Word of the Day: Kwanzaa

Pronunciation: ['kwahn-zê]

Definition: African-American holiday celebrated each year from December 26 to January 1. Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of seven principles (Nguzo Saba): umoja "unity" kujichagulia "self-determination," ujima "collective responsibility," ujamaa "cooperative economics," nia "purpose," kuumba "creativity," and imani "faith." Each evening family members gather to light one of the candles in the kinara, a seven-branched candelabra, and discuss the principle for that day; often gifts are exchanged. A community feast, the karamu, is held on December 31.

Usage: Click here for more information about Kwanzaa.

Suggested Usage: Use this term in greeting your African-American friends who celebrate Kwanzaa. "Happy Kwanzaa!" will do or you may send a Kwanzaa card to express your feelings more deeply.

Etymology: Swahili kwanza "first, in the beginning."

– Dr. Language, YourDictionary.com

Unicef Bed Nets - Great Stocking Stuffers!

Ever thought an insecticide-treated bed net would make a perfect stocking stuffer?

Well, it does. And so do pencils for school. UNICEF Gifts of Magic offer meaningful gifts at prices that mean you can buy one for everyone on your list.

Shopping at this time of year can be such a hassle, but not when you give Gifts of Magic. They’re fast, they don’t need wrapping, and they’re truly meaningful because they help children around the world.

www.unicef.ca

Updated Wait Times .... sigh.

Just got an update on the current wait times from our agency:

• From file submission to referral: 2-4 mo (possible longer for girls) - this takes us to mid-end March.
• Court date (from acceptance to adoption): 2-3 mo, i.e., end-June to beg-July
• Travel - up to 6 mo after that .. i.e. December 2008.

Double-sigh.

The Gift of You

I didn't give you the gift of life,
But in my heart I know.
The love I feel is deep and real,
As if it had been so.

For us to have each other
Is like a dream come true!
No, I didn't give you the gift of life,

Life gave me the gift of you.

-Unknown

The Choice

One of those endlessly circulating emails - but a nice msg:

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the former students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.

After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?'

The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'

Then he told the following story: Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'l l try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.'

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.

Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball ... the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'. Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third! Shay, run to third!' As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!'

Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.

'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world.'

Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

CHOIR

http://www.canadianhumanitarian.com/

This group comes recommended by several people on the various ETH adoption lists. It is based in W Canada, but works with people across Canada to benefit the world's neediest children - esp in ETH and Haiti.

For example, they have a child sponsorship program in ETH:

For only $30 a month you can provide one of the children in the Kid's Hope project with shelter, food, clothing, access to an education and life skills training. In return, sponsors will receive at least two updates and photos per year and are encouaraged to correspond with their sponsored child by email or mail.

Or, interested donors can sponsor LiGA School or the PATH Ethiopia Literacy, Educational and Vocational Center for only $30 a month. Donors to these two projects will receive updates at least twice a year and photos of the children who benefit from these centers.

My dishes went unwashed today ...

My dishes went unwashed today,
I didn't make the bed,
I took his hand and followed
Where his eager footsteps led.

Oh yes, we went adventuring,
My little son and I...
Exploring all the great outdoors
Beneath the summer sky

We waded in a crystal stream,
We wandered through a wood...
My kitchen wasn't swept today
But life was gay and good.

We found a cool, sun-dappled glade
And now my small son knows
How Mother Bunny hides her nest,
Where jack-in-the-pulpit grows.

We watched a robin feed her young,
We climbed a sunlit hill...
Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,
We plucked a daffodil.

That my house was neglected,
That I didn't brush the stairs,
In twenty years, no one on earth
Will know, or even care.

But that I've helped my little boy
To noble manhood grow,
In twenty years, the whole wide world
May look and see and know.

Author: Unknown

Grin ...

Word of the Day: Latitudinarian

Pronunciation:
[læ-tê-tyu-dê-'ne-ri-yên or læ-dê-]

Definition: Tolerating diversity of belief and behavior, particularly with reference to religion; favoring latitude in thought or conduct.

