Cat Tales with Laura and Inspirations with Laura

Cats Are Anxious To Get Outdoors In The Spring

Some housecats next door sit by the door, watching for their chance to escape and go outdoors. Winchester is a good escape artist, so I have to keep my open, so he does not escape unnoticed. Faith also tries not to miss any opportunities for a great escape. Some coyotes and foxes are in my area, so all of my cats are indoor cats. Most of my cats are declawed, so going outdoors presents too much of a risk to their safety.

Tom Cats

Tom cats establish their territories in the spring. Some of my outdoor Toms would get into quite the battles years ago. I had three Toms that were related to each other, and they would give an intruder Tom a grand welcome that he would never forget. After they laid out the rules, he never showed up again.

Female Cats

They will call the Toms all night long when they are in season, which immediately gets very annoying. They have a high-pitched meow or wail that cuts right into your nerves. All of my female carts are spayed.

Cats And Kittens

Young Mother cats may lose a litter or two before they learn to care for their kittens properly. Most of my Mother cats have been excellent Mothers and very attentive to their kitten’s needs. One Mother cat laid on her kitten night and day as her kitten was born in December. He grew up to be a solid and sturdy male cat. Mother cats will catch and release a live mouse before their kittens until they learn how to kill it.

Clean Up Your Cats Supplies

Now is an excellent time to give your cat’s dishes, bowls, towels, bedding, cat toys, and litter boxes a royal scrubbing. I used dish and anti-bacterial soap and scrub brushes with rubber gloves to finish the job.

Cat Play Pen

When I let my cats out, I place them in the Cat Play Pen outdoors so I can see them while I am reading in my hammock. My cat enjoys the spring air and watching the birds eating at the bird feeder. Cats are relatively safe in a cat playpen if you are still watching them. A determined wild animal could rip the playpen apart. Constantly babysit your cats and never leave them unattended.

I Have A Travel Cat Backpack And Leash

I purchased the backpack this winter as a Christmas present for my cats, that love to get outdoors now and then. I will be using it this spring. I intend to put a cat in the backpack with its harness and collar. My cat backpack has a bubble window for the cat to look out of, with a lot of ventilation in the bag. I will secure the pack on my trike, and my cats can see what I see on lovely spring days. You can attach the leash to the backpack. If your cat finds out how to open the pack, your cat will still be safe and secure. I hope you and your cat have a healthy, happy, and enjoyable spring.

Tags catsandspring, Kittens, Outdoor Cat Totally Enclosed Cat Playpen

There Is Too Much Division In The World

Post author By Laura Weers
Post date March 24, 2023
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We Must Learn To Compromise

We will never agree on everything, but we must learn to compromise. If we do not compromise, we do not move forward. We must move forward and not get stuck on a tiny detail that will stalemate us. Compromise is not that hard if you look at everyone’s point of view and make a decision that will work for the betterment of those concerned. Even children learn to compromise as they have to take turns on whose turn it is to play with specific equipment on the school ground. If there is a play at school, not everyone can have the lead part, but the other parts are necessary for the play’s success. If all the details of the space do not come together, there will be no play to watch.

Compromise To Save Valuable Things

We need to see historic buildings and places to learn from the past. If we do not learn from the past, we will make those same mistakes repeatedly. Some statues are thrown away because we do not like what they stand for, but we need them to learn from. Books are essential, as we know by reading about our past and the present. We must preserve things for future generations to enjoy. We should try to save the animals that are in jeopardy of becoming extinct. Our national parks are very nice to drive through, see the various animals, statures, mountains, and trees, and stop and have a picnic there.

Arguments In Goverment

There seems to be no compromise when they meet in government to solve issues. Both parties must reach a majority for the vote to go through. When neither party does not compromise, we get nothing accomplished, and we cannot move forward. As adults, we should be able to compromise easily, but we act worse than young children. A compromise is easy if you remember what will benefit most people and get your mind off your agenda.

Division Does Not Work

A house divided will not stand. If you only replaced half of the roof on your home, the other half would leak, and soon you would not have a home to live in. If you painted only the two sides of your home that most people would see, the rest would rot out, and you would be looking for a new home. The division will divide people forever that do not compromise.

God And Compromise

God knows that were are not perfect human beings. God has compromised for us dearly. God gave his only begotten son for us so that we may be forgiven for our sins. God gave the greatest of all compromises for us, so why can’t we make at least small compromises for the benefit of our fellow man? There is a lot of division in churches lately, and you would think any church would compromise to save a house of God. God wants his house United for a house divided will not stand. Once a house of God is divided against itself, the Devil will be in charge. I want God to be in the order of his house as the house of the Lord teaches God’s values and what we should stand for to the masses. Long stands the house that is United.

