Happy New Year, friends of Faye!

This month, beautiful Faye was one in a handful of kitties who was the recipient of a personally-addressed Christmas gift: a charmingly wrapped bundle of toys and treats just for her. If Faye’s Secret Santa is reading this update, THANK YOU! It made her so happy, and seeing her so happy makes us so happy, and so there’s a lot of joy going around Tabby’s Place as we take our first steps into 2019.

Speaking of joy, I’m on Winter Break this January, and as per usual, I tend to spend the first few quiet weeks of January snuggled up under my favorite blanket, drinking raspberry tea, and binge-watching Netflix. If you’re in-the-know about what’s been trending on Netflix streaming this month, then I’m sure you’ve heard of the Marie Kondo show, “Tidying Up.”

It’s a show based on a book about a not-quite-as-simple-as-it-sounds strategy–known as the #KonMari method–for cleaning and organizing your home. Basically, it requires you to go through all your possessions, hold each one individually in your hands, and retain only those things that (and this is key here) “spark joy.”

Since she wouldn’t dare allow anyone to refer to her as “un-trendy,” Faye, too, has been thinking about what “sparks joy” for her. For example, receiving an unexpected Christmas present from a loving friend: JOY! Heated igloos in the solarium so Faye can still spend as much time as possible in the outside sunshine: JOY! A little stuffed couch donated by one of our wonderful volunteers that Faye has now claimed as her own special princess chair: JOY! Anyone sitting on the floor so Faye can snuggle up into their lap: JOY! Having a happy, healthy month with no medical news to report: JOY! And let’s not forget about food: JOY!

As it turns out, Faye doesn’t have to look too far to see an abundance of joy sparking like crazy all around her. This month, she asked me to ask you what sparks joy in your life. And she asked me to tell you, dear friends, that your friendship is the single biggest spark of joy in hers.

We wish you an abundance of joy this month. We’ll talk again soon, friends. In the meantime, thank you for sparking joy through your love, friendship, and generosity.

Have a beautiful January!