Thank You .....

Welcome to another new year at My Turquoise Kettle Life.  For those of you who know me or follow me, you know that 2015 was a game changer year, a difficult but wonderful year full of challenges and victories.

I cannot help but to be overwhelmed with gratitude as I reflect on the love of God and of those near and dear to me that carried me when I wasn't able to walk (both physically and emotionally).  When I was at my most broken trying to come to terms with a toxic relationship and a serious health crisis I was carried along by love that appeared in the form of family and friends encouraging me, caring for me, who sat beside me at the hospital holding my hand even while I slept, who got the medical team's attention when I was slipping away, who fed me, showed up at my door with tulips, who called and held up images of hope and a future that was bright and shiny.  Of course the amazing team of health care professionals at Montreal's Jewish General Hospital who diagnosed and healed me will always have a special place in my heart.

How do you see this past year?  Can you too create a gratitude list?  Can you point out some silver linings in those dark clouds that threatened to block out the light?

One practice that got me through the most frightening times (mostly scary medical tests) was to repeat to myself, "the perfection of the Universe is held in this moment".   I'm not sure where that phrase came from but it held me tethered to the present moment instead of allowing  my anxious mind to float away like a helium balloon on a windy day.   Its a practice I continue now with morning meditation.

Oh, I also adopted an abandoned little dog named Jessy.  Just look at her. Jessy already has this staying in the present moment thing all figured out:

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Enjoy today,
Sandra

Animal Fostering - Eat, Play, Love Animal Rescue

Animal rescue is a rewarding but demanding mission.  Samantha and Emily, co-founders of the Eat, Play, Love Animal Rescue (rescue link) know this first hand.  The rescue exists due to their efforts and vision but equally because of the foster families who house, love and care for the rescued dogs and cats until they are permanently adopted.

These foster "moms and dads" are the unsung heroes of animal rescue.  While Samantha and Emily are the public face of Eat, Play, Love; visible during pet fairs, adoption days and on facebook, the foster families are the behind the scenes heroes; heroes who are cuddling, feeding and yes, poop scooping day in and day out. 

That is why I was so excited to be asked to create a special thank-you gift for a foster "mom" who took three abandoned shepherd pups into her home.  Nathalie bottle fed the three day old puppies and has raised them over the past nine weeks.  Now the puppies are healthy, rambunctious and ready for adoption. 

Working from a photo, I painted Nathalie smooching with Noel, one of the little female pups.  It captures Nathalie's love and devotion to all of her little charges.  Hopefully it will remind her of how deeply her efforts have been appreciated.

We are surrounded by every day heroes.  Why not take an opportunity to say, "I appreciate you." to a hero in your midst.

Thank you for stopping in at My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a beautiful day,

Sandra

A little time with Grace

It’s been over a week since we said our farewells to our senior dog, Grace. At fifteen plus years she was an old gal by anyone's standards. Grace joined our family a scant sixteen months ago and despite telling myself this was (obviously) going to be a brief adoption, such logic doesn't seem to have been adequate insulation and protection against the ensuing sadness of saying good-bye.

Grace

Surely this shouldn't be a surprise; this matted, stinky blonde dog had me crying within the first fifteen minutes of meeting her at our local animal control center. (Adopting Grace) Her watery brown eyes and gentle disposition managed to melt my "one dog only" resolve nearly instantly.

And while I like to think that she enjoyed her final year, that she felt loved and enjoyed lots of walks, cuddles and treats, I think that I am the one who was lucky to have shared some time with her. Despite her age, the achy joints, failing senses and the challenges of dealing with her younger (and often hostile) canine brother, Zack, she remained gentle, patient and appreciative.

Often, there is much to learn from our doggie family members; may I learn to possess the grace of my friend Grace.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a grace-filled day,

Sandra

 

Could You Love Me?

 

Could you love me?

This is a guest post by Savanah, a beautiful 8 month old, female, lab mix.  Savanah has been staying with a foster family (who already has three dogs of their own) but is longing for a home of her own.

Sometimes it seems to me as though everyone has a family to call their own, you know, their own pack. I see them at the dog park and often walking past the window of my foster home.  I think to myself, "You lucky dog! Do you know how blessed you are to have a family that loves, cares for and appreciates you?" 

