Please Help and Click

Please take time out of your busy day and click on the link after reading the below. Thanks-

The band, Five for Fighting, is generously donating $0.40 to AutismSpeaks for
*each time* the video is viewed. The funding goes toward research studies to
help find a cure. When you have a moment, please visit the link and watch the
video. Pass it along to yourfriends and family.

They are aiming for 10,000 hits, but hopefully we can help them to surpass this goal.

When you do this, that is Amore!

Abuse with no Ending

This was on the news today. A sad story, and I do wonder what he has gone through in his past (so with the other family members). I hope he will get over this and can go from victim to survivor and not think life is just cruel.

This is not Amore!

WASHINGTON, Pa. - A woman in southwestern Pennsylvania locked her 10-year-old grandson in a feces-filled dog crate for about 90 minutes because he told his
family he had been spiking their drinks with lamp oil and household cleaner,
police said.
Rhonda Lehman, 51, also called Washington County's Mental Health/Mental Retardation office and said if someone wouldn't come for the boy, she would bury him alive in the back yard, police said.

Lehman has custody of the boy, who told police he was lacing the drinks with the oil and a cleaner named "Bam" because "he was angry because he didn't get to go on a trip" last year, said Washington police Officer James Markley. It is possible the
boy had been spiking the drinks for a while, authorities said. Family members
became sick, but were not hospitalized.

On Saturday, the boy was put in a 3-foot-by-4-foot plastic dog cage with only a small metal door for him to look out, Markley said. Lehman was charged with child endangerment and making terroristic threats. Police also charged the boy's 24-year-old brother with simple assault and harassment for allegedly punching the youngster.
"When I asked the brother, I said, 'Why would you punch a 10-year-old in the eye?' he said, 'It's better than what I wanted to do to him,'" Markley said. Markley
said the defendants told authorities they don't believe they did anything wrong.
"They were very calm, like this was nothing," Markley said.

Lehman and the boy's brother were in the county jail on $25,000 bail. Preliminary
hearings are scheduled for Feb. 5. A listed phone number for Lehman could not
immediately be found. The boy is now in the custody of the county's Children
and Youth Services, which is treating him for mental health issues, authorities
said.

News from Yahoo.com

When Someone you Love is Sick

When your child becomes sick you feel so powerless, desperate, sad, and many other feelings...they are like a turmoil inside of you. You pray, you want everybody else to pray with you, and for your child.

When Max, our son, was born I got to see him one minute and then the nurses rolled him away. I didn't understand at that time why, I was so happy to have kissed his little forehead, and my tears didn't stop rolling down my checks. I was totally blown away having another wonderful child to nurture.

An hour later they rolled me into the room, and that is when they told me that Max couldn't spend any time together with me in my room. He had swallowed fluid into his lungs when being born. They also discovered he had too high a white blood cell count; he had an infection and was immediately given antibiotics.

I couldn't get off my bed since I had had a C-section. After three hours I called on the nurse, I was crying, I wanted to see my son, hold and bond with him. There I sat alone in a room with our son sick in another room down the hallway. So close but in another way so far away. It seemed like a world away!

Five hours later I called and demanded to get down and see him. I didn't care about my own pain and the problems to get the legs working. It is amazing when you know your child is in danger your own pain goes away.

I managed to walk to the nursing room. There he laid in a too big diaper, under warming lights breathing so fast. Actually, they call it "grunting", the process of transitioning from a liquid-filled world to our air-filled one. And, he wasn't transitioning correctly. His little chest bounced up and down, I could tell he was struggling. The needle looked huge in his little hand. I cried!

I held his little tiny hand and told him to "hang in there, my little buddy".

I had to leave him in the nursery room, and go back to my own room and bed. All night, he was monitored by the staff. They said it was sometimes normal for a newborn, especially a boy, extra especially a Cesarean birth, to struggle a little bit extra to transition. I just needed to rest and work on healing myself.

They didn't tell me until the next morning how worried they had been for Max. They weren't sure he was going to make it!

We had to stay four days in the hospital. I couldn't call anyone, I didn't want to, I just sat and held him, talked to him.

I didn't know how to pray to God, I felt selfish asking him to help my son. Why would he listen to me and not other parents that maybe were losing their child?

I knew I couldn't negotiate with him either, nor making him promises of becoming a better person, or becoming religious.

I just felt fragile and lonely and helpless. Even with my darling husband's love and support.

Today seven weeks later he is sleeping healthy in his Baby Bjorn, sitting with support on my desk while I am typing this--memory. It seems such a long time ago but I can still feel the incredible pain in my heart.

