Eat, Sleep and Be Hairy

I am Noah.  Noah, the cat who lives in the house in the woods near the ocean because it is an island where the house is.  I have to convince my secretary, to write -

Wait.  Do I have food in my dish?  I need to go check.
Okay, yes, I do, but there is not all that much, and what is there is tucked into the corners.

In the corners?  It’s a round bowl.

Yes, but the food is in the corners.

Don't you mean around the edges?

Yes.  I can’t get it easily.  It’s right up against the straight sides of the bowl.

Not sides.  Side.  A circle only has one side.  Well, and a flat bottom, too, so technically two sides.  Never mind.  I’ll fill it.

Thank you for the geometry lesson...  I’ll follow you in case you get lost.

Yes, well, I just may not make it there if you don’t stop following right in front of me.

Ok, I was leading you.

More like herding me, or tripping me.

I am very hungry, so can we speed this up.  I may need a nap pretty soon.
Oh, no.  Too late.  There's the sun on a napping spot.   Just fill it, really, I'll be there later.

This sun has my name alllll over it.

Island Cat

Today I read a very good book, called Island Boy, by Barbara Cooney.  She's a Maine author, and my maid - or I mean, secretary - went to hear her speak once at a library here and she got a book signed by her.  She was a very good book writer and a beautiful drawer of pictures.  Well, not drawer like in a bureau.  She drew and painted pictures.  She may have kept them in her bureau, but I don't know.

Are you going to make a point?

Yes, I believe I will.  This boy, Matthias Tibbetts, lived on Tibbetts Island off the coast of Maine and I thought I should read this book because I now live on an island, too.

Yes, you do, but you can take a bridge to your island and he had to go by boat.

I, Noah, know that.  Anyway.  Something that concerned me about this book was its lack of cats.  You can see on the cover that the boy is clearly holding a bird - a seagull.  Where's the cat?  Why isn't he holding a cat?  This just does not make sense.
And then in the pictures inside the book there are only a few cats.  There is one and another one and another one.  I know.  I counted.

You mean three?

Yes, that's what I said.
None of them have speaking parts.  Nary a purr.  None of the cats are getting patted.  They aren't even very large pictures of cats.  You could miss them.
Okay, write this down on a sticky note.  "Island Cat".

Who?  Me?

Yes.

Island CAT?

That's it.  We need a nice story about Island Cat.  And I want plenty of purring and patting going on and close-ups.  But no seagulls or dogs.  Well, maybe there can be seagulls flying.  And maybe dogs if they don't get patted and their pictures aren't too big. No speaking parts though.
I'm thinking we need to start it right away.

We?

Hey, there's a cat on this page.  Wait, no, that's me.

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Some interesting links for further reading:
Education Guide for island life in Maine p. 8 tells of the Gilley family on which this book is based.
Penguin.com About Barbara Cooney
Children's Literature Network: Barbara Cooney

Monday's Meow

I do not spell as well as I read.

Did you know that my name was not originally Noah?  The people who rescued me changed my name.  And I'm so glad they did.  I did a Google search on my name, as you can see above.  My secretary fixed a few letters and showed me the definition.  It was not a suitable name for a grown cat. 
I looked up Noah later -

I looked up Noah for you.

Yes, thank you.  So, when I read about Noah later, I was impressed that they had given me such a respectable name.  I can't say that I'm big on boats, but if a flood came along, I guess I'd hop aboard.

Even with the dogs?

There weren't dogs on the boat.

Yes, there were dogs on the bark - I mean, ark - the boat.

Well, I'm not talking about them right now.  I'm talking about my name.  It's a good name and better than bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb.

You mean "Baby"?

Yes, that.  I am obviously so not one.  Hey, how come spell check didn't work again?

I'm liking this typing thing.  My turn again.

Home and Family and Me

You know, in this house, they have a hole, like in the wall almost, where there is like another place you can see, but can't get to?  Yeah.  TV.  I think it stands for Tantalizing Visuals, but no one has said.  Today I got on the bed for a bit of relaxation after a long nap upstairs.  There's a towel on the bed.  Something to do with white air.  I don't know.  But she likes me to be on it.  So when she's here... I'll lay on the towel.  I'm still into making her happy.  I'd like to stay here.

White hair.  There's white hair everywhere.  I need to get a new wardrobe to match the new cat color. 

Anyway, the Tantalizing Visuals hole.  I watched "Home and Family".  The best part was - and it was just too funny - was the part about dressing your dog for winter!  Wow!  Did they look amusing.  Coats and boots!

That just is not going to happen in my life.  First of all, I am not going outside.  That was in the old days.  And though, it seemed like a good idea to be able to go back and forth, in and out, whenever I wanted, it wasn't so great when suddenly one day there was no one home to let me in. I didn't like it stuck on the outside part of in and out. 

I am now officially an Indoor Cat with all the benefits that should be bestowed upon me.  Good food, sparkling clean water, playtime with feathery toys, soft warm beds in a variety of locations, big windows for scoffing at things outside and the companionship of a slightly dimwitted but lovable dog.  Oh, and of course, the position comes with a butler and maid for making sure all of these things are taken care of, in place, working, etc..

(We actually pay the mortgage on the house he lives in.  Not sure what that makes us.  But it isn't the maid and butler.)

So far, this is working out for me.   Indoor Cats rule!

(This cat may need to get a job.)

Yeah, just tuck the remote here by my right paw.

Today is Thursday

My calendar has a dog on it!

I am not going to buy a new calendar.  This one is just fine.

But this dog is jumping in the water.  I hate water.I really need a different calendar.
One with cats... or birds and mice playing.

You don't have to look at the picture.

It's okay now.  You don't have to get a new one.  I fixed it.

Look!  He has feathers in his mouth!  

He just caught a bird as he was leaping through the grass.  

Yeah, this is way better now.

I, Noah Cat, Am Here!

This is not actually how I got here.  This is a wood carrier in my new house.  I thought I might look better arriving in this than the carrier they had me in.  That one had bars.  It was much more cell-like, and it was embarrassing to be seen in it.  Like I was a prisoner.  Yeah, like I'm ever a prisoner!

I don't know why they didn't let me travel in this.  So much more class.  I know someone took a picture of me in the other carrier, but it isn't going up on MY page.
My page is going to be about me, by me and flattering to me.  Always.

Editor's Note:  I am transcribing this for him, so I get to edit this before it goes online.  Thus,  I get the final say.  He doesn't know that.  Do not tell him.  He thinks he is getting the final say in what - ow! 

I get the final say in whatever is written.

I didn't know he could read.

I don't know why she said "Ow!".  I am a gentleman and have never raised a paw to her, nor has she seen my teeth other than when I talk or yawn.  So melodramatic. 

Ok, so it was static when you rubbed against my arm after rubbing on the computer screen.

Noah Knew

I'd been a wanderer for days on end
Just looking for a forever friend
And then one day I felt a soul
Come walking by me, sad as coal;
I thought I sensed a feline need
And knew they'd follow if I'd lead
So lead I did and they fell in
To take me home where we'd all win.
It's not by chance we came to meet
I knew you'd have a Sweet Home Suite! 

©Donna JT Smith, 2014