If I had a Bucket List, one of the first things on it would be to write an Adult and Children's book about Dagger's Journey as a Canine Artist. I've tried over the years to document in photos the places and people we've had the great pleasure of seeing and meeting. However, I feel that my mind is all over the place when comes time to writing about Dagger. There are so many things to write about. The great question is always...

Ingredients:
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup milk
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp honey (do not use raw honey~dogs shouldn't have raw honey)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
🥞Blueberries, strawberries and raspberries for garnish and syrup (for humans...NOT for dogs)

Instructions.
1. In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, milk, eggs, honey and vanilla.
2. In a second bowl whisk together flour, baking soda and  baking powder.
3. Add flour mixture to yogurt mixture and mix just to combine. (Batter should be thick like a thick glue-like consistency. If too thick add a bit more milk)
4. Heat large nonstick skillet on medium (I preheat my skillet to 300 degrees). Add 1 tablespoon canola or olive oil to pan and wipe out excess with paper towel. 
5. Spoon in enough batter to make 3-4 pancakes (about 2 tbsp each) or many smaller ones and cook pancakes until bubbles begin to appear around the edges and in centers. Using spatula, peek under pancakes to check that they are golden brown, then carefully flip. Cook about 1 minute more depending on size. Transfer to wire rack and cover loosely with foil to keep warm or serve immediately. (Mom let's our pancakes cool down before serving us our pancakes 🙂)
6. Enjoy with your favorite toppings: Berries, bananas, syrup (for humans)

   During the pandemic, many people adopted pets. Oh, how wonderful this truly is!
To give a pet a forever loving home is one of the most serving and giving things people can do. Now that things have eased up across America regarding the COVID restrictions because most people have been vaccinated and have adhered to the CDC Guidelines;
more and more people are getting together with family and friends for celebrations. This is also so very wonderful!  However, as wonderful as this may be, we must also be mindful of our pets during the Forth of July Holiday. Below are some helpful tips for new pet owners as well as a refresher for experienced ones.
​According to the ASPCA website..."For many people, nothing beats lounging in the backyard on the Fourth of July with good friends and family—including furry friends. While it may seem like a great idea to reward your pet with scraps from the grill and bring him along to watch fireworks, in reality some festive foods and activities can be potentially hazardous to him. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center offers the following tips:

• Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended where pets can reach them. Alcoholic beverages have the potential to poison pets. If ingested, the animal could become very intoxicated and weak, severely depressed or could go into a coma. Death from respiratory failure is also a possibility in severe cases.
• Do not apply any sunscreen or insect repellent product to your pet that is not labeled specifically for use on animals. Ingestion of sunscreen products can result in drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst and lethargy. The misuse of insect repellent that contains DEET can lead to neurological problems.
• Always keep matches and lighter fluid out of your pets’ reach. Certain types of matches contain chlorates, which could potentially damage blood cells and result in difficulty breathing—or even kidney disease in severe cases. Lighter fluid can be irritating to skin, and if ingested can produce gastrointestinal irritation and central nervous system depression. If lighter fluid is inhaled, aspiration pneumonia and breathing problems could develop.
• Keep your pets on their normal diet. Any change, even for one meal, can give your pet severe indigestion and diarrhea. This is particularly true for older animals who have more delicate digestive systems and nutritional requirements.... And keep in mind that foods and liquids such as alcohol, avocado, raisins, grapes, onions, garlic, chives, chocolate, coffee, caffeine, macadamia nuts, citrus, coconut and coconut oil, milk and dairy, nuts like almonds, pecans and walnuts, Raw/Undercooked Meat, Eggs and Bones, Salt and Salty Snack Foods, Xylitol which is an ingredient in chewing gum, candy and store bought baked goods and yeast dough can all be potentially toxic to companion animals.
• Do not put glow jewelry on your pets, or allow them to play with it.While the luminescent substance contained in these products is not highly toxic, excessive drooling and gastrointestinal irritation could still result from ingestions, and intestinal blockage could occur from swallowing large pieces of the plastic containers.
• Keep citronella candles, insect coils and tiki torch oil products out of reach. Ingestion can produce stomach irritation and possibly even central nervous system depression. If inhaled, the oils could cause aspiration pneumonia in pets.
• Never use fireworks around pets! While exposure to lit fireworks can potentially result in severe burns and/or trauma to the face and paws of curious pets, even unused fireworks can pose a danger. Many types contain potentially toxic substances, including potassium nitrate, arsenic and other heavy metals.
• Loud, crowded fireworks displays are no fun for pets, who can become frightened or disoriented by the sound. Please resist the urge to take them to Independence Day festivities, and opt instead to keep them safe from the noise in a quiet, sheltered and escape-proof area at home."🐾🇺🇸

