Why You Should Consider Adopting a Cat Like Patty

We had a wonderful experience adopting a cat named "Cat Benatar," who renamed, Patty, from the Madison County Humane Society in June 2024. After going about a year and a half without a cat, we really began to feel the absence of a furry companion in our home. The quiet corners of our house seemed a little emptier, and we missed the simple joys of having a cat around—the gentle purring, the playful antics, and the quiet companionship.

Patty, who was six years old, immediately surprised us with her kitten-like energy and playful personality. Despite her age, she has a curiosity and zest for life that make every day brighter. She quickly settled into our home, curling up on our laps during quiet evenings and joining in the chaos when the household is bustling. Her presence has become a comforting constant, especially with Jon’s frequent travels for work and scouts. Knowing Patty is there waiting for us brings a sense of peace and stability that we didn’t realize we were missing.

Unlike our previous cats, who tended to appear on their own—seemingly choosing us—Patty was the first cat we actively sought to adopt. The adoption process at the Madison County Humane Society was smooth and uplifting. Everyone involved was kind, informative, and genuinely cared about matching the right pet with the right family. The process itself felt joyful, and walking out with Patty in our arms filled a void we hadn’t fully acknowledged.

Finding a cat in our area had been especially challenging over the past year and a half. Local construction made it difficult to find stray cats, and we weren’t ready to bring a pet into our lives unless we were sure we could provide the love and stability they deserved. When we met Patty, it felt like everything aligned perfectly. Her sweet nature, playful energy, and affectionate personality made it clear she was meant to join our family.

Adopting Patty has reminded us of how much a pet can enrich a home—not just with companionship, but with joy, laughter, and unconditional love. She’s more than just a cat; she’s a new member of our family who brings warmth to our everyday lives. We feel incredibly grateful to the Madison County Humane Society for making it possible and to Patty for choosing to share her life with us.

Resources:

Madison County Humane Society

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Stop the Cycle of Stinking Thinking

Those of you who follow me on social media have heard me complain about having to report to the Columbus office. Technically, we are three days at home and two days in the office. I've been following that quite loosely. I'm grateful for a manager and director who have allowed or tolerated this flexibility. I thought the answer to my "woes" was to find a fully remote job. However, walking away from an employer that I've been with for almost 30 years is not an easy task. During drives to and from Columbus earlier this week, I listened to several Joyce Meyer podcasts. Joyce frequently talks about "stinking thinking." Let's say those podcasts penetrated my thoughts and prayers. This morning, I started a Bible plan in YouVersion by Vance K Jackson called "Let God Direct Your Heart." Day 1 of a 3 day plan hit the nail on the head! My stinking thinking hardened my heart! I took a screenshot from part of the Devotional.

  I will be totally honest that I don't LOVE driving into the Columbus office; I'd much rather work from home in my exercise pants and t-shirt. However, it really isn't as bad as I've made it out to be. There is truth behind something that I said on social media earlier this week and that it is hard to manage a household when you're not there but it can be done. While I love her to pieces, my cat Patty can and will survive if I'm gone for a few hours. The neighborhood "Karen" can complain that my trashcan wasn't put away five minutes after the trash collectors came. Jon follows his own timeline on things that need done whether I'm home or not. As I wrap up this post, I want to tell you about "Grateful Living." I stumbled across this website when searching for content related to gratitude as I believe an attitude of gratitude can help with my "stinking thinking" along with prayer and scripture study. I signed up to receive their "Word for the Day" email which contains a quote for reflection. This is the first thing I look at in my personal email each day.

Resources:

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Discover Starved by Amy Seiffert: Why This Book Will Change How You See Life

I totally admire Amy Seiffert, a kind and inspiring figure from Ohio. I appreciate her contributions through her books, work with YouVersion, and Instagram posts. After hearing podcasts about her book "Starved: Why We Need a Spiritual Diet Change to Move Us from Tired, Anxious, and Overwhelmed to Fulfilled, Whole, and Free," I decided to read it and found it relatable, as it addresses real-life struggles. The book helped me recognize the need for improvement in both my spiritual and food diets, encouraging me to focus on uplifting content rather than mindlessly scrolling through social media.

To quote my five-star review from Goodreads:

"I was aware of this book buying and reading it didn't occur to me until I heard Amy talk about our spiritual diets. It came at the right time for me. I am grateful."

Resources:

Amazon Link to "Starved"

Goodreads page for "Starved"

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Why You Should Be Waiting a Little Every Day

According to dictionary.com, waiting means "a period of waiting; pause, interval, or delay." 

I don't know about you but the word that stands out to me in the definition is DELAY. When my son was in school, the school might call a two-hour delay due to weather. If there is an accident on the freeway that impacts traffic, you might be delayed getting to work or an appointment. 

In the book Unshakeable Trust by Joyce Meyer, where there are two chapters that were related to God's waiting room. In the part 1 chapter, Joyce mentions that God rarely seems to be in a hurry about anything while we are in a hurry about everything (page 139). That is so true. I'm at a crossroads in life and I am trying to trust God's plan for me. However, he's not told me what that plan is yet or when it is going to happen! As a project manager by trade, I am a task master so I want an exact due date for God's plan. God loves me and cares about me but that doesn't mean he's going to rush his plans for me. 

For years, I watched and read about Crossfit but I never took any action until 2021 after my son Jon III graduated high school. Apparently God though it was time for me to pursue my goal of doing Crossfit. Not only am I doing Crossfit but I am surrounded by a community of supportive people. Whether you want to do Crossfit, strength training, or weightlifting, I encourage you to consider Steadfast Performance training and Crossfit Plain City

Resources:

Freepik -  Image

Unshakeable Trust by Joyce Meyer

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Getting to Know Me: The Story Behind This Blog

I call this Santini Serenity as Serenity is always my goal. However, Serenity is not always easy. 

 

I find myself at a crossroads in life. I've been with The Ohio State University for almost 30 years but I have to work roughly 8.5 more years before I can retire. My job is currently hybrid where I work at home 3 days and go into the office for 2 days. I keep my office time brief when I do go in. My husband's job might require him to travel more in addition to all of his scout related trips. It's hard to manage a household when you're not home so I've been looking for exclusively remote jobs. Patience is a virtue. I'm naturally impatient which is great for managing projects because the project generally stays on track. However, God is the ultimate project manager with his own timelines and I struggle not knowing what his will is for me in my life. As part of my goal to work remotely and retire, I began doing surveys in my spare time. 

Thank you for stopping by and have a Blessed Day!

Update:  After a few blog posts, I decided to focus on my posts around scripture.  I use a scripture that speaks to me or I look up scripture on a particular topic. Some of my posts require additional research to make them more meaningful as I do not know everything.  You'll also see I added a picture.

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