KANBAN Implementation update and other matters

Tick-tock:  I'm 18 days into my KANBANFLOW implementation, and I cannot imagine life without it. It has been one of the most intuitive, fund, easy to use, powerful applications that I have ever used.  It has been nothing short of transformational.

There are few software applications that you can get started with in 2 minutes or less.  This application is one of them.  It is so thoughtfully designed, and the interface is so easy, that surveying the terrain and making impactful (I know that this is not a word, but it should be) decisions about what to do now is not a drudgery.  Rather it is fun.  I remain true to the Pomodoro technique, and that combined with KANBAN flow has made me a veritable bulldozer.

I was once described as bulldozer by a partner at the accounting firm that I was working at.  No matter what was given to me, I plowed through it.  My tenacity has been one of my best qualities, and I genuinely like bringing order to chaos v. making the orderly more orderly.

DCS (a/k/a Dexter containment system).  Mark completed fencing about 1.5 acres to ensure that we keep Dexter contained. My husband accomplishes much--and he feels a duty to Dexter having brought him into our home.  It allows us to open the door to let him out for bathroom without having to be out there with him.  As it turns out, he is so used to our being out there with him, he's not so eager to be outside by himself. We do not plan to have him outside unsupervised.  I don't want him patrolling the fence guarding against would-be interlopers.

Coffee Pot Cleaning: I looked inside my stainless steel coffee carafe to my coffee maker.  The opening is too narrow to allow for proper cleaning either by hand or dishwasher.  My Krups ss carafe had a wider opening, and I could easily clean it (or put it in the dishwasher and know that it would get adequate coverage from the spray arms).  It was not a pretty sight.  I found the most effective way to clean such a thing courtesy of Kevin at Garden Web:
  • take a dishwasher tablet [or 1/2 cup of powder/liquid (not what you wash with but what your dishwasher uses) and place in coffee maker (or thermos)
  • pour boiling water in
  • Wait at least an hour.  Mine was not completely clean in 15 minutes, and I had to redo it, which is why I say an hour which was originally recommended. My eagerness to view the results sooner cost me an additional tab.
The results were spectacular.

Karma-Yoga:  I picked up my small tome of Karma-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga that I picked up in a thrift store.  Sometimes I see a melange of books undoubtedly deposited there by relatives of one who has passed.  I see so many gems, this being one of them, that I wonder if family members ever pay attention to what their loved ones read. Swami Vivekananda is a favorite of mine.  If you have an interest in his insights, you can find a pdf of his Karma-Yoga here.  I will leave my post with this passage:

The cause of all the miseries we have in the world is that men foolishly think pleasure to be the ideal to strive for. After a time man finds that it is not happiness, but knowledge, towards which he is going, and that both pleasure and pain are great teachers, and that he learns as much from evil as from good.

Swami Vivekananda, Karma Yoga

    Angel Marie: Canine Instigator

    Yes, my elbows turn out, but I can still strike like a rattlesnake
    Here is Angel Marie. (I still marvel how her previous owners could name this dog Angel Marie).  Our sleepy dog  suddenly woke up--and did so  with impunity.  All I need is a sheriff's star, as she seems to think that she is the new sheriff in town.  Her chest is wide enough for 100 sheriffs' stars.

    My subliminal mind has been working hard on finding a reason for the front door aggression that we have been experiencing.  I have an alternative theory to my originally posed one.  (That benign body language given by Angel to Daisey regarding front door rights, and ignored by Daisey, was escalated to prove a point.)

    My alternative theory is that Angel felt ambushed when my daughter brought her bouncy dog, Blaze,
    Angel light and dark....
    in without so much as a knock on the door.  She sprang up from a dead sleep to quickly pounce on this interloper.  I've never seen her do it--but we've never had a strange dog come into our home except for Dexter.  The alacrity and swiftness of her pounce was beyond anything that I could have imagined much less forecast.  I awoke with the memory of that day when Angel sprang into action and accosted the brazen boy who had barged in the door and the feeling that this was the seminal moment of this new behavior.

    This protectiveness is new. Frankly, she used to just simply lay on her bed and not be bothered by any of the openings and closings of the front door and the parties engaged in such behavior.  Not that I don't appreciate that she is enlivened, but it was darn easy to manage 4 dogs when three of them were benign (Angel, Ella, Angel) and one of them (Dexter!) off the charts.  Now, I have a clutch of canines energized.  Yes, I do long for quieter days.

    Truthfully, I realize that 'theories be damned' is an appropriate judgment.  Regardless of the validity of any of my theories, or if there is another righteous one that fits,  Angel is determined that Daisey is a dog that needs some 'special handling', and she is quite intent in providing this service. Last evening Daisey barked at the cat.  Angel went over at a clipped pace to intercede.  She was trailing a lead so I interceded calmly.  My goal is to keep energies calm.....no escalation, because deescalation comes at a dear price.  (Last week, Daisey's nose).  I'm instructing my other household members to squelch our reflexive heightened voices when responding to these things.

    My Matthew Duffy books have been priceless to me.  The mantra that I'm holding to is the following:

    For dog training purposes, hostile canine behavior
    is best viewed as an emotional fire. Viscerally reacting
    to a dog’s aggressive conduct with an equally
    emotional response, whether fearful or angry, is only
    going to fuel a fire that is already burning out of
    control. The most productive way for a handler to
    respond to his dog’s inappropriate assertive behavior
    is with calm and decisive action. Effectively
    controlling the explosive situation without getting
    caught up in the emotion is a tall order for new
    handlers but that is what this book will help you
    achieve. Keep in mind that calm and firm are not
    mutually exclusive.

    The Eight Faces of Dog Aggression    , Matthew Duffy

    I have managed to intercede in these situations calmly as opposed to our reflexive bad habits of yelling.  It has made a huge difference in both my confidence, and in eliciting the response that I'm looking for:  Angel to defer to me.  Daisey to defer to me.  Daisey as much as Angel needs to learn to listen, as she has contributed to these circumstances--both in the initial provocation and in the heat of the moment where she refuses to pay attention and stand down.

    I --Duffy's 'team captain' analogy.  We are certainly a team here, and our harmony has been sorely disrupted.  It doesn't matter what the reasons are--I could rationalize any of them.  Nevertheless,   I am determined to be the captain, and I believe that they see me as the captain--mostly.  Over the past 3 days, I have been consistent in my guidance about proper behavior from all team members. I haven't yelled.  I've been calm in the center of any canine storms and squalls, and each of them have responded BETTER to that. Nevertheless, we have a long way to go, and I'm not fooling myself into believing that the problem is solved.  There's too much intention in Angel's actions, as she is 'locking on' Daisey as a target. And I believe that there is a very real possibility of harm being inflicted if the situation is not controlled.  So, I'm not leaving anything to chance, and I'm ensuring that I'm controlling the situation--particularly if I cannot be at home.
    Mia in 2008

    The only other time I have observed this "locking on" phenomena in canines was during a dog transport run.  My charge was Mia and a host of other dogs.  All of the other dogs were in crates except for Twilla.  She was a sweet, intuitive and smart girl.  You can read about my terrifying transport with Mia here--it was 7 years ago, and I will remember it to my grave. (Mia had scars on her face and front legs that led me to believe that she had been fought). She was going to a family of 5, and I surely hope that they were able to handle her and her dog aggression. 

    I highly recommend Duffy's books for any dealing with troubling canines--and who need to reflect on his/her handler reactions. I have both needs....I need as much training as my dogs--and I'm confident that I can out-resolve them.


    Breathing

    Breathing.  For most healthy adults, breathing is a natural thing.  So easy, so effortless it escapes our attention.

    I was recently visiting my MIL in a convalescent care facility.  She has severely compromised lung function.  Rather than see a doctor, she prayed.  Her recurring pneumonia and bronchitis, left untreated for decades (and it is truly a wonder that she did not die), damaged her lungs permanently. Breathing for her is an effort.

    My daughter was with me.  She is a special ed teacher.  I was programming a phone.  She was insistent that I give it to her because "I'm more technologically savvy than you are."  I gave her a withering look and asked her, "Who had to hook up your printer?  Can you take a computer apart and put it back together?"     She retorted, I need to give you a breathing app to remind you to take a breath.  Point well taken.  

    As it turns out, perhaps she is more tech savvy than I am, because there is a breathing app to remind you to breathe.  And another to remind you to be mindful, and.....the list is endless.  But for a special ed teacher who has out of control children at times, reminding them to focus on their breath and calm down their energy is a useful aid for them (teacher and student).

    There are no end to the phone apps that will help us presumably be happier, healthier and smarter.  But if we have to depend on an app to remind us to be mindful or to breathe or to breathe, we may just be missing the point. To the extent that the apps aid in the development of a habit, then that is worth much.

    If you don't think about your breath much, I invite you to focus on this extraordinary process that gives live to every cell in your body.  And by focusing on breath, you immediately become mindful.  Kills two birds with one stone.

    Want some breathing exercises?  Here is a link to 6 Breathing Exercises to Relax in 10 Minutes or Less . Also, for some video instruction, you can go here to doyogawithme.com

    And...you can get an app to remind you to breathe during the day!  For me, I have been using my Pomodoro breaks to do breathing exercises and to hydrate.  It has made such a huge difference in my energy, creativity and productivity during the day.

    Tick Tock: 132 Days of Homemade Dog Food

    My countup timer provides a nice reminder of important events.  None has been more important than my switch to homemade dog food-now at 4.5 months.  I am really seeing the difference in each of my dogs.  Angel Marie has shown the most important difference in her allergy management (no more bloody, swollen front paws), coat condition and energy level. 

    Learnings have been important:
    1. Finding trusted information sources.  (Drs. Pitcairn and Strombeck are my two most trusted sources), with Steve Brown, Monica Segal and Mary Strauss as valued resources.
    2. Separating fact from myth/opinion with respect to 
      1. raw v cooked
      2. carbs/starches v none
      3. variability in protein sources
      4. carnivore v. omnivore (no vegetables v. vegetables)
    3. Steering clear of zealots with strong opinions and specious facts.
    While I read widely, I quickly realized that I was ill equipped to separate fact from myth/opinion.  Once I discovered Dr. Strombeck and Pitcairn, I felt that I had a trusted source for understanding dog nutritional needs.  Only until I immersed myself and came up for air, did I feel more confident in my choices.

    I'm squarely in my groove, and my dogs moved to a level of what I all optimal health.  My mantra in starting out was to do no harm, and I did not.   I wished I had found Strombeck/Pitcairn earlier.  I didn't find Strombeck until the end.  His website continues to be what I consider the most authoritative source on dog/cat nutrition available to lay people.

    For our household, and my current understanding and willingness to adjust if my dogs' health was compromised, I settled on the following:
    • Raw v. cooked:  I feed raw meat; and I have a grinder for poultry bones.  I adjust bone meal in my recipes for whether or not my meat is bone in.  I do not feed my dogs who parts of chicken, except I will cut up a chicken back or feed them the neck whole. I understand the benefits of chewing, but I'd rather depend on my grinder to get the bones in manageable pieces. Beware of zealots.
    • Carbs:  My dogs do well on starches.  I did not add them until recently as I had a 'grain-free' dog, Angel the Am Bulldog. Introducing carbs was probably one of the BEST things that I did.  Not only did it help with the food bill, my dogs genuinely enjoy their food more.  No problems with digestibility. Even Angel, who was 'grain free' has had no problems. Beware of zealots.
    • Variability of proteins:  I vary among turkey, chicken and beef.  I'm not going to source and feed designer proteins.  I would add pork to the mix in the future.  I truly believe the admonishments to feed your dog so many different protein sources is bunk and it disabuses many of the notion that they would be able to feed their dogs easily. Further, why go through more trouble and expense to feed your dog than you would to feed your family?  Beware of zealots.
    • Carnivore v. omnivore:  Why this is so hotly debated by any is a mystery to me.  I believe it is a city-folk diatribe.  Country folk who have a garden will tell you that dogs are omnivores.  I provide, and my dogs enjoy vegetables (ground up or steamed for digestion and absorption, or whole for chewing fun)  in their food.  Beware if zealots.
    The theme of beware of zealots is an important one.  Also steer clear of 'cooks' who want to offer dog food recipes (Gourmet Sleuth and Allrecipes.com are two such places) that are not based on the science of feeding dogs.  Gourmet Sleuth had a recipe which included scallions, a no-no in the dog's diet, and Allrecipes had a contribution that had NO calcium. 

    For those wanting to start, I would recommend this as a starter recipe from Dr. Strombeck. It is a mainstay at my house. To get started, get some potassium chloride and KAL Bone Meal and use the grocery store to source the rest.  Based on your dog's and your preferences, you can leave the meat raw or cook it.  Strombeck cooks it.  You can omit the sardines if using the recipe for periodic feeding.

     Poultry Meat and Boiled Rice Diet
    1/3 pound (weight before cooking) poultry meat (152 grams)
    2 cups rice, long-grain, cooked (320 grams)
    2 tablespoon sardines, canned, tomato sauce (38 grams)
    1 tablespoons vegetable (canola) oil (14 grams)
    1/4 teaspoon salt substitute-potassium chloride
    1/10 teaspoon table salt
    1/2 teaspoon bone meal powder (3 grams)
    1 multiple vitamin-mineral tablet

    provides 879 kcalories, 43.1 g protein, 37.3 g fat
    supports caloric needs of 29 to 30 pound dog
    Omission of sardines reduces caloric content by 68 kcalories, protein by 6.2 g and fat by 4.6 g.

    Dog Aggression

    I picked up Matthew Duffy's, Dog Training and the Eight Faces of Dog Aggression (Kindle Edition) as we were experiencing mild skirmishes at the front door, which suddenly escalated to violent.  I've been reflecting upon the escalation of these unwelcomed energies between Angel and Daisey.  The notion that I've settled on is similar to what one finds in dog training....the same behavior exhibited by Daisey and benignly checked by Angel has not curbed.  Rather than deferring to Angel, Daisey continues to rush the door.  Given that Angels' previously benign admonitions to not charge the door went unheeded by Daisey, Angel amped up the consequence.

    It is the only scenario that makes sense.  But truthfully, I should have stepped in consistently when it was benign, but I didn't pay it any mind.  I'm reaping the consequence of my apathy.  Duffy states, and I do believe it,
    Enforcing parameters with a new canine student requires energy, concentration, consistency, and commitment. Deficiency in any of these areas will surely lead to deterioration of a handler’s control. Supervision of behavior, supplying timely genuine
    praise, and administering meaningful deterrents can be a substantial drain on a person.

    He goes on to say that if you cannot do the above, to put the dog away so that the behavior cannot manifest and go uncorrected.

