Thunder Squares

If you could sit along side me right now, you’d be experiencing one of the most insane lightning storms you’ve ever seen or heard in your life. The strikes are so close, you can feel the hair on your arms twitch a bit and rise with static electricity. I had forgotten how beautifully Gothic these summer storms can be. Every year from late May to early August, we get these intense, and I do mean INTENSE lightning storms every day at promptly around 5pm. Cold air from the Atlantic meets warm air from the Gulf of Mexico smack on top of Central Florida producing these symphonic and dramatic screams of thunder, these brilliant slits of electric strikes slicing the air….This is the lightning capitol of America. And you can nearly set your watch by the thunderstorms. They are violent, aggressive…but, when its all over, so goes the heat….the air is cool and icy.

It brings something out in me. Something akin to remembering that often mother nature strikes hard to make things happen. I mean, think of it, if we didn’t have these daily thunderstorms, this place wouldn’t be so pretty and green all year round. Sometimes the lightning will start fires….and again, mother nature comes along to burn up and strip out whats dead to allow new things to come forth. I love these storms. And while the storm is out trembling the weak hearted, frightening  some people,  Mario and I? Mario is sprawled on my bed enjoying the cool, wet breeze, and I’m sewing up an afghan. Yeah, don’t laugh, but that’s my bed: a simple mattress on the floor…with a loyal black cat gone “SPLAT” right on the edge of it

For the better part of the year, I’ve been using these scrap pieces of yarn from Lionbrand’s Amazing collection to work up an afghan. And I’m almost hours away. Now, this isn’t something I’ve worked on daily, this is one of those things were I was waiting to get my supplies for teddy bears, had a spare few minutes and would do a round of granny squares. For the last few weeks, Kara would come over and visit and put an edging of purple on my squares, and weave in the ends, while I was working up teddy bears. Today? Today we finished all the blocking and layout, taking this photograph to show which squares would go where. So, that’s my evening. I thought I would go ahead and put it up for sale, for when I put up something that’s one of a kind, it goes INSANELY fast.

Now, my bed is a full size mattress on the floor, and once I finish sewing this piece (just a few hours from now), it looks like it will cover the face of a full size bed. It has this remarkably interesting vintage look to it, and since I used the pieces from Amazing, there really is no pattern, and therefore, can never ever be reproduced again. This is a one in a lifetime. So, I’d like to go ahead and put it up for a home. This requires a special person to buy it, I mean, with these colors, these lush and plush purples and greens with hints of turquoise and rust, and this sort of retro feel, this blanket belongs to JUST the right person and I thought I’d go ahead and seek that lovely one out right now. After all, the funds will help immensely, and will allow me another leg up on rent for next month, more supplies for teddy bears, and greater deeper peace of mind. Click here if you’d like it, OH! and if you think the price isn’t appropriate, let me know! I’ll adjust.

Don’t need a crazy retro afghan? Then you can always order a teddy bear to help out. And EVERY bit helps.

Let Me Tell You About My Sausage…

So, being the financially distressed man I am, I’m always looking for ways to save a penny, or even better, a dollar. Obviously one of the best ways when it comes to food is buying things when they’re “Buy One Get One Free” or coupon clipping. Now, the Sunday paper is madness to me. Its $3. I’d rather spend the $3 on a meal rather than spend it on the paper hoping the coupons aren’t ALL for shampoo. (I shave my head, you know). HOWEVER! I learned recently that the SPANISH version of the Sunday, albeit MUCH smaller and more condensed, still has the same Sunday coupons in it….and its FREE!!!! YAY! So, I grabbed one last Sunday and there were TONS of lovely coupons in it. Most notably, a coupon for $1 off Johnsonville Sausage. Now, I’m not a REALLY big meat eater and its for only one reason: meat can be pricey. When it comes to requiring proteins, eggs and beans can do the trick at a fraction of the cost. So, I generally lean towards vegetarian because its cost effective, not for any moral or ethical reason. (Not yet, but that does seem to be changing more….I’ll talk about that later). SO! While many people have Meatless Monday, I enjoy MEATY Monday, and throw in an extravagance of meat into my one meal a week. This week? I’ve got one stellar coupon for sausage.

