PUMPKIN PASTA SAUCE : UP THE NUTRITION ! : FOOD BANK RECIPE

American food banks get and give away a lot of pasta, in particular the typical "spagetti" also called Number 8.  Now this is a lot of carbs for the food value and you can get fat on carbs and still be starving for vitamins and minerals even though pasta does have wheat protein. The best way to add value to any pasta is the vegetables and herbs and spices that go with. Pumpkin adds lots of nutrition value to your meal.

When I was growing up we called spagetti "noodles," a term that seems to only be used now when the pasta is in a soup. Now the trendy term for noodles is pasta, and there is so much fun to be had with different sizes and shapes, all of which can be used for this recipe. I always break my spagetti Number 8 into thirds which makes it easier to eat, although you might have a fork swirling technique that loads the long cooked strands.

The reason you get cans of pumpkin puree in Food Bank bags is that most people only think of pumpkin for the autumn season and to bake pies for Thanksgiving. So stores and people donate the cans. It''s spring and summer time and you can make use of that pumpkin. 

Cook pasta and drain it.  Set aside.

Skillet pan on medium heat and add:

One or two tablespoons of oil; olive oil is best.  If you don't have that you can use butter, lard, or coconut; 

One large garlic clove chopped small.

Let the garlic cook for about a minute.

Should you open the can of pumpkin and find it has settled and it is watery be sure to drain the water with a sieve first.  You want the texture to coat the pasta. Add the pumpkin puree to the skillet.

Also add about one third cup of grated parmesan cheese.

And a couple tablespoons of warm milk or cream. (Room temperature is fine.  You just don't want refrigerator cold.)  Full fat coconut milk is a good substitute and used with coconut oil will give a somewhat flowery taste.

Slowly stir together all the ingredients for about 3-5 minutes. If you notice that the paste forming appears to be too thick you can add a tablespoon of the water from the pasta, which has some starch in it.

Then gently scoop the cooked pasta in and stir to coat it with the pumpkin sauce.

A sprinkle of more parmesan on top is nice.

Makes about four servings but I won't blame you it you eat it all yourself. This should nicely coat about 8 ounces of pasta which is about half a typical box.

You may also want to add onions or celery, chopped small so that it will cook enough in a minute or two. A little salt, a little pepper... 

Pumpkin is noteworthy for having over 200% of your daily Vitamin A. Over 30 % of Vitamin K. and over 25% of your copper.

C 2023 Magyar- American BlogSpot

MY SENIOR DOG and ME GO TO ROSIE'S DOG BEACH IN LONG BEACH CALIFORNIA

There have been some beautiful days here, spring days, with glorious clouds and views over the ocean. I feel I've missed out on another season of whale watching, which can sometimes be done from shore, but that I would like to do from a boat and not just a one hour tourist go-see either but one lead by a scientist from the Cabrillo Aquarium.  I also have not yet been to Catalina Island or any of the Channel Islands.  I've been so inspired by a wonderful documentary called West of West to go there for a few days at least, but have not had the opportunity. 

However, I was able to take my beloved senior dog to the only official dog beach in Southern California, which is called Rosie's Beach, in Long Beach California, not far from the Port of Los Angeles.  I had wanted to take her there three years ago, before Covid closures, and finally we got to go!  In that time, she has significantly aged, though she is not senile, she is old.  It was our first time there and her first time on sand, wet sand, and so close to the briny water.

We had to walk a bit to get to the location, along a nice path though, and with a breeze.  The sun was not too hot so the sand was cool. I'm aware that a dog's paws can be badly damaged by heat, such as on the sidewalk on a summer day. I took along her wheeled carrier to protect her from any damage and any overheat. She loves to sit in the carrier, with her little head up over the unzipped opening up top, and experience moving along because her days of actually walking or running this far are over. Trips like this help keep a dog's mind stimulated as it experiences different smells especially.  Any time I get that carrier out, she heads for the door, signaling that she wants to go.

What a scene it was at Rosie's Dog Beach!

First, the view.  Out on the ocean are oil derrick islands with palm trees which are permanent, and certainly an interesting way to sort of disguise the machinery. Not permanent, but there a long time, were a couple massive cruise ships that must have stopped voyaging a while back.  There were wind surfers in action.  And far down the way, a view of the port where the container ships come in and unload the box cars.  

I wasn't prepared to actually go into the water myself, nor did I think my little 12-pounder would dash into the waves, but we walked where the sand was watery for a bit and she sniffed some sea-weed.  Then I found a spot for us to sit.  I held her in my arms as younger and bigger dogs who were fearless in the surf (they must be Long Beach natives) caught frisbees and sticks, ran in packs, and seemed to be all smiling and happy.  A light brown mini-poodle, male, came around to admire my dog, with a shy grin on his face - I swear.  My dog used to have all variety of male dogs after her, including two incidents where I swear a dog fell in love with her at first sight, so I teased her that, though she is old, she is still beautiful.  I held my dog in my arms and who knows how much she could actually see, since she has one cataract that is fairly opaque and another one that is starting, but I do think she knew she was watching other dogs, a lot of dogs, bigger dogs, because she could at least detect movement and smell them.  I felt her little heart pounding in her chest with excitement. And I saw her smile too, something she used to do all the time, but less often these days. So I was so glad I had made this effort.

