Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, March 11, 2017

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

10

Mountain Views-News Saturday, March 11, 2017 

LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND


Brutus may have a tough guy name, but in reality he’s a 
big lovable shy guy! Brutus enjoys the simple things in 
life, meaning if he can spend the whole week relaxing, 
he will! Sleeping and hiding/playing in boxes seem to 
be his favorite pastimes. Brutus is a little shy meeting 
new people, but if you give him a little bit of time, he’ll 
happily accept some petting and head scratches.

 Brutus would love to spend his new life with a 
patient, loving family - is that family yours? Come 
meet him and find out! Brutus also loves window 
perching, so you might even get a sneak peek of 
him through the window on a sunny day! Brutus 
is chilling in Meow Manor at San Gabriel Valley 
Humane Society. He looks forward to meeting 
you! His adoption fee is $99, which includes neuter 
surgery, a microchip, first vaccinations and a free 
wellness check-up at a participating veterinarian. 
Feel free to call us at (626) 286-1159 for more 
information on Lauren. ID#22918. She currently 
resides at the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society 
located at 851 E. Grand Avenue in San Gabriel which 
is located off San Gabriel Blvd, north of Mission 
and south of Las Tunas Drive. To arrange a ‘Meet 
and Greet’ with Brutus, please stop by any time 
from 10:30am to 4:30pm Tuesday through Sunday.
Website:www.sgvhumane.org. 

PRESIDENTIAL PUPS

A Humorous Look at America’s 

‘First’ Best Friends

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

Having a canine in the ’first’ family is by no means 
a new concept. Indeed, there’ve been numerous 
‘first’ best friends, dating back to when our original 
commander-in-chief, George Washington was in 
office. What has changed over time, however, is 
the kind of canine you might find lying beside the 
president’s easy chair.

 This week, I thought it might be kind of fun 
to share my preposterous (hopefully humorous) 
perspective on a few of the dogs that have had the 
privilege of being ‘presidential pups‘. Hear me out 
with an open mind…it’s my personal twist and it’s 
just for kicks.

 I’ll start at the very beginning with none other 
than George Washington himself. Did you know 
that his best friends were hound dogs? I was 
thrilled to hear this, since I am a huge fan of the 
hounds! Those were the days when the president 
lived in a mansion in New York (and later, 
Philadelphia). I guess back then the house rules 
must have been more liberal for the kind of pets 
the president could have in the house.

 Presidents apparently had lots of pets in those 
early days, or at least George Washington did. Did 
you know he had seven dogs? That’s practically 
a pack! There were 3 American staghounds 
(looks like a cross between a deerhound and a 
greyhound) and 4 black and tan coon hounds. He 
was a true hound lover…my kind of guy!

 And in case coon hounds aren’t funny enough 
already, the names Washington gave his wonderful 
wiggle-wagglers were even funnier. Ole George 
must have had a sense of humor. He named his 
coon hounds “Drunkard”, “Taster”, “Tipler” and 
“Tipsy”. Tells you a little something about where 
his mind was, eh? 

 What a raucous it must have been, those long-
eared sloppy-lipped hounds crooning away with 
their drawn-out bays echoing through the huge 
hallways of the first mansion as Mr. President 
tried to draft an important speech. And how 
do you think they may have behaved when 
the servants delivered gourmet meals on silver 
platters, to Martha’s immaculate dining room?

 And imagine how horrible it must have been for 
his housekeepers, chasing those ‘first’ four-leggers 
through the rooms of that massive mansion with 
rags in hand, wiping spittle away each time those 
silly hounds shook their heads, leaving their 
signatures sprawled across the walls and adding 
special features to those original Hudson Valley 
oil paintings! I know from personal experience, 
that stuff sticks like glue if you don’t catch it while 
it’s wet.

 I have to laugh when I imagine that scene…
like bulls in a china shop, 
those precarious pups romping 
rambunctiously among grouchy 
groups of snooty guests who’d 
come for cocktails and dinner at 
the ‘first’ mansion. Now I know 
my imagination has run wild with 
me. What really happened and 
what may have happened, had I 
been the ’first handler’ for those 
hilarious hounds are, no doubt, 
two starkly different scenarios.

