Sophie Falls Backwards into Rice, Unsure of Lily

When Lily first joined us, it took a little while for her to learn how to play nice with Sophie and Brigid.  Even after she caught on, Sophie was still unsure. Here we see Lily hopping into a rice box to play with Sophie, and Sophie falling backwards, and her back legs tucking in.  Context: Lily was Sophie’s littermate, but while we got Sophie at 8 weeks, Lily came to us later – when she was 10 months old.  Today, Lily and Sophie play well together, with Lily allowing Sophie to set the pace and intensity of the play.

(Video from March 31, 2023)

Bzzzt Bzzzt! “How Are You Feeling?”

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A few years ago, I decided to get a high-tech watch. It had a bunch of health features, including some way to monitor emotions, especially excitement and stress. If I laughed too hard, it would buzz at me. Bzzzt bzzzt! And then it would ask, “How are you feeling?” When dealing with something stressful at work: bzzzt bzzzt! When playing Beat Saber: bzzzt bzzzt!

Each time, it wanted me to select from a list of options for how I was feeling. Over time, it became pretty attuned to me. It also offered recommendations such as take a break and remember to breathe.

One day, a particularly exciting thing came up.  Kevin and I had been talking about getting a third ferret — perhaps a baby or perhaps a rescue. Then we learned that one of Sophie’s littermates – Lily – had to be given up by her owner. Lily ended up in a shelter for about 4 months (where she escaped twice), and then back at the breeder’s house (where Lily managed to get up into the ceiling at least once).  We were given the opportunity to adopt her if we were willing to make the 14-hour drive.

No problem!

I was talking with my dad about this, and he marveled that we would make such a drive. He should know me well enough by now, but I shrugged that off.  Then he was trying to say we should wait to go get her.  I reassured him that we were waiting. There was a blizzard, so we couldn’t go yet.  However, we would have a window of time between blizzards where we could travel down, scoop her up and get back home before the next one hit.

“No, ” he said, “I think you should wait a couple months, until spring.”

“Bzzzt bzzzt!” said my watch. “How are you feeling?”

“We can’t just leave her in limbo for months,” I explained. That thought alone was distressing.

“Breathe” said my watch. I inhaled deeply.

The ferret won’t know the difference, my dad explained.

“Take a break,” said my watch.

“Dad, I gotta go,” I said, and then continued packing. For the record, we made the trip just fine.

Eventually, I stopped wearing that watch. With each app update, it became increasingly less functional. However, I did wear it long enough to become aware of stressors, even those I thought I was handling without problem. Outward stoicism doesn’t always translate to internal calm. I also learned to breathe, take breaks, and maybe just don’t tell anyone when I’m planning to do something extra adventurous.

Two brown ferrets sleeping

Sophie and Lily July 2023

 

The Two Popes, and Why Pope Francis Chose His Name

Reflecting on the passing of Pope Francis, I am reminded of this movie on Netflix. Yes, it is fictionalized; it takes true events, things we know, and adds in things we suspect as well as some story-creating elements.

Instead of literal transcriptions, the film’s conversations between Benedict XVI and Francis are based on their stated positions from speeches and writings. They are a kind of conjecture on the part of the filmmakers, a plausible debate to fill a historical gap. “What you always do is you speculate,” [film director] McCarten told the Wrap. “Hopefully that speculation is based in facts and the truth, and hopefully it’s inspired.” [1]

 

As a movie, it is well-done, thought-provoking, and often moving. It is one of those stories that can leave you thinking about it for a long time to come. In the end, it captures the heart of the story, and offers some ideas and lessons to consider. Also, the acting and cinemaphotography are excellent.

Trailer from Netflix:

 

Simplicity and Service

When he was officially selected as Pope, he is quoted by many to have said, “I hope God forgives you.” He and the cardinals knew he would be a force of change for the Catholic Church, focusing on teachings of peace, humility, serving the poor, environmental stewardship, and being welcoming of all per the teachings of Jesus. Even many atheists, while some wished he would have gone even farther with certain topics, found this Pope to be an inspiration of hope for the future. He signaled this change by his actions on Day 1: “Pope Francis showed a preference for a simpler lifestyle and simpler cars. As a cardinal, he often used public transport. On the night of his election, he rode with the other cardinals in a minibus back to their hotel instead of using a papal limousine” (Popemobile).

 

To learn more about Pope Francis, the following are interesting reads:

 

Brigid in Reading Nook

This morning, Brigid was upset because our rental’s HOA was taking a small chain saw to trim trees and bushes around our patio. Loud! Then one guy even dared to step through the gate onto our patio, which had Brigid’s fur poofed out in response.  She became even more agitated when she saw chunks of the shrubbery fall to the ground.   

Time to exit that part of the house.  Perhaps the reading nook would be a more relaxing place for her right now. She still looks rather intense, and seems to be accusing me of something.

sable ferret on rocking chair by book shelves

Zap Wham Pow Boom!

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My daughter shared something with me that I’m excited about, and I bet several people I know will find it interesting too. It’s an alternative to NaNoWriMo called Zap Wham Pow Boom!  Here’s a quick summary:

There are challenges for both readers and writers, each with their own thing to do during each phase. Also, there can be cross-over.

Focusing on the writing part: it is divided into three stages, each with their own month: planning, writing, and editing/revising. There’s also a month break between writing and editing, which is super important for those who need “fresh eyes” to edit their own work.

Also, the challenge happens twice per year: spring/summer and fall/winter. The fall challenge allows two months instead of one for the writing part (WHAM). People might just participate once per year, or they might be a reader one season and a writer the next. Do what works for you!

I’m grateful for the creator, Casey Jones, for imagining and organizing this. Click here for a video overview from Casey where she breaks it down.

For now, I’m lurking in the Discord group, enjoying the energy there. There are also other places where people are gathering, including Reddit.