Friday, October 14, 2005

A DIFFERENT DRUMMER

I was reminded the other night that I tend to march to a different drummer, Actually most of the time I’m usually three streets over from the parade. Heading the other way. I spent a very happy Saturday afternoon tormenting the cats, doing some knitting, planning dinner, working on that entry on volcanoes and trying to wrap my brain around the idea that once upon a time the Oregon coast was somewhere east of where Pendleton is now. Pendleton, if you aren’t familiar with Oregon, is about two hundred miles from the modern Pacific coast and surrounded by scrub and bushes with delusions of grandeur.

I do realize that an afternoon like this does not float everybody’s boat. For me this is just a little less than heaven. I seem to be channeling some ancestors that were very happy hermits. Or were at least related to some very happy hermits. There is a strong strain of Celt in my background. Celtic monks like the Romans didn’t marry. So there’s probably an aunt, uncle, cousin or six who headed off to Lindisfarne or Iona and spent their days praying, translating, illuminating manuscripts while listening to the wind and the gulls

When the Creator, bless him/her, created Jackie he left out the “I need to be sociable to be happy” genes. I enjoy people when I’m with them. But, I’m also contented if I happen to be the only human in the house.

But, hey you are never alone with cats in the house. At least not the cats that share our digs. If I’ve been working all week and mom’s been busy all week the weekends can get very interesting. As in there is a large purring hairball in my lap before I have a lap. If that makes any sense. Misty comes and goes. She lights for a few minutes, adores you, lets you adore her and scrams. Lucky, well Lucky settles in. You’d better have your book, your tea, and the phone because when that girl settles in she plans on staying for a while. Oh, and if you are trying to read it better be something you can handle with one hand because the other will be occupied. Petting is ok, ear massages are preferred. Hey, how can you turn down somebody you can hear purring clear across the room.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sometimes asked whether I'm a "cat person" or a "dog person" (because I have so many animals) -- and I always say "BOTH".  But, truthfully.... I like the felines more.  I'm a big fan of naps and reading -- which is so condusive to having a fat cat nestled in your armpit.  The purring and the warmth just puts me to sleep.

Anonymous said...

Lucky sounds like my Ewok. When I sit down, I usually end up with two or three kittens on me at one time.  My little white baby, Seraph, has been sick.  We don't know if she's had a brain injury or if it's a birth defect called cerebellar hypoplasia, but sometimes she loses muscle control and can't get her hind legs to cooperate.  She cries to be cuddled then and will just settle in and look up at me with the saddest eyes.  If it's an injury, she'll probably get better, if it's the birth defect, I don't want to think about it.  We're still finding homes for the kittens, but we were planning on keeping her.

Anonymous said...

I do love cats.  I have had some very fond memories because of some lovely cats in my lifetime.  

Anonymous said...

"Hey, how can you turn down somebody you can hear purring clear across the room. "  
I sure had to chuckle at this one.  My little cat purrs so loud that she can wake me up in the morning.  I think she has two purr volumes though, because she can also put me to sleep when we nap.  The big cat has a very soft purr that he uses only infrequently.

Anonymous said...

You KNOW I totally relate to the lack of "I need to be sociable to be happy" genes...  Lisa  :-]