Usage: For decades we have been calling our intolerant neighbors "bigots." Did you ever wonder what the antonym of "bigot" is? Today's adjective may be used as a noun, as is, to fill this lacuna in many of our vocabularies. The other noun is "latitudinarianism."

Suggested Usage: Vociferous racial latitudinarians were effective in changing opinions of the Silent Majority in the 60s but the convictions of some latitudinarians were sorely tested after September 11. However, in this country, they will survive, so let us look for some new ways to use today's word. Have you ever felt like saying, "I'm as latitudinarian as the next mom but I draw the line at permitting tattoos on the bodies of people who came from my body without them."

Etymology: In England of the mid-1600s, the term was used abusively by High Church Anglicans to deprecate members who tolerated diverse religious views and wished reason to inform theological interpretations. Such offenders were called men of latitude. From Latin latitudo "width, geographical latitude" from latus "wide."

—Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com

Compiling Donations for Orphanage/Transition House

When I go to ETH, I plan to take a suitcase (or two) of items to donate to the orphanage and transition house for the children there. I asked our agency what they need, and here is the list I was sent:

□ Preschool toys, Bath toys (no toy guns, please)
□ Craft supplies; crayons, pencil crayons, colouring books, pencil sharpeners erasers, craft scissors, pencils, construction paper (no glitter or glue please)

□ Outdoor toys; skipping ropes, badminton set, soccer balls, Tricycles (bring unassembled and reassemble at Transition Home); (no sidewalk chalk please)

□ Flash cards of numbers or the alphabet, puzzles, note books, letter tracing books, etc.

□ Medical Supplies; Band-Aids, Ozonol, Polysporin, children’s and infant Tylenol, baby oil, cold syrups, Vaseline, Penaten cream

□ Personal Hygiene items; children’s toothbrushes and toothpaste, hair elastics, clips and barrettes

□ Twin size sheets, crib sheets, blankets, towels, face cloths

□ Disposable diapers and children’s underwear
□ Shoes for Toddlers (for kids approx. 2 to 4 years old)

Very gently worn items in excellent condition are accepted - but newer things will last longer!

Anyone in our circle of family/friends is welcome to send things to me for the collection ... I have two+ friends that plan to accompany me on the trip, so we will have lots of "pack mules", plus this will leave us with empty suitcases to bring home all our ETH treasures!

Blog Now Accepts Comments

Sorry - just realized the blog wasn't accepting comments - have changed the settings. Comment away!

If the world were a village of 100 people ...

If we could reduce the world’s population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all existing human ratios remaining the same, the demographics would look something like this:

60 Asians
12 Europeans
5 US Americans and Canadians
8 Latin Americans
14 Africans

49 would be female
51 would be male

82 would be non-white
18 white
89 heterosexual
11 homosexual

33 would be Christian
67 would be non-Christian

5 would control 32% of the entire world’s wealth, and all of them would be US citizens

80 would live in substandard housing

24 would not have any electricity (And of the 76% that do have electricity, most would only use it for light at night.)

67 would be unable to read

1 (only one) would have a college education.
50 would be malnourished and 1 dying of starvation

33 would be without access to a safe water supply
1 would have HIV
1 near death
2 would be near birth
7 people would have access to the Internet

If to take a look at the world from this condensed perspective,t he need for acceptance, understanding and education becomes evident.

Think of it!

If you woke up this morning with more health than sickness,you are luckier than the million that will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced a war, a loneliness of an imprisonment,
an agony of tortures or a famine You are happier, than 500 million persons in this world.

If you are able to go to church, mosque or synagogue without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death,you are happier, than 3 billion persons in this world.

If there is a meal in your refrigerator, if you are dressed and have got shoes, if you have a bed and a roof above your head, you are better off, than 75% of people in this world.

If your parents are still alive and still married,then you are a rarity.

If you have a bank account, money in your purse and there is some trifle in your coin box, you belong to 8% of well-provided people in this world.

Perspective ...

We're Expecting!

