Enjoying an absolutely gorgeous day last year in Parkland, Florida, with this stunning horse, Sunny.

While a lovely sentiment and I don’t begrudge anyone who enjoys celebrating the day, for me, Valentine’s Day is not a day I’m prone to embrace. I don’t particularly want or need a specific day to have gifts, flowers, chocolates, etc. bestowed on me, but living a mere minutes away from Parkland, Florida, the city where the horrific shooting took place on February 14, 2018, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in which a gunman opened fire and killed seventeen students and staff members and injured seventeen others,  I’ve had a change of heart and perspective.

My heart will forever be tied to these precious souls who lost their lives on February 14, 2018.

It’s difficult not to be reflective and feel a tremendous malaise in the air. Being the anniversary of the incident, it’s on the news all the time and my heart breaks all over again each time I hear something about it, bringing me to tears at the senselessness of it all. I Dan and I were in the vicinity of the shooting a few days before it happened, enjoying the quiet beauty of the day as we watched a horse competition. Parkland is a gorgeous community – peaceful, beautifully landscaped and idyllic in nearly every way. It’s hard to grasp something so evil was living within, grappling to come out in such a violent and premeditated way.

Paying my respects to the shooting victims at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

After the incident, the students rallied, parents rallied, the community rallied, as did the nation and the whole world, trying to make sense of it in the throes of grief. I’m not sure how one ever moves on, but we try. We have to. If nothing else, Valentine’s Day, and really every day, needs to be a reminder that we simply must try harder as people to love. Not the romantic love associated with Valentine’s Day hearts and Cupid’s arrow, but the love that comes from kindness, tolerance, and acceptance. We need to listen more, we need to care more, and we need to love more. We don’t know the shoes or path another walks, but perhaps if we were more invested in the small spec of the world each of us inhabits, many of the tragedies of today could have been avoided had we paid attention to all the little signs that were really big cries for help.

Every creature on this earth serves a purpose. Love, respect, cherish and embrace that purpose.

So give all those in your life you care about an extra hug, kiss, or smile. Pay someone a compliment – maybe even a complete stranger, as you don’t know how perhaps that small act could brighten their day in a moment when they really need it. Be less angry in traffic and more patient waiting in line at the grocery store. Extend that kindness to all living creatures great and small, including our earth that gives us the beautiful world in which we live. Be respectful of nature and be respectful of one another. Life is fleeting for all of us, that much I know for sure, so why not make it one in which every day is Valentine’s Day.

Happy 10th Birthday to my precious feline companions, Mia, Peanut, and Rolz!

No, no, no!!! How can it be that 10 years have gone by? Zoey’s sweet little kittens, four of them born on February 12, 2009, are now TEN YEARS OLD!! My goodness, such a blessing and privilege to witness every moment – from their birth (two of them were born on my lap!), to seeing their eyes open for the first time as they took in the amazing world around them (albeit a tiny box in a closet at the moment) and all the other sacred firsts. Their first wobbly steps. Their first taste of cat food. Their first playtime interactions. Their first exploration outside of the closet. Their first hisses and so many more cherished milestone moments. Read more

Yet another year is upon us and we will be reminded to set goals, make resolutions, and other life-affirming commitments. There is nothing wrong with that, but for me, time is far too fleeting for me to measure it in terms of one year ending and another beginning. I try my best to set goals everyday and to live each day to the fullest, and in the moment.

Life continues to serve it’s daily ritual of ups and downs, much of it a challenge, reminding me I’m not always in the drivers seat, even if I want to be. Regardless of the roadblocks I still try to find the sliver of sunshine in even the cloudiest of days. It might be something as small as having a purring cat sit on my lap, but that small act fills my heart with love and peace.

I don’t have any wise words to share, other than this simple message – please try to be kind to one another in the days to come and not let anger, resentment, or bitterness guide your way. We all have our struggles and crosses to bear, so why not let compassion and empathy be our yardstick to guide the way. both expel emotions, but one is positive and healthy, the other is not.

Happy New Year everyone!! I wish you all a happy and productive journey ahead and may all the kitties of the world be kept safe and blessed.

Happy Holidays! We’re taking a break today to spend the day enjoying Christmas with our family.

Much love, peace, and joy to you and yours from Deb, Dan, Zee, Zoey, Mia, Peanut, Rolz, Kizmet, and Jazmine.

From big things, like my friends, family, and my cats, to the little things, like popcorn and leopard print, I’m grateful for so much in my life!

You’ve seen it all from me before – I share these same pictures every year, and I also say it every year – I love Thanksgiving. Not just for good food, good football, sharing time with family, and not working, but for counting the blessings in my life I’m afforded to have every day despite that life can be messy, complicated, stressful, and downright disagreeable. Here are some of the everyday things I’m grateful to have in my life:

My cats, my family, my friends, coffee, chocolate, sweatpants, wine, Cheez-Its, a great book, board games, the good health of my loved ones, when the Miami Dolphins win (this one is happening less and less), when a cat gets adopted, my Fitbit, leopard print, nature, trips to the beach, Netflix, feeding my birds and squirrels, Facebook, talking to a real person on the phone (this is also happening less and less), Photoshop, riding our Harley, wearing cat ears, Christmas cookies, chia seeds, family photo albums, my iPhone 7plus, yarn & crocheting, popcorn, music, when people are kind to one another, fun fonts, having a job and being able to pay my bills, the privilege of having food to eat every day, a safe home to live in, and the freedom to be me.

How about you all? What are some of the everyday things in your life you’re grateful for? Have a blessed day from all of us at Zee & Zoey’s, and as I do every year, here’s my favorite picture of my gang for Thanksgiving and a visual reminder that despite what certain kitties might tell you, NOT ALL FOODS ARE SAFE FOR THEM TO EAT!

Can someone please hurry up with this blog post and say grace so we can eat!