10 Things We Can Learn From Our Dog

It’s hard to concentrate on work (writing or otherwise) on lazy, hot summer days. I just want to be rocking in a hammock with a glass of iced tea! So today I’m taking a break and blogging about something totally different.

Recently I was reading the morning newspaper (yes, GULP, I still actually read a newspaper) and saw this sweet list I wanted to share with you:

10 Things My Dog Taught Me

-There is great beauty in the quiet stillness. Let it envelop you.

-Sniff it. Touch it. Feel it. Taste it. Hear it. Engage all your senses in the world around you.

-Plunge In! You can always get out and shake it off.

-Don’t be afraid. Just stand your ground (and bark when necessary).

-Trust that most people have an innate goodness.

-Forgive fully, then let it go.

-Love is unconditional. If it has conditions, it isn’t really love.

-Accept the inevitable with peace and grace (even if it’s a trip to the vet).

-It’s okay to feel sadness, but remember that joy is just a moment (or squirrel chase) away.

-Live in the moment. Embrace it. Feel it. Become it. Share it. Then repeat for all the moments that follow. Life is not about the quantity of moments; it’s about the quality of moments.

(Thanks to Dana Riley for this list.)

Powerful words to live by! So remember to savor every moment of your summer…

Leigh

www.leighcourt.com

Things My Mother (Never) Told Me

My husband and I recently bought a new dishwasher. The one we had was only about six years old, but the thing never actually cleaned the dishes. Sometimes there were even bits of dried-on food stuck to the plates after the cycle ended.

It was a pain in the neck to have to WASH the dishes before the dishwasher washed the dishes. Even my mother thought it was insane.

So imagine my shock recently when I invited my mom over to see my shiny new dishwasher, showing off its three tiers, its dedicated cutlery rack, and demonstrating how to start it up. It wasn’t until my finger was poised over the 'start' button that my mom screeched, “Wait!!”

I looked at her in surprise.

“Aren’t you going to run the water in your kitchen faucet until it gets hot enough to clean those dishes in the dishwasher?” she asked.

What? Is this true?? Who on earth knew that I had to run the hot water in my kitchen sink in order to get hot water to the dishwasher?? And why the heck didn’t my mom tell me this years ago? Could that have been the reason Dishwasher #1 never worked right?

As you can imagine, I was a little upset. Mom tried to defend herself by saying this was "common sense." Well, I guess it's not so common if I didn't know about it. So I asked mom if there was anything else she hadn’t told me.

Turns out there was.

Did you know that if you buy bananas by the bunch you should separate them from each other so that they’ll get brown/ripen less quickly?

Did you know there are little tabs at the ends of a roll of saran/plastic wrap that you're supposed to push in to hold the roll in place so you don't get frustrated trying to pull out the cling wrap?

Did you know that the best color bra to wear under a white shirt is not white (which I always thought would blend in with the shirt) but actually beige or brown (to blend in with your skin tone)?

Did you know about the… unfortunate… after-effect of eating asparagus? I literally considered consulting a urologist before mom told me I was normal!
 

Sheesh. I’m old enough to be a mom myself, but obviously I still have a lot to learn. How about you? Were there things your mom didn't tell you but just assumed you knew? And are any of those important tidbits things you'd like to share with the rest of us?
 

Leigh
www.leighcourt.com