Tag: cats

Life Update: Cats, Careers, and Adjustments

~ Brooke F. ~ 2 Comments

Hello, friends! It’s been a minute, so I thought it was time to check in with a little life update. Some exciting changes have happened recently. The kind of changes that come with cat hair on your clothes and a hard hat in your car.

So let’s get into it.

Meet Lori and Midna

First things first, I got cats. Yes, plural. Two tiny creatures who rule my life with a mix of adorable chaos and constant naps.

● Lori is my white kitten. His full name is Lorrian because every cat needs a slightly dramatic name to match their mysterious personality (he is anything but. He screams at me day and night for love and cuddles). Lori is playful, curious, and oh-so-needy. He desires cuddles at all hours of the day and makes that need known.

● Midna is the queen of the house. She’s my sleek, black cat, full of charm and just a touch of mischief. If you’ve ever played Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, you already know the inspiration behind her name. Midna has the vibe of a cat who knows all your secrets and still loves you anyway though she might judge you a little.

Having two cats has been such a comfort. They keep life entertaining and, somehow, their little purrs can turn a stressful day around in an instant.

I’m an Environmental Scientist!

In bigger news, I officially started my career as an environmental scientist. I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that I get to say that out loud. It’s been an adjustment, for sure. The early mornings, lots of learning, and a hefty dose of responsibility are just a few factors I’m trying to navigate with some level of grace and maturity (along with the fear of failure at ANYTHING.) but I’m so grateful to have landed a job right out of college. It’s one thing to dream about contributing to conservation and environmental work; it’s another to step into the field and do it. I am very blessed and I don’t want to ever NOT acknowledge that.

Some days are filled with fieldwork, which makes me feel like I’m back on the farm, in my element with fresh air and soil under my boots. Other days involve reports, lab safety videos, and presentations, which are equally important (but slightly less glamorous). The balance has been a learning curve, but I’m enjoying it so far though I still have TONS to learn.

Adjusting to This New Chapter

I won’t lie to you guys- life after college feels like I’m faking it till you make it. I think I’ve got it figured out one minute and then feel like I can’t make it in this big world the next. There are moments of confidence followed by flashes of doubt, and that’s okay. I think the most surprising lesson I’ve learned is that nobody really has it all together. We’re all just doing the best we can, whether we’re starting new jobs, adopting pets, or figuring out how to cook something other than spaghetti or tacos.

Between Lori attacking my shoelaces, Midna napping on my laptop, and work keeping me on my toes, life feels full. It’s not perfect, but it’s good. And I’m thankful for that.

That’s it for now! Tell me what’s new with you in the comments—I want to hear about your pets, job wins, or even just the small victories keeping you going. Until next time, I’ll be over here, trying to keep my white kitten from drinking toilet water and my black cat off my keyboard.

Take care!

What’s IN and What’s OUT

~ Brooke F. ~ 6 Comments

Its only 10 days into the new year so why not a fun little post talking about what trends are in and what are out in my opinion? After all, I’m clearly an authority on matters of current crazes and the desires of the masses! I’m obviously qualified as a 20-something college student who spend the majority of her time working or playing videogames from 20 years ago (The Wii and the N64 gaming system is where we peaked, guys), watching movies from 40 years ago and reading books from 50 years ago. Glad we’re all in agreeance here. So, without further and minimal explanation, here are trends that should burn in the fiery pits of the underworld (also known as what’s out).

What’s OUT:

Buying ingredients but never cooking

Calling myself out already? Seriously though, why do ingredients go bad to quickly? Sure, you might say its because fresh veggies aren’t loaded with preservatives, radioactivity, and Lord knows what else but man, its frustrating when I want to cook and that potato I bought a week ago has already sprouted a new plant.


Cheap soap

Because my skin in sensitive.


Grudges

Have I ever mentioned how bitter of a person I can be? Probably not, it rarely comes up in conversation but BOY, can I hold a grudge. Let’s not talk about the pointless hours I’ve spent ruminating about how people who are meanies can get their comeuppance. Perhaps its best such use of my time is left in 2023.


Cruddy socks that need to be replaced

Only saying this because I cleared out my sock drawer recently and it was a sad sight indeed. I need to make a little sock run, I ended up throwing out half of the socks I thought I could wear.


Plain coffee

Time to add syrups and sugars like real men.


Falling asleep to your phone/TV

Guilty as charged. The blue light does wonders for my sleep schedule as I’m sure you can imagine.


Minimalism

Gosh, why did we ever consider this a valid aesthetic? I’m raving against a very specific type of minimalism known as sad grey and sad brown. I’m just too addicted to my cute little trinkets.


6am alarms

I am not a morning person. Far too long I’ve tried to emmulate the “it girl” schedule but alas, twasn’t meant to be. How those girls get up before the crack of dawn, I’ll never know. They have my respect of course but I think I’m going to try for a little more balanced sleep schedule where I spend the last hour of my day cleaning and journaling and getting ahead as opposed to getting up an hour earlier to do such things.


Not complimenting people but still thinking it

I’m so bad about this sometimes. There’s a shortage of compliments out there however and I refuse to contribute to the problem any longer no matter what my social anxiety says.


The color grey

As mentioned before, I’m just not a fan of the sad grey aesthetic.

What’s IN:


Cream soda

Particularly in glass bottles. I used to love these because as Baptist child, I thought they looked like beer. Now, I know much better- they taste oh-so delicious and I don’t have enough cream soda in my life as is. Something that needs to clearly be fixed in the year of our Lord, 2024.


Cute coffee shops

These have always been in but they should remain so.


Taking walks everywhere

I’m a ghostly little victorian child and could use the vitamin D.


