Thanks! I love the word bamboozled -- it’s been a long time since I read it, but doesn’t the narrator of Life of Pi start out saying something like he moved to India knowing nothing about the place except that they use the word “bamboozled” a lot? I’ve always loved that idea, that our choice of words, the music of them, expresses something about us.
You write so beautifully, Hannah and have such an open heart, along with a knack for observation. You should write a blog. Wait! You do. Thanks. In the mountains we have had had single digits. On Tuesday, I rescued a freezing little blue-eyed pup from a backroad in this county where people sometimes just can't afford pets, so set them loose. I call the shelter every day to check on him (I named him Frank Sinatra) and the folks there say he is "Living his best life," I honor you for being willing to take Evie in. If anyone wants a beautiful, brindled, blue-eyed, 5 month old, hopeful sweet natured puppy. Give me a call. I've never regreted being bamboozled and live happily with 3 bamboozlers!
And you write so beautifully, Ann, and have such a great heart. Frank Sinatra!!! What a wonderful name. I’m sure someone will fall in love with that blue-eyed crooner but I’ll try to spread the word too. You do have some of the sweetest bamboozlers I’ve ever met in your household (even if some of them try to pretend they’re so tough 😼).
Oh, I'm sorry. I wanted Evie to move in with you! But I'm glad she's got a safe place to live. I just read Cat Hater Jonathan Franzen's article in the NYer, and was concerned about her health.
I know I kind of wanted her to move in with me too. But I figure if I just scoop her up & catnap her, the neighbors would probably be distressed -- I had no idea she was so much a part of the fabric of the neighborhood. I’ll have to go read that article I guess though I do find Franzen extremely tiresome on the topic of cats -- like he’s got a zero-sum ticker for love & if you enjoy birds, then you absolutely can’t also enjoy cats. That level of lack of empathy is a problem for a novelist, I feel.
In this one he is advocating for kill shelters and against Trap Neuter Release and tries to make it sound humane for the cats. I am concerned about how many birds that feral cats kill, but I'm not quite ready to euthanize all stray cats. He's rather dramatic about it. One line was, if you watch birds you must be accustomed to violent death, which I think is true for observing all wild animals. I've watched birds in a suburban area for 2 years and I've seen 3 deaths. One hawk kill, a dead grackle that a fox got, and a baby bird killed by grackles or crows. Our neighborhood has no outdoor cats. Louie has killed a spider and a cricket in the house, and nothing in the yard.
Back home in the Smokies, our next door neighbors had a big black cat named Bear (we also called him "Yona"--Cherokee for bear) who regularly informed the elderly neighbors down the hill that he was **starving.** They fed him, and whenever he could, Yona would also try to slip into our house via the door from the garage--ideally if it was dark & the human had arms full of groceries-- to sneak upstairs and eat our cats' food.
Ooof, I’ll have to get back to more regular updates then! 😅 I’ve been trying to work on these plus my longer essays & sometimes it’s tough to fit everything in, but lately I’ve been thinking about writing shorter Substack posts, and this one seems to have worked well so maybe I’ll keep going with that.
The impulse to be kind and to provide is STRONG in the womyn!!
Don't feel bamboozled!
We had a large orange tabby that lived in the parking lot of our Condo - we called him "Marmalade" but other residents called him other things. He lived here for years, using one of our rainwater "vaults," a kind of cement box, as his home. He was there for years and then one day he wasn't. We will never know,
Awww. Well, maybe someone took him in? I’ll keep my fingers crossed for Marmalade, I have half a mind to sweep Evie off to the vet, get her treated for fleas, and catnap her for myself but I do think the other neighbors would be distressed if she disappeared.
Bamboozled is such a great word and I love hearing your voice again.
Thanks! I love the word bamboozled -- it’s been a long time since I read it, but doesn’t the narrator of Life of Pi start out saying something like he moved to India knowing nothing about the place except that they use the word “bamboozled” a lot? I’ve always loved that idea, that our choice of words, the music of them, expresses something about us.
