Last Day Cats

Today is the last day of the month named September. She says it is the longest month in the year. I looked at the calendar on the refrigerator, and I think She may be mistaken, because it only has 30 days, when the last one and the next one have 31. Unless time is different for old people, She may need to think about that. She says it is a left-over feeling from Her teaching days, when it was the time when students and teachers were getting used to the new routines and learning about each other. It kind of made time drag. But now She doesn't teach school any more, so it must just be a hangover. If you recall, I told you how sad She was to see those yellow buses picking up kids for school. I guess there are feelings carved on Her brain. The weather is still hot here, but Her computer friends are sending pictures of the pretty trees where they live, and She remembers those scenes from when She lived far away where it gets cold. She will laugh about it when it gets all full of snow up there and She is sitting pretty here in the warm winter. Now that this month is over, we will start the celebration season. There will be Halloween, when She will give out candy to kids who come to the door. Next will be Thanksgiving, with lots of good stuff to eat, and then Christmas, which is about giving presents to all Her beloveds, emptying out the gift closet. She will have everything sorted out, and only will have to worry about last minute stuff. She is excited about sharing it with Cleo'sPeople, and delighted that Hana'sGran will be going halfway around the world to see her family. It turns out She won't be seeing Mazie, but there will be lots of pictures. So tomorrow starts a new month, with new lunches and visits and lots of candy. I will look forward to a lot of good dinners, with plenty of fish. So toodles for now.

Government Cats

Things seem pretty normal for Kasey and me, but She is very disturbed by the government. She says I would make a better government guy than the ones we have now. These are the guys that take care of the country's business. The trouble is, She says, is that they are not doing it right. He and She voted for a President who wanted to get the country out of a mess, and She believes he had done a good job of it, considering that a lot of people don't like him. For one thing, the President wants to help all the people in the country, and in order to do that, he has to get some more money from rich people. A lot of rich people don't like that, even though they would still have a lot of it left after they helped people. That makes Him and Her puzzled. Maybe if they were rich people they would understand it, but they aren't and they don't. It makes Her want to cry because a lot of people don't help the President because they don't like his color. I think I already told you that different colors don't bother cats that much, but it bothers people sometimes. He and She don't care what color the President is. They think he is smart and fair, and that's the main thing. One country has been mad at us for a really long time. Now the President is figuring out how to solve the problems and get us back to friendship. She thinks that is what a real leader does. I hope that the news about that keeps the rude government guys from shutting off the money it takes to make the whole country work. That would be truly bad, She says, and She looks very sad about it. If Kasey and I could help, we would help keep things right for the good workers in the government and in the rest of the country. Then She would be smiling again. Since we don't know how to do that, I* will just say 'Bye for now and keep you posted.

Connected Cats

Kasey and I are connected to all our cousins by way of Her telling us all about them. We know that Smudge lives with a lot of brothers and sisters that his Mom whispered in for their own good. I know that Rocky is not a cat, but actually a little dog that acts like a cat sometimes. Our other dog cousins have gone to the big dog park in heaven. That's what She says, anyway. Our people connections are His and Her people, and we love them, too. Besides the people He and She get to see, there are other ones who She knows from here on the computer. When She decided that our Eddie was Her Grandson, She adopted other Grandchildren as well, and they live all over the world. She visits with them every day and feels very interested in what they are up to. I have heard that some people make fun of these kinds of connections, but you don't have to see someone up close to care about them. One of Her girls has married a nice man who lives where Eddie comes from, and that girl can't go live with her new husband because of silly laws, and She is sad about that. Her OperaGirl, who She has met in person, is going all the way to that country for a visit. Sybil'sMom lives in the same place we do. She is very sick with a bad backbone, and She always checks up on her. Isn't it a lucky thing that She can keep in touch with these beloveds and many others by talking to them on the computer every day? When She has good news, She likes to share it with them to keep everyone cheery. I think Kasey and I will be cousins with the two cats that come to our house for kibbles every day, but I don't want them to live inside here with us. I think it is very healthy to be connected to others. Sharing stories and pictures is a friendly way to live. I have to go check on what She brought in from the freezer for our dinner. Can it be fish? Oh, I hope so. Later, Gator.

