THERE'S A TIME . . .: 2021

Just a Thought Before I Go

Holiday Greetings to all, whatever you may celebrate. Whether you follow traditions, or come up with new events, do take time to enjoy yourselves.

I like listening to Christmas music, mostly the classic carols. Singing along always helps me feel festive - and it’s fun! Although I don’t do a lot of decorating, I do enjoy lights and a few trinkets here and there. Plus a little tree.

📸 by Larisa-K on pixabay

Whatever you choose to do, be thoughtful of others. Share the little joys of the holiday season. Give something to others and don’t forget the animals and nature.

For those who live alone, reach out. It’s ok to be alone. I spend some holidays alone and still enjoy the time. Luckily I have pets. Whether you do or don’t have pets to spend holidays with, do something for others. Feed the birds and stray cats. Pray for others. For yourself, write a journal to express your feelings, your hopes, your memories.

Create the holiday spirit you want to feel. Create the warmth to melt the blues. Create a new memory of having a blessed holiday, just being yourself. You deserve being loved.

Happy Holidays! For real! 🎄🎁🐦🐾⛄🌠 💖 Theresa M

📸 by geralt on pixabay

📸 by annca on pixabay

📸 by Jill111 on pixabay

Life in Time

Time is descriptive

in many ways such:

roads that were traveled,

paths left in the dust.

Those memories of life:

a colorful day

or black and white sorrow

a life slipped away.

Time is and will be

taken for granted.

Better to live life

as if it’s enchanted.

Not knowing tomorrow

letting go yesterday

Let us take time now

before it slips away.

Theresa M

📸 by Kellepics on pixabay

📸 by skeeze on pixabay

artist Peter Siddell, NZ

Dedicated to all those we have lost this year, whether through disease, illness, tragic events, or natural causes. These people and pets who made our lives a bit brighter, now have their stars shine on us from above. 🙏💖🌟

Lonely Kitten

I see you through the kitchen window. You mow the grass, fill the bird feeders. You watch the butterflies.

You saw me looking out, and you came over to say something. I felt scared and ran off to hide. Humans just scare me like that. All of them. Most of them. My human went away and never came back.

Who can I turn to now? I am stuck in this house. There was little food left until you saw me in the kitchen window.

I know it was you who came through the kitchen door later, calling out, “kitty, kitty.” But I stayed hid real good. I don’t know you. After you left I found lots of good food and water. I did enjoy the feast.

I see the sun come and go many, many times. I hear that kitchen door open from time to time. “Kitty kitty, where are you?” you say. But I stay hidden.

I hear you walking around, moving things here and there. You never find me. You never move anything out of the house. Who are you? Where is my human?

More suns come and go, with rain and clouds. I see leaves on the trees changing colors and falling. You still come back, always leaving me lots of food and water. I am thankful, although I am still too scared of humans to show myself.

I have no other cats or animals to visit, although I can see them prowling around outside the windows. I miss fresh air. I miss my human.

Someone put a large metal thing near my food and water. Was that you? I ate the food outside of it. And drank water. There are little bits of food that trailed inside the metal thing. I ate that too. This is different. What is going on? Will I still get my food and water?

I hear you come and go more often in a day. You call “kitty, kitty” and say prayers to the Powerful One who watches over us. I guess you really do care about me. Yet I still feel fear. I feel sad. What is going on?

All I want are simple things: food, water, fresh air. A human - just one -to call to me and to sit with me and pet me, brush me. I want to have a clean place to do my poos. I want to be able to play again. I was just learning to when mama and my kitty mates were taken away. At least I do have food and water and a place to sleep for now.

Human, will you help me to get those simple things I need? Will you help me find a new home?

**********************************

Addendum: Human here. Lonely kitten finally entered the humane trap. She was mad - spitting mad! But we got her. Tiny little thing, but looked healthy. She has been sent to a new home, where humans will care for her. In time, she will learn to trust humans. In time, she will be much less fearful.

She is one of the lucky ones. We pray for so many animals out there, lost, trapped, hungry, cold, abused. We pray for all of them to be rescued and be placed in peaceful, loving homes. 😺💗🏡

Lord have mercy. 💙

RSVP: St Francis of Assisi 🙏

St Blaise 🙏

St Gertrude 🙏

Theresa M

October

Hello and welcome to October. This is my favorite month. I haven't posted much for awhile, but I'll get back to it in time. I hope all is well with you readers. God bless, enjoy the autumn, (or spring for all of you in the southern hemisphere), and be well........see you soon. Theresa M

📸 by cocoparisienne on pixabay

PS - Feel free to read through my previous posts. On the right column of this page you will find posts listed by the year, click on, choose a month from that year, then choose a title. Or review under the section of "Post ABC List." Find title you want to read and go back to the year/month to look up. Thanks so much. Enjoy.

