Musings on a Small Life

The little black one came this morning, as Toby was starting to eat. So, being the gentleman that he is, he gave up his favourite chunks in gravy and ate the Fancy Feast paté instead. The pics are crappy, of course, as I didn't want to use a flash and possibly scare her. This is the fourth time she's been around when I've been out, the last being about a week and a  half ago. She's still terribly thin, but her fur is soft and she would be a stunning "panther" with some TLC. I guess I'll just "play it by ear" with her, take it one visit at a time. In other cat-related matters, Derry seems to be fine with Nicki again, touch wood and fingers crossed. At least I've not heard any hissing and growling since overnight Friday. Nicki, though, still seems a bit "off," not quite his usual self. And in non-cat matters, the little girl from next door came knocking on my door yesterday afternoon, asking about a knittin...

So I met the next door kids a few minutes ago, was out back cleaning the window and patio door glass and they were out on their deck. The boy is Lucas and the girl is Isabelle. I guess they're average kids for their ages (7 and 6): attention span of fleas, a bit difficult to understand, a little rough and wild. A significant contrast to the young boy who was on the bus on Saturday morning with his--step-father? mother's partner? I thought, at glance, that he was about 6, but probably he was 7 or 8, just small for his age. Maybe. He and the father-figure he was with were having a discussion about advertising (specifically related to First Choice Haircutters) and about Apple (their products, the history of the company, etc). They were sitting right behind me, with the child, speaking in a very proper (to my Canadian ears) British accent, asking difficult questions, some of which the man couldn't answer. I wanted to turn around and goggle at him, ask if he was 7 going on...

I debated taking my camera today, because with the falling snow I knew everything would be lovely, but finally decided not to. I had no room in my already-stuffed and heavy knapsack and no time to take pics. But now, oh, I wish I had taken it anyway, and gone out with it at lunch time! The snow was falling then and the campus looked like a magical winter wonderland. Now, not so much. I did take a few snapshots from my upstairs windows when I got home. Zoomed out and snapped a few shots of some kids playing. It was the girl's red jacket that caught my eye. The other snapshots I'll use for Thursday's "garden" post on the cat blog. It's our first significant snowfall of the winter season, and somehow that first one still holds appeal. Walking, however, already has become a bit more challenging, as there is a layer of ice underneath the snow. I'll be sporting my ice grippers on the soles of my boots tomorrow. Would diamonds work better? "...People ...

Never mind why this topic came up today, it just did. Here's what I think. The most important relationship you have in your life is with your Higher Self. Some people perceive that as "god," and that's fine. Second to that, I believe the most important relationship you have is with your mate/partner. I can hear parents everywhere saying that's not true, that the most important person in their lives is their child or children. That's fair--when the children are dependent and still at home. Though, frankly, if the parent (either mother or father) has neglected their relationship with their spouse/partner for the duration, in favour of the children, they're going to find themselves with a stranger by the time the kids are leaving home. If not sooner. And divorced or certainly living emotionally separate lives. Children do what they are supposed to do: grow up and move on, both physically and emotionally. They do not have an obligation to be the parents' b...