Camp Wander: DIY Manuka Honey #Local Honey #Essential Oils!

Camp Wander: DIY Manuka Honey #Local Honey #Essential Oils!: While I love Manuka Honey, it's not always easy to find and it's definitely not inexpensive. I've had a small inner battle going...

Thoughts on the Storm from The Hermitage

Those We Take With Us…..
Photo courtesy of http://www.squidoo.com/royalty-free-bird-photos

Thank you so much for your prayers and concern to those of us in this storm.

There is devastation around me as this area was hit extremely hard. Only 5 miles away from us there is just….splinters for homes. A woman in our neighborhood is missing.

We had three days of no power, no heat, no contact with the outside world except for a transistor radio. Even though our cell phone was charged, the towers had been taken out so no calls could come in or out. I didn’t know how my family was (and have not heard from a couple friends still) so that was scary.

My family in Point Pleasant are still without power and the places my brothers work out of have been destroyed. But still and all, we have our lives and that is what is important.

On a completely other soap box subject, I would like to bring the awareness to global warming, and the importance of our championing the dire need to do something about it and support those voices, activists and politicians who are also championing wind, solar and other green energies.

Now, to get all metaphysical, spiritual or “woo-woo” depending on your use of jargon, when I was just out of my teens, my guardian angel Alonya told me that there would be changes around this time frame. She told me I would need to prepare for them. She said it wasn’t the end of the world or anything like that, but that I would need to prepare for more intense storms. I had no clue at that time about any of this stuff, or really what she was talking about, but I trusted her.

I had her promise me she would let me know when I needed to start preparing. Well, about 4 years ago, a day came when I got word from her. “It’s time.” I remember I was walking in my living room when those words came down and I knew what it was for. Apparently, we carry the wisdom to change the course of events, so believe there was a period of time where things could have gone a different way. “Wisdom erases Karma.”

I do prepare my home and my family for more intense weather and I urge you to do so as well. Not doomsday stuff, but the very real weather patterns we have created from global warming. I have lived on the NJ coast, 5 minutes from the ocean all my life. I have never experienced the weather changes like I have in the past 5 years. Never had two hurricanes in two years in a row, and never had to deal with tornadoes within storms.The Robins no longer migrate.They are no longer the herald of Spring for me.

So, as this election looms, I urge you to lend your support to those men and women who will not further the damage and give more power to that which is creating these changes. Global warming is not a myth, it’s not even close to being a question any longer.

I performed a ceremony before the storm, gridded the yard too. Whispered to the wind and spoke to my Nature friends here at The Hermitage. We lost nothing but a couple of small branches off a bush. Tomato plants still standing. The strays I take care except for one of are all accounted for. The birds are back at their feeders.

So completely blessed.

love, peace and Grace,

~*~Eileen

Related articles

• Bloomberg Businessweek: ‘It’s Global Warming, Stupid’ (thinkprogress.org)
• Did Global Warming Contribute to Hurricane Sandy’s Devastation? (green.blogs.nytimes.com)
• Scientists Unsure if Climate Change Is to Blame for Hurricane Sandy (nytimes.com)
• Sandy & Global Warming Not A Laughing Matter, No Matter What Romney & ‘Top’ Republicans Think (planetsave.com)
• Hurricane Fallout: Rep. Waxman Urges Congress to Hold Global Warming Hearings

Nature Notices Everything

I was leaving the hospital after visiting my mom yesterday and entered the parking garage. I saw a praying mantis, who looked exhausted. After several failed "get in the cup!" attempts, I finally just picked him up and put him in the bushes outside. Mom is coming home today. Pretty fast recovery from pneumonia at 83, wouldn't you say? 

Nature..She notices everything.....;)

What to Do If You Lost Your Dog/Cat

I was sent this email from someone long ago.I would give them credit for it but it was so long ago, it has since been lost. I wanted to post this in case you'd like to post it or send it along to people with lost dogs or cats too. 

I'm not affiliated with any of these sites, I just find this info helpful.

