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Think You’re Ready to Add a Pet? Share or Foster First!

We all make some bad decisions in life, hopefully learn from them, and move on. However, when a decision impacts another living creature, we have to be far more careful. Animal adoption is a lifetime decision that will impact the future for everyone involved.

The outrageous number of dogs and cats in shelters and in the rescue system is, in part, because people don’t think things through or take advantage of opportunities to pre-test their decisions.

Try Before You Buy or Adopt

September is a big move-in month in Boston. We have students settling into their first homes-away-from-home and young professionals moving into their first post-grad apartments. For some, it’s their first opportunity to have a companion animal. A few may have carefully selected a building and/or landlord where dogs and cats are allowed.

My suggestion to anyone embarking on a new life as an animal guardian is to test the waters first by sharing responsibility with a friend or family member who has a dog or cat. Even taking care of an animal for one or two weeks will give you a better idea of how guardianship affects your life.

Tricky was fortunate to be living in a foster home when the prince of a man (she is now totally devoted to) visited. Here she sits and waits by a door for his return.

Become a Foster Home

You could also sign up with a rescue agency or shelter as a foster home. I’ve also suggested this to people who ask me about adding a second or third animal to their family. Try it first.

Both the MSPCA and Animal Rescue League of Boston have foster home programs (these links will take you directly to the foster program pages). My husband and I have done home visits to review foster homes for specific rescue groups where we are volunteers. If you are interested in a specific type or size of dog or cat, contact the appropriate rescue group and ask about fostering opportunities.

You could be the one getting kisses like the woman in the MSPCA photo below.

There have been times when we're doing a home visit for someone who would like to adopt a dog, when we suggest they consider fostering first. It might be that they have too little experience with dogs or that they have unrealistic expectations for a rescued animal.

On the page for the MSPCA Boston Foster Program, they have good information to consider when planning to foster.

“Fostering is an incredibly rewarding experience that requires a real commitment. The emotional aspects of fostering are difficult and should be discussed with all family members. It is easy to fall in love with any animal especially one that has depended on you. Oftentimes it can be difficult to see them leave your home for their new forever home. The wonderful part of fostering is knowing that you played a tremendous and extremely crucial role in getting them there!”

There is a lot to consider. In rescue circles, we talk about flunking fostering. That happens when you decide to keep the animal you set out to foster. Sometimes this is possible, but not always.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: Top photo, iStockPhoto Tricky photo ©2016 Penny Cherubino bottom photo courtesy of the MSPCA site.

September 4, 2016
Add “Miles on the MBTA” to Your Resource List

"Miles on the MBTA" is our Friday Link as we welcome new residents to Boston and try to remind others of the great resources we have to make life better in Boston.

Miles is covering miles and miles of MBTA (and other area mass transit) routes and reviewing the routes and the stations.

Over on Reddit Boston, there are a lot of questions about the best ways to commute. Those readers should take a look at what Miles has compiled.

Add Miles on the MBTA to your daily reading list, follow him on Twitter or Facebook, and get to know more about getting around Boston carfree!

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Screenshot from Miles on the MBTA

September 2, 2016
Add “Miles on the MBTA” to Your Resource List

"Miles on the MBTA" is our Friday Link as we welcome new residents to Boston and try to remind others of the great resources we have to make life better in Boston.

Miles is covering miles and miles of MBTA (and other area mass transit) routes and reviewing the routes and the stations.

Over on Reddit Boston, there are a lot of questions about the best ways to commute. Those readers should take a look at what Miles has compiled.

Add Miles on the MBTA to your daily reading list, follow him on Twitter or Facebook, and get to know more about getting around Boston carfree!

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Screenshot from Miles on the MBTA

September 2, 2016
September 2016 Sparkles with Tissot Crémant du Jura, an Easy Choice!
The easiest and most enjoyable job (if you can call it that) we’ve ever had is selecting a sparkling wine to celebrate the arrival of each and every new month (a.k.a. Our Sparkling Resolution).

