Look What I Found!

Yesterday I was at work and went outside to smoke. I heard a kitty crying and crying, then I spotted her sitting under a bush. I called her, but she wouldn't come to me. She just kept crying and crying. So I used a little trick I'd learned reading The Man Who Listens to Horses by horse whisperer Monty Roberts. I went closer, then sat down with my back to her. Sure enough, within seconds, she was right behind me.

I scooped her up and went off to find my friend Debra to get some help. Little kitty was skin and bones. Her black fur is bleached out from being in the sun and she had stickers and burrs in her hair. She didn't struggle while I was carrying her, but lawdy, did she make a fuss with her caterwauling.

Debra was on her way out and I'd just missed her, so I went running around the third floor of her building yelling for her, accompanied by kitty distress signals. She heard us and came back. I was like, "Help me." We took little kitty into the bathroom so we could set her down and get a better look at her. I didn't want to abscond with someone's pet, so I wanted to be fairly certain she was really a stray. We decided she was.

On a Friday night, it can take me up to an hour to get home and I had nothing to put the kitty in for the drive. Debra kindly offered to let me borrow her carrier, so we left for her house. I put little kitty in the back seat of my car, where she stayed for the ride. Seriously, she didn't move a centimeter! She was clinging to the back seat for dear life.

On the way home, I called my vet's office to make an appointment to get her seen a.s.a.p. After I'd dropped little kitty off at my house, quarantined in the bathroom, it was off to the pet supply store. I have two cats of my own already, but I needed a litter pan, etc., for the newbie. I got her settled in for the night to await her vet appointment this morning.

I took her in this morning to see Dr. Edgar Church at All Cats Clinic. Dr. Church gave her a thorough exam. The very first thing he did was scan her for a microchip. We needed to be certain someone wasn't missing their beloved pet. There was no microchip. She has fleas, no surprise there, so we treated her for that. She also has a respiratory infection, so I have medicine to treat that. She tested negative for both Feline Leukemia (FeLV) and Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). Yay! We're waiting for test results to see if she has parasites. Her respiratory infection is contagious so I'm glad I was able to get her seen right away. I'm being very careful to keep her quarantined and wash my hands and even, on the recommendation of Dr. Church, change my clothes after I've handled her.

The good news is, she's already been spayed! I would have had that done, too, if she wasn't, but I'm glad I've been spared that additional expense. Poor little kitty just needs some TLC. She's really sweet and cuddly, purring away when I pet her. She gets in my lap and she lets me pick her up and cuddle and pet her.

Since I have two cats of my own already and I'm a renter in a one bedroom apartment, I'm hoping to find a forever home for her. She's not going anywhere until she's healthy, though. With treatment for her infection and a good diet, I figure she'll be good to go in a week or two.

Stay tuned!

More Nonprofit News

Yesterday I spoke on the phone to Maya Gupta, President of Ahimsa House. We talked for about an hour and she answered a bunch of questions I had as well as sending me tons of resources via e-mail! I've been stunned by the kindness, generosity and willingness to help of many people, and Maya is no exception. I really appreciate her taking time out of her busy day to provide me with information and sources of further information.

Ahimsa House is one of the very few organizations that specifically helps pets of domestic violence victims. Please consider donating to them, which you can conveniently do through PayPal.

Making Progress

Friday I applied to reserve the name of our nonprofit! It's so exciting to have something concrete done. I went through Attorneys Corporation Service. They were recommended to me and it seemed easier and less intimidating to go through them and let them deal with the Secretary of State's office. I believe it's faster this way, too.

Once I get confirmation that our name has been reserved, I've got my Articles of Incorporation ready to send in. I'll be using Attorneys Corporation Service for that, too. They say they can get that all settled much sooner than I could.

As soon as we're officially incorporated, I'll be revealing the name of our organization!

Stay tuned!

Speaking of Nonprofits...

I have the pleasure of working with a wonderful woman named Jenn Mueller. Jenn is the coolest! In fact, her fiance, Tony, did one of my tattoos.