    It is important counsel.  My daughter is a special education teacher.  She has to be consistent and clear with her charges every moment. She would probably make a great dog trainer, too.  When I think of that analogy....of the type of structure that we have to provide our children to ensure that they are safe and grow up with a clear understanding of proper manners/actions, then it is easy to understand that a dog, like a child, will take every inch given to them.  There really is no such thing as a successful casual parent, any more than it is for a successful casual handler (dog owner).

    I admit, that I've been casual, and that lax has shown its fruit.  Never too late.  My goal is to practice mindfulness in setting up my interactions with my dogs, curb negative emotions--remind others in my household to do same, and eliminate ambiguity.  I wished I had this training earlier in my adult life.

    If you are wrangling with dog aggression issues, Duffy's book is a great resource.  This is not clicker training nor 100% positive training  (indeed who raises a child in an environment where there is only 100% positive training?)  Rather it is explicit, actions have consequences training.  Good actions have good consequences.  Bad actions have bad consequences.  (And no, I'm not talking about whipping either child nor dog).

    I think that his book does a marvelous job in reminding us to keep negative emotions out of it.  And to keep the overall relationship positive.  Daisey is a product of bad training (not at my hand).  But I have not really given her any training.  Angel has been sleeping most of the time, but now that she has woken up after 8 months and is in the thick of things....she'll get some training.

    I'll post on my progress.

    06.25.2015 Update:  I have been managing the dog's spaces.  Angel is always tethered in the house.  She is outside independent of Daisey.  In taking Angel to the vet, I note that she displays what I call 'attentiveness aggression' toward other female dogs, not male dogs.  Daisey is doing marvelously heeding my commands for her to come inside or 'stay' (stay where she is and not charge the door to get through it).  It works for us.  Re-homing Angel and pushing the problem down the road was not an option. 


    Enemy at the Gates

    All is NOT well in Leisa-land.  I must take responsibility for it.  Within the last week, Angel, the American Bulldog, has become hostile at the front door.  We've had three, what I would describe as "bedlam" moments when each of the dogs get touseled up in a snarling mess free for all at the front door.  Daisey and Today was the most unnerving as Daisey ended up with Angle firmly clamped down on her nose.  She sustained some injury.  I cleaned her wound and will monitor it for infection.

    That this bedlam is escalating is cause for concern. Before, it was just benign, but exuberant, snarling and posturing.  Today it was Angel clamped on Daisey's nose despite my giving Daisey amply safety by pulling Angel back out of the way by her tail.  Even Dexter and Ella got in the tangle....and it was most unusual to see Ella in the fray.  It became a Hop on Pop moment, and Pop happened to be Daisey.

    Daisey contributes mightily to this mess, in that even when I had Angel by her tail and dragging her away, Daisey, rather than standing down, kept coming in.  I had Dexter's lead in my left hand, Angel's tail in my right hand (not a good thing to pull on, but I was doing the best I could, and it was dragging her backward), and Daisey continually stepping into the safety distance that I was creating. 

    There is a reason why dogs end up outside of the home that they were brought into and dumped on a backroad or taken to the pound. It is mostly likely the failure on the handler's part to establish order and create canine understanding of that order.  So I understand my own unwitting contribution to this behavior....however, it is new,surprising behavior, and I'm unsure of the genesis of it. However, I also know that there are some incorrigible canine souls out there that cannot be helped without being a danger to another person or another animal.  I don't think that I have that situation, so the onus is on me. 

    Daisey is a stubborn, willful, non-listening English Setter.  She was roughly handled by someone, likely due to these 'qualities'. However rough treatment of an English Setter does not yield good results.  Alternatively, rough treatment of a Pitbull or an American Bulldog when dealing with inappropriate, explosive behavior is sometimes needed.  When I say rough, I mean forceful.  Nothing inhumane. I learned this after timid attempts to corral inappropriate behavior on Macy's part, my first Am. Bulldog. Once I got her attention, lesson learned.

    Willful behavior is not a problem until it is.  And it is.  Angel's family had a divorce, and no one could take her.  I'm wondering if no one could, or no one would.  She is displaying aggressive and dominant behavior only within the last week. Perhaps her health was so bad before that she could not physically fulfill this 'bent'.  Maybe what we are seeing is how this dog really is after 8 months of owning her.

    Angel has transformed herself from a waddling, slow dog, to rattlesnake-quick-through-the-door aggressor.  And all of her aggression is aimed at Daisey. If Daisey goes out before her she tries to chase Daisey.  Daisey cannot be caught.  If Daisey comes in prior to her, she comes charging in the door and looks for Daisey--in a terrifying 'alert' and 'challenging' demeanor.  This quickness to the door has been a surprise, and has caught us off guard and unprepared.  This behavior cannot stand.  Oddly enough, there is no aggression in the kitchen at food time, and everyone tolerates everyone else.  (Dexter is in his secure place).  And there is not gobbling down food to rough up another for their food.  It's 'just' the frickin' door; and Angel is the door troll.

    Dexter has a secure place in my office.  Now Angel has a secure place in the elephant room. Her vinyl wrapped steel cable is on a heavy metal/glass 4x4 foot coffee table.  She has a comfortable bed, water, and a lovely view outside the back yard.  She does not have freedom anymore as she has abused it.

    Daisey's sin is charging the door and not listening to entreaties to stand down. That is my fault.  I had her long before 'training' was in my peripheral vision.  Now it is my focus since getting Dexter.  But the focus on him and his previously unmanageable behavior, and blurred the focus of Angel and Daisey's behavior.

    This 'hop on pop' phenomena is similar to another instance in the past.  When I used to walk Macy, Daisey and Ella, there used to be a couple of aggressive males that would come up to us.  I was not afraid of these dogs, and our course of action was to move past calmly as if they were not there.  All the males were interested in doing was sniffing pootang, and we kept moving to prevent that.  However, both Daisey and Macy would get agitated, and would take it out on each other. (They too had their front door moments).

    This same internally directed aggression among all of the dogs in the face of two squaring off is happening again.  And to see Ella in the fray was not good at all.  But she listens to me, and quickly backed off.  All of the others were deaf and blinded by the heat of the moment.  While the other skirmishes have been benign, this one was not.  We may yet see the vet.

    Oddly enough, we have reached the point with Dexter where he is a joy to be around, and we are able to control his behavior.  That this 'breakout' of other personalities is happening is a bit of a surprise.  Perhaps our focus on Dexter is creating jealousy and those two are taking it out on each other.  Who is to know the mind of the canine?  Whatever the reason, we need to get a structure that works and ensures that each dog is safe both mentally and physically, and that they understand that they need to defer to Mark or I and not their tendencies.

    I have recently finished reading Mark Duffy's two excellent books:  The Eight Faces of Dog Aggression and The Ten Natural Steps to Training the Family Dog.  His methods are similar to Koehler's methods, and Dexter is a testament that these methods work.  I believe that Duffy provides better guidelines to keep the relationship objective for corrections to prevent negativity from undermining the relationship.  It's not clicker training or 100% positive reinforcement.   And I'm very okay with that. 

    We didn't get Dexter in a context where clicker training was going to help define boundaries.  I used Koehler's extended correction on Dexter twice.  I'm glad that I had studied it (as I got the book when we got Dexter and had a tasmanian devil on our hands).  Because I used it with impunity two times, and that was all that was needed.  I will repeat it without hesitation if required.  Duffy notes that if he is working with an aggressive dog and the owner is not willing to employ an extended correction (holding a dog's front feet off the floor by lifting the lead and the dog's head), he will not work with the owner.  The simple reason:  he does not want a bad outcome on his watch.

    I don't either. 



