THE GETAWAY

I will be out of town for Christmas this year and am looking forward to getting away and having some serious down time. I am heading to Costa Rica with 3 great friends and a set of parents of one of the friends. It is a good mix of people, low drama, active, healthy and of course, all chiropractors...well the parents are not chiropractors however they do live a chiropractic lifestyle. When I get together with these friends, it is really wonderful and refreshing. We all start from the same platform, meaning we all live our lives the same way and do the same things and view the world the same. You know those kind of people in your life I am sure. They are the ones that when you get together, some really great conversations happen, some amazing realizations occur and the the vibration together is high. I have a bunch of these friends, though none of them live very close to me. It's sometimes a bummer however it gives me great reason and destinations to travel to. So I am looking forward to getting on the plane early Friday morning. There is a lot to do between now and then though so I will remain 100% present here until I am gone. Then I will be 100% gone for 10 full, fun days!!!

DO I DARE HEAD OUT?

So I just found out a day ago that my family is celebrating Christmas tomorrow...thanks mom for the update... So this means I have to get out the the mall today, two weeks before the big holiday, on a Saturday, do you think I dare do it? In reality, I have no choice as there is absolutely no way to get any shopping taken care of online that would potentially show up tomorrow...not an option. I am going to head down to Somerset in Troy which is probably a death wish in and of itself. I have to pick up a couple things for me as well since I will be heading to Costa Rica on Friday the 18th for 10 days and where do you find bathing suits at this time of the year. So off I go...well probably a shower would be a great way to start:) HAPPY SHOPPING!!!

LET IT SNOW!

In my mind, if it is going to be cold, we may as well have snow with it. I mean really, if it is cold outside and if there must be precipitation falling from the sky, then give us some of the big white fluffy stuff! I love the snow. BRING IT ON!!! Actually I am just finishing our annual celebration with the Cafe of LIFE Book Club and sitting by the fire with my dog however just before I sat down, I saw a dusting of the fluffy white stuff. I love the snow. I am a snowboarder and my happiest place on earth is anywhere that I can be strapped to my snowboard carving down a hill. I will keep you posted with my white winter adventures this year. I am not sure what I have in store yet for traveling to the slopes but I am sure I will come up with something. I love snow and I love snowflakes. In fact, if you drive by the Cafe of LIFE during holiday decorating season, you will find snowflakes are our main event. I would actually like to keep them up all winter long, but most people start getting on me about it during the middle of January to get my decorations put away. So if you life in Michigan, it would probably benefit you a lot to get out there an enjoy the snow...it's going to be here anyways, it is inevitable. I love the snow, have I said that yet?

...there is something so wonderful about creating a post and then pressing the "spell check" button and it says "there are no misspellings". I love that feeling...the simple things...

I ALWAYS SEEM TO...

...fill up every single second of any time that I have off from work. A four day weekend felt like a 1 day weekend though there is no possible way to fit everything I did into less time than four. It was super fun! Thanksgiving dinner with my family which was probably the best Thanksgiving dinner I have ever had. There is a fresh cranberry/horseradish thing my aunt makes that I could seriously eat it by the spoonful and it tops off the dinner wonderfully. The rest of the food was amazing as well however I am such a horseradish fan, that is the part that really sticks out in my mind. Then I got up on Friday and made an impromptu trip down to Chicago. My youngest brother and his wife live down there, right on Michigan Ave. It is an awesome spot. And though I didn't do too much shopping, the view out of their condo is amazing and great people watching. I drove down on Friday and came back up on Saturday afternoon which made for a long day (The picture is my brother, his mother-in-law, my sister-in-law, her half-brother and of course me at the Chicago zoo checking out their lights display). I needed a break from my week after all the stress I was under for the previous two weeks so it was a perfect time for that trip. Saturday night was spent down in Royal Oak, celebrating my cousin buying her first home. What a great spot and a wonderful party. Sunday was a little bit more family time and home and to bed early. I am sure I am not the only one that needs a break from the long weekend, a vacation from the vacation. Happy Holiday season...now bring on the snow!!!!

NOVEMBER

What a wonderful month. I think this way mostly because of my favorite holiday (aside from my birthday) happens in November. I love, love, love Thanksgiving. I think Thanksgiving has everything that Christmas has to offer and none of the expectations. It is a day for family, friends, and food and really, what else is much better than that? This has been an interesting year for a lot of people, especially in Michigan with all the change and many have found themselves getting wrapped up in all that is just not going their way. But when the holidays come around, and especially Thanksgiving, it is a time that we are reminded of all our blessings. Look around you...you have so much more to be grateful for than you have probably thought about in a long time; a roof over your head, clothes on your back, food to put in your belly, water to drink, the love of family and friends, a country that when compared to what else is out there is a pretty great place to live, among so many other things. Be grateful and tell others you appreciate them. One of my most favorite songs of all time is Natalie Merchant's "Life is Sweet". The part of the song that chokes me up every time goes like this:

"...But don't cry

You know the tears will do no good

So dry your eyes

Oh, they told you life is hard

Misery from the start

It's dull

It's slow

It's painful

But, I'll tell you life is sweet

In spite of the misery

There's so much more to be grateful...

...But, I'll tell you life is short

Be thankful

Because before you know

It will be over

'Cause life is sweet

Life is, oh, so very short

Life is sweet

And life is, oh, so very short..."

I love it. In spite of everything, there is so much to be grateful and life is sweet and oh so very short. Get out there and enjoy it! Look for chances to be grateful at least once per day no matter how low the day may feel because "LIFE IS SWEET!".

WE WON!

I haven't won any contests in a long time but my luck has finally turned around today when we won the Chamber of Commerce's Scarecrow Contest. As I was putting this one together, I thought I was being pretty clever and it turns out a few other people thought so as well!!! So I just have to share a picture with you. Have a Safe & Happy Halloween!

"IF YOUR MOMMY LOVED YOU..."

This is an actual statement that I heard from one of the practice members here at the Cafe of LIFE. This woman came in the other day and said her daughter told her that her teacher said "If your Mommy loved you, she would take you to go and get your flu shot". Now, I am not a psychologist, however I can imagine the ramifications of a statement like this. This particular family has been under regular chiropractic care here at the Cafe of LIFE for a couple years now and they understand that the body has a miraculous and wonderful way of taking care of itself. Here are some examples of the miracles that happen in our bodies every day. Actually they are not miracles at all, they are the body simply doing what it is supposed to do when it is supposed to do it.

