It takes birds more than a day to migrate from one place to another. Besides having a great sense of direction, they need to rest. Some birds land. We’ve all had encounters with flocks of geese, honk honk honk, looking for a good place to spend the night (often some farmer’s recently seeded field). But there are birds who go non-stop - And you thought New York to Sydney was a long flight.

Several species have been identified as sleep-flyers; Frigatebirds, Albatrosses (get your neck out of the way!), the common Swift - which doesn’t seem so common if they can fly while asleep.

An Albatross. Photo by Pixabay

They have a clever brain that uses something called Unihemispheric sleep. One side of their brain sleeps while the other side controls flight and navigation. I can barely find my way to the grocery store sometimes using both sides of my brain, so I’m impressed.

When both sides of their brain DO fall asleep at the same time, it’s generally just a few seconds. Good thing, or ther...

Squirrels embody abundance and prosperity by managing resources mindfully and appreciating what they have.

Let’s embrace the abundance that’s all around us by recognizing that all our lives are already rich with prosperity, even when it might not seem that way.

Look into my eyes, or at any squirrel you spot in the park or woods. You’ll see that true abundance isn’t about what we have, but how we use what we have.

Abundance comes in many forms.


It’s also time to really focus on sufficiency, not scarcity!

By making mindful choices about money or time, you can break free from the cycle of not having enough and, more importantly, develop a deeper sense of gratitude for what you already have, just like my squirrel family does. 

The way we do this is so simple, but it often gets lost on you because, well, humans tend to make things more complicated than they need to be. We know this because it’s what you learned and became accustomed to.

How squirrels do this and we hope you’ll do the same:

- Fi...

We understand that it’s easy to feel stuck in a loop of worry and uncertainty, especially when your mind is constantly racing with “what-ifs” and concerns about the future.

It’s quite amusing watching hamsters zoom around on those silly wheels! It’s like you all do this in your own heads. Very sad.

We’ve got a different approach for you. We didn't let fear stop us from preparing our food for the winter. What changes are you planning to make this spring?

We’re always excited to leap into the unknown, embracing the great wide open! Are you feeling ready to make a big move in your life?

Huxley in his younger & wilder days 

Embrace our fearless spirit! By letting go of fear and doubt, you’ll discover a world of new possibilities and experiences waiting for you.

These are some things you can do to embrace trust and surrender:

• Observe how squirrels navigate uncertainty with confidence.

• Recognize that fear and doubt can hinder personal growth.

• Practice letting

  ...

Ghosts. Spirits. Who is going "I don't believe in those" or "LaLaLaLaLaLa, scares me, don't want to know!"

The spirits around us generally leave us be. They have better things to do than rattle chains, tip over chairs, and make spooky noises that have the hair on the back of our necks standing up straight.

However....sometimes they have been part of a family for a long time, and want to let their loved ones know they're okay.

A friend of mine, Leslie, and her husband lost one of their dogs not too long ago. Zena had been with them for years. She was Scott's dog, mostly.

She got sick, very sick. Their other dog, Maisie, considerably younger, took to creeping around the house. She didn't want to disturb her ill and aged sister too much.

Maisie (grey) taking care of sister Zena

As Zena's time to pass came closer, the family drew in. They loved Zena, told her what a good dog she was, how important she was to the family. It wasn't anything she hadn't heard before, but it was especia...

This is the first of many posts from Huxley, a member of the family Sciuridae, who lives a long and abundant life. You’ll see more ‘squirrel-isms’ in the weeks ahead. Huxley’s backstory is included at the bottom of each post. Comments and acorns are appreciated!

Squirrels symbolize mindfulness, reminding us to focus on the present moment and let go of anxiety and worry.

One of my favorite people in all the world said this:

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”

― Mother Theresa

Have you ever noticed how some folks seem to dwell on their past mistakes endlessly? Maybe it’s someone you’re close to, like when they’re staring at their reflection?

Or what about those who worry about things that haven’t happened yet? They seem to carry their sadness into the future, pushing their troubles onto tomorrow.

GAAAAHHHHH!

Life can be tough, isn’t it? Have...

Go to the Library. You never know what you're going to find. Sometimes it's a little book about a big subject. Sometimes it's a fantasy. Sometimes it's both.

I just finished a book called "We'll Prescribe You Another Cat." It's gestalt with cats! I KNEW they were doing it!

We'll Prescribe You Another Cat - click the link to buy the book.

This book is one of three. I suspect they all stand on their own, because "We'll Prescribe You Another Cat", the second in the series, was easy to follow. The third one has just been published in Japan and is in the process of being translated to English.

I will tell you that when I closed the book at the end, I was in tears. I found it amazing, heartfelt, and right on in its "prescriptions."

If you like cats at all, I think you'll love this book. I'd really enjoy hearing your experience with it. Tell, tell! Am I the only one who cried?

There's a lot of fear in the good old US of A around death and dying. Then we put it on our animal friends, all that fear. What we need to do is take a lesson from them. 

They are plugged in not only to this physical world but wherever it is we go when our 3-D body stops breathing. They have no fear of death; to them it's a passage to "the next place."

If they look fearful or act fearful, it's because they feel those things from us, and they want to comfort us by hanging around. We do them a great disservice.

What we need to do is listen. Closely. Anyone can do this, but it takes a lot of presence of our own mind, to let go of our learnings and ideas and all that deep-seated stuff about life and death that we drag around with us. 

Before I got seriously into animal communication work, I was always afraid when my animals died. I would never see them again! When my cat Harvey disappeared I cried for two weeks and searched for her for a year.

She eventually came back, but not as Harv...

Remember Bennie, the street cat who with his girlfriend Muffin found a great new life?

I got a video from the friend who was instrumental in getting Bennie and his girl off the streets (along with another hero of the two cats, Morgan).

Bennie (who is called Maney at his new place, but he prefers Bennie) and Muffin are totally devoted to one another, as is evidenced by this video.

They are adjusting to their new home, and were recently let out into the warehouse. Doing great!

Here's a link to the video. Enjoy.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17xLYvnnko/?mibextid=wwXIfr

 

“Art therapy is a sanctuary where creativity becomes a powerful tool for self-expression and healing.” 
    -Unknown

What is Art Therapy?

Art therapy is a technique rooted in the idea that creative expression can foster healing and mental well-being.

In the psychology context, creative expression refers to the process of conveying thoughts, feelings, ideas, or insights through various forms of artistic and creative activities. This can include painting, writing, music, dance, sculpture, and other forms of art. Creative expression is recognized for its therapeutic benefits and its role in personal development and psychological well-being.

Creative expression is seen as a fundamental human process that transcends mere artistic ability or talent. It is a means of exploring one's identity, processing emotions, and communicating with others on a deeply personal level. psychologists study creative expression not only to understand the mechanisms behind creativit...

What do you call your dogs? Do they have pet names? What is is about us humans, that we have to have special names for those we love? (Glenn calls me Babe - which has nothing to do with the pig - I think.)

We call Amy and Bernadette  "The Puppies" - they just turned 9, for crying out loud. But that's how we call them - "Puppies! Puppies!" The fact that when we do that they come running might have something to do with why we keep calling them Puppies.

8 weeks old. Bernadette on the left, Amy with the white spot on her forehead.

We got Amy and Bernadette from a friend who always liked to give her girl dogs one litter of puppies before being spayed. Momma was a Labradoodle. Poppa was an Australian Shepherd (as opposed to a Rolling Stone). The Puppies look like Poppa except more slender than your typical Aussie, and they're more mid-sized, about 35 lbs each.

When we first saw them we were deep into whatever season of Big Bang Theory (BBT) was on the air. We asked the puppies what the...