Gratitude Discussion Group

Posted by Debbra Williams, Alumna Mentor @debbraw, Nov 24, 2018

Hi everyone! Just before Thanksgiving @michellegraffradford posted a blog called Gratitude Changes Everything. She suggested three techniques to help incorporate gratitude into our daily lives:


  • Start the Day with Gratitude (before getting up think of three people you are grateful for)

  • Maintain a Gratitude Journal to record times when you are grateful

  • Count Blessings – not sheep! (Review the day and remember moments of gratitude)


Her blogpost was so inspiring that a lot of us decided we wanted to form a Gratitude Group to keep the attitude of gratitude going. The blogpost area is not an ideal space for a big discussion group so I am moving the discussion over here to the “Just Want to Talk” Group. Let’s use this space to share and discuss our Gratitude Journey. I’m going to suggest that we each try to take a minute from the day and post here what has made us feel thankful today. It can be as small as a stranger’s smile on the bus or as large as fulfilling a major life dream – or anywhere in between. We can also discuss how we are doing with the three techniques. Sometimes it is easier to form new habits with support from others.

Michelle's full blogpost is at the link below. You may want to review it or print it out to help get started!
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/living-with-mild-cognitive-impairment-mci/newsfeed/gratitude-changes-everything/
I look forward to hearing from others in the Gratitude Group and to having others join us here! Thanks to those who already shared great stories. If you haven't yet, what gratitude will you share today?!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Just Want to Talk Support Group.

@merpreb

Linda-Hopefully you will find what you are looking for with this visit! I'm sorry that you are in pain.

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@merpreb @gingerw. @hopeful33250 I was tested for 2hrs I have a headache now. Had Google's on like virtual reality Google's I,'ll know in 2weeks have to see my ENT Dr

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@jenniferhunter

@gingerw Bless you for taking a little kitty who didn't have a great chance at life. Many people wouldn't have considered a disabled animal. That warms my heart. Certainly all abandoned animals need help, and love to survive. When I brought 2 kittens home to my adult boy kitty, I used my walk in shower for the kittens so they could all see each other and not hurt each other, and it took a good 6 weeks before they stopped trying to attack through the glass. All of them did it. They took turns on who had the run of the bedroom, and I made sure to give everyone equal attention. We began supervised all together play time at 6 weeks when they seemed ready. I still tucked the kittens into their glass apartment at night with treats, and they had everything they needed in there, food, water, beds and a litter box and they went went to bed willingly knowing they were getting some treats and were patient until I let them out in the morning. I still did this for over a year since I didn't want kittens running on top of me while I slept, but after my boy showed them how to open the glass doors, that was the end of the kitty condo, and they graduated to sleeping on the bed with me, but had some disagreements as to who gets to sleep where which are easily solved with a squirt bottle when it gets out of hand if they don't listen. Remember to reinforce good behavior all the time, so they know how to please you. In their minds, it's all about being cared for by you, their favorite human or momma cat.

One of the kittens needed extra socializing and was nervous and I spent a lot more time with her which she liked, and she decided she didn't want to share my attention, so we have some bickering, but they do all get along. I supervise meals so my boy kitty doesn't eat everything (because he will), and the girl kittens (now 2) burn off all their calories chasing each other. They do play with the boy too, and the nervous kitten will invite the boy to play, and get upset when he swats back at her, so we still work on that. One of my girls talks to the toys she's pouncing on while she's playing by herself as if she's saying "watch me". The other one (nervous girl) chitters like a racoon when she's talking around me, but she's quiet when she's playing alone. She plays fetch with me and wants me to see her jump into the air to get her toy which she also flings up, so she can catch it. Your kitty's crying my be her expressing her appreciation of happiness for being rescued. She's been through some trauma and I'm sure was terrified by the injury and possibly her vet care after she was injured. I would be emotional if it was me.