    Days With Dexter = 176

    I'm glad I found the JAVA script to do the countdowns.  I refer to the 'Days With Dexter' and shout to Mark in the other room, "Can you believe that we have had Dexter x days?"  Truthfully, the proclamation is generally made from a place of surprise that we have made it so long and so far.  The last month, though, has been pivotal. So the acknowledgement of his time with us is said joyfully, and from a place of true excitement v. exasperation.

    To be sure, it has been a long road from his crocodile snapping, kangaroo jumping days to now, where he can sit quietly and contentedly without biting us.  He does have a surge in this unwanted behavior just before the conks out--much like a child who throws a tantrum before going to bed.  The youngster (pup or human) perceives the tiredness as an urging toward action, when in fact mental and physical reserves are low, and the mind and body just need a rest.  (Same for the parents!)

    The passage of time and our patient (and at times frustrated) guidance of proper manners have contributed to this delightful transformation.  We still have much to do. Putting Dexter's formal training on the KANBAN board is my new project for the New Moon.  That he has always had a lead on him, and no freedom, we have been continuously shaping his behavior inside:  no table/counter surfing, no attacking his sissies for unwanted play, no chewing of any of our things, no chasing the cats....and the balance of the list that you do not wish your pup to do. 

    Potty training was a non event.  We didn't really have to train him.  This guy instinctively knew not to potty inside, though we guessed that he was not an inside dog. He has only pooped once inside (while I was away), and peed maybe 3 times. The most recent yesterday when he elected not to go outside in the pouring rain.  However, to his credit, he came to me, and peed on the floor and was most apologetic about it.  I didn't make a big deal of it, simply because, I should have gone outside with him; and he was contrite. 

    He has a real aversion for the cold and the rain. We guess about alot of things for this fella.  That he is a loving, sweet boy with unbounded exuberance, high intelligence and a high drive to please meant that we had plentiful raw material to work with.  Had we been missing any of those positives, then this would be a tougher row to hoe.  It has been plenty tough.  But we are now reaping the benefits of having a mostly well-behaved dog that values and respects his family, and seeks to engage in behaviors that allow him freedom.

    The savior in all of this has been his puppy lair which is in my office.  A vinyl wrapped steel cable secured to a sturdy piece of furniture has been a place where we could simply clip him off and enjoy non-Dexter time.  He has a dog bed, water and a window.  It is pleasant space, and it is secure.

    His sissies can come visit him if they wish.  I find Angel sleeping in his bed with him from time to time.  Ella, too, will go and visit with him.  When we are home, we take him off the cable, but he always has a trailing lead.  This trailing lead has been indispensable for being able to instantly guide inappropriate behavior to more appropriate behavior.  He is also very responsive when walking, but I use a long lead to give him exercise. I need to renew my instruction on short lead walking and other more refined training. 

    Though puppy lair is not punishment, it is a place where he goes to (in full view of his family) when he cannot manage his behavior, to sleep, or when he cannot be supervised. I also clip him in and feed him there. Our goal is to have him there only when he cannot be supervised.  It is only unpleasant because he is removed (though only through a few feet) from his human friends.  What we have found that when he realizes that his behavior will yield a removal, he self-corrects as if to say, "I understand!  I'll sit nicely here with you."

    And Dexter sitting nicely here with us is very enjoyable for all of us.   

    Beginning Anew

    We will experience a New Moon on 01/20/15.  The moon and sun together are ancient time keepers to modern wo/man.  Most of us are far removed from Nature's celestial rhythms.  But the study of these heavenly bodies and their interactive timing to our days, months and seasons was a necessity.  Miyamoto Musashi writes in The Book of Five Rings:

    Harmony and disharmony in rhythm occur in every walk of life. It is imperative to distinguish carefully between the rhythms of flourishing and the rhythms of decline in every single thing.

    The statement is a powerful one for being attentive to one's body, surroundings, work, play, goals and relationships.  It is too easy to be distracted with the electronic noise that surrounds us, always competing for the energy of our time and attention.  Cultivating a mindfulness for the moon's natural rhythms is a way to be in tune with the  celestial tick-tock, and its value in providing a great milestone for us to be intentional with our goal development (new moon) and accomplishment (full moon).

    I like the Yagy Munenori's quote from the Book of Family Traditions on the Art of War
    When fighting with enemies, if you get to feeling snarled up and are making no progress, you toss your mood away and think in your heart that you are starting everything anew. As you get the rhythm, you discern how to win. This is "becoming new." (p.46)

    The New Moon gives us a fixed point in time to thinking about places in life where we are 'feeling snarled up and making no progress'.

    In the couple of days before the New Moon, I plan on thinking about some places in my life where I am feeling snarled up....and I'm going to toss my mood away and begin anew.  These two quotes from Musahi and Munenori are two of the most powerful for me over the years.  I hope that you put them in your quiver of quotes that you turn two to give your flagging spirits or energy a bolster.

    What Does a Messy Desk (Car, House) Say About You?

    I'm a bit on a kick, through a self intervention, on all of the things that I talk about here on this blog.  Messsiness, being one such kick, and to which I'm trying to expunge from my life. It's like a drunk talking about what it means to get sober.  I'm a 'messy' (a highly functioning one...but a messy nonetheless).  I don't say that with any pride.  But I do believe that I can write with some authority on the subject.  And yes, I know that very organized and neat people can tell you how they can stay organized, but truthfully, those of us who are messy are like the drunk who is in the gutter.  A drunk doesn't need a sober person telling him/her that to not get drunk don't drink and don't fall in the gutter. Similarly, a messy person doesn't need a neat-nick telling him/her how to not be a messy don't make a mess.  Rather the drunk, as with the messy, need real systems and strategies to work within.

    The Weather Channel was offering solace for messy deskers this a.m. which prompted my thinking about the absurdity of the 'scientific' claims.  I have decades of experience with this issue (hence my lead in), as I suffer from a messy desk (car, home).  I am also very creative--unusually so for someone in the profession that I'm in.  However, I think that it is a huge mistake to fall on one's sword and believe that a messy desk says very much about us other than we do not possess a system to clear it from our lives.

    Even though I suffer from messy-deskitis--I take it to an art form, and it invades every part of my life--when I see other people with messy desks, I'm not impressed with their creativity nor embracing outside the box thinking.  Rather, I say, "Geez, this person needs to get a system."

    I believe that a messy desk says the same about us as constipation:  shit's not moving. A better (ahem, cleaner) metaphor is the laundry cycle.  If it is sitting someplace other than your drawer in its intended place, it is a wastrel.  If it is dirty and on your floor, it is of no use, except as an impromptu dog bed or tripping hazard.  If it is clean and in a pile it is undiscoverable.   An effective, well maintained system would have laundry in a hamper, taken to the washer, washed, folded and put away in your dresser in its predetermined place so that the next time that you are naked and cold, you don't have to run through the house looking for these things. (Ask me why I have used this example!)

    I was at a client recently to drop something off.  I had to drop it off because I had spent the past 11 months trying to line up a meeting to do so.  When I dropped it off, the person's desktop was covered.  Every inch.  (As it was when wrapped up my engagement.)  A person in the hallway made a disdainful comment about the desk.  I winced.  The desk owner is a great guy.  A kindred spirit even.  He does good work. But that was the judgment.

    However, that I was unable to solidify a date with this person speaks to the enormous waste of time and effort in trying to schedule something so simple.  Phone calls are never returned.  Emails are not acknowledged until long past their expiration date.  A messy desk spills over.  I know.  Thankfully, I have an inner bulldozer, and I level things periodically.  Creative destruction, or simply, cleaning my desk (house, car).

