raffle to donate money for the animals of the gulf coast

I've talked often about my mother's strange empathy for animals, her willingness to take in the sickest and most pathetic beasts, and her great joy in their simple existence. At the vet clinic, my mother has taken in some animals for refugees and for someone who went to the coast to help. She wishes she could do more for the animals as well as the people. Today we watched the news and she talked about all the animals they will find as the waters come down and how the gators will be feasting in the wreckage. She was so broken hearted over the sight of several dead ponies and the owner who had no food for the ones that survived.

My mother also crochets. She learned while she was pregnant with me, from my father's mother. Over the years she has progressed from simple wavy color blocks and squares to elaborate and ornate pieces. My mother makes a lot of baby blankets, and she made a blanket for my wedding. She makes them for friends and she sells a few from time to time to help pay the bills. An adult blanket can go from anywhere between $75 and $150, which sounds like a lot for a blanket. But these are all done by hand, worked on for weeks and they last forever.

( Today we were talking about the relief efforts and donations going on everywhere. My mother and I wanted to do something more than what we've already donated. So we're raffling off one of her blankets. Follow the LJ cut down into the wires to learn more. )