May 5, 2013 Winding down the weekend

As I sit here, trying to wax eloquent after spending the day winding down from a crazy Friday and Saturday (though I did get the grocery shopping done and let the kids take me to see Iron Man 3), bits and pieces from other blogs are rattling around in my head.  The bottom line is that I will, once again, disconnect my annoyingly analytical brain and let my fingers run the show.  The results, as many of you might have seen, are anything but predictable.

Friday night, I posted a quote about sparkling, and have, in my own way, tried to live that thought, even when I was being lazy today.  My idea of lazy is to spend a lot of time with cats in my lap and snuggled up beside me, reading or playing computer games, or just thinking.  I also got a very nice meditation in with, you guessed it, a cat curled up in my lap.

I picked up another fleece blanket in the silent auction at the Cat House on the Kings open house and laid it on the back of my sofa when I got home.  Scooby, being the dilettante he is, eschewed the new blanket for the old, fur covered one which was already on the back of the sofa.  Realizing that the problem was the smell, I used the blanket while icing my overworked knee.  Now, it has my scent on it, and he is quite happy to use it too! 

Cats are very particular creatures and something like a scent is enough to put them off of something.  This is why they have marvelous ways of marking things and people as "safe".  My brood regularly rub their faces on mine, over my shirts and on the clean bedclothes.  No matter that I've just washed the bedding in lavender scented detergent and fabric softener!  It doesn't have THEIR scent so it's not good enough.

Friends who visit, whether they realize it or not, are also subjected to this re-scenting so they smell right to my little darlings.  But some of them are a tad less gentle than others, and will resort to rather rough head bonks on legs, shoulders and arms. 

But my desk must require a lot of rescenting because, invariably, two of three of them sprawl across it at any given time.  I'd really like to explain to them that the desk has a purpose beyond being a cat bed  but something tells me they'd turn a deaf ear. 

We did get our share of re-scenting while visiting the Cat House on the Kings yesterday.  Many of the inhabitants are quite friendly and some are rather demanding.  I had one rather large black and white cat climbing my leg (with claws out, mind you) until I picked him up and allowed him to make himself at home in my lap.  There he twisted and turned to ensure that skritches were applied in the proper spots and with adequate pressure, and remained for about twenty minutes before wandering off to nap in the shade.  Later, a marmalade tabby was quite happy to snuggle in my arms and get his share of attention while his tortie friend curled into the back of my neck.

I was truly awed by the way the cats all managed to coexist and even at least tolerate a number of dogs who dashed from one end of the place to the other.  Most dashed, although one particularly gorgeous standard poodle rather galloped from place to place.  The cats had clearly learned to stay out of the way when they heard those galloping feet coming their way! 

Nevertheless, I was quite happy to come home to my own little brood who made it very clear that they were not pleased to have been left alone over night.  It didn't matter that I'd been gone less than 24 hours, the fact is, I wasn't there to snuggle with on Friday night and they woke up alone on Saturday morning!  They also missed their morning wet food, which might be even more inexcusable than denying them their warm body to sleep on.  If it makes any difference to them, I wasn't able to sleep well without their comforting presence.  Is it any wonder I rarely leave home for more than a day or two?

(Even as I sit here writing, I have to reach over and rub Dylan's belly, stroke Toby and give Scooby some attention lest they feel neglected!)

OK, I admit it.  I'm a crazy cat lady.  But they always welcome me when I get home, are happy to see me and someone is always nearby when I am sitting still.  They even do their best to make visitors feel welcome (and no, it does not involve leaving freshly caught "presents" at their feet!)

I have a great deal of respect for people who take the time to help an animal in need, or just pay attention to one who comes around.  The recent spate of fires down here has brought out several of those heroes who take the lives of all living creatures very seriously.  I am very grateful for people like that! I've always felt that people who are kind and considerate to animals are much better for it and for the rest of us!

My gratitudes tonight are:

1. I am grateful for animal people, in all of their shapes, sizes, colors and types. 
2. I am grateful for cooler, wetter days to help the overworked firemen put out the recent fires.
3. I am grateful for a job which allows me to make a living, learn new things and improve upon my dream.
4. I am grateful for a dream which allows me to focus on improvement in everything I do.
5. I am grateful for an abundance of magic in my life.

Love and light.