Haley's Catio

After we took in our Calico cat Haley, what used to be our enclosed porch/patio has since been turned into Haley's "cat-io".  The reason for this is because we have never been able to break her of wanting to mark her territory inside of the house. We have tried everything to resolve this. We had her checked for urinary tract infections, we had placed more litter boxes around the house, we tried using  cat urine-deterrents on the furnitire. You name it, we've tried it! The bottom line is that she will only use "her" box not the other cats and she does not want the other cats using hers. And so our solution: the enclosed porch a.k.a. her catio.

In spite of this; however, she is still such a remarkably sweet little girl and we could never bring ourselves to get rid of her.

This is still her home and since she does not "prefer" to share it with the rest of our kitties, we have sacrificed our enclosed porch for her. The catio is set up for her to spend the entire day in and part of the night (the only time she is inside with the rest of us is when we get home from work and are able to watch her), and, it has all of the things a cat wants and needs ...

(My hubby made this matt where he used to work many years ago. It now resides inside of Haley's catio door)

As you can see, it has the usual necessities ~a covered litter box, an enclosed bed with a heating blanket for the cold winter, a fan hooked up for the hot summers, and a food and water dish. In addition to that, she has wall-to-wall carpeting, her own cat toy box, a kitty condo, a "Surf's Up" cat gym, and a perch which allows her to sit or lay at the back window.

Believe it or not, she loves having her own "space" now to call her own and when she wants to spend some family time with hubby and I, she is welcome to do so. How do we know she loves it? Well, for one thing she doesn't urinate anywhere in the cat-io except for her litter box.

Serene Saturday ~ "Come Sail Away" by Styx

Wishing everyone a fantastic weekend!!!

Crafting

Good day, my friends! Last night, I felt like crafting wreaths again. They are so much fun and so easy to make. Here are a few that I have made so far ...

"Wheel of the Year" wreath (large)

"Wheel of the Year" wreath (small)

Small "Cats 'n' Crows" wreath (the crow's sign says,"Plant Kindness")

 

 

"Ostara" wreath (large)

I think that I will include one of these wreaths in my up-coming "Spring Give-Away." What do you think?

Keeping in Touch

Ahh, so many good friends ~ so little time these days. It seems that the older I get, the less time I have to spend with special friends like I used to only just a few years ago, or as I affectionately like to refer to them, "the good ole days." In fact, one of my dear friends, Judy-B, I have even known since fourth grade.

(Judy-B, me and my "twin soul" Judy)

I remember going out almost every single weekend with "the gang" ~ chilling out at our favorite haunts, singing karaoke (with my few friends who could actually sing, of course ~ lol!), dancing, talking, laughing, spending all of our special moments together through birthdays and anniversaries, etc.

Now however, life seems to have gotten so very busy these days for all of us. Our priorities have changed throughout these many years as we have "grown up. " Our parents are also getting older and are in need of our help a lot more than they used to, some of my friends have kids who are involved in various school activities and so forth. Not to mention the money factor for most of us.

Be that as it may, we find ourselves barely seeing eachother but once a year! Sure, we still manage to talk on the telephone or e-mail one another from time to time, but it just isn't the same as "the good ole days." So, this year we have all decided to make every effort to get together next  month for my "twin soul"Judy and my birthdays which are a day apart.

Please don't get me wrong, I am glad that I am older and wiser now and I would not wish to be that same person I was so long ago. I simply miss, what seemed to me then, what would last forever ~ time. In the day to day hustle and bustle of life, I never want to lose sight of the things I still hold dear to my heart ~ keeping in touch with those friends who will alawys be like family to me. It reminds me of the saying, "Friends are the family we choose for ourselves."

Me and You and a Crow Named Blue

The following is indeed a true story about my friend Kiki, her boyfriend Danny, and a very special crow whom Danny had found while working one day. This crow had the most beautiful blue eyes ~ hence his name "Blue."

