Spread the Joy: Advent 2025: Day 5

Data, Lily and Eddy.  These 3 babies were products of today's featured charity. All 3 are cats and thanks to the love, care and dedication of the ASPCA, had a loving, warm home and a furever place in the heart of my bride and myself for just a few short years. 

I also cannot forget my dog Lassie whom I owned before I met my wife!

I know that the ASPCA has had some controversy in the past with the culling of animals. But I also know that this is the exception- not the rule. Yes, unfortunately, there are some animals that are so abused, malnourished and mistreated that it's not possible to rehabilitate. But there are now hundreds of charities out there that cater to the fostering of pets that the ASPCA works in cooperation with those organizations to give every possible animal a chance at a happy home. Plus our local shelters will cut adoption fees to nearly $0 to get the animals into a forever home so that when they get overcrowded, they don't have to put them to sleep.

Yes- my family supports the ASPCA- warts and all. We love them so much that we've covered adoption fees for other kitties so that other families can experience the joy of adopting a fur baby of there own! Heck, we'd continue to adopt from the ASPCA if we didn't keep getting strays showing up on our door. But thankfully, that's meant we've been blessed to keep them rather than have to take them to the shelter and add to the shelter's already overflowing levels of capacity.

The Garner, NC shelter where we adopted Lily. AKA- The Donut Shop.

If helping our four legged friends find a furever home, you can do more than just donate here; or check out a huge database of kitties and puppies needing adoption. But don't overlook the shy guys, the veterans who have been there a long time, the re-homes whose owners passed away or gave up on them or those with injuries or illnesses. We've adopted a wide arrange of kitties with special needs and have enjoyed our years with them!

Hearing Things (Family Comic Friday)

Tim and his sister are new in town. Tim likes to record interesting sounds he's encountered during his daily walks and incorporate them into his sister's music which is inspired by horror movies. However his sister is feeling uninspired and depressed. Martha has had trouble making friends since their move and is considering quitting music altogether.

Tim, joined by his cat, Frankie, decides to explore a creepy abandoned house in hopes of capturing some spooky sound effects that will bring Martha out of her depression. Yet when Tim and Frankie climb over the estate's stone fence they discover that the entire area is devoid of sound. How can Tim prevent his sister from quitting music, which is her passion, if he cannot record any scary sounds?

Hearing Things was an awesome read by newcomer Ben Spears. I thought it would be a quaint little read for the month of October. I wasn't aware of how explosive a read it was going to be. Tim's cat Frankie steals the show. Such a funny character with so much life and energy. I couldn't stop marveling at Frankie.

Not to ruin the surprise, but this book ends up being a ghost story with charm and decorum. The pair of spooks might look a little scary. But they're harmless. In fact, one of them gets startled by Frankie.

I hope this isn't the last we see of Tim and Frankie. I probably would be okay without a return of the ghosts, though they were great characters as well. I just think it would be wrong to never get more of the pantomimes of Frankie the Cat or another recording session of sounds with Tim. 

This 2024 book is part of the Toon Books series edited by Francoise Mouly. I've been a fan of these books which introduce readers to dynamic new creators as well as translated readers from across the globe that would have been ignored by American readers without the efforts of Mouly. 

Spooky. Charming. Funny. A read that might produce a few chills but has a heartwarming ending as well as some unforgettable characters. Hearing Things is a book perfect for this time of year and is sure to become an annual classic.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.