At Publix, said sausage was on sale for 2 for $5, making the $2.50 a piece and with  my coupon my weekly bit of meat was going to be $1.50. I was like a kid in a candy store. Yay! Now, when I got to the register, my sausage rang up 2 for $6. “Pardon me, ma’am, but I think the sign said 2 for $5.” She and I walked on over, she saw the sign and said, “I believe you’re right.” Now, I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but Publix has a strict policy. If the price listed doesn’t ring up correctly, either over or under regardless, you get it for free.

I’m enjoying my 6 links of free sausage Sorry to boast on my blog about free sausage, but don’t you love when good things like that happen? I smiled for most of the day, truly did.

Then Kara come round to spend some time with me as I sit here knitting and knitting and knitting and getting orders out. She’s offered to help stuffing or sewing, but I just can’t let my bears into someone else’s hands. No matter who it is. And you know how much Kara means to me, but I just couldn’t These bears begin and end with my touch. And that touch means something. You can feel it  in the bear, you can see it in his face. He wasn’t mass produced and assembled by 5 people. He was worked up, knit up, born from the fingers of one little man yearning for something better in his life.

So, Kara worked on this granny square afghan I’ve had tucked in a bag for about a year now. I work on it for a few minutes here and there with scrap pieces of leftover yarn, but my focus is on my teddy bears, so I don’t deal with the afghan too much. While Kara works on that, and I on the teddy bears, we have some of the best talks. Sometimes we gossip like catty girls, sometimes we delve into politics (one of us is a socialist, the other is a capitalist-I’ll let YOU figure out who is who ). Today we spilled into religion, and don’t ask me why, but good conversation happens that way. It HAPPENS.

We were talking about man being created in the “image” of God, and I thought, “I could be wrong, but I feel its ‘likeness.’” And from there we had this great concept rolling about how man wasn’t created with 2 arms and legs and eyes and such in the form of a human as an image, but as a LIKENESS, man was created as a creator, to be a creator of life, a pro-creator. As God created Man, so man CREATES life. If man was created in God’s “likeness” then it would be as a creator replicating the GREAT CREATOR Himself by giving life, producing life, CREATING life. Interesting. And we talked about the idea of how truly solid the 10 commandments were when you think about it. And how it kinda hands over to this discussion. “Thou Shalt Not Kill.” It doesn’t say, “Thou Shalt Not Murder.” Or “Thou Shalt Not Take Another  Life.” It says simply, “Thou Shalt Not Kill.” Period. No debate, no discussion. I created you in my likeness to GIVE life, not take it.

Life is in YOUR hands, Mankind. You leave Death to me.

And as we had this talk, I thought, “you know….this just might be my last Meaty Monday.” I just don’t know how I feel about people who say, though, I only eat this and I only eat that. When you’re hungry, you’ll eat anything, and I DO mean anything. I once had to a can of Vienna Sausages that was 2 years expired because I was hungry. And yes, I paid for it later. So, I’m debating in my head the idea of strict vegetarianism, for myself. I dunno. I don’t like food pretentiousness. I don’t like it when people get high and mighty about wanting to help feed the poor, but then make selective decisions that seem pompous. “I’m Gluten Free….so, by all means give my wheat to the poor.” It just rubs me wrong sometimes. But, I felt my free sausage was a much loved blessing. So…..ah, bah! I just want to be a good man. That’s all…I want to do what is right by all things alive. Not for my own selfish sustenance. So, maybe my one meal of meat a week will slowly fade out. “Thou Shalt Not Kill…..” No exceptions.

Funny how a day of free sausage and knitting can lead you to change your beliefs all in one sitting. Too funny….As if God was saying, “Here, Gregory. I want you to have this on me….now, really REALLY think about what it means to have it.”

My friend Robin sent me this lovely pic of her newly adopted teddy bear. Couldn’t get enough of how nicely held he was. So, I thought I’d share it with you. I REALLY REALLY want more of these pics. Please send them! This little guy is proudly residing in Virginia. Apparently, he’s sitting on a table as I write this blog, overseeing the building of some cabinets with moral support. Love it!!!

