No hurry... petswarmers...

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http://www.petwarmers.com


We know many of you are bird lovers, and so are we. Earla
shares a touching story about the birds in her life and how a
temperamental girl -- aptly named Sassy -- found true love.
They are beautiful to look at, aren't they?

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NO HURRY
by Earla Jean Hollon

For almost five years Trinity, our male Pacific Parrotlet, and
Rainbow, a Black-mask Lovebird, lived together as best friends.
Rainbow had nursed Trinity through two serious potential
illnesses during over the years. Rainbow force fed Trinity when
Trinity lost his appetite, and helped Trinity stay upright on the
perch by pressing tightly against Trinity as Trinity leaned against
the bars of their cage. And when Trinity's legs were temporarily
paralyzed during one illness and had to be propped upright in a
makeshift nest, Rainbow nestled down with Trinity and seldom left his
side.
Our avian veterinarian and I firmly believe that Rainbow helped
Trinity not only survive, but to recover completely.
In October of 2007, Rainbow fell ill. Now it was Trinity's turn
to try and help Rainbow.
And how hard he tried. How hard we all tried. For five months
Rainbow was ill and endured oral medications given to him twice
daily, along with weekly visits to an avian specialist where blood
was taken. All kinds of tests were run, new medications were
dispensed. Trinity was now force feeding Rainbow, and gently
grooming Rainbow's once glossy feathers, now ragged and dull.
Rainbow started sleeping at night on the inside of a little coconut
hut. It was too small for Trinity to join Rainbow, so Trinity
perched close on the outside of the little hut. Rainbow sticking his
head out of his hut often to receive kisses from Trinity.
Sadly in February of this year, Rainbow had lost his battle. My
husband and I were terribly sad, as was Trinity. Even though I
showed Trinity Rainbow's body before we buried him, Trinity called
for Rainbow over and over for the next couple of weeks. At night,
Trinity made sad sounding noises that we had never heard him make
before. We knew Trinity not only missed Rainbow, but he was lonely,
as he had never been alone in his cage before.
The third week after Rainbowís passing, I could not stand
Trinity's sad little voice any longer. I purchased a female Pacific
Parrotlet to be his companion. I was warned that she had two
previous owners who rejected her because she apparently had a very
bad attitude. I named her Sassy and was told the name definitely
suited her.
I brought Sassy home and placed her in a small cage, close to
Trinity's flight aviary. Within minutes, Sassy was clinging to the
side of the cage, looking at Trinity and calling out to him. Trinity
clung to the side of his cage answering her cries.
I let Trinity out of his cage and he immediately flew to Sassy's
cage. They started talking to each other in Parrotlet language and
soon were trying to groom each other through the bars of the cage. I
opened the door to Sassy's cage and Trinity climbed inside to be with
her. And as they say, "That was that."
Sassy moved into Trinity's flight aviary the same day and they
bonded to each other immediately. I have to admit, although I was
glad that Trinity really liked Sassy, it made me feel slightly
betrayed for Rainbow. Emotionally I thought to myself how could
Trinity get over Rainbow so fast. But intellectually I know that
birds do not think, feel and respond as humans do.
Trinity loved Rainbow, but Rainbow was gone. I think he sensed
that Rainbow would not be coming back and here is the fat and sassy
little Sassy, crazy about him from the start.
Sassy loves Trinity and is very good to him, grooming him,
kissing him, cuddling up to him, and feeding him. Sassy, however,
does not like my husband or me. She doesn't like our other birds,
either, nor does she like the dogs and cats.
That's okay though, because we bought Sassy as a companion to
Trinity and she has filled that role admirably. We have faith that
with time, Sassy will calm down and accept us as well. We are in no
hurry. Parrotlets can live 20-25 years and I hope and pray that
Trinity and Sassy will be with us that long.

-- Earla Jean Hollon

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Earla lives in Pasadena, Texas with a very patient husband and a
small zoo, which consists of dogs, cats, sugargliders, turtles, and
birds.
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~ Welcome to Heartwarmers ~

~ Welcome to Heartwarmers ~
http://www.heartwarmers.com
The best thing to happen to mornings since the Sun!

Your morning thought for the day:
A hug is a handshake from the heart.


Sometimes a hug is all you need to make things right. Today,
Michael shares a story about a group of people who offer hugs -- free
of charge!
Is there a better deal on the planet than that?

