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Sleepy time in his favorite monster bed.

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Layla sometimes "helps" with writing records. However, her contributions usually look like this: nnnndnrkwbxfnd. Very helpful stuff

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Found the best pillowcase!!! And it matches our couches!

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Quora Q&A #3 Why Do Some People Not Want Children?

Having biological children isn't for everyone. For example, I was born with a slew of birth defects which, according to my doctor, may or may not be genetic. I had a club foot, one leg was two inches shorter than the other, my right arm was stiff and could not be moved, I was born without a deltoid muscle in my right shoulder, and I have three fused vertebrae in my neck which damaged the nerves that control the entire right side of my body, causing general muscle weakness. Thanks to modern medicine, five surgeries, and eight years of physical therapy, I am a very happy, mostly functional member of society. I barely even limp. Do I let my medical history slow me down? Of course not! I view every difficulty as a personal challenge that I can overcome. I was told I couldn't go rock climbing, I did it anyway. I was told I wouldn't be able to play the violin, I've been playing the violin since I was nine. I'm stubborn, I'm not a quitter, and I live life to the fullest. However, do I want to bring a child into this world who may or may not inherit my birth defects? Absolutely not. This journey has not been easy. I struggled horribly through physical therapy. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, much less a child. Besides, if I ever want children I can explore adoption.

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Sweet kitten kisses. Jesse doesn't seem to mind a bit ;)

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Little dude is so cuddly when he's sleepy.

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Quora Q&A #2 I can't help it but to say "eww" every time I see gay people kissing. Does that make me homophobic?

I'm going to play devil's advocate here for a minute. I can actually relate to your problem (or whatever we should call it). Many years ago, in a different time and place, I was also a hateful person. It physically made me sick to see gay affection. Many of you (with a Shakespearian level of urgency, I imagine) are now saying, "How can this be, Kat Lightman!?" "You're a glowing pillar in the LGBTQ community, Kat Lightman!" And for that.....I thank you. However, when I was much younger, and much less exposed to the outside world, I was brainwashed by the church of my childhood to hate the gay community with a vengeance. I was vocal about it, because I've always been vocal about the things I believe in. It wasn't really a problem when I was younger because I was surrounded by people who agreed with me and encouraged me to act that way. When I got a little older, though, I found myself surrounded by people who did not agree. I was despised and shunned by my peers because of the things I would say and do. I held out for years. My early teens was a rough patch of water for this swimmer, and as I entered my mid teens, I discovered shame and bullies. As the social repercussions for my actions grew more extreme and more personal, I learned to bite my tongue. Then I met my first living, breathing homosexual. She was nice, pleasant to talk to, hard-working, witty in the right ways, and not even slightly monstrous. After that, I met her girlfriend, who was pregnant, and absolutely glowing with happiness (or maybe it was all the hormones, who knows...) Either way, my point to this lengthy story is this: Saying "eww" when you see gay people kissing, is a *learned *behavior. Someone in your life is hateful and bigoted towards gay people, and you, my friend, have caught the hate-fluenza (see what I did there?) I am also assuming that you don't have many gay friends (probably due to your annoying habit of saying "eww" when they kiss, but you know, I'm no expert). And to that I say, what a shame. We're pretty cool people, and if you grew up a little, you might find out that we're all more alike than we are different. The choice is yours.

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Our other outdoor cat, Dexter, enjoying some fresh H2O

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This is Spot, one of our outdoor kitties enjoying some time indoors

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Quora Q&A #1 What does it feel like to be Anorexic

