Cat Tales with Laura and Inspirations with Laura

Having Purpose In Your Life

You must not concentrate on your problems and let them take over your days. Have a plan on how you want to start your day and get as much accomplished as you possibly can in one day. If you must pay bills, get them delivered early in the day. Fulfill all of your obligations and duties early in the day. Ensure you plan to fulfill God’s purpose for your life in all earthly days. Be kind and considerate of other people’s feelings, and never lash out at someone just because you are having a bad day. Remember, your job has a purpose, and other people would suffer without you in the picture; if you have children, you already have one goal. As a Mother or Father, you must raise upstanding and considerate children who behave and respect others and themselves. All of us will be called in different directions in our lives, and once in a while, we will get diverted off of the path God has chosen for us to be on. We must ask God to help us return on the right track ASAP. All of us have a unique purpose in our lives. Live a life with purpose and meaning all of your days.

Purpose In All Fields Of Work

If you are a caregiver, it is your purpose to treat the ones you care for as you would want to be treated if you were in their position. If you own a restaurant, the food you serve should be as good as the food you do your family at home. As a grocery store owner, you should sell fresh produce and throw out expired merchandise. First responders must act quickly and correctly to save our lives after we have had an accident or a heart attack. Police help protect us from people that may harm or injure us. Your minister keeps you focused on God by reading the Bible scriptures and giving meaningful sermons to let you know that God loves you deeply and wants only the best for you. Many different jobs are needed for us to survive and feel comfortable in our day-to-day lives.

Cleaning Your House

If you have too many things in your home, you must eliminate what you no longer need or use. It is hard to have a purpose if you are attached to material objects. All of us must clean out the clutter from our homes. If we focus on items in our houses or our lives, we will lose some purpose. It would be best to clean up your home before seeing your life’s true meaning and purpose. Always ask God to lead you toward a genuinely purposeful life.

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How To Treat Your Cat That Has A Cold

Post author By Laura Weers
Post date December 13, 2021
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Cat Sneezing And Coughing

Some of my cats get colds in the winter months. It generally starts with my cat sneezing a lot, and they are very lazy. Most of my cats get over their cat colds in about four days with no treatment. Suppose your cat does not want to eat with his cold; feed him canned tuna in water. He will be able to smell the tuna. Run a humidifier in your home for a little extra moisture in your air will help your cat’s congestion. Let your cat in the bathroom while you shower, as the steam, will help open up his plugged sinuses. Ensure your sick cat has plenty of fresh water to drink, which will help with their congestion and dry throat. My cat Garfunkel caught a cold and started coughing and wheezing. I gave him some antibiotics from my Vet, and he is no longer sleepy now and is back to his old self again. Keep an eye on your cat for trouble breathing if his lungs are expanding up and down too quickly; Your cat may need an inhaler to help him live. Take him to your Vet ASAP. Cats’ colds can be viral but can soon turn into bacterial illnesses. If left untreated, your cat could die.

Respiratory Problems In Cats

A cat can get so congested that he has to breathe through his mouth. My cat Kohl was born with respiratory problems and had to get an antibiotic shot about once every five weeks. If he did not get his shots, he would be sleeping constantly and unable to walk far without lying started his antibiotic attempts when he was 11.5 years old. Kohl is thirteen years old now. When Kohls’s nose gets crusted over, and he sneezes constantly, I know it is time for another antibiotic shot.

Cat Colds With Several Cats In Your Home

If one cat gets a cold in your home, some other cats will also get a cold. My cat Maggie next door is 13 years old, and she caught a cold she was not getting over; I took her to my Vet, and he gave her an antibiotic shot, and she was over her cold in about four days. Cali caught a cold later but recovered in only four days without treatment.

Keep Your Sick Cat Warm

Keep your cat out of any drafty areas in your home. If you have a heated cat bed, let your cat sleep in it. Lay out some thick terry towels for your cat to curl up in. If you have a little heater, plug it in, and your cat will enjoy the extra warmth. Let your cat lay on your nice warm lap. Cats like lying beside fireplaces and curling up in a tight little ball. Lay out some cat blankets, and your cat can make a lovely little nest. I hope your feline friends quickly get over their colds and are healthy and happy again soon.

Tags Signs of a Sick Cat, Whats Upsetting My Cat ?