You write so beautifully, Hannah and have such an open heart, along with a knack for observation. You should write a blog. Wait! You do. Thanks. In the mountains we have had had single digits. On Tuesday, I rescued a freezing little blue-eyed pup from a backroad in this county where people sometimes just can't afford pets, so set them loose. I call the shelter every day to check on him (I named him Frank Sinatra) and the folks there say he is "Living his best life," I honor you for being willing to take Evie in. If anyone wants a beautiful, brindled, blue-eyed, 5 month old, hopeful sweet natured puppy. Give me a call. I've never regreted being bamboozled and live happily with 3 bamboozlers!
And you write so beautifully, Ann, and have such a great heart. Frank Sinatra!!! What a wonderful name. I’m sure someone will fall in love with that blue-eyed crooner but I’ll try to spread the word too. You do have some of the sweetest bamboozlers I’ve ever met in your household (even if some of them try to pretend they’re so tough 😼).
You are a beautiful human being. Thank you for taking care of Evie, she is a beauty 💜
Thank you so much! My neighbors do much more for her but I’m very happy to be her petting buddy -- she’s such a little sweetheart.
Absolutely adorable! 🥰
Oh, I'm sorry. I wanted Evie to move in with you! But I'm glad she's got a safe place to live. I just read Cat Hater Jonathan Franzen's article in the NYer, and was concerned about her health.
I know I kind of wanted her to move in with me too. But I figure if I just scoop her up & catnap her, the neighbors would probably be distressed -- I had no idea she was so much a part of the fabric of the neighborhood. I’ll have to go read that article I guess though I do find Franzen extremely tiresome on the topic of cats -- like he’s got a zero-sum ticker for love & if you enjoy birds, then you absolutely can’t also enjoy cats. That level of lack of empathy is a problem for a novelist, I feel.
In this one he is advocating for kill shelters and against Trap Neuter Release and tries to make it sound humane for the cats. I am concerned about how many birds that feral cats kill, but I'm not quite ready to euthanize all stray cats. He's rather dramatic about it. One line was, if you watch birds you must be accustomed to violent death, which I think is true for observing all wild animals. I've watched birds in a suburban area for 2 years and I've seen 3 deaths. One hawk kill, a dead grackle that a fox got, and a baby bird killed by grackles or crows. Our neighborhood has no outdoor cats. Louie has killed a spider and a cricket in the house, and nothing in the yard.
Back home in the Smokies, our next door neighbors had a big black cat named Bear (we also called him "Yona"--Cherokee for bear) who regularly informed the elderly neighbors down the hill that he was **starving.** They fed him, and whenever he could, Yona would also try to slip into our house via the door from the garage--ideally if it was dark & the human had arms full of groceries-- to sneak upstairs and eat our cats' food.
I can imagine how a cat using this sneaky, but very cute, method, might end up being the size of a small bear. 🐻 A champion bamboozler!
I love this. And look forward to your posts each Sunday. It’s part of my routine! ❤️🐱
Ooof, I’ll have to get back to more regular updates then! 😅 I’ve been trying to work on these plus my longer essays & sometimes it’s tough to fit everything in, but lately I’ve been thinking about writing shorter Substack posts, and this one seems to have worked well so maybe I’ll keep going with that.
The impulse to be kind and to provide is STRONG in the womyn!!
Don't feel bamboozled!
We had a large orange tabby that lived in the parking lot of our Condo - we called him "Marmalade" but other residents called him other things. He lived here for years, using one of our rainwater "vaults," a kind of cement box, as his home. He was there for years and then one day he wasn't. We will never know,
Awww. Well, maybe someone took him in? I’ll keep my fingers crossed for Marmalade, I have half a mind to sweep Evie off to the vet, get her treated for fleas, and catnap her for myself but I do think the other neighbors would be distressed if she disappeared.