Month: September 2012

Sunday Purrs: The Colors of Autumn

Sunday Purrs| 15 Comments

 Ruby_maple_tree

Fall has definitely arrived in my part of the world. While I enjoy the beautiful colors of autumn all around me, it’s not my favorite season – mostly because of what comes after. I don’t like cold weather, and I definitely don’t like snow. But this year, I’m determined to embrace autumn and enjoy the season for what it is, rather than viewing it just as a precursor to winter. After all, that’s what living in the moment is all about. I’m making a point this year to really notice the gradual changing of the leaves, and to appreciate nature’s beauty, rather than anticipate the inevitable journey toward falling leaves and winter.

Autum is a season of harvest and a celebration of abundance. It’s a good time to take stock of all you’ve accomplished this year, and take some time to really appreciate your own growth. It’s a season of contradictions: warm, almost summer like days alternate with chilly days and nights. It’s a reflection that our lives aren’t always predictable, that life can be messy, and that joy and sorrow are both part of life.

Ultimately, autum is about the inevitability of change.Continue Reading

Meeting Gwen Cooper, New York Times bestselling author of Homer’s Odyssey

Author's Life| 13 Comments

Gwen_Coooper_Ingrid_King

As a writer, I love connecting with other writers, especially when they write about cats. But it’s not every day that I get to meet the writer of cat book that made the New York Times bestseller list less than two weeks after its publication. Homer’s Odyssey – A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love and Life with a Blind Wondercat debuted at number 14 in September of 2009.

Homer's_Odyssey_Gwen_Cooper

I first connected with Gwen Cooper online three years ago, and subsequently interviewed her for The Conscious Cat two weeks after her book made the NYT list. This past Saturday, I finally got to meet her in person. Gwen appeared at a local pet store Continue Reading

Advance praise for Purrs of Wisdom

Author's Life| 20 Comments

Purrs_of_Wisdom_Conscious_Living_Feline_Style_Ingrid_King

There’s a lot of excitement that comes with getting close to a book’s publication date: working with editors, cover designer, book designer, and publisher. Final revisions. Spreading the word about the book. Lining up reviews and local events.

One of the most exciting parts about this stage is getting endorsements, also known as “blurbs,” for the book. What’s even more exciting is that this early praise comes from writers and editors who I greatly admire.

Christine Davis, the author and illustrator of Author of For Every Cat An Angel and Forever Paws:

“Purrs of Wisdom, by Ingrid King, is a treat for anyone who is enchanted by all things feline! The book isContinue Reading

Sunday Purrs: making decisions

Sunday Purrs| 9 Comments

kitten_leaping_attack_cat

Do you ever have trouble making decisions? Perhaps you’re being too rational about it. Life isn’t all black and white, and a decision is rarely all right or all wrong. Contrary to the picture above, there really are no wrong decisions (although the kitten in the photo might disagree), there are only different choices.  Additionally, very few decisions are irreversible. We always have the power to make a different choice.

Another reason why making a decision can be difficult is fear. Fear of the outcome, fear of how a “wrong” decision may impact our lives and the lives of those around us, fear of taking some risks. A fear-based decision is never a good decision. Fear limits. Fear is never truth.  If you feel fear, remember to connect with your spiritual core and remind yourself that there is no room for fear when you are connected to your true self.

Psychotherapist and bestselling author Margaret Paul, Ph. D., writes in an article on The Huffington Post that “making decisions can be difficult, but we make it especially hard when we try to decide from our mind, Continue Reading

Ruby’s Reflections: Birthday Girl

Ruby's Reflections| 33 Comments

 

It’s my birthday today! I’m two years old! I’m all grown up now!

 

Mom still calls me her kitten because I’m still pretty tiny, but not nearly as tiny as I was in this photo, which is the one that Mom fell in love with when she first saw me on the website of the SPCA of Northern Virginia.

Even though I loved Mom from the minute I first met her, I was nervous about coming to my new home. What if my big sister AllegraContinue Reading

Sunday Purrs: playing hooky

Sunday Purrs| 16 Comments

cat_relaxing_on_back

Ruby wants to know: when was the last time you played hooky?

There’s a reason it’s called a mental-health day. Studies show that taking time off, even if it’s just for a few hours, relieves stress, lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of heart disease.

Clearly, Ferris Bueller was right all those years ago: we all need a break now and then. Whether it’s catching up on some much needed rest, doing something fun to recharge our batteries, or just hanging out with our cats, sometimes, you just have to blow off work.

This can be challenging for those of us who are self-employed, especially if we love what we do.Continue Reading