Old-Time Cats

She went to a place today where She thought She had gotten stuck in a time machine. She was still amazed when She got home. She gets these little papers that tell Her She can have twice as much food for the money, and She loves to get those papers. She usually goes for a lunch adventure with Rocky'sMom, R'sM always insists on paying, So She gets these papers, and She feels like She is helping to pay Her way. Plus, She always gets a dinner to take home for Him. Let me tell you about today's place. It was a little further away than where She and R'sM usually go. She had no idea how fancy the place might be, or how much the food would cost. When the ladies arrived at the right address, it turned out that it was so old fashioned that they thought they were dreaming. Everything was from way over 100 years ago. The list of food they had was like old-fashioned food, as well. You went up to a counter that was like from an old hotel and told the girl there what you chose from the list of food. The girl gave them a number and they went and sat down. Later, another girl brought the food on a big tray.There were a lot of people there, mostly men. She likes to go to places where men go to eat, because She knows there will be lots of good food that doesn't cost too much. For Her lunch, She got a piece of meat that was as big as a plate. She got one to take home for Him, as well, and it had gravy that a person's adorable cat (ahem) would like. there were extra things, too. The place was very old-timey and they played cowboy music. The people were very nice, She said, and She would like to go back there sometime. She will check with Her lunch ladies and have a swell adventure on another day. It would be a good place to wear cowboy boots if you have them. I am going to sniffle the boxes and see what I can expect to share for our dinner. Yah hoo.

Older, Wiser Cats

It is tough to admit, but Kasey and I are not kittens anymore. My chin-beard has gotten quite white, kind of like Her hair. I didn't know Her when Her hair was brown all over, but She is old and maybe a little bit wise. I still get around just fine, and Kasey still goes for the highest place to rest and observe, but we are a couple of wise old cats. We have taught Her a few things, too. Now that we are all older, we have convinced Her that She can eat whatever She wants. We know that when you can eat whatever you want, you are not likely to pine for certain food, and then gulp it down when you can't stand the temptation any more. Some young cats would tell you to dye your grey and white hair, but at our house, we would jump on Her and stop Her if She tried that. Young cats like to look very slim and agile, but Kasey and I think we look just fine with a few extra ounces. If you know Her, you realize that She has been thin and fat, thin and fat, thin and fat. She took our advice to let Herself be fat. We convinced Her when we said Grandmas are supposed to look like little dumplings. She let us convince Her, because that is how Her grandma looked. Why struggle to be thin when you are this old, we asked Her. We reminded Her that He thinks She looks just fine. She loves to go with Her beloved Crones, who are all wise Older Women, and they agree with us. Of course they all look very good, but they are fine with the way She looks, too. She will meet with Her Crones tonight, and will eat whatever She wants. We will have our usual kibbles and He has leftovers. We will be glad She will be home tomorrow for dinner. OOh ree vwar for now, mes amees.

Surprised Cats

You all know how She is about bargains. You may even know that He is not so particular about money. Well, imagine our surprise when He told Her that He was going to a place where they give big bargains and joining up for a card to shop there. It turns out that he found a kind of iced tea that is perfectly OK for His sugar problems. Not only did He learn of it, but it is also a great bargain at this one place. She says that is very good news now that They have just a little money. Maybe She should have let Him spend all their money before. It might have made him particular a long time ago. I guess it isn't too late to help Them keep a comfortable life and keep plenty of kibbles on hand. Those cats that live outside and come here for breakfast use up our kibbles more quickly, but He insists on feeding them. She saw the Bengal cat on Sunday, and She reminded Him not to let her in. He just loves that cat. His favorite cat is Kasey, though. Now that Kasey comes to sit on His lap every evening, like I do with Her, He wouldn't do anything to change that. It makes Him so happy that She has to chuckle at them. I hope there aren't too many surprises for awhile, because I like things to be routine and dependable. For instance, now I would like to go have a snack and a big drink of water before I sit down to watch TV. Chow, bellas.

