I stayed up late last night and read the most incredible article on the artist Vanessa Beecroft. She went to Sudan while breastfeeding her baby boy. Her breasts were filled with milk so she offered to breastfeed babies who didn't have mothers and consequently fell in love with two baby boy twins. She tried to adopted them and almost destroyed her marriage while trying.

Vanessa Beecroft's Love Triangle in the LA Times is definitely worth a read. It was in the LA Times wedding magazine-Random!

Photo by Alexa Hoyer/LA Times 

 

They took young Christofer off life support yesterday and he passed on to hopefully a healthier and brighter world for his sweet soul.

The parents held a healing session with him before and this is the message that came through:

All is Well
All is Perfect
Be Real
Be Love
Help Each Other
Love One Another
We are All Good
Be Free

Be sure to give your babies and kids a big hug and celebrate their health. I can't stop kissing my girls' cheeks and thanking God for our many blessings.

Rachel is collecting money for her trip to help the children of Ghana. These monies are not going to fund pushing paper across the desk-this is the real thing. They still need to raise $4, 250 for their trip.

My kids are counting up their piggy banks that we save to help others (tzedakah) to give to Rachel and her family for their travels.

Check out the video of Rachel's daughter, Leah: 

I was lucky today to catch via phone with Rachel Coleman, last year's essay contest winner and a truly amazing woman/mom/pioneer.  She is leaving for Ghana soon where she will be visiting to teach deaf children and their teachers.

From her website:

Why Ghana?
Ghana is the size of Oregon. They have 13 schools for the deaf. Deaf children start school at the age of 5. Many are dropped off for their 3 month semester and their families never come back to pick them up. A week after the semester ends, an orphanage bus comes to get the children who have been left.

Many of the families cannot afford the tuition $83 per semester. Many families are embarrassed that their child is deaf.

The teachers have no background in Deaf Ed. They finish college and are assigned to teach at a school. Most teachers are unhappy to find they are assigned to a deaf school. They do not know the language and have no proof that these deaf children CAN be taught.

Organizations like Signs of Hope International have found that most teachers are entering the deaf schools without proper sign language education. Because of the lack of suitable resources, deaf children are struggling to learn and progress using sign language to enhance their education.

In Ghana deaf children have extremely limited rights and opportunities compared to deaf children in the United States. Like Silvia, any students at the schools for the deaf in Ghana struggle to receive an education, and it was not too long ago that some headmasters at the high school for the deaf have finally allowed girls to attend too.

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Isn't she an incredible woman?  She INSPIRES me to be a better person and do more to help others. 

 

Two lives emerged from the ashes, an LA Times Column One story, tells the amazing story of Lisa Misraje Bentley, a frustrated homemaker and mom, who left the comforts of her suburban home to help orphans in China. 

I usually feel awful after I read stories like this-awful in the way of what am I doing with my life? But Lisa's story inspired me to be grateful for each day... and more compassionate towards others.

Please check it out. 

 

Incredible photo of Levi, the little boy she saved, by David McIntyre 

Mothering Heights salutes all the men and women who have served our country in war. 

I have so much respect for the soliders who are serving in Iraq.  The moms and dads who are away from their families. This is a difficult war. One that, in my opinion, we should not be fighting. But they do it to serve our country and our beliefs.

Let us all pray that this war ends soon.  The troops come as healthy veterans. 

Remember Lori Coble? The mom who lost her three kids in a tragic accident on the 5 freeway.  She is pregnant with triplets. She did in vitro and it took.

Doesn't that just make your day?

Blessings, prayer and faith for those little babies...Thank you, God.

And thank you Mommy Liza for letting me know. 

Stater Brothers is accepting fire victim donations at their Lake Forest store 22351 El Torro Rd 581-3440. If you know of others, please let me know so I can post.

 

[I met sweet angel boy Christofer.  Friends of the family are putting together a fundraiser. Please do what you can to help.]