    Jose Ortega y Gasset writes  (and you can visit my blog post on this from 2010 here):


    The so-called spirit is an all too ethereal agent, permanently in danger of being lost in the labyrinth of its own infinite possibilities. Thinking is too easy. The mind in its flight rarely meets with resistance. Hence the vital importance for the intellectual of touching concrete objects and of learning discipline in his intercourse with them. . . Without the check of visible and palpable things, the spirit in its high-flown arrogance would be sheer madness. The body is the tutor and the policeman of the spirit."


    I identify with that comment, and I suggest that any who are suffering (and I'm in that brother/sisterhood from messy desks and messy homes and cars (guilty, guilty guilty)) that the verdict is not so much that one is creative, but rather  the verdict is that one's mind is lost in its 'labyrinth of its own infinite possibilities'.  JOyG also notes


    Writing forces the mind in its wanderlust to systematize its thinking to produce something cogent, cohesive, coherent.  Failure to systematize means that there is a failure to capture and convey the fruits of creativity.  That failure means simply that the daydreaming, when done excessively, when done without yielding results, is a waste of time. It's mental masturbation---and this is coming from someone who values creativity.

    Accordingly, what I believe a messy desk tells us is that we have a creative person who is unable to systematize and unable to transform his/her creativity into somethings tangible hat can be communicated.  I further posit that such clutter robs the mind of space (and energy)  in which it needs to create insight.  I've worked with highly creative people in advertising.  You know what?  Not one of them had a slovenly desk.  Not one (and this was a 150 person office).  Some of the account managers had messy desks and administrative folks.  But not the creatives.

    So I think that the 'science' behind the messy desk is a bunch of hooey. I consider myself an expert on this matter having suffered from this malaise.  I'll always be infected.  That is because I'll never change how my brain is wired.  Nevertheless, I can provide my brain with a more creative environment by having beautiful space in which to work.  I know the psychic energy that a pile of papers holds robs my brain from being able to operate in a less stressful environment.  We build insight by creating space for perspective.  And piles of crap surrounding us does not promote creating such space.  Nor does it enhance our credibility as effective executives.  Rather, I think that it detracts from our credibility....no matter how good we are at our jobs.

    Therefore, I posit that to JOyG's point, we must impose discipline on the mind...or give it a trellis to grab onto and climb.  Some of my best thinking comes when I'm forced to write something (blogging, letters, journals) or develop a spreadsheet.  Why?  Because those activities are trellis for the mind.  When you write you have to have thoughts, link them, thrash them, embrace them and ultimately organize them.  Same with building a spreadsheet.  However, once one has gone through the thinking, distillation and organization of whatever it is at hand, it is the marrying of creativity with productivity.   It is that process of wrestling our ideas to the ground that  creates learning and insight.


    Build a trellis for your thoughts and ideas.  Give your brain space to invent and imagine.  Capture your musings and then put on your police hat and give them form and substance.

      Of course this stuff is on my mind because 'space' maintenance is one of my many non-resolutions.  (A retread from 2008).  I believe it is important.  That's why I have it on my KANBAN board, and set my Pomodoro timer  (my policeman! to my mind) to wrestle these to the ground, to include putting away my laundry, cleaning my desk, cleaning my car, sparkling my kitchen.  And these are not palatable things to me.  But, I'm using these unpalatable things to practice mindfulness.  I'm doing washing dishes meditation (okay, it is loading and unloading the dishwasher meditation with hand washing pots and my knives), folding clothes meditation, cleaning desk meditation, slicing onions meditations.  All things as a meditation practice in mindfulness.  With the added benefit of sprucing things up.

    Rather than use a typical 20 minute meditation, I'm using my Pomodoros as my working meditation time. Each of these meditations in 25 minute increments provide an exercise that is powerful, and yields a very tangible result.  I'm actually enjoying hitting the timer and selecting my task, and working through it without being distracted by 'creative' thoughts that simply are a diversion from completing the task at hand.

    Today I have done email meditation, laundry meditation, dishwasher meditation, exercise meditation, firewood meditation.  Every completed task on my KANBAN board represents a work meditation successfully completed with focus, insight and results.











    Sunday Stuff

    Vasectomy Madness:  There was an interesting flash on the digital billboard on the way to work last Thursday.  Vasectomymadness.com  along with hoop with a ball swishing through it.  That's pretty effective advertising extolling the benefits of getting a vasectomy while recuuperating on the couch and watching college basketball (as well as the interesting visual cue).  It made me look, and I have no interest in a vasectomy!

    I see enigmatic billboards (non-digital) that pique my interest, but until today, I've never gone to the website to see what it was all about.  I guess if you have a loved one that you are trying to encourage to have some surgery, then you might want to extoll the features and benefits as noted! 

    Health:  I was sucker punched after the flu with a secondary infection.  Both sinuses.  All I can say is that I'm glad that I did not defer going to the doctor.  I received necessary antibiotics, and today, for the first time since Christmas, I feel well.

    Productivity:  I have been living the Pomodoro/Kanban life today.  Frankly, I'm worn out from a combination of convalescing and high productivity.

    On Friday, my desktop Outlook crashed.  I have had 'limit warnings' flash, and I simply culled out my email.  My work requires that I have some pretty large files.  However, I could not even delete anything.  I was DITW.  Frankly, I've never educated myself too much on how to resolve the problem...and given that it was a problem with my .pst data file from 1997-2002, that should tell you how long I have been deferring this.

    I'm an army of one when it comes to my business, and that means that I'm also the IT person. I managed to research and fix it. However, I ended up with a mess because I had some emails in triplicate.  So part of yesterday was the mind numbing culling through that fiasco without saving everything and without deleting necessary things.  I have a real need for archived stuff.  Once I go to a manageable level, I stopped.  I was even calculating the size of my inbox in messages (it was over 4K) at each 25 minute Pomo segment.  There were some segments, where my productivity (e.g. deleting emails) was triple sad, BUT, I go things on a to do list, or followed up with some folks where needed (that slowed my delete rate). 

    My other computer task was to update my Kanban boards.  I'm also integrating Kanbanflow with Getting Things Done (David Allen).  I also had another great idea that I'll be nurturing this year and bringing forward once I've developed it further.  It is my grand "AHHHH  HAHHHHH!".  

    Once up from the computer, it was the necessary minutae of laundry and kitchen tasks.  I used these tasks and meditative opportunities.  I didn't even turn on the tv for the laundry folding.


    Another Non-Resolution or Kanban thank you Ma'am

    As you can tell, I have a long list non-resolutions for the New Year.  One thing that I implemented last year was the Pomodoro Technique.  You can read about it here (from my blog post), and you can read further about it here, from the horse's mouth (Francesco Cirillo).   In a nutshell the Pomodoro Technique is a form of time blocking that promotes focused concentration on the task at hand.

    The "task at hand" fits into a larger time management system, of which there are many.  We all work differently, and we need to develop work processes that allow us to function at a high level without undue stress.  For those of us ADHD superstars, the Pomodoro technique is a godsend.  It provides a 25 minute window for focusing on the task at hand. And, it provides for a quantitatively defined time for you to STOP before starting again. The short breaks are 5 minutes and after 4 sessions, you get a 15 minute break.

    If you have trouble focusing on a task at hand because you get distracted by all of the thoughts and things flying at you and commanding your immediate attention, OR (and this is a big one too) you have trouble starting tasks (particularly those that are not very fun), OR (and this is yet another big one) you cannot disengage from a task (a/k/a falling into the rabbit hole) then this technique can help you
    1. get started (hey, just do that unpleasant thing for 25 minutes)
    2. stay engaged (it's just 25 minutes) and, importantly
    3. disengage.

