cat | Anything is Possible!

November 22, 2025
by JoAnna 31 Comments

SoCS: Life is Always Full of Something (like Fur Baby Adventures)

Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “full/empty.” Use one, use ’em both, use ’em any way you’d like. Bonus points for getting them both into your post. Have fun!

The glass is always full because it has air in it. Maybe air and water, or air and some other liquid, but there’s always something in it. Unless it’s in outer space which is a vacuum right? Would the glass break in space? Do they use glass in the windows of spaceships? Probably some special kind of glass-like substance.

A life can be full or empty, but probably a combination of both in full and empty moments, days, years. Well, maybe not years, because things change a lot in a year. But what if the life is like the glass? Life is always full of something. Life can contain infinite combinations of joy, boredom, sadness, tension…

Remember being a teenager and feeling bored because there was, “nothing to doooooo”? I guess that’s the restlessness of youth. Now, it seems like there’s always something to do, even if it’s to sit outside and watch the sunset or pet the cat. But often, it’s much busier than that, like when the cat won’t eat and goes to the vet and the x ray shows she’s very backed up, so she has to have an enema! David said she was full of you know what. But he was a big help carrying her in the carrier.

We left Mama Cat at the vet for the vet to do the enema, and then they had to make sure it worked, which it did. We picked her up late in the afternoon. They said she did good. She’s still not as regular as she was, but she’s acting more like her old self. The strangest thing is that Mama Cat has never had this problem before. She’s at least ten years old (that’s how long I’ve known her) but still. She was fine until a week after her checkup and one year rabies and distemper vaccine. Hmmm….

Now my sweet Mama Cat is getting Miralax in her food and almost no dry food. I even add a little water to her wet food. I hope we don’t have to take her back for that procedure again. The bill was significant, and she has a dental checkup under anesthesia in December. The bill will be a lot if she has extractions like she had a few years ago. But she’s worth it. Our fur babies are family.

Marley turned TEN years old on Tuesday, so we took him out for dinner, then ice cream at the coffee shop.

Now if he will just let me brush his teeth….

We have not celebrated Mama Cat’s birthday before, but we should. Maybe we’ll use October which was when we brought her home from the church where we met. She’s come a long way from being formerly feral.

~~~

For more streams of consciousness and rules,

visit out host, Linda Hill

by clicking HERE.

April 6, 2024
by JoAnna 11 Comments

Express Yourself (for Stream of Consciousness Saturday)

Wasn’t that a song? Isn’t that still a song? I might go look later.

Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “express.” Use it as a noun, verb, adverb, or adjective. Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

This might be short. I don’t know. I’m writing this on Friday afternoon at 4:23 pm as usual while the cat is eating, and Marley is in the kitchen. So many tangents I could write for hours because I had an extra green tea bag this morning by accident. I’m a caffeine lightweight.

If you’re reading this on Saturday, I may be heading to the hills to look at houses. The realtor we are working with expresses herself clearly. I don’t know whether that’s because she’s from NY (born in NJ) but she has encouraged me to be more aggressive in going after a house I am interested – considering the market and demand. I’m not an aggressive person by nature. I told her I have to LOVE the house to go after it. There are two I might love that we are looking at, and they are 4 hours away so it’s going to be a day trip.

The reason I am looking for a house in the hills is that I’ve always wanted to live in the mountains, and these houses are almost there and significantly less expensive than houses in the actual Appalachian Mountains. Plus, I don’t want to drive on steep roads. Also, I want David to have a workshop and an office or den. Plus, my daughter moved up that way in the summer and I want to go hiking with her more and be closer to my son and his family who do live in the actual mountains. Well, not inside the mountains… you know what I mean.

My daughter Ayla is my baby girl, all grown up and I miss her. Getting back to the prompt, 30 years ago, when I went back to work after a wonderful summer of maternity leave with Ayla, I found that it was much easier for me to express breast milk by hand rather than pumping with a machine. Bet you didn’t know I was going there. Gives a new spin on “Express Yourself.”

Oh, one more thing that was interesting that I forgot, and would move this up, but we’re not supposed to edit though I am tempted, is that on the same morning the realtor was encouraging me to be more aggressive in going after a house, I was also renewing my friend’s gift subscription to the magazine, Lion’s Roar. I think it’s a Buddhist magazine. She loves it. My friend Ann is 89 years old and has more energy than I do. She’s great at expressing herself with wisdom, kindness, and assertiveness when needed. She’s amazing. So those were two phone calls back to back about me being more “aggressive” and renewing my friend’s subscription to Lion’s Roar. I liked the synchronicity.

Above is an old picture of Marley with some lions in our neighborhood. In some ways, Marley reminds me of a Lion. I thought about renaming him Leo when he came to us two years ago but haven’t yet. I could transition from Marley to Marley-o to Leo. Okay, well, that’s it for the writing. I might be slow to respond on WP tomorrow, being on an adventure.

Here are some recent photos of Marley at the beach with various expressions. In one it looks like we are having a conversation. Check out the shadow in the last photo.

Here’s the song I was thinking of. It first came out in 1970!