Just got an email from our adoption agency that they went ahead and submitted our file to Ottawa for authentication a couple of weeks ago, even tho we were still missing a few documents ... so today our file went to ETHIOPIA!

We are now officially expecting!

Here is an excerpt from the agency about the wait times from this point forward:

We’ve been saying approximately 9-12 weeks for a referral of a female infant, but some families have been waiting upwards of 16 weeks for a female infant right now. We’re hoping this will change in the weeks ahead, but it’s difficult to say right now. From that point, we’re estimating about 3 months for your court decision to go through, and then the High Commission has said it could take up to 6 months to issue the permanent residence visa.

So - looks like it'll be summer, rather than spring, for our trip .... but maybe things will speed up.

Stay tuned!

Traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony

Spreading freshly cut grass on the floor sets the scene for the coffee ceremony. Traditionally, for any special occasion, scented grass will be strewn directly on the floors of houses. A recent development is to scatter flowers over the grass to make it attractive.

People take their seats around the carpet of grass and the necessary utensils for the ceremony. The lady making the coffee will sit in the centre on a stool and be dressed in a white Ethiopian dress with coloured, woven, decorative borders.

The main items needed for the ceremony include: - a black clay coffee pot, locally known as jebena which is round at the bottom with a straw lid, placed on a circular band of straw. Small, often decorated china cups, known as sini are lined up together with a sugar jug on a special wooden curved tray with four short legs, like a miniature table. There is a narrow-waisted clay brazier for burning charcoal on which the coffee is roasted and brewed and a flat round iron pan and a spoon with a long handle for roasting the coffee beans. A small clay incense-burner and some roasted grain lie in a colourful straw basket. All together there are about forty-one items for the ceremony.

The lady who is conducting the ceremony gently washes a handful of coffee beans on the heated pan. Roasted popcorn, barley or bread is passed round, amid general conversation while the coffee beans are stirred and shaken and the husks are blown away. When the coffee beans have turned black and shining and the aromatic oil is coaxed out of them, the lady brings the pan around to every body shaking the beans so that the coffee smoke rises from the pan and gives off the strong coffee-flavoured aroma. Everybody stretches out their arms to pull the aroma closer to their noses.

The lady then brings one or two pieces of burning charcoal to the incense burner and cream-coloured incense crystals are thrown on to the burning charcoal. A few seconds later the air is filled with the smoke and aroma of the incense, mingled with the coffee smell. The Jebena, will be filled with water and placed on the brazier for boiling before the ground coffee is poured into it. At this time the lady will grind the coffee with a wooden pestle and a mortar.

Ground coffee is then added to the water in the pot little by little. With a graceful movement the lady then lifts the jebena and holding it high pours into the little cups and fills them up to the brim. Now the first round of coffee known as awol, a word of Arabic origin, meaning ‘first’ is ready to be drunk. The cups are then served, starting with the elderly first. Children are not served coffee but they will be given a handful of roasted popcorn, barley or a piece of bread, which is prepared for the ceremony. Traditionally in many parts of the country, coffee would have been served slightly salted and in some parts mixed with fresh butter, but currently it is served with sugar.

After the first round the jebena is refilled with water and there is more talking and consumption of popcorn or bread. The second round is now ready. It is weaker than the first as no further coffee has been added. This new round is called tona, from the Arabic thani, meaning ‘second’. When there are many guests and not enough cups to go round, or when it becomes difficult to remember to whom each cup belongs, a bowl of water will be brought in for rinsing the cups between rounds.

The third and final brew is made by again adding water to the original coffee, and brining it to the boil. The last brew is called baraka, which means ‘blessing’ in several languages including Arabic and Geez, the Ethiopian ecclesiastical language. At the end of the third round the elderly bless the house and everybody departs.

The entire ceremony takes about two hours, it is a social and interactive time and it is a warm welcome into people's home and the Ethiopian culture.

File = Complete!

At least, *I* think it is. I sent a package to our adoption agency on Tues, containing the last few documents and another (cough!) bank draft. Once they confirm all is complete, the file will go to Ottawa for "authentication" (not sure exactly by whom .... but it takes a couple of weeks), and then it goes off to ETH! So we are getting closer!