 Then there was president John 
Adams with his two best buds, 
“Juno” and “Satan“. Wow, now that’s an interesting 
choice of name for a dog…Satan! Poor thing 
never stood a chance with a label like that. I’m 
sure it must have been inspired by the dog’s shiny 
black coat, or at least I hope so.

 Decades later, in 1861, Abraham Lincoln came 
to the Whitehouse along with his ‘first’ friend, 
“Fido”. I wonder if that was already a popular dog 
name at the time. Could be Abe set the trend. 
Maybe he’s responsible for making the name, 
“Fido” a generic tag for countless pups to come. 
Regardless, I think it’s kind of cute…that there 
ever was a ‘first dog’ named “Fido“.

 Considering the bad rap assigned to a particular 
breed in recent years, you’ll understand why 
I smile and feel the urge to hug our dear past-
president Theodore Roosevelt for his choice of 
dog…his best friend was a bulldog terrier. Of 
course, back then they still called them bulldog 
terriers, before people did the hideous things that 
gave them a bad rap.

 Good for you, Teddy! I wish more presidents 
(or just plain people, for that matter) understood 
the dog within rather than judging them for their 
outer appearance. Particularly since the fault is 
not their own. Indeed, the blame belongs to the 
‘pit’iful people who trained bulldog terriers to 
fight. Too bad people are so hard to train!

 During our nation’s early formative years, dogs 
were ‘functional components’ of the first family. 
They were given specific jobs and each was, 
presumably, expected to perform that job or risk 
being booted out. There were lots of jobs for dogs 
back in the day. Hunting & retrieving, protecting 
livestock, securing the property and chasing away 
unwanted rodents, to name just a few.

 But the Whitehouse was eventually graced 
with the presence of some precious pampered 
pets that got to live there for that sole purpose…
simply to be pampered. My favorite example 
is that of Lyndon B. Johnson. Did you know he 
had what they then called a mutt named “Yuki”? 
That’s right, Johnson was apparently one of the 
’first’ trend-setters for shelter pet adoption! Who 
knew?

 As I scrolled through the long list of presidential 
pups, I thought it interesting that most of America’s 
’first friends’ have been spaniels. There must be 
something about the spaniel’s personality that 
makes it the preferred presidential pup. Perhaps 
they are super lovable and humble enough not 
to steal the show. I mean, you know how leaders 
despise being undermined…particularly by a 
canine. Although, during the current term, that 
may not be such a tough trick for any dog!


Even elderly, all-alone kitties need a loving home! 
Meet JASPER. This beautiful, healthy12 year-
old guy would love to fill your life with purring, 
talking and dreamy looks with head bumps in 
exchange for petting, brushing and tummy rubs. 
Walks around with a toy in his mouth, just because. 
Likes to look in 
any cupboard 
he can coax 
open with a 
toenail. Knows 
kitty condos 
are great for 
keeping those 
toenails nice 
and healthy. 
Calm when 
the mailman 
or gardener 
comes. Never 
been outside. 
Needs a loving 
home now. He’s 
miserable and all 
alone since his 
brother died in 
January and his 
human mommy 
passed away 
suddenly the day 
after Valentine’s 
Day. Please help 
him.

 Adoption fee is $100, which includes neuter, 
microchip, exam & vaccines. A great savings! Our 
cats are negative FELV/FIV unless otherwise 
indicated. 

 See more pictures, videos, adoption info & 
application on our website, www.lifelineforpets.
org. Sorry, we are not accepting cats at this time.


HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

THE JOY OF YOGA


ESTABLISHING A ROUTINE

To really bring 
yoga and well-
being into 
daily life, a 
routine must be 
established. No 
matter if you’re 
naturally consistent and disciplined, or ‘go where 
the day takes you’ - we all need to establish a routine 
to maintain health and happiness. 

 This can be approached many ways. From the 
lens of yoga and Ayurveda (sister science to yoga), 
we can look at a few general areas: (1) personal yoga 
and meditation practice, (2) sleep, (3) food. 

