This week is also the anniversary of adopting Toby, prince among cats, who is living his absolute best life with everyone home right now. Every time I think about what this kitty has meant to me and helped me through, I can only think of my mom saying, “You and he are just really bonded.” Indeed.
(Photo by Doc, the only male Toby will permit to touch his head. What honor!)
Give it a blep and show off your nose freckles and one black whisker. That’ll show it. 
“Fabric and Cats”–there was a lot of both this weekend as I’m catsitting for friends and my own kitty has to help me with the fabric because the sewing room is sunny.
Work from home and roll around on the dining table to show how exciting it all is:
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:
