I tidied my writing table over the weekend so Scout had to check it out. I’m not sure why but his eyes were big as saucers as he investigated the lack of pens and scrap paper lying about. People say that cats are aloof and without personality but my experience is that they are little characters with big personalities and emotions as valid and worth expressing as any human I know.
I’m grateful for my house panther.
I was relaxing on the couch with a book the other day while Scout napped at my feet. I shifted one foot just a fraction of an inch, thus disrupting his sleep and causing him to stir.
Who knew you could ruin someone’s day so easily?
He yawned big, gave me a look and jumped off the couch and onto the floor where he could stare at me pitifully. All was lost and the nap was ruined.
What was he to do?
Notice that in this picture he can hardly stand to look at me. His disappointment is clear.
Fast forward to about 4 a.m. the next morning when we both were awakened by a noisy car going by. As I attempted to drift off to sleep, he was digging through the bathroom trash can to locate a discarded q-tip which he brought to bed for some raucous play time.
I never did make it back to sleep. And you know something? When the alarm went off and I was headed to the shower, he was curling up with his head on my pillow and his tail wrapped under his nose.
When you’re a cat, revenge is a dish best served on your human’s pillow at 6 a.m.
If you’re lucky, your life will be a bit of a journey. There will be ups and downs and some unexpected detours. You’ll go places sometimes and occasionally feel like you’re standing still.
Every day won’t be great or fun. Some days will be downright hard. If you’re lucky, there will be adventure and, if you’re lucky, there will be some quiet too.
It’s nice when there’s balance and planning. But you know something? Odds are pretty good that you won’t always feel like you’re in control. You’ll feel like you’re along for the ride.
And you know something else? That’s not always a bad thing.
I stopped for gas a while back and noticed this scruffy little dog peering at me while waiting for his owner to come back. He looks like the type that would enjoy having the wind in his ears and a good old fashioned joy ride around town.
I was in a hurry to get somewhere and he seemed to be laughing at me as I rushed to start the car.
Silly human. Enjoy the journey, he seemed to say.
And that’s what I’m telling you as well. Whether today is good, bad or indifferent and whether you’re moving forward or standing still, enjoy this day and wherever it takes you.
Life for most people these days is far busier than it ought to be. Some days come with to-do lists too big to manage, and other days, the tasks start to feel a little unnecessary. I have been toying with an approach lately that has been changing my attitude toward my personal task list and has overhauled how that work is prioritized.
I ask myself this question:
What can I do that will most improve my life right now?
There’s a lot that needs attention here at home. Honestly, my closet needs to be cleaned in the worst way and I have stacks of things needing to be given away or sold. My kitchen floor could benefit from a good mop. But when I thought about all these things that need attention Friday night, I zoomed in on the things that would make the most difference to my daily life.
In this case, I chose to focus on my bathroom. The shower drain has been running slowly and everything needed cleaned. I also took the recycling to the car so I could drop it off at the recycling bins in town the next day. I needed to chop veggies, make pasta salad as well as some pudding, and tidy the kitchen to make meal prep easier the next day.
These are things I focused on. They took up most of the evening and I was pleased for the sense of accomplishment.
Did I do everything on my list? Nope, I did not. Some things will wait for another day.
What I did accomplish is more important: I changed my attitude.
We tend to think of household chores as just chores. We have to clean house, take out the trash, water the flowers, clean the cat’s litterbox, and prepare meals every freaking day whether we want to or not.
That doesn’t sound so great, does it?
But your internal dialogue shifts when you think of it as doing things to make your life better.
For example, I scoop Scout’s litterbox before bed every night whether it needs it or not. This improves my life because he is less likely to throw litter out on the floor at 3 a.m. He is pictured above looking quite smug because he knows he runs the house and I do not disagree.
Moving recycling to the car the night before streamlined the morning and guaranteed I would actually take the recycling. I know this because I had walked past it the three previous mornings. Having a clean shower with an open drain makes my mornings so much more pleasant!
The rest of the stuff on my list needs done – dusting, tidying the sock drawer, reorganizing the freezer – these things all need attention but aren’t vital to an easier life. I’ll get to them another night.
I’m also trying to reframe how I think about certain tasks. Watering flowers allows me to nourish small lives that make my life beautiful. Washing dishes can’t be multitasked but it does let me listen to some good music or just brainstorm while I work. Preparing food today will save some time tomorrow and many foods like soups, pasta salad, and casseroles actually taste better on day two.
Our mindset can make or break us. It can improve our lives exponentially or ruin our day. So, framing things in a more positive light makes a huge difference. Coming to think of these chores as things that will improve my life has made a tremendous difference to me. It’s still a relatively new approach but I’m curious to see the difference it can make in the future.
Incidentally, I told you about another life improvement strategy a while back. You can read about it here!
Here’s another one about productivity you might find helpful!
Scout has spent most of the last 36 hours or so either sitting next to me or resting where he can keep me in sight. That’s fine by me. You see, we’re both a little paranoid after something that happened Saturday night.
He’s a house cat. I found him as a baby, roaming the streets of the village where I work. He’s never been outside uncontained and unsupervised since that day and is quite happy to be secure here at home.
After a long day out and about Saturday, I came home to find my back door hanging wide open and Scout was not waiting for me in his usual spot.
They say that when you think you’ve been robbed or that someone’s in your house, you shouldn’t go in. I was conscious of this but I had Adam for backup and I didn’t think twice about barging in.
Luckily, Scout was waiting for me to find him in his safe space, in the bedroom, and purred loudly when I picked him up.
There were no signs of anything missing or moved. No signs that anyone had tampered with the door.
Something had come loose in the door knob and it had come open. I don’t believe it was open long. Actually, Scout has a habit of hopping up on the stool next to the door and stretching his body over to rest one paw on the door knob and the other on the window. I’m pretty sure it came open under his weight and he very smartly ran to safety.
Regardless, things could have turned out much differently. I could be telling you that my little Scout was missing.
The last eight days have been hard for a variety of reasons. I am tired, frustrated, angry, and tired of feeling put upon. But yesterday, I habitually reminded myself that no matter how annoyed/angry/tired I may be, at least my Scout isn’t lost.
This is what matters. The rest is beyond my control.
I know it freaked him out too because he’s staying close and letting me pick him up anytime I wish. In fact, I periodically pick him up and pack him around, telling him what a good, smart boy he is and how proud I am of him for being so brave and smart.
He’s humoring me but will eventually get sick of all the extra affection. Until then, I’ll give him extra ear scratches and will fly him around the house like Superman as much as possible.
Look after your furbabies, friends.