Curiosity Informs the Cat

One of the (many) things I love about cats is their innate curiosity. One night at a Dark Follies band rehearsal, the man who was hosting the practice at his home had some friends stop by, a bit earlier than they'd said they would. They'd brought their big dog with them. The friends and the dog hung out in the kitchen until the end of the rehearsal, which was being held in the living room. The host has a couple of cats, one of whom is a yearling male named Timothy. Apparently this was Timothy's first encounter with a dog, up close and personal.

First, he backed away, tail and fur bristling, eyes wide. He streaked through the living room and hid upstairs. Before long, though, he returned, looking a bit calmer, and sneaked cautiously out toward the kitchen door. He saw the dog, and POOF! there went the fur again, and again he backed off. This time he only retreated to the living room, hiding under the skirts of one of the band members and peeking out. This back-and-forth process was repeated a few times, until Timothy could remain quite calm upon seeing the strange canine intruder.

The look on this adorable cat's face when he was moving forward toward the kitchen said it all: "It's scary, yes, but I just have to know! What is it?"

Timothy shows his curious nature...

Sure, I know curiosity sometimes gets cats into trouble, but more often than not, it probably entertains and informs them. It does me, anyway. I love to learn new things, and will often follow up with some research on an intriguing tidbit I've read or heard about. Even when I'm drawn to learn something that seems a bit on the frightening side, like performing music in front of an audience, most of the time I'm willing to put my discomfort aside and see what the situation has to teach me. And often it's very rewarding.

I think curiosity is an integral part of creativity and education. Without that wondering, that pondering - "How can I solve this problem?" "How can I craft something unique?" "What would happen if I...?" - there wouldn't be that strong drive to create something new. Inventors, scientists, and artists are motivated by this inner need to figure it out.

Without the desire to know, learning becomes rote and boring. Forced learning is an awful feeling. Just ask any kid sitting in a classroom, watching the clock while filling out repetitive worksheets. It's not that they don't want to learn; it's just that this wasn't where their curiosity would have taken them today.

Do you follow your own inner curiosity? The subjects that we find intriguing are different for each of us. Follow your intuition, stalking knowledge and wisdom like a persistent feline. When something captures your interest, follow up and learn more. See where it takes you. Let your curiosity lead you on a delightful path of life-long learning and joy.

Am I Rusty?

Woke up to lots of rain again today. The trees and plants are loving it! I enjoyed giving a Reiki session this morning, followed by doing some chores and then working on my book. The cats were in and out, and Percy came and snuggled on my lap for a while when I was writing. Rainy day bliss!

Later in the day I felt a bit physically weak, like I was perhaps low on iron. Perhaps my iron doesn't like the rain - maybe it got rusty. Anyway, I snacked on some dried fruit, and had a spinach salad for dinner, and that helped.

We had a lovely Full Moon ritual tonight, even though we had to be indoors and couldn't actually see the moon's light. We'd made a yummy fruit salad to share, so that's what we had afterwards, along with some almonds and dried apricots. The bread and cheese that were also available looked good, but I chose to stay raw. Oh, and by the way, I've already lost four pounds! Off to bed. We have a fun day planned for tomorrow, but you'll have to wait and hear about it later. Happy Cinco de Mayo!

My Busy-ness

Over the past few weeks, I've come up with a bunch of ideas of things to post here, but haven't actually sat down to write them up. Why? I'm busy. I know, lame excuse, everyone's busy, you hear it all the time. This isn't the type of busy I've had in the past, though, where I was stressed out and overwhelmed. For the most part, it's been stuff that I want to do, creative and fun things that keep me on the go. This movement fits well with the energy of spring, and feels like it's part of the forward momentum that we've been enjoying in regard to Feline Dreamers and living our dreams. So what exactly have I been up to?