Light Takes Away The Darkness

Post author By Laura Weers
Post date December 10, 2021
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Daybreak

I love to see the light shining through my window in the morning. The light of day is a start to a brand new day, and it reminds us of ” This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” I think of what I want to do on my new day and look at my notes to remind me of appointments. Bright sunshiny days invigorate one to get a lot of things accomplished. I love hearing the birds chirping in the morning as they thank God for a new day. Dark and gloomy days dampen your spirits, and you do not accomplish as much on those days. I love to talk to people on dark and dreary days and try to bring some light into their day and cheer them up.

Lights

Light helps us navigate through the darkness. I love to have a well lite yard at night, so I can easily maneuver around in the dark. Lights take away some of the evenings at night so we can read, watch TV or go to a concert, and much more. Flashlights help us navigate in the dark and help us when our electricity goes off in storms. Car lights keep us from running into another car at night and let us know when the car will turn or stop. Warning lights on vehicles enables you to know they are approaching and that you better pull over to the side of the road and let them get to the emergency at hand. Lights houses lead ships safely back to shore when there are storms at sea. Let your light shine and bring light into others people’s lives whenever and however you can.

Christmas With Christ And Lights

Lights on Christmas trees remind us that Christ is the light of the World. I love to see Christmas trees decorated with many lights. I love to drive by houses at Christmas time and look at their light displays. I also like the lights that are programmed to music as they almost dance with the music. I love to see the lights in my church and how nicely it is decorated on Christmas eve. Christmas eve at church is a beautiful and glorious event as we celebrate the birth of Christ, our Lord, and Savior. I am glad I have God in my life, as he has saved me from many storms. I can feel God’s presence when I need him the most. Without God in my life, I would be nothing at all. God makes me whole and complete. Remember, Christ is the reason for the Christmas Season. I want to bring light into other people’s lives. All of us can light up someone’s day. Give a stranger a gift card and more. Be grateful for all of the friends and family in your life.

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In Memory Of My Cat Maggie

Post author By Laura Weers
Post date December 6, 2021
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Maggie, My Loving Cat

I adopted Maggie after her owner had died. She was an indoor-outdoor cat. Maggie started as an outdoor cat on my farm. She was very loving and affectionate and would follow me all over the farm. She got along fine with my other cats, and they also seemed to like her. She had fresh water to drink every morning and a heated cat bed to sleep in in the winter months. She would get canned cat food, and extra cat treats in the winter.

Maggie By My Side

If I were working in the garden, Maggie would lie on the rows so she could see that I planted my garden seeds on the row. If she noticed me digging in the garden, she would also. She would lay on the garden seed packets for me so they would not blow away on windy days. She would watch me mow my yard and move my snow in the winter. If I lay in my hammock, she would lay underneath me or curl up on my lap for a while. One time outdoors, she caught a Blue Jay, and I told her to let go of it, and she did immediately, and the Blue Jay flew away unharmed.

Maggie Was An Excellent Huntress

She was very good at ridding the farm of mice and gophers. She was quick and agile, and the mice did not stand a chance. One time she caught a rabbit and shared it with the other outdoor cats. I would see her walk to the field early in the morning, and she would generally come home with a mouse in her mouth. Maggie would crunch low in the ditches and catch a few mice there.

Maggie Has Relatives In My Other House

As Maggie grew older and thinner, I put her in my heated house next door. She had three other cats I adopted to keep her company. Maggie loved to sleep in the heated windowsill cat bed or a bed with her sister. She enjoyed catnip mice and singing bird cat toys. She liked the hammock cat beds with the scratching post as she had all her claws. Her sister had gotten pregnant with my outdoor cat Onyx, and she had three kittens that lived. Her son Peter got my cat Addi pregnant, and she had five kittens. I gave two of her kittens to a loving home and saw pictures of them on Facebook. Nicole and Conrad are Peters’s sister and brother. Conrad is one of my house cats. Addi’s grown kittens are Mr. Gray, Sherlock, and Hilford.

Maggie In Her Golden Years

Maggie was plump until she was about ten and kept losing weight. I took her to my Vet for a blood test and to check for cancer, and all of her tests returned fine. She would eat all of her food, and she drank her water. She continued to hold her own. The last time I took her to my Vet, she had lost more weight. Maggie enjoyed scrambled eggs, tuna canned water, cat snacks, and cat food. In the last week, Maggie’s hair was thinning out, and she had mates of loose hair and has lost more weight. I am taking her to my Vet early Monday morning to have her put to sleep. Maggie was almost fourteen years old. I cannot stand to see a Dear pet cat suffer. She will be in heaven with her cat relatives that have gone on before her. She was a Dear and loving cat that was always by my side. I will miss Maggie Dearly, but I know she is in God’s loving arms now.

