Just plain freezing.

The rain has quit. Finally. Thankfully. Yesterday afternoon became sunny and bright, and if you were inside looking out, you would have thought it was a typical semi-tropical January day out there. Not true. It was freezing. And this morning is still freezing. But not a raindrop in sight, so at least that's a step in the right direction.

The cats have sort of settled down and gotten used to the fact that it's cold out on the screen-porch and they can't spend too much time out there. AngelBoy has been following me all over the house since his little "accident" the other day. As I'm typing right now, he's sitting on the bookcase at my left, watching the letters magically appear on the screen. If I sit down to read, he's right there with his head resting on my foot. The other day I told him that he's only allowed free run of the house now if I can actually keep him in my sight... so he's taking that rule to heart. My husband and I will both swear that this blue-eyed cat knows exactly what we're saying. There's a little person hiding behind those long white whiskers.

Mickey Kitty has become the Mickey Express..... he will run out into the screen-porch to see what's going on in the yard, then come bolting through the open window to get into the warm house. Through the window, sliding on the tiles in the breakfast room, jumping on the end table near the living room sofa, then sailing from one side of the sofa to the other, then leaping from the sofa to the antique chair in front of the Oriental screen. His paws hit the back of that chair, which bumps into the Oriental screen, which trembles against the wall for a few seconds, which rattles the beads on the lampshade sitting on the small buffet in front of the Oriental screen. All of this takes just seconds, but in the middle of the night it's unnerving--- the chair going against the screen, which is hitting the wall, hitting the screen, then making the beads rattle. And if I get out of bed (which I always do)... there's tiny Mickey Kitty sitting on that chair with a Who? Me? look on his little face.

But.... cats lower your blood pressure. Whoever said that should be shot.

My love of screen-porches is long gone now. I want a sun-room instead, with glassed-in windows from floor to ceiling... all air-conditioned and heated, so the cats can use the room no matter what the temperature happens to be. I keep telling them all that they will once again be sleeping in the screen-porch as soon as our weather gets warmer.

My love of small cozy kitchens is also gone. With the weather being so cold, it seems that all the cats, as well as the dog, have been following us all over the house. Whenever we're in the kitchen lately, so are all the cats and Gracie. The dog will lay right in the middle of the floor, and the cats will spread out around her. If I'm making a meal, Mickey Kitty will be right near my legs, with his head pointing up towards the counter-top, trying to see what goodies I've got up there. Getting from the stove-top to the fridge is like a game of hop-scotch. And don't dare take a step without looking because you will trip over a paw or step on a tail. We need a larger house. Or fewer pets.

What we really need is some warm weather.....