[Photo by Lori Franklin]
Lori invited me…
…to share a few stories with you here in her Front Porch series at Jane Be Nimble. When she channeled me, it was good to hear from her and I was more than happy to oblige. You see, I’m the perfect candidate for her series since I spent most of my time literally curled up on our farmhouse front porch.
My name is Pearl, and I was Lori’s first pet.
I was what she used to call a calico, I suspect that means I have a few different colors in my fur, but I’m colorblind so I never knew what she was talking about. Actually, when she opened her mouth to make noise, she never sounded like other cats, but somehow I knew the point she was trying to make.
What’s my story?
Well, I had a great life with Lori’s family. Some of my favorite times were chasing after the little brown racers. The little furries made Lori run away, but I just liked chasing them, trying to outsmart them, and biting them just to prove to I could could catch them. I never really liked the gamey taste of them, but if I felt really hungry, I’d partake. I mostly liked to bring them to Lori and Lori’s caretaker. It was my way of telling them thank you for the food and shelter they provided to me.
I can remember once Lori and her litter mate rolled a big slick flat slippery thing across the lawn, it started spraying water everywhere and the weirdest thing happened—they ran into it and slipped everywhere with water spraying all over them! They weren’t afraid of running into the water and they didn’t even try to drink it! It seemed such a waste to me, to not keep the water in a dish where it is easy to lap it into the mouth.
I used to curl up next to Lori, partially because she liked to stroke my fur, but partly to keep her warm. Lori needed to put things on her to keep her warm. Lori and her litter mates were born with no fur! How unfortunate that must have been. I shed a lot of my fur in the summer and grew a new think coat every winter. I really felt sorry for the humans—that they couldn’t grow their own fur.
Lori doesn’t know this, but one night I heard a giant coyote getting close to the house. It was really scary and I though it might be mean, so I hissed at it and it ran away. I could be really scary, too.
A parting thought…
Lori explained to me that stories at Front Porch aren’t supposed to be about lessons, but since I’m here, I want to emphasize to everyone that you’d feel much better if you took a napping lesson from us felines. You could have nine lives, too, if you’d sleep more, take naps before you felt too tired, and followed your body’s signals. It worked for me! I lived seventeen furry-racer loving years!
OK, I have to go now—up in here in kitty heaven there’s a lot going on and I don’t want to miss the next round of Chase the Furry! Also, if you want to ask me questions or comment about my story, Lori can reach me and I’ll respond to you as soon as possible. Live well, take naps, curl up to your loved ones, and bask in the sunshine! You humans have it good!
[Thank you to Tony Austin for letting me borrow your image for comments since I'm no longer in 'cat' form.]
Related Stories:
Front Porch – the Series
Front Porch – Tim’s Story (With Tim Piotrowski)
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“Live well, take naps, curl up to your loved ones, and bask in the sunshine!”
Now THAT is a workout regimen I can totally embrace.
Aw… my Alex lived 17 years too. Maybe he and Pearl can hook up now that they are together. Wouldn’t that be lovely? Any cat of yours will be a great companion for him.
.-= Lisis´s last blog ..Mental Illness: The Sun Also Rises… Barely =-.
Hey, girlie. I’m sure Alex and Pearl are joining forces in Chase the Furry and licking each other’s ears right now. Awww, that’s so sweet!
I always admired my pet cats, how they could just chill relax, and have not a care in the world. So great!
Awesome advice, my feline friend! Man! I think cats should overtake the blogosphere. This is the best advice I’ve ever read!
.-= Jay Schryer´s last blog ..Loving It for What It Is =-.
Hi Jay!
Lori talks about you all the time. She says you’re a real hero and I’ve actually heard about you up here. Some deal about throwing a tire on a fire, which eventually blew up? You sure sound funny!
Thanks for heeding and agreeing with my advice. We could take over the world, but we want to see if you humans can figure it out how to fix it first. I have faith in you!
You rock, Jay. And don’t forget it.
Hi Lisis!
You’re right! I met Alex recently – he was ready to come home. And now we’re hanging out together, he’s really funny, and you know what? He really doesn’t talk much. But, he’s such a sweetie pie! He told me he had a very happy life and that his Caretaker was the best owner anyone could ask for.
