I’m going to start out today with my gratitude’s. After reading that today is the anniversary of Philomena’s passing (April Smith’s sweet kitty), I can’t help but think of my two fur babies. So, I want to share some simple things I am thankful for by having them in my life.
This was taken in the Summer of 2007. Now my little pups are getting gray hair. So sweet...so sweet.Chicky the chihuahua, and Basil the minpin.
Born on April 5th, 2004, Basil, my little min-pin yorkie mix (75%minpin, 25%yorkie), was the runt of two runts. I didn’t specifically pick the runt. When I went to go pick out a pup, of the 3 brothers that were left, Basil came up to me and wanted affection. He picked me. He was 10 weeks old when I brought him home, and only weighted 1.75lbs. He now weights in between 5-5.5lbs. Such a tiny pup.
Since the day I brought him home, we have formed a bond with him I never knew I could have with a non-human. Since he was a babe, he has slept curled at my belly (I’m a side sleeper), and he will sit in my lap all day if I let him. Min pins are known for their cuddly behavior, and Basil is no exception. He lives to cuddle!
This was taken on his 6th Birthday. He just ate his birthday salmon filet, and was ready for more cuddles and a nap!
He also likes to give me a piece of his mind if he thinks I am gone too long. After my 12hr work days, I have to explain to him (between authoritative barks) that I had to make money to feed him! He is so cute when he does that! Funny that he has taught me to speak dog! He and I have an understanding. :-)
Also, since he is such a tiny little thing with hardly any body fat (this dog doesn’t overeat….unless it’s a stolen human-food treat…haha), he needs little doggie sweaters and jackets to stay warm in cooler weather. In the winter he always has some type of clothing on. I never realized that some dogs actually need clothes, but he does. He wears his jackets with pride though, and true to his min pin nature, he is always king of the wood pile!
This was taken this fall. I think this wood has already been all burnt up! Such a cold windy winter for us so far!
I had Basil about 6 months before I realized he needed a dog too. I was still in college, and would be gone all day for class. Around Thanksgiving of that year, I visited a lady with ~4 week old chihuahua pups (Chicky was born October 25th, 2004). The puppies were very tiny and very cute. One cream pup particularly stuck out, and I decided to get Basil a girlfriend. A few weeks later, after final exams, I went with my Mother to pick up Chicky.
He name wasn’t originally going to be Chicky. I was considering Isabella, and was planning to call her Izzy. However, she has this very unique way of crying (even today) that sounds more like a little chicken peeping, and she bounces like a hopping bird when she wants to be picked up (and when I brought her home she wasn’t much bigger than a chick!). She’s ridiculously cute when she does that. So, her original name never even had a chance to stick, and I started calling her Chicka instead, which soon became Chicky.
When I brought her home, she was not quite a pound. Yes, she was super tiny. She could walk underneath Basil! Now, she weighs in around 7lbs and is the bigger one. Her and Basil have been inseparable ever since, and even now they play together and sleep together every day like young lovers. She prefers to sleep at my feet though, while Basil snuggles closer. However, she’s really fallen in love with QB this past year, and she often snuggles close to his head/chest in bed now.
And Chicky smiles. She can curl up the ends of her mouth more than any dog I’ve ever met! She loves to give affection! Also, she is the most laid back chihuahua you will ever meet! She is not yappy or high strung at all! From what I understand this is more typical behavior of long haired chihuahua’s, and her father was a long haired chihuahua.
My pups also love it now when I do Yoga. They see me on the floor and think it’s play time! After some “free-pets” and kisses, they usually end up cuddling together on the couch nearby to watch me. Or maybe they’ll curl up in their bed by the wood stove.
I am so grateful to have these sweet fur babies in my life. They bring me so much happiness and joy! I’ve never had such a connection with any other non-human as I do them. I try to cherish them everyday because I know they won’t be around forever. I’ll ship them off to Alcor with me if I have the chance…..and if cloning really gets good……
These pups have been with me through some very hard and lonely times before QB came along, so we have formed an extra special bond. Every day I love being around them, and I can’t imagine now living without such fur baby love in my life! I am so grateful for them every single day!