Monday Cats

Every day is pretty much the same for Kasey and me, but people seem to count Monday as the beginning of a new plan. She checks Her to-do list and adds a couple of projects to it. To hear Her tell it, She will have this place absolutely organized by the day They call Friday. Saturday at the latest. What She forgets is that She never finishes that list, and every Friday, everything is just the same. He tells me that when She used to go to work, She got much more done, because She only had Saturday and half of Sunday, and everything was neat. Everything was filed and put away, or tossed in the bin. Right now, it is kind of scary, the way things are piled up. When Kasey comes in and jumps up on Her desk, she walks very carefully, so she doesn't slip off a pile of catalogs when she goes to eat her treats. I make it my business to stay on the wood part of Her desk, right where Her keyboard is, so I don't slip and fall. She either types Her words under me, or snuggles me close so She can reach. If He has to use Her computer, He is likely to just dump me off the desk. I think Teachers have more patience than creative geniuses. One job She has finished is making sure the people on the phone got all Her papers and will send some money. This is it, She told Him. That is all of it. I'm not worried, though. She is still really chuffed about seeing Mazie'sDad and -olderSister. They had a fun visit. Guess what. I didn't go into hiding. I stayed and behaved very nicely for the visitors, but I didn't let M'sOS pick me up. The only hard part was when M'sD said they would not be coming for a visit at Christmastime. It turns out that Mazie'sMom has to get a new knee, and she won't be well by then. That makes Her wonder if She will ever see Mazie again. He says of course She will, but that is a Monday for you. It start a new to-do list, but it has ways of bumming you out. I think She needs to relax and get some snuggles right now. Cheers.

Anticipating Cats

Yesterday She got a message from Mazie'sDad, who lives very far away near where the President lives. It turns out that he is coming to our city for his work, and he will come and visit us today. He will bring Mazie'sOldestSister. It is kind of funny, because M'sOS lives right here where we live, but she works hard as a teacher, and she is too busy to visit, usually. I am learning a lot about teachers. One is that they work way harder than people think, and also they never quit being teachers, even when they retire. When She looks around our house, She says it is not really ready for visitors. I think it is common to wait until there is a visitor coming to look around and say we should have cleaned this or that. I see Her deciding that these are people who love Him and Her, and they won't care. I know that it doesn't bother me. Personally, I like dust and cat hair. It makes me feel right at home. He does a lot to keep things nice, because She is best at sitting and visiting with friends on the computer. It makes her feel very grateful to Him for doing all that work. I don't know about this ship She talks about, but She says when it comes in, She will hire a cleaner. I am not exactly pleased with that idea, but I don't think I have to worry, because I have never seen this ship. I think I will peek out at the visitors, but I will probably go and hide while they are here. Talk to you later.

Knackered Cats

Yes, She had a lovely time at the art show, but I thought She was never coming home. When She got here, She told us what a good time She had, and was all happy and stuff. Trouble is, She had kind of overdone Herself, and was perfectly ready to turn in after Her comedy guy show. Kasey and I checked on Her several times, but finally He had to wake Her up before She slept all day. I have been sticking with Her, even though I am tired myself. Kasey just stays asleep, because that is how Kasey is. He was tickled that She went out of the house, because She almost never does, except for lunch with beloveds and Crones. Maybe She is getting better? She just says She is happy the way She is, and will not change much. After all, She has a darling cat (ahem) that needs Her here. Just to prove how much She loves me, She is fixing fish for our dinner. The news about His computer is that he found out how to get His mouse to work, so She and I have a way to get our thoughts and ideas out there. This way, I can report to you that it is actually raining, and the weather guy says it will even be cooler this weekend with all the rain. That is good news, because it will be the start of Fall, which is when it begins to cool off and there are a bunch of special days that humans like so much. Our cousins in another place have so much rain that it has made a flood, and here people and cats are celebrating because it has finally rained. I guess when there are big spaces that is what happens, but still, She doesn't like it. She says there is trouble in the big picture, whatever that is. I hear a familiar sound, and it might be Him filling my food dish. Excuse me while I go and check. Oddy-ose.