Thank you for being a great Mom!!!
~xo
That’s the guy… he was one super quiet cat. He thought I could read his mind. Send him my best!!!
.-= Lisis´s last blog ..Mental Illness: The Sun Also Rises… Barely =-.
We will take good care of each other and be waiting for you! I will send him your very best, sweets!
P.S. I love your avatar! You seem very content and balanced.
Pearl:
Thank you for sharing your story and especially your wisdom…I really like naps, too. I bet Lori’s family treated you like royalty. Say hello to my cat from childhood, Tara, and tell her I wanted to pet her more, but I was allergic to her.
.-= Tim´s last blog ..Weekend Video Diversion: The Orangutan and the Hound =-.
Hi Tim!
Lori talks to me about you a lot, too! I can tell you that you have a very promising career ahead of you! And you’ve already helped many lives with you blog, in addition to all the other good you do and will continue to do!
I know Tara; she’s a sweet girl. She knew all along that her dander didn’t agree with you, but she forgave you even back then. She simply liked knowing you were there.
Keep taking those naps and enjoying your life.
~meow&purrs to you
Lori – This is BRILLIANT! I love it! I’m speechless – that doesn’t happen often, haha!
Hi Suzen!
Yeah, I agree! Pearl is a brilliant cat! She was my first pet, I loved her, I adored her, and I wouldn’t let her out of my sight for most of her life.
It’s really poignant now, too, because I need a lot of sleep with my annoying MS and it was Pearl who really convinced me that it’s OK to sleep as much as I need to and to not buckle under society’s expectations.
Sleep = good. Pearl = good. Suzen = good.
Have a great Sunday, Suzen!
Pearl, you can ask Lori about me and cats … but I wanted to send you a special thank you for sharing your story and your wisdom.
You might remember the holiday some of us humans celebrate that we call ThanksGiving. My cats always have called it Get To Lick The Turkey Pan Day, though … how about you? That is coming up this week, and I’ve been thinking a lot about the things I’m thankful for.
One thing I’m very grateful for is all the kitty-wisdom that has blessed my life. My Pree and Sachet and Vogue and Fen and Merlin and Chouli and Linus and Yetta and Percy are all in the spirit-cat world with you, so you may have met them.
Today, I’m thankful that I’ve met yet another VWS (Very Wise Soul).
And a very happy Get To Lick The Turkey Pan Day to you!
.-= Gayze´s last blog ..Giving Thanks =-.
Actually, Lori has already told me about you, Gayze, because of your particular interest in us animals. Thank you, Gazye, for all you do for us!
Oh yes, I remember that fondly, the Get to Lick the Turkey Pan Day! We have that up here, too! It is great to meet you in Lori’s blog, Gayze. You are certainly a VWS, yourself.
Enjoy your life!
~Meow&Purrs to you
Thank you, Pearl! Trust me, my animal friends do far more for me than I do for them.
They are all precious souls.
I hope you enjoy your Heavenly Turkey Pan!
.-= Gayze´s last blog ..Giving Thanks =-.
Hi Pearl,
You rock and goes to show you, human beings can learn from animals. Lori was definitely blessed to have you in her life.
Keep having fun up there in kitty heaven!
.-= Nadia – Happy Lotus´s last blog ..The Happy Lotus Diaries Begin – Please Share Your Thoughts =-.
Hi Nadia,
It’s great to see you after all Lori has told me about you. I’d like to thank you for all the support you’ve given to her.
Kitty heaven is the best! I loved living with Lori’s family, but nothing beats an unlimited supply of catnip and endless games of Chase the Furry!
Keep making us proud, Nadia, we love you up here in kitty heaven!
~Meow&Purrs
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by LisisMB and JaneBeNimble, Jay Schryer. Jay Schryer said: RT @Serene_Balance: Lori's recent post @JaneBeNimble –> Front Porch: Pearl’s Widsom http://bit.ly/7rg2Gy [...]
Pearl,
What I find so clever is that I have not seen one cat having their own blog.
You know how to use your resources well, only guest posting will allow for your ‘non advice giving’ suggestion of regular naps.
Good one!
Ours called Rusty recently died, say hello will you.
Wilma XOX
Hi Wilma!
With all the problems of today’s world, the master planner has decided to merge kitty heaven and dog heaven – it’s amazing how well we all get along. I will definitely tell Rusty hello for you. It’s kind of a mess up here right now as we all learn to live together, but as soon as I spot him, I’ll give him a lick!
Great to meet you!
Meow&Purr to you…
Hey Pearl, if you come across a border collie called Coby up there, tell her to put down the possum and then give her a cuddle for me. Oh, and then run, she was kinda partial to chasing cats too!
Thanks for your story. Us humans could learn a lot from you!
.-= Sami – Life, Laughs & Lemmings´s last blog ..Kick Arse Question – A Smile a Day =-.
Hi Sami!
Oh yeah, I know Coby. He always loves to greet me with a sniff and a bark. But what a cutie pie! Coby is known to usually be running around with a possum by the tail, so you called that one!
I’m glad you liked my story. Great to meet you, Sami! And, thanks for taking such good care of Lori. She’s told me you’ve made a difference in her life!
Meow&Purrs to you…
How fun is this. On the farm we had everyone’s neglected animal. People would drop them off and they would sleep in the barn with the rest of the animals. They ate brown racers, basked in the sun and took naps in the hay loft. I think they thought they were in heaven!
.-= Tess Bold Life´s last blog ..20 Tips For Holidays That Rock =-.
Hi Tess!
Yeah, when Pearl offered to sit at my Front Porch, I was ecstatic! She really is quite wise, so I had to coach her not to make this into a “teaching session” and just share a story or two. But, she couldn’t help herself with the napping advice.
Since her advice has given me another life, I decided to let her have her say.
Aren’t farms fun that way? Just to see how the other half lives (ha). I keep trucking through your ebook, Tess, and I have some ideas for you over here, too (will be in touch-it’s great)! I hope you have a great T-Day holiday.
Hugs to you…
This is a great, clever posting, and the kitty has certainly led an interesting life. My cat Hemi loves the blog, too. Check it out at http://www.catterchatter.blogspot.com.
.-= Beth L. Gainer´s last blog ..Advocacy When Sick, Part I: Loss of Control =-.
Hi Beth,
Thanks for visiting Pearl’s story! I actually think I was meant to be a cat – maybe in my next life.
Thanks for leaving the link over to Hemi’s post. We’re heading over right now to check it out…
Have a great week!
“Lori and her litter mate”
Ok, this has to be the cutest post EVER. Also, napping is genius!
.-= Hayden Tompkins´s last blog ..sensitive (adj.) deeply perceptive =-.
[...] Front Porch Posts: Front Porch – The Series Front Porch – Tim’s Story (With Tim Piotrowski) Front Porch – Pearl’s Wisdom (A conversation with Lori’s first pet) Front Porch – An F22 Jet and a Costa Rican Chica [...]
[...] Front Porch Posts: Front Porch – The Series Front Porch – Tim’s Story (With Tim Piotrowski) Front Porch – Pearl’s Wisdom (A conversation with Lori’s first pet) Front Porch – An F22 Jet and a Costa Rican Chica [...]
[...] Front Porch Posts: Front Porch: The Series Front Porch: Tim’s Story (With Tim Piotrowski) Front Porch: Pearl’s Wisdom (A conversation with Lori’s first pet) Front Porch: An F22 Jet and a Costa Rican Chica (With [...]
[...] Front Porch Posts: Front Porch: The Series Front Porch: Tim’s Story (With Tim Piotrowski) Front Porch: Pearl’s Wisdom (A conversation with Lori’s first pet) Front Porch: An F22 Jet and a Costa Rican Chica (With [...]
[...] Posts: Front Porch: The Series Front Porch: Not A Typical Day In The Park (With Tim Piotrowski) Front Porch: Pearl’s Wisdom (A conversation with Lori’s first pet) Front Porch: An F22 Jet and a Costa Rican Chica (With [...]
[...] Posts: Front Porch: The Series Front Porch: Not A Typical Day In The Park (With Tim Piotrowski) Front Porch: Pearl’s Wisdom (A conversation with Lori’s first pet) Front Porch: An F22 Jet and a Costa Rican Chica (With [...]