(Kiki, me and Danny)

Blue had a wounded wing and Danny brought him home and took care of him. He built a huge bird cage for him, decorated it with little standing tree branches and so forth to give him the feeling of the wild so to speak,  gave him water and fed him a meat diet everyday.

The funny thing is that Kiki had told me that Danny had always loved crows and, as fate would have it, he finally was blessed with a gorgeous one for a loving pet. In fact, his nickname was Crow and all of us kiddingly referred to his house as "The Crow's Nest."

The first time I saw Blue, he was sitting perched outside of his cage on a table in Danny's dining room. The shocked look on my face must have said it all! But Blue was the most awesome crow I had ever seen. He was so very gentle and he liked people. He always let you pet him and he loved being told he was "so pretty" (which he definately was that)!

As Kiki recalls, "I even trained him to 'step up' onto my finger and when we would go for a walk down to the corner grocery, Blue would just sit on top of my shoulder. He never ever tried to fly away from us."

Sadly, Blue passed away a few years ago and I wish now that I would have taken a nice pic of him when I had the chance (it would have been perfect for the purposes of this post story), but I remember him well and I will always miss him! He is most definately the reason I love crows to this day.

(This is the closest pic I could find of what Blue actually looked like)

(image credit)

Snow, Snow, Here we go!

Well, here it is! We have finally acquired our first real snow of the season. A winter weather advisory is in effect today for Reading, PA until 2PM and the snow and sleet are already accumulating. We are supposed to get up to atleast 5 inches of snow by the time it is all said and done...

My snow-covered holly bush

Oh, I'm not complaining mind you (yet). After all, it is Saturday so I don't have to drive to work in it and considering that our Winter weather here in Berks County actually started the weekend of Samhain 2011 with icy sleet (and nothing since until now), we seem to have gotten a rather late start anyway!

As for today, I think I will enjoy the comfort of a warm house and the sweet company of my furr babies.

Have a great weekend all!

The elusive stray cat ...

Yes my friends, both my hubby and I are STILL very patiently waiting to catch that very elusive stray kitty whose been hanging around outside our house. He's cunning, he's cautious, and worst of all, he's smart! LOL!

Last night we set up the Have-A-Heart trap as we have been doing for the past week now. My hubby put his food bowl inside the trap, but this time he purposely did not set it so that it would close. The reason behind this is so that he gets used to eating inside of the trap and will then, hopefully, have no fear of it when we want to use it. Then, perhaps we would have a good chance of catching him and getting him in the house and out of the cold and wind. He also placed a couple of small pieces of Slim Jim's in front of the cage leading to the food bowl as to encourage him to walk inside.

Well, kitty decided to eat the pieces of Slim Jim's and then walked away without eating a morsel of the cat food in his dish!

Ah yes, and so tonight, we begin again ... LOL!!!!!

"When Someone You Love is Wiccan" ~ book review

"When Someone You Love Is Wiccan" by Carl McColman is pretty much what it sounds like ~  a question and answer book designed specifically for the non-Wiccan friends, family and/or co-workers of anyone who follows the Wiccan path.

At first glance, this book may sound a bit to some as a "how to deal with it" kind of mentality. However; upon actually reading it, I found it to be quite helpful if you are able to convince your family and/or friends to read it with an open mind.

I very much liked the fact that the author does not come off as if he is trying to "convert" others so to speak. He simply gives the reader the answers to the most general questions in a way which is fairly easy to understand for anyone who either has little to no knowledge what-so-ever regarding Wicca or has been so misinformed by others paranoia that it has caused them to be scared or concerned for their friend or loved one.

Of course the answers to these questions are, again for the most part, general and not meant to get into every aspect of each and every Wiccan tradition, but I would certainly recommend giving this book a try.

Making room for kitty (and some other stuff)

For the past few weeks or so, my hubby and I have been feeding a stray kitty who has been hanging around outside of our house. I, myself, have not actually seen this guy (or girl) but my husband tells me that it is (of all things) a black cat! Yeah, I know what you all are probably thinking ~ "Just what she needs, yet another black cat."

