One of my favorite things is having cozy time with the kitties. They love it too, when the busy-ness of the day is over (or interrupted) and we sit with them and read, watch tv together or simply sit with each other. We have friends that use the term "couch time" to refer to that special time in the evening when they sit on the couch with their two dog kids & just truly relax. It is so important to make time to gaze at one another and connect. Our animal companions depend on it and for us it is grounding and re-charging when we get to bask in each other's love & their sweet energy.

I wish that we would stop referring to anyone as "just a ... "
I remember many years ago I heard someone say "It's just a dog" and it utterly shocked me. I couldn't understand how anyone could think that, let alone voice such a thought. Since then sadly I have heard it many times in reference to different types of animals and plants too. Sometimes people grieving for their beloved companion animals come across insensitive remarks like this and it makes them feel like their mourning is somehow less valid.

No living being deserves to ever be referred to as "just a thing." It diminishes their worth and can be used as justification to deny equal status to that being.

This photo I took today of a dandelion in my garden represents my wish that we will move past saying and thinking "just a ..."
Dandelions are often referred to as "just a weed" and many try to eradicate them with harmful pesticides. I dislike the pesticide commercials where you see a cartoon gardener spray the dandelion as if he is shooting a gun (with the music of an old western type movie playing.) He is depicted as a hero for defeating a small flower. Meanwhile dandelion greens are a nutritious food source for us. (I just saw them at the store next to the arugula.) Dandelion roots also have many health benefits. We could harvest them instead and enjoy the flowers, which start off as pretty early signs of Spring and later become the beloved puff balls that are powerful symbols of making wishes and wishes come true.

Since Valentine’s day is approaching I wanted to write about my amazing husband whom I met almost 20 years ago. A few days ago I woke up and found him boiling water to melt the ice in our birdbath. He had been on his way to the gym when he noticed the water was frozen and a bird was unsuccessfully trying to peck at the ice. He turned around and came back inside so he could help that bird get her much needed water. Kind acts like this make me fall more in love with him every day and they also mean the world to the recipients of his kindness.

Winter is especially hard for birds, food is harder to find and often water is frozen. Last week we didn’t realize the temperatures would dip that low, but normally when we are expecting very cold weather we use aquarium heaters to keep the baths from freezing solid. We just plug them into an outdoor extension cord and it works quite well as you can see from my photo. The heaters are less than $20 at pet stores. (Please read the label to check what temperatures they can handle so they won't break) It also helps to provide suet and there are quite a few recipes online for making your own suet for birds with peanut butter.

http://www.eclectichorizons.com/meet-sigrira-animal-intuitive/

Very excited to have been asked to write about my experiences, please check out the link above!

This is Gracie Belle, my sweet daughter. Here she is relaxing on an electric heated blanket with me. The other day she snuggled with me while it was raining, and I had a lovely moment of total peace and deep joy as I listened to her continuous purring against the sound of raindrops hitting our roof. Purrs are healing for both cats and humans.

This is Merlin. We adopted him and his sister Gracie Belle in November 2013. They have helped heal our hearts after Juneau and Jarvis crossed over. They were so tiny, the size of burritos, when we brought them home. They radiate pure love. Merlin always wants to be carried around like a baby, so I got this wrap carrier for him and he loves it. He doesn't ever want me to put him down!  It has been a true joy to watch them grow this past year, they leap and run and then curl up with us for hours. I love watching them sleep, making tiny dreaming sounds, knowing that they are safe, warm & protected. My wish is that someday all animals will experience this.

This morning I was in my garden, it was very windy, and I discovered a pair of birds moving into one of the birdhouses we installed a few months ago. Watching them bringing the small twigs (& some large twigs) into their new home reminded me of how similar we all are, when humans move to a new place we spend hours, days, moving our furniture/stuff in, making it as cozy as possible too. I'm also filled with admiration for their hard work and for the efforts they will have to exert to protect their nest & eggs/young (eventually) from others, they are so brave and so very fiercely defend their home from predators many times their size. It was beautiful to watch them and I feel fortunate they allowed me to witness & photograph part of their process.

Recently my husband & I had our garden certified as a Wildlife Habitat and also as an Advanced Bird Friendly Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. There are simple easy steps we can all take to make our gardens a more gentle place for wildlife including birds. Providing food, fresh water, native plants with berries, shelter and avoiding pesticides are a few things, if you check out the NWF website they outline more options: www.nwf.org