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@jenniferhunter Unfortunately we are in a 2 bedroom condo less than 900 square ft. I have been putting 3 Speed into the travel crate when we both will be gone. There has been hissing from the older one, with 2 minor alterations. Her nose is seriously out of joint. I explained the new one needs a friend, but that story is not flying! No glassed shower.
Ginger

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@gingerw

@hopeful33250 A picture may not happen for a while. She is a blur of energy. Her right hind leg is gone, pretty much up to the socket. She is using the bit left as a rudder to balance herself. She is the coloring of tortoise stripes, with blotches of cream and white, but as if someone muddled the colors, so it is known as a diluted tortoise. She has a cry that is so tiny even a kitten's cry is stronger than hers! And she cries at the weirdest things playing with a yarn ball or chasing the rubber ball and she cries, so not sure what's going on. I am really hoping that she and the first cat make up to be friends pretty soon so that I don't have to worry about Kitty WW3 happening in the household. At least the both of them are eating and using the litter box - that's a good thing. She is enough of a kitten at 11 months that she goes full bore and then suddenly conks out for a nap!
Ginger

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@gingerw Like having a new baby in the house so cute Don't want to hear WW3has started so hope they will make up

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@lioness

@merpreb @gingerw. @hopeful33250 I was tested for 2hrs I have a headache now. Had Google's on like virtual reality Google's I,'ll know in 2weeks have to see my ENT Dr

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@lioness Thanks for letting us know. We have a 2 week wait right alongside of you! Hope you can take something to get rid of your headache, those goggles must have been pretty uncomfortable. They would have given me fits of claustrophobia!
Ginger

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@gingerw

@jakedduck1 @lioness The official word is the drought moved from severe to moderate with this storm season.
Ginger

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@gingerw yep just hope it doesn't warm up fast and we need to build an arklol

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@gingerw

@lioness Thanks for letting us know. We have a 2 week wait right alongside of you! Hope you can take something to get rid of your headache, those goggles must have been pretty uncomfortable. They would have given me fits of claustrophobia!
Ginger

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@gingerw I was worried about that since I was in the dark there was a camera recording my eye movement really interesting then Had to move my eye and follow the red dot then lay down all sides felt dizzy right away saw cobwebs it was really a weird test for sure but if it finds my problem worth it

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@lioness

@gingerw I was worried about that since I was in the dark there was a camera recording my eye movement really interesting then Had to move my eye and follow the red dot then lay down all sides felt dizzy right away saw cobwebs it was really a weird test for sure but if it finds my problem worth it

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@lioness Back in the early 80s I was learning to fly a small plane, and had problems. They did an electronystagrogram [sp?], checking my inner ears, inducing dizziness, making me very sick to my stomach. The verdict was an issue in the middle part of left ear. Every so often I take a half Benadryl type pill when dizziness overwhelms me. The dramatic change in pressure in an airplane taking off, or big elevation changes, are no picnic.
Ginger

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@gingerw

@jenniferhunter Unfortunately we are in a 2 bedroom condo less than 900 square ft. I have been putting 3 Speed into the travel crate when we both will be gone. There has been hissing from the older one, with 2 minor alterations. Her nose is seriously out of joint. I explained the new one needs a friend, but that story is not flying! No glassed shower.
Ginger

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@gingerw Hissing is probably not bad if it doesn't progress to the weird growling threats that cats do and then onto a real fight. You could get a dog cage so she has something bigger she could be safe in and they could still talk through the bars and they could have more time to adjust before they are physically together. My little nervous one has hissed ever since I brought her home at 12 weeks old I think out of fear. She was born feral and probably didn't have much to eat from her mom since she was found in a window well with her brother and mom in winter. Now she knows there will always be food to eat, but she is an alpha personality. She's the smallest one, half the size of the boy which might be intimidating to her, so she acts tough. He sometimes calls her bluff and swats back, and she'll back off. He's been very tolerant of her, and he does get out of her way a lot. He tries to play kitty chase with her, and she'll jump out of the way while hissing, but then she's not upset and pretends it didn't happen. She gets in trouble when she's serious about it for being the instigator and the squirt bottle comes out. She'll stop when she sees it, if not, she gets wet.

