My birthdays just keep getting better -- just like me! Did you see those tulips? Five single tulips and lots of double tulips ... because some of them were two or three blossoms per stem. And they were lovely shades of pink and mauve. I love mauve. It sounds so ... so sophisticated -- like me! So what, if that painter James Whistler said "Mauve is just pink trying to be purple"? Mauve is an important color -- it made history!
But tulips were just the beginning! There was cake with strawberries and whipped cream and three candles! I got to make a wish -- and this year I was careful not to singe my whiskers! I'm not all that keen on strawberries and cake ... well, I can take the cake or leave it ... but whipped cream! Oh, boy, whipped cream really lights my candles! Of course, I just had to have a taste ... but I was very polite ... just sampled a bit from the back so it wouldn't mess up the pictures!
And I got cards and presents -- lots of them. I have secret admirers, you know, and they didn't forget my birthday. There's a brand new "purr pad" ... a soft material that is so comfy to rest on ... and if I stretch out my claws and knead it a bit, it fluffs up all nice and cozy ... kind of ruins it for pictures, but it's just great for snuggling. I keep several around in my favorite chairs and my bed.
I got a soft, bright, fluffy ball that you can see in the picture and a lovely white, furry mouse with a feather for a tail ... and gourmet catnip ... Mmmm! Good! And a new copy of "Da Bird" to play with and kitty stickers and catnip flavored "bubble" solution for blowing bubbles -- even a fat roll of paper towels printed with kitties. When I got too rambunctious chasing bubbles during the picture taking and knocked over the tulips, I noticed that Miss Jerrianne got a rag and wiped up the water I spilled ... she didn't just grab the new kitty paper towels and mop. I appreciated that.
And the cards! My goodness, they were so fun! One had four little kittens and another one had a cat with a frosted cupcake with a candle for a hat! And one of the cards was all hand made, especially for me, with a lovely personal message and lots of pictures -- even a picture of ME! Now that's special! And one of them had a charming shiny gold name tag that says "Miss Kitty" inside. That IS me! Miss Jerrianne put it on my harness, so in case I ever got lost I would be easy to identify ... and with my microchip tag, one phone call would find Miss Jerrianne immediately.
I don't know whether you remember that Mr. William Shakespeare and I celebrate our birthdays on the same day ... well, I don't suppose he's been celebrating recently, now that I think about it, but I did want to mention a lovely book that ties those two thoughts together, as you might enjoy it, too. It's called Shakespeare Cats by Susan Herbert. She's British, you know ... like Mr. Shakespeare. Miss Jerrianne thinks I may have had ancestors in Thailand, but I'm an all American Alaska cat now!
So thank you, to all of you who helped make my birthday so special -- you know who you are!
Miss Kitty
Photos © Jerrianne Lowther
Miss Kitty with cards, presents, left; a shiny, gold name tag, right.
