Buying local has never been so cute!

Katzya is celebrating her 13th birthday this weekend with her friends.  I wasn't sure what to do for party favors, and I personally hate when my child goes to parties and brings back a bunch of trinkets that I will only throw away later.  I remembered seeing these adorable cupcake shaped soaps made by Skin Soap Co. on Facebook, and knew this was my answer!  I went to high school with the owner of the company, and was happy to support her local business.  She brought the soap by my house tonight, and I was just blown away by how great they smell and honestly they look good enough to eat!  I love them!  

Need a bit of local cuteness in your life?

Skin Soap Co.

937-475-0506

or find them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SkinSoapCo?fref=ts

Homestead Security

We have had a very stressful several days here at the homestead, starting with a theft which included our house and garage keys.  Thankfully we have amazing friends that came to our rescue and new locks were installed on the doors and windows yesterday.  The Reluctant Farmer narrowly missed meeting the thief (by minutes!) and I am grateful that she was not harmed yesterday when he robbed us.  I thought this was over and behind us however after returning home tonight, there was obvious signs that someone was back again tonight in the few hours that I was gone.  I can't help but feel violated and I hate not feeling comfortable in my own home.

Yesterday we shopped at Menard's for new door and window locks, however tomorrow I will be shopping at Old English Gun Shop.....

The secret is no more.....

Promptly after announcing the much needed break I was going to take from rescue, an alleged puppy mill was raided in our community and we were asked to help.  Due to the fact that this is an on going criminal investigation, we are unable to adopt the dogs to new homes at this time, but at least we are able to acknowledge that we have them in our care now!  We were able to bring 6 dogs into the rescue and I am happy to report that they are adjusting well to their new life.  We are in desperate need of donations as explained in the letter below, and where I have never asked for donations before on this blog, if you are able to help us out with a donation of any size, it would be much appreciated.

Without further ado, let me introduce you to the "Maplewood 6 Pack!"

Marty

Freddie

Archie

Benji

Emma

Cera

Dear Friends,

                On Saturday, November 17, 2012 the Ohio SPCA and Shelby County Sheriff’s Department raided an alleged puppy mill in Maplewood Ohio.  In this raid 241 dogs were pulled to safety.

                We at Lost and Found K9 Rescue were able to admit 6 dogs from this raid into our rescue program with the hope of rehabilitating and adopting these dogs out as an end result.  Sadly, these dogs all came into rescue in poor shape, mentally and physically.  They had not been vaccinated, altered, and several had terrible ear infections, dental problems, and urinary tract infections.  The estimated cost of vet care alone to care for the “Maplewood 6 Pack” is $2306.00, which is a taxing amount of money for any rescue and especially a small rescue.

                We know many of you have dogs that share your heart and home, and we are asking a favor of you.  (No, we are not asking you to adopt a dog …)  What we are asking for is a monetary donation to a wonderful rescue organization that is busy saving lives.  A rescue that is allowing these dogs to experience grass under their feet for the first time in their lives, warm beds, full bellies, and human kindness. 

                Any amount that you could donate would be appreciated, and no donation is too small!  Rest assure your donation is going to a registered Ohio non-profit organization and your donation is tax deductable. 

                If you are able to donate to this cause feel free to do so one of 2 ways:

1)       Make checks payable to:   Lost & Found K9 Rescue

                                                        1890 Old Staunton Rd.

                                                 Troy, OH 45373

2)       Make a secure donation using your credit card  to our Paypal account at lostandfoundK9@gmail.com

Thank you,

Christie Remy,  Andrea Pindell, and Emily Browning

Lost & Found K9 Rescue 

www.lostandfoundk9rescue.com

Tale of a rooster

As a child I always loved this rooster that sat on my Grandma's coffee table.  I had not seen him for years until I walked into an office at work the other day.  I asked the office occupant about the rooster and made the comment that my Grandma had one just like that and I always loved it.  He explained to me the back story of the rooster and I thought I would share.  

The story of the rooster begins in Barcelos, which is located in north-west Portugal.  Often pilgrims would pass through Barcelos as part of their pilgrimage to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, and they would rest at various inns along the way.  While in Barcelos one pilgrim stopped to rest at an inn, and the inn keeper complained that his silver had been stolen.  Since the pilgrim was in the area at the time, he was blamed for the theft and was stated to be hanged on the town plaza.  

Knowing that he was innocent the pilgrim pleaded to speak with the local judge in order to appeal his case, and begrudgingly the judge agreed to see him.  When the guards took the pilgrim to the judge's home he was in the middle of a large dinner, and the main course of the meal was a large roasted rooster that sat in the center of the table.  The judge ignored the pilgrim's plea of innocence, saying there was no proof that he did not commit the theft.  

Still certain of his innocence and his belief in a fair and loving God, the pilgrim fell to his knees and started praying.  At that point he noticed the rooster sitting in the center of the table, and he prayed that God would prove his innocence by making the rooster come back to life and crow in protest to the hanging.  

Unconvinced, the judge ordered the guards to take the pilgrim away and the hanging was still scheduled to go ahead as planned.  

Just before the hanging was to take place, witnesses claim to have seen the rooster stand up from the table and start crowing, just as the pilgrim prayed it would.  Realizing what the crowing meant, the judge quickly released the pilgrim from the gallows immediately.  The pilgrim was freed and continued on his way to the Santiago de Compostelo thanks to being saved by the wonderful crowing rooster!

The symbol of the rooster now acts as a reminder of the miracle and moral of this story, and is said to bring good luck!



This post was shared on my favorite blog hops!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!  

I am so thankful for many things today, but I have to say I am most thankful for the wonderful family and friends that I am sharing this day with!  

And the winners are!

Thank you everyone for your submissions!

The winners of the Name the Bunny Contest are:

Barb Hladick with the name Beenie for the brown rabbit and Erica Arnett with the name Genevieve for the white rabbit!  Congrats ladies and send me your addresses so I can get your soap out to you!  

I don't want it anymore.

Recently, I have been struggling with an issue internally.  Much like a pebble in a rock polisher, I have been throwing this issue around and around with no simple answer coming to me.  After much thought, many tears, and 17 years, I have decided to quit animal rescue.  I must say with a heavy heart, I am completely burned out and I have had enough.  I can do no more at this time.  This has been a decision that I have not taken lightly.  I know what animal rescuers do is important, and I mean no disrespect to anyone.  I only have to think about myself right now and the animals and people that share my life with me.  

I have taken on more dogs and cats then I want to because of pity, guilt, sadness, and because I love to "save" lives.  To rescue an animal feels damn good!  It is very self serving though, and unfortunately, there comes a point when you have to take a step back and ask yourself, "Why am I doing this?  Am I being fair to my family? To my animals?"  At this point I would have to say that I am not being fair for a few reasons:

1)  We are overwhelmed with the amount of time and energy that goes into running our daily life here.  (Not so much the farming aspect, but more the domestic livestock i.e. dogs and cats....)  The Reluctant Farmer and I spend countless hours cleaning our house, and just when we think we are done then we start all over again.  I fear that our relationship will struggle because of the overwhelming demands of our dogs and cats.  In the past I have not listened to my partners when they have expressed their feelings over my rescue cases.  In the end it has been my unwillingness to compromise that has ended my marriage and several long term relationships.  The Reluctant Farmer has expressed frustration and I will listen.  I will not jeopardize this relationship for anything.  Period.  

2)  My house is no longer a place where I can just relax and unwind due to the constant chaos that has become my home.  I learned 9 years ago that I am not able to live this way.  It is not good for me. 

 

3)  The amount of money we spend on dog and cat related expenses in a month is equivalent to my mortgage payment!  That is money we could be taking and applying to our debt instead and securing our future.

4)  I am tired of hearing the same excuses from owners, and watching as the animals suffer due to their owner's stupidity.  It is affecting me and my attitude, and not in a positive manner.  I am becoming very jaded and I don't like how it feels.

5) If I listened to my animals, and I frequently do, they are tired of being "rescued".  The word "rescued" leads to negative thoughts and connotations that I don't wish to place on my animals.  I prefer to think of them in a positive light and refer to them as "adopted".  

A friend asked me if I thought I could walk away forever, and I don't know that this is forever.  I do know it is for right now.  I may at some point, after I have what I consider a more manageable number, volunteer to foster or transport but until I am down to 2-3 dogs and 2 cats this household is full and I need some much deserved downtime.  Thanks for understanding..... 

 

Contest: Name The Bunnies!

6 days old and huge!

Last month I wrote about our New Zealand doe, Andrea, who was making a nest and was obviously in labor.  I went out the next morning fully expecting a nest full of babies and there was no babies in the nest.  This confused me because in all my years of having rabbits I have never had a doe go through all of the trouble of making such an elaborate nest and not have any babies.  I waited a week because the gestation of a doe is 28-32 days, and I just wanted to make sure there was no possibility of babies.  On day 38 when I went to take the box out, up jumped a baby bunny!  Scared the bejeezus out of me!

Andrea had two babies, one white and one fawn, and they were huge!  These 2 kits have made me laugh ever since they have been born because they are so advanced for their age.  It is as if they were born 1 week old!  Their eyes were open on day 5, which is about 5 days earlier than normal.  They were out of the nest box at 9 days old, which is about a week earlier than normal, and they were using a water bottle at 2 weeks old! I have never seen anything like these two girls, and they need names!  So, what can you folks come up with for 2 very smart/active/female bunnies?  If I pick your bunny name you will win a bar of homemade soap!  Winners picked on Thursday Nov. 6th, so come out and vote for your favorite bunny name!  

I am Emily, and I approve this message!