7 Months Later

Well, here we are seven months down the road and into a new year.  It's been a day-by-day journey for me since July 4th when I was involved in a motorcycle accident and suffered a crushed ankle and twisted back.  I still sport massive pieces of hardware in my leg that cause me continuous discomfort, like wearing an iron shackle that's just a bit too tight.... for way too long .  Seven months of pain, I've discovered, is much like Chinese water torture;  slowly wearing away the energy, joy and spirit of this gentle soul.  I am broken.  

Over this amount of time I have had the opportunity to experience what TTouch is like on an injury and how much a body part can crave touch ..... making the purposeful, mindful effect of TTouch absolutely, completely extraordinary.   It is overwhelmingly wonderful, often times bringing me to tears.... although the tears can be attributed to the head injury.... this was my 5th in life (yes, I was wearing a helmet, which no doubt saved my life!).  .... I am without doubt that TTouch has been deeply helpful in the cellular healing of my ankle, improving its circulation, neural repair, feeling/sensation, as well as overall flexibility and elasticity.   I have witnessed how TTouch can influence and improve behavior in our companion animals, but to actually feel improvement in an area of injury/disturbance is absolutely astounding.


Rehabilitating, moving gently and carefully have been the order of my days and so I distract myself with things that bring me joy.   I have been learning to make cheese and other easy cooking games as well as exercising my joy of photography and a very deep seated love of writing.   I'm (finally!) working on getting myself published.   Although this is supposed to be a blog 'just' about TTouch;  the truth is I'm lazy and have a lot of other stuff to share, so we'll explore cheese making, crock pot cooking, herb growing, household tips and a variety of interesting things along with TTouch. 

I want to point out that despite my broken status, I can still see clients.
My place or yours... within decent driving distance, of course.


Next time I'll be doing a nice tutorial on making Mozzarella cheese.  I'll need to wait a week or so till I'm actually making the cheese again so that I can include good pictures of the process.  It's a relatively easy thing to make and almost impossible to ruin, but for sure it takes technique and practice.   I'll guide you as best I can.  You'll love the results!  Literally.

Welcome back ~  I hope you'll hang with me and have some fun, too.   I've had too many close calls in life and you know, there is nothing more wonderful than the human connection.  Don't be a stranger.

Certified Practitioner!

The Tellington TTouch practitioner training consists of 6 one week training sessions and takes about 18 months to 2 years to complete.   I am so joyous to have just completed my 6th training session and I'm now officially a P1 Companion Animal Practitioner!! 

What a week it was.  I purposefully selected Linda Tellington-Jones class in Rockville, Maryland, not just because it was "her" and it was close, but also because I graduated on my husbands' birthday ~ the guy who's been most supportive of me throughout my training.  My best friend.  Love you, Steve... and thank you, from the core of my soul.

Part of the graduation process is giving a presentation to the class.  Since 2/3's of the participants were attending their first training session, I covered a topic that I found confusing at my first training, the 'Balance Lead' configurations, how to fit a harness, and the leash configurations for the Double Diamond and the Suitcase.... leash work that is brilliant and effective with dogs who jump, twist, lunge or pull on the leash.   The class was thrilled.   The assistants, TTouch practitioners, were glowing as was Linda with how I'd presented this valuable subject.   ... Thank you my Spirit Dog, "Smoky" for being a very patient demo dog ("Smoky" is one of my stuffies, the Basset Hound).

So, what do I get to do now?  In addition to private client sessions, I can give short presentations and/or demonstrations as well as teach 1-day workshops. 

Coming dates of note in all things TTouch around East Tennessee:

August 7, 2012  ~ "Introduction to TTouch"   presentation.  Smoky Mountain Bulldog Club, monthly meeting located in W. Knoxville.  7pm

October 9 - 14, 2012  ~  TTouch Training, Chapel Hill, NC.  Introduction & ongoing companion animal training taught by Debby Potts. 

This is a beautiful Golden-Doodle who was one of the many dogs at my most recent training.  Layla is a large breed who grew fast, as they will do.  It's very common for dogs such as Layla to be clumsy or unbalanced from this rapid growth.  They simply don't know where they are in space.    Layla had a difficult time with this balance board and after a while with help and guidance that is the essence of TTouch, Layla is walking with all four feet comfortably on the balance board for the first time.    Layla's helpers are in the "Homing Pigeon" to offer Layla added support as well as the Half Wrap that Layla is wearing to bring awareness to her body.


