Peninsula Referral Organization

Pet Care When You’re Overwhelmed or Away

Debby Burns — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:16:08 +0000

Hi all you wonderful pet lovers,

Writing to remind you that we’re now in the busy time of year for pet care and home security. In case you’re awfully busy and it’s slipped your mind, call now to discover/continue to enjoy the best pet care on the peninsula. Schedule an appointment with me, Debby, for your beloved pets and your valuable home and possessions.

We provide free consultations and trial visits to make sure we are a good fit.

Debby Burns

Pet Services/Vacation Needs

168 McLellan Avenue

San Mateo, CA 94403

650-344-3104

We (Debby, Maggie and Romeo) welcome your dogs into our home while you’re away and when you’re very busy and can’t give them the attention they need and deserve. We gladly visit and care for your charismatic cats and other provocative pets at your home.

Emergency? Family member ill?

We can visit your place to feed, walk, and play.

We gladly accept additional assignments during your stressful times—caring for plants, mail, news papers, pet grooming appointments, and more.

Unsure of the length of time that you’ll be ‘busy?’ Bring your Poochie to our place. We’ll provide lots of love and attention, and keep them from ‘underfoot’ while you deal with more pressing matters.

Working long hours?

Two or three jobs?
Extended overtime?
Visitors in town?

Let us stop by, or you can drop them off for the day, a few days, a week, or longer.

Cleaning people coming in for the day? We can help!

Getaway plans?

Two week vacation coming up?
Long weekend getaway plans?
Taking extended time away?

We are friendly, loving, reliable, and routine. Schedule your pets’ appointments now to secure their opportunity to stay at Debby’s home or have her stop by to feed and play with them.

Consider your home’s security and your plants’ care while you’re away. Call us; we are meticulous, trustworthy, dependable and experienced. We will:

Water plants
Pick up mail, papers, and packages
Turn lights off and on
Open and close drapes
Check for water leakage and unusual situations
Be sure gates, doors and windows stay locked

We travel to Belmont, San Mateo, Foster City, Burlingame, and Redwood Shores and provide the best care possible!

Debby Burns

Pet Services/Vacation Needs

168 McLellan Avenue

San Mateo, CA 94403

650-344-3104

Pet Visit Checklist

Debby Burns — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:38:04 +0000

When your pets go to visit Debby’s house (their home-away-from-home) there are some requirements. These are in place to keep your animals safe, healthy, and happy.

All Pets must:

Not bark excessively
Be one year old or older
Be current with all shots including Bordetella (Kennel cough–very contaigous)
Be cage trained
Be groomed and bathed
Be flea and dirt-free
Be healthy–no surgery recovery patients
Have up-to-date contact information, including emergency contacts

Bring With Your Pet:

Food
Leash
Crate

As soon as you know you’re going away, call the best pet care on the peninsula and schedule an appointment for your pet and for your home care.

Debby Burns

650-344-3104

168 McLellan Avenue

San Mateo, CA 94403

Is Social Media For Real?

Jim Minkey — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:21:06 +0000

It’s really not going away…we really have to adapt.

Loving Pet Care at Debby’s Home

Debby Burns — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:06:48 +0000

Pet Services/Vacation Needs is your pet’s extended family

Wouldn’t you love to have:

Peace of mind when you must be away from your pet
A friendly, loving home-away-from-home for your pets
Home-visits to reliably, regularly and warmly care for your pets and home
Trustworthy, dependable, experienced pet and home care

You can. Call now to discover the best pet care on the peninsula; schedule a free consultation and an appointment for your pet and home care with Debby at 650-344-3104.

Once you’ve experienced this rare offering, you won’t want to settle for anything else!

Debby’s Services:

Pet Care at Debby’s Home

Safe, clean home
Large, safe, secure fenced yard for fresh air and self-exercise
Leashed walks on paths
Food and water
Crated sleeping hours (your dog’s own crate)
Love, attention, companionship and freedom

Pet Care at Pet Owner’s Home:

Leashed walks
Food and water
Playtime and warm personal attention

Vacation Needs Home Visits include:

Water plants
Mail, packages, flyers and newspaper taken in
Make home look occupied

Debby’s Credentials:

Certified: PetTech–First Aid and Care for your Pet (Red Cross CPR)
Long-time dog owner
Life-long resident of San Mateo
President–Peninsula Referral Organization (PRO)
Plenty of experience and references

Call now to discover the best pet care on the peninsula; schedule a free consultation and an appointment for your pet and home care with Debby at 650-344-3104.

Pet Services/Vacation Needs is located at:

168 McLellan Avenue

San Mateo, CA 94403

What is an Ethical Will?

William Holsinger — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 01:58:57 +0000

An ethical will is intended to be your heart’s “voice,” or last statement. It might be considered a love letter to your family, not to be read until after you’re gone. Every ethical will is as unique as the person writing it.

Traditionally, ethical wills were used to state funeral and burial instructions, to leave a final blessing or comment for specific individuals, or as a final statement of personal and spiritual values. It is also sometimes used to nominate guardians for minor children in the event both parents die prematurely.