Of course, since we’ve kept the streak alive for more than eight years (let’s see … that’s at least a hundred bottles of bubbly) and don’t feature wines we dislike, you might guess at times the challenge to pick another winner could become formidable.

All we can say is clear your mind of any such nonsense and focus instead on helping us ring in September with a sparkler of your choice. We’ve decided to go with the Stephane Tissot Crémant du Jura (a Crémant that’s about as close as you come to a “sure thing.”)

Here’s What Tasters Are Saying About This Sparkler:

K&L Wines …
- “This Stephane Tissot Cremant du Jura is an aromatic ringer for champagne …”
- “… stylish, mineral driven rendition of pinot noir and chardonnay”
- “… still manages to maintain a unique Jurassien personality – a little softer, more grapey, and redolent of almonds and spring flowers”
Down to Earth Wines …
- “… distinct expressions of Chardonnay … awesome Chardonnay based bubblies”
- “In complexity and sheer deliciousness, this is a quality/price superstar.”
- “50% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, 5% Poulsard, 5% Trousseau”
Renowned wine critic David Schildknecht …
- “… distinctly delicious and encouragingly affordable”
- “… texturally flattering”
- “… hint of citrus enlivens a modest finish”
- “… should be enjoyed in its youth."
Bénédicte and Stéphane Tissot …
- “Tasting: Bubble thin and delicate, it offers faîcheur (freshness) sparkling & elegant fruit”
- “Food Pairings: Aperitif, desserts …”
What we say about this Tissot Crémant …
- “Lemony, tart, nice acidity (not overdone)”
- “Bitter almond notes”
- “Has a very distinct voice all its own”
- “Palate cleansing”
- “Citrusy notes would match well with scallops, hot buttered lobster …”
- “Also should work with Thai, Asian food, fried clams …”
- “Has some weight to it”
We purchased our bottle of Tissot Crémant du Jura @ Gordon’s Fine Wines and Liquors, Boston (Listed here @ $19.99)

Here’s to September. Cheers!

Links:

Tissot Crémant du Jura Wines (The Wines) in French

Related Posts:

Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here are three of our favorite wine books.

The Food Lover's Guide to Wine

The New Wine Lover's Companion

The Wine Bible

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Michael Serpa Selects Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 736 as Our Sparkler for June 2015

Bollinger Rosé Champagne Is Our Choice for Our New Year's Toast!

At the Market: Local Artichokes from Stillman's Farm
September 1, 2016
September 2016 Sparkles with Tissot Crémant du Jura, an Easy Choice!
The easiest and most enjoyable job (if you can call it that) we’ve ever had is selecting a sparkling wine to celebrate the arrival of each and every new month (a.k.a. Our Sparkling Resolution).

Of course, since we’ve kept the streak alive for more than eight years (let’s see … that’s at least a hundred bottles of bubbly) and don’t feature wines we dislike, you might guess at times the challenge to pick another winner could become formidable.

All we can say is clear your mind of any such nonsense and focus instead on helping us ring in September with a sparkler of your choice. We’ve decided to go with the Stephane Tissot Crémant du Jura (a Crémant that’s about as close as you come to a “sure thing.”)

Here’s What Tasters Are Saying About This Sparkler:

K&L Wines …
- “This Stephane Tissot Cremant du Jura is an aromatic ringer for champagne …”
- “… stylish, mineral driven rendition of pinot noir and chardonnay”
- “… still manages to maintain a unique Jurassien personality – a little softer, more grapey, and redolent of almonds and spring flowers”
Down to Earth Wines …
- “… distinct expressions of Chardonnay … awesome Chardonnay based bubblies”
- “In complexity and sheer deliciousness, this is a quality/price superstar.”
- “50% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, 5% Poulsard, 5% Trousseau”
Renowned wine critic David Schildknecht …
- “… distinctly delicious and encouragingly affordable”
- “… texturally flattering”
- “… hint of citrus enlivens a modest finish”
- “… should be enjoyed in its youth."
Bénédicte and Stéphane Tissot …
- “Tasting: Bubble thin and delicate, it offers faîcheur (freshness) sparkling & elegant fruit”
- “Food Pairings: Aperitif, desserts …”
What we say about this Tissot Crémant …
- “Lemony, tart, nice acidity (not overdone)”
- “Bitter almond notes”
- “Has a very distinct voice all its own”
- “Palate cleansing”
- “Citrusy notes would match well with scallops, hot buttered lobster …”
- “Also should work with Thai, Asian food, fried clams …”
- “Has some weight to it”
We purchased our bottle of Tissot Crémant du Jura @ Gordon’s Fine Wines and Liquors, Boston (Listed here @ $19.99)

