A back yard treasure

The idea of the blog was to post something at least twice a week. So I am falling behind on my own blogging goal. One reason for my lack thereof is that I need to invest in a new communication device, aka a computer. I currently have a 7 year old desk top, that serves it purpose, sometimes. Often it is too tempermental and I don't want to deal with a tempermental PC at the end of a long day. (This picture was taken the morning I found her.)

Some distractions for me in the past few weeks were my missing kitty who, when I found her last year I named Johnny Cat. She was all of about 3-4 weeks old and her little eyes were all infected from an upper respiratory infection. After the mother cat tossed her out of the litter of kittens the ferals were going to have her for breakfast. "Hey, get away from there you guys" I yelled out the window and quikly ran down to the yard and picked up the little thing & with her eye closed she looked like a pirate. Hmmmm...pirate, huh? I know a pirate, or someone who plays a pirate on the big screen who is cute and his name is Johny Depp! I'll name you Johnny. Well Johnny turned out to be a girl and here she still lives to this day.

Johnny didn't embrace her new home right away, but eventually she learned to bond with her new adopted brothers and vice versa. Eventually she got more and more independent and while she still hangs with the boys for meals, she really goes her own way most of the time. She will never allow me to pick her up, with the exception of once every the morning but only before I get out of bed. So it is not unusual for her not to be around, but for days? That is unusual. After several days of her hiding under the couch, she came out and I was able to pick her up and saw the horror of her throat all torn open. From what I didn't know. I brought her to the Vet and had to leave her there as I had asked them to spay her while she was 'visiting'. Later that day when I went to visit her to my horrow they showed me that the poor little thing swallowed a sewing needle, complete with thread. I felt horrible, but she quickly recovered and is well on the mend back to being a skittish little cutie pie. (These 2 pictures are when she started bonding with her adopted brothers, Spanky & Harley.)

And finally, a happy healthy little kitty, albeit, she really was the runt of the litter and isn't more than 5 lbs for a full grown kitty.

I will close with one of my favorite quotes from the Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Animals:

"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; when there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood, as to understand, to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying [to ourselves] that we are born to eternal life." — Francis Of Assisi

Extended family blessings

First I want to apologize to my adoring fan club for being so delinquent in posting, but there have been a few snags in my life in the course of the past week but I'm back & ready or not here I come.

I had the opportunity to 'go down the shore' this weekend. (I quote that expression because no where else in the world is it called 'going down the shore'. But I'll save that chat for another post.)

When I started this blog I mentioned my love of family and how I will integrate them into this conversation between us. Me, I'm only one of 3 but my Mother was one of 7 and Father one of 5 so I have plenty of cousins to speak of some I am very close with, some moderately close with and others I haven't seen in 40+ years.

I was so blessed to spend Friday night with my 2 nephews, Chris & Danny and their families (and again, I will speak on these 2 later). From Saturday to Sunday I ventured over to my cousin Joe and his wife Donna's house. Upon arrival, albeit a wee bit late because of something called TEQUILA the night before, I was served a delicious lunch of homemade potato salad, grilled kiebasi, beans, loads of olives, & pickles all served on beautiful blue, stoneware plates in their beautiful garden.

I hadn't seen Joe & Donna's girls since last October and let me tell you, I had to sit down to absorb their children's growth & beauty since the last time I saw them. Lily (Elizabeth Helen) is 12, Missy (Melissa) is 11 & Mary is 3. It was obvious from just physical appearance that both Lily & Missy need to grow into their exceedingly long legs. As we sat and ate and chatted I was astounded at the remarkable maturity, beauty and intellictual gifts given to Lily; Missy, while as gifted has a totally different personality and is more 'silly' in her delivery. Mary, well Mary is Mary as both Donna and Joe told me before I got there on Saturday.

When we were out to Mary's favorite restaurant (Panda) on Saturday night, she wanted to chat about something no one at the table was talking about, and she looked at me and said, "Maureen, not to change the subject, but......" I looked at her and her mother Donna, and couldn't believe a 3 year old was talking to me like a 30 year old.

During the course of the weekend I was given the gift of family, of their love and watching 2 people I adore, my cousin Joe & his wife Donna be the best parents that I have ever seen.

On Monday I had to relive how I got to be so close to Joe & Donna and it started in Church, where it all starts. We all share a love for Our Lord, Family & living a good life.

My wish for you today is that today you have a good life.

Deuteronomy 7:13"He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock, in the land which He swore to your forefathers to give you.

Now you had to know that Pretty would be in a picture. God Bless.

There ought to be a law...........

1. That cats can’t shed
   That dogs (or cats) cannot wake up before their caretaker
   That eating chocolate brings inner peace
   That more calories are burned by sitting than exercising
   That we work 2 days a week and have off 5 days
   That a nose grows when someone tells a lie
   That bank accounts are on auto-refill
   That high heals will never pinch your feet
   That jeans are tight, but never too tight to be uncomfortable
   To say please and thank you to our fellow human beings
   That jealousy and envy are banned from the planet
   That it is mandatory for every human on the planet to study the lives of Mother Theresa, St. Paul, St. Rita, Ghandi, (to name only a few)
   To push your child out of the nest when they turn 18
   To never offer your UNSOLICITED opinion, no matter how much you may want to
   That the NYPD can ticket people who TXT and walk
   That car horns be changed to play Beethoven or Bach
   That no one ever works on their Sabbath Day
   That every house on the planet has a pet
   That family says I love you to each other every day
   To bow your head in thankful prayer at least once a day
   
   There ought to be a law, but we have been given something better….FREE WILL!
   
   The Catechism of the Catholic Church says in paragraph 1731: Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one's own responsibility. By free will one shapes one's own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it attains its perfection when directed toward God, our beatitude.

Am I there yet?

Most mornings on my commute to work I have the same daydream. What will it be like when I retire? I won't have to don these heals, skirts, pack my lunch, iron my clothes or leave my house before 8:00 am UNLESS I choose to do so. Now at the age of 54 one might be thinking, 'retire', you're too young, you'll be bored. Ummmm no, because I feel that my job interferes with my personal life! But I need to work but for how much longer?

What I am doing I thought, I am wishing my life away. But these thoughts didn't start this morning on my way into the office. I remember when I was 7 or 8 I couldn't wait to be a 'double' digit, aka, 10! When I was 10 I couldn't wait to be a teenager, 13! Then I was onto 16 so I could have more priviledges; then it was wishing to be 18 so I can be 'legal' and onto 21 to make my life 'official'. After 21 there aren't any other birthday's we WANT to achieve, but we do celebrate the 25th for being a 'decade', and then comes 30-40-50, etc.

When I thought about it this morning I realizled that here I am again, going full circle looking forward to birthdays again. I am looking forward to 57 the age I can officially retire from BNY Mellon, 59 1/2 so I can collect my 401K, 62 so I can file for Social Security.

And then I pause and remember that it's not in my plan when anything happens to me, it's in His plan ~ stop trying to control your life and let it just flow like a river ~ I repeated to myself over and over today. Just be happy being 54 (and a half & counting).

1 Corinthians 7:15 (New International Version)
15But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.