Jane Eyre

Unlike Some Other Cats, I have a great deal of experience with keyboards. I've spent years -- literally -- on Ed's lap while he sat at his computer. I like it when he works for hours like that. His lap stays in one place, his fingers move and he talks to himself. Very soothing.

This was a big year for me. I had reluctantly grown used to the new arrangement since Ed and Louise bought the Grass Valley house in January. Ed never home on the weekends, I was left alone at Ed's house in Sacramento. Our cozy bungalow became huge and hollow most of the time with him working long hours in preparation for being gone to the Arctic for the entire month of August. So where did that leave me? Alone. Bowls of dry crunchies. Stale water. No TV. No dangling feather toys. Definitely no brushing.

When Ed found my cat whisperer, Joyce, I felt a lot better. She stayed with me during the days, nursed me to health after the cat food scare. She brought me lots of new kinds of food to try. Most of it, I didn't like.

Then came the big day in July. It's kind of a blur of motion and noise while I was locked in a tiny cage and sealed inside a loud stinky box on wheels with windows that show things flying by, like bridges and people and buildings and other windowed boxes on wheels. I mostly remember howling my lungs out. Did Ed or anyone else who is supposed to care about me listen or help at all? No. More noise, stink, motion sickness, and a tiny world of metal bars.

Days or weeks later, I was finally released in a completely strange place. Nothing seemed right at first, but after Ed gave me a tour and I sniffed around for myself and found lots of signs of Ed and Louise, I got curious and found more nooks and crannies and doors to open that I've ever dreamt of.

No more cat whisperer, but I had a new home in Grass Valley. A huge house with a scary basement that I get to explore only when someone forgets to close the door. I have to hurry, but it's still fun. I own the living room. It's as big as our previous house. I can sleep in any chair I want--and I do. But now that it's winter, I prefer the one with the big fuzzy afghan.

When Ed left, I could tell something was up, though he wouldn't tell me. I could tell from the tension and the clutter. Finally, he left for so long that when he came back, it seemed several years later, it took me a while to readjust. I'd received so much female attention in the meantime that I almost forgot. Now we're back together in our new huge house. I don't see him during the week now, but Louise works at home, so she's always here and has lots of clients and visitors.

I especially enjoyed the big visits this year from Louise's sisters and niece (they're all cat people, and did I play that for what it was worth). Maggie and Hata stayed for a month and that made the place a lot livelier and I got a lot of attention, including being serenaded most nights by Hata and his ukulele or his guitar. Having Auburn and Eric stay a few times was a treat too--also cat lovers--need I say more?

I can tell that Ed is spending time up here with me and Louise--and That Other Cat--as much as he can. I hear he's doing something called "working" in Sacramento. I don't get it. Go away, come back, need to talk to Louise on the phone forever because of what happened at "work." Blah blah blah. Get over it, I say.

All in all, though, this holiday season is shaping up to be a top-notch cat treat. I should have both Ed and Louise here. There will be a party of cat lovers on Christmas Eve. Lots of laps. Lots of hands for petting. So far the tree has very little under it, but I expect that to improve and maybe I'll finally get that kitty kondo that I've heard so much about for years.

I have to move over so Ed can write his now. Show us what you got, big boy.

Happy Holidays to everyone,

Jane Eyre