The Celtic Hound

An excellent read! The myths and truths behind St. Patrick and the modern pagan's take on the holiday. I also happen to agree fully with the author's views.

http://lairbhan.blogspot.com/2012/03/st-patricks-day-snakes-and-irish.html?spref=fb

Presented without comment:

* Have a cat here that's named Princess that I need to get rid of. She is purebred but I'm not sure on what breed she is I just know she's a purebred and I need to get rid of her cause I'm having troubles controlling her. I mean she's always running out of the house, she gets into everything lol. She's just too Hyper-active I guess you can say. She's a year now and I'm mostly getting rid of her also because there's a new baby coming and there's kittens here that she plays rough with and I don't want that. I believe she had all her shots and she is NOT fixed. If you want to know anything more about her, please reply. Needs a new home A.S.A.P. Thanks.

*hi
* hello i do not have time or the money to keep this most amazing beautiful dog the previous owners did not have her vaccinated in that case now she has parvo which i am treating her for. she has pills three times a day until finished. after she is treated and over comes this she will be happy and healthy and have a better immunity towards this disease better then the immunization.
 she needs to go to a new home i love this dog i just do not think its fair she will be kept in our home like this its to small our yard is not big enough and she needs daily walks which i have not yet provided for her .. if you have been looking for your dream border collie x shepard dog here she is very gentle listen to commands a great companion . great around kids other dogs and all animals . thank you


* Winter is a boy. He is well listened. winter does not bark. He is good around kids.He is very friendly.Winter needs love. he sheds20 %. he loves to be played with,cuddle. and is a awesome listener. He is well behaved.Winter does know how to do his buisness out side he holds it in as long as he can.he wont keep you up all night.Winter is white with brown patches.He needs clean water and healthy food.winter is allergic to raw hide.ear hair need to be cleaned out.when you notice he has lots of ear wax must go to clinic.winter  loves a daily treat or fruit and vegetables or cheese cut in to small piese because of his diffecult way to chew it.he is hairy now .winter loves long car ride.he is a bichion mix poodle


*We have a Tabby cat his name is Tigger,he has 6 toes,he has been with us for 9 years,for the last 3 years he has been mostly outside,he is licensed ,he has been inside for the last month and a half ,we  have both developed allegies to the cat so we are looking for a home for Tigger,he has a litter box house and food.

It's been a week since my total hysterectomy. I thought I would write about my pain/symptoms/difficulties so that other women could read about it. Everyone's experience will be different, of course, but I had some weird things going on that I looked up and discovered they weren't so weird! Again, don't read any further if bodily functions gross you out.

I was horribly constipated for 5 days after the surgery. I was taking stool softeners as prescribed by the hospital and also taking benefibre. On day 5 I sat on the toilet for an hour! You're not supposed to strain as you can tear your internal stitches, but how can you not?!? I actually had tears of frustration and pain as I tried to void. A few more similar sessions over the next two days and then I finally started going normally. This is not a fun thing to deal with! Walking is supposed to help as well as eating high fibre.

The pain from my incisions was minimal. Wearing pants with a waistband would rub against them so I was in my nightgown most of the time. They are now starting to itch like crazy so I know they are healing. The stitches should start dissolving soon.

The worst pain I experienced was in my right shoulder and rib cage! My shoulder started to hurt right after surgery and my ribcage the next day. My surgeon (and everyone else's surgeon says the same thing, it seems) said that the pain is from the CO2 pumped into your abdomen during the procedure. Some say it is from the nerve being irritated, others that the gas travels and lodges in certain areas. My ribcage hurt so badly I could not take a deep breath for four days! It felt exactly like a stitch you get in your side after running too long, but mine was constant. Changing positions from lying down to sitting up and vice versa was excruciating. When I did lie down I could feel the gas moving around under my rib cage which was very, very painful. I looked it up online and most people experience this after laparoscopic surgeries and doctors just say there is nothing you can do for it. I tried doing light stretching, applying heat, breathing through it (not very successfully) but nothing helped. Today (day 8) is the first day that I do not have any sharp pain under my ribs - it's just a bit uncomfortable today. 

I also have pain while peeing - right near the end I start getting a sharp, cramping pain that lasts until I'm done. It's weird feeling and I don't know quite why I get it. I still have pain voiding my bowels as well, and I just have to be careful with not straining too much.

They told me I would bleed for a few weeks after, but I have had no bleeding at all. My neck and shoulder are still sore so I am applying heat and stretching a few times a day which seems to help a bit.