When I set her down in the sand, she did a peculiar thing.  She circled me and her carrier over and over again, within a few feet of us.  It seemed to me that she was getting a feel for the sensation of sand underfoot.  We had gone to a beach before where you can take dogs on the grass near the sand but not the sand or in the water, and I know that she likes to scare birds so they'll fly away, but I think this was her first experience of sand.  

Then she paused to see if the sand was diggable like dirt at a dog park, and how so.  She made a small hole in the sand and sniffed it.

Finally, she did find a place on the sand to lay, with her attention towards the ocean.

Finally I put her back into her carrier and we went back up the path, stopping under a shady tree where there was green grass.

I enjoyed watching the owners of the other dogs at the beach there too.  It was clear some of them were regulars.  How lucky they are to be able to go there and walk with their dogs frequently.

When I asked around before going, I heard that sometimes there are dog fights and dog bites and incidents, but we did just fine.  We were there for maybe a half hour.

I do hope we can go back again before the summer heat makes it not practical for us.

C 2022  Magyar-American BlogSpot

THE PULI DOG - A HUNGARIAN FOLK TALE

I love this series. 

EXCERPT: The Hungarian Folktales stem from original folktale collections, every episode has its special authentic ornamentation.  The makers used the decorative art of a certain countryside region at each episode.  The trio of folk art, folk music and folk tales are masterfully combined in the episodes. which have unique imagery, sometimes spicy folk humor in the dialogues.  Thanks to the natural presentation of the storytellers, and the music of the Kalaka band, the view can experience something unique and special.

MY BELOVED SENIOR DOG HAS ANOTHER SEIZURE

It was about 60 days ago that she had her first. This time I realized what was happening, put her in her dog bed and carried the whole thing outside.  And I counted how long it lasted.  About half a minute.  She peed a lot and pooed a little.  Her legs were wobbly when it ended but she was soon walking in circles.  I threw all the things peed and pooed on into the washing machine, and then I gave her a very quick shower with some suds.  I towel dried her and sprayed on her skin conditioner.  I combed her and rubbed her.  I cut some hair around her eyes and mouth. I took her back outside and set her on the grass.  She continued to walk, perhaps not in a circle, but clearly not seeing. When I held her in my arms, she whimpered a little and seemed to fight me. Right now she is sleeping under my bed, which is good.  I have to leave.  I can't get out of it.  

FIREWORKS - NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO IT

Last year was hell for my dog up till and especially on the evening of July 4th, so I'm not looking forwards to it.  She felt panicky and her body language was that she couldn't get close enough to me for protection, but there was nowhere else to go because the entire neighborhood erupted.  This year, because of her fairly recent seizure, I'm truly afraid that the noise will trigger another. So far she has not had another seizure but it was a dramatic when she had it and I thought I would lose her.  It almost seemed a miracle that within a couple hours she returned to her status before the seizure.  It reminded me of a reboot of a computer. 

Another aspect of the holiday is the state of American Patriotism.

Yes, you can criticize the country and still be patriotic.  Hopefully your observation that things need to be improved comes with some ideas on how to create that change in a positive way.

However, I and many of my friends feel that absolutely everything has become overly political, especially when certain celebrities use their fame to fan the flames, so to speak.  You see, I want entertainment to be relaxing or at least take my attention away from the present for a little while. Whatever the entertainer - be that an actor, musician, sportsperson, whatever - thinks or feels - they are welcome to express on their own time but entire politically correct programs, whole teams held hostage, and so on, is just not right.  And I'm now turning off the program when it turns out it's going to be one more event with some sort of intent to indoctrinate.

UPDATE:  My dog shook and I held her and stroked her for a long time.  Finally, we went to bed and... we woke up to a puddle of pee... 

MY DOG FOR TRUMP IN THE RAIN

Ah well, Joseph Biden, on his third try for the Presidency of the United States, is President Elect. Meanwhile President Donald Trump is furious.  Some say he was in the shock stage of grief, and is now stuck in denial. I admit, I do want him to accept defeat and step down in the graceful way that a World Leader ought to. 

I used to walk my dog in a fairly wealthy neighborhood where there were lots of houses flying the American flag on a daily basis. I grew up in a household where my dad, a veteran, flew the flag on the important holidays.  Such as Memorial and Labor Days, Veteran's Day, and, if I remember correctly Columbus Day. Now I see the daily flying of the American flag as not just patriotic, but a way of signaling to neighbors that one is a Republican.  There were also average income homeowners in the area, from back in the 1970's when a double income could still buy average people a house there.  All these people are hanging in and on, not wanting to give up their houses until their value will finance their retirements, even when they have long ago become unable to afford the necessary repairs on a house.  So when my dog and I were walking along and a stranger would ask me in a demanding way how I was going to vote, I'd say, "Well, I'm a Democrat, but my little dog here, she's a Republican."

That usually brought out a laugh.

I suspected there were a few "mixed marriages" in the neighborhood, and it was Republican husbands with Democratic wives.

This morning I watched President Elect Biden talk to the nation about the Coronavirus and begin to create his task-force of experts prior to his swearing in. As well, he will soon assemble his Cabinet.  He actually has thousands of people to appoint or approve, most we will never hear of.

Yesterday it rained.  It was as if the sky, so filled with fire, took the sigh of relief that many of us felt.  A relief that there is some positive change that will include us.