"Don't get me wrong, my foster family is a loving, lively place; with a Pit Bull, Bichon and a Schnauzer, this place rocks!  But sometimes in those quiet moments just before I drift off to doggie dreamland I imagine a human who comes to adopt me as their very own loyal friend.  I image how I will wag my tail when I hear their footsteps returning home in the evening, how we will watch TV shows side by side, how I will take them for long walks in the autumn leaves giving them a little fresh air and exercise.  I picture running on the beach and swimming in the lake, but heck, even an inflatable kiddy pool would be great.

You see, I've worked really hard at being exactly eveything that humans say they want in a canine companion; I never bark, I'm clean in the house, I delight in my solitude (no separation anxiety), I get along well with kids, dogs and cats and I even have a few doggy tricks up my furry sleeve. 

I guess I'm especially disappointed because I had a wonderful couple who adopted me a week ago ... but they said I wasn't cuddly enough.... and they returned me in less than 24 hours.  According to them I was perfect in every other way.  Correct me if I'm wrong but from what I understood being a 65 pound dog, I was taught that I wasn't exactly a cuddly lap dog, so I prefer to lay beside a human friend, not across them. 

Oh well, I'm not bitter, just a little disappointed, I know the "One" for me is out there.  In the mean time I will enjoy my foster brother and sisters, continue to be well behaved while I wait for that amazing day when I hear those words, "Come Savanah, we're going home girl."

If you think that you or someone you know is the "One" that Savanah is waiting for, please contact  the "Eat, Play, Love Animal Rescue" at their e-mail: eat.play.love.animal.rescue@gmail.com
Savanah is up to date with her vaccinations and is sterilized.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a day filled with love and companionship,

Sandra

In Pursuit of Passion and Purpose

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to accompany my daughter, Samantha, on an Eat Play Love puppy delivery (Eat Play Love Animal Rescue) out to the West Island of Montreal.  I was commenting on how happy I was for her that she had found her passion in rescuing abandoned dogs and cats and finding homes for them.

------------------
Here are a few of the rescue's adoptable cats.  All are vaccinated, dewormed, sterilized and looking for their forever families.

         "Minuit" - Charcoal Domestic Long Hair

"Max" - Adoptable Brown & Orange Tabby

"Tiger" - Marbled Brown Tabby

-----------------------------------
I've read a lot  about finding one's passion and purpose in life.  I've done workshops, online questionnaires, read countless articles and many books, listened to sermons, visited websites all aimed at helping people to determine what their passion and purpose might be. And still I sometimes wonder if I'm living my passion and fulfilling my purpose.

My daughter suggested that my passion/purpose maybe painting and being creative.  I agreed that I love those pursuits, but that everything I've read suggests that your passion must also be of service to people.  We were quiet for a bit.  I added that the only thing that I feel really strongly about and even frustrated over is how many people spend their lives running after things that don't matter and that in the end won't make them happy or fulfilled even if they achieved or acquired them.  I find it sad that so many have swallowed up the media's message that what they have or what they do isn't sufficient.  They don't realize that what already is, is enough.

And that's when Sam turned and gave me a little smile, "Why don't you take your own advice then?" 

"How? What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, you are looking for something more, your passion, that you think you should be pursuing, just like the people you want to help are chasing after bigger vacations, televisions, homes and gadgets." 

Her comment really brought me to a halt. So unexpected was this insight that I actually asked her to repeat it to me a couple of times before I could fully absorb it. 

"So, what you're saying is that maybe I should continue to write my blog, sharing both my victories and failures at living more simply and authentically." 

"Yeah, and maybe you should write about this conversation." she said.

Thank you Sam, consider it done.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

May you find that what you have is enough today,

Sandra

Living Simply - No Beginning or End so Jump Right In

I've been thinking about how each of us can live a more simple and sane life. It isn't easy. We have our reasons why we have to do or buy this, that or the other thing. We are able to explain and justify why, for the time being, we're sticking with the status quo. We assure ourselves that one day, when the credit card is paid off, the kids are grown, or once we get organized, we will embark on our journey to a simple life.

