Holiday Treats

It's Winter Solstice. I have only my Christmas tree lights and candles tonight. Instrumental Christmas music in the background. I wish I had some eggnog, it would be perfect tonight, but didn't make it to the store today. So a glass of wine instead. I got my Dobosh Torte in the mail today. When I was young, we would go to an aunt and uncle's on Christmas night and they always had homemade eggnog and Swiss Colony's Dobosh Torte, a rectangular cake with many very thin layers of cake and chocolate cream. Delish!

We got a dusting of snow last night. It's very pretty, but I wish I could have seen the eclipse. I watched it on the internet instead. A warmer way to watch it, anyway.

My business, Wings and Purrs, has officially launched. Check out my holiday offer here (look for cat with Santa hat):

http://www.angelsteach.com/2010/12/15/holiday-gifts-with-the-angels/

Many thanks to my angel communication teacher, Nina, for pushing me out of my comfort zone and asking me to include a holiday promotion for her newsletter.

I wish you a peaceful holiday season, with many treats, either food and/or otherwise, whatever your heart desires.

Blessings,

Sandy

Reiki and Shy Cats

Reiki can be helpful for both physical and emotional/mental issues, in both humans and animals.

I volunteer once a week at a cat shelter to help socialize the cats that were once feral. Some have been there for some time, and most of them do not want to be touched. I have 2 cats that I'm assigned to, and one is more open to pets than the other. After I work with them (we use baby food on a finger to help convince them we are friendly) and also give out some baby food to other cats, I sit on the floor in a corner of each of the 2 rooms the cats are in and offer Reiki. I set the intention that it is for the cats' highest good, and that each cat may take as much or as little of the Reiki as they want.

I have developed a following, if you will. There are some cats that settle in near me, close their eyes and seem to be enjoying the energy. There are a couple of cats who repeatedly dart in and out of the room, as though they can only handle short bursts of it. There are a few who stay where they are on the other side of the room, and by the way they look at me, or how they relax and settle in, seem to indicate that they are receiving the Reiki also.

Rhonda, one of the cats in the socialization program, came out of her cubby in a cat tree (where she is most often) and lay down and the floor about 5 feet from me. I was surprised, for even though the people who work with her say she likes to be brushed a little, she has run from me (I'm fairly new, so I'm hoping with time she'll get used to me) when I've approached her with baby food. So, here she was, sprawled out in front of the water bowls, closed her eyes and seemed to just soak up the energy. I waited until she had enough and got up and went back to the cat tree before I got up and moved to the other room. The next week she didn't come out onto the floor, but came out of her cubby and lay on one of the cat tree platforms. When I read the notes for the socialization program, it was reported that Rhonda had made great progress and was allowing more petting and brushing. I was happy reading this, as I am sure that the Reiki I offer there had something to do with it.

P.S. That is Rhonda in the picture

Grace in My Life

I know, it's been ages since I posted anything on here.

In September one of my cat sitting clients called and said her allergies were getting worse and did I think I could take in her cat Gracie? I thought about it and said yes. So I am owned by a cat once again.

Gracie is a 16-year old tortoiseshell cat. She has big beautiful eyes and soft fur. She likes to nap in the sun. She likes to talk. I've known her for 5 years from cat sitting for her. She's never seemed to like me all that much, because whenever she saw me, I was trying to get some medicine in her that she didn't like. So at first when she was here, she tried to hide from me behind the couch and under the bed, and I had to keep doors closed and block access to under and behind the couch with pillows and books. But she seemed to realize I'm not so bad after all and we are close now. I've managed to switch one of her medicines from a sticky liquid I had to give by mouth to a powder I can mix in her food, which is so much better for both of us. She also likes the Reiki and massages that I give her.

It's been 2 months now and I'm so happy she came here to be with me. Someone asked why I took in such an 'old cat', but how could I not? What does age have to do with it? I've had several cats that have come to me in their teens. We've had great years together. Maybe not as many as I would have if I had gotten a younger cat, but Gracie and I seem meant to be together. And that's good enough for me.