My fantasy of a proposal by Christmas is rapidly fading (barring some miracle), as wait times for infant girls are higher than for boys/older kids/sibling groups. Still, we should travel before summer (I hope!).

ON Ministry Letter of Approval In!

Just got an email from our agency to let us know that the ON Ministry has granted a Letter of Approval of our change of country from China to ETH.

So, we now have a couple of bits of paper yet to amass, notarize & submit. Then, the file goes to Ottawa for "authentication", and then on to Addis for matching.

Will keep you all posted!

Lady Buddha - Guanyin

Guanyin is also known as Lady Buddha ... we visited a shrine to her when we adopted Mei Le in China ... at the Six Banyan Temple in Guangzhou. Actually, our group of families with their newly-adopted children received a blessing from the monks there.

According to Wikepedia:

Guan Yin is an extremely popular Goddess in Chinese folk belief and is worshipped in Chinese communities throughout East and South East Asia. Guan Yin is revered in the general Chinese population due to her unconditional love, compassion and mercy. She is generally regarded by many as the protector of women and children. By this association she is also seen as a fertility goddess capable of granting children. She is also seen as the champion of the unfortunate, the sick, the disabled, the poor, and those in trouble.

Am not sure why I thought of her this am ... maybe because I have been thinking about what it will be like to travel to ETH to meet Little Sister; maybe also because several other adoptive families in our little web community are currently on tenterhooks, waiting for information from ETH about their children (referrals, medicals, visas, etc). I don't really ever pray - but if I did, Guanyin would be my choice for times like these ...

Sadly, I can't find a pic on-line of the actual Guanyin statue we were blessed at ... but these are other versions of her likeness. All of our pics from China were in traditional, negative format (seems so long ago!).

Our File is on the Move!

Today, our homestudy update file left our Agency for the ON Ministry for approval of the Change of Country to Ethiopia (from China). It should take 2-4 wks there.

I finally managed to get the balance of our other paperwork to the Agency, who will review it while we wait for Ministry Approval ... the only thing outstanding at our end is passport renewals ... but hopefully they will be in by the time the file comes back from the Ministry. Then the whole thing goes to Ottawa for "Authentication", then on to Ethiopia ... YAY!.

I am still hopeful of a proposal before Christmas. Cross whatever you've got for a quick turnaround all over!

Building a Lifestyle Brand for Ethiopia

An interesting article about an Ethiopian clothing and textile designer who has "... launched Muya, a lifestyle brand that preserves an endangered indigenous craft, empowers her workers and offers a practical model for sustainable development in African industry. "

Original article appeared in British Airways' inflight magazine, Impressions.

Link to article:

http://impressions-ba.com/features.php?id_feature=10402

Ethiopia-Themed Colouring Pages

A fun site with colouring pages featuring Ethiopian maps, traditional dress, etc.

http://rainbowkids.com/HTMLFiles.aspx?page=EthiopiaAct

And even more pics!

Still more pics - Mei Le

More Pics

Some of the pictures I chose ...

Update - August 8, 2007

Getting closer. Our update is on the verge of going to the ON Ministry for approval of the country change from China to Ethiopia.

I have gathered photos together for our submission to ETH - hard to choose! I included some of the house, incl Little Sister's room-to-be, playroom, Kitchen/dining, LR. Also some of Mei Le in her various activities (ballet, swimming), and some with each of us. May get someone to take a pic of all of us together to complete the collection.

Court closure has taken place in ETH, so we have about 6 wk for Ministry approval here, file documentaion, and submission to ETH to make it for the re-opening. Once submitted, proposals seem to be taking 6-8 wk (maybe a bit more). Then, travel depends on the completion of the adoption in ETH (birth mother has two chances to show up to approve), then visa arrangements, and then we can go!

Will keep you posted!

Books for Africa

Mission

Books For Africa. A simple name for a simple organization with a simple mission. We collect, sort, ship and distribute books to children in Africa. That's all we do. Our goal: to end the book famine in Africa.

