Zephyr Yarn? No Fooling!

Well, I didn’t know that yarn had different names like zephyr yarn? Did you? Zephyr yarn is any kind of really soft yarn made from synthetic materials or natural ones like wool and silk. Here’s a website which sells this kind of yarn, made from wool and silk, if you’d like to see what it looks like.

I’m wondering if it’s named after the soft west wind, known as the zephyr. Of course, this is only my pondering on the word’s origins.

Zephyr yarn is apparently the most useful for knitting lacy shawls and that kind of thing, but I’m thinking it’s most important property is being soft on kitty paws. If I could only get my claws on some, but Mom likes to knit with chunkier yarns that take less time to knit into something substantial, like a scarf. I keep telling her patience is a virtue. Wait a minute—maybe Mom told me that! I’d like to sink my claws into some zephyr yarn during my playtime. How do I get a hold of some? I suppose Mom would be upset if I used her charge card to order some. What do you think?

Doesn't this yarn look fun to play with?

Today we’ve hit the end of the alphabet, but thanks for joining me for this winter’s A to Z Meme. I hope you’ll come back and read my future musings of this feline life in captivity!

Here's a video for your amusement (Honestly, you humans don't need much to be amused.) of a cat playing with yarn:

Yawn! Don't Yawn!

Lilybits, not large, but in charge!

Yawn!

Now that you’ve read that word, did you yawn? Yawns are contagious, you know, possibly due to the fact that humans can be empathetic. Sometimes I catch Mom yawning after I let loose one of my big cat yawns. This is theoretically all up for debate, of course.

Since people often connect yawning to sleepiness or boredom, you could see how a cat like myself might yawn quite a few times a day. After all we are smart enough to get more sleep than you humans do—sometimes up to 20 hours a day!

New research concludes that yawning is actually a form of cooling the brain. You open your mouth and suck all that cool air in. It hits tissue in your mouth and throat, cooling your blood stream and your brain is primed and ready to think better.

Of course, this makes a lot of sense for a cat like myself, who does lots of big thinking. I have to figure out new ways of being cute and begging for food successfully. I also have to make quick mathematical calculations before I take a leap from one piece of furniture to another. I’m also learning to communicate. Sometimes I can lead Mom over to the laundry room with a certain whine and look, so that she remembers to scoop the icky stuff in my princess potty.

What about you? What makes you yawn?

My apologies to my readers and fellow A to Z meme bloggers that so many links lead right back to this blog! I made a little mistake when linking this blog.

X-Axis=Nap, not Math

Lilybits, not large, but in charge!

Originally, I was going to write about xenon, since it’s a noble gas and I am surely descended from nobility at the very least, if not royalty! But xenon is colorless, odorless and tasteless. What a boring gas! Not only that, but xenon can be used as a general anesthetic. It really puts you to sleep!

Moving on: Now the X-axis is something I can get into to or, should I say, on top of. The x-axis is my favorite axis—it’s horizontal. Since it’s horizontal, I can nap on it. Or I can perch on top of it and look ferocious!

The world is filled with x-axis surfaces, which intersect with y-axis walls. Walls aren’t my favorite surfaces. They keep me confined and if you try to sleep on a wall, gravity will pull you down. The best I could do to hang onto the y-axis would be to grab onto a curtain with my claws and hold on for dear life.

Rene Descartes

Let me explain a little more, the x-axis is the horizontal axis of a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system. Ooh, that sounds like a secret society, doesn’t it? Or maybe something in outer space? You may discuss this while I clean my fur. Done yet? Okay, the system is actually named for Rene Descartes’ mathematical system. He’s one of those famous guys who lived a long time ago and had something to do with philosophy.

Some of my favorite x-axes are the shelf under the foyer table, Mom’s lap (which is a rather lumpy x-axis), the bed (also rather lumpy, but comfy) and a plain old carpeted floor. These fairly flat surfaces serve their purposes well. What are some of your favorite x-axis surfaces?

WHY Your Cat Makes You a Better Person

Lilybits, not large, but in charge!

