May 31, 2023 · 11:13 pm

My Cat Gives Me Gray Hairs!! AKA An Experience with Georgie Girl

Last month I took Georgie Girl to be spayed.

Georgie Girl came through the surgery fine. As one of the “people she hangs with”, I didn’t do as well.

Orphans of the Storm gave me a post-operative paper which advised keeping female housecats “quiet” for ten days–no playing, running, climbing or jumping. Those of you who’ve already read “Georgie Girl Reports” probably have an idea how well this went over–not!

Within two hours of coming home, Georgie Girl stuck her paw through the holes in the carrier’s door, ready to–PLAY! I left her out, and to keep her mind off the stitches in her tummy, swung a toy in front of her. She pounced on it, and kicked it so hard I thought for sure her stitches would come out.

My anxiety ramped up, with thoughts swirling around such as, “What if she opens the incision site? Oh dear, she wants to eat–shall I feed her or not? Will she get sick if she eats, due to the anesthesia?”

I called my friend Sue, who’s had far more experience with cats than I have, and poured my worries on her. Sue said that as to the effects of the surgery, and the cat’s appetite, it depends on the cat. Some cats just lay around for a couple days, other cats aren’t fazed at all (Georgie Girl) ; some cats don’t eat much; other cats eat as though they haven’t eaten in three days (Georgie Girl was among the latter). Sue said that as long as Georgie Girl wasn’t vomiting or choking when she ate, she was OK. Sue was most reassuring.

Sometime later I called to give Sue a progress report on Georgie Girl. Sue’s husband answered, and when I told Fred that parents sometimes say their kids give them gray hairs–well, my cat gives me gray hairs! Fred laughed and said, “Well, she’s your kid!”

I want to give a shout-out to organizations such as Orphans of the Storm. They provide low-cost spaying or neutering operations. They don’t make money on them; they do it to help people afford the cost, and to keep the number of unwanted kittens or puppies down. Without groups like this, it would have been much harder for me to afford getting Georgie Girl spayed.

P. Booher

Leave a comment

Filed under Country Cats

Tagged as , , ,

April 25, 2023 · 6:03 pm

Some Resources for Living The Good Life

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I came across some resources for building and maintaining a good life. I don’t have time today to review any of these in depth, but thought I’d pass these titles along to you. To me, they are worth spending time on.

  1. I just finished reading Crash The Chatterbox by Steven Furtick. The subtitle is “Hearing God’s Voice Above All Others”. The chatterbox Pastor Furtick refers to specializes in “trash talk” of fear, insecurity, condemnation, and discouragement in our minds. The author shows (in a conversational tone) how to fight back and gain the upper hand in the battle. We don’t have to remain a victim!
  2. The Armor of God Bible study series from Priscilla Shirer. I became familiar with this through a small-group study at a local church. We watched the DVD and read and discussed the workbook. Priscilla is an excellent communicator. This study deals with similar material to Crash The Chatterbox. 
  3. Letting God Meet Your Emotional Needs by Cindi McMenamin aims specifically at women, urging them to give their emotional needs to God, the only One Who can really meet them entirely, rather than their husbands. When a wife does this, the husband doesn’t feel the burden to do so, and the marriage goes smoother.

Each of these resources is worthy of a careful read. I plan to reread all of them; they are that valuable.

P. Booher

Leave a comment

Filed under Faith Matters, Life Issues

Tagged as , , ,

April 5, 2023 · 12:00 pm

Country Horses–Haflingers

All photos by author.

Friends of mine breed, raise and train Haflinger horses. They take the horses to fairs and the local farm show. The Haflinger breed originated in the mountains of Austria and Italy. People wanted a horse with the muscular strength necessary to pull carts, yet with the smaller size more suited for mountainous terrain and smaller pastures than the Belgian.

I interviewed my friends about the Haflingers. Here’s what I found out about these beautiful, intelligent and strong horses.

Question: What are they used for?

Answer: Haflingers are an all-around breed—for driving or riding. 

Question: What’s their general temperament?

Answer: Docile for the most part, but horses used in a hitch (for shows) are performance horses and can be high-strung.

