Animal Friends ~ Tuesday 4

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.    

Let's talk about animals today!

1. What pets do you have or have you had? Do you have any now or if not, why not?

As an adult I've only owned a cat because most of the time I've lived in the city where animals are often not permitted in rental or condo owned properties. As a child, we often had a dog, sometimes, kittens, sometimes goldfish and turtles and other times budgies.  We lived in a small town in a stand alone house so it was much easier to have animals.

Update:  After reading Susan's answers I was reminded that our childhood homes also housed the occasional hamsters, guinea pigs and pet mice!

2. How did you find names for your animal friends? What are their names? 

We just picked names that appealed to us. We had a German Shepard named Jerry and a chihuahua named Ginger due to her colouring.  I don't think the other animals, fish and birds were named. The kittens usually didn't last in our household because mom was afraid of kittens and cats so she often made us give them away after a short while. At least she tried to give us what we wanted.

3. Any special or funny story concerning pets you would like to share?  It could be someone else's as well as your own.

We had a German Shepard named Rex. My dad brought him home one day. He had been an abused dog and tied up all of his short life. He was really still a pup about 6 months old but quite large and I was afraid of him. He would jump on my backend push me down and try to bite me if I ran after my siblings while we were playing in the yard. One day Rex disappeared. Many months later my dad came across him in someone else yard but it seems Rex wasn't that bonded to us since he never stayed with us that long before he was stolen. So dad left him where he was.  Let's say I did not mind! LOL.

4.   What benefit  do you find having animals in your family? What are the cons of having them?

I've read that studies show animals can be good for one's physical (blood pressure, cholesterol, triglyceride levels) and mental health (loneliness, anxiety, symptoms of PTSC).  My own opinion is that these benefits are probably there if the animal/s don't come with big issues of their own, especially behavioral ones. 

Animals can also teach children responsibility though I often hear mother's complain about how they are left to raise and look after a pet that the children have begged for and promised to look after. 

The cons of a pet are probably the high costs in terms of money and time.  These days are not like the old days. People nowadays spend a lot on the health care for a pet or the insurance for a pet's health care and food and other accessories for pets is a big cost.

Time-wise the last cat I owned required me to do a lot of work to vacuum up her hair, keep herlitter clean, buy her food and litter and also time required to keep her well groomed (brushing, claws clipped, teeth cleaned and fur balls kept at bay).  I was asked by a good friend to give a home to a stray cat she had taken in so I did. But after my dear cat died, I needed time to grieve her.  After that I couldn't muster up the energy to get another pet. and care for it because I was having health issues.  I would still like another cat but I'm not sure when the timing will be right.

Tuesday 4 ~ Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home

 Welcome!  It's time again for Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.

Today we are talking about some things related to home?

1. What styles of décor do you like?  Mid Century?  Colonial?  Contemporary?

I like too many decor styles to have a favourite.  Having a beautiful home has never been that important to me though. It's more important I feel comfortable in my home. Since I used to travel a lot and I like handcrafted things from my travels or those I make, I prefer to decorate in an eclectic or bohemian style.

2.   What  makes your bedroom comfortable?

My bedroom is comfortable when I have cosy and warm or cool bedding depending on the season. I also like a variety of pillows because some days I need neck support while other days I need less support but I always need my head to be quite elevated.  I also need lots of room for putting water and others things I might need including the phone for the alarm.

3   What do you think makes a home comfortable and welcoming?

A home where people don't feel that they are going to get something 'dirty' because it is too white or too elegant. Other than family and a few friends, I don't invite that many people to my home.  Invariably they comment on how comfortable or peaceful my home is and that is the feeling I'm after.  Some people also like to investigate all the books on the bookshelves. Over time I've downscaled a lot of books but I still have more I'd like to give away in due course. 

