Stand for our four legged friends

I'm sure you've seen the pbs specials about aiding rescued and abused animals. Doesn't it just pull at your heart? If you're like me, you have to turn your head as it wrenches everything inside of you. You'd swear at times, those eyes were staring right at you from inside the tv.

Animal Cruelty is illegal, however, it's not well implemented. The suffering on such a massive scale,  causes our eyes to go wide and our jaws to drop. Abuse, neglect, starvation, improper medical care. Surely, there is something we can do. Saving one animal won't save the world, but as a world, can we change to save them?

When supporters act together in a collective way, the change can be astounding. They can be a powerful force, a regular tidal wave of change. So how can we help?

Volunteer
Shelters are always in need of dedicated individuals to assist in care, fundraising, and fostercare

Donate Goods
Many organizations have yard sales to raise money for their cause. Consider donating your unwanted items, some provide a free pickup service.

Monetary Donations
Pet organizations must have an income stream to operate. Cash donations go towards veterinary care, grooming, fostering, and food.

Foster
Unfortunately, time and space is limited for many shelters. Consider helping by providing an animal love and attention, while its waiting for its forever home.

Adoption
An array of animals are always available, waiting for love.

Spay or Neuter Your Pet
Help reduce the overwhelming number of  unwanted animals by spaying or neutering your own pet. There is a vast number of free to low cost programs available across the country

Donate Supplies
Many organizations accept pet related donations (food, etc) and building materials to keep up with the need of the animals they house.

Report Abuse
If you see an animal being abused or neglected, it is your responsibility to notify the authorities.

The ick

Hazards of a child's room

The ick By Marjie Shanks
The ick is stuck to my foot
It desperately wants to stay put
I pry and I try
But it will not comply
The ick is stuck to my foot
Striped red and green
I may need vaccine
From the ick thats stuck to my foot
And I do declare
There's a lego in there
In the ick thats stuck to my foot
Oh, Apple of my eye
You simply cannot deny
That this is ick is to my foot
Never again
Will I clean your pigpen
This ick is stuck to my foot

Coffee Break

Ode to Coffee Ranjit Nair's limericks
O! coffee, where art thou
When I need thee now?
In thy many flavoured blends
A hot cup would be godsend.

I cannot keep awake
Without a short coffee-break.
With thy life-giving aroma
Save me from going into a coma.

Java, Colombian or French Roast
Thy every flavour, I will toast.
To the end thy loyal slave
Three cups a day I will always crave.


It's no big secret, coffee is considered the world's most popular stimulant.The beans, whether, ground or pre-ground provide the enthusiast an inexpensive and basic morning luxury. It's taste and aroma clear fuzzy mornings for billions of coffee lovers all over the globe. Its bold and dependable, can be custom roasted and truly good to the last drop. Maxwell House slogan

I love coffee, it is my (and millions of others) full flavor, french vanilla, fundamental luxury. We all look forward to it, iced, hot, single cup or insulated mug, that smooth velvety black beverage is truly universal. For many devoted drinkers, it's a premeditated daily ritual. So as I enjoy my freshly brewed morning cuppa joe (perhaps you are too) I have provided some coffee facts for your pleasure.


Fun Facts
-Coffee contains no calories (this is without the glug of french vanilla creamer)
-Recent research may indicate coffee lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes
-Coffee is a fruit and grows on trees. It takes 5 years for one of these "plants" to reach maturity.
-For the best brewing results the grounds should be spread evenly across the filter.
-All coffee is grown within 1,000 miles of the equator (known as the "Coffee Belt" or the "Bean Belt")
-Caffeine in coffee has been proven to relieve headaches (I can attribute to this)
-Coffee beans are really berries
-Coffee is the 2nd highest traded commodity in the world! Oil is number 1
-Coffee contains antioxidants
-Caffeine is on the International Olympic Committee's list of prohibited substances. Athletes testing postive for more than 12 micrograms of caffeine per milliliter of urine can be banned from the Olympic Games. This level is usually reached after 5 cups of coffee.
-The word coffee was orginally a term for wine
-Antibacterial and anti-adhesive properties in coffee help prevent the development of cavities
-Dark roasted coffee has less caffeine than medium roasts, the longer the bean is roasted the more caffeine burns off during the process
-Capuccino is named for the peak of foam, which resembles a Capuchin friar's habit
-Raw beans soaked in water, are chewed like candy in parts of Africa