C 2020 MAGYAR-AMERICAN BLOGSPOT

All Rights Reserved

Just a note  November 2024 : In case you were wondering, there is no third term for any U.S. President.  The law was changed after Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected four times in a row...

MY DOG IS NOW A FRAGILE LITTLE OLD LADY - SHE'S DOING MUCH BETTER - UPDATE

Some of you are wondering how my dog is doing.  Well, she's back to normal.  We had one more incident that had me scared and preparing for the worst.

A friend of mine has adopted four dogs, all from the local shelter.  In each case he was told he was the "last chance" for the dog.  The smallest one, five pounds, was the leader of the troop.  The barkiest.  In fact I would not have met this friend if it were not for this tiny pooch, who usually went around in hand. This dog barked at us as we talked out on the street for hours... And so finally, one day my friend invited me in.  The dog realized I was a friend.  When my friend went traveling, I stayed at his house and cared for them all.  This little one had such presence.  I would wake up in the middle of the night and there he would be, looking up.  I picked him up. He slept with me, much to my own little old lady dog's consternation.  And I grew to love this little five- pounder.  But he had, at sixteen years old, begun to have siezures.  He was on expensive medication for months.  Then one day he had a siezure that went on for six hours.  So to the vet he went to put the dog down.  The dog "knew" death was coming and started running all over the place in fear.  My friend was so upset. But he did it.  He came to tell me that it was all over for this dog.

He left and I went to feed my dog and she had a siezure.  Years ago, just one time, she had an episode of what they call "shaky white dog."  In this case, she looked afraid, and her teeth were chattering. I could hear them clacking.  But her tongue was out.  And the shaking stopped.  For the next couple days I watched her closely. But she ate and pooped normally.

I've resolved that I simply can no longer take her out with me, even in a wheeled carrier, if it is too hot outside.

People tell me that in Hungary a dog is a dog and almost always owned for their expertise at a task such as hunting or protecting property.  I suppose my dog would be considered rather "foo-foo." She has loved me, this I'm sure of, and sometimes I think more than any human, and that is her task.

C 2020 Magyar-American BlogSpot

MY DOG IS NOW A FRAGILE LITTLE OLD LADY - HEAT SICKNESS IN DOGS

The fires raging in California have thrown ash and particulates into the air.  The heat wave hit - and we didn't have the worst of it.  While other places in Southern California went up to 112 - 115- 120, we were at about 93.  I took my dog outside for about five minutes.  It was "you can fry an egg on the hood of your car" time.  I regretted it.  My dog did not look good.  She looked disoriented.  The prior week she had thrown up.  The first time a tinge of blood.  A few hours later a profuse amount of clear what looked like saliva with a few streaks of white.  It occurred to me that she had never thrown up like this before.  It occurred to me I had done the same during a bout with food poisoning.  It was clear to me that she had probably eaten something outside.  I try to keep the floors clean.  Unlike some other dogs, she is not adventurous about fruit.  However, she has been known to be attracted to another dog's poop.  Then, the next morning, to my complete upset, she tried to waken me by dancing all over my body, and when I didn't wake in time, she had diarrhea. It was stinky and all over some paperwork I had left on my bed.  I cleaned it up.  I had to throw away some applications I hadn't finished.  I took her outside.  Many times.  When I got home she had made a big poop on the living room floor.

My dog has only been sick 1 -2 - maybe 3 times in all the years I've had her.  She almost never poops in the house.  I knew that she had just not made it outside in time.  I cleaned it up.

The heat wave hit and she was panting.  She was panting and her tongue did not look right.  I looked a little purple and curled.  She seemed disoriented.  I got on the computer and researched.  She had all 10 signs of heat exhaustion.  The warning was it could cause internal organ damage and kill a dog quick.  She was in trouble.  Quickly I got her in the tub and proceeded to shampoo her with mildly warm - luke- warm water.  (You can also wrap a dog in wet towels - do not use ice.)  She slept.  Finally her breathing seemed deep instead of shallow.  The instructions said not to force a dog to drink water.  For the first time I took spoons full of water and dropped in on her lips and into her mouth and she lapped it.

Thoughts were going through my head - she's going to die.  She is dying.  This is it.

I'm glad to report we are almost back to normal and maybe it's because the sky is so dense with smoke that the sun has been blocked and the temperature is way down.  She is eating slowly.  She is pooping normally.  She is drinking lots of water.  She is barking at the cat she puts up with and the dog who is always after her food.  She is walking - slower than ever - a little limpy - but still interested in life. Other people are noticing she is old.  I can't deny it.  A friend called her "A FRAGILE LITTLE OLD LADY."  I had to agree.

I LOVE her so much!


C 2020 Magyar American BlogSpot

CORONAVIRUS-19 - ACTIONS TO HELP YOU USE YOUR TIME WELL AND COPE

Coronavirus-19 has swept around the world causing economic disaster. I'm well but more worried about money at this point than my health, since my income potential has gone to zero. However, there are a few things I'm doing to get through the next couple weeks without despairing and I think these things may help you too.

Keep to a regular schedule. If you are used to getting up at 6 and going to bed at 10, for instance, keep doing that. Eat at the time you are most used to. Give your body what it expects.

Eat something - peppers - citrus - with Vitamin C every day. If you can't try for a vitamin supplement.

