Don't Have a Cow...Give One!!

I've never been a "Save the World" kind of person...but this is the coolest idea! This will be my public service announcement to close out an amazing, life-changing decade!!

I can't figure out how I've gotten this far in life without ever hearing about this, then again, I've never thought of buying a cow.

If you ever want to make a donation that you know will make a difference, think about this...
Visit this website run by "Heifer International" and donate money towards many incredible things.

"The idea behind Heifer ... is similar to the notion that it's better to teach a man to fish so he can feed himself than to give him a fish that will feed him just once. One animal could eventually benefit an entire community."
- Associated Press

Donate a water buffalo!
"In poor Filipino villages, water buffalo from Heifer provide draft power for planting rice and potatoes, milk for protein and manure for fertilizer and fuel. A farmer can plant four times more rice with a buffalo than by hand." ..."By renting their buffalo to neighbors, Heifer partner families can earn money for home improvements."

A goat can help!
"With all the money donated to help fight famine around the world, with all the grandiose plans conceived to conquer poverty, sometimes all it takes to save a child is a goat."
- 60 Minutes, CBS News Magazine Program

a cow for a family...some animals can provide milk...others can increase productivity, helping families bring more income!

Not a baaaaad idea...it's very mooooving!

I seriously think I'm gonna send a goat AND a flock of ducks! (sorry, Flock of Seagulls is way outdated!)

http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.204586/

Happily Ever After Isn't So Bad

So many movies have been made throughout the years, from the All-American classics to the tantalizing chick flicks that never fail to bring tears to the eyes of men and women alike. Some movies give us lessons on life and love while others leave us staring blankly at the credits, trying to figure out what in the world we were thinking when choosing this particular show.

There is nothing more frustrating than setting aside two hours of my life, being mesmerized by this incredible story, only to be slapped with a dose of reality when the ending doesn't go along with my own wishes and desires. Perhaps this will be a "spoiler" for some, so if you have not seen the movie "City of Angels" and do not want to know how it ends, please look away now...or take this advice for the sake of your heart.

What an incredible story "City of Angels" told. A man (Nicholas Cage) who was so much in love with this woman (Meg Ryan) that he gave up eternity so that he could have an earthly body and an opportunity to spend his life with her. Watching each scene as he learned about the sensations and incidental moments that come with life made me think about all of the things we truly take for granted. Seeing the love grow and the incredible, passionate love scene as she taught him about the pleasures of the flesh took me to a warm, safe and happy place...a fantasy dream world where happiness always prevails. Personally, I think that was a good enough story as it was. Here comes the spoiler...and for me, it really did spoil the entire movie...

Instead of allowing us to remain in that world of "if only" and "what ifs," they had to smack us across the face with a dose of the awful concept of mortality and jerk us back into the sadness and loss that life sometimes brings. The story was good enough and it was totally unnecessary to rip our hearts out and cause so much grief. One comment that I heard from someone that enjoyed the movie for that very reason was, "That's life. It's true and it happens." Yeah, but I have the opportunity to see that every day. I don't have to pay my hard-earned money to watch the terrible things that happen to good people every single day. Why take such a beautiful love story and turn it into something so horrid that I spend the rest of the week carrying a box of Kleenex, avoiding any radio station that may play the heart-wrenching music that went along with it?

The main point is that, although movies can become predictable if they always end "happily ever after," there are some that are good enough to deserve just that kind of ending. Personally , I've never been able to figure out what attracts people to movies that are known to be depressing. If I'm going to dedicate two hours of my life to escape the occasional painful reality of life, I would appreciate the opportunity to bask in my safe haven of "warm fuzzies." I've never said to myself, "You know, I'm feeling great on this beautiful, sunny day. I think I'll watch a movie that will send me into deep depression for about a month."

If I want a depressing dose of real life, I'll just tune into the evening news. Maybe I'm just overly sensitive, but to walk into something like that, knowing that your heart is going to be ripped to shreds, I just consider that to be emotional masochism.