The Cat Chronicles

Shakti wakes me up at first light, and that is very early this time of year. She's high energy and wants to play--which in effect means that she tears things up and crawls where she doesn't belong. For example, she will go into the refrigerator if I open it. I must be careful not to forget her. If I get rattle a plastic shopping bag, she goes wild. When I put one where she can get to it, she crawls straight inside and lays down. I pick her up and twirl her in it. She loves it. She fights and plays with the bag until her paws are sticking out of it. She plays with electrical cords until everything is unplugged. And she finds rapture when she hears the buzz of a hummingbird outside the window, and goes to catch it. So far she hasn't caught any hummingbirds, but she catches the other birds by hanging out under the bird bath table.

There is a plague of grasshoppers who have devoured half of my plants. The mint, which just a few weeks ago was blooming glorious purple outside my window, has been chowed down to a few brown sticks. The grasshoppers come in the window and lurk in my apartment. One time they found some flowers on my bedside table and ate the whole boquet while I was at work. I have become efficient at catching them and throwing them back out the window. I used to capture them under a glass but now I just grab them in my fist. They have strong legs. The kitten likes to play with them, and eats them, all but the legs.
( Ramblings )

Finishing Unfinished Business

In my process of preparing to leave this town, I have thought a lot about the people who were for a while close to me, and are no longer. Today I wrote letters to three of them, and I just put them in the mail. In each case I have moved beyond my own hurt and anger, and was able to simply speak my truth without judgment or regret. It was very satisfying just to write down my thoughts, and to let them know that I still think of them and still care, even if our paths go different directions.
( Moving On )