Christmas Eve Kitten

It was a chilly, blustery day three years ago when I left the house to run some Christmas Eve errands. I had to buy some windshield wipers and some candy for stockings hung by the chimney with care, and then pick up lunch on the way home for my husband and I to enjoy together in front of the warm hearth fire.

As I passed through the center of our little town, I noticed that an antique store that was rarely open had its doors flung wide. I had never been in there as it was always closed whenever I had a shopping opportunity, and so I decided to make a quick stop just to see what was in the place.

Like all good antique stores, it was dimly lit and a little musty, with bobs and nicknacks and indescribable things arranged on shelves, the walls and on the floor. I knew I only had a few minutes to take everything in; stores were going to close early and I had errands to finish and lunch to retrieve.

The proprietress, an elderly and somewhat scrawny woman with blue eyes as bright as sapphires introduced herself to me and we chatted for just a moment as my eyes tried to take in everything in the room. Then she said the magic words, "Did you know that I have kittens that need homes?" I told her that was delightful, but I didn't need any kittens, and I had to be going soon, anyway.

Being the good saleswoman that she is, she insisted that I see a couple of them. I continued to look around as she opened the door where the kittens were kept. The smell that reached my nose nearly made me vomit. It reeked of neglect, and disease, and squalor. I thought, "I'll be damned if I take anything home that came out of that room."

No sooner did that though leave my mind, I found myself with a tiny grey and white tabby in my arms. I cradled her like a baby and stroked her in the way baby kitties like to be stroked. She was scrawny and her fur was very rough, which are not good signs of health. But after a moment of petting, the kitten looked deeply into my eyes and started to purr. Then, her oversized paws began flapping rhythmically in the air in a kneading motion. She obviously liked me (or, she was the most manipulative thing on the planet!).

I couldn't do it. I had things to do that day before the stores closed, and I had one cat at home already who was enjoying life very much as "the only cat." Besides, I didn't know how healthy this kitten was. The shop owner hadn't had her vaccinated or even examined by a veterinarian, claiming that she was rescued as a baby when her mom was eaten by a coyote, and the shop owner hadn't had the opportunity to get the kitten checked out. My instincts told me this tale wasn't quite truthful, but I didn't have the inclination to analyze which parts were true or false. I looked into those baby-grey eyes again. My sense of morality started to prevail over the logic my brain was producing.

I could not let this sweet, helpless kitten go back into that squalid room. Especially not on Christmas Eve. With barely a thought as to what my husband would say, I paid way too much for that baby and left as quickly as I could. By sheer good luck, there was a pet store right next door where I bought a cardboard pet carrier. She didn't like to be stuffed in there, but it was necessary for her protect in the car.

I headed straight home, which, thankfully, was not far. I got out of the car and tucked the little princess into my jacket to protect her from the wind and cold. I stuck my head in the front door to see where the husband was. He was laying on the floor, enjoying the fireplace in the family room. The man is no dummy; he immediately saw the guilty look on my face.

"You're back early," he remarked. Then that fluffily little grey and white head poked out of my jacket and he smiled.  I put that little kitten down next to him.  She gave him a brief sniff and then started walking around the room like she already owned the place. My husband never batted and eye. From that moment, she was already part of the family.


Isabeau is now a little over three years old. She is a beautiful and regal looking cat who maintains a kitten-like playfulness, fierce independence, and sweet disposition. I am thankful that my heart won that day.

Morning Meditation

The sun has just come up.  My wrap covers my nightgown and I slip outside.  The cats follow.  The birds are awake and gossiping to each other and planning out their day.  The big cat stalks them.  The kitten chitters at them.  But, it's still to cold to actually give chase.  Instead, they sit on either side of me, soaking up the sun.  First the left side, then the right.  Then, the tummy gets exposed to the warmth that grows ever stronger.  Cats must be solar powered.

Still Going ...

I am still making good progress on my NaNoWriMo novel.  The word count is right on schedule.  I'm worried that the whole thing is predictable and boring.  Part of me suspects that being in the story day in and day out almost every day makes it seem predictable - because I know what is going to happen.  Or, at least I think I do.

Hard to tell with fiction.  Anyway, I uploaded a sample of my writing to this Website.  The analysis is supposed to tell you whose writing style yours most resembles.  Mine is Dan Brown.  Wow!  I love his work!  I didn't realize that my writer's voice is similar to his.  Very humbling.

Blogging isn't getting this thing written, so off I go, again ... to Mars.

