Pets – Jennifer's Journal

Author Interview: Darlene Foster

Published on November 14, 2025 by J. Kelland Perry82 Comments

Hi Everyone! It’s been a while since I tossed a Blogger Bouquet or featured a Friday Fiction post. My guest today, Darlene Foster, makes for a perfect opportunity to feature both.
A fellow Canadian blogger and writer, Darlene is the author of the Amanda Travels middle-grade fiction series. The latest in the series is Amanda in Ireland: the Body in the Bog.

Darlene Foster grew up on a ranch in Alberta, Canada, where her love of reading inspired her to see the world and write stories. Her Amanda Travels series features spunky Amanda Ross, a twelve-year-old girl who loves to travel. All ages enjoy following Amanda as she unravels one mystery after another in unique destinations. Darlene is retired and has a house in Spain where she writes full-time. Her constant interest and enthusiasm for everything keep her young at heart. When not travelling, meeting interesting people, and collecting ideas for her books, Darlene enjoys spending time with her family in Canada and with her husband and entertaining dogs in Spain.

The blurb for Amanda in Ireland: The Body in the Bog

Twelve-year-old Amanda Jane Ross is invited to be a bridesmaid for her cousin’s wedding, in Ireland! She falls in love with this emerald isle the moment she lands in Dublin. The warm, friendly Irish people immediately make her feel at home. Towering castles, ancient graveyards, and the stunning green countryside are filled with fascinating legends, enthralling folktales, and alarming secrets.

Things take a dark turn when disaster strikes. Amanda wonders if there will be a wedding at all. As she joins the search for a missing horse, she stumbles upon a world of screaming banshees, bloody battles, and dangerous peat bogs. The closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous things become. Will she become another body in the bog?

Thank you for joining me today, Darlene. I love that you do, but may I ask why you include an animal in each of your Amanda books?

Darlene: I have always been an animal lover. We had all kinds of animals on the farm, including a pet antelope, and later I had dogs and cats as pets for my kids. I now have two adorable rescue dogs here in Spain. It was only natural that Amanda would be an animal lover too. In the first book, Amanda meets a camel called Ali Baba when she visits the United Arab Emirates. Ali Baba became a favourite character for many readers. There is a dancing pony called Pedro in Amanda in Spain, Rupert the bookstore cat in Amanda in England, and Joey the abandoned puppy in Amanda in Holland to name a few. Kids have an affinity with animals and they add something to the stories.

I remember that camel Ali Baba in your first of the series! What are some of the books with animals you enjoyed as a child?

Darlene: Black Beauty by Anna Sewell immediately comes to mind. I loved that book so much. Others I loved were Old Yeller by Fred Gipson, The Yearling by Marjorie KInnan Rawlings, and Beautiful Joe by Quinn Currie. I tear up thinking about these books even after all these years.

Yes, you mention a couple of my own favourites there. Is there an animal in Amanda in Ireland?

Darlene: Yes there is. A beautiful horse called Aiofe.

Excerpt:

After leaving the airport, Amanda enjoyed the drive through the countryside, past rolling green hills, fields dotted with black and white cows, and white-fenced paddocks.

Taylor pointed to the left. “Over there are the stables where Roisin keeps her horse.”

“Do you own a horse?” Amanda’s eyes widened as she pushed up her glasses.

“Yes. But I don’t get much time to ride her anymore. Would you like to meet Aoife while you’re here?” Roisin opened her phone and showed Amanda a picture of a gorgeous white horse with a dark brown mane.

“That would be awesome. I love horses. And she’s beautiful. How do you pronounce her name?”

Roisin grinned proudly. “Her name is pronounced Ee-fa. Almost like Eva with an f. And it means ‘beautiful’.”

Darlene, I wanted to mention that I have another of your books on my “To Be Read” list: “You Can Take the Girl From the Prairie: Stories about growing up on the Canadian prairies”. I’m looking forward to that one as well.

Social Media Links:

• Website: https://www.darlenefoster.ca/

• Blog: https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darlene.foster.777

• Twitter/X: https://x.com/supermegawoman

• Bluesky: @darlenefoster.bsky.social

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darlene6490/

• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Darlene-Foster/author/B003XGQPHA

• Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3156908.Darlene_Foster

Buy Links:

https://books2read.com/u/4EYQ2A

September Revisited: Gotcha Day

Published on October 2, 2025 by J. Kelland Perry37 Comments

Happy October, Friends and Followers!
It’s been a busy few weeks for me lately, but I didn’t want the date of September 27 to go unnoticed here on my blog, as it marked the first anniversary of our adoption of Louie and Gordie.

In some ways, their Gotcha Day seems like only yesterday. But then I think of how much these two little darlings have flourished in the space of a year. Remembering how Gordie was so skittish and food insecure, and how at first he didn’t know how to use the little flap door to his litter box, it seems like eons ago.

And then there was Louie’s behaviour when we first brought him home, hiding under my treadmill or the spare bed until he felt more comfortable with us.

Nowadays, they are both well adapted to life here with us on Perry’s Point. And we can’t imagine a single day or night without them!

They are still young cats at ages two and four, so we look forward to many more years—and anniversaries—together.

There are no ordinary cats. – Colette

Photo Challenge: The “Window” Seat

Published on August 29, 2025 by J. Kelland Perry22 Comments

Lou and Gordie’s favourite seat? Any window ledge in our house! And by the way, we don’t have another cat in the microwave. 😉😻

Photo Challenge: Pull Up a Seat

A Purry Point of View Part 3: Happy International Cat Day!

Published on August 8, 2025August 8, 2025 by J. Kelland Perry20 Comments

Hey there, friends and felines! Lou and Gordon Purry here, delighted to be back on WordPress to spend a part of International Cat Day with you all.

To commemorate the occasion, Jennifer asked us to share some of her favourite cat quotes on her blog today, as well as some of her much-loved photos of us.

So here goes!

“One cat just leads to another.” – Ernest Hemingway

“I have lived with several Zen masters—all of them cats.” –Eckhart Tolle

“Perhaps one reason we are fascinated by cats is because such a small animal can contain so much independence, dignity, and freedom of spirit.” – Lloyd Alexander

“I’m not spoiled, my human is just well trained.” – Unknown

“Cats: the original supermodels.” – Unknown

“There’s no need for a piece of sculpture in a home that has a cat.” – Wesley Bates

“Heaven will never be Paradise unless my cats are there waiting for me.” – Unknown

🩷 🐾 💙 🐾. 🩷 🐾. 💙 🐾. 🩷 🐾. 💙 🐾. 🩷

If you are spending part of today with a fellow feline, please give him or her some love!

~ Head Bumps & Nose Kisses, Louie & Gordie 😻😻

A Purry Point of View Part 2: Louie

Published on March 25, 2025 by J. Kelland Perry30 Comments

Hi Folks and Felines! Louie here, finally getting my turn to guest blog on Jennifer’s Journal.

Gordie really let me have it on his guest post last time, didn’t he? Well, guess what? I’m here to spill the tea on him! You see, my new brother for the last six months is not as innocent as he would have you believe.

It all happened last fall on Thanksgiving Sunday. After Jennifer and Paul had their meal of roast turkey with all the trimmings, they were about to relax in the living room and leave the turkey, covered in foil, on the counter to finish cooling before putting it in the refrigerator.

But knowing how hungry Gordie seemed to act all the time, Paul suggested putting it back in the oven with the door just ajar.

Lo and behold, when Jennifer came out to get a drink, what did she see? My brother Gordie SITTING ON THE OVEN DOOR, FACE INTO THE TURKEY! He had torn the foil neatly away and had taken a perfect circle of bites out of the drumstick. He looked at her as if to say “Nothing to see here!” All Jennifer could do was laugh.

You see, as was explained to me, Gordon had a somewhat severe case of what is known as food insecurity. Because he had been a runaway stray for a long period of time before his adoption, he was overly anxious about when he would get his next meal. He isn’t as bad as that anymore, thank goodness. The worst he’s done since is grab a pack of deli ham off the counter where it was defrosting. Jennifer found his unsuccessful attempt to open it on the floor with a few tooth marks in it.

I’ve grown to love my silly sibling, even though he does weird things sometimes—just like me.

Oh, I almost forgot: look what Jennifer’s daughter included with her and Paul’s Christmas presents:

Aren’t we cute? These socks were made specially by soxos.ca, a proudly Canadian company. 🇨🇦

Thanks, Jennifer, for letting me share my two cents on your blog. Purrs and nose bumps to all, love Louie. 🐾

A Purry Point of View: Gordon

Published on March 6, 2025 by J. Kelland Perry35 Comments

Hi there, friends! My name is Gordon—aka Gordie, and that’s Louie cuddled in behind me.
I’m guest posting for Jennifer today, who has had so much existential dread lately that she can’t seem to get up the gumption to blog like she used to. Fear not, though. I’m sure she’ll be back on track soon.

I wanted to share with you some pics of what my silly “brother by another mother” has been up to since we moved in with Jennifer and Paul back in September. Because I’m three and he is only one, I’ve been trying to have the upper hand, you know, to keep him in line.

But Louie is simply beyond my ability to control. He is always into something! Here are a few examples:

He jumped up to this chandelier until he finally succeeded to grab this:

Then he turned his attention to these starfish on the wall:

…but was unsuccessful because Jennifer scolded him so many times.

But he did manage to make off with this whatchamacallit from the bathroom in the middle of the night (tore it right off the chain!):

Then Louie decided to grab a couple of things that weren’t nailed on, such as this thingamabob:

…and this doohickey from the wall:

In spite of all his antics, we do have lots of fun together…

…and I think we’re going to keep him. 💙

Cat News!

Published on October 24, 2024October 24, 2024 by J. Kelland Perry39 Comments

On September 27th, Paul and I visited Gander SPCA. We did not come home empty-handed.

Introducing: Gordon Downie ~~Perry~~ Purry

Gordon—aka Gord or Gordie—is three years old and quite the sweetheart. He has some emotional baggage as a result of his life so far, but I think he is adjusting very well to his new home on Perry’s Point. Here he is on my lap on his very first day with us, purring up a storm. And…

2. Introducing: Lou Reed ~~Perry~~ Purry

Lou—aka Lewis or Louie—is only one year old and acts like a kitten most of the time, tearing around the house and enticing his new brother to play with him. We are pretty sure he likes his new digs as well.

Sleepy boys enjoying their catnaps:

🐾 🐾 🐾

We are thrilled with how well they are getting along. They didn’t meet until the day we adopted them because they were kept in separate rooms at the shelter. Yes, there is plenty of rambunctious play-fighting and running around, but for the most part they are civil and getting used to each other—and us!

🐾 🐾 🐾

”Home is where your cats are.”

🧡 I think Maisie and Vivian would approve. 🧡

”Saving one cat won’t change the world, but for that one cat their world will be forever changed.”

Have any of my friends and fellow bloggers adopted a pet recently? Do tell!

A Look Back on the “Dog Days of Summer”

Published on September 13, 2024September 13, 2024 by J. Kelland Perry31 Comments

Dog Days of Summer, according to Websters Dictionary: “the hot and humid period of summer between early July and early September.”

Dog Days of Summer, according to me: having my canine friends come to visit!

First up, SOPHIE RAE!

In July, Sophie came to Newtown for the first time with my son and his fiancée. She is a white golden retriever, is the youngest of our doggies, and just so happens to be turning two today. Happy Birthday, pretty girl!

She had lots of fun exploring Perry’s Point, and even went to Bennett Island with us via the sandbar.

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Our next visitors were my daughter and her family in August, and of course they brought ARCHIE!

Archie is six years old, and has visited us before. He beat himself out every day running around the Point, and also went on the sandbar to Bennett Island with us.

He was particularly obsessed with this “ball” while he was here:

Archie always loves to come see us.
🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

My sister and her husband were our third visitors. They spent Labour Day weekend with us, with Abbey and Jaxon in tow!

Jaxon is twelve:

…and dear little Abbey is sixteen!

These dogs are more laid back, as you may guess.

But they did go on an adventure to Windmill Bight Park in Lumsden with us, to enjoy some fun in the sun and sand.

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Even though everyone knows I’m a cat person first and foremost, I do love and enjoy being around any animal. Thanks so much for making the trip, my loved ones and your pooches! 💕🐾❤️

Sunday Snaps: And Then There Were Two

Published on June 30, 2024 by J. Kelland Perry27 Comments

Back in March, I shared pics of the kitty suncatcher my daughter gave me, in memory of Vivian. You can check it out here: All That We Love Deeply.

One of my longtime blogger friends had mentioned I should have a suncatcher for Vivian’s sister as well:
“You need a little Maisie suncatcher so the sisters can be together again.” – Lois

Well, once more, dear daughter has surprised me with a gift. She found a kitty (the closest she could find to resemble her) to memorialize our Maisie who passed in 2020.

I’ve already shared her on Facebook and Instagram, but I thought all my blogger friends and followers should also have a look.

Aren’t they sweet?

These little mementos bring comfort—and occasional tears—and will have to suffice until we rescue one or two more cats later this year. ❤️

“All That We Love Deeply”

Published on March 4, 2024 by J. Kelland Perry38 Comments

Last month, our daughter Denise surprised us with this lovely sun-catcher she found online. Does it remind you of anyone?

Is it a coincidence that she found a cat replica that looks like our Vivian, who passed away in November? I think not. Now we have a visual reminder that she is still peering out over Perry’s Point, which she knew like the back of her paw. 🐾

It’s also the perfectly fitting remembrance of her many guest posts on this blog—“Vivian’s View From Here”.