Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

A friend of mine told me about this with a warning to have a box of tissues close by. Now I know what she meant. I cannot even imagine what this is like for either the family or the photographer.

The story of how this organization started is incredible. If you can, make sure that you read the founder's letter to her son, Maddux. http://www.nowisleep.com/showthread.php?t=6&highlight=maddux (There are 3 parts to the letter that are accessed above the letter)

The Gallery http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/pageDisplay.php?page=20 shows just some of the photographs. If you click on the picture you also read the story about that family.

May God continue to bless the photographers who donate their time and services to these families.
http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/start.php

Dogs in the car

I took a break this morning outside with a co-worker. We heard a dog barking and looked to see where it was coming from. We saw it in a car directly in front of us barking frantically with all of the windows of the car closed. Completely closed! We waited about 5 minutes and I decided to call the local police (yes, I used the non-emergency number). We waited another 10 minutes and before the cops showed up, the guy came out of the salon right next to us and got in the car and left. I still can't grasp that this man actually did this. There have been tons of psa's done by tons of different animal welfare groups regarding leaving animals in cars. You just DON'T do it!

Here are some facts from 2 articles I quickly found on www.humanesociety.org :

• on an 85 degree day, the temp in a car can increase to 102 degrees in just 10 minutes
• after 30 minutes on said day it can increase to 120 degrees
• on hot & humid days in direct sunlight, temperatures can increase 30 degrees PER MINUTE!
• on mild days, at 72 degrees the temp can increase more than 40 degrees per hour with 80% of that increase occurring within the first 30 minutes
• 110 degrees poses a danger of heatstroke in dogs
• cracked windows provide a minuscule benefit

Interestingly enough, some auto manufacturers are understanding the fact that some people are just stupid and need some type of alarm system in their vehicles for purposes such as this. General Motors has been working on a low-energy radar system since 2001 that will be able to detect motion as subtle as a baby breathing. The sensor will then trigger a unique horn alarm if the temp inside the vehicle registers at a dangerous level. The article from 2003 mentioned that GM hoped to introduce this mid-decade but I couldn't find any mention of it on GM's website. Perhaps they have turned their focus more to fuel efficiency and other forms of safety alarms.

To all of my friends, family, aquantances, and such - please do not leave your pets in your cars!

Who has been reading this?

I figured that Denise was the one reading my blog, but as her comment states below, she only just discovered it. So, who has been reading it? Please comment! I would love to know!

Seriously?

I admit that I have been on the crew of the green patrol for a few months now and have made a few simple, yet environmentally friendly, changes in our household. I have been getting better at remembering my cloth shopping bags when going to the store, have been diligent in using the mounds of plastic bags that we had under the sink for other purposes, have switched laundry and household cleaners, and have been trying to purchase less packaged foods to reduce our garbage (and wastelines!). However, this is where I absolutely, 100%, draw the line...

No, these are not cat toys, but are crocheted and/or knitted tampons! There was an article in the PG regarding a woman who has taken steps to reduce paper waste in the home. This lovely woman sews their own menstrual pads, paper towels, tissues, etc. Yes, even toilet paper!

http://http//www.post-gazette.com/pg/08197/897011-113.stm

http://http//www.eapoos.com/

Sorry, but no amount of environmental thinking is going to make me think about going this route.

Dear Fellow Chip Chewers and other crunchy things,

I am writing today to beg you to please close your mouth when eating chips or other crunchy items. It is pretty easy - all you have to do is close your lips after placing the crunchiness in your mouth and THEN start chewing. It isn't necessary to start the chewing process immediately. If it is, then you are shoving too much into your gaping hole!

Sincerely yours,
Bonnie