Impressionistic art/paintings

I just think they’re nice.


Gas station snacks

Just snacks but on a whole new level.


Retro games

Oldies but goodies.


Pasta

Any and all types of pasta. Alfredo, red sauce… I don’t care. I’m in my pasta arc and have been for the last 4 years.


Formal gowns for no reason

Who says you need a reason to feel like a princess? I’ll vacuum my apartment in a ballgown, just you watch.


Giving people the benefit of the doubt

Perhaps this circles back to the whole “grudges” thing. I’m attempting to move out of my Villain era and into my “Gracious” era.


Microwave popcorn

Stove-top is fun but also time consuming and sometimes messy if you make it like me. The anxiety I feel when pulling the lid off of the pot to dump the newly born popcorns into the bowl is unmatched.


Herb gardens

They smelly good.


Petting as many cats as possible

Listen, friends. I know we petted a lot of cats last year. But, this year, let’s strive to make last year look like rookie numbers. This year, we’re petting ALL THE CATS. (unless of course you’re allergic. I’m so sorry friend).


Body spray

It smelly good.


Changing bedding regularly

We’re not going to talk about how long I’d go without changing my sheets in the past. I cringe, dear sir. But that was the old me. And we refuse to acknowledge her.

So yeah! A pretty comprehensive list but feel free to talk in the comments about what trends we should leave in 2023 or what 2024 should consist of moving forward. I’d love to hear ya’ll’s thoughts.

Anyways, hope you had a happy holiday!


Cat Writing Prompts

~ Brooke F. ~ 6 Comments

★Green Eyed Witness

A cat witnesses a murder. The murder of her beloved owner no less. And she wants revenge. But how can she convey this to the detectives? This cat is going to have to think outside the box to try and leave clues as to who the guilty party is.

★Ghostly Visitors

Ever wonder why your cat stares into space on a regular basis? Turns out, your cat is seeing something that you don’t. And, until now, you didn’t know what it was…

★Cat in Charge

You are a cat who belongs to a rather odd looking human. She cooks things that smell weird and wears a strange, tall hat but it never bothered you much and you love her anyway. One day, she leaves on a day trip, leaving you alone at her house thinking you’d not get into much trouble but of course she was sorely mistaken. While moseying along the counter tops and shelves of her house, you accidentally knock over a weirdly colored potion and its effects are…odd to say the least.

★Unlucky

At a shelter you have choice between a black and white cat. Unable to decide you choose both. Little do you know, these cats are rivals and have been battling for every single one of their eight of nine lives. One is a fae trickster cat, trying to bring misfortune onto its owner. The other is a guardian cat, attempting to thwart the trickster cat. The plot twist? The Black cat is the guardian and the White the trickster. Looks can be rather deceiving.

★Copycats

In a lab, scientists have cloned a selected cat multiple times over in the name of scientific discovery. Unfortunately, this experience has been less than ideal for the cats involved, being mistreated and abused in hopes that the scientific team may come up with some sort of “break through”. So the copy cats plan among themselves a grand escape that will get them all out. No “copy” will be left behind.

★Gifted & Graced

A mad scientist who has been working on some rather…strange projects in his lab makes an awful mistake when he accidentally locks his pet cats in the lab itself overnight. The cats don’t mind until something to do with his experiment goes terribly wrong. It’s a superhero origin story except for one minor change: the receiver of the powers is not bestowed upon some loveable main character, nerd boy but a group of five very different cats. Who could have seen it coming?

3rd Grade Prompts for National Pet Day - Studentreasures Blog

5 Things That Make me Happy

~ Brooke F. ~ 8 Comments

So one of my New Year’s Resolutions was to complete my “Writer Games Challenge” which you can find linked here if you’re interest in completing it too! The first category of challenges is to write a little bit about yourself and the things you like and are passionate about. So I’m starting with the list of 5 things that make me happy!

Ready? Well regardless, here we go!

1. Cats

Wow. Nobody saw that coming. Gosh, me??? A cat lover?? Its not like I have a cat in my blog footer and as a huge part of my blog identity! Bonkers, I know. I really pulled a fast one over you, didn’t I?

Okay, seriously, I have never met an animal that purrs and is as comforting as a cat. Sure, they can be a little evil but so can we! Its only fair.

2. Iced Coffee

I’m sorry for these basic answers but Iced Coffee is a gift from the heavens and you’re lying if you say otherwise. I don’t care what season it is or how cold I am, I love my coffee iced and with copious amounts of sugar in it, thank you very much.

3. Fire places

I figured it was befitting to put this below the Iced Coffee seeing as how my enjoyment of cold brew & circulation issues result in me feeling rather…chilly to say the least. Whatta mystery. So how does one remedy this? By roast in front of a fireplace.

Fireplaces are the peak of humanity. Its like we knew our ancestors were onto something with that whole gathering around the fire thing. And they were so right. Nothing beats and iced coffee and a book in front of an open fire. Preferably when it’s raining out. Which reminds me!

4. Rain

The coziness level of a day suddenly increases immensely when water begins falling from the sky. God really did something with this whole rain thing. He knew exactly what he was doing.

5. Animated Movies

In college I have very little brain power to last through most live action and plot-complex new movies. I just can’t get into them very much these days and I’m not exactly sure why. Instead, recently, I’ve been enjoying settling down in front of the TV after school to watch the newest animated movie that’s out. Animated movies are my new comfort watch these days.

And woah! Are we already at 5?? I didn’t even get to Tacos, warm fries on a cold, dreary day, and quill pens! Oh well, maybe next time! I’ll see you readers ’round, okay?