Daily Photo: Morning Meowditation

June 20, 2023July 2, 2023 Bernadette

two black cats in garden — Mewsette and Mimi practice Morning Meowditation in the garden in the early morning.

Mimi and Mewsette Monday

For many years my daily photos were from that day, but in time, schedules changed. Some time in early 2020 I started a feature I called, just in my mind, “Mimi Monday” because, as my front yard was developing after removing the trees in 2019, things began to bloom and I got some awesome photos of Mimi in the rhododendron and with tulips and catnip and lavender, so many that I didn’t get a chance to share them. Mimi and I spent a lot of time out front while my back yard was still quite overgrown and full of deer and ticks, so while I got that under control over the summer we continued our visits out front. That way I could plan on Mondays to share beautiful outdoor photos of Mimi I’d taken through the week. Ultimately after Mimi Monday my editorial mind scheduled the rest of the days of the week as well, and that makes it much easier to have photos in mind to feature…uh, when I’m actually posting

Mewsette had been visiting the back yard with us since 2017 but was worried about the street and its noises and activities, so she often sat at the door or just stayed inside and didn’t get to participate as this feature began. The following spring when I’d started rebuilding my garden and my flower beds the three of us began to visit the back yard while Mimi and I visited the front on a regular basis so I could continue photographing my flowers and her. But over the next year, as I got the back yard cut back and cleared, all the visits returned to just the back yard with occasional visits by Mimi to the front, and Mewsette began appearing in the Monday photos. As the back yard became more amenable to all of us we ranged from the basement patio and garden all over the yard, including Mimi’s Real Cat Tree out in the corner, and of course the other corner is where the green wicker loveseat ended up last summer.

I intend to continue this feature, including photos of Mewsette that I didn’t get to use, especially this spring, because I just wasn’t posting enough. I still have some from other years that I didn’t get a chance to use as well. Rather than add Mewsette to my From the Archives feature on Saturday, I think I’ll keep featuring her on Mondays. And the rest of the schedule, loosely, is Tabby Tuesday (you know who); the siblings, mostly Bean and Sunshine and Giuseppe, Wednesday; Tortie Thursday (you know who); Former Feral or Feral Friday, also includes the Studio Panthers; From the Archives Saturday; and Vintage Photos Sunday. Honestly some days I’ll take, like, 150 photos of cats and it takes me a while to use them all so that gives me ways to share them and fairly equally among the household.

For today’s post

Mimi and Mewsette were mother and daughter, and they spent a good bit of time together over the years, accompanying me in the studio, napping together. I found that a good many of my daily sketches through the years depicted the two of them. And I could never really figure out what made Mewsette want to come outdoors when she was first interested, but I think it was to be with her mom.

Mimi visited the garden for the first time after losing Mewsette on June 13, just two days later and the day I saw Mewsette’s Dancing Lights. Typically Mimi has a busy schedule of cat activities–checking peemail, rubbing her chairs and scratching wood, eating some grass, but on that day she stopped after the chair, then slowly walked around and up to the deck and hadn’t been interested in even being outdoors since. It hits both of us that Mewsette isn’t there to complete our threesome. After that outing I’ve usually had to coax her, but if we go out the back door she just stays on the deck, heading for her favorite napping place and just going to sleep, and if we go out the basement door she just slowly walks around on the flagstone walk and up the steps and goes to her napping spot on the deck, totally ignoring the garden we three used to share. Yes, animals do grieve. I will be writing about this.

black cat in garden — Mimi hits a stopping point in her tour of the garden on June 13.

Last Friday I was compelled to go outdoors in the morning and Mimi came with me as if she’d also been told to go, and only that time did she go down the steps to nibble grass though it was drizzling and wet. A small butterfly fluttered around her and through one of Mewsette’s favorite areas and then disappeared. I guess that was the reason to go outside, a little visit just for Mimi.

Her appetite has been good, but yesterday and today, nine days after we lost Mewsette, her meals have been lightly eaten, and I was concerned she’s kind of sinking. I had a reiki session for her with Ingrid today that helps to give her energy where it’s needed most. Ingrid mentioned her heart chakra, like Mr. Sunshine, and also her kidneys. Mimi responded well to a lot of affection after that. A few hours later she ran over to the door as I was about to go outside, and this time she did a little tour of her favorite spots, rubbing her face on her chair, getting a sip of water from the little puddle in the unimproved section of the garden, so I had to share it, below. She ate her senior lunch after that and has a more active energy. Unlike Mr. Sunshine who felt it right away, Mimi has kind of drifted into this. The reiki energized her.

I have been deeply grieving and it’s difficult for my cats not to react to my emotions, especially Mimi. I’ve lightened up a bit, and I hope Mimi and I and all the household are just feeling a little better.

Mimi has been napping in a basket on my desk since well before we lost Mewsette, instead of her usual all-day nap in the basement on her cloud bed. But Mewsette spent a fair amount of time in the basement with her so the litterbox would be handy.

Mimi did her share of heavy lifting with Mewsette. On the Friday before Mewsette died I photographed a series of Mimi encouraging Mewsette up the steps to the deck.

On June 5 Mewsette had a difficult time continuing down the path so Mimi goes to rescue her.

On June 2 Mewsette stays near Mimi as they walk together on the flagstone path to the deck steps.

