My Ol' Man... is a cat

Ol' Man Chester Copperpot, back from his annual check-up today. Still doing pretty good for an old codger of 8 years, huh?

Talking Cat Translations

Sometimes you just need a good laugh. Watching cats tends to give me a smile. Hope you enjoy these videos! :)

Stuck In My Head

I've heard that "I kissed a girl and I liked it" song and gotten it stuck in my head so often that I made up my own version relative to my life. Enjoy!

I kissed a cat and I liked it!
Tastes a little bit like a fishstick.
I kissed a cat just to try it!
Hope my other cats don't mind it.
It felt so wrong; it felt so right.
Hacking up a hairball tonight.
I kissed a cat and I liked it...
I liked it!


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A Rant For Gay Civil Rights

I apologize for the following rant, but as a Mainer (or Maine-iac, as I prefer) I'm dealing on a daily basis with the fight against gay marriage, since in November voters will decide whether or not to keep the new gay marriage law on the books (no marriages have taken place yet. Gay marriages can start after the election takes place if the law stays on the books) or to overturn it. My husband and I are heterosexuals, so the law doesn't directly affect us, but it does affect friends of ours. I also have grown tired of the arguments about marriage and the bible. My husband and I are both atheists (no hate for religious people! We have friends who are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Baha'i, and Hindu. It's just what we believe) and the government allowed us to get legally married. We also don't plan to ever have kids. We love kids, but we don't want any of our own. So the whole "gay marriage can't produce kids" argument doesn't hold water with today's legal marriages anyway. Otherwise we wouldn't allow infertile people or older women to get married.

In fact, I have yet to hear a coherent argument against the legalization of gay marriage. I have heard plenty of arguments against allowing gay marriage in various religions. I have no real issue with that. If allowing gays to be wed in your church is against your religion, then that's fine. What I do have an issue with is the fact that various Christian groups are trying to force their religious beliefs on LEGAL marriage, which is not beholden to any religion. You can be Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, Pagan, Atheist, heck, you can be part of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and still be allowed to get legally married and the government doesn't give a hoot! You don't have to be able to produce children to be able to get married (otherwise we wouldn't let older couples, infertile couples, or couples who don't want children to wed).

Right now, all you have to be are two adults who love each other, want to be legally become a family, and get all of the benefits legal marriage gives you... oh, and you have to be of the opposite sex currently (except in a few fabulous states). You say you want to go back to the earliest form of traditional marriage? You mean back when religious officials weren't involved in marriages at all? When women were considered property and were given away in exchange for land, goods, and social rank? When people of different races weren't allowed to wed (heck, back before the Civil War, slaves weren't even allowed to wed amongst themselves)? We've been changing the definition of "traditional" marriage for centuries, for the better.

But won't allowing legal gay marriage open up a "slippery slope?" Then adults will be able to marry children, animals, multiple people, and TOASTERS!!! Uh huh. Here's the problem with that theory: Let's get rid of the whole animals and toasters thing. Two individuals have to be able to give consent to be married. Animals and toasters can't give consent. Maybe you think that your beloved doggy really really loves you and wants to be your lover (ewww), but you can't honestly tell me that Spot understands what marriage is and consents to be your lawfully-wedded pup. Now about pedophilia and polygamy/polyandry: relationships between children and adults and between multiple adults are psychologically damaging to one or more members of the marriage (typically with the weaker individuals receiving the brunt of the psychological damage: Feelings of helplessness and inferiority at its best, and in self-mutilation and suicide at its worst). Two consenting adults of the same sex getting married don't face these problems (well, with no more proclivity towards psychological and physical damage than us heterosexuals seem to have. Whitney Houston and Bobby B, anyone?).

"But you can decide to be gay/not gay!" My favorite gay couple? The lesbian swans in the Boston Public Garden. They've been together for years, show no interest in male swans, try to raise eggs together (unfortunately, the eggs can't be fertilized without a male swan), and care for each other. How dare these swans decide to be gay! Or the several sets of gay penguins at the Central Park Zoo (and I'm not talking about the ones in the movie Madagascar). It doesn't make much sense to decide to be gay, what with the "awesome" things many gays have to face: expulsion and hatred from their family and "friends," discrimination, violence and even death.

And the idea that gay parents are psychologically damaging to their children or will cause their children to be gay? Ridiculous! The children I've met who have gay parents are some of the nicest and friendliest kids I know. Maybe this is because gay parents feel genuinely grateful to be able to raise and love children, as opposed to several heterosexual couples I know that pop out kids and view them as just another mouth to feed. And the sexuality of the parents doesn't have anything to do in determining the sexuality of the children (otherwise all these gay kids must be coming from really closeted gay parents... Dick Cheney?).

