Clawdia's excursion

Clawdia screamed all the way down the elevator that she was being kidnapped, but she relaxed into Tiny's lap at the jigsaw table in the lobby and soaked up the love as Tiny crooned to her.  Tiny, who used to live one door away on our floor, is one of Clawdia's favorite friends.

After visiting with Tiny and Dodi and Sheila and Gail and Barbara in the lobby, we went out back near the gazebo, where Clawdia enjoyed nibbling the grass (photo at right), scratching her back on the rough concrete of the sidewalk, and exploring various nooks and crannies.

Then she marched herself across the grass toward Donna's building, with a few detours to look at this and that or sit for a moment to ponder her surroundings.  When the grass and winding walkways ended, Clawdia jumped up onto Donna's windowsill and surveyed the world around her (photographic evidence at the top).

We stayed outside until mosquitoes swarmed around Clawdia and she had her mouth open panting in the heat.  (Temperatures reached the 90s in St. Louis today.)  When we got home, she went straight to her food and water while I scrubbed my mosquito bites with alcohol.  After all that, Clawdia decided a cat nap was in order, so she curled up and slept near my feet as I stretched out on top of the bed to read.

Monday Mindfulness ~ end of the month

Click on the calendar to enlarge it.

There are only three days in this fifth week of January, and the Happiness Calendar ends.

Jan. 29 ~ Challenge your negative thoughts and look for the upside.
Jan. 30 ~ Count how many people you smile at today.
Jan. 31 ~ Write down your dreams and plans for the future.

Report on yesterday

Sunday's task was to "Put away your devices and focus fully on who you're with."  I invited a relatively new neighbor to go out to eat with me and, counting the hour we sat in our parking lot when we got back to the Crown Center, we talked and talked and talked for four hours!  Yes, really!  I'd say I focused fully on the person I was with.  Yes, we had a great time.  Yes, we plan to do it again, though maybe not for so long each time.  Yes, I was happy to get to know Dodi better.