Chicken Wrangler Sara is in San Antonio at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention where she will be reminded why she teaches and inspired to continue.
Please tune in next Friday for your regularly scheduled installment of Miller Farm Friday.
The bond between you and your senior pet is priceless. However, caring for senior pets tends to come with more measurable costs. You can keep those expenses low with these tips.
The needs of older pets can be different from younger animals. Your senior pet may need soft organic food, a more comfortable bed or even a stroller. Or modifications to your home to help improve your pet’s quality of life; for example, anti-slip treads on staircases can help prevent slips and tumbles, while a doggy door will allow them to come and go as they please to take care of outdoor business.
Stocking up on these essentials does not mean sacrificing your budget. You can usually find all you need by shopping online or with major retailers, and you can find your pet supplies at the best prices for any budget if you do your homework. Better yet, you can boost savings on pet supplies by visiting online sites, like Amazon, Chewy, PetSmart or Petco and learning more about cash back deals from sites like Rakuten. It’s the smartest way to keep your senior pet healthy and your family budget happy all at once.
Vet costs for senior animals tend to be a bit higher than their younger counterparts. This can even deter people from adopting senior pets, but the love of an older companion animal can be truly priceless.
Senior dogs and cats typically require less training, which can help offset those increased care costs, but there are other ways to save on your vet bills as well.
Pet insurance can help with veterinary costs for your pet at any age and can be cost-effective for people with multiple pets. Additionally, most pet insurance policies provide you with rebates for covered pet care costs.
Senior pets tend to have stomach issues and bladder control problems that can spell disaster for your carpets. If your senior pet’s bathroom problems seem to be severe or sudden, you should make an appointment with your vet.
However, you should also stock up on cleaning supplies to address stains and remove odors. You can also make your own pet-safe cleaning supplies. A little vinegar and water are all it takes to eliminate even the smelliest pet messes from your home, and you can score a bottle of vinegar for a couple of dollars.
Pet expenses may increase as animals get older, but your budget doesn’t have to suffer as a result. If you are willing to look for promo codes and research online, you can find ways to save and take care of your senior pets.
You can show your senior pets the love they deserve without sacrificing all your budget needs.
Nick Burton is the co-creator of Our Best Doggo. Together with his wife, they are proud parents of three rescue dogs. After the passing of their 15-year-old lab/terrier mix dog, Willie, they decided to create this website to share all types of dog information and help people that are mourning the loss of a dog.
Be sure to check out his website You’ll find lots of dog-loving information.
About the GraphicRoses in a heart shape, what could say love more? Nothing.
But the quote in the center seemed like an incomplete sentence to this old language arts teacher. Yes that dates me because who teaches language arts anymore. No one.
Anyway, I added Aristotle’s quote to make it more of a sentence.
We won’t discuss the missing capital letter at the start the sentence.
The Aristotle quote spoke to my writer’s heart. When you write a love story, you start with two very different souls and by the end they are bonded as one.
That’s just a love story.
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Time to think about how to show our Valentine love.
French writer François Rabelais offers this suggestion. “Gestures, in love, are incomparably more attractive, effective, and valuable than words.”
How about these impressive gestures of love?
a tomb for his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to the couple’s 14th child.
Simpson. They married in 1937 and spent the rest of their lives in retirement in France. Makes me wonder if Prince Henry’s recent decision to leave the royal family was a gesture of love for his American wife.
Robert Browning during their courtship. “Sonnets from the Portuguese” was published in 1850. That’s where we get the immortal line, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.”
274 days in 1954. He spent the rest of his life sending red roses to her grave in Los Angeles three times a week.My love hasn’t built me a Taj Mahal, but he willingly completes honey-do lists.
He hasn’t abdicated a throne, but he promises me he would if he had one to abdicate.
His love notes aren’t published, but the words surpass Ms. Browning’s sonnets.
I won’t be around to see if he leaves flowers on my grave, but he surprises me often with a lovely bouquet.
I considers all his gestures comparable to those of the people above.
How will you share Valentine love? Are you willing to share some awesome romantic gesture you’re planning or have received?
When Rachel moved out, she could only take one of her dogs. She chose to take Penelope, the younger, more flexible dog.
