A Cat as a Natural Sleep Aid

The kitten we have found in the end of summer proved to be a fantastic asset. She is fearless, tireless, playful and cuddly. She purrs like a big caterpillar tractor despite her tiny size. She steals food and gets into every box and cabinet. We fight for the right to sleep with her as she is the most fantastic sleep aid, warm and purring. You hold her and feel the tension leave you... 

She might not be the most beautiful cat I have seen, but she has the most amazing personality and a very strong character. 

And she is the funniest cat ever, too. See her sleeping in a flower pot? She just loves it. I wanted to plant a new flower but maybe I should just keep it for Wing Chun as she likes it so much.

Our Cat Needs a Name

Just before leaving for vacation, my mom rescued this very nice Thai cat who had to be taken to the mountain village with us.

I was very worried that the cat might escape from the strange place, but she proved to be very smart and very focused on people, rather than on the dwelling. She adjusted immediately and felt at home.

She has great nerves and does not seem to be afraid of anything. I am also thrilled by the fact that she is an excellent huntress who catches and eats mice and all sorts of insects.



The cat has been with us for a couple of months already and still has no name... just Cat, which is of course a name of some sort, but I think she needs a proper name... Any suggestions will be welcome. She is a tiny cat, finely built and silky to the touch, and deserves a beautiful name.

A Secret Park with Squirrels

We spent another month on improving our collective health; I went through an extensive anti-inflammation therapy which, as I already know, has been successful, and the dog was busy restoring his digestion. He has made progress, too, but I am yet unwilling to say that the battle is over. I still want to be sure before I start celebrating.

In the meantime, I have found a lovely little park in the very middle of our city, and it has squirrels! In order to understand my emotions, you should know that squirrels are very rare here. Moreover, these do not look like Central Asian squirrels to me; I strongly suspect that their ancestors were brought from Russia and then managed to escape and settle down here.

It took me about forty minutes to get closer to these cute creatures. I tried to be "calm as still water" and was moving ahead little by little. Finally, I guess they started seeing me as part of the landscape.

I like this very concentrated sniffing - just like a dog doing good quality nosework!

I have learned that squirrels eat grass, straw, dry leaves... their tastes are quite Spartan. I bring them some walnuts and just leave them under the trees; I hope they collect them later.

It is great fun to see wild animals in the city. I hope to see them again and to spend some enjoyable minutes in the atmosphere of almost-wild-nature, listening to the birds singing and breathing fresh air.

My Favorite Essential Oils: Myrrh and Frankincense

I use some aromatherapy methods for my family and myself. It is mostly small things, like a home-made cream for hands and feet, or several drops of oil in the bath, or a massage with diluted oils. I have a modest collection and they last for a long time.

Recently I bought Myrrh and Frankincense by Nature's Kiss. I have been wondering about these oils for a while, as they are legendary, mentioned in Bible many times and are highly praised by aromatherapy specialists. I have made a small research, looking at prices and reviews, and thought that this would be a good value for money. My other oils are by Eden's Garden and Now Foods; I like them, they feel good, and I think they are decent quality. However for these two, I opted for a somewhat more expensive option of Nature's Kiss, based on reviews.

As I have no prior experience with these oils, I cannot make any comparisons. I just have to say that I love them very much, and they are wonderful to smell and to apply. I use a blend on my face and neck instead of a night cream, and also rub into my feet. Frankincense has a very strong coniferous smell, while Myrrh is earthy and soothing. Fragrances are hard to describe, and I am groping for words, as I am trying to express my feelings. I am afraid I am not succeeding. I just love Myrrh; it makes me feel at home, protected and warm. I think I might use it instead of perfume - diluted, of course.

Yesterday I thought of using some Frankincense on my dog, too. We have had a very bad year in terms of health, with too much antibiotics, and I feel that his immune system needs support. I give him probiotics and prebiotics, feed him a cooked food, and try to restore him back to the state where he would not need medicines. As for Frankincense essential oil, many sources name it as a very beneficial overall oil for dogs, so it was a very obvious choice.

I took a small amount of blend containing peach seed carried oil and Frankincense essential oil and gave Jager a rub. He greatly enjoyed the massage. Today we repeated the procedure. At least, he loves the massage and does not display any adverse side effects, so I will continue for the time being. If there are any visible results, I will write about them. For now, we are having fun during these rub sessions, and the added bonus is that Jager smells so nice!

And have you ever used essential oils for yourself or your pets? What were the results?

Vintage Photo - Girl with a Kitten

This is a vintage photo I have found ages ago, so I do not remember the source, sorry. I just love how these two look together; they look comfortable. The kitten is alert but I think it is the photographer and not the girl who is making him somewhat tense. This girl is lovely with her windswept hair and she seems to look straight into my eyes. Her dress and booties are adorable, and overall she is such a nice child that I feel like hugging her. 

And just imagine that the photo was taken so many years ago, she has long grown up and died (hopefully at an old age and with lots of grandchildren she survived by)! I cannot say I just love vintage photos because sometimes they make me sad; I can say that they attract and fascinate me.