GOOD NEWS ONLY, PLEASE
Critter Cam To The Rescue, See's Candy + McConnell's Ice Cream Give Us a Reason to Live, and Ruth Gordon Reminds Us to Say "Yes"
Hiya Friends,
All I can say is, it has been A WEEK! And yes, I’m aware that it’s only Wednesday. If you’re reading the news, you know what I’m talking about. The state of our country makes me want to pull a Leonard Cohen and hole myself up in a Buddhist monastery for the rest of my days. Meanwhile, our 17-year-old pup Noodle tripped over the threshold between my office and the balcony the other day. He doesn’t hear or see so well anymore and the poor guy was stuck there for a minute before Jared found him and helped him up. 💔 After that, his legs were wobbly and he wasn’t able to get into a standing position without one of us giving him a lift. If you have (or had) an older pet, you know it’s really hard to stave off thoughts of doom in this scenario.
I texted the vet, the one who comes here every two weeks to give Noodle acupuncture. For the record, I read the NYT article about indulgent pet people and how we’ve ruined our pets and made our lives hell in the process. Whatever. I love my dog and I’ll do anything for him. I started Noodle on acupuncture about a year ago because his back legs have weakened due to arthritis. He doesn’t mind the procedure mainly because he doesn’t know it’s happening. I distract him with treats while Dr. Hilary (the vet is also named Hilary) sticks the pins in. Following the procedure, he has less trouble walking and seems more spry in general.
If you watch the video below, you’ll see Dr. Hilary pop a pin in and Noodle barely notices. Believe it or not, Noodle distrusts and hates all vets with the passion of 1000 suns. He growls, bares his teeth, squirms, and tries to make a break for it every time he has to be examined. I’ve seen sheer terror in the eyes of vets as they approach Noodle with trepidation and say, “Make sure you’re holding him really tight!” But just look at how calm he is with Dr. Hilary. I guess he’s figured out that when she’s around, it’s raining treats.
Dr. Hilary quickly responded to my panicked text. She offered to come over the next day to check on Noodle and give him acupuncture. In the meantime, I put some yoga mats on the hardwood floors to keep him from slipping, gave him a pain killer, and anxiously awaited her visit.
Well, the next day, sweet Dr. Hilary was sick and couldn’t make it. Lots of handwringing later, we made an appointment to take Noodle to see a different vet. In the end, that vet recommended a shot of Librela—a new pain medication that is supposed to be helpful for dogs suffering from osteoarthritis. This vet also said that Noodle is in pretty good shape for an older dog and, as you might imagine, that assessment has yanked me out of the pit of despair. Noodle seems much better today and he’s getting around more easily so there’s some GOOD NEWS! You’re welcome!
CRITTER CAM SPOTS A LOST KITTY
In other good pet news, I scrolled past a post on NextDoor about a missing cat named Maddy. Not long after, I spotted a cat that looked a lot like Maddy in my critter cam footage. Now, I love me a good mystery, and it thrilled me to no end that I might be able to help locate a missing pet. I shared the video on Nextdoor and Maddy’s people were very relieved because they’d seen a coyote near their place and feared the worst.
That couple headed straight over here and shouted “Maddy” in my yard for a while. Later I got this message from Maddy’s person/my new pal, Sandy: “She’s home. Reunited with her brother. I’m so happy. Thank you for giving me hope.” Honestly, that’s what it’s all about, right? Doing whatever we possibly can to keep hope alive. I’ll admit, even as an optimistic person, it’s really hard right now. I’ve been trying to keep my news intake to a minimum, and I spend a lot of time in the yard listening to and watching birds. The critter cam is my medicine now. Every day, as I review the footage, I marvel at all the critters coexisting and sharing the watering trough. If they can do it, why can’t we?
SEE’S CANDY AND MCCONNELL’S ICE CREAM SAVE THE WORLD
ICYMI: Two iconic California brands, See’s Candy (Est: 1921)—the absolute greatest chocolate on earth bar none—teamed up with McConnell’s Ice Cream (Est:1949)—a family owned brand that makes all of its delicious ice cream from locally sourced ingredients— and created four limited-time flavors to try to give us a reason to live. Looks like it’s being sold in grocery chains, McConnell’s Ice Cream shops, and on their website. Each pint costs $12, and while that might sound a little pricey, it’s way cheaper than talk therapy. Please tell me which flavor you’re craving right now in the comments and if anyone tries any of these, we need to hear about it, stat!
Vanilla with California Brittle™ – See's buttery almond brittle – covered in rich, dark chocolate – is the perfect match to McConnell's classic, full-flavored (R.R. Lochhead) vanilla ice cream. Topped off with even more crunchy, salt-roasted almonds and ribbons of chocolate ganache.
Coffee with Molasses Chips™ – A delicious mash-up of See's dark and milk chocolate-coated, crispy molasses honeycomb wafers, bathed in medium-roast, coffee-infused, Central Coast grass-fed milk and cream, alongside swirls of decadent chocolate sauce.
Chocolate with Polar Bear Paws™ – All hail the See's Polar Bear Paw™ - buttery caramel with salt-roasted peanuts, enrobed in delicious, white chocolate – and a peanut butter swirl ride shotgun alongside a McConnell's favorite – Dutchman's Chocolate.
Banana Cream with Toffee-ettes™ – Ripe bananas, pureed into Central Coast milk and cream, a salted caramel swirl, and handfuls of See's legendary Toffee-ettes™ - roasted almonds, embedded in rich, Danish butter toffee, enrobed in See's creamy, milk chocolate (rolled in even more crunchy almonds!).
LISTEN TO RUTH GORDON AND SAY “YES!”
I saw this snippet of an interview with Ruth Gordon on Facebook and had to share it here because I’ve adored Ruth Gordon ever since I was a kid and watched her on TV trying to outwit Columbo. She had so much vivacity and talent, and well, she was just so uniquely Ruth Gordon. I love her advice below to ignore the naysayers and always be an encourager. We need this kind of thinking now more than ever.
Okay. That’s a wrap for today. If this issue gave you a little lift, hit the ❤️ button or leave a comment. I always love hearing from you. xo H2
I am craving Coffee with Molasses Chip! I will get some this weekend and report back. Thanks for heads up.
Yes!