Grateful for Paper Toweling

Do you embrace your inner Eeyore by starting your day with a cloud over your head, woefully pessimistic about what is in store for you?

Or are you a Tigger type and happily bounce out of bed, determined to celebrate the day and all its glorious surprises?

I'm a Tigger at heart, at least when it comes to being optimistic. And yes, that also makes me a Morning Person, although not quite the caliber of my sis, Carolyn, who is a

I keep a journal by my bedside for the specific purpose of recording 5 positive things I am grateful for, or happy about, each day.

I try to maintain a positive outlook no matter what drama or chaos surrounds me. For a time I had people in my life who habitually drained me with their negativity and anger. When I left their company I felt like kicking one of my cats, which is so not like me. Then I realized that I didn't have to let them control our conversations. I learned to combat the sour emotions they caused me by literally volleying each negative remark with a positive. Unfortunately it didn't change them, but when I realized they weren't getting satisfaction from my end of the conversation, it changed me.

By keeping a journal of what you are happy about, or grateful for, I believe you attract those types of vibrations into your life. When you read what you have recorded in the past, you refresh your memory, and unconsciously emphasize your positive attitude.

Of course, I have days when Life unravels around me and the Universe seems determined to kick me while I'm down. And yes, sometimes I do give Eeyore control over my mood. But I usually snap out of it when I remember how good I feel when I annoy people with my Little Merry Sunshine impersonation.

In-purr-ruption #1: Don't Taz Me!

There are days when producing my daily page quota is not only a struggle, but a hurdle of epic proportions. My forthcoming In-purr-ruption photo series will give you a peek at what's going on behind me while I'm trying to work.

This went on today between Herman and Dori.

Prepare Pets for Tornado Season

I would rather suffer the worst writer's block ever to plague the universe than deal with tornado season.

I hate the panic I feel when weather dudes gleefully report coming storms that will bring rain, hail and high winds, and could produce tornados. Since I live in the Mid-South, tornadoes are a way of life here...like grits and Elvis, and I have them at the top of my panic list. I have a very small panic list, as I am not the panicky type. But if it can harm me and I can't control it, then its on my list.

Kim's Panic List 2013

Tornadoes

Hurricanes

Computer viruses

Snakes inside house

Black widow spiders inside house

No coffee

No coffee cream

Ray starving while I'm trying to cook dinner

Cheap cookies from Kroger

Gary Busey

 



Here in the Memphis area we've already had a tornado scare back in late February. Truly odd, but we had a warming trend for a few days so of course Mother Nature went all bitchy on us. I wasn't ready, but I did the best I could to grab cats and stuff them into cages in my walk-in kitchen closet while Ray put on his hard hat and watched the news, shouting out Breaking News Alerts every few minutes. So helpful, my Ray.

Today, warned that we are in for a couple days worth of bad weather, I got my act together and set up my tornado closet for my cats. I scrubbed cages, cleaned blankets, replenished water, medical supplies, batteries... I keep a check list pinned to the wall inside the closet to make sure I have everything ready. I also have a list of cat couples so I don't have to think about who gets along with who -- I just grab and cage.

Buddy and Herman - cage

Peaches and Opie - cage

Gidget - solo blue carrier

Dori - solo - red carrier

Jack -- adios amigo!

(he's a total touch-me-not, so...God be with you, Jack!)

If I get an early enough alert, I can also grab Chauncie Marie, who lives in my fenced yard. She's always appreciative to be pulled from the path of death. I usually put her in the laundry room, but this year I have extra cages so I will be able to cage her -- solo -- and have the laundry room in case Jesse, YumYum or even someone from the Stray Family -- Nikolas, Annie or kitten Patsy -- needs help.

When it comes to outside cats, especially ferals or touch-me-nots, I've learned  to trust God to protect them. Getting a ulcer because Charlie runs for the woods serves no purpose. I've had to accept that if I can't control a cat, I must give him up to God.

This morning I put the final touches on my tornado closet and set up the outside cats to weather the coming storm.

I added the white table this year and placed a medium cat carrier and a smaller cat carrier under it.

The top shelf holds bottled water, Kleenex, and right now the weather alert radio that will be in use when the sky gets all stormy...probably tonight since Mom Nature is a sadistic biache and loves to torment me.

Dori, 6 months old, gets ready for the storms by packing her favorite toys.

We removed the heavy plastic sheeting last week, so the back porch is exposed. It has a roof, but with the sides open, they are pretty much screwed. I have the blankets tucked under the furniture and grouped everything almost like a puzzle to hold together.

I'm pretty sure the cats will run for the woods when the storm comes...they always do...but there is a possibility that Jesse, Nik and little Patsy will hide in the big box under the table. It's protected from the rain. And if they're willing, I will try to grab them to hang out in my laundry room.

In 2009 we had a huge tree crash on our roof in 2009. I had my cats inside their cages, and had just poured myself a glass of juice, planning to join them inside the closet (Ray was out of town at the time) when I heard a crash. I turned around...and I could not see outside my kitchen door. All I saw was leaves! It created a huge mess, damaged our roof, destroyed our backyard for months.

And the scariest part of all was...my cats had to stay indoors the whole summer while the construction guys took their lame-ass sweet time about repairing and rebuilding my yard.

So, this gist of all this is...

Do you have a plan for your pets during storm season? Do you have a list ready, and a bag packed of necessaries that you might need in case you accidentally piss off Mom Nature and she wreaks havoc all over your life?

If not...consider yourself warned!

*cue the scary music.*