Special Today-Lobster Tail and Poodle Pudding

Why is it that the people who fuss and coo over their pets think nothing of eating a form of life that was butchered and cooked to provide them a meal? I have even been in the company of some die-hard animal rights advocates who were discussing their next protest while ordering their steaks well-done. If you can eat a cow why not a horse?

In 2005 while I was traveling in Israel. The food was ordered family style and began to appear on platters. Meat on a stick was the entree. We were told it was beef, chicken and lamb. Everything I sampled tasted exactly the same. It was day two with eight more to go. The landscape was breathtaking but I kept stepping over feral cats that seemed to pour out of the cracks. Every photo opportunity had groups of wild cats appearing. Many had missing body parts and were oozing liquid from their eyes and ears. They looked quite sickly. I just couldn't help wondering if they were serving cat in the restaurants. That was the last day I ate meat of any kind. It just all seemed like "flesh" that was once living and breathing and now on my dish. Yes, it's a personal choice and I do not fault anyone eating meat– I want to make this very clear, however I do often wonder about the fine line of some of the choices made regarding the welfare of animals on this planet.

I live in the Florida Keys where hunting for lobster is quite an attraction during Mini-Lobster Season. People come from around the world to net these crustaceans and I really dread this event. There is supposed to be a limit of only 6 lobster per day per person in our waters. Now let me ask you this...who is going to haul their boat, pay for hotel and meals plus fuel for only 6 measly lobsters a day? People come in droves to snatch their bodies off the ocean floors and I doubt if the authorities has enough man power to enforce the rules. And so as I was sitting in a salon recently getting my hair cut I was sickened by the conversation. I was staring at photos of the beautician's pet poodle plastered on the mirror before me. They were discussing how they don't like to actually watch the killing, but they love to eat them.
"You just pop their heads off," said the one lady.
"I know but they still scream even after their heads are off. Their heads are lying beside me screaming while I have their bodies in my hands," laughs the other.
"Yes, but they taste so good and the smaller they are the sweeter they taste."
"Yes, but there are rules you cannot take them under 3" because they need to get bigger."
"Well did you see the one in the paper the other day? It was so huge and my husband said they should have left it because big ones breed bigger lobsters?"
So let me get this straight, came my thought, they shouldn't eat the big ones so they can go back and breed bigger ones for them to eat?

Something does not feel right here. I know of people that spend loads of money on pets. Special diets, special toys and many cannot bare to leave them alone. They play music for them and dress them in little clothes. But these same people think nothing of eating animals. Would they eat a Dolphin or a Panda? Who made the rules of what is ok to eat and what is taboo? Man. Man has taken it upon himself to be the decider of who gets to live freely and who gets to arrive on his plate.

My meditation continues to teach that we are all part of something greater than ourselves. We are united with everything on this planet- every rock, plant and animal...and yes even lobsters.

Choose wisely and think about this connection. No one is advocating that we all become vegans- but we need to be careful about our respect for life. Man may think he rules over this planet. Let a storm wash away all he owns and let him sit upon the shore without material possession or family...or his poodle and let him think again.

To learn more about how you can use meditation to connect with your higher conscious please read

The Cat Whisperer

For many years I have been an un-cat person. Don't ask me why, it just seems me and cats just never hit it off. There was always some stray cat hanging around my father's upholstery shop having litters in the heaps of fluff and leftover stuffing that made its way into every corner. My sister would often dress them in little clothes and I just thought they were useless. They didn't fetch, they never obeyed any commands and seemed pretty stuck-up and snooty.

Years later I was given a black cat named Abbey as a wedding gift. She was a beautiful feline with bright gold eyes. After feeding her and paying for years of vet bills one day she up and moved in with a neighbor... the gift lasted about as long as the marriage.
And so through the years I have just stuck with species that seem to enjoy my company such as horses and dogs. All very natural and very respectful of each others space on this planet. But any cat that approached me... I would send a mental thought "you know I don't do cats" and they would high-tail it and scoot.