An ethical will is not a legal document and need not be prepared at the time an estate plan is created. However, the best opportunity to prepare an ethical will (sometimes known simply as a “personal statement” or “statement of wishes”) is when an estate plan is being prepared or updated.

The Hope That Comes With Backpain

David Lewis — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:53:51 +0000

Each person that has pain has one hope: to get out of pain fast. In my office, we provide not only the fastest possible pain relief without the use of drugs, but treatment focused the prevention of pains’ return. In addition to that, I coach and strategize with my patients in the mysteries of Wellness Care. I’ll explain more about that later.
Lets’ say you were cleaning the leaves out of the gutters and you fell off your ladder yesterday. You’re hurting today. That’s an acute condition. Lets’ say that, ten years ago you were cleaning the leaves out of the gutter when you fell off your ladder. Your back bothered you on and off ever since but now your back really hurts. That’s a chronic condition.
Acute spinal problems always have swelling, often have stretched or torn ligaments, usually there’s muscle spasm that get worse with movement (try moving around with a back spasm) and, on occasion, has nerve pressure or a pinched nerve. If an acute spinal problem just started, then it should get better with a short course of chiropractic care. The goal for the acute problem is pain relief and nothing works as well as chiropractic care.
But for the chronic problem, it will probably take longer to fix. Why?. Because over time, muscles have gotten weaker, connective tissues have stretched, disc problems might have started, and spinal alignment has deteriorated. What about when the pain is gone in chronic problems? The spine will require rehabilitation and stabilization to prevent pain from returning. The goal of rehabilitation and stabilization is to return the normal curves and alignments of the spinal vertebra and keep them that way until all the connective tissue can adapt to hold the vertebra in proper alignment. The treatment may not much different from acute care, but there is a decreased frequency of the visits. The result of rehabilitation and stabilization is the prevention of future episodes of pain and improved mobility, flexability, strength, and feeling healthy.
Wellness care considers not only the condition of your spine and nervous system, but also your fitness, immune function, mental clarity, focus, stress response, emotional well being, enthusasm for living and sense of purpose. Wellness care emphasises nutrition, healthy eating, an active lifestyle, neurotransmitter balancing, and stress management. Those who choose Wellness feel more balanced, engaged, have more fun, feel more pleasure, are motivated, energetic, and have a fuller expression of life.

Service is the Highest Calling

William Holsinger — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 02:44:39 +0000

Prodicus, a Fifth Century B.C. Greek sophist and rhetorician, from the island of Ceos, has been credited with being the first to say that service to others was the highest calling. He is also credited with being the author of the Choice of Hercules, translated by Joseph Addison in 1709, which contrasts the value of service to others against a life of self-indulgence:

“When Hercules was in that part of his youth in which it was natural for him to consider what course of life he ought to pursue, he one day retired into a desert, where the silence and solitude of the place very much favoured his meditations. As he was musing on his present condition, and very much perplexed in himself on the state of life he should choose, he saw two women of a larger stature than ordinary approaching towards him.

One of them had a very noble air and graceful deportment; her beauty was natural and easy, her person clean and unspotted, her eyes cast towards the ground with an agreeable reserve, her motion and behaviour full of modesty, and her raiment as white as snow. The other had a great deal of health and floridness in her countenance, which she had helped with an artificial white and red, and endeavoured to appear more graceful than ordinary in her mien, by a mixture of affectation in all her gestures. She had a wonderful confidence and assurance in her looks, and all the variety of colours in her dress that she thought were the most proper to show her complexion to an advantage. She cast her eyes upon herself, then turned them on those that were present, to see how they liked her, and often looked on the figure she made in her own shadow. Upon her nearer approach to Hercules, she stepped before the other lady, (who came forward with a regular, composed carriage,) and running up to him, accosted him after the following manner:

‘My dear Hercules, I find you are very much divided in your own thoughts upon the way of life you ought to choose: be my friend, and follow me; I’ll lead you into the possession of pleasure, and out of the reach of pain, and remove you from all the noise and disquietude of business. The affairs of either war or peace shall have no power to disturb you. Your whole employment shall be to make your life easy, and to entertain every sense with its proper gratification. Sumptuous tables, beds of roses, clouds of perfumes, consorts of music, crowds of beauties, are all in a readiness to receive you. Come along with me into this region of delights, this world of pleasure, and bid farewell forever to care, to pain, to business—’

“Hercules, hearing the lady talk after this manner, desired to know her name; to which she answered, ‘My friends, and those who are well acquainted with me, call me Happiness; but my enemies, and those who would injure my reputation, have given me the name of Pleasure’.

“By this time the other lady was come up, who addressed herself to the young hero in a very different manner.