Cats may not be good for your ego, but they make you a better person and here’s why:

Take my mom for example. She is needy beyond all reason, wanting to cuddle frequently, while I’m trying my best to be a cool cat. I force her to guess what makes me happy. If she makes me happy, then I’m glad to spend time with her. After the treats are given and chase and hide and seek game are finished, I may have time to curl up on her lap for awhile.

Mom is learning to be less selfish and put my needs first. Your cat can do this for you too.

Cats also keep humans from having inflated self-images, while dogs accept everything about you. Is this really good for a human? Cats snub their humans when it doesn’t suit their mood to be playful or cuddly or perhaps if they’re a bit insulted you left them all day. This makes for a more humble human. (Note to my feline friends: Don’t push your luck too far. Humans can be rather sensitive and we have to leave them with some sense of control and a shred of dignity.)

Cats are also such beautiful creatures they help you look better. After all, who will pay attention to you in your stretchy pants and stained t-shirt, when there is a beautiful, furry creature with large expressive eyes in the same room.

Feline pets keep you from being sloppy. No longer will you leave half-empty water glasses unattended in a room or partially eaten meat of any kind, for that matter.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture. Having a feline companion is an excellent way to build character and make yourself more attractive. If you don’t already have one, run, don’t walk to your nearest pet adoption center and bring a cat home with you! Unless you’re allergic, of course. More is the pity for you, but you can always read my column, which I’m sure will affect you
positively.

Violets and Cats? Very Interesting!

What do violets have to do with cats? Let’s back up a moment—I could use the word “very” for my V word and remind all of you that I am a very pretty, very smart, very funny cat, etc.; but that would be plain boring. All of my readers already know these are well-established facts. I’m not bragging, just being honest.

Now onto violet, the word of the week:

One thing about violets—many people wonder whether houseplants, like African violets, are poisonous to kitties. For those who enjoy this plant’s lovely purple blooms, there’s good news: They’re non-toxic to cats! For an exhaustive list of plants which are toxic and non-toxic go the ASPCA website.

Violet also gets around as a name for cats. Mom knows a real person who has an adorable kitten named Violet. There’s also a fictitious Violet, who Cynthia Coppersmith, the lady who marries Fr. Tim Kavanaugh, in the Mitford series books, writes about. I’ve heard some of the stories on CD, on the long car ride up north. Cynthia has a pet cat named Violet and writes children's books about the pretend adventures of her cat. Did you know the author of the Mitford series, Jan Karon, helped create some real books about Violet with author Melanie Cecka? Okay. Now this is getting downright confusing. You can check out more about these books at this LINK, while I lick my paws.

Are you a Downton Abbey fan? Mom is. (Insert eye roll here.) This show is based on a barbaric time in history when cats were usually kept just to control the mice population rather than be appreciated for their elegance. Instead, in this show, the people are dressed prettily and placed in an elegant historical setting. I am usually hiding under the dresser while Mom watches Downton Abbey. Occasionally I will hang out with Mom and Dad for a good head petting at that time. One of the characters on that show is a rather fearsome lady—Lady Violet Crawley. She may be cunning, but she doesn’t understand the subtlety of cats. (Here are some of her forthright quotes.) I think she would send a naughty house cat away to fend for itself. I shiver at the thought. 

And then there may be some cats with violet eyes. Albino Siamese cats sometimes appear to have lavender eyes (close enough). And apparently Siberian cats sometimes have them as well. Watch the video below and tell me whether you think this cat’s eyes are blue or violet? No offense, but for some reason I like green cat eyes the best. I am tired from writing this exhaustive article. It’s time for me to find a heat vent to nap on top or—or jump on Mom while she’s sleeping. Yeah, the second choice sounds better. Purr.

Underneath Where?

Lilybits, not large, but in charge!

Under simply means “beneath and covered by” or “below the surface of.” Some of my favorite places in the house are underneath things—especially during the winter. I like to lie on my pink blankie that Mom knitted for me, underneath the foyer table. Well, technically it’s the shelf under the table. That's where heat vent blows some of the warmest air on me!

