Tom's Diary

I have decided to write (only as often as I please) the wonderful things I do in a diary.  Why?  Because I am a highly special individual feline. 
I live with only one human being.  That's an advantage, because it means I can have all the attention for myself.  I am told that some humans have more than one cat, or they have cats and dogs.  Ugh!  If the squirrels were friendly, they'd have them, too.  And rabbits.  How low can they go?
I actually have to wait at the door to be let inside every morning.  And wait.  And wait.  She lets the sun get high in the sky, before she drags herself to the door and opens it for me.
Now, I do her a great favor.  I lead her out the back door to the garage, where she trips a switch.  Nothing changes inside, but through a front window I see the post light that is on at night is now off.  That wouldn't happen if I was not there.  You can see how valuable I am to the success of our lives.
Once that is done, I can have my breakfast.  I don't eat it all.  My mama taught me to always leave some food in the dish.  You can get hungry in the night and want to have food ready.  By morning it is gone.  I like to start a new day with new food in the dish.  And I can depend on her putting it there.
     After she eats, or doesn't, I follow her as she goes about putting items made of cloth on her body.  That is something I don't have to do, thank cat heaven.  I delight in my body the way it is.  Why, I am ready for anything.  Well, she does push me off the bed when I prefer to prepare my fur to stay clean and beautiful.  I have a pristine white front all the way from my chin to my tail.  So, you see, I am, therefore, known as a Tuxedo Tabby.  So far, I have been spared a soaking in soapy water.  Some of my friends tell me they are put in that awful situation.  It takes them more than an hour to dry off, and one has to wash oneself all over again to get rid of the effects of what humans call a bath.
     Well, that is enough for my diary now.  Wait for my next entry.  I'll report in again when I am good and darn well ready.

From Patriotism to Sweating

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I see it has been some time since I wrote anything.  Too much yard work! 
I believe our country has new people in charge who will set it on the best course to be great again, despite all the contention and poison being spread by the poor losers.  Bad sports.  My school taught
us to be good losers as well as doing rightly.  You can't win all the time, but you can win hugely by being consistent in well doing.


On the personal side, my body has changed about sweating.  I never used to sweat no matter how hot it was.  This season I now absolutely sweat.  On the up side, it keeps my weight down.

The Weeds and Me

Cool days.  Warm days.  The weeds love all kinds of weather and flourish in my yard.  I cleaned the front yard early, but now all kinds of weeds have taken up residence here.  In the back yard, I am pulling out by hand the little purple flowering stalks.  Probably simply making room for other kinds of their brethren and sistren to occupy my grounds.  I work by the hours to get rid of them, but I have covered only about two-thirds of the back yard.  Again my mind is drawn to the similarities between weeds and weed people.  I wrote an essay on weed people -- those who resemble weeds.  For instance, once the first weed gets settled, he invites his chums to join him.  "Come on in, guys, I got a good place here.  This one is my fairy godmother.  She will never get rid of me."


"Oh yeah!" I say.  I curse the weeds in a blanket statement.  They seem to thrive on the curse.


Right now, I pull them out and reduce the carpet of purple-stemmed wonders.  All it takes is time and my otherwise strong back.


You say, "She's a fool!"  But I enjoy seeing the grass starting to grow up in the dry winter thatch.  And I like to see a clean expanse for the grass to green up in.  And the yard shows up so much better my peonies and iris.  They will be good this year, but I am letting the grass overtake the flowering plants in due course.  It is time to make life easier on me and keep the yard looking good.

Tom and the Lavatory soap

Of course, your cat wants to do everything you do.  So it is with,Tom, the resident cat with Barbara
Thomas (writing as Barbara Lockett).  As I make myself presentable in the morning Tom likes to join me, hopping up on the counter in the bathroom.  He opens the cabinet and would like to venture in, but there is no room for him.  The cabinet is full, so he pads across the counter to examine the soap dish.  He sniffs it and almost applies the tip of his tongue to it.  Satisfied, he loses interest and gets out of the way for me to apply makeup under bright lighting.  I know he will check out the soap again.  Evidently, he likes the smell of clean soap.

Business Unusual!

I arose this morning to notice much activity going on next door.  Steam issued from a 24" diameter hole next to the driveway of the house next door.  As a result the concrete driveway was scooped up to the mud underneath and cement poured on for a new surface.  Workers are still there working dirt into the sides of the drive. 


Still unseasonably cold here.  I am losing time to be outside on the ground pulling a backyard full of weeds out.  The weeds are the pretty little purple flowered stems jutting up, filling the back yard like a carpet over the ground.  The heck of it is it is too cold to work outside, and the weather shows no sign of improving.  I have tried to be out and clear away the weeds, but am allergic to the cold.  Runny nose and shivering frame, I don't survive the cold along with the wind.  I will try again today.  I may clear a little more ground.  However, there is a lot of it.  I have a big backyard.

Tom and the Soapdish

Tom shares the bathroom in the mornings as I prepare for the day.  He investigates the items on the counter by the lavatory.  The soap fascinates him.  Apparently, he likes the scent.  But it doesn't stop there.  He even tests it with his tongue, lightly of course.  Yes, cats are curious .

Helper Tom

Today, Tom is adamant about his input for this posting.  He is pawing on the side of my chair with his claws out.  Except for the Captain's Chair I'm sitting in, he would be in my lap and up on the computer desk.  However, the chair has spindles under the side arms.  I have to say, he has now given up gracefully and retired away from the room.