Doc surprised me with a portrait of Toby and JUST LOOK AT IT:

Get your own here!

I never talked about it here, but about two weeks after Mom died last year, Toby’s ear started to swell. After panic and guilt and some deeply traumatic vet visits, we found out he had a hematoma. We don’t know how he got it and it left permanent damage. I’ve had a hard time looking at his new “cauliflower ear” and not feeling all those feelings again–but this portrait is the first time I think I’ve really accepted it.

I mean, he wouldn’t be Admiral Lord Toby–veteran of the seas, decorated in battle–without it, right?

Approach it with the calm focus of Prince Toby in a sunbeam, making sure his manicure is correct:

Make sure you find someone to help today.

Break out your best blep for it and soldier on:

Hide under your patterns and refuse to let anyone take them off of you because you are too FIERCE to go to work.

May you claim it with the confidence and comfort of  Toby claiming the packaging from the new Bernina and discovering it has a cutout for his tail:

Give it your goofiest blep (captured by Doc):

Chomp it like you’re staging a sneak attack on a jade plant you are not allowed to eat:

I had not one but two naps yesterday and didn’t do much of anything except take pictures of Toby, who was having his Best Day Ever lounging around with me in different places:

(I thought I could be getting sick, but after two naps, no activity, and eight hours of sleep, I feel GREAT!)

Peer at it with the wonder of a cat watching his people power wash the deck: