I know I haven’t written about my kitties for a long time, so I thought I would update about them. We have four, all seniors.
Perry, my true love and favorite fur person (only rivaled by dearly departed Pear Blossom). I won’t say much as I don’t like to “jinx” anything. Gray and white, medium-long-haired.
Sloopy Anne, my best little girl who sleeps with the gardener and me. One of our other cats (Lily) hates Sloopy Anne with a passion, so we have a gate dividing our house in half. Sloops lives in the bedroom half. Tortico–tortoisehell from the top and calico from the bottom.
Lily, one of my son’s cats who I took in. She is so mean to Sloopy so Lily is confined to the front half of the house. The reason this is fair is because Lily is a dominant cat in great need of human touch and companionship. Sloopy is more reticent and happy in back. If the gardener sits down, Lily climbs on his chest up to his neck and sticks there like velcro. She can’t get through the gate because she’s fat. Orange and white long-haired who knows she’s beautiful.
Meesker, the other one of my son’s cats. He’s shy and was bullied by Lily for years, so for the last couple of years he’s lived in the back of the house with Sloopy Anne. However, just recently, he decided he likes it out front with Perry. Lily doesn’t dare bully Meesker out here because Perry keeps her in line. Perry is the benevolent king. Meesker is so skinny (GI issues) that he slides between the bars of the gate we put up so he can come and go as he pleases. (Actually so can Perry when he really really wants to do it). All black with black whiskers and toe beans.
The boys, Perry and Meesker:
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The wonderful journal Gone Lawn has published two of my micros: “Nature’s Ways” and “The New Girl.” The first one is fanciful. The second is kind of heart-breaking. It’s in honor of all the new girls who didn’t come into a school with the best clothes or nurturing.
https://gonelawn.net/journal/issue61/Castle.php
“Nature’s Ways” begins this way:
Ethel hoisted herself off the old, webbed chair with one hand and a sigh, grabbed her muddy gloves, and slipped on wet grass toward the garden at the back wall. Her dear Buttercup had passed in her arms the day before, and her enthusiasm for her garden, even life itself, had seemed to die with the little marmalade cat.
“The New Girl” begins this way:
The school secretary handed you off to Miss Dixon, as if you were a slippery, prickery, stinky fish, and you sat in that front row seat where nobody else wanted to sit and didn’t look around so everybody could stare at you until lunch, and I admit I was no different, noting your limp faded dress,
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Two of my micros were finalists in a contest by The Ekphrastic Review.
You can find them at:
https://www.ekphrastic.net/the-ekphrastic-review/perfect-ten-marathon-flash-fiction-finalists-and-winner
If you go to that link you will find all the finalist stories as well as the winning story.
Here are the two inspiring art pieces that I wrote from with beginnings of the stories.
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Rogue Agent published two of my collages at https://www.rogueagentjournal.com/lcastle along with a written description of each collage and some comments I make about them.
These collages were inspired by Sylvia Plath poems. The first, “Feverish,” is based on the poem “Fever 103.” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/29479/fever-103
This is one of my favorite poems ever. I hope you give it a read! Plath wrote it after she had been plagued by with a high fever for quite some time.
The other collage, “What a Thrill,” was inspired by the Plath poem, “Cut.”
https://allpoetry.com/poem/8498445-Cut-by-Sylvia-Plath
Wondering how you are doing.
Hah, I’ve been busy. And hot. So hot here. I can’t wait until true fall and I can go for walks. How are you doing? I’ll go check your blog!
Hi, Luanne…loved the no news updates on your kittens! And the picture of the boys was great! Now that I am a cat lady, I can appreciate your love of these mysterious creatures even more.
“New Girl” gave me goosebumps…excellent.
Your work inspires, intrigues, enlightens. Onward.
Cats are very special. of course, so are dogs, but completely different. Thanks for getting goosebumps haha! Hope all is well over there at your casa!
We have been well, but crazy busy. No time for writing, but I will do better this week!! Thank you for keeping us posted on your pieces appearing in wonderful places!! Congratulations!
Why are we all so busy lately?!!!!! Thanks, Sheila!
OMG – our granddaughters are growing up and now love “sleepovers” at our house which a/k/a bedlam at Nana and Naynay’s. Whew. Ella will be 6 on October lst, and her parents have decided to do a Destination Disney World Birthday for a WEEK in Orlando and have invited us to go with them! Pretty will be fine, but I may be dragging up the rear!
Good to see that you’re still busy reading and writing, and of course I always love to hear about your cats.
I’ve been so busy playing catchup after my surgery in May–especially tax related and for my mother who needs me to do all her business affairs now. But I hope I’m back now!
The sandwich generation has a big load to carry at times.
It’s true. So true.
Good to see you back! Love the cat catch up and your stories!
Thanks so much Kate! Running over to see you!
It’s wonderful to see a new blog post from you, Luanne! Congratulations on your recent publications. My favorite piece was the heart-wrenching “The New Girl.”
Thank you so much, Liz. Ah, that is my favorite, too. Very close to my heart. All those girls like that one. So hard on them.
You’re welcome, Luanne.
So good to see you and your work being showcased. All good stuff. I smiled while reading Nature’s Way. Fanciful, indeed! Glad the kitties are doing well and have their allotted spaces and roles in your home.
Congrats on the work. Love it all. You are so talented! Your adorable kitties must be so proud!
You have been busy. I like “toe beans” – it is so descriptive that I knew exactly what they were before looking at the picture
Congratulations on all your publications!
I’m glad there is no news good news with all your kitties!
(I’m so happy we got our boys.)
So wonderful to know there are people like you, Luanne, who love cats as much as we do. I hope you’re doing well! 🙂
You have been busy Luanne. Congratulations on all your publications. Some very intriguing pieces in the mix.
So many different cat personalities!
They are all such wonderful little people! You should see my grandson with them. He’s almost 20 months old now, and he is so gentle with the kitties. It’s wonderful to watch. I hope he doesn’t change that!
Awww…that’s wonderful!
Congratulations on your publications and thank you for sharing the updates on the kitties! So cute! 🙂
Thank you, Linda! They are such cuties. Other than the throwing up and missing the litter box, of course!
I had no idea how many cats you had! Such a complicated cat family (like human families) with so many distinct and conflicting personalities. Congrats on all the fiction and art publications. You are one busy girl. I don’t know how you do it!
Lots of kitty love here xo Congrats on all your amazing publications!!!