Tomorrow we are two days from a new year. For some folks and critters a new year symbolizes a new beginning, a clean start ,an empty slate. For others the new year brings a chance to purge the memories of the past. For Roxie and Jean Claude this year has been quite something and they have had an adverturous and rather splendid holiday season, spending time at my house and at CCL’s house. Although they escaped twice from CCL’s during Christmas dinner – sorry CCL but it was small bag of trash that had to be taken outside. They really seemed to enjoy Christmas dinner with family at CCL’s. Roxie and Jean Claude are a favorite of my aunt Fran who doesn’t like cats but is very entertained by this duo. Yes they performed for her and showed her love and attention, rubbing her leg and jumping on the back of her chair and running across. Animals entertain and love and nuture us. We should show our furry friends love and attention too. Do your part to support the Washington Animal Rescue League – www.warl.org or the Animal Rescue league in your town.
Tat a Tat As the Holiday Season Goes
Rest/Peace/Play
Jean Claude at Christmas
Jean Claude likes to curl up under the live Christmas tree at my house. He just goes and sits under the tree and sleeps. Roxie prefers to sit on the sofa and watch the tree for the most part. Really this is the first year they’ve done this…lots has changed this year.
The other day a friend dropped off a gift in the dead of night. I opened the door to retrieve it, and unbeknownst to me Roxie flew out the front door. The next morning I noticed she was not in my face asking for her breakfast. Where is Roxie?? I placed an anxious call to a relaxed but sleepy CCL. I then decided to go out the front door after hearing the fant cries of a cat. Sure enough Roxie was on my neighbor Bonnie’s porch (home of JC’s pal the dog ‘Six’). Roxie was crying for her life to be let in that house. I stood at the fence where she noticed me and raced down the steps, still not sure how she could get out of this predicament. Shortly thereafter, I opened the gate and scooped her up and walked with her back to my house. ( and yes she was a bit fussy). Once inside my house Roxie went straight for food and resumed her spot on the ottoman, watching the world.
Finding Inspiration
Burmese Cat Filmed on black velvet
I saw this watching Big Cat week on National Geographic. This tiny lion cub touched me. His tenacity, his unwillingness to give up. In the end, he had to be left, but I wish that I had more of junior’s drive. Rewatching this video moved me to tears for sure
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/wild/community/blogs/inside-wild/
Big Cats are going away and you can help them at – causeanuproar.org.
An easy way to donate is to text “lions” to 50555 and you can donate $10 to help save the Big Cats
Christmas Meow
The Tree
I just let Jean Claude off th back porch. I was in the kitchen cooking and he went out to the porch pantry to play with some fake garland I got out of the garage for CCL’s house. Of course I forg0t he was out there and after I got my cooking supplies closed the porch door. But he’s back in the house now. JC and Roxie always enjoy the Christmas holiday. They like the decorations and the music especially, Roxie. Last night I saw them cuddled together on the sofa just watching the Christmas lights. Just quietly watching. Today I had Bing Crosby singing “White Christmas” on the Ipod. Both cats sat perfectly still just relaxing. .
Loneliness is Something You Do To Yourself
For years I’ve identified as an “I” on the Briggs Myers Personality Scale but I also realize that I’m given to too some self centeredness and a need to be alone. Still, after a brief period of solititude and not welcoming people and places into my life I feel myself coming back. Once again I am reaching out to people and things that I had pushed away or left in the background. The late author Merle Shain was a Canadian author I heard years ago do an interview with Larry King on his radio show . Shain wrote in her book “When Lovers Are Friends ” that loneliness is something you do to yourself. It has taken me years to understand that concept. Lately I’ve watched my married friends more closely. Some really do seem to like each other. Some barely tolerate each other. I watched this weekend as a married friend expressed her loneliness and bitterness in small, hostile ways to those attending a party at my house. I realize it was not my job to save her. She knew better than I…but not enough to take the “I” out of her equation . It seemed to me that that her husband not “acting” right was not the key to her misery but her own inability to love herself. Love is something that must be expressed and revealed to others with no conditions, otherwise it is anything but love. I also realize that folks ought to like each other too in romantic partnerships. Jean Claude and Roxie, a boy and a girl, are the best of friends. They like their alone time and they give each other space to go and grow. They also have different tastes – Jean Claude likes boxes and furry sticks. Roxie likes laser toys and Mariah Carey. Yet they have points of commonality such as filtered water and scratching post boxes. They show affection for each other often but often let each other just be – without judgement or fear of loneliness.
Cats & All That ™ 