 Believe it or not, many people don't think to do what needs to be done to find their animal, because they are so upset or rely on the shelters or police to keep an eye out. My friend lost her dog and it had been sitting in a shelter for 2 days about 20 miles north of her. It was picked up and no one called her. She thought because she had contacted people they would let her know if the dog was seen. Please don't do that. If I hadn't urged her to call shelters in other towns on her own, she may have not been reunited with her dog. Don't rely solely on the police, animal control or shelters to contact you, they are so busy. It's important for people to be proactive and do the checking on their own.

 All the best and I hope you find your dog or cat.

Here are articles and links to helping you find your lost animal. Although it says "dog" it works for cats too.

CHECK IN PERSON TO SHELTERS EVERY DAY.

This a great article on how to increase your chances of finding your dog/cat.
http://www.petrescue.com/library/find-pet.htm

Steps to take immediately :

Walk the neighborhood, talk to everybody you run across, and leave your phone number.

www.lostandpound.com It's FREE and sends out alerts to a 45 mile radius to participating vet offices, police stations, shelters, rescues, etc.

PUT UP POSTERS Print Poster Now - Post flyers and posters within a minimum of a 3-mile radius of where your dog was last seen. 32% of lost dogs are found over ten miles from home.

Call your local Animal Control, humane societies, vets and animal shelters to report the dog - Get a Map of all shelters and vets in your area

Take the dog to a local veterinarian to be scanned for a microchip (Vets do not charge for this!) 

Contact your neighborhood association 

Place an ad in your local newspaper.

 Check the newspaper lost ads everyday

*In some cities it is not legal to post or hang signs on trees, Department of Water and/or Power poles. In Los Angeles county, CA you can be fined - please check with your city government. 

Search the Dog Detective database

Register the dog with Dog Detective (it's free) 

Tried all these things and still haven't found the dog? 

EXPAND Your Search Area - Dogs can travel amazing amount of distance in a short period of time. One dog can travel 25 miles in days. 

At the minimum - start your search within a 3 mile radius of where you last saw your dog, then go to 10, 25, 50... Keep expanding your search area until you find your dog. 32% of lost dogs are found over ten miles from home.

Posters
Do not underestimate the "Power of Posters!" Start by posting flyers and posters within a minimum of a 3-mile radius of where your dog was lost. 32% of lost dogs are found over ten miles from home.


Keep expanding your search area until you find your dog. 

Additional sites to post on:

 LOST/FOUND WEBSITES
http://www.dogdetective.com

Facebook Lost Pages. Here is one of them, there are many. Take the time to search for them.
http://www.craigslist.com
http://www.petfinder.com/post/classifiedhop.html
http://www.lostpets.com
http://www.lostpetsos.org
http://www.lostpaws.com
http://www.lostmypet.com
http://www.pets911.com
http://www.lostyourpet.net
http://www.petfind-usa.com
http://www.lostpetnet.com
http://www.pet-detective.com
http://www.telephonepole.org/entry.php?lost=true
http://nationalmissingpetalert.bravehost.com
http://www.lostandfound.com
http://www.missingpets.com

The Lavender Line of Harvest Moon Farms

Lavender bliss.
Heavenly lavender.

I have had a love affair with lavender since I was a teen. The stories, lore, uses and history spoke to my romantic heart and it's clean scent to my Virgo fastidiousness.

I have used lavender oil in my diffuser during my healing sessions so often that at this point, whenever I smell the scent of lavender I'm instantly raised up into a different state of consciousness.  The scent evokes a higher, peaceful, more balanced state for. Almost instantly. For my clients who have been with me for a long time, it can do that for them too. I have one client who told me that one of her favorite things about her sessions is the smell of my sheets. Here at The Hermitage I grow several varieties of lavender and after harvesting, I put some in my linen closet. The scent lightly permeates everything in there. It's lovely.

Butterfly in our Moon Garden 

I have tried so many essential oil and soap lines, and some are tried and true. In the past, when it comes to lavender oil, I usually buy whatever is most convenient at the time. But I have since learned that there are ethical and environmental consequences in the production of "cheap essential oils." The link has an important read on something most of us are not aware of. And if your a energy or bodyworker or just someone wanting to live a more conscious life, I suggest you look into how the oils you buy are harvested and made.