Even though they just did something bad, remember to praise them when they stop, and maybe give a treat when they calm down. She does sometimes do the more serious growling, and I had to put her in the bathroom by herself all night a few times. She really wants to be with me, so that is something that makes her think that is what she'll remember. The reward is when they get attention and playtime from you, so that is what you take away when kitties misbehave. I had to do this to stop biting which is normal when they are telling another cat to leave them alone, but I never want a cat to think that is OK to bite me, so isolation works, and make sure you don't cave in to the sad cries. They have to have time to think about why they were bad, and only be rewarded when they are calm. The best time to get them friendly together is at feeding time when they are rubbing up against you. Let that go on for a while while you are petting them close to each other and talk nice to them and feed them next to each other so they learn they both are being treated fairly. I put spoonfuls of canned food into their separate dishes, and add more as they finish so they are in that mode of asking for more, and the boy can't just take it all. Also play with both at the same time if you can keep them interested in toys. The other will watch and want to join the fun or maybe sneak in and steal a toy... my other girl kitty does that. You just have to be patient and give them lots of time, and they have to establish who is in charge which you won't be able to change. Horses do this too, and when I had to move mine to another boarding facility, he got kicked by the others over territory. He was moved around until he was happy with his paddock mate. It turns out that he is a lady's man and is only happy in the company of mares. If there were no mares, he would get along fine with the other boys, but with them there, he has something to get jealous and worry about.

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@jenniferhunter

@gingerw Hissing is probably not bad if it doesn't progress to the weird growling threats that cats do and then onto a real fight. You could get a dog cage so she has something bigger she could be safe in and they could still talk through the bars and they could have more time to adjust before they are physically together. My little nervous one has hissed ever since I brought her home at 12 weeks old I think out of fear. She was born feral and probably didn't have much to eat from her mom since she was found in a window well with her brother and mom in winter. Now she knows there will always be food to eat, but she is an alpha personality. She's the smallest one, half the size of the boy which might be intimidating to her, so she acts tough. He sometimes calls her bluff and swats back, and she'll back off. He's been very tolerant of her, and he does get out of her way a lot. He tries to play kitty chase with her, and she'll jump out of the way while hissing, but then she's not upset and pretends it didn't happen. She gets in trouble when she's serious about it for being the instigator and the squirt bottle comes out. She'll stop when she sees it, if not, she gets wet.

Even though they just did something bad, remember to praise them when they stop, and maybe give a treat when they calm down. She does sometimes do the more serious growling, and I had to put her in the bathroom by herself all night a few times. She really wants to be with me, so that is something that makes her think that is what she'll remember. The reward is when they get attention and playtime from you, so that is what you take away when kitties misbehave. I had to do this to stop biting which is normal when they are telling another cat to leave them alone, but I never want a cat to think that is OK to bite me, so isolation works, and make sure you don't cave in to the sad cries. They have to have time to think about why they were bad, and only be rewarded when they are calm. The best time to get them friendly together is at feeding time when they are rubbing up against you. Let that go on for a while while you are petting them close to each other and talk nice to them and feed them next to each other so they learn they both are being treated fairly. I put spoonfuls of canned food into their separate dishes, and add more as they finish so they are in that mode of asking for more, and the boy can't just take it all. Also play with both at the same time if you can keep them interested in toys. The other will watch and want to join the fun or maybe sneak in and steal a toy... my other girl kitty does that. You just have to be patient and give them lots of time, and they have to establish who is in charge which you won't be able to change. Horses do this too, and when I had to move mine to another boarding facility, he got kicked by the others over territory. He was moved around until he was happy with his paddock mate. It turns out that he is a lady's man and is only happy in the company of mares. If there were no mares, he would get along fine with the other boys, but with them there, he has something to get jealous and worry about.

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@jenniferhunter You brought up some very valid points, and I thank you for that. A larger cage seems like a good temporary fix.
Ginger

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@lioness

@merpreb @gingerw. @hopeful33250 I was tested for 2hrs I have a headache now. Had Google's on like virtual reality Google's I,'ll know in 2weeks have to see my ENT Dr

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I'm glad that you got through the test, @lioness. Did you have any other tests done? I had that test several years ago but was not able to finish it because of nausea. Is your headache any better now?

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