“One cat just leads to another.” – Ernest Hemingway

Bloganuary writing prompt
What is your favorite animal?

Where shall I start??? I love animals. Especially the warm-blooded kind. Cold-blooded animals…I am impartial, too. So what’s my favourite animal. I think our feral cat family would scratch me if I didn’t say cats.

Let me introduce you to them :

Russell

Russell

Meet Russell. He is from the first litter of 5 that his mum brought to my door. He is two years old. He is a very vocal somebody who is unsure if he is a big baby or a big gib. He tends to arrive 30 minutes before dinner time and makes a racket for at least 10 mins in the hope of being fed early. It never happens but he tries his luck every day without fail. He drives me insane but I love him anyway.

Meow Meow

Meow Meow

This gorgeous young gib is called Meow Meow because he was a very vocal kitten. He is from the second litter that his mum brought to my door. He will be two years old next month. He has grown up to be a quiet, independent soul. Russell torments him sometimes, so I think that is why he prefers to keep to himself, yet if Russell comes to call him, he dutifully rouses himself from his sleep and goes off with him. They have a weird relationship. I could always count on Meow Meow to let me know if a kitten had messed up in the house. It disturbed him when they did. He is super smart; if I ask him to tell me when a cat is at the door, he will do so. He hates being touched, which breaks my heart because he has the most beautiful, thick, soft fur coat. 

Socks and Shoes

Socks and Shoes

These are from the last batch of kittens that were brought to my door. Socks is the only female that their mum gave birth to. (Well, that I noticed anyway.) She is the cutie pie on the left. She is a very, very independent soul and prefers to be outside. Shoes, on the other hand, prefers to be inside and I sometimes have to chase him around the house when it is time for him to go. He is absolutely adorable. These two will be a year old next month. 

Bob

Bob and Socks

Bob is from the 3rd litter. Here is with Socks. These two are almost inseparable. Strangely enough, when their mother kicked Socks and Shoes “out of the nest”, big brother Bob took them under his wing and let them “suckle” on him for comfort. It was sweet of him at the time but it is just weird now because he still lets Socks do it. Poor Shoes tries his luck every time but Bob will have none of it. Meow Meow is also quite attached to the kittens and still plays with them when they need a playmate.

I have managed to sterilise the whole lot, including their mum, so thankfully, Socks and Shoes are the last kittens. Before the arrival of this lot, I was a dog person. I still am, but these guys (and doll) have taught me that cats are adorable too. They have taken over my home (at meal times) and my heart (at all times)

Thanks for stopping by. Be blessed!

Joy lives in the moment

Bloganuary Day 5

Today’s Prompt: What brings you joy?

Once again, my mum was my first thought when I read that prompt. Her name was Joy. When she passed, everyone would tell me how she brought joy to them through her smile. She always greeted everyone with a smile. Her baking was the other way she brought joy to people. She was a very talented baker and she liked to make note of (in her head), exactly who liked what cake. She always made sure she made a person’s favourite when they visited or she visited them. Of course, seeing the delight on people’s faces when she smiled at them and when they walked in smelled their favourite treat before they even laid eyes on it, made her light up. She was an introvert so she would try to hide it but if you paid close attention in that moment, you would notice her light up just a little bit. I think it is pretty cool that she deliberately did something to bring people joy every time they came into contact with her. She really lived up to her name in that respect. The thought of it brings me joy and inspires me.

What brings me joy are the simple things in life.

– Seeing my son light up when he is proud of himself or I am proud of him or when something good happens to him.

– Spending time with the cats that adopted us. They are such curious and innocent souls. Below is a video I created on IG. My son was movinga ball around with his hands and they were just fascinated. I added the song on IG and it just worked out perfectly! I was so chuffed!

Video: Created on IG by author. Music: I Feel Good by Pink Sweat$.

– Spending time in the company of toddlers and pre-schoolers. They keep me alert to, and appreciative of, the wonders around me.

– Listening to the bird’s conversation in the mornings. I really wish I could speak tweet and chirp. Their conversation sounds pretty hectic sometimes especially when they are shouting at each other😂😂

– Spending time pottering in my little garden and especially when all my efforts are rewarded with a new bloom.

– Books and the wonderful act of reading them. I am currently reading Game of Thrones. I love the way George RR Martin puts words together. It feels like I am reading a piece of art.

– I guess I get this from my mum, but surprising people with little gifts brings me great joy. Sometimes it’s the gift of an experience that they have never had before rather than a material object. Either way I always hope that I was able to enrich their lives for a short period.

– I will end with calling out writing as something that brings me great joy. I get so excited when I write so if everything seems a bit jumbled sometimes, now you know why.

These are just some of things that bring me joy every day. I hope you felt some of my joy just reading about them. Don’t forget:

The world is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.

W.B. Yeats

There are lots of interesting blogs on each of the bloganuary topics. If you would like to read more of them, you can follow the tag here.

Thanks for stopping by. Bye for now.

Quotes To Live By: Don Walsh

“Exploration is curiosity put into action.”

Don Walsh
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