Unschooling: I've been spending time with my kids and their friends, which also includes some of my friends. We hosted last week's homeschool group (since our usual hosts are traveling), and have been teaching a cooking class with BlackLion at our weekly co-op. I'm also taking an art class with ElvenTiger at co-op. With teens, there's also a lot of chauffeuring them around. ElvenTiger has her weekly swim class, and hangouts with friends. Dryst is now in a very busy lacrosse season, with practices and/or games every day but Sunday. He's also been to a couple of concerts with his friends lately, Seether being the most recent.

 Writing and editing: I've been working on putting together my book, which I'm still extremely thrilled about! As well as writing articles, keeping journals, and editing scripts for our guided meditation CD. I'm thankful for all the creativity that is flowing through me!

Drumming: My involvement with Dark Follies has really ramped up. We have lots of rehearsals and gigs, plus my own drum practice. I'm a bit intimidated, as I still don't feel like a "real musician" sometimes. But I'm learning so much, and really enjoying the process! BlackLion and I are even creating a skit for the June stage show - faeries will be involved. Tee hee!

Socializing with family and friends: Aunt Peg is doing much better, and I'm so thankful! We've still been helping her with laundry and other tasks. It's also fun to visit with her more often, and we plan to keep it up. We do our weekly evening with Mom and Dad, which is always fun, plus lately we've hung out with my brother and his wife for a birthday gathering, and we have some regular role-playing games that we're a part of as well. And cats to snuggle, of course!

Cooking...and uncooking: Inspired by some friends at Life Rocks!, BlackLion and I have been adding more raw and living foods to our diet. It feels challenging to fit this in with the desires of the rest of the family (for their usual meals) and adapt to the high cost of some of the items. I feel like if I was just preparing foods for myself, I could easily eat all or mostly raw foods. But I'm taking my own advice and practicing "vibe first, then act," setting an intention to eat more healthfully and letting it unfold naturally.

Healing: I have a new Reiki client, and really enjoyed working with her at my home. Usually I make house calls to my clients' homes, but she prefers coming to me, and it's working well.

Radio: I've been doing some on-air shifts at the public radio station, helping them out when people need time off and earning some extra money in the process.

Connecting: Even though I've been busy, I've been making an effort to get on Facebook and make contact with folks there. I have lots of ideas that I'm excited to share! And I'm giving attention to my various daily practices that help connect me with the energy of the Divine.

Even so, there is much correspondence unfinished, a long-intended visit to a friend and her baby that hasn't happened yet, and new plans in the works for our Full Moon circle. I'd also love to do more yoga and walking, moving my body more deliberately. And I'm ready for more prosperity to flow in and help us with our monthly bills. Overall, though, I'm thankful for the busy-ness of a fulfilling life. Bring it on, world, I'm ready!

What about you? What have you been doing so far this spring?

Much Gratitude

As I write this, Merlin cat is snuggling on my lap and purring. He seems to be feeling much better, and is back to his normal schedule of spending lots of time outdoors, especially during the run of warmer weather we've been having. He does enjoy more snuggles and Reiki than he did prior to his injury, which we're not complaining about at all - cat snuggles are awesome! I'm so very thankful that he's healed and well. I'm thankful for his sweet brother Percy, too.

This led me to wanting to share some of the other things I'm thankful for. I'll just list a few - really, there are so many that it would take me a long time to write them all. I'm so blessed!

- My book contract. Yes indeed, I'm going to be a published author! My book, Starcat's Corner: Essays on Pagan Living will be published this year, most likely by autumn. I'm so thrilled! Being a published author has been a lifelong dream of mine. And it looks like this will be just the first of many books!

- My amazing family and friends. Some of them threw me a "congratulations" bonfire party on Friday night. I had lots of fun! Others have been sending me e-mails and texts and notes on my Facebook page, to congratulate me on my forthcoming book. And even aside from that, I'm grateful for the daily love and support that flows to me from my loved ones. They are so terrific!

- My band. The Dark Follies Rhythm Orchestra has expanded to include some melodic instruments (fiddle and accordion). We've been rehearsing all fall and winter, and we're going to debut our new sound in a couple of weeks. It's so much fun to be part of the band, and the Dark Follies troupe as a whole! We have a bunch of gigs coming up this spring and summer. I'm thankful for the joy, learning, and travel that come from my participation.

