Sand Animation

Stubby's Fund

Stubby is halfway there. He has $38 in his neutering fund. Thank you to everyone who has helped out. He is a very affectionate outside cat and I am realizing he is shy of the camera in terms of his bobbed tail. We are shopping around for the best deal..Yesterday on Facebook I had a recommendation for a mobile neutering program through PETA. But as I have learned through Terrierman's Daily Dose. PETA is a controversial organization to say the very nicest thing I can say. I have learned everything I need to know about PETA and the so called Humane Society from him (Patric Burns). So I probably won't be contacting them about Stubby, even if they are the cheapest in town. I wouldn't use them even if they offered to do the operation at no cost! It would jeopardize every cat in our neighborhood. I respect the integrity of Terrierman's writing and his research is flawless. Please consider donating to Stubby's neutering fund, and check out Terrierman's daily dose for anything remotely related to Jack Russel Terrier's and any type of animal. He is on my blog list to the right of this blog entry. Please if you donate to either PETA and The Humane Society....please read Terrerman's blogs about them. Both organizations kill over 98% of the animals they claim to help. It is a sad but true fact. I won't give them any money....not for neutering....not for anything!

Hi Ho Silver!

As oil goes up, silver comes down! I took my scrap in last month in order to keep my utilities on. There may be more bubbles in our future. Silver is a good investment....particularly for a silversmith.

Sanctuary

I am so lucky to be sharing habitat with some wildlife here in the city. I feed this family of squirrels everyday. I believe a whole family of this critter lives in this maple tree. Maybe there are some babies in there? Aunt Sue....I know you think they are rodents...but they are awful cute. Everyday I try to think of something I can do to promote the wildlife that lives here near me. As long as I am here, I will protect them from my kind. Habitat for humanity has been overrated to say the least. Is there such a thing as humanity in industrial civilization?

Happy Birthday Buffy Sainte Marie

Necessary Surgery

This is an ad that my neighbor put together for me as I have inherited Stubby the cat who needs this necessary surgery. Please help out if you can. I think he will live longer if he is altered. He is getting beat up quite often in his pursuit of love. When my neighbors move, I think Stubby will probably stay around here. What can I say? I am a Leo. This property is definitely Leo land.

Stubby's Neuter Fund

Stubby is a friendly semi-feral male cat that lives in our neighborhood. Stubby showed up one day in 2010. He got his name due to his tail being only half as long as the typical cat's. In spite of his shortcomings, Stubby still thinks himself quite the ladies man. He has been getting in tussles with other cats in the neighborhood and getting beaten up by bigger rivals.

My neighbor would like to have him fixed with the help of the Cat Welfare Association. Even with the help, the cost of neutering Stubby will be $55. So we are turning to our friends to give a little to help Stubby live a more relaxed life.

There are lots of causes on facebook, but here is one where you can see results. For a few bucks, you will contribute to preventing cat over-population in Columbus, and helping Stubby live a longer life.

Click the button on the right to donate any amount you want. Whatever amount we raise between now and March 20th will go to defray the cost of Stubby's proceedure. We will post his photo here after his recovery, so that you all can see the "new" Stubby.

Stubby the Cat

Donate any amount every bit helps.
Funds raised so far: $9.41

The Trap Of Unnecessary Surgery

About a month ago I saw a piece in The Other Paper...a full page ad paid for by NOW (National Organization for Women) showing a letter to S. Gabbe, CEO of OSUMC trying to persuade OSU hospital to reverse their decision to fire Dr. Gerard Nuovo who had examined a woman named Sally's pap smear slide and told her she did not have cervical cancer as had been diagnosed to her by her own gynecologist. The letter goes on to speak about the misdiagnosis and resulting unnecessary surgeries of women all over the US and how unfair it is to fire the man just because he was telling the truth. The page takes us to a website called www.SALLYTELLSHERSTORY.COM.
I have to say I was more than a little shocked...not because this isn't a common practice to misdiagnose and capitalize on this operation, but because it was NOW that was coming to the good truthful Doctors defense.
Several years ago, I had the same misdiagnosis. I questioned the diagnosis and went for an independent pap exam and found out I did not need a hysterectomy....just like Sally. In all fairness to NOW, a good Doctor wasn't being fired....but I can tell you NOW was not in the least bit interested in my story or helping me, even though I was arrested for trying to obtain my medical records and aggressively pursuing all those who were in on it. And there were at least 2 Doctors and 1 wannabe shrink in on it (all 3 from Granville Ohio and all three in the same Church). Not only was I jailed over all this, I was also institutionalized long enough to make me homeless, effectively silencing me and my story BUT NOT FOREVER!
So congratulations NOW for finally doing the right thing. Too late for me...(I suffer because of arthritis caused by the beatings I got from the police etc.), but maybe not too late for Dr. Nuovo. Sally's story is identical to mine in all details except she had the internet to help her locate some outside source that wouldn't go back to her own physician and turn against her. And she obviously has the support of NOW. Even the women who had been supportive of me in my community turned against me when I wanted to aggressively go after these conniving Doctors who refused to give me my medical records. It was a beaten that led to more beatings and I survived them all. But not without a lot of pain that I carry with me daily. The doctors involved in my case have thrived while I have damn near it been killed over it. I will see them in hell!
I am happy for Sally and I wish her a long and healthy life. She outsmarted the system that was only interested in her life savings! For those of you who harmed me and withdrew your support, I am glad I saw your true colors (yellow). I am sorry no one else saw them at the time. I received financial requests (which I angrily ignored) from NOW for years after they had ignored what had happened to me in my little town...that I ended up moving away from as it is largely home to a medical cult that to this day is thriving, and it is standard operating (pun intended) procedure to herd women in for hysterectomy's. After what had happened to me, I knew I was not ever gonna feel safe there again, as we never know who might all be in the medical cult (conspiracy theory aside). It is not safe to be a woman living in Licking County as I have previously written in this blog. Another thing you should know about Licking County is it is common knowledge that it is the "gall bladder Capital of the world". Geeze....do you suppose the same Doctors that would falsify a pap smear in order to get $10,000 hysterectomy's from women would also misdiagnose gall bladder trouble....Nahhh.....I for one will be glad to see the medical system overhauled. To do any less would be dangerous for all people who can't afford a second opinion in another town of course!