~~~

For more streams and SoCS rules,

visit out expressive host, Linda Hill

by clicking HERE.

April 15, 2023
by JoAnna 14 Comments

SoCS: No One Person has a Monopoly on the Entire Truth, but Together….

Today’s prompt: “starts with mono.” Find a word that starts with “mono” and use it in your post. Enjoy!

It’s very unlikely that I have mono. I have been fighting a virus for almost a week. Thankfully my immune system is working along with the vaporizer I used last night since I feel better tonight (Friday pm) than Thursday. Vaporizer sounds like a weapon from Star Trek/Wars. Maybe it’s a humidifier, but it’s small like the vaporizer my parents had when I was little. Anyway, it helps. Maybe taking an intentional break from Facebook has helped, too.

The mono prompt has many other possible streams. ~~~ It’s okay to be single. Having a dog helps. Or a cat. Being married now is like icing on the cake. But my life was good cake with or without the icing. I’m glad I decided to trust God’s plan and to trust the timing of that plan.

Monotheism is an interesting topic. Most people would probably say that Christianity is a monotheistic religion, in spite of the holy Trinity – three in one. Personally, I believe there are many paths and manifestations of one most high God. This is illustrated by the story of “The Blind Men and the Elephant” which I recently mentioned to another blogger. There are multiple versions of this story. Each man experiences the elephant from a different perspective, and each thinks his experience is the whole elephant.

I like how the narrator concludes that the only thing the blind men were entirely wrong about was that each thought he was entirely right.

What might happen if this story was about six blind women and the elephant? Do you think the outcome would be different? Do you think they might have listened to each other better? Maybe one woman would say, “Hey, Flo, come over here and feel this part!”

That would change the story, but not necessarily the message. Maybe they would start to argue, but then investigate further. The message is as important today as ever. No one has a monopoly on the entire truth. We have different experiences. Let’s listen to each other and learn from each other’s experiences. Maybe we won’t change our minds every time, but we might have a better understanding.

Some of the photos in today’s gallery can be interpreted various ways. For example, the fallen monkey toy is a good sign that Mama Cat, normally a cave dweller, played with the monkey I put on the top of her cat tree at bedtime. Most mornings, it’s on the floor. This time, it was on her window seat.

The painting above was done on a piece of bare wood in the kitchen. I did not plan on it being so strange. I started by following the grain in the wood, but guess I ended up following the stream of consciousness.

~~~

For more streams and info on SoCS,

visit out wonderful host,

Linda G. Hill by clicking HERE.

October 29, 2022
by JoAnna 14 Comments

SoCS: In the Elements, Mary Poppins, Wildlife Photos, and Getting Cozy

Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “element.” We can use it any way we want. Who knows what will happen?

It’s not so bad being out in the elements if you are dressed for it, and it’s like for 20 minutes. Last evening, I walked Marley in a chilly rain, well it was more like a drizzle. We just went to the park and back. Having run errands earlier, I was tired, but made myself go to an art show since I had entered some of my and my daughter’s photos with encouragement from my friend, Linda who is a photographer. Now, Friday evening, I’m drinking some hot tea called “Calming.” It contains elements of chamomile and licorice root and others I don’t remember.

The element of surprise is not something I care to be subjected to. Elements of peace and joy, those are nice. There is an element of joy in every day. What’s that song? “In every job that must be done there is an element of fun. You find the fun and SNAP the job’s a game.” How did I end up memorizing those Mary Poppins songs? We must’ve had the album when I was a kid.

Pausing to pet the cat on my lap, I don’t know where to go from here. Feeling thankful to be home and cozy, except I need a blanket on my feet. Next time the cat gets up, I will get the blanket. But my tummy is very warm, with warm tea on the inside and a warm cat on the outside. It’s not even that cold out, just in the upper 50s and rainy. Just enough to make the inside cozy.

Well, must be time for a gallery or something before I start repeating myself more. Maybe I’ll sleep in tomorrow, but I have a dog and a cat to feed by the crack of 9am, or the cat will chastise me for being late with long, loud meows.

Oh, what a life where sleeping in means 8:30am. I’m glad our host, Linda slept in on prompt day. My older sister’s name was Linda, too. It’s a lovely name.

The gallery shows the photos we put in the show which was about wildlife. The first two are mine, and the second two (Dancing Osprey and Turtle Undercover) were taken by my daughter, Ayla.

Isn’t it amazing how wild animals adapt to the elements? Especially birds. I certainly hope they don’t get as cold as I would.

Speaking of cozy, here’s my go to dinner music of cozy jazz:

~~~

For more streams of consciousness, along with rules,

visit our host, Linda Hill, by clicking HERE.