 First, let’s look at sleep. Sleep is one of the pillars 
of life and daily function. Too little, too much, or 
sleep that’s not restful have an impact on all the 
physiological systems of the body. As a general 
rule, setting a bedtime/wake-up time to allow 7-8 
hours of continuous sleep is best. Thinking and 
emotional balance come easier when rested. Going 
to bed by 10:30 pm and waking before 7 am is a 
good reference. 

 Second, a home yoga and meditation practice 
don’t have to take a long time to be effective. 
Movement of the body first thing in the morning 
is incredibly helpful in shifting energy in a positive 
way. Yoga works its wonders because it changes 
energy. It’s best to do a short asana practice 
first, and then sit down for a breath practice and 
meditation. The mind should be alert yet calm 
going into meditation. Stay in meditation between 
5 and 30 minutes daily.

 Finally, the food we take in plays a huge role in 
our health. Food contains energy and nourishment 
from which we function. If bad stuff is going in, 
our best self is not likely to come out. Honor the 
beautiful, divinely-inspired temple you were given. 
Eat freshly made cooked meals with organic foods. 
Limit the quantity of food per sitting to allow the 
body to digest properly. 

 If you feel off balance, look at these three areas 
and see where you stand. Find a routine with sleep, 
practice, and food that brings vitality, happiness, 
and peacefulness into your life. 

Namaste,

Keely Totten

E-RYT 500, Reiki Master Practitioner

Teacher at YOGA MADRE in the lovely, Sierra 
Madre, CA


THE MISSING PAGE

Real Life Tips from LIfe's Instruction Manual

IT’S NOT THE EFFORT

I live in an older home and 
caring for such a home can 
be challenging. Beloved 
architectural details require 
more work than their Plain Jane cousins. Chair 
rails and wainscoting are dust catchers. Crown 
moldings, hardwood floors, and floorboards are 
hosts to dust bunnies. Well, my lovely porcelain tile 
showers recently me reminded of a lesson. I had 
been scrubbing the tile grout with a toothbrush 
because I thought it was the best way to clean small 
spots in between tiles. I tried hard, I added caustic 
chemicals, while I rubbed brushed and scrubbed. 
I had mediocre results. This week the heavens 
opened to me and revealed another way.

 I bought a new scrub brush, and it’s amazing! 
Just a couple of strokes of this brush removes the 
grime I had been struggling to eliminate.

 Sometimes, we need to make the easy way 
welcome and allow a solution in an unexpected 
form. Just as the fly that wants to escape the house, 
needs to stop banging against the closed window, 
and to fly to the open door. We sometimes need to 
make ourselves open to different possibilities.

 Do you sometimes feel stuck? Are you simply 
bored with your routine? Is there something that 
you are longing to experience? Doing life the same 
way day after day may no longer be working for you. 
What could you do to make your daily experience 
more fulfilling? Is trying no longer working?

 We may need to use a different tool in our 
toolbox.

 To accomplish anything you need a clear vision 
because having a vision will motivate you. Next, 
you’ll need clarity, and the best way to get clear 
is to write about your vision and create a vision 
statement. A vision statement is a personal 
document that you use to design your life. In it, 
you record all of the things that light you up and 
get you excited. You must include every area of 
your life relationships, creativity, employment, and 
health. Write down everything with great detail 
and keep going until you feel a sense of joy and 
passion. The next step is to choose which area you 
want to explore first and then take a step. Perhaps 
start some research on your new adventure, but it is 
imperative that you take action and keep going.

 As an empowerment coach, I help my clients 
welcome more love, fun, creativity, and wealth into 
their lives with the amazing tools in my toolbox.

I am going to be at the Wisteria Festival in 
downtown Sierra Madre at the Mountain Views 
News table, Sunday, March 12th, from 11 am to 1 
pm. I would love to meet my readers! Please come 
by and say hello.

 

 Lori A. Harris is a lawyer and empowerment 
coach that helps women that women live their best 
lives. You can get more tips and find out more about 
her at www.LoriAHarris.com and download her 
free app the Gratitude Train in Google Play and the 
App Store.

 
Walter Cailleteau, DVM Free Exam!
927 N. Michillinda Ave. For New Clients 
Pasadena, CA 91107 Bring this coupon to save! 
(626) 351-8863
Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com