A Bit Concerned

I moved to Central Florida about 6 months ago. It seems almost weekly since I moved I hear another sad story about a child abused, abducted or killed. I know this occurs all over but I hear a different story almost every day. My brother came to visit me from VA a few weeks ago. He is thinking of moving to FL and was researching the crime in this big city. Being from a small town, we are not really used to having crime issues. So he did research and watched the news. He made a statement several weeks ago that has stuck with me all this time. "It seems like you'll be OK in FL if you aren't a little kid. Why do they mess with kids all the time down here?!" How sad yet true. Little girls can't walk to the school bus without an attempted rape or abduction. And then there is the Caylee Anthony story. Now there is another little 5 year old girl missing. Is this happening so frequently only in FL? Or does it happen this often all over? Again, I'm from a small town so I know it didn't happen this much back home. But why does it seem all the major news stories of crime against children come from FL?

Spay Day USA

I'm a little late on this post, but this past Tuesday was Spay Day USA. The Humane Society sponsors this annual event in an effort to bring awareness and inspire people to spay or neuter their pets or even homeless ones. All over the country the Humane Society holds events and offers low cost or even free spay and neuter procedures. This is the only permanent method of birth control for animals and if you read my blog, you know about the feral cat problem that exists all over the world, not just the US. So while I may be late on my post, it is never too late to spay or neuter your cat or dog. Or even a homeless one you may come in contact with. Check out your local humane society location for more information.

Makeover!

I got a new ‘do! I am probably a hair designer’s worst nightmare. I have a ton of long, thick hair. And every few months I get bored with my style. So I go into the salon and tell the girls, “Just do something new! Something trendy.” Right. That’s all I give them to go on. Luckily, I have found a designer who knows what’s hot and trendy and what will look good on me. I met Petra Sondi at a trade show shortly after moving to Orlando. Initially, I just wanted a little change, so at the show she gave me a quick trim and added just a few layers. It was great, I loved it. It was just what I wanted. It was different yet trendy and went well with what I had to work with. But alas, a few months later the desire for something new came along. Time to call Petra at J Bauman Salon. I also had a friend come along who had an idea of how I should do my hair. So we went to see Petra, I threw out my usual “time to change line” and off we went. Even with my vague “kinda, sorta like this” statements, Petra somehow knows exactly what I’m talking about. It’s great. She studies in Europe for the latest trends and techniques along with continuing her studies here in the US. The chopping went on forever it seemed like as I watched long locks fall to the floor. And about an hour later I emerged with a great style! My hair is still long like I want, lots of layers which I love and bangs which are the all the rage. I look like a completely different person and I love it! So while Petra may dread seeing me walk in the door, I love walking in only with a want of change and no direction yet somehow leaving with a great style and a smile on my face!

Attention Proud Parents- Of the furry 4 legged children!

If you are like me and think your kids, ahm...pets, are the cutest out there and you just have to show everyone you meet their pictures, check out peoplepets.com. Its part of people.com but its just a place where you post pictures and stories about your little ones so other members can read. No real purpose here. Just showing off your pride and joy. I love taking pics of my kids and sharing them, so I thought I would share!

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It's Animal Dental Care Month!

February is Animal Dental Care month, oh how fun. If you are a dog owner this shouldn't be too much of a problem. Dogs are much more receptive to brushing teeth than cats. They also have special brushes for dogs that are flavored. So while you dog is enjoying a tasty treat, you can be taking care of his oral hygiene. If you have a cat like me, its not so much fun. My cats won't stay still long enough for me to even think about looking at their teeth. I do give them a toothbrush to chew on and play with in hopes this will do some good. Not sure about that thou. For me the only real option is to take them to the vet to get their teeth cleaned. I'm not a big fan as I do not like anesthesia but I realize their oral health is more important. Other things to check for during this month, look at the food and treats you are giving your pet. Do they in any way promote dental health? One good treat recommended by vets is Greenies. My cats LOVE them and they are good for their teeth, so they get little treats everyday. Also check your pet's breath. If it is too much to handle or causes your eyes to water at the stench, perhaps you should take a trip to the vet. This could be a sign of a more serious problem. Most humans hate the dentist so I'm sure our little furry ones do too, but it is a must. The responsibility of being a pet owner, or a pet Mom in my case, is taking care of their overall well-being. And that includes their chompers!

A Big Let Down

I love trying new restaurants and occassionally new things to eat. After moving to a new state and a big city, I was so excited to try out friend's suggestions. My cousin INSISTED I try this rib place as they had the best chicken strips ever. If you know anything about me, you know I love chicken so I was stoked to try this new place. I checked it out online where the restaurant's web site again boasted the best chicken strips around. The reviews online weren't bad, said prices were decent and food portions were filling. So I went. I was excited and I was hungry. Of course I ordered the chicken strips. As I waited for the food to come, my brother and I talked about the hype of this joint. The food came, it looked great. But oh what a let down. The chicken was dry and the sauces weren't even that good. How disappointing. Maybe the cook was having a bad day, I'm not sure. But I do know I won't be going back to give it another try. What a shame. I've been hearing the hype about this place since I moved here. You MUST eat there! You've NEVER had chicken that good. Riiiight. McDonald's chicken nuggets are better. And I'm not even sure they have real chicken! So I guess my final though is this: we build ourselves up for so much, in my case chicken, and are we just setting ourselves up for disappointment? I guess maybe it could have had a different outcome at a different chain of this restaurant. And I guess I will never know. I left with my hunger satisfied - the purpose of a restaurant, but I feel somehow cheated. And a little let down.

Home is Where the Heart Is

As I woke up this morning, my first thought was of my Mom. Her beautiful smile and her melodic laugh. I'm not sure if it was the 31 degree weather in FL that reminded me of home. Or if it was my brother being here for a visit that reminded me. But whatever it was, I laid in bed thinking of my parents house. The everyday routine that goes on. And how I miss that routine. I miss my friends back home. I miss back home. And I wondered, do you ever get over those feelings? I haven't been gone long so I'm probably not the best to ask, but I know people who have been away from "home" for years and still miss it. I love having both places to visit. I love my current location. I love proving to myself that I am independent and can make it on my own. But right along with those feelings I miss my family so much it hurts. Everyday. If my family could be here with me that would be awesome. But would it be the same? Would I have grown as much as I have? Would I want to get out of FL and live somewhere else? Would I still appreciate them as much as I do? So I laid under the covers on this freezing morning in Central Florida, curled up with my little buddy Max, listening to him purr in contentment, thanking God for allowing me to be a part of such a wonderful and amazing group of people back home that I have the honor of calling my family. But also thanking God for taking me away from that group so I can truly appreciate them and their love. And also giving me the opportunity to find a new group of people, and new animals!, to know about, learn about and love.

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Photobucket Album

Photobucket Album

Doing my part

I admit, I am an avid animal lover. Probably an animal fanatic. Most people find passion in sports, music, literature, movies, etc. Kinda normal things. Not me. My passion is animals, cats more specifically. I cannot remember a time in my life not having and loving a cat. Being from a small town in Virginia, I did see a lot of homeless cats. Most of the time these cats hung around homes or barns where I told myself they could find stuff to eat and warm places to sleep at night. Last year I moved to my first big city, Orlando. My very first night here, staying in a hotel before I moved in my apartment, I noticed a group of small kittens behind the hotel. Naturally I wanted to take them all home with me. I figured they were family and just happened to be born nearby or dropped off nearby. I had no idea Orlando, and most of the large cities, had a feral cat problem. In fact, I had never even heard of a feral cat until I saw a news report weeks later addressing the issue and the growing problem for this area. I’m not ashamed to say I cried after seeing that news story. Feral, or homeless, un-socialized, cats, number over 40 million in the US alone. Orlando’s solution: euthanize a large number of these cats. Sure this may seem like a quick fix, but all it does is free up a new space for a large family of more feral cats to move in. It is not solving the problem. With advancing medical technology and care, the lifespan of a domestic cat can be into their 20’s. A feral cat will be lucky to make it past age 2 and 75% of kittens do not make it past 6 months. To me, a great animal lover, this is heartbreaking. These little guys are not even being given a chance at life. To others who may not care about the cats so much, this can become a source of disturbance and disease. The solution is not killing as many cats as possible. More will always come back, not to mention this is inhumane. The solution is to spay and neuter these animals so their numbers do not continue to grow. There are many organizations out there that will do these procedures for free, realizing this is a major problem that needs a viable solution. You may not be a cat fanatic like me, and that’s OK. But as a citizen of whatever community you live in, you have to be concerned with health related issues, which this problem is quickly becoming. Check out these sites to find out ways just a small act can make a huge impact!

http://www.feralcatproject.org/how_help_cats.aspx

http://www.carefelinerescue.org/

http://www.spayusa.org/

Hello World!

Welcome to my very first attempt at a blog! I am computer illiterate, so bear with me. But I want this to be a place where I can share my thoughts, my wonderz, my ideas and what is going on in my world. We all have things we wish we could be a part of or help out a cause. This is my small way of hoping to make a difference somewhere to someone or something. Stay tuned for updates. I am undertaking a new business venture that I will share with you. I'm really excited about what I'm planning and I hope you will check it out. I also am a HUGE animal lover so I will also be putting up ideas and information regarding animals and helping those who can't help themselves. Thats it for now, so stay tuned!