Whether your means are big or small, you CAN make a difference in the life of an animal. Won’t you consider volunteering?
Ways You Can Contribute
- Jump right in: Walking dogs, folding laundry, cleaning cages, and grooming animals are just a few of the many ways you can help our animal friends in need. Only occasionally have time to spare? Volunteer a couple of hours for an adoption event; make flyers, set up tables or get an animal to/from the shelter.
- Animal (and human) Enrichment: Getting your hands into fur is therapy for most of us, and spending a few minutes simply snuggled up to a purring kitty, or throwing a ball for a dog to chase will do wonders to relieve the boredom and anxiety all shelter animals face. Have training skills, or want to develop some? Bring a sack of treats and pick out a shelter dog or cat to work with. It’s amazing what a treat and a little patience can do to help a unmannered animal learn a trick or two.
- Going My Way? Headed to a nearby city, across the state or country? Call your local shelter with as little as a days notice and you may be able to transport an animal to a new foster/adoptive home, or meet up with another volunteer to help an animal on one leg of a longer journey.
- Exercise Partner: Do you run or walk and want a bit of companionship? Consider incorporating the shelter into part of your exercise routine. Shelter life is stressful at best for all of the animals housed there. There is always a dog there who would be suitable for teaming up with you, no matter your fitness level. Stop by, grab a leash and you will help to enrich the life of a canine in need!
- Temporary House Guest: Not ready to be a forever home, but still want an occasional animal to love? Foster a grateful dog or cat while it waits for his/her forever home.
- Break Open the Piggy Bank: If you are short on time, but have a few dollars to spare, there are always dogs and cats that require medical attention or training most animal shelters cannot afford. Improve the quality of life for a sick, injured or behavior challenged animal and increase its chances for being adopted. Donate money earmarked for vaccinations, spay/neuter or training; or donate funds to a volunteer run organization like Idaho ACTS (Idaho Animals in Crisis Transport and Support). They transport animals facing euthanasia due to overcrowded conditions to the safety of foster homes and rescues across the United States.
- Join an Organization: Besides the shelter, there are many animal rescue groups you can work with on a local and national level. Like certain breeds of dogs? Consider joining a local rescue organization. For every breed there is a rescue, and a volunteer happy to help you find just the right place for you to get involved.
Resources
The Four R’s: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Jan. 2011 Trying to use less, want less, waste less… Today I created an account with DMAchoice.org to reduce the HUGE amount of paper mail I receive.
“DMAchoice™ is an online tool developed by the Direct Marketing Association to help you manage your mail. This site is part of a larger program designed to respond to consumers’ concerns over the amount of mail they receive, and it is the evolution of the DMA’s Mail Preference Service created in 1971.
For the purposes of this site, direct mail is divided into four categories: Credit Offers, Catalogs, Magazine Offers and Other Mail Offers. You can request to start or stop receiving mail from individual companies within each category—or from an entire category at once.”
I discovered a useful blog- The Zero Waste Home This family is light years ahead of most of us on reducing waste. Bea and her family were the subject of a lovely Sunset Magazine (West Jan 2011) “The zero-waste home“
Among other feats, Bea’s closet is as close to perfect as I could dream. She keeps 7 tops, 7 pants, 2 skirts and 7 pairs of shoes. Same idea goes for her husband and two sons. Each has 7 casual tops, 1 dress shirt, 4 bottoms, 3 pairs of shoes, & 1 pair of pajamas per season). My goal this year is to develop a mindset that will allow my closet to more closely resemble hers by year end.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Seasons
Fall has lingered here. Like squirrels busily storing food, we are frenetic with energy. Busy, warm, sunny afternoons and rushing from one activity to another on crisp, clear evenings. Yet I miss the solitude the chill air brings. I want winter to wrap my home in a thick, soft blanket of snow, while I sit by the fire, linger over a book and a steaming mug of tea. I am ready for a moment; a season, of stillness.
Misheard Lyrics
No reason to reinvent the wheel, this is a great link- an extensive reporting by readers of misheard lyrics. This is probably my favorite video on the very same subject.
The World Without Us…
“In The World Without Us, Alan Weisman offers an utterly original approach to questions of humanity’s impact on the planet: he asks us to envision our Earth, without us.
In this far-reaching narrative, Weisman explains how our massive infrastructure would collapse and finally vanish without human presence; what of our everyday stuff may become immortalized as fossils; how copper pipes and wiring would be crushed into mere seams of reddish rock; why some of our earliest buildings might be the last architecture left; and how plastic, bronze sculpture, radio waves, and some man-made molecules may be our most lasting gifts to the universe.”
Also from the web site see
Your House Without You
Visit www.worldwithoutus.com
A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY…a work in progress
Dated entries will appear on this page-random shit that I find amusing.
December 4, 2008 Last night, while watching my children’s Taekwondo class, I was introduced to a dad who was also there for his kids. Jason was obviously blind. We chatted for a bit. My husband, who was already acquainted with this parent, mentioned that Jason is a massage therapist (MT).
I used to get a weekly massage until recently, when my MT moved away. I asked Jason if he had a card handy. Handing me the card, he said “The office is brand new and there is no sign hanging yet.”
I scanned the card quickly, then dissolved in laughter. (Why, you ask?, Inappropriate! You may be thinking?!) The name of the man’s business is OUT OF SIGHT MASSAGE THERAPY. (I mentioned Jason is blind, right?!)
