For Auld Lang Syne, Dear Readers

In 1788, when Robert Burns sent Auld Lang Syne to the Scots Musical Museum, he made a point to tell them that he was not the originator of the song. Rather, it had been sung in Scotland for generations. He just had the good luck of putting pen to paper and recording it for posterity. Translated, auld lang syne means for old time’s sake. The song is about the nostalgia of reflecting on all the events that have transpired in the last year, particularly paying heed to the preservation of old friendships. It’s a song about community, fostering a sense of fellowship and belonging for all.

Today, I’m taking a moment to reflect with you, dear readers, on the different things we’ve done together as a community here at Whiskers On Kittens. There are so many posts that I loved this year, and that you loved, too. So, please join me on this stroll down memory lane.

Stashing Through the Snow…

Well, mon ami, the most popular post at Whiskers On Kittens this year debuted during Moustache March when Whiskers was in the throes of March Murder Madness. The Little Grey Cells and Hercule Poirot is all about the magnificently moustachioed Belgian detective with a penchant for Hot Cocoa- and who can blame the man. This post introduces you to Agatha Christie's fastidious detective as well as give reading recommendations and movie suggestions for you to further explore the character. And, OH! What a character!

And if that’s not enough Moustache for you, have no fear. There were several other posts at Whiskers that dealt with… well, whiskers.

Inspiration comes from so many odd sources. The one for this post came from the much talked of tickler that graced Henry Cavill’s face in the new Mission: Impossible Fallout. Since said moustache caused quite a riot, it got me thinking of another stashes that have made their mark in history. The Homage to the Moustache is a whimsical look at all those fine fellows who wore their whiskers with pride.

In Memoria: #ShavedButNotForgotten is a post I planned on writing at the onset of Moustache March to unpack where the tradition of growing out one’s moustache came from in the United States Air Force. The writing of said post also happen to coincide with the shaving off of another famous moustache, right at the end of March, no less. For a little dive into history and some fun on the side, check this post out.

Levidromers Unite…

Having discovered the Levidrome movement at the end of 2017, we fully embraced it here at Whiskers On Kittens throughout the whole of 2018. There were numerous posts about what was happening out there to the new fledgling word Levi Budd coined. I’m happy to say that Levidrome is being used more and more out there in cyber world, and, hopefully, in the new year, it will achieve it’s induction into the Oxford English Dictionary.

The quest to get the word levidrome into the OED has created new and fun ways that levidromers can use the word. One of the most fun I’ve discovered is the Levidrome Cryptic Clues that Lucky Budd and other levidromers tweet daily on Twitter. This post compiled some of my favorites from other levidromers as well as a few originals, too. So, if you’re looking for a way to exercise your little grey cells, then check out this Words to Love post.

Since the Levidrome Cryptic Clue is a daily challenge on Twitter, not to mention that there are more and more levidromers trying their hand at it, the cryptic clues have been piling up necessitating a second Words to Love: Levidrome Cryptic Clues post at Whiskers. This one has a variety of different clues with a link, like the one above, to the answers. The answers come complete with explanations, too. So, put on your thinking cap and dive right on in.

Courage, Dear Readers…

Courage and bravery is a theme that has woven its way throughout a great many posts here at Whiskers On Kittens starting in 2017 with Never, Never, Never Settle. In Trust Your Core, I wrote about how important it is to remind yourself of your Why, particularly when your dreams and hopes seem so far away. That’s an act of courage. It takes bravery.

When you have a vision for something you want to see happen in your life, there is a necessary thing you must undergo in order to achieve success in that endeavor: preparation. In Decide Your Endgame Now, I talk about the importance of preparing when no one is looking. Even more important than preparing is fostering the mindset that you will achieve your endgame. Period.

Fear Your Mind was part of a series of posts, starting with Words to Love: Let’s Get Aggressive, that deals with how important it is to be aware of what words we speak about ourselves and to ourselves. Our thoughts are important, too. When doubts and insecurities try to root themselves in your mind, there’s only on thing to do: Free Your Mind. This post talks about practical ways to do just that.

Every so often someone unexpected comes along and shakes up the status quo. Oftentimes, that person is not even trying to shake things up. That’s what happened with Clifford Young, a sheep farmer who wanted to run in a marathon. He didn’t train for it. He didn’t have the appropriate gear. No one believed he would succeed. But he learned something amazing. When you Take The Limits Off, you can achieve true greatness.

Ever feel like giving up? I have. It’s a real emotion that we all have to contend with from time to time. When we’re in the sloughs of despond, more than ever, we need to not relax our courage. We need to stay consistent, slugging through the dregs when it’s the last thing we want to do. Word to Love: Do Not Relax Your Courage is all about how to stay consistent in tough times.

Champagne for New Year’s Eve…

This year at Whiskers On Kittens, there were a bevy of Lines to Love posts with topics ranging from lines from books to coffee or tea to breakfast to Winnie-the-Pooh. Lines to Love: Pop the Cork is full of witty and sophisticated quotes from some of the greatest writers and drinkers of our time. Enjoy!

While not precisely lines you could quote for their pithy or witty quality, Breakfast at Whiskers is all about idioms with which we pepper our everyday language. And, you guessed it, each idiom has to do with breakfast food.

The debate whether coffee or tea is better has waged for centuries. One of the best things about that debate is that it has provided quotes from numerous sources about both beverages. And, because I happen to enjoy both, Line to Love: Tea or Coffee gives both sides of the argument.

