I've written before about my lack of community mindedness. I am continually impressed by people who donate their time and energy to charity works. It is a heartening reminder that there are some lovely people in the world.
The thing is, and I know this from our little contribution of fostering kittens, is that there is always a painful element involved. So far we have had to have two of the kittens we've fostered euthanised. It's hard to nurture and care for something that has been hurt or abandoned, and feel that your work has been in vain. Lots of the time there are successes. Most of our foster fur babies have been successfully adopted which is wonderful, but I wouldn't be human, if my heart didn't ache for the ones I lost.
That said, we have been continuously fostering now since the end of January and it has been a very rewarding experience. Except for the kitty litter. Words can't describe how much I HATE cleaning the litter out.
My brother is a volunteer lifesaver and most of the time it's fantastic. He lives his dream of being out on the water. But being unable to resuscitate someone was an incredibly traumatic event for him and for the family who watched their loved one pass away in front of them.
The next day he was back on the beach on patrol.
Because at the end of the day you have to keep trying don't you?
And it got me wondering what do other people do? Because the thing is I suspect everyone does something whether they know it or not.
My neighbour checks in on the elderly man down our street every single day. It doesn't matter how busy her day has been, she always pops into see him. Yesterday on the school run I was surrounded by hundreds on university students dressed up in costumes selling a newspaper. It was all to raise funds for a kids camp.
It's very easy, too easy in fact to be cynical about the world in general. But I like to think that most people do care in one way or another.
What's your 'thing?' or if you could choose, what would your 'thing' be?

The last couple of months have seen some sucky decision making on my part. But Feb 28th was definitely the nadir.
At least I sincerely hope it was.
Here's to March being a new month and I will see my decision making skills rise phoenix like, out of the ashes of previously poor decision making.
Remember how I blithely talked about if I was going to be community minded it would involve cute and fluffy things? Because at heart I am supremely shallow.
Well our most recent foster placement was a mother and her two kitties. All sweet and furry thus far.
Except the mother got cat flu which she promptly passed on to her fur babies.
There was one white one and one black one.
We spent the weekend shovelling antibiotics and fluids down the throat of the black one and she started to turn the corner on Sunday.
Sadly her little white sister became ill on Saturday. By Monday it was clear to me that even without a degree in vet science and with only rudimentary skills in kitten care that she was very ill.
So Mr Small and I trundled back down the to Cat Haven to consult with the vet.
The vet was lovely and kind, but we reached the same painfully sad conclusion. Little kitten had no reserves to fight the pneumonia and she was struggling to breathe.
The vet gently took her from my hands, while Mr Small provided some distraction by choosing the same moment to fling himself round my ankles in a rugby tackle. (Thank heavens for small boys!)
I couldn't look as she took her next door into the theatre.
Instead I sobbed behind my dark sunglasses while Mr Small helped me carry the remaining kitten back to reception.
The kind staff there passed me tissues as I pulled myself together and stopped Mr Small from systematically disembowelling various cat toys.
Decisions like this one are very tough.
They are a reminder that right decisions are often very painful.
I never envisaged this as being one of the elements of foster caring.
And I know for the short time she was with us, she was loved and cared for.
It still sucks though.

One of the resolutions I made this year was to be more community minded. I am constantly awed at the efforts of those around me who selflessly devote themselves to various causes. I'm not one of them. I wish I was.
So timing really is everything isn't it?
A few weeks ago we were down at the Cat Haven selecting The Ugliest Cat in the World. I remember becoming increasingly angry at the people coming in dropping off the kittens they'd "found."
Then a lady had come in with her children about the same age as mine, with a container filled with fluffy kittens.
Being a judgemental cow I asked her where she'd "found" them.
She calmly replied that she hadn't. In fact, she and her family are foster carers. The Cat Haven has them on their wait list to call if the kittens come in and they're too small to be adopted out just yet.
Amidst the haze of my grief for our cat Lily and the adoption of our new one I found myself signing us up to be foster carers.
Because frankly I like the idea of my community service involving fluffy kittens.
And today of all days we got the call.
4 kittens.
Too small to be adopted out and in need of a loving home for two to three weeks.
They particularly like them going to homes with children, as they can be more easily adopted.
As it happened, we'd had to cancel our plans for today as two of the offspring were not well. Instead Husband made his way to the Haven with a wildly excited Miss Medium.
We go back weekly for check-ups, all their food is provided and while the kitty litter is clearly going to be a huge pain, it's totally worth it.
They even tried to help me with cleaning up today.

Hope you've all had a lovely Australia Day everyone. While it wasn't the one I had planned AT ALL. Somehow it really doesn't matter one bit.

I am in a remarkably snarky mood today.
The reasons are articulated far more eloquently than I ever could over here.
In order to distract myself from said mood, I have partaken in a Zumba class today and am planning a long run tomorrow.
In addition, I went through my photo album.
And for those of you feeling similarly...for your viewing pleasure: Mr Small.

And introducing our new additions: Sparkles and Lily.

How did this non animal lover end up as "mother" to these insanely cute, fluffy bundles? I'll share it another day, when I'm not, you know, cranky. Or, as cranky.
Have a great weekend everyone.