Mary Beth Writes

Last year was the Covid quarantine so most of us didn’t do very much over the 4th of July holiday.

This year, with half Americans now vaccinated there’s more freedom to do things and be with people.

So what did Len and I do? Um. Made and decorated cookies with two little girls on Friday. Saturday Len walked with Dems in a parade, and I weeded the yard. We grilled bacon-wrapped filets for dinner. Watched The Big Short, the 2015 movie about the 2008 economic collapse. Highly recommend it if you have the stomach to watch hot-shot American economic power break the world economy. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1596363/

Sunday we both read a lot. Talked to our kids at a leisurely pace on the phone. Today Len rode his bike while I took a long sweaty walk. I’ve been thinking about a story I might write. He’s been diving deep in Drupal (a computer language).

It’s been great although I’ll grant it’s hard to tell the difference between when we can leave the house and when we can’t. 

I wonder how much of the exhaustion and constant irritation around us is because introverts are being pancaked into extrovert spaces and vice versa. 

“The actual ratio of introverts to extroverts based on a random sample by the Myers-Briggs organization showed Introverts are 50.7% of the population and extroverts 49.3% of the USA.” 

Half and half.  No wonder so many of us are stressed.

About that photo of the little white cat on the porch of the little white building.

My cousin-in-law David S sent it to me. He says I can share it along with his explanation. I’ve left in his specific references to trains because some of you might be train enthusiasts, too.

“Here’s a non-railroad photo taken when I was waiting for NS trains to pass by the rail park in Locust Grove, GA. I took a couple of photos of this shabby structure across the tracks (it’s on the wrong side of the track). Judy (David’s wife, who passed away several years ago) would have been taking photos of it long before I noticed it. Then this white cat came to sit there, so I took a couple more photos. Shortly, a woman came along and parked by the building. She got out, unlocked the shop door, and let the cat in. Smart cat: it knows when it’s about time for the shop to open.”

Today while we were eating breakfast the cats were bothering us. I told them to go in the other room and read a book.

Len started thinking about titles for Romances for Cats:

  • Tom Cat on the Prowl
  • Muffy’s Secret
  • Teacher’s Pet
  • Last Licks for Old Tom
  • Clandestine Crunchies
  • The Midnight Yowl
  • Forbidden Kibble
  • Who’s There, Pussycat?
  • Calico Trouble
  • Tabby of Clarendon Manor
  • Rustle in the Sheets
  • Cinnamon Meets Cookie
  • Smokey and Cinnamon
  • Highland Mitzi
  • Silken Socks
  • Fallen for a Mouser
  • Mousekeeping Can Wait!
  • Only a Bad Cat Could Scratch that Itch

Suggested by perspicatious readers:

  • Howlin' for my Honey
  • Warm Your Mittens on our Kittens 
  • A Tale o' Nine Cats
  • Yowser, Bowser!
  • Tomorrow is for Digging
  • Murphy;s Drool
  • A Fool for Drool
  • Diggety Dogs
  • Puppy Love

Feel free to send in your titles for Romances for Cats. Or Romances for Dogs.

 

 

Comments

Hi! Love those titles.
Leonard's picture

"All right people: This is what we've practiced for!" Seriously, I know the last year has been devastating for many people, but I don't know how I could've read this much otherwise.

Howlin’ for my honey. Actual sign outside a Spenard, AK massage parlor, back in the day “ Come warm your mittens on our kittens”. True.
Mary Beth's picture

Added to the list above. And I'm laughing. Thanks!

Yowser bowser Tomorrow is for diggin Murphy’s Drool A Fool for Drool Diggetey dogs Puppy love

A Tale o’ Nine Cats

We watched the movie a few years ago (?) and McKnight just read the book on our vacation to CO. He recommends, and now wants to re-watch the movie. I don't know if I can stomach it again. Grrrrrrr.

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Len’s Birthday

11/30/2023

Last week I mentioned that Monday of this week would be Len’s birthday. A friend remarked to me ever so kindly later that day, “I thought his birthday was the 30th?”

It is. Len’s birthday is the 30th. This same friend has commented to me, over the years, about how much I remember.

Covid Diary #1350 Thanksgiving

11/22/2023

Today is 1350 days since the that March Friday in 2020 when we all went into quarantine.

Today is 60 years since JFK was assassinated on November 22, 1963. I remember that day, so does Len, so do many of you. Here’s a scary truth. We are as far today from that day – as that day was from the Wright brother’s first flight at Kitty Hawk on Dec 17, 1903.

Quarantine Diary #1349 Sci-Fi & Prophecy

11/21/2023

We both took Covid tests this morning and both of us still have pink lines. I asked the internet what this means and it says I might be pregnant.

I have a call into my doctor’s office to discuss. I feel so much better that if I didn’t know I have Covid, I wouldn’t know it. I’ve been sicker than this after too much pie.

Covid Diary #1347

11/19/2023

A few of you might realize yesterday we were 1345 days since March 13, 2020, and today we’re at 1347. Yup, I used a different calculator. Just a fun reminder that precision depends as much on asking the right question as doing perfect math.

I’m in day #4 of having Covid. No more chills. I have a fever of 100.4 which is more impressive than the 100.2 that Len achieved on his Day #4.  I’m taking various OTC meds and I keep track of them in my phone’s notes because, wow, it’s so easy to have no memory of the last time one took something. I’m good. Enough.

Covid Diary #1345

11/18/2023

I thought I was done with the Covid Diary but guess what? Len and I caught Covid this week! Actually, Covid caught us. We have continued to wear masks in stores, library, meetings, and our church so we will never know for sure where Len encountered Covid. And since I got it four days later, I guess we know where I got it…

My New Substack for Short Stories

11/11/2023

Let’s call this “Old Dog Versus New Tricks.” Does it feel to you as if I’ve been extra quiet these past months? It does to me. One big reason is that I’ve been figuring out Substack.

Here’s the deal: In addition to this blog, I’ve been writing more creative fiction. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and I’m finally taking it seriously. I’m not giving up this website, but substack is going to let me concentrate on short stories and other stand-alone pieces.

What’s Substack?

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