Well, once again I have been presented with a new chapter in my life. At 55 years of age, I must admit this one was not one I had particularly hoped for, but as they say, “it is what it is” and there’s nothing I can do about it except move on. Briefly, my day job, the one that helps keep the household running, is no longer to be. I was put in the proverbial, “it’s not you, you’re an awesome employee and extremely valuable, but we need to let you go because we are downsizing and you are no longer relevant to our company” scenario.

At this point, all I can do is try to be positive. Is it the best news? No. Have I cried over it? Yes. A lot. But is it the end of the world either? No. Perhaps as all of my dear friends and family have been telling me, maybe there is something far better around the corner. In the meantime, I still have my writing to keep me going – granted, I have not garnered overnight fame and success from it, but it is my passion and now I can concentrate on a few projects I have milling around in my head.

In the meantime, I’m taking a cue from my cats and trying to find the extraordinary moments in the ordinary of each day I am blessed to have. You know what I mean – for a cat, it is those glorious moments that come out of nowhere – for example, a sunbeam to lie in or a lizard on a window to look at.

For a cat, it doesn’t get much better than the joy a sunbeam can bring…

I love this shot of Jazmine enjoying the random visit of a lizard! Her ordinary day absolutely became extraordinary when she saw this little guy!

I have already been enjoying many of those moments. Rather than sleep the day away in doom and gloom, I have been getting up bright and early every morning to take a walk. Being glued to my computer for years, writing and blogging, along with my previous desk job, made me sedentary and it feels great to be active again. I love the early morning – it is so beautifully serene and I am greeted by not only the rising sun, but birds, squirrels, cats, dogs, and other walkers who are also enjoying the beginning of the day.

I see cars pulling out of driveways, thinking to myself, that used to be me heading to work. Now I am walking, wondering what the future holds and when I get home, I have seven cats waiting by the door who are very happy to see me. I give them a morning treat, then make myself a cup of coffee and settle in to look at the job boards. The cats stick to me like glue and I think they are silently cheering me on.

My office… I think the cats are glad I am home…

I have also taken to wrapping up loose ends around the house – filing paperwork that was years old and cleaning out my closet and drawers. Here’s a perplexing one for you in that regard – why is it that as you get older, your body shape expands, even if you aren’t eating anymore than you used to? I came to the jarring realization that most of my jeans don’t fit me any longer. Sigh… I am not young anymore.

And it’s not like dieting is going to help. I honestly have barely a bit of fat to spare on my body, yet my jeans don’t fit. Life is funny like that. It makes you realize that when things don’t fit, like my previous job, you can’t force it to happen; rather you have to figure it out and move on. I subsequently went to the mall and treated myself to a new pair of jeans that do fit with some birthday money I had been given and I will do the same with my life. I will figure it out.

Wise, exciting, and encouraging words to live by…

I have my ups and downs. I’m trying to be positive, but I know the reality – someone in my age bracket looking for a job is not an easy hire. I know this firsthand and it has nothing to do with me not believing in myself, or not having an excellent resume, or not having years of invaluable experience. All I can do is be patient, try my best, and the lesson of it all is the one that it has always been. Life is short – enjoy the moments that you have while you have them. If life changes, adapt to it – learn and grow from it all and enjoy the process along the way.

Have a wonderful Caturday all and if you did not see the post I did on Wednesday, I hope you will take a minute to read it. Christine Michaels of Riverfront Cats is doing a fundraiser/giveaway event for the outdoor cats she takes care of (please click here for details). She has a new colony she is assisting and many of the cats are in need of spay/neuter and veterinary care. Any donation you could afford to help her take care of these cats would be greatly appreciated, and for anyone who donates, you will automatically be registered for a prize package drawing valued at over $200!

One of the prizes is a bubble maker for cats! I know for me, that’s one of the greatest joys I get with my gang – no matter what mood I am in, watching them in awe of those seemingly magical globes of iridescent colors as they float through the air makes me smile. I went back into the archives and found a video taken in 2011 of me blowing bubbles for my gang. It was taken to compliment Chapter 19 of the book I wrote, The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey – A Journey of the Extraordinarily Ordinary (it was my cats that initially taught me about finding the extraordinary moments in life and that is what the book is about) and I gotta admit it was bittersweet – I smiled while watching it, but I also cried, as my beautiful angels, Jazz and Harley were front and center during the whole video. Oh, and just for the record, the jeans I am wearing in the video no longer fit…