Hi everyone. I don't know about all of you...but when I read about another **emergency ferret situation** on the FML, my heart races, and I often give up what I need to do in every day life to try and put something together to help. The one thing that just stabs at me? It is that time is of the essence to give help to the shelter in need. I have to think of what I could give up that would help out in some way. Then I spend hours trying to get good pictures of things that could be sold to help raise money. Funny how STATIONARY items are blurrrrrrry when I take pictures. I have to think of what to write. I LOVE what I make. It has taken literally over 7 years to hunt down the miniatures that are then stored away in boxes and boxes. What scene do I want to create? What colors do I use? Water color or oil? Where is that teensy curling iron or silver ware in this box of a hundred miniatures? Then I try to get pics and description to someone who can put them on E-bay. I am pretty computer impaired. So I am sweating bullets doing this. I get the detailed pic. But it cannot go on E-bay. It is too detailed, or some such thing. I have to take more pics. But the sun is down now. The pics are too dark. Frustration. The clock is ticking. A shelter mom is desperate and exhausted. I have to get the right sized boxes and wrapping paper from somewhere after working another 10 hour day..I often have to wait up to a week before there is time to get to the post office with the boxes. So much time is lost. Three to four weeks have now past by. The Rescued Ferrets need more expensive kibble and expensive duck soups and syringes and Ferretone. Exams have already been performed, and shots given by a vet that needs to also be paid for the surgeries and meds coming up. Arggghhhh. This year, I am trying a different approach I wished to share with you. I have asked if anyone could take the items *ahead of time* to help shelters. One entity responded.:Someone VERY very busy ,but extremely kind, wrote me that she would try. Princess Pepper. Thank you sooo much. I asked if this compassionate being could NOT wait until the emergency was so dire that the shelters might have to close to put the large box of goodies on E-bay. Money from the items I donated for this year go to Ferretwise Shelter and to Florida shelters . Both are hurting financially. Two items are up now to help the over burdened Ferretwise Shelter. The shelters in Florida? We all know the devastation from 3 hurricaines in Florida. Well...more are predicted this year...and the next, and the next. Even the Wall Street Journal had an article on it. People I know never recovered from last year. They lost everything. I am truly concerned, and frankly AFRAID, for the ferret shelters there.The National Hurricaine Center predicts 3 to 5 major hurricaines for the Atlantic Basin in 2005 AND above average severe storms. ... SO..... 'Fuzzie Present in a Box ' contains a ferret that is hand made, detailed, and adorable. So is the curled up poopie. It speaks of our love of this tiny being...poopies and all. And so the word LOVE has been fashioned out of metal and beads, and placed above the red hand carved 3 dimensional wooden heart. The wooden box can be placed on a desk. or mounted on the wall. You can hang it above your new carpeting where your wee one keeps pooping :-) to remind you of those intense GOOD feelings you have for your "ferret on the go." Fuzzie Present in a Box <http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7161871026> The Marine Ferret is possibly for people who boat or fish, and who love ferrets. The magical ferret sailor is standing by his booty It is a basket filled with miniature sea shells, and stolen gems from a sunken pirate ship. His Raisenette candy bar, stolen from Wolfy, awaits him in his office. There should be some Depends in the dresser drawer. You can download Wolfy pics of Renee rolled into a sleeping ball . Then add this to the other pics on the wall of the office for the amusement of friends and family. :-) Ferret Marine Shop <http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7161872587> THANK YOU for your time. This way of doing things will be able to be my small way of helping some shelters this year. (And I hope you enjoy peaking at the ferret miniatures.) [Posted in FML issue 4904]