June 2007
Vol. 1, Issue 2
Published Monthly
http://doyourememberlove.com
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In This Issue

A Note from James
Favorite Letter of the Month: Dog Rescues Micki
Dogspirational Quote from Harry S. Truman
Pet Food Recall Webinar
Cutest Video of the Month: Baby Laughs at Swimming Hot Dog Dog
Unleash Your Inner Puppy This Summer
Screensaver Finally Finished! and Free for a Short Time (click here)

A Note from James

Aloha, Dog Lovers,

I love June. I feel almost legally obligated to play during this month. Even in Hawaii, where we have summer weather all year long, there’s still something special about this month. I have an urge to put on my sneakers and take a hike, or my flippers and take a snorkel.

Maui thinks I should have June all year round. Her playful approach to life (even at her advanced age, and with creeping cataracts) is a permanent attitude, and I would do well to model her … even if it’s September. Or January. Or March.

Anyway, it’s June now, and I’m at Book Expo America in New York City (far from snorkeling heaven). I’m here just to play … no work to speak of except to meet with friends and connect with other authors and publishers. I miss my doggie playmate, but I’m glad to see that even in our biggest cities we still have lots of opportunities to get out and enjoy the sunshine (ever walked through Central Park on a sunny day? It’s more crowded with sun worshippers than the beaches of Maui).

This month’s letter is short so that I won’t keep you at your computer for one minute longer than necessary. Get out and play!

As always, please email your feedback to james@doyourememberlove.com.

Aloha,

James Jacobson
Creator, “Do You Remember Love?”
Author, “How to Meditate with Your Dog”
Maui, Hawaii

Favorite Letter of the Month: Dog Rescues Owner

I received a lovely letter from a lovely woman this month. Micki writes eloquently about how her dog rescued her after tragedy struck.

“My husband died suddenly in August of 2001. I was
devastated. Tragedy struck again 6 months later,
when my faithful Labrador Skimmer had to be put down.
I sank into a deep depression under the two great losses.
I even started questioning the mercy of God.

Months went by and coming home from work to
a empty house just reminded me daily how much I
missed both. The following summer my sister’s neighbor
bought two puppies for his children and one week later
his wife left him. He works 12 hour days so my sister
volunteered to let the puppies out and exercise them
while he was at work. I would occasionally go to help
her before going to work myself. The day finally came
when her neighbor started looking to find new homes
for the puppies.

My sister asked if I would take one and immediately I
said “No” because I worked 3-11:30 daily at my nursing
job. I was afraid to commit because the loss of a dog
hurt so much.

Thanks to my sister’s persuasion, I finally gave in
and took a lab collie mix and started the training process.

I can’t tell you how grateful I am that I did.
Buddy gave me something to live for and it’s such a joy
coming home to someone who loves me as much as I love
him. I know it sounds crazy but I think I could have died
during those tragic and lonely days of such deep grief.

We are totally bonded now and I love this dog sooo much.
Yes, I do believe that this dog gave me the strength to
go on with life and I am so grateful.”

~Micki K.

Micki, thank you for writing and sharing your story. I don’t think you sound crazy at all. I’ve often wondered what magic dogs carry that makes it possible for them to ease our grief.

Is it their steadfast loyalty? That we can count on them to love us no matter what is happening in our lives, how bad we feel, or how bad we mess up?

Maui has eased my broken heart on several occasions. Everyday losses and big life-changing losses just seem easier to handle when I scoop up her little white body and let her lick my cheek.

Something about her just helps. I can keep my heart open and draw strength from her ability to love me no matter what is happening. Maybe that’s her magic.

Dogs keep loving, no matter what.

I hope my pitiful human self can get as good at loving as Maui is. Sounds like you’re well on your way to being as good at loving as Buddy is, Micki, and I salute both of you.

Dogspirational Quote

“Children and dogs are as necessary to the welfare of the country as Wall Street and the Railroads.”

~ Harry S. Truman

Pet Food Recall Webinar

A few weeks ago I grilled Dr. Andrew Jones on the Pet Food Recall. He recorded the whole thing, and it’s available now.

We covered everything from why over 4,000 pets have died to how to feed your pet at home - and what the best commercial pet foods are.

