Time to Top the Tree

Merry Christmas 

Whether you view Christmas as a day of prayer and meditation, a day to bask in family or a day to open presents, eat too much and watch football, have a safe and happy day.  

Now, for the unveiling of the tree-topper 

(Note: scroll down to the previous post for the description of the tree)

It's a porcelain headed kitty angel  in a flowing pink gown that sparkles and twinkles in time to the music emanating from her mouth. Her wings are made of peacock feathers.  She is holding beautiful strands of yarn and ribbon, each tied to a catnip mousy, furry mice, and origami mice.  Also attached to the ribbons are streaming  toilet paper rolls and tissue paper flowers.  Treats are tied in the middle of the strands, potato chips (sour cream and onion, per request), hickory sticks, yummy litlle dried fishys and shrimp, wee cans of tuna and duck.  

And for the crowning touch

Resting on her head

Like a golden crown

A perfect golden brown

ROASTED CHICKEN

Happy holidays to all, and special thanks to the kitties of the L&L yahoo group for their help in putting up our dream tree.

  the kitties: Amber, Bubba, Chi, Dora, Gabby, Jet,  Kiki, Onyx, Salem and Squirrel

 the dogs: Chico, Joey and Jasper

and the people: Chuck and Mary

Petition for HAPPY (HR3501)

http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/campaign.faces;jsessionid=936206C269B5E4B8F4549017DF0665EB.ctgProd01?siteId=3&campaign=HAPPYAct3501

This is the address for one of the petitions for the HAPPY bill.  There are several petitions out there, and anyone who rescues animals knows why.  People are having to choose between keeping their homes and keeping their pets.  The rescue community is overwhelmed and the adoptions are drying up.  I still have the same cats available for adoptions as are posted below.  Not being a 501(c)3, in order to show my cats at local adopt-a-thons, I have to coattail on another group.  But they are all struggling to place their own animals and right now view me as competition for homes.  Besides, they keep telling me, they know my cats will not just be dumped, and they get good care, they are safe where they are and IF adoptions ever pick up again, then I would be welcome to coattail.  Til then, good luck.
Non-pet owners may not realize that this does affect them, and where their tax money is spent, but the pounds are budgeted by the cities and counties.   Housing the numbers coming in is out of the question for many facilities, but killing them is costly, both in the direct monetary cost and the  psychic damage done to the people who's job it is to kill a pet merely to make room.   I know about that damage first hand, I used to have that job. I  have nightmares of my approaching the pearly gates which is blocked by a large crowd of animals.  The animals I killed because they were inconvenient to someone and we could no longer give them space.  They are all shouting "She killed me".   My doctor tells me I have PTSD.  If I get treated for it, it will come directly from the taxpayer's pocket, as I am a veteran and the VA is my health care facility.   How many others are treated for PTSD or depression on the taxpayer's dime?  Most who do this job are either city or county employees with health care benefits, or employees of humane shelters on bare minimum wages so have to rely on state care.  You can see how this even affects the pockets of  people without pets and even those oddities who don't even like pets.
We need this passed, but it would be more helpful if there was a little tweaking done to it first so it helped the right group of people.  Scroll down to my post of November 9th so that you can see how the bill would affect you, as it is, and so that you know what to ask your representative to do.
http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/campaign.faces;jsessionid=936206C269B5E4B8F4549017DF0665EB.ctgProd01?siteId=3&campaign=HAPPYAct3501

What does your food bank have to offer besides free food?

