a solution when it has free reign to work uninterrupted by our conscious mind and preconceived conclusions.

Meditation is not a sure-fire way of coming up with the correct solutions to these nasty curveballs, but it does something possibly more important.  It reduces your stress, and the consequences stress can have on our health.

So, when you have a moment, and sometimes even when you don’t, meditate.  Several what I call one-minute-meditations over a period will be as beneficial as one longer meditation.

Wherever you are, take that moment to concentrate on bringing your breathing back to slow and tranquil.  Knowing you are controlling even a small aspect of the negative situation will give you the strength to continue and believe in yourself. 

Fear can instil irrationality when clear-headed thinking is called for. But meditation is a tool to use in all and any situations. The only exception is while driving. But even then, there are those who admit to using the wait-time at stop lights to enjoy a one-minute-meditation.

Meditation will not make that nasty situation go away, but it may be the difference between handling and coping with it or letting it take you down completely.  Meditation is your friend, so call on it when and where you find yourself in need of one.

Australian Mist

This is a breed I didn't even know about until today when I happened to catch it on Animal Planet. As you can tell by the name, this is an Aussie cat and was specifically bred to be happy indoors and not compromising the wildlife.
This cat breed came about by crossing shorthairs with Abyssinians and Burmese. The result was originally called Spotted Mist. The name was changed to Australian Mist because of their nationality and to accept marbled markings as well as spotted markings into the breed.
Mists have wonderful personalities. They enjoy people and are gentle with children. They have a laid back personality.
Like their name sakes their coat looks like a shimmery mist.
This breed has only been around since the late 1970s. The cats are healthy and not prone to health issues. They have short dense fur and need to be brushed at least once a week.
Breeders of Australian Mists are now shipping them to other parts of the world. So while still rare, you can find them in the United States and Britain and a few other countries.
These cats are homebodies. They can be taught commands and walked on a leash. All in all a nice addition to the cat family.

The Gardener's Curse -- Weeding

Lord, my seeds haven't spouted, but the weeds have already established themselves all over the garden! I am also clearing a small grass area to put in a new garden. This isn't bluegrass I'm removing, but tenacious, deep-rooted, sod-forming evil that sends out long tangles of orange rhizomes. So I am pulling weeds by hand. One of the necessary labors of gardening. I try to think of it as good exercise.

Whether you have a maintenance free garden (a true oxymoron unless you employ a full time gardener), just a small yard with few flowers, or a large flower and vegetable garden like mine, every garden has weeds, and someone has to get rid of them.

Weeds have been defined as any plant in the wrong place. By this definition, along with all the plants considered weeds like sorrel, dandelion and shepherd's purse, any sprout from a plant you bought can be a weed if found growing in the wrong place. A persistent or too prolific nature, and frequent uninvited appearances often label a plant weedy.

There is relief from weeds, but no cure. Products like Roundup™ (generically called glyphosate) and other herbicides make killing weeds easier. Weed mats and mulch make suppressing them more efficient. However, you can't use glyphosate everywhere, especially around water gardens, and it doesn't work well on woody plants like vines, shrubs, and perennials with tuberous roots like iris and daylilies. Sometimes you have to use two or more applications to get rid of the weed, while any of the chemical that lands on a nearby desired plant kills it immediately. Gardeners have learned, much to our misfortune that some herbicides while effective, are dangerous. Manufactures removed them from the market. Herbicides can also be expensive. Weed mats work great for a few years, but removing them can be a hassle, as can putting down new ones in an established garden. And mulch needs replacing every year or two.

I hate hoeing and find heavy mulch is more efficient, but some weeds can come up through the deepest mulch and enjoy its benefits as much as the plants meant to enjoy it do. So my weeding is usually done on my knees. This also allows me to get close enough to make sure I'm not pulling out an un-established plant I bought last year. (This is why I weed the garden -- my helpmate can't tell the difference between a good plant and a weed.) Yes, it's come to that. When I get up close and personal, I recognize the bad seedlings and ruthlessly pluck them out. Like all alien armies, reinforcements will soon arrive, so unrelenting patrol is required to defend the garden's ground.

Often there is no easy way to get rid of weeds except the time honored one of hoeing, tilling and hand pulling. Sometimes you just have to get down in the dirt. Luckily, last year I found the tool of my dreams to handle weeds. I bought a Dutch made V-groove pick which I have found to be the best tool for weeding. The hook goes into the ground easily and pulls weeds up the roots. Anyone who weeds knows there are some with amazingly long roots. Some roots reach deep into the soil and others journey long distances in every direction. The hook gets them all. It also has a small profile that works in cramped places. The tool can also be used on its flat side. It slides through the top of the soil pulling weeds out as it moves. It looks wicked doesn't it?  With this tool I feel rather Ninja-like while wielding it, but I'm afraid I come away from weeding looking a wreck, sweaty, covered in sand, and bone weary. Isn't exercise great?

The next picture is just for fun. Here is Winston who is one of my garden buddies waiting on top of the gate (you can't see the deer mesh fence.) Not bad balancing for twenty pounds of feline.

Fort Lauderdale for your next vacation

The city is a popular tourist destination, with 10.35 million visitors in 2006.
I call it paradise on earth.

Fort Lauderdale is sometimes known as the "Venice of America" because of its expansive and intricate canal system. The city is a major yachting center, with 42,000 resident yachts and 100 marinas and boatyards in 2006. The major canal, the Intercoastal divide the city into East and West.

Here is a view of the Intercoastal.

Notice the gorgeous mansions and their yachts along the Intercoastal

The city sits 23 miles north of Miami. Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding area host over 4,000 restaurants and 120 nightclubs in 2006.

Fort Lauderdale is named after a series of forts built by the United States during the Second Seminole War. The forts took their name from Major William Lauderdale, who was the commander of the detachment of soldiers who built the first fort. However, development of the city did not begin until 50 years after the forts were abandoned at the end of the conflict.

The City of Fort Lauderdale boasts more than seven miles of sparkling beaches that offer residents and visitors premier opportunities for recreation, relaxation and enjoyment.

The City’s award-winning wavewall and signature beachfront promenade highlight Fort Lauderdale’s world famous coastline, which is punctuated by an array of shops, restaurants, sidewalk cafes and entertainment venues.

Beachgoers can participate in a wide range of activities from boating, wind surfing, jet skiing and volleyball to snorkeling, scuba diving, deep-sea fishing and rollerblading. Or, if relaxation is what you desire, simply sit back, unwind and enjoy breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean, such as this sunrise.

If you like to travel and love to read, come and enjoy my international romances. I will take you around the world through stories that simmer with emotion and sizzle with heat. Rx IN RUSSIAN at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Prescription-in-Russian-ebook/dp/B004VGU8CE/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1304683753&sr=8-4