Cotu Montessori mag oct ed 39

*FREE *ONLINE MAG *EDITION 39 *OCTOBER 2017

Cosmic Education The Child’s Discovery

of a

Global Vision

and a

Cosmic Task

Lighting the Learning Candle

Build a Foundation of Trust

with Children

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contents

Child of the Universe Montessori Mag

COSMIC EDUCATION

The Child’s Discovery of a Global Vision and a Cosmic Task The word cosmic today usually means something very large or having to do with the universe.

But the word comes from the Greek kosmikos, from kosmos, meaning order. The term Cosmic Education in Montessori lingo refers to a child's gradual discovery of order, a unifying global and universal view of the past, present, and future. It is the coming together of many components of knowledge into a large vision or realization, as in a mosaic, of the interdependence of elements of the solar system, the Earth, planets and animals, and humankind. The character of our time is sometimes referred as the information age; today’s children are bombarded with facts and information with no way to make sense or bring this information into some kind of order. Cosmic Education helps a child make sense of all the information and is more important today than ever before.

The term cosmic task refers to a way for a human being to find a valuable role in this mosaic of life. A role that fulfills one’s own physical, mental, and spiritual needs and at the same time that contributes in some way to the creation of order or balance in the cosmos; to create a personal expression, and responsibility within this beautiful mosaic of life. Simply, this means we want to help a child learn about and make sense of his world and find a way to make it a better place.

These principles of Montessori education are usually discussed in reference to the second plane of development, the years 6–12. But such an idea is not something Dr. Montessori invented for the elementary child as an academic curriculum. As usual, she “followed the child” and the child’s interests. This does not begin at age six.

Learning about the World

In all Montessori environments from the home, the nido (first year), infant communities (age 1-2.5), through high school, curiosity in its variety of expression is fed.

Birth to Three Years The world at first is the home. From the first days of life, a child is exploring the world around him, through sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. This curiosity is a strong urge throughout life if protected and nurtured

Since the beginning of the assistants to infancy program in Rome in 1947, parents have been guided in preparing an environment that supports and feeds this curiosity. It is suggested that the environment of the child not be changed during the first year of life if possible. The child is exploring the order of this environment, his first world, visually from day one, and the drive to move toward objects and explore them in other ways, make sense of them, and there is a strong impetus to learn to crawl, stand, and walk.

When a child is first on his tummy and able to reach out for a toy, the adult can encourage exploration by placing a toy a distance that is not so far as to frustrate the infant, yet not so close as to allow him to grasp it with no effort.

This skill at observation and meeting the needs of a child is the very highest level of ability of the adult in life. Today the Montessori assistants to infancy are doing the same thing on all continents, and neuroscientists are discovering the value of knowing the child in these early days and months.

The same sensorial Montessori math materials are used in Bhutan (above) as anywhere else in the world.

Age 3-6 Years The child’s world at this age moves from the family to the primary class. The world is brought into the class rather than the child taken out into the world at this age. We do not believe in pushing a child toward early intellectual studies, however if presented correctly, young children show an amazing interest in a wide range of subjects, something that can be hard to believe.

I learned this the hard way. One year, in my work as a Montessori assistant to infancy, I was consulting with a mother from South Africa about the care of her newborn.

As we talked more and more about the Montessori principles behind what I was sharing with her, she asked if it would be possible for her to observe in a Montessori class. I set up an observation with the local AMI primary class and agreed to meet with her the next morning to discuss what she saw.

I let her talk about all of the things she was amazed to see. She had been raised as a Waldorf child and not introduced to academic subjects until age seven.

She was surprised to see children at such young ages teaching each other and doing math, reading, writing, continent puzzle maps, and so on.

I could tell that something was bothering her however and asked what it was. Hesitantly she said, “Well, it was a very nice situation in many ways, but when do the children get to do what they want to do?�

She was very surprised to hear that the children, after entering the classroom and greeting the teacher, are free to choose any piece of material that they understand. She could not believe that they had actually selected work in areas that in traditional schools they might not, such as math, language, science, and geography.

Before age six, the child absorbs—totally, easily, without effort, and with deep love—all the attitudes and impressions in the environment. It becomes a part of him and forms his mind, so parents and teachers as models are the strongest element in these years. If kindness and patience, enjoying reading, having good manners, enjoying math and biology, for example, are in the environment at this age, these attitudes and actions will be of great value to the child. If they are not part of the early environment many of these things can be learned later, but they will not make up the basic personality of the child.

Before age six, the lessons and experiences of Cosmic Education are carried out by means of a lot of movement and sensorial experience.

But along with the basic and extremely valuable practical life and sensorial lessons, the child begins to learn about the earth and water, physics, plant and animals, the variety of humans on earth, art, dance, music, geometry, math, and language. By the end of this first plane of development, the child has a lively curiosity about and love of all of these areas of study.

Maria Montessori understood the child's built-in receptiveness to all these areas of interest and found that the young child could comprehend what was considered far beyond a child's reach, given the right environment, the right equipment, and a teacher who was skilled at putting the child in touch with this environment.

At this age the real classroom is outside of the building

Age 6-12 + Years Learning about the world is different at this second stage of development. The environment at this age widens. Rather than bringing the world into the classroom, there are field trips, and the children going out into the world.

The more the primary, elementary, and middle/high school teacher knows about the first three years, the more Montessori (as opposed to “traditional”) his or her teaching will be.

The more secure the teacher of older children is in the fact that curiosity, exploration, work, and effort are natural human traits, the more likely he is to allow the children freedom from an imposed curriculum in order to develop fully and uniquely as a human being. In the second plane, or the 6–12 stage, the child explores more with his mind and on projects requiring teamwork in planning, execution, and presentation.

Social scientists today are well aware of the fact that the standard curriculum valued in traditional school is indeed outdated. We do not even know that professions are going to be of value in ten years, so how can we pretend to know how to prepare children academically for such an unknown future?

There are many lists of “skills for the future” being compiled today. The following skills are found on many of these lists: exploration, putting forth maximum effort, the ability to focus or concentrate, self-control, the mathematical mind, respect of others, the ability to work together, care for the environment. Most of us are going to see immediately that these are skills fostered in a true Montessori environment.