October 15, 2022
by JoAnna 24 Comments

SoCS: Happy Places and Change on Planet Home Sweet Home

Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “happy place.” Write the first thing that comes to mind when you think of “happy place.” Have fun!

When someone says, “Go to your happy place,” it could mean a real place, or a place you imagine in your mind. It’s nice if we have a happy place in our home. Mama Cat is sitting on my lap as I type this, watching Return of the Jedi on TNT. I don’t think Mama Cat is really watching, but my lap seems to be her happy place. In the evening, when Marley is in the back bedroom with David, Mama Cat goes between the couch and her catio. It’s her free time to wander the eastern side of the house.

Sometimes, our happy places can change. The ocean used to be one of my happy places, and I still love it, but not quite as much lately. Maybe it was the jelly fish sting from last year or the tiny organisms sometimes called “sea lice” that get caught in my swimsuit and make me itch for days. Still, the ocean is powerfully refreshing – just breathing the ocean air helps.

Here are some ocean photos. The last one is a painting I did many years ago:

Now, my happy place is likely to have a lot of trees. Even if I’m in the house, I want trees around the house, you know, outside. Not necessarily growing IN the house, though that is possible. A tree house would be nice, like the ewoks have, as long as I can build it without hurting the trees….

I went to look at videos of ewok village trees, like in the ending of Jedi, but the ending has fireworks. My happy place does not include fireworks unless they are quiet. Fireflies would definitely make me happy. Fireflies make me want to dance.

Speaking of happy place and sci fi, I read something surprising about William Shatner’s reaction to going into space for real. Stopping the stream to go find it. It came from FB. I hope it’s really true that he said this. FB didn’t sensor it, so maybe it is. If so, I admire his honesty.

Okay, so I started looking this up which took me way out of the stream of consciousness. Let me just mention that I have read elsewhere that he still has hope. I think the quote above came from his new book, Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder. Sounds like a great title.

Quotes taken out of context can be misleading. I guess the main point for this post is that your happy place can change. That’s a good thing. If we have plenty of imagination, our happy place can always be with us. Still, I hope we can create more happy places on the real planet Earth. Because right now, there is no planet B. And even if there was, Earth is our home sweet home.

