Wednesday, October 21, 2009
What a difference three months can make....
I am 12 weeks into the pregnancy now. We went to the doctor today and got to hear the heartbeat for the first time. I guess there's no denying it now. And yes, as much as it's been talked about and all the test results, etc., I think it is taking a long time for it to sink into our brains that this is really happening. Maybe because I'm constantly hearing that "since you're over 35, this is a high risk pregnancy" that I've just not let myself get my hopes up too high because we just never know what is to come. But actually hearing that heartbeat definitely made it that much more real. Pretty amazing! All I kept thinking was "it's really in there!" haha
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Big Sid's
Back in February, I was innocently minding my business at Pet Supplies Plus (I was there to do $5 nail trims for cats/dogs as a fundraiser for Crash's Landing), when Deb from Crash's asked me if I liked to paint (as in interiors). I told her I'd basically painted the entire inside of our house, so yeah, sure. She told me about this project they were undertaking at Big Sid's Sanctuary (an offshoot facility of Crash's which houses approx. 90 cats who have either tested positive for feline leukemia or feline HIV (aka FIV). I'd never been to Sid's before and always pictured it as a dreary, sad place. After my turn at the Humane Society, I'd had enough dealings with death and despair, so I wasn't sure if this was for me.
Then Deb said something that peaked my interest. She asked if I'd ever heard of the famous "cat house", which I had. She said they were doing something similar over at Sid's. If you're not aware of the cat house, you can check it out on Amazon.com here: (http://www.amazon.com/Cats-House-Bob-Walker/dp/0836221834)
Anyway, I decided to check it out. I figured I could stop by and paint for a day or two. I even recruited my friend Kim to come along.....
Well, here we are 5 MONTHS later and after countless hours (regularly going there 2, 3, 4 times a week after work), 35 gallons of paint, countless tubes of caulking and spackle, a handful of us have pulled it off and we are FINALLY finished with our own cat house! An awesome builder in GR donated all of his labor for the project and he built fabulous walkways, steps, passages from one room to another, spiral staircase, cubbies, a giant "cheese", and his ultimate creation--the sky box (an acrylic box suspended from the ceiling in the middle of the upstairs living area.
I was pleasantly surprised throughout this entire experience that this is not the dreary, sad place I expected. Rather, it's homey and loving. The cats seem pleased with all their new items and almost have a rejuvenated sense about them. I also think they appreciated our company as much as we appreciated theirs. Except for a few days when we had to block them off from certain areas, they were free roaming right along with us, and let me say, if you can paint with 90 someodd cats around you, you can pretty much paint anywhere. A few of them found themselves painted right along with the walls from time to time, and embarrassingly, on more than one occassion, even I got my ponytail stuck to more than one freshly painted closet wall, but overall seeing that place go from gaudy crack den to pottery barn chic was really worth it all.
I shot a video on Wednesday night before I left (in the sky box room), but also got some pics of the rest of the rooms which I'll upload. Even though most of these cats will never be adopted out (they can't live with "healthy" cats), it makes my heart happy to know they've got this freshly refurbished place, complete with refinished wood floors, and so many things to play on, explore and occupy them. Still, it was little Christopher who curled up in my lap and went to sleep last night as I did final touchups that reminded me, all they really want is someone to love them. Even though I'm not a Sid's worker, I'll be stopping by from time to time to see my new friends.
I shot this video with my camera and later set it to music. I think it turned out pretty good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7yMuP013J8
Then Deb said something that peaked my interest. She asked if I'd ever heard of the famous "cat house", which I had. She said they were doing something similar over at Sid's. If you're not aware of the cat house, you can check it out on Amazon.com here: (http://www.amazon.com/Cats-House-Bob-Walker/dp/0836221834)
Anyway, I decided to check it out. I figured I could stop by and paint for a day or two. I even recruited my friend Kim to come along.....
Well, here we are 5 MONTHS later and after countless hours (regularly going there 2, 3, 4 times a week after work), 35 gallons of paint, countless tubes of caulking and spackle, a handful of us have pulled it off and we are FINALLY finished with our own cat house! An awesome builder in GR donated all of his labor for the project and he built fabulous walkways, steps, passages from one room to another, spiral staircase, cubbies, a giant "cheese", and his ultimate creation--the sky box (an acrylic box suspended from the ceiling in the middle of the upstairs living area.
I was pleasantly surprised throughout this entire experience that this is not the dreary, sad place I expected. Rather, it's homey and loving. The cats seem pleased with all their new items and almost have a rejuvenated sense about them. I also think they appreciated our company as much as we appreciated theirs. Except for a few days when we had to block them off from certain areas, they were free roaming right along with us, and let me say, if you can paint with 90 someodd cats around you, you can pretty much paint anywhere. A few of them found themselves painted right along with the walls from time to time, and embarrassingly, on more than one occassion, even I got my ponytail stuck to more than one freshly painted closet wall, but overall seeing that place go from gaudy crack den to pottery barn chic was really worth it all.