Now lets get on with the food!
Today’s food is almost exactly like yesterday’s. I’m on day shift, so repetition is easy and it saves time. Working 12hr shifts leaves little time for food preparation – especially now that I am doing ~45min of Yoga after I get home in the evenings. :-D :-D I <3 <3 Yoga!
The New Year is almost here, and I am compiling my thoughts on goals and dreams for 2011. 2010 took several unexpected twist, so my New Year’s goal of joining Alcor did not get met this year. I had so many unexpected health deviations and costs – and that’s with a good insurance plan! Sheesh! So, while Alcor is still in my sights, I need to focus more on my current health right now. And stress. Getting my stress level down is my number 1 priority! I’ve started putting together a great plan, but I’m not done yet. I have a long way to go before I’m living a low-stress life! Yoga is AWESOME, though, and is here to stay! Yoga is really helping me!
Alright, I sort of got away from the food talk again, but as I said, it’s pretty much the same as yesterday. Here are two yummy food pics! One is my carrot salad, and the other is my very thick smoothie! YUM!
This is uber healthy and so so delish! It's a perfect way to use my olive oil!
The straw works, but barely! LOL! I didn't feel like messing with my sorbet maker.....so an extra thick smoothie is was!
Teh Eat’n Plan for December 30th:
1 Brazil Nuts (24)
Green Carrot Apple Juice (212)
Balsamic Carrot Salad (267)
*220g Carrots
*50g Spinach
*75g Low Cal Balsamic Dressing
*1T Olive Oil
*3g Nutritional Yeast
*Sprinke of Dried Basil
2 Wegmans’s Lite English Muffins + Lite Smart Balance (281)
Easy Tofu Chipotle Stew II + Grape Tomatoes (269)
Berry Hemp Smoothie (335)
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Nutrition Summary for December 30, 2010
Report generated by CRON-o-Meter v0.9.7
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General (93%)
===========================================
Energy | 1389.2 kcal 104%
Protein | 50.6 g 89%
Carbs | 211.9 g 109%
Fiber | 53.1 g 212%
Starch | 9.8 g 65%
Sugars | 73.6 g 147%
Fat | 52.0 g 111%
Vitamins (100%)
===========================================
Vitamin A |118279.7 IU 2366%
Lutein+Zeaxanthin | 45578.5 µg 912%
Folate | 788.4 µg 438%
B1 (Thiamine) | 3.9 mg 356%
B2 (Riboflavin) | 4.0 mg 310%
B3 (Niacin) | 28.8 mg 192%
B5 (Pantothenic Acid)| 253.0 mg 5061%
B6 (Pyridoxine) | 4.4 mg 272%
B12 (Cyanocobalamin) | 3.4 µg 172%
Vitamin C | 490.9 mg 818%
Vitamin D | 5650.0 IU 2825%
Vitamin E | 23.0 mg 192%
Vitamin K | 1250.5 µg 1389%
Minerals (100%)
===========================================
Calcium | 1802.9 mg 180%
Copper | 1.9 mg 96%
Iron | 17.5 mg 117%
Magnesium | 697.9 mg 218%
Manganese | 4.8 mg 120%
Phosphorus | 840.4 mg 120%
Potassium | 4523.6 mg 129%
Selenium | 79.9 µg 145%
Sodium | 2528.6 mg 506%
Zinc | 12.4 mg 104%
Amino Acids (99%)
===========================================
CYS | 0.8 g 337%
ILE | 1.8 g 154%
LEU | 2.7 g 121%
LYS | 2.1 g 124%
MET | 0.6 g 94%
PHE | 1.8 g 191%
THR | 2.4 g 279%
TRP | 0.4 g 181%
TYR | 1.2 g 261%
VAL | 1.9 g 110%
Lipids (65%)
===========================================
Saturated | 8.7 g 43%
Monounsaturated | 18.2 g 73%
Polyunsaturated | 18.1 g 73%
Omega-3 | 4.6 g 419%
Omega-6 | 11.3 g 102%
Cholesterol | 0.0 mg 0%
