CLICK HERE FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF TERZO'S BLOG

 

August 4, 2008:

NEWS FLASH: I'm the August cat at FelineCATCHall again! I think this is "a closed Yahoo group" (whatever that means!) but you can try going to: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/FelineCATchALL/ to see if you can catch me napping on the special pillow a neighbor of Arthur Black embroidered for us after she heard Simon Teakettle on Basic Black, which used to air Saturday mornings on the CBC network.

The past few weeks have been very busy. First of all I have New Job. I am babysitting a goldfish belonging to James, the four-year-old who lives across the street from us. Here's a photo of James when he came to visit me. He needed to check out the premises where his precious Orange would live for three weeks.

When the James came over to deliver the fish tank, he brought his older brother and sister and his mom. That's quite an escort for a Very Tiny Fish. Orange (James is really into food) is no bigger than a bug, and I must admit I was a bit disappointed because he's not that much fun to watch. I was also surprised that he only gets a pinch fish flakes every three days. How will he ever grow bigger on that diet? I wanted to share a few of my munchie-crunchies with him, but Bobbi said that wasn't allowed. Sigh...

Before the children left on vacation, we gave them three little tigers that used to sit on the guest room windowsill. I kept knocking them down in my effort to interact with the squirrels, so Bobbi decided they needed a new home. We gave one each to Simon (evidently he was NOT named after my predecessor), Laura, and James, and asked them to take them to the ocean because they wanted to put their paws in salt water. In return, they will bring us back some seashells for our collection.

I also had a sad task to accomplish this summer. Our favorite CBC radio program, Disc Drive, is going off the air in a few weeks, and they're giving away mugs in return for requests. We've kept in touch with the host, Jurgen Gothe, for many years, and we're really going to miss his show, which plays terrific music of all genres, interspersed with witty comments. Bobbi sent a request, of course, but so did I. Here's my letter to Jurgen:

 July 11, 2008:

I was so busy celebrating both July 1st and the Fourth of July, I'm just getting around to adding to this blog. I'm still finding it weird to add to the top instead of the bottom, but I've given into Conventional Wisdom (whatever that is!). Here's my photo showing my dual nationality:

This is the photo we used on our summer MEWSletter, which is sent to clients, book suppliers, and other business contacts. If you'd like a copy, just e-mail me (Terzo at SimonTeakettle.com) and we'll send it to you.

I had an exciting afternoon last week. One of the little children who live across the street came over to visit. These three come to our back door frequently, receiving lollypops for bringing in our recycle bin or picking up pine cones from the front lawn, or sometimes just to say Hi. But they usually don't come beyond the back hall.

But last December, when Laura turned five, Bobbi invited her for a "girls only" tea party. I was fascinated, and sat and watched them as they changed the clothes on the teddy bears, drank "tea" out of tiny cups, and ate little cookies and home-made chocolates (the mom who lives across the street often shares the treats she makes).

When James turned four in May, he was ready for his Special Visit. He's such an animal lover that he was content to spend the entire time with me. He petted me, brushed me, gave me treats, and I even sat on his lap.

Next it's Simon's turn. I love that he and I have the same name, except that they pronounce his the French way. He was 7 this weekend, and has had not one, but two birthday parties. (That's a hint, Bobbi!)  He'll come over for his visit some afternoon next week.

Meanwhile, I've been writing some new pieces. Here's my latest: How to Play with a Straw. There are only six ideas, as I didn't have time to write more before I had to take another naps. You can't hold me to the same standards as the Professional Journalist in the household!

Oops! I forgot to date my first message on this new blog. So we're calling it:

One day in June, 2008:

Okay, I give in. After writing this blog (with a tiny bit of human help) for the past two years, I'm finally going to accept what all the website designers have told me, and add my latest comments at the top, instead of the bottom. So you don't have to scroll through all the previous postings any more!

There, are you happy now? (You know Who You Are!)

I've been asked how I learned to read and write. Good grief (as Charlie Brown might say), how can you spend 24 hours a day with a compulsive person who is either reading or writing much of the time and not figure out how to do it yourself?

The story of how the Very First Simon learned to write is told in Catastrophe!, the multi-award-winning piece that Bobbi included in the Appendix of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing and again in her side of MEWSINGS/MUSINGS. My introduction to the computer came just as easily. You can see me here, playing with Skippy, my Very Own Computer Cat (from CATZ):
 

As you can seen, when I'm not writing, playing with Skippy I sometimes give a little kiss to my favorite mouse.

My other job is Product Testing. Right now, I'm in the process of determining The Best Spots to Take a Nap. You would have thought I'd have tried all these possibilities in the 15 months I've lived in this household, but when I first arrived, I settled on just a few choice places, and have just begun to explore others.

I used to take my morning nap either on the back of the couch nearest the living room entrance, or the guest room bed, both of which let me keep an eye on Bobbi's activities. In the afternoon, I would either return to the guest room bed or to "our" big bed. My preferred spot for an evening nap, of course, is on Bobbi's lap. If she goes out, I curl up on her chair in the den.

One day last winter, I was looking for a mouse I had lost, and discovered a neat spot behind the extra chair in the den. There's a corner of the room that's ideal for hiding (the mice discovered this before I did!) and then I thought I ought to venture into some other places.

I drove Bobbi crazy with my meowing for more than a week until she realized that the reason why I was on the back of the other couch in the living room was because I was "asking permission" to nap there. She thought I was trying to play with things on the shelf behind the couch. Why didn't she realize that I know better than to do that? There are lots of tiny things on shelves all over this house, some of them fragile and others quite tempting, but I would never touch any of them. I have my own toys to play with!

It also took me a while to realize that the other chair in the den has a comfortable seat I could curl up on, which gives me an alternative if she's not-quite-sitting-down. That's what I call it when she's in the chair, out of the chair to do "just one more thing," then back in the chair again, until it drives me crazy.

Tiki used to go downstairs when he wanted to nap where he wouldn't be disturbed, but I don't like it down there. I go down to use my litter boxes, and will stay and play with the toys down there if Bobbi is doing laundry, or ironing, or working in the sewing room. But I prefer to be where I can hear her and see her. She thought, at first, that I might be afraid of the dark, because I insisted on having a third litter box upstairs. I'm not willing to admit to that!

What do I do Between Naps? I write this blog, of course!

Now I'm finished with this segment, I don't know what to do. I can't use my previous sign-off, "Till the next time I feel like writing," because it will be at the very bottom of the page!

This blog business is Very Odd.

Love & purrs, Terzo

BLOG I: THE FIRST TWO YEARS