These things are at the center of the Montessori curriculum at all ages and take priority over an academic curriculum

If not then the outdated standard curriculum can rear its ugly head and turn a school into a very nice school, but not a Montessori school. The teacher and administrator must be extremely knowledgeable of and trusting of Montessori in order to hold back the onslaught of natural parental fear of what will happen if the day is not full of teachercentered requirements, schedules, textbooks, and homework!

The foundation for academic elements of the elementary Cosmic Education curriculum begins early. The goal of Montessori primary education is to create a global vision within the child. Children naturally take for granted that what they see has always been there and need help in understanding how different life has been over the period of time.

At this age the exploration on the environment, rather than being limited to what can be explored right here and now with the senses, reaches back into the past and out into space through the means of the imagination. A skill that is not part of the first 0–6 stage of development.

In the first two weeks of the year in the 6–12 class, all of the new students are given the great lessons that introduce the creation of the solar system and earth, the variety and evolution of plants and animals, the stages of human existence, the development of language and math sciences, and the way in which all of these elements of life are connected.

The older children almost always choose to attend these lessons and the six-year-old sees the continued excitement of a twelveyear old, which makes these lessons even more interesting. Appreciation for the universe itself is based on the knowledge that it was not always there. Children gradually develop an understanding and gratitude for the universe and their part within it.

Aside from the very limited state or country requirements for each of the six years, the child is set free to explore and to make his own path through the labyrinth of knowledge on Earth. That is the most exciting part of teaching in the elementary years as the older the child, the less contact with the adult is necessary in a Montessori elementary class.

We are there as guides for the child to make contact with experts and sources of knowledge that help further research and creation. We do not hold him back with hours each week of requirements, schedules, and other limitations. But we must be able to explain why to the parents. In the end, it is the work of the child, who with freedom will go far beyond what we could possibly require, that will convince the parent and the world, of the value of this kind of openended, out-of-the box, education. And it just might be what will solve the problems of our continually changing world.

Here is an example of the difference in the study of geography. In a traditional school, a teacher might assign each child or a group of children to choose a country of the world and do research on it. Then perhaps the child will write a paper that the teacher will read and assess, or the child may give a presentation to the class. And this was all the adult’s choice, not the child’s.

In a Montessori class I taught in California, a student came in after a field trip we had taken to research local fauna. This child discovered that a fellow classmate, Sierra Miwok, harvested acorns from the Black Oak tree for food! He wanted to know what other Native Americans ate and then wanted to know more about the differences in the daily life of various groups. I reminded him of the civilization study charts that another child had used to study Ancient Rome.

This lead to studies by other children of other Native American groups, which led to research on why they settled where they did, which led to a new look at the Bering Straits, and then the ice ages, and then to the reasons for migrations of various civilizations throughout history.

A page from a child's math journal

Sometimes teachers may back off from this freedom to go as far as one wants to in exploration because of not knowing how to keep track of this learning or being uncertain of how the child will keep track of the work.

A page from a child's journal, where he records a balance of 6-12 work over the years and a beautiful way. These journals are kept for many years because they are so interesting and lovely.

Teaching Montessori at this age is guided not by knowing more than the students, but in firing their imagination and their natural curiosity. It requires the ability to watch carefully for the tiny nugget of interest and to offer, but not take over, tools for further discovery.

Teaching Montessori at this age is guided not by knowing more than the students, but in firing their imagination and their natural curiosity. It requires the ability to watch carefully for the tiny nugget of interest and to offer, but not take over, tools for further discovery.

Well, aside from the short list of local academic requirements for each year in the 6–12 class, that are always available to the children, there is no need to limit this kind of exploration by recording everything created.

How far do we think Leonardo da Vinci or Einstein would have gotten if they were required to record everything they did? They recorded what they wanted to remember.

Children will do the same. They will record meaningful discoveries in journals, with careful drawings, lovely handwriting, and even decorated margins. For more information on the work of the 6-12 class, see the chapter, "Transition to the Elementary Years," in the book Child of the World: Montessori, Global Education for Age 3-12+, available from Michael Olaf, Amazon, and from NAMTA.

As all parts are related, they will all be scrutinized sooner or later. Thus, the way leads from the whole, via the parts, back to the whole.

The children will develop a kind of philosophy which teaches them the unity of the Universe. This is the very thing to organize their intelligence and to give them a better insight into their own place and task in the world, at the same time presenting a chance for the development of their creative energy. (Polk Lillard 75)

Making the World a Better Place

If journals are beautiful records created over the 6 years in class (rather than quickly and badly written records) children develop the art skills begun in the primary class, improve their cursive and print writing (both important these days) and have something they are proud to show their own children or students when they are grown up.

This natural curiosity and desire to learn more and more, when supported by the best Montessori environment and teaching, is evident in Montessori schools all over the world. Speaking at the University of Amsterdam in 1950, Dr. Maria Montessori said, It should be realized that genuine interest cannot be forced. Therefore all methods of education based on centres of interest which have been chosen by adults are wrong.

Moreover, these centres of interest are superfluous, for the child is interested in everything. A global vision of cosmic events fascinates children, and their interest will soon remain fixed on one particular part as a starting point for more intensive studies.

The discovery of Cosmic Education and one’s cosmic task depends on fostering the curiosity of the human being and the natural tendency to feel compassion toward other beings beginning at birth. There is evidence that natural curiosity and feeling responsibility for others, or compassion (the sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it) begins long before the child enters the elementary class. Wanting to be useful and helpful and caring about the happiness of others is not something that needs to be taught; it is a basic part of the human make-up and can be observed even in the very young.

Here is a child safely and securely holding a sibling on the Montessori "topponcino" which is part of the AMI 0-3 training. Image from a painting by the author)

Birth to Three Years As part of my AMI 0–3 training, I observed births in Cristo Re Hospital in Rome, Italy.

One of the women I observed was welltrained in the Respiratory Autogenic Training birth preparation method that is still part of some assistants to infancy teacher training courses. Even though it was her first child, this young woman was so well trained to relax between contractions that the birth was almost painless and her child was born far more peacefully than is often the case. It was the practice for a newborn to be wrapped up from head to toe and placed in a warm bed in the nursery for a little time after birth. So, I observed the first baby, who had not even cried, snuggle into the warm bed in the nursery and go back to sleep. Suddenly she started to wail loudly the minute another baby in the nursery started to cry!

