Million Purrs – The Cats’ alternative to Million Paws – RSPCA Australia

Hi there all, Sooty here, just hoping that you all might drop by my profile and hopefully donate a dollar or two to a great cause.  I was rescued from the RSPCA as you would have seen from an earlier post here on mslilpetamattschoss.com, so I am doing my part to try and give a little back.  If you are also a cat lover, you can also get involved… the more the merrier – Meow meow ow!! Whoo hoo Please click the title to follow the link….

Of all the toys available, none is better designed than the owner himself.  A large multipurpose plaything, its parts can be made to move in almost any direction.  It comes completely assembled, and it makes a sound when you jump on it.  ~Stephen Baker

What will the Chinese Lunar Year Bring?

2010 – Year of the Tiger

‘Review the old and deducing the new makes a teacher.’ – Confucius

‘In this world I would rather live two days like a tiger, than two hundred years like a sheep.’ – A Beatson

February 14th 2010 sees in the new Chinese Lunar year of the Tiger.  It also happens to be St Valentines Day as well, but any New Year is a New Start.  There are 12 animals in the Chinese Astrological charts and these unlike Western Astrology or Star signs, remain for the Lunar year.

Chinese New Year or Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is also called “Lunar New Year”, because it is based on the lunisolar Chinese calendar. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first month (Chinese: ??; pinyin: zh?ng yuè) in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th; this day is called Lantern Festival. Chinese New Year’s Eve is known as chú x?. It literally means “Year-pass Eve”.

Chinese New Year is the longest and most important festivity in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. The origin of Chinese New Year is itself centuries old and gains significance because of several myths and traditions. Ancient Chinese New Year is a reflection on how the people behaved and what they believed in the most. – Wikipedia

Being a New Year, so to speak, it is always nice to know that it could also mean a fresh start.  And I am always looking for a fresh start or a new spring board to bounce off and being new things and give energy into other tasks or goals that need new focused attention.  I, myself happen to be a Tiger, grrrr , and hope that with a shift in they way I think and feel and working harder to change my situation as it stands now, into something even better stronger and hopefully a motivation for others, that the Chinese Lunar Year of the Tiger will be overwhelmingly auspicious and well…. GREAT!!

There are plenty of places on the net where you find out which Lunar sign you are, and indeed the Earth sign to go with your specific year, which helps also with Feng Shui and in turn creating abundance and much more.  For a quick reference to see if you are a Tiger, check below;

People born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the “Year Of The Tiger,” while also bearing the following elemental sign: (Wikipedia)

• 8 February 1902 – 28 January 1903: Water Tiger
• 26 January 1914 – 13 February 1915: Wood Tiger
• 13 February 1926 – 1 February 1927: Fire Tiger
• 31 January 1938 – 18 February 1939: Earth Tiger

• 17 February 1950 – 5 February 1951: Metal Tiger
• 5 February 1962 – 24 January 1963: Water Tiger
• 23 January 1974 – 10 February 1975: Wood Tiger
• 9 February 1986 – 28 January 1987: Fire Tiger
• 28 January 1998 – 15 February 1999: Earth Tiger
• 14 February 2010 – 2 February 2011: Metal Tiger

People that are born in the Year of the Tiger are generally well liked because of their charismatic personalities. Often, failing at a given duty or being unproductive in his personal or professional life can cause a Tiger to experience a deep sense of depression.A Tiger is always at their happiest when they endeavor to climb the ladder of success. Attaining the top spot is his foremost purpose; being in a position of power is her ultimate goal. They are quick learners, need to be challenged and often prefer to work alone. Some Tigers tend to change careers more frequently because they get bored quite easily. They are natural born leaders and perform at their best if working towards positions of power and influence. So once there is no further room for progression, they will often move on to something else.

Anyone that is born in the Year of the Tiger is usually straightforward and outgoing by nature. They will never give up no matter how aggravated they may become. But, they are also full of suspicion and at times will take hasty action. Never lose sight of the fact that Tigers are smart and instinctive. – Full Article CLICK HERE

Enjoy the new Chinese Lunar New Year, and always live to what you know and want.  Be positive and instinctive, like the Tiger.  Find what motivates you to do what you need to do; reach those goals you have set and enjoy the feeling of ‘keeping your eyes on the prize’.

2010 – Live Life Now – Bring It On

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.

~Benjamin Franklin

Facebook | Dice Unlimited.

‘It’s just a roll of the Dice.  Nobody knows how it is going to turn out, we just have to wait and see.’

– Mickey DeLamar

Christmas Dice - Love 'em

It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.  ~W.T. Ellis

Well I am sure that you all have noticed that it is certainly beginning to look and feel very festive as the Christmas New Year season arrives.  It is a great time of year, for the most part, and people begin to ease into the holiday season and start relaxing and sharing time with family and friends.

