because the world needs more cat pictures

just some of the great pictures i've taken of bob and hollister recently with my new iPhone 11 pro. my favorite part of working from home is definitely hanging out all day with these guys. hollister gets in his soft instagram impulse purchase bed under my desk, purrs loudly for some minutes and then goes to sleep. it's so nice to have him nearby to keep me company.

five things friday :: early august edition

on instagram, there's this #fivethingsfriday thing and instead of typing it all out on my phone, at the mercy of autocorrect, i have decided to move it over here.

thing 1:  i had freya spayed this week. she has been our primary mama kitty for several years now, but i finally decided that there are enough kittens in the world and she has worked hard enough as a mama. it was time for her to relax. but i still feel a little wistful about it. she made lovely babies - including paws mcgraw, her sweet daughter who i have kept (see thing 2), and who also was spayed on monday. it's a fine line between enjoying kittens and becoming a crazy cat lady. i know i did the right thing, but it does feel a little bit bittersweet.

thing 2: paws mcgraw - she's everything you want in a cat - curious, funny, active, dexterous (she opens doors), snuggly, talkative and out to steal any stray pony tail holder you leave lying around (or tucked up safely inside a zipped pouch). i love her so much. she's not molly or frieda, she's all her own, but she's in the same category as they are. some cats are just special.

thing 3:  arizona. next week, sabin and i are flying to the US. we will spend the week in south dakota and then drive her new used car (a toyota, of course) to arizona so she can begin her gap year before starting at arizona state next year. i am both happy and anxious. it's the next step for her and her bravery in taking it is everything i hoped and prepared for as a parent, but it's also a really big step. but at least it means we get to visit arizona regularly! and i'm very much looking forward to our road trip.

thing 4:  the way things have of falling into place, even in a time of great change and flux and turmoil and even when they seem like they can't possibly fall into place. my inner fatalist presbyterian thinks it all happens exactly as it's supposed to, even though it doesn't always make sense initially or on the surface of things. so much goodness ahead.

thing 5:  pondering my next tattoo. we have an appointment in tempe at black sails with the lovely lolo. i'm getting a typewriter this time, with a bit of color - to remember mom by and to remind myself to write on a regular basis. 

a kitten story in 7 pictures

self-care in the age of trump

i am genuinely distressed by the trump presidency. i spent years loathing ronald reagan and the younger bush, but they seem so tame now in comparison. i think it's made even worse by the fact that obama, who was the very epitome of grace and erudition, preceded the cheeto. the contrast is stark.

my stomach is in knots, i wake up at 3 a.m., wondering what he's done now, and i'm still clenching my jaw. i can't even have the fillings i lost due to all of the grinding of my teeth fixed because i can't open my mouth wide enough for the dentist to work on me, thanks to what is beginning to look like permanent tightness in my jaw. and i realize that i need less facebook and more self-care. i need to do something other than obsessively refresh the nytimes website. it's time to take care of me.

so i snuggle with cats. make up fresh combinations in the juicer (grapes, carrots, oranges, ginger and turmeric). i got out a beloved sweater that's developed a few holes and i'm working on visible, pretty embroidered repairs. i read some of the mary oliver poetry that i bought and a jo nesbø thriller that i picked up at good will for a dollar. i put down a few ideas for what i'd like to do photographically in the coming year. i finished and put away all of the laundry (and yes, this is self-care - it feels so satisfying to know the laundry is done). i stayed in my pajamas all day. new pens. netflix (i'm almost done with season 2 of how to get away with murder). a long, hot shower. i have candles lit all around. and best of all, i took a bit of break from facebook, if only for a few hours.

i think i'll be ready to rejoin to the real world tomorrow.

the joy of kittens

i think this batch of kittens is the one i've enjoyed the most. two of them went to their new home today and it's going to be a lot quieter around here now. it may be time to fix charlie, she'd had quite a few batches of kittens and maybe now she needs a well-deserved rest. on the other hand, she's probably the best momma kitty i've ever had. and she did make our beautiful sif, who might have ended up taking the place of my beloved and much-missed frieda, at long last.

kitten spam

kittens are like whole miniature cats!

100 happy days :: day 98

trying to take a fetching photo of my summery lunch when along comes frannie to help.

100 happy days :: day 10

today's happy? this cute face, jerry (his brother is ben), returned. we hadn't seen him since the end of september. i do wonder where he was all that time. he was very happy to see me today and i was happy to see him. he's half wild, but i am allowed to reach up to the loft and rub him under his chin when he inches close enough to the edge. when it looks like i'm going to stop, he reaches out for my hand with his paw. that was our routine before he left and he resumed it today, just as if nearly six months hadn't gone by.

100 happy days :: day 7

frankie - we miss you so, handsome boy!

this has been circulating on facebook and when it appeared in my nytimes "what we're reading" email this week, i knew i had to go through my extensive cat photo library and put together some then & now shots. and they are also today's happy. because having cats makes me happyl

molly - our minnesota kitty

frieda - from molly's first batch of kittens

tobias - we got him from a neighbor, so i don't have photos of him as a tiny kitten. he's our most dog-like cat.

scout - from molly's second (and final, since she's now fixed) batch of kittens

let sleeping cats lie

cats really know how to nap. i could use a lesson or two in that. i haven't gotten much sleep lately, i'll admit. i could really use a nap. like maybe for a whole month.

cat person

you've probably noticed that i'm a cat person. cats have the sort of personalities that appeal to me. they don't necessarily come when they're called. they can take ages to reveal their names to you. they think for themselves. they never ingratiate themselves. when they relax, they are truly relaxed. they play hard and then they take a nap. and in nyc, there's now a cat café for those who can't have a cat (or two or ten) in their lives. i wish i'd thought of that. it would be fun to run a cat café. hmm...what's stopping me from doing exactly that? i have cats and make a pretty mean dessert to go with a cup of coffee. it could be a calling...

cats in scarves

she seems bent on taking our picture, but what are these things she's put around our necks?

are you kidding me? do we really have to have these scarves on, lady?

just go with it. it's like that thing with the crown.

she'll take a few photos and then she'll lose interest

and then we can go back to playing without any scarves on.

hey, wait a minute...

...i actually do look pretty cute with this thing on.