Ive been thinking about our dogs as consummate therapists as Ive watched our two do what they do best to Charlotte following her recent cancer surgery. I know those who reject of dogs dislike my saying in any sense what my Scotties but it seems clear to me as I watch them with Charlotte that they know to be gentle and they seem to know that she needs from them an extra portion of their healing therapy.

Albie and Burnsie are any snugglers dream. One of my favorite daily rituals is our afternoon nap. Our two snuggle-hounds excel in close-quarters napping!

Naturally, then, on Sunday afternoon following surgery on Friday, when Charlotte curled up in the big leather easy chair in the livingroom for a nap, our two went to work. Like all therapy that is deepest and best, their work is non-verbal; its the warmth of their presence, the comforting closeness of them pressed against your body and their palpable example of restful serenity and releases all of that and more that make our Scottish Terriers therapists like no others. Whenever I think of Scotties and their therapy work in the lives of those they choose to own I think of my first Scottiea remarkable dog named Nati.

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Will you have bunnies again sometime?
But why do you have to close that chapter of your life? Why not plan for new pets soon?
I wont be having a bunny again anytime soon. I wont be having any small animals again, at least not for awhile. Ive always thought it a ridiculous notion that small animals are good pets. They need a lot of time, a good amount of space, quite a bit of equipment (cages, toys, etc.) and a lot of specialized care. And thanks to poor breeding they are, more often than not, sickly and prone to very short lives. Its that last part especially that Im feeling too tapped out to deal with.
As far as other pets, Id say were pretty well covered in the cat department. Given their young ages and extraordinarily good health, we can expect to have them around for at least another ten years or so. And the cats have been so well blended into the household and the family that they are a natural part of our lives. Id hate to force that with a new addition.
NowI do want a dog. But heres where the most pressing reason comes in, the reason for me to close that chapter for the time being: my parents do not want anymore animals. Im a young woman, a college graduate, and I live at home. I love living at home and I love my parents, so I really must respect their wishes. Even if I felt I could take on a new animal, its going to have to wait until I move out. And that probably wont be happening for awhile.
There are other reasons too. Financially Im not in a position to take on a potentially large investment (Im still dealing with the several hundred dollar legacy dear Peanut left). I need to be more stable, and focus on the pets I have now, before I commit to a new animal. I also need to consider the pressure it would place on my time. I try not to overbook my life, and I think Ive found a good balance for now. On top of that, Ill be gone for a whole month next summer, and that gets harder to do the more dependents you have.
So there are my reasons. Things may change, and I hope that they will. But for now its just me and the feline posse.

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Your wedding invitations can cost you a great deal of money and if you have a budge that you need to stick to you?ll want to save money where you can while still having the elegant wedding invites that you deserve.
Wedding invitation templates are one way that you can save some money. Creating your own wedding invitations is simple when your use invitation templates. You can find plenty of easy to use templates on the Internet. No matter what type of wedding you plan to have, you?ll be able to find some great templates online. For instance, if you are planning a classic wedding there are elegant and simple invitations online.
Many people spend hours coming though each party store in their city, on the hunt for the perfect wedding invitations. Rather than waste all this time, energy, and money, why not get yourself online and check out the hundreds of great templates available for your use. Most templates are very easy to use. You simple download the template onto your home computer, and open it using a word processing program. You can then customize the invitation will all your own wedding information, and voila, you have your perfect invitations ready to be printed and sent to your guests.
Another alternative is to purchase an invitation template software program. These programs are great because they are inexpensive, and provide you with an invitation for every event imaginable. You can use one of the many templates that each package comes with, or you can even build invitations from scratch, using whatever pictures or clipart that you like. You can then print out these invitations on your home computer complete with color, or simply buy some decorative printer paper. These invitations look totally professional but are just a fraction of what custom invitations would cost you.
Templates are a great alternative to pricey custom invitations or boring blank cards. Your guests will love to receive these personalized invitations in the mail. What a great way to get everyone excited about your wedding
Some printable wedding invitations even allow you to add and change the look of the invitation before your print it out. These types of printable invitations look very professional since you can even address the invitation to each guest before you print off the invitation. You can even add your own pictures or clip art from the Internet to make the invitations more unique.
Another option is the many unique online invitation websites. You can design your own invitations on their website and send to your guests email addresses. You can even add animation and music to your invitations to make them really unique. If you choose to go this route, be sure that your guests all have valid email addresses that they check regularly. It is a good idea to set an RSVP date and contact guests who have not replied by telephone.

