Long Days and Short Nights

Today seemed unusually long, although in retrospect, and I think that is because it was a transition day. Transition from grief and worry to taking care of errands and tending to homework. I am still concerned about my brother and his health, but I and my dad and step-mother will be seeing him tomorrow for lunch and he says he is feeling a lot better. So I will hope the symptoms were not of anything too serious and relegate my worries to the quiet, internal struggle they usually exist as once again. It will be nice to see Mike and to be able to talk to him in person, although the conversation will have to be kept rather light in consideration of his current state of mind. And, as I mentioned, there are always plenty of things to distract me from such worries if I choose to let them.

We have been experiencing some very jealous behavior toward one another on the part of our cats. Mottle chases Tiger out of the living room if I am in it and Bootsie chases her out of the room if "Daddy-cat" is anywhere around. Callie mostly stays out of it except to blindside one or the other of the three other kitties, which is her joy in life - she likes to watch them jump out of their skins when she ambushes them, mostly with lots of noise. We are extra worried about Tiger, who has not been eating very well, because of the approaching kidney failure. He still seems fairly hale and hearty, so perhaps it is just the weather or the time of year rather than any trouble elsewhere. He is a very sweet kitty and I love it when he squeeks at me and then purrs in my ear from the back of my chair. He gets such a look of pleasure whenever I scratch his chin it makes me wish I could somehow get the moment on film but as soon as I head for the camera Tiger disappears into another room and so the moment is lost. :-(

It's as though I can feel winter approaching and something inside of me is objecting and I don't know why. Perhaps it is just the residue of worry and upset from the past few days, or maybe it is the onset of an upset tummy, rather than any serious mood being brought on by weather again.

Kitty snores are issuing from Bootsie as he sleeps on the loveseat near the desk. Fortunately it is fairly quiet because it is so steady it would absolutely send me screaming in distraction if it were any louder. As it is, it is "cute." Louder it would become "a silence devoutly to be wished."

The class discussion page has been silent for sometime now and I think people have probably been out getting in the last few remnants of summer living the weather today has afforded all of us. It is such a great way to keep in touch and to let each other know what is happening in our lives, a chance to be back in touch without any major commitment of time or effort, and I hope people will keep up with it between now and our next reunion.

I better head for bed now, as I need to be up in only a few hours. I will be having a "usual" Sunday, breakfast out with a friend - a regular practice we have indulged in for years - and it should be a lot of fun as she informed me this evening that she has a lot to talk about. Then it will be off to lunch with Mike, Dad, and Mary Ellen at Mike's favorite pizza place. Hopefully, if Mike is a little more with it than the past several days, it will be a relaxed time where we can all catch up with what's been happening in our lives lately. We're really a pretty "in touch" family, but even then you can end up missing some news or other, so it will be nice to see them.

The only thing I truly regret about worrying is that it drains me to the point of having to struggle to find any poetry within myself. I guess I will wait until I am better rested before I try to compose anything new for the general amusement of myself or any others who may enjoy reading whatever I write.

I hope everyone else has a good night and a good day tomorrow as well.