A Cat’s Prayer

I ask for the privilege of not being born...not to be born until you can assure me of a home and a master to protect me, and the right to live as long as I am physically able to enjoy life...not to be born until my body is precious and men have ceased to exploit it because it is cheap and plentiful. ~ Author Unknown

I'm sure you have seen them in your neighborhood, gathered around dumpsters, in parking lots, in parks, trying to cross busy streets -- they are homeless cats who flee from humans. They are domestic cats, referred to as "feral," the result of both the failure to spay/neuter and cat abandonment. Ferals are erroneously labeled as "wild cats." A mountain lion is a wild cat, a feral cat is a homeless domestic cat.

A group of feral cats living together in one area is called a "colony." Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is an effective, internationally recognized program to reduce, and eventually eliminate, feral cat colonies. Cats are trapped, vaccinated, spayed/neutered, and returned to their original location. In a TNR program, a feral cat colony caretaker, who is usually a volunteer rescue worker, feeds the cats on a regular basis and brings them to a veterinarian if they require medical assistance. The resultant group of cats, including any new cats entering the caretaker's sphere, is known as a managed feral cat colony. This program is also referred to as TAR (Trap-Alter-Return). Along with TNR, caregivers promote public education about society's responsibility to our community and to the domestic animals we have created.

The safest place for domestic cats is indoors; cats who are lucky enough to have a home should be kept inside. However, because of the overpopulation crisis, there are not enough available homes. The next best thing for feral domestic cats born outdoors is a managed colony where food, water, shelter, and medical care are consistently provided.

Here are some things that you can do:
* Become involved with feral cat rescue.
* Help educate your community -- become a spokesperson for ferals.
* Make sure all cats in your care are spayed or neutered.
* Support TNR efforts in your community. The biggest obstacle for most caregivers is fighting with hostile neighbors.
* Always choose to adopt, rather than purchase, companion animals.* Ask your shelter to implement a feral cat program based on Trap-Neuter-Return.
* The humane management and reduction of feral cat populations requires a community’s effort. Get involved.
Help end the suffering of these cats and prevent future litters. If you cannot do it on your own, volunteer with a local feral cat rescue organization. Remember: Do not attempt to handle or trap a homeless cat without first consulting with an experienced rescuer.
* If you are unable to help feral cats in your area, please seek assistance from a rescue group or individual rescuer. Ignoring homeless animals is precisely what perpetuates the problem.

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." -  Carl Bard

One cat just leads to another. ~ Ernest Hemmingway

My friend Jane is a volunteer for TAILS Humane Society in DeKalb, Illinois. She does everything from hands-on interactions with the animals to fundraising. She fosters kittens until they are old enough to be adopted. She is also involved in (TNR) Trap-Neuter-Return, an effective, internationally recognized program to reduce, and eventually eliminate, feral cat colonies.

During the "kitten season" the shelter is overwhelmed with kittens. The season comes between May and September, with peak months for kitten births in June, July and August. During these months, the number of kittens and pregnant cats at shelters multiplies. This shelter is prepared to handle 60 cats and kittens at a time. As of June 1st there were nearly 100, I’m sure that number has drastically changed since than.

The shelter accepts as many animals as it possibly can, it also places kittens in foster homes while searching for permanent homes for them. The shelter provides its 10 to 15 foster cat owners with the medical supplies and food they need to care for the kittens. My friend Jane now has 15 kittens residing in her home.

Jane is deeply committed and speaks to me often about this problem. For every litter that comes into the shelter there's two or three that don't make it to the shelter, they are dumped at farms, parks, homes or in the wild. These kittens face the dangers of other wildlife, vehicles, bad weather and exposure to viruses their immune systems can't handle. If they survive to adulthood, they will likely mate, creating more homeless animals.

The problem has an easy solution: have pets spayed or neutered.

A common reason people don't get their pets fixed is because they claim it’s too expensive. There are veterinarian clinics that offer low cost spaying or neutering, information that is easily obtained from a local shelter, the humane society or Love that Cat website which provides a great listing.

REMEMBER
PLEASE DON’T LITTER! SPAY AND NEUTER!

Yesterday is a cancelled cheque
Tomorrow is a promissory note,
Today is the only cash you have so spend it wisely
 
~ Kay Lyons

"Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend -- or a meaningful day."

~ Dalai Lama, 21st century spiritual and political leader of Tibet and Nobel Peace Prize winner

"I should get that done, I’ll do it later"

Procrastinate, we all do it, but for some women it rules their lives. Procrastination has a way of making them feel weak or indecisive and later on, guilty for not doing what they said they would.

Sound familiar? "I should get that done, I’ll do it later." These are the sirens of procrastination.

Next time you’re faced with a project and these words of procrastination enter your head, take a look at what you want to accomplish, examine your reasons for resistance, then ask yourself, is it something that I can start now. If so, then start.

See yourself as someone who makes solid decisions. When you commit to something, honor it.

From Meditations for Women

How many of us are guilty of procrastinating?  Take me, for example.  For the past two years (geez, has it been that long) I have been putting off editing the novel I have written.  You may ask yourself why have I been putting it off?  I wish I had a good enough answer for you.  I'd like to blame it on not having enough hours in the day but in truth I just keep putting it off, saying "I'll start it tomorrow."  Two years of tomorrows have passed by.  It's time for me to stop putting it off, roll up my sleeves and get down to some serious editing.

What have been putting off doing?

Prue

Which Charmed witch are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Here’s a quiz that I snagged from Hanna’s World. Amanda and I are big "Charmed" fans. We started watching it this year and have finally seen all of the past episodes, so we are now up-to-date. We are impatiently waiting for the new season to start in the fall.

TRUE HAPPINESS

We all want to find true happiness.  More often we look to others to find that happiness, never realizing that the key to happiness lives hidden within each of us.

Leslie has a wonderful post today titled A Personal Test.   Her words have struck home for me.  If you haven't already, you should check out what she has to say.

10 Steps To Finding True Happiness
The Hidden Key Within Ourselves

1. Accept yourself and acknowledge both your pains and your joys. Honesty within yourself will free you from inner conflicts and allow you to grow.

2. Nurture yourself as often as you can, be it with a daily personal ritual, a regular massage or simply a few hours with a good book.

3. Contemplating your weaknesses inspires fear, but focusing on strengths will bolster your mind. Self-improvement is a noble goal, yet it is important to recognize your contributions to the world. Revel in those activities that empower you.

4. It is written in the Bhagavad-Gita that "the highest happiness comes upon the yogi whose mind is calmed." Choose pathways in life based on the peace they inspire within you and happiness will follow.

5. While money counts, true happiness lies elsewhere. Ask yourself what paths you would most like to follow even without financial gain. Immerse yourself in beloved hobbies and they may evolve into more.

6. Open your mind and increase your imagination. Use your intuition as a guide.

7. Deep inside ourselves, we understand the actions that will make us happy. When doubt begins to creep in, take it as a warning and examine your actions using your heart as your guide.

8. Intense, joyful effort should not be a struggle. When it becomes one, it is time to retrace your steps and ask where happiness lies.

9. Never lose sight of your emotions. Your own reactions are signs clearly marking the way to happiness, but there are other, less obvious clues. Be open to new ideas that may contribute to your well being.

10. New experiences are a pathway to joy and wisdom, not an occasion to win or lose. The loftiest successes are often achieved through a simple leap of faith.

From DailyOM
Nurturing Mind Body & Spirit

May All Be Filled With Joy and Peace

May all be filled with joy and peace.
May all beings everywhere,
The strong and the weak,
The great and the small,
The meek and the powerful,
The short and the long,
The subtle and the gross:
 
May all beings everywhere,
Both seen and unseen,
Dwelling far off or nearby,
Being, or waiting to become:
May all be filled with lasting joy.
Let no one deceive another,
Let no one anywhere despise another,
Let no one out of anger or resentment
Wish suffering to anyone at all.
Just as a mother with her own life
Protects her child, her only child, from hurt,
So within yourself let grow
A boundless love for all creatures.
Let your love flow outward through the whole universe
To its full height, depth, and broad extent,
Then, as you stand or walk,
Sit or lie down,
As long as you are awake,
Strive for this with a onepointed mind:
Your life will bring heaven to earth.

- Translated by Stephen H. Ruppenthal

Buddhist
source: From "The Path of Awakening: Passages for Meditation." Copyright (c) 2004 by Stephen H. Ruppenthal

“There is nothing more that shapes your destiny than your decisions”

All the decisions you have made throughout your life have brought you where you are today. You control your life by the decisions you make. If you let others make decisions for you then you are giving those people the key to your destiny. Take charge, take control, keep the key locked in a safe place. You are responsible for your life and you need to be the decision maker in the decisions that affect your life.

Look to yourself first, look to others for guidance but ultimately there is no one better than you to decide.

From Meditations for Women

Tip of the Day: A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. ~ Unknown

WHEN THE WINDS BLOWS ..

Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.

Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farmhand?" the farmer asked him.

"Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.

Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!"

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot.

Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away.

The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

MORAL: When you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life?

The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm. We, as believers in Christ, secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves in the Word of God. We don't need to understand, we just need to hold His hand to have peace in the midst of the storms.

I hope you sleep well!

REMEMBER: Good friends are like angels, you don't have to see them to know they are there.

Hugs

We have all heard that we need four hugs a day for survival, eight hugs a day for maintenance and twelve for growth.

Hugs have a healing effect on our bodies, they improve our immune system and they help us feel special. Hugs have a way of nurturing the little child within us and helping us feel close to our family and friends.

If you are not getting your twelve hugs a day, reach out and ask for the hugs you need. A simple “Can I have a hug?” goes a long way toward getting those twelve you need for growth.

From Meditations for Women

Here's a hug for a very special blogging friend. You are missed terribly!

This pretty much describes the weather here today...

STORMS

Pretty soon it darkened up, and begun to thunder and lighten; so the birds was right about it. Directly it begun to rain, and it rained like all fury, too, and I never see the wind blow so. It was one of these regular summer storms. It would get so dark that it looked all blue-black outside, and lovely; and the rain would thrash along by so thick that the trees off a little ways looked dim and spider-webby; and here would come a blast of wind that would bend the trees down and turn up the pale under-side of the leaves; and then a perfect ripper of a gust would follow along and set the branches to tossing their arms as if they was just wild; and next, when it was just about the bluest and blackest--fst! it was as bright as glory, and you'd have a little glimpse of tree-tops a-plunging about away off yonder in the storm, hundreds of yards further than you could see before; dark as sin again in a second, and now you'd hear the thunder let go with an awful crash, and then go rumbling, grumbling, tumbling, down the sky towards the under side of the world, like rolling empty barrels down stairs--where it's long stairs and they bounce a good deal, you know.

~Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

I wish I could write like that!

Axel called this morning from Michigan to let me know that he has a good start to his showing at the State Street Area Art Fair in Ann Arbor, Michigan. And this is only the first day! That is indeed great news!

Shameless plug...

Recently I added Axel’s website under my Favorite Links. Though the pictures do no justice to his body of work it gives you some idea of what he does. This week, starting tomorrow, he will be in Ann Arbor, Michigan for the 2004 Ann Arbor Art Fairs (July 21-24). He will displaying his work at the State Street Area Art Fair. So, if you happen to be there, check it out.

2004 STATE STREET AREA ART FAIR
FAIR HOURS WED-FRI 10AM-9PM - SAT 10AM-6PM

The State Street Area Art Fair is a nationally recognized and award-winning art fair that combines the talents of hundreds of artists with a host of merchant displays along the streets of vibrant sections of Ann Arbor's campus area. With stunning, visual examples of traditional and contemporary art, the State Street Area Art Fair is now in its 37th year. Exhibitors range in categories from painting, ceramics, leather, wood, jewelry, photography and more, and are juried annually to ensure that the highest quality and excellence are displayed each year. A full listing of participants and their work is featured on the website, along with other fair information.

The location of exhibitors is centrally located in the heart of Ann Arbor's downtown area. The booths can be found along N. University, Liberty, Maynard, Thompson and William streets. The art fair is also host to the Ann Arbor Fiber Arts Guild showcased at the intersection of State and N. University. Twenty-three area artists exhibit their work here in a double booth. Along this same intersection can be found an outdoor shoppers bazaar created by all the participating merchants in the area, lots of sales and restaurants expand onto the street.  The main information booth is located at State and Liberty. Volunteers from the Ann Arbor Art Center staff it. Pick up a free guide there with artist listings, maps, shuttle guides and schedules of music events. Drop off your name and address if you are interested in exhibiting in next year's fair. Also for sale are commemorative T-shirts, bags, posters, and more at the merchandise tent on State at William. Two other information booths also offer guides and items for sale. A booth is located at Maynard near Jefferson and another at Liberty and Division which is staffed by the Huron High School Rowing Team who also assist in set-up, daily cleaning and take-down for the event.

As always, this year's State Street Area Art Fair is distinguished by it's commitment to high quality and the addition of new and innovative artists. The standards set for acceptance to the show are demanding and the artist's work reflects the dedication to excellence and quality. With a representation from 41 states, the fair offers a variety of appeal to all fair-goers.

"Adventure can be as simple as just stepping out your front door with no definite plan in mind"

Too often we think of adventure as this big thing we have to plan way in advance. We think arrangements need to be made, schedules coordinated, flights booked, time off secured, etc. With such planning the adventure in the adventure is easily lost.

Adventure is really a decision to do something to inspire awe in yourself. It can be simple, when you take your daily walk today try not to look at it in the same old way, approach it with curiosity. See something new, smell something new, don’t be afraid to explore.

From Meditations for Women

The Tonic of Wildness

We need the tonic of wildness, to wade sometimes in marshes where the bittern and the meadow-hen lurk, and hear the booming of the snipe; to smell the whispering sedge where only the wilder and more solitary fowl builds her nest, and the mink crawls with its belly close to the ground. At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be infinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature. We must be refreshed by the sight of inexhaustible vigor, vast and titanic features, the sea-coast with its wrecks, the wilderness with its living and its decaying trees, the thunder cloud, and the rain which lasts three weeks and produces freshets. We need to witness our own limits transgressed, and some life pasturing freely where we never wander.

Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Quotes to Live By
 
Courage is the only magic worth having. ~ Erica Jong
 
It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult. ~ Seneca
 
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
 
If there is no wind, row. ~ Latin proverb
 
Take the first step in faith.  You don't have to see the whole staircase, just the first step. ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
 
If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking. ~ Buddhist proverb
 
Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. ~ T.S. Eliot
 

"To find you have to seek"

What counts for you? If you are not sure then it's time to rediscover your passion. Start by simplifying, quit doing things merely out of habit. Try turning off the TV for a month, and listen to your thoughts. Notice what you think and what you read.

When you find yourself saying "I love that" or "this is fun", stand up and listen. That voice inside you is leading you to your passion.

As you discover what you like to do with your time you begin to find answers to what counts for you. And that is what being passionate is all about.

From Meditations for Women

Look at life as an energy economy game. Each day, ask yourself, "Are my energy expenditures (actions, reactions, thoughts, and feelings) productive or nonproductive? During the course of my day, have I accumulated more stress or more peace?"

~ The HeartMath Solution, Doc Childre and Howard Martin, (c) 1999, Harper SanFrancisco

Laugh - it feels good and it's good for you!

In time of adversity, use humor to cope and survive. Recognize absurdities in situations, and laugh at them. Recognize what makes you laugh and put more of it in your life. Let your sense of humor see the fun in everyday experiences. Open your mind to silly or outrageous thoughts. Adopt an attitude of playfulness. Most of all embrace and enjoy the smile laughter brings inside.

From Meditations for Women

"Learn to pause ... or nothing worthwhile will catch up to you."
~ Doug King

"Cherish your visions. Cherish your ideals. Cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts, for out of them will grow all delightful conditions, all heavenly environment; of these, if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built."

~ James Allen (1864-1912), English author of As A Man Thinketh

As you can tell, I have been playing around with my page and I'm pretty happy with it. I'm still trying to get my Haloscan comment up and running but I'm still having some technical difficulties. I'm waiting for Dorothy to return from her 10 day vacation before asking her for some more help. In the mean time, we'll have to learn to live with the blogger comment.

As Homer Simpson once said...

"Remember, as far as anyone knows, we're a nice, normal family."

I know that I have posted that quote before but because it cracks me up everyone time I see it, here it is again.

"But angels help us remember, when the urgencies screaming for attention make us forget, when we feel so estranged by stress or worldliness that we miss the many-splendored things. They remind us to look beyond our everyday circumstances or stress." ~ Timothy Jones, "Celebration of Angels"

Everything we call a trial, a sorrow, or a duty; believe me, that Angel’s hand is there, and the wonder of an overshadowing presence. Our joys too: be not content with them as joys. They too conceal diviner gifts. ~ Fra Giovanni

"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape." ~ Unknown

"Friends and family are the foundation from which your successes are built and nourished"

From the very first breath you take your mind, body and soul is nourished by the friends and family that touch you. Imagine what it would be like to reach your ultimate goal and have no one there to share your triumph and success. The triumph and success is so much sweeter when it is shared with those that mean the most to you.

As you march through the peaks and valleys of your life allow your friends and family to share in your journey, the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction will be just that much greater.

From Meditations for Women

"I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart."
~ Vincent Van Gogh

I have a four day weekend! Yipee! I hope everyone has a safe 4th of July!

Do you ever feel rushed? Ever feel as if you are doing a balancing act? If you are like me the answer to both questions is YES! Here are 9 steps to help simplify your life.

9 Steps to Simplify Your Life

1. Take a walk after your evening meal to clear your mind and aid digestion.
2. Post chores on a bulletin board in a central location.
3. Increase precious personal time. Say “no” more often, even to family and friends.
4. Free yourself from perfectionism. In most cases, good enough really is.
5. Use checklists to simplify shopping, traveling and entertaining.
6. Get out of debt. Be happy with less of what you’re told you need. Enjoy what you have.
7. Keep a list of fun activities and be sure you do at least one of them each month.
8. Get enough sleep and exercise.
9. Remember you don’t have to answer the phone just because it rings.

"Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact."

~ Henry James (1843 - 1916)