My kitty
His name is Jet
He speaks to me
with a soft meow
or just a polite sit and stare
when food prep is in the offing.
We have learned to translate
from feline to human
and back again ~
a quiet conversation with meaning.
“Cats seem to go on the principle that
it never does any harm to ask for what you want.”
~ Joseph Wood Krutch, author, critic and naturalist
(1893 - 1970)
Why wasn’t I told?
I am not perfect!
I am just another human being.
Why wasn’t I told?
That perfectionists are kind of nerdy.
That being human means enough.
Why wasn’t I told?
That being perfect takes energy!
That being human allows me to dance to my own tune.
Why wasn’t I told?
I am not perfect! I knew that!
I am just another human being. Ok, I guess I'll take that.
“On Tolkien: ‘His fussiness threatened to overwhelm his creativity.’”
~Alister E. McGrath: C.S.Lewis:
A Life: Eccentric Genius, Reluctant Prophet
the manner of your death
but by the entirety of your life.
Each stitch and thread
I cannot know, but I do know
that there was joy and much hard
work with little real rest.
Those times when you were lost
the bread still got baked,
the kids off to school.
Were you perfect?
No. You were as human as us all.
Do I have you on a pedestal?
In my child’s eyes, I may have, but
with the supposed wisdom of my 77 years,
I’ve allowed you to come down to earth
where you can be loved just as you were.
“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.”
~ Socrates
My home is a comfortable one. Until the human that feeds me decides to upset everything, Cleaning she calls it, muttering about my cat hair. The little carpets that really are mine, get tossed outdoors, but I’m not allowed to follow. All my toys were hidden. And that wasn’t all. Just when I thought she was done with all her carrying on, she made delicious smelling food. I was drooling, sure I’d get some good scraps. But no. She took my blanket off of my bed where we sat together! Someone banged on our door and horror of horror’s two tiny humans came in! And two more big ones! That set my ears and tail twitching and sent me diving under a chair where I could watch them. On any ordinary day, I’d sleep all evening until she stopped the noisy flashing pictures to feed me. So I did not get any sleep at all. Well, I was awake at night to prowl and play. But today, I have been exhausted. A blanket back in place for me. No little humans to try to pet me, be nice to me, talk to me in a language that makes no sense at all. The littlest one just would not leave me alone unless I hid under the bed but I had come out to watch them. I just never know where they will be or what they will do.
“A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings for
one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.”
~ Ernest Hemingway
Entertaining them was a stressful situation. Well, not them, but her. You know ~ the one that feeds me. I know what happened. I did keep quiet about it ~ very quiet ~ she had changed my litter without telling me. No warning! Cats do not like that - especially this cat. So I just laid about until I was quite unwell. Back and forth to some sort of strange places. Poked and prodded. Got lots of petting and respect of course. Entertaining these humans was not stressful at all.
All is well again. I have a new food that’s quite delicious. And I’m more handsome than ever! My coat has become ever so gorgeous.
I will try to avoid that nasty situation again ~ it was far too stressful.
“Cats are a mysterious kind of folk.”
~ Sir Walter Scott
A Feline Rant
I am healthy, handsome cat.
Finally. Going outside. But in the little cozy thing my human carries me in. Instead of letting me out to chase the squirrel I always see ~ which I wouldn’t have done anyway because I just detest the snow, I was carted off to a place that made my nose twitch. Quite unceremoniously, the box I was in was turned upside down. Poked and prodded by a human I didn’t even have time to smell. The final indignity? He pulled up a piece of my skin ~ without even asking! ~ and poked me with something sharper than my claws. I was so unnerved and offended!
Oh, I’ve forgiven her ~ after all she does feed me.
“I’m a cat. We aren’t required to make sense.”
~ Seanan McGuire, A Local Habitation
Curiouser and curiouser…..
I prowled and paced.
nosed in corners, cushions
and behind the drapes.
Today, my favourite chair
held a strong human scent ~ the little one who looks like a small human
~ nowhere to be seen or heard ~
Curling up, I slept.
“Curiosity has its own reason for existence.”
~ Albert Einstein
“Intuition lives inside all cats ~ as everyone knows. Humans seem to share that quality. She knew that my comfort was of critical importance. A beautiful new blanket; a soft velvety pillow. She did mutter something with her strange noises. Something like ‘cat hair’. Oh well, as long as I can stretch out, relax and be fed on time all is well.”
