My Puppy = TROUBLEMAKER

I don't know what has gotten into my puppy,Riley, this weekend, but he sure has been naughty. Thursday night he had an accident in the house. Not a big deal, but it all started that night. Every time he goes outside, he doesn't want to come inside. It's great that he loves it outside, but having to take a leash outside to get him to come inside again is tiring. Last night he was scooting his butt on the carpet (GROSS). Today he chewed up my daughter's soccer shin pad. I caught him climbing on top of the organ to get his toy box down twice!

Riley is a very well behaved dog, but this weekend he has definitely been testing Mom & Dad to see what he can get away with. Dad has been working long, late shifts & Mom has been not feeling well the past few days. I am sure he probably just needs a nice long walk. Sometimes having a dog can be frustrating, but the good always out weighs the not so good.

Our Gentle Barn Mission & Goal

Please visit http://ourjourneytothegentlebarn.blogspot.com/ & donate for these animals if you can...every little bit helps! So far $230 has been donated for the animals & our goal is to bring the animals  $2,500. We are planning a trip to the Gentle Barn in July 2011. 

WE ARE SO PROUD TO ANNOUNCE.......!

A group of us ladies are planning a trip to The Gentle Barn in Spring/Summer 2011 and would like to fundraise from now until then so we can arrive with a big surprise check! We need your help!

The 120 farm animals that reside at The Gentle Barn have ALL been rescued from severe abuse, neglect, and loneliness. They have been rehabilitated with deep tissue massage therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, western medicine, herbs, nutritional supplements, top quality feed, and countless hours in the arms of the staff. They have regained their trust in humankind by realizing that they are now loved, and their abuse is over. They have all survived with forgiveness, trust, love, courage, and time. Because of their ongoing physical and psychological needs, most cannot be adopted and are given sanctuary with The Gentle Barn for the rest of their lives.

The Gentle Barn is home to horses, donkeys, cows, pigs, sheep, goats, turkeys, chickens, llamas, dogs, and cats. Everyone deserves a chance at life, regardless if they are blind, crippled, deformed, sick, wounded, or just old. At The Gentle Barn, the animals leave when they are done, not when someone is done with them!

Because The Gentle Barn is home to the abused animals that no one else would take in, their treatment and rehabilitation is extremely expensive. But it is worth it to see them smile again, to hear them purr, to watch their eyes light up, to feel them cuddle in your lap, and to see them play with new life and new hope. Once rehabilitated, the animals become ambassadors, teaching children about magic and grace.

This is why we want to raise money for The Gentle Barn. Not only do they rescue animals and teach them love, they educate adults and children about the importance of being kind to animals and what we can all learn from these amazing creatures.

We are funding our own flights and hotel accommodations. 100% of the money fundraised/donated will be donated directly to The Gentle Barn. Our goal is $2,500. When we fly to California this summer, we will present this wonderful foundation with a large check, and be there to meet, pet, snuggle, and rehabilitate the animals and help out around the farm. We cannot think of a greater reward than to be a part of this. What a learning experience of a lifetime!

Please consider a donation to The Gentle Barn for our trip. THANK YOU.

Family & Holidays

This holiday season I am reminded how wonderful my family is. My Mom & Step Dad drove from Colorado to Wisconsin to visit. I couldn't ask for a better gift. Unfortunately the flu lingered through my household & our visit was cut short because of this. Thankfully we still were able to spend some quality time together. Here are some pictures from our visit & our time together this past week.

 Riley was quite embarrassed by the hat...but so cute!

 Riley loves his Grampa!

 Pictured: My Mom, my son, me, my daughter & my Step Dad.

 The girls making adjustments to the "Naughty & Nice" list.

 Me & Brandee, the best cousin in the world!

I'm so blessed with such an amazing family. I love you all! I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday!

Happy Holidays!

While stopping at a local pet store to pick up a bag of puppy food, Riley got to meet Santa & get his picture taken with him!

Last year I was able to have my cats picture taken with my kids at another local pet store. This year we were unable to do that mainly due to our cat, Sarah, being uncomfortable & ill. I was able to gather my kids & 3 cats at our house for a (somewhat decent) picture.