- Life Rocks! Beyond the fact that my life does, indeed, rock, I'm also going to a conference of that name next week. The Life Rocks! Radical Unschooling Conference is going to be such an uplifting and fun experience! I'm glad to be part of it, and to be, along with BlackLion, one of the presenters. We'll be doing a session based on empowering your intentions. We're also offering some coaching sessions during the conference, as well as attending a lot of the awesome events. Plus there's a freaking waterpark in the hotel! I'm so grateful to be going this year!

- I'm also thankful for the challenges in my life. I was talking with an old friend on the phone today, and he was describing a different way to use prayer. Instead of praying to the Divine to intervene and help you solve your problems, the method he'd encountered recently was to realize that the challenges you face are there to help you grow. So when you pray, you ask for patience, courage, and strength to face the challenges in your path. It makes sense to me. Those things that I haven't yet figured out encompass some of the biggest opportunities to learn and grow and move forward on my path. My thanks.

What are you thankful for today?

January Thus Far

Here's a photo essay on how our January has been thus far. It's been trucking along pretty well.

ElvenTiger officially became a teenager! She and her best friend and I all spent the day together, doing girly stuff. Then we had a family dessert gathering, with gifts, of course.

We had a yummy lunch, and a bit of dessert afterwards.

Though it left us feeling a bit full...

But then we walked around the mall, got our nails done, and the girls updated their wardrobes a bit.

Merlin is doing great. He's been going outside again, and he still loves getting Reiki from us.

Percy is his usual happy self.

Quester has been working a lot, and helping with some projects around the homestead. Dryst is enjoying learning how to create music on the computer. ElvenTiger and I have been doing a lot of reading, together and separately. She got a Kindle Touch from Grampa and Grammy for her birthday! BlackLion has been baking his delicious bread every week.

I even made myself a meal out of it, one night.

We've been doing laundry.

The days are getting longer, so there's more sunlight...

...but we're still feeling kind of loungy sometimes...

Last but certainly not least, I helped a friend as Birth Priestess while she had her lovely daughter. I made a new friend! She's called Ember Caroline - isn't that the prettiest name you've ever heard? She's so lovely.

Life is good, and I am so very thankful for all its blessings.

Contemplation and Preparation

Mother Nature has delivered us a lovely snowy day, after a few weeks of winter without any of the white stuff. ElvenTiger is happy and excited - her 13th birthday is Saturday, and she wanted to have snow on the ground by then. I'm glad that our out-and-about plans for today were canceled, and I can settle in for some more contemplation and preparation.

Winter is a time for slowing down, for hibernating a bit and letting my dreams and goals for the year begin to percolate underneath the surface. I've been slowly working through my plan for the new cycle. I'm still on the first couple of steps - I soon realized that when you write three pages each day, that's a lot more material to read through! But I'm finding lots of gems - wisdom and insights I've gleaned over the past year, and sparkly ideas that I want to pursue during this one. I'll share once I have them in a more organized form.

We've also been preparing for ElvenTiger's birthday weekend. We're in the process of deep-cleaning and reorganizing her room. She put aside a bunch of clothes that she's outgrown, to give away and/or re-make into something new. We untangled and organized a bunch of yarn. Her best friend is coming over to spend the weekend with us, and we're going to do a girls' day out on Saturday.

We'd made the decision to have her friend over, and go out to lunch and then get their nails done and explore the mall. I asked her if there was another friend she'd like to include, and she touched my heart by saying, "well, I'd really like *you* to hang out with us." So, for the first time ever, I'm getting a manicure. These two girls are a joy to hang out with, and I'm looking forward to our girl time. We'll have a family party with dessert (chocolate cream pie, at her request) and gifts in the evening, and ElvenTiger will also celebrate with other friends next week at homeschool group.

