Toilet Paper and Birthdays

We've bought Smudge toys in the past, but their usefulness was always short-lived if she ever even paid them any attention at all.  And don't get me wrong- we'd actively try to get her to play instead of putting them on the floor and expecting her to do all the work. So one recent morning, I went to put an empty toilet paper roll in the recycling tote. On the way past a lounging Smudge, I decided to drop the roll in front of her and, well, she had a field day with the darn thing. The pictures don't do justice or show how aggressively she played, rolling this way and that, biting and bunny-kicking it, and generally frolicking to no end as if it was the greatest thing in the world. Simple things, I guess. 

This coming Tuesday marks Smudge's Sweet 16th birthday. We don't know for sure how old she is, so we're going on what limited records Brother Wolf Animal Rescue provided when we brought her home two and a half years ago. 

The Seasons They are A-Changin'

 Ugghhh, flannel pants, fleece blankets, dusting off the thermostat and replacing the heat & air filter, putting away the shorts and tees and unpacking the long sleeves, heavy socks and jackets- yeah, these are all the bitchings and gripes I have to listen to around here.

As if there aren't enough real problems in the world to dwell on. Summer's moving on, the leaves are turning all sorts of reds, browns and yellows and dad just grew another year, and I swear, it seems I hear the above kind of dribble drabble more and more with each passing one.

Other than not being able to sit at the screen door, whiffing the fresh warm air, that kind of stuff doesn't bother me. I can make myself comfy and cozy pretty much anywhere, no matter the temperature.

I've been scouring the worldwide interweb for some cat-size earmuffs 'cause I know it's only a matter of weeks or days or hours before the plastic comes out for the windows, which brings a whole new round of whining and tantrums. 

Mom and dad went to yesterday's No Kings protest over in Princeton, NJ, their second No Kings rally there since the June one and their third total in Princeton. They estimated the crowd had to have been at least double what it was in June, and other than being flipped off by 4 or 5 non-supporters as the MAGAmobiles drove by, things were pretty peaceful. 

Normal?

Thank you all for your purrs, prayers and hugs and for your kind, comforting words. We're slowly getting back to some kind of normal, though what's normal even mean these days? It's been a bit, hasn't it? Feels like I've been on an extended snoozefest or something.

Don't get me wrong- mom and dad have been busy, and I've been doing my part, lying low, getting in my forty or more winks and resting the ol' bones.

After a few good stretchies, we'll try to get back to it. 

Got a lot of catching up to do.