I appreciated my home better after I was gone a week. All my music at my fingertips. My wife, of course. And all my pets–all seven cats and three dogs. Now I am usually in charge of meals. There is nothing like being gone and back and realizing all your amenities are near by. Now I made my own coffee and drank out of my special cup. My coffee now tasted like I remembered it to. I did not have to listen to too many lectures when I did something wrong. My friend was a bit opinionated and overbearing, which is not to say my wife can’t be–she can. All in all I was glad to be home and grateful I had one to return to.
Tags: appreciated my home, cats, dogs, four dogs, glad to be home, God, grateful, music, my old friend, my own coffee, my wife, pets, seven cats, vacation
Posted in God, life, local, love, marriage, music, pets, time |
My cats took over our bedroom. All seven are there–most of them on our cushy bed. It is not unusual to see Jasmine and her four grown up kitties there but seven cats is another story. That is unusual. I was about to make our bed but I will do it later. I don’t want to disturb the cats–at least, right now.
Tags: All our seven cats are in our bedroom, cats, cats on the bed, Even Buttons and Cool Hand Luke, Jasmine and her four "kittens", pets, seven cats
Posted in animals, local, pets, relationships |
Pumpkin is an extremely mild-mannered cat. We had to bring him to the vet. He is the easiest cat (of our seven) to catch. I put him in the carrier and he meowed plaintively. The vet even commented how docile he was. And how glad he was about that. The last two animals he examined were not. The vet had to give him three injections. He did not react to that. Not a sound out of him. Though, when he got home and we released him: he yowled for a minute or two as if to say, “It was bad enough I had to be confined to a carrier but I got stuck three times and that hurt. How could you do that to me?” He won’t forget about that for awhile.
Tags: cat carrier, cat trip to the vet, cats, meowed, mild--mannered cat, pets, Pumpkin, Pumpkin yowled when he got home, seven cats, vet
Posted in animals, local, pets |
One of my cats has adopted me. Just recently. We “meow” to each other and then he cozies up to me. China is his name–one exotically black and white marked cat. I never expected anything like this to happen. It happened when I started “meowing” back to him. I have no idea what I am saying but whatever it is he likes to snuggle up to me when we have a conversation. I never was cat person but recently I have become one. Each cat is different. Now only Cheyenne regards me warily. Of the seven cats we have, I had to catch him twice recently to take him to the vet. Cats do not forget.
Tags: cat adopted me, cat person, cats, Cheyenne, China, each cat is different, meowing back to your pet, pets, seven cats, vet
Posted in animals, balance, humor, local, pets |
China and I have engrossing conversations. He is this long haired black and white exotically marked cat. We talk to one another. I “meow” and “meow”. And sometimes he replies. Other times he snuggles against me. I have no idea what I am saying in cat language but he gets the message: I love him and want to be near him. He is the most vocal of all our cats. We have seven. I have different relationships with all of them. Cheyenne, also long haired like China and his brother is one of the most beautiful cats I have ever seen. He often goes in the opposite direction when I approach him. He just does not like me. Both China and Cheyenne have the same mother Jasmine, a diminutive female who seems to get along with everyone including her four sons from two litters. Sometimes they all can be found lying near each other on my bed. I never thought I would become a cat lover but I have. They are very different than dogs. And I have four dogs. Our menagerie now numbers eleven. No fish yet.
Tags: cat conversations, cat language, cat lover, cats, cats and dogs, cats and dogs are very different, cats on the bed, Cheyenne, China, dogs, four dogs, I "meow" and "meow", Jasmine, long haired cat, our menagerie, pets, seven cats
Posted in animals, beauty, local, pets, relationships |
Cool Hand Luke loves running past open doors and she has been deprived of late. She dashed downstairs and minutes later she returned and ran through the door. Again. (or through the door again) She is the only pet left from the three I had when I entered my marriage over ten years ago. She loved running through open doors. Open one she will dash through it and open the door a little later she will return running at top speed. She is a black female who does not get along with our other six cats too well although she is more aggressive than the others when it comes to eating from one of the two bowls we use to feed our seven cats especially if we had not put food out in awhile.
Tags: cat running through open doors, cats, Cool Hand Luke, Cool hand Luke and doors, pets, seven cats
Posted in humor, local, marriage, pets, relationships |
I looked at my dogs outside. All four. Each was facing away from the large white pine tree forming a circle around the tree in a different direction. I love my four dogs. Each differently. Coco, a female black long haired is simply sweet. Pax the elder likes the sound of his own voice. Sweetie the golden retriever is just that sweet and happy go lucky and loves to gnaw on branches. Tilla and I have a special relationship. I earned his loyalty by almost endlessly rubbing his belly. In fact, he often gives me a hug by resting his upper body on me and then having me pet him. He is no small dog–at least seventy pounds–very affectionate. All of them are big. They are enjoying the snow today. I never in my wildest dreams expected to own four dogs (and that does not include the seven cats who roam the house). To say the least, we have no mouse problem in our house. I could not have imagined this menagerie twenty-five years ago.