In the meantime, I'm finishing up with my perusal of old journals, working on some research and writing for Feline Dreamers, and doing our taxes. BlackLion and the kids are out snow-blowing and shoveling, while the cats and I keep our paws dry inside. Merlin is doing well and lately he's been enjoying sitting on my lap while I give him Reiki. Sweet feline!

A Merlin Cat Update

Merlin got his wire removed from his jaw today. They had to give him anesthesia for the procedure, and he wasn't too happy about being at the vet again. When we dropped him off this morning, he was meowing and growling. I felt bad about leaving him there, but knew it had to be done.

They told us to call at 2pm and they'd let us know when he could come home. I got a call from the vet's office at 1:45pm, with the tech saying diplomatically, "Merlin would love to come home now. You can pick him up anytime." He'd been out in the back room crying and mewing! We zoomed over and got him right away - luckily we only live less than two miles from the vet's office!

They gave him a good report. His jaw is stable and his pelvis is healing just fine. They told us he could start going outdoors again after one more week, as long as he seems to be moving around normally (and he has been thus far). I'm so glad!

This evening he's been sort of loopy from the drugs wearing off. But also very loving, and so glad to be home again. I love him so much! Now he's mostly feeling sleepy. His brother Percy seems to be glad he's back home, too.

Thanks to everyone who sent prayers, good thoughts, and healing energies to Merlin! It worked!

Joy Amidst the Chaos

Hard to believe I haven't written since before Solstice. So much has happened, and I've certainly needed my mantra of "let in the light."

Our Solstice celebration was wonderful. Leading up to it, we did a lot of preparing and creating. ElvenTiger and I in particular have had lots of fun making things this holiday season. We baked peppermint chocolate cookies for a cookie swap, knitted scarves and dishcloths and a hat (the hat was her, not me), and decorated the house. Our candy-making, which BlackLion helped with, involved needhams, peanut butter cups, peppermint bark, and chocolate-dipped candy creams. We used nearly all five pounds of chocolate chips I'd ordered from the food co-op! Ocean brought luminaries, and the backyard was a beautiful garden of lights as the celebration began. ElvenTiger lit the Solstice fire at sunset, as Quester was still on his way home from work; it was her first time as official deputy fire-keeper, and she did fantastic!

It was rainy the night of the gathering, so our ritual was short and sweet, between rain showers. But for us, the whole night, sunset to sunrise, is the ritual. This Solstice was particularly slow and contemplative. The teens mostly hung out in Dryst's room together, with an occasional foray out for food and fire-gazing. Some of the younger folks hung out and we made paper snowflakes, chatted, and they played Minecraft and other computer games together. Some new friends joined us and stayed late to visit and craft with us. We had lots of fun!

The day after Solstice was mellow, as always. We slept the morning hours away, then got up and cleaned the house, munched on leftovers, and watched a holiday movie together. Friday we did a big last-minute shopping run, supporting our local music store as we purchased gifts for friends and family.

On Christmas Eve, we went to Mom and Dad's, the guys watching the Patriots football game, ElvenTiger and I helping Mom get ready for dinner that night with my brother and his wife. Aunt Peg stopped by for drinks and munchies so she could see them, since my brother and family planned to stay home on Christmas Day this year. She had to leave around 4pm to go home and finish getting ready for the open house she has each year for her friends. When my brother went out to his car just minutes later, he found Aunt Peg on the ground. She had fallen on the icy driveway and broken her leg!

She was rushed to the hospital, and we all congregated there in the ER. Our family has a bit of, ahem, a history of medical crises happening around Christmas. So we were able to joke about it; the plan for next year is to stay home and Skype each other, and my brother is getting some t-shirts printed up saying "Practice Safe Christmas." Quester, Mom, ElvenTiger and I had Christmas dinner at Amato's at 9pm (just before they closed), because we left the hospital once Aunt Peg was resting in her room, only to discover we were all ravenously hungry. Those subs tasted mighty good.

