You thought the posts had stopped about cats? No, just a little pause while I waited for more cats to come into my life. I have now accumulated a few funny stories about cats sleeping or lying on me.
One day I was lying asleep on a couch and Romeo was asleep lying on top of me with his head on my shoulder. I was so deeply asleep that I forgot he was there at all, feeling like it was a cushion or similar. Anyway suddenly he hits me in the face with his paw. I started awake and thought "That was odd" and went back to sleep again. He hit me about twice more before I realized he was trying to get a fly.
One night Wednesday was in my room and wanted out but I could not be bothered opening the door at that time. She tried giving subtle hints and then came and lay on me. I was lying on my side watching TV (which is why I didn't get up) she came and lay balanced on my arm with her bottom at my elbow and her nose in my ear and proceeded to purr as loudly as possible. There was limited on my tv at the time so it was really hard to hear. Happily she went to sleep after a few minutes, nose still in my ear, and proceeded to dribble gently down my ear canal. Even so I eventually forgot she was there and got a huge fright when she suddenly moved her head.
Today I was lying on my bed and Pickles was lying on my tummy. After much stomping around and checking that it feels the same as it did five minutes ago, she lay down. Her head was at the top of my leg and her tail was in my mouth. I have not yet decided if cats can control there own tails. It felt like Pickles and I were playing a reflex game, she tries to flick my face with her tail and I try to catch it before she does.
I lay there giggling to myself and recalling some of the other odd cats I have been around and thought I might share my recollections.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Scar
That Missy Higgins song Scar is one I extremely didn't like at all when I was younger. I still don't particularly like Missy Higgins now, but I quite like that song. This song is helpful to me because it fits well. I have not made a mess of my life (yet) and God has not thrown any huge challenges at me (yet), but it still fits.
I am a strange person, different and unexpected to what people think I should be like. I am also annoying in some ways and loud and happy and excitable. Some things I am fine with people suggesting changes, selfishness, pride, laziness whatever. They are not positive traits and, while I do not enjoy hearing about them, I do want to change those. The aspects of my character that I get very resentful about people trying to change are the ones that make me me. My laugh, my loud energy, my happiness, skipping, running, the way I dress, my talking, my singing. None of these are bad or wrong in me, I do not dress immodestly, just boringly, and for most of the other things, I work with children, it is good.
A few years ago I had real trouble with being ridiculed into changing who I am. I got mocked and told off for skipping across paddocks, (it was quicker) I got teased for being loud and excitable. I got in trouble for dancing at a concert with the little boy because of what other people would think. I regularly got told, by the parents I worked for and the children, that I was not very grown up. Most of the time I was able to brush these off but occasionally I got upset and felt pressured into changing into someone I did not want to be. At these times, Scar was very helpful for expressing how I felt.
Gladly this is not happening now (much) though I do nothing to discourage it. I suspect my Non Grown Upness is my outer identity at church and with friends. I am very capable and competent at work.
I am a strange person, different and unexpected to what people think I should be like. I am also annoying in some ways and loud and happy and excitable. Some things I am fine with people suggesting changes, selfishness, pride, laziness whatever. They are not positive traits and, while I do not enjoy hearing about them, I do want to change those. The aspects of my character that I get very resentful about people trying to change are the ones that make me me. My laugh, my loud energy, my happiness, skipping, running, the way I dress, my talking, my singing. None of these are bad or wrong in me, I do not dress immodestly, just boringly, and for most of the other things, I work with children, it is good.
A few years ago I had real trouble with being ridiculed into changing who I am. I got mocked and told off for skipping across paddocks, (it was quicker) I got teased for being loud and excitable. I got in trouble for dancing at a concert with the little boy because of what other people would think. I regularly got told, by the parents I worked for and the children, that I was not very grown up. Most of the time I was able to brush these off but occasionally I got upset and felt pressured into changing into someone I did not want to be. At these times, Scar was very helpful for expressing how I felt.
Gladly this is not happening now (much) though I do nothing to discourage it. I suspect my Non Grown Upness is my outer identity at church and with friends. I am very capable and competent at work.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
More horse work!!!
This year a new addition to the family is a big horse and two little ones. The two little ones are for the kids and it is my responsibility and mostly pleasure to take them riding in the afternoons when we have time.
Here are things I have noticed when young children get a pony they can call theirs, it is mainly epic princess mode. "I have a PONY, I get to ride it, it is my pony so you have to let me do the interesting things like leading him. However not any of the uncomfortable or annoying things, like carrying things." I have decided that children who have ponies need to prove their responsibleness by doing extra jobs at home. Sadly they are too young to be given the less pleasant horse jobs, or even the interesting but time consuming jobs like putting on or removing rugs.
Also I had no idea how much easier horse safety is to manage with older children. 7-10 yr old kids have a greater ability to think abstractly about how much it will hurt if that horse kicks them. They also have more ability to listen and comprehend when you explain horse safety. ALSO they have the observational skills to notice the horse they are running up behind.
My 4 and 5 yr olds are HOPELESS. I explain to them not to do something, or I ask them what they need to do and they say "Don't run behind a horse" and then 10 seconds later there they go, dashing about behind horses. Or I say "Stop waving the whip around near the horses" and the complain that they didn't get a long turn at playing with the whip. I am thinking of using actual physical explanations on them. Like suddenly yelling BOO!!! at the kids to scare them and then ask them if they enjoyed that and if not why would they do that to horses.
So far injuries have included a little girl getting trodden twice while she was showing her horse leading prowess. The funny thing was she had a little sulk attack and pout because she wanted to lead HER pony by herself without me holding onto the other end of the lead. She got trodden on, dropped the lead and sat down under the pony screaming. Happily I was holding the lead and took over. He is a gorgeous pony and probably would not have done anything, however better not to test it. To be fair, it really does hurt when a horse steps on you, however none of the kids argue anymore when I insist on them putting on proper shoes to go to the horses.
I suspect that less children or more adults would make this all easier.
Here are things I have noticed when young children get a pony they can call theirs, it is mainly epic princess mode. "I have a PONY, I get to ride it, it is my pony so you have to let me do the interesting things like leading him. However not any of the uncomfortable or annoying things, like carrying things." I have decided that children who have ponies need to prove their responsibleness by doing extra jobs at home. Sadly they are too young to be given the less pleasant horse jobs, or even the interesting but time consuming jobs like putting on or removing rugs.
Also I had no idea how much easier horse safety is to manage with older children. 7-10 yr old kids have a greater ability to think abstractly about how much it will hurt if that horse kicks them. They also have more ability to listen and comprehend when you explain horse safety. ALSO they have the observational skills to notice the horse they are running up behind.
My 4 and 5 yr olds are HOPELESS. I explain to them not to do something, or I ask them what they need to do and they say "Don't run behind a horse" and then 10 seconds later there they go, dashing about behind horses. Or I say "Stop waving the whip around near the horses" and the complain that they didn't get a long turn at playing with the whip. I am thinking of using actual physical explanations on them. Like suddenly yelling BOO!!! at the kids to scare them and then ask them if they enjoyed that and if not why would they do that to horses.
So far injuries have included a little girl getting trodden twice while she was showing her horse leading prowess. The funny thing was she had a little sulk attack and pout because she wanted to lead HER pony by herself without me holding onto the other end of the lead. She got trodden on, dropped the lead and sat down under the pony screaming. Happily I was holding the lead and took over. He is a gorgeous pony and probably would not have done anything, however better not to test it. To be fair, it really does hurt when a horse steps on you, however none of the kids argue anymore when I insist on them putting on proper shoes to go to the horses.
I suspect that less children or more adults would make this all easier.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Power of Suggestion
The power of suggestion is both a positive and a negative thing. It is definitely true though I reckon some people are more susceptible to it. The most obvious example of the power of suggestion is emotional verbal abuse. However there are positive versions like encouragement and compliments.
I have realized that the power of suggestion is quite strong for me. I don't get verbally abused and I have a thick skin for teasing now, thanks to my siblings, however stories affect me.
When a friend of mine explained how in school she had epilepsy but it wasn't picked up because she just silently spaced out then came back a minute or so later. After I heard this story, I started spacing out (kind of to see what it was like). When my stomach pains ended, I would occasionally imagine that I had them again, complete with facial expression and the momentary pause to wait for the pain to lessen. When another friend last year told me about what anxiety attacks like and why she has them, I worked myself into a panic attack about how busy I was going to be for the next week. A few weeks ago, somebody told me what it is like to have depression, not eating, not sleeping, not enjoying things noramlly enjoyed, not filling time well. Then since Sunday I have not been eating properly (regularly) I have not wanted to do anything, I have not done anything to keep myself busy. I was only very mild, I had nothing as strong as full blown depression, it was more an apathetic boredom and self pity. However I did not like it and wanted it to stop. I realized what was happening, that I was imitating the feelings I had heard about and I endeavored to snap out of it.
I am a busy person and I need to stay busy so that home days to read are few and far between and therefore enjoyable.
I have realized that the power of suggestion is quite strong for me. I don't get verbally abused and I have a thick skin for teasing now, thanks to my siblings, however stories affect me.
When a friend of mine explained how in school she had epilepsy but it wasn't picked up because she just silently spaced out then came back a minute or so later. After I heard this story, I started spacing out (kind of to see what it was like). When my stomach pains ended, I would occasionally imagine that I had them again, complete with facial expression and the momentary pause to wait for the pain to lessen. When another friend last year told me about what anxiety attacks like and why she has them, I worked myself into a panic attack about how busy I was going to be for the next week. A few weeks ago, somebody told me what it is like to have depression, not eating, not sleeping, not enjoying things noramlly enjoyed, not filling time well. Then since Sunday I have not been eating properly (regularly) I have not wanted to do anything, I have not done anything to keep myself busy. I was only very mild, I had nothing as strong as full blown depression, it was more an apathetic boredom and self pity. However I did not like it and wanted it to stop. I realized what was happening, that I was imitating the feelings I had heard about and I endeavored to snap out of it.
I am a busy person and I need to stay busy so that home days to read are few and far between and therefore enjoyable.
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