Tags: belly rubs, big dogs, Coco, dog hugs, dogs, four dogs, my menagerie, no mouse problem, Pax, pets, seven cats, snow, Sweetie, Tilla, white pine tree
Posted in local, pets, relationships |
NYC is another world. I was there briefly–forty-eight hours. So many people. All, seemingly, in a rush. Surrounded by thousands of people. I took the subway to get around. It is a world I am not in too often any more. I was glad to get back home surrounded by trees and quiet. My dogs gave me a terrific greeting jumping all over me when I entered my house. I left my wife for my trip. It is difficult for us to go away with our menagerie–all four dogs and seven cats. Maybe, once a year my wife and I go away usually to the NJ shore. I was glad to get home. To peace and quiet although I was glad to see part of my family in New York if only briefly. NY city is just another world.
Tags: dogs, four dogs, my wife, New York, NJ shore, NYC, peace and quiet, pets, see my family, seven cats, subway, the peace and quiet of a small town, thousands of people, trees and quiet
Posted in local, love, marriage, pets, relationships, time |
Last night was the third one in a row Tilla slept in my bed. I sleep on the right side and my dog plopped himself right where my head would go so I had to fight for space and every inch. I guess he like(s)(d) being close to me. Coco, my other black dog was in her usual spot along the left side of the bed. In fact I even had the third black animal we own sleeping on the foot of the other side of the bed–Cool Hand Luke–one of my seven cats. That was somewhat unusual for Jasmine and her grownup kittens have, of late, taken over that spot. She had two litters–four cats and it is not that unusual to see at least two of them sleeping nearby her on the bed. They get along really well.
Tags: cats, cats sleep on bed, Coco, Cool Hand Luke, dog sleeps in bed, dogs, Jasmine, Jasmine and her grownup kittens, My black Animals were sleeping on or near my bed, pets, seven cats, Tilla
Posted in animals, local, pets, relationships, time |
Praise the Lord I can feed my seven cats and four dogs. The dogs are large dogs between seventy-five and ninety pounds so it take quite a bit dog food to feed them. The cats are not as bad although we get special cat food for them: one cat needs a certain diet and we can’t feed him that and not the rest of the six cats a cheaper cat food. And that does not include the bird seed I put out and the suet cakes for the woodpeckers. It is only by grace I can do all those things. Some families who are broke or unemployed would love to have the money we spend just on our pets (and bird seed). Praise the Lord for all that.
Tags: bird feeding, bird food, birds, cat food, cats, dog food, dogs, feeding our pets and birds, four dogs, God, large dogs, our provisions are only by grace, our seven cats and four dogs, pets, praise the Lord, seven cats, suet cakes, woodpeckers
Posted in animals, birds, God, life, local, nature, pets, relationships |
I am a homebody. The grass is not, necessarily, greener somewhere else. One of my sisters loves to travel. I don’t have the same wanderlust. It is true I don’t have the financial means she has. Nevertheless, I like being home. I still make discoveries every day in my backyard and in my house. I am surrounded by my books and music. I like having them at my fingertips. I do have seven cats and four dogs that make it more difficult to just leave and go somewhere but I love my animals, particularly my dogs, and always miss them when we go away once or twice a year. Sometimes I visit my oldest friend in New Orleans. And I go by myself. It is just easier that way. When I return from a trip, home is just that much sweeter. As Richard Thompson says in a song, ‘Every heart needs a home.’ Even when I am home I only go out briefly.
Tags: 'Every heart needs a home', books, cats, dogs, four dogs, grass is not necessarily greener, homebody, music, my backyard, my sister, New Orleans, oldest friend, pets, Richard Thompson, seven cats, travel, wanderlust
Posted in balance, beauty, life, local, marriage, money, music, nature, pets, relationships, time, wisdom |
It is comforting Cool Hand Luke still sleep on my bed–usually curled up in the front of the bed in the left hand corner. Sometimes I reach out and pet him. He is the only cat (of seven) who will climb on my lap and stay for awhile to be petted. He is a scrawny black cat who is the only pet left from the three I bought into this marriage. He does have one odd habit: he likes to run through open doors. He must be at least eleven now. He does not get along too well with the other cats but he is my cat. Not that you can ever really own a cat. They own you.
Tags: cats, climb on my lap, Cool Hand Luke my black cat, pets, seven cats, The cat sleeps on my bed almost every night, you can never own a cat
Posted in animals, local, pets, relationships, time |