Since then I have talked to many people who have observed this phenomenon. I have seen very young babies mirror the faces of their adults: I frown, he frowns; I stick out my tongue, he does the same; I smile or laugh, he smiles or laughs. One day I was filming children in an infant community in Denver, Colorado. At one point it was possible to hear a child, far off in the distance outside the classroom, crying. Suddenly the little boy I was filming, who was not much older than two years, got up from his table and chair and announced to whomever would listen, “Somebody needs help!” (This can be seen in the DVD Wonderful Two’s.)

Age 3-12 Years In the primary class, some of the first lessons are how to care for each other and the environment, and children love mastering these skills. If he has not learned this in an infant community, the child learns to cook food and then put it in a special place to share with his friends at a meal.

Caring for the school, inside and out, is traditional in many countries, and always part of the Montessori curriculum (A school in Thailand)

He learns how to walk carefully around the space on the floor or at a table where another is working and to not interrupt his friend’s concentration.

The children learn how to clean and care for these materials, and to put them back on the shelf in perfect condition for the next child which is a first act of social caring.

The teacher of older children, from age 6-12, who has seen this natural caring and compassion in the first six years will be grounded in the knowledge and importance of modeling. The teacher will value opportunities for helping and serving each other above the requirements of an outdated curriculum.

At this age there is a natural interest in fairness and justice in the classroom and in the world.

The level at which children can care for each other and for plants and animals and can go out into the world is much higher.

They can clean the beaches and riverbeds, feed the homeless, cook their own meals, and clean the school.

When there is a temptation to focus on the academic curriculum at this age these things must be kept alive.

The child who has felt a strong love for his surroundings and for all living creatures, who has discovered joy and enthusiasm in work, gives us reason to hope that humanity can develop in a new direction. Our hope for peace in the future lies not in the formal knowledge the adult can pass on to the child, but in the normal development of the new man.

This is precisely what allows us to believe that a great possibility still lies before us, that there is still one hope for our salvation—a normal development that, fortunately, does not depend on what we attempt to teach the child. What we can do is investigate this phenomenon with the objectivity of the scientist, study the facts that determine it, discover what conditions are necessary to produce it, and keep following the path that leads to normality. What we can and must do is undertake the construction of an environment that will provide the proper conditions for his normal development.

The child's psychic energy, once awakened, will develop according to its own laws and have an effect on us as well.

The mere contact with a human being developing in this way can renew our own energies. The child developing harmoniously and the adult improving himself at his side make a very exciting and attractive picture.

This is the treasure we need today—helping the child become independent of us and make his way by himself and receiving in return his gifts of hope and light.

In this new picture, the adult will appear not only as the builder of the external world, but, even more importantly, as the protector of the moral and spiritual forces that appear anew in every human being born. (Education and Peace 58-59) As we can see in the above words by Dr. Montessori, all of the things we are talking about, such as the desire to learn and care for others, are not something we teach.

.They are above all the normal condition of the human. Through the meeting of their needs according to the stages of development, respecting curiosity and choice, and the modeling and valuing of the non-academic skills, children are led naturally to make sense of the world and to think about their future in terms of a cosmic task.

This is true preparation for life in the Montessori way.

Through the meeting of their needs according to the stages of development, respecting curiosity and choice, and the modeling and valuing of the non-academic skills, children are led naturally to make sense of the world and to think about their future in terms of a cosmic task.

PERMISSION TO SHARE: You may link this newsletter to any school or educational website or to share it in any way that will improve the lives of children and their families.

by Susan Mayclin Stephenson (reprinted with permission of NAMTA) Susan Mayclin Stephenson tackles a large subject, Cosmic Education, which Montessori defined as a “unifying global and universal view[s] of the past, present and future.” Stephenson takes the reader from birth to the end of the elementary age with examples of how the child grows into an understanding of Cosmic Education through their experiences at home and at school. Central to her thesis is the theme of discovering one’s cosmic task, which depends on “fostering…curiosity and compassion toward other beings.” Stephenson concludes with examples from around the world and illustrates how children are born with this tendency toward compassion and how it is experienced from birth through age twelve within Montessori environments.

REFERENCES Montessori, Maria. Education and Peace. 1949. Oxford: Clio, 1992. 58-59 Polk Lillard, Paula. Montessori Today: A Comprehensive Approach to Education from Birth to Adulthood. New York: Schocken Books-Doubleday, 1996 EDITION The Namta Journal, Global Citizenship: Uncovering the Montessori Mission, Volume 40 Number 2, Spring 2015 (North American Montessori Teachers' Association)

Relight the Candle Five-year-old Tommy walked over to his mother, Judy. ”Write my name for me, Mommy.”

”Tommy, you know how to write your name.” ”But I don’t ‘member,” he said.

by Maren Schmidt Tommy’s mother, Judy, phoned me, near tears, about this conversation. Judy’s concern was that Tommy had forgotten something as seemingly simple as the three letters in Tom. ”What do you think? Should I call my pediatrician? Do you think Tom has brain damage from falling off his bicycle two weeks ago? Should we get an MRI? A CAT scan?” ”Judy,” I said, ”I don’t think there is probably anything serious going on. I think what you are seeing is a normal part of learning. The candle blew out. Tommy just needs to review and relearn how to write his name. It’s very normal for children to forget things we think they have learned.”

As learning occurs we take in information through our senses and retrieve this information through the memory process.

The first time we encounter information doesn’t mean we’ll remember or retain it. How many repetitions does it take to learn a new phone number?

(Safety note: Cell phones seem to make learning phone numbers obsolete. Every five-year-old should know by heart his or her address and key phone numbers: home, parent’s work, grandparents, etc.)

Some of us can hear a number or look at it once and have it in firmly in memory. For others it may take over a hundred repetitions. Learning theory suggests that most learning requires two hundred or more repetitions.

The process of retrieving facts from memory after they have been learned is another obstacle to a person’s performance.

For example, I used to know my chocolate chip cookie recipe without hesitation since I made them a couple of times a week. (Oops! My secret is out.) In the past three or four years, though, I’ve made a batch only once. As I pulled out the mixing bowl my mind went black. Use it or lose it, they say. How true it is for youngsters…and us older youngsters.

The more ways we can use information the better able we are to quickly access that information.

When we can involve our hands in the memory and retrieval process, long-term learning is helped.

Repetition is a vital key to learning, and the young child before the age of six enjoys doing the same activity over and over. How many times can a three-year-old watch a favorite video? No number that large? Repetition is how the child creates memory and retrieval skills. Sameness creates a sense of order in the child’s mind.

