October 26 is National Pumpkin Day, but with fall being in full swing, pumpkins will be a mainstay part of our lives for many weeks to come, from decorating for Halloween and Thanksgiving to cooking delicious pumpkin-inspired foods as well. But did you also know it turns out pumpkin is good for your feline friend, too! You don’t want them munching on the pumpkin from your front stoop, or eating canned pumpkin filling that has added sugars and sweeteners, but canned organic pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, and cooked fresh pumpkin have many benefits for cats, such as: Read more

Me, a book, and my cats. My everyday happy place…

Each year at the beginning of March, school children kick off National Reading Month by celebrating the birthday of the wonderful Dr. Seuss, who was born on March 2, 1904. Teachers develop contests, family literacy events, and more, and with the help from Read Across America, they hope to motivate kids to read every day of the year. For me, it’s a subject dear to my heart in so many ways. I was painfully shy through nearly most of my school going years, and I was also persistently bullied which triggered me to withdraw into a shell even more. Books were my comfort, my solace, my safe island, and my friends. Without them, I don’t know how I would have gotten through the day. Read more

I’m a pacifist at heart.  I don’t comprehend killing and violence as a means to an end but I also understand the realities of the world we live in. The deep-rooted history of battle dates back thousands of years with mankind and while I pray for a day where civility can move mountains and keep us safe, not guns, bombs, missiles and the like, I know this is but a pipe dream at the moment. That said, I am, and I’ve always been deeply humbled and grateful for those men, women, and animals in the armed services who sacrifice their own lives to ensure the bounties and freedoms of our way of life.

Memorial Day is a time to reflect on these people and animals who gave so selflessly for us. In the case of animals, they were innocent casualties of war, certainly not understanding the implications of their role and my heart goes out to them all.

I also think it’s a time to reflect and give thanks to those individuals who stood behind the fallen because they are heroes as well. People are generally not an island when they become part of the armed services – they are someone’s father, or son, or granddaughter, or friend, or partner, or co-worker, or mother, and so on. Sacrifices are made on so many levels and I feel it’s important we acknowledge that as well.

Men, women, bats, cats, dogs, dolphins, sea lions, horses, pigeons, pigs, rats and more – these are but some of those that served on our behalf and I offer blessings to you all. And to all those in my family that served over the years, blessings to you. None of you were killed in the line of duty and you are long gone, but I still appreciate and respect your memories and your commitment to protecting life as we know it.

It’s also ironic; I never set out for a military life, far from it. But I’ve had a military career. Since 1995 in one capacity or another, I’ve worked for companies that protect our troops and law enforcement officials. It started when I began working for a body armor manufacturing company to today, where I work for a company that manufacturers critical items to keep military vehicles out of harm’s way. 

Editors Note: While this is a cat-related blog, the post to follow is not about cats. I respect your decision if you chose not to read on, but I truly hope you will. The recent shootings at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida affect all of us and it’s imperative we open lines of communication talk about it in order to help prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future.

Saturday, February 10, was a beautiful South Florida day. We were gifted with a deep blue sky, puffy clouds, and a delightful breeze. Dan’s a photography enthusiast and he wanted to take advantage of the exquisite day by visiting the equestrian center located in the city neighboring us to take pictures of horses competing at an agility event. I decided to join him, looking forward to a peaceful and relaxing day. Read more