Jenn has Type I diabetes, which, in her case, is particularly severe. She experiences life-threatening drops in her blood sugar levels on an almost daily basis. Jenn has done and continues to do everything medically possible to manage her condition, but it's not enough.

Fortunately for Jenn, an amazing organization called Heaven Scent Paws has put her on the fast track to getting a companion medical alert dog who has the ability to sense dangerous alterations in blood sugar. These dogs are very expensive to train. The organization isn't asking Jenn to pay for it, but they do ask the people who receive these dogs to engage in fundraising activities.

To read more about Jenn, her situation and her fundraising efforts, go here. Please consider making a tax deductible donation so that Jenn and people like her can have the life-saving companionship of a medical alert dog.

Thanks.

Nonprofit Update

Before I talk about where I am in the process, I want to be sure to say that none of what I post is meant to be legal advice. I am not a lawyer! My intention is merely to share my experience. If applicable, please seek legal advice from an actual lawyer.

With that out of the way, things are moving right along. I picked a name! I'm not going to tell you what it is, though, until we're incorporated. Everyone will have to wait for the big reveal.

I've also drafted a Mission Statement. I'm waiting to hear from one of my Board members before it's official. Next up, Articles of Incorporation.

I've found some more online resources, too. Foundation Center has some good information. On the Nolo site, there is a little checklist of steps to take in forming a nonprofit. These include the following:

Choose a name.
File articles of incorporation.
Apply for IRS tax exemption.
Apply for state tax exemption.
Draft bylaws.
Appoint Directors.
Hold a Board meeting.
Get any required licenses and permits.

Also needed are an employer identification number, supposedly even if you are not going to have paid employees, a bank account, a fundraising plan and a (groan) budget.

Stay tuned!

Every Little Bit Counts

So far, I've read the first seven chapters of the For Dummies book about starting a nonprofit. My little highlighter is about dried up with all the things I'm highlighting!

We're still working on the name thing. You can't do much until you have a name for your organization. Incorporating and filing for tax exemption require a name, after all.

Part of my desire to create this new organization stems from my experiences with trying to help so many other organizations. There are so many issues in the world that need attention that trying to decide who to help and how can be overwhelming. I've mentioned some of the things I do on a regular basis in a previous post.

I receive and respond to e-mails from several groups or organizations. These range from animal rescue, environmental protection, endangered species, civil rights and human rights groups. I sign petitions and send e-mails to policy makers.

Bringing all this up isn't intended to brag about what a good person I am. Rather, it's to point out how much needs to be done and how many sad and unjust things are going on in the world right now. Of course I would like everyone who reads this to help me with my project, but more importantly, I want everyone who reads this to help someone with something. It's simply not okay to do nothing.

If all you can do is go to The Animal Rescue Site and click once a day to help feed shelter pets, protect the rainforest, promote literacy and more, (all at the same site), then do that. If you can give a little money to the charity of your choice, then do that. If you can give a little of your time to volunteer for the charity of your choice, then do that. Just do something, no matter how small. Even the tiniest action counts!

It's easy to get overwhelmed with all the issues that need to be addressed. While I intend to continue my e-mailing and petition signing, I have more of a focus now. I'm on a mission!

Stay tuned!

Nonprofit Quest, Day Three

Starting a nonprofit is a lot more complicated than I realized! That's okay, though, I'm up for it. Part of my hope in posting blog accounts of my experiences is that other people will benefit from what I learn as I go along.

Yesterday, I focused on researching what I need to do to make this happen. About.com has a whole section devoted to starting a nonprofit, which can be found here. While I found the site very informative and helpful, I also found it confusing and cumbersome. I had something like 12 different tabs open, all from links to the various first steps. I was frantically taking notes and trying to organize what I was taking in, when I realized this might not be the best approach for me.

Instead, I decided to visit my friendly neighborhood Barnes and Noble bookstore. There is just something about having all the information in one tangible source. A source I can highlight and write in as needed.