Trying to not lift anything over 10 lbs has been interesting and frustrating. I can't lift anything for 4 to 6 weeks to allow full internal healing. This means no vacuuming, pulling wet laundry out of the washer, filling the humidifier, etc. I can dust, do dishes, and other light cleaning but that's it. No walking the dogs, either, as pulling on a leashed 100 lb dog is a no-no.  Bending over is uncomfortable so I can't pick up dog poop or scoop the litter boxes either. Hubby is helping out a lot.

I'm hoping that by this weekend I can get out of the house for a bit to do some grocery shopping. I'll try to put some pants on and see how the incisions feel. I will have to be very careful out there because if I slip and fall I can do major damage to my internal stitches. I can have up to 300 stitches in me!

All in all I am feeling pretty good. I have to constantly remind myself to not over do anything, especially lifting. They say that you can return to normal activities (except for lifting) after 2 weeks, so hopefully I can start going for walks outside and doing errands next week.

It's day two after my total hysterectomy. I am leaving this entry open to anyone to read, mainly for other women to read about my experience. If you are grossed out by surgery details, please don't read any further. I tried to put the following under a cut, but LJ is not cooperating :o(

I had to do a bowel prep the day before surgery. This was not fun. The instructions were to take one package at 8am and purging would start within 3 to 4 hours. Well, for me, it started within 45 minutes! Yikes. Had a very uncomfortable day, to put it lightly. I was only allowed clear fluids that whole day (At least one glass every hour. I had water, gatorade, tea, and chicken and beef broth. The broth made a big difference in how I felt, as I was getting quite light-headed.), but I wasn't as hungry as I thought I would be. Another package was taken at 4pm and the purging continued up to 1am. My body certainly took to it with vigor! I really hope I never have to go through that again.

The morning of my surgery, I was so anxious I would start crying. I had to report to the hospital at 6am, and needless to say I didn't sleep the night before. I had never had any type of surgery before, so the thought of the anesthetic and intubation and such frightened me. I knew I would feel so much better afterward that I used that thought to help get through my fear.

My husband came with me. My admission was done quickly and then I was walked up to my room. Had to sit and wait a bit in my gown, and I think I hurt hubby's hand a bit as I wouldn't let go. A nurse came and took my vitals (blood pressure was high, but they knew I was very anxious so weren't worried overly much) and put my IV in. She was trying to relax me by saying how much better I would feel afterwards and that I was very healthy and would recover quickly. She was sweet.

A few minutes later I was wheeled to pre-op. Hubby stayed with me there while the anesthesiologist spoke with me and then he had to leave as I was wheeled in to the OR. I started leaking tears again (seems to be a stress reaction for me) and the OR nurses were really good at talking with me and calming me down. Being tied down is a bit weird, though. It's very cold in the OR, and I was shivering quite violently, and constantly leaking tears. I had to give permission verbally for blood transfusions if necessary. My surgeon then came in, smiled and took my hand, explained what was going to happen, then I was out.

My surgery was done laparoscopic-assisted. They removed my uterus, cervix, and fallopian tubes, and left my ovaries. I have four half-inch cuts in my abdomen closed with dissolvable stitches.

I woke up back in my room and hubby was there. I was quite nauseated and felt really weird, Nurses came in every fifteen minutes or so to check my vitals. I discovered that my surgeon was able to perform it fully with the lap and that everything looked really good. Whew! Hubby was in contact with my parents the whole day, and was happy to let them know I was out of surgery and everything went well.

One of the important things after surgery is peeing - yes, peeing! The surgeon had decided to not put a catheter in, which I was very happy about. So the nurses had me up and in the bathroom fairly quickly trying to pee. It was actually very difficult! I had to strain and it hurt quite badly but I managed to go, and then they measure the output and also scope the bladder each time. It became easier after a few hours but still hurt.

They had me up and walking around the unit within a few hours. They said the more walking you do the faster your body will recover. I actually felt pretty good! Yes, I was in pain, but it was manageable. I was very weak and wobbly, but mobile. I sent hubby home to look after the dogs and relax a bit himself and I slept most of the rest of the day except when they had me up and walking, taking vitals, or giving meds. The nurses on the unit were awesome! Very caring, personable, and friendly. I had chicken broth for supper and it really helped me feel more stable. No solid food allowed yet! I had to pass gas for me to get solid food. I had a lot of gas but none was coming out yet.

Hubby came back around 7pm and we went for a walk down to the cafeteria where I got a tea. The pain was pretty bad but dealable. Honestly I had uterine cramps in the past that were more painful. The only pain meds I was on were motrin and regular tylenol, which took the edge off. Visiting hours were over at nine, so hubby went home and I tried to sleep. The only comfortable position was on my back, but did manage to sleep, getting up every two hours or so to pee (every time I peed I had to let the nurses know so they could measure and scope). I had meds given every four hours as well. My right shoulder and ribcage were very, very sore, and they explained it was from the co2 gas that was pumped into my abdomen during the surgery. I had no pain from the lap cuts, but had a really deep, sharp pain down low whenever I moved. Coughing was ridiculously painful.

At six in the morning the nurse removed my IV. I bled all over the place! She was pressing gauze over the site but it was soaked through immediately and she didn't have any more. I offered to hold the gauze while she went to get more! She finally got it stopped and then had to clean my whole hand which was covered in blood. Luckily I have no problem with blood :o)

I had blood taken at six am as well, and a doctor and interns came in to check me out afterwards. They were very pleased with my progress and stated I may be able to go home that day! My surgeon came in around 9am and looked me over and also said I could go home, but only after I ate some solid food. He said my post-op bloodwork results were amazing and didn't even reflect that I had surgery! My oxygen levels were 97 percent, my blood pressure readings were all normal, no fever, my incisions looked great, I was up and walking, I was peeing fine, and had started passing gas around 4am so I was able to get breakfast. Everything was looking perfect!

My parents were planning on coming for 11am either to spend the day with me at the hospital or to take me home. I ate a bit of breakfast, (horrible oatmeal, but I managed to eat about half of it due to wanting to go home) walked around the unit by myself for a while and watched the snowstorm outside. I had pretty bad gas pain, but it was expected and moving around helped. I had a student nurse go over discharge home care and when she asked me if I felt sad about the procedure, I laughed and said I was super happy that the damnable organ that caused me so much grief was finally gone! She laughed as well and said they don't have to worry with me about the depression some women get afterwards :o)

Time crawled until 11am when my parents came. They were glad to hear I could go home! I got dressed, finished the discharge paperwork, and off we went. We stopped at Timmy's so I could get a coffee (OMG that tasted so good!) and Mom got me some groceries as well. We got home and Dad cooked me some scrambled eggs which tasted even better than the coffee!  They stayed with me for a couple of hours and then hubby was coming home so they left and I fell asleep on the couch. It was nice being pampered by them for awhile :o)

The evening went by OK. I had some chicken soup for supper and then some toast and peanut butter for a snack later. I am taking advil every four to six hours and the pain is manageable. I find I have to get up and move around every hour or so. Taking a deep breath hurts but I am supposed to do deep breathing on a regular basis so I manage. I slept ok but woke up at 4:30 am needing to take another advil as it was pain that woke me up. But, overall I am feeling OK! I know in a few days the pain will be significantly less and I will keep feeling better and stronger each day.

The last couple of years the pain and bleeding were impacting my life significantly, and I am so happy that my GYN approved this procedure.The next few weeks will be a challenge but I am looking forward to being fully healthy again and not having to deal with those issues any more!


 

What a summer so far. And not all good.( Read more... )

The new doberboy has been with us in our home for a week now. He's getting along very well with the girls, and is learning to leave the cats alone (he's only been curious about them with no aggression). He's had no training whatsoever, so we're working on the basics of sit, lay down, wait, etc. However, he has no trust of what humans might do.

We got the call about him from Alberta Doberman Rescue (ADR) three weeks ago. The humane society (HS) received him from a man who said he was aggressive and didn't want to deal with it anymore. The dog had fresh wounds all over him. The HS noticed he wouldn't even walk on a leash and was petrified of everything. After being checked by the vet there, he concluded the dog had Wobbler's as he wouldn't lift his head and showed a pain response when it was lifted, was crouched down all the time, and wouldn't walk. Remember he was covered in wounds, especially on his head, neck and shoulders. Of course he was in pain! The deemed him unadoptable and he was scheduled to be killed.

The woman in charge of breed rescue outreach at the HS called ADR after receiving the news of the death sentence. She thought he was too sweet to be killed and practically begged ADR to come get him. The rep from ADR picked him up and took him home to foster. She looked after his wounds and he began to come out of his shell a bit. After watching his behaviour, she concluded he was used as a bait dog for dog fighting. A bait dog is used for fighting dogs to practice on, and is usually a submissive dog so as to not hurt the fighting dogs. He was very submissive to her other dogs, and didn't show one ounce of aggression to anyone or anything. She kept him for a few weeks then called us to see if we wanted to meet him. She brought him over last Sunday and he fit right in. So, he stayed.

