Author Ingrid King Visits

It’s my pleasure to welcome author Ingrid King back to Thoughts in Progress as the special guest blogger today.

Many may know Ingrid as a fellow blogger from her blog, The Conscious Cat. She is also the author of BUCKLEY’S STORY - LESSONS FROM A FELINE MASTER TEACHER, which recently won the 2010 Merial Human-Animal Bond Award at the International Cat Writers Association’s annual awards banquet.

Writers sometimes need a way to give background on a character in order for readers to better understand why they say or act a certain way. At the same time, readers always want background and more information on the writer. Nothing gives background better than Christmas memories. With that in mind and with Christmas less than a month away, Ingrid has agreed to share some of her background with us as she talks about ‘Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree – Memories of Holidays Past.’

I love the holiday season, and my favorite part is always the annual decorating of the Christmas tree. I’ve collected ornaments for the past twenty some years or more, and inevitably, bringing out the ornaments each year leads to a lovely, if  sometimes bittersweet, trip down memory lane.

I grew up in Germany, and traditionally, our Christmas tree was not decorated until Christmas Eve. As a small child, I was not allowed into the living room while the tree was being decked out in its holiday glory. I can still remember the eager and impatient anticipation of the moment when my parents would ring a small brass bell that hung on the tree, and I could finally enter the room. It was pure magic each time. The tree was decorated with multi-colored glass balls, sparkling tinsel, and real candles – something that we can’t even imagine in these safety conscious times we live in. 

When I moved to the United States in my mid-twenties, I was introduced to the tradition of putting the Christmas tree up right after Thanksgiving. I loved this – now I could have the tree up for several weeks, not the mere two weeks I was used to from my childhood! I was also introduced to artificial Christmas trees.

At first I balked at the idea – the intoxicating pine scent of my childhood trees was such an essential part of the holidays, it was odd to think about having to give that up. But, being able to have a tree up for five to six weeks won out over not having the real thing. Not having to deal with cleaning up needles for weeks after the tree was taken down was a nice side benefit. And since having a fake tree has become the environmentally conscious thing to do these days, rather than making apologies for my fake tree, I am now politically correct. 

I’ve accumulated quite a collection of ornaments over the years. Many of them are cat themed, and I can usually remember where I got them or who gave them to me. There are photo ornaments that contain the photos of my cats, past and present. There are ornaments from places I’ve traveled to, like the shell ornament from a beach trip, the fat glass cat from a recent trip to New York City (is there anything better than New York City at Christmas time?), or the handmade wooden ornament my dad made for me the year before he passed away. There’s the white tiger ornament that reminds me of a trip to Las Vegas to see Siegfried and Roy’s amazing performance. There’s the angel tree topper that came from the world famous Christmas market in Nuremberg, Germany. 

And of course, there’s the small brass bell from my childhood Christmases, and it still brings back the memory of that magic moment each and every holiday season.

Ingrid, thanks for sharing these lovely memories. Christmas ornaments can take one down memory lane. Collecting ornaments is a wonderful tradition for the entire family and one that can be passed down from generation to generation.

Now a bit more background on Ingrid. She is a former veterinary hospital manager turned writer. Her online magazine News for You and Your Pet goes out to subscribers around the world. Her blog, The Conscious Cat, has been called “educational cat nip for the cat lover” and is a comprehensive resource for conscious living, health and happiness for cats and their humans. For more information about Ingrid and BUCKLEY’S STORY - LESSONS FROM A FELINE MASTER TEACHER, be sure to visit Buckley’s Story.

Guest Blogger, Ingrid King

I’d like to welcome Ingrid King, author of “Buckley’s Story, Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher” to Thoughts in Progress today.

Ingrid agreed to stop by and talk about how to “Choose to Live a Conscious Life.” However, before she begins I’d like to share some exciting news about “Buckley’s Story.”

America’s Veterinarian, Dr. Marty Becker, the popular veterinary contributor to ABC-TV’s Good Morning America, the author of several book, and the resident veterinarian on The Dr. Oz Show, recently commented on “Buckley’s Story.”

Here’s what he had to say, “Buckley’s Story is a true celebration of the bond between pets and their humans. This story of  “gimpy” little tortoiseshell cat with a huge heart who changed her human’s life in unexpected ways shows us how pets teach us universal lessons about living a joyful life, how caring for a terminally ill pet can deepen this special bond, and how to navigate the devastating grief that comes with losing a beloved animal companion.”

When asked how she felt about the comment, Ingrid said, “As you can well imagine, I am beyond thrilled about this wonderful endorsement.”

Congratulations Ingrid. Now tells us about choosing to live a conscious life.

It’s the beginning of a new decade, and our planet is undergoing a massive shift in consciousness. As a result, individuals are questioning the old ways of living and making new, more conscious choices about how to live their lives. But what does conscious living really mean?