Keep your dog(s) on the schedule they expect as well. Dogs can get cabin fever. However, if avoiding people means getting up earlier or getting sun means taking them out in the afternoon, do so.

Attend to the things that you have neglected, such as sewing, mending, painting, sweeping, going through closets to separate out what you want to keep and what you want to donate, organizing, etc.

Write letters, or send text messages and funny Coronavirus videos (there are many on YouTube) that will keep you connected with others and see the (sometimes dark) humor in things.

Do your family history collecting and writing and genealogy research.

Try new recipes - especially for healthy hearty SOUPS - so long as you have the ingredients.

Groom yourself, your dog, and your yard/ garden. It's spring after all. There is just so much to do, I suspect seeds are still for sale.
Look into trading seeds and heritage seed preservation. Maybe by summer you'll have all the tomatoes you need.

I have pre-posted on the 1828 census so that no matter what there will be posts you can read in April.

This blog has so much information on Hungarian and Hungarian-American genealogy research!

If you find any links broken please let me know by leaving a comment.

***
UPDATE MAY 30, 2021  Well - the whole situation went on and on and on, didn't it? We are living in an unprecedented crisis.

MY DOG : MY VALENTINE

My dog is my Valentine.

She is now considered officially "Geriatric" but her love of life and willingness to have adventures and go go go with me means that sometimes I wheel her around in her cart or carry her a while between walks. 

A doggie- door in our residence means that she can go outside without waiting for me to come home to take her out, so I'm not sure if she actually pee's more often. 

I was looking in her eyes to see for myself but was never sure if it was the lighting or cataracts.  The vet says cataracts for sure. 

Her hearing?  I think she hears me just fine since she still seems to come to me when I call, especially when the words are food or treats. 

She has lost teeth and there isn't much I can do about it since I can't afford to put her asleep for dental care.

She defends her food with louder sounding "puppy whelps" when another dog is in wait for it.  I sounds like an alarm.

Her appetite, digestion, and poo-pooing seem to be in order; all dog owners watch for changes that might indicate trouble.  So far this year no fleas.  Last year she had fleas - not too bad.  The year before it was a battle - just horrible - she was tearing out her hair.  I do my best to give her good food but there have been some controversies about grain free food.  To her kibble I'm adding wet and mushy - green beans - carrots - salmon - beef - people food without too much spice or too much salt - sometimes canned dog too.

I can't imagine life without her.


C 2020  Magyar American BlogSpot
All rights reserved including International and Internet rights.

MY ADVENTURES IN DOG SITTING - IT'S EXHAUSTING

I write about my dog adventures on this blog and I'm so glad I have a place to vent.

Months ago I made friends with another dog lover, a person who has rescued three dogs - Small, Medium, and Large - non shedding ones like mine.  In each case, at the City Shelter, he was told he was the last chance for the dog. When my dog and me first met these dogs, lead by Small, they could bark while we talked for over an hour.  My dog was calm throughout.  Finally, he said he thought, if we spent more time together with the dogs, they would calm down. It worked. Now, when we visit these dogs, me and my dog are not the recipients of their outrage. I can also leave her with the other dogs at his house for a couple hours so we can go out without them.

I accepted to dog sit for him when he went on vacation. We didn't even discuss money and I was happy when he did come back with a gift and a stipend and truth is, I sort of welcomed a new environment by the sea for a week.  By the end of that week the dogs were walking well with me.  In the morning when I called them to go out, they all ran down the stairs, even Small, who slept in bed with me every night. Despite trying to keep to his feeding and walking schedule for them there was one problem.  They all pooped on the carpet.  Small pooped on the carpet a lot.  I picked up and spotted but when he came home he had to steam clean the carpet.

So this last week, when again dog sat for him, I thought I was prepared. I brought with me reading and research I wanted to organize and promised myself that I was going to go to the beach at least once and also would get a good facial. I also had the personal goal of making it through the week with no pooping or peeing on the carpet by any of them.  

Small had lost his fangs recently and was being spoon fed. He hid for the first 12 hours and then ate a mush I made using the blender, a combo of white rice, green beans, and dry kibble that I read about on the Internet when I looked up how to feed an old toothless dog.  After that he began to eat like it was going out of style, eagerly lapping up smooshed wet food.  At least he wasn't going to die on my watch. 

All went well until day 5. No pooping or peeing on the carpet. I was getting exhausted though. I had not done any of the things I planned to do or brought with me because the needs of Small, Medium, and Large were so different. These dogs like me but they didn't especially respect me.  When he walks them they all go at Small's pace. I was trying to team them in terms of their size and walking needs with my dog. It was like they had collaborated to go in different directions and I found myself in the middle of the street with one to the east and the other to the west, my arms aching and leashes wrapped around my ankles. I was so proud of my dog though because she is getting old but regular exercise has meant that she can outpace them.

I had met a friend of his once or twice but am not the friend with this other man myself. He showed up and dropped off his dog.  No one had asked me if I minded yet another dog.  And this one is a shedder.

The man was supposed to come back and bring dog food. He didn't. I had heard that this dog - called a "Puppy" - was tormenting Medium.  I had seen Medium give into him, just laying belly up on the sofa already, not wanting to fight. The Puppy started nipping Medium on her mouth and my dog got mad and gave a sharp loud warning bark. Puppy looked terrified and ran away and hid. Hours later he crept down the stairs to nip at her again and this time she growled. It was probably the first time she had ever stood up for herself, I thought empowered by my dog's feelings. I also said NO!  Puppy ran up the stairs and hid.

