It’s snowing, snowing and more snow today in Minnesota.  Yet brave little Hummingbird has flittered forth to remind us of the sun and of our joys and dreams.

Hummingbird tells us there is a time of new opportunities or nectar in our lives. Remember, nectar was considered the drink of the gods, so these opportunities may well be sent from the heavens!

It can also be a time when we are exploring our old dreams, and seeing how we can draw forth new possibilities from those dreams. Whatever our dreams may be, Hummingbird graces them with joy and delight.  This is a time of blessing, of basking in the sun.

It’s important to remember to accomplish our dreams in our own way, and not as someone else would have us do it.  It is, after all, our dreams that we are working with.

Hummingbird shows us the impossible is possible, and helps us discover the wonder of living in joy.

Questions to ask yourself when Hummingbird arrives:

• Am I experiencing joy in the everyday of my life?
• What have I been putting off because I considered it too difficult?
• Have I bitten off more than I can chew?

Thank you Hummingbird, for coming to visit on this snowy Minnesota day, reminding us of sun and joy.  For this we are grateful!

Harmony,

Janet Roper

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I love that shorthand: BFF for Best Friends Forever. It not only happens with humans, it happens with animals. Check out this video I made in tribute to the BFF status of my dogs Emmie and Teddy. Let me know what you think of it!

Harmony,
Janet Roper
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In case you missed the Talk2theAnimals Wisdom Behind the Whiskers Radio Show, you can listen to it here.  Guest Julie Klouda of MadDog Delivers talk about intuition and nutrition for your pets.

Harmony,

Janet Roper

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Pets are an intrinsic part of our family. As Nathan Winograd says, in the past decade they have moved from the barnyard, to the backyard, to our bedrooms. When a pet transitions, it can be a shocking and overwhelming time for those of us left behind, including other pets. The death of a pet is not forgotten, yet it is possible to incorporate the loss of the pet into your life.

To help people begin to understand their emotions around this topic, Talk2theAnimals is offering a Wisdom Behind the Whiskers Forum on Tuesday, February 9 at 1PM CST or Thursday, February 11 at 7 PM CST.

In this TeleConference you will learn:

• The different stages of grief
• How to accept what you’re experiencing
• How to help other pets in the household with the loss of their buddy

Click here to register for this beneficial and informative session.  Participants will receive a free MP3 download of the teleconference, allowing you to hear again and again how you can remember your beloved pet, honor your own grief and begin your journey of healing and integration.

Harmony,

Janet Roper

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This week we’re working with Ladybug – she has graciously flown forward to help us with her energies and her teachings.

In The Animal Wise Tarot, Ted Andrews classifies Ladybug as a shapeshifter, meaning during her life time she takes on different shapes and forms.  We all experience change in our lives, and Ladybug can help us with those changes, helping us make an easy transitions from the old to the new, or from the same to the different.

Ladybug brings good luck whenever she flies your way.  She brings with her abundance in all forms and a new happiness.  Ladybug shares her innate sense of timing with us: when she appears, now is the time to pursue the opportunity that has knocked at your door.

Questions to ask yourself when Ladybug shows up:

• Am I letting others tell me what my dreams ’should’ be?
• Am I limiting my dreams?
• Am I forcing my dreams instead of letting them develop organically?

Thank you, Ladybug for flying into our lives today, bringing luck, fulfilling our wishes. For this we are grateful.

Harmony,

Janet Roper

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Animals have a lot to say and we humans can be the beneficiary of their wisdom.  Among other things, animals teach as about unconditional love, living in the present and can act as mirrors for us, reflecting what’s going on in our lives and how we can handle it.

Join me Wednesday, February 3 at 7:00 PM CST as we talk about the role of animals as teachers in our lives.  At the end of this TeleConference, you will be looking at your pets – and other animals as well – with new eyes.  You will have fun playing with the ideas and tips you’ll receive in the TeleConference, seeing which ones work best for you and your pet.

You do need to register for this event.  You can do that by visiting Talk2theAnimals, select February 3 from the pull down menu and take it from there.  It’s OK if you don’t have a question, you can just listen in if you like.  Once I have received your registration, I will send you the call in information.  Your investment for receiving this mind opening information is only $35.00; participants will receive a free MP3 recording of the TeleConference.

I’m looking forward to seeing you there!

Harmony,

Janet Roper

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Dr. Temple Grandin is an author, speaker and world-wide expert on autism and cattle handling.  Here is a recent interview she did with Neil Conan on NPR.

