To the sodden, wet and flooded folk

My mum took these photos yesterday from the caravan park she is staying at.

(In a CARAVAN. Luckily it is on high ground. I don't want to find out later if it floats.)

To the sodden, wet and flooded folk around Australia,

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You poor things, it just keeps coming, doesn't it? This rain was welcome at first, then a bit annoying, and now down-right unwelcome. Now there is water everywhere. I hope you don't get drunk and play in it. That would be silly. I hope you find a nice dry place with a cup of tea and a dry bed and a hug.

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I hope your car is okay, your house is insured, your business safe and your loved ones accounted for. I hope it has been more exciting than terrifying, and the sun comes out really soon.

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We're all thinking of you. If I could make you a casserole, I would.

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Hugs,

Pepper x

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ps. if you are one of those brave folk and volunteers looking for missing people and rescuing them in helicopters, and working tirelessly to help in whatever way you can, an extra cheer for you. If I could bake you a cake, I would.

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pps. If you want to help (and like me, can't post a casserole) you can donate to the flood relief fund here.

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Love Combating Fear

via

Did you know that today is the International Day against Homophobia? It is held each year on May 17 marking the World Health Organization’s removal of homosexuality from its list of mental disorders in 1990. Isn't it amazing that homosexuality was considered a mental disorder in 1990! While we were watching Growing Pains and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, gay men and women were diagnosed with mental disorders for liking someone.

A friend's partner is showing work at the (free) IDAHO Exhibition in Sydney, at Kudos Gallery, Paddington 18 - 29 May 2010. One of the main goals of this years exhibition is to promote the message 'Love Combating Fear'. Every decision a human makes is either based on Love or Fear. The exhibition aims to promote a message of Love to combat homophobia and the negative consequences it has. His photography is amazing, and I'm looking forward to seeing all of the work, and showing my support for the inclusion and total acceptance of homosexuals in society. I don't really give a toss who people are attracted to, and I certainly don't think anyone should be discriminated against in any way because of it.

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For more information, visit the website. You can download posters, add a button to your blog, and read more about it.

Hope for Haiti

My golly goodness, isn't what is going on in Haiti just heart-wrenchingly well, heart wrenching? (I wanted to use stronger expletives there. but this is (mostly) a G-rated blog).. It is disturbing and devastating and we all have to do something, really. really really.

There's a bunch of ways crafty people are helping out ('cause we're a darn helpful lot), and not-so-crafty, and you can too.

Donate your craftiness to a fundraiser

- Donate something to Craft Hope, it will be sold on etsy to raise money (and you can put a very cute Craft Hope Haiti button on your blog, you caring person you!)

- Indiefixx is taking donations for silent auctions with donated goods to raise money for the Red Cross International Relief Fund to provide essential items including food, water and blankets.

- Join the Help Haiti Blogger Challenge on this blog

Go shopping! Go on, it's for a cause!

-Buy something from the Craft Hope etsy store, all proceeds go to Doctors Without Borders.

-If you're in the US of A, check out this blog to see if there is a Vegan Bake Sale for Haiti near you! Cupcakes!

-Bid on an item each day at Indiefixx

Donate your dough

- Hear the call of the 'knit signal' (like batman, right?) and join in over at Yarn Harlot or Knitters Without Borders

- Donate online to Red Cross; Doctors without Borders; The Apparent Project; UNICEF; Habitat for Humanity; The International Rescue Committee; Stand with Haiti; Architecture for Humanity (CNN has another helpful list over here)

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I've started by buying this and these. My friend and I also have plans to raise money at a festival coming up. Will tell you more then. I hope we all do a little bit. It can add up to a lot.

write love on your arm today

To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.*****To Write Love On Her Arms Day is a day where anyone can write the words love on their arms, to support those who are fighting against depression and those who are trying to recovering.

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On this day, just write love on your arms, and show it off, other people will ask why you have love written on your arms, and you tell them you are supporting to write love on her arms day, and how its benefiting a non profit organization helping stop depression, and make love the movement.

It's today. (edit: it was yesterday. Doh!)

(facebook)

show us your puppies

October is not only blogtoberfest, but Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I have found a boobie-thon. Of course. Not only that, but specifically for bloggers. I kid you not. I find this hilarious and awesome.

2009 marks the 8th Annual Blogger Boobie-Thon. Bloggers from all over the globe send in photos of their boobies (covered and uncovered) to help raise money for Breast Cancer Research. Their mission is to create a fun and lighthearted event that created awareness and raises money for breast cancer research.

In the past seven years The Boobie-thon has raised over $50,000.00, from people donating money (donaters can also see the uncovered boobies. Big perk. No pun intended)

Check out the website here. I think it's a super way to raise awareness and raise money, if you don't mind showing your covered (or uncovered! eep!) puppies. Yes, I am considering it. No I won't tell you if I do. That might be weird.

If you're not up for that level of, erhum, exposure, you can still make a donation or buy some boobie-thon merchandise in their store (including cute onesies) or visit some of the brave bloggers who have put 'em out there.

The Boobie-thon is on now, from October 1 - 7. And I don't think I've ever said 'boobies quite so much-in-a-row)