To learn more, go here:

http://doyourememberlove.com/PetFoodRecall/

Cutest Video: Baby Laughs at Swimming Hot Dog Dog

Want to see what real joy is? Watch this video of an infant cracking up over the antics of her little dachshund Max.

Perfect to get you oriented toward PLAY! To laugh out loud, click play:

Unleashing Your Laughing Inner Puppy This Summer

My friend’s dachshund taught her a lesson about play and joy, too. They were on their dog beach in Santa Barbara, CA, and Indie started zooming around with a huge smile on his face tail wagging high, ears flapping with each stride.

She called me to tell me about it, saying over and over, “Jim it was so much fun. I haven’t laughed so hard in years, I know Indie was reminding me to play more often.”

Play is essential to our health, vitality, self confidence, sense of freedom … and it just plain feels so darn good to move our bodies for fun.

When I get too busy working, Maui often scolds me by bringing over her frisbee or tennis ball.

Sometimes I resist because I think what I am doing is terribly important, (like I’m finding the cure for cancer or something). I say “Not now.” Or I give her a treat from the stash in my desk, thinking that will hold her off.

But she still insists, barking little barks to remind me of how vital play is to helping us humans stay balanced and healthy. Play is NOT just for dogs!

I smile and pat her on her head for being a good guru.

My advice is to let your inner puppy come out and play at least once in awhile. Put on your sneakers and go outside to sniff the fresh breeze. Then do the first thing that comes to mind. Skip around, or ride a bike. Bounce a ball a little. Take a swim … or just float and stare at the clouds.

Your dog will be so proud.

What are you waiting for?

Do it now! Go out and play!!

Screensaver Finally Finished and Free for a Short Time!

The designers have been really burning the midnight oil making the screensaver version of DoYouRememberLove.com. I think it looks great!

After a lot of thinking, we’ve decided that the screensaver should be free to anyone who wants it (despite what our accountant thinks).

The amount of email we get from dog lovers telling us that they want the movie on their home computer is just too overwhelming. So we’re just going to give it away, at least for now.

I hope you pick up a copy, it’s really easy to download and install (just two clicks, really).

You can pick up your free copy (while it’s available) here:

http://doyourememberlove.com/screensaver.html

Pass It On

If you want to share this newsletter with your friends, feel free to pass this on.

Thank you for sharing.

http://www.doyourememberlove.com/

May 2007
Vol. 1, Issue 1
Published Monthly
www.DoYouRememberLove.com

Would you like to have Maui’s Pack Wisdom Newsletter delivered to your inbox each month? Enter your name and email address in the form on the right and you’ll receive new issues whenever they’re ready! (NOTE: Please add james@doyourememberlove.com to your whitelist or address book in your email program, so you have no issues receiving future editions of Pack Wisdom!)

In This Issue

A Note from James
Favorite Letter of the Month: Dog Kept Mother Alive Until 97
Dogspirational Quote
Pet Food Recall: This Vet Tells it Like it Is!
Cutest Video of the Month: Puppies Corner a Cat
Maui Recommends: Because of Winn-Dixie
Take 30 Second Survey and Get a Free Screensaver of Do You Remember Love?

A Note from James

Welcome to the first edition of DoYouRememberLove.com’s monthly newsletter. I get hundreds of emails every day from people who have seen the movie I made about my dog, Maui, and I feel like this is a small way to give back to all of you.

I hope you like it. My goal is to make it a five minute read. Full of fun and touching information about dogs … and how we can live like they do.

So this morning I sat down to write this newsletter. I thought about what should be in it, and how it should flow, and what kinds of kibbles, bits, and bare bone material you might like to get once per month in your email inbox.

As I puzzled and pondered, I stared out the window at the Pacific Ocean and the whitecaps on the waves. A tranquil scene … but I sure didn’t feel tranquil.

I was getting stressed out. I was getting worried about doing it well enough.

My mind got more and more knotted. I started to get a little headache. Suddenly, I felt my foot getting chilled. I looked down to see Maui licking away.

She was very methodical. She started at the heel and licked all the way up to my toes.

I realized that she had been licking for a while, and I hadn’t noticed.

I thought “What on earth could she be thinking?”