For a couple of years now, since Olivia was an infant, we have been donating monthly to an organization that are helping children with cancer. Saint Jude. Our brush with uncertainty reaffirms in our hearts the goodness of helping those who help the little ones, and their parents. We only briefly had to deal with some mild uncertainty and worry. You who must cope with dreaded cancer in little bodies, and say goodbye to your children far too young, are the real heroes. My heart and hope goes out to all you parents and to your brave little warriors.

You guys, you've got the Amore!

Swedish Law Weak?

Got this text from one blog reader today.
I always thought--comparing to other countries--that Sweden are having a very weak law. But we have a weak animal law too--do we have one?-- like many other countries.

This is not Amore!

"Killer Swede The New York Times reports from Stockholm on the curious case of Karl Helge Hampus Svensson, a 31-year-old man who was admitted last year to study medicine at the prestigious Karolinska Institute. It turned out there was a literal skeleton in his figurative closet:Last fall, institute officials received two anonymous letters claiming that Mr. Svensson had been a Nazi sympathizer who was paroled from a maximum-security prison after being convicted in 2000 of murder, a killing the police called a hate crime.

In 2000, Mr. Svensson, then Mr. Hellekant, was convicted of shooting a trade union worker, Bjorn Soderberg, 41, seven times after a loud argument outside Mr. Soderberg's apartment in a Stockholm suburb on the night of Oct. 12, 1999. Mr. Soderberg had complained about a co-worker who displayed his neo-Nazi beliefs at work, leading to the co-worker's loss of a job and union position. The co-worker was a friend of Mr. Svensson's. At the time of the killing, according to court records and Stockholm police officials, Mr. Svensson was under surveillance for neo-Nazi activities by the Swedish Security Service, the equivalent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Despite the conviction, Mr. Svensson maintained that he did not commit the killing.

After serving 6 1/2 years of an 11-year sentence, Mr. Svensson was released on parole in February 2007. According to Swedish prison standards, inmates are usually released after serving two-thirds of their sentence.

There are no rules in place allowing the institute to expel Svensson for murder, even though the Swedish licensing board says it will not allow him to practice medicine. So instead he was booted from school on a technicality: he "had apparently falsified the name on his high school transcripts."

Isn't the real problem here, though, that Sweden has a criminal justice system so lenient that a guy spends only 6 1/2 years behind bars for murder?"

Getting a Man on the Hook (Fork)

Earlier on, I wrote a little about prostitution here in southern Italy, in which the ladies are from different nationalities. Many are from Ukraine, Russia, Bulgarian and other former east block countries. Some of them work as cleaning ladies for the various NATO nationalities here, like: Amercian, English, Scandanavian and other European countries.

Some of the ladies work as prostitutes, and you can see them everywere, not in one area such as a "red light district". No, they are along the streets and highways. At summertime they are called "umbrella whores" because they are sitting under their colorfull umbrellas along the roads, protected from the hot sun.

Many of them are wearing fashionable dresses, very sexy and look really good. I spoke to one who said she was here a couple of months earning a lot of money and sends the money to her parents, who believes she is working as a Nanny for a wealthy family here in Italy. She would rather want to get married, and still she is hoping to meet someone here in Europe, hopefully an American.

One girl, twenty years-old told me how they work to catch a man and to get him to do anything for them. "First you make sure he is more interested in you, because then it is easier to 'play the game'" she said. "You dress sexy and are very willing in bed, pleasing him, and then you cook for him, pamper him like his mother did. You will have him eating out off your hand(or fork)!"

After three months--more or less-- they start to talk about his and their future. He will smile and tell them "time will tell". That's the clue to break up with him.

He will be so surprised and don't understand were it went wrong or why, he thought it was heavenly and he was the king for a short time.

"You 'play' hard to reach over the phone, when you speak to him you will be short, and make sure he sees you out at a cafe with another male (even if it is your gay friend)" she continued to expound.

He will do everything to get back what he believes is his, and then the girl will have him pleasing her.

If she doesn't get him, well, then she just "waisted three months and can fast find a new object. "

One hard working Polish girl (cleaning) was very sad to realise she had been here for six years now and had not found any man to marry. She is one of these "honest" girls, who dreams of finding another better life together with a soul mate. She told me maybe it was time to go back home, she wasn't getting any younger and the "market" was/is very hard the older you got.

An Italian friend told me that some time ago, the Italian women went out on the street protesting against "these" ladies. The Italian ladies had had enough and were upset that "these ladies' stole their husbands".

Many men had left their wives and children to first be pampered by an exotic young girl, and but then discovered; the grass is not always greener on the other side.

