January Daily Practice: Get Outside

First things first: HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU! May the year ahead be filled with love, laughter, fun, joy and wonder!

I hope you have enjoyed the festive season and you’re now rested and ready for a wonderful New Year!

Our practice for this month is: GET OUTSIDE! In the Northern Hemisphere, it is winter, cold, dark, miserable, and it is all too easy to get that unhealthy pallor of people who never see the light of day. I have no such opportunity to fester indoors as I have a dog so I have to drag myself outside at least a couple of times a day. And that’s why I know that you feel better when you’ve been outside – even when it’s windy, raining, freezing, icy, even snowy. Nature is soothing, outside air has a fresh quality, and being outdoors seems to blow away the cobwebs and give you back perspective.

Being outside also gives you a chance for reflective, calm time. Instead of constantly being bombarded by information and ‘doing-ness’, you go outside just to walk, or stare at the stars, or listen to the wind in the branches, or watch the sun rise or set, or just to see the sun, or to dance in the rain, or just to let your mind settle down. Last month’s daily practice was self-care (I hope you got a good practice of self-care going!), and getting outside is fabulous self-care – it is good for us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

I know, you don’t want to, it’s cold, it’s raining, it’s dark, it’s ‘orrible…without the dog with her hopeful looks at me from the moment I get up, I wouldn’t leave the house in winter unless I absolutely had to. But thanks to the dog, I know it will be worth it. So get outside. Make it even easier for yourself and rope in your friends and family. Go to the Park, walk to your nearest shop, visit a local nature attraction (it’ll be quiet as it’s winter!), pause on your way from the car to the house/office and just breathe fresh air and listen to the birds.

Every day, we’ll have a reminder on my facebook page. Be sure to let me know if you’ll be joining me in this practice.

Love

Donna.x

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Pet Diaries – one for Dog or Cat owners

This never fails to amuse me!

Excerpts from a Dog’s Diary
* 8:00 am – Dog food! My favourite thing!
* 9:30 am – A car ride! My favourite thing!
* 9:40 am – A walk in the park! My favourite thing!
* 10:30 am – Got stroked and petted! My favourite thing!
* 12:00 pm – Lunch! My favourite thing!
* 1:00 pm – Played in the garden! My favourite thing!
* 3:00 pm – Wagged my tail! My favourite thing!
* 5:00 pm – Chewed on a bone! My favourite thing!
* 7:00 pm – Got to play fetch! My favourite thing!
* 8:00 pm – Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favourite thing!
* 11:00 pm – Sleeping on the bed! My favourite thing!

Excerpts from a Cat’s Diary
Day 983 of my captivity.
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.
Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped it’s headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a “good little hunter” I am.
Bastards!
There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of “allergies.” I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.
Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow, but at the top of the stairs.
I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released – and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now…

Happy Friday!

Love

Donna. x

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Now This Is Persistence!

Happy Friday! Been a bit quiet here this week because I had a very busy beginning to the week, then went down with laryngitis! Ugh. Anyway, hope you’ve all been well – and enjoy this bit of Friday Fun.

Watch this video

10 out of 10 for persistence, eh?

Love

Donna.x

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An Unlikely Friendship

What’s not to love about a video featuring an orangutan hugging a dog??? Enjoy!

http://video.aol.co.uk/video-detail/the-orangutan-and-the-hound/1234581161

Love

Donna.x

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And God Made Dog

A bit of Friday Fun for you:

And God created dog – The Story of Adam & Eve’s Pets

Adam and Eve said, ‘Lord, when we were in the garden, you walked with us every day. Now we do not see you anymore. We are lonesome here, and it is difficult for us to remember how much you
love us.’

And God said, ‘I will create a companion for you that will be with you and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourselves.’

And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve.

And it was a good animal.

And God was pleased.

And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged his tail.

And Adam said, ‘Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal.’

And God said, ‘I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him DOG.’

And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and loved them.

And they were comforted

And God was pleased.

And Dog was content and wagged his tail.

After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said, Lord, Adam and Eve have become filled with pride. They strut and preen like peacocks and they believe they are worthy of
adoration. Dog has indeed taught them that they are loved, but perhaps too well.’

And God said, ‘I will create for them a companion who will be with them and who will see them as they are. The companion will remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they are not always worthy of adoration..’

And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam and Eve.

And Cat would not obey them.. And when Adam and Eve gazed into Cat’s eyes, they were reminded that they were not the supreme beings.

And Adam and Eve learned humility..

And they were greatly improved.

And God was pleased . . .

And Dog was happy. . .

And Cat didn’t give a shit one way or the other…

Happy Friday!!!

Love

Donna.x

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Washing off the Manure

So this morning I seemed to be getting a message from the universe – thoughts that came into my head, e-mails I received, songs on the radio. And the message was:

Say it as you want to see it.

For example, you notice your bank account is empty -> I see my bank account full to overflowing! Your friend is making a poor relationship choices -> I see you with someone you respect and love, who respects and loves you. You have no time to do the 4,000 tasks you need to do by tomorrow -> I see myself working efficiently and doing everything that is important.

The reasoning for this (just in case you don’t know) is that from one side you are powerless, at the mercy of your circumstances. On the other side, there is possibility to change those circumstances (when I changed my mindset about the 4,000 tasks, I got clear about what I really needed to do and got down to it!) or at least to accept them and move on.

So, i was contemplating this as I was walking the dog in the lovely sunshine. Then I turned round to see said mutt rolling ecstatically in manure. Sigh. After rinsing off the worst of it, throwing her in the bath and changing her from minging mutt to fluff-ball, I realised that this was a physical example of this concept. Moaning for days about the dog stinking of manure was not an option – I just had to change it! Luckily that was easy enough to do…

Sometimes it’s not so easy to take the action, but it’s definitely worth taking your focus off what stinks in your life and onto how you want it to be. And if you want to borrow my dog shampoo, let me know.

Love

Donna.x
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