Question: How much do they weigh, in general?

Answer: Generally they run around 800-1,000 pounds (approx. 363-454 kilograms), but some can go 1,200-1,400 pounds (approx. 544-635 kilograms).

Question: How are they for riding?

Answer: Many people ride the horses Western style; some ride English style. The horses are stocky-built, and because of that, riding a Haflinger can take a bit of getting used to.

Question: How about driving?

Answer: Haflingers are used either in a one-horse cart, a team, a four-horse hitch, a six-horse hitch, or an eight-horse hitch. Tandem driving means one horse in front of another. When the horses are driven “unicorn” style, it means one horse in front with a team of horses in the back.

Thanks to my friends for this info. (and the cart ride!)

P. Booher

Leave a comment

Filed under Country Horses

April 3, 2023 · 8:00 am

Georgie Girl Reports: I Share My Fur

Georgie Girl, catching a catnap

I noticed the people I hang out with don’t have much fur. To make up for this, I am generous with my fur. I make sure they have fur on their clothes. I share my fur with them when I jump up on their laps for chin and tummy rubs. I roll around and distribute my fur over a wide area on their clothes. It’s important to make sure they look their best, don’t you think?

Georgie Girl

P. Booher, secretary

Leave a comment

Filed under Georgie Girl Reports

March 31, 2023 · 8:00 am

Friday “Walks”–Praying Is Active, Not Passive

Photo Credit: P. Booher

Western culture, particularly the US culture I live in, is oriented toward activity. This inclination made its way into the church years ago. We tend to come for talent nights and Easter programs, but not so much for times of prayer. I’m sure there are different reasons for that, but I think one reason is the idea that praying is seen as “passive”, not “active”.

Praying is an active outgrowth of faith, because without faith that God is here and that He cares, you won’t pray. Why do I say “praying is active”? Consider Who you are praying to. God is the Creator of the universe, the One Who has ultimate power. He has the ability to meet needs, in whatever way He chooses, in His timing. Praying means touching the heart of God, asking Him to move on behalf of you or someone else, or some situation, close at hand or far away. Praying is the “fuel” behind people’s redemption; it’s the “fuel” behind physical, mental and emotional healings; it’s the “fuel” behind the meeting of material needs, and the “fuel” behind countless large and small ministries. Sometimes God uses those ministries to meet needs people pray about.

Praying is active–look at what results from it!

Some Scriptures: Hebrews 11:1,6; James 5:13-15; I Thessalonians 5:17; Luke 18:1-7

P. Booher

2 Comments

Filed under Faith Matters

March 29, 2023 · 8:00 am

Pictures to Brighten Gloomy Days

This area seems to have experienced several gloomy days lately. I am one of many people whose mood is affected by gray, rainy, chilly days. To combat this, at least while at the computer, I put photos featuring sunshine as my desktop backgrounds, switching between them when I get tired of one. Below is my current background. It brightens my mood every time I see it. Hope these pictures serve to brighten any gloomy days you may have!

Photo Credit: P. Booher
Photo Credit: P. Booher
Photo Credit: P. Booher
Photo Credit: P. Booher
Photo Credit: P. Booher
Photo Credit: P. Booher
Photo Credit: P. Booher

5 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

March 22, 2023 · 10:29 pm

Georgie Girl Reports: Advice to Young Cats Living with People

Georgie Girl, taking a brief catnap

For cats, particularly younger cats hanging out with people, keep these points in mind:

  1. Whatever a human does is done better when supervised by at least one feline.
  2. To give proper supervision, the feline must get as close to the human’s work as possible, even if it means sitting on the human’s shoulder. If the human gets upset (if he or she hisses at you–ie.–blows in your face) then adjustments can be made. Sometimes I jump over to a box a few feet away from the computer, and watch as the human (aka my secretary) types. This is acceptable to the human.
  3. Cats are not “bad”. Nor do they “misbehave”. If the people you hang out with call you “bad” or say you are misbehaving, ignore these comments. They are not true. You are exercising your curiosity. I want to remind my fellow felines that curiosity indicates intelligence. If a human makes a disgusting (by “disgusting” think of a stinky litter box) comment about your intelligence, you can ignore that one too. It is not true. Cats are smart! Who should know better than a cat!

