What I'm Reading, the Cat, and Other Things

OK, the cat is not working out. She lives almost exclusively in our bedroom/bathroom. I can live with that, and I appreciate that she uses her litter box (and only poops every other day) and uses her scratching box (and not my furniture or fancy bedding). However, she's attacked the dog TWICE with bloody results - completely unprovoked. She hisses at Zulu anytime Zulu is anywhere near her. If her paw can swipe Zulu, then she uses it. She wants nothing to do with the kids, but does not hurt them when they do get their hands on her.

I emailed the shelter to see about exchanging her. I want a cat, but I don't want this cat. I want a cat that loves my dog and kids, and she is not it. I thought I was adopting a lazy, fat, laid-back cat. She is fat, but she's got a lot more spunk to her than I was expecting and she's clearly aggressive with the dog THAT IS TWICE HER SIZE (and the aggression is of far more concern than the spunk). Oh, Penuche, you put on such a good show at the shelter.

Moose and I worked on the yard yesterday, getting ready for my in-laws to visit (it's stuff that needed done anyway, but in-laws visiting is good motivation). We put the strawberries in more appropriate containers and seeded cucumbers, radishes, carrots, and spinach. I also potted two patchouli plants and a eucalyptus plant. The car smelled downright heavenly on the drive home. We also mulched one the beds and mulched around a big oak tree (need more). Does the purchase of plants go against my "No Stuff" challenge? I decided it does not, because it (a) stays outside and (b) enriches life and the environment. They are all things that will decompose safely and not take up space in my house. My challenge, right? I can make up the rules as I go.

I have succeeded in paying off my Kohls card and the statement balance on my Visa. I have given away five bags of things on FreeCycle, and sold a small appliance I wasn't using on Craig's List. I did visit a local consignment shop, but it was a bust. They appeal to an older crowd, so my low-ride pants and formal dresses didn't appeal to them. Fair enough. I tried.

I remain in a deep funk of unknown origins. I am not throwing myself off a bridge (though, we do have plenty of those in Louisiana), but I'm just blah-de-blah lately.

Over at Composting a Life, Laura's writing topic of the day is What I'm Reading? For once, I'm not reading multiple books and am actually just two pages into a new book: Nothing Right by Antonya Nelson. As you can imagine, it's really helping my blah-de-blahs. It's a collection of short stories that I originally read about in The Writer (or was it Poets & Writers - one of those magazines). As I said, I'm two pages in, but I'm loving it. It's been a rich and thoroughly depressing two pages smothered with motherly guilt and angst-ridden teenagers. As someone consumed with both motherly guilt and teenage angst (despite, umm, being 28), it's fair to say that I expect to LOVE these stories.

Recently read, If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland was AMAZING. If you are at all a writer or creative-type, you must read it. She's dead but pretty much the most likable and down-to-earth person ever. If I had known about her earlier, I would have put her down in one of those college essays about, "If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?" Her book is a golden ticket of knowledge and beauty.

The Urban Homestead is quite informative but far less personal than Made from Scratch. So, good enough if you want more information on homesteading, but don't expect a lot of love and passion in it. I'm looking to read The Backyard Homestead next (already own it, so I won't be buying it during my "No Stuff" break).

Columbine was also an awesome read -it hits on so many levels, mistakes kids make, mistakes parents make, mistakes teachers make, mistakes the media makes. It makes the world seem like a small place in some weird way. It reminds me of the classic Hiroshima by John Hersey - good, old-fashioned, investigative journalism. We don't have a lot of that anymore.

So, that is that.