Children over the age of six are more adult-like in their learning and demand variety in the presentation of information being acquired. How many times do adults like to watch a movie?

Skill building weaves in and out of our memories, flickering at the flame of knowledge. At times due to factors in brain development not entirely understood, this flame grows faint or is extinguished. At these times we need to patiently present previously learned information to the child–perhaps dozens of times. At some point, the information will be firmly set in the child’s mind and will be remembered and easily retrieved.

The thousands of skills your child is acquiring take hundreds of repetitions each to become well established in the mind. Knowledge and skills will come and go as these hundreds of thousands of repetitions occur. Be patient and kind, and relight the candle. Make sure you have a big box of matches.

HOW TO TEACH A DYSLEXIC CHILD TO WRITE

by Hannah Roberts Children with dyslexia spend a lot of time and energy learning to read and write. These are not passive learning activities for children with dyslexia.

Frequently, parents and educators believe dyslexia affects predominantly reading and comprehension. However, the ability to write is affected by Dyslexia.

A difficulty in writing is referred to as dysgraphia. These difficulties can come in pairs because they are simply different expressions in differences or weaknesses in the components of learning. These weaknesses or differences cause difficulty in language processing and writing is a part of language processing. Much can be done to strengthen these components.

To find our which are affecting you take our learning difficulties quick analysis.

As a teacher discovers the student’s learning achievement, she will see a discrepancy in the student’s oral abilities versus how the student expresses themselves on paper. Every child with Dyslexia displays different symptoms and severity of symptoms.

Building a Foundation of Trust

by Dawn Cowan

“What do you think?”

“I’m sure you will do the right thing.”

“Do you have any ideas?”

“How might that work?”

Building statements like the above into our repertoire is one small way that parents and teachers build partnership with children. Whether it’s rearranging the garage, working through an argument with a sibling, or figuring out when the best time of day to practice piano, the habit of soliciting children’s thoughts and ideas communicates our respect for their perspective and our trust that they are able to find creative solutions.

It can require patience, suspension of judgment, and a spirit of exploration. Often we have to stop ourselves from jumping in and offering solutions or direction. However, the doors that open can be remarkable and rewarding. Last weekend at a potluck, my daughter asked if she could have a cookie. My response was, “I think you know what my concerns might be and I trust you make a good decision.” To which she replied, “I should make sure to eat some real food first and then not have too many sweets, right?” Of course, this is a point of arrival after many family conversations about nutrition but now we can both move on; me from monitoring her choices at such gatherings and she from feeling the need to run these small decisions by me. Our trust in one another means we both have a little more freedom to enjoy the event. Had I just launched into a directive or negotiation, we would have lost this moment.

When two students argued about use of a certain material, one of my standard responses was to set it aside and send them off to create a plan with which they could both agree. During our Upper Elementary parent orientations, one piece of advice for parents of 9-12 year old children is when they bring a complaint or concern home, the parents best first question is “What did Greg/Stephanie say when you discussed it with them?” While we don’t leave the children adrift, the message comes through clearly: You have good ideas. You have the power to solve your problems. We trust you.

Trust, in this context, is the fundamental belief that we all desire to bring our best selves to each moment. This is not the same as the expectations of perfection which often lead to feelings of disappointment, mistrust and that great demoralizer, comparison. When trust is present, we see the great good in one another and all that is possible rather than looking for what is missing.

The child’s idea of how to clean up spilled water may not be our idea of efficient, but they, invested in creating the solution, will likely give their best self to the effort and will likely be willing to offer help again. I’ve often seen children’s ideas about how to resolve social issues work better than the adult suggestions!

Trust allows the children to rise to their own potential and develop skills of self-management.

Equipped with lessons and guidance, their confidence builds as they begin to believe in their own powers of judgment and autonomy. Creating space for collaboration and independence: this is the joyful challenge of parents and educators with the benefit that the result is that our work together is eased when all parties feel autonomous and respected, cutting out the need for willful opposition. There are plenty of educational programs and parenting approaches that script every part of the day, from morning circle to craft time to sing-along to reading hour. In this case, standardizing the experience solves many variables. Micromanagement offers an illusion of control and peacefulness, but ultimately undermines the opportunities for spontaneous, creative problem solving. Supporting independence and self-management is a messier proposition requiring friendliness with error and, sometimes more challenging, friendliness with one another’s error but leading us toward peaceful collaboration and interdependence in the work of living and learning together.

SAMA MEMBER SCHOOLS & TRAINING CENTRES IN SOUTH AFRICA Eastern & Southern Cape KwaZulu Natal Limpopo Mpumalanga Namibia North Gauteng (PTA) South Gauteng (JHB)

Western Cape Swaziland

Seychelles TRAINING INSTITUTIONS

Reach for These! Infant Toys Whether finding the way across the carpet on all fours or manipulating objects with all five fingers, your infant is constantly expanding their physical and motor skills as they become familiar with the world around them.

By placing a few visually-appealing “grasping toys� around their play area you will offer them a valuable incentive to stretch, move, explore and increase their development.

These toys may be simple objects made of natural materials that offer movement as well as visual stimulation, such as a cube made of smaller wooden blocks or one with colorful sliding pegs.

The toys you lay out are preferably simple in design versus noise-making or battery operated ones, so as not to overwhelm the child at this young age, but rather allow them to concentrate on their grasping and movement abilities alone.

The more colorful and unique the toys are, however, the more appealing your child may find them. Your infant may want to place the toys in their mouths; please know this is okay, and also part of the discovery!

The key is to simply set up the activity ahead of time and prepare your child for the experience. Find out how this everyday task easily becomes a productive and joyful growth opportunity.

by Jeanne Marie Paynel: Voila Montessori

The Yard on Third wants to keep the passion in horse riding alive. We love horses as much as you do and want you to continue to love riding and caring for your horses.

We have seven beautiful and unique school horses for all age groups to enjoy our lessons. We promote the art of horsemanship and teach our riders to care for their horses, this includes everything from cleaning out a stable to jumping in your very first horse show. We also offer fun and exciting training shows that are open to the whole family to enjoy, these take place every two months. We also offer pony camps, outrides, outings and day clinics to all of our riders.

Join our mailing list to be sure you are up to date on the shows that take place at the Yard and come experience for yourself the passion and love that is radiating from our Yard, to our riders and especially to the horses.

