Callaloo Tales: Our Adventures in the Caribbean...and Beyond!

Life Lessons from My End of the Leash - "With Me"

Leash in right hand...check.

Treats in left hand...check.

It's time for another (and usually pleasant) walk. We've come a long way since last summer. Ten weeks spent in dog obedience classes benefited all.

"Chloe...With Me",  I say cheerfully. She walks by my side and looks up.  I praise and give her a treat.

There are three R's for a successful walk:

Relationship. Walking together requires time, and develops Chloe's confidence and trust in me as  pack leader. Because we have a relationship, Chloe recognizes my voice.  She knows my commands. When she follows instructions, I enjoy giving her treats.

Range. A leash and a training collar set limits on how far Chloe can move. Sometimes, she pulls ahead, attempting to determine the direction we should go.  Often, she tries to set our pace as well. When Chloe forges ahead, I repeat the "With Me" command. She refocuses and returns to my side.

Many distractions lure Chloe away from me, such as chasing cats or squirrels - all very good things for dogs to do. But chasing after distractions can also be dangerous- she could get hit by a vehicle, or attacked by an off-leash dog. Her leash and training collar determine her range...all for her protection.

Reward. Chloe is praised and rewarded for swift compliance. A Purina brand "Moist & Meaty" morsel is her blessing for obedience.

 To develop a relationship with God, I spend time getting to know Him. The Lord provided His Word, The Bible, to help me know and understand His will. His commands, or boundaries, are for my benefit, not my destruction.  The psalmist wrote, "Sustain me according to Your word, that I may live..." Psalm 119:116 (NAS). God blesses my obedience.

The difference between me and Chloe is choice. Chloe is not in control. She is not allowed to go her own way. I,  however, may or may not choose to hear and obey my Master's voice. I have the choice to walk with Him, or run away, chasing the temporary distractions of this world. I pray I will daily remain close and under His loving protection, enjoying the rewards of obedience.

What advice do you have for a "successful walk"? 

 Just a Closer Walk with Thee  performed by Patsy Cline. I chose this song because it reminded me of my grandfather. He loved to sing songs of the church.

  P.S. Chloe turned a year old on Jan 27.

 

 

Life Lessons from My End of the Leash - Perspective

Perspective is defined as "the proper or accurate point of view or the ability to see it." The holidays reminded me yet again, that a human's  and a dog's are worlds apart.

On Christmas morning, as a member of the family, Chloe (our 11-month old blue heeler puppy) received a new toy- a stuffed reindeer attached to a red, white, and green chew rope. In no time at all, she severed its nose, chewed up its face, and tore out the stuffing. I guess Chloe didn't like what Santa brought her. She showed no remorse for destroying her one and only gift.

Chloe was annoyed by the unusual people and vehicles in the neighborhood. She didn't understand that relatives had dropped by to celebrate the day with their loved ones. To her, they were a nuisance disturbing her tranquility. Displaying  no Christmas spirit or goodwill to all men, she responded with excessive barking...which quickly got on our last nerve.

Nor has she reacted favorably to  the kids next door. When Chloe encounters them, there's no happily wagging her white-tipped  tail. Just unfriendly growling and barking. Doesn't she know they invited us to walk with their new puppy? Doesn't she understand they brought us gumbo two days ago? A very neighborly thing for neighbors to do. Chloe has no  reason to be vexed.

Fireworks commenced early on New Year's Eve, and these short, sharp cracks fortified an already skittish spirit. Standing calm and composed, I knew Chloe was safe from harm. I understood there was nothing to fear.  But that was not the dog's perspective. She was all to ready to escape to the confines of her safe, cozy, and warm kennel.

What was no surprise to me was upsetting and unnerving for our rambunctious blue heeler. Chloe cannot see the whole picture. She doesn't share my perspective. But she knows who to run to when she's terrified. Because little by little, she's learning she can trust me.

Come to think of it, I'm not so different. I too am unnerved by the unexpectedness of life. Panic, fear, and doubt set in when my world shakes. I, like Chloe, don't have the ability to see the whole picture either.

But God, Creator of heaven and earth  has a different perspective. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55: 8-9.  The Lord not only sees the entire picture, He is in control of it.

Like Chloe, my understanding of the world is limited.  Like Chloe, my world sometimes trembles. And like Chloe, I need to run to my  trustworthy Master, for under His wings, there is refuge. 

Song:  Higher Ways  by Steven Curtis Chapman

 

 

 

 

Life Lessons from My End of the Leash - "Pay Attention"

"Watch me!"

Her eyes wander...then, we make eye contact.

"Good watch!"

That's how Chloe earns a treat. Everytime she looks directly in my eyes, an immediate reward follows. When she gets distracted, I wait until she refocuses. Eye contact. Treat. Distraction. Repeat.

Distractions abound in  Chloe's little world...cats, squirrels, children, cyclists, and other dogs. It's tough to keep one's eye on the prize...

...or the path.

While walking the dog and fumbling for my cell phone, I took my eyes off course, hit an uneven place, and crashed hard hitting hands, knees, head, and my left ribs. Something was broken...I was sure. My husband helped me stand and offered to get the car. Instead, I limped, bloodied and bruised, home. Dizzy, wounded, and suffering from some serious pain, I cringed with every move I made. My immediate priority involved a date with the x-ray machine...and some really, really, really good drugs!

If only I'd paid attention. Why wasn't I more watchful?

Proverbs 4 reveals benefits for hearing and giving attention to our Father's instruction: life and health.

As Chloe's pack, we desire that she watch and pay attention. We want her to be safe, well-behaved,  and in good health, living a happy and balanced dog life.

It's no different for us. We  need to pay attention to our packs...our families. As pack leaders, we have the responsibility to lead and provide for the needs of our pack members.

The LORD God, our Creator, is the Pack Leader of all. When we pay attention to His Word, we find good (Proverbs 16:20).

And not doing so is very costly. Failure to watch and pay attention leaves us bloody and wounded, broken and pained.

I've learned to slow down and closely watch my steps. So that's my latest lesson from my end of the leash!

Am I the only one? What life lesson about "paying attention" have you learned?

Pay Attention (lyrics only) performed by Billy Dean.

 

 

Life Lessons from My End of the Leash (Part 1)

In his book Cesar's Way, Cesar Millan said, "I truly believe animals are put in our lives for a purpose: to teach us lessons, and to help us become better people."

Okay, Mr. Dog Whisperer, I'm game. As I'm watching hours of dog-training shows, and reading page after page of basic puppy obedience books trying to glean some tips and techniques so my active pup lives a stable and social life, I'll also search deep within to find some little something that she's teaching me.

I learned the importance of maintaining a calm composure when something unexpected happens.  A communication barrier exists. She doesn't understand English. Or German, or Spanish...or any other human language. Explaining to her that she doesn't get her water hose reward because she didn't exit the house appropriately fell like babble on her keenly sharp ears. Only communication through my body language and tone of voice is effective. Do I exude confidence or do I appear unstable?

Tropical storm rain pelted the area. After spending many hours in her kennel, I believed a leashed Chloe would enjoy watching the rain from the vantage point of our garage. What Chloe enjoyed was sniffing and bouncing around this new territory, not paying  the slightest attention to rain. Giving up on that idea, I led a reluctant Chloe through the house when suddenly her collar slipped right over her head! Stunned, I held her collar still connected to the leash. The wild thing was loose in the house, and there was no telling what havoc she'd wreak.  A game of chase ensued. Chloe frolicked...I panicked.

Bribes of cheese did not entice. Shrieks of "Come, Chloe, come!" proved futile. Desperate lunges resulted in armfuls of  air. Chloe managed to snatch and unravel several feet of paper towel. Had someone recorded our escapade, I'm certain we'd be video stars gone viral!

Finally in my grasp, I wrestled with her to fasten the collar and get her under my control. I was worn, frustrated, and on the verge of throwing an honest-to-goodness hissy fit. Discouraged, I realized I'm no more than an unstable pack leader.

 Yes, I need to maintain a calm composure when things don't go as planned...in all things, not just doggy things. I need to take a deep breath and think before reacting. As she grows, I need to communicate with  her in ways she understands. I am the leader...confident, calm, stable, consistent. That's me.

Obedience school has begun. More lessons to follow... 

What has your dog, cat, or other well- loved critter taught you?

Talk to the Animals by Louis Armstrong.  

Photo taken in Independence, TX during bluebonnet season 2010

Walking Me

My almost seven-month-old puppy, Chloe, takes me walking twice a day. Although I continue to delude myself that I am in control, reality dictates that I am not.

I consistently watch It's Me or the Dog on Animal Planet Channel, often taking notes on training techniques.  Cesar's Way and other dog-training books are within reach of my right hand. In a few weeks, she'll attend basic obedience classes (which should make for some hilarious blog posts!).

Chloe sees the leash and clamps down on it. Insisting she "sits" and "stays", I make a feeble attempt at attaching the leash quickly to her collar. If she continues to bite at the leash, I drop it, and turn my back to her. Ignoring her works wonders...most of the time.

Achieving success at getting the leash secured, Chloe must then "sit" and "stay" before she can go bounding out the front door. This step involves lots of trial & error, time, patience, and treats. But if she can wait at least 5 seconds, that's good enough for me and we're on our way.

Breaking Chloe from pulling on her leash is the greatest challenge. Victoria says not to allow dogs to pull when they're walking. When a dog pulls on its leash, the "supposed-to-be-smarter" owner is to stop until pooch relaxes and the leash falls loose. Say "Good Dog", and resume walk.

Sounds easy, but that's not the way it always works for us. Chloe pulls. I stop. Loose leash. Two steps. Chloe pulls. I stop...you get the picture. After a while, we get a few feet without stopping. Eventually (maybe) we make it around the block.

Our second greatest challenge is when Chloe decides she wants to plop her furry little black, white, and tan body on someone else's grass, and just hang out there for a while. When treats lose their enticement, I know we have a problem. One morning, the only way I could get her home was to run with her. Let it be known to one and all...that ain't gonna keep happenin'. Not running. No way. Not ever.

Challenge number three: Chloe can snatch up a piece of trash faster than I can blink and yell "Leave It!". Her favorite debris is a cigarette butt. No telling how many I'll have to dig out of her mouth during her lifetime.

But there's one obstacle I believed I've conquered. When we finish our walk, Chloe comes through the door and drops down on the cool floor. A battle of stubborn wills ensues. "Let's go outside (to the backyard)!", I say in my happy, encouraging, high-pitched, and dog-friendly voice. "How about not?" she must be thinking. Accepting treats until she gets to the back door, and then... she's not budging.

Her actions forced me to get creative. I pondered a way to get her out the door without hesitation. What would make returning to the backyard pleasurable for my highly-intelligent purebred, and triple-registered blue heeler? How could I outwit her?

The water hose! Now when we finish our walk, I head out the door, turn on the water, and here comes Chloe bolting out the door! It's quite a sight. She loves the spray of water in her face. And I'll continue this strategy as long as it keeps working for me!

After my husband gets home from work, and we get a little relief in the evenings from the sweltering heat and humidity, we repeat the process. And someday, when Chloe grows up...we'll walk her.

God gave man dominion over the animals...and dominion I shall have! It will take time, determination and a whole lot of patience. And I know I'll get there!

So please, help me out!!! What training tips can you share with me?

Your Adorable Beast by Bobby Bare Jr.  

Donni, Lucy, and Psycho Suzi

Grabbing the flight magazine from the seat pocket, I quickly flip through its pages. My favorite parts are the puzzles and the "Find Your Adventure" quiz. As usual, the Sudoku puzzle is already marked up, and my quiz results indicate a food/historical adventure.

Which explains why I spent so much time researching where I wanted to eat after I landed in Minneapolis. The mission...to eat at as many places (or at least just one) on my list. The criteria...it had to be featured on a food or travel channel. It had to be interesting, and not a chain.

So I'm thrilled to head to Donatelli's my first full day in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. A family-owned restaurant specializing in made-from-scratch pastas and sauces,  Donatelli's is located in White Bear Lake. The menu offers so many choices, it's a bit overwhelming. I narrowed down my options by only choosing from the items marked with the special "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" icon. My friend, Leeann, and I decided to order different entrees and share.

I ordered Baked Mostaccioli with Meatballs.

 

Leeann ordered Butternut Squash Ravioli with Asparagus & Portabellas.

 

My mom and Leeann's daughter ordered Baked Manicotti with Meatballs.

 

After savoring Donatelli's homemade pasta, all I can say is...I'm ruined to having it any other way. Utterly and completely.

To view the Donatelli's segment on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, click here.

With Donatelli's  crossed off my list, it was time to pursue the Juicy (or Jucy) Lucy, a burger with melted cheese inside the patty. Both Matt's Bar and the 5-8 Club (formerly a speakeasy) claim to have invented the sandwich. Both establishments have been featured on either The Food Network or The Travel Channel. I ate at the 5-8's Champlin location with a tableful of friends and relatives. The restaurant offers several varieties of the burger, but my only desire was the original Lucy with American cheese.

And last but not least, Mark, Leeann, and Maddie took me to tiki-themed Psycho Suzi's in Minneapolis. I munched on pizza topped with artichokes, spinach, tomato, mozzarella and a white wine garlic sauce. But the best part...the S'mores Platter and roasting marshmallows at our table! My first marshmallow caught  fire, but I quickly gained control of the situation! That evening I didn't take my camera but you can click here to view the DDD segment.  

Each eating experience was fun and unique, but the people- friends, aunts, uncles, and cousins-  who gathered round those tables (including my Uncle Elmer's in ND)  made those occasions richer. Life's not about the pasta, it's about the loved ones with whom you share it.

Who's enriched your life lately?

That's Amore by Dean Martin 

 

Gaudiness & Godliness

The dollar store purchased blue eye shadow lacked the intensity I needed. Scrounging through my closet, I found some "no-telling how old" indigo shadow. Praying it wouldn't cause an infection, I swiped it on. Heavily applied blush, eyeliner, and mascara followed. It took an hour to get my makeup on.

After spraying my hair with lots and lots of Aqua Net and gluing on bright red press-on nails, I donned my Ebay vintage cocktail dress and leggings. I slipped on gaudy costume rings (one I bought at Charming Charlie's clearance rack for $2.41). It was Saturday night, and I had an 80's themed birthday party to attend.

We listened to 80's tunes, and talked about movies we loved...movies like The Breakfast Club, Footloose, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. We feasted on a fabulous salad and created our own custom-made individual pizzas, choosing from a vast array of toppings. We oohed and aahed as the just-barely- turned- thirty birthday girl opened her gifts. And I won the costume prize... a Charming Charlie's gift card. It was a nice evening.

Back at home, I couldn't wait to shed my outfit and scrub my face. Although my intent was to get to bed at a decent hour, I had no intention of wearing those cheesy, fire engine red press-on nails to church the next morning. Someone may wonder "Why in the world is she wearing those cheesy press-on nails? Why doesn't she go to a nail salon and get some nice ones?".  So I grabbed the nail polish remover and soaked my finger tips.

It took a long time with not-so-great results. I even tried WD-40...as suggested by my husband. Didn't work.  I returned to the polish remover baptism. The tips desolved, but I had to pry off the glued-on part. I worked and worked. It was getting later and later. Finally... I went to sleep.

The next morning came too quickly. Still weary,  I didn't feel awake and energetic enough to get up and shower the Aqua Net out of my hair. And as I looked at my hands...one lone press-on nail remnant remained.

Fatigue and pride kept me home from church. Pride...something God opposes. Something He detests. He used a silly little fake fingernail to show me mine.  

Not only confronted with a pride problem, but I opted out on a morning during the "Ten Commandments" series. I could only hope that that morning's sermon wasn't "Keep the Sabbath Holy". The pursuit of sleep prevailed over the pursuit of godliness.

The 80's. The decade of big hair, shoulder pads, and punk rock.  Excess. Gaudiness. For me, it was the decade of my twenties and marked by college graduation, career, marriage, childbirth, death, a second marriage, relocation. It was a tough one. Spiritually as well.

Before I knew it, the eighties slipped away. Here in 2010, it's both fun and hard to reflect on that unsettled time of my twenties. Then, I turned 30, and life got better.

Solomon said, "There's nothing new under the sun." Each generation has their stuff. Here's hoping that whatever season you're in, God will continue to teach you some valuable life lessons using simple little things, that you take that lesson and use in the future He has planned for you!

How were the 80's for you? What's been your favorite decade?

Every Generation by Journey 

National Day of Prayer 2010

In spite of a federal judge's ruling that the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional, President Obama issued a proclamation declaring Thursday, May 6, 2010 as the National Day of Prayer in the United States.

I consider it a responsibility and privilege to pray for our nation. The Bible says the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective (James 5:16). However, in this debate, one of the men believes prayer is a "waste of time".  What a tragedy. If prayer is a waste of time, why is he fighting it? In times of crisis, few people I've encountered reject the prayers of others.

So after our Praying Grandmothers meeting today, Dale and I went downtown and gathered with other believers at Houston's City Hall. Hundreds of people endured the heat, standing for an hour-and-a-half to pray in the Name of Jesus for families, educators, the media, businesses, the military and first responders, judges, churches and pastors, and our state and national leaders. Texas Governor, Rick Perry, attended. In his remarks, he mentioned that he prays for our president, Barack Obama, every day. Gov. Perry encouraged us to continue to pray for Texas and our nation.

The event included songs of worship. We concluded by singing "Battle Hymn of the Republic". Imagine hundreds of voices singing "...Glory, glory, hallelujah!"

It was awesome.

If you attended a National Day of Prayer event, tell me about it.

Everlasting God by Chris Tomlin 

 
 
 

Celebrating the Islands

The next destination of our "Pretending to be Retired" Tour was the Houston International Festival, featuring the islands of the Caribbean. As former residents of Trinidad, it was a nice "revisit".

We swayed to the sounds of steel pan, and bobbed to the beat of Soca. Steel Vibrations is a family group from Trinidad & Tobago, the birthplace of the steel pan.

 

MacGregor Elementary's Houston Steelight Orchestra perform at Carnival Time Pan Yard. It thrills me these young students are learning and succeeding at playing this special instrument!

 

Plenty of food vendors, and all kinds of cuisines...even good ol' American corn dogs. But not here at The Calypso Grill.

 

We savored Bake & Shark, and carried Roti (meat and curry wrapped in flat bread) home for dinner.

 
 
 We basked in the sunshine... and the atmosphere.

 

It was a perfect day to meander through Sam Houston Park and Tranquility Park near City Hall. A perfect day to celebrate our past experience (loving special people with a unique culture not our own), our present (unemployed, but enjoying life in spite of the circumstances), and our future which in the Hands of our Living, Loving God. And we know everything's gonna be alright.

Three Little Birds by Bob Marley.  

The New Normal

Welcome to our world...the new normal.

Monday (Photo by Melissa LaBoy)

Tuesday

 
 
Wednesday

Thursday

Friday (Photo by Melissa LaBoy)

 

Saturday

 

Sunday

Okay, so hubby isn't just spending his time picking strawberries and walking the beach. He's been getting lots of home projects done...cleaning the garage, servicing the generator, and training the pup. Just wait 'til you hear what we've been up to this week! I'll give you three hints: Bake & Shark, Soca, Carnival. Come back next week and hear all about it!

So what do you like to do during your free time?

Times Like These by Jack Johnson