Under the table without my blankie.

During Christmas season, one of my special spots to spend time is under the Christmas tree, but on top of the soft Christmas tree skirt. It’s especially good for skidding under when I want Mom to chase me. She’s lazy enough to not always feel like crawling on the floor to grab me.

Don't I make a pretty Christmas present?

After dinner I like to hide under Mom’s dresser right on top of a different heat vent. It helps to have variety. One of my other favorite underneath spots is under Mom and Dad’s bed. I like to sneak under there late at night and then pounce on my humans when they least expect while they’re sleeping. (I like to do this when I feel especially Tigger-ish. You know, like Tigger from Winnie the Pooh stories.) This way I can make sure they’re still breathing. After all, someone has to feed me!

Being silly under the piano.

Of course, there are times when I like to sleep on top of the furniture or on top of Mom or Dad to make sure they remember who is in charge. But underneath spots are cozy places . . . as long as I can escape any time I want. Not that I'm claustrophobic or anything. It's just that I must be allowed to roam like the predatory cat that I am . . . yeah, that's the reason! 

Trouble

Lilybits, not large, but in charge! 

S is for sorry. I am very sorry for not taking time last week to write about how silly or sassy we cats can be, or for that matter, soft. Did you know that cats have something like 155,000 hairs per square inch of their fur? No wonder we’re so soft!

T, on the other hand, is for trouble. Cats do have their troubles. Like when it’s gray most of the winter in Michigan and I can’t find a sunny spot to curl up and rest. It’s like my sunny spot up and disappears for several months each year. Mom says I should be thankful there have been more sunny days than usual this winter, even though it’s been cold.

I also have tummy trouble, which may have something to do with inflammation in my digestive system. Therefore, I receive a medicine “treat” once a day, thinly disguised inside a pill pocket. And I am willing to eat it—this is how desperate I am for the rare treats, which I receive these days due to a doctor’s evil command. Mom also says that I am partially responsible for being what Dad refers to as a “greedy guts” and wolfing my food down too quickly sometimes, so that, let’s just say, it makes a quick reappearance.

Mom thinks I should address the times I actually cause trouble, but I find it difficult to recall any instances. That situation with the lamp up at the cabin a couple of years ago she mentioned? Honestly, when it crashed to the floor from the nightstand and I looked up at her innocently and licked my front paw, I had no idea how it happened. In fact, I was trying to convey, “Can you believe that just happened? Who did this? Not me!”

Mom says that guy I was referring to as “Not me” really doesn’t exist. I’m going to have to come up with better excuses in the future for staying out of trouble. Below, I hope you will enjoy this video on how cats need to take care of their humans. Notice how smoothly I changed the subject? Hopefully I’m not in any trouble now!

A Queue of Four Q Words –Five if You Include Queue

Here I am, not large, but
in charge!

Have you ever heard the sound of quiet? I have, or at least I pretend to when Mom calls me. “What? I don’t hear anything,” I say to myself, while looking ahead and keeping my face without expression. As a cat, I am an expert at silently waiting and then at just the right moment, jumping up on laps to surprise humans, except for one thing: that blasted bell Dad left on my new collar. He likes to hear me coming. Why? Because he doesn’t like my sneaking up on him, since I walk with stealth . . . very quietly. Duh! That’s what a cat is supposed to do!

Quagmire is another great q word.  I looked it up and found that it can mean a few different things. For one, a quagmire may refer to a bog or it could refer to a situation that’s difficult from which to free oneself. I suppose that alludes to the bog. Last, but not least, quagmire means soft and flabby. Let me use it in a sentence. When I sit on Mom’s lap, it is a quagmire. Uh oh! She just said I better cut that out, or I’ll really be in a quagmire! Silly Mama, she can’t take the laptop away if I’m sitting on it.

I like to do things quickly. I eat so fast, sometimes it comes back up almost right away. I guess you didn’t need to know that. Sorry. I also love crazy cat time, either late at night or when Mom and Dad both come home. I run back and forth, around the family room, then around the living room, into the dining room for good measure, and just when they think they can catch up with me, I am on top of the refrigerator. Ha ha!