I cannot stress enough how vital it is to remember that some dogs get scared and run away during the 4th of July fireworks. Shelters all across the USA are overwhelmed with runaway dogs and cats during the 4th of July holiday.  We saw this first hand with our beloved beagle, Maggie May. Maggie would scratch, pant, drool and try with all of her might to run away. It saddened Denis and I so much to witness how stressed and frightened she became. Please, make sure you keep your pets secure in an area where they cannot escape if they get startled and want to flee. If you know that your dog gets scared with the sudden loud noises of the fireworks, you can play some calm music or turn on the television for background sound...the experts call this "white noise."  This "white noise" helped so much with Maggie May.  But, it wasn't until after the holiday was over that she calmed down and was "Maggie May" again and we could take a deep breath of relief!
I hope these important tips help you plan your celebrations with your furry friends safety in mind and yours too!!

Gabby used the wagon and then it became her sister, Claudia's, wagon. When the girls were too old to use it anymore, my niece decided to find a home for their little red wagon. It was just around that time when our Long Island Chapter of Canine Companions was searching for a wagon to put our puppies in for the Memorial Day Parade in Massapequa Park here on Long Island.  Word got back to Nicole of our needing a wagon and we inherited the little wagon. We took it home and decorated it with red, white and blue streamers and flags. It was a sight to behold. My granddaughter, Maddie, and I spent an entire day decorating it. It was beautiful!!  Of course, the decorated wagon paled in comparison to the puppies we pulled in it along Park Boulevard that year and years after that.  But, the little red wagon did its job! We even used it to haul water for the parade walkers and extra hand outs bringing awareness to CCI. We had such fun for many years with our little red wagon.  It came to street festivals with us and other special events.  It served it's purpose well. After each event the wagon was put in our basement for the next year all decorated and ready to go. 

Hugging to me is a warm and comforting thing to do. When my son, Denis, was a young boy, he would hug me all of the time. As he got taller and older, he would place his head on my shoulder and hug me with all of his might.  Oh, how great that would make me feel. 
According to my Google research, "When we touch – cuddle, hug, or hold hands with each other – our bodies release “feel good” hormones. These hormones include oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin. Once the hormones are released into our bodies we experience feelings of happiness, relaxation, improved mood, and lower levels of depression."  
There are many benefits to hugging...

• Hugs reduce stress by showing your support. ... 
• Hugs may protect you against illness. ... 
• Hugs may boost your heart health. ... 
• Hugs can make you happier. ... 
• Hugs help reduce your fears. ... 
• Hugs may help reduce your pain. ... 
• Hugs help you communicate with others.🐾

Once vaccinated, hugs can leave a lasting treasured memory especially during this COVID19 Pandemic. Therefore, hugs are important, but so is the internet. I think we can all attest to the fact that we really need them both .

​🐾 ​Why You Should Get (and Give) More Hugs - Healthlinehttps://www.healthline.com › health › hugging-benefits

In order to understand how Miss YaYa entered our lives, I feel it's important to for you to know how she came to be and how we became involved with Canine Companions for Independence.  

It all started about 45 years ago. ​

Recently, I received an email from a woman from the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC. She was doing some research on a hat that my grandmother had created and was in their possession.  The museum had acquired the hat from a designer back in 2007. I was thrilled to hear of this news. Crazy as this may sound...The curators of the museum had contacted me through Dagger's website. Yes, they had found my Grandmother through a Painting Dog's website!!
How did this happen? Well, I've since learned that back in April of 2019,
I included my grandmother in my monthly blog. I wrote about how she always designed and created my Easter Bonnets every year when I was a child and how she owned and operated Frances Adams Hats on Fifth Avenue in NYC. My Blog back then just gave an overview about my grandmother, but didn't go into any real details about my grandmother, her life and journey to America.  When the Smithsonian was doing its research they came across my April Blog on Dagger's website. They reached out to to me and requested some, if any, information about my Grandmother Frances, her business, her history and how she got started. Truth be told, I always admired my grandmother, however, I never really spent a great deal of time exploring her roots and how great she really was. You see, to me, she was just my Grandma Flandina...Funny, focused and kind of loud!  You knew when she was around.🥰 She had a strong personality and presence that filled the room.  I also knew that she was super-duper at everything she set her mind and nimble fingers to do.  To me, she was a woman who had a laugh that was contagious and made a mean baked ziti/lasagna, eggplant caponata, and fried artichoke hearts among many other Sicilian delicacies.  To be able to investigate who she was and what she did in her 79 years here on earth gave me pause. I thought, where do I begin?  