The Fable of the Butterfly

“Yum, yum, yum,” the little yellowish-green caterpillar mumbled. “These leaves are delicious. I’m so glad I landed in this beautiful garden.”

“What a lovely caterpillar you are,” said a voice two big green leaves away. “Hi! My name is Lady. Welcome to the garden,” the teeny, tiny red and black bug smiled.

“Why thank you,” replied the caterpillar. “It is certainly a scrumptious place to dine. And nice to meet you Lady. I don’t have a name that I know of.”

“Oh you will in time. You’re the type of creature who has an interesting journey ahead. Now you are a caterpillar, but your names will change. Actually a lot will change for you,” Lady Bug explained.

“Well that may be, but I feel like this appetite will always be ready for luscious leaves,” said the little yellowish-green caterpillar, as he munched some more.

“Hee-hee! You are silly. Enjoy! I hope to see you soon, if I can recognize you,” Lady Bug sighed.

“Recognize me? Here I am!” laughed the caterpillar, not understanding Lady Bug’s words.

Later that day Doggie the little yellow cat, had been napping in the shade of the garden. He stretched and yawned, and then saw a funny long thing nearby. On closer inspection it was a little yellowish-green caterpillar.

“Hello,” said Doggie. “How’s it going?”

“Well, ok, although I feel a bit itchy in this skin and I must say, I need to change,” answered the caterpillar.

“Yes, you will need to do that a few times, but it won’t always be like that. The final time will be a doozie!” laughed Doggie.

“Whatever do you mean?” asked the caterpillar.

“You’ll see in time, things change, whether we want them to or not,” Doggie taught the tiny caterpillar.

Days passed. One more time to change his skin, the yellowish-green caterpillar wound himself up in a tight but cozy cocoon of reddish-brown color that hung from a twig on his favorite branch. He stayed there for what seemed an eternity, changing, growing, as strange things emerged.

“Hmm. What is going on?” he wondered aloud in the dark one night.

Nearby, an owl named Content responded, “Hoot! You are changing. You are no longer a little caterpillar.”

“But I don’t want to die. I want to stay a caterpillar,” he cried to the owl. “What can I do? Why is this happening?”

“It’s just the way life is. You changed from a caterpillar into a chrysalis. You will still be a part of who you were, just in a different form, and with a different way to enjoy life. You will live on. Hoot!” Content the Owl’s eyes brightened at the thought of what lay ahead.

“Are you sure? I don’t know. I’m not so comfortable with all this happening right now,” cried the chrysalis.

“It won’t be much longer. There are better days ahead. You will be stronger if you get through the struggle.” The Owl named Content left his wise words for the caterpillar-turned-chrysalis to contemplate.

A sunny morning. Easing his way out of the cocoon was a new being. Not the tiny yellowish-green caterpillar who entered it, nor the reddish-brown chrysalis it created, but a beautiful yellow butterfly, slowly, deliberately, stretching its wings, pointing its antennae here and there. He stepped delicately onto the big green leaf. “Oh, my!” he thought, “everything they told me is true!”

Fluttering his wings, feeling thirsty for nectar, he looked into the bright beautiful luscious garden and noted the many flowers there were to choose from.

“Hi!” said a familiar voice. “I recognize you, somehow I do!”

The new-born butterfly looked at her, and saw a teeny tiny red and black bug, and felt a bit of deja vu. “I think I know you. Lady, right?”

“Yes it’s me! So glad to see you made it through your struggles. Are you feeling better?” Lady Bug asked.

“Yes, actually I feel wonderful! I feel as if I could fly all over and drink nectar from the flowers!” shouted the butterfly.

“Yes you can do that!” laughed Lady Bug. “I hereby name you Shiloh the Butterfly. May your days be peaceful and bring beauty to others.” Lady Bug smiled.

“Thank you. For everything.” Shiloh the Butterfly flapped his wings and took flight into the bright sunny day over the garden. Life had never felt so good.

Moral of the story:

As Lady Bug said: “A lot will change.”

As Doggie the Little Yellow Cat said: “Things change whether we want them to or not.”

As Content the Owl said: “You will be stronger if you get through the struggle.”

Thus: Our lives are always changing. Trust the process. In time, all will be well.

Theresa M

The Fable of Mosey the Mutt

A scruffy, scraggly mutt sniffed around the garden of peas and beans. “What a lovely place to visit,” sighed Mosey the Mutt. “I don’t know how I never found this place before.”

