Books as more

Today, I stumbled upon an article: "My 6,128 Favorite Books" by Joe Queenan in the review section of The Wall Street Journal. I thought I'd share some of his comments, which I find to be true.

"A case can be made that people who read a preposterous number of books are not playing with a full deck. I prefer to think of us as dissatisfied customers. If you have read 6,000 books in your lifetime, or even 600, it's probably because at some level you find "reality" a bit of a disappointment."

"Women in our own era read "Pride and Prejudice" and "Jane Eyre" and even "The Bridges of Madison County"- a dimwit, hayseed reworking of "Madame Bovary"- because they imagine how much happier they would be if their husbands did not spend quite so much time with their drunken, illiterate golf buddies down at Myrtle Beach."

"People who need to possess the physical copy of a book, not merely an electronic version, believe that the objects themselves are sacred. Some people may find this attitude baffling, arguing that books are merely objects that take up space. This is true, but so are Prague and your kids and the Sistine Chapel. Think it through, bozos."

Lucky us

About 3 weeks ago, I agreed on the phone to foster a dog. I had no knowledge I was going to fall in love. Rowdy was adopted 4 days later. Curley has a brother. I have the great pleasure to love 2 great dogs. They're my boys.
On a personal note, I believe we know when we found the one.

Memoirs

• The Bucolic Plague by Josh Kilmer-Purcell
• The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball
• The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn
• A Year In Provence & Toujours Provence by Peter Mayle

These are some of the memoirs that inspire me. Each tells a story of following your passion, pursuing a dream and live your life. 

Keep cool and healthy

As the temperature outdoor rises, I explored a few new treats: frozen yogurt and flavored ice cubes. Keeping in mind that it may be too hot out, I avoid walks mid day and instead get up early (6 am) to go for walks when it is cooler out. I carry water on our walks and do not hesitate to soak him to help him keep cool. I remind myself that asphalt can be hot and burn his paws. While my dog needs lot of exercise, I seek new alternatives such as swimming and playing fetch in the water. Instead of carrying a stick, he retrieves it. Last when walking, I monitor his panting (as an indicator he may be too hot) and force him to rest in the shadows where he can hydrate (give him water) and cool off.

Loving our dog

Curley is not just my baby boy for being the dog that lives by my side, we share a bond. Curley taught me to love. I unconditionally love him. He makes me smile, brings joy in my life. I may be busy with life, but I will make the time for us. One thing I have learned is that Curley will never cease to surprise me. I am lucky to have him in my life.

Play quality

I believe our dogs need structure, love, exercise and play time. When it comes to play time, I like my dog to have times to play like a dog, but other times I want him to think. As a result, he haves various toys: balls, squeakers, laser light, and puzzles. Curley loves to fetch his squeaking balls which I buy in quantities. He also likes to destroy stuffed toys to get to the squeaker, hence I keep buying him cheap squeakers which he enjoys ripping. Thank to a friend, we discovered the fun of laser light. I point it on the floor and he hunts it (run after it). We both have fun. Last, I got him a few puzzles that require his sense of smell. I highly recommend Nina Ottosson dog puzzles. These are great ways to keep my dog stimulated. Plus, as he gets to the treats, he gets rewarded for his hard work (solve the puzzle).


Dogs may have fun fetching or chewing on a toy however they also enjoy being stimulated.

Dog food

I strongly believe what we eat affects us, so does what our dogs eat. As a result, I try to give my dog a diet that is higher quality. I, myself avoid high fructose corn syrup and artificial food including flavor and coloring or even chemicals. My dog food may be a little bit more expensive than some other generic dog food but it does not contain by-products. The way I look at it, I may be spending a little more but my dog may not need to go to the vet as much, plus I believe if you eat healthy, you're likely to live longer and healthier. I personally know I want my dog to live as long as possible: I love him.


I feed my dog FROMM dry dog food (pork and applesauce, duck and sweet potato, salmon a la veg) and sometimes give him as wet dog food Evanger's organic Turkey with potato and carrots dinner (which is hormone and antibiotic free, grain free and certified organic). My dog absolutely loves both.