You need it more than you think
We are a society of stressed-out people. There’s no doubt about it. Granted, a global pandemic hasn’t helped our stress levels. As a society, we put in a ton of hours at work and often come home exhausted. And we’ve spent over a year working from home, stressing out about the state of our health, the health of our wallets, and the health of our planet.
When it comes to relaxing, we could learn a thing or three from cats. I’m a self-professed cat lady and therefore have casually studied the napping habits of felines for over twenty years. This…
The World War I era through the eyes of those who lived it
Years ago, after my grandparents passed away, my mom went through the love letters they wrote during their courtship and the first year of their marriage. My grandparents met during the summer of 1917. My grandfather had just finished his first year at the Colgate Rochester Divinity School, He was in Bradford, Pennsylvania assisting with vacation bible school (VBS) at the church where my grandmother attended and she volunteered with the VBS.
They met and fell in love amid the gaslight-lined streets of Bradford, Pennsylvania. By the end of the summer, they were secretly engaged as my grandfather went back…
It will make you a better writer
I’m currently working on a young adult novel that I hope to see published. I’m also an avid reader. I’ve found as I read books — novels to be specific — I read with a writer’s eye. I carefully study things like plot and character development. Sometimes if the book really sucks, I struggle to finish it. I do try to finish it though. I often learn more from bad books than I do from good ones.
These books usually have a few things in common that make it hard to finish. …
We never painted by the numbers, baby / but we were making it count
The name Taylor Swift conjures up all different emotions. At times, she’s been known for who she’s dating as much as her music. Taylor’s been in and out of the news in recent years. She rose to popularity as a teenage country star, and at the height of that popularity, she switched to pop music. Her new indie album, Folklore, has sold 1.3 million copies in 24 hours. Through it all, Taylor Swift’s fans have remained devoted to her.
Her fans’ loyalty is something all creatives can learn from and attempt to emulate.
Take the Time to Work on Your Craft
Taylor set a goal at an early…
And what I did to fix them
In January, I adopted a blind kitten. I had gone with a friend to yoga at a kitty café. I hadn’t planned to adopt that day. We attended so my friend could scope out the kitties and perhaps find some kittens she might be interested in adopting. Instead, I fell in love with a blind kitten. I adopted Scout the next day. I’ve learned a lot from that experience.
I adopted on a whim and didn’t do any due diligence
I failed to do any research before I adopted Scout. As a result, I had no idea how different life with a blind kitten would be. Although I quarantined Scout in…
The not so gentle ways my cats ask to be fed
Hangry — I’m sure you’ve heard that term before. It’s the feeling you get when you’re so hungry that any little annoyance sets you off and you get angry. The two collide in a perfect confluence of anger and hunger to give us the feeling of being hangry. The only thing you can do at that point is to eat.
I’ve come to the conclusion that my cats also get hangry. The difference is that cats have really sharp claws so when they get hangry — there could be bloodshed.
Food, glorious food
As aloof as cats seem, if you crack open a…
Cheesy facts through history
I love cheese there’s no doubt about it. Any entrée is made better with the addition of cheese. You know I’m right. Toast becomes grilled cheese, chips and salsa become nachos, French fries become cheesy fries. When I worked at a large retail bookstore, I did a salute to cheese on one of the end caps of the store. Here’s my salute to cheese.
Leo’s Big Block of Cheese Speech
One of my favorite episodes of The West Wing is the episode where Leo McGarry recites his Andrew Jackson cheese speech. Apparently, Andrew Jackson had a two-ton block of cheese in the foyer of the White…
Six things my cats can’t live without
Cats have never been shy about asking for what they want. Their plaintive cries alert us to their food deficits and they scratch on doors to get inside or out. It seems like in a cat’s world the grass is always greener on the other side of the glass. Have you ever wondered why they want all the stuff you’ve got?
My cats are forever putting their paws on my keyboard, sticking their furry faces down in my water glass, and stealing my blankets when they sleep in my bed. …
A furry friend can make all the difference in the world
When the world shut down in 2020 to stop the pandemic, pet adoptions went up. In fact, some animal shelters had to close their doors temporarily because they had adopted out all of the animals. That’s a great thing. Our furry friends offer us unconditional love and more smiles than I could ever count.
It’s sad to hear that now people are returning their “pandemic pets” as the world opens up again. …
It will make adulting easier
Your twenties are a time for figuring things out. You may have graduated from college. Maybe you’re on the cusp of starting a career or contemplating furthering your education or maybe you’re doing both of these things — whatever your circumstances — welcome to adulthood.
Adulting can be hard, but acquiring these ten things can make the rest of your life easier.
1. A good support system
Finding your people is an important part of everyone’s life. It can be one of the most important things to do in your twenties. That’s a time when you’re figuring things out. It’s easy to lose your way…
Nancy Parish
Writer, Midwesterner, Amateur Cat Herder, Nap Enthusiast. Previously, Contributing Editor for CWIM. https://thesoundandfurry.com/
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