Fever is created when there is an organism, bacteria or virus, in the body that is not supposed to be there. These micro-organisms live at temperatures around 98.6, the "normal" body temperature. The body is so intelligent that it knows that if it raises the internal temperature it will kill off the invader and we will return to health. WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO LOWER THE TEMPERATURE???

Diarrhea is when there is an organism that has invaded the body that is not supposed to be there. The body sends an excess amount of fluid to the stomach, small intestines and large intestines to create a quicker flowing rate to rid the body of whatever is invading it. Now if the intruder is not supposed to be there and the body is doing its absolute best to flush it out, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO SLOW OR STOP THAT PROCESS?

Inflammation happens to injured tissue in order to create a healing cascade which has to do with sending excess blood and fluid with repairing cells to the injured area. If the body is doing its best to send in the repair crew and creating discomfort so you will stay off that area, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO STOP THAT NATURAL HEALING PROCESS?

We walk around in one of the most amazing pieces of equipment, in one of the greatest designed vehicles, with an intelligence inside that is NOT MAKING MISTAKES. Our bodies have the ability to heal that is much more powerful than anyone has ever led you to believe. So LET THE BODY DO WHAT IT NEEDS TO DO and not inject, expose it, and poke and prod it with all kinds of extra stuff. Under most circumstances, the body will fight off the flu with flying colors! It is amazing!!! So let's let the pharmaceutical companies keep their pills and elixirs that they claim will make you healthy. HEALTH COMES FROM WITHIN and the brain/body connection needs to be free of interference (come get your chiropractic adjustment). Let's get back to trusting our bodies to take care of themselves. It is all part of the design. Nature needs no help, just no interference!

THE AFTERMATH

The Detroit Half-Marathon happened this past Sunday and I was a participant. It was a wonderful race though many of you may not think of it that way if you heard the news reports on what happened. 3 men died during the race, ages 26, 36, and 65. WOW! That is tragic for those families. Statistically speaking, 1 of 100,000 die during long road races. 3 in 20,000 is a much higher than that, a lot higher! It has been a topic of conversation here at the Cafe of LIFE all week because many people knew that I was running on Sunday. Now that I am in this "running world" I have noticed an overwhelming amount of caffeine raging through these runners. Now I do not know if caffeine or heart conditions were the cause of the deaths, I am just speculating and it is the only thing that makes much sense. A typical race looks something like this (by the way, not MY typical race, but a typical) wake up and have a cup of coffee with breakfast, then a shot of caffeine in their packets of "Goo" that energize them during the race, sometimes twice or more, as well as caffeinated jelly beans. That might be just a little too much. To add to that, many runners take Tylenol, aspirin or Motrin prior to running because to be frank with you all...it is painful to run long distances, I don't care who you are (just for the record, I do not ever have caffeine and I do not take any over the the counter drugs or otherwise). So potentially this (and as stated before I am just speculating), combined with 30 degree temps outside, led to some tragic deaths. My prayers are with their families as they try to understand their losses.

Please remember, caffeine is a stimulant. It alters how our bodies function, how our brain processes information, decreases our immune system, leaches calcium from our bones, and the list goes on and on. The only safe amount of caffeine is none at all. Be conscious of what you are doing and look towards other alternatives of increasing energy; eating raw, nutrient-rich foods, drinking lots of water and alkalizing your body. Health is a daily choice and every decision effects every day in the future.

DETROIT HALF MARATHON

If you are downtown Detroit this Sunday morning, be prepared to run into some intense traffic and people as it is the running of the Detroit Free Press Marathon and Half-Marathon...and its going to be a good time! I have been training this year to run the Half-Marathon so look for me in the thousands of runners:) The challenge I am running into is that I am also heading down to Atlanta, GA on Thursday morning to finish my continuing education credits which means flying back really late on Saturday night to make the race the next morning. The race route is unique to Detroit as the only route that runs in two different countries. In fact, in order to even pick up race packets, it requires a passport and Homeland Security will be monitoring the race expo. We begin on Fort Street right downtown and run over the Ambassador Bridge, do a couple miles in Windsor and run back through the tunnel. I ran Chicago Marathon (yes the entire 26.2 miles) back in 2006 so this should be a piece of cake, YEAH RIGHT!!! Wish me luck. I am very excited!!!

GREAT FUN FOR $25

I had the most fun over this past weekend. There is not much you can do in this life for just $25, however you can take a Beginning Motorcycle Safety course for that kind of money. It was a long weekend course but so super fun. I had never ridden a motorcycle prior to the class and really haven't been on any 4-wheelers, snowmobiles or much of anything else that is motorized so I wanted to start from square one. Which for safety purposes, that is the very best place to start. There were 45 people in the class and it was offered on the campus of Washtenaw Community College in Ypsilanti. We had 4 hours of in-class instruction followed by 10 hours of riding broken up into 2 hour segments over 2 days. And it was solid riding time. Then they give a knowledge test and a riding skills test (which I proudly say I aced) which then allows you to go into the Secretary of State office and take a law test for your motorcycle endorced drivers license. I cannot say I am completely road safe yet as a rider yet but I will be soon. I am looking at getting a bike, hopefully before winter rolls in. In fact, I am more looking into a Piaggio bike, it is a super-scooter pretty much. My step father is going to help me find the bike that is right for me as he has been riding motorcycles for many, many years. Should be fun!!!

What fun have you had for $25 lately?

"TOUR DE TROIT"

What an amazing and wonderful weekend! It was filled with friends and fun and of course, went by too fast!!! One of the super fun things I did over the weekend is a bike ride called "Tour De Troit". It is a 30 mile bike ride through the city of Detroit. Naturally 30 miles would take us winding around in the streets, exploring all the little nooks and crannies of the city. It was amazing as I had never even explored the city by car. So you may think, what is it like to tour Detroit on a bike? Well ask any one of the 2,000 participants and they will say they enjoyed themselves immensely. It was police escorted and 2,000 people stopped a lot of traffic. In fact, at some points, I felt bad for those people in cars as the group took quite a few minutes to pass at any point during the ride. It was a perfectly sunny day and the trip took about 4.5 hours, which included a 30 minute stop for snacks. All ages, all levels of bikers, everyone just having fun. It is definitely an event to return to every year. Join me next year, maybe we can put together a Cafe of LIFE group!!!

