Hairy Legs - An Acquired Taste?!

Surely, for Skoda seems to enjoy snuggling up to hairy legs for her beauty sleep

As for Braun, her favourite is near to another strategic spot (ha ha Grimlock is gonna kill me when he sees this photo)...

Her Catjesty Graces the Cove

The Cove had the great honour of welcoming Her Catjesty, ruler over the land of Haagen Diazs. The 'red carpet' (ie scratching mat) was laid out for her grand arrival. Now wait a minute, doesn't she look familiar?

Hot From the Press

I’ve chosen this day to officially unveil my blog for a few reasons:

Today is my birthday! Wow, I’m turning 34!! I’ve no hang-ups whatsoever about growing another year older for age is just a number. State of mind is more important.

Two weeks ago, I did feel things were really not looking good ‘cos I’m without a job, I didn’t get to go to Hokkaido AGAIN this year and I had to KIV another of my plans. I was also wondering if I should tread another path (ie career change). So I was at a crossroad.

Then last week, I had two job offers. It was like there was silence for a long time and I finally saw light at the end of the tunnel. I’ll be getting back to work tomorrow, 22nd August. Sure, I’m happy to get my engine running again. However, looking back at the events that unfolded during the past one year, I cannot help but feel fearful. I can only 'see' and think this much so I’m going to entrust what lies ahead to my good and faithful Shepherd!

Lest I forget, let me jot down His blessings during the last five months:

• Again, God has shown me He is faithful. He is the one in control. He’ll reveal His ways in His time. I didn’t lack anything. I'll never forget this phase that I went through. I've come to know myself and the people around me better, and grown in wisdom and endurance.
• I’m grateful to Grimlock for his support and encouragement. He has been a wonderful husband.
• I greatly enjoyed the company of my two lovely girls, Skoda and Braun. I wouldn’t be able to imagine what it would be like to be alone at home, without them around. They brought me so much joy and reaffirmation. This has been a time where we’ve developed a closer bond. I’ll think of them much when I’m back at the workplace.
• One of my dreams was to retire at 35 years old (note: past tense). In a way, I think the break was this dream coming true and it was fulfilled on an early note (just before I turned 34!). I realized I’m not suited for the “tai tai”/stay home life. The housework and mundane routine are 'killers', man!
• I got to hone my cooking skills and tried out more recipes.
• Thank God for friends! I got to catch up with some people whom I had not met for a long time. A colleague from my last workplace, a Christian, kept in touch with me and encouraged me much from His Word. Thanks, bro! And there were others and my (own) brother who regularly checked how I was doing. And of course, there is my dear sister!
  

I shall enjoy my day today. I’ll hang around with my darlings, go to the gym and then have a good dinner with Grimlock later. Looks like I’m more or less geared up for tomorrow...

Love is More Than Skin Deep

"Yeah, we express affection in our own feline ways. No doubt about the intensity..."

The 7 Dreams of Skoda on a Mid-Summer's Night

Wonderful, wonderful dreams, one after another...

Thought for the Week

"Our fatigue is often caused not by work, but by worry, frustration and resentment." - Dale Carnegie

Win Over Worry

Last Saturday’s sermon was a timely reminder that God is my Jehovah Jireh, He has a plan for me and His wisdom is higher. He will calm the storm for me.

The sermon scriptures were from Matthew 6:25-34:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

The sermon outline:

I. Worry Pays a Price
A. Worry affects sleep, alters brain chemistry, affects cancer recovery.
· Constricts arteries and decreases blood flow.
· Homes-Rahe stress test: Predictor of physical illness within two years.
· Loved one dies, stress and worry: seven times the possibility of dying within one year.

B. Top stressors: financial and career, medical needs, relationships, loss issues.

II. Perspective Determines Response
A. Anticipate worst – drains all energy and courage!
· Israelite spies: We are like grasshoppers in their sight!
· Elisha and servant: Those with us are more than those against us!
· Dense fog covers seven blocks, 30 metres deep: less than one glass of water.
· Dog worries a bone. Looks for meat but finds little. Buries bone, digs it up and gnaws on it again. Repeats
· Yet 97% of worries do not happen!

B. Negative thinking leads to negative performance – self-fulfilling prophecy.

C. A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones (Proverbs 17:22).

III. Win Over Worry!
A. Stop Worrying! (Three times) Matthew 6:25, 31, 34
1. Worrying does not help – it only drains you.
· Health: Cause you to live longer? Or, add height? (verse 27)
· Finances: Material gain and basic necessities.
· Loss: Make up your mind not to worry beforehand – Luke 21:14-15 “But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.”

2. STOP. Read Philippians 4:6-8 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”

B. Seek first His kingdom and righteousness. Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
1. Trust in God (get the BIG picture). Psalm 37:3 (“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.”), 1 Peter 5:7 (“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”), Isaiah 26:3 (“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”)

2. Delight in Him Day to Day! (Live in the present) Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
· Declare His goodness. Each day has enough trouble.
· God holds tomorrow and forgives the past.
· The future is not here and the past is gone forever.

