Perfectly Gorgeous Day...........

The weather has been just perfect...... sunny and hot, but not broiling. Everything is in bloom and wherever you walk, the scent of the camellias, hibiscus, white lilacs and jasmine is just floating along on the breeze.

Before we know it, temperatures will be over 100 degrees and garden blooms will be reaching for the sun in the early morning, wilting by noon, recovering by dinner-time, and stretching towards the moon by day's end. Then the process begins again the next day.


I decided, on this gloriously beautiful day, to call my mother in Florida. I figured that it was such a pretty day that no matter what was said over the phone, I could deal with it as long as the sun was shining so nicely. I called once this morning, once this afternoon, then once after dinner. No answer each time. No answering machine, either, so I couldn't leave a message. And I tried to keep the thought out of my head that she has "Caller ID" and she was there looking at my number in the little screen and deciding that she wasn't ready to talk to me yet. I'll just wait and try again. I'm determined, when I do get to speak to her, to keep the conversation light, keep it lively, and keep it away from the past. That subject has been talked to death with my mother and I don't want to get into that again.


We called our little Miss C this afternoon, since she didn't show up here after school today. My husband told her that we had lost our key, and he asked her if we could come over to her house. I don't know how many seconds it took her to realize that he was just joking, but she laughed out loud at that. She said that she had so much homework today that she just walked straight on home after school let out. My husband thinks that C doesn't really lose her key... she just misplaces it so she can have a reason for stopping by here. (As if she needed a reason.) What a great kid. I could say that a thousand times.


The cats spent most of the day either out on the screen-porch or out in the yard today. AngelBoy took a nap on one of the little wicker seats in the flowerbed, and ShadowBaby curled up on the outside deck near Rusty. Mickey Kitty sat on the porch and watched butterflies. I haven't let him out in the yard yet. He's too young, and too little, plus he runs very fast and I'd never be able to catch him if he decides to take a flying leap up onto the fence--- which I think he would because he's just so dang curious. The other cats are too big and too old to do that anymore, so they're just fine in the yard. I don't leave them outside in the yard unless I'm home, though. We have too many neighbor-cats that have their claws and can climb over the fences. One of our first cats died after a fight with a stray cat soon after we moved into this house. It was a painful thing to go through, and I wouldn't like to repeat that.

Mickey Kitty is the cutest kitten still.... he's very small for his age, so I'm thinking he was the 'runt' of the litter. He is the funniest little guy.... when I call his name, he comes bouncing through the house to find me. All of our cats know their names. If I call out a name, just that cat will come running, not all of them, so I truly believe that they do know their individual names. The only time when they all come running at once is when I pop open a can of "Fancy Feast." They not only know the sound of the can opening, but they know the sound of the cabinet door beneath the kitchen sink where I keep their food dishes. If I open that cabinet before I open the can, they'll come running into the kitchen. Mickey Kitty runs so fast that he usually slides on the tiles and bumps into either my legs or the cabinet itself. Such a funny little guy.


"The Amazing Race" is still on TV, and my sister and I are watching the episodes and calling each other after the show is over. I called her tonight and she had to call me back because she hurt her hand--- the "hippies" (two guys from San Francisco) came in last tonight, but it wasn't an elimination round, so they got to stay in the race. They did, however, have to turn in all of their cash and all of their luggage.... they only get to keep the clothes on their backs for the next leg of the race. And wouldn't you know it.... one of the hippies left his shoes in the car, so he couldn't run fast enough to beat out the team called "MoJo" tonight. That was when my sister slammed her hand on her table and hurt her wrist. Talk about getting involved with the show.

Her hand is fine, but she's lucky--- the table she slammed her wrist on top of has a glass top. Imagine going to the emergency room because you slit your wrist on a glass table because one of the hippies has to continue in the race without shoes? Try explaining that one to the emergency room doctor.


Anyway..... that's been the day........ I hope the rest of the week is as beautiful as today was.