Now I never go into my friend's bedroom or study, but Small and Puppy did. When time to walk or feed came up, well, I couldn't blame Puppy because his owner does not train him or socialize him. I called his name for food, for treats, for a walk.  He didn't show.

I've begun to think these people who think reprimanding a dog or teaching him to behave is abuse are crazy.  Don't they know that puppyhood is the time to begin training?  Have they somehow never encountered a book on training dogs or heard of Dog Whisperers?  

Puppy apparently waited until I was sleeping and went wild around the house. My friend was due to return in the morning and when I got up there was shit everywhere, several places on the carpet, on the sofa covers, and it was evil shit.  My heart fell.

He came home and I told him, all the dogs had been with me, Small in bed with me, even Large had taken to sleeping on the floor next to me. The shit was Puppy's.  He mildly accused me of having "Done Something" to the dog.  I explained that my dog had barked at Puppy when he nipped Medium in the mouth and so on, but my friend was very quiet.  I started thinking about being disrespected by having this other dog put into my care as well.  I mentioned that the friend had not shown up with dog food either. My friend loaded up the carpet steamer right away and started working on the carpet, not speaking. Since he has just spent the night flying across country, this was not what he wanted to come home to.

This time the stipend and gift were nice but I also decided that, if asked to dog sit again, I will decline. My friend would have spent hundreds of dollars to kennel these dogs for a week.  They would have been in an environment that could have freaked them out rather in the comfort of their home and neighborhood.  To kennel them he would have had to take them all to the vets for vaccinations required by kennels, which here in Southern California generally expect dogs to be licensed and have all their usual vaccinations including Bordetella as well as flea treatments .

When we got home, my dog and I fell asleep. We fell asleep again in the afternoon. I woke to the sun shining through the window onto the bed.  Our eyes met.  She smiled, walked over to me and licked my face.  I knew what she was thinking! 

So good to be home and just the two of us at last!

C 2019  Magyar-American BlogSpot
All Rights Reserved

SOYBEANS ARE NOT DOG FOOD

My dog is an itchy dog.
I understand that the number one reason Americans take their dogs to the vet is itching.
An itchy dog appears to be obsessed - unnerved - and it's difficult to watch too.
You want to relieve them of the itch.
The first thing you do is bath your dog.
You think shampoo - conditioner - and topical ointments.
You think fleas, bug bites - especially spiders.
You switch around their food.
"Grain Free" is popular.
However, what's the substitute for wheat or corn?
(Are "Gluten Free" people thinking DOGS should also be Gluten Free?)
So here is what my research and experience has taught me.

In nature dogs are lucky to breed once and are often dead before the age of 6.  They don't get old enough to loose teeth or lay around.  They are either contributing to the welfare of the pack or they are put out to die alone.

One dog is accepted as the leader, usually a good hunter.  That dog gets to eat first.  When they kill an animal whose meat they like, this pack leader goes for the stomach.  THE CONTENTS OF THE STOMACH are gourmet food to the dog and it includes DIGESTED VEGETATION.

The vegetation is usually grasses and berries - think what a deer eats.

The number one meat dogs are allergic to is CHICKEN.  But birds are not all alike.

So READ LABELS.  And what do you read?
SOY.  I learned that soy plants and beans and oils are a big export of Hungary to the United States.  However popular soy is as a protein substitute for vegans and vegetarians, it can have an estrogen effect and should be avoided unless used minimally by people with cancer or danger of cancer that can be grown by estrogen.  (How much soy or yams a person can eat is subject to debate.)  

I read labels and I see things like TOMATO SKIN, BLUEBERRIES, CACTUS, ROSEMARY put into dog food.
I seriously question tomato in dog food.  As for blueberries, see if your dog will eat one without the kibble.  Mine rolls them on the floor not knowing what else to do. Cactus?  Forget it.  I hear of dogs who like bananas and watermelon.  Mine could care less.

However she loves - cabbage - sauerkraut, green beans, broccoli and cauliflower (I hear there are cautions about how much of these), yams and pumpkin (I hear to avoid white potato and sweet potato), chick peas.  She could care less about lettuce or other table greens.

So I indulge her.  About a teaspoon full on the kibble.  She will dig out the real food over the kibble.

I have a friend who feeds his dogs chicken and kibble every day.  My dog likes to raid his dog's bowls.

Thus if you have a Hungarian-American dog and must give it people food, forget the spices, but give that dog some stuffed cabbage - but not anything with soy.

A sign that a dog has allergies is black discharge or tears from its eyes.  A sign that the food change is working is the end of that discharge or tears.

C 2019 Magyar American BlogSpot  All Rights Reserved including International and Internet rights.

WHITE GOD : MAGYAR AMERICAN HUNGARIAN FILM REVIEW

Called "Stunning" and "Masterful" by critics quoted on the back of the DVD box, at the end of this film I had to agree! This one will take all dog lovers on a twisting turning emotional rollercoaster, for you will meet some very unkind and unsympathetic Hungarian characters in this film, making you wonder "is that how it is in Hungary?" and it will tweak your animal activism no doubt. 