Here’s to September. Cheers!

Links:

Tissot Crémant du Jura Wines (The Wines) in French

Related Posts:

Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here are three of our favorite wine books.

The Food Lover's Guide to Wine

The New Wine Lover's Companion

The Wine Bible

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Michael Serpa Selects Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 736 as Our Sparkler for June 2015

Bollinger Rosé Champagne Is Our Choice for Our New Year's Toast!

At the Market: Local Artichokes from Stillman's Farm
September 1, 2016
Cutting Celery, Chinese Celery, Smallage, Par-Cel, Have You Tried It?

A few weeks ago, after asking Halley Stillman at the Copley Farmers Market Stillman's Farm stand why so few local farms grew celery, she offered to bring in some of the cutting celery they were trying out back on the farm.

The next week, she had it on the stand. I bought it, popped it into a vase of cold water by my kitchen sink to refresh it, and proceeded to add it to a variety of salads, pasta dishes, and other recipes where I might have used celery or parsley. Each morning, I changed the water, washed down the stems, and continued to clip away at my bunch.

A week later, I was pleased to report to Halley that I loved this product and would be a customer for cutting celery – if it became a regular offering.

Reporting back to local vendors is important. While some of these experiments may never make it to the mainstream, others will, if they make good business sense for the farmers.

Here it played a supporting role in a Sicilian Cauliflower Salad. It is much stronger in flavor than celery and I learned that the strength of the flavor can vary from bunch-to-bunch.

In her book, Bitter: A Taste of the World's Most Dangerous Flavor, with Recipes, Jennifer McLagan explained that in 15th Century Italy growers began to reduce the bitterness of wild celery and this has continued until it resulted in the blanched stalks we know today.

Cutting celery, on the other hand, still has that strong flavor. It also has hollow stems and was sometimes use as we use straws.

One of my favorite food writers Deborah Madison in Vegetable Literacy had a great approach for those new to the powerful flavoring agent.

"When using the stalks or the leaves of cutting celery, such as Chinese celery or Par-Cel, taste them to judge their strength. Start small and add more, as if it were chile."

If you have a home garden, you should think about adding this to your herb patch. It's widely used as an herb by Asian and European cooks.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2016 Penny Cherubino

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August 31, 2016
Cutting Celery, Chinese Celery, Smallage, Par-Cel, Have You Tried It?

A few weeks ago, after asking Halley Stillman at the Copley Farmers Market Stillman's Farm stand why so few local farms grew celery, she offered to bring in some of the cutting celery they were trying out back on the farm.

The next week, she had it on the stand. I bought it, popped it into a vase of cold water by my kitchen sink to refresh it, and proceeded to add it to a variety of salads, pasta dishes, and other recipes where I might have used celery or parsley. Each morning, I changed the water, washed down the stems, and continued to clip away at my bunch.

A week later, I was pleased to report to Halley that I loved this product and would be a customer for cutting celery – if it became a regular offering.

Reporting back to local vendors is important. While some of these experiments may never make it to the mainstream, others will, if they make good business sense for the farmers.

Here it played a supporting role in a Sicilian Cauliflower Salad. It is much stronger in flavor than celery and I learned that the strength of the flavor can vary from bunch-to-bunch.

In her book, Bitter: A Taste of the World's Most Dangerous Flavor, with Recipes, Jennifer McLagan explained that in 15th Century Italy growers began to reduce the bitterness of wild celery and this has continued until it resulted in the blanched stalks we know today.

Cutting celery, on the other hand, still has that strong flavor. It also has hollow stems and was sometimes use as we use straws.

One of my favorite food writers Deborah Madison in Vegetable Literacy had a great approach for those new to the powerful flavoring agent.

"When using the stalks or the leaves of cutting celery, such as Chinese celery or Par-Cel, taste them to judge their strength. Start small and add more, as if it were chile."

If you have a home garden, you should think about adding this to your herb patch. It's widely used as an herb by Asian and European cooks.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2016 Penny Cherubino

Related articles

Mastering Hamersley's Roast Chicken Recipe

Mussels Are Sustainable, Easy to Cook, and Fun to Flavor

Healthy Alternatives for July 4th Cookouts, Pot Lucks, or Picnics

August 31, 2016
Phones and Dogs, Uses Beyond Photos
Bet you have a large collection of photos of your dogs and cats on your phone. We certainly do.

However, I recently reviewed a study on dogs who are doing a lot of licking and it sparked a far more important use of my phone as a way to provide my veterinary team with vital information to help them with a diagnosis.

Take a Video of the Problem

The next time your dog or cat is limping, licking, gagging, or showing any other visible symptom that makes you think about a trip to the vet or a behaviorist, take a video of the symptom or behavior. If you upload the video to an Internet-based site, you can send a link to your vet or play it during your visit.

We all laugh about the number of times a symptom magically disappears when the cat or dog is on the examination table. If that occurs, you can present the video as a part of your report to the doctor.

Take Progressive Photos

In some cases, a close up photo might work better to help you determine if an issue is getting worse or getting better. Taking a photo a day of an injury or problem can be a sure way for you and your vet to assess progress.

We did this recently when Poppy was under treatment for an irritated paw. Each day, after I cleaned and treated her paw, Ed would hold it as open as he could and I’d photograph the area. Looking at the photos together assured us the treatment was working and her paw was healing. You could do the same thing with videos if that works better.

Tips For Photo & Video Communication
- Practice your photo video taking skills before you need them.
- Set up an online account with services like Google Photos, iCloud, or Youtube and learn how to use them to upload your photos and videos, send links to them by email, and show them on your phone.
- If movement is part of the symptom, try to take videos with the animal walking towards you, away from you, and across the screen to give the doctor more points of view.
- Create an album for specific ongoing issues. For example, if your dog is showing signs of seasonal allergies with goopy eyes, take photos of them for a few days and after treatment is underway.
- Do your best in stressful situations. We don’t know if we would have been great videographers when our first Westie Sassy was having seizures. However, it would have been wonderful to have been able to show the veterinary team exactly what her seizures looked like.
- Ask your veterinarian if they would like to be sent a video of a symptom prior to a visit and what they would charge for that type of consultation.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: © 2012-2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

A Sunday Beach Dog Playing on the Tidal Flats

Give a Big "Thank You" to Your Dog Walker!

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August 28, 2016
Phones and Dogs, Uses Beyond Photos
Bet you have a large collection of photos of your dogs and cats on your phone. We certainly do.

However, I recently reviewed a study on dogs who are doing a lot of licking and it sparked a far more important use of my phone as a way to provide my veterinary team with vital information to help them with a diagnosis.

Take a Video of the Problem

The next time your dog or cat is limping, licking, gagging, or showing any other visible symptom that makes you think about a trip to the vet or a behaviorist, take a video of the symptom or behavior. If you upload the video to an Internet-based site, you can send a link to your vet or play it during your visit.

We all laugh about the number of times a symptom magically disappears when the cat or dog is on the examination table. If that occurs, you can present the video as a part of your report to the doctor.

Take Progressive Photos

In some cases, a close up photo might work better to help you determine if an issue is getting worse or getting better. Taking a photo a day of an injury or problem can be a sure way for you and your vet to assess progress.