 

 

 

The Well Traveled Bear

So, let’s start with the quick bits. I want to wish all of my internet Mamas a belated Mother’s Day. There are so many of you that off the top of my head I come up with names and names and names and if I gave all of you a shout out, I’d run out of space I wouldn’t achieve anything, emotionally, spiritually, nor physically without all of  you and your support. Your concern, your care, the genuine feeling of comfort you show me is always the first thing I think of in the day. You make me feel like a special man, like a blessed man. For, if all things in life were to suddenly be mounted as awards and accolades, I’d have an overabundance of love. Now, I had a quick conversation with someone who told me that you could never have an overabundance of love, and all I could respond with was, “Well, of course you can. You just have to be mindful to pass on the love that spills over….” So, my gift to all of my internet Mamas is to pass on all the love that you show me in any way, in any form that I can. Thank you, ladies. Thank you for everything you’ve given me.

Now, I love getting pics of my bears when they get to their new homes. I LOVE seeing them clutched and held and squeezed. And I love when they make their way to wonderful places like Australia, Switzerland, England….and now, back to Berlin. As some of you read in my book, “Mad Man Knitting-or-The Waiter and the Fly,” I went to high school in Berlin. So, it was so great to see this lovely little bear I made for Amanda make its way around the city. Brought back such wonderful memories of me being a ridiculous youth exploring and enjoying life in one of the most fascinating cities every to have had boundaries. So, I wanna see more! I wanna see your bear on tour! I wanna see him at your local grocery store! At your kid’s soccer game! I wanna see your bear in your city. I wanna see him mindfully experiencing the great things your city has to offer. No matter how small or grand. Your little town has the most famous BBQ joint? I’d love to see a pic of him outside the restaurant, waiting to mow down on pulled pork and ribs, baked beans and potato salad (I’m obviously craving BBQ). Live in Manhattan? Let’s see him at your favorite deli!

I wanna do a series of blogs about YOUR bears. I wanna do this WONDERFUL series of pieces about this skinny little man in a 10 by 20 studio knitting teddy bears that go all over the world, and the places they’ve gone, and they places they’ve been, the homes they now live in, the people’s lives they now touch. We’ll all get to see the vastness of the world, but the close connection between each of us, with simple photos of teddy bears in our daily humdrum.

So, I’m starting with these two pics. One is of Amanda and her bear in Berlin. LOVE IT! And the other is of my friend Timothy Richards, whose bear arrived on just the right day. You see, his friend was feeling rough, beat up a little, and as he opened the box, his friend was delighted to see the bear, fell in love. And out of good instinct, and kindness, Timothy gave the bear to her promptly and told her she should have it, snapped a pic and sent it to me. Looks like that little bear made her day just perfectly special and real. I love the clutching, the squeeze, the story….

And by all means, don’t have your own bear? Then click here.

 

When You Feel Your Life’s Too Hard…

So, I’m set for the rest of the month. My landlord was polite and kind and offered to come for a visit and maybe a glass of wine soon….but with the stern reminder, “Don’t be late next month.” And the best you can do is bow your head, take the lashing you deserve and say, “It won’t happen again.” I felt like a fool, an idiot, a disappointment. I felt embarrassed. But, that propels you, doesn’t it? Fight harder, work harder, knit more. Focus more….But how?

Kara has been helping me figure out how to do the big turn around. Different things to do with these bears, or this talent. And great emails and suggestions have been pouring in about other options that might present themselves. Live appearances, teaching classes, make myself more accessible. All valid. All wonderfully right, and on target. So, I’m pursuing concepts and ideas that had eluded me, but thanks to you and your suggestions, I have something more of a clean path. No thickets, just a path to follow.

But, the best part of this has been the last day or two. Life tosses brilliance disguised in sadness often, if you’re not paying attention. Do you remember my discussing Medina’s, the Cuban grocer just here at the corner from where I live? For my simple $4.50 I could get this massively huge and delicious Cuban sandwich that was at LEAST two meals made of home roasted pork and fresh baked bread. I was walking by on Wednesday and saw signs in the window: “Retirement Sale. 30% off everything.”

I dashed in and asked the lovely woman who owns it, “Are you leaving?”

In this beautifully thick, and wonderfully hard to understand accent she said, “Yes! You know, I’m tired. I’m getting old. I’m 77 and we’ve been here 43 years. I’ll miss you customers. This I will miss the most. Seeing the people everyday who come here with their mother and father, and now they are mothers and fathers and bring their babies with them. This is the hard part of leaving.”