Over the last week, we've noticed some behaviour that points to abuse from humans as well. If you move your hand or get up from sitting quickly, he bolts away from you. If you hold out a toy, he backs up six feet and eyes you suspiciously. If you scold him or raise your voice at all, he goes into a corner and shakes. He will come up to us when we're sitting or crouching and loves getting attention, but won't come if we're standing up. He's frantic over his food and actually marks his dish (this is not normal dog behaviour as they usually don't pee near their food.) He's gone without food in the past.

His vet check and neuter have been scheduled for April. We'll see what kind of harm has been done physically, and we'll continue to work on building mutual trust.

Note - these are full ads. I did not leave anything out except personal info such as phone numbers. Yes, some don't even say what kind of dog!

- GREAT PARYNESE CROSS PUPPIES

- almost 5 months old bassett hound pup this is not the droopy eyed kind

- F1B Huskadors Now Available in Calgary $500.00
Accepting deposits on this rare litter born 22/01/2011. Sire Sampson is a Blue-Eyed F1 Huskador and Dam Sage is a pure bred Blue-Eyed Siberian Husky.
Huskadors combine the beauty and quirkiness of the Siberian Husky, with the fun loving family orientated Labrador, with their water friendliness, wonderful and loving personalities. F1B Huskadors are created when you breed a Huskador back to a purebred Siberian Husky. These puppies will more closely resemble the Siberian Husky in appearance and body type however will still have the warm loyal nature of the labrador making them easier to train.

- chi shicon puppies

- Chibidles. Be the first on your block to own a Chibidle.Mother is a purebred Chihuahua.Father is a registered Bichon Poodle.

- dog for sale (screening) $300.00
hello im selling my puppie names bella she's 11 months old were selling her cause my gf is having a baby and shes house broken on puppie pads so she doesnt want to deal with training a puppie and taking care of our child at the same time we are also giving her belongings with her for a firm 300 pictures on demand by text please contact me by phone @ (xxx)xxx or by mail at mailto:xxx

- Femail boxer

- Dog for sale. $1000.00. This dog is a rutweiler and his name is tyson . we can not walk him so we would like another great family to acceot him and keep him happy.

- saling a dog hes all white and it comes with a cage and has all his needles $300.00

- 4 designer puppies in one. $350.00 very cute puppies ready to go to a loving home in a few weeks will have first shots when they are ready to go

- TEDDY BEARS READY TO GO!$350.00 WE HAVE 4 TEDDY BEAR PUPPIES 3 FEMALES AND 1 MALE, THEY COME WITH VET CHECK, DEWORMING, AND FIRST SHOTS.COME AND PICK YOUR PUPPY TODAY THEY ARE READY TO GO HOME WITH YOU.

- Wanted: we need a puppy! hello yesterday my sisters dog ran away and sadly was killed by a car she is extremely heart broken and i am looking for a free to very cheap puppy for her to help her get over the poor dog if you are interested in helping me i would be truly great full, thanks for looking

- american eagle puppies. Three beautiful female puppies for sale, born November 13, 2010. asking 300.00. Looking for a good family environment for these puppies

- Wanted: i LOVE dogs. hello, i am look to love up a puppy for ever so if u have any small breed of puppy i would love to have one, i havea loving home for them to i have 2 kids that love all animals and i also have 3 cats that also love the extra company....<3<3

- WANTED Looking for a Boglen pup. We are looking for a Boglen puppy/younger dog, if you have one or know where we can get one could you please let us know, we have one but would like a companion for him, same breed

- looking for dog.looking for a dog

- Wanted: help we need a puppy. hi i am looking for a cheap or free puppy , my husband and i saved and bought our children a puppy or christmas ...however somebody took our puppy from our home last tuesday so now i am looking for another , cant affored much as the last pup we made payments on for awhile but my children are heart broken and we are hoping another pup will help ...thanks

We put Flynn down today. Over the last two weeks he had been getting worse, and the last two days had been really bad. He could barely walk at all, and if he did it was for only a few steps before collapsing. He had no control of his limbs anymore.

I'm remembering him galloping with Ember on the beach in BC last summer. He had such fun that trip, and we really didn't know how much longer he had left.