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You might ask

Many people come to me for one session or two with the feeling that they'll be able to take away enough TTouch knowledge to teach to others in their own dog-related environment as they found the work so useful for their own dog.

I can promise that a client will go away with some new knowledge on how to connect with that animal, how to read him/her better and how to be more effective in dealing with that animal.  They may incorporate some of what they learned into their practice, but it is in no way shape or form anywhere close to the 2 years it takes to become a certified Tellington TTouch practitioner.  

However, it's great advertising!   Rock on and keep doing your circles.

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"Hey, didn't you move your practice to Lenoir City?"

Yes.  I did.  While I was in DC for my final week of training the governor of the property decided we should leave, asap.   What happens now?  Well, I have a very nice shaded gravel driveway and shaded yard with a wonderful view that are perfect for doing TTouch.  It's totally weather dependent of course, but if you enjoy a quiet outdoor surrounding and a nice view of the lake, it's a nice place to learn TTouch.   ...Bug repellant is a must for mosquitoes but there are few ticks.  That is a perk! 

My TTouch tools are coming home to roost and a new office is forming to run our various entities and businesses.  Considering how much I love being around my garden, this move is good.   I feel the grounds here are more reasonable and pleasing than where I was.... just a bit harder to find, is all.

I'll have to find a "place" for workshops, though.  If you or your organization/business would like to host one let me know! 

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"How's the Lyme Disease?"

Well, I'm pretty sure we're past that now.  Having been "down" for six weeks knocks the stuffing out of ya, but I'm coming back gracefully in that respect.  My diet and GI took a real beating with the illness and meds, which persisted long after the meds were history.   I'm enjoying regular doses of yogurt and probiotics in addition to having made peace with and enjoying my new (very healthy and somewhat reduced!) diet.    ... My skin is still quite thin and burns easily.  I don't know if this will bounce back or not.  My skin gets less elastic with each passing year.  I don't mind the change and welcome shade.

The Lyme Disease Trip ~ Part 2

My test results came back negative but this is no surprise to me and I'll tell you why.  

Lyme Disease is a tiny bacterium that invades the body fully and causes havoc as well as great pain for the human.  The bacterium are too small to be detected in a typical blood test ~ but the body's natural antibodies against the bacterium CAN be detected in a routine blood test.  SO, if the person has had Lyme Disease for a long period of time there will be plenty of antibodies running around.  IF the person caught the disease recently (as I did), there are not enough antibodies present in the blood to be detected, so a 'negative' blood test can result and be rather deceiving.    .... Since my test was negative, that says that I have not been living with this disease for a long period of time (Yay!) and that the treatment should be effective (Yay!  Again). 

What is the typical treatment for Lyme Disease?  Massive doses of antibiotic for a long period of time.   Up until this time, the most potent antibiotic I've had was about 20mg doses over a 5 day period for a sinus infection.  That seemed pretty potent.   The antibiotics for Lyme is 100mg doses over a 20 day period.   Twenty days.   Nothing foreign within my body will survive this onslaught.   Dairy must be avoided within a 4 hour window around each and every dose, twice a day.  That's half my day 'dairy free'.   Why?  Dairy binds with the antibiotic and reduces its effectiveness.    Sun exposure is to be avoided as well as this antibiotic thins the skin and increases sensitivity.... so, either stay inside or lather on the sunscreen, don a hat and covering clothing.   So I stay inside and drink a lot of water.   LOL

The first 3 days of treatment were the worst and even then it wasn't too bad.  The disease itself is far worse, symptomatically.   With the antibiotic I just feel tired and as the days progress my stomach gets more edgy and unhappy ~ no doubt the declining number of bacteria in my gut.   Yogurt cups are carefully timed and consumed each and every day!  .... Sure, it's a pain with all the discomfort and inconvenience, but I will say that the disease is SO much worse that 20 days of chemical crap is a small price to pay.

I hope this little jaunt into what Lyme Disease is and how it feels will be helpful to someone.  I hope MORE that you'll join me in taking every precaution in avoiding getting bitten in the first place ~ and knowing the signs if you do.

