I can’t remember the name of this cat for the life of me, and it’s driving me nuts. It was my mother’s cat circa 1980, I think.

There’s usually not a lot of excitement around here, but last week, Saundra got her advance review copies of her debut novel, Shadowed Summer , to be published next February by Random House’s Delacorte Press.

I’m not going to spoil anything here, but let me say that it’s all good. The descriptive prose is delicious, and the story drew me in immediately, to the point where I went out to the garage to get a soda from the fridge, and just sat down out there to continue reading. I was deep into the scary part of the story, involving the physical manifestation of a ghost, and had just read a phrase that sent a creepy little chill down my spine, when the lights in the garage all went out.

It was the darn timer of course, but in that first moment, when I was jerked out of the ghost story into a dark altered reality, I felt my heart rate triple for a few beats. It took me a moment to calm down enough to go turn on the light switch. Good writing can do that to you, I think.

I’m very proud of Saundra for her accomplishment. I know how hard she’s worked for this, and enjoying the fruition is a great experience, even vicariously.

She’s 5 years old.

She typed and sent it all by herself, with no help or prompting from anyone.

This is what it said:

bampypleskanyouwoshtvpsluvegwen.

She wanted me to come watch TV with her.

I complied.

I was taking some trash out early Monday morning when I saw this sky.

There was literally an early bird on the lawn today…. this little guy was out gathering worms in the sun in the side yard. I was sitting in the truck, cleaning the glass when I noticed him bobbing around the yard. one 300mm lens change later…

Tami’s due in September, and I’m happy for her and Mike. What else is there to say about it?

In her words:

Hello everyone!

I come bearing wonderful news on the heels of the Colts spectacular
Super Bowl win. Myk and I are expecting a child; the tenative due
date being 9/21/07. I already have acquired an OB through the Wishard
network and we’re working on preparing our happy home for this
incredible bundle of joy.

I know this comes as quite a surprise to all of you and believe me, it
was a surprise for us too. When we know for certain whether boy or
girl (Myk and I have strong suspicions that its a boy), we will
certainly pass the information along with any ultrasound pictures that
we can get when that time comes.

I wish I knew what more to say so I’ll just leave it at that.

Brightest Blessings,

Tami, Myk, and Critter.

Gwen and Kaspar had a close, almost bizarre relationship- he would put up with anything, and I mean anything she subjected him to, without complaint. Nights would find him standing or sleeping guard right outside her door, and when he was sick, he wanted to be nowhere more than under her bed.

I was fond of him as well, and when the reality hit that he had to go down, it hurt. “He is only four and a half… that’s not fair!” I thought, bitterly, and I sat at my desk with tears in my eyes, cradling him, hoping against hope he’d somehow get better and the vet was wrong.

Alas.