(the picture is me hydrating before the ride:)

BABIES

There seems to be an unusually large number of babies being born right now. It makes me wonder what was happening 9 months ago that is leading to all of them being born in the past couple of weeks. I don't know...maybe the start of the brutally cold winter:) One of the most wonderful parts of my work is seeing pregnant women and children. I work with women throughout their pregnancy and often see many of the children once they are born. In fact, there have been quite a few times that I have gone up to the hospital and checked and adjusted the infants just following birth. Many people ask what I am doing checking and adjusting infants and what would make them need an adjustment if they were just born. Last week I had the privilege of going to the hospital to check baby Sheila. If you were in the room for the adjustment, you would be able to confirm the need for the adjustment as well. The little body of the almost 24 hour old baby was beautiful though you could tell she was contorted in utero and had been in one position for a long time which led to misalignment in the neck and pelvis. Sometimes misalignment's like this will lead to inability to breastfeed on both sides comfortably, digestive challenges and who knows what else. Also the birth process, no matter how natural and uncomplicated it is, is very traumatic for the spine of the newborn. The parents of this little one were so ready for her to come into the world, however they also wanted to allow her to have the best chance of expressing life to the fullest, and that is why I was invited. When I left the room, I could tell that little one was started off on the right track. She was balanced and at ease and about to get her next meal. Happy babies lead to happy parents and happy and healthy families. If you would like more information about checking and adjusting newborns or children, please feel free to ask at anytime. So many parents are realizing that the health of their children largely depends on the health of their children's spine and nerve system. At this Cafe...we serve LIFE!

LET THE SUN SHINE!!!

I do not ever remember having such a perfectly sunny and beautiful week here in Michigan in a long time, or maybe even ever. The evenings have been chilly with super brisk and crisp mornings and the afternoons open up to such beautiful blue skies, the kind of skies that one sees while out west. The temperatures are ideal and the sunshine is so wonderful for keeping attitudes and ultimately spirits lifted. Because so many people come to be served at the Cafe of LIFE daily, their moods infiltrate this space and even if we didn't have any windows, I could tell you what it was like outside by the energy people bring in. Soak up the sun and let this week be a wonderful reminder of the reason we live here in Michigan. This state has so much to offer, so many beautiful sights to see and fun things to do. We often lose sight of the many ways we are blessed by being Michiganders. Get outside and take advantage of the sun shining over these next few days and into your long holiday weekend! We will too and we will all meet back here on Tuesday, September 8th, the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!

(The picture is a sunrise over Lake Huron from a vacation I took a few weekends ago. Beautiful!)

RUNNING WITH GRATITUDE

There are quite a few of you that ran the Crim over this past weekend. What an amazing race. 16,000 runners in all the races combined and what a party!!! There are some wonderful programs and ways in order to get the "non-runners" through this 10 mile race and a huge Crim Training Program that helps so many people reach goals they set. So the crowd is amazing and diverse and wonderful and what a trip!!! Anyways what I discovered 3 years ago when I ran the Chicago Marathon (yes the full 26.2 miles), is that it is better to dedicate the miles to something or someone. Otherwise, you find yourself dedicating your mind to focusing on the pain and the results are very painful. So I do not dedicate all 10 miles of the Crim to something different, I spend the entire race in deep gratitude: gratitude for having the ability to get up that morning and eat what I need to eat; gratitude to have a nice roof over my head and clothes to put on; gratitude to be able to have a car to get me to the race; gratitude for being able to share the race experience with my mom and a number of friends and practice members; gratitude for my life, my work, my family, my friends, and the list goes on and on. There is a moment in each of the long distance runs that I am welling up with tears of gratitude. Gratitude is an amazing and powerful attraction force in life and I am so grateful to have discovered that early so that I may use it everyday.
"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others." -Cicero

G.R.A.C.E

Many of you reading this blog from the local Fenton area, definitely have hear of the wonderful work of Nancy Stockholm, a social worker in the Fenton area that just gave and gave and gave. Anyways her organization was/is so perfectly called G.R.A.C.E. and stands for "God Rewards All Caring Endeavors". That name came to mind when one of my practice members, we will call her J, came in today. J has been caring for an elderly woman for a while now and has really become a huge part of her life. J would go and sit with her, drive her around to any appointment she had, take her on small outings, etc. Well the elderly woman was recently put into a nursing home as it became challenging for her to live on her own anymore. This happened within the past two weeks, and in that process actually GAVE J her car. She actually just handed over the car, keys and paperwork for her to just have. Who does that anymore?!?! So J thought she was out of a job because the nursing home would take care of whatever needs that the elderly woman would have. But the woman's family still wants J to swing my a couple times a week because of the friendship they have created. And wouldn't you know it, J's car, which was on its last leg anyways, has finally transitioned to not running. Perfect timing. The Universe always provides...

FALL

Every year at this time there is a tree down Hartland Rd that likes to be the first to warn the area that fall is coming. I am by no means ready to wish the rest of summer away however fall is my most favorite time of the year. The tree is an anomaly...when all of the other trees are going about their summer business of being green, this one decides to switch colors first as a warning of the fall season which will be upon us soon enough. In case you would like to look for it, it sits on the east side of Hartland Road (State Rd) just about .25 miles south of State Road Elementary School. I am pretty sure I am not the only one that has seen this tree, but I never noticed it changes colors before everyone else until someone pointed it out. Mother Nature, please hold off for about another month and then bring on the color show!

KIDS ARE HILARIOUS!!!

Hilarious kid #1:

Two days ago, one of my practice members was in and she has this granddaughter, we will call her "G" with this personality that would best be described as larger than life. G was staying with her for a few weeks over the summer since she was out of school. Just the other day, G had a curious look on her face as asked "Fanny (that is what she called her grandmother), what is an ex-wife?". So the grandmother took a considerable amount of time explaining the concept of "ex-wife" to little G. At the end of the discussion, little G turned to her grandmother and said "Fanny, I think I want to be an ex-wife when I grow up." I realize that later in life she will hopefully have aspirations not to be an "ex" anything however it makes sense to her at this point.

Hilarious kid #2:

Three weeks ago this gentleman came in for his weekly adjustment. With him came his 10 year old son with two friends of the same age and their plan was to go to Uncle Ray's Dairyland where they plus about 15 other people were going to share a 5 foot long banana split. The three boys were sitting and watching intently as the father got adjusted. As my assistant and I were wrapping the visit up and getting things scheduled for his next visit I could hear his son begin to chuckle in the background. As they were leaving the son said under his breath to his friends "My dad just got beat up by a girl!"

