mousewords

My thoughts and prayers are going out to anyone in the country who is dealing with the frigid ice and snow storms lately. I’m keeping in touch, well as I can, with friends in those areas, and every news report weighs heavily on my heart.

I’ve just heard from a friend whose neighborhood is struggling with ice storms. She mentioned widespread power outages and the dangers of hypothermia, which threaten residents—such as the elderly—who don’t want to leave their homes. They’ve also had reports of fires that were caused by people who brought their outdoor grills in for heat.

This news sent a different kind of chill through me—there’s another danger that many people may not be aware of, in this time of cold and ice. Carbon monoxide poisoning. CO is the leading cause of poisoning deaths in the United States. Many times the poisoning occurs when inappropriate grills and heaters are brought indoors, to an enclosed space without adequate ventilation.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is a byproduct of incomplete fuel combustion. Anything that burns can produce carbon monoxide. Fuel-burning appliances such as gas stoves, fireplaces, and kerosene heaters should be tested by the fire department, the gas company, or a heating technician every year, to make sure they are working properly. Also, adequate ventilation should always be made available—for example, kitchen fans that vent outdoors; chimneys and flues that are properly maintenanced; and windows that are opened a crack in furnace rooms.

But who has a window open during the middle of winter? When people want to heat their homes, they will be doing their very best to seal up all the cracks. This is danger enough simply with normal household appliances—but when outdoor grills or stoves are brought inside for heat, the carbon monoxide can accumulate and reach deadly levels.

If you know anyone who might be trying to use such methods of heating their homes, please spread the word about carbon monoxide safety. My family and I survived chronic exposure to CO, and came away with long-term damage. Yet we were lucky.

And I’ll keep the prayers going.

Tags: Carbon Monoxide Awareness, Environment, Family, Friends, Health, Life, Life in General, News, Personal, Seasonal, Thoughts by mousewords
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The evening comes to a close, and with it the 10-day auction event of Art for 1000 Wells. I’ve been so moved by the people who have participated!  Each of the artists and artisans had their own personal challenges, yet all came together to help raise funds for a worthy need.  The auction event, as it is, has “ended”—but many things go on.

~~~For instance, Art for 1000 Wells will press onward.  Several of the artists have expressed their intent to continue to donate a percentage from some of their art profits to Blood:Water Mission’s 1000 Wells project.  In this season of frantic holiday shopping, that is a true show of the Christmas spirit!  Even now, if you search TWBW (Thousand Wells Blood Water) on eBay.com, you will find an array of lovely artwork available for purchase.  You can still give the gift of original art to the ones you care about this Christmas, knowing that your gift will be giving twice. (And you’ll also find mousewords up there, as well!)

 ~~~What else will go on?  The work of Blood:Water Mission.  They will strive toward their goal of providing one thousand clean water projects to one thousand African communities.  And I know they will continue toward their ultimate goal: the defeat of AIDS in Africa.  Lofty purpose, but one step at a time can make a difference.  One dollar will provide one year of clean water for one African.  Clean water can mean the difference between life and death for anyone—and can enable health, education, and adulthood for a child.

~~~And another thing that will continue is the crisis in Africa.  The AIDS crisis is pandemic—that’s a buzzword, meaning it’s an epidemic of vast proportions.  Every positive contribution matters.  Put very simply, we can help improve a life somewhere in the world.  It doesn’t need to be a major undertaking.  Each person can help in simple, basic ways—like donating pocket change to Blood:Water Mission; doing gift shopping through Art for 1000 Wells; writing a blog about this cause; passing links on to friends and neighbors.  Basic actions, but they make a difference.  Buy a gift, make some noise—every little bit helps.

 ~~~And one more thing shall continue pressing on: me.  :):)  In my third decade, muddied past my knees with some pretty obnoxious challenges I’ve needed to slog through.  Wondering at times if I’ve slogged through all this to get anywhere.  Carrying a chest full of unanswered desires and unfulfilled dreams…

 …as yet.

 But I know how to slog.  And I’m gonna keep on keeping on.  Watch this space…

…some very interesting things are about to happen.

