Laurel
@memphissass.bsky.social
Lifelong liberal; ally to the marginalized; mom by blood and heart; spreadsheet addict; private sector retiree; sundry interests and hobbies
This morning my heart is tight. Over the past year or so, my old man Smokey had lost weight and quit grooming. He'd go off his food and hide for a day, and then bounce back. Yesterday was another "off" day. This morning, he was gone. He was a perfect cat. My next cat will be perfect as well.
September 19, 2025 at 1:36 PM
This morning my heart is tight. Over the past year or so, my old man Smokey had lost weight and quit grooming. He'd go off his food and hide for a day, and then bounce back. Yesterday was another "off" day. This morning, he was gone. He was a perfect cat. My next cat will be perfect as well.
I'm offering a glimpse into my alternative timeline. I can only doomscroll for limited windows during the day, but I can never get too much cat therapy. My daughter captured Rand with his head deep into a bag of Clancy's Pub Style pretzels, which are currently on my daughter's preferred snacks list.
May 8, 2025 at 10:03 PM
I'm offering a glimpse into my alternative timeline. I can only doomscroll for limited windows during the day, but I can never get too much cat therapy. My daughter captured Rand with his head deep into a bag of Clancy's Pub Style pretzels, which are currently on my daughter's preferred snacks list.
Matrim took a moment out of his busy day to pose for a photograph, cleverly using monitor displays to disguise his true career - keeping the home office free of elephants. You can infer that his career is booming, owing to the complete lack of elephants in the picture.
April 30, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Matrim took a moment out of his busy day to pose for a photograph, cleverly using monitor displays to disguise his true career - keeping the home office free of elephants. You can infer that his career is booming, owing to the complete lack of elephants in the picture.
My daughter and son-in-law, with whom I live, have six of their own -- bottle babies from one week after the mother cat died. They are going on five now. My old man is 16+. He is buds only with Rand (name from "Wheel of Time," as are all the others she serves). No dogs; it's in the cat contract.
April 29, 2025 at 7:45 PM
My daughter and son-in-law, with whom I live, have six of their own -- bottle babies from one week after the mother cat died. They are going on five now. My old man is 16+. He is buds only with Rand (name from "Wheel of Time," as are all the others she serves). No dogs; it's in the cat contract.
Slightly less raunchy, my contribution located in Tennessee:
February 16, 2025 at 1:10 AM
Slightly less raunchy, my contribution located in Tennessee:
I tried something similar because Google Maps would not let me suggest the edit to the place name.
February 14, 2025 at 7:15 PM
I tried something similar because Google Maps would not let me suggest the edit to the place name.
My mood was in the sewer from the news this morning. Then I heard my daughter conversing with Rand, and I chuckled. She was complaining of his flatulence, all while allowing him to loll on her arm, as is his usual pose so he can watch the characters in her video game dart about on the monitor.
February 13, 2025 at 6:04 PM
My mood was in the sewer from the news this morning. Then I heard my daughter conversing with Rand, and I chuckled. She was complaining of his flatulence, all while allowing him to loll on her arm, as is his usual pose so he can watch the characters in her video game dart about on the monitor.
Rand exhibiting typical box-sitting behavior. By the way, the small dark nugget next to him is not a cat turd. It is a piece of black licorice, a sweet treat for us humans and a toy for the horde. :::as if springs. balls, stuffed mice, fabric pickles and wrapping paper are not enough toys:::
January 24, 2025 at 4:30 AM
Rand exhibiting typical box-sitting behavior. By the way, the small dark nugget next to him is not a cat turd. It is a piece of black licorice, a sweet treat for us humans and a toy for the horde. :::as if springs. balls, stuffed mice, fabric pickles and wrapping paper are not enough toys:::
How I feel sometimes about the next four years.
My apologies in advance if I have attributed the work incorrectly. The art was posted on another platform without attribution.
My apologies in advance if I have attributed the work incorrectly. The art was posted on another platform without attribution.
January 18, 2025 at 8:53 PM
How I feel sometimes about the next four years.
My apologies in advance if I have attributed the work incorrectly. The art was posted on another platform without attribution.
My apologies in advance if I have attributed the work incorrectly. The art was posted on another platform without attribution.
A black cat. He started out life as Perrin Aybara. He is now Lord Perrin Aybara Poobah, Lord of Dis and Doink. He is usually seen in the company of his sibling Roo -- short for Rhuarc. The horde is named for "Wheel of Time" characters. My daughter's last viking horde was all named for pro golfers.
January 18, 2025 at 8:13 PM
A black cat. He started out life as Perrin Aybara. He is now Lord Perrin Aybara Poobah, Lord of Dis and Doink. He is usually seen in the company of his sibling Roo -- short for Rhuarc. The horde is named for "Wheel of Time" characters. My daughter's last viking horde was all named for pro golfers.
Rhuarc and Nynaeve, for the moment, sleeping in harmony. This is not a common pose. Rhuarc usually ends up assaulting Nynaeve in a dominant move. I've been having to correct his behavior more lately because Nynaeve really enjoys the heat from the pad within the blanket.
January 17, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Rhuarc and Nynaeve, for the moment, sleeping in harmony. This is not a common pose. Rhuarc usually ends up assaulting Nynaeve in a dominant move. I've been having to correct his behavior more lately because Nynaeve really enjoys the heat from the pad within the blanket.
I've been a bit mournful these last several days. Among my brighter spots are the cat photos and my own Viking horde. Thankfully, they deal only with community politics and local resource management, such as who gets to bask in the warmth of the heating pad. Here are three of our horde.
January 15, 2025 at 6:48 PM
I've been a bit mournful these last several days. Among my brighter spots are the cat photos and my own Viking horde. Thankfully, they deal only with community politics and local resource management, such as who gets to bask in the warmth of the heating pad. Here are three of our horde.
A rare event for Memphis: almost a half foot of snow. Three of the cats are snuggled together on the heated blanket situated on top of the buffet by the window. Yesterday, they watched brown leaves scurry to and fro with the wind. Today they see only snow.
January 10, 2025 at 11:44 PM
A rare event for Memphis: almost a half foot of snow. Three of the cats are snuggled together on the heated blanket situated on top of the buffet by the window. Yesterday, they watched brown leaves scurry to and fro with the wind. Today they see only snow.
People who look at pictures of cats are very similar to people who look at pictures of naked bodies. The subject matter is different, but the action is the same, if not the result. No matter how many cats I see, I will always enjoy looking at more.
This is Smokey, whose baby name was Bad Hair Day.
This is Smokey, whose baby name was Bad Hair Day.
January 9, 2025 at 6:49 PM
People who look at pictures of cats are very similar to people who look at pictures of naked bodies. The subject matter is different, but the action is the same, if not the result. No matter how many cats I see, I will always enjoy looking at more.
This is Smokey, whose baby name was Bad Hair Day.
This is Smokey, whose baby name was Bad Hair Day.
Even though my mother-in-law gives me money at Christmas, she also sends me keepsakes. This year, in addition to other gifts, she sent me a book and necklace. The book has nuggets of wisdom and conjures up my first husband's grandmother, the epitome of old woman cliches. I'm saying "nope" a lot.
December 31, 2024 at 10:19 PM
Even though my mother-in-law gives me money at Christmas, she also sends me keepsakes. This year, in addition to other gifts, she sent me a book and necklace. The book has nuggets of wisdom and conjures up my first husband's grandmother, the epitome of old woman cliches. I'm saying "nope" a lot.
I post cat pictures because right now almost everything else I read makes me want to cry and break things. Again, this is Avienda, as she grew into her adult coat.
December 17, 2024 at 9:49 PM
I post cat pictures because right now almost everything else I read makes me want to cry and break things. Again, this is Avienda, as she grew into her adult coat.
#Caturday is nearly gone for Central Time, so here's a throwback photo by my most photogenic feline female, taken when her body coat was a whiter shade of pale and she was slim.
December 8, 2024 at 5:10 AM
#Caturday is nearly gone for Central Time, so here's a throwback photo by my most photogenic feline female, taken when her body coat was a whiter shade of pale and she was slim.
