"the cat himself knows"

Me-ow-my-oh!

Me-usings and Me-emories

31 January 2016 - My middle name should be "waiting"...waiting for a peep to put food in my bowl, waiting for a peep to open a door, waiting for a peep to catch up, to buy a clue.  Indeed I slouch beneath the sheer weight of it all.  How frustrating itt is to be the quickest, the brightest.  Having to rub ankles with the masses is sufficient reason to live a solitary life.  My confession may strike you as the whining of an elitist, but honestly what sort of goal is "common"?

methodology of the meow-stro

 

 

Today's Catechism 

(for the self-taught)

Everyday thinking,

like everyday attire,

quickly becomes threadbare.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

 "When you notice a cat in profound contemplation,

The reason, I tell you, is always the same:

His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation

Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name."

~ T.S. Eliot

taking a chance

Me-ow-my-oh!

Me-usings and Me-emories

30 January 2016 - We all have our parents to credit for our very existence, but what comes next varies greatly.  I have no recollection of my first weeks, and was on my own for many more weeks.  Although my peeps and I are not biologically related, we nevertheless have strong bonds of connection.  I had that rare opportunity to choose my family, so any subsequent regrets (and they have all been minor) can't be blamed on anyone else.  In the harsh light of day I feel fortunate to have a stable home, and a nurturing environment.  I only wish that everyone could be so lucky.

methodology of the meow-stro

 

 

 

Today's Catechism 

(for the self-taught)

Happiness is focusing

on the good stuff.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - oppurrtune, favorable, like having kibble when hungry

a claim excuse

Me-ow-my-oh!

Me-usings and Me-emories

28 January 2016 - No, I don't have a shoe fetlish (or a foot fetish).  Like all my fellow cats, I am led around by my nose.  The faintest scent talks to me, and I am compelled to respond in kind.  We have four different musk-producing glands on our heads alone, plus the outside of our ears produce a waxy substance.  So by rubbing my cheek, for example, on the object, I am leaving my calling card, discernible to my fellows if not to my peeps:  "Calvin was here."

methodology of the meow-stro

 

 

 

Today's Catechism 

(for the self-taught)

Ownership rarely

involves permission.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - purrprietorial, having in possession, putting one's mark on

overcome, don't come over

Me-ow-my-oh!

Me-usings and Me-emories

27 January 2016 - How do you deal with stress?  Open the refrigerator door, head for the gym, pop a little pill?  Fortunately there isn't much in my life that causes anxiety.  I worry when the peeps pull out the suitcases, and I stew when the beggar stray shows up... that pretty much exhausts my "issues".  Most of the time my sleep is undisturbed.  You won't find any dark rings under my eyes, but then such would be hard to see with my coloring.  And I am glad to report that my peeps aren't pacing the night floor, wringing their hands.  Such behavior would be unacceptable, for my sake if not theirs.

methodology of the meow-stro

 

 

Today's Catechism 

(for the self-taught)

Don't sweat the big stuff;

instead use the word "perspire".

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - purrturbed, worried and upset, just before catatonic

thanks for the complement

Me-ow-my-oh!

Me-usings and Me-emories

26 January 2016 - It is a rare morning that the shorter peep and I don't share breakfast time...which is different from sharing breakfast.  While she eats and pushes a pencil around a crossword puzzle, I hang out for the occasional head scratch.  Our routine is a gentle way to start the day.  In my case it restarts the day, since I typically do a walkabout just before dawn.  Having stretched my legs and determined that the perimeter hasn't been breached, I return to bed for a few more hours of snooze.  One's beauty rest should not be shorted.

methodology of the meow-stro

 

 

 

Today's Catechism 

(for the self-taught)

Friendship doesn't require

a lot of conversation.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - purrtner, a chosen feline with whom one spends enjoyable time

there is no yellow in black and white

Me-ow-my-oh!

Me-usings and Me-emories

25 January 2016 - As you readers know, I am rather passive (but then I've been told that the meek will inherit the earth, or what is left of it).  A loud bang and my first instinct is to seek cover and then investigate...in that order.  Some of my compatriots are ragged warriors, and they bear the scars to prove it.  My survival plan is to avoid trouble... which requires honed senses and a vigilance that is quite tiring.  But I have seen the mangled ears and the leathery bald spots on those with a full complement of testosterone, and I have no desire to be like them.

 

methodology of the meow-stro

 

 

 

Today's Catechism 

(for the self-taught)

Brute force is never as

photogenic as in the movies.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - appurrhensive, anxious, on edge (often literally, see upper right photo)

having cold feet

Me-ow-my-oh!