Don Quixote, The Man of La Mancha 

Last but not least, how about Quixotic? (Skip pronouncing the x, folks.) Humans often consider felines rather chivalrous or noble and impractical, as when I saved mine from the bats. Well, okay, I didn’t exactly save Mom and Dad, but I helped. I like to make them think they’re indebted to me. Fanciful is another synonym for Quixotic. I guess you could say a cat with her own column on a blog is rather fanciful.

Now that you have learned this queue of q words you may go back to your normally scheduled activities or watch the video below of Simon’s Cat in his crazy time. No, really, I insist you watch it. Who doesn’t have time for a good chuckle?

PURR-FECT ( A Perfectly Good Word!)

Lilybits, not large, but
in charge!

Attention all human companions/adopted parents of members of the feline species:

Dictionary.com says that perfect has to do with fitting the "ideal of a type," "exactly fitting a need" or "without flaw," amidst other definitions. But I propose a new derivative of this word: PURR-FECT. Yes, this goes beyond the human idea of perfection to higher feline standards.

When you feed your cat and she gives you a thankful purr, she is purr-fectly happy. This is what you should strive for with every meal or kibble dispensing. If your cat turns up her nose at the food, then it’s not purr-fect and therefore, less than acceptable.

Scratch behind your kitty’s ears or under her chin for a long, deep purring session. If she gives you a love bite or gentle swat, she is done with this extra affection and attention . . . or at least I am! And then the session is less than purr-fect.

Having a purr-fect place to sleep is important. I won’t always purr when I find it, unless it is someplace inconvenient to you, such as on top of your tummy or next to your legs on the bed, which makes it more difficult for you to move. Also, become more aware of our heads butting your hands at four a.m. This tells you it’s the purr-fect time for kitties to have a petting or play time session.

We cats can’t really understand why humans refuse to convert to our schedule. Napping, playing, eating and then repeat are so much healthier for you than running around all day with a cup of coffee in your hand, trying to accomplish unimportant tasks, well, other than cleaning the litter box and feeding your cat. And then you take that one big long nap during all the nighttime hours. Think of what you’re missing!

Purr-fectly happy Minnesota cousins
snuggled together.

I was just having a purr-fectly lovely moment, sitting on Mom’s lap and sniffing her sandwich. The results were less than satisfactory, but we will purr to let you know what we want too. So there you have it—a short guide to keeping your cat purr-fectly happy. Keep trying and your cat will let you know just how purr-fect you are!

ORDINARY Cats

Lilybits - not large, but
in charge!

WHO IS AN ORDINARY CAT?

Ordinary you say? Just an ORDINARY cat? Humph! You can’t judge a cat by it’s mixed lineage, although that is what my adoption papers said. And they had the nerve to call me a plain old domestic shorthair (DSH)! Why look at me, there is nothing plain about the beautiful markings on the light taupe fur of my underside or the dilute tabby stripes on my sides and back. Really! And I have it on good authority that Mom just melts when I look up at her with my huge, gorgeous green eyes.

It’s not every day you find elegance, beauty, intelligence and personality in one package. Yet we domestic shorthairs are referred to as the mutt of the cat world. It’s rumored that our ancestors were first domesticated in the mysterious royal halls of Egypt, where we were put on a pedestal. Somehow we made it to England and got aboard the Mayflower for adventure. Yes, we did have to earn our keep by decreasing the rodent population, but my ancestors felt the wind in their fur and smelled the fish in the open sea on the way to the New World. However, they could have done without the salty spray, which I’m sure was as annoying as a squirt bottle is to modern cats everywhere. (Hint, hint.)

Showing off some of my pretty markings.

According to Animal Planet, there are 80 million DSH cats in the United States alone and we make wonderful, beloved family pets with varieties of personality. As long as you spoil us and do as we ask, there shouldn’t be any problems. Below, you may watch Animal Planet’s video on the DSH cats and decide for yourself if we are simply ordinary cats! I rest my case.

