I walked yesterday in the March For Our Lives with an inspiring group of young people - and people of all ages - in our small coastal community.  I was surprised and so happy to see how many people (several thousand) showed up to support these young people in the march and so impressed by the young people themselves leading and organizing the march.  I hope that after this massive outpouring of support from our country and literally all around the world, our politicians will listen and make some very needed changes to our gun laws before we have another massive incident.  Lives are so much more important than uncontrolled and unregulated gun rights.  We need some sensible changes and these young people will hopefully be the ones to bring them about.  

What I want to concentrate on is the positive power of young people to mobilize and make a difference.  Seeing them organize and communicate clearly their feelings the way they did was inspirational and is the essence of our democracy.  It will be their world and they are taking charge of what it will become.  I have watched the young grasp many issues that I care about: the environment, climate change, animal rights, support for diversity and the rights of all people and it gives me great hope.  They are taking on important issues and developing projects and products to benefit our world ... and to more efficiently use, and reuse our resources to save our world.  It is easy to get discouraged when I look around or listen to the media but I feel that "times, they are a changing" because of the passion, energy and motivation of these young people and it gives me great hope for the future of our beautiful world.`

Hi - Momma said that I could post this week.  I'm Tinker and I'm Momma's Little Old Baby.  Momma found me at the animal shelter after they had brought me in when I had been hit by a car.  I was very cute and friendly and I had a special trick that Momma really liked when she met me.  When she picked me up, I crossed my paws and hugged her just like a little baby. She couldn't resist and she brought me home  

I had a few problems though.  I just had one eye because of the wreck and, since I had been a street pup, I wasn't very house trained.  But Momma fell in love and I became a part of her home.  I wasn't a young puppy when she got me and now I'm really a senior dog but I am still my momma's baby.  I am now losing sight in my "good" eye.  I bump into things but I still love my walks and I have a lot of spunk.  My favorite things are my squeaky toys and my favorite squeaky is the Santa Clause toy that I got for Christmas.  When I am in the house there is nothing that I would rather do than sit or lay on the floor and hold on to my Santa Squeaky.  

​Momma was afraid that I was getting kind of lonely without a playmate, so she got me a companion from the shelter who is younger but still a "middle aged" gentleman. He and I play together and keep each other company.  Momma thinks I'm not lonely anymore and she's right ... I have Nunzi and he and I are buddies.  

I am writing today to speak  up for all of the Little Old Babies out there in pet world.  We might not be as spry as we once were and we might not be perfect but we are still full of love so please don't give up on us.  We make nice "teddy bears" of love

A few days ago I enjoyed a celebration for International Women’s Day.  Celebrated each year on March 8. International Women's Day is a day honoring the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women around the world. According to its official website, the celebration has been marked for well over a century, with the first International Women's Day gathering supported by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. Today, International Women's Day belongs to all women - and their allies - everywhere and is acknowledged around the world. This year's International Women's Day global theme is #PressForProgress.

A friend of mine many years ago wrote a song with the lyrics “Women Weave the Rugs of the World”.  It is true - we  generally weave the family and community and, by extension, the world together with our caring spirit.  We are the caretakers although many men share too.  I see more fathers playing with their children, taking them to school, staying home to help out and being more involved in the non profits benefitting so many things now.

One of a woman's greatest contributions to the world is the spirit of compassion.  We women, at our best, are endowed with an innate, heartfelt desire to help somewhere.  It doesn't come with a sense of expectation, it's just a desire to make something better.  Sometimes, however; you can be overwhelmed.  There is so much to do and there is negative all around.  But, as our moderator this past week said, If you get overwhelmed that you can't do  "everything for everyone" and don't do "something for someone" then you will end up doing "nothing for no-one".  She then challenged us to find our passion somewhere and to give a little where we can, whether it be in time or money and whether the cause be children, the elderly, animals, the environment, the disabled - or anything to make the world a little better.  So I challenge you to find your passion and work for it.  Start looking for opportunities to give a little and while you are at it, pass that spirit of compassion and giving on to the next generation, our wonderful children, for they will carry it on into the future.