With all this snow outside, I thought I would share my first Christmas photo shoot with you! Thank goodness the sun was outside because the snow is very cold! Unlike my older brother, Chert, I DO NOT love sitting in the snow! He, however, would just sit in it for hours, as I was told! I wish that I had met him, but that defeats the whole reason I am here, doesn’t it? Because I am Chert’s Gift to the family he left behind when he went home to be with his Master. The children in the neighborhoood Chert grew up in used to call his Master “Mr. John” which made him smile and fill his heart with joy. Children have a way of doing that, as I so love when the piano and art students come to visit!
So, my first Christmas was fascinating as the artificial Christmas tree stood positioned between the living room and piano parlor entryway. This cut my running route off, so I had to learn to scoot through the sides of the tree! I thoroughly enjoyed sliding on the tree skirt positioned underneath the tree atop the wood flooring! The ornaments and lights became fascinating to look at, and staring at them for any length of time began to mesmerize me! I must confess I did bat at a few of the ornaments, but much prefer my catnip toys! When gifts were opened, I enjoyed playing with all the ribbons, tissue and wrapping paper – not to mention the boxes were fun for jumping in and hiding inside!
My most memorable experience that first Christmas was the beautiful music, colorful lights and warm feeling of pure love surrounding and enveloping the season. As a natural wayshower myself with born intuitive instincts, I feel this intoxicating love and kindness within me and surrounding me and enveloping me with such joyous, peaceful tranquility. We angelic animals are here to assist in transmuting and transforming these man-made, inconsistent and damaging thoughts, words and actions into joy, peace and love. Chert knew it. I know it. We have to assist in being the light and doing the work to bring about restoration to our world one loving thought, word or action at a time.
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” Dalai Lama
So if you recall, I have five digits on all four paws, with actual thumbs on my front paws which makes for excellent piano playing abilities! We have composed my original song utilizing a triad chord which I can play easily along with Lori playing the melody. I have yet to crawl inside the piano and choose best to either sit on the bench or underneath as going inside doesn’t interest me at all!
I have been so very blessed with the piano students who arrive for lessons as they first want to visit with me, as I seem to be part of the attraction for the children! Because they are so free-spirited, they understand my contemplative nature and wish to share their love with me! The children teach me so much about creativity and living in the moment as well as their inspiring imagination. With my Zen practices and studying of the Chakra Energy Centers, I see the importance of music in opening-up each colorful Chakra through the note vibration with which each resonates.. There are many deeper levels to what things appear to be on the surface. It fascinates me to continually be learning new pieces to this puzzle of life, for when you begin to connect each unique item, things begin to fit into place (no pun intended)! Yet, there seems to always be an element of surprise in that knowing what the next step is which can conjure up old thought and belief systems which no longer serve you, the Universe or the highest and best for all concerned. That is where that quantum leap of faith comes into play again. By praying for discernment in all things and allowing the highest vibration of love to be your intention, you know that you are being supported in stretching, reaching and growing.
“Some people think that as soon as you plant a tree, it must bear fruit. We must allow it to grow a bit.” Prince Tunku Putra Adbul Rahman
Brrrrr, is it ever cold and windy from this high vantage point! All I can remember, really, is somebody took me for a long car ride and when the vehicle finally stopped, I was thrown out of it into a very dark and scary night. I am so thankful that I have excellent night vision because it helped me negotiate my unfamiliar surroundings. The side of the country road had pieces of rock salt which went in between my “20 paws and 22 claws” and I let out a squeak as I attempted to find some soft snow to wash away the sting. Yep, I was born with five toes on each of my paws and two extra claws which are located nicely between my “thumb” and four toes on my front two legs. Do you think THAT is the reason why they left me here? I know I have really big paws, but that’s what makes me unique!
Then, this really LOUD truck went chu-chugging along by where I had been soaking my paws and the bright headlights startled me as I ran away from the roadside into the pitch blackness of the slopping field below. There were rocks and clumps of snow together with prickly bushes and a barbed wire fence. Somehow I negotiated through the midnight maize towards some dried grass and welcoming brush. This seemed like a reasonable spot to take a rest for a bit, or so I thought. All of a sudden, some type of wild animal came out of the blindness of the night running right towards me! I must say my heart skipped quite a few beats as it felt as if it had jumped up into my throat as I sped towards the closest tree I could find. I climbed up as high as I could because I am still very young and don’t weigh very much yet so the very tiny limbs can support me.
Well, do you remember me telling you about how many toes I have? Now I know why God equipped me with such gargantuan paws. For what seemed to be an eternity for me, I held onto those fragile branches atop that big old oak tree. The wind picked up and the tree began to sway in the wind as I trembled and clung even tighter to the tiny branches. Then, the sun began to rise up over the hilltop as the sunlight shed some warmth on my nearly frozen body. Some chickadees flew up to see me as they sang their morning tunes. In different circumstances, I would have been dashing after THEM up the tree, but in my current situation, I was gladdened by their company.