'O' Tannenbaum'

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.  ~N. V. Peale

I, as I guess many people, do enjoy the festive season as it is a time to spend that quality time with family and friends, and, well over indulge with good food and a couple of drinks.  Of course there is also the decorating and making your home or office, desk, car, pet or what ever, look festive with Christmas lights or tinsel and of course there is the centerpiece being the ‘Tannenbaum’ or Christmas tree.  Everyone has a tradition or decorating list.  Some put up thousands of Christmas lights inside and most certainly outside of there house for all to share and enjoy.  Others may just have the Christmas tree in the window.  Some towns may have a huge centerpiece of a Christmas tree and have parades with the traditional Nativity and so much more.  I am not a huge decorator, I have my tree, but I do have something different to help with decorating.

Santa

Open your presents at Christmastime but be thankful year round for the gifts you receive.

~Lorinda Ruth Lowen

For me I also have my Christmas Dice…. Of Course!  I like to be different, and it is my little quirky way of decorating for Christmas.  I have a great supplier, out of the USA who in the past has had Christmas dice available for customers from the Chessex company and who am I to resist?  They are great dice, weel made with pictures etched on the ace side.  From the pictures you will also notice that I have a range of dice from Chessex called Borealis and I hae some beautiful and festive looking glitter dice from the Koplow Dice company.  Enjoy the pictures and of course have a great and safe Festive Season.

White Christmas

Christmas – that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance.  It may weave a spell of nostalgia.  Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance – a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.  ~A.E. Rundel

Keep your Christmas-heart open all the year round.  ~Jessica Archmint

Merry Christmas...

‘Cats are smarter than dogs.  You can’t get 8 cats to pull a sled through snow.’

- Jeff Valdez

What would we do without them… Pets, that is?  So many of us out there have a pet or 3 and they add such value to our lives in so many ways.  And it has also been proven that they can be quite medicinal especially in reduction of stress.  And I can tell you that I am happy to have a pet, or Sooty… and I think that it is true that he in his own way helps keep the house full of positive energy, which is good Feng Shui, he can cause moments of laughter and he doesn’t care what I look like in the morning!!

Well I thought I would take this opportunity to introduce you to Sooty and some of the things he can get up to in his own, I rule the house and you are my servant, kind of way.  And you know I don’t think I would have it any other way.  I guess you can say I rescued him from the local RSPCA, he was of quite a few kittens on show that day.  There were the typical pick me pick me kittens following me all over the enclosure, and I was looking for a grey or a well market tabby, but Sooty caught my eye as he was the one kitten who stayed asleep during my visit which spoke to me.  I woke him and moved to the end of the cage and asked him to follow, which he did… so he became the one!  I am sure much to the disappointment of the fluffy grey kitten who was still trying everything he knew to keep my attention.  I can only hope that the rest of the kittens made it to good homes as well.  Below is a quick video a few days after I brought Sooty home, he adjusted pretty quickly no suprise, as you can see I am just moving into a new home as well, so Sooty wanted to help, well kill some packing straps…

I have this great book ‘The Devious Book For Cats’ – By Fluffy & Bonkers With the assistance of J Garden, J Ginsburg, C Pauls, A Serwacki & S Sherman.  Illustrated by E Flake.  2008 Harper Collins Publishers.  One word -  Hilarious…. Seriously!!  Here is an exerpt and if you like cats and know the type of mischief they get up to while trying to blame others, track this book down and have a good read if you can see the pages from laughing so much!!

– Getting Something You Really Need -

The Need – You NEED to get some sleep.

The Obstacle – It’s 2am and the party guests won’t leave.

The Solution – Wander into the middle of the room and throw up on the floor.  Watch the guests scatter.

The Need – You want to spend some crucial bonding time with your person.

The Obstacle – Person is on computer, emailing some boy she likes.

The Solution – Walk on the power cable until her computer shuts down, then jump up for a cuddle.

I have had Sooty for over 3 years now and he has caused some mischief, as cats do and also he has shown why I also like to have a pet in the house, energy, laughter, good insect irradicator, and fun.  I nearly lost him a year ago to a paralytic tic, which was not fun and I am not sure it was not fun for him either.  And while he was in Cat Hospital, you could notice the lack of energy in the house coming home.  The place felt empty, but he is all good and he has allowed me, to share some of the photos I have of my ‘little man’, his antics and personality… Enjoy

‘You can keep a dog; but it is the cat who keeps people, because cats find humans useful domestic animals’

- George Mikes

MsLilPeta – What Were We Talk’n About??: Kites.

