Acting Humanely – 40 Days of Thankfulness

I am especially thankful for people and organizations that help take care of animals. The Humane Society Serving Logan County is a wonderful organization focused on helping strays and neglected cats and dogs, as well as educating people on how they should be treating their pets.

This is Fosto, otherwise known as Punkin. He's an Australian Shepherd, Border Collie mix and such a wonderful boy. He is one of the most loving dogs I've ever known and will make someone very happy in a Forever Home. 

Treating pets like part of the family is uncommon here. Most of the time pets seem to be viewed as a tiny step above livestock and therefore don’t get the love they deserve. This is the culture. However, with a little education, these pets can have better lives.

For instance one afternoon during the summer, I was going into the grocery store and saw a Pomeranian locked in a car. He was trying to get through the window and was exhausted from the heat. Another woman in the parking lot was furious and we decided to call the cops. Unfortunately law enforcement is quite taxed with other issues and this call was disregarded. When the woman who owned the vehicle came out, instead of giving her a piece of my mind, we asked her to please think about what is happening to her dog when he’s locked in a car. Her anger toward us swelled and she blurted, “It’s my dog and if I kill him it’s my business.” Education is the key here.

Everyone knows I have a soft spot for Pugs and any Pug mix, and that makes this little lady Bugsy one of my favorites. On our first walk she wouldn't look at me and was incredibly apprehensive about me petting her. By the end of that walk we were playing and she was jumping all over the place with her puggy tail wagging like crazy. 

I am thankful that I have the time to volunteer at the Humane Society and share all the extra love I have with these wonderful creatures. Most of my afternoons are spent walking all kinds of pooches and once in a while cuddling with playful kitties. Life is pretty good.

If you’re an animal lover, please take a moment to consider volunteering or donating to your local non-profit animal-care facility. These organizations run off of donations and the hard work of volunteers, and they really need your help.

Thank you.

Crafting for a Cause – Rainbow Scarves

Every two years, our denomination, The United Church of Christ, come together for the General Synod. It’s a week of workshops, worship and fellowship. This summer, General Synod is focusing on putting an end to bullying.

In order to draw attention to the power of tolerance and to put an end to the violent silence, they are asking each person at Synod to commit to doing at least one thing to help end bullying violence. When a person commits, they get a rainbow scarf to wear to remind them of their commitment, as well as to inspire conversations.

The organizers have asked members of the UCC and others who also want to be a part of the solution, to make the scarves that are to be given out. They have a goal of 3,000 scarves. Since this is something very near and dear to Paul and I, we have asked the ladies of the church to knit, weave and crochet 20 scarves to send to Synod.

I am so excited about this opportunity and have made 2 scarves already with yarn that I already had around. So far, we have 5 scarves turned in with many more promised by May.

If you would like to be a part of the solution to bullying, you can find out more about the project here. If you would like to make a scarf for the event, you can let me know and send it to our church to be part of our package.

Remember: There is absolutely no justification for bullying!

My Letter Home - April 3

My Little Princess - See Her Crown

Spring seems to be coming to West Liberty. Saturday, we had a beautiful day with opportunities to work in the yard and take a long walk to explore the parks and trails around the town.

We took the dogs with us up Adriel Hill and got a bird’s-eye-view of the entire town and the surrounding farms. It was lovely. At the top of the hill is the main entrance for the Adriel school, as well as a cemetery dating back to the mid 1800s. I am going to go up there more often since it is so peaceful there and cemetery exploring is interesting to me.

I Love Memorial Art 

Easter was very nice with the morning spent at church for a youth service, breakfast, Easter egg hunt and the regular service. Our neighbors, Jim and Jill, who also are members of the church, invited us to have Easter dinner with their family and it was delicious. We even got to enjoy Marie’s chocolates for the great day.

This morning, I took a tour of Adriel, a refuge and school for abused and neglected children who have some emotional and behavioral problems. Our house is pretty much surrounded by the school with the girls’ dorm on one side and the boy’s dorm as well as classrooms behind us. I wanted to learn more about the kids, the history and what I could do to volunteer and help these children. It’s hard enough growing up with a loving family, but these kids don’t have such a basic need met, and Adriel is trying to help them feel loved, valued and make them an important part of society.

Oh yeah, and baseball started this week. Go Reds! Go Rays!

What I Miss Most About My Old Home: Being around friends and family for the holiday.

What I Like Most About My New Home: The opportunity to truly make a difference and be of service to those in need.