Once the sunshine began to allow me to see my predicament more clearly, I literally wanted to take my one paw and place it up over my eyes in disbelief. What in heaven’s name was I going to do to get myself out of this situation? I had climbed so far up this friendly oak that my only solution would be to attempt to turn around and climb DOWN the tree. That’s about when the hypothermia began to set in. I hadn’t slept all night. I was hungry and dehydrated so I did what any logical person would do in a similar situation – I began to cry. What happened, though, is that I couldn’t stop crying. I’m sure you’ve heard this expression before: HAULT – don’t let yourself get too hungry, too angry, too lonely or too tired. Well, I had reached full-tilt on all four of those topics and then some!
As I cried deliriously, the most amazingly wonderful thing happened! A woman had been walking alongside the road and heard my calls. She climbed over the barbed wire fence and was underneath the tree looking up and talking to me. When I finally took a few deep breaths and subsided my almost hiccup crying reaction I was having, she began walking around the bottom of the oak’s trunk as she attempted to climb up a few branches. Then she motioned for me to jump down to a bigger limb which was quite a caper from my perspective. I just couldn’t let go. She then climbed back down the tree and went on her knees and prayed. Now, these past twenty-four hours have really encompassed the full spectrum of emotions for me, to say the least. Here I was last night being discarded by someone who didn’t appreciate me to this gal who not only tried to climb the tree to get me, but is now praying for me?
That was the “ah, ha” moment for me as I took my “first of many quantum leap of faith” to a lower limb and my enormous claws and paws grabbed onto the tree’s bark firmly. She encouraged me as I knew I would have to jump one more time before she could climb up to reach me. So, I literally closed my eyes when I sprang the second time and landed on the side of the trunk with pieces of the oak’s rough outer layers and small branches falling away. It was then that I truly learned what unconditional love really is. As she reached for me, I felt this amazing calmness come over me because I knew I had been saved.
Enveloped in her comforting and warm embrace, she wrapped her rainbow-hued fluffy yarn scarf around me and held firmly onto my paws else I decide to spring out of her arms. At this point, that was the last thing on my mind! Trembling and exhausted, I kept dozing off on our walk down the road and up the hill to where her home was nestled. As we approached our destination, a neighbor met us and offered a few cat toys, litter box and comforted me as I welcomed her kind words.
When we walked down the driveway to her home, a loud ruckus of several dogheads barking startled me as I almost sprang out of her grasp. Gladly, these friendly but very talkative neighbor’s pets were contained in a large fence surrounding their property. Whew, thank goodness for that! I’m sure they are friendly as they were my older brother’s girlfriends, but just the same, I am a kitten – not a doghead.
The backyard deck is “purrfectly” designed for me from “hiding-out” behind the railings to sitting atop the railings which are wide enough for sitting comfortably. There is always much activity when February to March arrive, as the robins return to build their nests and other “birdheads” arrive on their way to stay for the season or venture further up to the north county. I much prefer the view from the deck, though taking naps in the flower bed during the warm summer afternoons is another of my favorite things to do!
Besides the chatter and flutter of birds arriving, I have been noticing an increased rainbow effect presenting itself within the clouds, brilliant colorful hues and angel-like feather wisps with colors changing as the moisture content seems to arrange an artist palette in the sky! Truly a magnificent sight to see, but you can “feel” it, too. Maybe because I have a strong sixth sense and can “hear” things at a higher pitch opens my awareness more to the prevalent intoxicating energy of love and light permeating and surrounding us, flowing from within our very being and resonating to all the quantum frequencies.
Č’ert Dog had a plan for me. Four months to the day, I awoke
compelled to walk to watershed where we would drive him to go
for his walks. It was the last place he walked while still with us. As
I began walking back down the busy road (which I normally would
drive when Č’ert was with me), I heard a crying sound. Sure enough,
atop an old oak tree there clung a gold and white kitten holding onto
the very top of the tree for dear life. After about an hour and a half
of praying, talking to him and encouraging him, he finally took a
“leap of faith” from his predicament as he began to fall down the
tree, clinging to branches along the way. I climbed up the tree and
caught him. He trembled as I wrapped him in my scarf and I held
him close to my chest as I walked him home. He was very dehydrated
and looked as if he had not eaten for many days…
Jaco Kitty’s first toy was a tiger printed bow tie from one of
Č’ert Dog’s Halloween costumes. I stuffed it and put elastic around
it. It is his favorite toy and he brings it everywhere with him. It is
actually very coincidental as that it was Č’ert Dog’s as he always had
to have a toy, a shirt, something in his mouth. Jaco is also very fast
and runs around the house and outside when we are outside with him.