‘Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country’ – Anias Nin

‘You can’t fly a kite unless you go against the wind and have the weight to stop it from turning a sommersault.  The same with Man.  No Man will succeed unless he is ready to face and overcome difficulties and is prepared to assume responsabilities’

- William Boetcker

YouTube – Animusic 2 – Gyro Drums.

I love MUSIC… Studied music for years and have a huge passion for it. I can talk about that later.  This YouTube is great and there many others as well.  Cool stuff….  Hope you enjoy!

Ah, music. A magic beyond all we do here! – J. K. Rowling

Mengler's Hill - Barossa Valley

It is well to remember that there are five reasons for drinking: the arrival of a friend; one’s present or future thirst; the excellence of the wine; or any other reason.

Latin saying

Hi from the desk of MslilPeta.  It is a beautiful sunny tropical Winters day in North Queensland, and it has reminded me of the great days in the Barossa Valley.  Late March and into April would see some beautiful weather amongst the vines and at the various cellar doors once I was old enough to taste.  This time in the Barossa is well and truly vintage time and a very busy time for any vigneron, including  my family.  But then again tending to a well maintained, ONLY by hand, vineyard or 3 is busy times all year round.  If you haven’t guessed yet I am also born and bred in the heart of the Barossa…very literally!  The family property ‘Bucklands Estate’  is situated right in the middle of Tanunda and Nuriootpa, along the North Para river and smack bang in the middle of the Valley.  I would have to say that I am truly grateful to have been and still, from a distance, part of the Barossa.  There is a saying the you can take the girl out of the country, but never the country out of the girl.  And I do think this is true in my case.  My family has been in the Valley since settlement in the mid 1800′s and continues to carry on today.  And I will be honest I do miss the Barossa now and again, absolutely, but always can and do go back when I can.

My post today is mainly to introduce you to some of the wines that I particularly do enjoy, and I do apologies I am a little, well, bias.  I am certainly not going to tell you what you should be drinking or what you should like.  To me wine is certainly something that each individual enjoys however they like.  If you have a particular wine that you love and it is $10 a bottle there is nothing wrong with that, I can tell you.  These people who think that you have to spend you life savings on a wine, yes might know a few things about wine and the philosophy, but do they ever enjoy that expensive bottle?  But they are not wrong either, enjoy what you like people… it is the best advice I can give.  I can certainly give you a few wines and ideas of wines to go and seek out and try and will happily answer your questions, but I am not going to be a wine snob, trust me on that!

From Vine to Fruit to Bottle

So yes I am a bit bias.  A good Barossa Valley red, in particular Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon or good red blend, would have to be the glass of I wine I would finish the day or weekend with.  But never fear I certainly do like to have a good Sparking Pinot Noir, well any Sparkling wine just about, a Moscato or a Rose, in particular Alicante Bouchet or typical Grenache Rose.  I do really appreciate these lighter wines living in the beautiful Tropics of North Queensland as they are better served chilled, which is great on a hot afternoon.  If I do encounter a colder night or just because I do enjoy them, I also like to enjoy a good fortified wine or liqueur.  I definitely love a good robust Barossa Shiraz Vintage Port, which I must say warms you up from the inside out. and I do like to have an occasional liqueur Muscat or Tokay or a good Tawny Port to even out the playing field.

Some of my favourite wine makers or wineries are; Rockford, St Hallet, Peter Lehmann, Bucklands Estate (of course! … ) and I do have an occasional Penfolds, Yalumba, Grant Burge and Wolf Blass.  But having said that I also have had and seek out when I can, some of the beautiful fortified wines of the Rutherglen region of Australia, especially those of the Morris Family Wines and believe it or not do enjoy the Sparkling Mango wine which is available in tropical North Queensland at Golden Drop Mango Winery and a beautiful Mulberry liqueur from Mt Uncle distillery.  So I guess I am not so bias all the time.  But again it is truly down to the taste of the wine and when and where and how you are going to drink it.  But always drink what you like, of course go out and try different wines, and remember no ones opinion is the right one.  If you like it DRINK IT, but in moderation.  (Please be safe and enjoy)

Well my Sunday is drawing to a close and I think that I can safely say that I can open and have a glass of, hmmmmm, Bucklands Estate 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon to toast the evening and another post for you all to enjoy.  The wine journey will not end here my friends, this is just and introduction for you all.  In later posts I will touch on some tasting notes and basic MsLilPeta food and wine matching so you can get an idea of what you can be tasting in a glass of wine and which foods will certainly match.  And don’t be surprised if some foods include the Pizza or Ice Cream!!!    Until then enjoy my video of the Barossa from my camera lens and until next post – PROST!

‘Here’s to the corkscrew – a useful key to unlock the storehouse of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the gate of pleasant folly.’

W.E.P. French