August 29, 2009
Tomorrow we go to Paris. Marie-Louise will feed Sunshine, Tinkerbell, Tuppence, Diablo and Duchess plus the big guy who belongs to the neighbor who comes here to be fed.
We've learned each cat's personality and quirks. Sunshine does not move. If he's in the courtyard and you want to bring him in, you'd better get out of the car, pick him up and move him. He lives to sleep. But even though he's fourteen he's still able to wallop Tuppence if she goes too far with him. He's on our bed most of the time. Bernie calls him Earl Fisher (Bernie's dad's name) for reasons that escape me.
Tink is a crabby little old lady with a round belly, delicate face, thin legs and small feet. Though she has no Asian features, she reminds me of a Chinese Dowager Empress. She swats her kitten, Tuppence, who, though fully grown is, in my opinion, still her baby and should be treated as such.
Tuppence is full of personality, doesn't know to retract her claws when she plays with people, and is absolutely irresistible. I know each time I poke my finger between the door and jamb, she's going to be faster tan I am and I'm going to get scratched, but I can't stop because her little face looks up at me expectantly with those bright, alert eyes and her ears perked up.
She roars up the stairs, climbs on the old exposed beams, then gallops all around the landing sounding like a herd of cats.
And she's our defender. Joan has been feeding a neighbor's cat because he is not getting fed well at home. Now he wants to be a part of the household but he bullies the two younger cats and makes Tink a psych case (she pees and poops on the floor - aargh!)
So Tuppence guards the cat door in the morning while the other cats are eating, keeping the neighbor cat, who is twice her size, at bay. I just love this spirited little cat.
Diablo and Duchess are twins, a boy and a girl, pure white, and two of the most loving cats I've ever seen.
Trouble is, we never know which cat is which. It's a relief when both of them show up in the kitchen at the same time. Since they both love to stay out all night, and sometimes half the day, we like to know that nothing has happened to either of them. We don't know where they go, but we suspect they rule the big cornfield across the road, where no doubt mice also have field day.
And the neighbor's cat, even though he's a bully, even though I know he comes in at night and during the day when we're not here, and eats all the cat food, he's got me softened up. When I hang up clothes he rubs my legs. When I'm in the courtyard, he wants attention. He even pauses to be petted before he begins eating when I take his food dish across the road to keep him away from our cats.
I'm glad I'm not the one who has to decide what to do about him.
I'm going shopping this afternoon. I'd like to get a pair of pants since it looks as if the next few days might be cooler and I don't like the way my others fit. I swear for the 100th time never to buy anything that doesn't fit perfectly from the first try-on, no gaps in back, too-low rise, blah, blah, blah.
But my real reason for shopping is to buy the nice underwear I saw at the clothing store as gifts for my girls.
At the store I discover they also have very cute underwear for little girls, made smooth and flat for comfort. One great thing about giving underwear as a gift is that it takes up so little space in my maxed-out suitcase.
As for clothing for me, I buy leggings that are too big and a tunic that's too small, as I discover when I'm back at the house. I hope they are amenable to exchanges.
We're visiting Dominique tonight for a short while to take her flowers and to thank her for her kindness.
Flowers are very important in France; every town bigger than a small village has a florist. The arrangements are just a little different than at home, and very beautiful.
Dominique has taken on a lot of responsibility lately, and she is tired. We stay for only a short while, exchange e-mail addresses, and say goodnight. We want to get an early start for Paris in the morning.
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