Napping Expert

Napping is one of my favorite activities. You’ve heard of catnaps I’m sure! If you want to learn how to nap, then study a cat. We specialize in creative sleep. First of all, our primal predatory instincts tell us domesticated cats we are supposed to be hunting at night. Day time is the best nap time of all. In fact, cats sleep 15 to 20 hours a day. 

Actually, cats are crepuscular, which really has nothing to do with napping, but it is a cool sounding big word. Crepuscular. It just means that we’re most active during the hours around dawn and dusk. Personally, I think my humans should be up to play with me and feed me before dawn, say around 4:30, even in the winter, and I let them know this is how I feel.

Minnesota cousins, Elliot and Tasha, like to
snuggle when they nap.

Humans today are sleep deprived. (Not that I have anything to do with it in this house.) Some societies have built afternoon naps into their culture, but not Americans. I’m wondering if it’s a coffee company conspiracy. If you don’t get to take a nap occasionally, you’ll need your latte.

Hey, I like to try out different
sleeping positions. What's
wrong with that?

What else can you learn about napping from watching a cat? We sometimes doze with one eye halfway open, ready to pounce at a moment’s notice. Did you know that a short nap of 15 to 20 minutes, a power nap, can recharge your alertness and give you an energy boost? A longer nap, with deep sleep can even improve your memory. We cats are good at long naps too. You know, when we curl up on your lap in that just right position when you’re thinking about getting out of your chair to fix dinner or use the human litter box room? Mom especially thinks I’m cute when I snuggle her hand or turn my head so that it’s almost upside down, like I’m almost asking for a tummy rub.

On a frigid winter day there’s nothing better we could ask for than a warm lap to snuggle in or to find a blanket to rest upon right near a heat register. Ahh! Just thinking about it makes we want to go . . . to . . . sleep . . . .zzzzzz.

Jesus is the True LIGHT

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

(John 1:1-17, KJV)

As wrapping paper and gift tissue flies as we tear into the presents others have

thoughtfully given, I pray that we will remember the greatest gift of all: Jesus

Christ, God's Son who became flesh for us and took on the sins of humanity

in His death on the cross. No longer veiled in flesh as a human baby, now He

is the resurrected Lord. 

Have you received the gift of salvation, which while Jesus paid dearly for it,

He offers it freely to you? All your troubles won't dissolve, but you can have

confidence that your sins are forgiven and you have hope for a new, eternal life

in Christ! Ask for his forgiveness and give your life to Him!

Lilybits and I wish you and your families a Merry Christmas!

L -- 12/24

Jilt and Jump -- Two of my Favorite Things

As a cat, I have to keep up a certain reputation. Cool felines must not appear needy, so we must perfect the art of jilting. I was so busy being affectionate to Mom when she first brought me home that she thought I needed her. Imagine that! All right, so without opposable thumbs I cannot open a can of wet food. However, if I wasn’t constantly trapped inside, because I’m Mom’s “baby”, I could find my own food and an occasional sand box if need be. I suppose allowing her to care for me is a small price to pay for living in such a nice prison. Anyway, as I was saying, I like to make sure Mom knows her place, so I jilt her occasionally, and sometimes even dad. They’re such pushovers! All I have to do is ignore Mom when she’s getting ready to go somewhere and the guilt piles on! I’m quite good at it, which usually buys me an extra treat somewhere down the line.

Another favorite way I show my feline prowess is by jumping. I love to attain lofty heights, especially when it bugs Mom. When I feel neglected, I threaten to jump from the second story railing into the family room. All Mom has to do is have a good friend visit, or one of those pesky guys she also calls her kids, and I am ready to meow dramatically as I pace the railing until she notices and I lean forward as though ready to jump until she comes up the stairs to chase me. I also like to run and jump around each piece of furniture in the family room, though the kitchen table is definitely forbidden territory. That’s why I scoot across the edge just to show who is boss!

Jilting and jumping are two favorite cat abilities. What are yours? Watch Simon’s Cat, below, in “Crazy Time” and you’ll see what I mean about cats and jumping.