Better Living Through Literature
Words + Projects + Stuff I Like
No, it’s not time to learn today’s lesson–it’s time for another annual “kitty blanket party,” in which a group of friends and our mothers make no-sew polarfleece blankets and donate them to shelters. This means, of course, lots of polarfleece spread out on the floor, which led to this virtuoso performance in cuteness Saturday night:
As you can see, he’s doing a good job of breaking them in.
It’s been a tricky week, as I’m sure you’ve been able to tell from the shortness of the posts, but here are some things that made me happy online:
1. GRUMPY CAT. Guys, I’m losing my edge–I didn’t even know this was a meme!
2. An elephant helping a man play some ragtime on the piano:
3. And this gif from the last season of Mad Men. Someday I will re-create it.
1. Cat pictures:
(from my “Happy” Pinterest board, of course); and
2. This quote from M.F.K. Fisher:
A well-made dry Martini or Gibson, correctly chilled and nicely served, has been more often my true friend than any two-legged creature.
(from the final essay in An Alphabet for Gourmets. It’s so true.)
Also: Happy birthday to Virginia Woolf today!
I’m pretty sure the Internet was invented to give us all easier access to funny cat pictures (this song backs me up). How else would someone have been able to share paintings of the Old Masters with the subjects replaced by cats?
In the words of Napoleon Dynamite, “There’s more where that came from.”
If we push the moral issues of keeping wild animals captive/as pets aside, these pictures are just fantastic. Who didn’t want a pet lion as a kid, I ask you?
I wish I had some backstory on these, but I don’t; they’re from the LIFE archive and first spotted here.
I think people should just own their crazy cat lady (or man) tendencies, but apparently there’s still some barriers to overcome. That’s why I like this series of ads for a California animal rescue telling us, “It’s OK to be a cat guy.” No, they’re not subtle. But there are cats. And guys.
This poem was on the Writer’s Almanac earlier this week. I’m putting it up for my parents, who recently adopted two more cats, bringing their kitty total up to four.
exactly right
the strays keep arriving: now we have 5
cats and they are smart, spontaneous, self-
absorbed, naturally poised and awesomely
beautiful.
one of the finest things about cats is
that when you’re feeling down, very down,
if you just look at the cat at rest,
at the way they sit or lie and wait,
it’s a grand lesson in preserving
and
if you watch 5 cats at once that’s 5
times better.
no matter the extra demands they make
no matter the heavy sacks of food
no matter the dozens of cans of tuna
from the supermarket: it’s all just fuel for their
amazing dignity and their
affirmation of a vital
life
we humans can
only envy and
admire from
afar.
…if your kitty tries to bury it like kitty poop.
I broke my French press over the weekend so now I’m using the stovetop espresso maker. Still trying to get the proportions right.
You’ve probably heard of Cash4Gold, but have you heard of Cats4Gold?
It’s (a) real (site)! www.catsforgold.com
I’d do it.
It’s like this at my house, but usually I end up getting the bug for Toby before he can lay waste to everything. (All of these “Simon’s Cat” videos are great.)