Well, I began to reach out to other family members...my cousin Luisa who is the daughter of my dad's sister. Luisa had done some research a few years back on my grandmother for a book titled, "The Journey of Italians in America" written by Vincenza Scarpaci. The "book celebrates the contributions Italians made in the areas of agriculture, cuisine, industry, religion, sports, architecture, the arts, and politics, and how they preserved their culture while establishing their presence in America. *
When I think of my Grandma Flandina I think of the phrase "Renaissance Woman."  What is a "Renaissance Woman?", you might ask.  According to my Google search , by definition, a Renaissance Woman, "is a woman with many talents or areas of knowledge." My question was answered unequivocally...Yes, that was Grandma Flandina, for sure!!  She was GREAT at everything! You might know of a "Renaissance Woman" in your life. Or you just might be a "Renaissance Woman" yourself. 

Below is something I wrote about my grandmother I sent to the Smithsonian Museum:

"Art" is a clever rhyming children's book written and illustrated by the Mutts Comic Strip creator Patrick McDonnell. It's about a budding young artist who uses his creativity to express himself. I love this children's book because it's endearing and tells the story about learning, creating and the love between a mother and a child. It's also interesting to me to witness the  great talent that McDonnell has and is willing to share with his young and old readers.  According to McDonnell's website, "In 2005, McDonnell embarked on a children’s book career. His first children’s book The Gift of Nothing quickly became a New York Times Best Seller. Art (2006), his second release, told the story of a boy named Art who makes art. His next release, Just Like Heaven (2006), heralding the joys of simple blessings, was hailed in a starred review by Kirkus as “a meditation on the true nature of miracles.” In 2007 McDonnell again returned to the New York Times Best Seller list with Hug Time, featuring a kitten named Jules who goes around the world hugging endangered species. Since then, he has produced two additional childrens books (South and Wag!) along with the 2012 Caldecott Honor winner Me…Jane, a biography about the young Jane Goodall, and The Monsters’ Monster." *🎨1

Reading, learning and creating have always been so vital to me and my family. In fact, my son, Denis, would read so often that as a Christmas gift one year we gave him his very own reading lamp which he used every night. His son and my grandson, William, loves to read just like his dad.  As you can see from the photo below he even falls asleep reading with a book as a pillow. 

My granddaughters, Maddie and Annabel, love to create and learn.  Maddie is a concert cellist and loves to paint and draw. Annabel draws, paints and loves to dance. My Step-Grandson, Karl, loves to create by styling hair. ​

Creating and learning are so important to our development...no matter how old or young we are. I find it very rewarding when I create something whether it's creating my own art work, crocheting, learning a new recipe, working with Dagger or learning how to play the Ukulele (Yes, I'm trying to teach myself how to play the Ukulele by utilizing the YouTube tutorials...believe it or not!! I purchased an inexpensive Ukulele on Amazon...recommended to me by my dear friend Ann). All of these things make me feel successful. I've also found that the older I get the more I don't know. It can be kind of exciting when I think of how much I can still to learn and explore. 

During the difficult times of the pandemic, when we are pretty much at home... doing something creative or reading and learning something new takes us away from the stress of living in our isolated "bubble." It gives us purpose and keeps us positive. It also adds meaning to our lives. 

Throughout the month of February, maybe we can take sometime to learn something new or create our very own masterpiece. Whatever you do, do it knowing that however good or bad your creation is...you'll be spending your time wisely knowing that as you create, you're enhancing your life. What an exciting journey that can be!!

 
​Bibliography
​*🎨1  https://mutts.com/about-patrick/#