Man Cat Monday and My Brother Pumpy

Pumpy is such a mama's boy...



and a daddy's boy...



I guess it's not enough for him that I nap on him and allow him to wash me. He needs some big lovin' from those two every day.

See here, now...

I'm showing him my back paws and what I'm telling him is, "I can bunny kick you if things get out of hand..."

What I'm thinking about today is that last year we had a lovely cloth sofa. It was soft and warm. Then there was some talk about cat hairs and what-not and the next think I know is that those two went out and bought leather sofas. And the woman is all happy because she can just wipe the cat hair off her sofa -- but, do you know friends, leather is cold. The woman wouldn't share her sofa pillow with me last night and I REFUSED to sit on the cold leather so I made her get up and go get another cloth sofa pillow so that I could sit on it and rest comfortably.

Royal Demands

This morning those two were sleeping as if they didn't have a care in the world. Well... they DO have a care in the world. Two cares, as a matter of fact: Pumpy and ME.

I simply went into their bedroom at 6:00 AM and asked them to feed me and they shooed me away. OK -- that was a little annoying so I left thinking that they would get up any minute but they didn't. So I went back at 6:15 and asked them, nicely, to please wake up and feed me. This time the woman, with a wave of her hand, shooed me away. I was quite taken aback. I mean... REALLY! Waving her hand at me like that was unnecessary

Finally I went in at 6:30 and I demanded... yes demanded that one of them get up and feed me. I would NOT be silenced. So the woman, very begrudgingly got up and gave Pumpy and me our stinky goodness.

Now really... was that so hard? She is very undisciplined and could have saved herself a lot of aggravation if she had just responded appropriately the first time my polite request was made.

Toesday

Another picture of my toes. But not my nose as I'm keeping it warm.

Ah, friends. It couldn't last. Our beautiful weather has left us and we are back to a cool gray sky.

However, the garden watch continues to hold my attention. Robins are feeding at the bird feeder and some very large pigeons sit on our fence and coo every morning and every evening.

Last night the woman went out into the garden to check on her plants and Pumpy and I both walked right out the door just like it was the most normal thing in the world (which it isn't for us). Pumpy immediately explored the tall trees and shrubs along the border and I sat on a little piece of the fence that was tucked away under a tree. It was all going nicely until the woman moved something on the patio and then we took off like a shot and ran back into the house. She thinks it's funny when we run scared like that but I find it really unsettling. We had to take a nap immediately to calm ourselves.

Somthing Else to Think About

In light of local and world events, I post this piece. This was a poster that appeared in England during WW II. It was reproduced on Maria Kalman's blog. Maria Kalman is one of my favorite artists. If you belong to New York Times Select, you can access her blog.

The Thinking Blogger...

I would like to thank Tea & Marhgaritas for naming me as a Thinking Blogger. When I learned that she put me forward for this honour, I blushed.

However, I do believe that I am a thinking cat:

I think humans are VERY silly.
I think licking yourself clean is a lovely thing to do.
I think naps are utterly necessary.
I think watching everything outside your window is fascinating.
I think spending huge amounts of time in solitude and contemplation is very good for the soul.

As my favorite French philosopher, Pascal, once said,

All men's miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone.

(Actually, Pascal's CAT said that but it is incorrectly attributed to him. Never-the-less...)

And this, my friends, is why I am a happy cat. Thanks, Tea, for this award.

A Delicate Matter...

Notice my litter box is in a public area and very close to the front door. One thing that upsets me greatly is when I'm doing my private business and someone walks in on me. It's so humiliating.

I shall use Pumpy as a case-in-point. Notice the look of shame on his face as he is forced to use his letter in a very public place. I think I shall start demanding a screen to be placed around our boxes so that we can have a little privacy... PLEASE!

The Garden Sun

Here's a picture of uncle Paul and aunt Tess. They came over for lunch and a visit. They used to have a cat named Pebbles but she went over the bridge a few years ago. I don't know how they cope without a little kitty in their home but somehow they carry on.

I like Paul and Tess because they respect me. They speak quietly to me and they don't try to pet me. This makes me trust them. I even came out on the patio for a few minutes while they were here but I could see that no food was being offered so I left.

Nailed

I don't much care for this.

She keeps our nails short and whenever I see that contraption that she uses I try to head for the hills. In the end she always wins out.

It's a beautiful Saturday morning here in England. I might try to take a quick walk in the garden today but mostly I'll find all the sun spots in the house and throw myself on them.

Thuffering Thuckatash it's Thursday

Why must she use the computer when we clearly want a cuddle?! Can't she see that she should put that thing down and keep us comfortable? Did she do that? NO! She continued with her typing and reading. It's just wrong. Humans can be so selfish.

Keeping Watch

See my shadow in the red curtain? Every morning I like to go upstairs to their bedroom and sit on the table and keep watch over the back garden. Pumpy sleeps on the bed while I supervise the garden.

Can you see me in the window? This is what I look like from the outside.



A lot of my friends from America have been telling me that it snowed over Easter and that they can't put flowers in their garden. I feel oh so guilty telling you that it was sunny and warm over here in England. Yesterday while those two were having their lunch on the patio, I gingerly walked outside and I crept all the way to the back fence, smelled the ground, and then when I realized what I had done I ran like a she-devil back to the safety of the house.

Easter Sunday 2007

For those of you who celebrate this holiday, may I say HAPPY EASTER. Below is a photo taken of me last summer when the flowers were in full bloom. I used to like to creep out onto the patio and sit amongst the flowers and sometimes chew on the leaves or catch a bug.



Below is a picture, taken yesterday, of the flowers that will be planted -- em -- today. Aren't they pretty? And notice one thing on that table... a BIRD FEEDER!! This will be hung up high on our fence and then the birdies will come and eat from it and I can watch and study them.

A smattering of things...

Happy Friday. It's sunny and warm here in southern England. It makes the woman happy and energetic.


These pots sit out on our patio waiting to be filled with flowers.

Pumpy and I were alseep in the bedroom when we were rudely awakened to have our picture taken.



I hope you're all having a peaceful day.

Tea and Biscuits...

On my previous post, many of my American friends referred to my treadling as "making biscuits."

Well -- do you know that biscuits in America are different than biscuits over here in England? In England, a biscuit is a hard "cookie" -- not too sweet -- but it goes JUST RIGHT with a cup of tea. Or so I've been told.

If you would like to learn more about tea and biscuits, you can go to this place, and you can learn everything about tea and biscuits AND the wonderful practice of a Sit Down.

And for our British friends... what's YOUR favorite tea and biscuit combo?

Treadling for Milk

I know all of you other kitties may have had the same problem. No matter how hard and fast you treadle on the beans, you never get any milk.

I try it every once in awhile and I expect her to get the message but nothing is forthcoming. She doesn't even go out to the kitchen to get my stinky goodness.