I’ve never publicly identified myself as anorexic…even on Quora. I toyed with the idea of answering this question anonymously, but I’ve changed my mind. Ever since I was diagnosed about two years ago, I’ve hidden my illness to the point of insanity. I lose weight very easily…. Anorexia is like a permanent glass cell; it impacts my every decision and activity. I’m constantly thinking about my weight and which meal is next. I’ve always been skinny. When I was younger I was just naturally thin. I could eat whatever and however much of anything I wanted, without gaining any weight. Being thin wasn’t even on my radar screen, it was completely natural. But when I turned 22, my metabolism changed completely. The change was almost imperceivable. I gained weight very gradually, but when I went to get my license remade, I suddenly saw a very different version of myself. Holding my old and new license up next to one another was like a lightning bolt. Suddenly, I could see reality clearly. I was fat. It was a shock…I’d never been fat before. The change was hard to take. After that moment at the DMV, every day was a horrifying new nightmare. Every mirror I looked into, every pair of pants that just barely fit anymore, every floorboard that creaked, and every crowded hallway…subconsciously, I could feel every fat roll and imperfection on my body. The solution was simple. Food had gotten me into this situation, and food would get me back out. Meals became so tedious. I cut out dairy first, and then I stretched my diet to cut out regular sodas. Fried foods became my next target, then starchy foods, and after that I removed sweets. But I wasn’t loosing weight fast enough. I could see the results, and I wanted more. After doing some research, I decided that counting calories would be easier and more effective than simply cutting out certain food groups. I dove in headfirst, picking an average calorie intake of 800 calories (always intending to go up in calories once I reached my target weight). I started to see results…and fast. As my weight decreased every meal became harder to eat, and every calorie was harder to record. After a few weeks of my new diet, I added in another critical component, exercise. I began taking bike rides after meals to burn off some of what I ate. I did crunches, and lunges, and sit ups and push ups while I studied. I ran in place, I bounced on my toes, I started feeling guilty if I was still for too long. No one asked any questions so I didn’t provide any answers. I’m sure some people noticed my new behavior, but no one seemed excessively interested. I continued with my dieting and exercising, and one day I was finally rewarded with my target weight glowing on my scale. I had done it! The hard work paid off and I was finally free…or at least that’s what I had always pictured. But the control I now had over my body was deceiving. Once I reached my target weight I was unable to stop. The rush was just too inviting. Every pound lost felt like a touchdown, and I had trained too long to give up right before the Super Bowl. I started exercising harder, pushing myself further and further. I was proud of my accomplishments. I heard the chatter of others, of course, I’m not blind or deaf. People whispered that I was too thin, too….skeletal. I was secretly proud of that word. If I was skeletal, there was no way I could be fat…right? So why was I still seeing the fat in the mirror? It didn’t matter how much weight I lost, I still felt fat. I wish I could wrap up my whole story into a nice little bow, provide all the facts and sentiments needed for closure, and we could all be on our nice little happy ways, but that wouldn’t be realistic. This isn’t a Hollywood film that can be dismissed or denied. I had 552 calories today, and just finished my workout. I’m underweight, and I’m beginning to notice changes. My performance is suffering at work and school. I’m tired all the time now, I’m losing circulation in the tips of my toes and fingers, and my bones seem to creak in the cold or in the rain. The truth is that I don’t know the end of this story, and I can’t pick the right words to clarify my thoughts. I’ll leave this unfinished, and maybe someday I’ll come back to this little corner of Quora, and I’ll bring along some words and maybe a little closure as well. Until then, I hope my answer has been informative.

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Just had a breakup, and this poem really speaks to me

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Scared or mean kitties get the sedation box. Just a behind-the-scenes peek into being a vet tech

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Zombie

7/1/2013 Hello half-dead, zombie, where's your life been all this time? Why can't you remember where your soul went off to die? Dusty footprints, left in haste, in dark and dusty halls, Seem to be the only proof that you exist at all.

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His back legs might not work, but he sure knows how to be a kitten.

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A kitten in a Christmas outfit is exactly what I needed today. Gotta love this spunky dude.

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Settling Fog

6/17/15 6 in the morning and I never slept, Plagued by monsters Suffocated with sleep. Faint glow of classical music Warmth of you beside me. What can sleep bring me But restless images of terror Close my eyes with heavy lead Only to wake in tremors. Morning's light struggling through shutters. Morning's call aching through bones. Bombs scream throughout my skull Mortars fly throughout my world Bullets zip past shaking fingers Pulling back the shaking trigger, Aiming through black ink at imaginary friends and foes. What is this settling fog? Life replaying like a broken record. Childhood of gaps and fears Teenage angst gift-wrapped in tears Adulthood pressing down on broken years. Why tonight? Alone in spirit worlds Charging the foxholes with ammo like mist Supersoaker appears in my shaking hands As if it could dent steel walls of night. Solitary internal turmoil Keeps me up with no repose, Reinforcements far from the battle And me, sleepless, and haunted

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Little dude loves bags and boxes 😂