Healing Power of Dogs

Found the love early this morning.

5 Year Old Recovers with Comfort From Dogs Article

Healing Power of Therapy Dogs Article

Amazing Practice of Kindness---Stony Brook University

I was watching the Ellen Degeneres show today and saw that she has a program called "Kick in the Kindness" week. I was really touched by the ripple effect produced by her program and went to her Facebook page to find out more. 

I saw this video on the page which was produced by students at Stony Brook University. As college students, many of them spend the late night hours studying (or partying) and end up making a visit to the local Dunkin Donuts. An employee named Zamir works the late shift and is known to greet each and every customer with the utmost of kindness. In this video, the students get together to shower Zamir with gifts and cards of recognition. He is surprised and at the same time deeply touched.

This video is yet another example of how your simple acts of kindness and acknowledgment can make an impact even when you don't know it.

Watch the Video Here

Seal Sitters

I read an article yesterday about an organization called "Seal Sitters". It was started by a woman named Robin Lindsey who in 2007 was eating lunch with friends on a beach in West Seattle. She saw a mob of about 200 people crowding around a baby seal. She and some other onlookers contacted NOAA (North ) who came to place a tape barrier to protect the seal. The next morning she returned to the beach to see if the pup would be back, and he was. She named him Spud and every morning for a week, he popped his head out of the water and she watched as he came out of the water to take a break from swimming.

Not knowing much about marine life, she quickly learned that seals can't swim all day and night like sharks. They need to rest. When they are exhausted and can't swim any further, they come to the beach to "haul out". If the beach is too crowded with people, they have nowhere to go.

Seal Sitters volunteers spend their days (and often nights) observing and protecting marine mammals of all species and ages. They are also involved in educating others.

Seal Sitters

Robin Lindsey

Our Amazingly Talented Friend

Thanks to our AMAZINGLY talented friend, Paul, our kitchen project is moving along nicely. While we were away eating, drinking, and lounging, Paul was working hard to take out the window in the kitchen, build up the new half wall, and (my favorite) widen the entryway into the kitchen from the front of the house. He also helped our electrician rework alot of the very old wiring and install 12 new lighting cans (13 hour day). And, in his spare time, Paul met with a prospective hardwood flooring company representative when he came to give us an estimate. 

We cannot express how grateful we are to have such a generous and hard working friend in our lives. 

New Half Wall

Huge New Kitchen

Expanded Entryway! 

On another note, we have made up makeshift kitchen stations throughout the house. Dinner on night one.....a success! May be hard to find what I love about it mid-September!   :)

Childlike at Any Age

Today, on our way home, we stopped at Rehobeth Beach. While there, Tony and the girls hit the Paratrooper. 

The girls then went on the Cruiser ride. I was so touched by an older couple who decided to go on the ride with all the little kids. They had so much fun and their fun in turn made us all smile!

Shell Collecting Walk With My Girl

My favorite part of the day was taking a walk on the beach to collect shells with Brooke. I loved her enthusiasm at finding these small treasures. She is my true role model when it comes to joy!

Taking a Swim

I forgot to do this post officially yesterday, but I was still very much mindful of looking for love. We went kayaking on Ayers Creek in the morning. Maya was my kayak buddy and while paddling along, she mentioned wanting to jump in the creek and go for a swim. She sai she was really nervous and when I told her she could, she hesitated and said "I am too scared." After talking about it some more and pulling the kayak over to a piling so I could hold on, she decided to go for it. She threw her legs over the side of the kayak and jumped out. She loved it! I love her budding sense of adventure and her trust that I "have her back."