Hello everybodies. Dis is Hershey - the kid with the ADV that writes sometimes. I'm sorry I haven't written for a while, but Mom moved da pooter, and I had a hard time getting to it. Mom was kinda sick this week - Pop said she had a bad cold. I don't know about that. I mean, it has been chilly, but I didn't think it was all that clod. I jus know she was sneezin and sneezin, an I thought she was gonna splode. She had ta stay home from work a few days, an I thought that was neat, cause she got to spend more time with us kids. Mom says my buddy, Kokopelli has a bad heart, an may have to leave us soon to go to the Bridge. I hope not. But just in case, we are thinking of lots of fun things to do with him, so he gets to have all the fun he can. But enough about stuff here. The real reason I am writing is to tell you about the Giving Trees. I already told you some about the ADV Giving Tree, an lots of you must have listened, cause most of da kids on da Tree have Secret Santas. But if you are a kid like me with ADV, there is still time to get on the Tree. Just have your mom or dad send a picture of you and a short story about you to Kris Mewton at: [log in to unmask] Kris is this really nice man who is growing the Tree for all us ADV kids, and he will be happy to add you to the Tree. If'n you want to be nonymous, which means you don't want everyone to know who you are, just tell Kris, and he will only give your information to da person that is your Santa. If you want to go out and see da Tree, it is at: http://www.mkaresq.com/adv_giving.htm Now, some folks say they don't know what to get for furkids, but we is usually real easy to please. Most of us is happy with a toy, or a new sleep sack or hammie. Last year Kat Parsons crocheted me a yellow sleep sack. Well, actually she sent it for all of us here at this house, but I like it more then anyone else, so I claim it as mine. Mom won't let me have it in my cage, cause she says I hafta share it, but when I am out, I take it with me where ever I want to sleep. Kat put a picture of me with the sack on her webpage, an that makes me feel special. If you want to see me, go to: http://www.geocities.com/ferretlover97/index.html Anyway, that sack was the best present I got last Christmas. It was special, cause it was made with love. Sometimes homemade presents are the best! Mom says there is a nother part of the ADV Tree, called the Morial Tree, and not many of those kids have Secret Santas. Dis Tree is for the kids with ADV that have gone to da Bridge. My buddy, Maori Moonshine is on that Tree. The kids on this Tree can't get presents to play with, but what you can do is make a donation to ADV research in their name. Mom says this is real important, cause we need research so that maybe someday they can have a cure or a vaccine for ADV, an then ferret kids wouldn't have to worry about getting sick with it like me. Mom says that picking a kid from da Morial Tree and giving money to research is good in lots of ways. First, you help the fight against ADV. Next, if you say who the money is for, and where their hidey-hole was, their Mom or Dad will get a nice letter saying some money was given in that ferret's name. Now I don't really understan why the letter is important, but Mom says it is something that the Mom or Dad can have forever to remind them how special their ferret was. Finally, the person who sends the money gets a tax reduction. I don't understand this, either, but Mom says something about the person gets to break their taxes. Now, I thought breaking things was bad. I know when ET and I pushed Mom's lamp off da table an it broke, she said that was bad. But taxes must be somethin your sposed to break, cause Mom says breakin your taxes is good. So, if'n you want to break your taxes, pick a kid off da Morial Tree, and send some money for ADV Research in their name. Now, there is a nother Giving Tree I need to tell you about. This Tree is for kids dat live in shelters. A nice woman named Kristine is growin it. You can see this Tree at: http://givingtree.friendsoffuzzies.com Mom says it is important to remember kids in da shelters, cause they don't have a forever home like me, and they don't have a real mom or dad. They do have a shelter mom or dad, and the shelter person takes real good care of them, but it isn't the same. Let me splain why. See, everyday when I see my Mom, I know I am special. That's cause when I was a baby, Mom came to the house where I was born, and she played with me and all my brothers an sisters, an then she picked me - she said she wanted me cause I was special. I was too young to go with her that day, so she came back several times, and each time she said she wanted me. She said I had da softest, silkiest coat, and she even picked out my name before I could go home with her. She named me Herschel von Seidig, cause I am a chocolate boy with a silky coat, an my dad was German, cept everyone calls me Hershey for short. Anyway, every time I see her, I remember how she picked me and said I was special, and then I feel all good inside cause I know how much I am loved. Well, kids in da Shelters didn't get picked. They had to go live there, not cause someone wanted them, but cause there was no where else for them. In fact, some of them are in shelters cause their hooman didn't want them anymore. Now, that is really hard on a furkid's ego. But, when you go and pick them from the Giving Tree, and when they get their present, then they know someone thought they were special. Then they get to feel all good inside, too. Anywho, thats about all I have to say for now. Just remember all the kids on those trees. Your friend, Hershey [Posted in FML issue 3949]