New Day Cats

Things are much nicer around here today. We are all friendly and pleasant, which is - I am sure - the result of generous cat-snuggles. Kasey even came out and snuggled on His lap. I believe He and She took all these snuggles to mean things are not so bad and we can enjoy a lot of things. You know I would prefer it if She would stay at home, but there is nothing like some time spent with friends to put a smile on Her face. She can't grumble when She is smiling. I believe things are looking good. At least, He has brought home a bag of kibbles as a back up for when these run out. He was talking about Her selling Her car, but She was not ready to do that just now, and figured out a way for Him to manage without doing that. She told me that we should work out a cute cat-movie that He could sell, but I am pretty sure She was joking, since Kasey would never go for that, and She knows it. She won't be home for our dinner tonight, but He is proud that She has agreed to go to an art show with Smudge'sMom. She must really trust S'sM, because She almost never goes out, except with people She trusts. She made sure that He has something good to eat, so there may be a plate to lick after all. He isn't as good with that as She is, so I'll have to let you know later. I will go and rest up, now, so I will be wide awake when She comes home. She will tell us about the Art Show. Sy-o-nara.

Pity Cats

Kasey and I are just relaxing, but it isn't easy, with all the grumbling and whining going on around here. He and She are both grumbling about money. If you remember, He has spent a lot of money on His projects and every once in awhile, She gives Him grief about it. What She wonders is why He can't sell some of this stuff and get them out of the poor house. I think She means here where we live, because it is the only house She and He have. If you ask me, the reason She is being unpleasant is not because of Him and His money at all. I believe it is the TV. She looks at news and it is about shooting and politics. Both of those are depressing to Her, and when a bunch of problems come at once, She gets salty about it. This is a lady who always looks on the bright side, but today, time goes on and She has trouble finding the bright side. One of Her facebook friends was rescuing a sick little kitten, and that kitten died. She had to fight back tears. Other people put up pictures of animals that are abused. She can't stand that. There is one thing I know will make Her feel better, and as soon as I get done with my story, I will go and give Her some lovely snuggles. That always works. She has to cheer up before tomorrow, because She has lunch with Rocky'sMom and then She is going someplace with Smudge'sMom later. She has to feel chipper for those things, because they warm Her heart. At least we know that there is meat defrosting for our dinner tonight, and that's kind of a good sign, too. Just don't let Auntie Heather know She is fixing meat. Auntie Heather and Uncle John don't eat meat, and it worries them when other people do, because it hurts animals. That bums Her out, too. Well, you will excuse me now, because you know I have snuggle-work to do. Toodle Pip.

Identity Cats

As you may not know, cats can be many types and many colors. Certain colors and patterns give cats their identification. It is kind of the same with people, although their classifications are a bit simpler, and there are not so many of them. He and She can be identified as white people, but that is just a name, because they are more pinkish-tan than white. Remember, I am called an orange tabby, and you know my color is more of a tan, like coffee-the-drink when it has cream in it. We all know my sister, Kasey, is a tortoiseshell kind of cat. We look very different. Today I am interested in the two cats that He has been feeding in the front of the house. One is black and white. She says he is called a tuxedo cat, because he looks like a person dressed in fancy clothes. I don't see it, myself, but if They can call themselves white, I guess they can be wrong about the black and white cat. The other cat was more puzzling. None of us had ever seen a coat like his before. He is grey, with darker grey spots on his sides, and stripes on his legs and tail. She went to Her computer and looked up kinds of cats. She wrote in a description, and up came a bunch of pictures of Breakfast Cat. It turns out that he is called a Bengal Cat. Now, I have heard of Bengal tigers, but I had never heard of a Bengal Cat. This Bengal guy is not as big as I am. He is more of Kasey's size. This cat is not dangerous in any way. He just loves Him, and eats so much so quickly that He thinks it is the only food he gets. I have a sad feeling that He may want to bring the Bengal inside. I don't like that idea at all. Bengal has claws, and probably fleas. I do not mind that he is eating up so many of our kibbles, as long as he stays outside. I will not share Her lap, like I did with Kate, and he couldn't have any of my cozy sleeping places. My opinion is that Bengal should stay outside. Kasey really doesn't care. With that I will wish you a pleasant night. Cheers.