Tags tips, Too much division, United We Stand and divided we fall

Your Cat May Rule You

Your Cat Plops Down Right In Front Of You

This is particularly bad when your cat plops in front of you at night. If it is dark, you may step on your cat and harm it or yourself. One night my black cat Kohl laid down on my pie steps, and I stepped on his tail. He moved, and I slid on my butt halfway down my steps. Teach your cat to move if he plops in front of you, and do not try to maneuver around your cat in the dark.

Starring At The Food Or Water Dish

My cats will stare at the water dish until I put out fresh water for them, even though I put it out 4 hours ago. If they do not like the food you place in their dish, they will wait until you put in something they love, like tuna canned in water. Do not cater to every whim your cat may have. If they do not like a particular brand of food or it makes them sick, stop feeding that brand to them ASAP. Cats want to make you think they will die if their food dish gets a bit low.

Litter Box

Some of my cats want the litter box to be cleaned ASAP in the morning, and then they make a deposit the minute it is washed; I told one of my cats to go before I cleaned the box, but that did not work; it always leaves out the old litter box and the new one, or you may get a surprise that you do not want.

Your Cat Is Your Alarm Clock

Having your cat meowing outside your bedroom door at 4 in the morning isn’t enjoyable. Ignore your cat if they do that, and then they will soon stop doing that. Never talk to your cat when they wake you up; they will think yes, that worked well. One of my cats would wake me up at 6 AM every morning, which was terrific since that was the time I wanted to get up anyway.

Your Cat May Overtake Your Recliner

Every time I went to sit down in my recliner, it had a cat in it. I used to lift them and place them in my lap. I make my cats leave my recliner now, and then they can sit on my lap after I am situated. My cat Conrad took over my newest recliner, which was OK since it was not my favorite.

Cats Sleeping In Your Bed With You

I had one cat that would act like a hairdresser at night. I had another cat take over my pillow. One of my cats would sneeze right in my face at night. My cats no longer sleep in my bed anymore. They did a study that said people sleep more soundly without any pets in their beds at night. I would have to agree with that study. My cats were restless at night and would wake me up. Try not to let your cat rule you.

Tags Cat Antics, Whats Upsetting My Cat ?

The Winding Road

Winding Roads

On mountain roads, there are a lot of very winding roads with lots of sharp bends and curves. I don’t ever want to look down when I am driving on a windy mountain road. When you go on the outside lane, and a semi-truck passes you, you are scared out of your mind, as there is no guide wire or anything to stop you from driving over the edge. Life is like a winding road. We could be doomed if we get too close to the edge of what we know we should not be doing. God does his best to teach us what is right and wrong through the Bible and his teachings. We must pray to God and ask him to forgive us when we do not know enough to get off the winding road that leads to destruction.

Extremely Windy Roads

Cancer takes you on highly windy roads. I know many people that have cancer. The worst part is not knowing if they will survive cancer. Cancer treatments make some people extremely ill. Most survivors I have talked to told me their faith in God pulled them through, and their faith had grown stronger. Confidence will help you survive the good and the bad times in life. Faith gives you hope for a better tomorrow. With God’s love and the love of others, you can overcome most of the windy roads in life.

Winding Roads On A Journey

I have driven on pleasant, winding roads off of the beaten path and discovered quaint small towns that were very interesting. I have gone to small Ma and Pa stores that sold quality older new items. I purchased a nice metal scoop shovel, furniture, a homemade wooden box, tools, appliances, and much more. I love the old wooden floors in the buildings and the architecture. The owners were fun to visit with, and they told me their store was a three-generation store.

Roads In Life

We will travel down many different kinds of roads in our lifetime. I always prefer to take the road less traveled as that is where you seem to find the most treasures. The treasures you see will be the people you visit with and some excellent tools or small items you need. I have found excellent family-owned restaurants that serve authentic Turkish and Italian meals. I went to an auction in a small town and purchased an excellent antique buffet and a refrigerator. I ate at a restaurant in that town that had all the different foods that would be served in various countries around the World. It was the best eating-out experience I have ever had in the USA. We may have a set journey in our life, then we make a complete turnaround and change careers. It takes some of us a while to realize what the actual trip in our life is supposed to be. God bless you and yours and let him be your guide and compass in life, and then all roads will lead home.

Tags Inspirations with Laura

What To Do if You Cannot Understand Someone

What To Do If You Cannot Understand Someone

Post author By Laura Weers
Post date March 13, 2023
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Their pronunciation Is Different.

