Grandfather has always lived with dogs, but now that he’s married to a cat lady, it’s:
Boris, and …
Yeltsin
Grandfather admits he loves dogs, but he also admits cats are easier, at his age.
And they do things differently than dogs.
For example, cats catch spiders and mice when they come in the house as the weather turns cold in the fall.
Like Grandfather, the cats can’t stand spiders and dispatch them forthwith. Mice are a different matter. Animated toys that cost plumb zero.
The cats play endless catch and release and, when the mouse is in the possession of one or the other, it’s a game of keep-away.
If the mouse eventually succumbs (by no means a sure thing), the wife and I ponder whether to leave its carcass in the trash until next Thursday’s trash pickup, or whether I must lay it to rest in the woods before then.
Lots of things lie well in the woods, up here in the mountains.
***
About the Author: RD Blakeslee is an octogenarian from West Virginia who built his net worth by only investing in that which can be enjoyed during acquisition and throughout life, as opposed to papers in a drawer, like stocks and bonds. You can read more about him here.
Photos: Courtesy of the Blakeslee Family
While dogs seem genuinely affectionate I have always felt my cat’s biggest frustration in life is that she isn’t big enough to eat me or the dog.
LOL!
It’s not quite that bad around here – The cats like Grandfather, says his wife, who has a sixth (and seventh and eighth etc.) sense about such things.
.
… And, seven months ago we bought a Maltese puppy. He is a great little guy – keeps Grandfather laughing at him all the time.
Grandfather will write more about him later.
I prefer dogs. They’re easier to train … but cats have their place in life too.
I agree – dogs are generally easier to train. Remember the funny Budweiser ad a few years ago, when cowboys on horses were trying to herd cats?
But the Maltese are notoriously difficult to potty train – more about that, later…
Grandfather talks about blessings, from time to time.
Well, the cats are a blessing to Tatjana – my wife – I can see it in her eyes.
And the puppy is one of mine.
Times are bitter and hateful in the world right now, aren’t they? It’s a “time of troubles”, but our blessings remain.
When I was a young child, we used to sing a song in Sunday school: “Count your Blessings, Name them One by One …”
Are there still Sunday Schools and do they sing that song anymore?
I always make my hubby take dead toys to the woods, Grandfather. It just seems the right thing to do. : )
Speaking of blessings, I am embroidering a sampler of mine, in a tree of life pattern. Among the many things included (I have been greatly blessed!), there are ten cats across the top – and four dogs across the bottom. That doesn’t include the occasional hamster, guinnea pig, ferret or tank of fish around when the kids were little.
I agree cats are easier at this stage of the game. We have three who keep my lap and toes warm, and that’s a real blessing.
You are indeed a kindred spirit, Gee!
Tatjana is, also. She does oil paintings of our pets.
I think I may turn some folks off when I talk about blessings, though …
That happens to me, too. I guess some folks like blessings … and some folks don’t. : )
I guess so, Gee.
I love talking about blessings! At the previous church where I played, “Count Your Blessings” was a fixture — we sang it every Sunday for months. Two or three of the guys, including the pastor, used to compete to see who could hold the note the longest on “Count your blessings, name them one by OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE.” They were funny.
Breath holding competition sounds like something for somebody younger than me. My greatest blessing is that I can still breathe …