“Well, when are you closing down?”

“When everything has been sold. Maybe a week? Maybe two?”

Nope. Didn’t take that long. Today, two days later, big sign on the front door: “Last day!” And sure enough, not much was left. I, however was able to snag cans and cans and bags and bags of beans for pennies on the dollar. I have a fully stocked pantry of beans and rice. All for a simple $4.12.

….and so goes quietly a grand tradition, a landmark, a well known and loved establishment that sat timidly in the corner of history….sadness? Yes, but brilliance blooming forth. It was at HER decision. She’s simply tired. I’m sad to see her go, but its simply for selfish reasons, you know. After 43 years, she’s entitled to say, “I’m a little tired and ready to rest.” God Bless her.

And on another note. Rufus the Beagle, if you’ve been paying attention to that story, was sent home to his family yesterday. He’s back home. The powers that be, officially said “the wound on the child wasn’t serious enough to warrant the term ‘serious.’” But, like I said in a previous post, once this got into the hands of elected officials, I felt Rufus would be safe. No one running for office wants to be pegged as the puppy killer.

I cried my eyes out when I heard. It was a sad situation that didn’t need to escalate to such an extreme degree, but the brilliance? Many of us in this city, and elsewhere, are now much more knowledgeable of these insane rules and laws that seem to appear just when you least expect them. Another brilliance? We’re learning more and more about other dogs who are also in the same situation all over the country. Dog lays down by boy to cuddle, bruises boy, animal control comes along and snags dog to put down for being a danger to human survival.

So, to anyone who helped sign the petition, thank you. We, little us, we, saved a life. And to be frank? Never forget, it doesn’t take very much to save a life. It only takes YOU, and your concern. And if Rufus isn’t testament to that, then I am. YOU all saved me.

And finally? While knitting up some orders, I’ve been avoiding the internet. Sometimes the news is good, sometimes not. But, its a distraction sometimes, so I just felt it best to sit alone with the needles, and bring these bears to life. For that’s what I do. I bring teddy bears to life.

Now, my taste in music runs all over the place. Anything from Siouxsie and the Banshees, to Diamanda Galas, to Johnny Cash, to Lisa Gerrard, to Portishead. I’m all over the place. I’ve been listening to the radio while I work, sometimes talk, sometimes music, and sometimes one of the best stations to hear just as background madness is WMMO. A touch of old 70′s Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, you know the sort. Well, as I was knitting today, I heard one of my favorites, that gave pause for thought. A moment where I was reminded of how these troubles of mine should readily be corrected, how they are OFTEN fixed, of how it only takes one simple, frail, intimate moment of quiet to talk with God to get the answers, and to eliminate doubt and pondering. So, I thought I’d share it with you.

How do you solve your problems? You have a talk with God….of course.

 

Faith and The Greater Good II

Its just a touch after midnight. You’ve all read about my infamous inability to sleep. Today was a touch different. I got about 3 hours last night trying to push out some orders, get some work done, and stay on track. But, I derailed this morning, pushed myself into something of a corner. I was a bit like a zombie. Glossy eyed and staring at the needles as I worked SLOWLY, much slower than usual.

I’ve had some stress lately. I still haven’t made my rent. Sales this last month were dreadful. That coupled with the lack of sleep has just made me, well….to be simple and blunt: a little scared. So, I set the needles down for a while today, and lit a candle. I have a prayer candle I picked up over at the Cuban grocer’s just for this sort of thing. It’s a candle of the the Miraculous Mother, Maria Milagrosa, The Virgin Mary. I’m not a Catholic, but I don’t think that sort of thing should matter when it comes to prayer, nor to faith. The prayer on the back has this one idea, this one moment of meditation that I was clinging to a lot today. “…let us obtain purity of heart, so that every word, deed, and thought leads us to the greater good.”

I worked upon that in my heart today. Kara was here earlier and we had a discussion about my little teddy bear business, and she, like others have said, “You’re having money problems because you’re not charging enough.” And I have been so resistant to that idea for so long. To begin with, I want everyone to be able to have one of my little bears. I don’t want them exclusive and expensive so that only a select could have one. I, in my heart, can’t bring myself to charge any more for them. Smiles should be priceless. Hope should come at no cost. Blessings should be free.

