Seeing scary images like this on your TV screen is not uncommon during hurricane season. This one was Irma’s path 2 days before she was expected to hit South Florida. Photo from Fox News.

Living in Florida since 1994, I’ve been through my share of Mother Nature at her worst. 1999 alone gave us Hurricane Floyd, Tropical Storm Harvey, and Hurricane Irene. 2004 brought Hurricane Charley and 2005 was the year of Hurricane Wilma – a hurricane that destroyed much of South Florida, knocking my power out for two weeks during sweltering temperatures and destroying my fence and trees, as well as cracking the front windshield of my car and damaging the roof of my house. Read more

Love and kisses from Mr. Jazz for the outpouring of love shown on Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day.

First off, on behalf of Purr Prints of the Heart, I wanted to thank everyone who participated in Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day on August 28. The encompassing circle of love from those sharing memories of their beloved pets was so beautiful and I’m touched beyond words. My angel Jazz, the inspiration for the day, clearly lives on and he would be humbled by the outpouring of love.

I had offered several keepsake giveaway items for the day and I’m pleased to announce the following winners:

1. Carol Bryant of Fidose of Reality has won the Bianca Heart Necklace by My Flowers Forever/Bellabeads.
2. Dianna Keen has won the Rainbow Bridge Sympathy Bracelet from Auntie Angel Designs.
3. JaneA Kelley of Paws and Effect has won the $125 Gift Certificate from Nine Lives Twine.

Thank you again to My Flowers Forever/Bellabeads, Auntie Angel Designs, and Nine Lives Twine for their support and generosity. Congratulations to the winners and peace, love, and blessings to everyone. I’m not certain what the immediate future holds for me right now – Hurricane Irma appears to be heading my way and keeping my family safe and secure is my number one priority.

I continue to send prayers to the victims of Hurricane Harvey and I pray for the safety for everyone in the path of Irma. Take care – I love you all and if I haven’t said it in a while, I want you to know I truly appreciate all the kindness and support you’ve shown over the years.

My sincere sympathies and blessings to all participating in Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day 2017.

I founded Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day (RBRD) in 2015 in honor of Mr. Jazz, my beautiful Ragdoll cat who I had to help cross to the bridge on August 28, 2013. l already knew losing a pet wasn’t easy. I’ve had to say goodbye countless times in my life – dogs, cats, fish, rabbits, guinea pigs and more – each loss leaving a hole in my heart and a void in my life. But after sharing my experience of losing Jazz and writing his story in the book Purr Prints of the Heart – A Cat’s Tale of Life, Death, and Beyond, I came to a global understanding of just how many people had loved and lost a pet, all going through similar feelings of sadness, anger, loneliness, guilt, denial, depression, etc. that I had. Read more

I adore my cats and would go to the ends of the earth and back for them. That said, I have a confession. Despite knowing how important it is to bring a cat to the veterinarian for routine check-ups, there was a time I stopped bringing mine altogether. It’s not that I didn’t want to bring them; it’s that I literally wasn’t capable due to extreme mental anxieties that were crippling me with fear. With today being National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day, I felt the need to share my personal story and how I overcame my anxieties so I could once again bring my cats to the vet on a regular basis. Read more

very nice black cat with yellow eyes

There are certain “where were you” moments in life, such as when I was a very young girl – where was I when I heard John F. Kennedy was shot, or when I was in my late 20’s – where was I when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded, or when I was in my early 40’s – where was I when the 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred. While today’s solar eclipse is not an event mired in tragedy, it is triggering nationwide attention and is something I know I will remember in my mind for years to come.

For me, the solar eclipse is scheduled to peak at 2:57:40 pm EDT, when the moon obscures 79.9% of the sun. I will be with my co-workers and I’ll probably be watching it live streaming on the Total Solar Eclipse 2017 App I downloaded for my iPhone.

I don’t have safety glasses and I don’t plan on risking my eyesight to look at this phenomenon. My cats will be home, safe and sound, most likely napping through the entire eclipse without even a momentary thought that something different was going on in their day. Now, if the eclipse was later in the day, say around an hour before dinner time, that would be an entirely different story, as that’s the time they begin early pacing to eat.

Rolz speaks on behalf of all the cats in my house…

So, where will you be during the eclipse and how do you plan on looking at it? If you’d like to find out what time the eclipse will peak in your area and the obscurity percentage, please visit this link – all you do is plug in your zip code and it figures it out for you! If you will be outside, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE be safe and make sure you are wearing the properly  endorsed eye wear from The American Astronomical Society – there’s a lot of unscrupulous scammers out there trying to make a quick buck and you can never be too careful. For more information of what glasses are safe and instructions on how to view the eclipse, please visit their official site here.