Cashew the Mouse

In a heartfelt attempt to prove her love to me, my cat Necia honored me a few weeks ago with a very special gift. Nothing spells love like a freshly killed warm dead mouse next to your semi-naked sleepy body at 3:35 in the morning. I jumped out of bed when I realized that I was sleeping next to a dead rodent and as fast as I could I opened the entrance's door for my apartment and ran outside to the hallway. Semi-naked, shaking and petrified from what just had happened I stood still for at least thirty minutes incapable of coming back inside. Why would I? There was a monster over my 500 thread Egyptian cotton sheets!

Necia followed me to the hallway and stood next to me with a peculiar and surprised look in her face as in: "What happened mom? You didn't like the color?" I didn't want to appear like an ungrateful human so I held her in my arms and reassure her that her gift was the most thoughtful and sweet present I have ever received! Also, she was the only object at hand to cover my naked mammary glands.

After the initial shocking reaction started to faint my sleepy and sometimes juvenile brain began drawing possible scenarios on how to solve the conundrum at hand. These solutions included but were not limited to:

1. Go downstairs half naked using Necia as a bra and ask the concierge for help: Pros: I didn't have to deal with the monster over my bed. Cons: Nudity. (I can't believe I am listing Nudity as a negative thing. What is wrong with this world!)
2. Knock on my neighbor's door: I moved into this building in February and I still don't know who lives next door. As far as I know he can be a psychopath or my next husband. Or both. Pros: I get to know my neighbor. Extra points for being half naked ;) Cons: Possible very bad first impression.  
3. Call my I.C.E. (in case of emergency contact): Is this really worth waking some innocent soul at four in the morning? Yes. This is what I consider an emergency! I am terrified of rodents! Pros: Some other person takes care of the 2" monster laying breathless over my bed. Cons: I would most certainly lose my I.C.E. contact, for good. 
4. Call an ex: Pros: None. Cons: All.
5. Get some balls and go inside and take care of the problem myself: Does this mean that I need to face my fears rather than running away from them? Do I look like a grown up?! (FYI: At this point almost two hours had gone by and I was still petrified of coming back inside). Pros: I really don't see anything positive about putting a dead mouse inside a plastic bag. Cons: A dead mouse inside a plastic bag.

As tempting as Options #1 thru #4 sounded, I chose Option #5. I "manned up" and started walking back inside to face my worst nightmare. First I strategically placed an empty plastic bag next to the poor little thing (at this point I started somehow to feel compassion for this mouse) hoping for his body to miraculously jump inside the bag. Obviously this did not happen, so I grabbed my broom and as I stood as far away as possible from the crime scene I pushed his breathless little body into the bag. Then I lifted the bag with the far end of the broom stick and I walked for what seemed like a mile to the garbage room where I threw his body down the chute. Walking back to my apartment I felt like a heroine for being able to take care of business by myself but also a little ridiculous for blowing this issue out of proportion. Is a dead mouse worth losing a good two hours of beauty sleep? Probably not.

Cashew's death (after everything this mouse and I had gone thru he deserves to have a name) taught me an important lesson in life: my "problems", my "fears", my "worst nightmares" are basically a matter of perception. If instead of looking at the "problem" from the usual point of view we chose for once to look at things from a different perspective ("Gloria, it's just a tiny little dead mouse and not a monster"), we will start to notice that reality sometimes needs to be revised because our conditioned self ("I am afraid of rodents therefore I have to run away from this beast!") is the source of it. Cashew also reminded me that one of the best decisions I have made in my life is to have adopted Necia fourteen years ago. I provide her with food and love and in exchange she vomits over my rugs and keeps uninvited guests at bay. I have never seen her as a pest control method, but God bless her and her fast feline reflexes!

Sorry Cashew, after all the stressful moments I'm sure Necia put you through you were indeed a beautiful gift. Now that I know that I can take care of any of your family members all by myself  (with Necia's help, fine!) I know I can conquer the world!

We are Love

"If every eight-year-old in the world is thought meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation". Dalai Lama

We might not be eight-year-old any more but we still have time to make the world a better place (and our own minds!) It's not too complicated, start small. Just find five minutes a day (if you want to stay in stillness more time that's even better), sit down quietly and breathe. Pay attention to the air coming in and out. Don't force anything and allow the thoughts to pass by as they please. Don't judge your feelings. Just observe them. Promise me you will do it, and after you are done go out there and smile at a stranger. Go ahead! Make me proud!

:)

The scary idea of becoming a "cat-lady" suddenly fills my heart with precious love. Enjoy your day!

All pictures by this very talented lady whom happens to be Misao grandaughter.

Profiles of Misao and Fukumaru:

Ihara Misao: 87-year-old resident of Chiba Prefecture. Has farmed the land since marrying into the Ihara family in 1964. She loves nothing better than relaxing in the sun. 