Needless to say, our Christmas was chaotic. Mom and Dad came to open gifts with us in the morning, but we were all kind of distracted. Aunt Peg had surgery at noon on Christmas Day to put a plate in her leg (the bone was rather shattered). She is the primary caregiver for her husband, who can no longer care for himself, so we created a plan for folks to take turns staying with him, including staying with him at night. Our Christmas dinner was fragmented, as we took food next door to him, and to my Dad, who went and ate and watched basketball with him. Then we rushed off to be there when Aunt Peg awoke from the surgery. Poor Mom was exhausted.

Things have calmed down a bit. We had our Christmas with BlackLion's Mom on Monday evening, and it was very relaxing and fun. She fed us a lovely feast, and after we opened gifts together we watched my favorite Christmas movie, "White Christmas." Aunt Peg comes home tomorrow, and her husband's daughter is flying in to spend a couple weeks helping them out. We'll be over there a lot, too, helping out in whatever ways we can. One of my friends offered to cook meals for them, and has been delivering all kinds of casseroles and goodies. She's so awesome!

My favorite, and a very unexpected, physical gift was a Kindle Fire, given to me by Mom and Dad! After a conversation on Thanksgiving where Dad and I were both saying we'd love to have one, and of course the side note that Dad actually wouldn't even know how to turn on a computer, I didn't think much more about it. Dad decided that he wasn't interested in getting a wireless network and learning to use technology that he'd never bothered much with before. But apparently he wanted to grant my wish to try an e-reader. And I love it! Don't fret, dear readers, I'm not giving up conventional books, by any means. But I am really enjoying the Kindle and all its cool features, and the ability to take a whole stack of books with me anywhere, in this tidy little package.

We got lots of other awesome gifts, too, including a very cool digital photo frame from BlackLion's Mom, who is an amazing photographer. She filled it with all kinds of wonderful family photos, which made it even more special! Aunt Peg had brought over her gifts earlier, and she made me an adorable kitty napkin-holder, with the names of all our kitties past and present. So sweet! I'm so thankful for all of this abundance.

I wish I had more photos of the festivities to share, but I did get the gift of a new battery for my beloved camera, so I promise to have more pictures featured in upcoming blog posts. We made a really cool Christmas cake, and I'll be putting up the final Cake of the Month post soon.

Last but certainly far from least, Merlin cat has been healing steadily and is doing well. He's become playful at times, and he does look longingly at the door once in a while, but he's made no serious attempt to slip outside. He loves having the roam of the house, and stays close by his people much of the time.

(Merlin was helping ElvenTiger check out the Kindle. Notice her living pillow - Star dog!)

Merlin will get his wires removed at the end of next week, which I'm sure will be a big relief to him.

Both of the cats' favorite things this Yuletide, even more than the yummy treats and organic catnip, are the various boxes that other gifts came in.

Keep Letting in the Light

This is the darkest time of year for those of us in the northern hemisphere, with the longest nights and shortest days. The sun is at its lowest point. This month, it's also the dark of the moon. The solar and lunar energies are at an ebb. Your energy level may mirror this, reflecting what's going on in nature. That's the paradox of this time of year - just when you feel most like hibernating and getting introspective, parties and gifts and holiday preparations demand your attention and time.

I woke early in the morning yesterday, while it was still dark. Worries and to-do lists whirled through my mind. I tossed and turned, wanting to return to sleep, but overcome by anxious thoughts. Reverting to my most basic practice, I steadied my breathing, focusing on the exhales, the inhales. My intuition spoke to me: "Just keep letting in the light," it said.

When a cat is in the dark, its pupils dilate wide enough to make use of whatever tiny speck of light is present. We can do that with the energy around us. When you wonder how you'll ever afford the holidays, let in the light. When you feel frenzied, trying to get everything done on time, let in the light. When you're missing loved ones who have passed beyond the veil, let in the light. When you're sore and tired, let in the light. When the bills pile up, let in the light.

Soon the sun will return, and the moon will begin to wax and glow again. The days will lengthen, and our energy levels will begin to rise once more. In the meantime, consider adopting this mantra, to help you remember to open up and enjoy where and who you are: just let in the light.