    Disengaging is an important part of building perspective.  A rabbit hole will suck you down, and there is no perspective in rabbit holes.  I don't say the following lightly:

    It is one of the most effective techniques I have found for myself to help manage my  focus.   That means that I get through my task more quickly, or I have a learning when my task blows up and takes longer than I expect.

    Having said that, it is worth noting that your job has to allow you to work this way.  You couldn't be a customer service rep and do this.  However,  as a professional, my work adapts quite well to this method. Nevertheless, even if your work situation does not allow for such implementation, there are many things in our personal life (paying bills, cleaning, cooking, exercising, internet/tv time etc) that adapt well to such time management methods. 

    There are not too many software offerings for using this technique in an integrated way with good time management system.  I have TeamViz, but the interface is not completely to my liking.  Plus, I don't see that it is actively updated or managed, so I don't plan to renew my subscription.

    https://kanbanflow.com/I ran across KanbanFlow (listed at Pomodorium), and I have been using it for five days. Click the logo and be transported to their page.   I'm so excited about this system because it marries the Pomodoro technique along with VISUAL process flow.  It is a cloud program, so it is accessible from the internet and the mobile phone.  It is a paltry $5 per month.  Heck, I saved that already in productivity about 20 times over in these past few days.

    In addition to marrying with the Pomodoro technique, I can use this with David Allen's Getting Things Done system--and truly enjoy stress free productivity. The system is a work flow system that creates an inventory of things to do, and then your work to pull these things into the work in process category to include another category of today.

    inventory of stuff to do ==> stuff that is in process (active work) + TODAY Stuff  ==>Done!

    You can add more columns--but at some point too much ruins the simplicity.  The beauty of the system is that you can keep your backlog populated with stuff (trapped in your system so that it cannot get away) that needs to be done.  You move that stuff (drag and drop or through a date that automatically will move it to your in process column or today column) to the appropriate column, and then work through that batch.  Send completed items to the done column, and then go back to your inventory of things to do a pull things into your active process.

    By managing the today and in process columns you manage what you plan to spend your time and energy on by marrying the work with the time constraints on when it needs to be delivered (this week, today) and what resources (your time and energy) that you have available. By being proactive, you have a better chance of not over-committing your time and resources.  Further, you are not wilting each time you look at your total inventory of things to do, because your focus is on your work in process and today.

    Rather than your inventory of things to do pushing into your near-term active space because they are not managed or prioritized, you are pulling them into near-term active space once you have the resources (time and energy) to apply to these items. Pulling rather than pushing is a tenet of lean/agile thinking and systems, of which Kanban is a tool for visualizing the effects of pulling.  Nothing goes into work in process until something gets moved out.  Work in process is the marrying of the resources (time, energy, materials) with what is getting produced.

    For us knowledge workers, we are producing deliverables (budgets, software, new call center, customer presentation).  What is the difference between pulling v. pushing?  It's the difference between being proactive (pulling your items into your present work time) v. reactive (having these items push themselves into your workspace).  Better to pull these items in rather than have them push themselves uninvited into your current work space (an bulldoze your peace of mind).

    Once you create space in your 'in process and today columns' then you go back to your inventory of things and pull them into your current field of vision.   Your focus is strictly on what is in process and what has to be done today. How is that for limiting distractions?  If the time demand and urgency of things is more than you can handle, then it is time to plan on using other resources.  Oh, how I wished I had this system 10 years ago!

    Who among us has not looked at our entire inventory of things to do and silently whispered, "WTF?"  As unplanned tasks present themselves, there is a better framework for evaluating where they need to be (today, work in process, inventory).  Simply look at your schedule and see what you can move, or where you can schedule this new deliverable. Your backlog has already been swept for things that have to been done soon (in process) or Today.  Therefore, it is not a long, foreboding shadow that hangs over you.

    Rather, you can focus all of your energy on completing the stuff that needs to be done today, and doing the most fun thing of all...dragging it to the DONE! column. When things are completed you are creating time/energy space to pull things in from your inventory.  Further, adding tasks to the backlog is not stressful, but comforting in knowing that you've captured a deliverable within your system and you can plan for it.

    Because priorities change constantly, having facile tools to reflect those changes in the kanban board are welcomed.  KanbanFlow allows you to drag and drop to instantly prioritize, or use colors or swim lanes to configure a matrix that works for your style of deliverables.

    Each task can have color coding, labels, subtasks,  due dates, where it needs to land on the due date, description boxes and estimated time.  Using the Pomodoro timer, you choose a task and capture the time spent on it.  When the task is done, it will tell you how well you did against your estimates.  Moreover, you can even email tasks to it. It has an intuitive feel that gets you up and running in .....drum roll....less than 2 minutes.  It really is that simple.

    I love it, love it, love it. And I feel like a disciple of it.  There might be other software out there, but I'll not be looking for it.  This software has EVERYTHING that I could want.  I'm ecstatic...and I don't say that very often.  And using this tool in a corporate environment for initiatives at the department or corporate level would be a great way to kick up the level of productivity and creativity in the workplace.

    Anyway, for any of you reading who are looking for a great tool to integrate prioritization of complex tasks, time management and creating space for focus and productivity, I would encourage you to (1) research the Pomodoro technique; (2) read David Allen's book, Getting Things Done, the Art of Stress Free Productivity and (3) take a look at the Kanbanflow website.  I also have another book that I would recommend:  The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McDonigal.  In that book you will see how your brain conspires against all your best laid plans.


    Country Hamapalooza

    The country ham that my sister gave us is wonderful.  It is one piece of meat that I feel gets better the day after, and under refrigeration after cooking.  Since enjoying it on New Year's day (though I stumbled through the meal preparation due to just getting over the flu), we have had it in stuffed peppers (with cheese, onions, rice and leftover blackeyed peas) and then last night in an onion tart.  I'll need to carve it up and freeze it....it doesn't need to linger long in the refrigerator.

    Angel came up lame yesterday.  I believe it was from her new-found vigilance at the front door. On Saturday evening she hurled herself off the front steps onto Daisey (who is 45 to her 72 lbs) and who refuses to submit. She looked like a WWW Pro wrestler flying through the air to body slam Daisey.  Daisey was no worse for the wear, but Angel could not get up on her own yesterday, nor this a.m.  Once up, she was able to motor around, albeit gingerly.  She shows considerable alacrity (lame or not) whenever her food bowl is activated.  Some rest will help, so she will be on the injured reserve list when it comes to playing with Dexter.  She's had this type of injury before.  I suspect she has an old injury that becomes aggravated when she does stuff she shouldn't.  Dogs are no different than people.

    The vestiges of the flu are hanging on to the most habitable part of my body:  my sinuses.  A colleague (whose family and he were smitten by this flu foe--though I'm not around him, so I don't feel that he was my source of infection) warned that these vestiges would linger.  I'm pulling out my neti pot, and will try to wrest them from their security.

    I've not had much energy to play with Dexter, and that boy needs some raucous, intense play sessions to burn of energy.  A tempered walk, which is all I can do these days just does not cut it.  The only good thing about the flu is that the 2.5 days that I spent in bed were good for my rear end.  Maybe we can make it through 2015 without any of us breaking anything.  The last three years on a collective basis have not been so fortunate.