Speaking of pooches ~  Dogs get Lyme Disease too!  
According to all I've read, dogs do not show the tell-tale rash like we do (plus they have all that body hair to hide it, even if they DID!).   So, what's an owner to do?  Watch for the signs:  8 to 12 days after infection the biggest sign is extreme tiredness and maybe reduced appetite.   Lyme Disease can be fatal to dogs.   The best advice is to faithfully use monthly preventative. 

The Lyme Disease Trip ~ part 1

I'm lying in bed, the only place that's truly comfortable right now, all snugged between well softened sheets coated in handmade quilts, a soft breeze and welcome 'white noise' of a fan gently blowing from the other side of the room.
I'm bored!  I've been here way too long.  I'd rather be doing ANYTHING else.
I'm sipping soup and wishing the phone would ring.  I've been asleep all morning since taking my antibiotic.  That helps the time to pass and removes me from my discomfort for a while.  I'm waiting to hear from the doctors office.  I'm waiting to be told what I already know.  I have Lyme Disease.

I know so little about it, but I (thankfully!) took note of the symptoms, apparently.  At least I knew to worry.  Here's my journey:


I got home from Chapel Hill, North Carolina and my 5th TTouch training on Thursday March 29th.  Sometime that weekend (April 1st) I found a tick on my groin.  I was pretty freaked about that.   Less than a week later I removed a tick from my right shoulder/upper back, that was April 7th.  I remember the date of this bite because I was frustrated that I had gotten bitten by 2 ticks within a week and no doubt it was my dogs who transported the little vampires into my vicinity.  I shared my frustration on FaceBook, "I really appreciate that modern flea and tick repellants work so great for our pets. I'd really like my own tick repellant, PLEASE!!... I feel so left out... I feel so vulnerable. I'm developing an unnatural reaction to every little itch!"

Both bites itched for about a week, a normal reaction to being bitten by a tick.  The first bite on my groin was back to normal after a week with no color or skin disturbance where the bite had been.  Whew.  But, I continued to monitor it ~ all the while the bite on my shoulder still distracted me with its itch, but I had been bitten there later, so it didn't really register.

(April 14th, seven days later)  The bite on my shoulder still itches and is still red and a bit raised, the area is about an inch in diameter.  I can feel bumps in the skin around it, like small welts that haven't broken the surface of the skin.  They itch too and I assume its contact dermatitis.   I mysteriously get poison ivy in this area several times a year thanks to a snugly Dachshund, or scratching an itch while gardening.  Since I have an itch in the area I'm pretty sure I've added poison ivy to the mix.  So, I'll make it a point to not scratch directly, maybe gently rub through a t-shirt when the area is bothering me... which is frequent.

(April 16th, nine days later).   The bite is about the same, though since I can't see it easily, I don't think about it much.  It still itches.  The dermatitis isn't going away, but I don't expect it too, yet.  My knees are terribly sore and aching today and I take several 'breaks' going up or down the steps on the front walk.  It must be the rain coming in, my arthritis is going nuts.  I decide that I must cut back on sugar & sweets because me knees feel so swollen.  I attribute all my aches and pains to the change in weather pressure, arthritis and diet.   I'm unusually tired all day and simply help myself to more caffeinated beverages.  Than call it an early night for a change.  No thoughts of 'a problem' have entered my subconscious. 

