Something Different for Christmas Giving

Since the fire at my neighbors' home the other day, I haven't been able to get much done in any direction. It has poured rain for days without let up except for a little while from time to time. There is flooding here in town, but I've hardly seen the news. I haven't been over helping my neighbors either. We drove by yesterday and the owner was on the front porch talking with someone who looked like and insurance adjuster...I don't know how an insurance adjuster looks but that was my take on him. We had to attend an AARP meeting so I could be introduced so when the time comes to vote for new officers they might remember my name. HA! They saw a new one come in that sorta might know what to do...you all know how that goes. Afterwards was when we drove by their house. I thought we might walk over later, but by the time we got home I was chilled and pretty miserable. We ate lunch and I put on my nightgown again and covered up hoping to get warm. I was still down all afternoon and evening. This morning I had to go to get blood work done...so still didn't get over. I'm a terrible friend. However, I will go tomorrow and leave messages all over the place until we hear from them.

In the meantime we got a catalog in the mail from Heifer International. I made a donation to some worthy cause and you know how your home address gets around after that. Well, They
have found me. When I picked the catalog up to read I was so confused. You can gift a heifer or share a heifer to provide milk for a family or a small village. This was after careful study and a lot of head scratching to figure out what this group is about. I'm familiar with what a heifer is...thank goodness. One of the perks of living in Texas...you pick up on terms regarding cattle and other farm animals even if you don't live on a farm. BTW-according to this catalog there are heifer goats. Heifer goats are less expensive than a heifer cow, I guess, or you can gift a Milk Menagerie for $1,000.00. That gift is comprised of a quality heifer, two goats, and a water buffalo. The animals can reproduce, give milk and the young traded for goods or brought to maturity and gifted to another.

This is the first time I've heard of this organization, but that doesn't mean all that much. Their goal is to give a helping hand up to families who need one. The main offices are in Little Rock, Arkansas. I'll bet Nit Wit 1, will know something about this organization. On their website is a lot of really good information and it might be something to think about giving this Christmas season. A pig can be gifted for $120.00 or share a pig for $10. Their website for education is:
http://www.heifereducation.org/ .



Sometimes it is just good to be a sucker for a good cause....and I didn't even tell you about the Knitting Basket (2 llamas and 2 sheep for $500 to provide wool to be knitted into clothes to sell or trade or milk for the family or community to use or barter) and how I sure wish I'd gotten in
on helping knit the world's longest scarf. That would have been such a cool thing to do on those days I don't want to think all that much. I had a lot of days like that lately.

This came at a good time for me and I hope it gives you something to think about when we are deciding on how many new toys our healthy, well fed children really need this Christmas. However, if our economy keeps going downward, we may be asking for help from them to help folks in our country. I've noticed an upswing in keeping chickens and some other small farm animals in town. I pray my neighbors don't get a rooster. None of my neighbors have any chickens, but I have thought about it. They eat mosquitoes like crazy. We have a martin house we bought at First Monday in Weatherford YEARS ago...that I have never painted or gotten it up on a pole. Due to my total dependence on the grocery store we are unable to care for ourselves. Oh yes..this afternoon while waiting for hubby to get back from his parents house I was watching a show where a community tried to eat locally grown food for 100 days. They found a store in the area that had wheat which they ground for their bread....this is a story for another day. It got pretty scary toward the end of this episode. Sort of ...well, not like anything Halloween...but finding chicory for coffee in the Pacific Northwest..well I just don't know.

Night Night, friends. We will finish this story another evening.

And Anil P. I am so sorry we seem to be getting India's monsoons this year. We needed some, but not quite as much as we have had this year. I won't go so far as to say we got too much. That would just jinx us for next year. Maybe next year your country will get the proper amount at the right time for your farmers, and we will get just the right amount for ours...and for my little garden.