    Yesterday I was able to complete an entire day of work at my desk doing client work.  Year end is a mass of deadlines for me, and being ill has only put me in the hole.  However, I've been implementing some new work concepts which I will share later.  Now, I have to get back to my tasks!

    Dinner Planning for the Beach

    We will be heading down the Nags Head again this year.  Already, I am trying to plan my menu to feed 25 or so guests.  With such a goal in mind, it gives me a chance to do the ever-pleasurable review of my cookbooks, or scout out my Bon Appetit magazines monthly to find something that will surprise and delight the house.

    The house is large; the kitchen magnificent (a great kitchen x 2) with the exception that not everything works as it should.  And, there is a paucity of decent pans etc, to the point that I haul down equipment (food processor, blender, knives, pots/pans) to have the necessary tools to accomplish the task at hand.  The task is that the house is divided into teams.  There are generally 4 teams with a team captain of which I am one.  The purpose is simply to provide happy hour, dinner and dessert to the balance of the house. And cleaning up! There's a competition and all with the prize being a plastic severed body part.  High stakes indeed!

    I'll not lie to you:  it is hard planning, purchasing, logisticizing (I know that is not a word) for that many people.  That being said, it is wonderful to be fed by others on the other 4 nights, and fun to get the feedback on one's own offering.

    I've got a long while to settle on my offering.  I have to remind myself that

    Perfection is the enemy of the good

    That means for me for this task, that quite a bit of time and effort can go into the perfect menu, when most people will be happy with good.  That being said, I will rationalize that finding the perfect menu is an exercise in broadening my culinary inquiry.  As part of my long list of non-resolutions for the New Year, culinary inquiry is at the top of my non-list.

    I sit down with a cookbook like normal folks who read regular books (and I read those too).  "The Dinner" gives purpose to my my perusing. Plus, putting the pieces of a dinner together is fun for me.
    A thoughtful friend gave me Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques as Christmas gift. I did read it cover to halfway through.  Lots of great information, to include how to skin a rabbit.

    To be a true cook is to understand these things.  I'm happy faking it, and starting further up the process!  In the meantime, I'll conduct my chore of planning my menu from the comfortable chair of the elephant room with a glass of wine and the warmth of the fire.

    I currently have a few books around me, one of which is The Gourmet Cooking School Cookbook by Dione Lucas with Darlene Geis.  (A thrift/antique store find).  In her section on equipment to have in the kitchen, one essential piece is a pepper mill. . .

    One for whole white, one for whole black peppercorns. Don't ever use commercially ground pepper; you might just as well throw sand in your food. (p. 17)

    Cutting Board



    It is time to do some upgrading on my cutting boards. My cutting board with the carving side is split. So when I carve my roast beast, the juices drip through the crack in the board.  That board has served me well for many, many years (a couple of decades maybe?).  Alas, it has served its purpose.  It is supposed to be a board, not a sieve. Adios.

    I've been eyeing a Boos Block (20x15x1.5) at my favorite salvage store.  It is simply priced at retail...and I don't want to pay retail.  The board above is 18x18 and is 2.25" thick. I get 24 more square inches, so that is a plus. It weighs 18lbs so it is not a behemoth.  The slide out tray is a nice feature.  It catches juice on one side and holds your chopped lovelies for whatever dish you are fixing.  

    I found the above on e-bay in new condition.  I didn't futz around with watching it...I used the buy-it now function.  Even with the shipping (at over $30), it was well-priced and still $60 cheaper than most sale prices for that sized board. 

    I note that many retailers are now using ebay (and Amazon) as marketing/distribution channels.

    Dinner tonight is stuffed peppers.  I used country ham from our NY dinner (and my sister was my ham patron!), rice, shallots, celery, cheese and left over black eyed peas to stuff them with.  Stuffed pepper is a handy way to take a little meat (though I have a lot of ham) in combination with other 'stuff' to make a delicious meal.

    Washing dishes to wash the dishes

    I mentioned in this post Thich Nhat Hanh (TNH).  I have several of his books, and The Miracle of Mindfulness is a book that I pick up at least annually and re-read.  I will keep his book a little closer this year.  I believe that cultivating mindfulness is beneficial to one's well-being. It is certainly beneficial to mine, though I'm not a consistent practioner.

    The idea that the mind has no mind is worth remembering.  We train our bodies in sports; we learn stuff; but do we really 'train' our mind to not wander off on this or that fool's errand.  The internet is like crack to an untrained mind.  Why else would you see the stupidity in 'teaser' headlines.

    In the 90's I took a transcendental meditation class.  I got a lot from the course, but I was left with a decidedly bitter taste in my mouth after going through the course, and paying whatever the fee was (and I think it was $1,000), only to be encouraged to refer someone at a special discounted price. PFFFTT!

    I tried to quell my cynicism and remind myself that I had learned a useful exercise.  And, it is true, I found it to be quite useful. As with any undertaking, I jumped in with gusto.  After working all day, and being a young mother, I found that when I got home and had a chance to do my 20 minute meditation that I had three outcomes:
    1. I fell asleep
    2. I was jolted out of mediation by the phone, husband or child, or sometimes all three
    3. I had a successful session 
     The preponderance of my sessions ended up with #1 & #2.  But when I experienced #3, I realized that this was something useful.

    Like most useful things such as eating right and exercising, there is a small amount of effort and time involved that has a big dividend pay off.  Despite that small bit of trouble, the vast majority of us do not do such things.  Ashamedly, I am in that majority.

    A concept so simple as stopping the mind's incessant wandering seems to be an easy enough thing.  It's not.  It is a discipline.  Too often, we are missing in action in the present moment.  Rather, we are inordinately preoccupied with the past or the future.  TNH gives a great teaching about the act of washing dishes for the sake of washing dishes.
    While washing the dishes one should only be washing the dishes, which means that while washing the dishes one should be completely aware of the fact that one is washing the dishes.  At first glance, that might seem a little silly:  why put so much stress on a simple thing?  But that's precisely the point.  The fact that I am standing there and washing these bowls is a wondrous reality.  I'm being completely myself, following my breath, conscious of my presence, and conscious of my thoughts and actions.  There's no way I can be tossed around mindlessly like a bottle slapped here and there on the waves.

    I think of this teaching (periodically) when I'm doing any dreaded task.  The act of being present in whatever it is that we are doing, transforms the task to a meditation exercise.  I'd like to apply this important teaching more systematically in my everyday life; rather than treat it as an afterthought.

    Though I never cultivated a meditation practice in the traditional sense, I did use these teachings to find a way to elevate ordinary tasks into a more exalted form. I moved away from this practice, and would like to revitalize it.  When I did my trail running, I used that time to do my running meditation. My running meditation was no more than focusing on my breath and my running cadence and the feel of every stride on the trail.  It was a great way to be focused on the present.  No music; no partners other than my silent canine friends.  Just my breath and the steady pounding of my feet on the trail .

    No special knowledge is needed to practice mindfulness, but it does require an intention to do so. I would recommend his book which can be obtained easily on Amazon to cultivate an awareness of these simple yet powerful teachings from a master teacher. 

    I do not admire many people largely due to my demanding standards that few can meet (which says more about me than about others, but that is my burden). However, TNH is an example of a pure soul and a consummate teacher whose example of transcendent understanding, unimpeachable example, compassionate observer and patient explainer of all things that are simple, but worth knowing in an accessible, gentle manner.

    Another's work that I enjoy is Osho.  Though he is a controversial figure, I enjoy his teachings, and I have gained much from them.

    With that, I will go wash some dishes now...and truly wash the dishes.


