A Mother's Day Reminder - For The Cows on Dairy Farms

This Mothers' Day, Remember The Cows On Dairy Farms
Mother’s Day is a special time to honor moms for their caring, patience and unconditional love. The bond between a mother and her offspring is a powerful love like no other. In the dairy industry, all the cows are Moms - kept pregnant their whole lives, never able to experience this deep bond with their offspring.

If you want to stop using the animal products which cause the most suffering, you might want to consider eliminating dairy and eggs first. The misery that female cows endure is arguably worse than that of their brothers slaughtered for beef. Dairy facilities are gigantic machine-filled buildings, more like a factory than a farm. During the milking process, if the machines are not properly maintained, they can send painful electric shocks through the udder several times a day. These animals are treated harshly, with no room for sensitivity to their comfort or simple needs. All these Moms are either pregnant or lactating, yet their babies are nowhere to be seen.

Like all mammals, female cows only lactate when pregnant. To maximize milk production, dairy cows are kept pregnant their entire short life. Each year, she will be artificially inseminated on what industry terms a "rape rack" or with the farmer’s arm. A cow's natural life span is about 20 years. In this highly intensive farming, however, the stress on her body will diminish her milk output after about 3 years. She is then what the industry calls "dried up." It is more lucrative to send her to slaughter and replace her. Her body will be sold as ground beef.

To insure the highest volume of milk, the calf is taken away from her immediately after birth. Even in supposedly "humane" dairy production, to maintain a profit, cows are sent to slaughter and the calves taken away. This is also to avoid the mother/calf bonding. Mother cows have been known to break down the stall in an attempt to find their offspring.

Imagine for a moment being kept pregnant every year of your life, just to have every baby taken away from you and your milk pumped into machines. What happens to these millions of baby cows? A female calf will follow in her mother's hoof-prints, yet she will never know her mother or suckle her milk, being raised on a bottle formula. But what of the males?

A male calf born to a dairy cow is the wrong breed to profitably be raised for beef. His fate is much worse. Veal is the soft, pale, anemic flesh of a calf. Veal calves are kept inside in a crate barely bigger than themselves. Chained at the neck, they can't even turn around. They are fed a liquid diet deficient in iron, so their muscles don’t develop properly. These babies never see their 1st birthday. Many people recognize the cruelty in raising veal and will not eat it, yet are unaware of the intimate connection between the dairy and veal industries. Supporting one supports the other.

So honor all Moms this Mother’s Day and try some non-dairy milk. There is a wide variety to choose from- soy, rice, almond, coconut, oat, hemp. If you don’t like one, try another. They are diverse in taste and texture. Non-dairy cheese has come a long way. Try “Follow Your Heart” cheese and “Daiya” cheese. Both these brands will make some melt-in-your-mouth, cruelty-free enchiladas that everyone will love. (Especially the mama cows!)
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From In Defense of Animals www.idausa.org

So In Sync

It's true that kids can be unpredictable. They are their own beings and have minds of their own. Since a very young age, I've tried to instill independence in my kids in hopes they will become capable & self-reliant individuals. They will take from life what they will, and I have no control over how they absorb the lessons or what they do with the information from there. Everyone's learning style is different. Everyone's interpretation of things varies.  As a parent, all I can do is offer the experiences.

I'm realizing as I raise my boys that they are very different from one another. I often don't understand Callum at all which makes parenting parenting, really. I love him dearly but he is very unpredictable to me. My oldest however, is just like me. Not only physically, but he is me personality wise and he learns how I learn.... through emotion. I feel like some days I can read his mind. I can feel what he is explaining to me before he even gets all the words out. I can see in his face when he's troubled and my heart crushes when he cries because I feel his pain. He wears his heart on his sleeve and I can read him like an open book. He can also sense when I'm having an off day. He and I are so in sync. He is my clone. My Mini-Me. And one of my two wonderful creations in this life.

Your Love Inspires Me To Be A Better Human

Recently a friend wrote me a note..... a hand written note, which are more special than any other kind. It said "Your love inspires me to be a better human"  I'm not sure how thoroughly this friend thought that through before writing that, but it has had an enormous impact on me. I've had many cards and notes from people I love and respect who have written very kind and generous words to me over the years. I have families I have provided child care for who have said and written things, to express to me how much I'm loved and appreciated, which have made my heart melt. This particular statement however has run through my head numerous times and I believe it is the highest compliment I've ever been given from another adult.  (Children say wonderful things to me all the time but adults aren't always as generous in expressing such emotion!) These words take my breath away and makes my soul smile in a way I've never experienced before. I'm a different person now, because of those words.