(April 18th, eleven days later).   Today I feel like I'm walking through thick molasses with lead ankle weights.  Absolutely exhausted and listless the and more achy than usual.   After resting most of the morning, I gather myself up and decide it's high time to give the dogs a bath, they certainly need it, anyway.  Nestle has gotten into something.  It's bath time!   
I can not believe how physically demanding and difficult it is to bathe the dogs!  I can barely move!  It is surreal, like an out-of-body experience.  My limbs are like lead and I can not move without a great deal of effort.   It takes me 90 minutes to do the 30 minute job of washing both little dogs, trimming their nails and blow drying them.  I've done it a thousand times.  I'm astonished at how slow and difficult it was!   My subconscious puts on her reading glasses while seated behind her executive desk and begins reciting the symptoms of Lyme Disease to me, "extreme exhaustion, feels like you can't hardly move, body aches and pains...".   I look at the bite on my groin, it's history by all appearances.  The area looks fine, the one on my shoulder just has poison ivy... I rationalize my thoughts without thinking to take a look at it in the mirror.  The thought had begun to trickle in and my subconscious keeps up her symptomatic lecturing as I busy myself.
After cleaning up from the enormously long dog bathing routine, I decide to take a shower.  My husband arrives home and comes in the bathroom to greet me.  He parts the shower curtain to say hello when he sees my shoulder.  "Oh my, Kat.  You should have a took at that tick bite...."   Oh, my God.  The color drains from my face.  Lyme Disease.  I don't mention my symptoms to him.  I must see the bite.  I quickly finish my shower.
I turn my back to the mirror once I'm out of the shower and dried off.  Wow!  An area the size of a silver dollar around the bite is yellowish orange and puffy.  Around that is a huge red ring of welts, all told about 4-6 inches in diameter ~ and it itches terribly.  Oh my God.  That's NOT poison ivy.   I get dressed and head to the living room.  It's 6:30.   The doctor's office won't be open.
My daughter, Sarah, is on her computer.   "Sarah, please go to Google Images and look up "Lyme Disease" and compare what you get to this", I turn away from her and pull up my shirt to show her my bite.  I catch the hitch in her breath when she sees it.  I feel the same way, too.
"Yeah, that's it.  Mom."   Is all she can say in breathy utter astonishment.  I really wished in that moment that the doctors office was open, or that this warranted a visit to the ER.  I really don't want to do research on the Internet and learn my fate in this moment so I head off to the kitchen and prepare dinner.   I take a moment to post on Facebook.   Since no one is sure, it doesn't seem worth worrying about....yet.  But folks should know I'm harboring deep worry for my health.
I check on FaceBook after dinner and I'm astonished with the response!  I really don't want to believe this is serious.  I'm scared.  Symptoms are starting to increase and I'm beginning to understand what they mean by "flu like symptoms", the only thing absent is the vomiting and fever.   The level of tired is astonishing.  Maybe this is why my knees ache so much and the overall discomfort in my bones is increasing rapidly.  I'm very uncomfortable and tired.  Thankfully the sleep induced tired takes me away from the discomfort and I find the urge to take naps welcoming.

(April 19th ~ twelve days later)   I wake feeling fine, but I know that this will end by mid-morning if not sooner.  I can't wait to get to the doctor!  After dropping off the kids I head straight to Urgent Care and thankfully they're already open and not busy.  It won't be a long wait.  Already I'm physically uncomfortable with the aching.  My hips are still screaming at me from the drive.  My knees really want me to go lie down and they join the aching chorus.  My muscles feel like noodles.  I really want to get this over-with and go home.
Dr. R is his usual chipper self and greets me with a warm, "it's been a while".  I smile, I've been healthy and accident free for quite some time and so have the kids.  I tell him why I'm there and he has no doubt, he knows I do my homework and my symptoms are spot on.  ...Glad we're on the right track but I so wish it were a different train...   Dr. R. gives me the option of just going ahead and treating it or getting the test as well.  I opt for having the test done as well and he adds that they'll check for Rocky Mtn. Spotted Fever in addition to Lyme Disease.  Oh yeppie, I hadn't even considered that one.
I'm home by 10:30 and take my first antibiotic.  The roofers are much farther along than I had anticipated.  I get settled in and scoot out to the back porch to clean up dog poop before the roofers are working over there ~ ick.  It needs doing anyway.   While in the midst of that, I hear it coming and without a glance I ran like hell.  A large sheet of metal roofing is sliding down the roof barreling right towards me!  I turned to see if I was clear of it when it slams into the side of my face.  My head ducked and my arms deflecting it surely saved the day.  I run inside, shocked to see blood and spend the rest of the morning icing my face and doing TTouches to the surprisingly small (though deep) gash on my cheekbone. 
Despite all my intentions to have a somewhat productive day, I end up under the covers in bed, fast asleep till it's time to go pick up the kids from school.  Thank goodness my daughter can drive and she takes over driving us back home where I nap again till dinner time.
The gash on my face is much better than it has any right to be.  I cry fiercely about it.  I don't want anyone blamed or to get in trouble.  It was an accident and no one knew I was there.  I agree with my lawyer husband that the workers need to be more careful about tossing large metal knives through the air and I need to stay inside.   I should have needed stitches.  It should have been much worse.  It should be swollen and painful and bruised.  But, it's not.   It's very much a 'non issue' to me compared to this disease coursing through my body. 