Books donated by publishers, schools, libraries, individuals and organizations are sorted and packed by volunteers who carefully choose books that are age and subject appropriate. We send good books, enough books for a whole class to use.

They are shipped in containers paid for by contributions from people like you. It costs about 38 U.S. cents to send a book from the United States to Africa. Since 1988, Books For Africa has shipped more than 15 million books. They are on once-empty library shelves, in classrooms in rural schools, and in the hands of children who have never held a book before. Each book will be read over and over and over again. When the books arrive, they go to those who need them most: children who are hungry to read, hungry to learn, hungry to explore the world in ways that only books make possible.

www.booksforafrica.org

You can help out by buying books through:

www.betterworldbooks.com

Mei Le and La La

La La is Mei Le's doll. Took me a while to find a doll of a colour appropriate to Little Sister ("She's not black, Mommy, she's BROWN!"). Good ol' Walmart eventually paid off.

Mei Le is a good little mother to La La, giving her bottles, tucking her in, and asking me to watch her when she's busy!

Margaret & Sophie in Ethiopia

I watched this last weekend ... it felt more like a campaign video for Justin Trudeau than the in-depth, educational documentary I had hoped for. Nonetheless, I hope it had a broad, awareness-building effect on the Canadian public's awareness of African poverty, water, and mental health issues. Only 16 psychiatrists for the WHOLE country! Amazing.

WaterCan's website:

www.watercan.org

Map of Ethiopia

CARE in Ethiopia

The humanitarian organization, CARE, has an active program in Ethiopia. Their web site has a great country profile:

http://www.care.org/careswork/countryprofiles/56.asp?

Some terrifying statistics:

Avg life expectancy: 41 yr
Neonatal mortality: 10.3%
Under 5 yr mortality: 17.2%
Maternal mortality: 0.87%
GNP per capita: $100
People with access to safe drinking water: 24%

Check out the web site for more info.

Adoption Update - Waiting

So, I *think* I've requested all the documents we need - now I just have to wait for them all to come in!

You'll all be relieved to know that we have been cleared by the RCMP & Interpol.

Now, I have to amass some photo pages that reflect our life and the home we are offering this child ... Harder than is sounds!

Will keep you posted!

Heartbreaking Song - PEARLS

I actually heard this song on Angelique Kidjo's album, Djin Djin, where she recorded it with Josh Groban - spectacularly beautiful & moving. (Turns out it was first recorded by Sade, on her album Love Deluxe.) It made me cry for these African women, their children, and my daughter-to-be. Check it out.

Pearls

There is a woman in Somalia

Scraping for pearls on the roadside

There's a force stronger than nature

Keeps her will alive

This is how she's dying

She's dying to survive

Don't know what she's made of

I would like to be that brave.

She cries to the heaven above

There is a stone in my heart

She lives a life she didn't choose

And it hurts like brand-new shoes

Hurts like brand-new shoes.

There is a woman in Somalia

The sun gives her no mercy

The same sky we lay under

Burns her to the bone

Long as afternoon shadows

It's gonna take her to get home

Each grain carefully wrapped up

Pearls for her little girl.

Hallelujah Hallelujah

She cries to the heaven above

There is a stone in my heart

She lives in a world she didn't choose

And it hurts like brand-new shoes

This Child

This Child
by Susan Aglukark

This child my fellow human being
This child let me walk with you
This child afraid to be alone
This child let me be with you.

This (wo)man searching for the truth
This child finding her way home
This song soaring in my heart
This land a journey still unknown.

Journey your trail my only hope
Hope is all that I can find
Child you’ll never be alone
I’m forever by your side.

Adoption Update

We met with Helen, our social worker, last Thursday to update our home study and review what documents we need to replace/update. I was glad to find out that she had our original fingerprint card, so we don't have to get them taken again!

We will have to get new Interpol/RCMP checks, local police checks, medicals, references (only 2), new copies of birth & marriage certificates, and our passports need renewing. Our goal is to complete our dossier in 4 weeks. (Helen suggested 6, but I am optimistic!). Still not sure if we'll beat Ethiopia's court closure ... but we might as well go for it!

