Notes from a parish cat and his author Julie Mackenzie

My photo
I am Father Tom Fish, esteemed member of the religious team at Temptation of Christ Parish in the novels by author Julie Mackenzie. As to my background, I was invited into the rectory as a stray, laid on the charm, and was invited to stay, even honorarily ordained and no less spiritual than my sidekick Father Will. He dotes on me to high heaven and forgives all of my street cat proclivities, whatever the hell that means.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Helloween..Yes, That's Right!

Hi, guys!

This week contains one of the most dreaded, hated, feared, and useless (in my opinion) holidays ever..it's not a holiday, it's more like a scourge on the earth..
Let me explain..

It's Halloween. I don't like it. Never have. It's okay to be creeped out in the movies or by a scary story, but to celebrate creepiness, I don't think so. Around here, it gets intense since the housekeeper sticks around past her thank-cod-she's-gone time and gets candy and cupcakes for the priests ready. Just a heads up: there's no pumpkin-shaped cat kibble for us, so that ticks me off, too.

So, here are some creepy-themed posts which get into the spirit of things, but on a much more sane level:

This is me in fictional Lilliput where I'm big and scary, haha! (I wonder if they play miniature golf in Lilliput and if they call it putt-putt, lol!)




Then, of course, there's me in the light of candles...ssshhhh..Don't move! Someone or some-thing just opened the door behind me..!!




The ultimate disguise..here I'm Inspector Perrot, the inimitable sleuth's sleuth..! Easy for me to say, hehe



So, these are my Halloween thoughts and how I look at the durn event. What I suggest is finding that special quiet spot that evening, a closet, tucked away on a shelf or under the bed and just sleep the night away. For humans, more used to this sort of activity, if you don't have visitors, read a good scary thriller or watch a movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Ever curled up in peaceful slumber,
Tom



Monday, October 21, 2019

It Doesn't Get Much Better Than This!

To all my furry friends!

Happy Monday! The start of a new week and it's the week before All Hallows Eve..and what some people are calling Beggars Night. You dress up, go around to neighbors and you have to tell a joke before you get any candy..Hey, it works! Kinda like when we go outside and we go up to a house where a cat lover lives and we get a nice snack, and we don't even have to tell a joke or anything!

Anyhoo, this week I want to talk about how much I like to be pampered. It's the ultimate in sigh-tisfying pleasure for a cat with the sort of floof that needs lovin' like mine. The housekeeper gets my favorite comb and goes for the bib first, then the sides of my head, between the ears and slowly down the back. Just talking about it gives me shivers of joy!


There's a lot of fur that comes off with any combing session which usually lasts about 15 to 20 minutes,  along with cooing and head scratches from the housekeeper, the whole nine yards. Another good thing, too, is we catch those pesky mats before they catch up with me!

Hope you all have a good week and set aside some time for the person you love to spoil you by a happy brushing or combing and..let me see, something about releasing endor-fins? (but that sounds fishy to me!)

Furs furrever,
Tom

Monday, October 14, 2019

Columbus & His First Mate

Hiyo! How's everybody? Sorry to wake you. I know it's afternoon. Today may as well be Saturday or Sunday..I'm finding myself snoozing more than usual..

We're celebrating Columbus Day here in the good old US of A. The day we celebrate the discovery of  America by Christopher Columbus in 1492. My recollection of that time is kinda fuzzy now. All I remember is we got lost or something and that was when it all started for men to never ask for directions since everything worked out, anyhoo.

He always had a hankering to be out to sea. Salt water taffy, not so much. I was his best first mate, the compass rose he gave me attached to my collar (isn't it cool?). He wasn't overly religious, but on board ship I heard him using a few swear words that involved God when it came to his crew. When he wasn't sailing the ocean blue, he would sit on a rock, I would sit on his shoulder, and we would fancy ourselves out on the waves headed somewhere.

(courtesy of Wikipedia)
So, anyhow, if we wind up in your neck of the woods, I'll look you guys up and we can have a grand old fish fry. I know I'll be looking forward to that and seeing you all!

That's it for now. Captain Chris is giving me the high sign that we're about to shove off.

Anchors aweigh!
Tom


Sunday, October 6, 2019

Let's Leave the Leaves for Just a Minute!

Where are you??? Oh, wait...under all the leaves! I stopped counting after seventy-five zillion two hundred billion elebenty-one trillion. It pooped me out!

I found myself thinking of summer and what a good one it was for window whiffies and sunshine and little bugs that came to say hello, knowing I'm just an old softie, not about to bother them. They know it, too! Even at night when the moths come around, I just watch and wonder why the light draws them so, but then, maybe it's like us with the sun. Good thing we can't get too close!

Anyway, back to summer and those good memories! This was a particularly fine day. There was just the right amount of breeze, my furs warmed up real nice and a ladybug was telling me all about her grandbugs..okay, maybe not..


Do you have good memories of a sunny summertime?

Furry happy,
Tom