I knit up my little bears and send them on to lives and loves knowing that the moment the box is opened, that first glance, that first hug, brings me back to that greater good. And that has to be the mission, that has to always be the approach to everything in life, not just with my teddy bears. And this is what these bears have taught me, each and every one knit up and born from these long, cramped fingers: that the lives affected, the lives touched, the joy and the smiles brought on by the clutching of one of these bears brings me closer to the greater good; that with some purity of heart my talents and my skills, and the thought of you as I make them, the thought of who will receive them and why, and these words that you read to remind you that I am still always thinking of you, brings me closer to the greater good.

So, if I be a poor man, then forgive me. Some things in this track of life do not require a heavy bank account. If I can maintain my simple little life of yarn, books bought at Goodwill for a quarter, and a 10 by 20 studio to call my home, then I’m ok with that. As long as Mario and I eat and get to stay together, then we are content when we rest in my bed at the end of the day. And as long as I get to use these hands and this hopeful heart to continue sending smiles into the world, hugged greatly before bed time by little ones who will never feel alone, then I am a very wealthy man.

I can’t bring myself to charge more for these bears. I just can’t.

I’m going to try and get a touch of sleep in now. Going to curl up with little Mari …..and pray that this all works out for the greater good.

I appreciate all of the help over the last day, and all of the words of encouragement and support, however, I still have a long way to go to get all of my funds for rent together, so I’ve had to put the donate button back up. Thank you all again for all the wonderful kindness you show me.

Gregory

You Can Learn Alot From a Duck

I was rushing about a few days ago. Diving into doorways, bus stops, dashing through the rain to get my supplies. I had to be quick, had to make it up to the plaza to Hobby Lobby and Staples then back home again before the next round of rain storms started. It has rained here for DAYS. This tropical system off the Gulf of Mexico has just been sitting there, swirling, churning up water, then dropping it on top of Central Florida for 4 days now. But, nonetheless, I needed supplies, yarn, boxes, so I made a mad dash towards the plaza the first moment the rain ceased.

In the walk there (maybe a mile?) I could see the brooding grey skies, could hear the rumble of thunder off in the distance and sped my pace. In an out of Hobby Lobby, done. I was focused, busy, quick, no chit chat, no down time. Gotta get home before I get drenched. In and out of Staples……sort of.

The  minute I walked out of Staples I noticed a handful of people with cameras pointed my way, dead on me, straight at me. I looked straight down at my feet to see this mother duck walking by with her swarm of little ducklings slowly walk by. With their little military marching, I could only stop and stare. The little ones trustingly followed momma duck across the sidewalk, under cars, and across the park lot. The same handful of people taking pictures and videos with their phones would stop traffic, block cars, and point out to mindless people texting that they were about to step on a flock of baby ducks, as the tiny little ones did their best to get to a nearby lake.

And I learned a little something. You can never EVER be sure when the miracle of life, nor the magnificence of nature, nor the very reminder of existence can randomly show itself. I watched the little ducklings march on through, as this parking lot came to a standstill, as all these gracious people were feeling what I was at the moment: just another simple day of nothing special was filled with more brilliance than you can ever imagine, over something as kindly simple as a flock of ducklings.

I walked home SLOWLY, reminding myself that its only rain. My supplies were tucked in tons of plastic bags so they were safe….I have the tendency to sit and knit with head down, so focused on the task at hand, that I’m not looking up, and out, and observing the world around me enough. I need to start going to the park to knit, to a coffee house, I need to be more mindful of the precious gifts of random beauty and simplicity that can get easily overlooked by just being in a self absorbed rush.

Holly sent me this pic of her little one squeezing his bear. This is why I do this, remember? The big smiles on small faces is always the reason I do this. Its something as simple as a teddy bear, but means so much more….So much more….I mean look at that squeeze! Look at how much love he has for his new friend.  Brings a touch of a tear to my eyes.

I still have no shipping on my bears, at least through the rest of today and tomorrow, still trying to finish getting rent together, so if you’d like to adopt one of my little bears, click here to adopt one.

And don’t forget to smile at the simple preciousness that exists all around you.

