Kinda Looks Like Christmas
5 inches snow on ground
25 degrees, overcast
It finally looks like Christmas!
I woke up with a sinus headache and too much to do--as usual. I didn't sleep all that well. I woke up about two-thirty to see Dinky looking toward my closet and growling. I knew before I even looked--the newly-added stray cat that I have named Mimi was in my closet, looking scared. (I didn't check to see if Grendel was in her hidey-spot and refusing to share with a stranger or what...) I spoke calmly to Mimi, picked her up and carried her back downstairs. As I had feared, she had managed to wiggle out of the vestibule between the door frame and the temporary closet doors. I adjusted the closet doors to fit more snugly against the door frame and hoped that having satisfied her curiosity about what was on the other side of the door, she would be content to stay in "her" room. I worried she would try to get out and hang herself up against the doors. But after I put her back in the little room, she stayed in for the remainder of the night, so perhaps she found the rest of the house and the resident cats a bit more than she wanted to face so soon.
I had an 11:30 vet appointment for Mimi, so after I made coffee and took a sinus pill, I decided to pack up my candy gift boxes before I got involved with cat chores. I don't know what I was thinking, making so much candy. Denny and I certainly can't eat it, and even after gifting the guys at work and packing the boxes for Arnie and Sam and the Harts, there is plenty left.
I got almost all the cat-boxes cleaned before I had to run to the vet clinic. Still have three more to do when I get home from work. Dots checked our new addition over pretty thoroughly, even shaved her tummy to find the spay scar--it was a relief to know her reproductive status but it begs the question--whose cat was she and why haven't they been looking for her? Anyway, Dots thinks she is only two or three years old. After we were done at the vet's, I took her down by the Shelter to show her to Mike and Sherry to see if they recognized her. There is something almost-familiar about her that I have been ascribing to her resemblance to our late Rosie but Mike seemed to think he remembered adopting out a cat like her to someone in our neighborhood. So--I wonder why she wasn't hanging out at her house instead of mine? Cats generally have a great sense of location and if she lived in our neighborhood, she should have known where her home was--not shown up starving and scared at our house....
After some consideration, I went ahead and put her and Twitch in the papers as found cats. If their families don't want them, they won't claim them. I suppose there *could* be an intelligent excuse for both of them to be bumming at my house. We shall see if anyone responds.
I have been so terrible about getting ready for the holidays. Every year I vow I will get an early start *next* year and yet here I am--three days from the big event and I haven't sent out a single card or letter yet. I just don't have the inspiration. I know once I get started, it won't be so bad but it is the getting started that seems to take the biggest effort. And I know damned well no one's holiday will be spoiled if they don't hear from me, no one will go, "Damn, we didn't get a Christmas letter from Denny and Laura yet this year!" come Sunday morning. I guess I am of two minds about the whole Christmas letter thing. It is easy to poke fun at those cheery annual missives but I actually look forward to hearing from folks I don't keep in touch with via email or telephone and hearing what has been going on in their lives. I have had some positive feedback on my annual letters, so I know some people--at least--enjoy getting them.
After sitting here at work this afternoon looking at a very rough outline of "our year in review," I realized I am just not going to make the deadline. I might--by doing nothing else for the next two days--actually get forty-some letters in the mail before midnight Christmas Eve but they aren't going to get to anyone before Sunday rolls around. It just seems more important to me to spent the time with Denny and the cats, enjoying the celebration of the season.
And next week, I'll start on a New Year's Letter.
25 degrees, overcast
It finally looks like Christmas!
I woke up with a sinus headache and too much to do--as usual. I didn't sleep all that well. I woke up about two-thirty to see Dinky looking toward my closet and growling. I knew before I even looked--the newly-added stray cat that I have named Mimi was in my closet, looking scared. (I didn't check to see if Grendel was in her hidey-spot and refusing to share with a stranger or what...) I spoke calmly to Mimi, picked her up and carried her back downstairs. As I had feared, she had managed to wiggle out of the vestibule between the door frame and the temporary closet doors. I adjusted the closet doors to fit more snugly against the door frame and hoped that having satisfied her curiosity about what was on the other side of the door, she would be content to stay in "her" room. I worried she would try to get out and hang herself up against the doors. But after I put her back in the little room, she stayed in for the remainder of the night, so perhaps she found the rest of the house and the resident cats a bit more than she wanted to face so soon.
I had an 11:30 vet appointment for Mimi, so after I made coffee and took a sinus pill, I decided to pack up my candy gift boxes before I got involved with cat chores. I don't know what I was thinking, making so much candy. Denny and I certainly can't eat it, and even after gifting the guys at work and packing the boxes for Arnie and Sam and the Harts, there is plenty left.
I got almost all the cat-boxes cleaned before I had to run to the vet clinic. Still have three more to do when I get home from work. Dots checked our new addition over pretty thoroughly, even shaved her tummy to find the spay scar--it was a relief to know her reproductive status but it begs the question--whose cat was she and why haven't they been looking for her? Anyway, Dots thinks she is only two or three years old. After we were done at the vet's, I took her down by the Shelter to show her to Mike and Sherry to see if they recognized her. There is something almost-familiar about her that I have been ascribing to her resemblance to our late Rosie but Mike seemed to think he remembered adopting out a cat like her to someone in our neighborhood. So--I wonder why she wasn't hanging out at her house instead of mine? Cats generally have a great sense of location and if she lived in our neighborhood, she should have known where her home was--not shown up starving and scared at our house....
After some consideration, I went ahead and put her and Twitch in the papers as found cats. If their families don't want them, they won't claim them. I suppose there *could* be an intelligent excuse for both of them to be bumming at my house. We shall see if anyone responds.
I have been so terrible about getting ready for the holidays. Every year I vow I will get an early start *next* year and yet here I am--three days from the big event and I haven't sent out a single card or letter yet. I just don't have the inspiration. I know once I get started, it won't be so bad but it is the getting started that seems to take the biggest effort. And I know damned well no one's holiday will be spoiled if they don't hear from me, no one will go, "Damn, we didn't get a Christmas letter from Denny and Laura yet this year!" come Sunday morning. I guess I am of two minds about the whole Christmas letter thing. It is easy to poke fun at those cheery annual missives but I actually look forward to hearing from folks I don't keep in touch with via email or telephone and hearing what has been going on in their lives. I have had some positive feedback on my annual letters, so I know some people--at least--enjoy getting them.
After sitting here at work this afternoon looking at a very rough outline of "our year in review," I realized I am just not going to make the deadline. I might--by doing nothing else for the next two days--actually get forty-some letters in the mail before midnight Christmas Eve but they aren't going to get to anyone before Sunday rolls around. It just seems more important to me to spent the time with Denny and the cats, enjoying the celebration of the season.
And next week, I'll start on a New Year's Letter.