Sneaking Cats

Since She is busy and He is having a little nap, I am taking advantage and popping in to greet my readers. Actually, things here are calm and quiet, since He is working on His projects. His latest project is selling his gazillion model plane kits on the computer. She does not hold out a lot of hope, but She doesn't see any point in bothering Him about it. He is a little salty when She makes suggestions. I guess it is because He knows She is right and feels embarrassed. He has no money and yet there are all those boxes of airplanes. I have to tell you I'm on Her side about this. It takes money to buy kibbles, and now there are FOUR cats eating them. Besides Kasey and me, there are two cats outside that get kibbles every single day. They don't even help around here like Kasey and I do. At this rate, He will be using up all our kibbles. He may as well get a dog. He is so tickled with these visiting cats. I have learned that there will be fish for dinner, which is somewhat soothing to me, and She has been fixing those nice orange potatoes. We love those. I hear His clock starting to beep, which means He is waking up. I will sneak back to the windowsill and watch for strange cats and make mean faces at them. Until next time, 'bye.

Attention: Notice Cats

Dear Readers, It looks as if I will be absent for another day or so, because His computer is broken, Their computer fixing guy can't get to it for awhile, and so I don't have a chance to write my stories. I will try to be brave if you will, and I will come back to tell you about our visiting cat and Her new catalogs. Stay well and get some rest. Bye for now. Your friend, Coffee.

Have Cats

One thing we keep hearing about is Class War. That means some people have a lot of money and really don't care about poor people and cats. She says it is between the Haves and the Have Nots. When I check into it, I have decided that Kasey and I are Haves. Here is how I sorted it out. We have a nice, cozy house with plenty of soft places and people to rest on. It is cool in the summer and warm in the winter. We don't have a swimming pool, but He and She don't care about swimming, and Kasey and wouldn't go into a swimming pool without a giant struggle. When we have to go to the vet, we have a pleasant car to ride in, and each of us has a nice roomy cat-carrier. Yes, we make an awful fuss when He and She take us to the vet, but there are a bunch of cats that don't get to go, and they have kittens and fleas, and there is nothing to help them. Kasey and I have bowls that He fills with kibbles every time he sees the bottom of the dish. We have containers with water, and He and She check them several times a day to be sure the water is clean and fresh. We tend to get kibbles in our water if the dishes are too close. We don't like that. But here is the best thing that we have. He and She love us and pet us and skritch us and snuggle, so we know we are safe and loved. There maybe cats who get fancier food, but no cat gets any fancier love and brushings. She says She is a Have person, because She has us, and other beloveds. She feels pretty good for an old person, and She has enough of what She needs. She always says She has enough, and enough is as good as a feast. There are lots of people and cats who don't have enough. At our house, we are Haves. Toodle Pip.

Envious Cats

This has been a very lucky day for Them, and a regular day for Kasey and me. To begin with, He went to his doc to see how he is. The report was good, and He is doing OK with his sugar stuff. Then a phone call came from Rocky'sBoy. Rocky'sMom is home from her visit far away, and has brought Him and Her some of those wonderful vegetables that grow where she went. You can't believe how much He loves those vegetables They taste better than the stuff at the store. Just after lunch, a truck brought two big packages of stuff She had ordered. Perfect timing, because on box was Her very favorite cookies. The other box was the last of Her Christmas presents. She is right chuffed that there is something for all Her beloveds in Her closet. These nice things made it a definitely better day than the last couple of days. Now all we have to do is decide what to cook for our dinner, and get ready to watch some nice TV shows. You know that means snuggles for me, and maybe even Kasey will come and get cozy on His lap. I think I will enjoy this busy week. I hope you do, too. Chow.

Used To Cats

One thing that happens when you live with very old people, like Him and Her, you hear a lot about what they used to do. He used to go and play bridge, which is a card game. He does a lot of the things He used to do. He does more than She does. To be fair, She is older than He is, so maybe that is part of it. To me, it is not about what She does and doesn't do, because some of it is about how hard it is for Her to move around, or because She doesn't have so much money. What She talks about is what She used to like to do and now She doesn't like it anymore. The first thing is cooking. She used to be a very good cook, because She learned cooking from Her Grandma. It is kind of not fair that now She is a Grandma, and She doesn't teach anyone how to cook. She used to cook with Mazie, but Mazie liked fish sticks and french fries. Not much cooking there. One thing She used to like was planning meals. She doesn't like that so much anymore. Sometimes it gets to be kind of tiresome but She feels it is part of Her role around here, since She is weak and slow, and He does so many things for Her. She gets things for the freezer and every day She goes and gets something out and fixes it. It is a rare day when She cooks a recipe. When She does, She often asks Him to cut things up. Today She made a recipe out of the food She got from Rocky'sMom, but He had to cut everything up. The nice thing is, He likes to do that. The good thing about what He and She used to do is that they watch old movies and TV shows. Some come in the mail every week. I love what She fixes, so I will stay here and get old with Him and Her, and someday I will say - I used to eat pink fish with Him and Her. And I still do. Stay tuned.

Upset Cats

You can generally tell what it is going to be like on a particular day if the first thing you hear from him is naughty words. This is how today started, and Kasey and I hope things get better for TV time tonight. It started with something wrong with His computer. He called the fixing guy, but had to leave a message. He had to use Her computer and swore at it a lot, while She and I hoped he wasn't breaking it. He finally got done with what He was writing and went to eat His lunch. She and I could hear him getting mad at the TV, and He had to call the TV company. It turned out that the old TV player was broken, and He had to go get a new one. It had to be hooked up and He had a bunch of trouble with that, because that's the kind of day it is. Everything He touches goes wrong. We are sort of staying out of the way while He yells at the TV guy. She says what He needs is a nice hug and a cup of coffee, but She is going to wait until He is done with the TV fixing before She and Kasey and I go and hug him. We are going to plan something nice for tomorrow, so He will wake up feeling a lot better. I am not sure He notices how upset I am, because Kasey doesn't get as upset. The only thing that bothers Kasey is if He or She is slow giving out treats. I get very quiet and go and hide. The next best thing is to snuggle on Her. The nicest thing is that sooner or later, everything gets nice and calm and stuff stops going wrong. Let's all have a good night.

Positive Cats

I have to admit, when I first heard Her talking about being positive, I thought She meant sure. Like in I'm positive it is Thursday. But that isn't it at all. You see, Her motto is to be positive and co-operative, and that's the way She expects us to act. I admit, I am still working on that, because it is very common for me to be scared, but Kasey is very positive. Kasey just simply expects things will go her way. It is a way to make life easier if you are a schoolteacher, or a cat or a regular person. It is a habit to be positive. When you think of something, you need to be conscious of saying it in the positive way. An example is that you could say stop that noise right now, or you could say it would be much better if you would play more quietly. She makes a little game out of turning words around to sound like yes instead of no. Other teachers used to be amazed at how She could do that. If someone is whining about something, it is helpful for them to be reminded to count their blessings. If you are upset because you didn't get something you wanted, you can count your blessings and remember that you already have some nice stuff. Sometimes, people and cats don't want to hear that, so She says don't make me say it. Sometimes people get irritated when She says it could be worse, and even She admits that sometimes it couldn't be worse, but She doesn't let that ruin everything. Sometimes you have to just keep going until it is OK again. There is a lady that could not see or hear, and you would think that lady would just sit there, but she didn't. She accomplished lots of good things with the help of a teacher, and She thinks that is Her favorite person in history. It could be worse, She would say. At least you can see and hear. It is not always easy to be positive, but I work on it every day. I'm counting my blessings that the fleas are gone. Bye, now.

Quiet Cats

There isn't going to be much of a story today. Kasey and I slept all day, so I am not sure what She was up to. When I came into Her office, I saw that She had found some of the presents that She forgot She had. Didn't I tell you that would happen if we didn't help Her? Luckily, She is not mad at us. She is kind of glad that the fleas have left us alone. The news was bad today, too. Some boys were hurt in a fight at some high school, and it bummed Her out. She didn't want us to watch it. There will be fish for dinner tonight, and a good mystery to watch, so all will be well. More news tomorrow. PipPip.

Buckle Down Cats

Even though it is still hot summer here, the kids have gone back to school and the neighborhood is settling down. That means She wants to get busy and make Her office nice again. She has begun to work on Her gift closet, and Her desk top, sorting and filing and throwing things away. That means Kasey and I must be ready at a moment's notice to help Her. Kasey is good at sorting things on the high shelves, while I check the floor and the lower levels. She examines the things that we knock down, and either puts them into a black bag for the charity people, back on a shelf, or in a sorting bag or box. She has learned that it is necessary to keep track of things or she will forget to give them to the right people. She found something just the other day that should have been part of a birthday gift. It will have to wait until Christmas, now.She knows of one thing more She needs to get when Christmas is closer, but we have our work cut out for us. She says that we will love the way Her office looks when it is all cleaned up. If we were the kind of cats who would laugh at Her, we would be betting it will be a shambles about one day after we get it all clean and neat. She has been working on something else, too. We can't help Her with her computer orders, but She was busy ordering things to eat and things to use from the companies that have bargains. She found a jacket that would be so nice for Him, but it is brown. She knows very well that if it isn't blue, He won't wear it. She feels more sad about not getting the terrific bargain than She does about not spending the money. I don't even try to figure that out. I have to go get a nap now. I'm worn out. Cheers.

Laboring Cats

Actually, Kasey and I don't have to do any work today. No one at our house needs to labor today, because it is one of those human special days. This one is named Labor Day, which is the wrong name, because they aren't supposed to work today. They named it in honor of a kind of groups called unions. They were thought up when people decided That bosses could not make them do stuff if they joined together and agreed not to work at all unless the bosses treated then fairly. She says that there is a lot of power when people or cats decide to work together for better treatment. By being in unions, workers could get better conditions to work in, and better times to work. The bosses couldn't make them work every day without a break, and the unions got better insurance and pay. If one guy would go and ask for that, well, he or she could get fired and not have a job. If every worker would ask for better things, and they all agreed that no one would go to work unless they got fair treatment, the boss wouldn't have anything to sell or work on until he or she listened to the workers. There is a lot you could learn from that, if you are a fair person. When She was a teacher, She belonged to a union, and because of that, teachers got lunch breaks and better pay and not so many extra duties. She was proud of that union, and was the one that went to union meetings and stood up for Her schools and teachers. She is very particular that we should not work today. She is fixing a picnic for our dinner, because She shouldn't have to work fixing a fancy dinner on a day that is celebrating no work. I hope you feel that workers should have good working times and places. Union!

Peace Cats

I have to admit, I am a more peaceful cat than my sister Kasey. The worst I have done is maybe give a little nip when I am over-excited. But mostly I am a cat who will run and hide. Kasey has been known to give the occasional biff. Since neither of us has claws in the front, we have not done much damage. He and She are peaceful, too. Oh, sure, He has been known to yell, but He never hits and He doesn't stay upset and She does Her fighting with words. Mostly, though, all of us are peaceful here at our house. That is why She is worried about our country. Since we have been born, this place where we live has been in 2 big fights called wars. The President has stopped one of the wars and promised to end the other one in a few months. But now He and She are afraid there might be a new one. From what I can figure out, there is a place where the people who run it are mean people, and they fight battles with their people who want them to quit. It isn't our fight, because we don't live in that country. It is kind of none of our business. One day the mean people sprayed a bunch of poison like He sprayed on the fleas, but a lot of humans were killed, and they are more important than fleas. Now there is a big fuss. Should our side go and bomb them for doing that? If we do, will it start another war? She knows it was wrong to poison so many people who weren't soldiers. She also knows that the mean guys have some big, strong friends that might try to get even with us if we try to stop the spraying. He and She also know that the people in our government have worked hard to get in our President's way so he doesn't succeed with his ideas. Here is the smart thing. Make this get-in-the-way government decide if we should fight. If they don't like any other ideas the President has, will they agree on this one? If they do, will they be able to blame the President if it causes trouble. If I were you, I would check on this. I am worn out from thinking about it, and I don't want to breathe any poison. Stay strong.