‘Hercules, (says she,) I offer myself to you, because I know you are descended from the gods, and give proofs of that descent by your love to virtue, and application to the studies proper for your age. This makes me hope you will gain, both for yourself and me, an immortal reputation. But before I invite you into my society and friendship, I will be open and sincere with you, and must lay down this as an established truth, that there is nothing truly valuable which can be purchased without pains and labour. The gods have set a price upon every real and noble pleasure. If you would gain the favour of the deity, you must be at the pains of worshipping him; if the friendship of good men, you must study to oblige them; if you would be honoured by your country, you must take care to serve it. In short, if you would be eminent in war or peace, you must become master of all the qualifications that can make you so. These are the only terms and conditions upon which I can propose happiness.’

The goddess of Pleasure here broke in upon her discourse: ‘You see, Hercules, by her own confession, the way to her pleasure is long and difficult, whereas that which I propose is short and easy.’

‘Alas, (said the other lady, whose visage glowed with a passion made up of scorn and pity,) what are the pleasures you propose? To eat before you are hungry, drink before you are athirst, sleep before you are tired, to gratify appetites before they are raised, and raise such appetites as nature never planted. You never heard the most delicious music, which is the praise of one’s self; nor saw the most beautiful object, which is the work of one’s own hands. Your votaries pass away their youth in a dream of mistaken pleasures, while they are hoarding up anguish, torment, and remorse for old age. As for me, I am the friend of gods and of good men, an agreeable companion to the artisan, an household guardian to the fathers of families, a patron and protector of servants, and associate in all true and generous friendships. The banquets of my votaries are never costly, but always delicious; for none eat or drink at them who are not invited by hunger and thirst. Their slumbers are sound, and their wakings cheerful. My young men have the pleasure of hearing themselves praised by those who are in years; and those who are in years, of being honoured by those who are young. In a word, my followers are favoured by the gods, beloved by their acquaintance, esteemed by their country and honoured by posterity.’”

We know the choice Hercules made. He became a hero and has been immortalized in folklore passed down through the centuries to present times.

New! Makeup and brow session

Lana LaDuca — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 05:51:54 +0000

A new, very popular offering at Lana’s Esthetics is the makeup and eyebrow session. These are makeup application lessons that include eyebrow shaping and makeup color selection specifically for your complexion, hair and eye colors. We determine whether you look best in warm or cool colors and then whether you’re a ‘spring’, ‘summer’, ‘fall’ or ‘winter.’ From there we choose the makeup colors that best suit you. That way, you’ll always look your best-always color coordinated, nothing clashes.

Each session is structured just for y-o-u, so you’ll love it. We work together. First you’re shown an easy way to apply each of the makeup items and then you try it yourself.

It’s the perfect chance to learn the how and why of each step. What comes first and why. How much should I apply and how do I determine where it should be placed, especially for your face type? Maybe you have thin lips and wide spaced eyes. Maybe you want to enhance or hide a certain feature. You’ve probably got the idea now.

You’ll learn how to always look your best, whether you’re in a hurry and only have time to apply a few items or you have enough time to make yourself be all you can be.

A hint, once you’ve applied your makeup and you’re ready to go-mist your face with water to ‘set’ your makeup. It’ll stay in place.

Want more hints? Let me know how I can help you-share your requests, comments and questions with us.

It’s A Wonderful (Subprime) Life

Jim Minkey — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 23:34:31 +0000

I’ve always been crazy about the classic 1946 Jimmy Stewart film “It’s a Wonderful Life”. I’m sure the vast majority of you know this flick…it’s on frequently at this time of year. In a nutshell, it’s the story of how an angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated George Bailey (Stewart) by showing what life would had been like if he never existed. I used to just cry at the end, but we watched it last week with our girls for the first time and both Lesley and I found ourselves crying within the first half hour! Every time I see it I seem to find that some new insight is revealed too. Honestly, I hadn’t seen it in quite a few years before the other night and it was a bit of a revelation watching the scene on the link above!

You see George has these big plans for his life that he has to keep sacrificing for the good of others. When his Dad dies unexpectedly he takes over Dad’s “Building and Loan” to make sure that it survives. Feeling that he’s served well in an interim capacity, he bids the board of directors farewell, at which time the evil, greedy banker Mr. Potter announces that he’d like to disolve the Building and Loan. It’s important to understand this, Mr. Potter is one of the meanest villians in movie history and George is one of the most virtuous protagonists so it’s quite the revelation to watch George argue, in this scene, in favor of stated income, subprime loans! Mr. Potter complains in this scene that the Building and Loan is underwriting home loans for individuals who his bank can’t and won’t qualify. He argues in favor of these marginal borrowers having more savings and downpayment! It causes George to blow up and call Potter a “warped, frustrated old man”. It really made me laugh! Is Mr. Potter the new ideal? The clip above is a full 10 minutes long but the piece I’m referring to is only the first 4 minutes. Amazing!

Do it Anyway

William Holsinger — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:30:49 +0000

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;

forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;

be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;

succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;

be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone may destroy overnight;

build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;

be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;

do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough;

give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is all between you and God;

it was never between you and them anyway.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta