Happy New Year (From the Kitties)

Today, as I began 2016 by working on a deadline, I had plenty of help.

 

Too much help, in fact.

This one, Mabel, jumped up right after sister, Monet, left.

 

I sense a new year trend in my office.

 

 

What work? You are doing that?



 

I think I should help you. Yes. Let me scooch right here.

 

Move? You want me to move?

 

Fine. I will sit over here. I'll just watch my sister.

 

Mom, what is in the basket? Can I get in the basket? Let me chew on some things in the basket.

 

What book? You need this book? I'm sitting on it . . .

 

And so went the day. There have been times when my mind was so focused, I didn't even see or hear the approaching kitty until she leapt in the middle of work. This was especially troublesome when her paws were wet and a touch muddy.

 

We have new S.O.P.

(standard operating procedures)

 

1. Be prepared at any moment to quickly and calmly gather all ready-to-mail papers in a pile and remove them from work counter.

 

2. Try very hard to hear the tiniest pitter patter of kitty claws on the wood floor. This will give warning of impending assistance on the work desk.

 

3. Give loves. This allows kitties to purr, shed fur, and roll around on paperwork. This also encourages kitties to vacate the project zone in a timely manner.

 

 

Paws up to 2016!

 

May your year be fulfilling, joyful, and overflowing with peace.

 

And may your clothes always bear fur from the administrations of 4-legged children. For that means you have provided a home to loving pets.

 

Happy New Year!

The Law of Perfect Timing + Newton's Laws of Motion

I'm pretty sure that this household was witness today to all 3 of Newton's Laws of Motion (at once).

Object 1: Monet (quite a solid mass, if I say so myself)

Object 2: Myself and office blinds (hurriedly goes on to object 3, avoiding subject of mass)

Object 3: Desk and standing folder holder


Newton's First Law of Motion = in order for the motion of an object to change, a force must act upon it.


Newton's Second Law of Motion = the relationship between acceleration, force, and mass.


Newton's Third Law of Motion = anytime a force acts from one object to another, there is an equal force acting back on the original object.


Let's add another law = The Law of Perfect Timing.

Here are the events:

1. Monet circles the desk, preparing to leap on the desk to jump to the window sill.

2. Angie, seeing this, grabs the window blind wand and begins to push the blinds open so Monet can more easily acquire her goal.

3. Monet, not seeing this, or maybe anticipating that the mama was faster, hurriedly jumps up to the window, colliding with the partially closed and open blinds. Perfect timing.

4. Monet, slamming into the blinds, falls backwards on the desk, scrambling for all of her worth (mass + motion) knocks standing folder holder (inert object) to the floor, strewing papers, files, and notes in all directions.

5. Angie, still in awe of the perfect timing and collision of all objects, quickly grabs the camera to document events.

Monet, surveying the damage.


Boys and girls, what did we learn today?

The motion of an object (Monet) changed when she hit the blinds. See 1st Law of Motion.

The relationship between acceleration (both Monet and mama), force (moving Monet), and mass (Monet, mama, and blinds) was apparent. See 2nd Law of Motion.

A force (Monet) acted upon two other objects - the blinds, which forced her back to the desk, and the file holder, which by merely being in the way knocked her off the desk and spewed paperwork hither and yon. See 3rd Law of Motion.


Great lesson. Class dismissed.

Beware of What You Say - It May Be Used Against You

Ages ago when my babies were young, my writing desk - aka office - was along one wall of the dining room. Always a disaster and rife with projects in process, my office was what I had. So I used it.

On the occasions that I had a looming deadline and was in desperate need of no interruptions, I had to finally resort to laying down the rules.

"My door is closed."

Funny. There was no door. Or wall. Or any other physical item that marked off the office. Just air.

But it worked. That invisible door, once my stressed voice was heard slamming it in their faces (honey was included in this), stood between many a sibling squabble, demand for food/rescue/mediation/first aid, ringing phones, and general household chaos.

Years later, the kids are grown and fledged, roosting in their own nest. And my office actually has a real, wooden door. And walls. And lots of office-y type stuff. Perfect for me. I can (really) easily shut out the world when in the midst of scrunching out words.

My poor honey. He does not have the same luxury.

His office is a corner of the living room. That's the room in which guests, grands, cats, family, and all sort of noise and interruptions descend with regularity. The television, kitchen, table, and all matter of other life inventions reside within eyesight of his desk.

Don't get me wrong. We love our interruptions.

But there are times when my man needs to work and focus. Alas, he has no door. That sounds familiar.

So today, with a looming service in a few hours, I heard my own words uttered against me.

"My door is closed."

Oh. So that's what they felt like way back when. I was shut out. No trotting in with a quick observation, offers of a cup of tea, handing in the mail . . . Though it doesn't stop me from taking a photograph through the invisible door.

It is true. Our very own words often come back to haunt us. What we say does impact others, good or bad. But that's ok. It means someone was listening.