Georgie Girl

P. Booher, secretary

2 Comments

Filed under Georgie Girl Reports

March 20, 2023 · 10:37 pm

What I Am Enjoying Now

  1. Looking up in the night sky and recognizing some constellations like Orion the Hunter, Cassiopeia, and the Big Dipper.
  2. Daffodils blooming
  3. Hearing that red-winged blackbirds are back. I haven’t seen any yet, but I heard the birds are in the area.
  4. Reflecting on God’s providence for our household, especially in the past few years. Thinking about how God provided in the past decreases anxiety related to future needs and wants.
  5. Moments spent petting Georgie Girl, our new feline
  6. God is opening my faith up. I am practicing praying for situations, and then thanking Him for the victories before I see them. (Philippians 4:6,7) This gives me peace; I have given them to the One Who is able to do something about them.
  7. Blogging!  🙂
  8. Talking to friends on the phone
  9. Learning more about writing
  10. Looking forward to more things to enjoy!
  11. Reading
  12. Hearing robins chirping when I come home from work

©P. Booher

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

March 17, 2023 · 11:31 pm

Friday “Walks”–The Comforting Light

Photo Credit: P. Booher

A couple years ago the patterns of our household changed with my mother’s health issues. Her physical problems affected her mental state. Her sense of balance decreased and her need for personal comfort increased.

She insisted on having a corner light in the kitchen left on all night, along with the regular nightlight. Prior to this, we always practiced the habit of turning off all lights for the night, except for the nightlights. For some time I resented the extra amount on the electric bill. Now, though, when I wake up at night and see the circle of light, it comforts me. It is steadying to my emotional state to see it on.

As the light is comforting at night, so Jesus is comforting when I need Him. One day a friend called. She mentioned a frightening situation supposed to happen just a few miles away, with people armed and ready to fight. I hung up the phone, a knot of fear rapidly forming in my stomach. Just then, the first two lines from an old hymn, “Near to the Heart of God” leapt to mind. It’d been years since I heard the hymn; I didn’t even realize I remembered it. As the words played through my mind, so did a mental picture: I was leaning on Jesus, my head on His chest, and He had His arm around me, comforting and reassuring me.

Any time I remember that, I am still comforted by His caring and compassion.

Some Scriptures: John 1:9: “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” (NIV)

Psalm 103:13: “As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;” (NIV)

Psalm 56:3: “When I am afraid, I will trust in you.” (NIV)

©P. Booher

9 Comments

Filed under Faith Matters, Tips to Manage Stress

Tagged as , , ,

March 13, 2023 · 5:08 pm

Georgie Girl Reports: Georgie Girl Introduces Herself

Georgie Girl catching a catnap

Hi! I’m Georgie Girl. One of the people I hang out with wanted to call me “Georgina” but I quickly indicated my name is Georgie Girl. “Georgina” is dignified. Who wants to be dignified when you can have fun?! I’m a playgirl! I live for fun, fun, fun!!

I know the picture above doesn’t show me in a “fun” mode. I said to my secretary that I need a better picture, to give readers a more accurate representation, because I don’t always sleep. People could get the wrong idea. She asked if I wanted one which shows me redecorating the bookcase, or climbing the wall. I said I wasn’t climbing the wall, I was exploring it. But then I decided that might give readers an even more inaccurate idea about me. So I said to leave the picture there.

Speaking of fun (my favorite thing to talk about): it is so much FUN to swat an object off a shelf and watch it fall to the floor. You get to hear the thud it makes when it falls. That is so cool!! One of the people I hang with kept a cup filled with pens, pencils and markers on a shelf near the computer. It was so much fun to swat the cup. The cup hit the floor and the pens, pencils and markers scattered everywhere. Some of them rolled on the floor. That was even more fun because I could swat them again. I gave the people a chance for exercise because they got to pick up the pens, pencils and markers. Lately, though, I haven’t seen the cup around. I wonder why?

Georgie Girl

P. Booher, secretary

6 Comments

Filed under Country Cats, Georgie Girl Reports, Humor