____________________________________________

FREE HUGS
by Michael T. Smith

"Do you want a hug?" the young man asked Ginny.
He held a sign in his hand -- Free Hugs. I looked around.
There were other people with him. They held their handmade signs
high. The message was the same on all of them -- Free Hugs!
"Sure!" Ginny smiled and walked up to him. She reached up,
wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled him down to her level, and
hugged him with all the love she had in her heart.
"WOW!" he exclaimed. "That was the best hug I've had all day!"
"I'm a hugger," Ginny smiled at him.
He looked at me. "How about a hug?"
"You got it!" I walked into his open arms. We held briefly and parted.
A young lady walked up and hugged Ginny. She turned to me,
opened her arms, and hugged me too.
Ginny and I stepped back and watched the "free huggers" work
their magic with those who accepted them. They offered hugs to
anyone and everyone.
* * * *
Juan Mann returned to Sydney, Australia in 2004, after living in
Europe for several years. He was depressed over his parent's
divorce. Most of his friends had moved on. It was just him. He sat
for months.
Alone and depressed, Juan decided to make a difference and reach
out. He made a sign that read, Free Hugs, and stood at the Pitt
Street Mall -- one of the busiest streets in the center of Sydney.
He put his arms anyone who accepted his offer.
At first, he left his wallet at home, had a friend watch over
him, and expected to be ridiculed. After fifteen minutes, a woman
approached him.
"My dog died today," she said. "It's also the first anniversary
of my only daughter's death. I could use a hug."
Juan was quoted as saying, "That first woman, it was more than a
hug. It meant something to her."
Others joined Mann. They opened their arms to others. His
message spread across the city. Afraid of lawsuits, officials banned
the free hug movement. But the people protested and more than 10,000
people signed a petition to allow him to continue his mission.
Shimon Moore, the lead singer of The Sick Puppies happened to
see Juan. They hugged and became friends. Moore borrowed a video
camera and filmed Juan giving hugs. When Mann's grandmother died,
Moore put the video together with his band's song called, All The
Same, and posted the video on YouTube with the following caption:
"Sometimes, a hug is all we need. Free hugs is a real life
controversial story of Juan Mann, a man whose sole purpose mission
was to reach out and hug a stranger, to brighten up their lives."
The video was a hit. It spread around the world. Juan has
appeared on Oprah and several other major television shows. His idea
continues to gain support and grow.
After his first day on Pitt Street, Juan wondered if others were
doing the same. He found Amma, The Hugging Saint of India. Jason
Hunter in Atlanta, Georgia, and Jayson Littman in New York.
Jayson started his hugging campaign the same year as Juan. They
both felt a need to reach out to humanity. A financial analyst in
Manhattan, Jayson believed New Yorkers could use a hug. From 2004 to
2006, he spent one weekend afternoon a month holding his Free Hugs
sign in his hands and opened his arms to anyone who needed human
comfort.
Since then, Jayson's mission has been taken over by others who
believe -- hugs for all.
On the last Saturday afternoon of the month, you'll find them
gathered in Union Square in Lower Manhattan. They hold their signs
high and offer their open arms to all who need a human touch.
* * * *
The huggers worked the crowd. Most people ignored them or shook
their heads to indicate they were not interested. Those who opened
their arms in return, walked away with a smile on their face.
I felt a warmth -- a glow -- fill my heart. Ginny and I were
going through rough times. Money was scarce, bill collectors called
on a regular basis. We were stressed and worried, but on that
afternoon, for a brief moment, it was all forgotten.
It took a simple hug to make everything better.

-- Michael T. Smith

____________________________________________
Michael lives in Fort Lee New Jersey with his wonderful wife Ginny.
He works as a project manager in the telecommunications industry
during the day. In his spare time, Michael writes stories for a
collection to be called, From My Heart to Yours. You can sign up to
get Michael's stories by clicking here:
http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?m=1101828445578&p=oi

You can see Juan Mann and the song about him at YouTube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O6vZTvQl4o

You can see a video on the New York City Free Hugs project here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD6o49Uqv10


got this via email..

TJ is 9 years old! :)

Hi everyone,

Monday was TJ's Birthday. He is 9 years old now! Hard to believe my sweet carrot top had another birthday. I am getting older. ugh! LOL. :P We went to town to my eye dr appt first. He mentioned that my left eye had gotten worse than last time and it is still high pressure. I am not sure whatever that is. I will have to go back in a week for another check up again. I will ask again. I hope nothing is serious. hmm. ugh. ...

Afterward we went to Pizza hut for birthday lunch for TJ... Yum Yum we got so full and couldn't eat all of the foods. haha! That is ok because we took the leftovers home for dinner. After the lunch we went to Kids First to visit old teachers and caregivers. They couldn't believe TJ is taller now. I know the feeling! LOL. heh heh.