I recently tried Harvest Moon Farm's lavender oil and ...I am in love.Listen, I have been deeply inhaling the clean scent since I discovered it's beauty back in the 70's, so I have smelled a lot of lavender in all it's forms, believe me.

The smell of this oil had the classic clean scent of lavender but it was ...softer. The sharpness of lavender was blurred a bit, made rounder and fuller. I can't fully describe it. It's kind of intangible really, but it's beautiful. You'll just have to try it and see what I mean.It's like trying to describe energy work or Reiki. It's something you have to experience to understand.  

Calming for Spraying and Anxious Cats (and Dogs)

A common issue for cat lovers is an anxious or spraying cat, especially when introducing another cat or dog or baby, change happens in the form of a move, an upheaval in the family routine, or a new person in the house. One thing to really understand is it usually won't go away until you take steps to help the situation. You will have to make an effort to be a part of the solution for your animal friend.

This is our experience and what helped us. As always, YMMV (Your mileage may vary) and you will have to try and rework things for your cat and your situation. Please leave any helpful tips or articles on this issue you may have for others in the comment section. 

Something that REALLY worked for us was Feliway plug ins and especially something called Composure. It's a liquid and a chew.. You have to give it to the cat twice a day, every day and it takes a week or more to kick in because it's an amino acid. It's good for them and all natural.

Just an FYI: The shelters are overfull due to foreclosures so the chances a cat or dog will find a home and not be euthanized is pretty slim.Hard truth, but even more reason to work through this challenge with something that depends of you to solve this issue with your animal companion and not give up.

Spraying:

First thing to do is find out the reason behind the behavior. Are their changes in the house, is it upset ? Is it because of strays outside, a urinary tract issue, or is it the litter box? 


They might not like the litter or it's not clean enough. Cat's a fastidious creatures. Most cats will not use it and go outside the box when the litter box is not clean. And most people's "clean" is a cat's  "dirty". For example, in my multi-cat household, it gets cleaned twice a day, once in the morning and once before bed. I have heard people say they keep it clean only to find they clean it maybe twice a week or less. To a cat, that is not clean.  So clean it more often if your having issues.


Also, cats are picky about what is under their paws. So try a brand they like the feel of and stick to it.Usually the feel of something sandy or dirt like is the most preferred, but as we know, cats are such individuals, your may be different.


It's also important to take a cat to the vet to rule out any urinary tract issues. If a cat has an infection or crystals, they will go outside the box to try to get your attention that something isn't right. They have no way of telling you but through actions that get your attention.

If the cat is marking near windows and doors, there may be a cat outside, or anxiety issues over territory. That was our problem. Something that REALLY worked for us was Feliway plug ins and especially something called Composure.It comes in a liquid and a chew.  You have to give it to the cat twice a day, every day and it takes a week or more to kick in because it's an amino acid. It's good for them and all natural. If the anxiety is really bad we use Tranquility a herbal tincture by Animal's Apawthacary.
We also use this tincture to calm our animals during thunderstorms or any other periods of high stress.


Cleaning it Up

Regular soap and water won't work. And they have to use special cat urine product on the area sprayed. If they use regular cleansers, the cat can still smell where it's marking and will just continue there. We had good success with Get Serious Odor remover and combined with Fresh and Clean. I have put all the products mentioned here under the link "Recommended Animal Products" You can also find it here:

Recommended products

The Fresh and Clean site talks about how it removes the odors and stains permanently due to the oxygenation technology and the Arm & Hammer deodorizers.  Many of the other products on the market just mask the odors for awhile and then the odor comes back.  Oxy-Strength removes them permanently. While many of you reading may want something more natural, the stuff works and if it means your animal stays with you and doesn't go to a shelter, it may be worth it to you.

You will have to put some effort into this challenge, as something is amiss for the cat and it won't go away until the problem the cat is having is dealt with, and that is up to the owner to do. If worse comes to worse, I have read the vet can give them medication for spraying instead of giving the cat away.

