Our Stories Matter

Happy Sunday, Readers,

Last week, I shared Pixie's story in honour of her passing. 😿 Which got me thinking about our individual stories - and how they matter.

Like Pixie, I had a rough start, too - the runt of a litter born in the parking lot of a shopping mall and abandoned by my cat-mother.

Me as a kitten.

When you share your story, what do you start with? Do you start with your rough beginning, or do you begin your story with a memory of courageous perseverance in the face of adversity? We all have a story to share and maybe we all can inspire others with our resilience.

You may remember how Pasqua came in to our life. We don't know much about his back story, or why he was dropped off at the cat sanctuary that October. We do know that they named him Chip because he was found during their Halloween Chip or Treat event.

Pasqua as a kitten.

Maybe if I allowed Pasqua to write today's blog he would start out at Thanksgiving 2018, and his first night in his new home here with us. How he knew it was supposed to be temporary and it was just a foster situation, so he squeezed his way into our hearts so that he would never leave.

We all have our own experience and impression of the world. If we stick with starting our story at the bad times, our focus of the bad times grows. The bad times are important, but even more important is how we rise above them, that's what makes us who we are at the core.

We don't have to start our story with the bad times. Instead, we could start at the good times, start with the blessings. Maybe, if we focus on the good, we will see the good grow.

Give people a space to be heard, listen to their story.

Share your story.

It matters.

Purr & Paw,
-Stivali. 🐾

🧡Sharing your story is heart work. It's not easy work, but it might be the most important thing you’ll ever do. - Jennifer Williamson.🧡

Pasqua is 11 months old!

Happy Sunday! 

Yesterday marked ELEVEN months since Pasqua was born! 

We are not sure where he was born, or who his kitty parents are, we really don't even know much about how he ended up at Tabby's Place Cat Sanctuary. All we do know is mamma met him and he stole her heart right away! 

Our foster adventure began on November 21, 2018. Little "Chip", as the shelter named him, weighed under two pounds and was a fuzzball of energy.

Look at him now though! He thoroughly enjoys napping anywhere. Case in point #1:

Case in Point #2

We are very happy he liked our home (and us) so mamma felt comfortable at being a foster fail, haha, and adopted him officially a month later.  It has been an exciting nine months with him, and we look forward to many many more.

Can't you tell how excited I am to celebrate Pasqua turning 11 months? 

Maybe I will celebrate without napping at his one year mark.

Being a Princess is very hard work. Sunpuddles make it easier.

I wonder how we will celebrate Pasqua's first birthday next month... I hope it includes catnip cake and salmon kitty treats. 😻

Purr & Paw,
-Stivali.

Let me love you a little more before you’re not little anymore.

Pasqua is Six Months Old Today!

Happy St Patrick's Day, Readers!

We are celebrating all day long. Not just for St Patrick, the sheep herder, and patron saint of Ireland (although, he wasn't actually Irish! Interesting fun-fact!), we celebrate also today because Pasqua is now six months old!

😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸

Did you know that St Patrick's real name is believed to be Maewyn Succat, but when he became a priest he changed his name to Patrick? Look at his real name, though: Succat. Isn't that something?

😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸

Another coincidence we take note of today: when Italian-American males are named Pasqua or Pasquale, their nickname very commonly is Pat. These coincidences on the day we celebrate St Patrick and our little Pasqua Scheggiare are not accidents, and we believe they are signals from God to remind us that we are truly blessed.

😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸😸

At six months old, these are some of Pasqua's favorite things:

• treats
• my food (he prefers it over his kitten food!)
• a little grey mouse we named Grigio (not to be confused with my beloved Verdi)
• napping/sleeping
• playing peek-a-boo and fetch
• cuddling with mamma
• hiding with me when visitors come over (I am teaching him this habit to our mom's disappointment)
• sun puddling
• looking out the windows and glass doors
• hanging out with mamma when she works from home

And some of our favorite photos:

They named him "Chip" at the Cat Sanctuary where we adopted him from.

It is not safe to refill my food container in Pasqua's presence.

Playing fetch (Grigio is in Pasqua's mouth).

Enjoying the view from the sun room.

He sleeps a lot in the most adorable poses. Example 1.

Example 2 - how is that even comfortable?

Six month portrait.  Getting so big!

I offer this Irish Blessing for all of you: "May you have love that never ends, lots of money, and lots of friends. Health be yours, whatever you do, and may God send many blessings to you!"

Purr & Paw,
-Stivali.

2018 began sadly, let it end with hope...

Dear Faithful Readers,
As you know, mamma and I had a terrible start to 2018 with the tragic passing of my big brother, Stray Cat. You may have also noticed in our posts since his death, that mamma and I have been very sad and have been grieving - and are still grieving.
Helen Keller was quoted as saying once, "What we have once enjoyed deeply we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us."
We believe this, and we carry Stray Cat with us each day, in our hearts. We keep his memory alive through photos, and we talk about him daily. 
When we first lose a loved one, we think we can never get out of the sorrow or the guilt, that we could never find our way out of it... and in some ways, it is true, there never is a better place - just a different place. Our hearts are badly broken, and the bad news is we will never get over the loss of our beloved - - oddly, this is also the good news - - because we don't want to. 

In our loss, we realize there are many kittens and cats needing safe, healthy, happy homes. They need love and have love to give. Unsure if our hearts were ready to handle a future loss, we decided to begin fostering a two month old kitten.

May we introduce to you Pasqua (Easter) Scheggiare (Chip), born on September 17, 2018. Our foster adventure began the day before Thanksgiving. Weighing under two pounds, this little fuzz ball entered our home with energy, love, and extreme playfulness.

First day on the scene. ❤

Totally unsure if I want the company after complaining for months I needed it. 😹

This week, mamma signed the paperwork to officially adopt this little kitten. As we prepare to say "bye" to 2018, we will not forget all we went through to get to the end of this year. It is with hopeful hearts that we end this year and pray for a happier 2019 ahead.

Wishing all of our readers a beautiful and peace filled holiday season. Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it.  🎄

Purr & Paw,
-Stivali.

"I know a cat named Easter he says, 'Will you ever learn? You're just an empty cage girl, if you kill the bird.'"- Tori Amos.