Is it true that in Hungary a dog is not respected for being a mixed breed street dog and that people only want pure breeds?

After you see the dog star of the film "Luke and Body" evade the unfeeling animal catchers, endure terrible conditions at the Hungarian equivalent of a "shelter," and be sold to a brutalizer who turns him into a killer for sport, you will be cheering when he leads the pack out of the place, then they rampage in revenge.  You'll also be wondering, "Who trained all those dog actors to maraud?  And what about that scene where the one dog delights in ripping up a brief case? (I laughed!)

Lots of violence here and without apology.  You'll be reminded that packs of dogs have been known to attack humans.  But what of the preteen who loved him and searched for him and never wanted to give him up?  I won't spoil the ending for you, but let's say that she has her moment with the dogs and we can only hope that they all get away!

Race out and borrow, rent, or buy this film!

Then, make a donation to an animal shelter.

C 2017 All Rights Reserved  Magyar-American BlogSpot

To read other film reviews on this blog, click on the label FILM REVIEW!

TRYING TO BUY A GOOD WHEELED DOG CARRIER! TRYING!

If you're wondering where I've been (while hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, fires rage) well, I've been shopping for a decent, roomy, well made, wheeled dog carrier for my beloved

She started showing signs of being a senior as the new year began.  She can't take the heat much better than me and started sprinting out to the lawn to do her business and then coming right back into the house, rather than expect a long walk to do so that she used to. She still wants to chase squirrels but she doesn't want to do the mile or so walk to get to the nearest park that is full of them. I figure I can get my exercise and then let her use what energy she has to chase them.

Accepting that I had no control over her health care or diet until she was near 5 years old, and that her "designer breed" lives on the average to be 12, I accepted that her life was changing and so was mine.
No more worrying that I gave her enough exercise!  Was I really ready to have a house dog that likes to lay around? Now I sometimes wish I could take her with me on my adventures knowing I can't.

She started stopping when she figured she could not go on!

I mean she just stops!

She did this in the middle of a busy intersection and I had to scoop her up while cars were coming.  I started scooping her up and carrying her a ways, setting her back down. If I say the word Lift she stops and looks up into my eyes, anticipating.  I put my hands down and she jumps up.

And so one hot day I rigged up a box on a dolly with a bungee cord and took her with me to a garden I volunteer in once in a while which is a half mile walk.  She loves it there, sitting beneath a chair in the shade with a nice bowl of water and some treats.  She can watch birds fluttering in the bird bath from her spot.  Once in a while a golden dragonfly comes to the lily pond. She needs the mental stimulation if not the physical effort of having it.  She loves getting up in the box and holding on as I wheel, the wind blowing past her nose.

I accept this is how it is now.
But also that while she has become a senior dog, she is not exactly ancient or ready to give it all up.

A friend has a 12 year old about her size.  She is acting like this 12 year old.  I began to wonder if when I rescued her they had her age right.  There was a birth date on the kennel that was convincing.  I called them.  They admitted that the birth date might have been made up.

So I decided this was not a passing phase.

This was real.

And the thing to do was to buy a wheeled dog carrier!

I can't believe how difficult this really is.

First I called a number of local one owner pet stores.  I also called Target, Walmart, Kmart, Pet Smart, Petco... The problem?  They only have those hideous baby carriage type contraptions.  Or they have those hard plastic boxes.  I want the luggage type, with plenty of room and air flow, soft but sturdy. For the most part they had nothing on the floor, nothing to try her in, and I was repeatedly advised I go on line to purchase. 

My dog is twelve pounds.  The next problem was going on line to sites such as Doctors Foster and Smith and Petsmart, where these carriers are sized by the weight of the dog.  Let me tell you I put her in one that was supposed to be good up to 15 pounds and she could barely move.  So I realized we need to go to the medium but I couldn't find a medium anywhere locally to try her in.

Finally I found a medium on a day I didn't have her with me at a place called Centinella Feed.  It was red.  I suspected this was the best wheeled dog carrier I had seen, but I didn't want red.  The price with tax was about $165 dollars.  I asked if they could order one in for me in another color, such as beige or black.  They said no, they only keep one on the floor at a time.  So I went on line and for about $50 less there are plenty of places to order that exact product in black.

I haven't ordered this product yet.

I never order on line!

If any of you have a 12 pound senior dog who you wheel around, please let me know what you bought!

I DOG SIT FOR MY NEIGHBOR and MY DOG IS ... A LITTLE BITCH!

The other day my neighbor asked me at the last minute if I would please watch her dog. 


We are aware that her dog and mine have a complicated relationship.  You see, when mine was five, theirs was a puppy who upon the sight of my dog did the wail for mommy.  He matured and tried to mount my dog who was not interested.  Pretty much, "been there done that," was her attitude.  I think he took it badly.  Ever since then the two of them have doggie hated each other so when they go past each other they rapidly bark as if they are sassing each other.  But recently when my dog got out this neighbor rescued her and held her for me till I got home.  I'm eternally grateful as it could have been a disaster otherwise.  I would never have said no to her request. 


She needed someone to watch her dog while she went off to college where she is studying for a Master's Degree in Child Development. Her landlord was finally sending in workmen in to repair the flooring of her kitchen which had been water damaged.  There was going to be a lot of noise, hammers and buzzsaws.  No place for a dog to be home alone with strange men.


