A Relaxing Weekend

It was another nice weekend. here in Southern California. I went for a morning hike yesterday,  following  a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail. It was quite beautiful. It can be hiked from Mexico all the way across the United States to Canada! There are a couple of places near my home where it intersects. It's always enjoyable and scenic...

I spent a lot of time reading on Sunday, alternating between Cesar Milan's book, Cesar's Rules, and The Natural Soap Book, by Susan Miller Cavitch. Cesar's book made me feel very good about my dogs. He explains that he doesn't really train dogs, instead he guides the owners so that they have a balanced pet. One of the top recommendations on his list to keep a dog pleasant and friendly is exercise. Recently I've been giving both of my older dogs a lot more physical activity, and I can really see that they appreciate it. Lana and I have been taking a long walk each evening. I didn't think that she needed it, since she gets a quick run each morning, and a frisbee session in the early evening. Still, at ten years old, she absolutely loves it. Carlie is unenthusiastic about walking, yet turns into a canine champion as soon as I throw her a stick or frisbee. She is like two different dogs. I follow her enthusiasm, and give her a very short walk. She loves to go in the car, so I take her with me on errands when it's cool. Cesar explains that dogs need adventure, mental stimulation, and at least an hour of walking a day. That resonates with me. My dogs also really like to follow commands. It's rewarding to see how quickly they will do what you say. It took  a lot of time, patience, and training, but it was worth it. I remember my ex boyfriend at the time asking me about Lana, "How did you teach her to do exactly what you say? Our dogs do the opposite of what we say." That made me laugh. My mom was an excellent dog trainer, and I followed her lead. She believed that we were always training our dogs. She was with hers all day, and they were perfectly behaved. Dogs, like children, really respond to structure, routine, and consistency. My mother also taught me that children love discipline.I always agreed with, remembered that, as a dance teacher.

I realized that by following Cesar's advice for dogs, I was also feeling healthier and more balanced, emotionally. Walking really does affect the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. It's a simple activity,  but it makes a huge difference when it's part of your daily routine. I'm usually more inclined to jump on my bike and zip around the neighborhood. I still enjoy that in the early morning, but the walks are relaxing and nurturing. We are all sleeping very well, and the dogs have a good, hearty appetite.

I unmolded the unscented batch of shea butter goat's milk soap. I came out nicely. It's drying on the racks. I am delivering an order in town tomorrow. This one is a variety pack of several different soaps. I plan to make another batch of soap tomorrow, with cocoa butter. I formulated a new recipe using that and the shea butter with the oils. I love the way cocoa butter smells, and I'm hoping that the chocolate aroma will stay in the soaps once they're cured. I think that it will, from what I've read. I've been having a lot of fun rereading this book on soapmaking. She interviews several soap makers about their lives, it's enjoyable to hear their perspectives. How was your weekend?