     Does your local food bank have a grocery store?  Ours does, it's at the back of the food bank. They call it Value Market.  You don't have to be eligible for food stamps, any program or even be signed up for food boxes.  And the savings are awesome.  Anywhere from 30-70% off regular grocery prices.   They can take the money you spend there and turn $10 into $100 worth of food, or so one of their posters says.  It's a small grocery store, sure, but if you start there before going to your local mega store you can save a lot of money.  Recently, I bought a 10 pound ham (the loaf shape) for just under eight bucks.  I don't like ham, but my hubby does, and I can choke it down at that price.  It's a good quality name brand, and with our food slicer we can make deli style sandwiches, or cube it into casseroles, or just freeze pieces to make holiday roasts from.
     Our food bank doesn't sell donated food, the grocery store is run separately, funded by it's sales.   They buy first run food, a lot is name brand food and sometimes they have food packaged for them.  You never know what they will have at anytime, though, so having a freezer is a plus.  One of the things I keep an eye out for is the little cans of green chiles.  If they are cheap enough, I'll buy a case.  Cheap enough to me is 50% or less than I would pay at the local Fry's.  After you done your shopping, you go past these long tables set up with bags of bread and sometimes flats of fruits or fresh vegetables.  No matter your income, after you buy at the grocery you get a bonus from the table of whatever they are giving out that day.
    I like to get my rich clients to shop there.  I tell them it's good for their wallet, good for the community, and good for their karma.  Besides, I think those with should see how hard those without have to work for what they get, standing in line for hours for a free bag of food.  Okay, I also like to see them completely out of their element.
   Like every other food bank, ours gives out food "boxes", actually large bags of food here, to anyone qualified.  At this food bank, qualified is any resident of Pima county, no proof of need required.  It's pretty obvious, though that the people who are willing to stand in the long line that snakes through the giant room are not well off.  Anyone may be welcome, but you won't find the comfortable there, willing to rub shoulders with the needy, someone might think they can't keep up with the Jones', after all.   Even if they can't.  America does have it's caste system, it's based on how many dollars you have, or at least the illusion of those dollars to the extent you can maintain it.    Don't get me wrong, though.  Tucson can be an incredibly generous town.  If there is a need, such as the food bank running low, the humane society needing pet food, schools needing supplies, even someone needing bone marrow or help paying for a funeral, Tucsonians will cough up that money or donate that item faster than you can spit.  They just have to be reminded of the need.  Even the neediest donate something, somehow. 
     Anyway, if you have a roommate situation, or more than one household under the same roof, you each can get your own.  One bag per month and whatever is being given at the free table.  That bag always has beans, rice, canned soup, fruit (fresh, canned or frozen), cornflakes and peanut butter.  Neither of us are big fans of cornflakes and peanut butter, so it kept piling up.   Then I discovered a recipe for cornflake bars.  Lots of recipes.  Yummy. Now I don't have excess inventory, just excess calories to burn.    The simple version:

Cornflake Bars

1 cup corn syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup peanut butter

8 cups corn flakes

any desired additives (see below)

Have everything measured and ready before starting.

Heat syrup and sugar together just til sugar melts, stir peanut butter into hot syrup, Stir in cornflakes.

Turn into buttered dish, smooth and let cool.

If desired, when you add the cornflakes, add dried fruits, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips or whatever   catches your fancy, but act quick this sets up in moments.

     Our food bank is a great place to take the kids.  No, really.  If you go the right day, there is a farmer's market in the compact park like area just outside.  There are nice little paths for walking and well shaded benches for sitting, with open areas for the kids to play in.  They have a demonstration garden showing how to grow vegetables and even how to make your vegetable plants attractive enough for landscaping.  People in Tucson don't grow lawns, it just isn't done here.   If you are going to waste your water, don't let the neighbors see it wasted on grass.  But some people also don't like the natural desert planting touted by the expensive landscapers here.  Surely, though, no one can object to beautiful ramadas shaded by grapes, arbors of squash and beans, and sunflower and corn screens to go along with the lemons, oranges and grapefruits.   I must admit, I spend a little more water and grow some desert adapted peaches, apricots, nectarines and plums (but they do also provide cooling shade).  Behind the garden is a chicken coop shaded by a tree.  In our area, raising hens is okay in the city, and the coop the food bank has is a cute little thing.

    Classes, our food bank has them.  The current classes are in gardening.  They will train you, provide starter seed, volunteers to get your garden started.  It's garden time in Tucson.  They've had classes on compost, building a solar oven and water saving.  They also have a youth apprentice program on an organic farm.

     These are just the things I've had dealings with at our food bank.  I know they have other things, and they have connections to other programs.  It is an active, vibrant community organization which offers much more than the average Tucsonian realizes.

     What does your food bank offer?  Have you ever checked?  It might be worth your time to find out, even if you aren't facing difficulties.  If your food bank doesn't offer much, maybe you can help start a garden or a cooking class.  Help your community and find out.  Really help your community and volunteer if you can.  And don't wait until you see on the news that the food bank's warehouse is empty.  Don't wait for the holidays, the need is ongoing.  Donate now.  You'll feel better for it.  Honest.  Besides, it makes a good tax write off if you itemize.