The one constant is change. The fact that things change, people change, and circumstances change is usually a good thing. We hope we can adapt to change and make it a positive even when it is something that we either didn’t foresee or plan. I consider that while I am usually open to change and adapt pretty easily, I can be set in my ways. But rather than change, I think I’m talking about evolving. We learn and we grow and I hope that while I’ve aged, I’ve grown and evolved into something better than I was a week, a year, a decade or more ago.

I strive to surround myself with people who inspire me; people who make a difference in the world and strive to make it a better place than it was before. I try to be more thoughtful in my speech and actions, which includes my “posting and sharing” by being more inclined to post positives rather than negatives. I’m not 100% there yet, but the road is long and hopefully I will be traveling it for quite some time.

Speaking of inspiration, I would like to begin a new project inspired by the fact that this is a milestone year, however I need some help and ideas from you, the people of blogville who inspire me every day with your passion and commitment.

My project is going to be called “Fifty Shades of Kindness” and while I strive to perform an act of kindness each day by either word or deed, I really need some ideas to help me toward a formal fifty acts. My plan is to document my journey via a newly created Facebook page, which I hope you’ll join. Follow along with the progress, suggest new ideas and even post an act of kindness that you have performed or received.

I’m really excited about this adventure and even more so if you’ll join me.

If you’ve been following along at all on Facebook, you know by know how much our entire family has fallen in love with Miss Tora. She is everything I had ever hoped for in an adoptable dog. She is an elderbull, she is sweet and gentle with the baby, gets along great with Julius (who doesn’t?) and probably a very good candidate to be a therapy dog.

The only drawback is Ray, of course. He always needs to go so much slower with intros and can be so cranky. It’s a major production to take him to the Vet, to trim his nails, to put drops in his ears, etc. He is my heart dog, but Tora is my ideal. Julius, of course, is nothing but easy. He adapts to everything and just rolls along with his wagging tail and sweet personality.

With all the pressure encouragement from my Facebook community, and after many heartfelt and heart wrenching conversations, we have decided to add Tora to our household and to make Ray available for private adoption to a good home where he will be the only dog, or at least to a home that will have more time to work with him on his desensitization. Preferably to a home nearby, where I can still get updates on him.



“You know she’s kidding, right?”


Yeah, Duh! April Fool’s!

When Kevin moved into his house out in the country in 1997, there was a gray and white cat who would stand by the fence and meow at him. He assumed she was feral and never approached, but also never tried to deter her presence. When I met him in 1998, that same kitty was still hanging around and with the offering of a can of cat food on a paper plate, the Booger-nose Kitty, or Boo Kitty decided we were hers.

We quickly set up a small dog house, full of warm blankets on the covered porch, set out food and water and in exchange for these luxuries, we were gifted with rabbits, birds, mice, and moles. She also gifted us with kittens. Lots of kittens and though we kept many, many others were given homes by passersby attracted to the “Free Kittens” sign. Yeah, that’s how it was done in the day. It was difficult to catch Boo Kitty between pregnancies, so we eventually had her spayed while in the family way and though she was an excellent mother, I know she appreciated the retirement.

There were challenges with her as a roving pair of ferals who became known as the Bush Kitties eventually became trusting of us enough to partake of the porch food and eventually oust Boo from her coveted spot on the porch. We truly believe that she lured both to their untimely deaths on the road because what are the chances that they perish in the exact same spot, weeks apart from each other? Once they were gone, she became the Queen of the Porch yet again.

She travelled with us to a new home in a new town, became a house and yard kitty and eventually settled into retirement on a sunny cushion on the new porch or on the patio during the warm months. For the cold months, a sunny cushion on a chair or a blanket in a sun spot did the trick and her life consisted of relaxation and sunshine.
Over this past winter –her 16th that we know of- we dramatically saw the signs of aging creeping up with her. Our smallest cat by far, she lost more weight, though she was still eating and we came to realize she was now deaf. Each morning I sought her out to make sure she is still alright and each morning she greets me with a slow raise of her head and an even slower approach from her soft “cube.”

Then came the day that we realized she could no longer climb onto her ottoman, she could not walk  right and the day came when we realized we needed to  put aside our feelings of loss and help her over.  This week, as my friend Jessica puts it, we sent our Boo Kitty off to college with pets, hugs and kisses, surrounded by her loving family. 

We love you and will miss you terribly.  Until we meet again at the bridge, enjoy the sunshine.