We also stopped by Cedar Lounge to see my sister Dorrie for a bit. While we were there, TJ went in asthma attack. It was right then that I realized Michelle didn't give me TJ's inhaler. So I drove fast like a batmobile zoom home to get the inhaler. TJ really scared me to death but he is ok now. Whew!

We had to come back to town as we need to go grocery shopping as we need foods. TJ is important as his health come first. What can I say? I know gas prices are high.:( Anyway we got home and had the party. TJ had fun and was happy with what he got from his momma for his birthday. Whew. :)

Yesterday I didn't feel well as i had dizziness and horrible bad headaches from not sleeping enough as TJ kept pulling my blanket all night long so I end up had insomina and watch movies all night. I finally slept some few hours yesterday afternoon but it didn't help somewhat. I woke up this morning and realize I still have the stupid headaches. I guess I need to rest more but I can't as I have few things to do around here. I will go to bed early tonight and hope I will feel better? :P

I hope all of you have a nice day! :)
As always,
Ginger :)


~ Welcome to Petwarmers ~
http://www.petwarmers.com

Kids -- and pets -- grow up fast, don't they?
Kathy shares a short story today about how she and her husband
couldn't resist a cute little puppy -- a puppy who earned the name
"Hurricane Henry."
We're sure many of you have experienced the same thing.
And thank you for all your responses to last week's story.
We've included most of them in this Petwarmer.
___________________________________________


WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?
by Kathy Whirity

Hannah, our beloved Golden Retriever, was finally becoming the
perfect pet. It took five years of rambunctious behavior but our
patience had paid off. She now goes most everywhere with us. She
sits in the back seat of the Explorer as if she's our child. In a
sense she is. We rarely need a leash for she never leaves Bill's
side, ever the faithful fur kid.
For months we've been thwarting our daughters' unanimous opinion
that we should get another dog. After Holly, our Christmas puppy
from 1995, was put to sleep, Bill was adamant that we did not want
another dog -- Hannah was enough. Besides, life was just beginning
to calm down and we were enjoying a home with one canine companion.
And then, something unexplainable happened. We'd watched a
commercial of adorable Retriever puppies tumbling over each other and
in unison we'd both sigh, "Oh aren't they so cute!"
We found ourselves reminiscing about when Hannah was a blue
eyed, tiny bundle of golden fluff. She was also a Christmas gift,
when Jaime brought her home from college. Back then Holly was the
regal Retriever in residence and wanted no part of Hyper Hannah.
They eventually accepted each other. When Holly passed over to the
Rainbow Bridge, Hannah moved up to the ranks of queen of her master's
castle.
How could it be that five years have passed since Hannah came
into our lives when it seems like only yesterday?
The girls must have sensed the nostalgia was creating a
sentimental soft spot for when talks of gifting us with a puppy
resumed, Bill was receptive to the idea. It didn't take me long to
get excited about the new addition to the family. I wonder if this
is, perhaps, a side effect to the empty nest lifestyle.
In between the kids getting married and anxiously waiting for
news of impending grandchildren, maybe the pitter-patter of tiny paws
can fill the silence until the pitter-patter of grandchildren fills
the void.
Last Sunday, Bill and I were busy puppy proofing the backyard
while Jaime and husband Dan went to see a man about a dog. As we
wrapped chicken wire around the fence I started to get cold feet.
Did I really want to start all over again with the chewing, the late
night whining and the constant eyes in the back of our heads and to
be ready to run the pup outside each and every time his nose so much
as sniffed the floor? Were we nuts to take on the challenge when it
would mean that Hannah would also have to adjust to another four
legged tiny, teething terror nipping at her heels?
Before I could give credence to any lingering doubts, I looked
up to see Jaime and Dan walking down the gangway toward the backyard.
The cutest Golden Retriever puppy was hopping along side them.
In that moment, I knew that Henry had found his forever home.
Hannah may not be as enthusiastic as we are, but in time, she'll come
around.
It is now Hurricane Henry, a name passed down from a now calm
and docile Hannah. As I watch him tear around the yard with
lightening speed, to see all and do all, I take a peek at Hannah, in
hiding, and I can't help but wonder -- where does the time go?

-- Kathy Whirity

___________________________________________
Kathy is a newspaper columnist and author of the recently released
book, Life Is a Kaleidoscope. She is a contributing author to the
Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. She and her husband, Bill,
live in Chicago where they are enjoying life as empty nesters. You
can visit her website here: http://www.kathywhirity.com
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