Tags Signs of a Sick Cat

Wonderment In All Things

Children And Wonderment

Children tend to ask a lot of questions about things. I saw a little girl once in a store ask her Father about balloons. She asked him why they were hanging up on the ceiling in the store. Her Father explained the best he could to her about helium-filled balloons. She asked him another question immediately as she wanted to know why so many people were shopping in the town today. He told her about centennials and that they celebrated the town’s history. Children have a wonderment of all things in the World. They will want to know how things operate and work. They might ask about the caterpillar turning into a beautiful butterfly or why the rooster crows in the morning. Children learn by asking many questions about things that they see or like.

Adults And Wonderment

We read about things that we would like to know more about. We may look over travel brochures and see that we would like to explore and learn more about the selected area. They might have lifelong learning classes at your community college that you would like to attend. You may want a refresher course on history, or you may now want to know more about Shakespeare as you never had time to study his works years ago. We never get too old to learn new things in life. In the digital age, we will ask young people to help us now and then. The digital age will be a necessity in ten years or less. We will have to be literate with online banking and much more to survive in the fast-moving world of technology. Adults will ask people about things they want to know more about or where they may find the information to solve their problems.

Wonderment In Structures Of Years Ago

We still wonder how they built the great pyramids of Egypt. People keep researching how they would have moved those gigantic stones to build the pyramids. They have had many theories over the years, but they seem disproved. Stonehenge is still a mystery why the stones were aligned. Irrigation and water displacement were remarkable feats of engineering in Ancient times. We still wonder how they accomplished all of this with limited tools. They had engineers and a lot of slave labor to help them achieve some of their building skills. Some of the old churches in Europe were built over a ten-year period and remain standing today.

God And Wonderment

God wants us to study the Bible and live according to his teachings. We are to help our fellow man in good and bad times. We should be kind, compassionate, peaceful, and understanding with people we meet along life’s highway. Bring joy, peace, love, and hope into the World by being here. Make the World a better place for you, having been here. With God’s love and understanding, all things are possible.

Tags Inspirations with Laura

Gifts

How To Act When You Receive A Gift

Thank the person for the gift that they have given to you. Send them a thank you note for the present or tell them you are enjoying the advantage they gave you. If they come to your home, put their gift where they might see it. Always be genuinely grateful for any assistance that is provided to you.

How Not To Act When you Receive A Gift From Someone

I have heard of people who turn around and sell the item they have just received. One party was told that the tomatoes they had received were too large. There is one person who, the minute he gets a gift, turns around and gives the gift to another friend. One party told me that they had a group rummage sale, and his friend had the nerve to bring his gift to the rummage sale that he had just received from him. If you keep giving a friend’s gift away soon, you will receive no gifts and may also lose a friend. I treasure my gifts from friends. The gift you receive from a friend is given to you with love. Love and respect your friends at all times. Never tell someone who has given you a gift that you already have one. Never tell someone you do not like the gift they gave you. Do not complain about gifts ever. You do not know what the person went through to buy you what they thought was the perfect gift for you. Some people have told a person that they have received a gift from me that I keep in storage or never use it. I wish they would think how they would feel if someone told them that. Be grateful for all of the gifts that you have been given.

Gods Gifts To Us

God has given us life, and he has given us a purpose for our life. God answers all of our prayers in his time frame. God blesses us every single day of our lives. God has given us a beautiful World to live in. God’ss only son, Jesus, died for all our sins so that we will have eternal life. God is your strength while you are weak. God is your guide when you are lost. God gave us the Bible and The Ten Commandments. God can help restore us when all seems lost in this World. There are angels among us that God sends our way when we need them the most. Praise God for all the many gifts you have and will yet receive from him. God gives us the land we can raise food on and animals that we can eat for protein and food for our soul, which is the most important. We must always keep our souls nourished to be prepared when God comes for us in our final days.

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Foods That Make Great Leftovers

Post author By Laura Weers
Post date November 26, 2021
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Meats That Make Great Leftovers

I like to bake several chicken breasts in the oven simultaneously. I can then have chicken salad sandwiches later on in the week. I also want to make a casserole with leftover turkey or chicken. I put potatoes in the chicken or turkey casserole, peas, onions, stuffing mix, and some dried cranberries or apricots, and bake it in the oven at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. Meatloaf is always wonderful over several days. Hamburger makes a great skillet meal. I put a pound of hamburger in my almost fully cooked skillet, baked beans, corn, and some saffron seasoning. I like mixing hamburgers and rice with a mild hot sauce in my skillet.