When you meet Christofer, age 3, son of Anna and Eddie Krajec,  you are immediately drawn to his bright light, his loving energy and playful nature. We have just learned he has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.  Because Western
medicine cannot help Christofer at this point, Anna and Eddie are looking to healers and non-Western treatment methods which, as you probably know, are not covered by insurance companies. Anna and Eddie also request that everyone hold this prayerful thought for Christofer:
 
To honor this beautiful little being and to create a vortex of abundant energy for his healing, we are holding a “Fun”-Raiser at Anneliese’s Willowbrook school in Laguna Canyon. The vision for this event includes good food, music, children’s entertainment, a healing ceremony and a live auction featuring contributions by local artists and businesses.
 
Date of event:  Sunday, November 4, 2007
Address: Willowbrook School, 20062 Laguna Canyon Rd.
Time: 3 to 8:30 p.m. -  Live Auction: 4 to 6 p.m.
 
For art donations contact Liesa at 949-533-9925 or email her at:neworangeland@hotmail.com
To help with food prep or food donation email Summer at summer@zpizza.com
For children’s entertainment email Sabine  at bulasabine@hotmail.com
To RSVP and/or donate other goods or services contact:   
Talia at (949) 715-1057 or email taliabali@yahoo.com or
Yamini at (949) 494-0294 or email yamini7@msn.com
To make a monetary donation go to http://ourlil.com/healingchristofer/

Oh no, it's true. While I was waiting to pick up my daughter at the bus stop, which is in front of the Laguna Beach Landslide, I heard there had been a landslide in La Jolla.  This is the first moment I have had to check the news and discover that it is true.

My heart goes out to all those families that have been evacuated.  We were there almost three years ago, sleeping at a friend's house, listening to the helicopters overhead and not knowing when we would return. We were lucky and able to return the next day but many of our friends are just moving back into their houses now.

Sending you lots of hugs... 

(AP Image) 

 

DIRECTV has re-launched a great new program that benefits US schools. Through the program, schools will earn $100 for every new customer and $50 for every existing customer who calls 888-388-4724, commits to a year of DIRECTV service and mentions the school's unique School Code. I personally know someone who is a principal at a grammar school who promoted this and raised $3,500 last year in a very short period. It's that simple!
 
Details at:
http://www.directv4schools.com/

Elizabeth and her son QuinnReach out and help my gfriend, Mommy Elizabeth, raise money for her marathon.  She is a truly special person who devotes a lot of her time to helping others. Please support her:

Dear Friends and Family, 

I am only 25 days away from running my first Half Marathon to raise awareness and funds  for the
Malcolm & cousin QuinnLeukemia and Lymphoma Society! As most of you know, I am training in honor of Quinn's 6 year old cousin, Malcolm, who was diagnosed with leukemia last year.  Please visit my website so you can help me reach my goal. If you would like to send a check, make it payable to the LLS and mail it to me:  645 Fontana Way, Laguna Beach, CA  92651 before October 1.

Again, THANK YOU for your help! Elizabeth Novick 

My fabulous friend Kat has made it to Pondicherry, a fishing village in India, where she is building houses with Habitat for Humanity. 

Check out her updated blog.  It is inspiring and fascinating to read about the mothers she is working with to build over 70 houses.  

You Go Girl!  When you get home, I am making you a big chocolate cake... 

Chennai, India (formerly known as Madras)Feeling some wanderlust that can't be fulfilled right now? 

Check out my girlfriend Kat's blog, Kat Tales, as she travels through India building houses for Habitat for Humanity.  I am a riveted armchair traveler.

These gorgeous twins, Keane and Ehtan, have been diagnosed with HLH, a rare blood disease.  They are in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant.   Test kits will be shipped out to anyone who thinks they might be eligible. 

PLEASE check out their website and forward to everyone you know.

Hugs and Prayers to the parents, Carrie and Xander, and those boys.

Courtesy of Perezhilton.com/Getty ImagesSaint Angelina has released photos from her recent trip to Chad and an amazing interview to boot.  Kudos to Newsweek for actually focusing on the issues she cares about. Check out Perezhilton's condensed version or the real thing at Newsweek.  I don't care how many nannies she has, that girl has got an amazing amount of energy!

This click to donate seems to be the real thing.  By dragging the heart to the home, Seventh Generation will send a pack of tampons or pads to a shelter in your home state.  The site also has a great list of things you can do to help the homeless.  I feel like I need to do more than donate clothes...