Shelter Cats

I am excited. Now that my schedule is more open, I have finally gotten myself to the local humane society which has a shelter for cats and filled out an application to be a volunteer. It looks like I'll be helping to socialize the '3rd floor cats', cats that were feral and have been at the shelter for awhile. They are working with them so that they will be more used to people and hopefully be adopted some day.

I visited the shelter and saw the cute kittens and adult cats for adoption. So many sweet cats. The shelter is very clean and you can tell how much they care about the well-being of the cats there. Then I got to go up to the 3rd floor and see the shy cats. I got to feed chicken baby food to some of them from my finger. One cat let me pet him while he ate (a testimony to the volunteers that have been working with him), and maybe about 10 others let me offer my finger and licked off the baby food. It made me feel so good. I can't wait to go through orientation so that I can start doing weekly visits.

It was so good to be with the cats. I have been without a cat for 8 months now, and I miss having one. I will be checking out the cats at the shelter. Who knows how long before I bring home a new feline companion (or two).

I am also seeing other cats this week. The end of August is the busy season for pet sitting and I still have a few cat sitting clients. So I'll be feeding some of my cat friends this week.

Stressed is Desserts Spelled Backwards

I just saw this phrase and smiled. I have been stressing about what to write for this, my next blog post, for a few days now. Feeling guilty for not having posted anything for over a week now. But here this is telling me to just relax and let the sweet words flow.


The angels have been telling me lately to be softer. I mentioned that in my last post, and they've told me that a couple of times since then. I just got a new box of purple pens (I like purple pens) and this new kind is a lighter purple, and to me, is a 'softer' color. The angels agreed and said 'soft' was a good 'look' for me now. To me, being soft is the opposite of being stressed, so I gave up being stressed about what to write and just started with that phrase and here I am writing.

As for desserts, I like desserts, well, OK, I love desserts. And I haven't had a real good one in a while. Maybe it's time to make something to treat myself. Or even buy something small and decadent. I do have some Dove dark chocolates, the ones wrapped in red foil with messages inside, and have been having 1 or 2 a day, but those aren't really a 'dessert'. They're more of a small treat to tide you over until you have the real thing. It is time for the real thing. I deserve it. I am going to the grocery store tonight, and I will add a nice dessert to my shopping list. Or at least some yogurt to add to that box of No Pudge Fudge Brownies I have in the cupboard.

Have a dessert. I give you permission. You deserve it.

We are never alone

Today while meditating, I asked for a message that I needed to hear today. This is what I 'heard'. I pass it along to you, as it is something that everyone needs to hear.

"It is not necessary to do everything by yourself. You don't have to be rigid or stiff, or have a hard shell and hold up your world all by yourself. Be soft and relax. You are never alone. Ask us for help. You can lean on us."

And one thing I receive often is 'You are very loved.'

So, relax and know that you are not alone and that you are very loved.

Blessings,
Sandy

An Altar

During my angel classes (I'll devote an entire post to that), we were to set up an altar. I did, but I put it in a room that I really don't go into much. I thought if I put it in there, then I would use that room. I had my mother's rocking chair next to the bureau I had the altar on. I like to sit in it, but that wasn't enough to draw me into the room. The room is cluttered, I tend to put things in there that I don't know what to do with, so it's not a great space for an altar. Today I decided to make one in the room I spend most of my time - my living room. I have a favorite chair in the corner, my books on angels, Reiki and whatever library books I've borrowed next to it. It's where I sit and give Reiki to myself and where I write in my journal. But my inner critic had always told me the living room isn't the place for it. Well, squash that thought, I just created one there anyway. It's right by my chair, on top of the little electric wood stove I bought to add heat and the look of a fire in the winter. I went out into my very overgrown and weedy yard and found 3 little Black-Eyed Susans and a few Queen Anne's Lace growing among the tall weeds and put them in a vase. I took a cute green glass sleeping cat votive holder I've had for ages and put a tea light in it and added a dish of coral and shells from a cruise trip and a few seagull feathers I'd found on a beach once. Then I lit the candle and put on a CD of soft nature music. Ahhhhh. Welcome Angels to my altar.