IDEAS TO ENCOURAGE BOYS TO WRITE Just like reading scores, writing test scores indicate that boys have fallen far behind girls across the all grades.

What can we do to get boys excited about writing?

Here are some tips to encourage boys to write.

1. FIND THEIR PASSION Find out what your boys are passionate about and have them write about it. Writing doesn’t have to be just fictional stories. If they love sports, have them write a sports story on the latest game. If they love history, have them write about what it would have been like to live at the time of a famous historical event. If they love Minecraft, have them write about their latest build. If they are passionate about it, they will want to write about it.

2. GIVE ENCOURAGEMENT, NOT CRITICISM When boys are learning to write, make sure you encourage them for their efforts instead of criticizing them about handwriting or grammar. It is hard to want to do something if you are always being corrected. When you are encouraging them to write, keep the focus on the fact that they are writing.

Grammar, spelling and handwriting will come with practice.

3. WRITING PROMPTS Use some writing prompts to make it easier for boys to come up with a topic. Type up some writing prompts, cut them out and put them in a jar where they can choose a new one each day.

4. USE DRAWING OR PICTURES My boys love drawing pictures, but not necessarily writing. Have them draw pictures and then write about the story that they drew. When my oldest boys were young, they would make up puppet shows for us. They would spend hours making puppets and writing their show. Or, show them a picture and have them write about it. If you have pictures of family vacations or events, show them the picture and let them write. If you son is into photography, give them a camera and let them tell a story through their pictures and then have them write captions for each image. One of my sons loves to draw comic strips.

The possibilities are endless!

5. PUBLISH THEIR WRITING Who wouldn’t love a book of something they had written? There are several ways you can do this. You could make a book at home and either bind it yourself or take it to an office supply store and get it bound. You can also purchase a blank hard-cover writing book (affiliate link). My son’s 2nd grade teacher had the kids write books that she then sent away to be published at Studentreasures.com. Out of all of my boys, he struggled with writing the most. But he LOVED making his book and worked really hard to get the writing and pictures just right.

6. PEN-PALS Find a child your son’s age that lives in a different state and have them write letters back and forth. It is so much fun to receive letters in the mail now that email/texting/messaging has taken over. If you can’t find another child, have them write to a grandparent or other family member. You could even have them write to their favorite sports star or other famous person. Who knows, they might get a letter in return.

7. KEEP IT FUN Make writing fun. Turn it into a game. One way to do to this would be to put some random objects in a bag or box and have them pull them out one at a time and create a story. The sillier the better. Or, write as a group. Have one person start a story and write a sentence or two. Then pass the paper so the next person who keeps the story going. Who knows where that type of story will end up. Make it fun!

www.thejoysofboys.com thejoyofboysblog@gmail.com

3 Simple Tools to Help Highly Sensitive Kids Thrive Does Your Child Have Sensitivity To Light, Sound, Touch, Taste, Or Smell?

By Robin Ray Green

I think of highly sensitive kids as being gifted with fluency in a second language – energy. It’s a gift that will give them many advantages in life once they understand and harness it.

But, in the beginning, it’s like their sensitivity dial is set on max!

They may be sensitive to everything: light, sound, touch, taste, and smell along with subtle whispers of energy.

Highly sensitive children can sense stressed energy in people and places. They pick up on the true emotions of others and see beyond the social veneer. Some can even feel the energetic residue of strong emotions in a space that was left days or weeks before.

The problem is they don’t know that this is what they’re feeling!

If you have a highly sensitive child, it may seem, at times, that this world is just too much for them. But, when you teach them a few simple energetic tools you can empower them.

Last month when I wrote about 7 Things You Need to Know About Your Highly Sensitive Child, many of the comments on the article and on social media asked for concrete techniques to help our children.

Here are 3 of my favorites:

#1 Body-Emotion Scanning While in a safe space, have your child scan their body from head-to-toe. Ask if they notice any tension or discomfort. Have them describe how they feel emotionally at that moment.

There’s an app called Feelings with Milo that can help younger children with this second part. Tell them to keep that in mind before going into a new place such as a grocery store or friend’s house.

If they notice a change in their body or emotions, talk about what or who it might be related to. With your help and some practice, they’ll be able to sense whether the change was due to their own experience or from energy they’re picking up from others or the place they were in.

#2 Bubbles If you’re going to a crowded shopping mall, airport, or theme park bubbles are a great way to manage sensitivities. Have your child imagine that their body is surrounded by a protective bubble. The bubble can be any color and acts as a barrier that only lets in positive energy and filters any negative or stressed energy.

When I do this with my boys we have a lot of fun with the visualization process. I ask them things like, “What color is your bubble?” and “How far does it extend around your body?” I have them describe how their bubbles feel.

We practice moving it around and sensing each other’s bubbles. Eventually you can just say, “Bubbles Up!” and everyone will know what to do!

#3 Understand Your Child’s Unique Five Element Type One of the things that has helped me the most in understanding highly sensitive kids is the Five Element system of Chinese medicine.

It’s a framework that allows us to determine each person’s unique nature – body, mind, and spirit.

The Five Elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. Each Element has corresponding physical characteristics, personality traits, strengths, and challenges that shape each child’s overall health and way of being in the world.

Once you discover your child’s Five Element type, you’ll have a better understanding of how your child’s sensitivities will manifest.

Five Types and how to help them: Fire and Earth children tend to be emotional empaths.

Metal and Wood children tend to be physical empaths.

Water children tend to be intuitive empaths.

Metal and Water types will need time alone to process the energies they experience during the day.

Fire and Earth types will need gentle reassurance and a safe person to share their feelings with.

Physical activity is a great way for Wood and Fire types to discharge negative energy.

'Tis the season for pumpkin everything.

BY PINCHOFYUM

Healthy Maple Glazed Pumpkin Muffins

5 Ingredient Pumpkin Alfredo

BY HALFBAKEDHARVEST Pumpkin & Kale Chicken Noodle Soup

RECIPE

Pumpkin Fudge Brownie Pancakes

Stovetop Pizza Stovetop Pizza These days, pizza is the favorite food of many children. Making your own pizza is a satisfying accomplishment. This delicious version uses fresh tomatoes and less cheese than most. You can bake these pizzas on cookie sheets in preheated 425 degree oven instead of cooking them on the stovetop.

Makes 3 10-inch pizzas.

Ingredients Pizza Dough • 1cup warm water • ½tsp baking yeast • 1tsp honey • ¾cup whole wheat flour • 1¾cups unbleached white flour • ½tsp baking powder • ½tsp salt Pizza Toppings • ¼cup shredded Parmesan cheese • ½cup grated mozzarella cheese • 5 Roma tomatoes, diced • ½ red bell pepper diced • 2tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves • ¼tsp salt • ⅛tsp freshly ground black pepper • 2tsp olive oil

Instructions Make the pizza dough In a medium bowl, combine the warm water and yeast. Let sit 2 to 3 minutes, until the yeast is dissolved. Stir in the honey and whole wheat flour. In a separate bowl, stir together the white flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the whole wheat mixture, stirring to form a rough dough. On a clean, lightly floured work surface, knead the dough for 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth.

Cover the dough and let it rise while you prepare the pizza toppings.

Prepare the pizza toppings In a small bowl, combine the cheeses. In another bowl, combine the tomatoes, bell peppers, basil, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Make the pizzas Divide the dough to make 3 equal balls. On a clean, lightly floured work surface, roll each ball into a circle that is 10 inches in diameter. Heat a 12-inch skillet or griddle over medium high heat until it is hot. Transfer the rolled pizza crust to the skillet or griddle and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.

Turn the dough. Spread one third of the tomato mixture on top of the cooked side of the dough to make an even layer.

Top with ¼ cup of the cheese mixture. Cover the pan and continue to cook the pizza until the toppings are hot and the bottom of the crust is golden brown, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the pizza to a cutting board and cut into wedges to serve. Repeat this process to make 2 more pizzas.

Coconut Rice Balls Instructions

Ingredients • • • • • • • •

½cup sushi rice 1cup water 1pinch salt ¼cup coconut milk 4½tsp sugar ⅛tsp pure almond extract ½cup shredded coconut ¼cup mango pieces

Combine the rice, water, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and partially cover.

Cook until all of the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir the coconut milk, sugar, and almond extract into the rice. Let the rice cool to lukewarm. Using wet fingers, take about 1 teaspoon of rice and roll it into a ball. Roll each rice ball in coconut to coat it. Cut the mango pieces into strips, ¼-inch wide and 1-inch long. Just before serving, garnish each rice ball with a strip of mango.

Conscious Life Magazine

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Events & school activities Sign up your school today so that Grow Group can motivate kids to grow indigenous tree seeds.

Each child will receive a grow kit to take home, which encourages your kids to grow trees for years to come. The lesson begins with growing a tree seed, soon after 9 months of patience, persistence and participation; the child plants their baby tree in the ground. To top it off, we ask you to send us the trees co-ordinates. This is how you can become part of the million-tree campaign! Its Grow Groups plan to save Earth.

OUR VISION Grow Group wood like a million people to grow a tree seed, eventually planting the tree in the ground. We started recording all the Co-ordinates of planted trees in 2010 and soon we’ll launch the tree map. This tool will help you view your tree on Google Earth and hopefully you’ll be able to view the time lapse over the years as too how the tree grew.

We are also striving to include the good practice of growing a tree seed in the school education system. Imagine if every Grade 1 learner would grow a tree seed, plant it in grade 2 and by the end of their school career have a decent size tree to call their own.

Conscious Life Magazine

IN HONOR OF WORLD ANIMAL DAY, GENEROUS WILDLIFE SUPPORTER AGREES TO MATCH ALL DONATIONS TO BRING RHINO POACHING WAR FILM TO THE SCREEN LOS ANGELES, CA (October 4, 2017) – Today, in honor of World Animal Day, a generous donor has agreed to match all contributions to a crowd funding campaign for the film SIDES OF A HORN. Based on actual events, this dramatic film details the rhino poaching epidemic from the perspective of the three characters most directly affected: the ranger, the poacher, and the rhino. The short film is set to begin filming on location in South Africa in early-2018, and a feature-length adaptation is to follow. It is the first film to present an unbiased narrative of South Africa’s rhino poaching war.

“The rhino poaching crisis is complex and the conversation around it must go beyond simple right and wrong,” notes the film’s writer and director Toby Wosskow. “That is why our story is crafted in a non-didactic way, exposing both sides of the struggle.” ​ Wildlife crime is the world’s fourth largest illegal industry, and it is at an all-time high. A single rhino horn can fetch up to three hundred thousand U.S. dollars on the black market in China and Vietnam. By weight, it is worth more than gold or cocaine, and this demand in the Far East is fuelling a war on the ground in South Africa. The human death toll is rising, but it is the rhino that faces extinction.

“It is a multi-billion dollar trade run by highly-organized international crime syndicates," explains Emmanuel Castis, South African Producer and Conservationist. “But it is the communities on the ground in South Africa that are being torn apart and, for the first time, their story will be told.”

Game Reserve

Location Scout

Emmanuel Castis and Toby Wosskow

Township

SIDES OF A HORN will expose the social impact of the rhino horn trade in a similar way that BLOOD DIAMOND did for the diamond trade—humanizing those on the ground, creating awareness, and catalyzing positive change. The team of U.S. and South African filmmakers are partnering with influential conservationists and global organizations to release the film around the world with a direct call to action.

The project will be filmed in the townships impacted by the crisis and in the game reserves that combat poaching on a daily basis. Months of research, countless hours on the ground, and relationships with local community leaders aid the team in keeping authenticity at the forefront of the project. Although the film is fully prepped for production, it is missing one key element: financing.

The Kickstarter campaign launched 2 weeks ago on World Rhino Day and was shared by thousands across social media, inspiring a large amount of donations. It has since been awarded the prestigious 'Project We Love' badge and has been highlighted as the 'Featured Project' in Kickstarter's film category. However, funding on Kickstarter is all-or-nothing, meaning that none of the donors will be charged and the filmmakers will not receive any funds unless the project reaches its entire goal. With 16 days left in the campaign and with the project being 41% funded, the filmmakers are hoping that today, in honor of World Animal Day, they can inspire a whole new wave of backers and reach their target.

