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.