Those of you concerned with the pet overpopulation problem we are facing in Kern County now have the opportunity to be directly involved in doing something positive to reverse this trend.

Assemblymember Lloyd Levine has introduced the California Healthy Pets Act which, if passed, would require pet owners who do not qualify for exemptions to spay or neuter their pets.

 Click here for a full overview of this bill and its effect on California pet owners.

Right now, the most important thing we can do to support this bill is to write our elected officials and let them know how we feel. They can be reached at the following addresses:

Assembly Member Jean Fuller
State Capitol
Room 3098
Sacramento, CA 94249-0032

 
Mailed letters carry a much stronger impact than do emails. I’m attaching a letter that may be used as a guide for ideas about how to address this issue.

 

I know there are a lot of artsy people in Tehachapi, but today I'm looking for people who knit, especially if you've done it for a little while. I'm trying to get the hang of it, but have a couple of (probably) dumb questions that I'd like to ask someone who has some experience.

A massive canned pet food recall is underway, for  cans or pouches of food  described as "cuts with gravy." Brands include Iams, Eukanuba, Nutro, WalMart brand, PetSmart brand and dozens of others.

The story can be found here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/...

Canned food brands affected can be found here:
http://www.menufoods.com/re...

For the list of Iams and Eukanuba foods affected:
http://us.iams.com/iams/en_...

Additionally, Hills, the makers of Science Diet, are issuing a voluntary recall of some of their canned cat food products:
http://www.hillspet.com/men...

UPDATE: Nestle-Purina adds Mighty Dog 5.3 ounce pouches to recall list:
http://www.purina.com/compa...

but daylight savings time is kicking my butt!

Maybe it's because it started so early this year, but I am a cranky, sleepless wreck this week. When my usual bedtime comes I'm wide awake, so I can either stay up later (and lose more sleep) or go to bed and wriggle around like a newly-hooked fish for an hour.

The cirtters aren't faring any better with their bed time, their get-up time and their meal times all jostled around.

Am I the only one feeling like this?????

So, it being a gorgeous Monday and all, I was wondering if we might be able to start a little dialogue about cheap tips and tricks for decorating and/or cleaning your house.

I'll even start.

A few weeks ago, when i took down my holiday candle centerpiece, I realized that I really like having candles on the dining table, but didn't have a good way to showcase them. Seriously, a few days later it just hit me.

I have a bunch of wine, margarita, martini and champagne glasses that have been given to me over the years, which would be great if I threw a bunch of parties (or drank a bunch), but I don't.

I went to the craft store and bought some small bags of colored sand. I put the sand in the glasses, sometimes making it look like a drink, sometimes just drawing a little design with a toothpick along the side of the glass. Then I could put a tealight inside, nestled in the sand, or a taper rooted into the sand base. The candles could look good, burn with no fear of a mess and if I want to use the glasses, all I have to do is pour the sand out and wash them.  The sand can be changed into different colors for holidays or seasons, so it's easy to get a different look.

And, if you get one of those decorative mirrors that are also at the craft store to place under the glasses, you get an even more formal look for a super not-formal price!

Now it's your turn to share...