In Memory of Sylvia Caplan (1935 – 2010), who watched over, loved and protected her family and friends during her lifetime and continues to do so as the following poem suggests:

I give you this one thought to keep -
I am with you still – I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awake in the morning’s hush
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not think of me as gone -
I am with you still – in each new dawn.

Resource: A Native American Prayer adapted from original poem by Mary Frye.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
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Whether you celebrate Passover, Easter, or Life’s renewals this time of year, take a day this weekend to “power down” and “stop and smell the roses”.

Reboot, a non-profit group of Jewish artists in search of a modern way to observe a weekly day of rest, provide us with a guide to do so. The guide is inherent in Reboot’s creative project The Sabbath Manifesto , which is designed to slow down lives in an increasingly hectic world.

Following are some of the core prinicples from the Sabbath Manifesto’s Provisional Guide for Observing a Weekly Day of Rest.

Reboot also, this year, initiated a National Day of Unplugging. Thousands unplugged from cell phones, ipods, computers, etc. from Sundown, Friday, March 19 to Sundown, Saturday, March 20. The people in this YouTube video tell us how and why they unplug, or. . . not.

Source: Sabbath Manifesto: Slowing Down Lives Since 2010.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
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National Women’s History Week was first celebrated in March, 1980. This was made possible by The National Women’s History Project (NWHP). NWHP lead the efforts of thousands of individuals and hundreds of educational and women’s organizations to make sure it happened then and for each and every year thereafter. In 1987, after national recognition, multi-state declarations of National Women’s History Month, and further NWHP lobbying efforts, Congress declared March as National Women’s History Month in perpetuity. A special Presidential Proclamation is issued every year which honors the extraordinary achievements of American women.

This year to mark their 30th year, NWHP’s theme is Writing Women Back into History. To honor this theme, NWHP has highlighted pivotal themes from previous years. Each of these past themes recognizes a different aspect of women’s achievements, from ecology to art, and from sports to politics.

Take a few minutes this weekend to remember and honor the contribution of the women in your life in general. You may also be inspired by the list of more than 230 NWHP’s honorees which you can access here.

Additionally, the NWHP is holding an on-line auction through March 31 to raise money for its cause. If you are a history buff, or if you would like to support NWHP continue its educational mission to ensure a place for women in our history, you can check out the auction here.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
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Turn your thoughts ‘round…the first intentional step toward the first day of the rest of a  positively lived   life!

The Power of Positive Thinking
by Remez Sasson
Source: SuccessConsciousness.com

Practical Instructions

The other articles at this website, about the power of concentration, will power, self-discipline and peace of mind also contribute to the development of a positive mind, and are recommended for reading and practicing.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
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Share our Strength is a national organization dedicated to ensuring that no child in America grows up hungry. Share our Strength’s Operation Frontline program is nationally sponsored by the ConAgra Foods Foundation and is celebrating 15 years of groundbreaking nutrition education. This cooking-based program provides a strong foundation in nutrition, cooking, and household budgeting through specialized courses for adults, kids, and teens. Professional chefs and nutritionists volunteer their time and expertise to lead hands-on courses that teach adults, teens and children how to get the most nutrition out of a limited budget. Operation Frontline has reached more than 51,500 families across the country since 1993.

Volunteer to teach others how to eat healthfully and how to make good nutrition decisions … get involved with Operation Frontline.

Other Sources: Vicki Steine and Georgia Spice Company.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
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Kindness: How Good Deeds Can Be Good for You!
Source: Random Acts of Kindness Foundation
Entire article here

People who perform Random Acts of Kindness generally agree that doing a kind deed for someone else makes them “feel good.” But apart from sheer niceness, why should people be encouraged to commit Acts of Kindness? Are there any other concrete benefits that would motivate more people to become kinder?

Selye’s findings on stress are cited by Luks because many of his study volunteers had stress-related health problems that improved after performing kind acts.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
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SOMETHING TO CONTEMPLATE THIS WEEKEND AND CONSIDER DOING IN THE NEAR FUTURE

Consider participating in a volunteer activity at your child’s school in any way you can…the smallest gesture can make the biggest impact with your child. Talk to neighbors and friends, contact the school or a PTSA representative, or go to the school’s website to find out ways in which you can help. Try and volunteer for something that gives you visibility … whether they show it or not, the kids love to see parents working on their behalf. Be There provides us with reasons why your involvement in your child’s education is a good idea and research to back it up:

Parent involvement research can now document:

These benefits for parents:
1. More confidence in school
2. Teachers have higher opinions of parents and higher expectations of their children, too
3. Greater confidence in themselves as parents and in their ability to help their children learn at home
4. Greater likelihood that the parents will enroll in continuing education to advance their own schooling.

