TCB

It’s Monday morning, and time to Take Care of Business, as Aretha Franklin would say. If you don’t recall that reference, don’t feel bad, it's only one of the greatest sources of misheard lyrics in musical history. It's that one phrase near the end of her signature soul song, “RESPECT" - that we could never quite figure out, until the age of the digital sound, the Internet and Karaoke, that is. If you are still stumped, here's what we're talking about. Sing it with me: R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Find out what it means to me, R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Take care, T-C-B (followed by all those "sock it to me's") So, let's get to it...


Item 1 Comet Lulin – the comet has now past it’s brightest peak in our night sky, and probably only visible with a telescope. But I did bundle up after midnight a few nights ago, and went out with my 10x50 power binoculars, stood (with my mouth open and my neck bent back at a very un-ergonomic angle!) and traced a path among the stars until I should have been in the right vicinity, but, alas, I just couldn’t find anything that looked green and fuzzy. Too bad, because Lulin won’t come round to earth again for another thousand years at least! I’ll have to be content with my memories of Hale-Bopp, back in 1997. Now that was a real treat to see!

Item 2 An Award! – The Cloud Messenger received an Honest Scrap award from Lisa, who has two delightful blogs many will know – Rambling of a Villas Girl and Villas Girl Photos. The award came to her via Camera Critters, and was actually written by one of her charming cats. So that is the spirit in which we will humbly receive it here. This award comes with the proviso that the recipient must tell 10 (or whatever) honest things about themselves. Our Pearl has volunteered (i.e. pushed herself past the other three cats into the limelight) to tell you a few things. So, take it away, Miss P…

I was born in 2000 in Turner Valley, Alberta. I had some siblings but…who cares about them. I am pure white, not a whisker or patch of any other color, and very very fluffy. “She” – the lady in charge of meeting my needs – calls me her Wooly Bully. I don’t know what that is, but it sounds like She’s dissing me. She also says I talk too much. Well, I have a lot to say. And every bit of it is important. But She makes fun of me, especially when I’m standing and crying at the door to the room I never get to go into (spare bedroom, She calls it). She says,“Oh dear, did Timmy fall in the well again?” I have three fellows here, Sweeney, who is my BFF, and Elliott, who is okay for an old guy, and Flash, who is kind of a wuss. Between you and me, I could take her any time I want, but I settle for a few good swats every once in a while. If I go too far, She gets out the Cat Behavior Modifier (i.e. Ikea spray bottle). Then I give everyone (except Sweeney) my worst squinty-eye stare for a while. She says I can be a real diva, a brat, and a new sance. I don’t know what any of those things mean, especially a "sance" but when she uses that tone of voice, I remind her that my people were worshiped in ancient times. Then She replies with, “Yeah, and you use the litter box just like everybody else." I don’t get nearly enough RESPECT. P.S. It was Her idea to use the photo of me cuddling up to Flash. Trust me, that kind of thing happens about as often as comet Lulin appears, but She had to go and catch it on camera. Okay, I'm done, when's lunch?

Thank you Pearl. (Flash looks pretty nervous, I thinkin'). And many thanks to Lisa, for the Award. I'm going to pass it along to Christine at Quiet Paths, who is also a Cat Staffer (as in "Dogs Have Owners, Cats Have Staff")




Comet photo at http://news.nationalgeographic.com