Ever get the feeling that stray cats know JUST which house to go to? At any rate, we have decided to put the Have-a-Heart trap out in front of where we have been feeding him and then temporarily board him downstairs in a huge big dog cage set up with food, water, "private bathroom" and toys. Then, we will have to see if he can be acclimated into our household. Since we don't know anything about this cat's personality, health or history, we do not wish to put our own kitties in any danger until we get the stray Fe-Leuk tested, etc. Here's hoping.

Next, I thought it might be an interesting idea to have a little fun with the zodiac. Starting with Capricorn (Yes, I know that the signs actually begin with Aries and end with Pisces, but...) since we are still technically in that zodiological sign at this moment.

Oh yes, and I am still waiting to get my exchange Yule present (the CD/tape Converter) back from Sears. It seems as though my hubby is having some issues with them and must keep on them about sending a replacement to us. Grrr! Sorry for the delay, I will post as soon as I possibly can!

Blessings all!!!

New Addition for Imbolg

While shopping at A.C. Moore Crafts today, I found a cute little red heart oil lamp which I absolutely could not resist buying! I think it will make a great new addition to my Imbolg altar this year ...

Oil lamps are actually considered to be a part of this sabbat  anyway and I usually decorate my entire house with them around this time of the year. After all, one can never have enough decorations!  :)

My Imbolg Altar

Although I cherish all of our sacred sabbats, I must admit that Imbolg is by far one of my favorite celebrations! I love honoring the Goddess Brigit (actually pronounced "Breed") and all that it entails.The God still growing inside of the Goddess' belly in essence allowing the Sun to grow ever closer to us as we anticipate the oncoming of Spring, gradually experiencing everything around us in Nature come to life again, the "sweeping out of the old" as we "bring in the new", and the days beginning to get longer as the nights get shorter.

I love to decorate my altar with little white besoms, a grain dolly in representation of Brigit, Her bed, and of course a special white candle engraved with Her name on it in witches alphabet in Her honor and Brigit's Crosses. 





IMBOLG CANDLES

We light the candles on Imbolg

Weave our crosses end to end

We light the candles on Imbolg

To urge the Sun to come again,

We light the candles on Imbolg

To honor the Goddess Brigit,

We light the candles on Imbolg

To plow the field and sow the seed

~ Lady Caer Morganna

Never give up

Today was my dad's usual reiki session. I have been treating him for several months now for the chronic arthritis throughout his entire body. Unfortunately, pain never takes a holiday off and he was in severe pain even on Christmas and New Year's.

His pain meds only do so much and the reiki treatments seem to last him for just a few days until he needs more. Still, he never gives up! With the love, support and encouragement from all of us we will not allow him to. Although it is so very hard to see my dad, who was always such a strong man go through this, I know that I have to give it over to the Divine universe and the Goddess and God. I know in my heart that I am doing everything I possibly can through the miracle of reiki to help alleviate his pain and suffering. I even send him distance reiki since I have learned this from my Reiki Level II classes.

On the brighter side, he looks so very forward to visiting with my cats and bunny. My dad, being a complete and total animal lover himself, enjoys the company of my furr babies ~ and they him!

It makes me feel much better; however,  knowing that when he leaves my home after his reiki sessions that HE feels good and his pain has subsided ~ at least for a little while.

Serene Saturday: James Taylor ~ Fire and Rain

I have always thought that "Fire and Rain" was James Taylor's best song and, for some strange reason, I can't help but see a 70's version of Kurt Cobain's "MTV Unplugged" here. The slight resemblance in the face, the long hair, the acoustic guitar playing, and of course they both have those Pisces eyes! ^^

Magical Mermaids and Dolphins Oracle Cards

These are my Magical Mermaids and Dolphins Oracle cards by Doreen Virtue, Ph.D. They were an awesome gift from my friend Waterfae. By the way, she also made the cool purple crushed velvet bag to put them in! ^^

It is a 44-card deck and they are so easy to use. All you have to do is hold each of the cards close to your heart while meditating on their meaning and, simultaneously, consecrating them with your own personal energy. Much as you would use the tarot deck, you must concentrate on what you would like to know. With your right hand, pick up a portion of the deck and look at the face of the bottom card. You must do this two more times as the first card represents your past, second card the present and your third your future or outcome card. The "Divine Magic" card  adds extra strength/power to whichever card comes after it.

