Down to Just One Cat! Now what?

Yes. It is true. All of Cleo's babies have been placed! Now... there is only Cleo. In the past two weeks... we sent home Clarice, Chloey, Carl, and Clarence. All of Luna's babies also went home... from another foster home I help manage. Now that foster mom has only Luna. We will likely enroll the two mamas in the Complete Pet Mart program and.... you now what that means..... WE'LL HAVE ROOM AT THE INN!

Not to worry, though. Our kitty condos won't set empty for long. I have already committed to Char, Tally, Ursula, Izzy and Ritzy. The other foster mom I am working with will be getting a new mama cat named Nancy, and her four tiny newborns.

The big transport is set for May 1st! For now... I get a feline reprieve.

Sort of.

Amma

The She-Daisy Shih-Doxies Are Here!

We did a rescue yesterday. From the home of another "rescuer" who had become, essentially, a (casual breeder) and hoarder.

It's a difficult line to demarcate. I have found that one needs to set very strict upper end limits on the number of fosters one takes in. My limit here is ten. At any given time, I can handle ten dogs and cats, besides my own. And... that's exactly where I am at. Haha! Am I "handling it?" Well, things could be better. We have been up since 3 AM. This is a barky little group.... but not because they are bad pups. More because they lack socialization. The home where they were born had 25 Shih-Tzus in it! Yikes!! How could any "foster mom" socialize 25 dogs at once? See what I mean??

Anyways.... the Shih-Doxies are here. We named them after the She-Daisy band: Kassidy, Kristyn, Kelsi and Osborn. They are cute as buttons. And I now they have a lot of potential to be great pets.... once they have all their vet care and get over the barking. They are only 5 months old... so there's time. Oh yeah, and I met their mom and dad. Dad is the cutest little 8 # miniature Doxie you could ever want to see! Mom looks like a brillo-pad.

We are hoping they will all find homes by Mother's Day!

Amma

Wearing a Pedometer Now

This is something new Weight Watchers is encouraging. And they even have a pedometer out that specially calculates "points." So... you now exactly how much more you can eat after you walk or jog or whatever.

On Friday I bought my ped and wore it from noon til nine. I logged 3.5 miles.

On Saturday I wore it all day and logged 6.6 miles.

I had originally set my goal as 10 miles per week (plus swimming, which can't be pedded.) But... I am bumping it to 20 miles now. Cuz.... I am a pretty active person, so it turns out, and the weather is currently GREAT for walking dogs!

Some additional good news is... I am likely to be visiting the two top walking cities this summer: walking.about.com/od/walkab...ty2009.htm That would be

1) San Francisco
2) Boston

One of the things I am considering is a 5K in the fall. Any suggestions for a good one? Not too far from Cincy??

Amma

PS. This is Char. I am rescuing her May 1st.... and her daughter, Tally, will be with her I think. They are both getting vet care and grooming now. Lion cuts for summer!! (The shelter tells me they are a matted bunch of fleas.)

Some Parents Have a Right to be Proud

This little girl's Mom and Dad are two of them.

Go Meghan!!

www.gaypolitics.com/2009/04/...ace-gays/

I apologize to the people on this forum who are the same age as Meghan. I do not mean "little girl" as an insult. It's just that I like to follow the lives of the children of famous pols. Brave parents, who dare to raise outspoken ... and WELL SPOKEN ... kids are among my favorite folk in the world!

Amma

The Susan Boyle Phenomena: What it says about our culture.

Per Dr. Violet Socks:

thenewagenda.net/2009/04/1...henomenon/

"Well, I’m going to take a wild swing here and say that it means our civilization is shallow and superficial and crap. It’s also sexist. Abrams asks, “when did looks and age become the bar by which we are each judged?” which of course is a rhetorical question, unless Abrams has just arrived here as an exchange student from the Andromeda Galaxy. Looks and age have always been the bar by which women are judged, at least in male-dominated societies. The only thing that’s changed in my lifetime is that the bar has gotten higher. The pornification of our culture means that we are surrounded by a nonstop effluvient of plasticized fembot imagery, beside which any normal human being looks like Gollum. No wonder real live women are having their parts changed out for artificial bits; they’re just trying to look more like what’s on the Spice Channel."

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

I, too, hope Ms. Boyle sells a million CDs. When I saw her sing... I was reminded of this fabulous artist : www.mauraoconnell.com/ , who refers to herself as "just a singer."

I saw Ms. O'Connell live once. I can assure you. She is far more than "just a singer."

I am sure Susan Boyle is as well.

Here is a blessing from Ms. O'Connell, to Ms. Boyle.... through me:

www.youtube.com/watch

Amma

And Now, a word from Susan B. Anthony, my namesake and hero:

"I have worked 40 years to make the W.S. platform broad enough for Atheists and Agnostics to stand upon, and now if need be I will fight the next 40 to keep it Catholic enough to permit the straightest Orthodox religionist to speak or pray and count her beads upon."

That Susan B. sure cuts through the cr**...

Just sayin'.

Amma

Image Credit: people.tribe.net/khrysso/p...86b65b9290

The Table is Set (by Ama, on tax day 2009)

The table is set
the parties begin
but what about folks,
who have always been ...

Pro-tax and pro-health
pro-child and pro-care
pro-whatever helps
the poor and unfair -

ly treated members
of our great state
Where do we fit into
this new found tax hate?

I've had it with bail-outs
I've had it with spin
I'll be home in my parlor
tottling my gin.

Now This is Rich

A panel of six men discussing the 2008 election.

Howard Dean calls out the sexism:

www.youtube.com/watch

Little too late, Howie. But thanks for the sentiment.

Amma

Hallelujah!

I mean, really ... HALLELUJAH!

Captain Phillips is coming home:

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/piracy

How Few Issues Are "Black and White"

I was thinking about the Biden/ PETA conversation. I'm having it on Tribe. And on another ... more politically oriented board... as well. Strange the kinds of responses I am getting over there. In defense of PETA. Like this link to PETA's press releases:

blog.peta.org/archives/vice_president/

It looks good enough, to begin with. Until you drift downward... to the one that equates all breeders with puppy millers.

Then there is my own response to the person who is defending PETA:

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

Thanks for this link.

I will continue to follow the matter.

But, just remember... "breeder" does not equal "puppy mill." There are reputable breeders and I have met them.

I do not know exactly who the Bidens purchased Champ from.... and I expressed concern at the outset that it may be a Mill, because PA has many of them. But, I'd have to see the space to determine that. And, from the reports I am reading ... it was not a Mill.

Let me be clear... I think pets should come from rescues. Or pounds (if the adopting family can handle the transition themselves.) But... there are legitimate reasons why folks want "purebred" dogs. And not all of them are irresponsible or careless. It is not immoral for BorderCollies to herd, or for German Shepherds to lead the blind. It is not wrong for Bloodhounds to do search and rescue. These are not jobs that just any dog can do.

I fear that PETA is harming the relationships that rescuers (like me) seek to have with reputable breeders. Soon, "Rescue" will be synonymous with "rabid nutcase." And that's a real shame.

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

It occurs to me that there are people who have never actually seen working dogs. And, not having seen them.... they may be unaware of what such work entails. Or how critical it is to the smooth running of a farm, for instance. Or to search and rescue. The "black and white" thinking I see with some PETA supporters is marked by a kind of ignorance.

What do you think? Am I off base? Is it immoral to breed working dogs?

Amma