When he first gets up in the morning or when he is running around,
he makes a squeaking sound similar to that of my favorite bird call
of the goldfinch. Of course, he goes for the white birch tree out front
and likes to perch inside its weeping branches. I did find him in a
tree, so I guess it is his favorite place to be!
There is a favorite saying from the Law of Attraction which states “No amount of action can compensate for misaligned energy.” Potent statement which reveals the vital importance of inner clearing, aligning, strengthening and empowering to connect with all that is, our purest relationship with God, Source, Love, Light, Peace, Joy to embody the music of our heart. This moment captured in time conveys the rainbow loving energy of God’s Love embracing, surrounding and flowing from within, the softness of angelic whispers blowing through Dad’s Crimson Kind Maple, the fragrance of roses, the taste of fresh, crisp enlivening air, the harmonics of birds singing and the inner knowing of an incredible monumental moment where the saturation of joyousness shown through to remind us of how loved we are. This was my first experience of transcending the linear to embody the infinite. I even had an orb caught on my face! This digital age has allowed for things which were not seen but felt to now being revealed.
If faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen (Hebrews 1:11), why are we “seeing” and “hearing” amazing colors, bell-tones and applying quantum leaps of faith now more than ever? Sometimes we just have to have faith, trust and patience in the process of our new journey to living in peace, where the lion lies down with the lamb. It is time. Grandma Marge would say in Slovak “uj moy dost” or “uj je ches.” Sometimes, we just have to believe.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord…”plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11.
While watching a Weather Report Music DVD with friends
on “Jaco Pastorius” night, Jaco had been playing outside all day and
was pooped. He rested on the loveseat while we watched the concert.
He seemed to nod his head with the bass beat, and when a mistake
was made, he actually put his paw over his head in disbelief! A true
musician at heart he is! If he isn’t resting in my husband’s bass case,
he is on the piano bench either playing the piano on his own or sitting
with me as we do our duet together. Since he has such large paws, he
can play a triad. I just add the bass notes, and wallah, we have a song!
Since we refer to Č’ert Dog as Jaco’s older brother, the
blessings of new adventures continues…..
On one of his first days outside at our home, he marveled
at the geese flying overhead and stooped really low to the ground
as he looked up at them honking away as they flew over him. He
also attacked a cricket and a bee, but they both got away from him.
Jumping after butterflies and hummingbirds has become another of
his pastimes. Then, there is the daily morning ritual of chasing the
squirrel up the tall wooden laundry pole in the backyard. He also has
been known to taking a flying leap for the center of the tall deep-violet
colored Clematis as the startled birds scatter into the air. Once that
squirrel is atop the pole, chattering away at Jaco sitting underneath
him, Mr. Poppuchies runs off to find more interesting activities.
(Poppuchies is Slovak for slippers and Jaco has some huge slippers
at that! My current phrase is that his poppuchy paws precede him –
which is the truth since they are four white slippers and very large)!
One of my favorite Bible verses is taken from 1 Corinthians 13 regarding the importance of Love in our life. If you explore the context further with use of your trusty Thesaurus, the deeper meaning of the sublimation of our ego and the imperative importance of forgiveness of both others as well as ourselves comes to light. Contemplating these inner truths while sitting underneath my beautiful and fragrant Wine and Roses Weigela, the message of unconditional love permeates through the air, the flowers, the birds and sun. It surrounds us and envelopes us, it molds and shapes us into becoming all that we are capable of through the collective power of Love.
With this Valentine’s Day remembering all those we have loved and continue to love, it is imperative that we look within to celebrate the joy of your inner wellspring of God/Source/Energy and to spread this love prayerfully and energetically through your gift of conscious awareness toward all of life. It is our duty and purposeful calling to permeate and saturate the entire world with loving, joyous and peaceful thoughts towards all life. As I am contemplative sitting underneath my colorful Weigela, I think about the love and grace that went into creating such a glorious creation and marvel at all the beauty surrounding us and within us. That’s why I meditate so often, as it renews my spirit and allows for me to prepare for my next quantum leap of faith!
“Since the Lord is directing our steps, why try to understand everything that happens along the way?” Proverbs 21:24
As you may have read a few days ago, after quite a long time stranded in an oak tree, Chert Dog sent along Lori to find me. But I had to take a leap of faith from the tree to get to a lower branch so that she could climb up to get me! My stories are all about taking leaps of faith. If you read Hebrews 11:1 is says that “Faith is the substance of things hopes for, the evidence of things NOT YET SEEN.” So to visualize and believe and have conviction and declare God’s victory over your life is no small task. Believe me, I prayed, I cried out to God in my most hopeless appearing hour that I would have help. And sure enough, I did receive help, but I HAD TO TAKE THE FIRST “LEAP” for things to change in my life. I thank Chert Dog for coming into Lori’s dream and that she was open to listening to his message, otherwise I wouldn’t be here sharing my story, now would I?
