Day 53: It's official ... I'm someone's muse

Between You, Me and the Lamp Post

Day 53: It's official ... I'm someone's muse

After reading my blog for a couple of weeks, a friend of mine is starting her own. In other words, I was her muse. I’m well and truly chuffed, as far as I know, I’ve never been anyone’s muse before.

She won’t be short of inspiration. Not only does she have a family and a job, but she also has a cat, a turtle and thousands of bees. Yes, she is a beekeeper. She’ll have stories coming out of her ears.

As for me, I started my blog some ten years ago. I was dealing with several issues and a friend suggested a blog. I started somewhat reluctantly, but I soon discovered the benefits.

Every day things happen that makes one happy, sad, frustrated, or downright boiling mad. Having someone to talk to might help, but isn’t always the best option. People usually don’t have the time to listen, might not be interested, or might not feel the same way you do. 

When sharing an experience with someone you can’t just talk, talk, talk, other people will want to get a word edgewise in too.

With the written word you don’t have to worry about that. You can talk to your heart’s content without anyone interrupting you or disagreeing with you. So, a blog is perfect to get something off your chest.

The latter was rather important to me. When I see, hear or read something that bothers me, I can’t just shrug it off. I carry it with me, it influences my mood and it gives me sleepless nights.

Talking about this, that or the other isn’t always possible. For one, I spend most of my days alone and two, sharing with Dieter isn’t always an option because his attitude is ... who cares, just forget about it. Well, I can’t forget about it because I do care.

Once I’ve written about something, and as such get something off my chest, I have peace of mind again. As such, I can recommend writing to anyone who deals with certain issues. If you’re like me and you feel strongly about this, that and the other, keeping a blog is rather therapeutic.

Some might think that they have no talent for writing. Who cares? You don’t have to be an Ernest Hemingway or a James Patterson to put ‘pen to paper’. Just start something, anything, and if you enjoy it, keep going.

Many of us, especially girls, kept a diary in our younger days. It was a book with or without a lock and we were very protective about it. Nobody was supposed to read it and if someone did it was considered an invasion of privacy. 

Things are very different now. Modern diaries, blogs, are put online for all and sundry to read. Bloggers promote their work, are pleased when they get followers or are offended when nobody cares. Getting a comment on a particular piece of writing can make their day.

So to my friend I would say, start that blog, have fun with it. As soon as it's out there, I'll be the first subscriber.

Kitten Diaries - This week free on Kindle

‘Chanel’s Story,’ is about an ugly shelter kitten who gives herself no chance at being adopted.  After many disappointments, she discovers that there are people willing to look beyond fur deep.   Chanel’s poignant and amusing story shines a well-deserved spotlight on animal shelter adoptions and the importance of responsible pet ownership.   

Beyond the timely message of overflowing shelters, ‘Chanel’s Story’ is, at the heart of it, about the blessing of acceptance.   Not just a human’s acceptance and love for a cat; but also a cat’s special love for the owner who saved her.

In ‘Queeny’s Diary,’ this tiny, Ragdoll breed kitten is left in the care of friends while her owners go away on vacation.  Her diary entries describe numerous adventures and misadventures when she finds herself alone in a household full of other older and eccentric cats.

Get it now at: http://tinyurl.com/q6c3una

Kitten Diaries

"Kitten Diaries" holds two stories: 
"Chanel's Story" 
and 
"Queeny's Diary".

The following is an extract from "Chanel's Story" ...

For a while I lived in a shelter.  It was a place filled with dogs and cats and I was there all by myself, even though I was just a baby kitten. 

Then one day my friends and I were put in cages, loaded into a car, and transported to a pet store.

On the way, I saw a sign that read “National Pet Adoption Week”.  

It’s not unusual for pets to be taken to pet stores, but that is just for a day or for a weekend.  This week, however, cats, dogs and other small pets will be taken to pet stores all week and can be adopted at a reduced fee.  They do this whenever the shelter gets too full you see, in an attempt to have as many pets adopted as possible.

Being adopted by a family would be nice.  While I was in the cat shelter, I saw plenty of people come and go, but I was never chosen.  I did not have much hope that today would be any different.

People walked past the cages, saying how cute and adorable the other cats and kittens were, but they never said that about me.  If anything, they frowned at the sight of me.

I saw them leaving, cradling their new furry bundle of joy in their arms, while I stayed behind.

Nobody wanted me.  Nobody even wanted to rub my little head, let alone pick me up and hold me.

I am not cute or adorable, you see.  I am ugly.

My fur is not short and smooth like Mona’s; it is long and sticks out at angles.  My color is not black like Suzy’s, white like Ceasar’s, cream like Mike’s, or even striped like Angela’s.  It is a mixture of grey and cream, patched all over my face, body, legs and tail.  I’m the kind of cat that people look at once, then turn away quickly.  

I was not sure why they brought me along to the pet store.  Nobody was going to take me anyway.

To make matters worse, I was sharing my cage with Lisa and Lynette, pure white twins.  They were the most beautiful kittens I had ever seen and believe me, I have seen a lot of kittens during my time here in the shelter.  

The twins were so adorable when they played.  Come to think of it, they were even adorable when they were asleep. So, how can an unglamorous little girl like me compete?   There’s another problem; they tell me that when I sleep, I sometimes snore.  Do you know anyone who wants an ugly kitten who snores?

Available on Amazon at http://tinyurl.com/q45qc7u

Facebook updates

There are some people that I well and truly hate.  Esmee D is one of them.  She assigned herself celebrity status and tortures Facebook users with constant updates on her daily life.  Who is Esmee D?  Who knows!  As far as I can tell, she’s some two bit European ‘singer’.

Some of her updates are …

·       I’m awake, good morning Facebook

·       I’m having breakfast

·       Shall I go out or stay in?

Seriously, who gives a @#$%?

On numerous occasions she feels it necessary to show off pictures of herself or post a video of her ‘singing’.  But …

·       Can she wash and comb her hair first (or is she auditioning for the role of The Bride of Frankenstein?)

·       Before going on camera, can she check her makeup (the girl looks like she’s in the final stages of some deadly disease)

·       When being photographed in an outfit, can she check that it fits. 

·       And when showing off her sandals, can she get a pedicure first.

It’s not only Esmee D who gets on my nerves, other people are doing a good job too.  They write updates such as …

·       I’m getting so much spam on my blog (followed by mention of blog … does he want more?)

·       I don’t know what to write about (then don’t)

·       Is it there, their, or they’re?  (consult a thesaurus)

·       My cat has kittens, again (ever heard of spaying/neutering?)

Then there are these pointless updates

·       Happy birthday dad (turns out dad has been dead for 32 years)

·       My baby is crying (maybe you should go and see why he’s crying)

·       The dog has ran away (well go after him or at least look for him)

·       It’s so cold today (it is winter you know)

·       My blood pressure is 120/78 (sigh)

·       I’m pregnant and all I eat are hotdogs (seriously?)

·       I wrote a book about my co-dependencies and multiple marriages (the writer is only 22 and she has multiple marriages!)

Religious updates

·       God wants to be your friend (God is on Facebook now?)

·       ‘Like’ if your heart belongs to Jesus (you can work this one out for yourself)

·       God will provide (He provided some with billions of dollars while others have to scrape to make rent)

Where is the time that people kept diaries to share their lives with and it was considered inappropriate to read their musings?  Do some people, like Esmee D, really think their lives are that interesting that they have to share their every waking moment with the rest of the world?