Me-usings and Me-emories

24 January 2016 - Numbers are such abstract constructs.  I suppose the need to swap your goods with another's goods is sufficient cause for counting.  But once the tally gets beyond visual grasp (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, many) or mental understanding (certainly a trillion of anything boggles the mind), the value becomes rarefied.  So when the shorter peep says, "You don't want to go out there.  It's 37 degrees."  My response may appear to suggest that I don't believe her, when actually I have the need for experience and confirmation.: "So that is what 37 means."

methodology of the meow-stro

 

 

 

Today's Catechism 

(for the self-taught)

In January a cold day in hell

might not be that hard to imagine.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

phrase of the day - heat-seeking meowsile, a feline that can't abide chilly temperatures

long-suffering

Me-ow-my-oh!

Me-usings and Me-emories

23 January 2016 - I prefer peace and quiet, so today's bluster is quite upsetting.  Being indoors offers some protection from the cold temperatures and wind gusts, but one can't escape the sounds of a winter storm.  I do not wish, or need, to see snowflakes, especially since that would confirm the mercury has dropped below what is acceptable.   In this picture I am experimenting with the idea that adding another layer of walls would help insulate me from the gone-crazy world.  The initial impression is "yes".  Please note that there is no welcome mat before the door.

methodology of the meow-stro

 

 

 

Today's Catechism 

(for the self-taught)

There is a big gap between

tolerance and enjoyment.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - stoicat, enduring hardship with only the occasional meow of complaint

me and my mouth

Me-ow-my-oh!

 

Me-usings and Me-emories

22 January 2016 - I am feeling a tad nervous about yesterday's veiled threat.  It is very unlikely that the brute follows my postings, but I can't say that with 100% assurance...or maybe the fact that I'm gunning for him, at least in my thoughts, reached him second-hand.  So now I am treading carefully and watching my back.  The last time I spotted the bully he was limping.  Evidently there are others who wish him ill.

 

methodology of the meow-stro

 

 

 

Today's Catechism 

(for the self-taught)

"If you can't say anything

nice..." actually is good advice.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - purrudent, acting (most of the time) sensibly, steering clear of a cat fight

if cats could fly

Me-ow-my-oh!

Me-usings and Me-emories

21 January 2016 - "Look!   Up on the ledge!  It's a beep, it's a plane, it's super-cat!"  In my wildest dream, I am alien and frightening and able to cow the bully stray that sneaks into my yard.  Unfortunately aggression is not my strong suit; I am a lover, as they say.  Even tuxedo-wearing thugs are temporarily tamed, so there is no chance that I will turn into a cat of steel.  Embrace what you are good at is my mantra:  I can ace the mild-mannered part.

methodology of the meow-stro

 

 

 

Today's Catechism 

(for the self-taught)

Diplomacy usually doesn't send

one to the emergency room.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - delicat, having the ability to deal with peeps in a subtle but effective manner

shiver me timbers

Me-ow-my-oh!

Me-usings and Me-emories

20 January 2016 - I approached the faucet carefully this morning, but my tongue didn't stick to the metal.  I guess it wasn't as cold as I thought...but definitely cold enough.  One can't complain too loudly however when the sun beams down upon the scene.  I realize that our landscape, still boasting green upon the branches, is far more cheery than most vistas in the northern hemisphere.  Even so it is difficult to think positively when trembling.  I can understand why creatures in higher latitudes question existence.

 

methodology of the meow-stro

 

 

 

Today's Catechism 

(for the self-taught)

Fire was definitely a

gift from the gods.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - tempurrate, favoring balmy temperatures (certainly not a reference to self-restraint..remember, I'm a cat)

down in the grumps

Me-ow-my-oh!

Me-usings and Me-emories

19 January 2016 - This cold weather has worn out its welcome.  I can tolerate many things for a time, but I am finding it very difficult to rise and greet the day.  How much nicer to remain in my toasty spot, dreaming of the summer heat.  My routine has devolved to creeping from peep's lap to warmed bed.  I have also discovered that this thing at which they sit for hours is a source of above-ambient temperatures.  In a pinch, it can salvage a miserable moment...which I suppose qualifies it as user-friendly.

 

methodology of the meow-stro

 

 

 

Today's Catechism 

(for the self-taught)

Things can always get worse.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - despurring, wretched, unhappy (and too incapacitated to hiss displeasure)

mind full

Me-ow-my-oh!

 

Me-usings and Me-emories

18 January 2016 - Learning happens in and outside the classroom.  If one is lucky, one's post-secondary education extends well into retirement and enriches one's life.  Obviously I am not a diploma-holder (especially not a student of obedience school).  I possess what is known as street smarts, but nonetheless I enjoy being around books.  Who wouldn't like a pastime that causes my shorter peep to sit for long periods of time...yielding a warm and for-the-claiming lap?

methodology of the meow-stro

 

 

 

Today's Catechism 

(for the self-taught)

Like the rest of the body,

the brain benefits from exercise.

Bring back Bastet

Bastet beckons

Catty Corner

word of the day - purrcipient, having a good understanding of things, like who puts food in the bowl