4. Do you share your home with pets? Would you tell us about them please?

Long ago I had a beautiful while, long haired Turkish Angora. The cats I like tend to have long hair and require a lot of maintenance. These days I don't want to spend so much time brushing a cat or vacuuming after it but I do miss having one. From time to time, I think about getting another cat though it will likely be a medium haired cat. So far, the timing doesn't seem to work out to get a cat but I'm sure eventually I will have another fur companion.

Tuesday 4: Pondering Odds & Ends

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 kept up in her memory.

 

 

There are 4 questions to ponder and consider each week.  Here are this week's questions and my answers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Do you have a favorite gem stone? Why is it a favorite.

 

I have two favourite gemstones. My first love is the deep, blue sapphire. I have always liked jewel coloured stones and blue is my favourite among them.

 

 

In later years, I also developed a great fondness for turquoise stones set in silver because I love the Native American jewellery of the South West. This stone is not as readily available in Canada and it doesn't really suit my style of dressing so I admire it from far.

 

2. Do you know and  understand the doctrines of your religious faith?  If you are not religious, do you have a personal doctrine you believe and live?  

 

 

I grew up in the Pentecostal faith and am pretty well acquainted with the doctrines. Actually my childhood church identified as non-denominational but it belonged to the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.  The fundamental belief is that one must be saved to get to Heaven and that salvation is not through any good works but by belief in Jesus Christ, Son of God,  who died on the cross for the sins of mankind. Other things follow but this is the essential belief. As a side note, the things I experienced as a young Christian are seldom experienced in the church today; such as speaking in tongues and the interpretation immediately following, for the edification of the corporate church body. It can also be a bit tricky for me personally to distinguish between the different arms of Pentecostals because they do not all believe exactly the same things.  But I do believe they all have the same belief about salvation and Jesus' death and resurrection.

  

 

If this question is too personal, tell us about your pet or favorite pastime.

I'll use this as a bonus question. I don't have a  favourite pet. I like all kinds of animals including exotic ones. However I don't think people should have exotic animals as pets. For pets I love both dogs and cats. I grew up primarily with large dogs that acted not only as pets but also as guard dogs.  They were usually German Shepard dogs and they were always very playful with us and I loved them a lot.  We only had one dog at a time and it would have its own house to sleep in outside.  When we kids were not in school we spent a lot of time playing chase with the dog outside. I'm not able to own a dog in the city so I've grown to love cats which are often accepted, but not always,  in apartments and condos.  I've come to learn that cats are unique and special too and they have the added advantage of not needing to be taken for a walk.

My favourite cat breed is Turkish Angora

3. Do you have a favorite decor style... as in classical, traditional, modern, mid century, colonial, etc?  What do you like about it?

 

Tuscan Living Room

My favourite decor style is traditional English, French or Tuscan country. I like the rusticity and comfort as well as the colours.  Nothing is too precious and has a "lived in" look.  I'm not good at consistency in decorating.  My taste for furnishings and decor pieces is very eclectic and it can also be hard and expensive to find the item you want when you want.  It's easier to stick to a bohemian or ethnic/tribal style because I've collected a lot of pieces that fit this style and I'm comfortable with it.  The main idea I like in a home is comfort.  Two words people have used to describe my home when they visit are "comfort" and "peace". That makes me happy because it's what I aim for and my style is definitely  not fancy.

Elements and colour of bohemian tribal. I use more red/orange and less black.

 

 

4. Are  there any books or movies you want to see this summer?

 

I don't have any burning desire to read particular books or see particular movies. I have a long list of books I would like to read and I just pick one or two up at the library when I'm ready for a new one. As for movies, I've completely lost track of what movies are being released. The only big screen movie I've seen since the pandemic began is the 007 movie, "No Time to Die" with  Daniel Craig. It is his last James Bond movie and I'm in anticipation to see who will play the next 007. In case you haven't seen the movie yet and you love James Bond, I highly recommend this movie. You might be able to catch it on television or borrow the DVD from your local library.

 

Thank you for stopping by and spending some of your day with me. I appreciate it.