Tag: life

Vivian’s View From Here: A Couple of Ten-Year-Olds

Published on by J. Kelland Perry1 Comment

Hi there, Friends and Felines!

Vivian K. Perry here,
with just a quick note before I dash away again:

Maisie and I have super-duper cause for celebration today.

That’s right.
My sister and I are celebrating a very special birthday.

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We have reached a whole decade!

Vivian

And hopefully, we can stick around for another one, right?

Maisie

We have to go now and get this Purry-Perry Party started,
so instead of leaving a comment,
why don’t you sing ♪ Happy Birthday ♫ to us?

🎈🎈🎈

🐾
🐾

Head bumps & nose kisses,
 Maisie & Vivian
❤

Hello, August. Here So Soon?

Published on by J. Kelland Perry23 Comments

July is over! Whaaa?
Can you believe how quickly it whizzed by?

This month is shaping up to be
another busy one for yours truly.
First, there’s this:

I am honoured to be making three appearances during this Author Tour.

Getting to rub shoulders with the literary talent in our fair province is a huge part of the fun. Do drop by our libraries if you’re in Gander or Clarenville on these above dates, or if you’re in St. John’s for the Grand Finale. (More about the finale later)

I will also be busy with my two grandkids + one little friend, who are coming tomorrow for a week-long stay here on Perry’s Point.

And then there’s work on the new novel in between all of this, not to mention all those chances to soak up more summer.

FYI:
I’m running an Amazon Countdown Deal
for Calmer Secrets from
August 2nd to August 9th.
Score a Kindle copy
of this sequel to Calmer Girls
at a discount on Amazon.com
and Amazon.co.uk.

What are your plans for August?
Do tell!

“Took Brain to the Beach”

Published on by J. Kelland Perry36 Comments

One summer day, when my son Brian was just a little boy, his Aunt Sherry came to babysit him.

When I got home from work, I found a note stuck to the fridge. It read: “Took Brain to the beach. Sherry.” We all had a great laugh over the funny spelling. (Yes, my boy is smart, but that’s beside the point.)

Fast forward to the present. Last week, he had some time off, so he came to visit for a couple of days. The weather was perfect and off we went. We took Brain Brian to Lumsden North beach for some practice on his golf swing.

This is one of his favourite pastimes when he visits. I’ve blogged about beach golf here before, when they used the beach right next to our house as a driving range and the sandbar as a target. Check out the photos here.

The next morning was even warmer and more beautiful, so for a change, we headed out to the beach at Cape Freels.

Momma got bored watching, so she went for a walk.

Too bad she didn’t bring her own brain to the beach. She forgot to turn her iPhone the proper way for the following video! Oh well, if you watch it on your phone, it’s fine. And black bars or not, it’s still pretty, and the sounds of the wind and waves will help you feel the warm sun and the gentle sea breeze on your face.

Happy Friday, everyone!
Will you be going to the beach this weekend?

A Life That Matters

Published on by J. Kelland Perry25 Comments

 “It doesn’t matter who we are, what we are doing and what our station in life is, we all have the ability to contribute to something beyond ourselves and (to find) purpose in doing so.” – Emily Esfahani Smith, author of The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters.

According to Smith’s research, it isn’t happiness that makes life worth living – it is meaning. It is rising each day with a purpose. As simple and as uncomplicated as that sounds, I wonder how many of us have been chasing the wrong thing.

Is developing a “meaning mindset” the only true answer to achieving fulfillment?

Living on auto-pilot, or chasing mostly what brings you pleasure, or working long and crazy hours, driving yourself to exhaustion to conform to someone else’s definition of success – do any of these pursuits sound like happiness to you?

Or have you already figured this out?

Have you found your meaning?

A Moment With Maisie

Published on by J. Kelland Perry27 Comments

Alright, I admit it.I am clearly the more introverted feline in this two-cat family.
Often the loner – the diametric opposite of my sister Vivian –
you will usually find me shying away from the spotlight.
Yes, I am a lap cat, and an affectionate one at that…
…but Vivian is the more “in your face” sister,
and the more photogenic one,
so naturally she gets the lion’s share of attention.
I’m the quiet and cautious girl who moves with stealth,
who wonders why Vivian is so annoyingly vocal.
And even though I might seem timid,
I’m actually more “alpha” than Viv.
I guess that’s why Jennifer says I’m the glue that holds us all together.

Do you live in a multi-cat or multi-pet household?
Do you sometimes feel overshadowed by your sibling? 

Vivian’s View From Here: My Trip to the Vet

Published on by J. Kelland Perry20 Comments

Happy weekend, Peeps and Pets.

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Maisie & Me

Vivian K. Perry here, back for a new guest post on Jennifer’s Journal. Can you believe this is my eleventh time blogging here on WordPress? I’m becoming an old pro!

Let’s get down to business: I went to see my veterinarian in Gander yesterday. And because I did, my weekend is going to be one of recovery instead of more itching and scratching of my pretty face.

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sticker on our fridge

You see, I have this recurring condition, an allergy of sorts, or so I’m told. The problem is that no one can determine what triggers it! The first time this happened to me was when we were still living in the city, and I was barely out of kittenhood. I had a little spot on  my cheek that simply would not heal.

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This is me yesterday morning. I had no idea at this point where I would be going that afternoon. Notice my not-so-pretty face. 😦

As it happened, Jennifer and Paul went on a trip to Jamaica that spring, and when they came back, they were horrified to see that the little spot had festered and had gotten much worse. Off to the vet we went, and I came back with steroids, antibiotics and that ghastly ‘cone of shame’ around my neck. Let me tell you: I HATED that #@%*#!ing cone!

But I healed, and ever since, my staff made sure I never got to that point again.

A year or so ago, Jennifer read on the internet that the cat treats, Temptations, were causing itchy skin allergies in some other members of my species, so of course I never got to eat another one after that. For a long while, it seemed the mystery had been solved.

Then my condition returned, so we are back to square one as to the cause. If anyone out there has any experience with this or knows what I might be allergic to, would you help a kitty out and please leave a comment below?

Jennifer put together this little gallery from my visit. I hope you enjoy it more than I did.

“I hate this #%&*# cage and this #%&*#car!”
Jennifer stayed in the back seat with me, so I stopped crying. An hour and a half is a long drive for a kitty.
Jennifer stayed in the back seat with me, so I stopped crying. An hour and a half is a long drive for a kitty.
I was a really good girl!
I was a really good girl!
When we finally got to the vet's, we had to wait for a little while.
When we finally got to the vet’s, we had to wait for a while.

Too many doggies for my liking. I was outnumbered!

Paul faced me away from those doggies, but I could smell them. Ugh!
Paul faced me away from those doggies, but I knew they were there. Doggie smells don’t lie.
At last, it was my turn.
At last, it was my turn.
In spite of my allergy, the vet said I was very healthy for my age. :)
In spite of my allergy, the vet said I was very healthy for my age. I was also very well-behaved. 🙂
Prednisone and yummy treats. Yay!
Prednisone and yummy treats. Yay!

After my check-up, I went home with my new meds. I hardly made a peep the whole way, probably because I was worn out from all the excitement.

img_1860 I thought Maisie would’ve been lonely during our absence; she is rarely left by herself.
But she seemed un-purr-turbed.

Happy Thanksgiving, Canada

Published on by J. Kelland Perry8 Comments

canadathanksgiving

*Travel theme: Enlightened

Book Club Brunch

Published on by J. Kelland Perry18 Comments

What an absolutely heavenly October day it is out there! The gale of wind we experienced over the last half of the week has finally abated, and the sun is warm and glorious. When you can sit outside sleeveless and barefoot to enjoy your morning coffee, that is my favourite kind of fall weather.

A couple of Sundays ago when we held our latest book club meeting, it was a beautiful day too. We combined it with a potluck brunch at Janet and Duke’s house. Unfortunately, all our members couldn’t attend, but we had a lovely time anyway discussing our latest book, enjoying the scrumptious fare, and sharing many laughs.

We are a diverse group, with members including a visual artist, a chef, a French teacher, and a retired flight attendant (4o years!), to name just a few. I’ve posted a small gallery of the event below, where Paul took most of the pics with an iPhone 6. You can click on them to read those with captions.

October will see the first edition of my Author Newsletter arriving in your in-boxes, which I am working on. Updates on what’s going on in my writerly life will be monthly or less. If you haven’t signed up for it yet and would like to, you can do so here.

Have an inspiring week, everyone!

The book we discussed. One of my faves in the club so far.
Laughing (no, I’m not saying grace or sneezing!)
Yummy brunch with blueberries Duke picked that morning
Mmmm…
Maple syrup and blueberries make homemade waffles delish!
Next book to be read

 

Fun, Sun, Sand and Smiles

Published on by J. Kelland Perry15 Comments

After nine days, the children have gone home.

Our house yawns astonishingly quiet and empty. The beaches here on Sandy-Feet Avenue and Perry’s Point look abandoned, lonely and forlorn; bereft of the three little beach bums that ran across them countless times a day.

A myriad of reminders surround me: empty sand pails, tiny mementos in the form of sea glass and shells from the beach, our grandson’s toy army tank left behind, a day pass from Windmill Bight Park, a box of our granddaughter’s favourite crackers in the cupboard, a candy wrapper under the bed. There is even a folder of GoPro videos they made saved on my PC desktop.

And I’m amazed at how much longer it takes for the dishwasher and the washing machine to fill up in their absence.

We miss our two grandchildren – plus one little friend – but we had an incredible time together filled with sweet summer memories and photos to look back on.

And there is always next year, God willing!

Here are a few captures from last week.

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Searching for starfish, hermit crabs and other treasures
“Wanna go clam-digging again?”

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The weather was beautiful nearly every day!

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Our girl having fun at the nearby playground
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Zip-lining!

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Waiting to dine on ‘Surf ‘n Turf’ at the local restaurant*

During one of these lazy afternoons, our girl decided she wanted to write a story. So while her friend and our boy continued playing on the beach, she sat down nearby with a pad of lined paper and a pencil. When I asked her what her story was about, she said with a shy grin, “Cats.”

I guess the (grand)apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

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*All photos taken with iPhone 6

Weekly Photo Challenge: Fun

Meanwhile, in Newfoundland…

Published on by J. Kelland Perry15 Comments

slowdownsummer

“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.” – John Steinbeck

“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” – Henry James

“Summer’s lease hath all too short a date.” ― William Shakespeare