I shot a video on Wednesday night before I left (in the sky box room), but also got some pics of the rest of the rooms which I'll upload. Even though most of these cats will never be adopted out (they can't live with "healthy" cats), it makes my heart happy to know they've got this freshly refurbished place, complete with refinished wood floors, and so many things to play on, explore and occupy them. Still, it was little Christopher who curled up in my lap and went to sleep last night as I did final touchups that reminded me, all they really want is someone to love them. Even though I'm not a Sid's worker, I'll be stopping by from time to time to see my new friends.
I shot this video with my camera and later set it to music. I think it turned out pretty good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7yMuP013J8
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Where does the time go?
Over a month since my last post--what have I been doing anyway?! Working of course, and still plugging away on the painting project at Sid's a couple nights a week. We're almost done, I think! Can't wait to see it all finished...
Have been enjoying all the flowers. The weather this year has been perfect combination to really get some nice growth of my perennials, and I haven't had to water too much thanks to some rain here and there. Mike is getting ready to start building another planter box along the side of our deck. Plan to put shrubs along there, nothing too demanding.
Took a quick overnight trip to Detroit for a Tigers game (they lost) and saw the last of Tiger Stadium. Still pissed off about that. Further proof the inmates are running the asylum over in the D.
Attended a 1st birthday party for my friends', Jen & Mike's little boy, Brady. What a cutie!
Had a fun night out with Kim & Lorie for the 1st annual CSNIP Sip N Snip pub crawl around downtown GR last night. It was fun to visit a few places I haven't been in a long time & help raise more money for a great organization. CSNIP has done over 50,000 low cost spay/neuters to date. Amazing!
Crash's Landing is now #1 in Michigan for the Shelter Challenge run by The Animal Rescue Site! If we can stay there, we'll at least get $1,000 for finishing first in the state, and we may be in line for an extra $1,000 if we win the most votes for a one week period. Of course, first place overall is $25,000. We're #11 in the USA with a month to go of voting. Not too shabby and it's neat there are people all over the world voting for us! If you want to join in, visit www.theanimalrescuesite.com every day and vote for free.
We just passed 10 months of married life and can't believe it's almost been a year already. Not sure what we will do yet to celebrate but have had more than one person suggest we repeat the reception with another party at McFadden's -- ha!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
And here I thought the cats would never see anything exciting looking out into the backyard
Now granted, if you'd have blinked, you'd have missed it, but luckily I was able to grab my camera in time to get a few shots. And I'm glad I did because when I went out seconds later (with a rake in hand for protection), it was already gone and I thought perhaps I'd been seeing things. Definitely a first for our yard (well, that I know of anyway!)
I'm sure glad I was on a break from planting flowers in the FRONT yard cuz if I'd seen this coming at me, I think I'd have been a little freaked out!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Help Crash's Win Some Money!
The Animal Rescue Site is once again running its $100,000 Shelter Challenge. Visit www.theanimalrescuesite.com once each day and click (it's free!), then click on the red "VOTE NOW" button and vote for Crash's Landing (search for us under "MI" rescues). It takes less than a minute.
Crash's is currently #2 in Michigan and #21 in the nation! We are moving up the list almost every day. The contest runs through July 26. The shelter with the most votes wins $20,000!!!! There are also $5,000 prizes for the top vote getter in each state, as well as $1,000 winner each week for the most votes total.
We came very close to being #1 in Michigan last time, but we got a late start. This time we are mobilizing and asking everyone we know to help us. It's so simple to do and it is fun to watch us move up the list. Most of all, we can REALLY use that money for good, for the kitties who so deserve it.
Anyone can do it--please help out! Thank you!
Crash's is currently #2 in Michigan and #21 in the nation! We are moving up the list almost every day. The contest runs through July 26. The shelter with the most votes wins $20,000!!!! There are also $5,000 prizes for the top vote getter in each state, as well as $1,000 winner each week for the most votes total.
We came very close to being #1 in Michigan last time, but we got a late start. This time we are mobilizing and asking everyone we know to help us. It's so simple to do and it is fun to watch us move up the list. Most of all, we can REALLY use that money for good, for the kitties who so deserve it.
Anyone can do it--please help out! Thank you!
Very important day on Monday! UPDATE: VICTORIOUS!!!
I'll be traveling with some friends to Montcalm County on Monday for the big vote day. Anxious, nervous, skeptical. Just hoping it will be a good outcome. Don't know what I'm talking about--check it out here: www.cccmontcalm.org, or on facebook at Concerned Citizens Coalition of Montcalm County. We have over 300 members on the facebook page alone--awesome!!!
UPDATE: Just realized that I never came back to give an update on this! Duh! Well, the commissioners voted 6-3 to not renew the contract, but it doesn't stop until August 1st. VICTORY! At least the rescues are working to try and get as many animals out of there before then. R&R claims this will put them out of business. One can only hope.
Here are some pictures from the rally & meeting.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Big Sid's Sanctuary
These pics show the new construction (walkways, steps, etc.) with the former bright colors. It is getting redone in neutral colors throughout (pecan, chocolate brown & gourd)
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