Hello Feral Friends,
For the past few years, I've shared "what I'm thankful for" on Thanksgiving day via this blog. I'm trying to keep the blog more "rescue business" vs "personal" these days, sharing my personal stuff on facebook, but I think this is on tradition I will continue regardless as my life is still MOSTLY RESCUE, and a little personal peppered in never hurt anyone.
This year, this Thanksgiving morning, I'm thankful that I have Monkey on my lap. My Cajun boy from New Orleans loves me more than any other being on this planet and reminds me that love can be unconditional.
Amazing people came into my life this year, many through the RESCUE and they continue to benefit the RESCUE.
In the summer, a litter of abandoned kittens brought Joanne Roehm to me. She unlike most others, was
willing to take care of the kittens and bring them to health despite the fact that she had no idea what she was doing and they were knocking on death's door when she found them. With some coaching, she became the Kitten Mama. You can read her blog. See sidebar for link.
Joanne didn't just take care of the kittens, she took care of ME! Well, she took care of MY RESCUE! And with her background in non-profit management/consulting, she has brought Carol's Ferals a long way in a short time. I'm thankful to my Board of Directors for stepping up to help bring about a day when TNR is a household word. Thank you to Jim Schalk, Kolene Allen, Evan Rossio, Matt Jarrells and of course Joanne.
Three other amazing women have joined me in getting Carol's Ferals to a point where with continued commitment, I will be better able to focus my attention toward growing the organization and doing more overseeing, less hands on and freeing myself up to promote TNR in the community. Thanks to Jolyn Clark, my amazing Adoption Coordinator who is giving the ADOPTION branch of Carol's Ferals her special touch and changing the lives of a lot of previously homeless kitties. Sheri Meadows found kittens in a woodpile behind her house and has since stepped into the role of Facilities Manager at Brooknelle. I'm grateful to her for a multitude of reasons, but mostly for her taking all of my new client phone calls. I love you Sheri!
Both Sheri and Jolyn have amazing women alongside them and I am also very grateful for Brandi Meadows and Vic Cabot who help keep everything running smoothly. The third amazing woman is Liz Schovey. I didn't even actually help Liz with cats, but when I was on a break cleaning up the post Distemper mess at Brooknelle, I sent her elsewhere for help, yet today SHE HELPS ME. Liz is the Administrative Assistant to Carol's Ferals. Life is so much better with her hands on the data bases and taking care of everything I can't seem to manage on my own.
I know that people who volunteer for Carol's Ferals are doing it for the cats and NOT ME specifically. But I feel so much love and support from my volunteers, that I feel they are doing it for me. Thank you to Lisa McDaniel and Ian Seger for all your hard work in the restructuring of Brooknelle after the Distemper Disaster of 2009. Thank you for helping me organize my garage too! My hearse, Liza Jane really appreciates being indoors now. As do my neighbors who are not appreciative of having a death mobile in plain view in the complex.
The list of people who help me goes on for miles. And at the risk of leaving someone out, I feel I want to thank those that I can, those whose names tumble out of my head and onto my keyboard. Stephanie Meaney, Pat Baxter, Sara Baker, Arlene Gryga, Lois Levey, Darla Alexander, Robbin Alexander, Bev Dykstra, Roxanne Ketchapaw, Kathleen & Jim Oliver, Amy Townsend, Erica Carranco, Kaela Sowa, Tiffany Traxler, Tom and Maia Kerwin.
Eileen Burr and her team of sewers who make pet beds, Julie Williams for pee pads and Ray Jones for carrier cage modifications.
Thank you Liz Snavely, Gabriel James & Ask Me When for playing at my benefit. And Liz, thank you for organizing and promoting it.
I'm thankful to Ryan Hipp for creating my Carol's Ferals logo. To Jason Buys for saving my life by introducing me to Jott, Constant Contact and Gmail. Gabby thank you not wanting to kill me when you found out that I went with Gmail after several years of your urging me to dump AOL. And thanks Jolyn for turning me on to FACEBOOK!
Thanks to Tim Whitford at World of Floors for donating beautiful vinyl flooring to the remodeling of Brooknelle. And thank you Jerry Peterson for installing it for free. James, you know I appreciate all you do too, but thank you!
Thanks to all who have adopted cats to allow me to take in more, and to all who bring me cats to fix so that THERE ARE NO MORE!
I'm grateful for all who have donated time, funds and items to help me make Carol's Ferals possible.
One can't go long in speaking about Carol's Ferals without giving great thanks to Dr. Bruce Langlois who makes it all possible. His continued commitment to bringing about a day where healthy, adoptable animals are no longer killed in shelters keeps me able to make my commitment to the same. Working tirelessly to see this happen with actual vision and action to do so gives me the hope and strength I need to carry on.
Thank you Kaylyn Kraii for writing the Petco grant that brought me $5K to pay for out of county spay/neuters. With only $600 left in the fund, over 125 cats were fixed for free enabling out of county cats to reap the same benefits of the Kent County cats graciously paid for by Vicky's Pet Connection. Of course....thank you Vicky and Nancy!
Thank you to all who worked tirelessly to get the Class B Animal Dealer out of The Montcalm Animal Shelter. And thanks to all who have contributed to the funding of my promise to pay for the cremation of the animals that we can't save currently.
On a more personal note: I'm thankful that Gabby is home safe. And I'm thankful to him for taking Mavros and Pistachio to live with him and for all his hard work at Brooknelle. Take a number to THANK HIM! (come to Brooknelle and you'll know what that means).
Thank you Linda Gietzen for turning me onto sweat lodges, all good things revolving around the female spirit, and for being a good friend and sometimes when necessary, a second mom.
To all my friends who still love me and keep in touch with me though I suck at keeping in touch with them, I am so utterly and humbly grateful!
For the people who are no longer in my life, I wish you well but am thankful that we are no longer hurting each other.
Thank you to Chris for reminding me that there is "something more out there" and for making me smile.
And thank you God for my health and strength which enable me to make my dreams a reality.
I wish you all a joyful holiday!
Carol
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Jordan and Choo Choo
Roady
Frizzy
