Therapeutic @ MindSay

OK----passed the Instructor's exam. Now I need to accumulate 25 teaching hours and have 12  months to be certified nationally.  Phase 2 is the hard part as many certification center's are out of state.  Anyone back east?  Can I come visit and get my license?

Here we go..........................TALLY HO

I'm sorry you got to read what I thought would be black print, uggggggggg! I'll figure this out so you can READ it, honest, lol, I'm in duh mode tonight, ha! Talk again soon, Blessings to you, QuellyQ

Ok, pics of my Hoss, my pride & joy, some tags I use in my mail, some amazing sand sculptures, & me with clothes on, rather than the pj pic with my youngest daughter. I hope you enjoy them...

Well, here's my pride & joy, & the thing that bring light into my life every day. Hoss, the English Mastiff.  I'll never have another dog after this, other than this breed, I'm so impressed with the intelligence & sweet mannerisms of this animal, I now want a silver to go with him, lol, & I'll have her sooner or later. Above you see him almost when I first got him at three & a half months, then at five months, then what he will look like eventually. This is the heaviest breed of dog on the planet. There's a fake pic going around, that shows one almost as big as a horse, trust me, it's been doctored. The heaviest ever was 343lbs at 8 years old. They were found in the Asian mountains in 2500BC, so this is an ancient breed. The way he sits, so noble, so watchful, so protective, yet not mean. You can tell he'd know if he needed to react. I'm sure he'll go over 120 by a year old, maybe more, but for sure, my little big man, foot warmer, Hoss, is gonna be a very big boy. If I could give dog lovers a gift, I'd give them this breed puppy. I love & have rescued many many animals, none have even come close to this animal, I'm so impressed with my "little big man", he wags his tail (soon to be a whip) when I call him that. I just wanted to go lighthearted today, because the entry about Carl threw me into a huge head spin, so I have to get past that feeling, so that I can tell you the time spent with my first love Richard. We had many good times together, & tomorrow I'll write about him, & laugh about those times, only to cry about losing him, but I'm a crier. I hate it, but saddness is an easy emotion for me to feel. If it goes to far, it turns into anger (my alters ways of making me not so sad), but I promise a beautiful love story tomorrow, ok? Love to all who visit here. God bless, QuellyQ

• find a sock, preferably a tube or knee sock
• get about six to eight cups of rice and fill the sock with it ( Alternatively you can use dry bird seed!)
  
• using a heavy (darning?) needle and thick thread, sew the sock shut about two inches from the end Or just tie securely-I vouch for that method as I HATE sewing :) )
  
• use a piece of ribbon to finish the end with a bow
• optional: use a match to singe the ends of the ribbon so it doesn't fray. be careful!

Adding spices, herbs and/or essential oils - when heated the pad will smell wonderful. A combination of allspice, ground cloves, ginger and nutmeg makes a nice Christmas smell. The combination of herbs below are purported to soothe a headache:

• Dried lavender
• Marjoram
• Betony
• Rose petals
• Cloves
• Rosemary

To Use

Simply pop the pad in the microwave and nuke for 2-3 minutes (time will vary depending on the size of your pad). To use as a cooling pad, place in the refrigerator or freezer.

Caution!

Your heating pads may eventually catch fire from smoldering on the inside. This may occur when the water content of the filling is dried out and burned from many re-heatings. One possible solution is to place a cup of water in the microwave when heating the pads, to keep the interior moist, or spritzing the pad lightly with water before microwaving it. Another solution would simply be to replace the filling after so many heatings. Don't use twist ties to close your sock, as they may contain metal.

More Tips:

• New rice will give off quite a bit of moisture when microwaved and will smell strongly. The more your sock/beanbag is used and microwaved the less damp it will feel and the smell will gradually fade.
• Washed and dried cherry pits can also be used instead of rice.
• The foot of an old pair of pantyhose could be used as the inside layer of a two layer sock to keep the rice from migrating through a less tightly woven outer sock.
• Corn seed (available at farm outlets) can also be used and the heat generated seems to last longer. Don't use popcorn for this project!
• A small pillow case may be substituted for the sock if you want a pad that covers more area. Remember, more area means slightly longer heating/cooling time. You will want to experiment with times and settings, but be careful not to burn yourself.
• If you have no materials around to seal the sock, just tie a knot in the end of the sock itself or sew up the end of the sock to create a permanent seal.
• To be prepared for the unexpected, keep one in your freezer, so it's ready to use at a moment's notice.
• A good way to make a larger rice "pillow" is to fold a soft dishtowel (clean) in half. Sew up two of the sides, fill it with rice, then sew up the third side. These are especially good for menstrual cramps, because the weight feels nice on the abdomen, and the heat soothes the pain.
• Flax seed is another possibilty. Flax seeds are small, hard, smooth brown seeds about the size of a sesame seed. Their smoothness makes them conform very well to any shape.
• A rice sock also works well for comforting puppies who cry in the night. Warm it and put it in bed with the puppy. Be certain it's not too hot.
• A small amount of Vick's Vaporub can create an aromatic and therapuetic aid that will help with colds or allergies.

Enjoy!

Love and Laughter,

Dawn