“Cats are connoisseurs of comfort.”
~ James Herriot
Interesting.
‘Everything takes longer than you think it will’…
Of course it does!
Phones ring
People drop in
Never let you get on with your work!
And then there’s not the right equipment or the cleaning supplies haven’t been refilled
And uncertainty fills the void ~
Time to make coffee
Find the last cookie in the jar
Breathe
Chuckle, take a delicious sip of coffee,
Laugh at the comedy of errors and omissions
Turn some great C&W - or jazz - or Big Band music on
Gather yourself, your boots and your tools.
Quit, put them away or
Finish the job and smile.
“A comedy isn’t about being funny. A comedy is about characters
who dare to know that they may choose a happy ending after all.”
~ Gary D. Schmidt
I have felt small ~
but not insignificant
I have felt alone ~
but seldom lonely
I have felt deep melancholy ~
healing begins in the deep.
I have felt vulnerable ~
but recognize my strength.
I have felt afraid ~
but appreciate my fear.
I have felt all my feelings ~
and know that I am human.
“The emotion that can break your heart is
sometimes the very one that heals it.”
~ Nicholas Sparks
“Do you see that human coming toward us, Fredrick? Do you think our chicks are hidden? The grasses are so thin here.”
“We’ll just keep it in our sight. Humans seem to be cautious around us. Just stand tall…….See…It’s backing away. We’ll all be just fine.”
~~~~~
Fredrick was right. I am cautious around geese. Especially with a clutch of six chicks!
“Perhaps it takes courage to raise children.”
~ John Steinbeck, East of Eden
In the Barn
Phillip snuffled and blew clouds into the winter air, pawed the snow impatient to get out of the cold. His constant companion, Emily, trotted up beside him. Prairie winters were unpredictable with driving wind and snow that often kept them in the barn. They did both liked winter, but Phillip’s joints were feeling the cold more than his young friend. He had to keep moving while they were outside and envied the energy that Emily had. He would nod his head at her as she galloped around their yard. Even that movement grew more uncomfortable as the days progressed. On the severest cold days, they were only walked around and returned to the warmth of the barn. The two young humans who cared for them always made sure they had clean blankets on, were fed and watered and their stalls cleaned out.
“Here we are, you two. Emily, time to stop playing and come into the barn. It’s going to get too windy and much colder tonight. You know Phillip is ready to get warmed up.”
Mischievous Emily turned away and took a run around the corral. Phillip just snorted and walked into the barn. “Let’s get you settled while my brother gets that crazy girl in here. At least you both have good heavy winter coats. She’ll let Harold bring her in when she realizes you won’t be coming out.”
Getting their horses in from the cold was much greater for the brother and sister than just doing chores. The pandemic in their community had isolated them from their school friends and any community events. Their small town had suffered too many losses of friends and some family. Early on there was a general disbelief that the virus was anything more that something that happened to other people in other places. Some didn’t even believe it existed. That is until people started falling ill and being taken into the city hospital. Some didn’t return.
Phillip and Emily didn’t know anything about why, but they both knew that their humans seemed to walk with the night around them. A night that brightened when they were with the two horses. Emily’s teasing made them even brighter. Phillip’s step was easier when they were around. Harold and his sister, Jenny, always spent extra time with the two horses, even after all the chores were done. The strange, but comforting, relationship between the four always took the edge off of the cold.
“Horses change lives. They give our young people confidence
and self -esteem. They provide peace and tranquility
to troubled souls, they give us hope.”
~ Toni Robinson
Or - we could make a deal.
I will not get on the cupboard or the table whenever you are in the room.”
Me: “Or my little freezer.”
Jet: “Why? I need that space.”
Me: “Too close to the cupboard, that has to be part of the deal.”
Jet: “It’s closer to the back door. I'm still working on getting the lock open.” (She thinks I can really open that thing.)
Me: (He’ll never be able to open that lock.)
“On second thought, I suppose I could - maybe - I could let that one go.”
Jet: (I knew she’d cave. Close to the door - close to the cupboard - that’s the real deal.)
“Never try to outstubborn a cat.”
~ Robert A. Heinlein, Time enough for Love