Harmony,

Janet Roper

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Take the time, right now, to mark this date on your calendar: Thursday, February 4, 1:00 PM CST. That’s the time Talk2theAnimals Wisdom Behind the Whiskers Radio is on air at BlogTalk Radio.  And you’re not going to want to miss this show, because it’s about ‘Intuition and Nutrition for your Pets’.

Many times when I Talk2theAniamals they tell me the food they are currently on is not good for them, or they do not like it.  As pet parents we see the results of this manifesting in allergies or illness.  Join me and guest Julie Klouda from MadDog Delivers as we talk about the importance of good nutrition in our pet’s life.  Julie will guide us in what to look for nutritionally for our pets and give tips on how to make a smooth and easy transition to a new food, should that be needed.

Don’t miss this show, your pets will thank you for listening in!

Harmony,

Janet Roper

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Ornamental Snake

• A poisonous snake from Australia, belonging to the cobra family
• Diet consists entirely of frogs
• Because of development, it is now considered a threatened species.

Harmony,

Janet Roper

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Being a single parent to various 4 leggeds, I have considered what will happen to them should anything happen to me.  Since I have put them in my estate plan, I am at ease knowing they will be provided for.  Preplanning for your pet(s) not only gives you relief, but helps them to know you have taken care of their future needs should that be necessary.  Attorneys Earl H. Cohen, Marshall H. Tanick and  Jeffrey C. O’Brien from the Minneapolis law firm Mansfield, Tanick & Cohen, PA have authored the following post to help you learn more about the importance of estate planning for pets.

When the infamous hotel operator Leona Helmsley – known to many as the “Queen of Mean” – died in 2007, she created a stir by leaving her Maltese, “Trouble” a $12 Million trust fund (courts later reduced the amount of the trust to $2 Million).  Ms. Helmsley’s actions received much coverage in the press, and most of it related to the apparent absurdity of leaving such a large amount of money to a pet.

Since the beginning of the twentieth century and now into the twenty-first century, the place our pets hold in society has dramatically changed.  Animals have gone from the barnyard, to the backyard, and now into the bedroom.  According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, more U.S. households have pets than children.

What does this mean for estate planning?  Was Leona Helmsley a trendsetter?  While leaving multi-millions to an animal might seem a bit excessive, the underlying point – taking steps within your estate plan to care for your pet after your death – is a critical one.  For the many pet owners that consider their pets as family members, providing for those pets within an estate plan is a significant consideration.

If you are a pet owner that wants to include provisions in your estate plan for your pet(s), it is not as simple as providing for children and you need to consult with an estate planning attorney who knows the proper planning method given your state of residence.  Why?  Because pets are considered under the common law as tangible personal property.  In other words, in the absence of a statutory provision stating otherwise, the law regards our pets as more akin to furniture, jewelry, etc., than children.  That strikes many pet owners as cold, but it is a reality that has to be dealt with if proper planning is to occur.

Because of pets’ status as tangible personal property, a direct bequeath (i.e., gift) to a pet is ineffective.  Pet owners therefore have three alternatives:

1. Forty states have adopted a form of “pet trust” via statute.  These trusts are created during the life of the owner and become effective when the owner is unable to care for their pet(s) or dies.  The trust names a trustee who will serve as the caregiver for the pet; the owner has to estimate the costs of care for the pets who will be the trust beneficiaries and that amount of money will be transferred to the trust.
2. For pet owners in states such as Minnesota which has not adopted a statutory pet trust provision, providing for pets is a bit more complicated, but is still feasible.  In these states, an owner can bequeath the pet and a sum of money to a specific individual within their will with the requirement that the individual care for the pet for the duration of the pet’s life.  The language of the bequest in the will should specify that if the individual receiving the pet and the money is unable or unwilling to care for the pet, or if the pet has predeceased its owner, then the gift is null and void.  If you pursue this alternative, the gift should be accompanied with a set of instructions to the individual as to your desires for the pet’s care and, of course, you should consult with the individual prior to naming him or her within your will.  And remember that bequest should include the pet’s paraphernalia including bed, other furniture and toys.
3. A third method is to bequest a sum of money to an organization which is committed to find a home for the pet; a pet owner pays for the pet’s care with a minimum endowment to the organization which can vary based upon the age of the owner, the age of the pet and the size of the pet.

Far from being a laughing matter, estate planning for pet owners is serious business.  Providing for your pet within your estate plan gives you piece of mind that your beloved animal companion will receive the same level of love, affection and care after your life as it did during your life.

The authors are attorneys with the law firm of Mansfield, Tanick & Cohen, P.A. in Minneapolis and St. Paul. They can be reached at (612) 339-4295 or through their website.

Harmony,

Janet Roper

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