For #ThrowbackThursday, I present Nynaeve in her early kitten days, runt of six siblings and a bottle baby like the others. Three weeks of extra attention saw her through her fragile period. Here she is with huge paws, but half the weight of her biggest brother. #CatsOfBlueSky #BlueSkyCats #Cats
December 5, 2024 at 10:06 PM
For #ThrowbackThursday, I present Nynaeve in her early kitten days, runt of six siblings and a bottle baby like the others. Three weeks of extra attention saw her through her fragile period. Here she is with huge paws, but half the weight of her biggest brother. #CatsOfBlueSky #BlueSkyCats #Cats
It's Tuesday, and that means..."There be bleps here! Don't call me lazy. I was born with a lithp."
December 3, 2024 at 5:05 PM
It's Tuesday, and that means..."There be bleps here! Don't call me lazy. I was born with a lithp."
Dear me! Mere hours away from missing a never-requested cat post. Oh, yes, #LoafMonday, only my doughboys/girls are yeast deficient. Have a spider instead.
It does look like a spider, no?
It does look like a spider, no?
December 3, 2024 at 12:31 AM
Dear me! Mere hours away from missing a never-requested cat post. Oh, yes, #LoafMonday, only my doughboys/girls are yeast deficient. Have a spider instead.
It does look like a spider, no?
It does look like a spider, no?
Little guy Smokey was unimpressed by leftover green bean casserole, despite the saucing of homemade mushroom soup. The Brussels sprout leaf did no better. He later expressed the mildest interest in the crispy French-fried onions. The things I do to entertain this curmudgeon in his decline.
December 1, 2024 at 7:08 PM
Little guy Smokey was unimpressed by leftover green bean casserole, despite the saucing of homemade mushroom soup. The Brussels sprout leaf did no better. He later expressed the mildest interest in the crispy French-fried onions. The things I do to entertain this curmudgeon in his decline.
In honor of #Caturday, I wanted to talk about our drooly girl, Aviendha. One of six sibs whose mother died post-birth, she has always been a drooly girl when held and cuddled. She's a bit of a chonk, exceeded only by brother Rand. She wanted garage privileges. She's patient. #CatsofBlueSky
November 30, 2024 at 8:27 PM
In honor of #Caturday, I wanted to talk about our drooly girl, Aviendha. One of six sibs whose mother died post-birth, she has always been a drooly girl when held and cuddled. She's a bit of a chonk, exceeded only by brother Rand. She wanted garage privileges. She's patient. #CatsofBlueSky
A long time ago, a cat showed up at my house. He looked like yours, but he had the ugliest yellow eyes I'd ever seen. He was the start of a dynasty. There were a few begats, but Smokey (shown below) is the only surviving member. We called the emperor White Wall Kitty, or less deferentially, Ug.
November 29, 2024 at 6:13 PM
A long time ago, a cat showed up at my house. He looked like yours, but he had the ugliest yellow eyes I'd ever seen. He was the start of a dynasty. There were a few begats, but Smokey (shown below) is the only surviving member. We called the emperor White Wall Kitty, or less deferentially, Ug.
Today I bought funeral shoes. Nobody has died. I need no condolences. It's a "just in case" purchase, because you never know, and athletic shoes just won't do.
So now I'm set, summer or winter, for 17 years. I plan ahead. Nobody will need funeral shoes for my funeral. Kidlet's throwing a party.
So now I'm set, summer or winter, for 17 years. I plan ahead. Nobody will need funeral shoes for my funeral. Kidlet's throwing a party.
November 29, 2024 at 4:35 PM
Today I bought funeral shoes. Nobody has died. I need no condolences. It's a "just in case" purchase, because you never know, and athletic shoes just won't do.
So now I'm set, summer or winter, for 17 years. I plan ahead. Nobody will need funeral shoes for my funeral. Kidlet's throwing a party.
So now I'm set, summer or winter, for 17 years. I plan ahead. Nobody will need funeral shoes for my funeral. Kidlet's throwing a party.
