Angela Verdenius's Blog - Posts Tagged "revelations"
Good books - and Spurned by the Cat
So, books first. Over the last couple of months I've ordered 4 different paperbacks that go into my treasured collection - the Touch-On-Pain-of-Death shelf of our library shelves. So now all 4 paperbacks are sitting on the little library in my bedroom, burning a hole in the shelf, calling - CALLING! - to me to pick them up and read them RIGHT NOW.
However, I am one of those people who once I start reading a series I love, have to read them ALL before I start a book from another series. So saying, I am hooked on the Arisen military/zombie series and currently reading
, and as there are still 3 more books to read in this series, it's going to be a little while before I get to those 4 paperbacks.
Never mind! Something to look forward to!
Now to something that staggered me early this morning. We have this little torti cat (think they're called 'Calicos' in the US) who has graced us with her presence for about 5 years now. She's a pure torti with no white, semi-long haired, very pretty. She sometimes lives in our back and front yard. We're not actually sure if she's a stray or whether she belongs to someone, because she's sterilized and in good nick, no matter how long she disappears for. She'll disappear for up to four days then pop back up again, happy and hearty. Once she disappeared for 2 months and we thought she must have died, only to have her pop up one day - 'tah-dah!' So she comes and goes.
Now Duchess (as we call her - or Dutch, depending), had disappeared for about 3 days. No food eaten though we keep putting fresh out every morning and every night. I think either her owners (if she has any) are home more than they used to be, or someone in the neighborhood is letting her into their home. Either way, she had done her disappearing act.
So I was up early as usual going for my morning walk (I know, right? Sick. Why would anyone in their right mind get up early on their day off to go for a walk?!), and I'm trotting along and lo and behold, I'm passing Betty's house and there is Duchess, sniffing the trampoline in Betty's front yard.
"Dutch!" I cry out, "There you are!"
And Dutch looks at me.
"Come here, sweet thing," I coo, stopping and holding out my hand.
My gosh, you'd have thought I was doing something exceedingly nasty. She pulled her ears back (Dutch, not Betty. Betty was smart enough to still be in bed), and trotted under the trampoline. Get this - Dutch went UNDER it and stared out at me.
Now I felt like a fool, with cars going past while I'm trying to coax Dutch out for a pat. And I realised something. Isn't this what kids do when they reach a certain age and don't want their parents to acknowledge them at school? You know, don't kiss them goodbye and wave them into the classroom? This is Dutch. OMG, Dutch didn't want me to say anything to her with other people around!
When did this happen? When did Dutch decide that I was embarrassing? Is she ashamed of me?
I realised something else. Apparently I am perfectly fine to have around when she's in MY yard, or MY carport, and even MY driveway - I can kiss and cuddle her, rub her belly, stroke her, give her fresh food and water, but how dare I approach her out in public?
As I thoughtfully trotted on home with Dutch watching me in righteous indignation from beneath Betty's trampoline (should a lady in her 70s even have a trampoline?), I pondered how animals and humans are so alike.
Yep, I'd been taught my place by Dutch. Guess I'll have to wait until she decides to grace me with her presence once more before I'm worthy enough to pat her.
*sigh*...must be tough for that cat trying to teach us dumb humans our place in the hierarchy...
However, I am one of those people who once I start reading a series I love, have to read them ALL before I start a book from another series. So saying, I am hooked on the Arisen military/zombie series and currently reading
, and as there are still 3 more books to read in this series, it's going to be a little while before I get to those 4 paperbacks.Never mind! Something to look forward to!
Now to something that staggered me early this morning. We have this little torti cat (think they're called 'Calicos' in the US) who has graced us with her presence for about 5 years now. She's a pure torti with no white, semi-long haired, very pretty. She sometimes lives in our back and front yard. We're not actually sure if she's a stray or whether she belongs to someone, because she's sterilized and in good nick, no matter how long she disappears for. She'll disappear for up to four days then pop back up again, happy and hearty. Once she disappeared for 2 months and we thought she must have died, only to have her pop up one day - 'tah-dah!' So she comes and goes.
Now Duchess (as we call her - or Dutch, depending), had disappeared for about 3 days. No food eaten though we keep putting fresh out every morning and every night. I think either her owners (if she has any) are home more than they used to be, or someone in the neighborhood is letting her into their home. Either way, she had done her disappearing act.
So I was up early as usual going for my morning walk (I know, right? Sick. Why would anyone in their right mind get up early on their day off to go for a walk?!), and I'm trotting along and lo and behold, I'm passing Betty's house and there is Duchess, sniffing the trampoline in Betty's front yard.
"Dutch!" I cry out, "There you are!"
And Dutch looks at me.
"Come here, sweet thing," I coo, stopping and holding out my hand.
My gosh, you'd have thought I was doing something exceedingly nasty. She pulled her ears back (Dutch, not Betty. Betty was smart enough to still be in bed), and trotted under the trampoline. Get this - Dutch went UNDER it and stared out at me.
Now I felt like a fool, with cars going past while I'm trying to coax Dutch out for a pat. And I realised something. Isn't this what kids do when they reach a certain age and don't want their parents to acknowledge them at school? You know, don't kiss them goodbye and wave them into the classroom? This is Dutch. OMG, Dutch didn't want me to say anything to her with other people around!
When did this happen? When did Dutch decide that I was embarrassing? Is she ashamed of me?
I realised something else. Apparently I am perfectly fine to have around when she's in MY yard, or MY carport, and even MY driveway - I can kiss and cuddle her, rub her belly, stroke her, give her fresh food and water, but how dare I approach her out in public?
As I thoughtfully trotted on home with Dutch watching me in righteous indignation from beneath Betty's trampoline (should a lady in her 70s even have a trampoline?), I pondered how animals and humans are so alike.
Yep, I'd been taught my place by Dutch. Guess I'll have to wait until she decides to grace me with her presence once more before I'm worthy enough to pat her.
*sigh*...must be tough for that cat trying to teach us dumb humans our place in the hierarchy...
