Blind Affection

Stolen shamelessly from cheezburger.com.  The generosity of a stranger.  The love of a lifetime.  I bawled for a several minutes, and then cheered up when I realized we live in a great world where someone can care so much, and a blind cat can still find your laptop and decide to place themselves right on the keyboard.  All is right with the world.

4 years ago while I was on holiday in the south of Italy (was living in the north) I found a tiny kitten desperately crying with the power of a thousands suns. I decided to take care of her during my holiday, so that she would be stronger and more capable to survive when I would leave back home. At the time she was obviously too young to survive alone under a 43 degrees Celsius (109 F) sun. 

Her legs were clearly not okay, the mouth was also asymmetrical and impossible to close, probably because of a trauma, but the worst news still had to come. The following day I brought her to the vet who said that her eyes were closed not only because she was still too young but also because an infection ate both eyeballs. The vet also said that she was too weak, and that he thought that she could not survive. 

In the following days my brother and I started to take care of her eyes infection, ears infection, intestine worms and fever, while keeping her warm, feeding her with warm powder milk every 4 hours and teaching her to follow the noise of our steps and clapping hands. After 15 days Skunky was still weak but alive, but I had to leave. So I changed my plane reservation to include a pet, and long story short, Skunky is now sleeping in my bed, with the body under my covers and her head on my pillow. 

…what Skunky gives to me everyday is worth 10 times more what I might do for her.

 

Food For The Heart And Soul

Republicans, complain all you want to about the President moving his acceptance speech Friday indoors due to storms, what the Democrats did afterwards for Charlotte is outstanding.

All the fancy catered food intended for the VIP suites and club rooms at the stadium – and perhaps even for the president himself – was redistributed Friday to local soup kitchens and shelters, via Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina.

On the menu: thousands of pounds of pecan-fried chicken, baked orzo, fresh crudités, three-bean bake, fresh-cut fruit and something called short rib cobbler.

And that’s only a partial list.

It had all been prepared in advance by chef Jon Morey and the kitchen staff of Delaware North Inc., the official food provider for the stadium. A dollar value for the food was not immediately available.

“It’s really a wonderful order,” said Kay Carter of Second Harvest, which got 7,500 pounds of the food.

“None of this food will go to waste. We contacted every shelter and soup kitchen in town and asked them how much refrigeration capacity they have and how many are they feeding. It will all be gone at the end of the day.”

Second Harvest has a history of redistributing fresh food at a moment’s notice, she said, including leftovers from major golf tournaments.

However, the Democratic National Convention’s gift is different, if only for the inclusion of enough popcorn for 70,000 people, popped and stuffed into bags. It will go to the community’s various children’s programs, including low-income day cares. “At least it doesn’t weigh a lot,” Carter said.

This is outstanding, and more people need to know about it.   Spread the word.

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/09/07/167529/dnc-gives-7500-pounds-of-leftovers.html#storylink=cpy

From The Mouths Of Babes

I've been really disappointed in the world lately, and I am afraid it's starting to show.  I so enjoy it when people do good things, and it grows into an even better thing.  And that's just what we have for you today.

Forget toys and video games. When Wyatt Erber won $1,000, the Illinois third-grader knew exactly what he wanted to do with the money.

The 8-year-old gave his winnings to the family of his young neighbor, 2-year-old Cara Kielty, who is battling leukemia.

"He was really aware of what cancer is," said Wyatt's mom, Noelle Erber. "When he found out Cara had cancer, his heart sank."

One week after the Cara Kielty was diagnosed, Noelle Erber asked her son if he'd like to enter a scavenger hunt sponsored by a local bank. The grand prize was $1,000.

"Wyatt immediately said, 'Let's do it, and if I win the $1,000, I want to give it to Cara,'" Erber said. "The idea of being able to give a thousand dollars wowed him."

When they found out they had been the first team to turn in all the clues, Wyatt called Cara's mother, Trisha Kielty.

"I knew he was wanting to do it for Cara, which is the sweetest thing ever," she said. "But an 8-year-old giving adults money? I tried to protest to his mom. Then she told me he asked how much chemo this would buy Cara. He gets it."

The Kieltys, who have been close friends of the Erbers since they moved to their street five years ago, decided to accept the money and "focus on the fact Wyatt is such a gracious kid," Trisha Kielty said.

The third-grader's act of generosity did not go unnoticed. A local charity matched his gift to the Kieltys. A man in Canada heard about the story and sent a letter praising Wyatt, along with $100 to give to the Kielty's for Cara's treatment.

Yeah.  That felt good.  Here's hoping Cara comes through this and enjoys a lifelong friendship with the boy who did his best to help her during the worst time of her short life.

Kicking Castro And Taking Names

Here's some of the amazing speeches at Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday.  San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro became the first Latino to give a convention keynote address:



Michelle Obama talked about family, and the middle class in her speech praising her husband and making the kitchen table pitch for four more years:



More speeches below the jump.

Who To Watch In Charlotte

Barack Obama became a political star after his DNC speech 8 years ago, which started him on the path to the White House.  The stars at the 2012 convention hoping that their future is just as bright include the Castro brothers, Joaquin and Julian, as they represent the party's growing Latino influence and political power in Texas.