 

OUR Story, One Bear at a Time.

First, let’s do a quick update on Rufus. As of yesterday, the news was reporting that Rufus has an attorney, is being allowed a hearing, and that the Orange County Mayor Theresa Jacobs has ordered her staff to take excellent care of Rufus until then.  A hearing date hasn’t been set yet, but I think this is exceptional. To begin with, Theresa Jacobs has been around Central Florida politics forever. FOREVER. She’s a very no nonsense, but compassionate woman. She’s fair. Pure and simple…. AND, she recognizes this one little itty bitty bit of truth when it comes to a situation like this: no elected official wants to be pegged as “the puppy killer.” Hopefully, this will all be laid to rest quite soon, Rufus can go home, and Animal Control can get to hiring a new spokesperson. They’ve been upset at the public lashing they’ve been getting about all this. And all I can think is, if you were a privatized company, Diane Summers would have been long fired, you would have handed the dog back, and you’d be kisses everyone’s ass for having handled this so poorly, fearful you’d lose money and run out of business. But, since you’re a government agency……..urgh.

I’m fascinated though, by how this story of a puppy has connected so many people with hope and optimism. And yes, anger. There is some anger, but our anger comes from the loss of hope, loss of optimism.  We get angry because we felt, we HOPED, the world was a much better place…..

….but optimism reminds us in times where life is soured, that the world still IS a grand and spectacular gift.

Its wild the feedback I get about my bears, the stories I learn about the people these little darlings are destined for. I received an email from a woman that lost her baby through miscarriage, but she remains  exuberant and hopeful that she will be pregnant again, optimistic that next time she’ll finally have her darling little one, and that the teddy bear she got from me is a gift for her unborn precious, hoping to have it waiting in the nursery….

I sank in my chair, wilted a little, and thought about the other stories I’ve heard.

The teddy that was sent to the little girl whose been in the hospital for months with intestinal issues. A chronic problem since she was born. The teddy that keeps a lonely woman company. The one that watches out over an ailing mother as she drives herself around town-the little bear tucked in the back window. Or, the teddy going off to England soon to a grandmother, eyesight ailing, as a gesture of a hug when needed. And then simpler, equally adorable moments. The bear that was sent to the Japanese woman in Texas whose love for Ryuichi Sakamato mirrors my own. The bear made for a long trip to Australia, just to accompany a loved grandson back to England.  The bear, whose buyer said specifically, “I don’t care what color it is, just as long as it has a pink mohawk.” And the bear that was simply to be a companion to an old friend.

My first and still most popular teddy bear is “The Teddy That Saved Me,” because its true. That little bear helped me first feed myself, then kept me from being homeless, then afforded me a possibility for my own future. That was MY story. But, I can’t help but think of all the faces, all the smiles, and all the glimmering eyes that have their own stories to tell….that have hope.

So, in light of that I’d like to say, I hear your story, as you’ve read my own, and realize with absolute clarity, this whole teddy bear connection has made it OUR story:  genuine, heartfelt tale of how a little guy with a hopeful smile is bringing the world closer together one bear at a time.

….or one little puppy that brought us all together in some way to remind us that hope has urgency, requires prayer, but demands action.

I’ve dropped the shipping on my teddy bears, so I can go ahead and get rent taken care of. Actually, believe it or not, just 12 bears and my rent is set. (You know I live meagerly, thankfully, and don’t require much). If you’d like to adopt one, click here.

Thanks everyone. Thank you all for being part of the story.

Save Rufus From This Bitch

This is the kinda crap that sets me reeling. This is the sort of thing that aggravates me to no end. Not the incident itself, nor even the moment itself, but the unapologetic, inhuman approach this BITCH has taken towards the end of a life. Not only do I want Rufus saved and sent back home, I want that woman FIRED. I want her OUT of the animal control business. I want her pretty blond insincerity tossed out, kicked out and given a swift kick in the ass for being so CRUEL to a living animal.

I heard about this earlier today and thought, something must be wrong, something about the story must be missing. But, no. There it is, simple and concise. Boy scares his own puppy. Puppy bites boy. Boy gets stitches. Hospital makes a report to animal control. Puppy taken away to death row for being aggressive. You see? This is the whole bull shittery that tends to just….DAMMIT….to just throw my own politeness and sense of kindness out the window and want to STRANGLE someone. The mother never filed a report, but a State statute says that when a person is bit by a dog the hospital interferes….the hospital reports it….The GOVERNMENT intervenes.

