Mary Anne is holding Spunky, a used-to-be feral cat who Mary Anne loved on until he became the mascot of Mary Anne’s Liquor Store. Mary Anne had been telling me about which wines were best for serving at Christmas to compliment the Holiday dinner. However, with Spunky in plain view and me not being an alcohol drinker, our conversation quickly shifted to cats and I discovered an amazing Mary Anne. This woman is a bountiful expression of generosity, patience, and a willing good-spirit.

Almost 20 years ago, Mary Anne bought her business, which is located in the middle of an upstate New York Village. She soon found out feral cats were roaming around town and she began feeding them. When Mary Anne realized there were so many, she started catching them to get them spayed or neutered. One mommy cat was so smart and tricky that Mary Anne could not catch or trap her for years. The mommy cat had 67 kittens before Mary Anne finally caught her to get her fixed. But, in the meantime, the mommy cat trusted Mary Anne enough to touch and talk to her kittens and find safe homes for them all.

Mary Anne works closely with the local Humane Society. Stray and unwanted animals are a problem and much of humanity is making the effort to control the problem as humanely as possible. Ring-a-ling, I am reminded, donating to our local Humane Society’s is a wonderful Christmas gift!

From Science and Health:

“Wine. Inspiration; understanding.”

“Animals and mortals metaphorically present the development of human thought, advancing in intelligence, taking form in neuter, androgynous, masculine, or feminine gender. The birds, which fly above the earth in the open expanse of heaven, correspond to aspirations soaring beyond and above limited concepts to the understanding of the unlimited and divine Principle, Love.”