Award Ceremony

I won a third place award in a local writer's group for a humor essay I wrote called Terror In The Designer Racks. I went to the awards dinner last night, a big snooze. The only interesting part of the 3-hour evening was when they called my name and everyone applauded. And that part never lasts long enough.

Big advances happening on the cat book, "Lessons In Stalking...Adjusting to Life With Cats." I'm looking at an August release date. I have an illustrator, cover designer, and by the end of this week will have selected a printer. The stories are written, the illustrations will be completed next week, and I'm just waiting for some final blurb testimonials to come in.

I showed the illustrations for the book to my cats and told them they were going to be stars. They appeared unimpressed.

Going to spend the day writing an article about the Norwegian Elkhound which, just so you appear knowledgeable should the topic come up, is neither a hound nor does it hunt elk. "Elg" means "Moose" in Norway, and "Hund" means "Dog." So it's really a moose hunting dog.

I've got to get some new assignments.

More About the Kittens

Did I mention I went back to my vet's to check on the mommy Calico cat and I got to hold all 4 of her kittens? (I said earlier there were 6-8, but in reality there were only four. Her tummy was so big they kept thinking more were coming). The Calico is doing fine and is "an excellent mother." She's also a people person. She purrs and purrs anytime anyone even walks past her.

I held the kittens when they were only 3 days old. Cute doesn't even begin to cut it. There isn't a word for holding something that small and fragile and cute and furry. Delicious, is what comes to mind. And don't think, as I was holding all four in two palms cuddled against my chest, that I didn't think of bolting for the door and carrying them all home.

The vet was unusually quiet the day I went in and for a short while I was the only person in the lobby with the kittens. But a few other people came in and it was humorous to see everyone's reaction because man or woman, young or old, every reaction was the same. The person would stop dead in their tracks, their eyes would widen, their mouth drop open, and a long, soft,"Ohhhhhhh" would come out.

I'm sure there is one teenage girl's mother out there cursing my name. The girl came in to pick up some food for their dog and lost her mind when she saw how cute the kittens were. She held an orange and white one and kept nodding hard in agreement as I told her over and over again how good they looked together and that kitten was meant for her. Chances are she hasn't stopped talking about it and I'm hoping I've at least found that kitten a home.

BTW, none of the kittens were calico. One was black and white, one gray and white, and two orange and white.

My allergies prohibit another cat. As it is, people keep asking me if I have a cold and I keep telling them no, I just sound like this until October.

I'm writing an article for our local paper about the kittens. Everyone keep their fingers crossed that they all find good homes (especially the mommy cat).

House Rules

It occurred to me this AM, as I sat glaring at a toilet paper role that had been put on backwards and making a mental note to chastise my husband for it when he came home, that I may not be the easiest of people to live with. I have a precise set of rules and way of conducting tasks and am not easily convinced my way is not the best way. For example:

• Toilet paper must be put on hanger so the loose flap hangs on the inside. Except in the downstairs guest bath where the flap must hang on the outside because the holder in there is odd-shaped and it's difficult to get a smooth roll if the flap hangs on the inside.
• All sink and tub drains must remain plugged when not in use. This is because I read a book on Feng-Shui that said wealth drains out of open drains. Probably a bunch of bunk, but why take chances?
• All window blinds must be opened the minute you walk into any room each morning, and most certainly before the sun comes up.
• Blinds must be precisely open. No slight tilt up or down. They should be uniform straight across.
• Blinds must be closed before it is fully dark outside.
• Chairs must be pushed in around tables.
• No dishes left in the sink. That's why God made the dishwasher.
• If a cup is left standing on its own for over 30 minutes it is considered "dirty" and is now fair game to be put in the dishwasher. This rule drives my husband to distraction and the most common phrase heard in our home is usually, "Where's my cup?"
• All shoes must go into the bedroom at night. No leftover shoes in the hall or family room.
• Once filled with water, the coffee maker must be shoved tight against the wall to allow for as much counter space as possible. Never mind that we don't need more than 2 inches of space to place our mug down. What's important is that the space is now there, should we need it.

I could go on for hours. I have a certain way I like the pillows faced (stripes horizontal), rules for desk cleanliness (these apply only to my husband and not me. My half of the desk is a sty, but I throw a fit if 1/8th of a post-it-note from his side of the desk touches my space), and don't even get me started on bathroom hygiene. (Although I must say this...what is it with people not closing the lid? I can't believe how many people come to my house and leave the lid up when it was obviously down before they used it. Plus, there's a huge ick factor there. Studies show that massive particle-sprays come up from any toilet bowl when flushed. Therefore, always close the lid and then flush).

Anyway, I feel bad because for all my rules, I'm probably married to the least-demanding and most accommodating man on earth. Although he did get a little testy the other night when I asked to use his toothpaste. In our double-sink master bath, with it's 4 below sink cupboards and 3 large drawers, my husband keeps only a small plastic tub in one drawer corner that he fills with his shaving and dental needs. When I asked to use the toothpaste, I think something in him broke.

"See this?" he asked, motioning to his 4x4 inch cubic storage space. "This is all I have in life to call mine. Just this little area. See this?" and here he gestured expansively to the rest of the bathroom. "All yours. But this tiny little space is mine. Get it? Mine."

He was showing teeth. I'd surely pushed him over the edge. Perhaps I'll ease up on the rules a bit. You know, show some flexibility. I'll start now. I'm going to shove that post-it-note back on his side of the desk and not say a word about it.

Let the healing begin.

Sigh. Kitties

I've been thinking about the Mommy cat all day. I'm trying to find a home for her and the kittens. I met with my dear friend and gifted illustrator, Linda Santell (who is doing the artwork for my cat book) today and told her the story of the cat. Before I even got into the heart of the story Linda exclaimed, "Oh, I love calico cats!" So now I'm pushing to have her adopt it. She and her husband just lost their kitty a few months ago and have declared a moratorium on bringing new animals into the home. But Linda has a huge heart and I'm going to see if I can get her to visit the mommy cat with me.

I'm also going to write up an article for my local paper about how I found the cat and the 5-hour time period between delivery to vet and the birth of these kittens. I'm hoping I can interest a few people that way in taking some of the kittens.

Finally, I interviewed a woman who owns a historic inn in Massachusetts who mentioned she was looking for two kittens and was having a hard time finding any. Wonder if she'd be wiling to ship some in from NC?

I can't stand for animals not to have homes. Cats and dogs especially are just so full of love and spirit and are so happy just by being around you (except our two cats, who are pretty grouchy unless we're feeding or combing them). Sometimes when I pet my cats and get their purr up to full throttle, and they're tilting their head back so I can scratch under their chin and looking at me with such love, I think, "It will be impossible to have a bad day today after this. How often in life do you get a chance to make someone this happy??"

Everyone hug your animals tonight and tell them one extra time that you love them. And if you know of anyone who wants some beautiful calico cats, contact me!