Serendipity

I am enjoying my first leisurely evening in a long while. Some time-sensitive, work-related stress is safely behind me, and I've got sweet Leo tucked in by my side.

Following in the footsteps of Lucius, Leo loves classical music. Among our cable TV offerings is a  channel called "Light Classical," and I knew Leo would enjoy listening to it tonight. My trusty remote landed on the channel just in time for us to hear a delightful piece from an orchestral suite. Clearly, the music captured Leo's fancy.

The "Did You Know?" sidebar on  the TV screen explained that we were listening to one of the six sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti by Vincenzo Tommasini that accompany the ballet The Good-Humoured Ladies. The music was later arranged to be performed by an orchestra, as one of six movements. 

What are the odds of a good-humored Cat Lady (I hope you think I am) and one of her cats being serenaded by the sonata known as the Cat's Fugue? This is the sixth movement, and I think its alternate title should be Serendipity.

Inspiration and Feline Aesthetics

I had the pleasure of hearing my longtime friend Gloria Groom lecture today at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Gloria (officially Dr. Groom, the senior curator at the Art Institute of Chicago) spoke about her most-recent internationally acclaimed exhibition, Impressionism, Fashion & Modernity. If you're someone as supremely gifted as Gloria, you don't stop producing after a big hit. Now she's on to Van Gogh, and surely Gloria will inspire us anew.

I wonder if Gloria would consider enlightening her Cat Lady comrade by commenting on a fascinating feline phenomenon: why do cats like Van Gogh's paintings? Pictures prove that cats have often been inspired to create their own variations on a Van Gogh theme or subject, such as sunflowers.

This image is taken from the book Why Cats Paint, which another dear friend, Linda, found for me at Pegasus Books in New Zealand.

Lone Star Kitty State

I must meet Alejandro Cardenas, the artist behind the striking, witty, and Cat Lady–friendly illustrations that grace the pages of WSJ. magazine.  

For the illustration that appeared in WSJ. this past weekend, Mr. Cardenas introduced Bast, baby Who, and Anubis to the Lone Star State. Their walkabout outfits? Chanel, of course.

This blog post is intended to serve as an open invitation to Mr. Cardenas and his always fashion-savvy feline characters.

Won't you please come visit us at Catland?

Stairway to Heaven

I wonder if L.B. has already reunited with Lucius.

Thinking about these two extraordinary cats seeing each other again brings me comfort during a distressing time. L.B.'s sudden death this past Monday was a punch in the stomach, a true shock to the system. To take my mind off the reality of losing L.B., I keep imagining Lucius greeting him on the proverbial stairway to heaven. Surely Lucius exclaimed, "Hey, Dude."

For L.B. was our dude kitty, a nickname that Heather's husband, Mark, bestowed on him many years ago. The dude description stuck, and L.B. wore it well, because he never failed to show his appreciation for typically guy things. L.B. liked the Super Bowl and snacks, curling up on the sofa and doing his best imitation of a couch potato. He was a Texas Longhorns loyalist to the end. Most of all, L.B. liked the ladies. And this Cat Lady was absolutely crazy about him.

Dear L.B., it was our great privilege to rescue you eleven years ago and to stand by your side ever since. We had no idea you were so ill, and that you were living with an incurable disease. Your stoicism, dignity, and loving heart will not be forgotten.  

Rest in peace, our beloved CFO.



L.B., CFO, Dude Kitty

I Am a Non-Hostile Cat!

So after 14 years of proudly calling myself a Cat Lady, I come to find that I should introduce myself as a non-hostile cat. At least, that is apparently how my own cats view me, and I would never want to deliberately deceive them.

A number of fellow Cat Ladies (I mean, other non-hostile cats) have recommended I read John Bradshaw’s new book, Cat Sense: How the New Feline Science Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet. I am all for self-improvement and dedicated to doing anything to make my cats “love me more” (see previous blog post). I just need to adjust to my new “title,” and maybe it’s time to buy the catsuit I was recently admiring at Saks.

Let's Get Ready to Rumble

I don't have a horse in today's Super Bowl race. The Houston Texans were pathetic this year, and my original hometown team, the New Orleans Saints, was eliminated weeks ago. But I'll be cheering for Peyton Manning, because he is a fellow native of New Orleans, and I always root for the "old guy." I hear he has reached the ripe age of 37.

I can't promise to watch every pre-game minute leading up to the Super Bowl. There is some serious competition, Cat Ladies. Touchdown, tabbies and torties, it's time for you and your fellow felines on the gridiron to show us what you've got:http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/kittenbowl

Let's get ready to rumble and tumble with the most photogenic starting lineup in the world. The NFL can only dream of drafting such acrobatic powerhouses as kittens.

I Miss You More

I rarely travel for museum business, but an opportunity emerged recently and it was time for me to don my winter apparel (which barely sees the light of day) and head to New Jersey, New Haven, and New York. On my return flight home, I decided to flip through the Skymall catalog. Yes, only serious, intellectual reading for this Cat Lady in transit.

I can't remember the name of the vendor that specializes in "I Love You More" memorabilia in various shapes and sizes. I wondered if I should compete with "I Miss You More" plaques, because I believe my cats would buy them, if they had spare change, and would display them prominently upon my reentry at Catland.

Who missed me more while I was gone? Did Pye miss my dangling a feathered wand in front of her tiny face? Did Lydia miss my calling her "Richard"? (It's a long story.) Did Leo miss hearing me say, "it's time for the iPad"?

It's all silly, yet sentimental, stuff, and the list goes on for the daily rituals that sustain the cats and me. The simple truth is that I missed them more than they will ever know.