One morning (actually, Wednesday, August 13) a neighbor rang the windbell on
the porch and said "I have this little guy and I want you to see him." I thought
while walking outside - there is a perfectly respectable marmelade cat in her car
and I will have a nice little kitty visit and say the kitty isn't mine. I told the universe -
and everyone else that was suggesting I go in search of a cat - that I was NOT looking
for a cat, but that if a little Maine Coon showed up on my doorstep, I would take
it as a sign that this was my next kitty. So when I looked into the cat carrier
in the car, just steps away from my doorstep, and saw this little mini Pasha cat
looking sweetly out at me... well, that was that.
Five days later, after I returned from a mini Maine getaway, Rhu Bear came to
live with me. He is very sweet and affectionate and at first I thought rather mellow.
Once he was a little more comfortable, the full-on kitten energy was revealed! He's
been here ten days and has eased into life very gently. Except when crazed kitty
comes out, he is very well behaved. I am well stocked with little balls, string,
felted mice, balled up pieces of paper, and a ridiculous plastic thingie (a material
I seldom buy) with a ball trapped inside that he bats around and around the
interior track. All fine, except that I didn't know the ball makes chirping sounds
when it moves, so this toy goes to bed when I do. Rhu does, too, and sleeps all
night curled into me, until I make the mistake of rolling over at 6 am... and the
little guy begins his morning yoga and I know sleeping time is over.
Because I took everything off the walls downstairs when the floor was going in, I
decided it was the perfect opportunity to frame a few of my newer pieces and live
with them. I'm enjoying the fern lamp with my fern drawing behind it, and in the
photo below, one of my most recent forest paintings and an older spiral drawing
above the chest.
It seems important to live with new work, to get a deeper sense of the story being
told and to look, daily, at where things might go.
The month of August was a self-imposed resting time after so many house projects
along with the renovations. What a gift to sit in the garden and read a book long
after my morning coffee was gone, and to stretch on the mosses in the warm sunshine
while the dragonflies feasted on mosquitoes. I also had a lovely time getting used to
cooking on my new, fancy stove. Wheeee, what have I been missing!
Outside, the gardens are overflowing with bees and flowers and the front door
hosts a wonderful collection of moths. Much to Rhu Bears delight, the moths
flit around the windows at night providing much entertainment.
I am back teaching now, which means little Rhu is alone quite a lot at the start
of the work week, but this ensures that when I return home in the evenings,
I definitely do not have a cold neck.
