Standing With Mike Phelps: Thoughts on the Kelloggs Boycott

While catching up on all the PUMA reading I missed over the weekend, I came across this call for a boycott:
guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/200...html

Now look. I am not part of the "cannibus community." I don't know what that "community" looks like, or if it even exists. But, the fact is.... Michael Phelps does NOT deserve the treatment he is getting. This little incident is evidence enough for me that if we, as a nation, would do the right thing... and legalize pot smoking for adults.... we'd save ourselves, and our youth, a whole lot of confusion.

I am not sure there is value in boycotting Kelloggs though. As they are between a rock and a hard place. If they dump Mike, the "cannibus community" will go after them. If they don't dump Mike, I am sure some holier than thou evangelical parents will. Simple business sense would seem to dictate that Kelloggs needs to keep the latter happier than the former.

I suspect that the crazed sheriff in S.C., who is going after Phelps and his buddies, finds himself in a similar tough position. He can't just "drop it" as I would guess he'd like to. (See: guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/200...html )

Back to Kelloggs.... Quite frankly, in today's economy, I do not want to see Kelloggs laying off employees. Further, on my current diet, I won't give up my Special K!

There must be a better way to "Stand with Mike Phelps!"

Any suggestions?

Amma

"All good things

are wild, and free."

Henry David Thoreau
***********************

Well, he's not "wild" and he's not "free." But this little beauty sure is good. And he will get better and better if he just finds someone he can bond with for life.

Hoosier is among the sweetest pups I have ever brought into rescue. He's so desiring of affection that it breaks my heart to think of him being in a cold cell at the pound for a month. He would definitely be a "keeper" if I didn't run such a busy rescue. I think he needs to have lots of attention. Would probably run agility well. That sort of thing.

Today is kitty rescue day. I am heading out to Indy this morning to meet a transporter from Terre Haute. Bringing me three adult cats. One is a mama with five babies. The other two are the Russian Blues I posted yesterday. I am also getting two lone kitties. Eight weeks old.

Anybody out there want to do some fostering?

Amma

"Cute as a Bag of Speckled Pups"

Khrysso mentioned this old saying to me. I had never heard of it, to be honest. Still, it got me to wondering....

These are the speckled boys that kept me up all night! LOL.

I can assure you, I did not think they were "cute" at the time.

Today... they kinda are. Doncha think?

Amma

Two AM Musings on Sleep and Puppies

It's one of those early mornings. The new pups have worms and diarrhea, poor things. They slept for about five hours this first night... before they awoke me with a mess. Sigh.

To be honest, I have missed the wake ups at wee hours that signal "puppies in the house!" I think it must be the mother in me. And my fond memories of midnight wakings, nursings and rockings. Oh, sure, I complain. Just like anybody would. But, deep inside I know that life is best in the hours between dusk and dawn. Peaceful. Not without noise, but peaceful.

I am still of the belief that human beings do best if they get to bed early and rise with the dawn. Partly because I was raised on the old adage "early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." And it was true in the case of them that raised me. But, I accepted the wisdom more deeply when I taught childbirth classes. In the early nineties I stumbled upon some decent research that associated post-partum depression with late evenings. I used to tell the men in my classes about that. And I'd encourage them to take the evening shift with the new babe, so new moms could go to bed after dinner. Then... mom could take the early AM shift. And everybody gets *some* sleep.

I can't even begin to tell you how many couples came back to thank me for that advice!

I'ts still true for me as well, years after having a human baby in the house. I know that irritability and "depression" set in if I have too many late evenings in a row. I put "depression" in quotes here, because I am not referring to *major depression* .... which cannot be abated by an early bedtime. Rather I refer to fleeting depression. The kind of melancholy that slows the impulses and makes me not want to do my work, or eat right, or exercise. That kind of "depression" can lead to *major depression* for sure. (If seratonin uptake remains high for a long time, it becomes a vicious cycle. Which likely explains why certain depressions can be staved off by something as simple as enough sleep at the right time of day. It balances seratonin and melatonin levels.)