I want to make meatballs now and then as they make excellent leftovers. I take some of the meatballs, put them in a pan with a handle on my stove along with some frozen green beans, and let them cook until my fork quickly goes through the green beans. I will occasionally buy ha,m and bake it in my oven with pineapple sections attached to it with toothpicks. You can have several meals of tasty ham later in the week. I generally buy one rump roast during the year. I cook it in my crock pot and add potatoes, celery, carrots, and any variety of vegetables I may have. I put balsamic vinegar or seven up in the crock pot as it makes the roast tender as a maiden’s heart.

Vegetables That Make Great Leftovers

I like to make a potato casserole that I have almost done hamburger in, peas, onion rings, milk, and cheese. I start with a layer of potatoes, then I put the other mixture in and add more potatoes, and I end up with potatoes and co-jack cheese. I bake it in my oven at 350 degrees for about 2 hours. I will cook a large bunch of beets, and I will freeze them plain or as Harvard beets. If you buy carrots or other vegetables, you can eat some raw and then eat the others fully cooked. I like salad turnips as they have a mild taste and taste similar to a raw radish. I mix cooked parsnips with cooked potatoes as they make a good root vegetable mash. I love butternut squash. I bake two large squash in my oven at the same time. I eat one squash meal and freeze 3 quarts to eat in the winter month. Ensure you freeze many vegetables for the winter months, as they will be an excellent addition to your meals.

Desserts That Make Great Leftovers

I like to bake an apple crisp in the early fall; a big pan will last for about two weeks in my refrigerator. A squash or pumpkin pie is good over several days. Pudding is always a welcome dessert, and it is easy makes. Cinnamon rolls are delicious to eat over several days. Bake up a large batch of cookies, and you can snack on them for a while. I love angel food cake, and it keeps beautifully in your freezer. I froze 17 different kinds of pies, and did they ever taste tasty in the winter months? Jellies and jams are good mixed with peanut butter or spread on toast. Leftover cake is always a crowd-pleaser, especially if it is nice and moist. Bread pudding is easily made in the microwave and is an excellent leftover. Fudge is a favorite of mine, and it keeps for a very long time. Be creative in making leftover dishes that will please the ones you hold most dear to your heart.

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The Holidays And Your Cats

Post author By Laura Weers
Post date November 22, 2021
2 Comments on The Holidays And Your Cats

Cats Cannot Eat Some People’s Food.

Never let your cat eat chocolate, as chocolate can kill your cat. Turkey bones are not a good idea as a bone may get lodged in your cat’s throat and cause him to die if he cannot cough it up. Never give your cat any alcoholic beverage, as it can kill him quickly. If your cat is not used to eating human food, do not let him have table scraps on the Holidays, as he will become ill and start vomiting in front of your guest. Cats like to eat turkey, squash, or pumpkin. Feed your cat in moderation. If you are unsure about feeding your cat something, do not feed it to him until you have asked your Vet.

Cat Proof Your Home For The Holidays

Do not put Christmas tree preservatives in the water under the tree, as the preservative will kill your cat if he drinks it. If your cat likes to climb your Christmas tree, I suggest you take it down. If the tree topples over, your cat might try to eat a broken decoration or tree light bulbs. Never put tinsel on your tree, as many cats have died over the years by consuming tree tinsel. Do not put up lights that your cat can easily chew. If your cat chews into a cord, he may be electrocuted. Do not put mistletoe or poinsettias in your home. Mistletoe will kill your cat if he eats any of it, and if your cat chews on the poinsettia plant, he will lose his voice for at least one week. Do not leave the ribbon lying around; your cat could choke on it if he tries to swallow some. If you doubt a plant or a tree, do not put it in your home so your cat will have Happy Holiday Memories.

The Best Presents For Cats

Being in a loving and caring home is present with no price tag attached. Cats are like cat treats for the holidays. My cats like a pumpkin-flavored cat treat over the holidays. Buy some canned cat food. I buy chicken, turkey, squash, and various canned foods for my cats. My cats love heated cat beds to curl up in on cold winter nights, even when it is not so hard. I have 12 heated cat beds and three windowsill heated beds. Cats love automatic litter boxes, heated water bowls, and pet feeders. Most all cats love cat toys. My cats like catnip cat toys, squeaking mice, crinkle balls, singing birds, rubber balls, balls with bells in the middle and small animal toys, rubber reptiles, cat treat balls, circle track toys with a mouse or hop in the center of it, rubber frogs and rabbits that have a string that pulls out, and then it dances across the floor. Your cat will have blessed, happy and healthy holidays with your loving care. God bless you and your feline companions.

