Weekend Thoughts

It is that time of year, as earth enters it's winter rest period in the northern hemisphere, days grow shorter and we tend to become more reflective.

I have been thinking about those who have lost their jobs, especially this week, and there have been many. Six hundred at Yahoo in California bringing the total Yahoo job cuts to almost 4000 (25% of their US workers), 4,400 at TJX which owns TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods. Add the 1700 who were fired by telephone conference call from Sanofi-Aventis, maker of Ambien and there is a lot of sadness and anxiety.

I have been thinking about those who have lost their homes and those children who Santa may not visit this year. The mother who told her child Santa had to let people go at the North Pole this year broke my heart.

Most of all I have been thinking about the thousands of animals, pet dogs and cats, even horses who if they were very lucky landed in a no kill shelter. Many were simply abandoned, left to fend for themselves, slowly starving to death, lots more have been euthanized.

A friend recently found a Persian cat in terrible shape, almost dead, she was neutered and declawed, at some point in time she had been a pampered indoor cat. Without claws she had no way to defend herself, climb a tree to escape a dog or hold onto a mouse or bird if she had been lucky enough to catch one. That cat now has a home. Many others don't, but you can help, without spending one single cent.

On the right is a link to the Animal Rescue Site. Sponsors who advertise on that site hoping that you will buy something, pay the site for clicks, one each day per IPN. They also pay a percentage of sales. I bought a sweatshirt very reasonably priced and feel good that 'my present to me' is also benefiting a shelter or spay neuter clinic, maybe a vaccination program.

The Animal Rescue Site makes grants from that income to a variety of shelters and animal welfare organizations. Click here to see which group/s benefit in your state. Further down the page, charts show daily and monthly results from your clicks on the "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button.

You can add a "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button to your blog, find the code here. I hope that you will take the time to develop the habit of clicking on that button every day, and also be moved to tell others about the program,

and

Y'all come back!