A Taste of Freedom

We were finally able to let Merlin have free roam of the house. He still can't go outside for a few weeks, until the wires come out of his jaw, but he seems content to have more space to roam. He asked to go out once, rather politely, but was fine when we told him he had to stay inside.

He's been exploring a bit, and finding new places to nap. He and his brother did some snuggling, something they haven't done much since they were kittens. So adorable!

We're supposed to keep an eye on him and see if he seems sore or stiff, or limps at all, now that he has access to stairs. If he does seem sore, as the vet said, he goes "back in the hole for another week." I'm hoping he'll be just fine and can enjoy his greater freedom. Maybe he'll even sleep under the Christmas tree, like Percy does.

The Merlin Report

We got a good report on Merlin cat at the vet this morning! His jaw is staying in place and healing well, so no further surgery is necessary. YAY!!! We just have to check the wire, which is around his bottom teeth, to make sure it continues to stay in place. He'll get it removed in four or five weeks.

His "cage rest" (bed rest) continues for another week, then after that he can move around the house. The doc said that if he seems stiff or sore after we let him roam around the house and use the stairs, then he should go "back in the hole" for another week. Heh. He seems to be moving around better now, so I think his pelvis is healing.

He was very feisty this morning and didn't want to be in the box heading to the vet. He had this adorable mew-growl thing going on, and was poking his paws out. He didn't feel well enough to do that before, so that's a good sign too.

Thanks SO much for all the prayers, good wishes, and healing energies for our beloved feline family member! I'm so grateful and feel so blessed.

It's Update Time

First things first - Merlin cat had his jaw repaired this morning. They are finished, and we're supposed to call back in a little while to find out when we can pick him up. Thanks SO much for all your good wishes for our sweet black kitten! Please keep the healing energies coming as he continues on his path back to full wellness.

I also wanted to update you on a new hobby of mine: knitting. My Mom and her sister are excellent at knitting (and sewing, crocheting, and many other creative arts). ElvenTiger learned how to knit when she was six (from Grammy, of course) and is co-teaching a homeschool knitting class. Me? I'd been convinced for a long time that anything involving thread, string, or yarn is beyond me. Not that I don't have my own crafty talents, mostly involving paper, pens, glue, and scissors, but I thought the gene for fiber arts had skipped me entirely. Or that my cat nature made me tend to tangle up string rather than organize it.

But ElvenTiger insisted that I keep trying, and now I must say I'm starting to enjoy knitting! I'm on my third project. I can't tell you what they are, or share any pictures, until after the holidays. But I'm merrily humming along making knitted gifts. They're not perfect, but they're made with love!

In other homesteading updates, BlackLion has been making our family's bread for the past couple of months. He has a wonderful sourdough starter that he's been nurturing, and I've gotten into the habit of buying flour rather than loaves of pre-sliced bread. His bread is far more delicious, and has less ingredients. A friend pointed out to us one day this summer that the "healthy" whole wheat bread we were buying had high-fructose corn syrup in it. Huh? That was when we got interested in making bread for the family once again.

Yesterday ElvenTiger and I made laundry detergent, something we learned at our homeschool co-op. We added some lavender essential oil to make it smell lovely. I'm very pleased with it. We were gifted with a bunch of late-season apples last week, and Quester made applesauce. Almost everyone is getting into the homesteading thing - except Dryst, who isn't much for cooking or arts and crafts. He's a teenage boy, though, so he's an enthusiastic consumer of all the foods we make! Last night we made Indian food, sort of a nav rattan korma (mixed veggies), which everyone loved. I made my own curry blend, but of course I just did it on the fly, without measuring or writing down the recipe. It figures that would be the one everyone likes best! Perhaps I can replicate it, if memory will cooperate.

The cutout cards are coming along nicely, and I've started thinking about what edible goodies I'll make for the holidays. Quester has been working on candles, and BlackLion is contemplating some cordials. Oh, and we just released a new e-book over at the Feline Dreamers site. We're feeling rather creative around here! Hope your holiday preparations are going well, too.

