The Mayonnaise Jar of Life

(an image from this beautiful morning before Roman and that yelling man ruined it for me...yeah, yeah, I know...I ruined it for myself but I need to blame someone else for my misery right now)

I'm a sucker for inspirational quotes and stories, but I admit to having a hard time putting them into practice...it must be the dark side of the Irish in me or some residual Catholic guilt...

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes".

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, " I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things in life. Your family, your children, your health, your beliefs, your friends, and your favorite passions - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car.

The sand is everything else, the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the garbage disposal.

Take care of the golf balls first; the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

Star Thrower

I have had several positive things happen these past couple of weeks, so why am I having a hard time staying positive? Is it the depressing economy, the holidays looming (with my wallet lighter than ever), the overworked/underpaid thing, Roman's recalcitrance, exhaustion, the feeling of never being able to get anything done, the mounds of papers everywhere, the dirty kitchen, all of the above?

I'm angry at myself for not being able to count my blessings, but I just feel like I'm carrying this heavy load all the time. It doesn't seem to matter how hard I work; I feel like I am making no difference at all. I can't even take a vacation...just to escape and get a break... as hoped due to a serious lack of funds (despite working two jobs, 50-60 hours a week!).

This morning, a man yelled at me because Roman charged his dog, then Roman got attacked by three dogs (no dog was hurt, but our walk was soured)! It was a gorgeous morning, but these incidents seemed to symbolize how out of control my life seems right now, despite all I am doing, all I've done and I simply cut the walk short and left; ignoring the beauty the morning was trying to show me. Of course, in the grand scheme of things it is not a big deal; Roman needs to have his training tightened up. He's suffered from neglect due to my long hours (oh the guilt). He'll get back on track, but will I?

I then came across this story I had kept with my 'inspirational quotes':

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "I made a difference to that one!"

Good Charlotte

This not so little spider has spun a huge web at the base of our front stairs. While I do not like spiders inside my house, I respect their vital role in our ecosystem and I more than welcome them outside of my house. Maybe she'll catch some of those nasty mosquitoes that seem to survive year round here (given that we are having 80 degree weather in the middle of November, it's no wonder).
It's too bad I could not capture the intricate beauty of her web...spun between the juniper and the house.
Charlotte's web is perfectly camouflaged as we pass under it several times a day...I just hope she doesn't decide to plop on my head or, worse, Erik's head gets tangled in the web now that he is almost 6 feet tall!

Retraining Recalcitrant Roman

One tenet of dog training many owners do not want to believe is...the training never stops. If you have a working breed, like GSDs, it can't stop due to their need to constantly be learning and active. But, life happens and even this dedicated trainer slacked these past few months due to a heavy work schedule. See, trainers are people, too! What is that saying about the cobbler's childrfen not having any shoes?

After Roman got a naughty report card from his dog walker (not holding his stay in the back of the truck), I knew I had to do something and get things balanced again. We are back on our training walks and lessons. While rusty, Roman is thrilled to be 'working' again. Notice how naughty he is in the second video...can you point out his recalcitrance? He knows when mom is tired, that is for sure!

He is doing much better in the first video. He held is down-stay at a good distance. When I released him, he came running to me...not a requirement, but greatly appreciated and a sign he is paying more attention to me. If you would like help in getting your dog to focus more on you and not other dogs, cats, squirrels, etc., please contact me:

http://www.angelacasey.com

German Shedders

German shepherds shed only once a year...but it lasts for 365 days! If you want a life without dog fur around, don't get a GSD...I'm still finding Lotte's white hairs around 4 years after her death. So, vacuums and swiffers are my friends and I have learned to live with the hair everywhere and enjoy the 5 minutes of hair free floors after a good swiffer.

Fall in SF

Not a lot of opportunities to experience trees changing colors here, but this one is giving it a pretty good go.

Time for a New Pack Leader...Vote Obama if You Love Animals

Roman, Tikka and I are waiting for the polls to open. They always come vote with me.

I'm voting for Obama for many reasons...one of them being that he is better for the animals. The Humane Society Legislative Fund endorses Barak Obama. This is the first time they have ever endorsed a presidential candidate. Their board of directors (composed of Democrats and Republicans) voted unanimously to endorse Obama because he is the better choice for the animals and their welfare. If you love animals the clear choice is Obama. If you are still undecided or leaning towards McCain/Palin, read more here.

Now, Obama does not have a dog...or any pet. To me, that shows responsibility since he is never home to care for the pet! He has promised his daughters a puppy if he is elected...and I hope he chooses to rescue a dog. McCain, on the other hand, does have 4 dogs and a menagerie of pets, but he's been quiet on his stance on many animal welfare issues. Palin is obviously no friend to the animals and certainly didn't help the poor pit bull's misunderstood nature (and how insulting to the pits).

So get out and vote for a new pack leader! It's time!