She brought little Keaton over.  She brought his big cage, his dog bed, his bone, his ball, and his blanket, all of which I suggested just in case.  When my dog saw Keaton coming through the door she stared.  Oh No!  Not him again.


In an attempt to train Keaton and my dog in proper behavior when company, I tried to reinforce that my dog was not the leader of the pack, I was, but that she was second in command.  Keaton, being younger, male, and more energetic and strong than my dog, was skeptical.  He could see his house from our front door, so he knew he wasn't really away, and his person just went down the drive way.  She'd be back, wouldn't she?


And so, in short order, Keaton decided that he would be at the front door, watching and waiting.  So my dog got up on the sofa, leaning over it, and growling to let him know he was on her turf and watching him.


Then my dog started doing bitchy things to Keaton.  She sniffed around his things and she stole his bone, not once, but three times.  Each time I took the bone away from her, put it back near Keaton, and put her in the bedroom and closed the door for time out. 


She got into her second most favorite spot, the chair she likes to sleep on and has pillows and blankets on, again to intimidate Keaton, who was looking around my kitchen floor and sniffing, hoping he was going to get some real food that dropped.


I went to the treats can and pulled out a few different ones, from little sausages, to cheese and chicken flavored mini-bones, and some kibble that comes in little bags and is made of trout.  I put a couple of these down near Keaton's things but my dog was like an eagle coming out of the sun to blind its prey.  Keaton couldn't get one treat because, with incredibly bad manners, mine ate them all, right under his nose.


It all worked out in the end.  I never put Keaton in his cage and I never tied up the dogs inside the house to keep them apart. The noise and vibration across the way was intense and Keaton knew something was going on in his house and for a while he shook.  He let me hold him and sooth him.


However, what I had to remember was how insecure my dog is because she has been dumped and rescued three times in her life.  When she came to me she showed signs of having had to compete for food.  Even though there were no other dogs around, she would take some kibble and hide it, or eat away from her dish, as if she were ready to be attacked.  I believe she was born in a backyard and then was part of a breeding program.  Mine may be the first house she has lived in and it may be the first time she has no other dogs to compete with.  She came to me terrified to have her paws touched, fearful and uncooperative about baths, and generally seemed to have been, if not abused, roughly handled in the past and untrained.  We've gotten so over those fears of hers that she comes to me eagerly when I say "bath."  Like a person who did not have a good childhood, there are elements of her personality that are not companionable.  I love her as she is.


I walked the two dogs together and while my dog tried to keep pace with me, and it was Keaton who started huffing and puffing first, I realized that Keaton was simply not going to perform any command I asked of him.  He was not going to Come, Sit, or Stay, or Heel.  He looked at me as if to say, "I no understand Hungarian!"


Moving into the holidays, I've already bought my dog a new collar and leash, a new toy, and a new sweater.  I sent Keaton home with a new Christmas bow for his collar.


Here's to the days ahead!




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MY DOG IS AN HONORARY HUNGARIAN!

My dog is not a Puli or any other "Hungarian Breed."  Let's just say that a few days after I adopted her I took her to a vet and asked him, "Do you think she's a Maltese Poodle?"  He said, "Could Be!"  He also said that looking at her teeth she could be younger than her paperwork claimed.

Well, are Poodle's German and Maltese from Malta?  Malta as a tiny Mediterranean Island near the boot of Italy?

"Do many people get the DNA test to prove their dog is a pure breed?"  I asked.

He sort of chuckled.  "Yes!  And you would not believe how many dogs that are this big (he showed with his hands - a small Maltese-Poodle kind of dog) were this big (he showed with his hands the size of a wolf) just two generations ago!"

Well, I was looking for a POMERANIAN (you Hungarians may have heard of these dogs called "Poms," when I fell in love with my Maltese-Poodle, and I'm so happy with her.  I love her.  But once in a while when we're out walking someone will comment.  "Well, that tail is no poodle."  or "Her coloring is interesting...strange..." 

Then I say, "Well I suspect Mama was the Maltese and Daddy was an Apricot Mini Poodle!"
So she got adopted by me, a Magyar-American.

Here is why I consider her an HONORARY HUNGARIAN.

1) She loves to taste test.  I have to watch her constantly.  With the eyes in the back of her head she has managed to outsmart me several times.  We're walking down the street, I see nothing, and suddenly she has an ancient chicken leg with decayed meat covered in red ants in her mouth and I'm screaming "Spit it out!" (As if dogs understand long sentences.)  In my opinion Hungarians are "foodies."

2) She loves to eat steamed cabbage and other veggies.
She also loves to eat steamed cauliflower, broccoli, peas, green beans, zucchini, sometimes she will eat parsley, and has been known to munch on grass, marigolds, fennel, and other herbs.

3) She doesn't much like dog beds.  She loves a bed made of comforters, quilts, old blankets and towels which she like to turn around a few times in to make herself a nest.  She will look for an elevated place that's like a pillow for her head.

4) She likes to listen to symphony orchestras, pianos, solo guitars, and yes violins, especially high pitched tones. How do I know?  Well, because when I play these on the radio she will lounge, but with her eyes open.

5) She loves me!

