What Day is it?

Today is Labor Day in the United States, so I’ll start off by saying “thank you” to those who are enjoying a day off from their jobs. As of September 1st, I haven’t had to acknowledge this holiday for two years, unless an invitation to a picnic is involved. It’s just another day off to anyone who is retired. Every so often, I wake up in a need-for-caffeine fog and wonder, “What day is it?” Because one can lose senseRead more

#SoCS: No, Not Me

No matter what you believe, I am not bored. No, not me. I was simply checking in with the sun. The warm sun. Making sure all was okay. Good news! It was sunny and warm and bright and warm and yellow and warm. It made me sleepy for awhile. But I’m not bored. Gibbs is not bored. He’s just very old. Hey…wait a minute peanut… Old people and old cats need lots of naps or they get grumpy. I’m gonnaRead more

Hoshi, the Star Trek Cat

For those of you who follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you already know I did a “thing” on Friday and adopted an eight-week old kitten, who I have named Hoshi. She’s adorbs and a handful. I had forgotten how crazy active a kitten can be and Hoshi gets the award for living up to that standard. I dare you to try and pick her up when she’s in the heat of play…if you can actually catch her. Hoshi meansRead more

Mr. Inconsiderate

How dare you be inconsiderate when I try to capture your face How dare you ignore the pleadings to turn and face left How dare you look at the floor A creamy blank space How dare you curl your body in striking bereft I know what you do laying there with no shame You laugh You tease at failed attempts Until at last without thought you appear in frame How dare you capture me, staring in contempt Mr. Gibbs andRead more

Gibbs Sends His Congratulations

Geez. I’m still wondering how retired life got so busy, but it’s not a complaint. I rather like it this way because it beats spending too much time on the couch, watching mindless TV, in the midst of winter. Speaking of winter, my brother sent me this photo on Saturday morning. It snowed in Colorado, up to a foot in some places. This was my chance to laugh at his predicament and enjoy the cool 64F (18C) day in Wisconsin.Read more

#SoCS: The Nose Knows

He knows He yowls The human shares its noes It smells It desires He reminds her how this goes We spar He resists The nose wants what it wants They waft They float The essence of chicken taunts She speaks up He turns deaf Human food not to be shared The whines The sadness Hunger is loudy declared Almost time Almost here The feeding of this cat Forgets chicken Embraces fish The nose smells where it’s at Stream of ConsciousnessRead more

SoCS: How Ya Doin’?

How many times have you asked that question of family and friends? A hundred? A thousand? Too many times to count? When we don’t stay in touch with our people on a regular basis, it’s a fairly common first question to ask. Right? So, how are you doing my fellow blogging peeps? I’ve been a tad busy the last couple of weeks, which means I haven’t published a post or been reading many of your posts. I apologize. I’m notRead more

#SoCS: He’s Still Hungry

“Whatever…” “Gibbs. I told you when you are fed. I cannot feed you any time you desire.” “Whatever…” “Seriously, dude?” “Aren’t you my servant and don’t you obey me at all times?” “That’s funny. Actually, it’s a joke that humans tell themselves. It’s only true in that we serve you meals, give you pets and skritches, and make sure you are healthy and loved. It’s not obeying, it’s taking care of a furry little being that doesn’t have opposable thumbsRead more

A Cat’s Fake News

Gibbs has been on a diet for about a month. Natasha came for a visit one day in early December and asked, “Is Gibbs getting fat? He looks like he put on weight.” So, I weighed him and… Yup, he had gained about two and a half pounds since his early 2021 vet visit. His human slave had been over-feeding him last year, similar to how she had been over-feeding herself. I immediately took steps to control food portion andRead more

You can touch my paw

Are you kidding me right now? Can you see I’m trying to sleep? Don’t care if you heard a meow It may have been an annoyed peep Let’s get this straight and evenly precise Only I can disturb the daytime snooze Consequence comes when you roll the dice It may involve blood and a bruise I’ll catch you later when it’s time To stretch, yawn and head to the dish This nap will no longer need to rhyme As youRead more

Melange-O-Rama

Did you know that the meaning of melange is “hodgepodge” or “assortment?” I named my blog Mary J. Melange because I planned on writing a variety of content rather than singularly about cats or bicycles or poetry. It is today that I’m sharing a chaotic hodgepodge of stuff would have been called mish-mash were it not for Dan’s recent post at No Facilities. Great minds think alike, but I may have to outdo his assortment. Just because I can. IRead more

#SoCS: Luck be a Whiner at Home

“Mooommmeeeooowww!” “Oh Gibbs…” “What Mooommmeeeooowww?” “Why are you whining so dang much?” “I’m not whining, I’m crying.” “Cats don’t cry, not in the human sense.” “My heart is breaking.” “Why?” “You’ve been gone far too much lately. Not home. Absent from the couch, where I lay on your lap.” “I’m living my life and enjoying the summer with other humans.” “What about meeeeeeeee?” “Gibbs, I can’t stay home 24 hours a day, every day. That would be boring and unhealthy.”Read more