: About Me

So, what's in a name?

Well, in my case, there are two main reasons for my "unusual" name:

You see, I'm a full time practising Pagan and a member of the clergy too. "Mouse" is the path name that I took and is in honour of my totem animal. Virtually all my credentials (including with the International Church of Spiritual Humanism and the Temple of Wicca, via whom I am ordained) are in the name Mouse Laity.

The other reason is that I also run a small expressive arts and craft-based business and MrsMouse is my brand. That too has me as Mouse Laity. - I keep the bulk of my personal papers in that name too. Even other pieces of writing that I've self-published or published elsewhere are in this name.

I am a disabled, actor, expressive artist and living history practitioner, with Humanist with Pagan leanings. I am also a divorcee and mother of three. I live in Ireland (where I am a "Paralion" or prospective Paralympian) with my partner; four cats (Loki - in the picture; Kleo - yes, as in the Muse of History and Poetry; Mogwai; and Shadow our stowaway/adoptee) ; and four fish (Rebo & Zuti; Jethro & Denzel).

I love reading; writing; studying & teaching (I teach for an online Institute); cooking; plants; herbs; gardening; crystals; runes; tarot; tea leaf reading; craft; hedgerow basketry; art; history (particularly Celtic and Medieval, with a side interest in Skjoldmo - viking female warriors); genealogy; bookcrossing; candle making; recycling; junkbox modelling; photography; expressive and performing arts; .

I speak several languages, my strongest second languages are: French; Gailge; and British Sign Language (including sign support english)

I also have qualifications in:
Teaching Adults (C&G 7307i certificate)
Feline Majick (certificate)
Cookery & Kitchen Majick (certificate)
Spell & Ritual writing (certificate)

Since finishing my First Degree Priestess training in 2008 (Associates' Degree in Alternate Theologies), I am now ordained Humanist, Pagan & Interfaith Clergy.

I am currently studying for a BA(Hons) in Theatre via distance learning.

I also write first reader photo books for small children and for ALDD adults in my spare time and do voluntary work as a peer counselor for rape and domestic violence survivors.

I have three long-term writing projects.

The first is a trivia encyclopaedia called "Completely Useless Facts" - the rules for inclusion is that, the submission must be a) verifiable; b) beyond trivia quizzes, the kind of thing people would be hugely unlikely to need to know (it's harder than it appears, believe me!)

The second is a book of family recipes and crafts. I'm particularly interested in family variations & foibles. This started as a project for my family (Laity) but has expanded, initially due to relatives who've married out into wider families, then I thought it would be interesting to expand further and make it into a sort of anthropological scrapbook/snapshot. I'm also looking for co-authors for this project, as I'm not completely sure on the direction it should take.

The third I'm particularly proud of! I'm very honoured to be writing a screenplay from a novel written by one of my former Primary School Teachers, who's generously allowed me to adapt his work.

I have had articles, short stories, essays and poems in print in various places since 1995.

My passion is ...

Life & My Kids

I know too much about ...

descrimination - particularly against Pagans and disabled people. The one thing I hate is that, people seem to think that if you're young and have a disability, then you're clearly not trying hard enough to "be normal" and that it's their right to point this out to you and try to motivate you to become "normal". - Big news flash for the world: Sometimes, young people end up (or start out) disabled too and our lives are just as valid as yours - not your definition of "normal" - much better!

My parents always told me ...

You must know something or you'll believe anything.

My childhood ambition ...

To be a dancer

My favorite memory ...

First Cuddles with my kids

Why I write ...

Lack of storage in the brain mostly (that's how A.B.I. can work)

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

Anything by Diana Gabaldon - I love her work. Anything written from the heart. Beyond that, just learning various scripts at the moment. I also just finished reading "Good Omens" by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett - it was terrific!

My first job ...

Stage Technician

My inspiration ...

Life, the kids, people, places, things - when you train as an actor the first thing you learn is to experience life & to draw on it.

Pets & Animals > Cat Care & Health How to bathe a cat

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Especially if your cat is light coloured or indeed white, there will inevitably come a time when s/he gets filthy in something (perhaps engine oil from rubbing under cars as my youngest does) that would be bad for them to be ingesting by licking themselves clean. At that point, a bath becomes absolutely necessary. If you are extremely lucky, then you may just have one of the very few cats who actually likes water. (It does happen, I used to have a cat who had to be physically prevented from attempting to share the bath with anyone who occupied it) Failing that, the next most ideal scenario...

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