Today ~ April 20th.   I'm still waiting for my test results, but I'm without doubt ~no matter the results~ that I'm dealing with Lyme Disease.  I'm holding on to the fact that it was caught early and hope deeply that the treatment will work and I'll be fit as a fiddle in a couple of weeks.   The ache in my bones is beyond anything I've experienced.  Worse than the flu, as far as I can remember.  As long as I don't 'do' much, I don't experience the leaden feeling I did bathing the dogs a couple days ago.  I'm beyond physically tired.  Absolutely exhausted.  I'm glad the antibiotics make me sleepy, naps help the day go by and give me a vacation from the ache.  The ache.  The awful, painful ache.
I stay inside today and just rest.  I know the roofers were spoken to about the errant sheet of roofing that hit me.  I know they're as horror stricken as I am about how that could have (and frankly should have) played out.  I just want to stay out of the way and I want to sleep.  I am sooo tired.  My flu-like symptoms are much more than they were even yesterday.  I really hope it's the drugs doing their job that's causing all this agony.  I really hope it stops soon.

Thursday April 19th.  The yellow center is gone and is much less 'bulls-eye' like than the day before.  Approximate size is 4" x 6"

This is my gash (pictured 18 hours after impact) from the sheet of metal roofing that came down on me.  I was hit hard enough that I should have a black eye and a swollen, heavily bruised cheek.  Thanks to a couple hours of TTouch, it looks pretty good and there's very little tenderness.  ~Beyond fortunate!!

Magic Moments & 5th Training Session

Last week was my 5th (and next to last) TTouch Training session in Chapel Hill, NC with one of my most adored instructors, Edie Jane Eaton.    What a wonderful week of learning and touching base with good friends and colleagues in the amazing world of TTouch!

My friend and wonderful teacher, Edie Jane Eaton

So, I have this issue with crate training.  It's always been an issue for me.  That whole, 'toss 'em in the crate' and then the dog cries, complains and basically becomes stressed out approach just leaves me raw and I won't do it.  It stresses me out.  I haven't successfully crate trained Nestle due to the anxiety associated with the whole process and it's bothered me a ton while at trainings as I can't leave my dogs for a moment without it being a major stress event for everyone.  Not fun.    Two little things changed this for me and we found success (at long last)!!

First, I had my well worn house slippers with me and they spent the week in the dogs crates ~ my aroma in their space (I also used them to 'hide' treats for the dogs to find).  Second, I had a huge bag of doggie treats and I was very patient.   The first day I would occasionally toss treats in each crate for the dogs to root around and retrieve.  In they went, got rewarded and out they came.  That was the first day.

The second day Nestle figured out that if he stayed in the crate he got more treats.  Jazz followed suit.   On the third day, I moved the dogs favorite blankets into their crates so if they wanted to be comfortable, inside the crate was the best choice.  Nestle caught on right away, and Jazz, though less enthusiastic about being in the crate would do so for treats.  Nestle was by this time settling down in his crate and I could gently close the door (without latching it) to get him used to the 'enclosed' sensation.  All was progressing well.

By the 4th day I was able to close both dogs in their crates and walk a short distance away with no reactivity from either one.  Yay!  And by the final day, both dogs were comfortable in their crates for short periods, whether I was in sight or not.  

Nestle napping in his crate on day 6

I'm elated that the side note to my 5th TTouch training is a huge milestone in crate training for Mr. Nestle!  All that was missing for me was the suggestion of tossing treats in the crate and from there the gradual progression to being in the crate was made much easier.

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Part of the TTouch training is working with real clients for students doing sessions 3 and higher.  So, on Wednesday I met my client, Darwyn, a young Border Collie who experiences severe fear issues with strangers.  Darwyn has a wonderful and knowledgeable guardian who's done wonders with the handsome young fellow as far as bonding and training for athletic events.  A truly gifted dog and dedicated owner.