Fireflies still exist somewhere… Next time I see them, I will dance.

~~~

For more streams of consciousness about happy places,

visit our host, Linda Hill by clicking HERE.

August 10, 2022
by JoAnna 6 Comments

CFFC: The Presence of Animals

This week our topic for Cee’s Fun Photo Challenge is celebrating what Connects you to the present moment.

Yesterday’s history

Tomorrow’s a mystery

Today is a gift

That’s why they call it the present.

All of nature connects me to the gift of the present moment, but animals are especially good at drawing me in. Maybe it’s because they are experts at being in the here and now. Walking and training my dog, Marley requires that I be present and vigilant as he is constantly wanting to chase or smell something. We’ve made progress. Stroking the formerly feral Mama Cat is soothing as I listen to her purr which gets louder over time.

The residents at the Farm Animal Sanctuary where I volunteer are always doing something interesting to help me focus on the now. At least once a week, I go there to cut produce and feed the two pigs and 11 roosters, then I hang out with the goats. There are also three sheep at the sanctuary who graze at will.

For more on CFFC, visit our host, Cee by clicking HERE.

June 4, 2022
by JoAnna 23 Comments

SoCS: Marley, the Bunny, and the Cat Under the SUV

Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “iron(y).” Use “iron,” use “irony,” or use both. Use them any way you’d like. Bonus points if you use both. Have fun!

First of all, let me get this out of the way: I don’t iron anymore. Period.

Now, to the story.

The bunny was just sitting there on the corner near the house that has been vacant for many years. I was surprised that Marley, my pitsky with a high prey drive, did not see the bunny. We crossed the street and waited. We’re supposed to be working on recall, still on leash, with all our training tools. Still, the bunny barely moved. He or she munched on some weeds. It vaguely occurred to me that God was doing me a favor, but my growing confidence led me to be less vigilant. There’s some irony in here somewhere.

The bunny looked like this
(from Pixabay?)

We moved on, heading back toward our house. I (again vaguely) knew there was a cat who lived in the vicinity, but I was confident and pushed the envelope. A cat would be an opportunity to practice recall. Marley realized before I did, that the cat was hiding under an SUV parked close to the sidewalk. Before I knew it, I was pulled to the SUV Marley stuck his head under. The cat’s hissing just excited him more. At some point, Marley must have suddenly responded to my commands, because I ended up falling HARD on my butt. Thank God I did not let go of the leash. And thank God I did not break a hip since I have osteoporosis. But that didn’t stop me from cussing which I rarely do in public. I’ve had coccyx issues in the past so falling hard on my butt is an “Oh —-,” experience.

The young couple of the house came out to see if I was okay, distracting Marley from their cat who had since run up a tree on the other side of the SUV. Eventually I got up and made my way home. That all happened last Saturday night. My butt still hurts, but not as much. I trust my body knows how to heal.

Lessons learned: Don’t push the envelope. BE VIGILANT. Beware of parked vehicles near our path.

The good news is that yesterday, when Marley accidentally got out of the kitchen while Mama Cat was in her safe corridor, he did not go crazy. We’ve been keeping them separated, though I’ve been thinking it might be almost time to let Marley see her on the other side of the pet gate while he is in PLACE on his cot – a command he is learning. While I was doing something on the computer, with Mama Cat in the dining area with me, I noticed Marley was whining and pacing on the other side of the gate.

What?! He’s supposed to be in the kitchen!

I called David to get him back in the kitchen, but at least Marley didn’t go crazy. He acted more like he does when he wants to make friends with another dog or person. So that’s good news, especially since Mama Cat and the SUV cat are both tuxedo cats. I’m hoping Marley will clearly understand that Mama Cat is part of our family.

~~~

For more streams of consciousness, rules, and more, visit out host, Linda Hill by clicking HERE.

May 3, 2022
by JoAnna 18 Comments

Good News Tuesday for May 3, 2022: Free Gym Memberships for Teens, Turning Sewage into Green Energy, a Congolese Nun with Special Skills, and the Mysterious Journey of a One-Eyed Cat

Planet Fitness Offers Free Summer Memberships to High School Students

Teenagers 14-19 can work out for free at Planet Fitness this summer. If they register early, they’ll have a chance to win a scholarship. Younger teens can sign up with a parent. According to their website map, Planet Fitness has gyms all over world. You can read more about it here.

…

Oregon Town Turns Sewage into Green Energy

Treating wastewater consumes a lot of energy, but a town in Oregon is turning wastewater to green energy. The process “creates heat for five of the buildings on site and an estimated 4,324 megawatts of electricity, providing about half of the facility’s energy usage.” I learned a lot from this article from Reasons to be Cheerful.

…

Congolese Nun Creates and Maintains Hydro-electric Plant

A Congolese nun became an electrician and raised money so her town would have more consistent electricity. Through her work, Sister Alphonsine Ciza helps provide reliable electricity for convent, a church, two schools, and a medical clinic. Here’s more from the Good News Network.

…

One-Eyed Cat Shows Up on an Offshore Oil Rig after Missing for Five Years

Here’s a mystery with a happy ending. A friendly black cat named Dexter went missing five years ago. Turns out he’d been living at a prison in Scotland where he was fed and loved by staff and inmates. Dexter had a habit of hanging out in shipping containers and was accidentally shipped to an offshore oil rig in the North Sea. The folks at the oil rig put his picture on Facebook which got him shipped back home to his original owner who plans to take him to visit the prison.

…

Got Good News?

Share your good news or GNT link in the comments!

February 26, 2022
by JoAnna 21 Comments

Marley and Dave (It Feels Like We’ve Adopted a Teenager)

Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday, is….. “rest” to use any way we like and enjoy!

Rest has become more important to me as I get older. That doesn’t always mean I get enough of it. There’s always something to do, but that’s nothing new. Rest, as in stretching my back out flat, is in some ways more important than sleep. But I’ve read that sleep is important, too.

The two “men” in my life, David the husband, and Marley the pitsky (husky/pitbull), have more energy than I do. They are often “on alert” and busy when awake, but they sleep well. Marley has made slow progress in his training. In the house, he’s a sweetheart – well-behaved and loveable, though even my golden retriever didn’t shed this much.

