Herbs - Hemp

Early January 2010 I was assisting with admitting my Mother to a long-term care facility for her dementia/Alzheimer's way out there in California near one of my brothers'. During a "care planning" meeting, one of the very kind administrators was going over supplements, diet, etc., when she mentioned that Hemp oil is much higher in essential fatty acids (EFA's) than fish oils and she highly recommended it for our Mother. This was important because Mom had been carefully managing her cholesterol for many years and EFA's were an essential part of that regiment. .... Did I freak out when the hemp supplement was mentioned? No...but I was surprised as I had had no knowledge of this product existing or its benefits....legalness, etc.

Over a year later, I'm in an organic market and I run across a big-ol-bag of hemp powder and (to the horror of my friend), I purchased it! Which brought to mind the stigma of "Hemp" and a thriving population who haven't learned that there's a difference in organic hemp and the illegal bastard cousin of the stuff ~ which causes all sorts of interesting expressions.

There's hemp and then there's HEMP. They're all in the same family, but varieties differ in THC levels (that's the magic ingredient) by an order of magnitude. Commercial hemp powders and oils sold in organic markets contain almost no THC. Sure, the THC is its claim to fame, but this plant offers so much more.

Oils rich in EFA's are oily. I find feeding an EFA rich oil kind of dicey when it comes to dogs. I don't want loose stools to be the side effect. In fact, I don't want loose stools at all. Loose stools suggest an allergy, illness, or (in this case) a reduction in nutrient absorption. Traditional EFA oils have that one benefit going for them. Hemp offers a whole lot more: it cleanses the liver by burning fat; it is environmentally friendly being grown without pesticides; while oils contain omega-3 EFA's, hemp contains omega-3 AND omega-6; hemp is also high in protein (37%); it is easy to digest, and hemp is very high in fiber (43%).

I gravitated towards using hemp powders as a supplement when Elvis was diagnosed with diabeties. What woke me up was the commercial "prescription" diabetic diet produced by a famous kibble-making company found in every vets office. Obediently I followed along when the vet told me to switch to this RX diet. I then watched Elvis's blood sugar steadily rise over the following days to my complete and utter confusion and horror. THEN I read the ingredient label. Let this be a lesson.... read the labels! This "RX" kibble lists CORN as it's FIRST ingredient.

Remember what I told you about corn? Corn is a carbohydrate. The body burns it for fuel just like sugar. So, I freaked out a little bit. I donated the remainder of this expensive bag of crap and went back to our former (grain free) kibble. The vet was astonished when I informed her of all that had transpired. The dog food folks had told her that the "corn" was for fiber.
What an utterly crappy way to provide fiber for an animal with a sugar-regulating deficiency!!! I have no respect for the manufacturers of dog foods anymore... read the label. Don't believe their interpretation of the truth**.

Hemp powder is starting to sound pretty good after that! Loads of fiber, Omega-3's and Omega-6's, highly palatable, sugar free and protein rich. I put a large amount in the home brew I prepare every few days.

Now you know. Organic hemp contains no THC (or very little) and offers loads of benefits for you and your fur friends. Most health food stores will carry some variety of hemp supplement to try. I like the powder as it's higher in fiber... which is what Elvis needs.

Interested in the other benefits of organic hemp? Hemp was the plant originally used to make bullet-proof clothing before the invention of "modern" fabrics. Our constitution is written on hemp paper because of it's strength and lasting aspects. Hemp clothing is making a comeback as it's easy to produce and is long wearing. Hemp was the favored choice for marine rope long before synthetics came along. Hemp is natural. Nylon is not. So, some varieties of hemp are used for purposes other than clothing, rope, food supplements and the like.... those varieties are potent in specific areas and illegal in the US.... but, we're not talking about those hemps here. Night and day. Apples and oranges.

**I saw an ad a while back that pointed out that dogs and wolves are 90+% alike so they should be fed alike because that's the right thing to do. ....... Yeah, apes and humans are 99.7% the same but we don't eat the same stuff or look like twins! ......Ads will sell your sense of intelligence short at every opportunity. Use your noodle.

Herbs - Chamomile

I have been patiently waiting for my chamomile plants to bloom so I can give it a try on the critters.... but those blooms are being evasive even though the plants are growing and spreading nicely. During my impatient wait, I gravitated towards commercial chamomile tea! Fresh is always best and more potent... but commercial tea is worth a try and quite effective.

Chamomile is very mild and gentle, even safe for use in puppies and yes, I've used it on the cat and kitten. It is served as a tincture... which basically means "tea". How do you get your pets to sit nicely and sip tea?... LOL (love that image!) .... we pour it on their food. No pinky finger extension necessary.

Chamomile has many wonderful uses in addition to its sedative qualities. It is helpful for expelling worms; antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, pain reliever and also helps relieve anxiety and insomnia. Useful for gas, indigestion and vomiting as well. I most appreciate the qualities of chamomile for its calming effects, tummy tamer and help in keeping those internal areas parasite and pain free.

To prepare I use a lidded glass jar that'll handle boiling water (one with a sealing lid is best that goes "pop!" as it cools). Depending on the size of the jar, add 1-3 bags of chamomile tea, pour boiling water over it, lid it and let steep till cool enough to refrigerate. I don't remove the tea bags. What I look for is a nice medium to dark amber color. If it's too light shake vigorously and see if that darkens the tea, otherwise reheat and add another tea bag. I like the sealing lids because I can let my jar sit on the counter a long time to cool and steep without any worries, but that's just me.

At meal times I pour the chamomile tea over their food enough to just wet it and mix in. Nestle's 14.5 pound self gets about 1/4 cup per day spit into two feedings. Jazz (24 pounds) gets about the same. Elvis the huge (130 pounds) gets about 1 cup per day, total. His tea is diluted with regular water for wetting his food (he likes it really wet!).

Why does Nestle get a larger portion relative to his size? Have you met this dog? ... LOL ... Nestle has more nervous issues than the other two by an order of magnitude. Anything that can assist this little guy in feeling more centered and calm in life is a gift. Elvis gets so much less because I'm aiming more at the healing, anti-microbial, pain relieving qualities for him with his diabetes. Same for Jazz.

Within days of adding chamomile tea to meals, my husband noted (more than once) how calm and content everyone seemed to be... most especially Nestle. His new calm makes receiving TTouches during stress much more effective as that impenetrable edge is not so impenetrable!

Chamomile can also be given topically to irritated skin by steeping flowers (or a tea bag), letting cool to a comfortable temperature then applying as a compress (soaked towel) to the affected area.

NOTE**
Some dogs may be allergic to the plant. Check for sensitivity first.
Do not give to pregnant or lactating bitches.

Looking down the road....

I am so excited that the near future will bring East Tennessee TTouch to an indoor location complete with air conditioning and heat (not that we care about that "heat" aspect right now...)!!

Long ago, far, far away, my dear husband of lifelong musical talent gradually found himself turning his flair for bringing out the best in an acoustic instrument into a growing business. In 2004 we moved to a "real" business location not too far from our home, in an old convenience store from the 1930's. Our little music shop is just that... little. It's a great place to visit way out in the countryside and by the banks of the Tennessee river... yes, we used to commute by water. ... And in case you were wondering, he named the shop after me... "Gianna" is my middle name.

My sweetie husband approached me with the offer to reorganize the music shop in our little store and to make room for dogs! Whoopie! We all know that going through the labyrinth in my driveway in mid-January is not going to be any fun at all for client, the dog or me. And with the recent "pop up" thunderstorms... having no worries with weather will be a blessing!

Here's to the joyous announcement that in the very near future, clients and their doggies will have a place to experience TTouch that is welcoming and comfortable for all creatures ..... as it should be.

I can hardly wait

Steve with the Suzuki Volusia in front of our shop.

Ice Cream & Summer Solstice

In hind sight this was pretty cute. I hope you enjoy it.

There dwells near our very rural dwelling & shop a "Dollar General" store. Steve discovered its conveniences (and surprisingly low prices) while I was out of town for a TTouch training. I had the joy of taking in the conveniences of the "Dollar General" store just the other day..... Summer Solstice.

'Burgers on the grill' was on the menu. All I needed was "everything" except the meat and condiments. I figured for a "basics" sorta store, they were sure to have it. Steve chimed after me, "Get some ice cream?" He's a vanilla kind o' guy.

Ice cream by the carton had only a couple of flavors, none of which were close to vanilla, so I explored other options. I ended up getting a carton of vanilla ice cream sandwiches. That seemed like a reasonable substitution.

After dinner my husband (who voted for ice cream over smores) opened the freezer to find no carton of vanilla ice cream, but a carton of Klondike Bars.

"You got KLONDIKE BARS for me?" he asked/exclaimed in an overwhelmed sort of voice. "I never get Klondike bars for myself, because they're so special!"

"Have two, then." I replied.

Joyous Summer Solstice to you!

History

I mention it in passing because it was a turning point for me. It's not the big deal that it once was, it just changed my life radically and ultimately for the better. So, what was this bike wreck that I mention from time to time? I deleted the blog after the drama and legal crap came to an end. I just didn't want to "dwell" anymore. Here's the story:

in 2006 I was an avid road cyclist (I still am... I just don't get out much, LOL) logging in well over 100 miles per week. Cycling for me was like breathing.   In April my Dad was diagnosed with metastasized lung cancer at the age of 80. He was a disconnected, stressed, angry human whom I did not have a loving, wonderful relationship with. The only way I could show support that "might" register with him, and an ideal way for me to "deal" with his illness ~ was to ride. So I rode a lot, logging in 600+ miles per month.  In May I signed up for Lance Armstrong's cancer awareness entity, the "LiveSTRONG Challenge".   I was to ride 60 miles on a tandem with my daughter, in Philadelphia, PA.   We raised the money and off we went... where we had a ride ending crash 10 miles in. ... Uh NO! That's not "the crash". That was a road bump. No one was hurt, just one cycling shoe died, a couple of abraded knees... and some wounded pride. We had a good time anyway.

2007 came and Dad was still with us.   Since he was all about fitness I signed up to do the LiveSTRONG challenge in Philadelphia that August. I was to ride 100 miles on Dad's behalf.    July came and Dad lost his battle with cancer on Friday, July 20th.   I contemplated canning my LiveSTRONG ride.   After all, Dad was dead and I lost weeks of training miles in those final weeks.    My mentor cheered me out of quitting.     ....Thank you, Marc!

August 26th, 2007 arrived and I was amongst thousands of cyclists and completed my very first 100 mile ride in one day (my ODO registered 109 miles).... with Lance Armstrong!   It was amazing and a real high point for me. The ride was difficult, challenging, joyous, moving, heartfelt, lonely, exhausting and exhilarating all that the same time.   My reward of pizza and beer never tasted so good!    I did it.    I was elated.    That was on a Sunday.

Tuesday morning, the 28th, we were home again and ready to hit the road for a little loosening up. I was tired, but ot exhnausted and needed to get out get out and get my legs spinning. It was a lovely morning! I remember it well. Crystal clear morning and a pleasant stillness with a taste of autumn just barely there. My husband Steve, and I were about 10 miles out when we came upon a rarely traveled road known for its steep decent followed by an equally (very) steep assent. I was feeling fit, so off we went. As we began the decent, I feel in behind Steve in a draft formation. Suddenly, from behind large bushes to our right a LARGE dog came charging out at my husband who was picking up speed and pulling away rapidly.   The dog had not seen me, so I drifted silently away from him to the left to avoid him all together, giving me a chance to floor it and ghost past him before being caught.

It was a good plan, but it didn't work out that way. As I was picking up speed, the dog saw me and immediately changed course my direction. I spun up, but he caught me with his whole body slamming my rear wheel at full speed. That makes for some incredible things to happen, none of which involves staying upright ~ although I sure did give it a try! But, no.... the rear of the bike came up like a catapult and slammed me face first into the pavement. I wasn't doing anything near "speedy" (this was a "recovery ride" after all...)  ... maybe 15 miles an hour and gaining rapidly on the hill.   I hit the ground face first (yes, I had a helmet), slid along like a rag doll and when I came to a stop my only thought was, "You're hurt. Don't move." LOL, ...no problem.    I lost consciousness.    Steve saw the whole event in his rear view mirror.   I simply can't imagine the horror of thinking you've just watched your best friend die.

I woke up in time for my ride to the hospital.    I could feel my teeth with my tongue.  They were all there.  My back was killing me.  I couldn't feel the right side of my face.... but I didn't care about that. Sometimes numb is good.

During the ride, I had had my hands over the brake hoods, as I do almost "always" for emergency braking. Where my hands went during the crash is unknown, but I'm thinking my thumbs got caught up on brake levers, snapping a tendon on one thumb, and injuring the other quite severly. Tendons take forever to heal, by the way.    The wrist of my left hand was mangled.   I couldn't write for months afterwards.  I enjoy writing and am glad to say that I exercise that skill daily once again.  Zip lock baggies are torture for hand problems as are many types of lids, I was handicapped in the literal sense.  I have regained about 80%.  This weakness is part of what led me to TTouch.
This was taken in the ER about 90 minutes after the accident (that's road grime on my face, mostly). My hands haven't swollen yet.   I haven't even noticed they're hurt and wont till the next day.   The abrasions on my hands were through my cycling gloves. The blood from my eye is from a gnarly gash left by my cycling glasses ~ which saved my eye!   Seriously, the lens of that eyepiece was abraded all to bits from the road.   The pinch/gash is from the impact. Tofusi gave me a free replacement pair of glasses. My cheek on the near side is depressed, crushed/broken all around the edge; like a plate with a hole punched in. My chin is nasty (covered), it took a lot of abrasion along the road.  All that's left there now is a purple spot.

My favorite jersey was toast. My new road bike was dead. The rear wheel was pretzeled from the dogs' impact, the frame bent. My dear husband got me a new Specialized carbon fiber frame with shock-absorbing inserts (for my hands) and killer nice DuraAce components and wheels.  It is SWEET!  Now I just need my nerve!

A week after the wreck, when swelling had subsided, I had my face put back together with a titanium plate to hold it all together.   I had the option of having the plate removed later.... no thank you... it's still there. A few months and two doctors later,  I had my hand surgically repaired  on April fools day 2008!    I said it was a good day to get my hand back.   Since I could no longer "do" my hair while recovering from the surgery, I donated 10" to Locks-of-Love.

During recovery I spent a huge amount of time typing on the computer to regain some hand strength and it was during this transitional period that I heard of TTouch.   Adding to the attraction was my little Jazz pup who was facing a full hip replacement at a tender age.

2010 I "finally!" got myself to attend a TTouch workshop which happened to be given by our dearest Linda, the founder.   I was hooked.   The rest is what it is!

So there you go.   Now you know.

TTouch therapy has done a lot of good for my face and doing TTouch is as helpful for the receiver as it is for me and my hands.   I can mostly feel my affected teeth now and I still get infrequent sensations, or "tickles" along the right side of my face - meaning the nerves are busy.    This was an area that was nearly *dead numb* for months post accident.  It's also a great improvement from the first sensations which registered as acute pain and was truly horrible!   I'll take weird little tingles anytime over that experience. 

As horrid as the experience seems, I can only compound it with the footnote of it being my 5th significant head injury in life.  You know, the first one was really quite bad enough.  I sure didn't intend to make a collection of this sort of thing.  Let this be the end of that adventure.


Heart Hugs

Adoptable Kitten

This is "Pika" which is Hawaiian for "rock" or "stone". HE wanted to be named, "Tika" which is Hawaiian for "bringer of death" or something morbid like that. Maybe he anticipates being a mighty hunter.

Pika has been with us since Monday. He very much needs a forever home, asap. He has been receiving daily TTouches and has really blossomed into an open and friendly cat. He shows no fear of the dogs and loves the kids. He is living on our back porch in an old dog crate... and he uses his litter box! .... This may be slightly better than a small cage at an adoption center...but at least his cuteness will help find a home more quickly than here on my back porch. I will most likely take him somewhere on Friday June 17th, or at the latest, Monday June 20th. If you would love to avoid the whole adoption fee song and dance .... contact me.

Here's his story:
There are things in this world that I'll never understand. I love animals, dearly. But to love animals to a level where letting them run amok and breed prolifically just makes no sense to me. I have a neighbor who professes deep love for their cats, yet the number of their feral population floors me. There is always a crop or two of feral babies running around through woods and yards along with feral toms making more babies and fighting with house cats ~ raising the family vet bill. ........ So, I quietly try to find good homes for the adoptable and catchable ones. Heaven knows we don't need these homeless creatures bating in foxes, coyotes and other "small critter" eaters.

Here is this years' cutie pie, whom I'm calling, "Pika":
This was taken quite a distance away, upon our first approach. Pika has been living in our neighbors basement (hole behind him). We approached slowly & with good energy. Although he considered bolting for cover, a glass of milk left by the neighbor helped him cope with and accept our approach.

A few minutes later. He's been thinking about disappearing into his safe hole, but his interest in the kind humans and that glass of milk are too much to resist.

Just a couple minutes later and he was digging TTouches. Here he's enjoying some ear work.

And shortly thereafter, he's in my arms purring up a storm with no signs of shyness. Amazingly enough, he has no fleas nor any infections that I can easily see (eyes, nose, ears).

Pika came over so quickly and was so affectionate that I had to assume that this little guy was not feral, but lost. I left a note for my neighbor. It seemed reasonable that he simply "escaped" and she couldn't catch him.

Nope. This kitten is indeed feral. He is so close to being fully integrated with humans that I foresee him being a wonderful family companion. He deserves a loving forever home. I will not take him to a regular shelter, but if no one takes him he will go to an adoption center by weeks' end.

He'll stay with us a few days while I work up a case study on him which in turn gives plenty of TTouch work that'll help this little guy. If someone adopts him from me, I'll teach TTouch work specific for Pika and help integrate him into his new home.


If you ~ or someone you know in the area (Friendsville, Maryville, Alcoa, Knoxville, Loudon, Lenoir City, etc.) would love this little jewel... send 'em my way.

Game Time!

The role that toys and puzzles can play in your dogs life (and why) is one of the many things that excite me about TTouch: . It's the “why” that I love: the part where the effects go all the way to the wiring of the being. It's not just an observance, it's done been proven by scientific minded folk.

Behavior, wiring, the body and mind all intrigue me deeply. I'm enjoying one of my favorite authors newest release, “The Bond” (Lynne McTaggert). Fascinating. I highly recommend the book. In a chapter on environmental influences of “inherited” traits in animals ~ a portion of the result resounded deeply within me. In one group several mice (who were born) with retarded mental capacity were exposed to a room full of puzzles, games and other stimulating objects over a period of considerable time (3 weeks?). At the end of the study these 'below average' mice were indistinguishable from normal mice. To my recollection, there was more neural activity. The mice had increased their own learning potential through a stimulating environment.

Hey, that sounds like the confidence course, doesn't it?! So, if you don't have a labyrinth or other TTouch ground equipment hanging around to play with.... try toys and puzzles!

It drew me right back to class and the plethora of toys & puzzles that were brought in one afternoon (Thanks Ladies!!). I had no idea there was anything out there past the old Kong toy that never did very much for my fur-kids. “Old” Kong … I remember when those things came on the market! These new, inviting products are really interesting!

Companion animals need not only physical stimulation (exercise) but mental stimulus (exercise) as well. It's part of bringing balance to the whole being, reducing stress in the body and maybe most importantly, mental well being. Individuals are “individual” meaning different dogs will enjoy different toys ~ just like humans. Some dogs really dig challenging puzzles while other dogs find them frustrating or lack interest all together. I would recommend an easy game or puzzle for the beginner and go from there. The reasoning is that you want to develop confidence and curiosity and foster interest in the game or toy. Beginning drivers like easy vehicles to drive, not formula 1 race cars.

Why do we want to encourage confidence and problem solving with puzzles and games? It simply makes for a more grounded, mentally balanced animal. When they're content, so are you. When they have developed these mental skills, they make better choices. Imagine if your life didn't include mental stimulus. You ate, you drank, you wandered around, napped, got talked to on occasion and finally went to bed. Thoughts of such an existence alone is rather brain-numbing. We've all had that momentary feeling of “jello brain”, where we hunger for something ~anything!~ “exciting” to do. Our pets are the same way. Anxious, unfocused, hyperactive animals can learn to focus and calm from the benefits of mental stimulus that is kind and rewarding (i.e.: it's way better than the ideas your dog may come up with for his or her idea of “fun”!).

Nina Ottosson produces some amazing toys and puzzles for the companion animal ~ designed to promote mental stimulation with the reward of a favorite food. Her website gives valuable information on her products as well as the positives of using mentally stimulating games. Although she's in Sweden, her products are available here in the good ol' USA. Thank you “InterWebs” (inside joke)! Nina offers many levels of toys so that your animal never “out grows” or becomes bored as there's always a toy sure to challenge your pet. Her toys are pricey, though well made. I recommend a visit to her website just to become familiar with the products and philospohy.

“Busy Buddy” makes a fine selection of toys for the puzzle lovin' pup who likes some physical activity with their mental challenge. We know those dogs, right? Great back yard fun with a purpose that is more stimulating than the time honored “throw the ball till he drops” approach. These are great for the busy dog who isn't ready for the more challenging mind games. ~ Mind games take focus and in some dogs, focus will need to be learned and developed over time.

Enjoy browsing Amazon.com for a wide variety of pet toys and puzzles (including Nina Ottosson) and give one a try. Your dog may need some assistance to get started and certainly some time to make those neural connections that'll make puzzles and games fun! We all take time to learn new things, so don't expect a home run the first time at bat.

I have a house full of dog “toys” but no games or puzzles. I'll order a couple interesting items and we'll compare notes down the road, shall we?

It's a date.

My human kids enjoying toy-time on the beach in SC