 And thank you for keeping me company along the way. :);) 

Tags: Art, Art for 1000 Wells, Blogging, Christianity, Conservation, Culture, Environment, Inspiration, Journal, Life, Musings, News, Personal, Philosophy, Thoughts, Web by mousewords
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Moments left!

After many weeks of preparation and ten days of stunning art and wonderful crafts on display, Art for 1000 Wells is ending shortly! Many great artists and artisans from all corners of the globe (well, a few of them, at least) have come together to participate, all with the common goal of raising funds to benefit Blood:Water Mission’s 1000 Wells Project. BWM’s quest to provide a thousand clean water projects to a thousand African communities—while working to fight the spread of the AIDS virus at the same time—is a noble humanitarian outreach, and is accomplishing great things.

With Art for 1000 Wells, artists, collectors, and holiday shoppers can help save lives in Africa!

And there’s still time left! Yes, Christmas Eve shoppers, I’m talking specifically to you. Trust me, I’ve done that run. Not many stores are open on Christmas Eve. Plus, wouldn’t you rather be sitting in front of the tree…with a nice hot cup of cider in your hand and someone you love under your arm…inwardly excited as you think about the gorgeous piece of original artwork that is sitting under the tree, wrapped in festive paper, awaiting the stunned and joyous response of its recipient…and feeling a warm glow of satisfaction knowing that you shopped wisely, and helped make someone else’s life better in the process…

Think about that. But…um…think quickly.

Ending TONIGHT! CLICK HERE!

Tags: Art, Art for 1000 Wells, Culture, Environment, Family, Humor, Internet, Journal, Life, News, Web by mousewords
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Moments left!

After many weeks of preparation and ten days of stunning art and wonderful crafts on display, Art for 1000 Wells is ending shortly! Many great artists and artisans from all corners of the globe (well, a few of them, at least) have come together to participate, all with the common goal of raising funds to benefit Blood:Water Mission’s 1000 Wells Project. BWM’s quest to provide a thousand clean water projects to a thousand African communities—while working to fight the spread of the AIDS virus at the same time—is a noble humanitarian outreach, and is accomplishing great things.

With Art for 1000 Wells, artists, collectors, and holiday shoppers can help save lives in Africa!

And there’s still time left! Yes, Christmas Eve shoppers, I’m talking specifically to you. Trust me, I’ve done that run. Not many stores are open on Christmas Eve. Plus, wouldn’t you rather be sitting in front of the tree…with a nice hot cup of cider in your hand and someone you love under your arm…inwardly excited as you think about the gorgeous piece of original artwork that is sitting under the tree, wrapped in festive paper, awaiting the stunned and joyous response of its recipient…and feeling a warm glow of satisfaction knowing that you shopped wisely, and helped make someone else’s life better in the process…

Think about that. But…um…think quickly.

Ending TONIGHT! CLICK HERE!

Tags: Art, Art for 1000 Wells, Culture, Environment, Family, Humor, Internet, Journal, Life, News, Web by mousewords
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Moments left!

After many weeks of preparation and ten days of stunning art and wonderful crafts on display, Art for 1000 Wells is ending shortly! Many great artists and artisans from all corners of the globe (well, a few of them, at least) have come together to participate, all with the common goal of raising funds to benefit Blood:Water Mission’s 1000 Wells Project. BWM’s quest to provide a thousand clean water projects to a thousand African communities—while working to fight the spread of the AIDS virus at the same time—is a noble humanitarian outreach, and is accomplishing great things.

With Art for 1000 Wells, artists, collectors, and holiday shoppers can help save lives in Africa!

And there’s still time left! Yes, Christmas Eve shoppers, I’m talking specifically to you. Trust me, I’ve done that run. Not many stores are open on Christmas Eve. Plus, wouldn’t you rather be sitting in front of the tree…with a nice hot cup of cider in your hand and someone you love under your arm…inwardly excited as you think about the gorgeous piece of original artwork that is sitting under the tree, wrapped in festive paper, awaiting the stunned and joyous response of its recipient…and feeling a warm glow of satisfaction knowing that you shopped wisely, and helped make someone else’s life better in the process…

Think about that. But…um…think quickly.

Ending TONIGHT! CLICK HERE!