We did this recently when Poppy was under treatment for an irritated paw. Each day, after I cleaned and treated her paw, Ed would hold it as open as he could and I’d photograph the area. Looking at the photos together assured us the treatment was working and her paw was healing. You could do the same thing with videos if that works better.

Tips For Photo & Video Communication
- Practice your photo video taking skills before you need them.
- Set up an online account with services like Google Photos, iCloud, or Youtube and learn how to use them to upload your photos and videos, send links to them by email, and show them on your phone.
- If movement is part of the symptom, try to take videos with the animal walking towards you, away from you, and across the screen to give the doctor more points of view.
- Create an album for specific ongoing issues. For example, if your dog is showing signs of seasonal allergies with goopy eyes, take photos of them for a few days and after treatment is underway.
- Do your best in stressful situations. We don’t know if we would have been great videographers when our first Westie Sassy was having seizures. However, it would have been wonderful to have been able to show the veterinary team exactly what her seizures looked like.
- Ask your veterinarian if they would like to be sent a video of a symptom prior to a visit and what they would charge for that type of consultation.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: © 2012-2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

A Sunday Beach Dog Playing on the Tidal Flats

Give a Big "Thank You" to Your Dog Walker!

Canine Travel Alert for Our Sunday Dog Lovers
August 28, 2016
What’s Open on Labor Day in Boston, Plus Parking, Trash & MBTA Information

Here's a rundown of what's open and what's closed in Boston on Labor Day, Monday, September 4, 2017. We'll also keep up with parking information, trash schedules, and changes to MBTA schedules. This is now a permanent page that we'll update from year-to-year.

All information is updated as of 08/30/17

Rather than an end to summer, we call Labor Day the beginning of the golden days of summer that last well beyond the Autumnal Equinox (September 22nd is this year's date.)

We feature these reminders well before a holiday (especially big ones like this) to give you a nudge to finalize your holiday plans. Follow along on Twitter (@bostonzest) or bookmark this page to check back. We'll update as information comes to us.

Restaurants, Bars: Open

Convenience stores: Open

Supermarkets: Open

Liquor stores: Open

Retail stores: Are allowed to open, if the owners wish to open.

City, Town, State and Federal offices and facilities are closed: This includes Schools, Libraries, and the Postal Service (express mail will be delivered). Only emergency services are available.

Financial Services: In general, as the British would say, this is a Bank Holiday with both Banks and the stock markets in the United State closed. Some international markets are open. And, check with your bank, they might have some offices open.

Boston Parking: You don't have to feed the meters. Other parking rules apply. (Be sure to check these parking restrictions for the big college move-in areas on the city's site.)

Yes, it's the big Move-In Weekend!

Traffic Advisory for College Move-Ins 2017

The city press release advises, "The student move-in process at Boston’s colleges and universities will significantly impact local streets and parking."

"Students and their families are asked to plan accordingly to ensure a smooth transition. Drivers are asked to allow for extra time and to pay extra attention to all posted signs."

Street Sweeping: The City says, "On City holidays, we suspend street sweeping during the day, but we still sweep streets at night."

Boston Trash Collection:

The city has changed the way it publishes the schedule for holidays so that you now have to go to the city site and look up your specific address in order to get information.

MBTA 2017 Labor Day Schedule Changes

MBTA Service Schedule for Labor Day 2016 can be found at this link through the holiday. The headline on the MBTA site was concise.

Download MBTA Labor Day Schedule

MBTA 2017 Labor Day Service Quick Look:

Subway, Commuter Rail, Buses, and The Ride will operate on a Sunday schedule.

The Hingham and Hull boats will operate on a Sunday schedule.

The Charlestown boat will operate on a Weekend schedule.

For additional, specific information on routes, schedules, and fares, please contact the MBTA at (617) 222-3200, TTY 617-222-5146, or visit www.mbta.com.

If information like this from BostonZest is helpful to you, support us by beginning all your Amazon shopping from one of the Amazon ads on our site or by Clicking here to go to the Amazon home page.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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August 26, 2016