“This is a global problem, which is why we’re coming to a global community to raise the funds,” notes Wosskow. “The strength of the short film medium is the ability to tell vital, urgent stories and capture the public’s attention quickly on the Internet. And this story is as urgent as they come. We can stop this war and save this species, but the first step is awareness, so what better way to begin this journey than by inviting people from around the world to join our team.” ​ To find out more information or to make a tax-deductible donation to the film, visit: www.rhinomovie.com

DOES YOUR PET SUFFER FROM STRESS AND ANXIETY? Our lives can often be very stressful and our pets are not excluded from this byproduct of our modern lifestyle.

Some of the common causes of fear and stress in animals are: Unusual noises (thunder), unknown places (relocation), travelling, unusual places (visit to the vet or dog parlour), unusual odours, crowding, extreme temperatures, inconsistent handling, absence of their owner, excessive feeding etc.

ECO-FEAR and ECO-TRAVEL have been lovingly designed to assist your furry friend when they are faced with anxious and fearful situations. It is completely natural and have not side-effects because we love animals, Naturally.

ITCHING & SCRATCHING? There is no doubt that dogs in particular have huge problems in relation to skin disease. There are many reasons why this is so. Some dogs have allergies to colorants and other additives in dog food; including the expensive brands, some have specific allergies to gluten, in particular, which is found in many cereals. Some dogs such as Staffies and Bull terriers have such a fine skin with very little hair to offer them as protection against external irritants including grasses, shampoos and the sun, that they are more seriously affected than many other breeds.

Eco-Vet has a range of products that deal with various skin conditions. Please visit our website to see our full range, varying from skin conditioners to heart medication.

Email us and we can assist you with choosing the right medicine for his condition. www.ecovet.co.za 0860 326 838 ecovet@ecovet.co.za

The Antbear Drakensberg Lodge is a thatched, whitewashed lodge built high on a natural platform overlooking the Bushman's River and Giants Castle.

Antbear Drakensberg Lodge offers various Drakensberg accommodation options in en suite double rooms, luxury suites, family units and also boasts a luxury cave too.

Antbear Drakensberg Lodge is one of those smaller intimate kind places which has been lovingly put together. The natural setting of the accommodation is stunning and we have managed to encase all this beauty with an atmosphere of comfort and ease.

The cottages are smartly appointed and individually designed and the fact that we are a small place makes for an intimate and personal accommodation experience. Each of the accommodation units are different and are decorated with uniquely eccentric and artistic wooden furniture.

It is a bit off the beaten track and is more of an insider tip than just another bed and breakfast. We cater for small intimate groups and never have more than 45 guests at a time. It's a laid back, lovingly cared for kind of place where you feel a sense of happiness and peace. Honeymoon stays turn into anniversary commemorations just as guests become friends. Even foreign tourists return for a second and third taste.

Attractions Drakensburg Hiking Trails Bushman Rock Art Giant’s Castle Kamberg Weenen Game Reserve Royal Natal National Park Drakensburg Boys Choir

Horse Trails Injasuti Nature Reserve Monks Cowl Natal Midlands Tugela Falls Sani Pass Fly Fishing

Retreats The Antbear Drakensberg Lodge is the ideal retreat venue where we can provide all the services and accommodation for your retreat. Situated 4 hours from Johannesburg and 2 hours from Durban with easy access from the N3 Antbear Lodge is easy to get to but has the feeling of being far from the madding crowd. This wonderful place for group retreats offers spectacular views, vast spaces, wild winds, rain, sunshine, clouds and rainbows and in all of this – silence and peace.

Retreat groups can book the whole lodge for their exclusive use.

The Lodge can accommodate 44 persons in 15 separate accommodation units Antbear Drakensberg Lodge has a spacious dining room with a wood-burning fireplace, a comfortable lounge with a fireplace and spectacular views, a breakaway meeting room, a large veranda and a large meeting room for retreat, team building or training activities. We provide excellent meals and will fit our menu to your expectations.

Conscious Life Magazine

Because food is an important part of your stay Meals are part of the real surprises that the Antbear Lodge has to offer where home grown cooking is part of the deal. We like to use our own home grown organic vegetables and if we haven’t got, then we lean heavily on those local providers with similar attitudes to our own. Conny and Andrew both like cooking and are up to changing just about anything to suit tastes or philosophies. Our cooking experience is in part a journal, a record of events and memories expressed in recipes. In the course of our travels we have filed away many recipes and with them images of people and places and their lives. How food tastes has much to do with the associations we make and if you would like to hear the tales of our meals we would love to tell them.

Sustainable & responsible tourism is our social responsibility and what we do to give something back to our community and environment We believe in sustainable tourism and social responsibility. We live is a spectacularly beautiful place called the Drakensberg and our standard of living here is exceptional.

But around us lie contrasts of poverty and lack of development. If we are to keep our way of life then it surely follows that we must do everything in our power to contribute to the upliftment and prosperity of this rural area. We believe that the future of South Africa is linked to the prosperity of the people, and that upliftment is linked to education. And as such we have chosen to support our local primary school called Vulakani Primary School.

Pet friendly accommodation Drakensberg One of the few pet-friendly places in the Drakensberg. Beautiful, vast views of the Drakensberg with plenty of ground for my dogs to roam. Walk for hours.

Your dogs will be happy with lots of dams to swim in and horses to discover. One of the accommodation units at Antbear Lodge is fenced in so its really easy to leave your dog behind if you would like to explore some of the sights where pets are not that welcome. If country life is for you and you would love to take your pet with you then Antbear Lodge is a great accommodation choice. Your hosts will advise you on all the activities available. Antbear Lodge prides itself on being both family-friendly and petfriendly.

CONTACT Mobile 076 441 2362 Email: reservations@antbear.co.za Web: www.antbear.co.za

BOOK BY END SEPTEMBER FOR A 20% DISCOUNT AND MENTION OUR MAG TO QUALIFY.

Conscious Life Magazine

MAKE A DIFFERENCE Because you CAN

CHILDHOOD CANCER Awareness & Early Detection CHOC’s Awareness Programme It is estimated that currently less than half of children with cancer in South Africa are diagnosed, and many of those who are diagnosed are in advanced stage of illness. One of the reasons for this is a lack of awareness and knowledge in parts of the health system regarding the early warning signs of childhood cancer.

As a result, CHOC initiated an Awareness Programme to disseminate the early warning signs that the South African Childhood Cancer Study Group drew up.

The objectives of the programme include ensuring that all children with cancer in South Africa are diagnosed as early possible and that the early warning signs of childhood cancer are well known in all parts of the health system (including primary health care clinics and all hospitals).