I adore mermaids and these cards are simply lovely! I can't wait to start using them!

Imbolg: Honoring the Goddess Brigit

Imbolg, also known as Imbolc, Festival of Lights, Lady Day and Oimelc, is a fire festival which celebrates the on-coming of Spring. The word Imbolg literally means, “in the belly” (of the Goddess) and it honors the Celtic Goddess Brigit. She was the Goddess of fire, wisdom, poetry and sacred wells. She was also a deity associated with prophecy, divination and healing. Because the Goddess is in her maiden aspect as Brigit, the word "bride" was derived from her name. To symbolize her, we craft corn and grain dollies and make a "Brigit's bed" in which to place her in as a way to encourage her return and the return of the sun.

This sabbat represents new beginnings and spiritual growth.  The “sweeping out of the old and bringing in the new” is symbolized by the sweeping out of the circle with a besom (or broom) which is traditionally done by the High Priestess of the coven who wears a brilliant crown of 13 candles on top of her head. Also, Brigit’s Cross, one of the archetypal symbols of Ireland, while it is considered Christian, has its’ roots in Paganism and the Goddess Brigit. It was traditionally hung on the kitchen wall to protect the house from fire and evil.   It is usually made from straw, but can also be made with various colors of pipe cleaner sticks. It is woven counter-clockwise into a center square and four radials tied at the ends. These are easy to make and are a lot of fun for kids as well!

In  ancient Europe, Candlemas was celebrated as a torchlight procession to purify and fertilize the fields before the seed-planting season and to honor and give thanks to the various associated deities and spirits. Even the Christians adopted this sabbat celebration, giving honor to the Virgin Mary.

An Imbolg Poem

In the bitter cold of winter

Spring seems so far away

How long  ’til the Imbolg candles

Urge the sun to come to stay?

To help you count the nights so long

Are these little candles of white

Ignite one each eve at dream time

And it will soon be Imbolg night!

(Poem taken from Edain McCoy’s book, “The Sabbats"; image credit)

"Astrology Through a Psychic's Eyes": Book Review

"Astrology Through a Psychic's Eyes" written by Sylvia Browne is a delightful and interesting book which delves into the truly personal side of astrology! She combines some very truthful facts about each zodialogical sign along with a very "tongue-in-cheek" kind of humor.

Sylvia Browne is a renowned Psychic and author of several books including, "Adventures of a Psychic," "The Other Side and Back,"God, Creation and Tools for Life," and "Life on the Other Side." She has also written a couple of interesting books on Angels.

One thing I really noticed about this book was the fact that the physical descriptions, emotional traits & characteristics, sign paralells, and sign likes and dislikes were so very detailed. I found myself thinking about everyone I know under each of the individual signs, including myself of course, and getting such a kick out of how very right-on she was ~ LOL!

I would definately recommend this book to anyone who loves astrology as much as I do. It left me wanting to read more! I really loved this book!

Amazing Pets: The Story of Jeff & Dino

Yesterday in the mail, I received the latestest issue of "Healthy Pets." After reading the article in the Amazing Pets section titled, "The Constant Companion," I just had to share this heart-warming story with all of you.

It is the story about a woman named Jackie Kuhn and her son Jeff Dinkel. Jeff has been stricken with severe epilepsy ever since he was a child which is considered to be multifocal, meaning that his seizures come from more than one place in his brain and often become generalized and they spread so fast that they actually cause him to drop to the floor.

