Roxie and Jean Claude are at their other residence. I miss them but I do welcome the chance to reclaim my home. When they go to CCL’s house, I undercover furniture and put away their toys and their scratching posts . I visit them at CCL’s house. We all need time for solitude and renewal. It allows us to recapture our spirit and reflect on the many blessings from God.
When the Cats Are Away
Baby It’s Cold Outside
Many of you know that Jean Claude pats the windows blind when he wants us to raise them so he can look out at the world. We had some snow recently and it’s still pretty cold so JC doesn’t exercise his option to go outside. JC can go out because he stays in the yard and comes back inside in a reasonable amount of time. Roxie is a bit of tart and once let outdoors feels its her prerogative to hang out all night so she’s pretty much on lockdown.
The Critters Are Still… At My House
Sitting Still
As many of you who read this blog regularly know, Roxie and Jean Claude have two residences: my house and my daughter CCL’s house. CCL was to pick them up from my house Thursday night. Yet as I write this blog Roxie is watching the computer screen intently, perhaps trying to see what I write about her and JC. Yep, they are still here. Although still is not the operative word. Yesterday morning they were fighting like cats and dogs. I say dogs because Jean Claude , a black Bombay, thinks he’s a dog. It was quite a fight – lots of running, leaping screeching, meowing and clawing and fur flying everywhere, mostly Jean Claude’s. Roxie is pretty feisty. Still?? Earlier this morning I went to get one of my winter tops out of the closet. The tops are usually stacked neatly on top of shelf in the closet but Jean Claude has a habit of pulling them out as if sorting them for something to wear. Sure enough, tops scattered everywhere on the closet floor and a sky blue velour top I like is no where to be found. There I said it. Sorry JC now the world knows your secret. JC also knocked down a bag containing CCL’s jewelry wrapped in plastic and began playing with the plastic . He then went to get him something to eat and demanded (by patting on the front window blinds ) I raise the blinds so he could see out the front window. So despite the clothing and jewelry fetish, Jean Claude is all male. In fact he spends a great deal of time in his cave.
Master of My Fate
The last two lines of the poem “Invictus” by William Henley are:
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.I have a copy of this poem in my house since I’m a Delta. But the last two lines are lines that everyone knows. I thought of this because Azeena has me addicted to a game called Harbor Master. The point of the game (which is played on a touchscreen device) is to guide ships in and out of the harbor safely after they have docked and unloaded their cargo. In the beginning it’s easy with few ships, but as you get further into the game, ships come at varying speeds and you need much better navigational skills. As harbor master, you’ll have a lot going on.
With cats, there’s always craziness at the house. Anyone with more than two cats will always have some story about something turned over, broken, peed on, scratched, chewed and the list goes on. But while you can’t control the cats, you can control your response. You are the master of your fate. To often we feel like we are trapped by circumstance, when we are trapped by our own inability to feel like we can act. You can’t guarantee the outcome, but you can have the choice. For example, if you don’t like your job you can quit. You might not be able to find another job, but at least you won’t be in the old one. If you are in a relationship that isn’t working out, you have the choice to leave or change your behavior. The other person may not respond the way you want them to, but you have a choice.
In fact, the only area of my life where I am NOT the captain of my fate is trying to keep Roxie out of trouble and Jean-Claude inside. Cats are animals that you can’t master. I have mastered responding to their signals for “feed me now” “play time” and “change the litterbox” so maybe they are truly the masters of my fate.
A Necessary Guest
They say sadness often arrives before change. For some of us it can be a welcome even comforting feeling in that the grief, the denial, the hurt we buried for so long hoping for a different outcome is finally released. With sadness we are set forth in a sea of change. Sometimes it’s change that’s causing the sadness but we have an opportunity. We can become courageous. Change is often for the better. The journey to its creation is sometimes filled with tears, misgiving, regret and then hope, clarity, insight, growth and action.
Cats & All That ™ 