The Sato Project aims to get homeless.....

The Sato Project aims to get  homeless dogs off the streets of Puerto Rico.  Caring individuals give their time to care for, protect, and save these helpless creatures through the Sato Project.  

Sadly enough, not all of these innocent loving animals survive the oftentimes cruel hardships they've had to endure. But through the generosity of loving and caring volunteers, we are able to get some of these dogs off the streets and into temporary shelters, where they are fed, spate, and cared for before being put on a plane to other shelters on the mainland and eventually placed into pet-loving homes.

We realize economic times are hard for a lot of people on the island right now, but we urge you to, 1) do not buy a dog or accept them as a gifts unless you're absolutely serious about providing for them, giving them love, and assuring their wellbeing.  Unlike humans, animals can't tell us when they are hurting.  2) If you cannot take care of your pet, bring it to a Sato Project halfway shelter.  The people who volunteer there, are dog lovers who are committed to caring for these unfortunate animals.  And, 3) have them spate.

The Sato Project is doing everything in their power to save as many dogs as possible.  Let's give these unselfish people a big hurrah.

For more information and to see how you can help, go to Google and search the Sato Project.  Or click on the website below.  These beautiful men-best-friends will love you for it.  

Let us not allow one more innocent dog to die.  By doing our part, together we can proudly say, "I saved a dog today."

http://www.thesatoproject.org

We know you're going to be very busy the next couple of days, but......

We know you're going to be very busy the next couple of days.  Yes, the Christmas Season has arrived  in full apogee.  With that said, you're either searching for that special gift for the favorite people on your list, scrubbing down the house, and/or trying to figure how to work last year's decorations into this year's new decor, among many, many other things.

But let's be honest, you still have to eat—fuel that engine called the tummy—and what better way to stay healthy for the holidays than by being well-fed.  No matter how busy you get, you mustn't skip a good meal.  We have found some of the most delicious, and paired them with some luscious wines to help you unwind from the busyness of the Season.

So here goes!

Baby, it's cold out there, so let's start with the good trusty chicken soup, or culinary seafood stew, and let's pair them with some honest-to-goodness white wines.  Whether the weather is snowy or not, chicken soup, or chicken pot-pie, the meal tastes best when accompanied by a robust and crisp white such as the number-one selling Chardonnay.  Oh, you can still drink whatever you have on hand, but Chardonnay is still one of our favorites.

Next up, Chili.  What could be better after running around all day, than a nice steaming hot bowl of Chili.  Uh, huh......  You heard right!  While you're watching the game, indulge and pair that baby with a nice red.  A fruity Merlot or spicy Shiraz is exactly what's called for here.  The dark fruit flavors and smooth tannins are tailored-made for spicy dishes.

Who wants meat?  Then let's bring out a Pot Roast or any other red meat for that matter.  A meaty pork- shoulder is always a good choice.  Pair these dishes with a dense strong wine like Malbec, or red from Spain.  These are always great choices.

Everyone loves Lasagna.  And it's easier than ever to make, now that the noodles come ready to layer and top.  So go ahead and cheat.  We use those noodles all the time and they've never let us down.  Pair that lasagna with a nice Cabernet Sauvignon or a Cabernet blend.  A Merlot also works because of its fruity base, which rolls so smootly on the palate.

So do yourself a favor and take time out to feed yourself.  Your tummy will thank you for it!

Snap Krackle 'n Pop!: What is The Sato Project?

Snap Krackle 'n Pop!: What is The Sato Project?: What is The Sato Project?  The Sato Project aims to get  homeless dogs off the streets of Puerto Rico.  Through the Project, caring individu...

A startling revelation...

A startling revelation.... there are over 10,000 saints in the world.   Obviously, I'm not talking about the New Orleans Saints.   Rather, I mean saintly people who have been proven worthy to be called as such, those who has been recognized for having an exceptional degree of holiness.

My monthly group met last night, on the heels of All Saints' Day.   Not surprisingly, the topic was saints, and what qualifies people to achieve such holy status.  More surprising, is the fact that saints are regular people like us who just happened to choose to love, to forgive, and give up life as we know it for nothing other than pure love of Christ and their fellow beings.

That's a pretty tall order.   And I can almost hear people reading this, saying, "That will never be me.  I could never be that person!"  But let's think about this for a second.

Let's go back to the 10,000 or so saints, since and before our Lord Jesus walked the earth.  Yes, there have been saintly beings who have indeed given up everything for Jesus.  But that does not mean that we regular sinners cannot become more saintly in our ways.   Why just by our being decent human beings and doing the right thing, can qualify us as saints.  Maybe not the kind that have worked miracles, or were martyred, but saintly in our ways, just the same.

It's pretty easy.  Love your brother as you would love yourself.  Walk in others' shoes, not just one day, but every day.  Commit to prayer even if it's just once a day.  Pray to God to give you the courage to be the good person you were made to be.

Last month, I touched on one of the most popular of the saints, Saint Terese of the Little Flower.  Terese did not do wondrous deeds, she did not wrought miracles.  She wasn't even a good writer.  But since a very young child, in spite of losing her mother at the tender age of four, Terese decided to love unconditionally, in a pure Godly way, just as Jesus would have us love one another.  What qualified Terese to be honored with such a saintly titled?  Her love of God, her love of her fellow beings, and her faith.    A perfect example of a regular person like you and me, with the exception that Terese chose to live a loving life, to love everyone she came in contact with.

As Scripture tells us over and over again, love is everything.  The following verses speak of such love:

     If I speak in tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I am nothing...

     Love is patient, love is kind, love is not jealous....

     Love never ends....

     Whoever lives in love, lives in God, and God in her/him....

This type of love is what qualified regular folk like you and me, to become saints.  Realizing this is no easy task, let us draw closer to God and let us follow the example of Jesus and the saints.   We might just surprise ourselves.  With God's help, we might just come as close to being a saint, as God allows.