Dear Essie......are you reading me? I miss you!
We are so very far away from each other!

Today I saw a kitty-cat at the vet's office and she reminded me of you. >>>sadness
Hope you are doing well. Is Virginia getting her work in at school, so totally preoccupied with her studies that she isn't photographing you and treating you like the queen you are?

Oh, my Essie...bark, whine, whimper....I miss you!!!

Well, Janie has been busy too. Lots of new friends, and some old ones coming clearly into focus.
This has been quite the adventure.
So many personalities to sniff and admire.

We take plenty of walks by the river. My new favorite place is the river! Never thought I had it in me to be a water dog. Those rocks can be somewhat intimidating on my stubby paws, but I bypass the pain of those rocks for the rich river taste. . .delish.

Essie, are you still as gorgeously fluffy, soft and beautiful with your unmatched colored kitty paws? I bet you are! Please send a pic or two for my old eyes to gaze upon. You're gettin' up there in age, too, aren't you now? Bark! Bark! Bark! In fact you are a year or two older than me! Well....we won't mention age (or weight). The vet said this morning that my metabolism might be slowing down.
Huh!
Janie tried to explain my 45lbs in great detail adding that we have plenty of walks, doggy park adventures, and minimal indulgences.
(and I DO mean minimal)
Somehow, the fat roll gets out of hand.
I've gained a little poundage since our last visit.
(must be a consequence of the loss of your fluffy company)
And why would a dog EVER want to diet? Oh, my no!
Can't stop that thing from growing >>>whine, whimper, sigh.

Hope to hear from you soon, my Es.
Love to you always!

Arrow

a visit to yorkie town

Dearest Essie,
It was tremendous to hear from you again!

Glad that you are keeping Ginnia in your care.
Virginia does put too much upon herself.
I remember.
She will need that loving nudge. (and i know you, of all felines, have that loving nudge.. rrf;)

Janie and I took a drive in the car to see her sister.
Her sister isn't anything much like her from what I can tell, but she DOES HAVE DOGS!!!!
>>>that is why i am particularly fond of the place!
Little yorkies everywhere! Her sister raises them to sell to people with warm sweet homes to live in.

They are a peculiar type (these Yorkshire Terriers).

One little guy thought I was going to eat him or something, and gave a GREAT SQUEAK every time I came within a few yards. He had to be just a few months old.
>>>>to think of me that way! BARK! I might be the strong, muscular type, but I'm gentle inside. rrrrf.


You DO think I'm gentle inside, don't you, sweet Es???

To work is human; to relax feline.

Dear Arrow,

I've been watching my human lately.

I think her life is changing.  

She still feeds me and gives me water (if this were not the case, I would be really concerned.  Not concerned for her so much as concerned for me.  What a horrible thing to imagine, going without food!!!  Food is the most important thing in life!!).  

But even though she always answers my "mews" for food in the morning, that morning interaction can be the last I see of her for hours.  She isn't home as much as she was when we first started living in this place.

When she is home, I often see her face doing this thing where her eyebrows push together, making two serious little lines in between them, and her lips become straight and tight. Her face usually does that when she is reading.

Sometimes, when I see that face, I come up to her and put my paw on the page she is reading, because it looks like she needs a friend.

I try to show her that snoring and snoozing and snuggling (and food, of course) are really all that matter in life.  It is what I like to call the "feline perspective."  

Sometimes she gets it.  But for the most part, she insists on living her life in the complicated manner she lives it.  It's all right, though.  It won't stop me from snoozing away blissfully when she is out and about working or going to classes or sitting here staring at those books.

We can't all have the privilege of being cats. ;)

Dear Essie,
Thanks for noticing that little bit of helplessness there.
Yes, new friends, but temporary.
Not like us, snuggle button Es. We were tight. I haven't seen those guys since.
Like I said, ships passing in the night. (long dark night of the soul, this)
But, yeah...Janie's sweet,
she still has nice feet to lay by.
(or is it 'lie by'?)
Love her so much, but dang, not here all the time like you were, Essie dear.

To answer your question about herding dogs, rrrff, I guess we all just sniff each other and leave the herding to when there's a real problem. You know, like when kids don't know when to shut the gate at the dog park, or people forget about important things like filling the water dish, or introducing each other with proper nose touches.

And your other question about "what remains the same" reminds me of that song by Led Zepplin, The Song Remains the Same...too cool...but maybe that's just a Corgi thing and not a stray cat with oozing eye thing...Led, that is. hmmmph, rrrrff....

Yes! What remains the same are those smells and snuggles.
Janie still likes to nap and cuddle.
I love it when she plays guitar too....that dang flute can go though. BARK!

