cat wisdom...

Sam the Cat found me nearly fifteen years ago in a PetSmart store. I was there to buy birdseed. He was all alone in the cat enclosure. A yearling boycat with strange markings and a scarred ear, he was the only moggy still homeless after a week-long Humane Society adoption fest.

Our eyes met.

I smiled.

He meowed.

I crouched to say hello.

Yowling, he launched himself into my arms, his message crystal clear: "Get me out of here!"

I've been doing Sam's bidding ever since, and he has repaid me by sharing nuggets of catly wisdom. Here are just a few of the many lessons I've learned.

1. Be curious.

2. Curiouser and curiouser.

3. Eat healthy.

4. Don't over-indulge. (Everything is good in moderation.)

5. Comfortable shoes are best.

6. Friends appreciate a helping hand. (They may not know it, but they do.)

7. Be persistent.  (Persistence often pays off with a treat.)

8. Get plenty of sleep.

9. Remember to wash your behind your ears.

10. Go outside!

11. Stay warm.

12. We all need a little personal time. Savour it.

13. Ponder the great mysteries of life.

14. Practice patience. It's not easy being green, but count to ten before you freak out over the stupid Kermit hat. (Then go ahead and freak out. People remember and will never try such a silly thing again.)

15. Stretch often.

16. Read widely.

17. Appreciate your friends. (Hi, Jay!)

18. Play!

19. Think outside the box. Because, of course, the cat is in the box, so there's no room for you there. (This applies to all boxes.) (Also, always recycle.)

20. Enjoy life. Every little sunbeam is a gift.

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stillpoint is the blog of Canadian author Cheryl Cooke Harrington

  

the write spot

Have you ever walked down a street just after dark, in that twilight time when indoor lights are coming on but curtains aren't yet drawn? Windows become irresistibly inviting, framing intimate glimpses of other people's lives, of stories waiting to be told.

 

There's a special kind of connection that happens when we're allowed those glimpses into private worlds. I think that's why I was so fascinated by the photos of famous writers' retreats in this article. My favourite is Virginia Woolf's little hut. It would suit me very well indeed.

 

So now I'm on a quest. Where do the rest of us (famous and not-so-famous writers) write? I hope you'll leave a comment with a link to a photo of your own writing room or favourite writing spot. Let's make some connections.

 

This is my cozy corner. Where's yours?

my writing room