(I always think that when she licks my feet. You couldn’t pay me enough to lick anyone’s feet, especially mine.)

I watched for a little while longer, and decided it was something like “Lick Jim’s foot. Lick Jim’s foot. Lick Jim’s foot.”

I smiled and stroked her tiny head. I’m so grateful to her.

She always knows how to get me back here … to this moment … where my life is lived.

It reminded me of that Zen saying:

“Before Enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.
After Enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.”

Meditation teachers can go on for hours about what this means. But I don’t have time for that - and I bet you don’t, either. What it boils down to is this: whether you are enlightened or not, there are always tasks to accomplish.

Tasks don’t change. Our attitude does. Maui’s (imagined) thought “Lick Jim’s foot,” reflects this enlightened attitude perfectly.

She was focused on what she was doing. No doubt about it.

An enlightened attitude toward my newsletter, I decided, would be to simply sit down and write about what is uppermost on my mind this month.

That is: how our dogs can keep us alive and healthy, the pet food recall, a pack of puppies cornering a cat, and Maui’s new favorite movie.

So here, it goes. Please email your feedback to james@doyourememberlove.com and let me know how you liked it!

Aloha,

James Jacobson, Author
Creator, “Do You Remember Love?”
Author, “How to Meditate with Your Dog”
Maui, Hawaii

Favorite Letter of the Month: Dog Kept Mother Alive To 97

I get tons of letters every day, but this is my favorite from April.

It hits me right in the gut (and opens my heart).

“Aloha James,

Things happen just as they are supposed to …
I know that receiving all of your emails at this time
is as it should be. Your words are so helpful to me.

My mother, who was 97, died three weeks ago.

I would think that when someone lives to be that old,
it should be OK for those she leaves behind.
It doesn’t work that way. I have such a hole in my
heart right now.

I want to tell you about her special little dog, Grover
… we are sure he was the only reason she was still
alive. We don’t know where he came from - he just
arrived at her house one day.

She always said she could never get sick or disabled
because she had to be able to take care of Grover.

She meditated with Grover all the time.

About four weeks before Mother died, Grover quietly
went to sleep and left us. I always said, “As soon as
Grover is gone, Mother will be gone.” And that is exactly
how it happened. When he died, she quit.

I’ll bet you’re receiving tons of mail, but I just wanted
to express a special “Thank you.” Give Maui a special
hug for me.”
~LuAnn, Little Rock, AR

It sounds like LuAnn’s mother had a really close relationship with Grover. She called him a “little four-legged angel, sent by God” and I believe that must literally be true.

LuAnn also shared that her mother overcame several major illnesses in the last few years. I know that taking care of Maui has been a big motivation for me to get well when I’ve been sick, too.

Just this past January, I came down with pneumonia. Maui would not leave the bed. She snoozed all day by my side, and sometimes licked my chest, as if she could take the pain away.

Actually, my gratitude for Maui during January was what inspired me to write the poem for “Do You Remember Love?” I released it on Valentine’s Day, 2007.

And here I am, writing this in response to another little dog who helped his owner feel better. The circle is complete.

My fiancee Molly says that I would not actually die of a broken heart when Maui goes (in about ten years - right?), but I’m not sure she’s right.

I can’t imagine life without my special little dog.

So thank you, LuAnn, for sharing your story. My father passed in 2005, and I know the hole in my heart hasn’t quite closed, and probably never will. But it does get easier.

Maui helps. I hope your little papillon, Daisy, helps you.

Give her a special hug from me and a little sniff from Maui.

Dogspirational Quote

“I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional
love. For me they are the role model for being alive.”
~Gilda Radner

Pet Food Recall: This Vet Tells it Like it Is!

Over 100 pet foods have been recalled due to toxins. Thousands of pets have died (see more on that below).

Thankfully, Maui’s food is safe and we haven’t been affected. I hope that’s true for your family, too.

The Pet Recall is really scary news for pet owners. Pets are members of our families. They need safe, nutritious food.

I was going to write an article about how to make your own pet food for this newsletter. Since I work from home and cook most of my meals, I tend to give Maui a lot of fresh-cooked food. She’s so little that it’s never a lot of work, and I love to cook, so I don’t mind.