All Apologies-Sinead O'Connor

Jump In The river-Sinead O'Connor

Jump In The River

the phone calls
always left me unsure
they'd never say things of their own accord
I am preoccupied
I can't get them out of my mind
they are terrified

and if you said jump in the river I would
because it would probably be a good idea
you're not supposed to be here at all
it's all been a gorgeous mistake
sick one or clean one
the best one
that God ever made

when I kissed you
you didn't mind
I thought I tasted of too many cigarettes
but you tasted of wine
and I'm not going to change my mind
just because of what they said
the worm has laid eggs in their hearts
but not in my head

(chorus)

there's been days like this before
and i liked it all
like the times we did it so hard
there was blood of the wall

and if you said jump in the river I would
because it would probably be a good idea

My Special Child-Sinead O'Connor

The Official Video and best version is on found on here on You Tube but this is a live version from 1991
I cry as I post.

My Special Child

Think about my little girl
Her yellow skin and her dark curl
And how her father's heart was frozen
I spoke to her and I said:
"You won't regret the mother you have chosen"
I lied. Where's she tonight?
I left him now we're apart
And I think about his cruel heart
And how his lies have left mine broken
To think that I spoke to him then I said:
"She won't regret the father she has chosen"
I lied. Where's he tonight?
You were precious to me
After all I called you into being
I wanted you to know that
Yes, you were precious to me
And I miss my little boy
I strayed away, so far away
And I need him tonight
To feel his hands around my face
His loving eyes
His happy face
Would be so right
Once I sat in my husbands car
Him in my arms, woke up and saw me crying
My heart wouldn't work
And this he did my special child
He touched my face with his hand and smiled
Oh boy, everything's all right
Don't cry, everything's all right
Don't cry, Jakes's here tonight
Don't hide, Jake's here alive 

Untold Stories-Sinead O'Connor

While I'm Living
Thanks I'll Be Giving
To the Most High You know,

I am living while I am living to the father I will pray
Only he knows how we get through everyday
With all the hike in the price
Arm and leg we have to pay
While our leaders play

All I see people a rip and a rob and a grab
Tief never love fe see tief wid long bag
No love for the people who a suffer real bad
Another toll to the poll may God help we soul
What is to stop the youths from get out of control
Full up of education yet no own no payroll
The clothes on my back have countless eyehole.
I could go on and on the full has never been told

I am living while I am living to the father I will pray
Only he knows how we get through everyday
With all the hike in the price
Arm and leg we have to pay
While our leaders play

Who can afford to run will run
But what about those who can't:they will have to stay
Opportunity a scarce, scarce commodity
In these times I say: When mama spend her last and send you go class
Never you ever play
It's a competitive world for low budget people,
Spending a dime while earning a nickel
With no regards to who it may tickle
My cup is full to the brim
I could go on and on the full has never been told

I am living while I am living to the father I will pray
Only he knows how we get through everyday
With all the hike in the price
Arm and leg we have to pay
While our leaders play

All I see people a rip and a rob and a grab
Tief never love fe see tief wid long bag
No love for the people who a suffer real bad
Another toll to the poll may God help we soul
What is to stop the youths from get out of control
Full up of education yet no own no payroll
The clothes on my back have countless eyehole
Could go on and on and the full has never been told
(On and On)
Though this life keep getting me down
Don't give up now
Got to survive somehow
Could go on and on and the full has never been told

I am living while I am living to the father I will pray
Only he knows how we get through everyday
With all the hike in the price
Arm and leg we have to pay
While our leaders play

Who can afford to run will run
But what about those who can't:they will have to stay
Opportunity a scarce, scarce commodity
In these times I say:
When mama spend her last and send you go class
Never you ever play
It's a competitive world for low budget people,
Spending a dime while earning a nickel
With no regards to who it may tickle
My cup is full to the brim
I could go on and on the full has never been told
I could go on and on the full has never been told
I could go on and on:.
The full has never:.

Been told...

Sinead O'Connor the brave, on SNL

Her famous performance on SNL where she rips up the photo of the pope.

Awesome List Of Animal Ingredients

I've posted a link before of Hidden Animal Ingredients by the Vegan Society but this one published by peta2 has a few more that are noteworthy.

Mama Said There'll Be Days Like This, There'll Be Days Like This Mama Said

It's cold, it's been raining for days, I've been waiting for something to arrive that hasn't yet and I just got a call from the bank that my account has been compromised.... AGAIN! (weren't these new chip cards supposed to end all of that??) I was told today how huge I owe on my income tax, my house looks like a bomb hit it and I'm super exhausted. My kids are bouncing off the walls from eating so much Easter chocolate this week and the thought of them behaving like this over these next few days makes me want to just crawl under a rock and hide out til it's all over and all 208 foil eggs are gone. But I won't. I have a family to take care of, errands to run, laundry to do, meals to make, Kindergarten to volunteer in, friends to see and a job to get to. It's all part of being a Mama and Mama said there'll be days like this....