Good article on this can be found at:

http://www.catsofaustralia.com/cat-spraying-urine.htm

Introducing a Cat:

If your cats are going outside, territorial issues will be made worse. (By the way, a cat who goes outside statistically won't live as long, is prey to unkind people, cars, other animals, fleas and ticks that come inside. I have also read on wildlife sites that cats and dogs have a severe impact on neighborhood wildlife and nesting birds.)

The smells of outside can create a revolving door of territorial issues and insecurity. And getting used to each other's smell is very important. So one cat should not be going out while another is inside. It brings in different odors and they are still getting used to each other's smell. 

Is there any way the little cat can be kept inside? After 2-3 weeks of meowing and pouting, the cries to go out it will be over with. You just have to put your mom/dad pants on as you would with a child and ride it out, knowing your doing what's best for them and your household and not give in.

When our windows are open, the thing with my two cats gets worse and I bring out the big guns, Feliway plug ins and Composure. In winter, with windows closed, they quiet down. 

Another thing I do if they are integrating with a new cat or having issues with one of them, is that I pet them both while playing, eating or giving treats(positive reinforcement) and when they snipe, take the reward away.

Also, a slow introduction is important. And it's not too late. Keep one in a room. Let them sniff each other under the door for several days and then slowly reintroduce. Issues arrive when they are thrown together quickly.

Also remember, cats will work it out. If there isn't any bloodshed, just let them work it out and they will. It's the way cats do things and humans can make it worse by freaking out and basically being a "Helicopter Mom."  

Good articles on this can be found here:
humanesociety.org: Introducing a New Cat

Operation Noble Foster.org/ Multi Cat Household 

Under the heading of this blog I have put all the products mentioned here under the link "Recommended Animal Products" You can also find it here:

Recommended products

We had a really bad problem with it when we moved to The Hermitage, so if we could surmount it, anyone can!

You must be patient. 90% of an animal's behavior issue is about the human family figuring out what they are doing to create this issue, figuring out how to solve it, following through and sticking to something with patience..and 10% of the animal following your lead. 

Animals above all, always want to please us.

This blog post was hereby approved by

Ace Pilot Captain Tommy McTommerson 9th Airborne of The Great Cat Army

Under the command of General A.O.

Through a Dog's Eyes

My beloved Muffin. May 1984

If you have a dog, love dogs or are thinking of getting a dog, you must read this book. If you don't read, listen to it on audio book. Really.

Through a Dog's Eyes on Audio

I first heard about this book listening to NPR on the radio as I drove to an appointment. When I arrived to my destination, I stayed in the car until the program was finished, I was that captivated by what she had to say.

Click here to be taken to the podcast of the Diane Rehm's radio show on NPR. Click on "listen on the upper left to hear the interview.

If you work with dogs, or have a dog who is rescued, you must read this book. If you want to get a dog from a shelter but think they are less shiny than a brand new $800 one...... think again, and read this book!

The author writes about all dogs, rescued dogs, shelter dogs and what they go through, how their minds work, how they love us and how you can love them back. How you can help them, train them..it's just so full of everything we need to know, it should come strapped to every dog upon arrival into your life. Yes, I love it that much.

As some of you know, I work with animals in my healing practice, and have had experience and a deeper knowing of their thoughts, emotions and their energy. I highly recommend the information in this book just based on what I have gleaned in my practice.

Jennifer Arnold also gets deep into the heart of dog training and the misconceptions on how to do that. She talks about how a dog's one goal in life is to love and to please you. She has trained many dogs, including those who go to rescue work and to people with special needs.

Here is the full PBS program that aired on TV showing Jennifer training dogs for special needs and servicemen that go on to touch and change many lives.

http://video.pbs.org/video/1475527358/

Her method of training is based on the belief that you teach dogs through kindness and encouragement, not with "I'm bigger than you and you must listen to me or be intimidated or shamed." I think we have all seen that kind of training. She is very much against the use of physically and emotionally harmful training and her results are amazing.  If you have trained your dog through those other methods, you can still heal what was done and rework the relationship through Jennifer's methods.

This book will change the way you relate to your dog in so many ways, or the dogs you work with. Truly understanding and communicating with your dog.


Purchase Through a Dog's Eyes on Amazon: