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. Read more

This is the armoire in our living room – it seemed the perfect image for National Pet Memorial Day, as this is where our beloved Harley, Jazz, Bandit, and Bailey lay in perpetual rest.

When I created the first annual Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day (RBRD) last month to be held on August 28 of each year as a special day to pay tribute to the memories of beloved pets that have passed on, several people pointed out to me that the second Sunday of September is already National Pet Memorial Day (NPMD). I actually did know that when contemplating RBRD, but after much thought and consideration, I still felt that although the two days are similar, there was enough difference and need to warrant both, so I went ahead with it. Read more

If there was ever a perfect cat to represent what happy is, that would be our Jazmine. Just look at that precious face – not a care in the world – a sure sign that she is well taken care of and loved.

There’s far too much negativity, strife, heartache, stress, and difficulty in this world, so when there’s an occasion for happy, I’m on board. Especially when the happy involves cats, my all-time favorite thing ever! That’s right, as inspired by the CATalyst Council, September is Happy Cat Month, a month dedicated to ensuring our companion cats are happy, healthy, enriched, and valued. Read more

Simply. Overwhelming. That is my reaction to yesterday’s first annual Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day event. I knew the day would have impact for a lot of people, but I was not prepared for just how much. Between blog posts and the Facebook and Google+ event pages, the day was inundated with people sharing pictures, graphics, poems, stories, and so much more of their beloved pets that had crossed the Rainbow Bridge. All I can say is thank you. Read more

Mr. Jazz – my forever muse and beautiful boy. I will love you always and not a day goes by that I don’t miss you.

When I wrote the book Purr Prints of the Heart – A Cat’s Tale of Life, Death, and Beyond – a book written after saying goodbye on August 28, 2013 to my beloved Ragdoll companion cat, Mr. Jazz, who had lived to the age of 15, I did it with the purpose of wanting to help others who had lost a pet and were having difficulty with the grieving process. I knew full well after publishing the story that I would subject myself to people contacting me to discuss their innermost feelings of grief and pain, as I knew the manner in which I wrote the story would be something that would deeply resonate with most anyone that had lost a pet. Read more