Sparking joy

[gwalchmai]

Mrs. G turned me on to Marie Kondo's "Clean Up This Place" show. I wish I could do the translations. Mostly it's a hoarding show in which she tries to get folks to part with all the unnecessary crap that's clogging up their lives. One of the ways she's different is that she concentrates on finding what her clients really love - what "sparks joy" for them. I was thinking about this and thought I'd share a spark.

This is my friend Katy. She's been with us for about eleven years, born 100 yards away from our current back porch. My daughter pulled Katy out of a dog's jaws and explained to me that we had just adopted a new kitten. Katy's now pretty much in charge around here, and has adopted two girlcats of her own, whom she is currently tutoring in charm and poise...

So, what sparks joy for you?

[gwalchmai]

Ginger's joy is unsparked...

[railfancwb]

Certainly my cats spark joy in my heart. 

[janice6]

<-----  My 14 year old little girl (they say she's a Sky Terrier.  She has a soft coat like our Yorkies had) that we got on a rescue.  She was with her family through a birth of a daughter to the couple.  As a toddler the daughter tried repeatedly to pick up "Sophie" and would accidently squeeze and pinch her stomach.  Sophie got to where she would snap to keep the toddler from hurting her.

Then the couple had another baby and were afraid that Sophie would bite her since she was now snapping to protect herself.  After 14 years with the same family they threw her away and gave her to a rescue facility.

We went to see the Foster for Sophie and were told to not try to pick her up, "She bites".  After talking with the foster and causally petting and talking with Sophie, I simply went to pick her up and she turned into a whirlwind snapping at my hands and trying to get away.  I let her chew at me then just continued talking with her and stroking her back.  She calmed right down.

She didn't break the skin, she just told me she didn't like to be picked up.  So after a few more minutes of tension by the foster, I simply told her we wanted Sophie and what was required to get her.  We went through an adoption process which could have gotten us a human baby.  It took a while but all of a sudden the foster called and said we could pick her up anytime.  The stipulation was that I was now her foster parent and would have to take her for the rescue medical so she could go up for adoption.

She is a wonderful girl.  We love her as if she was a child of our own.  She had been marvelously trained, and when we used commands she understood, she immediately responded.  One command I found was, "STAY".  When I said that, she crouched down and let me pick her up by the chest (only).

 Every morning when we awake I go pick up Sophie and place her between mom and me in the middle of the bed.  We pet her and talk to her about how much we love her and how she is now ours.

We found that she cocked her head when she heard words she understood.  She understands, "I love you", Daddies Sophie", "Mommies Sophie", "My pretty girl" and many other words and some phrases.  Each time we pet and kiss her she licks us back.  She knows how much we love her.  I hope.

She is used to playing alone and sometimes will throw her stuffed figures into the air and as they fall down she bats them with her paw, and plays chase with herself.

She is the smartest dog we have ever had and we feel blessed to be allowed to have her in our family.  She has made "Mom" her responsibility to protect and recognizes that I'm the head of the pack.

We couldn't have asked for a more wonderful dog. She plays as if she is 5 years younger.  What an amazing family member!

[Mrs.Cicero]

I can't find a good photo of the cat that actually sparks joy - that would be the tortoise shell one - the only non-destructive animal in the house that doesn't need anything from me except food but occasionally sits on my lap when she feels like it.  The three in the photo do amuse me occasionally however.  Especially since the mastiff is somewhat leery of the cat in photo, for her penchant for licking his head and ears, and biting him when she thinks he's tasty enough to eat, or because he has whacked her with his lethal tail...

[holyjohnson]

Today standing in the Service Drive i glanced behind me to see a Little Mexican Baby in a car seat just looking up at me with an ear to ear Smile.

Moments like that Spark Joy in me maybe not everyday but i find them Damn Near Dailey

 

[norton]

[Mrs.Cicero]

4 minutes ago, norton said:

What is it with cats and their thing for sitting on hips?  That's what mine do - if I lay down, they have to sit right on my hip, and that usually hurts, and they just do not care...I cannot convince them to curl up in front of me.  They only sit on my lap because there is no hip to lay on if I am sitting up...

 

[railfancwb]

2 hours ago, Mrs.Cicero said:

What is it with cats and their thing for sitting on hips?  That's what mine do - if I lay down, they have to sit right on my hip, and that usually hurts, and they just do not care...I cannot convince them to curl up in front of me.  They only sit on my lap because there is no hip to lay on if I am sitting up...

 

Cats consider themselves to be masters of all they survey, and the higher one sits the more one surveys. 

[norton]

Sadly the kitty in the photo is no longer with us.  We found T Kitty in the middle of the road, crying, as a kitten.  We drove past by him with the windows down, at night, and I almost hit him.  After hearing the cat Mrs N said "that's my kitty!"  We turned around and picked him up.  Checked at a couple of houses in this rural area, no one claimed him so off he went to live with us for the next 10 years.  We named him Taylor cause we found him near Taylor University.