Tags: Art, Art for 1000 Wells, Culture, Environment, Family, Humor, Internet, Journal, Life, News, Web by mousewords
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Today is World AIDS Day.

Sounds overwhelming. The brain has a tendency to want to glaze over that…shun the thoughts it brings to mind. Sickness, suffering, death. It’s easy to pause for a moment, read the articles on the subject, look at the red web pages and red ribbons, feel sorrowful…then turn away.

33.2 million people live with HIV/AIDS worldwide. 22.5 million of them are in Africa. HIV/AIDS is currently the leading cause of death in Africa. We read that and think, “That’s really a shame.” But not knowing what we can do about it—other than feel bad and maybe say a prayer for the situation—we turn away, and move on with our lives. After a couple days, we won’t see it in the papers anymore, and it will be life as usual.

For us.

Yet in many areas of the world, mothers are living in fear that they will pass the AIDS virus on to their children. The resources that may protect them are often not readily available. And in places where AIDS is a real and present threat, something as simple as clean water can protect a child’s life…or save one.

So what does that mean for us on this side of the globe? Maybe we feel moved to do something—how can we help? One way is to keep doing what we normally do—but in a way that will make a difference.

For instance, Holiday Shopping. Have you finished your list yet? Who has?? As you do your gift shopping over the next few days, I encourage you to go to eBay.com and enter the keyword term TWBW in the search bar. TWBW stands for “Thousand Wells Blood Water,” and is the acronym of Art for 1000 Wells, an international group of artists and artisans who have come together to offer their original creations for sale on eBay—all with the purpose of raising funds for Blood:Water Mission’s 1000 Wells Project. The 1000 Wells project is building one thousand clean water solutions in one thousand African communities—they are saving lives, and actively fighting against the spread of the AIDS virus. I invite you to check out Blood:Water Mission’s website to learn more about this organization. If you would rather make a donation directly to the cause, you can do so on the website.

Art for 1000 Wells ends on the night of December 4th. There’s still time to give original art as a meaningful gift this holiday season. You can know that your gift will really be giving twice.

And you can also be encouraged in the thought that you didn’t turn away.

Tags: Art, Art for 1000 Wells, Articles, Culture, Environment, Internet, Journal, Life, Life in General, News, Thoughts by mousewords
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I can write a press release, just like all the other cool people. Wanna read it?

—-

Art for 1000 Wells Invites Shoppers to Buy Holiday Gifts Online, and Save Lives in Africa

Independent artists and artisans invite holiday shoppers to buy once, and give twice this holiday season with their upcoming eBay Giving Works charity art auction, Art for 1000 Wells, which will benefit Blood:Water Mission’s humanitarian work in Africa.

San Luis Obispo, CA — November 15, 2007

With the arrival of the holiday season, people’s hearts flow into their actions. You know the feeling–holiday decorations go up, and colored light bulbs turn on someplace inside us. We fight crowds as we tramp through malls and stores, and ride the waves as we surf online shopping centers, all in the quest of buying presents for those we care about. And when we find that one perfect gift–the one we know they’ll love–we feel a rush of excitement that just might compare to winning the Super Bowl.

As we give to those we know, our hearts also turn to those we don’t. Our checkbooks come out, and we donate to worthy causes–we feel the warmth of the holiday spirit, knowing that our contribution may improve a person’s life or put a smile on a child’s face someplace in the world.

Each experience is edifying. But imagine this–what if we could give both ways at the same time?

This is the concept that inspired Art for 1000 Wells, an international group of artists and artisans who are bringing their talents together for a 10-day eBay charity auction, which will run from Saturday, November 24th to the evening of Tuesday, December 4th. The goal of the auction: To raise funds to benefit Blood:Water Mission’s 1000 Wells Project.

Founded by the members of the multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning band Jars of Clay, Blood:Water Mission is a non-profit organization which strives to address the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa, through providing clean water solutions in African communities, supporting medical facilities, and promoting community and worldwide involvement. The goal of the 1000 Wells Project is to provide one thousand wells to one thousand African communities.

“We hold fast to the conviction that we are all responsible for being good stewards of our time, our resources and our compassion in a broken world,” quotes the Blood:Water Mission website. “Every person has something to give in return for what has been received.”