Jackie tells "Healthy Pet" that her son, now 34 years old, "has been on every seizure drug approved by the FDA over the years ~ and some that haven't been!" She said that the family even tried a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that has been known to help thousands of people suffering from epilepsy. She added that "most medications as well as the diet work for a time, but after a while the seizures seem to find ways to override them."

When Jeff was 26 years old, Jackie brought home a therapy dog for him. The two immediately bonded and Jeff named him, "Dino." Dino, who is now 8 years old, is a Golden Retriever and has also had his share of trials and tribulations and had, at one time, been diagnosed with a cancerous Grade 3 tumor in his groin. The family refused to give up on Dino and he underwent chemotherapy, enduring what would result in two major surgeries. A few years later, Dino needed to have yet another surgery, this time having to have his right eye removed, followed by another round of chemotherapy.

Jeff and Dino have become constant companions and have such a special bond. Dino understands hand signals and, due to Jeff's limited ability to communicate verbally, is an enormous asset. According to Jackie, the two find time every day to play fetch and snuggle. In fact, she said that Jeff "holds this 100-pound dog in his arms like a baby."

In conclusion, she says that "there's no amount of medicine that can replace the love and comfort (Jeff) receives from Dino."

http://youtu.be/HaZpZQG2z10
"You're My Best Friend" ~ Queen

(Based on an article written by freelance writer Margie Carr. Photo credit: Margie Carr; Charles Bush, CharlesBush.comhttp://www.charlesbushphoto.com/)

Heading up the New Year/Young at Heart

Hurray for the start of the new year! I, for one, am gathering my thoughts and planning what I would like to accomplish in 2012. 

We began by spending our New Year's Day enjoying a delicious meal at my parents house. Every year, my mother makes the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch Pork & Sauerkraut dinner ~ my hubby and I, personally, do not care for sauerkraut, but we love the pork and homemade mashed potatoes! This New Year's meal is believed to bring good luck in the year ahead!

Later on after we returned home, I took down our Yule Tree and all of the decorations. As much as I love the tree, by the end of the month of December I am definately ready to put it away until next Yule/Christmas.

Moving forward, I am planning an up-coming blog give-away for the Spring (most likely around Ostara) and a few other surprises throughout this year. Leaving the old year behind makes me think  a bit about the fact that no matter how much things change, remarkably, they still seem to stay the same.

For example, in my New Year's Eve post, I threw in a video clip of Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World." I hadn't really thought much about it other than I love Neil Young's music and thought it would be a fun song to add to my post. For anyone who isn't familiar with Neil Young, he is a rock'n'roll icon! He is a singer/songwriter/muscian who hails from Ontario, Canada and is associated with such bands as "Buffalo Springfield," "Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young," "Crazy Horse," and even "Pearl Jam." 

I have included a couple of videos of his more recognizable hits of his career. I found the video for Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" very interesting as it shows the "signs of the time" during the 60's. (Hmmm, as I said, I find it so very interesting that nothing really changes in our society). 

I hope you enjoy and I wish everyone a very happy and healthy year!!

"For What It's Worth" ~ Buffalo Springfield (Neil Young on left)

http://youtu.be/gp5JCrSXkJY

"Cinnamon Girl"

http://youtu.be/fh6yOAuNphs

"The Needle and the Damage Done"
http://youtu.be/k0t0EW6z8a0

"Harvest Moon"

http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play?p=harvest%20moon%20neil%20young%20youtube&tnr=21&vid=1502745133454&l=292&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts3.mm.bing.net%2Fvideos%2Fthumbnail.aspx%3Fq%3D1502745133454%26id%3Dc8ed4affc287fbc57311f419e8f8b5b7%26bid%3D6zcGb0Xxdv%252bV8Q%26bn%3DThumb%26url%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fwww.youtube.com%252fwatch%253fv%253dst7NKEUs_8E&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dst7NKEUs_8E&sigr=11a5nmrjo&newfp=1&tit=NEIL+YOUNG+-+Harvest+Moon+-