Book: No Better Medicine: How Caring for Critters Helped Heal The Wounds Of The Past by Kelly Meister-Yetter -Enter to Win!

It is my pleasure to present to you today another book by Kelly Meister (now Kelly Meister-Yetter): No Better Medicine: How Caring For Critters Helped Heal The Wounds Of The Past. 

The first time we featured Kelly was on February 18, 2013 when we reviewed her book, Crazy Critter Lady.   Kelly's journey of recovery continues in No Better Medicine and we the lucky readers are permitted to accompany her on this amazing, heartfelt and raw journey.

Author Kelly Meister-Yetter, spent years in therapy as a result of childhood sexual abuse. Her life, for many years, was spent in "darkness and chaos." Lesser people might have shattered to bits, never breaking free of the depression that ensued as a result of having endured such horrific experiences.

From The Crazy Critter Lady:

Animal lover Kelly Meister-Yetter returns with No Better Medicine, another volume of charming critter tales guaranteed to warm your heart. Join Kelly as she tries to avoid being thrown by her new equine buddy, Bit - a horse who is literally afraid of his own shadow - and learn what happens when a local do-gooder decides to rescue her rogue gang of flightless ducks off that city pond. 

The most haunted of houses is the human mind.

-Patrick McGrath

No Better Medicine is a compilation of what I would like to call stories or essays that make the reader feel as if they  they are reading pages from Kelly's private journal.They are soul-baring thoughts and experiences made public in a tasteful, honest and REAL voice. Kelly takes the reader on a journey through her life of recovery after enduring years of sexual abuse.

Key to Kelly's on-going recovery are the 4-legged creatures who "colored her world, put a smile on her face and brought her immeasurable joy."

THOSE CREATURES INCLUDE:

DUCKS:

Pretty Boy Duck and his fondness for George Harrison songs

The gang at McKinnon's Pone who spent years cheering whenever they say her coming.

CATS:

Miss Muffin and her clandestine ability to catch the odd mouse.

CRAYFISH:

Yes, Kelly even rescued a crayfish!

HORSES

Her buddy Ruckus who taught her so much about horsemanship.

Her newest pal Bit, who continues Kelly's equine education.

DONKEYS

Cranky donkey Cricket, who was loved by everyone, in spite of her many moods.

No Better Medicine is 266 pages that are written from the heart, and interspersed with quotes that are raw and stem from a place of pain deep within. Many of the stories will make you laugh, cheer and sometimes cry. 

From Kelly:If there is one thing I would have you take away from my story-apart from the universal message that ALL species of animals are deserving of our kindess, compassion, and consideration-it is this; that while the CONSERVATIVE estimate is that one in four girls will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday, and one in six boys, the current belief is that it's one in THREE girls, and one in FIVE boys. The average pedophile molests over 120 children before he's caught.

ON LOSING A BELOVED PET:

As I've observed before, it IS necessary to move forward, to form new relationships with other critters, to let yourself love again, even though you KNOW that one day, your heart will be broken by yet another critter death. These wonderful relationships are vital to the well-being of our souls, and quite possibly theirs, too. They're what make life worth living.

They are what help ALL of us recover,

just by their very existence.

To order your copy at Amazon.com, click here!

To order your copy at Barnes & Noble, click here! 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kelly Meister-Yetter is a writer, photographer, blogger, and author of Crazy Critter Lady and No Better Medicine. She shares her life with three ducks, four cats and a barn full of ornery horses. Based on her years of experience rescuing animals in need, Kelly also acts as an advocate for their care and humane treatment, donating her time and resources to numerous animal welfare organizations. When she's not volunteering at a horse rescue facility, Kelly enjoys training her horse, and waiting on her cats hand and foot. Kelly, the critters, and her husband live in Northwest, Ohio. You can find Kelly at www.crazycritterlady.com

GIVE-AWAY!!

Kelly has generously offered TWO of our readers (U.S. AND CANADA), the chance to win a copy of No Better Medicine. Entering is easy! Just enter on the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In Full Disclosure: I was not compensated for this review/give-away. I was sent a copy of No Better Medicine in exchange for my honest review.

Had A Pawtastic Time at the Novi Pet Expo And YOU Will too!

This is DEFINITELY the month of the Pet Expo! A week ago I was lucky enough to attend the Miami-Ft.Lauderdale Pet Expo and Friday I attended the:

The Novi Pet Expo began yesterday and is taking place today until 8pm and tomorrow from 11am til 5pm! Well-behaved canine citizens are welcome with proof of current vaccination status—but NO retractable leashes, please!

 Admission $10.00 Adults, Children 6-12, $5.00

 5 and Under, Free!