The puppy’s name is RUFUS. The bitch’s name is Dianne Summer. Here is her contact info.

Diane.Summers@ocfl.net

WE WILL SAVE THIS DOG. And not just that, but we WILL have her removed from her position. Effective immediately. And where the hell is PETA? Oh yeah…busy buying stock in Sea World so they can free Willy. No, THIS is the campaign that requires any animal lover’s attention. Not the preservation and care and feeding of an animal in captivity, but the unneccessary, inhuman, callous dismissal of a harmless little beagle because of some…..some BITCH’S inability to have the good sense God gave the shit Rufus poops to know she’s evil if she goes through with this. She has to protect her job by following the rules, by following the state statutes. By trying to remind people she is VALID. Bullshit. Sit down, take stock of your dumb stand on this, send the dog home.

There is a facebook page devoted to saving Rufus.

And here is the news report you can view in video to see more of the story yourself. I know this isn’t the best, nor most eloquent blog I’ve written, but I can either sit here and bawl my eyes out over this little beagle, or I can fight to see everyone EVERYONE I know gets that little dog back home. And I think you’ve all been able to read by now, I’m a fighter….and I don’t give up.

Save Rufus….and FIRE the bitch.

The Soldier’s Bear Returns

It makes me sad that only 6 of these little guys went out into the world. So, I’m making it my mission today to get the word out on this one. This one means a lot to me. If you didn’t get to read the post about The Soldier’s Bear Left Behind, you truly should scroll down and take a look. This is a cause, a moment, a vision that means something deeper to me. This bear gives me some sense of purpose. Ok, all of my bears do bring me some sense of actuallness, and validation, but this particular one truly gives me a clear sight into the heart of pain and anxiousness….into the arms of someone who yearns for their loved one to return.

I’m not charging shipping for this one. And I’m hoping, so hoping that he gets into the arms as of many people as possible.  So let’s get at least 2 or 3 of him out today, to someone you know with service member overseas, to remind them that their brave soldier will return, and that in the meantime, the plush cushion of this bear’s hug will keep you focused on their safety and return.

I think we can get 2 adopted today, don’t you?

Click here to adopt him.

When Tears Come, Teddy Bears Come to the Rescue

Before I say anything, anything at all I want to address the bombings in Boston. Mainly, that I don’t wish to say anything about the bombings. There are some moments in your presence that simply require some personal reflection, and personal soul searching that should not be broadcast in opinion. I feel terrible about it. I feel terrible, horrible, and sickened by it. But, for my own sense of grieving, and acceptance, I often prefer to close the door, spend some time in silence, and allow the moment to be born out of prayer and thought into something more heartfelt. Yes, we know evil exists. Obviously, the bombings are another testament to that…..but, we have to remember, MUST remember, that goodness does exist. Goodness DOES exist…..as was seen in the instant and quick response by common stranger to help common stranger, not as Americans, not as fellow runners, but as humans. And I’d rather have that thought surface more often than the visuals of the actual carnage again and again. I’d rather remember in my heart that sadly some one or some few managed to cause such pain and suffering, but that hundreds came to the immediate rescue, thousands rushed to the scene to offer assistance in blood donations and housing, and millions have shed tears, offered over sympathy. THAT is what we cannot forget. There is much more good than evil. I promise you.

And that’s all I wish to say on that.

This little bear is the one I want to push for the next two weeks. I like the idea of the wide eyed with wonder youthfulness that calls close the promise of innocence. “I want to see the world, I want to see how great it is.” Not the summation of “See? I’ve seen the world…and how wretched it is.” I want to put peace and contentment into my work, as you all know.

Just click on his pic and see him fill your screen with eyes that are filled with the wonder of what the world has to offer…..rather than what the world takes away.

And I’m pushing ahead with each little bear I make to remind myself, and to anyone else who holds these stitched up little dears that tears do come, they do. Tears do often make a claim to our days, but hope, HOPE rules. Goodness always wins.When tears come, teddy bears come to the rescue.

If you wish to adopt him click here.