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“Emma” opens a new chapter
"Foster fail" is a real medical condition, and one that affects the heart. It's also the remedy for a broken heart.
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The Easter Promise
Easter means hope for healing the heart
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Five Minute Friday: A bittersweet BLESSING
Usually when I think of blessings, I think of positive things that I find incredibly heartwarming or awesome, that have happened in my life. Today, I’m counting a blessing that is bittersweet. Our tabby striped, 12-year-old Maine Coon cat, Tikey, had to be euthanized last night at the vet, amidst hugs and an ocean of tears. What my husband, Joe, and I thought was an aggressive ear polyp that was next to his eardrum and had begun bothering him (with dizziness and nausea which had caused him to stop eating), was compounded by stomach/colon lymphoma. A good quality of life was no longer possible for him and I believe he…
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#AtoZChallenge: X-cellent, furry alarm clock
Throwback Thursday post from 2016: The alarm clock feature on the iPhone is quite dependable. Unless you are a consistent “snoozer” like I am. I like to wake up and hit the snooze button a few more times before doing my leg exercises and getting out of bed. My orange, 12-year-old Manx cat, Oliver, (aka Ollie), has other ideas. He enjoys snuggling in bed in the mornings but once the alarm goes off, he’s ready for breakfast. At first, he patiently waits for me to wake up and turn the alarm off (or “snooze it,” as I usually do). He quickly learns that if I go back to sleep, that…
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#AtoZChallenge: Kittens
Tikey at the point of adoption 😉 Photo © Diane Weidenbenner There is something irresistable about kittens. Those small bundles of fur and purr are God’s gift and blessing to us. Even people who don’t like cats usually admit that kittens are adorable. Kittens are small and cuddly. Their claws, while sharp, are usually tiny and therefore not painful and rarely penetrate skin or clothing. I love it when kittens yawn. Their faces scrunch up, they close their eyes and they show every single tooth in their head. And, their little pink tongues look like flower petals that have curled. They are used to getting everything they want or need…
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#AtoZChallenge: Fur
Oliver, aka “Ollie, has some of the softest belly fur I’ve ever seen or felt on a cat. He turned 12 this spring. © by Diane Weidenbenner If you own a cat, dog or other cuddly pet, you know there is just something sweet and blessed about fur. Recently our dog, Hershey, got banned from the bedroom while my husband, Joe, and I sleep. If we’re watching TV or reading, Hershey is allowed in the bedroom and even (gasp) on the bed. Something happens to him, however, when we fall asleep and he chews holes in our comforter, extracting the stuffing and carrying it around the house like it is…
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A to Z Challenge: “Z”iggy, the hedgehog
On April 16, I attended an Earth Day celebration where I work, sponsored by White Violet Center for Eco-Justice. It’s my all-time favorite event and there is something for everyone. I met a new friend at this year’s event, while I was helping to staff the baked goods area. His name is Ziggy. He is a pet hedgehog. He is ADORABLE! I’ve seen a sign, advertising pet hedgehogs at a local pet shop in town. I couldn’t imagine having one, until now. Ziggy’s “parents” were a lovely couple who brought him to Earth Day. He enjoyed being held and also, literally, hung out of a backpack as the two walked…
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A to Z Challenge: “R”elaxation
My husband looks longingly at our cats and our dog, when they sleep. He says, “Wouldn’t it be great to be that relaxed?!” It’s like they abandon all striving and let their kittie/puppy dream states take over. Once in awhile you’ll see them twitch or whimper – I think one of them is having a bad dream but he or she could just as easily be chasing the bird/squirrel of their choice. I recently had a knee replacement and this meant that I had to sleep on my back, with my leg elevated on a pillow, above my heart. Talk about uncomfortable! It’s hard enough to get to sleep after…
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A to Z Challenge: “K”itties gone bad
Being an animal lover, I couldn’t help posting some older photos of some of the cats that we’ve had (and still have), doing amazing things. So, thank you for indulging me with this lighter post that is mostly photos. Hope you enjoy them as much as I had captioning them!
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A to Z Challenge: “I”nterspecies coexistence or how cats and dogs get along!
My husband and I have several cats (they were mine and he adopted them). We’d been married 10 years when I attended a Plants and Pets in the Park fundraiser for the Parke-Vermillion County Humane Society, to pick up a few spring plants. I found a few along with an 8-pound puppy that I couldn’t live without. A few weeks later, we adopted “Hershey” who they predicted would be about 45 pounds when full-grown. He is now 70+ pounds of pure love (it could be all the Cheez-Its and Twizzlers that my husband shares with him). A year after we adopted Hershey, my friend Sandy and I rescued a two-pound…
