A Jazzy Little Christmas

December 23, 2013December 24, 2013 / still a dreamer / 8 Comments

What does one do when she finds herself animal-less? She adopts! Meet Jazzy … in a possibly overdone Christmas-Photoshopped shot. But who doesn’t love a kitty in a carton, one’s own little boxtot?

For those of you who have a genuine love of animals, you know the invisible, gaping hole that opens in your home when a pet passes away. Imagine having lost all your animals, and if you know me, or follow this blog, you may know that was the case after Claude passed over. It doesn’t matter if you have two or twenty humans living in your home, when there is not one animal to be heard, the silence is deafening.

It only took three days before I contacted the local cat rescue to see if a black cat named Jazzy was still available for adoption. I had met her in the nearby pet store who generously showcases cats and kittens from two local rescue organizations to give them an extra chance to find a home. It was after Gypsy Rose passed away, and I wondered if Claude would like another companion. Jazzy was sweet and affectionate and did a great job of selling herself, but ultimately, I decided against adopting any other animals at the time, letting the aging Claude have me just to himself.

But without any animal in the house at all, that was another story. My rescue contact told me not only was the three year old beauty still waiting, but no one had even shown any interest in her. (Unfortunately, people still have bizarre superstitions about black cats and therefore, they have the hardest time finding homes.) I have no such preconceptions, and after an interview with the rescue, a brief meet and greet with both her and Jazzy at the pet store, we agreed to all meet at our mutual vet for an introduction and a nail clip for Jazzy. She’s been here ever since.

Adopting an older animal is a bit more of a challenge in some ways than adopting a youngster. Jazzy has her own personality and her own ideas about everything. And that’s OK – so do I. She’s bright, a fast learner and it’s not hard to come to understandings about anything. Most importantly, older animals need a chance. Everyone wants to adopt the kittens. I wanted to give that chance to a cat who really needed it. And so … the curious cat in the box.

My challenge now? Taking the most fabulous photograph of an all black animal, the ever-so-elegant Jazzy.

Your challenge? The next time you have that awful, gaping hole in your home because a beloved pet has passed away, or whenever you’re next ready to add a new fuzzy family member … adopt. Visit your local shelter, contact your local rescue, check Petfinder … adopt an animal who truly needs YOU. And please consider those most in need … an older/adult animal. It’s a special gift to you both.

Merry Christmas!

Standing Tall, Stooping to Help

December 13, 2013 / still a dreamer / 6 Comments

Abraham Lincoln once said, “A man never stands so tall as when he stoops to help a child.” In my world, that would read “… when he stoops to help a child or an animal.”

Those of you who know me personally know my deep involvement with animals. It began so, so long ago. As soon as I could stand, I was toddling up to animals. I am drawn helplessly to them by a sheer and invisible magnetic force. Our lives are intertwined in ways I cannot even describe. Needless to say, I am deeply touched when any of us rises to the occasion and helps our animal friends.

I pulled the photos posted from an e-mail forwarded by a friend. As is often the case in these e-mails, the photos have been collected from all over the internet and their source is never known. So here I thank all of you, whoever you are, for taking these wonderful and inspiring photographs. They make me proud to be a human on this often-struggling, sometimes cruel, sometimes compassionate planet we call Earth.

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

“True human goodness, in all its purity and freedom, can come to the fore only when its recipient has no power. Mankind’s true moral test, its fundamental test (which is deeply buried from view), consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals.”
― Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being

“We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals. Remote from universal nature and living by complicated artifice, man in civilization surveys the creature through the glass of his knowledge and sees thereby a feather magnified and the whole image in distortion. We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate for having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein do we err. For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours, they move finished and complete, gifted with the extension of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings: they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth.” ― Henry Beston, The Outermost House: A Year of Life On The Great Beach of Cape Cod

Merry Christmas.

Helping Horses – Open House at Mylestone

October 9, 2013 / still a dreamer / 2 Comments

Each year Mylestone Equine Rescue holds their annual Open House. It’s an opportunity for horse lovers/animal lovers/people who care about what happens to animals on this sometimes-godforsaken-planet to meet the horses rescued by Mylestone and residing on their farm.

Pictured is Holly, a snowflake Appaloosa, meeting some fans at a previous Open House.

What I love about working with Mylestone is that they save the horses that other rescues will rarely take … the ones that are lame, those who have worked their entire lives serving man and yet will be shipped to slaughter when no longer useful, those whose owners can no longer afford them and leave them to starve in a back field, or those whose owners truly care and are desperately seeking help in placing them.

Most of the Mylestone horses are suitable as companions only; most are not ridable, and therefore, will live their lives on the farm, supported by sponsors and other caring folk.

Because it’s a private farm, it’s only open to the public at this annual Open House or by appointment – so here’s your chance to see miracles in action – each horse’s story is posted on their stall or paddock and what they looked like when they arrived. Their appearance now speaks for itself. If you are in the area and would like to check out this wonderful rescue, why not attend Open House, October 13th from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Complete details are here. There’s a terrific Silent Auction, great baked goods, Mylestone merchandise, vendors and more. Raindate is the following Sunday – check the website before coming in the event that it does rain.

It’s a tough job …

September 20, 2013 / still a dreamer / 4 Comments

But somebody’s got to do it.

You never know when she might come back out
and need the engine nice and warm.

Show Me the Sheep

September 14, 2013 / still a dreamer / 4 Comments

Each year in early September the weekend-long Annual Sheep and Fiber Show is held by the Garden State Sheep Breeder’s Association at my county’s fairgrounds. It brings sheep breeders from at least 4 surrounding states, but also a goodly amount of vendors selling wool spun from their own sheep, alpacas and llamas as well as products made from that wool. There are breed exhibits of the animals as well as show competition and judging, but the big favorites are the sheep shearing demonstrations and the sheep herding demonstrations, (my personal favorite.)

Here are just a few photos of the event and of the animals themselves. Missing are the sheep herding demonstration, (too far away), and the thousands of multi-colored skeins of yard at the many vendors’ stalls.

Handcrafted wooden knitting needles with delicious ornaments on top.

These crocheted skulls caught my eye – very cute!

These thick, gorgeous mittens were made from yak hair.

A Suffolk sheep

One of two llamas at the festival. Llamas provide a source of wool for spinning and crafts

Some sheep had coats. I didn’t ask but I suspect it was to keep them clean until they were done being shown

One of my small treats to myself is handmade soap when I come across it at a reasonable price. At one stall there was quite a variety and I picked up a few of these small-ish square bars in oatmeal-almond, (above), lemon pound cake, coffee and vanilla, and “Kiss the Cook”, a brownie-like aroma. Made of skin-soothing ingredients such as olive oil, and lanolin and sheep’s milk by some soap crafters, they were all heavenly. I’m now set for getting clean all winter long with a guaranteed happy smile. These soaps were made by Saratoga Suds `n’ Stuff in Saratoga Springs, NY.