Journal Writing and Self Expression

I've been teaching a journal-writing class at our homeschool co-op. I've been a journal keeper for years and years, and have written about it a bit, but never taught a class before. It's been a lot of fun putting together the classes and exercises. I'm thinking of teaching the class for a potentially larger audience, maybe as an adult-ed offering first, to fine-tune it further, and then perhaps as an online course. The topic matter would be an easy one to do online. I could make videos and provide worksheets and readings (and a playlist for the class where we wrote to various types of music, which the girls seemed to enjoy).

It's a topic I know a lot about, and have experience with, and one that I don't really need credentials for, other than my years of hands-on practice. What do you think? Would any of you be interested in such a course? Leave a comment or drop me a line.

I'm still gaining experience as a heart-centered entrepreneur, and want to find things that will serve a need as well as help me with making a living. I really want to make this work! I have no shortage of ideas, it's just a matter of 1. finding topics that fill a need, 2. finding the people who are interested in them, and 3. making time to create them. I can handle #3 with no problem. I'm still working on the others. In the meantime, I'm letting my creative energies flow.

P.S. Thanks for all the good wishes, prayers, and energies for Merlin cat! I truly appreciate it and am very touched by the response. He is doing well today and sleeping a lot. He loves it when we cuddle him and give him Reiki. Sweet cat boy.

Healing for Merlin Lovecat

We've been having quite an intense time in the family since I last wrote. Merlin (who can be seen in the picture at the top of this blog) apparently got hit by a car this weekend. He was acting weird on Saturday morning, moving slowly and not eating, but not crying or mewing. That night and on Sunday, he stayed inside and slept a lot and still wasn't eating, and we thought he was sick. We brought him to the vet first thing Monday and discovered that he has a broken jaw and a very bruised up pelvis and liver (and maybe heart)! Monday morning passed like an eternity, while they were doing x-rays and blood work to see if more than his jaw was broken, and if he'd survive the trauma he'd been through.

I felt like such a bad cat Momma for not seeing how messed up he was, and for not knowing he'd been in an accident. He doesn't usually go near the road, since we live rather set back from it. And this cat, by choice, is a very outdoorsy fellow, almost a barn cat. We usually only see him outdoors in the warm weather, unlike his brother Percy, who (again, by choice and temperament) is more of a house cat. Since Merlin is so very independent, how could we have known? Thankfully Quester was in the barn on Saturday morning and disturbed Merlin's nap, and Merlin then came home to rest. Otherwise we may not have known something was wrong for even longer. He apparently also has a rather high pain tolerance. I knew he was a tough kitty, but wow. I guess we'll never know the story of where he was and what happened - he's not talking.

Merlin was very lucky that more wasn't broken, they said at the vet's office, and he has to have "cage rest" (i.e. bed rest) for 4 weeks. It's already become very challenging for this outdoors-loving cat! They said a small room was fine, just no stairs or outdoors, so we have him in ElvenTiger's room. He's eating okay now (very soft wet food) and sleeping well. We're hopeful he'll recover fully, as he's young and healthy. We've been providing lots of snuggles and Reiki (I have him in my bedroom tonight, and he's snuggled up against my leg as I type this on the laptop).

He has to have jaw surgery next Monday, as they wanted to give his liver and heart some time to heal before surgery. Please send some healing energies Merlin's way.

A Bounty of Gratitude

I thought of several things I wanted to post about this week, but never quite got around to sitting down in front of the keyboard. So I thought, instead, that I'd share them in the form of a gratitude list. These are the things I'm thankful for as this week ends.