It's very quiet around here and there's way too much room on the couch.




Job: The company I work for has shut down their Calgary clinic. So, I'm out of a job. We only found out two months ago, and luckily my therapists found new positions. I spent Monday and Tuesday this week packing everything up to ship back to Toronto. They are giving me severance pay, and I also landed a new job which I start on Monday, so we're fine financially, at least. It was a great position and I loved the people I worked with, but change comes. Hopefully the new clinic will have a great team and I'll fit right in.

Clann: We shut down the clann in August. It was a great experience and we were attracting new members on a regular basis, but certain factors led to the decision to collapse it. We did learn that we CAN run a successful group and have members stay around. I enjoyed teaching and researching and was good at it. We had no drama, no in-fighting, and no hierarchy. We hosted a celebration and ritual for the local wiccan church and had amazing feedback (we had agreed to host one so the community at large could see our way of practicing Celtic Paganism. It's very different from Wicca, but all the attendees enjoyed themselves and learned new things). We had members and leaders of other groups attend our rites and actually enjoy themselves. It all worked very well. What changed was us.

Personally, I am at the point of not needing or wanting all the "stuff" to practice my faith. I am more internal now. We haven't cast a spell in years and have no inkling to. Quick prayers suffice. Our "rituals" now are simply going out to wild spaces and listening, watching, and learning. My style of CR was also too intellectual it seems, as most people were wanting more hands-on magic teachings where I was wanting to research and teach the more scholarly subjects. It just wasn't meshing anymore. Hubby was feeling the same way and so the decision was made for us to step away. None of the other members wanted to take on running the group, so it was collapsed. I am actually thinking of selling most of my craft stuff this summer at the gathering.

I'll try and write a bit more later.

If you tell me you used to be Merlin/Cleopatra/other famous figure in a past life, I will laugh at you.

If you tell me you are part fox, wolf, or some other creature, I will laugh at you.

If you tell me you are a vampire or alien, I will laugh at you.

Pagan does not mean being a pacifist, vegan, white-lighter member of PETA.

If you tell me I’m a horrible person for eating meat, I’ll laugh at you then go eat a burger.

Take responsibility for your own lives, people. Stop blaming others for your problems.

To be honest, I’ve learned a lot more by myself than I ever did from a teacher.

The Mists of Avalon is a work of fiction, not a guide to ancient rituals.

Don’t ask me for a spell to get rid of a demon. You need professional help – as in a psychologist.

People that tell me I’m not a real woman until I give birth or I can’t be a real pagan unless I procreate can go f*ck themselves. As well as the ones who say I’m not a real pagan if I’m monogamous.

The Celts were not a peace-loving, matriarchal society, FFS.

The Druids did not build Stonehenge. I can’t believe people still think they did.

If your entire group/coven runs away from you, maybe you should look to yourself for the reason instead of blaming others.

Stop using “alter” when you mean “altar”. Please. Unless you alter your altar.

Stop purposely spelling “magic” incorrectly, such as “magick” or “majik”.

You do not have the right to call yourself a “Celtic scholar” just because you read a few books. It’s extremely insulting to actual scholars like Alexei K or Brendan M.

The Celtic Tree Calendar was MADE UP by Robert Graves. It is not ancient Celtic knowledge so stop saying it is, OK?

I do not cast circles for rituals.

I do not call the watchtowers/directions/quarters.

I do not practice Wicca.

I do not believe in or follow the Rule of Three or the Rede.

I am not psychic in any way except for listening to my gut.

I am not into kink or polyamory.

I am not embarrassed about nudity.

I do not have an interest in the tarot.

I do not have an interest in ceremonial magic.

I do not have an interest in astrology.

I do not have an interest in numerology, and do not believe your magical/craft name has to match up with a certain number.

I do not work with chakras or reiki.

I do not play a musical instrument. I also don’t sing.

I do not believe in mixing pantheons during a ritual.

I do not believe in “using” deities for spellwork. Ask for help and/or a blessing from your patron instead.

I do not want to live in the old days. I like technology, health care, and the like, thank you.

I do not like the terms “womyn” or “herstory”. I don’t believe in radical/extreme feminism. I like men.

I do not have any childhood trauma. Had a wonderful childhood with awesome parents.

I do not have any patience for “light and love” crap.

I do not care if you are a high mucky-muck in your tradition – if you prove you’re an idiot/untrustworthy/unethical/etc person I will not respect you.

I do not forget nor will I give you another chance if you show me you are not trustworthy.