Sadie seems quite content to have remained with the rest of the pack.
Part of my routine every time I leave the house is to count the dogs. I don’t want to leave one outside to bark and annoy the neighbors.
Of course that reminds me of a song I used to sing to our children.
So my day now starts with a children’s song. Oh wait, my day has always started with a children’s song – I am a music teacher. In this case, however, I am singing to the dogs.
In February thoughts turn to love in a special way. Personally, I think love is meant to be shared year-round, but there is just something about this month that causes us to focus our thoughts on LOVE.
Years ago I created a series of graphics for my Wednesday blog quotes in February. This has been the most popular.
The full quote reads:
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.
Nor hath love’s mind of any judgement taste;
Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste.
And therefore is love said to be a child
Because in choice he is so oft beguiled.
Shakespeare’s words are said to explain Cupid:
I never paid much attention to Cupid until I read Shakespeare’s words. Now I see how Cupid symbolizes of love.
Monday, Again. Time to get to work.
Though writers don’t punch a time clock, Mondays are Mondays, the official notification the weekend is ended. Time to start weekday commitments.
After loose weekend schedules or overly busy weekends, writers have the same reactions as other workers. Ugh!
This particular Monday, I decided to fix a hearty breakfast to fortify me for the busy week ahead.
I pulled out the eggs Chicken Wrangler Sara brought over the weekend. Smiley face eggs on the recycled egg carton grinned at me.
Then I opened the carton and had a special note from Emma the hen who supplied my breakfast.
And a heart that made me smile. I whispered a thank you to Emma. It was a great start for a good week.
Bring it on, Monday. I’m ready.
I find googly eyes very entertaining. They add a whimsical element to anything they touch.
I used them back in October for my Laura Ingalls Wilder Pumpkin.
I found one on the floor in my classroom. I set it on the bookshelf and spent the day feeling like someone was watching me.
I took it home and put it on my piano where a piano student stuck it to my metronome. It makes me smile so I will leave it there.
Recently I saw an article posted on Facebook about a person in Bulgaria who was putting googly eyes on different things around town. There is actually a name for it – “eyebombing.”
This is one of my favorite pictures. from the article.
I wonder what would happen if I carried around googly eyes and placed them on things in my town. It would definitely make me smile. Maybe I should try it.
I ran out of time to find a picture to use to create a quote graphic for today and stumbled upon this fabulous example of procrastination. I know technically it’s not a quote, but it fits my current dilemma.
I procrastinated too long and ended up without an original graphic.
I do that too often.
We all procrastinate sometimes.
We shouldn’t.
We should Just. Do. Whatever it is.
POSTSCRIPT:
I did finally find a picture for today with a quote.
Edie Melson’s graphic depicting Franklin D. Roosevelt’s advice on how to overcome procrastination.
I’m tacking it onto this post to remind myself not to procrastinate so long next time. And you get a two-for-one Wednesday.
Christmas is long gone. January 2020 is fading fast, finally. Why is it January seems ten times longer than the rest of the months? But I digress.
A former schoolteacher, I love decorating for holidays. I guess it’s a holdover from all those bulletin boards I had to do. I have boxes for Valentine’s, St. Patrick Day, Texas Independence Day, 4th of July, and, since I live in Texas again, boxes of Fall décor. Then comes Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations and there are several boxes of those.
Anyway, I’m getting out my February decorations box for Valentine’s Day and what do I find? Leftover Christmas.
I’m surprised guests who’ve been to the house didn’t notice.
Maybe not the counted cross stitch Merry Christmas heart, but the guest hand towels were pretty obviously leftovers. I guess they pretended not to notice.
I appreciate the kindness.
The leftover discovery was really disconcerting. I believed I had all Christmas tucked away by Epiphany. That’s January 6, my yearly goal though it doesn’t always happen. Oblivious.
This year I honestly thought I’d aced the put away Christmas. Then this discovery.
I’d feel badly except I still see Christmas clearance items in stores next to Valentine’s Day merchandise. Unlike those retail stores who will hang onto leftover Christmas until it’s reduced to practically free, I’ve stuffed my two little leftovers in their boxes to come out again next Christmas.