Will keep you posted!

Cross-Species Adoptions - Dog & Squirrel

For about as long as she can remember, Debby Cantlon says, friends and strangers have brought her animals in need. So it wasn't much of a surprise when someone asked her if she'd care for a newborn squirrel found at the base of a tree somewhere near Renton.

When Cantlon took in the tiny creature and began caring for him, she found herself with an unlikely nurse's aide: her pregnant Papillon, Mademoiselle Giselle. Finnegan was resting in a nest in a cage just days before Giselle was due to deliver her puppies. Cantlon and her husband watched as the dog dragged the squirrel's cage twice to her own bedside before she gave birth. Cantlon was concerned, yet ultimately decided to allow the squirrel out and the inter-species bonding began.

Two days after giving birth, mama dog Giselle allowed Finnegan to nurse; family photos and a videotape show her encouraging him to suckle alongside her litter of five pups. Now, Finnegan mostly uses a bottle, but still snuggles with his "siblings" in a mosh pit of puppies, rolling atop their bodies and sinking in deeply for a nap.

I want THIS job!

SICHUAN , China -- One zoo in southwest China has its hands full with 16 baby pandas. The Sichuan Wolong Panda Protection and Breed Center is dealing with the results of a breeding boom -- 16 pandas have been born since July, 2006. The brood includes five sets of twins. The cubs are weighed and measured every five days. The heaviest tips the scale at just over 24 pounds, while the lightest weighs about 11 pounds. The pandas are due to stop suckling by February, 2007 - just about the time they'll start learning to walk. Once weaned, the panda cubs will attend panda kindergarten. In the meantime, more little ones are expected at the center since 38 giant pandas were artificially impregnated.

Cross-Species Adoptions: Cat & Skunks

One week after being born, six baby skunks were abandoned by their mother. Luckily, we had just weaned five kittens off of our resident farm cat a day before and hoped that perhaps she might take them on as her own. She was reluctant at first, but she let them nurse - a positive sign. Two weeks have gone by and the six little "Stinkers" are thriving and their new mom couldn't be happier. She has become quite devoted to them and even carries them around to show them off to visitors.

Cross-Species Friendship: Deer & Hare

Two of the world's most renowned shy and timid creatures have found each other in safe companionship.....through the lens of Tanja Askani, Alberta, Canada.

Cross-Species Adoptions - Hippo & Tortoise

I was wading through my Inbox and found a number of emails with stories and pictures of cross-species adoption in the animal world ... Thought I'd share.

NAIROBI (AFP) - A baby hippopotamus that survived the tsunami waves on the Kenyan coast has formed a strong bond with a giant male century-old tortoise, in an animal facility in the port city of Mombassa , officials said.

The hippopotamus, nicknamed Owen and weighing about 300 kilograms (650 pounds), was swept down Sabaki River into the Indian Ocean , then forced back to shore when tsunami waves struck the Kenyan coast on December 26, before wildlife rangers rescued him. "It is incredible. A-less-than-a-year-old hippo has adopted a male tortoise, about a century old, and the tortoise seems to be very happy with being a 'mother'," ecologist Paula Kahumbu, who is in charge of Lafarge Park, told AFP."After it was swept and lost its mother, the hippo was traumatized. It had to look for something to be a surrogate mother. Fortunately, it landed on the tortoise and established a strong bond. They swim, eat and sleep together," the ecologist added. "The hippo follows the tortoise exactly the way it follows its mother. If somebody approaches the tortoise, the hippo becomes aggressive, as if protecting its biological mother," Kahumbu added.

"The hippo is a young baby, he was left at a very tender age and by nature, hippos are social animals that like to stay with their mothers for four years," he explained.

One of my favourite "teachings" ...

A Cherokee elder was teaching his grandchildren about life. He said to them, "A fight is going on inside me...It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, pride and superiority. The other wolf stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside of you and every other person too."

They thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied..."The one I feed."