Since Chert had several costumes and toys, Lori made me a stuffed tiger bow tie toy from one of his Halloween costumes. Needless to say, it is my favorite toy and “security blanket” for it is because of Chert that I am here writing to you now! I love posing for photos, and have been told that from my “ugly duckling” adolescence, I have matured into a handsome cat! But this all has to do with the LOVE that I receive. It encourages me and provides healthy self-worth and confidence as well as supports me in all of my “leaps of faith” that present themselves to me in lesson. More on that to follow!
If there is anything I can share with you about my first and most important “leap of faith” it would be that the solutions arrive at the last possible moment! I’ve tested this theory again and again with various “dark nights of the soul” and have ALWAYS arrived at the same conclusion: The challenges already come with the solution, we just have to have FAITH that we will know WHEN TO TAKE THE NEXT LEAP OF FAITH, which is ALWAYS at the very last possible conceivable moment. It’s is just how this new energy works. So, every time you take that action leap, you are supported, every single time. My first example is my being stranded in that big oak tree. I was terrified! But fell into loving arms that have never let me go ever since. First confirmation. My second example is being chased by the catbird and me chasing him! I was still a kitten, and had never seen or heard the likes of this flying bird that sounded like a cat! But eventually, we learned to become friends as he would perch atop the back deck umbrella while I would then run out to the back yard and he would dive bomb me! We actually became pretty good playmates! A third example is when Cousin Dugan came to visit! We kept our distance as I hissed and pounced towards him in the beginning, but by the end of the visit, we became slumber party buddies sharing the same bed together! So, these are just a few “leaps of faith” that I will share with you for now. They all have taught me the importance of stretching my boundaries and being open to new and unusual animals to open myself up to more expansive potentials and possibilities!
As you can see by the photo, I felt it safe to be on the piano bench, up higher than Cousin Dugan as I surveyed the situation at hand! I know that Chert and Dugan were best of friends, so he has to be pretty cool even though he is a dog! I am just not used to sharing my “space” with other animals, so this has been a lesson in loving-kindness and hospitality! See, all of the challenges do come with a solution, you just have to sit with them and meditate on them long enough and the answer will come. Just in its own time and on its own terms, most of the time. This situation was different because Cousin Dugan just “arrived” at our home to stay for a few days, so this is what you call “crash course” leaps of faith! First, I needed to know that he wasn’t going to bite me! Second, I needed to know that he was just visiting, so it was just for a few days of adjusting to things being different. And third, I needed to know that I was strong enough to handle this challenge and become a good and gracious host to Cousin Dugan because he was really put into quite a situation as well. All his family was gone and he is here with me, a cat that has 22+claws to defend myself, so he was “treading lightly” around me.
After some outdoor activity, we became to bond a bit more as Cousin Dugan is a push-over when it comes to being mild-mannered and easy going! His kind demeanor made for his visit to be an enjoyable slumber party! So my inner challenges were once again erased and turned into new and wonderful experiences learning to share my home and get along with another animal. We are placed in situations and need to ask what the message is being brought by the messenger. I learned the importance of getting along with others no matter what type of animal that they are. We are all in this together! Thanks Cousin Dugan!
As you can see, my favorite place to supervise the Bird Brain Cafe is from my flower bed hiding places. Sometimes I have to step up and get a drink out of the birdbath, and the birds fly away! Across from this lookout I see several blue jays, cardinals, goldfinches, mourning doves and hummingbirds to mention just a few! Recently, we have had the arrival of juncos, which are not normally from this area, but with the climate changes, we have noticed several new and wondrous things including incredible sunbows during the day and amazing cloud colors and formations for sunrise and sunset! God is the Master Artist, that is for certain!
In my earlier years, I was foolish in chasing and catching the birds. One day, I caught a baby female cardinal and Lori came along instantly to take it away from me. I wanted her to be proud of me in my ability to be an excellent hunter, as that is truly my inner instinct. She did say that I was a good hunter, but she also said that I don’t need to hunt because I have more than enough to sustain me. She gave me a new use of my skills and abilities in supervising the bird brain cafe. Seems reasonable to me! So about that baby female cardinal, she grew up that summer and became quite a powerful and strong bird – I actually think that she tried chasing me, if I recall! Serves me right for picking on something smaller than myself! So its always about asking what do I want to come from this experience, what is it for? The question should always come at the beginning of the challenge/experience. The baby cardinal reminded me about my scary experience being chased up that big oak tree and that it would be best for me to let go of that traumatic experience and not keep re-creating both in my life and in the lives of others. See, she taught me a very valuable lesson! There is always something to learn and to grow and to become more than you were yesterday. The cardinal exemplifies that to me now as she is full grown and a mother herself! Glad we both learned how to get along together!