The 1000 Wells Project is connecting people from all across the globe, and Art for 1000 Wells is a perfect example of this. Hailing from several countries, the individual artists and artisans each have their own personal challenges in life, yet are still reaching out to help others.

Working with eBay’s auction and fixed price formats, the artists will offer their original work for sale online, and contribute a portion of the profits to Blood:Water Mission. From November 24th to December 4th, holiday shoppers may go to www.eBay.com, and enter the keyword term TWBW (Thousand Wells Blood Water) into the search bar, to find a wide variety of original items for sale at auction. The creations will include such one-of-a-kind items as artwork, fine-art photography, handmade crafts, and more. Each item will be as unique as the artist who created it.

Water is life. A thousand wells will save uncountable lives. Art for 1000 Wells invites shoppers to search “TWBW” on eBay this holiday season, and give the gift of original art. With one purchase, you will really be giving twice.

For more information about the auction or individual artists, please visit the official website at http://artfor1000wells.googlepages.com

Or contact:
Christine Taylor
805-474-8136
artfor1000wells@gmail.com

—–

After reading it—wanna copy and paste it on your websites and link to it from your blogs?? Ya wanna? …Please?

;):)

Tags: Art, Art for 1000 Wells, Articles, Blogging, Environment, Internet, Life, News, Quotes, Web, Writing by mousewords
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The Art Helping Mountain Gorillas auction came to a close last night! I’m grateful to everyone who participated! We had a great time, and were able to raise something to help this worthy cause. My fellow artists and I are eager to continue to support the rangers of the Congo in their work protecting the endangered mountain gorillas…so I may be creating more gorilla themed artwork soon.

It’s been an exciting and rewarding experience, and I’m happy to have been included!

Tags: Animals, Art, Conservation, Culture, Environment, Life, Mountain Gorillas, News by mousewords
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To complete our group of family artists participating in the Art Helping Mountain Gorillas charity auction, I am happy to introduce my aunt, Sally Pointer.

As she lives in Oregon, and I grew up in the Midwest, visits among our family were not as frequent as we’d like. However, Aunt Sally was always present through her loving communication. No matter which holiday was near, my siblings and I knew we could expect a package from Aunt Sally and Uncle Harry, filled with craft supplies and project ideas—stickers, decorations, confetti, you name it, the packages were stuffed with it. We would dive into the cache of treasures and commence with an afternoon of creativity. Soon our home would be draped with our construction-paper constructions. (Just ask my dad, who is very tall…and had to deal with decorations hung by very short individuals.)

Aunt Sally always decorated her packages with colorful, cheerful drawings—which I always cut out and saved. As a cartoon enthusiast, I was awed by her caricatures. Yet another mentor in my art life.

When I see her artwork today, I think of the mental picture I have from one of our visits: Aunt Sally, relaxing outdoors, with a sketchbook in her lap and a box of colored pencils in her hand. A depiction of a delicate, flowering branch was the product of that day’s work…and her recent art gives another glimpse into the surroundings that she has made lovely.

Tags: Animals, Art, Beauty, Conservation, Culture, Environment, Family, Inspiration, Life, Mountain Gorillas, Personal, Thoughts, Women by mousewords
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Next in line…is me.

The rangers’ unselfish devotion to the rare creatures they protect has struck a chord within my heart. Through this Art Helping Mountain Gorillas charity auction, my world view has been expanded. Suddenly I feel like I am a part of what’s happening on the other side of the globe. I have learned of people, relationships, and crises that I never before knew existed. The amazing part if it all is that I suddenly know that I can make a difference.

Every day, the news brings us heart-wrenching stories of hardships happening all over—from right down the block, to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I couldn’t help asking myself, how can I justify worrying about the problems on the other side of the planet, when there are plenty in my own neighborhood that require action?

Here’s the answer I’ve discovered: While it’s very true that I still may be able to help worthy causes locally, it’s also a fact that I am an individual with unique talents and abilities. And it’s possible that those abilities are needed to help improve a situation on the other side of the world.

Everyone is blessed with talents. Where might yours make a difference?

Tags: Animals, Art, Conservation, Culture, Environment, Life, Mountain Gorillas, News, Philosophy by mousewords
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