A couple of things about me. I refuse to go through life with a shitty attitude. I am a bit of a smart ass, and have a dark sense of humor. I appreciate meeting others who don’t take life too seriously.
I think I just made a new friend.
What’s wrong with this picture? A work in progress
This is a work in progress. As I go through our photographs, I notice the odd, weird and just plain crazy. On occasion I see stuff that is just wrong! (I never have claimed to be perfect.) I also notice trends in our pictures. For instance, we seem to have lots of pics with peoples tongues sticking out. go figure. Check back from time to time and see what new and bizarre things we are up to!
You know how products always come with stupid warning labels? Well this might be an example of why that is. “Hey ya’ll, watch this!”
Create custom animated gifs at gifninja.com!
Product not intended for use as roller coaster or rocket ship
Everyone loves to take pictures of their children. I am no different. When Berringer was a baby I noticed he could go from happy to pitching a fit in about 10 seconds. Here is one example.
Missing the point
In 2006, we allowed Jacob to get one of those gameboy thingies, and he was so focused on trying to learn how to use it that the beauty of summer in Alaska was lost on him.
- Missing the point
A letter from a friend in another world. We’re still at war. Pray for them when you can…
This email came to me a few days ago from our friend who serves as a Major in the Army, and has commanded one tour in Iraq. I asked his permission to post it here on my page; please take the time to read what some of our troops go through in regards to life in Iraq.
Name removed for privacy
MAJ, MS, WYARNG
26 July 2007
I have been receiving a ton of email asking if I am ok since I have not written in a while. I am doing fine and I apologize for not writing. I actually have not flown in over two weeks, and it is absolutely killing me. I know that I have always said that when we don’t fly, nobody is getting injured, but unfortunately that is not the case. The other crews are flying, it just so happens that the way the rotation works, my crew is missing all of the flights.
Unfortunately I have had to attend several fallen comrade ceremonies this last week. As most of you probably heard on the news, we lost 4 soldiers in one incident here in Afghanistan. The fallen comrade ceremony for those gentlemen was held at 0230 the other morning. I usually don’t hear them announce them in the middle of the night, but this one I knew about before I went to bed, so I set my alarm so that I would wake up for it. I figured it was the least I could do since I am not flying, I can always take a nap. I decided to walk down closer to the plane that would be transporting them to Germany. I have never really watched the whole ceremony of offloading the caskets and transporting them to the plane. I know I have said before that you have an empty feeling in your gut every time you attend one of these, and nobody can ever imagine what it feels like unless you have actually been there. This one was horrible for me. First of all, I have to say that the Army is very impressive. I give them so much credit for what they do for us, but when I saw this particular ceremony it really made me appreciate them so much more. The way they removed the caskets from the humvees without ever being out of step, they way they all marched in unison with each of the 4 caskets, the whole thing was so impressive. They had a trombone and a French horn that was playing music and it just tore me up. Then they did something I have never seen before, and many others had never seen before. The caskets were going to be going on a KC-10 instead of a C-17, which means there was not a ramp that dropped down from the back. The caskets were lined up one after the other on the ground next to the plane. Then in groups of two, the soldiers from the platoon that had lost the men, marched to the first casket. They turned toward it, saluted in unison, lowered their salute, extended their left hand to touch the casket and knelt down on one knee with their heads bowed. They stood back up in unison and saluted once again, then turned and marched together to the next casket. They did this until the entire platoon had knelt before each casket. It was the saddest thing I have ever seen. I felt like it was a bad dream or something. There was a slight breeze and total silence filled the air. I stood there in awe with tears streaming down my face. I can’t imagine what my sister Laura felt like when she had to attend 4 of those ceremonies for people she knew, what a horrible thing to have to go through. Unfortunately, I am not done attending those, there is a lot going on in this country.
I know this wasn’t a very uplifting email, but I just wanted to touch base with everyone and let you know that things are okay here. I appreciate all of your emails, packages, letters, thoughts and prayers.
Until next time,
Love and miss you all,
Named removed for privacy
Check out my Slide Show!
Faces of our family
Hold your friends dear
I am going thru pictures today, among other things. As I get older I realize how incredible my women friends are. Here are a couple of pictures of me and my girlies from last Halloween. That vision in black ‘leatherette’ with the whip in her hand is “W” who got me over a funk about getting close to people a while back. She is rock solid inside and out.
I have close girlfriends. Ones I’ve known for 20 years. We have been thru the best and the shittiest of times. But I moved across the country and live in a small town where the population is mostly young professionals who are gov. contractors. People don’t stay for long. I made a few girlfriends the first few years I was here. Women I liked, friendships I invested time and effort in. But each one moved.
We were all having babies too. That kept me busy at first. I would try and tell myself that it didn’t really matter, that I would meet other women, make another friend. How hard could it be, really? Living in a small town of 50,000ish mostly practicing Mormon folks, when you are an atheist makes it tough my friend. There wasn’t alot to do culturally. Especially for a stay home mom who loves to get out and go. And go we did. We just created our own little world… It expanded…
…2 babies later and I have a wonderful little group of friends who I cherish so dearly. Funny where they come from- everywhere really. Thank you all for the blessings and kindness you have bestowed upon me…may they be returned a thousandfold.
Dancin’ with da fishes at Sea World
Oh yea- dolphins aren’t fish, by the way, they are mammals. http://seaworld.com
