Cat Tale

I dreamed the dinner table was set with china, silver, crystal, and lace cloth. Mo brought in a live mouse, climbed into a chair and put the mouse on a plate. Of course, the mouse jumped off the table, and I thought, "Now we've got a mouse in the house. The Cook's man would want me to report this," but I knew I wouldn't.

Talented Bird

Tufted Titmouse

Standing on the deck in the sunshine, I kept hearing a bird go, "deeter-deeter-deeter." I looked that call up online, and turns out it was a tufted titmouse. When the Oak Trail apartments were new, Bob and I lived in the highest building in the community. A pair of these birds would sit on my balcony, and one of them would sing a beautiful call that sounded like Maria Callas.  I think they can make most any sound they like. Sometimes they sound like a cat mewing.

I can't find a photo of Bob, but this is a sketch I made of him about 1982. His spots were ginger-colored.

Bob

***

I have felt so good today. Thank you, Jesus!

I Call Him/Her "Bob."

What would you call him?

 

I have mixed feelings about this.

 

***

 

Well, after he partook of refreshments, I let him out but left the screen door ajar so he could get back in the house if he chose. But he apparently had other fish to fry, and he disappeared. If he comes back, okay, and if he doesn't, okay.

Entertainment

I just watched a little movie of "The Bowery Boys," Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall and them. Made back when comedy (slapstick) was sort of funny. This one featured a giant mobster named Patsy, who threw the guys around somewhat but finally got nabbed.

I guess that was the best thing I've seen on TV this week, that I hadn't already seen. And I may have seen it back in 1946. Now, TCM is showing silent films, and Hallmark has quit showing "Murder She Wrote" and "Diagnosis Murder," in favor of an endless flow of new insipid little romances with a Christmas theme.

On Thursday, I did watch the finale of "Project Runway," but the B.B.'s were better.

***

Yesterday, after one unsuccessful day of trying to get Walmart to take my money, I finally succeeded in paying $326 for three prescriptions. On Thursday their computer wouldn't take my check or my credit card, so I had to go to the bank next day and explain to the handsome manager that my checks wouldn't go through, get the money, and trek back to Walmart. The first four Rx's cost $50, which I had paid with the credit card after two or three attempts.

The $300 ones were for 90-day supplies, so they'll last until February. But they did cost the grocery money for this month. Luckily, I've got the pantry and freezer full of comestibles. And some Halloween candy.

***

This morning, the cat I was dreaming that was curled up on the bed against me, jumped off the bed and woke me up.

Sometimes I Walk Backwards

It saves a lot of twisting and turning.

 

I reckon (Heaven help me!) I'm going to have to get a cat. I keep dreaming about stumbling over a cat in the kitchen: a black cat, a tabby cat, a poor little mangey white kitten.

I reckon (Heaven help me!) I'm going to have to get a cat. And a litter box, and a collar, and a veterinarian.

Son plat prefere.

C'est la premiere fois que je l'ai mange un cantaloup depuis Mo est decede. Il me manqué, et j'espere que le Rainbow Bridge est un lieu reel.

O

  0

    o

 

*

All Together Now:

 



From CongoCoons

None of these are for sale. C-C's only available kittens are dark colored, and most of them are reserved already.

This looks like Little Darcy. If he were for sale, I couldn't resist.

Calico

This is the color I like best.

Sweet baby!

Great White

 

I'm not sure, but the prices seem to have risen a lot since I saw this back in the winter.

 

When you buy a kitten,, they include a pet carrier and a bunch of other stuff, plus registration papers and an optional insurance policy.

 

***

One night I dreamed that Jed and I were in Iceland, for the wedding of one of his friends. The wedding was over, and we six out-of-Iceland wedding guests had slept wrapped up in blankets on the floor of what looked like a wooden barn or shed. Besides Jed and me, there were a couple of his other friends, and a father-and-son pair who looked just alike except the father was short and the son was tall.

 

I had got up early and packed everybody's belongings, and I was walking around putting their bags beside them, when the son appeared fully dressed and ready to leave.

 

"You're up early," I said.

 

"Yes," he said. "I'm leaving. I'm headed north."

 

I said, "What on earth is north of Iceland?"

 

He just laughed and left.

 

Progress

Pat and India brought me this lovely bouquet the day I came home from the hospital, and it's still fresh and pretty.

I've had several home health visits, from Steve, Anne Marie and Dan, who have shown me new easy exercises to add to my routine. Mostly they just want me to walk, so I try to do several laps a day around the house, inside and outside.

Some time ago, I saved up enough cash to get my kitchen painted. Now that the smoking issue is resolved--I lit one and it nearly knocked my head off so I'm quits there--I thought I should be able to save for another special project.

Maine Coon!

I found a site online that sells Maine coon kittens, and I emailed them to reserve a male for me. As a tentative color choice, I said black-and-white or gray-and-white. but they're all gorgeous.

So, last night I dreamed that I received notice that the April litter was now eight weeks old, and my boy was available. The picture of him showed a poor scrooched up black object. They said he was the runt of the litter, but I could have him if I still wanted to pay $800. I thought there might be room for negotiation.

Favorite Sites/Sights

These are some things around my house that make me feel good.

Cats and Birds



The Dollhouse

The Dining Room



Outside

Kitchen Curtains



The Chinese screen

The Front Door

And the videos: "The Education of Little Tree;" "Searching for Bobby Fischer;" and "Charlotte's Web." Not to mention all the books, including my two poetry volumes and the other publications with samples of my writing.

I was just thinking how much alike we three sisters turned out to be. Eccentric, each in her own way. Our houses are full of things we made, wrote, painted, inherited, collected--we could almost be called hoarders. Even our joys and sorrows are similar.

I hope that we draw even closer.

Today, for the first time in months, I picked Mo up and held him close, and the most amazing warmth and peace came over me. Yet it was mixed with the sadness of nostalgia, and a feeling almost like loneliness.

Emotion remembered in tranquility sometimes makes you cry.

Three Notes and a Falling Trill

I dreamed we had bought or rented a house in England. By "we," I mean Mama, Daddy, the girls and me. It was an ugly house but very big and square, sort of rusty-looking brick, and it sat in a field facing banks that looked as if they had been flooded many times. But I was thrilled that we had a real house. I kept hearing this bird call, and I said to Mama, "That's a meadowlark!."

Then I thought to myself something like, "You don't know a meadowlark call from a fog horn. The only bird call you can identify is a crow."

 

*

A tranquil day in the neighborhood:

 

Gretchen with her head jammed against the arm of the sofa;

 

Mo curled up in the litter pan. He has a blanket and a beach towel to sleep on, but this is his choice, clean or dirty.

Deck the Floor and Furniture

I've practically wasted the day, pulling out Christmas decorations, untangling garlands

and lights,

and trying to figure out how to hang the wreath on the door (I don't have one of those metal things).

I've found a few of my miniature ornaments,

while the poor little lop-sided tree still stands cold and naked:

There are so many dirtier, more useful jobs that I need to be doing.

While I was hunting my favorite Christmas cards to put in the window on the mantel,

Mo jumped into the box and lay down on top of everything.