Catblogger

I went to Sissinghurst gardens in Kent this weekend to see the early arrival of their spring bulbs and plants before the trees and shrubs began to take over. The idea was to enjoy a walk in the post winter - early spring garden and to contemplate on the season. It was more a trip to clear the air a bit and indulge in a little Zen meditation; the sort of thing is to relate to the bare trees and shrubs yet see the emrging foliage and enjoy the growth of the daffodils and other plants. I was also keen on taking some pictures for my writer's group web site and add some more to my google blog.

Naturally I met people with like minds and although I appreciated being a lone walker and watcher I was pleasantly surprised when people smiled and talked to me - maybe I look daft and they pity me - and this added to the pleasure of the visit.

Spring is yellow.

I also saw some lambs newly born wobbling on pipe cleaner legs and bouncing as joyfully as Tigger. I saw families enjoying the the day and bossy ten year old boys telling their dads how the world works; a couple hand in hand walking the muddy woodland tracks and volunteers smiling warm greetings.

And when I got home my cat came running.

Zen helped a lot.

I was encouraged by a contact from rainbowgirl to think again about the books I read or have read when I read her blog.  I was surprised to see that she had read some of the books I had read considering that she at age seventeen and me at age nearly sixty-seven I had some idea that she would like books so much different from my taste.   Wrong! I'm pleased to say.  Yes, I did thing that Pullman's story was a bit weak but the middle volume was excellent; and I too enjoyed and still do enjoy The Hitchhiker's Guide but do not recommend trying Arthur Dent's method of learning to fly - it hurts.  Lord of the Rings is one along with The Hobbit, CS Lewis Narnia stories and the Alice stories as well from Carroll. 

I can recommend The Half Men of O by Maurice Gee, The Life of Pi as a must read and try Catch 22 which is barmy; and also by Heller God Knows - but read a little about the Biblical David first.  As a man who has read all of Shakespeare's works, acted in a Henry V and is currently, among many other projects re-writing Hamlet from the point of view of an infinite number of monkeys, who also writes poems I also have read many books and continue to do so.  Current read is Varney the Vampyre having also for many years enjoyed Dracula and Frankenstein. 

I also dive into romances and such classics as Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre and its counterpoint The Far Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, taken a look at Albert Camus - La Peste - and read Les Miserable, The Naming of the Rose and such quaint stories as The Thirteen Clocks and  The Wonderful O.  

My reading covers all areas from thrillers, Crime, Comedy, Sci-fi, Fantasy, Autobiography, Biographies, academic reading for subjects ranging from History to Modern technology; in fact anything that interests me.  Most importantly although we have the interenet as a most useful resource I still take pleasure in sitting down somewhere and reading a book .  In this way I discovered that Mills and Boon also have much to offer because when you research the genre you learn how they work and understand the need and apepal of the market. 

The world of literature from wherever you approach it is rich with pleasure and knowledge and its is great to hear from young people who appreciate the media.  Okay so rainbowgirl is not entirely unique but she is refreshingly exciting and has a lively and witty blog which I put down to her eclectic tastes.   As a Teaching Assistant at a Secondary school working with post sixteen students I meet young people with wide reading tastes who are also willing to read beyond their interests.  Rainbowgirl has reminded me of that.  Thanks.

I know that I have introduced myself as a cat lover so there may be nothing new in me doing so if it were not for a few more observations.  I talk to my cat and of late I have noticed that she seems to understand one or two key phrases - now don't panic I am not as daft as seem - that I say when I am talking to her.  For example if I want her to come to me I ask her and often she will do so and even using the word 'no' seems to have an effect.  I tried other phrases on the silly assumption that se might be learning English and of course, you geussed it - zilch.  No effect whatsoever.  So I tried again and carefully made a note of what worked and what didn't and came to the conclusion that it was not the language or the words selected that made a difference but the time and place, my body language and habit that did it. 

Cats seem to like adopting patterns of behavoir according to their familiarity with events.  It is well known that many dogs will recognise a familiar footstep, the sound of the masters car etc and react by running toward the sound in greting long before the person has arrived.  This awareness is recognised and can be seen in a child knowing instinctively who is mother, or where she is.  It is later whan we grow into adults we forget the instinct and ignore its pull. 

Cats have an instinct that allows them to recognise patterns in your behavior and relate that to good things in their lives, comfort, treats, feeding times, times when doors will open, play times and sleeping times plus your voice when you announce them.  Voice accompanied by actions that make them happy will attract cats toward you and as it is Mothering Sunday I am sure that we can claim to be surrogate mothers to our cats and so any noises we make can be intr=erpreted by them as the precursor to treats or comfort. 

That does not mean fro one moment I will give up talking to my cat in my own language as long as I also attempt to learn hers.  Result: I remain as daft and as soppy with my cat as normal and my cat gets fed, watered and fussed as normal which a is a mutually beneficial arrangement because to get all these things all she has to do is smooch, grovel, purr and trill her way around me. 

The bonus is that I get an affectionate pet and the illusion that I am in control and have somebody more interesting than myself to talk to.

Okay, so we are going through some tough times here, right? Be aware that for the past two decades we have ridden high on good wages, unlimited credit, piles of available goods and the expectation we can have what we want at any time we want it. Added to that we have suffered from the embarrassment of celebrity culture that has created some awful people, some horrendous behavior and Big Brother. Eek! The reason I don't like the program is because it creates celebrities with little or no talent unless it is that they are celebrities because they have been on Big Brother. The problem is that in Orwell's story the room 101 was where Winston Smith and Julia faced their worst nightmare and sibsequently betrayed each other. In our version the inmates face only minor humiliation and it is not life threatening. Except of course outside of the program when one celebrity with little or no talent other than her place on Big Brother is discovered to be ill with a rather nasty form of cancer.

Now, this is where I changed my opinion of the poor woman and began to wish her all the best in her fight to gain as much from the situation for her family as she possibly could. Her tragic circumstances and the media hype that was whipped up to help her maximise her profits is a brave attempt to gain the advantage in a financial climate that is as hostile as the cancer that invades her.

I do not like the persona that Jade Goody showed to the public but that does not mean that I have no sympathy for her in these tough times. In fact I must make a tribute to her and her efforts and offer my sympathy to her. Tough times for her and tough times for us but let us learn from her. Be brave and face the future however short or precarious and howver cock-eyed it may seem do what you do best and let things happen. Like Jade you may go under but there is always hope that those you leave behind will benefit from your sacrifice and survive the tough times.