Tags Cat Emergency, Frostbite, Signs of a Sick Cat

Blind Ambition

Full Speed Ahead

If you pursue something without clarity or purpose, you have blind ambition. If you go full speed ahead on an idea you did not research, you are most likely doomed to failure. It would be best if you looked before you leap into something. If you buy a business and have no idea or concept of how to run that particular type of business, you will fail and lose everything. Some people think their idea or invention will make them millions, and they sink all of their life’s savings into it and lose everything. Never put all of your money into one thing. Diversify your money and your talents to succeed in life.

Blind Ambition Can Be A Good Thing

A lot of businesses would never get started without blind ambition. Sometimes you must focus on the result. If you buy an old company, you must know how you will remodel it and how you can make money. You have to imagine the shelves loaded with merchandise for sale and your store full of Happy customers. It would be best if you were a little dreamer to own and operate a business successfully.

Rental Property

You will need some blind ambition to imagine how a fixer-upper rental home will look when you finish it. Do not start a rental property business without knowing how some tenants will treat your property. Blind ambition when dealing with some tenants will sink your ship at sea. Some tenants pay their rent when they feel like it. Some tenants will destroy your home and leave all their garbage in it. One party purchased a business lately, and she will fix 12 apts Above her store. After she selects one, she will use the rent money to improve the next one and keep running with that idea in her mind. She will lose her business if a tenant or two does not pay her. Rental property is not a good investment at all today. Prices for repairs and general maintenance are way overpriced. Most tenants today do not treat your property as if they owned it. My advice would be to fix a fixer-upper and then sell it ASAP. One party told me that a tenant he had rented to for ten years did $12.000.00 worth of damage to his home, and he did not make a dime for ten years.

Never Let Blind Ambition Override Your Sense Of Right And Wrong

If you know that something is wrong or unethical, do not pursue it. You will feel terrible if you do something wrong in the future because you thought it was a sure fired thing. If you do anything that hurts someone else to succeed in life, you have already failed in the eyes of God and others. Do purposeful and meaningful things with your life that will enrich your life and the lives of others.

Tags Inspirations with Laura, tips

Difficult Cats

Shopping In Sheffield, Iowa

Post author By Laura Weers
Post date November 15, 2021
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Peachy Keehn Boutique

I was very impressed when I walked in the door at Peachy Keehn Boutique. Her Boutique is gorgeous and nicely arranged. I was greeted by the owner when I walked in. I noticed a nice thick flannel shirt and tried on several of them until I found the one that best fit. I have worn the shirt several times; it is lovely and cozy. Most stores have thin flannel shirts that do not keep you warm. Peachy Keehn Boutique buys top-quality merchandise for sale at affordable prices. She had shoes, jewelry, scarves, jeans, and much more for sale in her store. Her Boutique has excellent lighting, and there is something that everyone would like to own and wear in her Boutique. I will be a regular customer at her lovely Boutique.

Forever Yours

It is a flower and gift shop. I have purchased many things from Forever Yours over the years. I like their coffee packets and chai tea packets. They are delicious and make for a nice drink to warm you up or give you an extra energy boost in your day. I purchased a lovely woodpecker bird that I have sitting on top of my desk. The store’s owner is amiable; if you want something she does not have, she will order it for you if possible. She sells lovely garden stones with sayings on them. Her flower arrangements are beautiful. She has a lot of Christmas items for sale in her store and many other terrific gift items.

Block 10

I love having coffee and lunch at Block 10. I generally bring home a Belgium Cream filled donut covered with chocolate to eat at another time. I love to eat a turkey wrap that they have with avocados and cheese in the center of it. I had potato soup the other day, just like Grandma’s homemade potato soup. I buy their dill-flavored mustard, soup mixes, and there pretzels. I have enjoyed eating away at a big block of their fudge. They have a gift store, clothing, antiques, baking dishes, and much more upstairs above their restaurant.

Antique Store

The antique store is the cleanest antique store I have ever been in. I purchased a toy from my past there. It was a small handheld hand mixer made of metal, and the whisk still worked perfectly. If you want or collect antiques, this is the perfect store. They have every antique imaginable in their fine antique store. They have lovely antique furniture and so much more.

Other Stores

I like to look around in the pharmacy. I purchased an ink pen and a comb, and various gift items. There are so many excellent and outstanding stores to shop in. Spend an afternoon shopping in Sheffield, Iowa. I love small-town shopping; it is delightful, and all the store people made it extra special.

Tags Small town shopping, tips, Travel