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My current reason for little posting of late is the time I'm spending writing, so guess that's good. But I am reading what everyone else is doing, at least, and glad you're mostly all well and entertained. For now, a few updates and then a meme.

Updates: The new cat has acquired a name of sorts--not nearly as elegant as she is. Mop. After rejecting Alice, Sita, Shag, and various other possibilities. She does look like a mop, or maybe a dust bunny. I haven't had a cat like her in quite a while. She totally destroys my old theory of the bitchy calico/tortie and the loud Siamese--she clearly has both, but the dominant strain seems to be the sweet longhair. She has a tiny kitten-like mew, not a Waugh! like Orange or a long whine like Fernie. She's Not Interested in going outside--she can see it all perfectly well from a nice window, thank you. She'd not territorial. BC, our feral but cuddly outside cat, occasionally comes in for a brief turn around the living room or kitchen. Mop barely opens her eyes to see the intruder, and doesn't react at all. BC watches her in terror, oddly, since BC is one tough cookie and has beat up some truly warlike cats in her time, and made both my former cats, Fernie and Orange, dance to her tune. But not Mop. Mop also is a faucet drinker, her only difficult trait, and while she's very sweet is not the big-time purrer that my other cats have been. I think I had a longhaired white cat a while back with this same laidback style. Now we have to find a way to teach her to love travel, and she'll be a very serviceable cat.

Alice the book is also behaving well, or at least appearing on demand. For which I'm thankful. And even more thankful for my Faithful Reader(s?)!

My garden has definitely taken a turn for the better. I (with the help of Elmer who works for pay but clearly feels a lot of pride in our accomplishment) have cleared out lots of blackberries and cherry laurel and general junk, and planted many nice things: pyracantha, Chinese fringe tree, some kind of jasmine ground cover, a couple of oak-leaf hydrangeas and one blue regular one, several Indian hawthornes that hopefully will grow up in front of the somewhat leggy boxwoods, and a lovely pink sasanqua. Also some collards and herbs, and moved some wild roses, iris, and day lilies. And put nice pinestraw beds around it all. Elmer likes nice geometrically straight lines, so I don't have the curves that are so in fashion in landscaping these days, but really that's just the pinestraw--I can make curves later if I crave them. I really think he got a kick out of seeing it all finished, and I was glad. Life is hard for him, but somehow he's still surviving and not in bad trouble--a good achievement for an uneducated black man of our generation. When he comes by again, I'm going to try to get him out of trouble with the food stamp people, and possibly even on disability--he's at least 50 and has had one stroke, he says.

I am reading some books on history--Ireland, Vietnam War, SC--but also Son of a Witch which so far is fun, almost as much as Wicked, of which it's the sequel. Started but didn't love City of Falling Angels although I do love Venice. Have not yet seen the new Harry Potter--maybe tomorrow.

Yoga is coming along. I've done quite a few assisted handstands, and still have hopes of achieving my ambition to do one unassisted by the end of the year. And tiny progress on the wheel (backbend): can now get my head a couple of inches off the floor. Tomorrow I'm totally indulging myself in a private lesson to work on both. More later, on that.

And now I can start thinking about Christmas lights on the small tree out front. So beautiful when done, such a pain in the doing.

ETA: Forgot the Five Simple Pleasures Meme, ganked from midnightsjane:Name 5 of life's simple pleasures, then pick 5 people to do the same. Try to be original and creative and not to use things that someone else has already used. Tag 5 people on your list.

1. Chai tea with lots of ginger and pepper and cardamom, and rich whole milk, on a cold afternoon.
2. Waking up on my own with no alarm clock and no rush to get up.
3. A fresh, unstarted NYT crossword puzzle.
4. Hot roasted oysters and a little glass of single-malt Scotch.
5. Reading a short-short story by my nephew, all grown up and writing fantasy

I'm tagging whoever has some pleasures to share.

Here are some kitten pictures, at last--though sadly I had to leave them behind in California.

( kittens )

Good-bye to my dear old Orange, the sweetest of cats.

He was pretty much OK this morning, even ate a little breakfast. He went out in the afternoon to sit on the neighbors' porch--they've always fed him, even after he moved in with us. At about 4, their son found him dead on the porch. It must have been quick--maybe a heart attack or stroke. He'd been nauseated off and on for the past few weeks, but recovered fairly quickly. He had some nice rare roast beef last night and relished it. A good death, considering the options.

But he was a very good cat. He wasn't a hunter, and didn't defend territory. He purred so easily, and meowed so rarely, humbly glad to take whatever was given him, and to give all the love he can.

Sleep sweetly, Anaranjado.

Thanks to everyone for your concern about Orange. I don't know if the medicine is working or if he's just naturally getting better, but today he doesn't seem to be in much pain (not yowling, anyway) and is able to walk a little without falling down. His back legs are still a little strange--he kind of waddles, but he gets to the food dish, and that's what he cares about. He's old and won't ever be a kitten again, but if he's comfortable, I'm happy. He wants to go out and sit in the sun, and we'll probably let him go tomorrow, because it's a safe place.

Thanks again--it's really nice to know that everyone cares so much about him. I suspect he felt the good wishes coming his way, and he sends many purrs in return.

You've seen her before, but ( here's the party girl )

So here are questions from ladystarlightsj and my answers:

( Click me! )

So let me know if you--anyone--want questions from me.

Sitting on the couch reading my Italy books and trying to figure out the Milan ATM system (I like to deal with the yucky parts of travel while I'm still here--but I'll still get lost), I heard a lot of slurping and banging of food dish from the porch where our outside cat eats. She's not such a lady, but still she has those dainty cat nibbling ways, so I thought this must be someone else. When I turned on the light, I saw a huge possum--not fazed at all by the light and not pausing in its snack. S/he was lots bigger than the cats, even Orange (our 15 pounder), and looked more tan than grey. The nose and tail didn't look pink like those I see deceased on the road, and when s/he finally lumbered away, I could see no fur on the very back with a very raw looking place, kind of like the things cats with flea allergies get. Poor thing. I googled and read that possums don't usually fight people or cats, aren't very destructive, and rarely carry rabies. Hope all that's true. Still, I was glad I have appointments tomorrow to take both cats for shots--even though I'd probably rather try to wrestle the possum into a cage than BC, the outside cat.

I've seen them for years in the trees and beside the street, but never before so up close and personal. After this, BC gets fed only in the morning.