Orange-striped Office-Mates

Mike took this photo of me at my desk with a cat on either side of me. He thinks it's pretty funny the way the cats have "arranged" my workspace to suit themselves. Actually, this crazy set-up has just sort of evolved over the past week or so.

First, Scout was being a super-pest, always wanting to be in my lap while I'm trying to work. Then Jack would get up on my desk and squeeze himself behind my laptop (where it's warm) and lay on top of the wires and cables for a nap. After awhile I was tired of Scout being on my lap all the time so I opened up one of the top side drawers on my desk and placed a folded blanket in it. She took to it immediately.

Well, it wasn't long before Jack started bulldozing his way onto Scout's spot and then Scout was back to insisting on sitting on my lap.

The other top side drawer was opened, another blanket folded up and placed there, and now they are both happy. Anytime I'm in the office, they are, too. Now, if I could just get them to help me with some of my work!

When I've had enough of the computer I like to relax with a piece of needlework like this:
Just one of my many in-work projects!

A Gorgeous Summer Day

It's a shimmery summer day here in Benicia, with just enough of a lovely warm breeze to set the leaves in our birch tree sighing. I'm sitting outside in the "cat garden" with my laptop and a nicer setting you couldn't find anywhere I think! It's too bad the lighting is really not too good for viewing a computer monitor! But I'll persevere at least as long as my laptop's battery holds out which is about another hour. It's just too nice of a day to be indoors (plus this is a good opportunity for me to do some deep watering of our trees and tomato plants).

The bird in this photo visited one of our hummingbird feeders a few days ago. He's definitely NOT a hummingbird, and I'm pretty sure he (or she?) visited us last year about this time as well. Naturally, I can't remember what kind of bird he is, and I'm thinking we never were really sure if he was a northern tangier or an oriole, even though we checked our bird guides. He's got an orange head and body and tail, with brown/black/grey on his wings and belly. If anyone knows what kind of bird this is, please let me know!

We've got lots of hummers right now, too, and mockingbirds. The mockingbirds usually nest somewhere nearby and sometimes dive-bomb our cats when they are in the garden. As if the cats could get anywhere NEAR the nests! They are well-confined to their garden, but I guess the mockers don't know that and, after all, a few years ago our male Burmese cat, Tony, did find a mockingbird nest (they nest in evergreen trees only about 3 feet from the ground, how foolish is that?) and killed all three of the babies just before they fledged. It was tragic.

Mike is at work today and, can you believe it, he had to work on the Fourth! I was NOT happy about that, nor am I pleased he is working today. It's a shame he has to miss this gorgeous weather. No one should be inside on a day like this. And I just noticed that a pure white gladiolus has sprung up and bloomed! We planted bulbs years and years ago and didn't do a good job cultivating them so over the years we've had fewer and fewer. Last year I'm not sure we had any at all and now, out of the blue, popped this one tall stalk with a dozen buds, the lowest three already blooming. I often think things like that are "signs."

I wonder what it means?

The Purr...fect Solution to Keeping Cats Safe & Happy

Here's Jack safe behind our cat fencing. We installed this fencing three years ago when Jack and Scout were kittens. We had lost our handsome male Burmese, Tony, to a car earlier that year. It was so traumatic for me that I knew I could no longer allow my cats to roam the way I always had. I didn't want to go through finding another cat in the neighbor's yard, dead, from being hit by a car right in front of our own home.

We looked at a lot of different types of fencing and finally settled on the product provided by Purr...fect Fence at http://www.purrfectfence.com/. When properly installed this fencing is truly escape-proof yet allows cats the freedom to enjoy the outdoors and frees me from any worry that they will be playing in the road. We have a cat door so our cats can go in and out as they please which frees us up from being a door monitor.Here is a view of the cat garden from where I was standing under the arbor. They have all this room to roam! You have to look closely to see the slim black poles and the mesh fencing attached to it which runs just inside the wood fence. That's how unobtrusive the fencing is; it certainly doesn't make our garden look like a prison yard.Jack likes to stroll (or patrol?) along the stones that border our flower gardens. There's always a bug or butterfly to chase, grass to nibble, and dirt or warm concrete to roll on.
Looks like Scout is right behind him! She's really the superior hunter and has brought in many a lizard, bird, or rodent. That is the only downside to letting my cats go outside. I do have to clean up feathers or lizard pieces now and then, or corner and trap a mouse that she's brought into the house and let go. Nice!

In California there is talk of making owners register & license cats, just like dogs, and of requiring cats to be confined to the owner's yard. Happily, we're ready for that now. I know I've blogged about our cat garden before, but after spending an enjoyable hour out there this morning I just felt compelled to write more about it, and encourage anyone with cats to look into installing this awesome fencing. It could totally change your life and save that of your cat.

Things I'm Grateful for Today

a special, enclosed garden that my cats and I enjoy every day, and that helps me slow down, reflect, and enjoy each moment of each day

the lovely young woman our son is marrying on Saturday

the soothing breeze that comes up each evening, from the Carquinez Strait, to cool down our non-airconditioned home each night

Kohl's Department Store, who had just the right "foundation garments" to wear under my dress as "mother-of-the-groom" for said wedding

safe travel for our younger son, from China back to the U.S., to be Best Man at his brother's wedding

my husband, who didn't scold me for buying him a new white dress shirt just because I thought the one he already has is just a teensy bit grayish

the cutest little clutch that will be the perfect purse to carry at the wedding

my mom and dad for hosting 8 or more people at their home so that we can all enjoy the wedding without the expense of a hotel room

an invitation to tea in late June with the Westcoast Scrappers

my sister, Denise, for doing all the work (including getting the pint-sized tux) so her son, Adam, can be ring-bearer in the wedding

Crystal Light pink lemonade

my sister, Lisa, who affirmed that it was ok for me not to get my underarms waxed even though I'll be wearing a sleeveless dress for the wedding

flip-flops

my in-laws, Art and Betty, who wish so much that they could attend the wedding and send their Best Wishes to the bride and groom

pedicures

a brand-new wedding band for me that exactly matches my husband's (to replace the one that I lost a couple of years ago)

sunless bronzer by L'Oreal

my cousin, Laurel, who just moved to Benicia (how great is it to have family in town??) and who will look in on my kitty-babies while we are off to the wedding

micro-wave popcorn

gift cards because they make gift-giving SO easy

seedless watermelon -- it makes dieting so much nicer

my dad who will bless the rings of our son and new daughter-in-law

mockingbirds, hummingbirds, and squirrels, all of which my cats love to watch in the garden, and I love to TRY to photograph

family members making time to come to the wedding even though there are lots of other things going on in their lives

digital cameras, and the realization that I don't need to worry about taking photos at the wedding because Jeff Fassett of Fassett Weddings Photography will be there, wooohoooooooo!

two orange tabby cats urging me to come to bed. . . .