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Its easy to think a house fire wont happen to you. But dont be fooled-house fires are more common than youd think. All it takes is a spark, a flammable substance, and some oxygen to cause a tragedy. Dont let yourself be caught unprepared-follow these safety tips to prevent fires in your home, and get out safely if one occurs.
Keep your fire alarms in working order. Make sure you have working fire alarms on every floor of the house-especially the kitchen and near your bedroom. You should change the batteries twice a year. Dont ever turn off or remove your fire alarms for any reason. People most often do this when theyre cooking and creating a lot of smoke-that fire alarm can get annoying when it keeps going off while youre trying to cook. Dont smash the alarm with a broom handle, tempting as it is-dont even turn it off. Its easy to forget to turn it back on. Instead, open the windows and turn on the kitchen fan before you start cooking. Its also best not to trust that your fire alarms work, even if they have fresh batteries-test them by lighting a match underneath.
Have a just-in-case plan. Make sure your kids know what to do if the fire alarm goes off. They should hold hands and stay together, and one parent should be in charge of leading them out to a safe place. They should know how to get in formation and follow orders, even when half asleep. They should understand that they cannot be allowed to stop to find their favorite toy or pet. Pick a prominent place safely away from the house-under a certain tree, by the swing-set, or at the end of the driveway, for example-where the family will meet in case of a fire alarm. You should keep a strong flashlight by your bed in case your power fails, as it often will during a fire. Rehearse your escape plan several times a year.
Know how to get out. If youre upstairs and the fire gets to your stairway before you do, you could be in serious trouble-if you dont have an escape plan. Be sure all your windows open easily, and keep some escape ladders in your upper floors. Make sure both spouses and older children know how to unfold, safely attach, and use the ladders. Practice escaping from any upper floors of the house a few times a year.
Keep fire extinguishers in the house. Most guides will suggest that you have one on each floor in your house, especially in the kitchen and in the basement near the furnace and water heater. Be sure that all your fire extinguishers will work for wood, chemical, and electrical fires-not all brands do. Make sure both spouses and all older children know how to use the fire extinguishers.
Remove obvious fuels. Keep dry leaves and other detritus at least thirty feet away from your home-they are very flammable. If you have a fireplace or wood stove, store the wood in a wood shed at least thirty feet from your house. If you have a wood shop, make sure sawdust is not allowed to build up-its extremely flammable and can ignite with enough force to blow a hole through a wall!
Get a fireproof safe. Its extremely important never to run back into a burning building, for any reason-it could be a death sentence. If theres something you really dont want to lose-valuable documents or jewelry, for example-buy a fireproof safe or cabinet to keep it in. That way, you wont worry about leaving something important inside the house, and you wont be tempted to run back in-especially if the fire doesnt look that bad yet. Even if it doesnt look that bad, it can still kill you. Keeping your most important belongings in a fireproof safe or cabinet could save your life.
Do a routine fire safety check. There are a lot of little things you can do to lessen your risk of a fire. Never leave a candle burning when you leave a room. Check your electrical wires and extension cords for signs of wear-and never let them lie under rugs or furniture. Never leave anything that could catch fire near a heat source, like an oven, a radiator, or a portable heater. Regularly clean the lint from your dryers lint trap and tubing. Empty ashes from fireplaces, wood stoves, and ashtrays into a metal container, not a plastic garbage bin. Never smoke in bed.
You can protect yourself from fires just by making a few safety checks part of your routine, and being aware of fire safety in the home. Dont be caught unawares-check in with your local fire station for their advice on how to fireproof your home, and follow these simple tips to make sure a fire never happens to you.
Anthony Neary works for online company www.thesafeshop.co.uk http://www.thesafeshop.co.uk the UKs premier supplier of home and office safes. For more information on fire safes visit www.thesafeshop.co.uk/Categories/fire_document_safes/ http://www.thesafeshop.co.uk/Categories/fire_document_safes/ .

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