I’m sitting in my jammies and working from my very cozy home office. Thank you for letting me take yesterday off!
OUTPOURING OF WELL WISHING
I remember having heard the expression, “We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of well-wishing” regarding some event or mishap… In the past, it has always been a phrase that made as much of a personal impact on me as, “We hope you enjoy…” or “Thank you all for attending…”. It didn’t mean that much to me. It sounded like a sentence written by a campaign manager or PR coach.
But, I was wrong.
I swear to every single God that anyone swears to, I feel overwhelmed by the outpouring of well-wishers. I wouldn’t say it any other way. It is absolutely true.
I am very grateful and I thank you from the bottom of my heart (another phrase which is overused but is true here). I am deeply moved (again, very true) and I was buoyed by the level of outreach towards me and my injuries from all of you who don’t even know me.
Honestly, you guys made my week! You ROCK! Thank you.
Look what Mother Nature left for me this evening!
AN IMPORTANT WORD ABOUT THE BUCKET FUND
A donator challenged me regarding the “goal” of the Bucket Fund.
He didn’t mean the emotional goal, he meant the financial goal. For example, he wanted to know how much money LeRoy actually needed. He thought I should set the thermometer for that number.
Since others of you might be thinking the same thing, I wanted to let you in on my strategy here. First of all, all of the Charities I’ve used as a Bucket Fund need more funds than we have ever raised. I’m not saying that they aren’t grateful, I’m saying that times are tough and Rescues are having a really rough go of it…
The financial goal of the Bucket Fund is to receive and deliver 100% of whatever you all feel like giving.
The Thermometer Strategy:
I start the ‘end’ level of the thermometer at a doable amount ($500). In this way, our smaller donations (which is what the Bucket Fund is all about) feel worthwhile and part of an obtainable goal. If we get close to the initial end level, I raise it a bit so that the Rescue can still benefit if people want to give more than the initial $500.
So far, that has worked well.
But, yesterday, the same donator told me that he would have donated more if he knew the “goal” or what LeRoy really needed. So, taking his advice to heart, I raised the thermometer end to $2500. I thought I would experiment with a more reality-based goal.
Well, at $2500, we received hardly any donations. I think that kind of an end mark makes the $5 and $10 donations seem worthless – which is totally untrue and against the principles of the Bucket Fund. Every single drop counts!
So, I have gone back to keeping the end level of the thermometer just slightly out of reach so that we continue to feel like we can make a difference. And, we have. All those smaller but significant donations have made this month the best so far!
Goal Amount?
I guess the only answer to give someone who wants to know the amount needed is this…
There is no good answer to that question… LeRoy needs medical help and after-care plus a life-long home. And, the people who have cared for LeRoy have diverted funds which would have gone to other animals. So, what LeRoy needs could be calculated – but is really universal… it is what all the forgotten, abandoned, sick or injured animals need. To that end, whatever feels comfortable for anyone to give is what the Rescues feel grateful receiving. Every drop makes a difference…
My Personal Goal for the Bucket Fund
My personal goal for the Bucket Fund is to be able to receive $1 from every reader every month. That would be remarkable and incredibly powerful for equines in need… If every reader (200,000+ per month and growing) gave a dollar every month, the Horse and Man Group Bucket Fund could turn the Horse Welfare Industry right-side up.
That is my personal goal.
But, I’m thrilled and happy with whatever we give every month.
YES, I SPOIL MY HORSES – DARN IT!
Well, I caught myself in the act today… Totally manipulated by my teenage Morgan mare, Gwen, and her pasturemate Untouchable Sam.
I think I noticed my backslide because I’m moving so slowly right now. I actually had the time to mull over how I had totally succumbed to being worked-over by my little darlings. Here is how it happened…
I Got Werked!
So I’m in the barn feeding. I throw Tess the last flake of the “good” hay and open another bale for everyone else. It is fine hay but not as good as what Tess got.
Gwen receives her flake. I continue to feed. Gwen sniffs her flake and runs over to Tess to see what she got. Ah ha. Tess got better hay.
Harumpfh. Gwen is pissed.
I notice this because I am taking my time doing everything. So, I’m still in the barn when Gwen realizes her misfortune.
I see Gwen standing just outside kicking distance from her mother, Tess, as she stares at me.
G: YOU GAVE HER BETTER HAY!
Me: yup.
G: WHY? DON’T I LOVE YOU THE SAME AS HER? AREN’T I GOOD ENOUGH?
Me: yup.
G: (Running to the first barn window as I move down the barn aisle – I can see her mane flying past the window as she whines… ) CAN I HAVE GOOD HAY, TOO?!!
Me: eat what you have…
G: (Sticking her head through the 2nd barn window and pleading) BUT, I LOOOOVE YOU.
Me: the hay you have is fine
G: (Running to the 3rd barn window and shoving her head further inside the barn pathetically)
BUT I’M STARVING AND YOU GAVE GOOD HAY TO TESS AND THIS IS NOT FAIR BECAUSE I LOVE YOU SO MUCH MORE THAN SHE LOVES YOU
Me: everyone else got the same hay you have
G: (Now she has followed me outside the barn and is standing just outside the barndoor in her best Morgan Park-out position with her softest huge brown eyes having their way with me..) BUT I LOOOOOOVE YOU AND I’M SO GOOD AND PRETTY! LOOK AT HOW PRETTY I AM AND HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU THE BEST!
Me: (melting into a puddle as I start babytalking to her and finding myself turning inside to get her some of the better hay)
Here you go, Gwendin, Momma loves you, too, baby girl….
Sheesh. AH HA! Foiled! She got me!
GWEN doing her best to look deserving
And, to top it off…
As I continued to feed, slowly, I noticed that Untouchable Sam (the feral rescue mare) is standing as pretty as she can, next to Gwen, and trying to get my attention.
Me: Wow!
Sam has her head over the bars of the gate and she is stamping her feet while looking right into my eyes!
Me: Wow!
I walk over to her and she says:
Untouchable Sam: GWEN GOT BETTER HAY THAN I DID. WHY? AM I NOT REALLY PART OF THE HERD BECAUSE I’M NEW AND DIFFERENT? AM I NOT AS GOOD? I’M TRYING… I REALLY WANT TO BE A PART OF IT ALL AND LOOK HOW FAR I’VE COME AND I’M LOOKING IN YOUR EYES!…
And with that, I caved again.
I got totally werked by my mares and I smiled the whole time… Gawd I’m a PushOver! ;)
Untouchable Sam, melting my heart...
HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth… if you like this, please pass it around!
Glad you are feeling better too. I get worked all the time by my horses too. I recently broke my leg having to do an emergency dismount off of my horse and she never stops when she is scared, but she did this time…so grateful. They are so smart these horses, who says they are stupid have never spent time with them. I love it when they work us…makes me laugh…thanks for sharing your story!
So glad you are feeling better! You had a close call. Leroy is looking so much better. I try to donate every month to the Bucket Fund, $20 is the norm. I would hope that everyone sees how much impact their $5, $10, $15 or more makes. It adds up very quickly and is for an excellent cause. What you said is correct, if all the blog readers donated even $1 a month, it would make such a huge impact. Share it on facebook if you have a page, email the blog to other animal lovers, we can make a difference!
Yep I get worked over by my horses too! Love it! They are all so spoiled!