The Literate Kitty

While it’s virtually impossible to argue with the literal meaning of the saying “blood is thicker than water”, the figurative meaning is another matter entirely... for it’s wholly up to the individual, whether or not he/she would be more apt to side with kin, or with friends, in the event it came down to an either-or decision. Me? I’m a firm believer in the notion that true “family” is made up of those we love best (which, as far as I’m concerned, has nothing whatsoever to do with the likes of shared great-uncles on a family tree or any of those dreaded annual get-togethers). Call it modern thinking, or perhaps simply pragmatism, but there you have it. Of course, I realize that probably isn’t the norm. Family is the be-all, end-all for an awful lot of people out there; it’s a kind of invisible bond which inextricably links them together -- regardless of whether they have anything (aside from genetics) in common, or whether they even like each other or not. For such people, it’s the co...

When it comes to fictional detective couples--at least, in the romantic sense--it’s pretty slim pickings, isn’t it? There’s Agatha Christie’s Tommy and Tuppence, Dashiell Hammett’s Nick and Nora Charles, and... well, that pretty much exhausts the list of familiar suspects.    Television offers up a few more examples. There were bonafide couples Jonathan and Jennifer Hart (“Hart to Hart”) and Stewart and Sally McMillan (“McMillan and Wife”), along with those will-they-or-won’t-they, did-they-or-didn't-they pairings of Laura Holt and Remington Steele (“Remington Steele”), Amanda King and Lee Stetson (“Scarecrow and Mrs. King”), David Addison and Maddie Hayes (“Moonlighting”), and currently, Kate Beckett and Richard Castle (“Castle”). It’s a tricky proposition, and one which shouldn’t be that surprising, when you think about it. Unless a writer starts with an already-existing couple--two characters in a relationship which comes with built-in expectations of certain behaviors, p...

For Dad... I love that you never once told me I “couldn’t” do something... only that I “could”.  That you never made me feel as though I was anything less than wonderful in your eyes. That you bragged about all my accomplishments, however great or small, to your friends. That you took me to pick out my first CAT... just the two of us! >^.,.^< That you were kind and generous to everyone you met. That you happily ate every Easy-Bake cake I placed in front of you. :) That you loved to read, and to discuss books with me (even if I was just waxing ecstatic about Nancy Drew). That you taught me self-reliance. That when I look in a mirror, the features reflected back at me are yours.   It’s been almost thirteen years now, but not a single day has gone by without my thinking of you... and missing you. So, here’s to you, Dad.  xoxo  

Due to unforeseen circumstances-- a forgetful mother? (well, perhaps that  shouldn't come as such a surprise)... the vagaries of the postal system? (a likely suspect, given the "quality" of mail service out in the boonies, where my mom lives)... bad luck (well, obviously , right?)-- the Father's Day post I've had planned all week will now be delayed (until such time as I receive the photographic accompaniment without which said post just wouldn't be complete). So, anyhoo, the best-laid plans (and all that jazz)... [grrrrrrr...] Until then, how about my boycat with his daddy? (first meeting, at the breeder's)                                                (2010, just bein' silly on Daddy's lap)  

Fathers . For those of us who enjoy good relationships with them, our dads are a reliable source of strength, the invincible heroes of our youth, and the champions of our childhood dreams. For those with somewhat-less-than desirable relationships, it’s quite another matter, of course--more like a minefield of conflicting emotions and a past strewn with less-than-stellar memories. The reality, for most people, probably lies somewhere in between. Our heroes may be a bit worse-for-wear, bearing the odd scrapes and scars on their not-quite-shining armor. Nothing--and no one--in life is perfect... not even our dads.  Still, aside from some very poor examples of fatherhood, most of us are happier for having them in our lives than not. So much so, in fact, that even if we feared the worst and were faced with incontrovertible evidence of a grave misdeed perpetrated by our father figures--some transgression nearly impossible to accept and forgive--there’s still a good chance that the fathe...

If someone asked you to make a shortlist of the very worst things that could ever happen, chances are, your list would be similar to a lot of other people’s. (Partly because we’re just not that original, but mostly because we’ve been exposed to the same TV, movies, and books as everyone else.) We have some pretty vivid images embedded in our brains of the Bad Stuff that lies in wait for us--images we share. Natural disasters would no doubt place highly on the list--tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes strike terror into the bravest among us. Fire is another truly fearsome, destructive force. And of course, the thought of all sorts of transportation accidents--something like a horrible high-speed car crash or the dreaded mid-air disaster--hit most of us in the gut.  Illness and disease would likewise find their way onto a lot of lists. We have only to see the devastating effects of cancer or another debilitating disease, to have an unholy terror of it someday striking close to ho...

We have become a world of voyeurs, obsessed with the lives of everyone else.  It’s a benign-enough past-time for most of us--and one nearly impossible to avoid. Think about what lines the walls of supermarket checkout aisles everywhere (aside from candy and all those bizarre little gizmos you were previously, blissfully unaware you craved): tabloids, emblazoned with (often) embarrassing and (usually) Photoshopped pictures of celebrities--courtesy of the very lowest rung of photojournalists, the paparazzi--with captions blatantly espousing tawdry rumors in bold 100-point type. (You’ve ogled the flashy covers and flipped through the pages when you thought no one was looking, haven’t you?) Or, consider the current TV trends: the so-called “reality” shows, encompassing everything from assorted talent competitions to programs which supposedly follow the lives of this or that group of has-beens, wannabe-celebrities, or “interesting” people doing... well, whatever sort of awful or strange...