Welcome to Small Reflections


"Nothing is ever achieved without enthusiasm."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Duck photo source: Lisa's Chaos
I hope you enjoy your visit. If you're looking for something specific, check out the links to posts by category in my sidebar and down a ways. They'll assist with tracking down different types of posts found on each of my three blogs. You might also enjoy checking out the other sites: Sacred Ruminations, Blog Rolls, Bling & Blurbs, and Happily Retired Gal.

I hope you'll look around & leave comments
then visit me at my new blog ...

Giraffe Journal

and/or website ... Labyrinth Journal
both self-hosted at WordPress
where I publish as myself
rather than under a
pseudonym.

I've not had much time for posting or blog visits, but if you're interested I hope you'll find time to check out my new blog, Giraffe Journal or my Labyrinth Journal website ... both self hosted at WordPress.

Thanks for your visit and have a delightful day ;--)
Hugs and blessings,

Friday, October 26, 2007

Life with fur-friends

Molly and Ms. Kitty kept me company yesterday as I cleaned up the front yard ... each reminding me to savor the moment as I worked.

When I'm too busy to play with her, Molly chews on the shrinking remnant of what
locals refer to as her "Laker's Ball" (no doubt because of it's color scheme) that was left in our yard months ago by Jake (another yellow Lab who joyfully played fetch with anyone he could find to toss the ball). He and his sister, Jessie, visited this Spring along with their family, residing in the "vacation rental" next door for a month. Similar in age, the three pups had great fun together each day. Apparently everyone overlooked Jake's favorite toy as they packed & moved on.

After their departure, Molly waited patiently by the neighbor's gate hoping the dogs would come out to play ... but left Jake's ball untouched for three days before finally "claiming" it as her own & making it her favorite front-yard "fetch" toy ... perhaps because it reminds her of the fun they had playing together. I wonder if she realizes it's getting smaller each day as she tears off pieces? Will she miss it when it's gone? It's certainly not long for this world. K who lives across the street and thinks Molly's "beautiful" gave her a couple of balls as replacements, but so far ... Molly chooses this toy consistently.

Molly's the neighborhood "greeter" ... visiting with passers-by happily ... inviting them to throw her "ball" so she can retrieve it, but Ms. Kitty tends to be more aloof and prefers to "hide out" when strangers come near. Opposites in color and temperament, these two fur-friends teach me lessons daily and reflect different sides of my own personality.

Independent and wary, Ms. Kitty's a feral cat who lived on her own for years, before M started to give her treats whenever he visited. Back then she'd hang out a couple of doors inland from my house ... relaxing in the the "safety" of the enclosed yard of the tiny beach cabin used only occasionally on weekends ... taking shelter under the large wooden porch in inclement weather. It didn't take her long to visit MY yard looking for handouts. Not being a "cat" person, I resisted until she showed up one day with a festering wound on her neck while M was visiting. He bought a cat carrier and we took the kitty to my vet. I paid for the medical treatment and a 5-day stay to get her back on her feet ... after which she "adopted" me ... and has been living here ever since. She wasn't thrilled when I brought Molly home a couple of years ago, but they've learned to coexist. I doubt they'll ever be "friends" ... but they know we're "family".

Interestingly, in the past few months Molly has developed a "wary" and/or "skittish" side with occasional strangers while Ms. Kitty has learned to trust a few more people ... allowing a some to approach and even touch her these days. These subtle changes remind me of my own evolution.

As a young person I believed the views of friends and family members who perceived me to be an extrovert like Molly, but in my mid-30s (as I started to journal regularly) ... I realized that's what others wanted (even needed?) me to be ... and like a "good girl" ... I complied. Over the next decade or so, I realized I'm quite introverted like Ms. Kitty ... and in the past few years I've come to recognize & appreciate a "continuum" of connectedness within myself. As I've learned to pay as much attention to my inner needs as to the needs of others ... I've experienced balance ... and find it easier all the time to choose when to be alone and when to engage. It seems that the best way to be available to others, is to take care of myself & encourage them to do likewise.

4 comments:

Joy Des Jardins said...

I understand what you mean by 'inner balance.' I've learned to pay attention to those inner needs now more than any other time in my life. Maybe because I've lost my husband in the past two years...and my mother. Though my kids are in my life every day...I'm in this big house with just myself to contend with. I like the time to myself to blog and work on the computer; although I think I need to make sure I remember to get out and do other things. My family and friends are good about reminding me.

storyteller said...

Joy -- thanks for checking back and leaving another comment so soon. I lost my dad when I was 30, my mom at the age of 44 (along with my marriage of 21 years a few weeks later when he decided he wanted his freedom>, and my brother when I was 55 so I understand losses and transitions. What doesn't kill us DOES make us stronger. Thank God for friends & family and the unconditional support of our faithful fur-critters. Blessings on you & yours.

Joyce said...

Thanks for the link back to this interesting post, about your furkids and yourself. :)

storyteller said...

Manikandan – Big Bear IS a wonderful place to visit … though I’ve not been there in years now since we sold our travel trailer.

Joyce – I’m delighted to revisit some of my earliest posts and to find that you’ve followed this link ‘rediscovering’ who I was back then and how I began blogging 6 months ago.

How interesting to find TWO comments here this morning … one from last January … so I suspect I must have highlighted this post previously. Have a wonderful Wednesday and thanks again for taking the time to read and respond to this early post of mine.
Hugs and blessings,

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