But as I considered the article, I got a little nervous. What if I made a recommendation that wasn’t good for your dog?

I’m not a vet. I know how to feed Maui healthy food at home, but I’m far from a professional pet nutrition expert.

So I thought I’d just give you a resource I use everyday. Dr. Andrew Jones is a Canadian vet. I receive almost daily updates from him about pet health (especially the pet food scare) and I read them all.

(They are that good.)

He’s been very helpful keeping us up-to-date on the Pet Food Recall. Last Friday he sent this message out:

“I just finished reading the front page of USA Today,
and the story is about China finally admitting
that tainted food came from their country..

It’s not really news though.

The FDA is testing six ingredients imported from China:
wheat gluten, corn gluten, cornmeal, soy protein, rice
protein concentrate

And likely there will be even more recalls.

They then use this line:

“The FDA has said 14 pets died after eating recalled pet foods”

Give me a break. Multiple sources put that number
in the thousands.

Pet Connection reports 4515 deceased pets as of today.

A well respected Veterinary Member Site gives a similar estimate
based on a survey of veterinarians who have been seeing the sick
and dying pets.

The FDA is clearly not doing the public any favors by playing
down the extent of this crisis.”
~Dr. Andrew Jones, Friday April 27, 2007

I really appreciate Dr. Andrew Jones and his work. I like his tell-it-like-it-is style. I like his rebel-with-a-cause stand on veterinarian topics ranging from nutrition to vaccine to antibiotics to end of life care.

If you want to learn more about Dr. Andrew Jones and stay up-to-date on everything vet-related, especially the latest pet food scare, you can go here:

More About Dr. Andrew Jones

Cutest Video: Cat Cornered by Puppies

After writing about the pet food scare and the passing of little “angel dogs,” I thought it would be good to stick in something just plain funny and cute. I found this video … you have to see it.

At least six puppies - facing down an adult cat.

Maui’s New Favorite Movie: “Because of Winn-Dixie”

I was skeptical about watching a kid’s movie until my fiancee said “It’s got a cute dog in it.”

She knows how to get to me.

She slipped the DVD in, and we watched “Because of Winn-Dixie.”

It’s Maui’s new favorite movie. How do I know?

Because normally she sleeps through movies. Even when they have dogs in them. For one thing, she is blind.

For another, she is smart. She can tell the difference between a live dog in the dog park next door (which makes her perk up) and a recording of a dog on the television.

Well, during this sweet little movie about a lonely 10-year-old girl and her horse of a dog, Winn-Dixie (yes, named after the grocery store), Maui paid full attention.

She barked a little when the Bacardi Shepherd (what a beautiful breed) appeared on screen. Then she howled a little when Winn-Dixie howled with loneliness, like she wanted to reassure him. Then I think she got it … that this was a movie.

Still, she asked to get off the couch, and sat next to the TV stand. It looked like she was watching, although we know her cataracts are really thick.

I’d rent “Because of Winn-Dixie” the next time you’re looking for something sweet and tender. This gorgeous stray dog brings love and life back into a motherless girl’s life … and into her nearly-abandoned town.

I told Maui that next week we’re watching “Terminator,” so I can get back in manly mode, but she just cocked her head.

I’m pretty sure she was thinking “You are man enough.”

And also “Maybe I wouldn’t mind another dog … as long as it was a Bacardi Shepherd.”

In any case, Winn-Dixie is our new favorite movie. It’s good enough that Maui actually stayed awake.

I can’t think of a higher recommendation.

In Exchange for 30 Seconds You’ll Get A Screensaver of “Do You Remember Love?” For Free

My designers are burning the midnight oil working on a screensaver version of the movie “Do You Remember Love?” but they aren’t quite finished, so there’s still time to give your input.

I’ve set up a short survey (it takes 30 seconds to fill it out) online. If you help me out by filling it out, I will happily give you a free version of the screensaver as soon as it released.

You can take the survey and tell me you want the free screensaver here:

www.doyourememberlove.com/survey.html

Pass It On!

If you want to share this newsletter with your friends, feel free to pass this on! If they want to sign up to get this direct to their email inbox, they can do so at www.DoYouRememberLove.com.

Thank you for sharing!