• I'm thankful for a new skill I've learned recently, which is using html code to format a web page. Mind you, I'm not yet at the level of creating pages or sites. But I'm very thankful to take some web maintenance off BlackLion's list by not only writing the copy, but formatting and posting it as well.
• I'm so very grateful that we are releasing the 30-Day Core Belief Kit. This has been a journey of creation over the past four years, and we've poured our hearts and souls into it. I'm really pleased with how it came out, and so excited to share it!
• I'm thankful that my kids and their friends like to hang out at our house. We took Dryst and four of his buddies to the midnight release of a video game called Skyrim that they were all so excited about. Three of them came back home with us and played most of the night, and this morning (well, closer to noon) we made them brunch before they headed home. When I posted about this on Facebook, one of my brother's friends asked if it reminded me of how the crowd hung out at my parents' house. I guess I'm carrying on a tradition!
• I'm grateful for my feline friends. Merlin is sweet and beautiful and always smells good. Percy is loving and purrful and slept on my lap today. Purr!
• I'm so thankful for my wonderful Full Moon circle. We had such a beautiful evening. Every time we celebrate together I learn more about myself and about life. I'm so blessed to have these wonderful folks to do magick with. I feel whole and holy.
• I'm thankful for my parents. They have both been sick lately, and I wish them continued healing. They are amazing and awesome! Aunt Peg is, too. Aren't I lucky?!
• I give thanks for all the many blessings in my life. Happy 11/11/11!

I'm also thankful for you, my readers. Thanks for being here!

Aha! We've Figured You Out, Percy.

Several times each evening, Percy comes in, gets petted or perhaps has a few bites of food, and goes back out. We call him the "in and out cat." Eventually he'll (usually) come in for the night, and find a place to sleep on someone's bed or in various other warm and cozy places.

This evening I had a headache. I've had a weird persistent cough, and today it seemed to be associated with an achy head and neck. I made some honey-mustard dipping sauce, got the sweet potato "fries" in the oven, and then asked Quester to take over the rest of the dinner preparations. I just had to lie down for a little while. He kindly agreed, and I went up to my room, snuggled up in my bed, and crashed for a while.

Part of the way through my little nap, Percy showed up. He purred and cuddled up close in one of those lovely cat circles. He and I slept a bit more. When ElvenTiger came to wake me up for dinner, she said that she and Quester had come up with a theory. Perhaps the reason Percy comes in and out so much is that he's checking out what everyone is up to, and hoping he can get a good snuggle. So imagine his surprise and pleasure when he showed up at 6:30pm and his Mom-cat was already in bed. Come to think of it, he did seem a bit disappointed when I went down to eat. And he has since been out, and just came back in. Maybe I'll go to bed early. You just don't want to disappoint a stripey purring cat!

Cuddly Cats for a Rainy Friday Evening...

What do I do when I can't think of anything I want to write about? I post some cat pictures! That will keep everyone occupied for a few minutes, going "aww!" Then no one will recall that this post didn't contain much actual written content. That's my nefarious plan...mwahahahaha! Enjoy these beauteous felines!

Sir Percival Lovecat, aka Percy

The brothers enjoying a post-picnic nap

Cuddy brother cats!

"Dude, you make an excellent pillow!"

Merlin Lovecat, aka Merles, decked out with a mohawk

Our kitten cousin, Cali

Our dear beloved friend Huzzah, enjoying the sunshine (he passed away as an old man of 18-and-a-half in late 2008)

My Mystick - I still miss him (he died suddenly at the young age of 3, in 2009)

What? She's a cat!

OK, Star's not really a cat. But she's adorable!

Cats Will Always Cheer Me Up

What the Cats Do...

....when it's too hot to sleep inside.

Looks like the summer has arrived!

Winter Photo Essay

I thought it was time to share some images of what we've been up to so far this winter. Here goes!

We've been partying with our friends.

The boys won the New Year's Eve competition, hands-down, with their hilarious skit.

We've been playing lots and lots of games: board games, video games, card games, dice games, and role-playing games.

The cats have had a bit of cabin fever.

We've been reading (individually and together), crafting, cooking, baking, and writing.

We went sledding.

We celebrated some birthdays, including ElvenTiger's.

Sure, it's been cold, so we've been on the computer a lot.

But we've also been out taking walks.

Along with, of course, the usual dinner discussions, watching movies together, chatting with friends, sleepovers, and well, life. Hope your winter is full of fun and friends and learning, too!