Peanut Butter & Penguins

In these tough economic times during the cold, snowy weather, it's important that I look for slices of sunshine wherever I can. I think I suffer from SAD: winter depression. I've learned this about myself afer living here in Cleveland, Ohio through the brutal winters. You see, I don't care too much for snow coming right to my doorstep. For me, snow at my doorstep means my skiis are on and I'm a few slips and slides away to the closest chair lift. Or, I'm dusting snow off the 500 year-old stone steps of my winter chalet in Switzerland (insert delusions of grandeur).

Onto searching for rays of sunshine: I love peanut butter. I also have quite a thing for penguins. I learned today both are nearing extinction. Suddenly, there's a stormy dark, rain cloud hovering over my sunny peanut butter and black tie disposition.

The FDA has sent out a warning to everyone not to eat, breath, taste, open, look or smell anything that has peanut butter in it, until the extent of the salmonella breakout has been determined. Yuck! Wouldn't you know it, I'm currently out of peanut butter at my house. I run out of the creamy, dreamy, nutty stuff quite a lot, because I put it on nearly everything: bananas, apples, sandwiches and the tips of my fingers. Yum!

A formal affair with pizazz, aka: Northern Rockhopper penguins. This year, I wanted to send everyone on my Christmas list adoption papers for certain types of wild animal species that are currently on the extinction list, because the environment is my pet peeve. I quickly realized that my pet peeve isn't the time to excercise in gift giving, so I didn't. Today, I read that another breed of my beloved penguins are dying off. It sickens me. I know all about Mr. Darwin's evolution of species, but come on, some of these animals don't stand a chance against the pollution, over population and the overall lack of empathy for their life.

One World.

I'm sure the peanut butter ban will eventually be lifted, but what about the penguins? Please, you don't have to donate to every animal cause, like I do. Hell, I'm not asking you to adopt stray cats from the street, like I did, but please, think about what you can do each and everyday to help make our world and environment a better place. If everyone did one thing everyday...it would surely make a difference.

SAD and sad,
Neve