This job is the greatest! Because I see so many full families, one of the best parts is watching the children figure out the world. They have an amazing at putting things together in a way that makes sense in their own little minds. I get some of the greatest laughs from them!

Medical Doctor: "You chiropractors haven't changed in 100 years, while medicine is constantly changing! What do you have to say about that?!"
Chiropractor: "You only need to change what doesn't work" (true story from Tedd Koran)

LIFE UNIVERSITY

So this weekend will be spent in Atlanta, or "Hot-lanta" as it is dubbed. It is going to be a super fun weekend filled with friends and colleagues and prospective chiropractic students. Life University is located just north of downtown Atlanta and boasts the largest population of chiropractic students in the world. It is a wonderful place, on a beautiful campus, where true philosophically based chiropractic is taught. The weekend is more than just recruiting, it is about pushing these students outside of their comfort zone and introducing them to the idea that the sky is the limit, whether they choose chiropractic as their career field or not. We need more chiropractors here in the US as well as around the world. If you or someone in your life has ever considered chiropractic as a career, please come or send them to come and chat with me. There are some awesome resources out there to aid in the transition into school and financial aid available to make your career dreams come true. See you there!

A VISITOR

This morning, as Victoria was opening the Cafe of LIFE, she realized that there was a HUGE, beautiful dragonfly caught in a spider's web. She rescued him from and she has become his new best friend. He is super content here in the Cafe of LIFE for the day and we are happy to have him. I wanted to share this photo so you could all enjoy him as well. This is him posing on a rose in our reception area as his best friend takes his picture. The book "When Animals Speak; The Spiritual and Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small" by Ted Andrews says that "when dragonflies show up in your life, you may need to get some fresh air in regard to something emotional. You may need to gain a new perspective or make a change...the dragonfly remains a nymph (baby) for almost 2 years before it transforms into an adult, which can indicate that an approximate two-year period of change is about to reach its culmination...Life is never quite the way it appears, but it is always filled with light and color. Dragonfly can help you to see through your illusions and thus allow your own light to shine forth. Dragonfly brings the brightness of transformation and the wonder of colorful new vision." I like the sound of all that!

1 MONTH LEFT

I am runner. Did I ever tell you that? I officially am a runner and the only thing that really makes it "official" is that I really love to run. I have always, as far back as I can remember, wanted to learn to love to run. So in January 2006, I decided I would sign up to run a marathon, Chicago Marathon, on October 22 (which is actually my "half birthday" which made it kind of fun). So I started training. From January to October that year, all I did was eat, sleep, work and run. My weekends were spent running, cross-training and recovering and I had it planned out during the week exactly when and how far I need to run on what day. If I varied from that schedule, my training schedule would be off so I was regimented. It was great and on October 22, I woke up, ate breakfast, bundled up (when the race started it was a mere 35 degrees), and ran 26.2 miles (the picture to the right is me running that race). Finishing that race and actually crossing the finish line was one of the most incredible feelings I have ever had in my life. I would maybe do it again just for the feeling at the finish line. Incredible. But in the meantime I still like to participate in some other races and the CRIM (dubbed Coolest Race In Michigan) happens this year on August 22. I haven't done a whole heck of a lot of running lately, but I can easily pull off 5 miles without any prep. My body just reverts back to all that training in 2006. So over the next 4 weeks I need to get some serious miles in my sneakers. I am looking forward to it. This will be the 5th year running the CRIM, the first year just did the 8K and the last 3 I have completed the 10 miler. It is a great race, a super fun day in Flint and I will be ready. I know there are a lot of runners out there that enjoy that race as well and if you are there....MEET ME ON THE DANCE FLOOR AFTERWARDS!!!!

THE WANDERER

Yesterday at 6:15pm, while Victoria and I were finishing up with things here at the Cafe of LIFE, we are startled by a big chocolate dog (that would be Choco) charging in through our opened front door. We both just looked blankly at each other as our brains began to run a few obvious panic questions; "Where was he?", "When and how did he get out without one of us noticing?", "How long has he been gone?" and "How many cars did he have to dodge to make it to and from where ever his destination was?". This was the very first time he has ever pulled a stunt like that. YIKES!!! It was an interesting "mothering" moment for me and needless to say I am so grateful to his angels for watching over him on his expedition.

"Dear Angels,

Instead of watching over him during his expeditions, please convince him not to go on them in the first place.

Thanks,

Choco's Mom."

A REAL TRIBUTE

As many of you know, I spent the last 6 days in Colorado, one of my most favorite places on the planet. I was fortunate to be able to spend a couple days this time around in Aspen. If you have never been to Colorado, you need to take the time to get there, and while you are there, make the drive to Aspen. It is so beautiful, wonderful and amazing there. The crowd is super down to earth the shops and restaurants have something for everyone (a special shout out to the restaurant "Wild Fig", a restaurant not to miss). Anyways the plan was to stay just Friday and head back to the ranch where I was staying 2.5 hours from there. The plan didn't quite work out that way and we spent the night and woke up there on Saturday, of course, the Fourth of July. We had a plan to head out early in the morning but if there is a parade happening, I want to watch it. We at an amazing breakfast at "Lu Lu" (yet another not to miss spot) and the wandered down the street to find a place amongst the thousands of people lining the streets to watch the parade. The Air Force Academy is about a 4 hour drive from Aspen though probably a 15 minute flight by fighter jet and so there was a fly-by to start the parade. Then right at noon 75+ motorcycles start the parade, some fast, some slow, some young, some old, some cruisers, some street bikes, some motorcross, some trick riders, amazing and wild energy to kick it off. The next group in the parade were the Veterans. There was about 50 or so and each carrying a sign for the war that they were in. Some walking, some in wheel chairs, some on golf carts, some old, some young, some missing body parts, some sad, some happy, but all were very inspirational and what a tribute. I have seen Veterans in many parades before, but something about the signs they were carrying that made it different. After the race of motorcycles through the streets and then the Veterans, I have to say that I was joined by many in the crowd that welled-up with tears of appreciation and gratitude for those who served and currently serve. We are truly a blessed nation, we have freedoms that many in this world cannot even fathom. As we all celebrated over this past weekend with friends, family, food and fireworks, I hope something along the way inspired gratitude in your being. As the parade continued in Aspen, it was entertaining, and energetic, and fun however nothing could have possibly been more touching than that type of beginning and it will forever been a super fond memory for me. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!!!

(the picture is me standing amongst one of the largest Aspen groves I have ever seen. It is along the road from Independence Pass down into the city of Aspen. Unfortunately the battery on my camera died so I don't have any pictures of the parade, though maybe I should try to google it...)

THE FATHERS

What an important job. Parents, both mothers and fathers, have the biggest job in the world. They teach and educate and raise the children and I do not know a CEO at any company that has a job that is bigger than that no matter how large the corporation is that they run. Thank goodness for parents. My dad lives here in Fenton and I get to see him quite a bit. We have had our challenges through the years but I have grown to have a deep appreciation for him and who he is as he is part of the reason I am who I am today and I wouldn't change it for anything. Ultimately we are all here to teach one another and we learn a lot from our parents. The good, the bad and the ugly...it is all part of life and so important that no matter what relationship you have with your parents, there is always a place for gratitude. Let's count our blessings...thank you dad! Happy Father's Day!

GOOD LUCK KATHY!

One of the greatest roles I have taken on as of late is Extension Faculty Member of Life University, the Chiropractic College in Atlanta, GA. In the beginning of April, Kathy Whitmore came to my office to spend the last three months of school learning how to run and grow an office. Not only has she mastered a lot of skills here at the office, I really have a lot of faith in her ability to be able to open and run a successful office. You see, not many choose to open an office right out of school. Rather, new Doctors of Chiropractic work in someone else's office for a year, sometimes two, sometimes more. I was not one of those and hats off to those who want to start from scratch right out of the gates. It is scary at first but incredibly rewarding. I would never do it any other way. Kathy and I walked around downtown Rochester, MI last Friday afternoon and came across the most perfect location for her new office. It is open, and airy, and bright, and absolutely perfect for her. In fact, if that same space came available here in Fenton, I would move in a heartbeat! So good luck to you, Kathy! You have what it takes to make it out there. Just keep serving from the heart, stay open and THRIVE!!! (and of course, I will be just a phone call away or 45 minute drive when you are wrestling with some stumbling blocks:). For those of you out there with friends and family in the Rochester area looking for a chiropractor, I know a good one!

PROSPECTIVE CHIROPRACTORS

I have the greatest job. I really do. I am blessed everyday being able to work with people to promote and educate about health. It is awesome and I have so much gratitude for being led down this path to become a chiropractor. One of my greatest joys is getting up in the morning and knowing that I get to serve people in a beautiful office with an awesome team. One of my other greatest joys is turning other people on to such an amazing and rewarding career. Last night, I had the good fortune of introducing 2 young, wonderful ladies to the inside world of being a chiropractor. After I closed shop here at the Cafe of LIFE, I jumped in my car and made my way down to O'Dell Chiropractic Clinic in Walled Lake where there was a Life University prospective student night. It was wonderful and I left there feeling really complete that these two ladies got what they needed in order to be confident in taking their next step towards a rewarding future in serving chiropractic care and teaching health to the masses. Its awesome, wonderful, super exciting, and such an honor to be a part of their process. Anyone else interested? Let me know!

“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly” -Richard Bach

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHOICES

In my chiropractic office, we stay busy seeing lots of people every week. It is a wonderful career and I enjoy owning and running my own business. I am, I think, the 10th chiropractor in city of Fenton out of 10 and we are all staying very busy. One of the things that is different about the Cafe of LIFE is that I, as a doctor, really look at myself as a partner in health, one of your teammates in you quest to live a full, healthy life. It seems like I just talk and talk all day long, but what I strive to do is educate. I do my best to educate everyone that I come in contact with about the amazing ability of the body to take care of itself. In saying this, the body has an amazing ability to care for itself...GIVEN THE PROPER BUILDING BLOCKS, ENOUGH WATER, REST, AND POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE! So keep your body balanced and connected with itself through regular chiropractic adjustments, drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water per day, eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and lean meats, avoid processed foods at all cost, get the sleep your body requires, and stay happy. Happiness is a choice. Situations are brought into our lives to teach us something. Step back during the highs and lows so that you can take a moment to realize that your precept ion of the situation is what creates the energy around it. Life is so super short. And as my yoga instructor says so eloquently "Every moment in life that you are not completely present is essentially a moment that you have abandoned and can never get back". Be present, LIVE THE LIFE YOU LOVE and LOVE THE LIFE YOU LIVE !

THE FLU

Did you know that Iowa was the first state to license chiropractic? The reason was that during the influenza epidemic in the 1918, it became apparent that people under chiropractic care were "magically" not affected by the epidemic. We know now that the nervous system directly strengthens your immune system, and allows you to live at your maximum potential! Yet, many people died from this strain because not enough people knew what to do at this time.Then, in 1976, there was a vaccine campaign with the second outbreak of the swine flu, which was heavily advertised, many millions of dollars were put into creating this vaccine, and it took months to prepare. By the time it was ready, the flu had taken its course, but what to do with all of the vaccinations that they had just put so much money and time into making? Well, they had to make use of it, so through advertising, the country was scared into believing their lives were still at risk. It was mandated that EVERYONE be vaccinated at this time. The harmful side effects from these vaccines cost more money to clean up than did the money in making the vaccine. However, the government learned that when scared, people will do almost anything..."The 1976 vaccination campaign is now considered to have been an overreaction based on mistaken fears that the swine flu outbreak would pose the same risk as the Spanish flu pandemic that followed the First World War, claiming the lives of up to 50 million people." And this is when the "oh too commonly known" flu vaccine was created, and has escalated into what it is today. The side effects are still real, and often more harmful than the virus itself. Educate yourself before you quickly follow the trends. It could make a huge difference in the quality of life that you live.

NEWS & MEDIA

There is a lot going on these days and because of the news and media, many people feel like they are on a virtual roller coaster hanging on for life. That is an incredibly stressful way to live. There is news about the automotive industry, the economy, the job market, pirates, swine flu, weather, our government, and so much more that easily hooks our attention. Once our attention is hooked, there is this thing they do that puts us on this virtual roller coaster and it is hard not to go for that ride...and they do that for a reason, to get you to tune back in. Now I am by no means saying don't listen and don't be informed. Be aware, stay on top of the stuff that effects your lives, but know that they are taking you on a roller coaster that you didn't necessarily sign up for. It is their way of keeping you watching what is coming next, keeping the TV on and letting their advertisers fill your minds with products to buy and drugs to look into because your body doesn't know how to handle itself. And this swine flu thing...I have heard the word over 50 times in the last two days. It is a flu and the body can handle it. There have been a few cases, 20 as of the other day, in the US and no one has died from it here. The very best thing you can do in these times is keep yourself healthy and keep your immune system boosted. How do we boost the immune system? Eat a balanced diet full of fresh, unprocessed foods, get enough rest (3-4 hours doesn't cut it for most people), drink plenty of water (half your body weight in ounces), exercise regularly, keep a positive attitude, and get your nerve system checked. The nerve system and the immune system are directly related and keeping the nerve system clear by chiropractic adjustments allows the body to work at it's full potential. So stay informed, stay healthy, and enjoy the ride called LIFE instead of the roller coaster ride the media is taking you on!

MY BEARTHDAY

I love sharing my birthday with Earth Day. I love the idea of it and I have become really clever and write it bEARTHday, or at least I think it is pretty clever. So yesterday was my bEARTHday and it was a good one. I pretty much did my regular Wednesday stuff, wake up early, work, massage or acupuncture (massage yesterday), clean up my house, do laundry, go back to work, hot vinyasa yoga class, come home, eat and sleep. But it is Earth Day as well and Mother Nature has her ways of letting us know that maybe she isn't so hot with what we are all doing to the Earth. Most of you probably noticed that there was sunshine, rain, hail, wind, sunshine, wind, rain, and ended the day with sunshine and 35 degrees. That is Michigan weather for ya however I think there was a message in the madness yesterday. I caught something online about Oprah asking everyone to go one day without using a plastic bag. Try that as a challenge. Lets be more conscious. We need to be in order to have a safe and healthy Earth for all of us and future generations to live on. Recycle, reuse and reduce our waste products. Make a difference, it just takes being a little more aware. And thank you for all the bEARTHday wishes. I look forward to many more trips around the sun!

So the conference that I went to over the weekend....AMAZING!!! I was in the presence of some amazing practitioners. It was a lecture format conference for the first day and the second was a panel discussion between the audience members and the presenters. On the panel was the Traditional Chinese Medicine provider to the Queen of England, the developer of Naturopathy from the West Coast, Ayurveda practitioner that was raised in the area of the world where it was developed and grew up that way, the Chiropractic Philosopher that is revising and up-grading the philosophy that our profession was built on, an MD, as well as a few others. It was really exciting to be in the audience and listen to the different perspectives. There was some really cerebral/heady stuff going on as well as some stuff that anyone can easily wrap their heads around. The bottom line is it is about life. It is about the principal that the body is way more intelligent than many (and especially the medical field and pharmaceuticals which run our health care in this country) people give it credit for. There was a strong undertone to the lecture of the health care system here in the United States is broken and run strictly for money and greed. We need a change! There is a wisdom controlling and coordinating the body and is not making mistakes in the process. It is doing exactly what needs to be done according to the internal environment it is dealing with. And this idea is exactly central to the chiropractic profession. It is wonderful to be part of a health care field that is based on truth. As mentioned previously, I received continuing education credits for being there, however those types of events, I will choose to be a part of regardless. Amazing, powerful, truth, community, and HEALTH!

VITALISM

As a Doctor of Chiropractic, I am required to get so many continuing education credits each year in order to keep my license. There are a number of ways to do that though most of them include sitting in a classroom, which I am not very fond of. So if I am going to be required to sit for long periods of time, I better be listening to something good. Most chiropractors do local conventions to get the work out of the way as easy as possible, but I am not one to take the path of least resistance. This weekend I will travel down to Atlanta, GA to sit in on a conference about "Vitalism" at a place where they are having "The World's Greatest Conversations".

What is vitalism? Vitalism is the doctrine that all the functions of a living organism are due to an unknown vital principle distinct from all chemical and physical forces.

This simply means that we are more than what we see. There is a life force that controls the body and orchestrates all of its activities. This vital force is what is present a living human being and absent at death. Because chiropractic is based on a vitalistic philosophy (the body is self-healing, self-regulating, and adaptive), I work and teach those ideas everyday. The conference this weekend will have a number of different professions presenting on that same topic and that has me very interested. I will let you know...

One of my favorite parts about the Midwest is there are four distinct seasons, my favorites being fall and spring. It may seem strange, but there are actually people that dread these two times of the year. ITS “HAY FEVER” SEASON!!!!!So I ask you…what is “hay fever” anyways? (you truly can google anything!) Researchers say that “hay fever” is a misnomer and is not caused by hay and it does not cause a fever. It is characterized by runny nose, itchy eyes and congestion. Most people have at least a mild experience during these seasons. Listen closely as I share a secret with you….IT IS TOTALLY NORMAL!! Our whole environment changes as the land prepares for the transition of the season. Some examples: the grass turns green, flowers come into bloom, the trees bud in preparation for leaves, etc. Because of this, the spring air we breathe has very different particles than the winter air and the body has to adapt to the change. So what does that mean for you??? Switching gears for a moment… We all know that some countries eat very different diets than we do. Many times, the average American’s digestive system cannot work with the food and drink in another country and results in violent episodes of vomiting and diarrhea. Our bodies work on a “supply and demand” basis. So if you lived in that area long enough, the body would adapt and create different digestion chemicals and patterns in order to work with what is taken in. In time, the whole digestive track would literally change to accommodate to the new diet. What an amazing body we have!So what does digestion have to do with hay fever? Our mucus linings in our sinuses change in order to work with the changing environment around us. So in other words, we have “winter sinuses” and “summer sinuses” and the transition time happens to be fall and spring (seasonal allergies/hay fever time). Due to the “supply and demand” concept in the body, new mucus linings are created to adapt to the new environment. In the process, the body has to slough off the old, hence runny nose, congestion and watery eyes. These symptoms are often inconvenient and many people look for a pill or elixir to stop the whole process. Ask yourself “Does it make sense to stop this process?” The messages that expedite the transition are carried along the nerve system which is what I, as a chiropractor, work directly with. From this point forward, do yourself a favor and let this process run its course since it is a sign that your body is taking care of itself. Let regular chiropractic adjustments aid the body in being its very best during this process and always!!

MSU ENERGY

Many of you know, either because I have told you or because you have been in to see either myself or my dog dressed in our team colors, that I am a huge Michigan State fan. I have always been, since I was born. But it is not easy being green sometimes and last night was one of them. I am the fan that wears the colors, and cheers really loud and knows all the words to the fight song and all that stuff. And when I say it isn't easy being green, I mean it is challenging to sit there in the stands and watch their lack of performance last night and remain calm. It isn't a feeling of upset at them, it is more that I just really, really, really, really, really wanted them to win last night. I knew it was a long shot since I watched North Carolina beat up on Villanova two nights prior to that. Our seats were in a mixed fan section but the large group of UNC fans were one section over from where we were so the energy remained high, unfortunately not in our favor. In the end, I am really proud to be a Spartan. They made it that far and though they seemed totally psyched out by their opponents, it was a wonderful experience to be amongst that sea of green. Either way, we always have the coolest mascot! SPARTY ON!!!

HOPING FOR A VICTORY!

On the banks for the Red Cedar,

There's a school that's known to all.

It's specialty is winning,

And those Spartans play good ball.

Spartan teams are never beaten,

All through the game they'll fight.

Fight for the only colors:

GREEN AND WHITE!

Go right through for MSU,

Watch the points keep growing.

Spartan teams are bound to win,

They're fighting with a vim

RAH, RAH, RAH.

See their team is weakening,

We're gonna win this game.

FIGHT, FIGHT, RAH TEAM FIGHT,

VICTORY FOR MSU!!!!

WORDS

For our 4 year anniversary, I asked everyone that was in that week to write down 3 words that describe their experience here at the Cafe of LIFE and this is what I got: healthy, life-changing, loving, refreshing, energizing, centered, caring, rejuvenating, painless, relaxing, renewing, healing mind body and spirit, trust, comfort, peace, helpful, healthful, I have never felt better, purifying, compassion, joyful, relaxing, uplifting, reassuring, proactive, calm, warm, fun, better way of life, breath, health, caring, healing, pleasant, friendly, light, hope, friends, happy, relief, stimulating, better, great, fantastic, wonderful, harmony, attitude uplifting, encouraging, spiritual, peaceful, well-being, life, health awareness, tension releasing, educating, exceptional, holistic, restorative, cleansing, pleasant, comfortable, gentle, kind, loved.

And to me...there is no greater compliment and no better job than to SERVE LIFE!!!

GIRLFRIENDS...

A couple of weekends ago, I headed up north with some girlfriends to celebrate the end of the snowboard/ski season at Boyne Highlands. Now these are two of the most incredible women I know though all of the time we have spent together has been in a group situation. This weekend was about getting away from the regular "noise and needs" of life and having time to just spend together...and we had a riot. Not only do these two ladies spend a lot of time looking for the answers to "the big questions in life", they also enjoy having fun and that is exactly what we did. I don't think there was a silent moment over three straight days and that really speaks volumes to me. Between our time spent on the slopes, to enjoying a drink at the bar, or dancing and being crazy on the dancefloor, we really lit the place up. Also, I am a person that needs a lot of alone time, and though I enjoy being around friends, I usually find myself needing to slip away for some "me" time, even if it is just for a few minutes. These two women are such incredible people and so intriguing to me, I found so much peace and fulfillment in our conversations and time spent together and I know for all of us it was therapeutic. I will cherish our time spent during that weekend away and cherish them as my friends forever.

A MINI CLINIC???????????????????

So I just had one of my practice members ask me if I had heard of a "Mini Clinic". I haven't, so naturally I asked her to explain it. She and 12 women get together one evening per month for some time away from the family. She went last night and said one woman was taking about "Mini Clinics" that are popping up all over Metro-Detroit. A "Mini Clinic" is a place inside the CVS stores that is staffed by a nurse practitioner. For the low fee of just $10.00, you can bring your child in and if the nurse practitioner is able to somewhat diagnose your child with something that may or may not be helped by antibiotics, they will send you home with a filled prescription. WHAT????????????????? Does anyone see anything wrong with this picture? Is it clear to anyone what the pharmaceutical companies are doing? Can you see how this would be a huge money-maker for the "BIG PHARMA"? You are right, $10.00 is a very small fee and is not where they will be making the money. The money is made from the side effects of antibiotic therapy. Do you think this may be linked to the anti-biotic resistant monster bacteria that are being created right now? You know, the ones that start off as common easy-to-fight-off infections and end with death...HELLO PEOPLE!!! Use some logic and put this all together. More antibiotics, decreased immune function, more illness, more sick days, more antibiotics, serious illnesses, more drugs/antibiotics, more MD office visits, more hospital visits, = MORE MONEY FOR THE BIG PHARMA, more money into their marketing and advertising, and the cycle continues. You have a choice. Break free from this cycle, make good health choices, make decisions that further your health and wellness and stay the course. Our bodies were created to be self-healing and self-regulating. Let your body do it's job!!!

I'M GIVING IT UP!

A really strange thing happened to me on Saturday night. I was at a friend's house for a gathering. There were about 10 of us there and these are friends that I hang out with quite a bit. The host couple are some of the nicest and most generous people I have ever met in my life and when we go to their home, they make you feel like family. So I was there and the wife had cooked a wonderful lasagna dinner and a few of us brought some other small dishes to share. So I ate some snacks and a normal dinner and then there was German Chocolate Cake from Pronto! in Royal Oak. Now I do not know if you have been there, but definitely a place to check out at some point when you are in the Royal Oak area. So I am already reasonably full when the cake is placed on the counter but I decide I will have a piece which is really not a big deal. But one led to another and another bite and another bite and then a cookie, and a second cookie and I had absolutely lost it in this sugar craze I had gotten into. It was like something had taken over my body and I would have continued to eat until I exploded. Actually the only way to escape it was to get up and leave the party, which is exactly what I did. Of course it feels great eating all of that...at the time. But later and then the next day, not so good. Actually awful is a better way of putting it. So I am giving up sugar and desert until the middle of July. When something has that much power over me, I have to cut ties and that is my goal. Ever wanted to give up sugar...good time to start as you know there will be at least one more person working on that same quest...ME!

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY CAFE OF LIFE!

Tomorrow marks 4 years in practice here in Fenton. I opened the doors of the Cafe of LIFE on Saturday, March 12th, 2005. Looking back on it all I come up with a feeling of deep gratitude for everything that I have been blessed with. There is deep gratitude for many people, but most importantly in this process is my mother and step-father. When I first moved home, they allowed me to stay with them for the first two years. Staying with them often meant sharing dinner in the evening together while I bounced ideas off of them about business, money, chiropractic, and life in general. Staying with them also meant having the continuous support of their loving words and gentle encouragement on a daily basis. And staying with them meant free rent and someone to co-sign on my business loan:) Together we spent countless hours of travel around Birmingham and Ann Arbor looking for office space (Fenton was not my original plan), staring at the blank, colorless walls in the potential office spaces trying to get an idea about what the flow would be like, shopping for furniture, office supplies, and everything else was going to be necessary to do this whole business thing. My mother has always been my greatest cheerleader. It doesn't matter if my idea is good or bad in her mind, whatever needs to be done to make it a reality, she will support me 100%. It's that unconditional thing that moms do. My step-dad is one of the greatest men I have ever met. I have only had him in my life for just over 4 years, meaning when I began conceptualizing my office, we had just met. His ability "to give for the sake of giving, serve for sake of serving, and love for the sake of loving" (which is the philosophy of the chiropractic profession though he is not a chiropractor) is undeniable and not easily matched. Now back when I began, my highest priority was making sure I only had a 1 year lease contract (which for commercial rental is almost impossible to find) just in case this Cafe of LIFE thing didn't work in such a small town. But it did, and here I am, I mean HERE WE ARE!
So THANKS Mom and Denny! Thanks for being my greatest allys in life!

THE CRAZIEST...

...thing I have done in a long time is jump off this cliff and cruise down this slope strapped into my snowboard. So this is the scenario...Breckenridge, Colorado, Saturday Feb 28, roughly 10am, 30 degrees (perfect snowboarding temp), bright Colorado sunshine, almost 13,000 ft above sea level, chairlift to the top of the mountain, hike another 20 minutes straight up to the top of the world (literally I was eye level with all the tallest mountains in the surrounding area), buckle in and GET CRAZY!!!! When it was all said and done i wished I got more than just a couple pictures for those of you who cannot fathom what this is all about. So I got by Blackberry out once I successfully made it to the bottom and took that picture of where I came from. Then I painted on there the orange to show you the crazy chute I went down, the "Lake Chutes" for those of you who have been to Breckenridge. My happiest place is anywhere strapped to my snowboard...

"YOU"RE WELCOME AMERICA"

Hilarious! I was in New York City over this past weekend for a friend's wedding and though I am over the romantic-ness of NYC, I still enjoy three things that are uniquely New York; Central Park, Broadway shows, and the cuisine! Have you ever had risotto tater tots? Amazing! Anyways I was surprised on Saturday and taken to the show which I had no idea what we were going to see. In the cab on the way there, I was playing the game '20 Questions' and was able to narrow it down to a male comedian. The theater district is really packed during the evening shows and the cab had to drop us off about 3 blocks from the theater and walk the rest of the way. When I turned the corner and saw the above billboard, you can imagine my thrill to be going to see Will Ferrell! I had no idea he even did stand-up anymore. His show is called "You're Welcome America" and it is 1.5 hours of him as George W Bush, recapping this term in office. For a taste of the humor...the show started with a helicopter sound and smoke and Will being lowered down from the ceiling tandem with a paratrooper as if being dropped off in the middle of NYC. That was his entrance and being in the 4th row, the whole show was a riot! He does George W Bush so well that at one point, it really felt like his true farewell speech, which brought me to a moment of gratitude for our new president and what he has in store for America! Thanks Will!

EMOTIONAL HEALING

I have been working with a wonderful new practice member over these past two weeks. We had an interesting connection from the first day we met and it has continued to become more and more interesting. I love when people come in and ask me questions and share their experience. So this woman was in yesterday and she said "This is emotional". And I asked "What is emotional?" Her reply was "This healing process and getting better thing...it's emotional". And my conversation went a little bit like this...When we have excessive stress, our bodies hunker down and try to protect us, out of the need for survival. If that stress, which can be physical, chemical or emotional, continues to bombard our system, the areas that the body is protecting cannot handle it and they begin to "check out". One of the areas that the body is first to protect is our heart. So when we begin to interrupt that pattern with the chiropractic adjustment and positive thinking, we begin to peel away the layers that protect the heart. When this happens, the areas that were "checked out" begin to "check back in" and when the layers that protect the heart get peeled away, in a safe environment and in a nurturing way, people often break down in tears in the adjusting table. That is ok and happens frequently here at the Cafe of LIFE. Not only do we begin to "feel better" overall, we also begin to "feel better (feel things better, easier)". And the people in our lives, especially close loved ones, pick up on the fact they can get to your heart easier and life is better. And there is not much more to life than that. So open your heart and enjoy your Valentine's week !!

FEELS LIKE SPRING!

On days like today, it sure feels like spring. Of course, those of us who have been in Michigan for a while know that this kind of weather will come and go for a few weeks, sometimes months before spring will actually be here in full force. Spring is such a wonderful season when everything comes back to life, the sunshine and flowers makes it feel so good and in the process spirits are lifted. We tend to leave some deep cleaning of the house to that time as we know that a good one time over gets the spring started well. So have you ever considered that maybe that was a good thing to do for the body too? Have you ever considered doing a detoxification or cleanse for your body and health and didn't really know where to start? I have teamed up with a Holistic Nutritional Counselor for "SPRING CLEANING OF THE BODY". This is a 28 day guided program to detoxify and cleanse away the build-up that occurs over the years. Connect with me if you would like more informtion on the process and we will help you get started clearing those cobwebs inside! Here's to a few more weeks of winter and more importantly, here's to hoping we have a healthy and wonderful SPRING!!!!!

I HAD NO IDEA...

...that labs snore! I am actually laughing out loud right now at Choco as he is curled up and snoring away. It is hilarious! I know that bulldogs, and really heavy dogs snore but I would have never imagined that my chocolate dog would do that. I am not going to be able to sleep if he is going to be that loud but I had to share and also share a picture of him in his bed. You can see he is laying there and his bed has an orange towel on it. Now, Choco always has to have something in his mouth. He is not a chewer but he has to be able to carry something around. It must be a comfort thing. So when I opened the door for him to come in, he frantically runs around the garage searching for a bone or something to bring with him. This time he couldn't find one and when that is the case, he always grabs the first thing in sight on his way in. So this time it was a wash cloth which is also in the picture. He marched around the house all evening with a wash cloth and when he holds it and looks up at me, it looks like he is asking if there is anything for him to help me clean. I will try to get a picture of that to share at some point. He keeps me entertained that is for sure!