Best Friends and More | ||||||||||||||||||||
Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, September 23, 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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8 JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS Mountain Views-News Saturday, September 23, 2017 HEALTHY LIFESTYLES Happy Tails by Chris Leclerc DEER CROSSING And a Bunch of Other Reasons to SLOW DOWN! THE JOY OF YOGA RELY ON YOUR PRACTICE I’ll never forget the first time I saw a family of deer grazing on the property where I lived when I moved to Sierra Madre 24 years ago. I had heard there were wild deer that lived in the foothills, and that they often came down into the canyons and neighborhoods while foraging for food during the day. But until that morning when I awoke early and saw them nibbling away on the ‘weeds’ in my yard, I had no idea how majestic that sight could be. I was amazed at how peaceful they were, roaming free among the humans as we bustled about to get out of our houses and into our cars, then swiftly down the hill to the freeway and eventually to work, hopefully on time! Those deer gave me a sense of serenity. Just knowing they were there, trusting us to show them respect and bidding that we allow them to carry on with their simple way of living. It made me realize all the more, how fortunate I was to live in this unique and special place. Many years have passed since my first deer sighting in Sierra Madre and much has changed in our town, but one thing that has stayed the same is the excitement I always feel each time I get to see deer passing through my neighborhood. I tend to keep an eye out for them, in hopes that they will indeed come around and I will be blessed with that majestic moment of serenity that they have a way of bringing to my day. I drive on Grand View Avenue daily, and often, when I am headed east toward Santa Anita Blvd. I’ll catch a glimpse of some darling deer laying under the trees in the huge yard on the north side of the street, or frolicking in the city yards on the south side. I always slow down when I see them because I know there may be a young straggler still trying to scale the fence to cross the street and join the others, or perhaps one of the adults taking up the rear to ensure that everyone else made it safely across. It only takes a couple of seconds for me to slow down, just in case, and for me it is always such a pleasure to see them. This is why I am completely mystified by the many motorists I see speeding across Grand View on a daily basis, with the pedal to the metal as if they are on a freeway in LA rather than on a residential street in Sierra Madre. The speed limit on Grand View is 30 miles per hour, just in case that is not made clear enough by the signs. I’m just saying. One might argue that Grand View is such a wide open road, it is tempting for even a good driver to go over the limit a bit because of the steep hill and wide range of visibility. I get it, I do. But still, the law is the law. I appeal to all my readers, please abide by it when you are driving through our town. I sense that there are numerous drivers who somehow feel exempt from such “petty” traffic laws as ‘going the speed limit’ or ‘stopping at a stop sign‘, but no one is exempt! There really are reasons why those silly little laws that have been put into place. It’s ok if you don’t understand. Just do it. And then there are the tiny winding roads up in the canyon where residents wish to enjoy a peaceful, quiet lifestyle and they pay dearly for it. Did you know that the speed limit on most canyon roads is 15 miles per hour? Yep, just like the signs say…FIFTEEN, not fifty! As a dog walker who often has no choice but to walk along the short shoulders of those tiny canyon roads, I know for a fact that there are far too many people who apparently do not know the speed limit up there, or again, perhaps they think they are exempt or just don‘t care. Please read and acknowledge the speed limit signs in the canyon, even if 15 mph seems ridiculous. And if there happens to be a pedestrian walking on the road where there is no sidewalk, you might have to slow down enough to allow them to get to a place where they can get off the road onto someone’s driveway or yard to allow you to pass by. Don’t threaten them by revving your motor or pressing in so close they feel forced to hop on a boulder or climb a tree to get out of your way. Basic common sense, right? One would think. Then there are those who, in lieu of showing the courtesy of slowing down and allowing the pedestrian enough time to get off the road, choose to speed up even more and zoom around them with a scowl as if that person intentionally set out to conspire against their morning commute. Anyone who is in that much of a hurry might want to consider leaving the house a bit earlier to allow for enough time to accommodate the canyon-dweller slash LA-commuter lifestyle they chose for themselves. Just a thought. The other day I had to laugh when someone asked me, “Why do people need to walk their dogs on the streets in the canyon anyway?” There once was a time when I could have had a field day with that one and left him feeling like a real moron, but not anymore. I just smiled on the outside and laughed real hard on the inside before backing away slowly and leaving him apparently still waiting for an answer. No, it wasn’t a rhetorical question, and no, he wasn’t kidding! I had to laugh. Now I realize this little rant doesn’t quite qualify as a “Happy Tail”, but I do hope it may have brought on a little giggle or smile to lighten the day for those who ‘get it‘. Most importantly, though, I hope the message hits home with at least one reader who is ready to admit he or she needs to slow down when driving in town. Peace and tranquility…if I remember correctly, these were top on the list of many reasons why most of us moved here. Life is not always joyful. We are, in fact, experiencing the human condition of joy, happiness, freedom, sadness, fear, and sorrow each day and it is a great thing to be experiencing all these emotions. It means we are alive and listening. It’s important to feel low (not stuck there indefinitely), ineffective, or even lost. These times are opportunities for mini-awakenings. They cause us to consider such questions as “Am I stuck?” or “Is there an area of my