Rainy Day with Mushroom Soup

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Tonight I soaked the Shitake mushrooms I bought at Costco in hot water. Then I added the water and all to Miss Ginger’s squash, chicken, and rice medley. She had issues with the mushrooms themselves, but liked the soup, which is supposed to be where the polysaccharides (cancer fighting agents) end up…and that’s what she needs.

Afterwards, I shut the crate and we were all supposed to move on outside, but all of “we” didn’t. Who remained were a hefty crew staring in at Ginger’s dinner mushroom remnants. When I opened the crate door, of course, Raven got first dibbs and finished the mushrooms Ginger didn’t.

Now shortly thereafter, I went back and read the directions from a portion of a file I found at the yahoo groups I joined – Canine Cancer.

“The way to get polysaccharides from mushrooms is through a hot water extract. Hot water extract also means we can do it at home. Buy shitake, reiki, maitake, and (impossible to find except in Asian markets) coriolus versicolor, whip them up with water in a blender, and bring the puree to a boil. You now have that hot water extract, full of protein-bound polysaccarides and polysaccharide peptides, which can be poured over their food and, hey, even over ours…”

I didn’t do that whip them up in water to a puree part. Thank goodness I went back and re-read the directions, so I can get it right next time.

After Raven ramsacked Ginger’s crate, and others had the nerve to touch Ginger’s non-mushroom stuff, well, Ginger was peeved. She stayed in a peeved mood for minutes snarling at anyone who walked by.

Then she overcame, and decided to be Ginger again.

Meanwhile, today it was very rainy and there was not much outside playtime going on in Fort Doberdale.

The brown blanket hanging off the fence in the above picture is one of the many peed-on blankets waiting for a turn to be washed. I couldn’t wash today being I hang them to air dry. I’ve been finding this pee-on-the-blankets tradition has started up again lately, and I’m getting tired of washing the same blankets everyday, so I’ve gone back to chaining the juvenile pair to the futon when I am not able to watch them. Housebreaking can try one’s nerves!

Raven’s Last Meal

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Tonight I tried to starve Raven. OK, she thought I tried to starve her. But I was really just trying to get her to settle down before I served her Highness dinner. She was just AWFUL tonight at dinner-serving time. Slobbering all over her face and crate, carrying on barking, and even the pot banging didn’t stop her. Raven couldn’t find a piece of mind to get a grip of, so I fed everyone else and put her bowl of din-din in the fridge. Mon Dieu!

I fully intended on not feeding her till tomorrow, but I’m such a softie. I couldn’t put her to bed on an empty stomach. So about 3 hours later, when she least expected it, I called her to her crate, she walked in thinking she was going to bed, but got her bowl of food instead. It all happened so calmly. It was wonderful.

NPR – America’s dog obsession gone too far

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Today, on the way home from work, I listened to NPR. I was sickened by the reading of a piece by its author, Laurel Snyder, a blogger from Atlanta, Georgia. I couldn’t believe NPR would air such an ugly, one-sided piece.

So I went onto npr.org to look for it, and I just found another piece written with the same slant. I’m appalled.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/visibleman/

Back to the blogger.

This is the link to her piece which is an audio.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15460516

The announcer introducing the piece had her two ugly cents to say:

“This week, Ellen Degeneres broke down crying on her talk show because a dog she had adopted and then given to her hairdresser was snatched back from the dog rescue folks. She had broken the dog-adoption contract.

The popular comedian’s breakdown is proof that America has taken its dog obsession a bit too far.”

The sound of the reader’s voice was so bitter and ugly about her point of view, which is also bitter and ugly. I had NO idea that the people who head up NPR are THIS one-sided. I did not find one piece that was pro-rescue, pro-pets-as-family. I’m really fed up. So I went here and left my opposing two cents.

http://www.npr.org/contact/

If anyone else wants to put some weight back on the scales to help even them out for dog lovers, listen, read, and leave your comments for them. The show with the audio is All Things Considered.

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Bella, Big Heart, 3 Legs

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So I got this e-mail from Sheila:

“Know anybody that wants a 3 legged dobie? This girl is extremely sweet, housetrained, approx. 7 yrs old, HW neg, spayed, chipped, vacc’d, likes dogs, cats and older kids. She has been in 2 abusive homes and is very submissive and a little shy. She lost her leg many years ago when she was hit by a car and still does (not) like walking on tile. She comes with a suitcase with 1 year supply of Heartgard and Frontline, toothbrush/toothpaste, Oravet gel, ear cleaners, her beloved bed and perfume!”

Here’s a picture.

Here’s another one.

I’ve been thinking about Bella. I was wondering what kind of person adopts a 3-legged dog. What qualities differentiate that person from the rest of us? There’s got to be some extra TLC genes in that person. Someone who has a piece in her that understands that life with 3 legs at the end of your leash can be just as exciting, if not more, as life with 4. There would need to be a little adjusting, but adopting a 3-legged dog would be an adventure in any case.

A 3-legged dog owner would have a stem in her that seeks out challenges of the heart. She would be a solutions-oriented, big-hearted, TLC sort of human. A nurturer.

On the flipside is Bella, who would be a teacher in this endeavor. Not only has she gone through life in abusive homes, but she’s gone through them with 3 legs. And as I look at her pretty peppered muzzle, I see such an elegant Doberdame. What a beautiful soul is inside that well-worn sweetheart who deserves a nice big cushion to lay her head on at night, water and food bowls on stands the right height for her, and I bet she likes stuffed toys.

Speaking of bowl stands, Big Lots carries seasonal plant stands. Most importantly, they have them in Dobie height. I scatter them all over my house at my dogs’ favorite time of day, meal time. And when it’s not their favorite time of the day, I stack the stands in a corner. I bet Bella could go for a set-up like that in her new home.

She’s gotta have heart, that girl. Lots and lots of heart. I can’t wait to see who will pick this beauty to adopt.

Ginger’s Somewhat Painful Playtime

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This evening, Luigi

was playing with Ginger

And she yelled in pain a couple of times. I told them both to slow down.

I’ve noticed her getting a little too tired a little too fast, but that is something that happens with maturing. But tonight’s yelps were the first sign of a reality I really don’t want to face. Not fair.