The World Always Looks Brighter Behind a Smile

If you feel down, did you ever force yourself to smile? Did it trick your brain to feeling better?  

There are a lot of things in this world that can bring a smile to your face. If you give a smile it is often reflected back at you. That should certainly brighten a dark day. 

Today, we bring you the smile that is provided to us by our little feral, Grigio. He visits two to three times a day, and waits patiently for us to realize he is there.

Yesterday, after eating a full bowl of soft food, he stretched his front legs and returned to the door. My little brother, Pasqua Scheggiare, greeted him.

Mamma said Grigio was saying to Pasqua, "Excuse me, Sir, my bowl is empty. Can you get that waitress?"

Mamma is so funny. She makes us laugh. 

 😸 I'm always on the look-out! 😸

We hope your heart and food bowl are full. May your week be filled with reasons to smile.

Purr & Paw,

-Stivali. 🐾

Smile more. - Assunta.

Welcome Fall!

Tis the season to watch the leaves change and fall. Bird watching is a must for most of us, too. The sounds and scents of fall are our favourite. 

There are so many things to do in the fall, that we wish mamma would buy us a stroller so we can join her on her adventures. Are you heading to the pumpkin patch or are you going apple picking? We would like to live vicariously through all of you! We hear that corn mazes and hayrides are super fun for the kids and adults. 

Our mamma likes to bake - a lot - and this season is filled with some of her best pumpkin and apple recipes. So what better way to start the season then by sharing one with you?!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups canned pumpkin puree
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Vanilla extract (to your preference, ma uses 1 tsp)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (add more if you like it!)
1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
1 to 2 cups chocolate chips (your preference - semi sweet or milk chocolate)
+you will need cooking spray. 

Prepare it! 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray two 9x5inch loaf pans with cooking spray.

Mix pumpkin puree, sugar, eggs, oil, extract, and spices together in a bowl. Add flour little by little, and mix each time until combined. Add chocolate chips into batter. Pour into the prepared loaf pans.
Bake for one hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool a bit before removing from pan and eat!

Mamma saw this on her walk yesterday, isn't that a nice thing to do for our neighbours? 

Another nice thing to do in the fall is to reflect on our life and make a list of all the people we’re thankful for. Fall is the perfect time to let people know you care, why not send handwritten notes out to the people on your list? 

Hope you enjoy the last week of September, and that your October is filled with gratitude and good food.

Purr & Paw,
-Stivali. 🐾

Ah, September! You are the doorway to the season that awakens my soul… but I must confess that I love you only because you are a prelude to my beloved October. - Peggy Toney Horton.

Festival of Lights

Hello Readers!

Mamma is preparing for Christmas, but that is not the only holiday of the season. Hanukkah 2019 will begin this evening and ends the evening of  Monday, December 30.

Learn about the History of Hanukkah here. Thank you, History Channel. 🐱

Do you celebrate Hanukkah? Or, if you know someone who does, did you know that to wish someone a Happy Hanukkah, you would say “Hanukkah Sameach!” or “Chag Sameach!” (meaning: Happy Holiday)? In Hebrew we would say “Chag Urim Sameach!”.

Mamma likes to bake and cook. To her utter disbelief, we cannot help her, we have too much fur. If you are looking for new recipes for Hanukkah, check these out: Hanukkah Recipes & Tips

Whatever you celebrate, we wish you full bellies, joyful laughter, and much happiness as you celebrate.

We are at the screen door looking outside in this photo. 

How cute is this cat nip filled stocking from our Aunt Julie? 

From our home to yours, Happy Holidays! 

Purr & Paw, 🐾

-Stivali.

Merry everything, and a happy, always! 

Snow Days and Sun Puddles

So. Me begging for mamma's food is becoming a fun trend - one week and going strong of nightly begging.
See? Told you I cannot be that sick. 

The weather outside is frightful, and I am really grateful to be an indoor cat. Safe and warm.


This is how my sister spends her days... relaxing in the sun porch - enjoying all of the sun puddles.

The cold stays out. We stay in.

We are happy. We are grateful. We are blessed.

Stay warm, Readers in Cold Places. 💞

Happy December!

New month, new attitude, and soon, a new year. 

Check me out. 😸

I know that I cannot be as sick as everyone thinks, despite my labored breathing and all the medicines I take, because I still can eat. I still want to eat. All of the time.   

Whenever mamma is in the kitchen, I follow, whether it is time for me to eat or not, I want to eat. I want to know what mamma is making and if it tastes good enough for me.

So, it is a new month, and my new attitude is - I AM NOT THAT SICK - Look, I am still hungry all of the time, I am good. I am looking forward to the new year, I am gonna be okay.

My mamma will make an appointment soon to see how I am doing on my meds and if I have more fluid on my lungs, I guess they will drain it out again. Yuck.

Tomorrow, we celebrate the anniversary of the first arrival of Stivali into our home. Read her story here, if you are interested and missed my delightful post last December about my little sister. 😻 Happy You're-Ours Day, Stivali.

Happy December, Dear Readers - keep your spirits bright! 💗