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THE DOG STOLE THE SAUSAGE FROM THE EASTER BASKET AFTER IT WAS BLESSED

We often got our Easter Baskets blessed on Easter Saturday, not at the parish we belonged to, which didn't offer this, but another parish a few miles away.  Inside each basket there were home baked breads and rolls, and other items that were intended for our Easter Day lunch, things like boiled eggs, celery, salt, butter, meats like ham, and - of course - for the children, Chocolate Easter bunnies, jelly beans, and marshmallow chicks.  We rarely got candy so these were really special. 

All these would be laid upon a bed of artificial cellophane grass, most often green, but sometimes pink or yellow, and an old cloth doily would be placed over the top of the precious basket.  We would go into the church and arrange our baskets an the kneeler along the communion rail.  (As I write this I wonder if all my readers will know what I mean.  In our churches it was common to separate the altar area with a metal rail. These days in many churches people stand in line for Holy Communion and do not kneel.)  We would expose the contents of the basket to the upcoming rain of Holy Water by folding the doily aside.  Then go to sit in the pews to listen to a brief  but sincere Easter prayer lead by the priest and the blessing.

One year my mother's picnic sized hamper included a large sausage.
That year one of the priests at this parish had a pet - a large dog.

As the parishioners settled back into a moment of fervent prayer, the priest's dog came down the center isle of the church.  Before anyone could imagine what he might be up to, the dog snatched the large sausage and ran out of the church with it.  Smart dog!

The serious Easter prayer was punctuated by the wild suppression of laughter, as everyone attempted to avoid laughing out loud or running out of the church after the dog - who was long gone.  Their shoulders shook in glee.

My mom took it well.

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MY DOG (JUST KIDDING!)

I went to GOOGLE IMAGES and put in the words "public domain dogs," seeking an image of a maltese-poodle (a relatively rare and recent dog combo) and this came up.  The TAIL looks like my dog's.  As does that ready for anything attitude.  Don't know about the bones that might be human on the ground.  Listed as a WOLF and linked to Napoleon?

KOREANS EAT LESS DOG MEAT STEW AS THEY BEGIN TO LEARN THE VALUE OF DOGS AS COMPANION ANIMALS

LIFEWITHDOGS: KOREAS LONGEST RUNNING DOG MEAT RESTAURANT CLOSES  full article

EXCERPT:  About 2.5 million dogs are consumed in South Korea every year, but that number is dropping thanks to many television shows that depict dogs as cute, sweet companions.  People are seeing their value beyond the menu, and have lost their appetite for family recipes that have been passed down for generations.

Oh Keum-il, owner of the restaurant Daegyo, which once served over 700 bowls of dog stew per day, is closing her doors for good.  Many would stand in line for special dishes on certain days of the year, but animal activists would be standing right along with them, urging consumers not to eat the animals that make such excellent friends...

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Honestly, if people are starving I can understand it, but anyone who loves a dog as a pet is bound to gag at the picture where you can tell there were some furry friends chopped up to make a meal.

THIS IS A NOTE TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE DOGS TO KEEP THEM TAGGED, consider a microchip, get them licensed, and basically keep good watch over them.  Here in the United States there have been dog snatchings.  Dog snatchers sometimes do it to torture or kill pets for pleasure, some snatched dogs are made into pets or sold to others, some are sold for scientific experiments...

SQUIRRELS - PIGEONS - HORSES - ALL LIVING BEINGS POOP! MY DOG HAS A SQUIRREL OBSESSION!

Maybe most dogs do. 

I just know that my dog is so obsessed with squirrels that she doesn't care if she hurts herself to chase them.  She could care less if she pulls her leash tight against her neck or that she breaks a nail leaping into a tree. I worry that she will get away from me and get hit by a car; I want her to have a long life and more natural death.  She has only gotten away from me twice, even breaking her leash, and both times it was because a squirrel was antagonizing her, or playing. 

Then she was suddenly a field away, galloping with glee, and it made me feel bad, that she has to live a life in which she is almost always in step with me, a tug at her neck, like a slave.

My dog is actually a sweetheart and only shows her hunting and killer instinct when it comes to squirrels, or playing with some of her toys which she treats as road kill.  Most of the time she is beloved by all, old people and children especially, because she is so gentle.  Never one to bite, even when a bratty child is trying to grab her by the nuzzle or pull her ears, (Really, the parents of these children are not doing their job to allow their children such behavior!).  She has been attacked by other dogs four times and each time she goes home and throws up.

Apparently not everyone in this world likes dogs or thinks they are clean.

Squirrels: I read that some people are upset with all the squirrel poop, comparing it to all that horse poop that is also in our urban environment.  Really, I wondered where this was going.  Maybe in the same direction as the attitude towards pigeons which is that there are way too many, that they are filthy, that they spread disease, that their poop is disgusting, so go ahead and poison them.

I dare say that I may have met someone who has eaten squirrel but never anyone who has eaten a pigeon.

In my neighborhood there are some Muslims and they think dogs are so unclean that they are not supposed to even touch them.  Muslims who need the assistance of an animal are allowed to take small horses (three feet tall) as their service animals into the local libraries!  A librarian tells me the rule is "as long as the horse is trained not to make a poop inside the library!"

I say, this may be bad, but it's not as bad as what Koreans do (or used to) and that is eat dogs.

If you are wondering what the difference between a Korean and a Hungarian is...