Parking is $5.00

  Saturday 10 am-8 pm, Sunday, 11am-5 pm 
For an Expo Schedule
click here
(times are subject to change!)

I was lucky enough to have two free tickets given to me for featuring the Expo on my blog a few weeks ago but even if I wasn't comped tickets, it is well worth the price of admission!

The Novi Pet Expo is MUCH larger than the one I attended in Florida last week. When my husband and I first arrived I stopped to say hi to a couple of the volunteers from Michigan Humane:

Then I was greeted by the BIGGEST "Pet Superstore" imaginable!

You could find virtually anything and everything at the Super Store as well as at the booths set up around the Expo.

My pal from  Purina wasn't there but I met some new furiends from Purina that WERE there! (Purina was one of the sponsors).

There were all sorts of animals there from reptiles to parrots, horses and cows!!!

As my husband and I made our way around the venue, we were greeted by one of my "bonus daughters", Marla,  who happens to work for a local rescue here in Michigan called "Almost Home".  She was with Lauren, (the daughter of the owner of Almost Home, who also works for the rescue. I had blogged about Lauren and her mother in 2011, you can read the entire post here ) 

Lauren and my "Bonus" Daughter, Marla

Me, Marla and my husband, Lenny

There were a large number of rescues present at the Expo, most were dog-centric, but we DID see a number of cats that were available for adoption. (I didn't allow myself to linger long at their cages, because I just can't handle not being able to take them ALL home!)

Wait til you see the adorable kittens featured below, I stumbled into the photo op of the century!

 The Tabby on the left was vigorously/relentlessly grooming the black kitty on the right and the black kitty wasn't phased in the least!  Even with all of the nipping and bunny kicking that took place, the black kitty accepted the "lovin", and seemed to relish every second of it!

It was seriously the CUTEST EVER!!

I immensely enjoyed walking around and meeting and speaking with some of the vendors that were there. A few of the booths were already decked out for Christmas:

 Speaking of Christmas. If you live in Michigan and are looking for gifts for the pet lovers in your family, the Novi Pet Expo is DEFINITELY the place to go! Here are a a few of my favorite vendors:

The above items are items that I purchased from Small Paws, Jewelry for Pet People a division of:

From their Etsy Shop:

River Wolfe Art Jewelry is know for high quality handmade jewelry. Many of our beads are handmade with great attention to detail and design. We're known to many Animal Rescue Organizations, Dog and Cat Organizations and Animal Lovers for our Small Paws line of Pet Themed Jewelry, you'll find other designs that incorporate Love, Hope, Peace and Whimsy throughout our store as well. 

Had  lovely time speaking with the owner at her booth!

We make jewelry that reflects who you are.

We've been making and selling polymer clay jewelry for over 10 years, our main venues are art festivals in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, New York and Pennsylvania.

As I made my way around the Expo there were even MORE items that I fell in love with! Below are some delectable oils that I purchased from  MadgeandGert.com

They also make all natural soy candles that they make right here in Michigan! I was in complete ecstasy when I was sniffing their myriad of scents! Many of them smelled good enough to eat! I bought a Almond Cherry candle that is to die for!

I thought it was brilliant for a candle/oil artisan to be present at a Pet Expo. Pet people are often paranoid that their homes smell like pets and are often seeking a way to disguise the fact that pets reside in the home.

Last but DEFINITELY NOT LEAST I ran into my old buddy Deb, from:

Who I first featured on this blog back in January of 2012!!  It was like "old home" day seeing her again! We embraced like long lost buds and made plans to reconnect in early 2015. Deb makes unique, HIGH QUALITY, "upscale apparel for pet parents!" Her designs are amazing, you should check them out, they make great gifts for the holidays, but trust me, you WILL see her again in early 2015!!!

Deb and my husband, Lenny

It appears I wasn't the ONLY one who was interested in doing some holiday shopping, while speaking to Deb, I looking across the aisle and who did I see? It  appears that this gentleman was either ordering online or do you think he was checking his list of "Who is naughty and nice?" 

"Santa" checking his iphone?
He didn't even notice
that I took this pic!
"Zooms" are great!

You can meet Santa and everyone else that I mentioned plus many more if you head out to the Novi Pet Expo!!! It is a MUST see event!

How can you help the animals affected by the #CO Flood?

From www.blogpawsbethechange.com:

 Please spread the word. If you can make a donation that would be most appreciated by the people and the pets. If that is not feasible for you right now, please share their efforts.

The Longmont Humane Society started an online fundraiser specifically for the displaced pets. You can make a donation here. 