📷 Pierre Stickney, public domain

“Bark, bark! My name is Bravo,” said the dog over the fence. “Come for a visit. My humans own this land.”

Mosey looked over at Bravo, a strong, proud black labrador. Hesitant, he asked first, “Yip! Are you sure it’s okay? I don’t want to get sent away.”

“Yes! Yes! You are welcome here. I’ll be your friend. Besides, my human likes animals and will likely take you in. But,” sniffed Bravo, “you may have to get a bath first!”

A bit embarrassed, Mosey the Mutt replied, “Well, yeah, I guess that would be okay. What about some food? I am a bit hungry. See, I’ve been traveling a long way, trying to find my humans. We were camping in the woods, but I followed after a squirrel, who led me to a raccoon. Then I followed the raccoon, who led me to a cat. Then I followed the…”

“I see, I see,” said Bravo. “Well, you have a nice necklace on. I’m sure my human can check it out and try to help you find your humans.”

“Can he? Can she? That would be wonderful!” cried out Mosey. “Oh, I’m Mosey, by the way.”

“Bark! Bark! Good to meet you.” Bravo reached out his paw to Mosey, who hung his head down and slowly walked forward. They sniffed each other out, started laughing, and played away the afternoon.

By dinner time the human returned. “Aw, a little scruffy, scraggly mutt,” said the human. “Bravo, you did good keeping him company. But he looks a little hungry. Let’s get some food.” So the human went to get Bravo and Mosey big bowls of crunchy dinner.

“A feast!” thought Mosey. “yum, yum, yum,” he delightfully and noisily ate up his meal. Then lapped up fresh water. “Thank you Bravo, and thanks to your human.”

“No sweat,” Bravo smiled.

“Now my little darlings, I think you both need baths!” The human had returned with the water hose and an inflatable baby pool.

“Woof! replied Bravo. “Yip!” replied Mosey.

Human sprayed both of them. It was refreshing as the day had been a hot one. The human soaped them up and they played and laughed and ran in circles.

After bathing, they all sat out on the grass. Human had a glass of iced tea, and the dogs each had a rawhide chew. Human reached over to look at Mosey’s necklace: name, human name, and phone number.

Yes, human had to call to let them know Mosey’s whereabouts. Even though it would be fun having another dog, Mosey’s family would be worried and sad.

Two days later a camper pulled up to Bravo’s house. A man, a woman, and two boys got out and excitedly ran over to Mosey.

“Bark!” Bravo called to announce their arrival. Human came out and talked to the visitors. They exchanged greetings and talked about their recent events.

As they did, Bravo and Mosey looked at each other, each whimpering a bit. The two human boys noticed and let them get together one last time. Bravo and Mosey sniffed each other out, started whimpering again, then laughed. “It’s okay,” Bravo said, “you had an adventure, made a friend, and now get to go home again.”

“I did. Yes, indeed I did. Thanks to you and your human for being so kind to me. I will never forget,” Mosey said, as he reached out his paw to Bravo. They wrestled lightly but politely. It was time to go.

Mosey peered out the back window of the camper, paws on the window, as the family drove away. Bravo sat bravely, “Bark! Bark!” His human waved.

“Yip! Bark!” cried out Mosey. “What a lovely place to visit.”

Moral of the story: Be a friend to a stranger.

Be of help.

And then, even in the goodbyes, life is good.

Theresa M

The Fable of the Brown Cow

Out in the green pastures, cows grazed on the grass. Some lay down as they chewed, others stood on all four hooves. One brown cow named Hownow, was a bit smaller than the rest. She liked to walk around and try out different patches to graze on, and was a very sociable bovine.

The neighbor named Doggie, a little yellow cat, always enjoyed visiting Hownow, the brown cow. “Hey Hownow! How’s it going?” asked Doggie, one wonderful brilliant summer day.

Chewing her cud, Hownow looked over to see Doggie sitting on a fence. “Well, hello Doggie! All is well in the pasture, my friend. How about for you?” Hownow was happy to see Doggie, yet continued chewing her cud. “Might I offer you some great green grass?”

“Silly cow, cats don’t eat grass, well, unless it’s catnip of course!” replied Doggie. They both laughed.

“Moo!” exclaimed another cow in the field. Apparently she thought this was funny as well.

Doggie said to Hownow, the brown cow, “You know your humans are very pleased with the milk and cheese she gets thanks to the help from all of you. I like it as well. It’s wonderful to have you around not just for what you provide, but also for your friendship.”

“Ah, shucks,” replied Hownow, looking to the side shyly. “That is right kind of you to say Doggie. I appreciate your friendship too.”