For a bear of very little brain, Winnie-the-Pooh happens to spout wisdom that would make some of the highest IQs stop and listen. That’s the great thing about Pooh bear. He distills everything down to simple understandings that harbor the most profound insights. Lines to Love: In the 100 Aker Wood is full of Winnie’s musings and conclusions and insights. All will make you smile and warm your heart.

Shakespeare gets a bum rap. Yeah, he writes in iambic pentameter which is definitely out of the common way, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t be understood. Moreover, it doesn’t mean he should be overlooked, either. Lines to Love: So May the Outward Shows is a line by line analysis of one of Shakespeare’s best soliloquies. Trust me, by the end of this post, you’ll be quoting Bassanio, too.

When Famous People Inspire…

Whether it’s an actor or a sports personality, famous people came be quite the inspiration. This year, inspiration was found in such disparate places as on the silver screen with a summer blockbuster (Take the Mission), watching an actor’s dedication to his work, seeing an actor embrace a new path that opens up doors no one expected, or seeing two overlooked Formula One racers get their just desserts.

When in the course of reading all the exploits Tom Cruise achieved in his newest Mission: Impossible Fallout, I was left revisiting past performance from the actor that have left indelible marks on me. This post chronicles several films by Mr. Cruise that you can put on at any time to give yourself a jolt of inspiration. So, if you need something to galvanize your spirit, then Put It In Cruise Control.

McLaren driver and former F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso has had nothing but heartache where his Formula One racing is concerned. This year was no different. He had more Did Not Finish results for races than actual finishes, to say nothing of putting up points. But, if anyone thought Alonso was past his prime, let the awesome results at Le Mans clear that up. If you are facing a situation where you think nothing is changing, let Alonso show you that all is not lost and there is always room for hope in And Then You Win Le Mans.

Keanu Reeves is definitely a favorite of mine. However, being a fellow motorcycle enthusiast, I have enjoyed watching his pet project- ARCH motorcycles- hit the ground running. For the Super Bowl, Squarespace teamed up with the visionaries behind ARCH motorcycles to deliver this commercial which is the marshaling cry of every creative. Need some inspiration to keep on trucking, then check out Make It Happen.

Daniel Ricciardo has had a tough road to drive for the last several seasons. However, the poetic justice of his Grand Prix weekend in Monaco this year is hard to top. Where he was denied the win two years prior through no fault of his own, this year Ricciardo achieved something that is so much more than a win. And he did it doing something we all can do. Check out Redemption. Served Neat.

Need a Break?

If all that running around and racing and marshaling you to action has left you a bit exhausted, then I have a slew of posts just for you. Starting with Selah Moments, I did a series of posts all about the importance of pausing. It’s a reminder we all need in this fast paced society.

Paul Simon once wrote Slow down, you’re moving too fast. You’ve got to make the moment last. We are a fast paced society. If we don’t intentionally take time to slow down, then we will get pulled hither and yon, often losing our focus and, in time, our joy. We need to pause. We need to embrace The Caesura Effect.

We all want to be content. To find joy in our everyday lives. It can be quite the project. However, Finding the Sunny Side is about a sure shot way you make sure your life is full of contentment and happiness.

Short Stories Galore…

While I blog about a bunch of different things, one of my favorite things to do is make up stories. I love to write them. This year saw the publication of several short stories here at Whiskers On Kittens. Whether they were character sketches of minor characters in the novel currently on the drafting table, like Something’s Gotta Give, or complete little vignettes, there was a lot of fiction going up at Whiskers.

The Problem with Greatness is a short story of which I am immensely proud. Perhaps it’s because I could write about Formula One, as the main male character, Leif, is a retiring F1 driver. Or maybe it’s because it takes place out in California. Or just maybe it’s because the characters, particularly the sisters Antionette and Colette, achieve tremendous arc. Regardless, this shorts story in three parts and three points of view is a worthwhile read.

To The Sticking Place is what happens when your husband dares you to try your hand at writing a smutty romance scene. While that’s not what happened here, there is plenty of humor and little steam, too. And lots of Shakespeare. Or, people making fun of Shakespeare. Don’t worry, Billy gets the last laugh in this one.

The short story Through a Bookcase Darkly was not what I expected to write. In fact, it’s very different from anything I’ve written to date. The main character Elinor is prone to hyperbole rendering even the most mundane of situations hysterical with her overactive imagination. She’s the sort of heroine who would get along swimmingly with Catherine Moreland from Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. If you like old houses, secret passageways, and mysterious things that go bump in the night all tied together with a string of humor, then this two part story is just the thing for you.

Giveaway Galore!

This year, Whiskers On Kittens hosted several successful book giveaways. Here’s a little hint about 2019: There’s more where that came from.

At the start of 2018, Lauren Willig did Whiskers a huge favor by signing a copy of her latest book, The English Wife, to giveaway on the blog.

A longtime fan of Dean Koontz, it was my greatest pleasure to give away two sets of his latest series- The Jane Hawk series- in October. And, being the outstanding author he is, Mr. Koontz signed and inscribed all the books, too.

I could very easily sit here and wax on about all the posts that were published at Whiskers On Kittens in the last year. However, I will stop myself here. Which was your favorite post from 2018? I’d love to know. Please leave a comment in the comment section below letting me know.

However, if you’re looking for good movie, music, or book recommendations, feel free to peruse the links below, broken down by category.