Red Roses

I have just received a bunch of roses, red roses and not from a man! It's a late birthday present from an old girl friend, one I don't see much of but one I talk to every few days. We have a great friendship and as we both get older we value this highly.

This is just a reminder that not all friendships depend on face to face contact, coffee round the kitchen table or a bottle of wine over lunch, some long distance onces are just as important though sometimes it needs just a little more focus.

The one thing to remember is to listen. It's a good idea to take on the other persons news first, then have your say, or the temptation is to talk over each other and never 'hear' anything. Communication, that's all it is, but communication with love, patience and commitment.

Money saving & health promoting!!

Over a few months during the summer, I had started to feel my age a bit (not like me at all) so gradually I took myself in hand. First I cut out all food derived from animals; meat, fish, dairy and eggs (I was buying as much organic as possible) also alcohol which I had already reserved for weekends only. I lost half a stone over about six weeks and started to feel heaps better.

But the best thing is this....I am saving around £100 a month! I live alone with a small dog and my average monthly food bills were approximately £170, mainly due to paying the organic premium for meat and maybe the red wine! My food cost are now around £75 and I live very well. Vegetables and fruits in season are cheap, even the organic ones when I can get them. I eat pulses, my favorite meal is Dahl and rice with vegetables curry, nuts and a small amount of tofu for protein. I have not been a great dairy fan for years as I found it aggravated my lungs and created mucus, so this is no great loss.

Understanding the 'Save the Planet' argument for meat reduction also gives me a feeling of helping out; less pollution, less factory farming, less cruelty and much less additives and chemicals in my diet.

Next project is to get more exercise; may even join a gym again!

If you are interested in finding out more, please contact me....together we could change the world or at least get a bit healthier.

Jasper the barking dog

Since the workshop with Gwyneth and learning more about working with animals, I have been doing some surrogate work on Jasper a dog that is walked by my Pet Services friend Emma. He barks constantly and is very naughty and unresponsive.

I have been tapping for him to calm down and to stop him barking at everything, especially horses that pass his home. When this has worked I will start on his other behavioral issues. I will let you know the results as I get them....nothing so far but it's very early days.

To have an impact on animals I feel I should also work with the owners, so if the results are not conclusive I hope to get to see the humans in this equation.

It's quite a strange feeling to find that through EFT my intuition has become heightened, when I 'get into' Jasper I get feelings that belong to him. He sort of tells me how he feels, for instance I can tell that he feels lonely and barking gets him noticed. He feels neglected, as his owners are busy people and he has no companions at home, though for three days a week he is with Emma and lots of other dogs. His routine therefore, is different every day and animals like us, prefer some routine to feel grounded and safe.

We also need to remember that animals have less memory function than we do, have no knowledge of our language and have different survival mechanisms. Having said that, my dog CJ understands everything I say, is totally obedient (given that treats are around) and is flexible with his routine as he is secure that his owner and home are still there to come back to.

When he has been to Emma's for a few days, as I have to go away sometimes, he spends the next two days mostly asleep as being with other dogs is both exhilarating and exhausting!