Celebrations

This week has been a week of celebrations at Lakeview Veterinary Clinic. Cynthia Shaw, our part time assistant, is graduating from Bradley University on Saturday - her birthday!

And my daughter's birthday is today, Friday.

I was thinking of the fun of celebrations, and just taking a moment to enjoy those we have in our lives. I think our pets help us to do that tremendously.

Anyone who owns a dog knows that they just enjoy the moment. They enjoy that excitement, and don 't worry about where the next food will come from. They trust.

The cats just relax and enjoy the scene going by in the window, without worry about the next day.

Our daughter seems to have that enjoyment as well as she turns 8. I don't have that any more - I worry, like many of you.

I guess that's why God gave us children - to learn from them.
And why we enjoy our dogs and cats - they teach us things we need to remember.

Christmas reflection

I was looking for some outside decorations for the clinic on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, and went to the local hardware store, Lowes and Walmart.

I was amazed at how _few_ decorations were available. very few outdoor lights, few wrapping paper items.

I miss the anticipation, and the excitement of Christmas day. Growing up, we did not decorate except for the week leading up to Christmas, and the tree was not gotten until that week, and the decorations not hung until Christmas eve.

And we celebrated the 12 days of Christmas from Christmas Day until Jan 6, the traditional day that the three wise men came to give the gifts to the infant Jesus.

I say this as an explanation for why you will notice we are just now starting to put up our Christmas decorations, and why they will be up until January 6, 2010.

A nice present to consider for your pet is starting a Pet Savings Account. You can just use your regular bank, and open a special savings account, or Christmas club account specifically for your pet. Then put just $10 a week in the account, and you will have money for their regular care, for the teeth cleaning treatment, the emergency that comes up.

What a great present - peace of mind!

Thanksgiving - time to be thankful

At Thanksgiving I find it very easy to be thankful.

I am thankful to the staff who make it easy to practice, and not worry about how they are taking care of the pets and their owners.

I am thankful for the pet owners who have entrusted their pet's care to us. We take that seriously - and try to have fun with it also.

I am especially thankful for my wife and children. They are the reason I strive to improve myself every day.

I am not perfect, and I am thankful for that - because it gives me something to correct every day. Some days, more than others, but I strive to improve on all of it.

And I am thankful for the opportunity to share these thoughts with so many who find them interesting.

Amazing, isn't it that just 10 years ago, something like this Blog did not exist at all - in fact the word did not even exist....

Wow.