When Darwyn arrived for his session he was nearly catatonic with reactivity and fear.  He was crouched low, his tail tucked beneath him, his head low and whipping around wildly, frantic with fear and his respiration was quite high.  He could not be still.   Our hour began with establishing trust and working through some of the ground equipment to keep Darwyn moving.  After which I coached the owner in doing some specific TTouches to help Darwyn gain body awareness and begin to relax.  We worked on ear ttouches, belly and python lifts, tail ttouches, leg circles and the zig-zag ttouch.   Darwyn calmed considerably!  His respiration came down, he engaged more into his surroundings, his tail relaxed and he was able to stand still and in balance.  We put a half wrap on Darwyn and he visibly relaxed more as we again negotiated the ground equipment.  The owner was clearly delighted with Darwyn's progress!   By session's end, we had fitted a Thundershirt to Darwyn as they're so much easier to manipulate than wraps in some cases and more socially acceptable than an Ace wrap.  lol     We finished up with a recap on the TTouches taught.

Darwyn

This is a picture of Darwyn shortly after our client session.  Here we are in a large room full of TTouch students and their dogs as well as other clients and their dogs, assistants and the instructor.  With all the stimulus around Darwyn, he is relaxed, content and falling asleep!  Sure, sleepiness is a way of dealing with stress, but it's a good choice over being a crazy maniac.    When it was the owners turn to share her session experience she finished by saying, "I don't know who this dog is.  It's not Darwyn.  But I'll take this new dog home anyway!"   .... The next day an email was received by the owner who happily reported that Darwyn had allowed a stranger to approach and pet him.  A first!!

The power and effect of TTouch therapy continually amazes and delights me.  It is an honor and a privilege for me to be able to bring this work to dogs and their owners and witness such wonderful and dramatic change as Darwyn experienced.  It is joyful work.   I LOVE having a joyful job!

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All things being well, my next and final TTouch training (and graduation!) will be the first week of June in DC under the wonderful teachings of the founder, Linda Tellington-Jones.   I will graduate on my husband's birthday!   ... Between now and then I still need a few more case studies to complete my training and actually graduate.    If you've been considering giving TTouch a try, I hope Darwyn's story helps open possibilities for you.  

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The first Tuesday in August I will be giving a TTouch presentation at the Smoky Mountain Bulldog Club at their monthly meeting in West Knoxville.
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If you'd like to be part of that, please contact the club.  It's sure to be a fun evening!

Acupressure enchancement

The spring equinox is nearly here and I couldn't be more pleased!  Already I am physically sore from my doings in the garden during the recently lovely afternoons.   Forsythia, daffodil, hyacinth and cherry and Bradford Pear trees are in full bloom while Red Bud and Dogwood swell with impending brilliance and lawns are returning to their vibrant green hue.  I LOVE SPRING!

Brenna 1990-2001 & Mac 1994-2008

I've received my text books for companion animal acupressure and I'm deeply intrigued and fascinated as I delve into my reading.  I won't be enrolling till summer but couldn't resist beginning with what is readily available.  The dogs have been sweet and willing participants as I trace meridian lines and gently get acquainted with acupoints ~ I dare say they LOVE the experience!    It delights me no end that as I become familiar with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and the flow of Chi through the body, my way of doing & seeing TTouch has changed dramatically in accordance with TCM and how wonderful it is to see our companion animals with ever increasing vision and depth.  I think the dogs like it, too. 

TTouch session 5, which will be my next-to-last training for full certification, begins a week from Saturday ~ March 24th!  I'm very much looking forward to the experience and the people, many of whom I consider good friends.  Jazz & Nestle will accompany me, as usual.  

  

Thundershirt Weekend

Last week was a lively one in the way of weather all across the US.   My family and I were entertaining a visitor from the UK whom we pointed out that watching local weather during prime time television is not a regular event and we were doing that twice last week.   Tornadoes were confirmed on the other end of the county and a couple of neighboring counties.  A neighbor lost a stately old tree which was kind enough to miss all nearby structures.   Flash flooding was present though not devastating.  

And it was a Thundershirt kind of event as well.   How did your canine companions do?

Friday night was quite intense for us and the little dogs welcomed wearing their Thundershirts through the worst of the storm.   Before having their Thundershirt, both dogs would shake, hide, pant and experience a moderate level of fear and anxiety.   Nearly a year (and a few storms) later, they hardly react to most storms  and only rarely experience concern that warrants wearing their Thundershirts. 

Twenty years ago I had a Border Collie who nearly died from storm fright and experienced a high level of anxiety at even the tamest of storms.  He required moderate medication his entire life until deafness offered the ultimate relief.   Imagine how much he would have been helped with TTouch and a Thundershirt!