Happy Saturday! This is the soup I took to lunch at work this week. The recipe is basically 2 cans of black beans, garlic, cilantro, scallions, chicken broth, chicken (or sausage will work even better if you dare eat sausage),cumin, lime juice, and when the soup cooks for 15 minutes you can use an immersion blender to puree some of the black beans. This recipe is both delicious and heart healthy.
Brooksville is hosting a dog show which gave me a great opportunity to check out some different breeds. I cannot lie, I'm partial to Dobie's and my heart is captured by them like none other.
The weather was 50 degrees and every now and then you'll see heavy canine coats to keep them warm between showings. Dobermans are one of 3 breeds that are judged by their number of teeth. The question of the day is: can anyone tell me what that number is for Dobermans? Or, can you tell me what the other 2 breeds are?
Call me strange but this was my favorite dish on the Thanksgiving table. Major food holidays tend to make me crave salads. It's simple to make and requires fresh mozarella cheese, tomatoes, basil, olive oil, green olives, and Italian bread and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Did I mention it was 80 degrees here in Tampa? Who needs an oven when you can go play outside in the surf.
Nature soothes my soul and on a warm 80 degree afternoon I'm feeling okay again. I haven't felt much like writing in my blog because my dog had to be put down. It's been a rough time and I'm trying to focus on positive things again. Coda would want me to do that and remember the good times. And though, I'm usually packing up my car with her in tow - she will always be in my heart.
The morning felt cool at 7am so I went for a run, mainly because the rain at night has been soaking the neighborhood and I've not run since Sunday. After that we hung out in the "gym" and by that I mean using free weights in the back bedroom.
As I reached for my totem and discovered this was not a dream, I headed into the surf and paddled as hard as I could. Fourth of July and me have a history of not going so well. There was last year, and the many rainy years before that...
Spending a carefree day at the beach riding the waves and her the elevator has put me in a new frame of mind. Carefree. My road trip to Jupiter was very worthwhile due to the perfect weather and the fresh environment. Ever see the movie "What about Bob?" I decided this was my vacation from all worries. Surfing, diving, coda chasing other dogs on the beach was what Dr. Lauren prescribed. So I took my doberman, and then headed out someplace we'd never been before.
Over the 4th of July Weekend we went to the beach and stayed at the condo in Jupiter. Coda used the elevator to get up and down the stairs so we didn't put any pressure on her neck. At first she kinda got real nervous and started shaking as the floor began to move. After a couple times she got over realizing all the fun was outside, not inside.
Holy moly I love days like these. The market was packed with colorful flowers and fresh produce this morning. You know you must be hungry when flower looks good enough to eat. Like I said earlier, I'm happier this past week with Coda doing better. I took all the food home and proceeded to place it on the counter and the took some of the veggies outside on a large platter. The patio is packed with roasting veggies on the grill and the dog chasing butterflies again.
The patient is doing very well. Coda started palliative radiation therapy on Wednesday and this will continue for 3 more treatments. Coda has gotten her life back and so have I. The radiation does not hurt her; but, they do knock dogs out in order to keep them still. If I ever learn how to teach a dog not to breathe I'm joining forces with FVS.
We fell fast asleep last night to the sound of rainfall on the roof. Coda's mobility has improved from being on the prednisone and she is walking better. This morning she pranced across the yard hot on the trail of the Easter Bunny.