Ihara Fukumaru: Eight-year-old white cat. Normally weighs 5.6 kg, but bulks up to around 6 kg in winter. An “odd-eyed” cat, with one yellow eye and one blue, born to a stray cat in a barn on the Ihara family’s land. Hard of hearing since birth. His name comes from Ihara Misao’s wish that the god of “good fortune” (fuku) will come and smooth out everything like a “circle” (maru).

Family Portrait

Among feeding the cats, watering the plants, pseudo-meditating (try to meditate with two cats wondering "how come you are not moving" ) and drinking freshly made banana smoothie, I dedicate a good chunk of my morning routine to spy on other people's lives via Facebook and Instagram.  I've been feeling slightly tormented (not really) lately with the realization that my life is not -for lack of a better word- normal.

According to the "master plan" (a plan created by who knows who where we all have to act properly and be nice and have many kids and over populate the world and have a nice house with a labrador and a white picket fence) and Facebook I've reached the age where I'm supposed to be raising a family of three while having a full time job, keeping a beautiful figure and mastering exceptional cooking skills.....sure! Somehow my master plan probably got lost in translation and instead of raising human babies I'm sharing my life with two hairy beasts of the feline type, my figure is somehow acceptable and my cooking skills are limited to cereal with milk and grilled cheese sandwiches. I am a disgrace to the master plan.

So what shall a girl like me -with a not so ordinary life- do when panic strikes (nah!) and the unavoidable thought of failure to society dominates one's head? Call CoCo of course for a family portrait session with my adopted four legged offsprings! (My loser level just went up a notch).

Happy Tuesday everyone, I wish you all lots of love and blessings!

"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them"
Desmond Tutu

American Apparel pants, Vintage shirt, BCBG head piece, adopted black and white cat, the other fatso invaded my house ten years ago. Now I'm a guest in his house. Namaste Cat.

Mon chéri amour

Spontaneous, free, animal lover, generous, gracious, and over all gorgeous.
Erika Posada's illustrations for deletereo (Have you checked this website yet? I love it!)
Enjoy!

Imagine that your intentions can heal those who are not well.
Imagine that you can bring hope to those who are feeling helpless.
Imagine that you can bring strength to those who feel weak and fearful.
Imagine that your thoughts affect the natural forces of the universe, that you can bring rain and sunshine, clouds and rainbows.
Imagine that every thought you have, every word you utter, every deed of yours brings some benefit to the world.
Excerpts from "The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire" by Deepak Chopra.

Fire!

I got myself a fabulous piece of technology called a camcorder. This particular device is meant for adventure photography and the like, but who's to say that dancing and being a clown in front of the camera isn't the best adventure ever? So without further introduction I present you with this year's favorite nominee for worst music video, worst dancer, and worst scenography. 

All filming done by myself (loser!).
Backup dancers: Le Female Cat and Le Male Cat better known as Necia and Necio.
Music: Bomba Stereo. Fuego!

Stella McCartney blouse, French Connection shorts, Celine shoes

My Cat and his trillion hairs

In preparation for a certain trip I'm taking very soon I got myself a new lenses for my camera. My favorite model in the world (remember this?) was caught on the off limits sofa  he loves demanding food. Who can resist his trillion hairs and those I hate you gimme food and get out of my face eyes? 

I found this fatso many years ago while I was living in Brooklyn. We made a secret vow that he would always vomit hairballs on my family heirloom carpet, kill and bring to me as trophies all sorts of rodents and birds, and give serious allergies to visitors and small children. I promised I will forever be his faithful food source. So far we haven't broken any promises. We've kept our word.   

Do something crazy this weekend and tell me about it, and don't forget to love and protect your pets.

I love you all :) See you later.

Cat by God, Blanket desperately trying to protect the sofa that the Cat isn't supposed to be lying on  by my mother and her wonderful linen's closet (we should visit her closet one day, seriously).

La Chapulina Colorada

Not feeling too inspired to write or take many pictures today. My energy level is a bit low after spending most of my day in bed eating Chinese food and watching pay per view movies. I do not recommend sleeping more than 8 hours straight, specially during the day. I can already foresee a sleepless night.

Lazy Sundays remind me of my favorite superhero of all times: El Chapulin Colorado. I remember how I used to spend hours watching  this show. I always wanted to become tiny like an ant with one of the pastillas de chiquitolina (some sort of pills that made you super small) that the main character used to take to spy on his enemies.

I miss you Chapulin, hope you like my heart sweater, I can only think about you every time I wear it.

Oh, ¿y ahora quien podrá defendernos?

("Oh, and now... who could defend us?")

Más ágil que una tortuga.

Más fuerte que un ratón.

Más noble que una lechuga.

Su escudo es un corazón.

("More agile than a turtle. / Stronger than a mouse /

Nobler than a lettuce / His emblem is a heart.")