Life Lessons from "Dog"

"Dog is God spelled backwards."

Uhhh... duhhh... could I have the last few seconds of my life back please? Oh well, OK! Lets give that idea some thought. Is it mere coincidence, or could something more be lurking inside this simple idea? 

Its not like the word God spelled backwards is popcorn or airplane or something, it is "dog". Dog is Man's best friend, best companion, most trusted confidant. "Dog" always has time to listen, is always happy to see you, and never holds a grudge. What quality does a "dog" have that one could associate with the notion of the word "God", a concept which has been loved and fought over for centuries? 

Lets put all religious preferences aside, Catholic, Jewish, Hindi, Agnostic, Atheist and everything in between... no matter what you believe in, whatever. Is there one element that exists at the core of a truly happy life?

My guess is that the answer lies in the dominant personality trait associated with "dog". Love, unconditional love. Every minute of our life we have a choice to respond to ourselves, others or a situation with love... or not. It's not really possible to be angry and feel full of love at the same time, is it? Is it possible to act with love and be jealous or spiteful at the same time? Love, unconditional love is what lies at the core of a happy life. 

So I am going to try remember this next time I get impatient with myself or someone else, next time I am filled with road rage or angry at my son for dumping his chocolate milk all over the front seat of the car. I will try to take a deep breath and heal the negative vibe with a little good old fashioned "love".

When a dog offers you his heart 

Accept it with a smile 

For his love will last a lifetime - 

Which is such a little while. 

When a dog offers you his heart 

Take it gladly and with pride 

For he will be a faithful friend 

Ever by your side. 

A dog loves you because you're you - 

Not for how you speak or what job you do 

You could be short, tall, thin or fat 

Or ugly as sin, he doesn't care about that. 

A dog knows if you're good or bad 

He can see inside your soul 

When he decides you're okay 

To earn your love is his main goal. 

When you're sad, he'll comfort you 

And kiss away each tear 

You may even wake up in the morning 

With a cold nose in your ear. 

When eventually the time comes 

And the lights in his eyes dim 

A new star will shine in Heaven 

In remembrance of him. 

You'll gaze up at the midnight sky 

And you will hear him say - 

"I'm so glad you were my human 

We'll meet again some day!" 

So, if this poem has caused a tear to fall 

That's because you love the dog who's giving you his all 

Go travel on together, happily paw in glove 

He's the only one who'll ever give you unconditional love. 

When a dog offers you his heart 

Accept it with a smile 

For his love will last a lifetime - 

Which is such a little while. 

By Hazel Harris-Lane

Love, Liza

Treasure Box : Eco Toes

As the air is cooling up here in the North East, I thought I would share the Eco friendly vendor Infusion from Etsy. These slippers look cozy and cool at the same time.

Eco Toes in Berry $48.00

Keep your babies toes warm this fall as well! These little booties are adorable, and you can add non slip soles to help your toddler get around.

Organic Baby Boots Leaf Green $34.00

One last item to share from this shop is for carrying around... This bag is unique and looks like it would be a great size for an everyday bag. I love the red, but there are quite a few other colors available.

The Rogue in Real Red $79.00

Check it out and have a great day!

Liza

Quick Miso Soup & Ella's Seaweed Salad

I love miso soup and have been in the habit lately of making it for breakfast. I find it is a nice warm salty way to start my day, and the tofu gives me the protein I need to get myself going. Wakame is high in potassium, calcium, B2, B, iron, low in calories, and fat free. I have used the Trader Joe's miso soup packs, which are really yummy. But it is so easy to make it myself, and I think the fresh tofu and miso is probably a little better for you as well? All measurements are approximate, add more or less of something depending on how you like it...

Quick Miso Soup

Quick Miso Soup
3 tbsp. White miso paste (or more if you like)
2 cups water
two handfuls cubed firm tofu
3 tbsp dried Wakame seaweed
soy sauce or tamari (optional)

Bring water to a simmer with the miso, stir to dissolve the miso into a nice broth. Once the miso dissolves add the tofu and wakame. Simmer a few minutes over low heat until the seaweed reconstitutes. Taste the broth, if the white miso taste is a little too sweet for you add a teaspoon or two of either soy sauce or tamari. Yum.

Ella's Seaweed Salad

Ella's Seaweed Salad
I add extra seaweed and tofu to my soup and then spoon it out with a slotted spoon into a little bowl. My daughter l.o.v.e.s this.

Liza

To lyme or not to lyme...

Thanks to one of the wonderful mothers in my sons preschool, I found a fantastic doctor. At the urge of my mother in law I was looking for a Lyme disease specialist. As luck would have it, my first day back from vacation a friend from my sons preschool had read one of my blog posts and inquired about how I was feeling. She spoke to her husband, an infectious disease specialist, and next thing I know I am on the phone with the wonderful doctor at Newton Wellesley Hospital. Lyme is a hot topic in this area and this particular hospital sees plenty of it.

A few tests later and a change of med's and I am feeling much better. In fact the specialist is not sure I ever had Lyme at all! It is a long story which I will not go too far into, but apparently the testing for Lyme can be quite tricky.

From what I understand, the CDC recommends that if a patient is presenting symptoms of Lyme disease that a certain Lyme blood test is administered. If the results of that test are (-) negative there is no further testing to be done on the subject, and the patient is not diagnosed with Lyme. The physician may still decide to prescribe an antibiotic, usually Doxycycline). If the test is (+) positive, then there are two further tests. One of these tests has three markers and one has ten. I assume that this allows the doctor to prescribe a more specific course of treatment.

My first test was negative, but my primary care doctor ordered the other tests as well. Two of the three markers came back "abnormal" which led to my diagnosis as Lyme positive.

At this point I am feeling much better, the specialist wants me to continue on the Doxycycline for the rest of the month. Hopefully that will be the end of this! I do not entirely understand the Lyme disease, testing, or diagnosis... but I guess I don't really care as long as the symptoms are gone, right?

I have to say, I do love the synchronicity life can bring sometimes. I believe if there is something you really need (not to be confused with something you really want), you will get it.

Liza