Cancer Facts Cancer incidence Although childhood cancer is relatively rare, the incidence rate has been increasing. According to a 2014 report by the American Cancer Society, it is now estimated that one in 408 children worldwide will be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 15. Yet with early detection and treatment in paediatric oncology units, globally the survival rate can be as high as between 70% and 80%, with variance depending on the type of cancer.

Common childhood cancers Cancers in children tend to be different from those found in adults, most often occurring in the developing cells like bone marrow, blood, kidneys and nervous system tissues. Life-threatening blood disorders include aplastic anaemia, thalassaemia and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Despite being relatively rare, in Western countries childhood cancer is the second most common cause of death in children aged 5 to 14 years, after accidents, whilst in Africa it does not make it into the top 10 common causes.

According to the most recent South African Children’s Cancer Study Group (SACCSG) registry statistics, for 2009 to 2013, the five most common childhood cancers in South Africa are leukaemia, followed by lymphoma (tumours that begin in the lymph glands), then brain tumours, nephroblastomas, or Wilms tumours – cancer of the kidneys - and then soft tissue sarcomas, which are tumours that begin in the connective tissue.

The Saint Siluan Early Warning signs These early warning signs were drawn up by the South African Childhood Cancer Study Group and they have been adopted by the International Society of Paediatric Oncology. St Siluan was a monk who prayed for humanity ceaselessly.

If you detect any of the warning signs in your child please contact your nearest CHOC region contact your nearest treatment centre or SMS the name of your province to 34486, at a cost of R2. A CHOC representative will contact you shortly thereafter..

There is also a TOLL-FREE HELPLINE: 0800 333 555 that sisters and doctors at the primary healthcare clinics can call (hosted at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital) for advice on whether to refer the child for further investigation and to which unit. http://www.choc.org.za/regions.html

Conscious Life Magazine

Keeping more than hope alive for nearly four decades

CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation was established in 1979 as a support group to parents of children with cancer, by parents of children with cancer. Having experienced the immense emotional and financial toll that cancer takes they recognised there is more than one victim in the family of the child with cancer.

Their aim was to ease the burden on parents facing the same journey by providing access to relevant, accurate information, as well as emotional and practical support.

From the onset CHOC provided support in the hospital wards, hence the name Children’s Haematology Oncology Clinics, or CHOC. Gradually parent groups were set up in other key centres, where the major state-funded academic hospitals are located and paediatric oncologists practice.

In 2000, these regional entities merged into a national organisation. CHOC now has a head office in Johannesburg, six regional offices, two branches, and 13 accommodation facilities close to treatment centres. With occupancy steadily increasing our budget for maintenance and running costs of the accommodation facilities in 2015 will amount to R7.132 million, with each facility costing over half a million and we have a total capacity of 66 030 bed nights per annum.

We do not receive funding from government but rely heavily on donations from caring corporates, individuals and parents of children with cancer. Funds raised are used to provide all-encompassing support – from direct practical help to the children and their families and those involved in the treatment – to necessary equipment.

Donate to CHOC The support of corporations and individuals is vital to the ongoing work of CHOC.

HUSKY ROMI WOLF SANCTUARY HuskyRomi is a non-profit organization providing a safe haven for abandoned and abused huskies and wolves in South Africa.

We provide a home to all huskies and wolves that can’t be kept as pets because of their complicated nature. Many of the animals arrive in a poor condition, some not even knowing what grass is. They are rehabilitated with loving care by Larry Paul. This website was started to provide support to the HuskyRomi project and to promote the protection of wolves and other wildlife. The sanctuary is open for the public to come and learn about wolves. We do appreciate donations and sponsorship for the buying of food, for veterinary bills and doing maintenance to the enclosures.

We currently take care of more than 200 huskies, wolves and hybrids in 54 enclosures.

Get Involved We are working towards getting a formal volunteer program off the ground at HuskyRomi. This is available to both local (South African) and international volunteers. Should anybody be interested to become a volunteer or to assist with the program please contact Larry on the number or email below.

Sponsorship and Donations Name a Wolf.

Should you wish to name a wolf, for instance in remembrance of a loved one or pet, you may arrange it with Larry. We just request that you then will be prepared to do a full monthly sponsorship of that wolf for a period of at least two years.

Get in Touch: Mobile: 071 679 5141 larry@huskyromi.co.za http://huskyromi.co.za/wp/ Conscious Life Magazine

PAWS R US (SA) is looking for INVESTORS – help us BUILD THE DREAM of our “HAPPY PLACE”!

After 6 years in animal welfare/rescue, PAWS R US (SA) has moved into the LINBER KENNELS facility out in the Tarlton area, JHB. It is time to spread our wings, create a permanent home, and contribute more effectively to both the cause and effects linked to animal welfare/rescue in SA. Our dream is to build the LINBER KENNELS facility into a top-notch rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming haven for rescue dogs. We also want to establish a home-base for our EDUCATION campaigns, so that we can work with the youth in returning to the core value of COMPASSION and RESPECT for Self and All Life.

To make this dream a reality, we need to BUY the LINBER KENNELS site. And to get that done, we need to find INVESTORS and PARTNERS who want to contribute to something greater than themselves, and help make a real, immediate and practical difference in a world that has lost its way.

The PAWS R US (SA) TRUST has been created as a legal entity – and we now look to spread the net open wide and “go on the hunt” for kindred spirits who want to help build something GOOD. We need INVESTORS of the HEART and MIND – those who want to protect the vulnerable, educate the youth of tomorrow, and know that their investment has directly uplifted lives and communities.

CONTACT: For all enquiries and details related to this search for INVESTORS, and the implications for each INVESTOR within the Trust, please email us on woof@pawsrus.co.za

About Wags & Whiskers Rescue Team We are a small group of people who are dedicated to helping all furr-kids. Located in Fourways & Midrand JHB. Email wagsandwhiskers7@gmail.com Robyn: 084 593 1292 of Cheyna 082 307 2377

NEVAEH NEVAEH (Heaven spelled backwards) is being looked after

by Robyn herself until she can find her forever home. “She is beyond amazing. Can be skittish with strange men but she has been amazing with all the kittens, puppies, kids and whoever else comes through my door. Please someone offer her a forever home.�

with much appreciation to our advertisers, contributors, endorsers and our readers namaste