Karen Shanley's Blog, page 2

Three

Happy Birthday, my sweet boy. How time flies…

Arrow came a little over a year ago, and since then, you two have been inseparable buds.

 

But Kenzie will always be your true love.

????… Read More

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Is It Important to Celebrate?

Q: Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about celebration. With the world in turmoil and this country turned on its head, it doesn’t feel like there’s much to celebrate. Is it important to find reasons to celebrate?

It depends on your belief structures and what you value. But from a purely practical well-being standpoint, celebrating can provide important benefits. It can help sustain motivation by providing a sense of reward and accomplishment. Getting together for special occasions can reinforce feelings … Read More

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One of My Favorite Times of Year

Every year, I look forward to this exact moment. Walking out to the backyard and picking the first Asian pears off the trees I planted years ago. You���d think I was harvesting a rare delicacy from some secret orchard in the Himalayas. Nope. Just me, standing in the grass in my bare feet, grinning like I���ve won the produce lottery.

There���s something about that crisp snap when you bite into an Asian Pear that makes all the tending worthwhile. Sweet, … Read More

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Green Beans Bandit

I wondered why my green bean production was so low this year. Now I know why. This little smarty pants figured out how to open the garden gate to let himself in anytime he felt like having a little snack.

… Read More

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How to Help a Dog with Severe Storm Anxiety: Overcoming Fear of Storms and Thunder

[This reader found me by way of this post: Remedies for Dogs with Thunderstorm Anxieties. You may also want to check out that post.]

From the Mailbag:

My lab was never afraid of the weather until we had a tornado hit behind our house, and she was in her outside pen that day. Ever since then, she has been TERRIFIED of any little peal of thunder or gust of wind. She is a hunting dog, and the noise from … Read More

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Burps and Farts

Understanding Energetic Shifts to Achieve Mental Clarity and Emotional Release

We live in a time marked by significant change, and many of us are feeling the weight of this transition. This energetic shift is reshaping our lives and values in profound ways. This is not a fleeting sensation or a reaction to a singular event; rather, it is a deep and lasting transformation affecting us on multiple levels.  It can often feel like free-fall, where the world around us shifts … Read More

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A Terrible Beauty

Beautiful sunset. Courtesy of the Canadian wildfires’ smoke.

… Read More

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The Quiet Power of Small Kindnesses

We talk about kindness as something we give. A held door, an encouraging word, an unexpected moment of patience, a helping hand. And it is. But what we often overlook is that kindness is also something we receive in the giving.

When we extend kindness, our focus shifts. The mental noise of not enough, too busy, so behind, lessens. And we start noticing tiny openings for chances to connect, to ease a moment, to offer the very thing we might … Read More

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Lyme Disease in the Northeast: What We Know (And What We Don’t)

Lyme Disease in the Northeast is No Longer Just a Dog Problem

If you live in the Northeast, spend any time outdoors, or have dogs who do, you already know the drill: ticks are everywhere. And with them, the very real risk of Lyme disease.

So when I see claims downplaying Lyme risk (like in this video), I have to push back. She gives the likelihood of getting Lyme 3/10. I give this video 3/10 for accuracy for the … Read More

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For the Love of Dogs

Q: I learned recently about someone calling their dog the true love of their life. I understand this, but could you talk about what this means? What’s this dynamic between us and our domesticated animals?

There are many ways people connect with animals, shaped by our needs and level of awareness. For much of human history, animals were seen as resources, here for our use. That view asks nothing of us: no responsibility, no awareness of the exchange of energies, … Read More

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