This is a mixed and confusing Amore!

Uncomfortable to Look at

An upset lady called me after she had listened to a radio program about animals in captivity. The zoo in the program had been taking care of a raccoon and she had babies. She was a big attraction for visitors.

But now she started to lose her fur, and the man said that they would have to put her to sleep. The person that interviewed asked why?
"Well you cannot have ugly or sick animals, people won't like to see that."

A memory: I was in Bosnia and many people adopted handicapped dogs. Amazed, I told them that back home I didn't know anyone who had or kept a handicapped dog (animal). There, such pets would be put down to sleep, many would say that they didn't have a "quality of life."
One man looked at me and then said; "Would you also put your grandma to sleep when/if she became handicapped? Would you also say she wouldn't have a 'quality of life'?"

What is a "quality of life?"

Perhaps it is the ability to still love and be loved?

That would be, "amore".

Shut Up!

Our four dogs were outside in the garden, barking at something.
It can many times be very annoying and some times have I opened the door and yelled; "Shut up!" Not a good thing and one reason I got to hear yesterday.

Dogs barking outside.
My two year-old daughter opens the door and I hear her scream; "Shat ap"

I guess I will have to go and wash my mouth with soap.

We are on the News

My mother called and said she would send some newspaper pictures from the Swedish paper about "our" garbage problem. I told her she didn't have to, I can just open our window and have a "pleasant" view.

It is so sad in a beautiful country that something like this can happen and that the government is doing nothing. According to my friends here, it is the Camora (Mafia) that ownes the now closed garbage landfills --they are overfilled from northern Italy's garbage--good money. People here are getting mad over the plan for old dumps are going to be re-opened. The people strike in protest, and it is not quiet or violence free. The protesters shut the exits of the motorway off and block traffic. The people on the motorway can't get off and inch forward. I got an angry phone call from my husband, he was stuck for four hours on a trip that normally takes no more than 20 minutes!

Wannabe mafiaosos with masks on their faces--throw rocks from the bridges down on the cars, some of them had baseball bats smashing the car's windows while people where sitting inside.

Southern Italy is suffering a lot of cancellations of fruit and vegetable delivery to other countries. Customers are frightened over possible contamination from the garbage that is being spread every where.

Tourists are re-booking the trips to other regions and countries....the garbage is a huge problem.

When I pick up Olivia from her school her comment is; "Look mommy...garbage!" We nearly have to climb a mountain of trash to get back home!

This is not Amore!

Friendship and Morale

A couple of days ago, I ran into a woman that I have met in different places here in Italy. She is from Norway, and just had her first child. Being away from home and help can be difficult in many ways.

She looked thin and pale, so I asked how everything was going with her and their new daughter. She was nearly in tears when she told me how tired and alone she felt, her husband did as much as possible, but he worked full time, and many times you need help and advice from another female.

I asked her if she didn't have any friends here that could help her or visit and have a cup of coffee. Just to have an adult conversation can boost anybody's mood.

Her tears rolled down her check. "First they said I had to call them, they didn't want to bother me now when I had a newborn. A couple of days later I called and invited them over for coffee, to come over and chat a little, but no one has returned my call."

It is hard to be away from home, your country, family and friends, it is darned hard. I dislike people who say they will help and then never return a call or just check in. I think it would be much better for them to not say anything at all. At least it would not give anyone any hope of support and friendship.

Now this time when we had our second child, I was more prepared for people's "oh I will help you".

I smiled and remembered what my "Bosnian mother" once told me; "Let people show their friendship instead of believing their words."

"Mom", that's Amore! You have showed me loyal friendship and love for eight years now.

I remember one "friend" who had a big party in December this year, and her excuse for not inviting me and my family was; "well you are busy now taking care of a new baby so I didn't think you would have time to come."

"Assumption or fact?" I asked her.

So when people ask me why more people are not helping animals, or children, I can just look at this story and sadly say; "If we don't support each other, how can we support those on the outside?"

This is not Amore!

Can We Learn From Them?

A veterinarian was called to examine a 10 year-old Blue Heeler named Belker. The dog's owner--Ron, his wife, Lisa and their little boy, Shane--were all very attached to Belker and they were hoping for a miracle. The vet examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. He told the family there were no miracles left for Belker, and offered to preform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As they made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told him they thought it would be good for the 4-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt Shane could learn something from the experience.
The next day, the vet felt the familiar catch in his throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that he wondered if Shane understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. They sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.

