MANILLA FOR DUMMIES

Thanks to Wm Rowe
Today was my bill paying day. I have everything organized on a website called Manilla.com. Basically it is like an on-line file cabinet that organizes all of your bills. It keeps your payment history and alerts you to when things are due. It is a life saver for me, because I have never really been the most organized person! You can create a free account and there is absolutely no charge for the service. On your “home page” you link your on-line accounts to the site. For example, I linked my account with cleartvbundle.com to my Manilla.com account folder. It automatically stores and saves all of the information and will e-mail me when I set it to. I made an e-mail alert for when I received the bill and one week before it is due. I don’t have any of my payments on auto-withdrawl because I like to check each statement, so knowing when they are due is clutch! I have also been able to put my cell phone, credit card, gas, electricity, and water on Manilla.com. It is a great organizational tool and the best part about it is that it is free!

Feline Agenda - A Poem

All programs are choreographed
for her delight
a field's frenzied performance
or a leaf's minuet.
A tossed calico mouse
or one circling the house
Cat never doubts her claim
to delight, for all kinetics
shape diversion in flight.
Cat glissades by day,
goes stalking by night
makes perfectly clear
that all needs are a right
and firm fixed in feline agenda.

A poem in "These Fringes of Time"

by Thelma Shaw

Finally got it

This guest post from Doris Dillon
We finally got a t1 line in my office and it is make my job so much easier. My boss has got to be the least technologically inclined person on the planet and it makes it so hard for me to get my work done. For example, he still likes to fax things a lot more than he likes to use e-mail… Have you even seen a fax machine in the last five years? You should hear my clients when I tell them I'm going to fax them something. Also, he likes to send out a lot of paper letters, which means a lot of time for me spent addressing envelopes in buying stamps. He doesn't seem to understand that we could save a lot of money by setting this correspondence out via e-mail, either he doesn't understand or he just doesn't care. I do appreciate that he's all about tradition but when it comes to doing your business the right way I think it's important to stay current so you don't fall behind.

Aging Pets and Senior Cat Care

Well, I guess it is inevitable - something all pet parents face: the thought of our precious petlings becoming sick or worse is overwhelming and unless you have had and loved a pet, the excessive vet bills, sleepless nights and down right hysteria, it may be hard to understand. "It's just an animal" I have heard on more than one occasion! And I am here to testify to you that this attachment and fear of loss is quite real, as my aging and very dear tabby cat "Baby" approaches 16, the thought of life without her seems unimaginable. Visions of her suffering are even worse however which is why I have tried to be proactive in my research and preparation for the inevitable signs of he ultimate enemy, aging.

One thing that I have learned is that as cats age, there is a slow but steady decrease in the weight of their kidneys and a loss of filtering ability. Cats are born with a certain number of filtering apparatus' in their kidneys. These filters are lost when the walls of the blood vessels that form them thicken, scar and become blocked as cats age. The most common signs that owners observe are weight loss and increased thirst, which I have indeed noticed with my tabby cat "Baby" for about 4 - 5 years now. I always try to make sure that she has plenty of water, placed strategically around the house and I also added wet food to her diet once each day. 

Although hard to face, animals like humans are not built to last forever. Like most seniors, I have noticed that Baby prefers a quiet evening in her warm bed. Not to say that she doesn't enjoy an occasional catnip craving or romp around the room, I attempt to keep her routine as consistent as possible. I keep noise to a minimum and try to make her as comfortable and happy as possible, returning the unconditional love and companionship that she has given me for all of these years. 

Tasty and Healthy HomeMade Dog Treats for our Canine Comrads

Dog Treats

Many pet owners and breeders prefer to prepare their own food and treats. Home prepared treats and foods are often more nutritious. and you can be sure what they contain.  This recipe for dog treats was contributed by Faith Heinauer who is a caterer, cookbook author, columnist, and the creative force behind her website, Break Eggs.com :

Coda is dressed up for Halloween to get her treats!  Biscuit dough: 1 1/2 cups flour 3/4 cup oatmeal 1/4 cup wheat germ 1/3 cup peanut butter 1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 Tablespoons honey 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 cup water  Glaze:  1 large egg 2 Tablespoons milk  1. Preheat the oven to 275°. 2. In a large bowl: combine the flour, oatmeal, wheat germ, peanut butter, vegetable oil, honey, baking powder and water.  3. Mix the ingredients until thoroughly combined.  4. Roll the dough out to a ½-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes and place on baking sheets.  5. In a small bowl, mix together the egg and milk. Brush the glaze on the biscuits.  6. Bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the pans, and bake for an additional 20 - 30 minutes, until biscuits are golden and firm.

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Our Thanks To:
Faith Heinauer is a chef, cookbook author, columnist, and the creative force behind her website, Break Eggs.com Sign up for tasty bi-weekly newsletter!
 

When I was in Miami

Guest written by our friend Mason Abbott
This one time when I was on vacation I was just getting to my hotel and my cell phone rang. I was in the mood for getting to the beach and drinking a pina colada but I was pulled from that fantasy back to reality. I was alerted that my home alarm system had been going off and the police were heading to my house. Since I live in Atlanta and I had just arrived in Miami there was not a whole lot I could do from that many miles away except worry and pray. I was mostly worried because my dog was in the house. I had asked my neighbor to feed him and walk him and take him out to play a few times a day so that I didn’t have to put him in a kennel for three days. As it turns out my neighbor was the one who set off the alarm on accident and couldn’t remember the code! Talk about a scare! I was just thankful that I had worked with HomeSecurityFamily.com to have my home secured.

Relax at your next trip to the Vet: Can Scrubs really make a difference?

As many times as we have boxed up our kitties in their carriers and prepared them for that long trip to the Vet's Office it never seems to get any easier. I don't know who is more apprehensive, us or the shivering pets, some of them sick, entering an intimidating Veterinarian's office for the first time. On a recent trip to a new Vet in town, scheduled to get several of our rescue cats neutered, I couldn't believe my eyes as we were greeted by a warm and friendly office staff wearing fun custom made scrubs in beautiful pastel shades like pink and blue.

I am still not sure if it was us or the cats but the environment in this office made a huge difference in our experience that day. Taking a pet to the Doctor is already stressful so as a pet parent, you have to be as calm as possible so your pet won't become rattled and have to be medicated, restrained or worse.  The women in the office told me that they had their scrubs custom made to fit their new animal friendly office design by going to Blue Sky Scrubs, online at http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Women/Original-Scrubs/

I was actually so impressed that I am ordering some for myself! I just can't decide on the color!