The Loving-Kindness Meditation

I am halfway through an interactive online wellness course hosted by Deborah Maragopoulos FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner). As a member of a small pilot group for this new course, and am being introduced to a whole new world of information that I was previously unaware of. Ideas about hormones, exercise, diet, mindset, and more…

So, when Deborah touched on the Loving-Kindness Meditation (also called Metta Meditation) during this week’s class, I made a note and went off to consult the Oracle Google once the class was over. It was a productive search and I found more than enough information to help me learn more.

The Best Place to Bury A Dog

German Shepherd Dog Zack joined our family in the summer of 1999

Most people don’t realize purebred German Shepherds can be all black, but it is not uncommon; baby Zack looked like a little bear.

He was a cute little bundle of fur at first, but quickly became “legendary” among mail carriers, delivery people and bicyclists in the area. His thunderous bark and menacing presence was enough to make anyone who didn’t know him more than a little nervous. Just to make sure everyone knew he was serious about his position as “Chief of Security” here at HoofPrints and on the Keesling farm, he often escorted (read: chased) visitors off the premises whenever they left.

Remembering Puppy-Girl

REMEMBERING PUPPY-GIRL after a tearful goodbye in 2015…

Puppy came to live with us 11 years ago. Like almost all of our dogs, she was unwanted by someone else – dumped here at our “house in the country”. Most disturbing about Puppy’s start here with us – was the fact that she was just a young puppy – not much past weaning age – and she ended up in the bushes in front of our house on a sub-zero January night. The struggle with frigid temps would later prove to challenge her throughout her entire life.

Happy New Year!

New Year’s morning of 2017 saw us leaping from the bed to relocate a puking dog to a cleanup-friendly location. As my shivering self climbed back into bed to warm up, my brain remembered a cartoon that I drew some 30 years ago, commemorating this same event.

Could a crazy dog be a cover dog?

Bailey never holds still. Here she is mid-roll

First, a little background: HoofPrints Newsletter subscribers already know that I have been on an epic journey involving my horsemanship. I went along fine for years, quite fearlessly, with no trouble at all from my mounts. Then, I got a little (ahem) older, and along came a horse (chestnut mare Allie) who didn’t appreciate my bossy attitude. We had some spectacular confrontations that left me shaken to the core, any confidence I had in my abilities to ride, let alone train, was vaporized. I spent considerable time sulking, in a despair that no animal would ever want anything to do with any kind of partnership involving me.

Then, along came Bailey.