Making Way for the New

I have been decluttering the last several days. I haven't been accomplishing as much as I'd like, of course. I get distracted by other things, and even with using my air conditioners off and on, the heat and humidity we're having in New England isn't helping me feel energetic. But I am making progress, little be little. Getting rid of piles of papers and things that I don't and won't use are making me feel lighter, less stressed and clearer in my head. They say when you clear out space you make room for new things to come into your life. That the Universe doesn't like a vacuum. I am ready for some new opportunities and new things to come into my life. I have recently met some very cool new friends. I'll tell you about them in another post. They are very creative women and I feel like their creativity has been rubbing off on me since we met last Saturday. So, even before I started my decluttering, they came into my life. I think it was a preview of things to come from the Universe. So, back to my clearing out the old so that the new has a place to enter. I am excited about what may be next.

Cats, the purrs of Wings and Purrs

Today I am going to talk a little bit about cats - the purrs of Wings and Purrs.


Cats are soulful animals. I have had 7 so far, and only 1 came to me as a kitten. The others were 10 years old or older when they came to live with me. I say they came to me, because I hadn't been actively looking for a cat at the time, especially when Sophie, my first cat, was found as a 4 month old kitten with her brother living in the woods (her brother went to live with my brother-in-law and wife next door). So I believe they came into my life when they did for a reason.

In fact, my last cat, Bogey, told me in a meditation I did after he passed over that he came to me when we both needed each other. When Bogey arrived, he was 13 and a bit of a bully to my other cat George, who was 15. He didn't seem to want any other cat around, whereas George had been with other cats his whole life and was very patient with Bogey. After George died at the ripe old age of 19, Bogey and I got closer. He slept on my pillow more and sat next to me on the couch or my favorite chair more often. He was 17 when George died, so he was starting to get old. He developed a thyroid condition, his hearing started to go, his back legs got stiff and he didn't eat as much. I put footstools at my bed and couch so he could get up to be with me. I learned Reiki and he seemed to enjoy me putting my hands on him. He'd turn around so his behind faced me and I gave Reiki to his hips and back legs. He liked being held more and he slowed down. He got thinner and thinner, even with using an appetite stimulant. He saw the vet regularly. At age 19 ½, on the day after Thanksgiving, he got worse quickly. The vet was closed, so I prepared myself to call the vet in the morning to have him put to sleep. But Bogey had other plans. I sat with him and held him for hours, giving him Reiki, and then about 11:30 that night, he stopped breathing while in my arms. I was very sad, but also very grateful to have been able to be with him during his transition and to help him go peacefully. I feel him near me at times, even now. During a distant Reiki attunement in February, which for some reason I did while lying down on my bed, I felt him come and lay down next to my head, as he used to do at night.


Thank-you, my beloved Bogey, for the 6 1/2 years we had together.

Day 1 of my blog - Angels

Welcome! I have been a bit anxious about what to write here. I've read blogs that are so interesting and informative that I've been a little intimidated and have hesitated about what to write. But today I decided to just go for it and here I am.

I believe in angels and that they send us many messages every day to guide us. We may (and probably do) miss most of them. But if we can be still and quiet and listen, we may hear them. We may see an animal, see numbers, hear a song, have a gut feeling, or some other form of them communicating to us. They are with us always. In order to have them help us directly, as in answer a question or prayer, we must ask for their help. They adhere by the principle of free will. But they want to help us and that is why they exist.

So ask, and see what you see, hear or feel.

My website is http://www.wingsandpurrs.com/. It's in its infancy, and I will be working on it and this blog as I gain confidence and guidance from the angels.

Blessings,
Sandy