Cat’s Meow Friday Round-Up

Of all the half-assed things I’ve done in my life, putting a leash on a cat takes the cake. It wasn’t easy either, just figuring out which part went where, there being no instructions because it apparently was one of those instances where everybody would know how to do it, me being the only exception. The package said “One Size” which I took to mean “One Size” but upon closer examination meant “One Size” for cats 0-10 pounds. Hercules, aka Herc, the foster cat, weighs more. He fell over on his side in protest.

We mistook the cat’s looking out through the screen door at the rest of us on the porch for yearning. And we right away decided we had to assuage his yearning by figuring out a way to bring him outside without risking his escape on to a beach where a coyote or eagle could swing by and snatch him for lunch. I am reminded now that looking at people being happy could just be an expression of curiosity, an episode of observation before one pads away to nap on a cushion by oneself.

I asked someone for help today. I have an in-house resource, the same one for thirty-eight years, but this time I needed some new thinking. But, as it happens with people skilled at helping others, the help was mostly about pulling away the branches that were blocking the arrows on the trail. Those of you who are either experienced in asking for help or giving help will know what I mean.

The day started with a very long virtual meeting involving most people both muting themselves and turning off their video. So, basically it was a meeting of named squares. I leave my video on most of the time unless there is a dog creating some kind of disturbance because I think it adds to the discussion for folks to see people’s reactions to what they’re saying – the eyes rolling, smirks, forehead rubbing – it’s all part of the discourse. We are so corroded by Zoom, it’s really awful. Will knowing how to act around an actual table become some artifact from the before times that only certain elders will remember?

We had a beautiful paddle in our canoe today. This, despite the brace on my knee and the brace on his back, and the canoe being kind of heavy. It takes a good while, and some amount of contemplation, for me to both get into and out of the canoe, but once in, there is just paddling and gliding, looking for the eagle on Sable Lake, watching out for submerged branches, being surprised by a fish leaping off to the side. It would be easier not to go, the wear and tear of it all, but not going will mean we’ll lose our ability to go and we aren’t ready for that.