Creature Comforts

Presents photographs and text to examine the special relationships that can develop with certain objects.

To understand the shifting emotions human beings go through daily, regarding any and all relationships to family, friends, lovers, acquaintances and strangers (ourselves included), each of us needs to continue to evolve and to become educated while living creatively in a stressful society and world. My original purpose was to match a different animal and subject for every day of the year. As it turned out, some months have more entries than others; but, none is less than a month without Sundays and/or weekends. Often, true benefit only takes place when the self who feels victimized expresses emotions on paper (i.e. in form of a missive to someone else) to comprehend whatever may be bothering the letter-writer. But, these letters aren't intended to be sent; they are private. Instead, consider this volume a way and means to comfort and/or offer a solution or resolution to a troubling issue. For, only by appreciating ourselves can we totally fathom others before ultimately caring about humanity at-large, enough to accept and tolerate, eventually love each other's distinct uniqueness in this vast universe still striving for peace and harmony. Writing letters has become a dying art. So too comprehending the significance of all creatures to balance our environment that is dependent on survival of on animals and insects. Perhaps you won't be able to resist sending one or two missives to the right or wrong person. That's up to you. I offer Creature Comforts . with the genuine hope that you may realize every creature on earth has a purpose. (From the Author's Introduction dated Jan. 21, 2008)

This is not a book on how to choose a horse. This is not a book on how to train a horse. Neither is it a book on how to ride a horse. It is a book about knowing your horse from the inside out. After reading Creature Comforts for Horses, it is my hope you will begin to understand even more about what makes that big heart tick. This was to be a mini-cook book of nutritious healthy horse treats. I soon realized treats were not the reason I was the proud owner of fatty patties and hunky chunkies. My journey to know my horses began. In spite of a medical/science background, I knew nothing about the physiology and anatomy of the horse nor its nutritional needs. I knew even less about the feed I was feeding and had no comprehension they too are products of what they eat. Sometimes an indifferent, inattentive and unwilling horse is not a diffi cult horse but a horse that doesnt have a wellness sense of balance. A horse that does not feel well will not perform well. In my quest to know my horse from the inside out I scoured libraries, bookstores and the internet and consulted with experienced horse people. Because I could not find one book that spoke to what I needed to know, I decided to create one. Cutting the fat, trimming the excess and addressing only the essential information required to ensure optimal wellness for my horses, all in an easy to understand language, defines Creature Comforts for Horses. I am thrilled to share this information with you.

Shares patchwork patterns for animals from alligator to zebra, shows how to design, piece and assemble a quilt, and includes templates

. . . a collection of wonderful and encouraging stories about 'Animal Assisted Therapy.' - Stanley Coren, author of The Intelligence of DogsThis inspiring, humorous, and touching book celebrates the beneficial effects that animals have on humans and describes how their healing potential is being increasingly acknowledged by the medical community. Animal Assisted Therapy, an important new development in health care, has already shown that people are statistically less likely to suffer an early heart attack if they have a pet, and that stroking an animal actually reduces stress levels.This, however, is only the tip of the iceberg, says environmental psychologist Bernie Graham. Animal Assisted Therapy is now achieving amazing results in treating children with physical and mental disabilities by using trained dolphins in acquatic therapy. There are also programs that teach dogs to help the disabled by taking laundry out of the washing machine; selecting, unpacking, and paying for items in the supermarket; and even withdrawing money from the bank. Cats, rabbits, and dogs are now taken into hospitals to comfort the patients, and more exotic animals such as ferrets, donkeys, guinea pigs, monkeys, and even tigers are being used to bring hope to individuals, thereby enhancing human efforts.Written with warmth and compassion, Creature Comfort looks at all aspects of Animal Assisted Therapy, including the theories behind it, to provide both a practical guide and a moving account of the many rewarding human-animal interactions. A must for pet lovers, health care workers, and anyone who wishes to benefit from this most holistic of therapies.Bernie Graham, an environmental psychologist, is a member of the British Psychological Society, the International Society for Anthrozoology, and the Society for Companion Animal Studies.

Cartoons take a humorous look at fairy tales, witches, monsters, business, and modern life

Comfort, both physical and affective, is a key aspect in our conceptualization of the home as a place of emotional attachment, yet its study remains under-developed in the context of the European house. In this volume, Jon Stobart has assembled an international cast of contributors to discuss the ways in which architectural and spatial innovations coupled with the emotional assemblage of objects to create comfortable homes in early modern Europe. The book features a two-section structure focusing on the historiography of architectural and spatial innovations and material culture in the early modern home. It also includes 10 case studies which draw on specific examples, from water closets in Georgian Dublin to wallpapers in 19th-century Cambridge, to illustrate how people made use of and responded to the technological improvements and the emotional assemblage of objects which made the home comfortable. In addition, it explores the role of memory and memorialisation in the domestic space, and the extent to which home comforts could be carried about by travellers or reproduced in places far removed from the home. The Comforts of Home in Western Europe, 1700-1900 offers a fresh contribution to the study of comfort in the early modern home and will be vital reading for academics and students interested in early modern history, material culture and the history of interior architecture.