It is tough to understand if people talk with an accent or say their words very quickly. Politely ask the person to repeat what they just told you. Do not hesitate to ask someone else if you do not understand them. You must realize any crucial matters before you sign any paperwork.

Their English Is Very Broken

It is almost impossible to understand if you are talking to someone from a different country and they still talk as if they were in that country. I was talking to a man on the phone one day about my computer, and I could not understand him. I had a person in my house that could figure out what he wanted me to do, thank goodness. My computer got the new speakers installed through his telephone call. I had a salesperson on the phone one day, and I could not even understand what he wanted me to buy, so I hung up the receiver. I have talked to many telemarketers and have not understood most of them. One woman rushed through all her words as if she was in the Indy 500, and I did not get anything from that conversation.

Speaking Clearly

If someone does not speak clearly and their voice is feeble, it makes communicating with them a nightmare. Sometimes a person will run their words together, which is a significant problem. When you speak, say your words enthusiastically and with enthusiasm so that people can understand you. If they do not speak clearly, ask them if you can talk to someone else in the company. I was taught to communicate clearly and loud enough so people could understand me easily.

Take Several People With You To An Appointment

Hopefully, someone in your group will understand what the person is trying to tell you. If no one in your group can understand them, politely ask for the next person in the demand line. They will know they have a communication problem if no one in your group can understand them.

Ask For An Interpreter

If you are from a foreign country, ask for an interpreter. The interpreter can convey the message to the other party for you so there are no misunderstandings. If You cannot understand someone asks for an interpreter if they are talking too quickly or with a heavy accent. Many meetings with head officials have been done with interpreters over the years, and the outcomes have been very favorable. Peace conferences have had interpreters over the years. Spelling bees have had people pronounce words in a sentence so the child could hear the word being spoken in a complete sentence making it easier to spell.

Tell The Party You Are Speaking To To Write it Down.

If all else fails, have them write down what they want you to do on paper. You can also tell them to send you an e-mail of the entire conversation. A written copy of instructions or details in all essential matters is necessary. I hope one of my ideas will work for you the next time you have trouble communicating with someone or understanding them.

Tags Language, pronunciation, speaking clearly

How Do You Relate To People?

Relationships With People

Post author By Laura Weers
Post date March 10, 2023
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How Do You Relate To People?

Talk to them and really get to know them. Show a genuine interest in what they are doing. If they like cats, go to a cat show with them and do things they enjoy doing together. Be accepting of them just as they are. Be an attentive listener and genuinely care about their concerns, needs, and wants. Relate to people as you would like to have them relate with you. Be kind and patient with people. Remember you have to be a good and caring friend to have a caring friend.

Relationship With Your Spouse

A good relationship needs to have a lot of give and take. If your wife wants to go on a vacation and you do not compromise and go on at least one trip with her and you may be surprised by how much you actually enjoyed the trip. Never let any relationship be one-sided as someone will feel his or her feelings are being ignored. If your husband wants to go to a sporting event and you hate sports go with him anyway. You may like watching a baseball game with your husband as he talks about the best players and why they are on top of their A game. Learn to eat food that you may not like to appease your spouse and make them happy.

Relationships With Bussiness People

I want to establish a good relationship with my banker, lawyer, Doctor, accountant, repairmen, and more. You want people that you can trust and have total faith in to manage your business affairs. I never like it when my Doctor or lawyer retires as you have to build a brand new relationship which takes a lot of time to form trust and complete confidence in the person that took over. You must have complete confidence in anyone that knows all about your business and health. We want an investment banker to manage our money as he would his own. I trust all of my repairmen to treat me fairly and make top-quality repairs.

Relationships With Friends

Everyone wants a friend that they can rely on through thick and thin. Rainy day friends are there for you in difficult times when the rest of the World turns its back on you they are faithful to the end. Friends are like the flowers in the garden of life. When my friends are ill or sick I try to help them and be there for them and get them the items they need. When my friends are ill I feel ill as my friend’s concerns become my top concerns. Be a friend that is there for the long haul. Life is full of happy and not-so-happy days. Be the light that shines brightly to help lift up friends when they are sick, lonely, frightened and they need you the most.

Relationships With Business Owners

If a business offers you top-quality service thank them and be appreciative that they went the extra mile for you. Tell your friends that you were very pleased with their business. I buy at the same stores over and over again after I have learned to trust them and know that they will stand behind what they sell. Shop locally and support the privately owned small stores.

Your Relationship With God

Your relationship with God is your most important relationship of all. Treat God with the utmost respect, love, and kindness, and follow the Ten Commandments as it is not called the ten suggestions. Praise God for all of your many blessings. Praise God in song, and by what you do and say. God is my lighthouse that shines ever so brightly in my life. Praise be to God.

Tags Inspirations with Laura, relationships with people

Waiting For Anyone

Medical Appointments

I get very frustrated when I wait for one hour and still have not seen my Doctor. My father and I once waited for his Doctor from 7 AM until 4 PM. His nurse never told us he had a medical emergency. I finally went up to the desk at 2 PM and told her we had not eaten since 5 AM, and then she told me. She said we would have time to eat, and we did. I was utterly exhausted when I got home that night.

Waiting For People To Show Up To An Appointment You Made With Them

Some people act like your time is not valuable. Time is valuable as you could have accomplished much while waiting for them to appear. I had four appointments with people in an hour’s time frame. Not one party showed up. People should respect each other by showing up on time or having a perfect excuse for why they could not. We all have so much time on earth before we die to get what we want to be done on time of their time on earth; they could have accomplished much more than you could imagine.

Waiting For People While You Are On A Tour

I wouldn’t say I like it when people on tour hold up the whole busload of people. I missed seeing some attractions on tours because one person cannot get out of bed in the morning or get their hair dried on time. It isn’t nice to hold up a group of people who paid good money to see the sights and attractions on their trip, which may be a once-in-a-lifetime trip for them. People should wash their hair at night and set their clothes out for what they will wear the next day. Plan and get to bed early, then you can be on time. Some people lose track of time while eating and hold up the group.

Repairman

There is no such thing as a reliable Maytag repairman anymore. I have waited for repairers all day long. They do not value your time, but their time is more precious than silver. I have waited almost 8 hours for some repairmen to work on an appliance. Most of the repairers come to my house without the parts they need, and they have to drive back to their shop to get the parts that they should have had to begin with since I told them which part I needed to start with. One man charged me whenever he drove back to his shop for a piece. Bring what you need to have the first time, and do not keep charging for parts trips that you were told to have with you.

If Someone Is Consistently Late Set Guidelines For Them

Tell the person that is consistently late that you will only wait 10 minutes for them, and then you will be on your way to accomplishing great things with your valuable time.

Tags my time is valuable too, waiting

Excellent Customer Service Is hard To Come By

Excellent Customer Service Is Hard To Come By

Post author By Laura Weers
Post date March 3, 2023
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Customer Service Issues

I made an appointment for an oil change the other day, and it took them 3 hours to get my oil changed. I kept going to their main desk, asking when my car would be done, and they said nothing. The workers at the desk were playing computer games instead of supervising their workers. I called a service company that I used to go to, and they never returned any of my calls after three attempts. It is hard to find anyone to repair a broken appliance. If you find one, their labor charge is so high you might as well buy a new device. The repairman will generally bring out the wrong part and charge you to return to town to buy the correct position.

Customer Service And Warranty Issues

I purchased an extended warranty on a car for the engine and transmission. My car would not maintain the correct oil pressure, and I told them I needed a new motor, and they would not replace it. I never purchased another vehicle from them, nor have I ever purchased another extended warranty. I had a contract for a water heater, and it stopped working precisely one day after the warranty period, so I was out of luck.

Customer Service Nightmares

I once had a car that was not dependable whatsoever, and she always needed repairs. I kept spending and spending money on it, and then it was not that part but another part; I got tired of paying the mechanic as he could never get the issue fixed. A store blamed me for the fact that the item that I purchased from them did not work. They told me I had abused the thing, and I said I had not even touched the thing except to plug it in. They stuck me with an item that was never wired correctly right from the company.

Waiting For Customer Service

I waited for customer service for four hours via the telephone. I could not understand their words when I finally got someone on the phone. I told him I was very sorry and asked him to talk to his supervisor about my issue. I could understand her, but then she put me on hold for another person, and by the end of the day, I had not gained anything from my phone call. The next day I had to start the process over again until someone could talk me through the problem.

We Need To Get Old Fashioned Customer Services Back ASAP

Without customer service, your company will not grow, and people will lose faith in you and your business or service. Word of mouth spreads like wildfire on the windiest of days. Listen to people’s complaints and remember you may have a problem yourself one day that you will need help with. Put yourself in the other person’s predicament. Remember The Golden Rule: Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You. Stand behind what you sell, fix it, and remember that the customer is always right.

God Is There for Us 24/7

God is always there for us in our darkest of hours. God answers our prayers and cheers us on. God is like a lighthouse as he leads us home from harm. We should act like God with customer service.

Tags Customer service issues, Inspirations with Laura, tips, where is customer service ?

Problem items That I have owned Over The Years

Problem Items That I Have Owned Over The Years

Post author By Laura Weers
Post date February 27, 2023
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Small TV Antennas

I purchased several small TV antennas over the years and none of them worked. For some of them, no signals whatsoever came through and for others, I could only get Educational TV.

Toasters

Most of the toasters that I have owned wore out quickly and the toast was very light in color no matter where you adjusted the setting. My parent’s Old General Mills toaster lasted for 35 years before it stopped working.

Lawn Mowers

I have had two lawnmowers that the gears wore out right away. I had a riding mower that had the wiring harness under the mower and it would drop down from time to time and then the mower would grind up the cord and the deck would stop working. I had a riding mower that would overheat after two hours of us and stop working. Two hours later it would run fine again after it cooled off. None of the repair shops ever got it fixed. It was a very costly mower. The Toro self-propelled mowers last forever.

Cars With Small Engines

I had issues with the oil leaking into the radiator on small engine cars that had aluminum head motors. I have had no luck at all with any other aluminum head engines. I wish they still had the 350 Chevy engines that lasted forever practically.

Furnaces

I had the heat exchanger crack in my furnace and luckily I noticed it on the outside of the furnace as a dark brown line ran down through the paint on the outside of the furnace. A cracked heat exchanger can kill you by breathing in carbon monoxide. I had a furnace that only lasted 14 years. before it stopped working it would bang and make awful noises The old furnaces would last up to forty years.

Car Tires

I have had trouble with tires that were supposed to have good traction but had no traction whatsoever. I would put new tires on any car that I purchased that came with tires like that. I like a tire that is not too soft and has a lot of tread on it and it is designed to go through deep snow with no problems and that will give you optimal traction.

Clothing Or Shoes

Depending in what country my piece of clothing is made in will determine how long it lasts. I have had articles of clothing that were sown poorly or that shrank away or got holes in them soon. The sizing in clothes varies greatly and you may have to buy two or three sizes larger than what you would normally. If I am lucky a pair of socks will hold together for three months before it is full of holes. I purchased a pair of fancy boots and the soles flew off the bottom of the shoes as I was walking along, Someone forgot to glue them on. The shoe store that I purchased them at said too bad and I told them I would never be back again. I purchased ten pairs of shoes from them with no complaints. I purchased a pair of cowboy boots that must have been made from an old cow that had died. The leather in them fell completely to pieces in three months. Be careful where you buy things. Try to buy from a reputable store that will stand behind what they sell and want to have satisfied customers as a happy customer brings more customers to their door and unsatisfied customers take customers away. The flannel shirt pictured is nice and thick and very well made.

Tags Poorly made items, tips

With Age Comes Wisdom In Many Forms

Post author By Laura Weers
Post date February 24, 2023
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Parting With Collections

When you grow older you realize that the things you used to collect are only things and they will not bring you happiness. I have found it a great joy to sell things that I used to collect and give the money to charities that will help people in need. Items have a hold on you and when you get rid of them you have a sense of freedom. Sometimes a person gets so wrapped up in collecting things that you miss out on what is truly important in life. Do not let your possessions own you or tell your story. Collections will not bring back a loved one or help you get back a particular moment in time. An older woman told me she never felt so free until the day she had to get rid of her possessions because she moved into an old-age apartment complex. I understood what she meant and I got rid of a lot of my things after I talked to her. I have sold all of my antiques and I do not miss a single one of them. Your story should be about how you helped others on earth and how you asked God to help you spread his good works to the masses.

Wisdom, Love, Kindness And More

With age comes wisdom. As we grow old we are wise to the ways of the world. We do not take people at face value. We observe how people act, talk, and relate to others before we trust them. We know if someone truly loves us or if they are just sweet talking us. We want to be around kind and caring people and those that are compassionate to our needs as we age as graciously as we can. True love is wanting the best for the person that we love. We return to love when we receive love. We will protect a person that we truly love at all costs. A Mother will sacrifice herself to save her child. In the army, the saying says no man is left behind. You protect your buddies in the army and you will lay down your life for them. Kindness should come naturally to a person but unfortunately, it does not come from all of us. If you treat people unkindly it will come back to haunt you someday as you may not be able to live with yourself depending on what you did. Compassion is sometimes very hard to find. Some people may think you are faking an illness just because they cannot see your disease just by looking at you. A person can be dying from some horrible disease and a rude person will say get out of your way or why don’t you move faster? If we could move faster we would naturally. Someday they will be the one that is old and frail and maybe no one will have compassion for them. Show love, kindness, compassion, and consideration for people every day and walk with God by your side and let him lead you to do the best that you can to help others so they will know God loves them.

Tags Be Kind To All You Meet On Life;s Hi-Way, Inspirations with Laura, lifes lessons