Love is...

Valentine's Day has become such a Hallmark Card Day and it's time to reclaim it for lovers everywhere. Love is not about sending a card or buying overpriced roses, hot-housed and flown in from heaven knows where just for the occasion.

IMHO, love is about putting a smile on the face of someone precious, it's making an effort, setting someone else's needs or wants ahead of your own while knowing that they'd do the same. It's recognizing that you are simultaneously a tiny part of the world, yet the whole world to someone outside of yourself. And it's knowing your place and being comfortable there.

Today, my place was at the brunch table with my wonderful husband:



Where we enjoyed vegan crepes stuffed with caramelised bananas, and a medley of mango, nectarine, strawberries, blackberries, pear and melon. We shared a pot of fresh coffee and a mimosa.....or two. It was simple but delicious.



And you know what made it all the more delicious? Learning this morning that the efforts we've all been making to rescue those three bulls from slaughter - the ones in my previous posts - have succeeded and the boys are safe.

Now THAT is the perfect Valentine's Day gift.

THAT is love.



Happy Valentine's Day, friends! :)

Compassionate Art

Etsy artists are leading the way in the campaign to save the bulls in Oregon. According to Jodi from This Is It! Creations, this is a current listing of the Vegan Etsy artists who are donating all or part of their sales or profits to the fund to save Pooka Cow, Spotty Friend and Less Spotty Friend from slaughter.

Jodi herself is donating 100% of sales tomorrow and again the following Wed. from her main shop www.thisisit.etsy.com.

Heather, from Holistically Heather, is very graciously donating 100% of profits in her shop www.holisticallyheather.etsy.com from now until 2/13.

Susmitha, from Veganosaurus, is graciously donating 50% of her sales from now until 2/15 in her shop www.veganosaurus.etsy.com

Michele, from mvegan5, is graciously donating 10% of her sales from now until 2/15 in her shop www.mvegan5.etsy.com

Another Heather, from 3AM Art Productions, is graciously donating 100% of her sales from now until 2/13 in her shop www.aktie9.etsy.com

Lynn, from Lola Lynn's ACEOs To Go, is donating proceeds from her bracelets at www.lolalynn.etsy.com

Kimba from Kimba's Critters
www.kimbascritters.etsy.com will be donating 50% of sales through 2/11 to these 3 bulls.

Kelly from Lean Dog Pottery will be donating 20% of her sales from now until the 13th! www.leandogpottery.etsy.com

Sooooo...if you were considering making a purchase of great, hand-crafted stuff from vegan artists...now is the time to do it!

Jodi has written to Alicia Silverstone (tweeted and posted a blog on her site) to see if she can get some celeb help and I can only cross my fingers that she succeeds.

Remember, even if you don't buy online or don't shop at Etsy, checks are always acceptable! :) Here's the mailing address again:

This Is IT! Creations
P.O. Box 1252
Jacksonville, OR 97530

Thanks and stay vegan, friends! :)

Another chance to do 'just one thing'....

Picking up the thread once again from a couple of posts ago on doing 'just one thing' to help an animal, here's an opportunity to help three. A Facebook friend of mine has just started a campaign to raise funds to save 3 bulls from slaughter - she has 2 weeks and needs to raise $3600 to 'purchase' these animals, who she will house, at least temporarily, on her own 11-acre property in Oregon. These babies are only 2 years old and she has come to regard them as friends - they have a lot of living ahead of them but only if we can raise the money to save them from slaughter.

Learn more about the rescue by clicking here.

You can donate online via that Chip-In site link or mail a check to the following address:

This Is IT! Creations
P.O. Box 1252
Jacksonville, OR 97530

Please take a moment to learn about Pooka Cow (the brown one), Spotty Friend, and Less Spotty Friend and consider donating to help secure their future.



Thanks and stay vegan, friends! :)