From my family to yours...have a safe & very happy holiday season!

Unconditional

This is said at the end of the movie Bride Wars...

"Sometimes in life, there really are bonds formed that can never be broken. Sometimes you really can find that one person who will stand by you no matter what. Maybe you'll find it in a spouse & celebrate it with your dream wedding, but there's also the chance that the one person you can count on for a lifetime, the one person that knows you sometimes better than you know yourself is the same person who's been standing beside you all along."

It's cheesy & from a chic flick, but I love it! The first time I saw this movie, I felt very strongly that this was said about best girl friends. It made me think of my best friend of 17 years. That friendship has since dissolved. When I watched this movie again tonight & listened to these words again, I thought of my boyfriend of 4 years. I may have lost my best friend of over a decade, but I do have a best friend & soul mate. He has stood beside me through so much, both good & bad. And I have stood by him. He never gives up on me & I never give up on him.

I miss my old best friend & am sad for this loss, however, when I think of all I do have in my life, I am so happy & so blessed. Mostly, I am so grateful for the unconditional love that surrounds me.

Unemployment Frustration

I want to start out by saying that I am grateful Unemployment pay exists. I am, however, not so grateful that a month ago my Unemployment was extended through 4/2011 yet today I received a letter in the mail that my benefits end in 9 days. Merry Christmas to me! I have truthfully applied to 8-10 employers a week since I've been unemployed, have had 2 interviews & no job offers (well I had one that fell through). This is so frustrating!

So what do I want for Christmas this year? A JOB! I never dreamed I'd be unemployed -EVER- let alone for this long. I have never had an issue finding a job. I just pray every night that something will come my way...SOON!

The Adventures of Midnight

On a Friday my daughter saw a cat while walking home from school. On the following Monday my daughter & I saw the cat while driving to the grocery store. I saw this terribly skinny cat & pulled over. I tried to get him to come to me but he took off. I was able to get a live trap from a good friend the next day. Once the trap was set, the cat was caught by midnight. I was checking the trap every hour because it was so cold out. When I brought him in the house I could see immediately that he was not a feral cat. He was very sweet, but so cold & so hungry. I warmed him up & fed him. Then he curled up in a kennel & slept. When he woke I gave him a warm bath, cut his nails, cleaned his ears, dewormed him & fed him some more. We began to call him Midnight because a) he is a black cat & b) we caught him around midnight.

The next day Glen & I took Midnight to All Creatures Vet so they could scan for a micro chip. Thankfully he was chipped & lived on our block. His name is actually Rusty, but I will keep calling him Midnight. We returned Midnight to his home because we felt it was the right thing to do. In my mind anyone who micro chips their pet & pays the annual fee for that service must love their pet.

3 days later, a neighbor informed me he is outside roaming the neighborhood again. So, I set the live trap again in hopes of catching him again. It's colder now than the day I caught him...around 20 degrees. I fear the worst, but hope & pray some kind soul found him & took him in.

I don't understand why people do this & how they can sleep at night. It's not my cat & I can't sleep at night because I am worried about him. Not only am I an animal lover but I did bond with Midnight while he was at my house. Please, I beg of cat owners to not let them outside. I realize accidents happen & they sneak out occasionally. In this situation, the cat was out for months, returned to his family & back out on the streets in a few days. Not only can cats get hit by a car, but they can catch illnesses such as FIV & Feluk. In Midnight's case he starved, lost a ton of fur & was dehydrated. I did the right thing at that time by having him scanned & then returned him to his family, but now the only thing I'm sure of is that he shouldn't have went back home just to be tossed out again. I've found out that his family is missing another cat that "got out" a few weeks ago. Who is giving these people cats?

If you are unable to care for your cat, please don't toss it out on the streets to fend for itself. Find a home for the pet (use Facebook, newspapers, Craigs List, or at least find a rescue that can take it in). To put your cat out on the street in winter IS animal cruelty!

Here are a few pictures of Midnight. You can see how skinny he is & what rough shape he was in when I found him. Would you do this to your cat? I am a very passionate person & love to help animals in need. I pray that Midnight comes back to the trap I've set for him. I will protect him & keep him safe. This is a promise I make every day to my pets & I make it for those that need me as well.