Sick Kitty

Syd is sick. I will return to blogging when he gets better. There is no money for a vet, so if you don't have any objection about praying for a cat, please do so. I wouldn't want any part of a heaven that didn't include all the cats I have had.

Monday Monday

Still Warm

Yesterday I moved 50 pounds of bird seed up my steps from the back of my truck that was going to be towed to the garage to get my brakes fixed. The handle came off of the pail spilling bird seed all over the deck and the bottom of the second set of stairs. I cleaned up as much of it as I could with my injured hand. I marveled at how many sets of cardinals were in my tree yesterday afternoon waiting for their turn at the spilled seed. I counted 10 pair. I even thought about moving the feeder to that side of the house so I could watch them more easily.
The tow truck was a no show yesterday. So I wouldn't have had to hurry, and I might not have spilled the seed had I known the truck wouldn't be coming for another day. This cardinal was still warm and laying at the bottom of the stairs today when the tow truck came to get my truck. I feel sick that had I just not dropped the seed, that bird would still be alive and his mate wouldn't be crying like she is tonight.

Pretty Dishes Rant

Pretty Dishes Rant has been removed as the feelings I had when I wrote it have changed so drastically that I can't possibly leave it up. They are just dishes! Revenge doesn't feel good and it comes out sideways sometimes. Hope I didn't hurt anyone else.

Trapped

I got a brake light constantly on. So I am sort of trapped at home and preoccupied with trying to get around. This is not easy when I already have a strong case of cabin fever. I may try to drive my truck anyway today. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I am not trying to kill anybody...just trying to survive.

Hearts And Minds

Instead Of The Superbowl, I watched this documentary. There is football comparisons to war, and some great football coverage...just enough that I won't get sucked into the fanfare of it this year.

From 1974, by Peter Davis. Essential viewing if you want to escape history. From IMDB: "This film recounts the history and attitudes of the opposing sides of the Vietnam War using archival news footage as well as their own film and interviews. A key theme is how attitudes of American racism and self-righteousness militarism helped create and prolong this bloody conflict. The film also endeaveors to give voice to the Vietnamese people themselves as to how the war has affected them and their reasons why they fight the United States and other western powers while showing the basic humanity of the people that US propaganda tried to dismiss."

My New Computer

I have been trying to switch over to a new computer this week.

Seed Packet Bird House

I have ordered seeds this winter that I will use the packets later to make these cute little bird house decorations. If you are one of my regular blog followers, you might email me for the instructions so that you can make your own. If you are not saving seeds, please consider starting. Please make sure you are saving non genetically modified seeds!

Seed Exchange

I joined Seed Savers Exchange. I think it may be perhaps one of the most important decisions I have made recently. I heard a story several months ago in a local thrift store where a womans son collects seeds locally. I believe that is a weird hobby for a little boy. But so be it. I have no doubt that I will run into the young man in my journeys! I will be writing about Fedco again in the future. We are living in perilous times in terms of seed biodiversity. So collecting heirloom seeds is important for the future generations.

Needfire 2011

I was able to have a small fire last night after the power came back on. Hopefully everyone that I invited from far away stayed inside safe and warm.

Needfire

Needfire, according to one source is fire obtained by friction. It is for the purpose of defeating sorcery and cure diseases. In terms of defeating sorcery. I have no need to "defeat sorcery", rather I would deflect it back upon the sorcerer who sent it. In terms of curing disease, I will settle for remission.

I have asked everyone who might be coming to bring a tool for me to sharpen or repair in anticipation of spring and planting. I am not able to get down or up my steps due to the unusual weather we are having. It is doubtful that folks will be able to attend. Please feel free to make your own needfire. It can be a fire that is simply started with a match instead of a lighter. I will be thinking of everyone I invited, as I light my needfire. At this point it will be easier for me to make a fire than to get down or up my steps....so I am going ahead with it...rain, sleet, or shine.

Last Year

I am preparing for a needfire. As I write this blog I am looking out at a beautiful day that will end around midnight...as days typically do.
A needfire as I understand it, is an old celtic tradition. Neighbors that have not seen each other during the hardship of winter make a fire that is visible so that they know all is well. I remember last February when I lived on Deming. We parked my truck from Novembeer to March as Chevy S-10s do not do well in sleet, ice, or even mud. The forecast for the 1st and 2nd is for that sort of weather. I am hoping that the folks I have invited from far away will be able to make it to my needfire celebration. But if not, I am hoping they will make a symbolic needfire.