Barnes and Noble had several books on starting a nonprofit to choose from. I carried about five over to a table to decide which ones to purchase. I wanted to just get them all, but that was neither practical nor financially feasible. I compared the Table of Contents in all the books and also looked at publication dates and edition numbers. I wanted something thorough and recent. I also looked at the qualifications of the authors. I wanted to be sure they were well qualified to write about the topic and not end up with Joe Schmoe's Nonprofit Startup Guide. Besides which, these books are not cheap. I wanted to get my money's worth.

It took me about an hour of careful consideration before I decided on my purchases. I'm a fan of the "For Dummies" series, so I got Nonprofit Kit for Dummies. The authors have extensive experience with nonprofits. The book includes a CD with worksheets, checklists, links, samples and more.

I also bought Starting and Building a Nonprofit, A Practical Guide That one was written by a woman with a law degree. It also comes with a CD that has "all the forms you need." This book was published by Nolo, "Your legal companion." For those of you unfamiliar with Nolo, they have lawyers writing books and creating software and downloads to help with legal issues. Their website is fantastic, check it out Nolo.

I also spent some time yesterday brainstorming possible names with Debra. We came up with quite a few, everything from the practical to the ridiculous. We're in the process of weeding them out now.

I've checked the ones we're considering with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and searched for them at my state's Secretary of State website under both corporations and limited liability companies. I didn't find any of them, so all we have to do now is pick one.

Stay tuned!

Non-Profit Quest, Day Two

Yesterday I got the ball rolling on this non-profit thing. I e-mailed every person and organization mentioned in the original article. It’s amazing how responsive, helpful and supportive animal lovers are!

Allie Phillips of American Humane sent me a helpful manual and put me in touch with a friend of hers for more information. Phil Arkow, also of American Humane, sent me some useful links. Barry Yeoman, who wrote the article, also responded with sources of further information.

Christine Hartline of Rancho Coastal Humane Society, Jenison Silva of Humane Society of Southern Arizona, Lanie Anton of the ASPCA, Scott Delucchi of the Peninsula Humane Society, and Lara Bruce of American Humane all responded and sent information, links, encouragement and support.

I am grateful to all these people for taking time out of their busy days to respond!

I also received support and assistance from several of my Etsy buddies. Melissa of Muddy Horse Gallery was full of advice and support. She has a horse rescue of her own, where she rescues and rehabilitates abused horses.

Veronica of Surrender Dorothy and Her Royal Majesty Bags heard what I was doing and immediately thought to put me in touch with Melissa. Michele of Pandys and Griffin Gear, offered her accounting assistance.

Professor Tina Kistler and Debra Fondren of Santa Barbara City College have both offered help and support. Jessica Black of PrimalX offered the same.

As per usual, the members of the Etsy street team EAST have been supportive and encouraging. Specifically, Liz Staley of lizstaley, Michele of Greenfingers, Kari of LuckyLibra, Rachel of Indigo Luna and Melody of Melodys Unchained.

If you helped me yesterday and I have not mentioned you, please let me know! I was happily deluged with assistance of all kinds, so I may well have forgotten someone. If you’re reading this and you’re inclined to help, don’t be fooled into thinking I don’t need you. I absolutely need all the help I can get!

Right now, I’m working on reading the enormous amount of stuff I need to read to learn how to start a non-profit. So far I’ve discovered that I need a lawyer, and accountant and a Board of Directors. I also need a name for the organization, a mission statement and ugh, a business plan.

Stay tuned!

Helping Both Domestic Violence Victims and Their Pets

I just read a magazine article about battered pets and how fear for them can prevent victims of domestic violence from leaving. That article, and further research, show that abusers typically use violence or threats of violence against defenseless pets as a means to terrorize and control their human victims. The article was written by award-winning journalist Barry Yeoman. The full text of the article can be found on his website, here.