3. Commit Your Way to the Lord! (Make Plans!) Psalm 37:5 “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:…”
· Give yourself permission to worry! Set a time!
· Anticipate alternatives, write them down, plan action.
· Decide and do not look back.

4. Be still before the Lord (Rest & Release) Psalm 37:7 “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”

Bitten by the Blogging Bug

Viola, I too have finally joined the blogging space! Had thought long and hard about starting a blog 'cos I wondered if I'd be able to keep up with the postings, what/how much to write about and whom the readers would be. Think, think and think. Heck, since I like to yak about my cats, how I'm getting on (you'll know soon why I'm saying this) and things/people that make me tick, the best 'place' to do so will be my own blog.

For my first posting, I must confess that I don’t know where to start. For sure, it is going be a LONG one. I shall start by recounting how Skoda and Braun landed up in the cove. Skoda is now a 10-month old grey tabby and Braun, a nine-month old brown tabby.

Grimlock had pestered me for almost a year to get a cat. I wasn’t too keen because I had always told myself I’d get a dog when I've my own place and I didn’t want more housework chores. Lo and behold, to honour a promise I made and after lying down some terms and conditions, we started to look for our first kitten on the Cat Welfare adoption board around September 2005.

Skoda was abandoned in a box with four other siblings at a lift lobby. She is the only grey kitten while the others are ginger/white kittens. I wanted a ginger (love the colour orange!) but Grimlock wanted a kitten with a X-factor. It was love at first sight for Grimlock and Skoda when we went to view the kittens. We brought Skoda home on 29 October 2005 and named her after the car model of Grimlock’s favourite newscaster (serious, I kid you not).

The first few weeks were quite an adventure for Skoda and us. She was hyperactive, kept racing up and down the living room and running up and down the sofa, and got really frenzy and bitty. She would be quite ‘manja’ (sweet) though after waking up from her sleep, rubbing her body against the back of our hand, doing her circles of '8' around our legs, meowing away gently, aawwww. Took her a while to get used to our home and us. She even grew to exchange kisses with me on the lips – wow! Those moments were so so magical (a little wet but nonetheless sensational). Grimlock had less luck, more of him wanting to kiss her.

As Skoda was spending long hours on her own at home, we decided to get her a playmate. We had never thought of having more than one kitten. We looked up the Cat Welfare adoption board again around Feb/March 2006 and I got to know one of the volunteers, ST. We wanted a kitten close to Skoda’s age so that the two could gel better. ST paid us a visit to take a look at Skoda and our home and he had a kitten in mind for us. The following week, he and another volunteer, CG brought the kitten to our home.

I could still remember the first time ‘meeting’ Braun - the date to be exact was 18 March 2006. She was a bit short (we were quite amused), of a small frame and I liked her coat colour (she is not exactly brown - looks more bronze to me, has a white chest and distinct markings on her limbs). Skoda didn’t take to Braun too well, she kept sniffing and staring at Braun. Had to bring her away when she lunged at Braun (Braun was in a pet taxi). After ST and CG left, we really wondered how to assimilate the two girls. Prior to going on this adoption trial, Braun had been staying in a cattery. “Braun” means brown in German.

We kept Skoda and Braun in separate rooms. During the first week, we let them sniff each other from under the door, opened the door a little and let them take peeps, swapped towels daily (and also made them swapped rooms) so that they get used to each other’s presence and scent.

In the second week, Skoda went for her sterilization so we kept Braun out of her sight. Ditto for the third week while Skoda recuperated from the surgery – very controlled introductions. We let them come into full view of each other during the fourth week. Initially our hearts were at our mouths because they kept hissing, growling and even spat at each other and constantly ready to pounce on each other. At one point in time, it looked like Skoda wasn't going to accept Braun. BUT things took for the better by the end of the week.

During the first week of their closer contact, Skoda refused to let us cuddle/stroke/kiss her and she stopped kissing us. We had several dialogue sessions with Skoda (a friend introduced a second cat into her household and according to her, this worked so we did the same) to assure her of her Alpha position and gave her special treatment (attend to her first, more treats for her, sometimes I only let her into the master bedroom etc).

After the fence came down, Skoda would follow Braun around the house and tap Braun on her backside to get her attention (which Braun disliked, she would turn around, hissed at Skoda and sometimes swiped her and other times both ended up in high-speed chasing). Braun was sleeping a lot and she seemed to prefer to do her own things (with Skoda watching on the side). Skoda liked to get on top of the table/chair (when Braun was below it) and used her paw to tap Braun, irritating her quite a bit.

Braun loves to be stroked but is paranoid about being carried. She rarely bites (and if she does, these are mild) and only uses the scratching boxes. The latter habit has rubbed off on Skoda who now uses the boxes more (instead of my sofa which bears the "scars") and puts in more effort while doing so (she used to be quite half-hearted).

Then it was Braun's turn to get sterilised. I'd say they got closer during this time because Skoda gave Braun the space that she needed and kept an eye out for her. After Braun came, Skoda has stopped biting us altogether and we are just so glad she now has a companion.