Choosing to live simply isn't an all or nothing venture. There doesn't need to be a starting line because there isn't a finish line. It isn't a race. Most of us are running too many races as it is. We run sprints when someone hits the panic button and marathons the rest of the time. Many of us are so busy multi-marathoning that we are running in circles looking for the darn finish line.

If we accept that there isn't really a finish line to be crossed, maybe we can also accept that we can allow ourselves to change our pace, our goal and our name-brand sneakers. Maybe we can even stop right here, right now in the middle of the track and watch as other runners pass us by. What if we decided to walk the rest of the course?

What if, after having slowed down, we noticed a path leading away from the crowd of runners and chose to follow it just to see where it leads to. Would you feel as though you missed out on something? Or would you feel thankful that you were able to experience something that the sprinters and marathoners missed?

Maybe you're not ready to hang up your running shoes altogether, that's fine. For today you can jog instead of run or walk instead of jog. Here are some ideas that I love to get you off the fast track and choosing a more simple path.

Visit your library - Libraries are quiet. You can borrow books and magazines for free. This is a fun family or couple's outing.  (Its also a great way to temporarily escape a chaotic household.)

Turn off the radio in the car - listen to an audio book during your commute or just enjoy the solitude or better yet - car pool.

Walk the dog - What? You don't have a dog? Visit my favourite animal rescue Eat, Play, Love Animal Rescue they have oodles of puppies and adult dogs looking for a foster home or their forever family.

Bake cookies or cupcakes for a neighbour - Attach a note "Just thinking of you"

Make your own Christmas or birthday cards

Make a simple meal from scratch

Use cloth serviettes rather than paper

Avoid shopping as a form of “entertainment".

Make a "retreat corner" in your home - a chair with a little side table, a candle, a pretty journal.

Read my post On Being


Before you fall asleep each night - think of one thing about the day to be genuinely thankful for.

Small steps that allow us to live more slowly and simply help us to appreciate the individual moments that  make up our lives and  remind us that we don't have to run our lives as a race. 


Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life.

Have a simply wonderful day,

Sandra

Leaving the workplace - what's in a title?

This post is the latest in a series of personal observations about leaving the workplace. (See rethinking work & leaving the workplace - beyond the fear)

Since officially resigning about ten days ago, I’ve had some very interesting reactions from people.  While I have considered myself an artist for a couple of decades now, having had exhibits, sold paintings and given lessons to others, when people would asked, “What do you do?” I would normally answer that I was a church secretary or a substitute teacher, depending on the part-time job I had at the time. 

You see, even when polite company asks you “What do you do?” and one replies, “I paint” or “I am an artist”, there is a slight narrowing of the eyes, a bubbling up of suspicion.  And who can blame them?  Even works of art that hang in museums and galleries often cause us to wonder if the work was done by a real painter or by a couple of angry cats fighting it out in the artist’s studio.

We are just more comfortable when people have a real job with a job title and are doing their part to keep the economy chugging along.  Take for instance an encounter I had with a neighbour last week, a married woman, who is the sole breadwinner in her family of four who does the lion’s share of work both in the home and out.  When she asked if I was back at school yet (substitute teaching) I replied that I had resigned.  I suppose it would have helped had the poor woman had some type of warning that I was considering leaving work.  It isn’t easy for people to process this type of information on the spur of the moment. Whereas, if people suspect you might leave the ranks of the employed they have an opportunity to prepare themselves, to prevent their eyes from enlarging to the size of small saucers and their jaws from falling to their chests. 

What? You resigned?!

After all, society and indeed nature itself often gives us time to adjust to people’s pending change in status.  We sometimes label engaged women as brides-to-be; pregnancy (thankfully!!) gives us (and the neighbours) many months to prepare and adjust to our changing status of mom and dad. 

In my neighbour’s defense, she made a rather lovely recovery from her shock by noticing my dogs, whom I was walking at the time, and very kindly pointed out, “Well you have your dogs to take care of now.” Wasn’t that sweet?

It isn’t just my imagination.  Our youngest daughter is a stay-at-home mom to Sadie-Anne who is almost a year old.  People often ask her when she’s going back to “work”.  (In Quebec we have an awesome maternity/paternity program that allows new parents up to one year of paid leave.) She proudly tells them she’s a stay-at-home mom, but that she is technically already back at work as the co-founder of the Eat, Play, Love Animal Rescue  a non-profit which she co-manages out of her home.  While most do not understand the calling to rescue animals that are at risk, they are happy to have a “work label” to attach to the job title of Mom (as if it needed anything added!).

Also this week, my husband and I met with our financial advisor to set up a new investment.  Our advisor was filling in the required form when he came to the box entitled job title there was a long moment of hesitation, the advisor looked to me and I glanced at my husband who replied, “Artist”.  Yes, I thought, Artist!   

Thank you for taking time to stop by My Turquoise Kettle Life.

Have yourself a lovely day ,you are en-titled to it.

Sandra

Material Possessions - What I learned from my dogs

"It is preoccupation with possessions more than anything else that prevents us from living freely and nobly."

Bertrand Russell (British Philosopher 1872 - 1970)


The saying goes, "You can’t teach an old dog new tricks." but I have found that an old dog can give insight into matters of great importance.

When we adopted Zack from the SPCA he was already seven years old, a middle-aged dog. I have no details about his former life or what precipitated his relocation to the SPCA. I have found that dogs are sensitive on the subject of having been given-up and are generally not forthcoming with the details.  I agree, let bygones be bygones.

Zack

It was a snowy, blustering February afternoon when we adopted Zack. Arriving home, I gave him a small blanket on which to curl up. He immediately latched onto the blanket, chewed a few holes in it and began to drag it around the house wherever he went. The first time I went to move the blanket I was surprised to find Zack grab the other end and begin a serious "tug-of-war", growling and thrashing about. His grip is so strong you can lift the blanket and almost raise Zack right off the floor. This makes for great fun, I like how worked up he gets over his blanket, growling, teeth bared, eyes blazing. I can hear my inner adult saying, "Sandra, are you teasing that dog??" While my inner child says, "No, we're just playing!"



Our previous dog, Abby, loved raw-hide dog bagels. She'd sit contentedly and chew on a "bagel" until it was gone, making very short work of it indeed. (She once broke into a bag of real bakery bagels and I suppose, knowing her good fortune might be short-lived, hid all six bagels in various places around the house.) So, I bought Zack a raw-hide bagel. Very gingerly he took it from my hand and ran upstairs to his blanket, leaving the bagel untouched like a gem on a velvet cushion. I assume he isn’t the raw-hide type, yet he is possessive about the bagel, he likes it to be on his blanket at all times.

Because Zack seemed a little anxious when he was left alone, I bought him a "Kong". Kongs are great, they're heavy duty rubber cones with a hollow interior into which you can place a dog biscuit or even peanut butter and your dog will (hopefully) be so occupied with chewing and trying to dislodge the treat and he will forget that he is lonely.

Zack.  His expression says it all

The Kong has become Zack's prized possession, if anyone comes into the house, he runs to get his Kong and makes sure that it was safely hidden or he stands over it, preventing the intruder from making off with his goods.

Zack's worldly possessions

A few months later we adopted another dog, Grace, who at fourteen is definitely a senior dog. Unlike Zack, Grace doesn't drag her blanket around; she shares it freely with Zack or any other visiting dog. Grace has little interest in chew toys or toys in general. What Grace does love is affection. Oh she isn't a saint by any means; she loves to sit beside us at the dinner table and comment (whine) on how good the food smells, sometimes even laying her big paw on my lap as if to say, "Darling, what a marvelous cook you must be." But I am not swayed by her flattery; no feeding the dogs from the table.

Grace.  Not a care in the world

There is a pattern of behavior that has developed with our dogs that I think is very telling. After each walk I unleash both dogs and head to the pantry to get them a dog-treat. Grace is always at my heels and Zack? Well wouldn't you know, Zack runs upstairs to his blanket, he checks to make sure that his bagel and his Kong are both stilll safe, and then he comes back to the kitchen for his treat. He doesn't do this on occasion, he does it every time. His mind is always on his possessions, “Are they safe? I better check." If Zack had an allowance he'd spend it on an insurance policy that would cover his "stuff". Grace? I think she'd spend it on a chair at the dinner table where she could enjoy good food and the company of those whom she loves and who love her.



Don't get me wrong, we adore Zack. His quirky ways make him very loveable and very "human".   Some of us could learn a little something from Zack and Grace.  After all I don’t think it’s ever too late to teach an old dog a few new tricks.

Thank you so much for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life.

Have a dog-gone good day,

Sandra

Eat, Play, Love Animal Rescue

Kudos to the Eat, Play, Love Animal Rescue! http://eatplayloveanimalrescue.blogspot.com/  and it's co-founders, Samantha Emberly (my daughter) and Emily Morgan (my niece).  These two young women are already veteran animal rescuers working towards saving, sterilizing and finding permanent homes for the neglected and abandoned dogs in our area.

With Quebec's big "moving day" just around the corner, many dogs and cats will be abandoned as their owners move to new apartments and houses.  The fortunate ones will be dropped off at no-kill animal shelters; others will be left at shelters where they will be housed for a few days, hoping to be adopted, before they are euthanized.  The least fortunate will be those pets left behind in vacant apartments without food or water. 

While we often wonder ,"Who would do that to their pet?" Perhaps a better question is, "Who will work to remedy this sad situation?"  

In order for foster-based rescues to function and provide services, they need individuals and families who are willing to temporarily care for a dog or cat until the pets can be placed in a permanent home.  The foster family needs to provide a safe environment for the animal and food.  All other costs including, medicine, veterinary visits and sterilization are the responsibility of the rescue organization.  If, for some reason, the animal does not adjust well to the foster family's situation, the animal is removed and a new foster home is found.

Adopting an abandoned animal may be one of the most rewarding decisions you will ever make.  Far from being "damaged goods" these pets seem to be extra appreciative of finally having a family that is willing to make a "forever" committment to them.  In the summer of the year 2000, our family adopted  Abby.  She was an amazingly gentle dog who had been abandoned on a country road.  She enriched my life and our family life daily until she died in February of this year. 

Abby

Abby had been so perfect that I decided I wouldn't adopt another dog. My heart was broken.  Emily and Samantha understood the situation better than I could and began to look for another dog for me to love.  A frightening drive in a blinding snowstorm at the end of February out to the Monteregie SPCA, resulted in our adopting Zack a seven year old adorable mutt. 

Zack

A month or two later, I accompanied Samantha to the local dog pound to take photos of the adoptable dogs to post on-line.  When we arrived, a gentleman was dropping off a beautiful cocker-poo (a cocker spaniel/poodle mix). As we bent to pet and admire her we were told, "Take her if you want her, she won't have a chance at adoption, we'll just euthanize her.  She's already fourteen years old."  Samantha didn't miss a beat, "I'll take her!! I'll find her a home."  This dog's family had recently moved to an apartment and found they were not able to keep her.  As I waited in the parking lot with this lovely "old girl" her master passed by and got into his van.  She began to wimper and pace.  I tried to soothe her, "It's okay, you'll be fine",  I whispered to her. As the van pulled out of the lot and drove away she began to bark and watched the vehicle intently until it passed out of sight.  By now this "old girl" and I were both crying!

Grace

This big adorable dog sat on my lap for the 25 minute ride from the pound to my house, by the time I arrived home I was already smitten.  I wasn't sure how I felt about having two dogs, let alone what my husband would think of the idea.  Thankfully my (awesome) husband took one look at the dog and said, "She's a beauty, are we keeping her?"  We decided to give her a brand new name to go with her new life.  My husband suggested "Grace", it suits her perfectly and it was by God's grace that we arrived at the pound when we did that day.

Thank you Samantha and Emily for doing what you do and to the foster families and adoptive families of these animals.  Thanks also to all the family and friends of Eat, Play, Love Animal Rescue who have donated pet food, supplies and funds to help the rescue to continue to save neglected and abandoned animals.



Plus a huge thank you to our vet Dr. Janique Arseneau whose expert and tender care of all our animals is appreciated beyond measure.

If you think you or someone you know might be able to temporarily foster an animal in need or adopt a loving companion for life please visit the Eat, Play, Love Animal Rescue website  http://eatplayloveanimalrescue.yolasite.com/ , or blog http://eatplayloveanimalrescue.blogspot.com/ 
 or e-mail them at  eat.play.love.animal.rescue@gmail.com .


Thank you for taking the time to visit, My Turquoise Kettle Life.

Have a pet-icularly wonderful day.

Sandra