I write like
Dan Brown

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

Sabbatical Day 3

What started off as sketches evolved into watercolor paintings.  One is on sketch paper and is the most beautiful mess I have ever created.  The light, dry winds today will make the dry times between applications very short.  That's wonderful because it means I can move between paintings quickly.  But, it also has its challenges. I have to work wet-on-wet most of the time.  The dry, thirsty paper and the dry, wispy air make a challenging combination when attempting to achieve just the right hue or a continuous look.

I spent more time than planned at my friend's house, but it was worth every minute.  The visit could easily have evolved into a slumber party, and would have had I not made promises to myself.  Next time, my friend!

The stars.  The Milky Way.  All were bright and clear, as they always are out here.  It is so easy to distinguish the colors of one or another. You cannot help but contemplate that it is ancient light hitting your eyes from a far away nuclear powerhouse, or from a grouping of such powerful beings. But, it was too cold to linger.  I climbed into the loft and mummied myself up in my oh, so reliable sleeping bag and slept.

Today will mostly be spent at the cabin writing, sketching, painting, and maybe even working on my little video of desert critter tracks.  Who knows?  It's early and the full potential of the day is ahead.

Sabbatical Day 2

This trip has done wonders for my creativity.  This morning I drafted a quick mini book:  A Lady's Guide to Rustic Bathing (Good for Guys, Too!).  I also got about 4,200 words of my NaNoWriMo book written.  The minimal distractions in this little cabin helps.


My intention yesterday was to sketch Joshua Trees in the park, but it was just too cold.  Instead, I drove the main road to see the sights.  What used to be the Joshua Tree Forest is now a sparsely populated wasteland compared to what it used to be.  Climate change is driving the plants farther north in the park.  I saw several hulks fallen over from fire. The beauty of the area remains.  The trees have migrated in great number to the more populated areas of the park.

So, I deviated from the beaten path and took Big Horn Pass Rd, which is all dirt, to the end where the trailhead begins.  Blessed solitude.  It was so quiet out there that I could hear my heart beat in my ears.  I hiked a wash and looked for critter tracks; a hobby of mine.  I found several great specimens, the video of which is coming soon!

Just as I was reaching the end of the distinguishable wash, it began to snow.just flurries, but it was coming down pretty good for a few minutes.  That was my queue to hike back.


Today is dedicated to more writing and sketching.  And, helping a dear friend hook her  we printer up to her computer.  Hee   Hee.

Sabbatical Day 1

I am in a teeny rustic cabin in the wilds of the Mojave desert.  It is very cold; last night was below freezing and very windy, but I was warm and snug in my old but oh so very reliable Kelty down sleeping bag.  It's rated for 20 degrees F, so extra blankets were unnecessary.  I did have to cover my head, though.  Oh, it was warmer in the cabin than outside.  Probably in the mid 40s.  I slept just fine.

Water is terribly expensive in the desert, and so, I am doing my best to be a good guest and conserve. This goes beyond flushing every other pee.  Rather than running the water until the solar-heated hot stuff could reach the tap, I made more hot water than I needed for my morning oolong and used the rest to take a cat bath.  It's too bloody cold for a shower and wet hair, anyway.

The mistake a lot of folks make about the desert is that it is hot all of the time.  It is both extremely hot in the summer and very cold in the winter, which is why only the heartiest flora and fauna can survive here.  With that heartiness comes an unusual beauty that few take the time to see.

I hope to capture some of that beauty today.  I am heading out to Joshua Tree National Park to sketch in the Joshua Tree Forest.  I'm not the first to do so, but I want to bring my perspective of the twisted, fronded, overgrown lillies to the world.  So, I'm going to finish my tea, now, and get moving.

This is me, standing up in the loft sleeping area of the cabin.  People taller than my 61 inches would have to stoop.

I know.  I'm supposed to be working on my NaNoWriMo book.  But, I couldn't help it.  A reader of my Herb Magick 101 Webpage asked me for a hard copy of the content.  I figured, since I was doing it, anyway, I might as well make it into an eBook.

I already had some nice photographs to go along with it.  So, in about 4 hours, I had copied the content from the Webpage and reformatted it with graphics as an eBook.

It's now for sale on Amazon.com as a Kindle eBook.  Later, I'll make it available through iBooks and other places.  Anyway, here's the link to it.  My first published book! Yay!

http://www.amazon.com/Basic-Herb-Magick-ebook/dp/B00A4F58I0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352525754&sr=8-1&keywords=Basic+herb+magick