Helping Helo

I'm sure you have all heard about Helo, the poor husky who was allegedly involved in the death of a baby in McKeesport. The newspapers and television are plastered with the beautiful dog, who has become a scapegoat for the mother's neglectfulness. He was adopted out to a wonderful new family, and then taken away again per instructions from the  Allegheny County District Attorney, and sentenced to DEATH.  An appeal is in the process, but he needs our help. Helo is NOT to blame for this tragic event; Here are the primary reasons why:


1.) He has a broken leg, and was being denied veterinary attention. Instead of  having the leg properly set by a professional, it was being restrained in some sort of home made sling. This is pure NEGLECT. Any animal who is in pain is likely to be touchy, and may overreact to provocation.


2.) Helo was not being fed properly, and appears to be very skinny. Huskies are natural hunters, and the baby probably sounded like a small animal to Helo. He didn't know any better, and was simply following his instincts to obtain nourishment.


3.) Helo was new to the household, since he was purchased by the baby's mother only a month before the incident. The woman had several other dogs, so as the newcomer, it is very likely Helo was at the bottom of the pecking order. Becoming part of an established "pack" is difficult for dogs, and is certainly no time to bring a baby into the mix.


4.)Helo did not chase anyone down. The baby was laying exposed on the floor, like a squeaky toy. There was only ONE set of bite marks, verifying that Helo was not trying to rip the baby to pieces. Once he realized the baby was not a toy, he backed off.


5.) There are new reports coming out that at his own home, Helo was given a naked baby doll to play with as a toy. Hmmm...no wonder the poor boy was confused!


 I could go on, but PLEASE check out the Facebook page, Helping Helo, for up to date information on this case. You can make donations, check on the case's status, or offer other means of support to Helo's cause.


I already wrote a letter to the D.A., and am planning to protest if needed.


Please sign this petition as well. We have soo many signatures, which is wonderful, but we need as many as we can get. Your signature DOES matter.

We love you, Helo!

Meet Cosette

Cosette at four weeks old. She was close to death, and needed a lot
of care to recover.

  

 About a month after we moved into our house, I was driving to school and as luck would have it, saw two cats and a tiny gray kitten in the middle of the road. I waited for them to cross, and then kept driving, because I figured they belonged to one of the neighboring farms. Something made me stop again though, and as I looked back in the mirror, I saw that the two adult cats had run into some nearby bushes, but the kitten had wondered back on the road.


I decided to get out and scare the kitten off the road, but surprisingly, she was not scared of me. In fact, she waddled right up to me, which is strange for the semi-feral cats in our parts. Upon looking at her, I saw that she had a terrible cold, which can be life-threatening for kittens. Her eyes were plastered shut with discharge, and her nose was full of mucous. Her breath was raspy, and I knew I had no choice but to take her to the vet. It was getting cold out, and she would die if I left her there.


I sat her on my lap, hoping she was not rabid, and she purred the entire time I held her. I made a quick stop at my parents' house to find a cage, and the only thing I came across was an antique wooden  Coca-Cola box. I figured my mom wouldn't care when she found out what it was for. 


I decided to name her "Cosette", since it means "little thing" in French; we call her "cozy" for short. The vet confirmed that she was only four weeks old. Kittens should not be away from their mothers until at least eight weeks, but she luckily took to solid food very quickly.


Bringing her back to health was no easy effort, and she did end up losing sight in one eye. My regular vet was on vacation when I found Cosette, and she needed immediate medical attention, so I took her to a different vet. The first antibiotic she was prescribed actually made her eyes swell up worse, so I had to go back and try a different one. Luckily, the second one worked wonders, but her one eye had already become inflamed, causing the membrane to fuse it permanently shut. 


She required oral antibiotics twice a day, eye-drops three times a day, and nightly steam-baths, to open up her nasal passages. We even placed a tiny dot of Vick's on her nose, and it seemed to help. I didn't think the poor thing was going to make it, but she recovered with a vengeance. Now, she is the spunkiest, most playful kitten I've ever seen. I would even consider her a holy terror. She bosses all the dogs around, and gets around fine with one eye. My vet may try to open her bad eye when I get her spayed, but I'm not sure I want to take the risk of the eye getting infected by opening it. 


She also eats everything in site; I have never known a cat who eats peanut butter, mangos, blueberries, corn, pizza crust, dog food, vegetables, and crackers. She is a little miracle, and I thought I'd share her story with y'all. 

Bring on the Bubbly

So we've had this bottle of champagne in the fridge since New Year's, and we have not been able to figure out how to open it. It had this weird plastic cap, and a corkscrew wouldn't work.


What did we do? Bust out the tools. Kevin obviously wanted this champagne very badly, note the determined grimace on his face. I think the Batman shirt gave him super strength as well. 


So if you guys have ever run into this problem, grab a wrench and some stemware, and prepare to drink up.

Where the Wild Things Are

One of the best parts of living in the woods is having the chance to see wild creatures. We regularly see deer, hawks, turkey buzzards, and the occasional raccoon. We even saw a bear out in a distant field one time. However, the other day, when I was driving home, a red fox ran right in front of me! It was thrilling, and I felt so lucky to be able to witness his grace and agility firsthand. I feel so at peace when I'm in the woods, and wish more people could learn to appreciate and coexist with Mother Nature and her creatures.

Future Cat Lady

 I have a real problem with rescuing critters, and I fear in old age  I will become a cat lady. You know, the kind you dread standing behind in the grocery store line, because she has 50 cans of Fancy Feast, smells like cat piss, and insists on showing the cashier pictures of every single one of her dozen or so furry friends.

I knew my rescuing was a problem when I found myself reaching down to save earthworms from the sidewalk. I have a habit of posting cute puppy pictures of dogs needing adopted from the kill shelter  on my friends' Facebook pages. I have five dogs of my own for God's sake!

However, it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I realized I needed therapy for this little problem. Kevin and I were driving and watched as a deer got hit right in front of us. I started bawling my eyes out, and Kevin was trying to take a work call and console me at the same time. I made him turn around and get out of the car to see if the deer had a pulse. Yes, I would have put it in the back seat and done CPR, but sadly and luckily, it was already dead.

KitchenAid Mixer = Happy Birthday to Me

My birthday isn't until Friday, but my parents surprised me with an early gift today...my very own KitchenAid mixer! My mom must have known I've been plotting to steal hers. 

I am beyond excited to try it out, and think my first creation will be whole wheat blueberry scones.I can't wait until summer, when our black raspberry bushes start blooming, because then I'll be making raspberry EVERYTHING.  

Shabby Chic Tables

Please ignore the dangerous exposed outlet...this picture was
 taken a long time ago, when we were replacing cover plates!

Love the simplicity of this charming little piece

As Kevin and I were cleaning out the basement of our house, we found these awesome little tables, and I fell in love with them. They were damp and covered in dust and dirt, but with a little elbow grease they look brand new; well, brand new in a rustic sort of way.


I have always adored worn, rustic, blocky furniture, and would never dream of decorating my house in a sleek, modern style. Anything plastic, shiny,  particle-board, geometrical, vinyl, or modern-looking should burn. Anything chunky, worn, dated, and antique should be loved and cherished.


Apparently my preference of interior decor has a name- shabby chic. Shabby chic is a style of design where decorations and furnishings are chosen for their rustic and worn charm. It is similar to cottage-style decor, and pastel colors are preferred. Run a quick google search, and you'll see this has become all the rage lately. If you like this style, check out this shabby chic blog, for some great decorating ideas.