If we listen closely, our animal friends tell us what they need. But we have to be open to getting our ego out of the way and seeing what wants to happen. Good lesson for all parts of life!

A cat named George lived on the property of a rescue group. He had shelter, and someone who fed him, but was pretty much left to himself. He wasn't unfriendly, he was just there. He was outside for a reason.

NOT George, but as cute as....

Attempts to introduce him to the joys of indoor living were met with scorn by George. Unbeknownst to those taking care of him, he had other plans, and it wasn't being where he was. Whenever he was brought inside he would mark all the horizontal surfaces. This was primarily the middle of the caretaker's bed. So she did what a lot of people do. She decided he could live outside. Okay by George. Part 1 of the plan done and done! (Be a little difficult.)

A few years passed, and he got in a fight. He was hurt pretty badly, and the vet, after cleaning him up, decided...

Last week was a tease. This week you get the full story about Bennie-the-street-cat and his pal Muffin.

Bennie lives in Washington state, and he is one of many, many cats my friend Kathleen feeds in the dodgier parts of South Seattle. She is a Warrior and deserves a medal.

Kathleen and another Warrior, Morgan, noticed a huge orange kitty at one of the sites they both support. He has long hair, which mats up something fierce because - street cat, who's got time to groom?

Bennie was pretty friendly, for a fellow from the street. Most of them don't want to have anything to do with people, but he would allow Warrior Kathleen to pet him a little bit while he was eating. She had caught him once to get his mats shaved off and to be neutered, and then because there was no place else for him to go, he went back on the street. 

Bennie has a girlfriend named Muffin. She's pretty friendly too, and had also been trapped, spayed and returned.

Bennie and Muffin "on the street." Bennie looks li...

Without the Jets. (a la Elton John)

Bennie is a street cat.

Let me rephrase. Bennie WAS a street cat. Bennie got rescued, got his mats taken care of, and is going off to a new life. He has a girlfriend, too!

More on the details later.

Meanwhile, here's a picture of Bennie:

Nope, not talking about the TV show, although if you haven't seen it, and its British counterpart (on which the U.S. version is based) I highly recommend it.

I'm talking about how spirit continues even after it leaves the 3-D body. We are consciousness. Consciousness knows no boundaries. And sometimes that consciousness hangs around - and you can always ask it to be present.

When my dad (who believed there was nothing after this 3-D life) passed, he gave me signs that he was still around, and he seemed excited about what he could do now that he wasn't in a body. My mom, on the other hand, knew exactly where she was going when she passed, and I didn't feel her at all. Zzzzzzip! Gone. 

That said, mom will come back from wherever she is and talk to me if I ask for her.

Another thing I thought was interesting: my dad passed about 10 years before my mom, and whenever I'd think of him or have an interaction, he always "looked" in my minds eye like an older man - 60's or older. After my m...