Read the research, and find out more about Be There here

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
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Jog For A Cause will benefit The Justin Gaudineer Fund,  The Kylie Barry Fund, The Keira Grace Foundation, and The Trey Rood Fund. To learn more about these charities click on the respective link.

Registrants can now create their own fundraising page for jog for a cause. Form your own fundraising team if you wish. There will be prizes for the top fundraising individual and team. Help raise funds for this great cause by clicking here.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
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Feed Your Good Dog nutritionally this weekend with a yummy pureed soup made with fresh vegetables. This Squash and Ginger Soup from the Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates with Linda Schatz is easy to make. It tastes great and has a wonderful “creamy” consistency. You’ll feel just as good making it yourself as you do eating it!

1-2 Tbsp organic butter or unrefined coconut oil
1 acorn squash, skinned and chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Large piece of ginger root (3-4 inches long), grated
Water to cover
Sea Salt or Herbamare to taste
Minced parsley as a garnish

1. Saute carrots, onions, celery and garlic in butter or unrefined coconut oil.
2. Add squash and ginger.
3. Cover with water.
4. Simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Puree and add water to desired creaminess.
6. Add sea salt or Herbamare, and simmer at least 10 minutes more.
7. Serve garnished with parsley.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
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HANDS TOGETHER HAS WORKED OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS TO HELP IMPROVE THE LIVES OF PEOPLE LIVING IN THE POOREST OF POOR CONDITIONS IN HAITI, AND, AFTER THE RECENT EARTHQUAKE, THEIR WORK IS NEEDED THERE NOW MORE THAN EVER

“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” ~Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. King’s words are inspiration for the work being done by Hands Together, a non-profit organization that works to improve the lives of Haiti’s poor so they may live with dignity. Hands Together volunteers are, and have been, “boots on the ground” in Haiti in one form or another for the past 25 years. You will find a first hand account of what happened in Haiti on the day of the earthquake, Hands Together’s response to it and their recovery plan on the Hands Together website.

Hands Together was born of a single service trip to Haiti in 1985, when Father Tom Hagan, O.S.F.S., who was serving as chaplain to Lafayette and Moravian Colleges in Pennsylvania, led a group of students on a visit to Haiti. The history of Hands Together is rich and its accomplishments many despite the years of violence and natural disasters that have threatened to shut them down.

Its vision is the hope that not only will the people of Haiti benefit from the tireless efforts of its volunteers who work to help the poor become free and live dignified lives through education, clean water, and health care, but that the volunteers return to their own community with the ability to identify its needs with a renewed sense of compassion and desire to fulfill those needs.

One can not help but be inspired and feel moved to serve after reading the following Hands Together vision message:

We hope that members of Hands Together work passionately to build a more compassionate and human world; that Hands Together’s workers will be known for their tenderness and mercy, especially toward the poor; that people will visit our projects and experience the beauty and goodness of the people they encounter; that our volunteers will assess the needs of their own communities with a renewed sense of compassion, and search for ways to respond respectfully to help others; that the families who live in Haiti’s desert villages will be healthy, that the people in the slums of Port-au-Prince will drink clean water; that everyone in Haiti will have access to education; that in the poorest communities, Hands Together helps people use their resources so that they become free and live dignified lives; and we hope that the people of Haiti will be able to build a strong community with their friends from Hands Together and exchange ideas in order to improve their quality of life.

Following are concrete goals set by Hands Together to give you an idea of the work being done to carry out its vision:

Education
• 15 school campuses with 11,000 students

Emergency Intervention
• Spontaneous charity to poorest of the poor
• Response to disasters

Nutrition – Health
• Daily meals to 11,000 students, staff and elderly
• Canteens for children ages 2-7
• Medical outreach through 2 clinics

Sustainable Development
• Water well and irrigation drilling
• Agricultural promotion through Bassen Center & Clarke Farm & Environment Protection
• Employment for 500 people

If you find some time to peruse the Hands Together website over the weekend, please do and think about donating what you can to this worthwhile effort. Hands Together has received a four star rating from Charity Navigator for the past four years. Charity Navigator is one of the leading Charity watchdog and assessment organizations.

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
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