According to an article in the Washington Post, 48% of victims of domestic violence have delayed leaving because of a pet. The article further points to both Hurricane Katrina and California fire victims’ refusal to evacuate to safety without their animals as examples of how devoted to the care and well-being of their pets some animal lovers are.

Studies have unequivocally shown a link between the torture and killing of animals and violence against humans.

These articles really struck a chord. Rather than feeling saddened and depressed, I was inspired to make a difference.

My intention is to create a non-profit organization specifically to shelter pets of domestic violence victims, perhaps in partnership with women's shelters. I got up at 5:00 this morning to research starting a non-profit!

I am currently in the info gathering stage. I would gratefully accept any help whether in the form of advice, contacts, raising awareness, or something else I don’t even know I need. You can contact me regarding this issue at a special e-mail address I've set up, pethaven@luminosities.net

Shocking Act of Animal Cruelty

Last night I was up much later than usual. I was standing in my kitchen with the light off, looking out the window. I saw a man walking and a small animal walking near him. He moved closer to it and was watching it. I thought it was someone taking his little dog out for a late night walk. Then, the man ran over to the animal, jumped up into the air and came down on it. As I stood there, frozen in horror, the man stomped the animal to death. I ran outside and stood on my porch under the porch light staring at the man. I can’t express how horrified and shocked I was. Considering that a link between animal cruelty and violence toward humans has been well established, running outside was perhaps not the safest thing to do, but I wasn’t thinking clearly.

I’ve never seen such an alarming display of brutality in my life. I stood there staring at the man as he turned to walk away. He saw me staring and turned back to say, “Dead opossum.” Still completely shocked, I said, “Oh.” I quickly recovered myself and then said, “So it’s okay to do that to a opossum?” He just kept walking.

I stood there frozen, trying to process what I’d just seen. It happened in an open alley next to my house. It was dark and I couldn’t see the man’s face, what he was wearing or any identifiable aspects. By the time it occurred to me to call the police, he’d already left the alley and I hadn’t seen which direction he’d gone. I wasn’t even sure the animal he’d killed was actually a opossum and not a cat or dog. Would that have made a difference? Maybe a little, because of the trust factor. Dogs and pet cats trust people, for the most part. Stomping any animal to death is an act of extreme violence, maybe more so when it’s totally unprovoked. Doing it to a companion animal who has no reason to distrust or fear humans adds an additional layer of betrayal.

Opossums, on the other hand, have a different handicap when it comes to avoiding dangerous humans. Everyone knows that opossums “play dead” when frightened, which may be a workable strategy to avoid animal predators but is less effective against humans – to say the least. What many people aren’t aware of is that the opossum has no control over it. When they're attacked, they fall over and appear to be dead or to have fainted. They can’t help it. Unfortunately, they remain awake and their cognitive function is not hindered.

Of course, I was trying to make myself less appalled and more able to go to sleep by rationalizing that at least it wasn’t a kitten or a puppy, but it really doesn’t matter. The fact is, that man viciously killed a defenseless animal. I can only hope that knowing someone saw him do it will prevent him from doing it again.

Easy Things to Do to Help the Planet

I thought I'd share the simple, easy, no- or low-cost things I do to help the planet. I'm hoping to inspire others to do the same things!

What I do to help the planet:

Work from home four days a week, which saves the 35 mile (one way) commute.
Bring my own cloth bags to the store (mine live in my car so I don’t forget them).
Recycle.
Turn the water off while I brush my teeth.
Turn off unused lights.
Unplug unused appliances, including the tv and microwave.
Buy organic.
I don’t eat mammals – no cows, pigs, sheep, etc.
I drive a little car that gets really good mileage (but I sure do miss my Wrangler!)
Click a day to feed animals in shelters, protect the rainforest, etc.
I use Blackle as my home page.
Donate time, money and goods to organizations that protect the environment and/or animals, such as Defenders of Wildlife and The Nature Conservancy.

I get e-mail alerts and then sign petitions and send e-mails to policy makers from such organizations as Greenpeace, The Wilderness Society, and the World Wildlife Fund.

My long distance carrier is Credo, formerly Working Assets. They donate a portion of your phone bill, at no cost to you, to progressive causes. You get to vote to decide who they donate to and how much they send! How cool is that?

What can you do to help the planet?

Bigger, Better, Goth!

I just put a couple of new Goth magnets up in my shop!



Elizabeth Bathory, known as The Blood Countess, may have more to do with Bram Stoker’s Dracula than Vlad the Impaler. Notes about her were found in Stoker’s papers, so he’d certainly heard of her!

In 1610 Hungary, local authorities began investigating the disappearance of local girls. Transylvanian Countess Elizabeth Bathory was subsequently imprisoned, walled into a tiny room with only a small slot to pass through food. In 1614 she was found dead in her cell. She’d been charged with murdering hundreds of young women, believing their blood would keep her young and beautiful.

This magnet features a pendant of the creepy Countess Bathory, made by handmadehorrors.etsy.com. The Countess is flanked by three genuine onyx replicas of her own black heart, accompanied by a cool little skull.

Put this spookycool magnet on your refrigerator, in your bedroom, in your office or even in your car.

The lining of this magnet is a deep red abstract watercolor, inside a round tin with a glass top.

The magnet is 2 ½” (6.4 cm) across and 1” (2.5) deep.







Check out this cool goth magnet. It’s got genuine black onyx hearts, a pewter bat and a skull inside. It also has three clear acrylic gems to give it a little sparkle. Put this spookycool magnet on your refrigerator, in your bedroom, in your office or even in your car.

The lining of this magnet is a deep red abstract watercolor, inside a round tin with a glass top.

The magnet is 2 ½” (6.4 cm) across and 1” (2.5) deep.

I'm # 866



It's an experiment to see how long it will take to get 
1,000,000 blogs to list themselves on their site.

Taurus

We're coming up on Taurus in another week. Time to showcase the bright, shiny, brand new 3D Taurus magnets. So without further ado, heeeerrrrrreeeeeee's....Taurus!

Taurus is an earth sign and this magnet celebrates the 2nd sign of the zodiac! It would look great on your refrigerator, in your bedroom, in your office or even in your car. It makes a great gift for the Taurus in your life.

The lining is watercolor painting in rose pink, inside a round tin with a glass top. The glyph for Taurus is on the inside of the glass, so handling won’t smudge it. Also on the inside are a sterling silver Taurus word bead and four genuine peridot stones. Peridot is associated with Taurus as are the colors pink and green. The outside is wrapped with a barely there light green ribbon. A strong magnet is attached to the back.

The magnet is 2” (5.8 cm) across and 1” (2.5) deep.
Available for purchase at Luminosities.

The lining is watercolor painting in rose pink, inside a round tin with a glass top. The glyph for Taurus is on the inside of the glass, so handling won’t smudge it. Also on the inside are a genuine malachite stone, four genuine peridot stones and the word “May.” Malachite and peridot are both associated with Taurus and of course May is a Taurus birth month. The outside is wrapped with dark green ribbon. A strong magnet is attached to the back.
Available for purchase at Luminosities.


The lining is watercolor painting in rose pink, inside a round tin with a glass top. The word “Taurus” is on the inside of the glass, so handling won’t smudge it. Also on the inside are the glyph for Taurus in copper wire, copper being the metal associated with Taurus. A genuine rose quartz stone rests beneath the glyph. The outside is wrapped with barely there pale green ribbon. A strong magnet is attached to the back. Available for purchase at Luminosities.

Puppy Mills - Today on Oprah

Today on the Oprah show, an expose on puppy mills. Puppy mills are a horrific problem. Puppies from puppy mills are frequently unhealthy, with serious physical issues "...including severe malnutrition, rotting teeth and severe periodontal disease, extreme matting of fur sometimes leading to skin lesions, mange, flea, tick, and parasite infestations, and serious foot and leg injuries from living an entire life on wire mesh flooring. Female dogs in puppy mills are typically bred at every opportunity until they are physically spent and can no longer reproduce. Puppy mill dogs live out their entire lives in tiny enclosures, never having a chance to get out of their cages for exercise or socialization." (ASPCA)

Please join me in thanking Oprah for using her considerable influence to expose this cruel and horrifying issue.

Presenting Suzanne Gonsalez of Ravenwolf Gallery

Brody Dalle is said to have once lamented the current dearth of art that makes you go, “What the fuck?” Not, “what the fuck is that” but the kind of what the fuck that makes you stop and stare, slack-jawed. The kind of art that grabs you somewhere inside and shakes you all around while you’re momentarily completely discombobulated.

I’d like to present an artist whose work causes that reaction in me. I’m having a little trouble articulating just what it is about her work, but I can stare at it for a long time. I want to get close to it, to the point of finding myself scooting closer to the monitor, peering intently.

So far, I’ve only managed to get one little ACEO, shown below. If you like her art, you better snap it up now, because when I win the lottery, her shop is going to be empty. Bwahaha!

Without further ado, Suzanne Gonsalez of Ravenwolf Gallery:

Click on images to visit the artist's shop

My ACEO

Face of the Gypsy

Ode to Wychwood

Tapiz de Suenos
(Tapestry of Dreams)

All above images copyright 2007- 2008 by Suzanne Gonsalez

Lion love

You gotta see this. A lion greets a woman who rescued him as a cub. It brings back memories of my time at the sanctuary, though I never experienced anything quite like this!

http://www.telestereo.com/Archivos/video.swf

Healing Magnets!

Brand new healing magnets at Luminosities!

The lining of these magnets is a green abstract watercolor with clockwise (sun-wise) spirals drawn in blue gel pen. The outside is wrapped with a green ribbon, green being a healing color. Powerful magnets are attached to the back.

Put these charming magnets on your refrigerator, in your bedroom, in your office or even in your car.

The magnets are 2” (5.8 cm) across and 1” (2.5) deep.

This magnet uses symbolism and the power of stones to surround you with healing energy. Lapis lazuli is said to be a powerful stone with both physical and mental healing properties. The stone you see here is a gorgeous dark blue with flecks of gold.

The Egyptian ankh is a symbol of life and the silvertone ankh in this magnet fits in well with the healing theme.


This magnet uses symbolism and the power of stones to surround you with healing energy. Amethysts are believed to carry healing properties and the three genuine faceted amethysts you see are a deep purple color.

As a symbol of transformation and renewal, the pewter dragonfly charm adds to the theme of healing.



This magnet uses symbolism and the power of stones to surround you with healing energy. Bloodstone is believed to be a powerful healing stone. The stone you see here is a deep green and red.

Butterflies are symbols of transformation and the butterfly sticker in this magnet invites you to transform into a being of beauty and health.

See more images or purchase now at Luminosities.

Got Pisces?

Three Pisces magnets to choose from at Luminosities!



All three of these magnets are loaded with Pisces symbolism. The colors used in the painting on the lining and the ribbon colors are associated with Pisces. Dolphins, of course, are associated with Pisces too. Amethyst is a Pisces stone, so the high-grade genuine amethyst stones in each magnet also fit the Pisces theme. Two of the magnets have the word "Pisces" on the inside of the glass top (protected from smudging) and one has the glyph for Pisces instead.

These 3D Astrological Magnets are available for purchase at Luminosities. Grab one quick, for the Pisces in your life!

Oompa, Loompa Doompadee Dee
Someone bought another magnet from me

Oompa Loompa Doompadee Doo
If you are wise, you’ll buy one too

What do you get when you buy a magnet
A 3D piece of assemblage art
What sign are you, I have zodiac too

What element do you like most
Tell me and I’ll make it and post

Oompa, Loompa Doompadee Dah
I’ll ship to you whether near or far

Oompa Loompa Doompadee Doo
Hurry up now and get one for you!

Luminosities