We are still keeping Marley and Mama Cat separated. Marley has a high “prey drive.” He’s getting better when I walk him in the back yard as we reinforce the fence and only occasionally lunges at squirrels out of his reach. I watch him closely to anticipate a lunge by planting my feet and holding on to the leash with both hands, but like I said, he’s getting better in the yard. He LOVES to play ball on the long leash, throwing the ball in the air and starting to let me get it from him if he gets a training treat.

A few nights ago, David was taking Marley on his nighttime walk and right out of the gate, Marley lunged at a neighborhood cat, catching David off guard and catching two fingers in the leash. The next day, David went to the doctor. They had to cut his wedding ring off. 😦 But that can be fixed. His ring figure has a small fracture, and his pinky finger popped a tendon. It’s good it’s his left hand, but still. On Wednesday, he’ll have surgery,

Apparently, Marley needs more serious training. I’m watching a video program for “reactive dogs” but I’m also researching more local training. We did five sessions with a woman who I like, because she is laid back and not bossy, but maybe I need someone more serious without being bossy. I bet dogs think we are bossy. No, we are just pack leaders. Huskies are notoriously headstrong, and pit bulls are tenacious. Both breeds are loyal and affectionate. Good thing David loves Marley. When I asked him how he felt about Marley after the injury, David said, “It wasn’t his fault. I wasn’t paying attention.” I’m sure glad I got my “must love dogs” wish from my soulmate wishlist. It makes me love him even more.

David is going to have to give those fingers a rest. Marley will probably chill out in a few years when he’s ten. Even though he’s six, he acts more like a two-year-old dog. I feel like we’ve adopted a teenager. At least I don’t have to worry about him going out and partying, especially since we got him neutered and keep close tabs on his whereabouts. Marley keeps us from becoming too sedentary.

Mama Cat, now she knows how to rest.

I’m trapped on the couch by MC while Marley and Dave are back in the man cave

I love this picture of Marley waiting for Dave to come home and take him for a walk. It was a few weeks ago. You can see the Christmas tree lights reflected in the window. I finally took the tree down.

~~~

For more on Stream of Consciousness Saturday,

visit our host, Linda Hill by clicking HERE.

December 11, 2021
by JoAnna 10 Comments

SoCS: Trees! Plus, a New Family Member

Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is ….. “tree.” Use the word “tree” or write about a tree. Any kind of tree. Enjoy! You can learn more about Stream of Consciousness Saturday and find more streams at the blog of our excellent host, Linda Hill.

Woohoo! I get to write about trees two posts in a row. So many possibilities, but I’m not to plan. Hmmm. There’s a sycamore in my yard close to the house. Who’s been leaning for years since a hurricane whose name I’ve forgotten. She’s sent up a slender new trunk, there’s probably another name for this skinny spike, not really a trunk, but the point is, for balance. In 50 years, it might be another trunk. The tree leans over my neighbors back yard mostly, not her house, and has survived and stood strong for many subsequent hurricanes. I bet the roots go under my house and her house, maybe even across the street, joining with other roots of the many trees in my urban forest.

I’ve been reading the Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Understory. Almost finished. Slow reader. It’s disturbing and beautiful. At first, being trained first as a technical writer (well one class), I thought the book was wordy. I’ve had to look up a word almost every time I pick it up. But now, it’s become poetic. The book is about several people from all over the country/world who come to love trees and desire to save them. The scientist writes about how trees communicate with each other in the air and underground, which brings us back to my urban forest. So many leaves on my pathways now, making them soft and covering tiny animals and plants.

The larger animals, like squirrels, who have had the run of the yard for a couple of years since we have not had a dog and Mama Cat lives inside. Now we have adopted a dog. A big one. Bigger and more energetic than we would have chosen. It’s a longish story and related to the fact that my daughter and her fiancé already have two big dogs in their apartment. Marley is their brother. Their mother, Leilu, my grand dog, just crossed the rainbow bridge at age 7 due to cancer. Marley’s first adopter called Ayla to say she could no longer care for him for financial reasons. Last night was his first night here and he whined enough for David to go get him from his crate (which he supposedly has slept most of his 6 years) and slept with him in the spare bedroom. Marley is going to be a challenge, especially where Mama Cat is concerned. I’m reading about that, scheduling obedience consultations, and we go to the vet Monday.

Yesterday, during his first run in my backyard, Marley rolled in the leaves and something very stinky. I’m glad my daughter gave him a bath. He’s a husky / pit bull mix (a pitsky), very energetic and LOVES to be with people. He’s very curious about the smell of the other animal in the house, but we’re taking that slow. Marley is not allowed in the cat side of the house.