Yes....Essie, I read you. Here are my orange ears....say on.

Arrow,

Wow...so there are more creatures like you, huh?!

:)

You look happy in those pictures!

You also - heh heh - look a little like...

...like you don't know what to do with yourself.

Question:  If there is a herd of herding dogs all together, who does the herding...and who is herded??

;)

It's been a while since I've been around another cat.

To be honest, I usually prefer the company of humans to other cats.

Cats can just be so...

catty!

;)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a question I've been pondering:  when your human picks you up and moves you far away to a new place,

and everything is different in that new place,

does anything remain the same in your life?  If so, what remains the same?

Some of the smells are the same...

but some are so different.  The ones that are carried on the air through the window,

lingering around my nose when I'm snoozing in the sunlight -

those are different.

The smells on the pillows and blankets are the same.

And Ginnia smells the same...

But Ginnia has changed.  She is distracted these days.

When she comes home, she seems to be thinking of all kinds of things.

Sometimes I feel like she's too busy to spend time with her ol' cat.

But then...

she'll pick me up and snuggle her chin next to mine.

Then she'll let me jump up next to her on the couch and purr while she types on that computer thing -

(that boxy thing that plays music, you know) -

and she'll pet me absently, 

and every once in a while, 

she'll say, "Essie!  How are ya doing, Essie?"

and she'll smile at me.

So Ginnia changes, but the moments she remembers I exist are nice.

 Sometimes, even though the scenery here in this apartment in Colorado is different

from the scenery back in that little one-bedroom apartment in Iowa I used to share 

with you and Ginnia and Janie,

there are moments (now, for example),

that make me feel almost like I never left home.

I'm lying on my back, stretching my front paws, purring,

and Ginnia is playing music on the computer.

Soft light from a couple lamps and a candle is making me drowsy and comfy.

I feel at home at this moment.

If only I could look up and see your big orange ears somewhere.

Siigh.

Essie to Ears...you reading me? :)

It simply doesn't get better than this, dear Es.
Met up with these Cardigan Welsh Corgis today at the dog park.
BARK!
Cousins! Just look at those tails...mercy.
Webster and Angel are true blue Corgis, but you know those snouts and tails (rather silly, in my humble opinion) set them apart. Not to mention their big feet! Janie had a good talk with their people while we played and barked and drank water 'til we couldn't anymore.
Webster was rather stand-off-ish, but Angel was ....angelic. (sigh)

Now, that boy in the picture here knew something.
Do you see that pitch?
He's got something going here.
He knows where to put it, so to speak.
The boy was sweet as sugar and sharp as a pin.
So attentive to my need to drink water and rest.

And Janie knows this boy! He will be back!
Not like those other dogs (ships passing in the night)
at the dog park.
So sad, but true.
Real relationships relate.
(astounding wisdom there, in case you didn't catch it Essie, dear)
Yes, this boy is a grandson of her friend, Sara.
He will be back! Dane is his name. Good kid.
He happens to love pitching the ball to me and petting me!
He doesn't even mind the messy, glop that happens to drool from me when I bring the ball back to him! Now THAT is a friend.

Take Care, Es! Miss you!!
Arrow, the Welsh Pembrook Corgi (cousin of the Cardigan Welsh Corgi) - distinctions and all

Dearest Essie,
Your new friend looks grand. And you look entirely complete in that green ribbon....oh, my. Your kind words go a long way. Love the song lyrics you sent me. I will treasure them.

Thanks too, for sending those photos of you as a kitten.
. . .rrrrff
Reminds me of when I first met Ginnia and Janie.
rrrrf....snort
So, you are just one year my senior 'ol gal, and don't you be reminding me of age now!
Birthdays are coming up you know!























Oh...grrrrrr...
I really didn't mean to impart any negativity or ill will by referring to your oozy goopy eye....quite the opposite and with warmest regards I send such affectionate terms. Yes, you were a rescue off the streets, but Ginnia named you after Queen Esther of the Bible!
Such regalities!
Queen Elizabeth has corgis, you know!
I'm a queen's dog through and through. You and I, Es? Yes, we belong TOGETHER.
What was Janie thinking to send you off with Ginnia?

Well, I suppose, after all you are her kitty.
...grrrrr

Yes, dearest Essie, you have no need to worry about looking your age!!!
You don't look a day over....well....you're young girl...YOUNG!!!! Bark!! Bark!!

Enough reminiscing for now. Janie has more photos of us together.
Perhaps I will send a few later.
Love you and miss you, sweet Es.
You are queen!