And many more that I’ll be sharing. Mimi is probably just as exhausted as Mr. Sunshine. Thank goodness for reiki to help her restore herself naturally. I’ll be taking her to our vet soon too for her annual visit.

Mewsette’s Meowditation

Mewsette was quite active around the yard until just April and May, but she also took the time to sit and ponder things. The photo below is from June 7 and I know, though she was improving in strength and endurance each day, she still had to stop to take a break. This was a favorite spot even before she became ill and I have a number of photos of her sitting here, often with flowers in different seasons, so no doubt you’ll be seeing those. I always looked where she was facing, but why this spot was her place to pawse was her secret; purrhaps someday I’ll find out.

I tried to get photos of her in this spot from out in the yard too, to capture her in the grass and, again, often with flowers around her.

black cat in flowers — Mewsette looks lovely in front of the buttercups in May.

From around this date in past years

Green Adventures, 2022

through the leaves — Mimi enters the portal

Mimi would look even more exotic among the green leaves if the downspout wasn’t right there. She was strolling the deck railing on a rainy day. A Virginia creeper vine twined up the downspout and created a beautiful tangle there.

Two black cats in grass — Squirrel Watch

The squirrels are doing noisy squirrely things in the neighbor’s yard. Two or even sometimes three of them will chase each other around and around and around the trunk of the big maple trees out there, and then they run through the leaves under the trees. It’s all pretty exciting to watch!

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From Instagram

Giuseppe’s having a graceful #easysunday. Mr. Sunshine can now make it up onto the bed and several other places again so he doesn’t mind sharing his special Stacy’s Stuff handmade bed.

Finding a cool spot for a hot day.

My #supurrvisorcats are all asleep. Now I can actually get some work done!

Coolest spot in the house right now. He wanted to #supurrvise me too, but there wasn’t room for another #supurrvisorcat.

From the back yard and beyond

Generations and Places

The Aftereffects

Like a Tree in Which There Are Two Blackbirds

Perennial

From around this date in past years

Sienna Daydreams, 2021

tortoiseshell cat on windowsill — Sienna thinks…

Sienna thinks she might like to try her paw at painting.

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From Instagram

Judging my shipping #supurrvisor #siennafostertortie ‘s tail activity my performance is not meeting expectations.

WHAT A PURRFECT MORNING! The sun is shining, it’s clear and low humidity, everything is blooming, Mimi feels great, I’m seriously having trouble focusing!

Mimi had a little bee visitor! She was napping on the step–sleeping on the job watching me in the garden–and the bee circled around me and then buzzed up to Mimi and circled around her. Of course I caught the moment before she woke up from her nap and opened her eyes, though she followed it insistently around as it circled her, I couldn’t catch a picture of that.

Basil is known for his dramatic solutions to everyday cat problems. Here he literally goes to great lengths to sweep up the last morsels left on Sienna’s breakfast dish. The span between Basil’s back toes and front toes is 24″, from his back toes to his nose is 30″.

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From around this date in past years

Mariposa Cute and Bunny Cute, 2020

tabby and white cat at door — Mariposa is cuter than cute.

Mariposa is cute no matter what she does, especially when she’s watching a baby bunny who is inching onto the patio from the garden. I call Mariposa my little bunny because sometimes she hops like a bunny.

Here’s the little bunny she was watching, a young cottontail learning its way around the yard. I took the photo through the screen door so it has an interesting softened pattern to it.

Mariposa wears her eartip proudly!

cat with eartip — Mariposa wears her eartip proudly.

From Instagram

five cats on bed — Social distancing for cats.

black cat belly — Mr. Sunshine’s belly thermometer indicated that the indoor temperature reached 85 degrees this afternoon.

From around this date in past years

Interesting Formations, 2019

Sometimes I just don’t know what to do when Mimi and her kids go into a mode of patterns and formations, sometimes adding other feline household members too. The best I can do is just take a lot of pictures.

Yesterday first the four got themselves into a rather meditative formation, then Mimi came and sat near them with some intention.

After a while, they all got up and shuffled around and ended up in some disarray, but a nice disarray.

Then I looked again and they had all turned their backs on me, four in the back and one in front.

So I got my camera and walked all around them. They were roughly facing the front door.

Then Mariposa saw them and came to sit on the stool.

And they all stayed like that.

It never ceases to amaze me how they act together as a group. But setting themselves up in a row sitting with one crouching in front? I just don’t know. I just know I love them.

Photos from years past.

Exciting New Grocery Boxes, 2017

two black cats in box — Maximum capacity.

Maximum capacity of this box is one Jelly Bean and one Mr. Sunshine less Sunshine’s tail which apparently doesn’t fit.

Below, Basil has his very own grocery box. I can see I should get bigger boxes.

black cat in box — Basil in his own grocery box.

Glad to be home and off my feet for a while.

You may see a few extra photo posts for a few days. I’ve been getting so behind in posting the ones from Instagram. My plan is to share them here when I share them on IG so you get to see them somewhere near the day I took them.

This will all even out eventually! Shows and studio time make it difficult but we are adjusting.

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"Garden Sketch With Mimi", watercolor, 5" x 7" © Bernadette E. Kazmarski — “Garden Sketch With Mimi”, watercolor, 5″ x 7″ © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

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