The Humane Society of BoulderValley has been taking in pets and is taking donations here.  

The Larimer Humane Society is accepting pets and housing some lost pets from the heavy flooding that hit Loveland, CO. You can make a donation to them here.

You can also follow Colorado Disaster Wildfire/Flood Lost & Found Pets on Facebook and Twitter. 

Google interactive map of flooded areas: http://google.org/crisismap/2013-boulder-floods

How to help from the CO Government: http://www.helpcoloradonow.com/

Hashtags to follow on Twitter: #COFlood, #BoulderFlood, #LongmontFlood, #LarimerFlood and #COwx. 

PetAid Colorado on Facebook is actively involved in assisting with pets: https://www.facebook.com/petaidcolorado

Book Review: Crazy Critter Lady by Kelly Meister

After having reviewed a delightful book by author Bob Tarte, I was contacted by author Kelly Meister, a friend of Bob's, asking if I would be interested in receiving her book, Crazy Critter Lady, to review as well.  I eagerly accepted figuring that if she was a friend of Bob's, whose writing I greatly admire, then the odds were pretty good that I was going to enjoy her book as well. My instincts were correct.

Kelly Meister, spent years in therapy as a result of childhood sexual abuse. Her life, for many years, was spent in "darkness and chaos." Lesser people might have shattered to bits, never breaking free of the depression that ensued as a result of having endured such horrific experiences.

The "saner" Kelly became, the less she chose to spend her time with "dysfunctional humans." She turned to animals instead.

From the publisher: Crazy Critter Lady takes readers on an emotional roller coaster ride, as Kelly discovers the hitherto-unknown delights of friendship with a band of flightless ducks, deals with Spanky the cat's low self-esteem, and learns life lessons taught by an aged horse. The author spends money she can't afford on creatures others are content to leave dying at the side of the road, and often risks rabies, and drowning in the process. Sharing her life with a quirky cast of characters, Meister invites you to come along and meet the gang.

Kelly and "Spanky"

Some of the "gang" include:

Winkie the leash/harness wearing "soul kitty" who passed much earlier than he should have. The pain and love in Kelly's words will touch the hearts of anyone who has lost a beloved "soul" pet.

Zoe the Barking Dog who was virtually ignored by her owners, but every day would wait by the fence of her yard, delighting in the biscuits and love that Kelly would give to her.

Kelly touched the lives of birds, frogs, mice, raccoon, her uncanny ability to sense what an animal was feeling had a Dr.Doolittle-esque quality.

Kelly's life now is about healing. She is healing the wounds of the past by helping a vast array of animals either "heal" or helps them cross the Bridge with loving kindness, in many cases it is kindness that the ailing animal probably never had experienced before, but at least was able to experience in it's final hours.

Kelly feels that the "critters" helped her to become "whole", helped her to heal the wounds of the past.

Crazy Critter Lady is touching, in many instances, humorous,  it is raw, honest, and throughout the entire book, it speaks the language of love. There are moments when you will rejoice, some where you will shed a tear, but in the end you will marvel at how through helping to save animals, with a dedication that is truly a passion, you will cheer for the woman who learned how to save HERSELF.

Kelly learned how to save herself by the lessons the animals she has touched have taught her. She learned how to be patient, loving and trusting through the animals that she met along the way. In her mind, "she owes them BIG."

There are many of us who can relate to wanting to return the gifts that animals have given to so many of us. If more people felt this way,  the world would be that much better.

In my opinion Kelly is hardly "crazy", those who can turn their backs on animals in need are the "crazy" ones, not Kelly.

"Duck Hug"

In this world we need more Kelly's and many of you who are reading this review ARE like Kelly. True animal lovers  can relate when Kelly says when referring to the gifts the animals have given her, "I owe them. I owe them BIG. It's a debt that I'm happy to spend the rest of my days repaying. So I'll keep chatting with chipmunks, I'll shoo squirrels out of the road. I'll rescue flightless ducks from frozen ponds. I'll stop to help injured raccoon and I'll worry about things like rabies later. If that makes me crazy, then so be it."

To that, I say, "YOU GO GIRL!!"

Kelly and the ducks!

As is stated in the early pages of this inspiring book: "The greatness of a nation, and its moral progress, can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
-Mohandas Gandhi

From Cat Chat: God Bless you, Kelly Meister, for all you have endured, for the creatures you have touched, for the lives you have saved. God Bless you for loving and fighting for the rights of those that cannot speak for themselves.



To purchase Crazy Critter Lady on Amazon click here
It is also available via Barnes & Noble by clicking here
Buy the e-book here

Connect with Kelly on her blog by clicking here
Visit her website here