Civil rights activist Rosie Castro toted her painfully shy twin boys everywhere, and they weren't always thrilled about the outings: distributing political literature, attending farm worker rallies and visiting the voting booth.

But the early introduction into political life made its mark on Julian and Joaquin Castro, who left their hardscrabble San Antonio neighborhood to attend Stanford and Harvard Law School before returning to their native city.

Julian is now mayor of America's seventh-largest city, and Joaquin is a Texas state representative poised to win a seat in Congress. The brothers, 37, will be in the national spotlight Tuesday evening when Julian -- after an introduction by Joaquin -- delivers the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, the first Latino to have that honor.

Julian Castro says he'll use the speech to highlight his family story as an example of the American Dream.

"Growing up, when we would get dragged to these events, I didn't want to be there," he said, recalling the outings led by his activist single mother. "Over time, as we got older, I developed a real appreciation of the importance of being involved in the democratic process."

The Castros share a lot of similarities with a certain President of the United States:  raised by a single mother, putting themselves through college, growing up in the labor movement, reaching success in state politics.  Now they turn to bigger things:  Joaquin is aiming for a House seat, and Julian is the keynote speaker.

We'll see how they do.  But remember the names:  you'll be seeing them again in 2016 for sure.

Labor Day Goodness

This made me absurdly happy, so I wanted to share it with you.

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A formerly blind Sumatran orangutan can see her baby twins for the first time after undergoing cataract surgery in the first such operation in Indonesia.

The orangutan, named Gober, was captured for her own safety in late 2008 in North Sumatra province after she went blind in both eyes due to cataracts. She gave birth to the twins in early 2011 as part of a breeding program.

Doctors at the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program in the provincial capital of Medan performed the cataract surgery on the 40-year-old animal on Monday. They announced the successful results late Thursday.

Excuse me, there's something in my eye.  Please click the link to the full article for picture goodness.  Might wanna grab a Kleenex first, it's a leaker.

Thanking A Vet - Doing It Right

Dennis Hall is dying.  The 63-year-old veteran has terminal cancer, and one of his final wishes is to see the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.  It is a simple request, but one the man is unable to afford.

His family held a garage sale and a bake sale as well, hoping to raise enough money to help him accomplish his goals.  Local news broadcast the story, and the total donations reached thousands of dollars.  Enough to send him on his trip, with the remainder to help with his medical bills.  His daughter will go with him to the memorial, where he can pay his respects to those who fought beside him, and those who fell.

It warms the heart to see people rally to show appreciation for those who risked their lives for us.  Perhaps our government will be inspired to do more of the same.

A Valentine's Day Love Story

DALLAS (AP) – Diane Aulger was about two weeks from her delivery date when she and her husband decided there was no time to wait: Mark Aulger had only days to live, and he wanted to see his child.

Diane Aulger had her labor induced and gave birth to their daughter Jan. 18. When tiny Savannah was placed in his arms, Mark Aulger "cried, and he just looked very sad," his wife said. He died five days later from complications related to his cancer treatment.

Aulger was already experiencing "pre-labor" symptoms, so the induced labor wasn't pushing the time up much. The staff wheeled Mark in, and their beds were side by side while his daughter was born. He held her for about 45 minutes, and he got to see her face. Though she won't have any memories to keep with her, he died knowing her, and her older siblings will help her know him through stories and pictures.

That's what love is. Now go hug somebody.

Short And Sweet: Shocking Good News Edition

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A Colorado woman who was struck by lightning last summer when she was three months pregnant has given birth to a healthy baby girl.

Stephanie Alberti, of Colorado Springs, was one of five people hit by a bolt while cheering for her husband at a stock car race.

Alberti was temporarily paralyzed and worried about her baby throughout the pregnancy. She says the family was relieved when Sophia was born, weighing 6 1/2 pounds. Her umbilical cord was wrapped around her tiny body, but it didn't create any complications.

There's not a lot to say except wow, and I hope this family regularly buys lottery tickets. A child in the core of a shocked torso, in a fluid sac no less, is a miracle. I'd have been worried every single day. That woman knows relief like few of us ever will.

Doing The Right Thing Even When It Hurts

In sharp contrast to the tragic story from earlier, a woman in Chicago brought her baby to a fire station and said she was unable to care for him.  Under the Safe Haven law, an infant under 30 days old can be brought in.  This child was older, but firefighters kept him and followed procedure, sending him in an ambulance for an evaluation after the mother said goodbye.


The young woman was only 19, and said she couldn't take care of him anymore.  This wasn't a decision she came to easily.  She was shaken and upset, and watched closely at how her child was handled.  When examined, the boy was in perfect health and had been well cared for.


Nobody mentioned the law only covered 30 days or younger, for fear they would scare the young woman away.  They told her where to find him if she changed her mind, and with an amazing amount of compassion and kindness did all they could to help.


Stutz said he couldn't help thinking about his own family, his wife with his children when they were infants. “That must be the last thing she would have been doing, giving up the baby,” he said. “But we don't know the circumstances.”


No, we don't.  But she did the best she could and she did it the right way.  Unlike the little girl I posted about this morning, this little fellow will have a chance.