life that needs intention and surrender?” This when your yoga practice can be the ace in the hole! Our practice says, 1) this doesn’t have to be hard, 2) the answers are inside already, and 3) take it easy, apply stability, softness, and love. Even if your yoga starts as a purely physical practice, spiritual development takes place. Each time we practice, we’re making a connection to our deeper selves. Making this connection over and over strengthens our faith and intuition. There is huge power in this divine connection. There are choices. So why not rely upon your practice to live life? Why not use it to release stress and tension? It is through cultivating awareness, moving through fear and creating nourishing, smooth breath that real growth happens. Additionally, it’s quite hard to access intuition and clarity when we are stressed. When we minimize stress, we GET to be happy and joyful. Sadness, grief, or guilt are not our lots in the long term. It is not who we are. Our true state is one of joy and light. Think of your practice as working from the inside out. Come to rely upon its answers and comfort. See you on the mat at Yoga Madre, www. yogamadre.com. Namaste, Keely Totten THE MISSING PAGE Real Life Tips from LIfe's Instruction Manual SO WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO? “Tell me, what is it you plan to do With your one wild and precious life?” Mary Oliver-The Summer Day Do you want to attract a partner, love and be loved? How about relieving your boredom and escaping drudgery? Would you like to find adventure and discover your life purpose? Could you fulfill a lifelong dream? Every day is a brand new day. We get to push the reset button daily. It’s such a beautiful gift, the ability to choose how we will spend our time. On those occasions when we are actively pursuing our passions, we feel alive and engaged in our lives rather than merely repeating a routine and acting unconsciously on auto-pilot. The instant we make a decision and choose a pursuit creates a change and a trigger. We will sometimes feel an immediate shift and exhilaration in the decision alone, but sometimes there is a different reaction. It is very common to encounter resistance. Our internal warning system will go into high alert, and if we are not ready for it, we will be knocked off our access. They are all forms of procrastination: The three D’s. First is a delay. Having you ever decided you wanted to do something that made you a little nervous and been overcome with a need to clean your house? That’s resistance. Another is a distraction. Think about a time when you decided to start a project, but got sucked into a Netflix binge. That was resistance. The final culprit is dissuasion. Your mind starts running a tape of why your idea now is such a bad idea. Or perhaps you will start reliving past negative experiences and start contemplating playing it safe. That’s resistance too. Resistance is not going anywhere, like gravity, it’s a law of the universe, but with awareness, we can work through it. How do we combat resistance? What we resist will persist, so I don’t recommend fighting it; rather it’s best to be prepared to face it. Always start with why. Write down clear defined goals and the reasons behind them. Remind yourself of how you want to feel and paint a clear picture of what success of your project will look like for you. One thing you can do is build in some responsibility. Employ a friend as an accountability partner with regularly scheduled check-ins. Or ask your friend to join you in your new challenge. Your calendar is another support tool. Create a non-negotiable schedule and stick to it. Design a simple reward system for yourself. Sometimes just seeing the number of checked off completed tasks can be hugely satisfying, If you fall off, you can always start over. Remember to have fun; the joy is in the journey, not the destination. Lori is a lawyer and coach helping women over 40 find love and have fun doing it. Find out more about her on her free app Gratitude Train and her website, LORIAHARRIS.com GIRL POWER! ZOEY & CHLOE are adorable sister twins, now age 14 months. They are a mix of tabby and tortoiseshell and soooo cute!! Zoey has the black nose and Chloe has the lighter colored nose. They are very bonded and will be adopted together. Use our TWOFUR OFFER. Zoey and Chloe are such love bugs. Kiss Chloe’s face and she just loves it, and will kiss you back. Zoey will keep you entertained for hours.Adoption fee is $100 for both, which includes spays, microchips, exams & vaccines. A great savings! Our cats are healthy & negative FELV/FIV unless otherwise indicated. Chloe’s (aka Luna) video is https://youtu.be/ momqph67A0I Zoey’s (aka Bella) video is https://youtu.be/6cjIPB7fAgk See more pictures, videos, adoption info & application on our website, www.lifelineforpets.org. Call 626-676-9505 for a Meet & Greet. Adoption Event: Sat., 9/30, 7 - 11 a..m. Memorial Park, Sierra Madre. Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast and Pooch Parade. Join us! HOW ABOUT A NEW BEST FRIEND? Chocolate is a very handsome boy who is as sweet as his name. Chocolate was surrendered to the shelter by an owner who could no longer care for him. Chocolate is thought to be a Chihuahua – Dachshund mix, weighing about 20 pounds. He is about one and a half years old. Chocolate is a friendly, affectionate dog who seems to love the company of people. He greets new friends with a smiling face, wagging tail and lots of kisses to share. Chocolate seems interested in meeting other dogs as well, and playfully interacts with many of the dogs he has met at the shelter. This happy boy is full of personality, and just wants to find a loving home where he is treated as part of the family. Chocolate needs daily exercise and would love to have a big yard where he can run and play. If you have room in your heart for a great little dog, come meet Chocolate - he is as sweet as a Hershey’s kiss! His adoption fee is $130 and includes neuter surgery, vaccinations, microchip and a free wellness exam at a participating veterinarian. Feel free to call us at (626) 286-1159 for more information. He 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’, please stop by any time from 10:30am to 4:30pm Tuesday through Sunday.Website:www. sgvhumane.org. ID#28785 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||