Pets

[caption id=“attachment_2848” align=“aligncenter” width=“800”] In our deepest moments of struggle, frustration, fear, and confusion, we are being called upon to reach in and touch our hearts. Then, we will know what to do, what to say, how to be. What is right is always in our deepest heart of hearts. It is from the deepest part of our hearts that we are capable of reaching out and touching another human being. It is, after all, one heart touching another heart. - Roberta Sage Hamilton[/caption] ...

[caption id=“attachment_2276” align=“alignnone” width=“584”] What greater gift than the love of a cat? ~Charles Dickens[/caption] I had never expected to be as doting towards my cat as I am. Whether that is due to my never having had a cat before or to needing the companionship of a cat at my age, I don’t know. When I saw Cali comfortably sleeping in all these different poses, I had to grab my camera and take these images. I found a lovely poem on sleeping cats which I’m going to share with you below. ...

[caption id=“attachment_1831” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] “It is fun to have fun but you have to know how.”[/caption] Dr. Seuss wasn’t really a doctor. “Theodor Seuss Geisel, known to the world as Dr. Seuss was born on 2nd of March 1904 in Howard Street, Springfield, Massachusetts. Geisel credited his mother to be his first inspiration. She often chanted rhymes to her children in order to sooth them to sleep which developed the desire and affection in Geisel to create rhymes. His early life in Springfield and the memories of his childhood had an influence on his writings which can be observed in his work.” How fondly I remember reading his books to my little one many moons ago - without even bothering to find out who he was. His stories were delightfully simple and lots of fun. My little one loved the rhyming and the repetition as all children do. ...

There are varying theories about whether cats really love their human caregivers or are merely attached to them as providers of food, water, love, affection, treats, and the like. As someone who never had a pet and acquired one later in life, I feel that cats who receive loving care get to be very attached to their owners and their owners to them. However, just as with human love, the word “love” gets tossed around in ways that are merely conceptual as it relates to cats. ...

Once upon a time, there was a cat who liked to sit with the Buddha, sniff at him, and rest at his feet. They had “Dharma Talks.” He taught her about meditation: **"**As you practice remaining attentive, passionate, and firm in purpose, those memories and conflicts of life are let go, and with their letting go your mind centers and becomes calm, it strengthens. This is how you develop mindfulness of, and in, the body." ...

[caption id=“attachment_1630” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] With Toronto’s freezing cold weather and ice storm this winter, my heart has many a day reflected on sitting out on a beautiful Summer’s Day.[/caption] To make myself feel better about the extremely cold weather we’re experiencing now, I took a look at some of last year’s images. These collages are a result of that time. Seeing these does make me feel better and brighter in spirit. ...

 ~ Quotations from: “Cat Quotations” - a book in my own personal library. [caption id=“attachment_1474” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] Cat with Japanese Maple in Red Fall Color[/caption] “There are other ties which cats put on our affections. We enjoy their intelligence and grace; and we feel a strange sense of companionship and consolation in their presence. But these are ideas we can understand by words. The reasons for their appeal to us can never be expressed too clearly.” (Lloyd Alexander) ...

All the images in this collage are of my own Calico cat. Her name is Cali. She likes to be the queen here at home. Other cat owners have told me the same about their own cats. They have that superior attitude about themselves and want things their own way. I crowned her and she looks adorable and regal in these pictures. Hope you enjoy the collage and the poem. Cali is a good companion and friend to me**.** ...

[caption id=“attachment_711” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Pet Shop Twins”][/caption] The cat is the animal to whom the Creator gave the biggest eye, the softest fur, the most supremely delicate nostrils, a mobile ear, an unrivaled paw and a curved claw borrowed from the rose-tree. Sidonie Gabrielle The images in this collage are of twin cats who belong to the owner of a pet shop that I visited. They are beautiful and I was fascinated at how they followed each other around. I read somewhere that in the case of animals, they are twins if they come out of the same sac. The information that they were twins was given to me by the owner. She was happy that I was photographing them and that I liked them so much. Although I have my own cat, I hadn’t noticed her enough to describe her in the way that the writer of the above quote did. Sometimes we see without really knowing what it is that we see. “The imagination is like a lantern. It illuminates the inner landscapes of our life and helps us discover their secret archaeologies.” (John O’Donohue) Hope you enjoy the collage and that your insights and imagination are working well. I’m glad that the quote set my imagination to work.

[caption id=“attachment_618” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] Christmas Cat[/caption] “Who would believe such pleasure from a wee ball o’ fur?” - Irish Saying It was fun making my pet, Cali, look beautiful for Christmas. She obliged for just a short while and I was able to take these images. With the lovely colors of her coat of hair and the red ribbon, she makes a striking picture. Cali is a calico cat. We adopted her four years ago from a family who couldn’t take care of her any longer. At that time she was already four years old. Cali loves Christmas. She loves tissue paper, gift wrap, and bags, and has lots of fun when we are opening the presents Christmas Day. ...