I had plans yesterday but they were thwarted by torrential rain. So I stayed home with my cats.
Plans, Jon? What plans?
Despite my insurmountable personal problems and halfhearted attempts at suicide, I occasionally have other plans. No need to elaborate.
With the arrival of autumn, the goldenrods are starting to wither. I took the above photo a few days ago.
I also took this unbearably exciting photo of a cloud hovering near the roof of my house.
This was before all the rain, of course.
My cat Scratch (also known as Kitzee) is now officially thirteen years old. I got her at the Odessa, TX animal shelter in 2005 when she was about two months old.
I named her Scratch because she enjoyed scratching the hell out of my furniture. My Mom always called her Kitzee.
My two other cats, Bosco and Scruffy, are four years old and I had them ever since the day they were born. They are partially related - they had different mothers but the same father.
Scruffy was born in March, 2014
and Bosco in April, 2014.
When I first got Scruffy and Bosco, Scratch hated them and really resented the fact that they invaded her territory.
I abandoned the idea of ever seeing a feline truce, but - after a few years - Scratch gradually became less resentful and she now accepts the two "youngsters" as part of the family.
I took these photos yesterday.
Here is Scratch letting Bosco eat from her personal food dish. This would have been completely unthinkable a few years ago.
Moral of the story?
Never give up. Things will eventually harmonize.
LOL! Yes, never give up! Happy birthday to Scratch!
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to have the option of changing your plans when it is bad weather. I know I appreciate it these days. I don't even have to trudge out to the dumpster if it is crappy outside. Life of Riley. LOL! ;)
I hate driving to town SO much that I'll use any excuse to stay home. Besides, I like staying indoors on a rainy day.
DeleteVery glad to find you feeling better about your life! Your cats always seem so calm and sweet - I hope they offer you much solace and pleasure on a daily basis. Your house always looks so neat and clean: I honestly don't know how you manage it :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's not exactly easy having three cats, but they are wonderful companions and they're always entertaining.
DeleteMy house in Texas was always neat and clean, but unfortunately this one is usually messy. That's mostly because it's small and there's no place to put things. I'm disorganized.
Jon, trust me (based on your photos) your house is pristine - my place is so dusty that you would sneeze as soon as you walked in the door!
DeleteHello Jon - I must say those golden rods look absolutely stunning, such pretty colors. Plans don't always work out - so true, but that's okay since there's always another day is how I tend to look at it.
ReplyDeleteMoral of the story - never give up. Things will eventually harmonize .... brilliant analysis. I couldn't agree more. Love seeing your gorgeous trio of kitties anytime. They're so darn cute !
Your trees in the background are still perfectly green. Leaves here are already falling to the ground, well at least some of the birch trees which seem to be the first to go every year. Have a good day !
I added "moral of the story" as a quick afterthought, but I'm now glad that I did. Things generally do eventually harmonize.
DeleteThe leaves on the trees are starting to wither a little but they haven't turned colors yet. The other day it was windy and there were showers of leaves. It was a nice touch for the beginning of autumn.
Wow. That cloud formation looks like an angry old man, threatening someone with his fist.
ReplyDeleteI remember when you rescued Bosco and Scruffy; has it really been 4 years already? I've never been owned by a cat, but never tire of seeing their pictures. Keep 'em coming, please?
I thought that cloud formation was kind of weird - especially since it was the only one in the sky.
DeleteIt's almost impossible to believe that Scratch is now 13. Seems like I just got her yesterday. She's so beautiful and still acts like a young cat. But Bosco is now bigger than her!
best wishes Kitzee Scratch
ReplyDeleteon your 13th birthday love xo
Fortunately cats don't show their age as much as people do. Kitzee doesn't look a day over 5 years old.
DeleteI love this post, Jon. Know why? it's because of the "moral of the story" you added at the end. It's such a relief to hear you write with more optimism. Yes, things DO tend to work out in the end, but man oh man, sometimes the ordeals we have to endure to GET to that harmony can be a real bitch. I lift my cuppa tea to you in a salute: To harmony!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't initially planned on adding "moral of the story", it was a quick afterthought. In retrospect, it's the best part of this post. The pitfalls of life - much like music - require a lot of practice and perseverance. In the end harmony will eventually prevail.
DeleteJon,
ReplyDeleteYou can post about your cats everyday. I love these posts! I am looking forward to the day I have my own feline friends. So ironic that I haven't had even one cat my whole adult life, me who loves cats. Maybe some day. In the meantime I enjoy stories about your friends.
Ron
Ron, it's admittedly a lot of trouble to have three cats in a small house - but they provide constant companionship, entertainment, and love. I couldn't live without them.
DeleteJon,
DeleteI love cats. Someday maybe I will rescue one of these lovely animals from the local shelter. Even my brother Isaac, who is a solitary guy, lives with a loving cat. His daughter Dawn rescues kittens and finds homes for them. Bless her heart.
Ron
Big *SMILE* here for your brother and his daughter. I hope someday you'll be able to have a feline companion, Ron.
DeleteI was drawn to thank you, very belatedly, for your comforting words when losing my brother and sister, then months later my beloved love, Matthew. Jon I agree that time does nothing to heal, only obscure as you say. Having what I call "stupid scars" on my wrist that are over 40 years old, the vagaries of life are not lost on me - nor yourself as I've come to know. Regardless of not keeping up with my blog, in favor of Facebook, I still remember how much I got out of it and at the head of that line is the friendship of people I'd never met, like yourself. So this is a THANK YOU and may I say your critters are delightful. I miss my own "scratchy" long gone now. Bless.
ReplyDeleteCathy, it's great to hear from you - and many thanks for your kind words. I always thought that life would get easier as I grew older, but instead it gets more difficult...and much more painful (emotionally and physically).
ReplyDeleteI miss your blog posts and hope that you'll never permanently abandon blogging. I closed my Facebook account long ago. I blog mostly to convince myself that I'm still alive. Luv ya!