The definition of the word conscious is “to be aware of one’s own existence, sensations, thoughts and surroundings.” It also means “being fully aware or sensitive to something,” “aware of oneself,” and “deliberate and intentional.” All these terms take us right to the heart of what conscious living means.

Being aware of our thoughts and emotions allows us to make conscious choices about everything from what we feel like wearing today to which career path we want to take. Thoughts are energy, and each thought has a vibration attached to it that sends a message to the universe to attract things to us that match the vibration of the thought we send out. We all have the ability to focus our thoughts, and when we deliberately focus them on what we want rather than on what we don’t want, we begin taking charge of consciously creating our lives. 

Being aware of our emotions adds power to this process – emotions are our instant guidance as to whether a thought moves us in the direction of what we want or away from it. When a thought feels good, we’re moving towards our desires. When it feels bad, we’re moving in the opposite direction.

Being fully aware is the first step to consciously living our lives. It is this awareness that allows us to tune in to our inner guidance, and the more we do that, the more we are able to become deliberate and intentional in choosing our thoughts.

Ultimately, conscious living means making choices that are in alignment with who we really are at our core. Using our emotions as guidance, we can make choices about everything from the foods we eat to the cosmetics we use to the products we buy for our pets. 

The more we make these conscious choices, the more whole our lives will become. Every choice becomes a conscious expression of our authentic selves in the world. The more we pay attention to what our inner self really wants and needs, the more congruent our lives become.

Be forewarned – conscious living is addictive. Once you live your life from that place of authenticity, you will have very little tolerance for anything less.

Some conscious choices people make can be as simple as eating organic foods, purchasing cruelty-free personal care products, using environmentally friendly products, and watching movies and television programs that carry a positive message, or as far-reaching as leaving a job that is not in alignment with their authentic self to start their own conscious business.

The important thing is to start somewhere, one small choice at a time. Make that simple choice, and watch your life begin to change.

Thank you so much Ingrid for stopping by today and sharing this informative and enlightening information with us. Ingrid will drop back by off and on today to speak with those stopping by to comment.

A little background information on Ingrid. She is a former veterinary hospital manager turned writer, she publishes the E-zine News for You and Your Pet, covering topics ranging from conscious living to holistic and alternative health. She shares her experiences with consciously creating a joyful, happy and healthy life for pets and people on her popular blog,The Conscious Cat (www.consciouscat.net). Ingrid lives in Northern Virginia with her tortoiseshell cat Amber. For more information about "Buckley’s Story" and Ingrid, please visit www.ingridking.com

Sunday Salon: Buckley's Story by Ingrid King

Have you ever not wanted to read a book at the same time you wanted to read it?

Sounds a little crazy I know, especially for the beginning of a book review. But let me explain and encourage you to read this book.

"Buckley's Story, Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher" is a book about a cat lover's journey as she watches her beloved cat's health decline. It also deals with the aftermath of losing that cherished pet and how one handles it.

This book touches on how people can and do connect with their pets on a special level. It explains how pets are not just pets, but family members.

I didn't want to read it because I knew that I wasn't going to like what happened to Buckley. I can't handle sad stories, I'm too tender hearted. In addition, I have a tortoiseshell cat (like Buckley) that is 12 years old.

I wanted to read it - needed to read it - for those very same reasons.

Author Ingrid King tells the story of how Buckley came to live with her and her other cat, Amber. She tells of how that one act - sharing her heart and home with Buckley - changed her life forever.

Working as an office manager for a veterinary hospital the author describes how she feel in love with Buckley the first time she saw her. After a number of attempts to bring the cat home, Ms. King tells how Buckley finally made the transition to her forever home.

Ms. King explains the trials and triumphs of caring for a pet as only a true pet lover could. Through her writing the reader understands that sometimes the simpliest acts bring about the most joy if you open your heart to the possibilities.

Ms. King gives voice to the frustations pet lovers face when taking their pets to the vet's office or emergency clinic. Some places work with the pet owners understanding their deep connection to the pets, while others seem to have no feelings in the matter.

The strength and positive attitute of this small, four-legged wonder of nature gave the author the guidance to start trusting your own intuition and inspiration. This lead to Ms. King opening her own business. Buckley taught her to "live in the moment" and not focus so much on the unknown future.

Despite the box of Kleenex I went through, I'd read it again and recommend it for pet lovers as well as non-pet lovers. If you have pets, you'll want to show them more attention after reading this. If you don't have a pet, it's time to adopt one.

For information can be found on Ms.King's website www.ingridking.com

Buckley's Story, Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher by Ingrid King, iUniverse @2009, ISBN: 978-1-4401-6624-2, paperback, 132 pages