Shane, who had been listening quietly, pipped up, " I know why."
Startled, they all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned them. The vet had never heard a more comforting explanation.
Shane said, "Everybody is born so that they can learn how to be good-like loving everybody and being nice, right?"
The 4-year-old continued, "Well animals already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

This is Amore!

I found this story but it didn't say whom wrote it. I get a lot of e mails about when is the time to say good bye to our four legged friends.
More to follow!

A True Hero

It makes me so happy when I read stories like this one; Laney Many times I get so tired of reading negative articles about dogs. So enjoy this one.

Interesting! While writing about this Laney an email comes in from one reader telling me to read about Laney. "Heartwarming, and shows the full love and devotion of our animal family members."

That's Amore!

Animal Rights? Children Rights?

Olivia and I went on a "mission" out to visit Dr. Dorothea Fritz at her clinic. It was a Sunday, when the clinic was closed so we could have Dorothea all to ourselves, walking around. Olivia loved every moment off it, and cried when it was time to leave.

Being a parent is really hard. Suddenly, you realize that when it was only you, you could have your own opinion(s). But raising a child(ren) you don't want to "color" them too much by your own thoughts and beliefs in life.

One example; I am an vegetarian since many years ago, but I want my daughter to make her own decision if she wants to be a vegetarian or meat eater. Well, this is kind off an "easy" thought process in life, but then I tumbled over another situation from Olivia's day care center.

The class was going to a circus with lions, elephants, etc. and I who am not that fond off circuses-- since I have not much experience with them-- and, it is different from circus to circus. I tried to explain to a friend of mine that it is the people who either are taking very good care of their animals or those who are abusing their animals (lack of food and medications, horrible living conditions).

On the other hand, it is a hard question to discuss, since many animals in freedom today are living under poor conditions since we, the humans, are cutting down the trees on their land, food and the hunting can also be cruel not to mention to be hit by a car (here there are so many dogs run over and just left). It is so hard to say it is wrong or right to visit the circus(es), after all the animals are housed and fed, and have a "job".

But, would I send my daughter together with her friends to the circus, or would I "color" her with my own opinions?

How would Olivia feel when all her friends would go, and she had to stay home?

And all you want to teach them is; Amore!

Lets Back up a Little #2

Christmas came as always... very quickly. I still remember how long Christmas Holiday was when I was a little girl, I waited and waited for Santa to come.

Since I have been so busy with Max-- and he came too early-- my Christmas preparation totally stopped. Thanks to my husband he made sure we got a fresh new Christmas tree and a lot of presents under the tree, and in our stockings.

The Swedish Christmas, 24th, we celebrated in our home, and it was peaceful and nice. To see Olivia's joy when unwrapping all her presents was the best present itself.

No Santa came and knocked on our door, since Olivia is scared of this big-chubby-hairy-man-in-red. Then something interesting came up; who got the real Santa!?

The one that comes on the 24th and scares children and makes the dogs go bananas? Or, the one that comes through the chimney in the night and leaves presents in everybody stockings?

My Santa or my husbands Santa? Suddenly, the discussion was going lively here in Italy.

How would Olivia and Max explain when classmates told them that you cannot have two Santa's my husband wondered?

Time will tell!

The 25th my very good friend Paola invited us over for a wonderful Italian Christmas dinner together with her family and some friends. It was such a joy! Fantastic food and great presents, Olivia had a wonderful time with two girls in her age *one is her best friend Chiara*, Maximillian got admired by everyone, and we got to eat several dishes of fantastic food.

That's Amore!

Animal Lover, Thats Amore!

It shall start in time!

The Family Mercer drove out to Dr Dorothea Fritz clinic to give her the bags of dog food that Todd got for his birthday--instead of presents, so it is not his dinner--Olivia loves to visit Dorothea and all the animals. Her passion is also to take my wallet and take out money to put in the donation box. Once she even took out my credit card so I had to ask the veterinarian to open up the box.

We went outside to look at the dogs that are ready for adoption--dangerous of course we wanted them all-- It was close to adopting one dog for Maximillian--we called her Skruffy--

So many dogs we wanted to adopt, it was painful to walk and even if we were happy that these dogs would get food and medical care helped a little. That is Amore and not Amore!

www.legaproanimale.de

Happy New Year 2008

I wish you all a great 2008, and I hope that children and animals will get a higher status in this world. I will continuing working hard for them and hope to be able to "plant some more seeds" to educate people and myself.

This picture was taken from our third floor. The Italians really know how to handle fireworks, it was so beautiful. Amazing, the Italians "just" fired fireworks New Years Eve. In Sweden I became crazy by people starting shooting fire crackers December 15th till January 15th. I hated it!

So this new year 2008 I hope for a lot of Amore!