    Dog Dynamics

    First, some musica! This is Joan Baez and Mercedes Sosa



    Dexter's arrival in our home, now 159 days ago, made for an interesting change in dynamics. Last night in bed (with Dexter--don't ask me how my "never will I have a dog in our bed again" result in Dexter now nestling in bed with us), we heard Ella (lowest member of our totem pole), growling at Daisey (who thinks she is queen bee, but Angel tries to disabuse her of that notion at the front door).  Ella had settled on a dog bed, and Daisey was trying to hustle her out.  Ella would have none of it. 

    (It should be noted that Daisey used to get Ella in a choke hold which involved Ella being on her back, Daisey pinning her down and clamping on Ella's windpipe to the point of having Ella coughing for breath.  We always intervened when we were there; and because we work, I'm sure there were unsupervised sessions that did not involve any death or injury). 

    What is remarkable about hearing Ella growl, is that she never does this.  However, since Dexter has crossed the threshhold, he has empowered her.  How?  That is what is interesting.  Dexter is the only dog that we have had that treats Ella as an equal.  He invites her to play; she allows him to chew on her; she chews  on him; runs; turns; and when she has had enough she lets him know.  He doesn't always respect her cues, but he doesn't respect those of Angel or Daisey.  We ensure that we reinforce the cues.

    Though Daisey has general disdain for Dexter, I spied her laying outside near him him (4ft), basking in the December sun on a warm day.  Now that Dexter is able to settle on the sofa (not possible until recently), he will lay his head on whatever part of Daisey she will allow him to.  Last evening it was her back left foot.

    Dexter's best sparring partner is Angel.  Angel in recent weeks has become increasingly active as the door-keeper.  Trying to get 4 dogs out the door when Angel is throwing her weight around is a bit difficult.  Dexter of course pays her no mind.  He does not try to dominate any, but he's not willing to be dominated.  He's just a happy-go-lucky guy who wants to play with any who will have him.

    I finally got my daughter to bring her dog, Blaze (Setter/Hound mix) by.  Unfortunately, she didn't call me ahead of time.  She simply barged in the front door without knocking, with Blaze not on a lead, and surprising the heck out of everyone.  (Dexter was outside with Mark on a lead).

    Well Angel sprang into action and all manner of hell broke loose.  I was nursing a hurt back from my travails with Dexter earlier, but pulled  her off.  All of the energy escalation could not be quieted, and there was no chance that anything good was going to come of Dexter and Blaze's meeting more closely.  Dexter was tied off; I rebuked my daughter for her 'introduction', and I suggested that her dog be on a lead whenever she is introducing her dog to another.  Bustin' up through someone's front door with a strange dog is not preferred.

    No harm done.

    My SIL vacationed over the Xmas holiday with other members of her family to include 5 (or 6 ) dogs.  She has a pair of labs.  Her sister has a pair of German Shepherds.  A trip to the vet for one of her dogs ensued for a back leg bite injury requiring a staple.

    I have no wish to vacation with my dogs.  Though we did enjoy taking Dexter to Nags Head with us and BOARDING him.  I like getting away from my dogs, though I love them dearly.

    Nevertheless, Ella has found her voice.  Dexter's being in bed with us has be therapeutic for him; and it gives us more rest time.  But, yeah, I know that it is not such a great idea.


    Three Questions

    On this first day of the year, I picked up some of my treasured books. I have many books, though I profess that I read much less now than I used to.  Not something that I say with any pride.  I have books stuffed in many different places.  It is like being surrounded by old, trusted friends.  They stay tucked away, uncomplaining.  They are patient.  They know that they will selected when the time is right, and until then, there are no "pick me" moments.

    When I read John Adams' biography, I was struck by the fact that he had a book, I believe by Heraclitus, that he carried with him on his journeys.  And to have such a book that commanded such attention would mean to understand very well indeed the author's point of view and exposition of the subject at hand.

    I have many books, but there are a few that continually command my attention.  For those that do, I revere them. One such book is is Thich Nhat Hanh's, The Miracle of Mindfulness.  I picked this book up again today.  I'm still in recuperation mode from the flu.  So sitting in the "Elephant Room" with the warmth of the wood stove, the companionship of my cat and two English Setters, lying quietly in a sunfiled spot on the floor is restorative. 

    This is my favorite room of my home.  I call it the Elephant Room due to the wonderful Ronald Redding wallpaper that adorns the walls.  It is elephants and camels with sublimated imagery.  They are drawn in a way that evokes nostalgia, and my room is nostalgic in every sense.  Though new, it was designed to feel old.  It envelopes me, and it is a sanctuary.

    I am sitting in one of my Nana's chairs.  They are Chromecraft, 1946 art deco chairs.  A pair.  One in blue floral velvet, the other in red.  I'm sitting in the red one.  The arms are wide with a wooden strip in the middle:  perfect to fit books, tea, writing instruments and the like.  Perfect for me.

    On this day, I read Thich Nhat Hanh.  I was glad to read his retelling of Tolstoy's "Three Questions".

    IT once occurred to a certain king, that if he always knew the right time to begin everything; if he knew who were the right people to listen to, and whom to avoid, and, above all, if he always knew what was the most important thing to do, he would never fail in anything he might undertake.

      You can find the story here.  It is a wonderful parable with this simple lesson:

    Remember then: there is only one time that is important -- Now! It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power. The most necessary man is he with whom you are, for no man knows whether he will ever have dealings with any one else: and the most important affair is, to do him good, because for that purpose alone was man sent into this life!'

    New Music for a New Year



    Happy New Year!

    I was captivated by the music on the HBO Latino Series, Profugos. The artist is Camilla Moreno. I have much to say about the series, which is one of my favorite of all time, but not for today. The music is used in Profugos in a way that but inextricable from all of the other modalities: actors, script, scene. So enchanted I was by some of the instrumentals and vocals of much of the music, I was compelled to seek out the talent. Here she is performing one of my favorite songs.  My favorite is "Antes Que", though I did not find a good video on it.    

    As a non-Spanish speaker, I have little idea of the lyrics, even when translated.  But I love the earnestness in her voice, instrumentation used in different ways, the energy in her playing, and the surprising percussive elements.

    I hope you will take a listen.  If you are an HBO subscriber and want to move outside of your language, you might consider giving HBO Latino series, Profugos, a watch.  I found it compelling on so many levels:  storyline, acting, music and the extraordinary vistas of Chile--a country of many geographic contrasts of breathtaking beauty.

    As for New Year's resolutions....

    I think that Miyamoto Musashi's wisdom is worth contemplating daily.  My sole resolution is to print this out and put it by my computer to do just that.  I particularly like #9:  Do not do anything useless!

    The Book of Five Rings
    Miyamoto Musashi
    Translated by Thomas Cleary, 1993; 1997 Barnes & Noble Books

    ~~~~~
    Two essential elements of ancient martial and strategic traditions:
    • The first of these basic principles is keeping inwardly calm and clear even in the midst of violent chaos;
    • The second is not forgetting about the possibility of disorder in times order.
    ~~~~~
    Harmony and disharmony in rhythm occur in every walk of life. It is imperative to distinguish carefully between the rhythms of flourishing and the rhythms of decline in every single thing.

    ~~~~~

    1. Think of what is right and true.
    2. Practice and cultivate the science.
    3. Become acquainted with the arts.
    4. Know the principles of the crafts.
    5. Understand the harm and benefit in everything.
    6. Learn to see everything accurately.
    7. Become aware of what is not obvious.
    8. Be careful even in small matters.
    9. Do not do anything useless.