Month: March 2014

Sunday Purrs: The Value of Doing Nothing

cat_doing_nothing

How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterwards. – Spanish Proverb

Sundays are for resting, and taking a break. And sometimes, the best way to spend a Sunday is to do absolutely nothing.

We live in such crazy busy times that stress has become the norm for most people, and because of that, most of us don’t even realize how stressed we are until we allow ourselves to slow down. It’s well known that the more stressed we are, the more damage we do not just to our mental health, but also to our bodies. Continue Reading

Veterinary Journalist Certification

veterinary_journalist

I am pleased to announce that I have earned the credential of Certified Veterinary Journalist from the American Society of Veterinary  Journalists. As a former veterinary hospital manager, and as someone who works hard at bringing you cat health information you can trust, this certification means a lot to me.

The ASVJ certifies veterinarians, animal health professionals and veterinary contributors to public media ranging from  print to blogs to radio and television. The goal of the ASVJ, and the certification, is to establish the credibility and the recognition of journalistic standards in the veterinary profession Continue Reading

Sunday Purrs: Small Changes

Amber and Allegra

And that is how change happens. One gesture. One person. One moment at a time. – Libba Bray

I love my life. I’m blessed with my two beautiful girls, Allegra and Ruby. I get to do work I love every single day. I have wonderful friends. I have a safe, warm home. And yet, as we got another foot of snow on Monday, I started to think about making some big changes. Namely, moving to a warmer climate where I will never have to shovel snow again.

I’ve lived in the same house for the last 30 years, so for me to even start to think about moving is a big deal. I have a love/hate relationship with change.Continue Reading

Sunday Purrs: The “Waiting for Spring” Edition

spring_cats

In much of the United States, today marks the arrival of Daylight Savings Time. I’m not a huge fan of the time change. I’m an early bird, and I prefer it to be light when I get up in the morning. Mostly, I just wish they’d stop switching back and forth, which makes absolutely no sense to me. And I can guarantee you it doesn’t make sense to cats. They may like the “spring forward” change – breakfast an hour early! – but I’m pretty sure they’re not crazy about delayed meal times when we fall back in November.

But the one really great thing about Daylight Savings Time is that it means spring must be right around the corner. And after this seemingly never ending winter, it can’t come soon enough.Continue Reading

Taxes, Gratitude and Cats

 taxes_and_gratitude

‘Tis the season. Many of us are working on our taxes, which, depending on your record keeping system, can be a delight for your feline assistants. After all, what’s more fun than diving into a shoebox full of receipts and watching them fly all over the place?

I spoil the fun for Allegra and Ruby by not using a shoebox system. My bookkeeping software, along with a pretty well organized file system, makes tax time about as painless as it can get, but every year, there’s still that moment, when I see my CPA’s number on the caller id, when I have to take a deep breath and brace myself for the bottom line. I have been blessed with a steadily growing business, which, of course, means that every year, I pay a little bit more in taxes.Continue Reading