Anyways... I'm listening to the swishing of the washing machine behind the "peace" playlist on my kitchen i-pod. Sheila Chandra soothes my headache. I make a list of "to dos" for the day..... Two pups to the vet at eight. One cat returns at nine. Return car at ten. Walk Jaclyn at noon. Read four more chapters at two. Water workout at four. Show Harper at seven. Do a few more laundry loads in between. And some dishes. Try to stay on my Weight Watcher diet. Drop in bed by nine.

That about sums it up.

Peace,

Amma

Photo: My last group of doggies, after the adjustment period.

"Every breath we draw is a gift of love;

every moment of existence is a grace."

Thomas Merton
Thoughts in Solitude

*******************************

I am just back from my weekend in Mystic. Having a hard time catching my metaphorical breath, so I found the random receipt of the Merton quote above to be fortuitous.

So much to get done... now that I am home. It's a mini-culture shock. I have returned from my few days of wandering in the mists and chanting, swimming and dining on fishcakes. The rescue cycle resumes two hours from now. The moment I pick up a new litter of pups, bring them home, set their vet appointments, and begin housebreaking them.....

However, the "shock" I feel at being back in the thick of rescue is *nothing* compared to what Greg Mortensen must have felt as he traveled between San Francisco and Pakistan to his great humanitarian work :

www.threecupsoftea.com/

I began reading "Three Cups of Tea" upon the road.... to pass the time, and because it was recommended for the book club here:

riverdaughter.wordpress.com/2009...tion/

Now I am recommending it to you. The joy you will feel at reading how one ordinary person could accomplish so much is indescribable!

Read it!!

Amma

Chanting With Krishna Das Today!

We arrived in CT late last evening. Handed off our six little passengers to their anxious families. All is well! Though we were delayed by traffic a couple of places and, thus, the trip took 14.5 hours. We dined on eggplant and slept like rocks.

This morning we visited the pool and workout room. Ate a light breakfast. Now we are headed to a favorite place ... Mystic CT, to meet up with Krishna Das for an afternoon of chanting and storytelling and who knows what else?

No time to blog, really. But wanted to check in and thank you all for your "safe journey" prayers. The weather is beautiful and the roads are clear. And I know it is because of all your "safe passage" energy!

Here's a little Thank You gift: www.youtube.com/watch

Peace,

Amma

"The very least you can do in your life

is to figure out what to hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope."

Barbara Kingsolver

****************

I'll be traveling all weekend. And I probably won't get back to blogging until Tuesday. But, I did want to leave you with this thought. And a smile from Annabelle, who will be traveling with me... to her new home in CT. Anna is a 3 month old, 38.5 pound, Akita mix pup. Will be a canine giant!

Peace,

Amma

"Each of us has a fire in our hearts for something.

It’s our goal in life to find it and keep it lit."

Mary Lou Retton

********

This "firey" looking little guy arrives in my home as soon as I return from my current doggy (and kitty) trip to CT. His name is Harper and he is a beautiful Red Heeler!

Who is headed east, you ask? That would be Holly, Bentley, Deuce, Domino, Annabelle and Malia.

We blast off at 5 AM, tomorrow. Wish us safe passage!!

Amma

"It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us

to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know of wonder and humility."

Rachel Carson

********

This was reported to me as a "true story." This senior beagle's person came home and found him on the sofa with a new friend. They were both using the dog door.

I hope it's true. Cuz it gives me hope!

Amma

"Do your best and then relax.

Let things go on in a natural way, rather than force them."

Paramahansa Yogananda

******

So yesterday was my second weigh in at Weight Watchers. I lost 2.4 pounds this past week. Not bad, considering that I am really just getting into the swing of things with this diet. And I stepped into a few pitfalls last week.

I am also wanting to increase my daily exercise routine.... which is kinda difficult since I cannot get outdoors to walk the dogs. The sidewalks are just too icy! I am managing to get to the health club four times a week, though. And I counted snow shoveling as one of my workouts last week..... for a grand total of five.

This week I am going to have to "do my best and relax" as the yogi says. Because I will be traveling from Friday through Monday. Lucky for me (or perhaps more a result of good planning) both of my hotels have pools and workout rooms.

Oh yes... AND.... on Saturday I have a full day of yoga with Krishna Das. Not the kind of yoga that burns calories.... but still, the kind that centers the heart and gets the juices flowing through song.

Amma

PS. This is beautiful Annabelle. She will be going home on Friday.