Continuing to chew her cud, Hownow said thoughtfully, “You know, the humans treat us really nice here. They talk kindly to us, feed us generously and have a veterinarian routinely check our health - although that can be scary sometimes, needles and things.” Hownow’s eyes widened as she said that last part. Doggie’s eyes widened too but she nodded in agreement.

“Yes,” replied Doggie, “We have a very good life here. For that I am grateful.”

“Moo too!” said Hownow. “Moo! Moo! Moo!” said a chorus of other cows, apparently listening in on the conversation and shouting out their approval. Everyone laughed!

Hownow and Doggie chatted away for an hour or so, as the warm sun beams brightened their day as much as their friendship did.

Feeling like a fine feline, Doggie decided to go on about his usual trails, so he said goodbye to Hownow. Hownow stood in the pasture, still chewing her cud, and mooed goodbye. Such is the farm life of Hownow and her peers, simply being mellow and content.

Moral of the story: You don’t have to have a cow. You can live in harmony by being kind and content. Just hanging out and chewing the cud with a friend is a simple pleasure. Theresa M

The Fable of Raggy the Raccoon

“Screeee! Screeee!! Ahhhh!” My goodness! There were strange night sounds as two raccoons were pulling at each end of a trash bag. Tears and splits popped here and there; trash flew everywhere.

“It’s mine!” yelled one raccoon with an extra long tail.

“No! Mine! Mine! I found it first!” cried the other raccoon, whose tail was a bit bushier and his fur a bunch disheveled.

Back and forth they tugged till the contents of the bag were strewn between them. Hurriedly they picked through the items, cans, bags, old tomatoes and half a taco. They each ate fast and when lights flashed on at the nearby house, they grabbed as much as they could and scurried off.

A gray tom cat sat on top of one of the garbage cans and laughed at them. “Silly raccoons.” But he jumped when he heard a human voice yell, “Scat cat!!” Oh well, no surprise he was getting the blame.

Later the raccoon with the bushy tail and the disheveled fur came upon the tomcat who was prowling for mice.

“Hey there Big Cat! Got any grub to share?” asked the disheveled raccoon.

“Not for you Raggy. Go get your own. I know you can. I saw you with that other raccoon at the trash bags. And I got yelled at for it by the human.”

“Well, well. Don’t those humans know everything is not always what it appears to be? Sorry mate, we know it wasn’t you,” replied Raggy.

“Yeah, well. I still don’t have anything for you. But I know where you can find some yummy crunchy food,” informed the Big Cat.

Eyes widening, mouth watering, Raggy asked, “Where? Where?”

“Right over there,” Big Cat pointed to a neighbor’s house, fenced in. “It’s right there on the back porch in a big round bowl. Better get there fast before someone else finds it first.”

“Thank you Big Cat. I surely will,” Raggy replied and ran as fast as he could to the neighboring house.

Raggy climbed the fence easily, using his stealthy hands to hold on to the chain-link. “This is so easy. Why didn’t I look here before?” he snickered to himself.

He sauntered over to the big bowl, full of wonderful crunchy morsels, and just as he reached his hands into the bowl, holding the delectable delight before him, a bright light flashed on.

“What? I made no noise,” whispered Raggy. Barking from indoors could be heard. “Bark! Drop that food! Bark! Get out of here! Bark! Bark!” ordered the growling voice.

Then a human came along, looked out the kitchen window, and said, “Ah, it’s a raccoon! Let me get my camera. Come on Bravo.”

Bravo, the barking dog, looked at his human, then looked at the raccoon, torn between what he should do. “But bark! Bark!” he yelled.

Raggy the raccoon, who initially was frozen in fear with that delectable delight of crunchies held in his hand, slowly began to munch on one morsel at a time.

“Ah, silly little raccoon,” said the human. “He looks like he’s eating popcorn watching a movie! Ha-ha-ha!” Human took a picture from the window. Bravo, whimpering a bit now, seeing that his human was not angry or in fear, felt a bit confused, and offered a mere “Yip!” in response.

Meanwhile, Raggy was filled with his fancy of crunchy morsels and wandered off into the night. He stopped to stretch out his paws and yawn.

“Ah,” said the human. “I think he’s saying goodbye to us, Bravo!” The human waved at Raggy.

Bravo, forever trying to figure out his human, simply sat down, dropped his head to his paws, and mumbled, “Hmmph! Humans. Raccoons. Such silly creatures.”

Moral of the story: Well, Raggy said it earlier: “Everything is not always what it appears to be.” 😊 Theresa M

Sooner or Later...Okay Later

Soon I will be writing the last of the fables and post them here. I hope you enjoy them. For now I'll take a break. But I want to leave you with a thought or two as well as some lovely sights to see.

Blessings.

🙏💝😎