So, we're coming to the end of my argument/rant. In a nutshell: the reasons that many people give against gay marriage have no merit in the debate of whether or not to LEGALIZE gay marriage. We do not want to change your religion's stance on gay marriage, or force your church to perform gay marriages. We just want two consenting adults who love each other and want to show the world how committed they are to each other the legal right to do so. Heck, if the government doesn't have a problem with two childfree atheists getting legally married and receiving all the benefits therein (thanks, gov't. My husband Kyle and I appreciate it!), why should two men or women who love each other be any different? If you've read this far, whether or not you agree with me, I owe you a cookie. I hope I've at least raised some points and/or answered some questions that you may have had, and helped you understand some of the arguments FOR legalizing gay marriage. Thanks again!


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Oceans trapped in Glass

I'm a huge fan of glasswork. I'm also a huge fan of aquariums. So it's really no surprise that I absolutely LOVE glass versions of underwater scenes, the ocean, fishies, and other undersea life! I've been trying to get a treasury for the past few weeks on Etsy, but had no luck in my attempts, so here is what my treasury would have been: 12 beautiful glass items each with an aquatic theme. I call it "Oceans trapped in Glass." I've included the links to the items below my photo, so that you can look closer at the awesome Etsian craftsmanship!


Links are listed in order l-r by row (top 1-3, then the next row down, and so on). Enjoy!

Three dimensional dichroic glass pendant by YmirGlassDesign

EVA Aquarium Bead by JeansBeads

Ocean Water Goddess Lampwork Glass Bead by KarenElmquist

2009 Angel Fish Aquarium Scene Pendant, Lampworked Borosilicate (Pyrex) Glass by Mike Warren/OpenFireGlass

Fish and Sea Anemone by MandellaGlass (on vacation until 10/21, so the item isn't viewable until then)

DEEP SEA TREASURE Underwater Focal Lampwork Boro Pendant by HLH Glass

Mermaid Fantasy-handmade lampwork bead focal by GenerationsLampwork

Placid Waters Pendant by ChrysalisDreams

951 - Red Sea Collection - Pendant by Christinaferrari

Lampwork glass art Loving the Sea Octopus Heart Pendant by Midnightskye

Lampwork Beads Ocean Outerbank Lentil Focal by DancingFrogJewels

Aquarium Pendant by DragonfireBeads

I can haz home now?

I currently work at an animal shelter, and it just amazes me how many pets we get in when the economy goes south! It just saddens me that pets seem to be the first thing to go when people have to cut down on spending (but I would much rather have the pets get dropped off with us than have them be neglected because of money troubles). So what I'm saying is that chances are, because of the economy here in the US, wherever you live, your local animal shelter is filled to the brim with pets (especially cats) looking for loving homes!



If you have the room, a little money and a lot of love, I guarantee there's a pet that's right for you at your local shelter! Many shelters right now have deep discounts because we're just inundated with pets, so if you are in the market for a pet, but keep putting it off, consider getting one now! You'll save money on the adoption fees, in addition to bringing home a new, fabulous family member!
Take a look at the Petfinder website to see what awesome animals are waiting for you in your area!

A quiet cat to give you company while you work? A lively and talkative cat to brighten up your day? A friendly dog? A fuzzy bunny? Pets for all personalities (or purrsonalities, if you like cat puns)!

And if you're not able to adopt a pet right now, consider volunteering, or donating dry or canned pet food to your local shelter! Trust me, with all the pets we've got, we're ALWAYS happy to see donations of food and other sundry items. Even just a can is a big help!



Sorry for the push about pets. Working around so many awesome and wonderful pets (and wishing I could give them all a home) makes me emotional sometimes. Thanks for listening!

35 Questions: 1-word answers

So I was tagged by the Lost Earring to answer these 35 questions with just 1-word answers. It was tougher than I thought it would be for many of the questions, but I hope it still gives you a better idea of who I am! :D

1 Where is your cell phone? Purse
2 Your hair? Brown
3 Your mother? Lively
4 Your father? Smart
5 Your favorite food? Indian
6 Your dream last night? Croatia
7 Your favorite drink? Water
8 Your dream/goal? Non-profit
9 What room are you in? Living
10 Your hobby? Reading
11 Your fear? BEEEEEEEEEEZ!!!!!
12 Where do you want to be in six years? House
13 Where were you last night? Home
14 Something that you aren't? Religious
15 Muffins? Warm
16 Wish list item? Dog
17 Where did you grow up? Boston
18 Last thing you did? Laughed
19 What are you wearing? Comfy
20 Your TV? Cableless
21 Your pets? Cats
22 Friends? Awesome
23 Your life? Good
24 Your mood? Sarcastic
25 Missing someone? Friends
26 Vehicle? Used
27 Something you're not wearing? Kilt
28 Your favorite store? Etsy!
29 Your favorite color? Blue
30 When was the last time you laughed? Today
31 Last time you cried? Yesterday.
32 Your best friend? Kyle
33 One place that I go over and over? Library
34 One person who emails you regularly? Husband
35 Favorite place to eat? Creperie