Did you know cats can cause you to become a vegetarian?  It was in the Fall of 2005, during a business trip when I discovered the Israeli feral cats. They live everywhere in Israel. Whenever we sat for a group photo, up they would pop... from rocks, benches, door-stoops...everywhere.  Not one or two feral cats, try TWENTY! And these cats didn't look normal either. They looked more like mutant cats. Some had missing eyes, some oozing yellow fluid from their nose, some wore half an ear, etc. It was like watching a bad Disney's Toy Story movie only instead of toys - think cats with missing body parts. Every time we ordered a meal it was "meat" on-a-stick. Everyone waiter would ask me the same question. "What do you want on your stick- Chicken- Beef- Lamb?" After the third night of my 10-night trip all of this tasted, well ... EXACTLY the same flavor. I swore it was cat and I never ate another mouthful of meat since. Was it cat? Who know's, but heck, I was an instant vegetarian.

Cat on a stick?

And so this brings me to the meditation part of my blog. It was the summer of 2010 and I was spending the summer in Cape Cod. My partner has an older cat, she's around 16 and her name is Lacie. Being that Dean's a very important part of my life, I decided to overlook the fact that Lacie was a cat. Lacie and I barely tolerated each other. I made it clear from the get go that I preferred she were a dog. Whenever she whined too loudly or made a mess with her litter I would glare at her. One afternoon I was doing a meditation and it was life changing.
Meditation: I found myself in an old home and there were many cats running throughout the house. I could hear them, but never saw them. I knew they all belonged to me. I opened a closet door to put away a vacuum cleaner. As I placed it into the closet I heard a loud meow. I quickly pulled the door open and looked inside, but saw nothing. Then I saw something lying on the floor and went to pick it up.  It was a bloody tail of a cat. I was horrified. I knew instantly that someone had purposefully mutilated this cat and it made me sick. I felt such love for this poor cat and I was heart broken. The meditation ended and I forgot all about it.

Lacie on the window seat in Cape Cod

The next morning I went to my usual spot on the window seat to enjoy my morning coffee. Lacie was asleep on the seat and Dean handed me my usual cup. This is my favorite spot in the morning. The birds are singing; the sun is just softly filtering in and the world is just waking up. I crossed my leg, sipped my coffee, leaned back and to utter amazement...began petting the cat. I was totally unaware of my actions - I was just enjoying the moment. Dean almost spit out hot coffee "look at yourself, your petting a cat!" Oh my goodness, this was not like me, and then I remembered.  I told him all about the meditation. All of my years of cat dislike had melted away.

Lacie last spring "Please tell them not to go to Paris"

And here it is December of 2011 and I'm still enjoying a wonderful relationship with our cat. She is causing quite a stir in our home, as she has been acting peculiar for the past few months. During several meditations she has appeared as a younger version of herself. I told her she looks pretty good, almost kitten-like, and then when my meditation ends she will be sitting right outside my room... as if she's waiting for me. Dean thinks she's ill and has taken her to the doctor's several times. Lacie told me (in the meditation) not to worry as she's just getting old and that she loves me dearly. She always seeks us out and cuddles as close as possible. If I'm at my computer she will even try and lay on the top of my office chair. She's quite a lady and I am honored to know her. She is extremely wise and I wish she would visit my meditations more often. I think if our President meditated more he might get some great advice:)
The years are taking their toll on Lacie and she may be crossing over soon. She now eats sparingly and sleeps most of the day. I know I will see this beautiful spirit again and I'm not overly concerned with her health.
And so it seems this whispering cat will have the last laugh. Her eyes have lost their twinkle, she's moving slower and she barely eats at all most days. And so as she returned from another costly visit to the vet she stumped the doctor yet again. "Well, he said scratching his head, "she's perfectly fine...I guess she's just getting old." I smiled when I heard the news...she had already told us this in my meditation... and it didn't cost a dime:)
To learn how you can meditate read my book Sæ-sii Meditation: How to Find Your Bliss in 15 Minutes a Day