The View from Here

It seems that a tentative peace treaty has been reached at Chez Gainey. I have no idea what precipitated this change, but I am holding onto hope- not my breath, though…I know my little demon seed Shiva all too well; this princess always has an ulterior motive.

Shiva has really settled into our lives, but totally on her own terms. No surprise there…She is seeking us out more often to sit with us on the sunporch and is sleeping with us at night more and more. However, I still find waking up with her standing on my chest staring at me quite unsettling…I have never been able to shake the feeling that she plans to kill me in my sleep so that she can have her beloved Dan all to herself. Some things will never change.

She is still playing Kung Fu Master with Sophie, lying in wait behind corners or at the top of the stairs to ambush our unsuspecting and ever trusting Border collie mix, chasing her up and down the stairs – and then giving her the evil eye while laying next to her in bed. Sophie always looks so perplexed as the drive-by bullying takes place, but seems resigned. Survival has been the key in our home since I brought what seemed like a snuggly sweet cat home from our vet’s office last August. That dang cat could have won an Oscar.

I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille!

Of course there is a chink in her armor; when I arrived in North Carolina this week for a recital and masterclass at Mars Hill University, I found that two of my dresses looked like some wild animal had eaten the hems for supper. And then I remembered that Shiva’s new hidey-hole is on the wicker chest of drawers in my closet right under my dresses- and that I had seen her playing with the dresses a few days ago. This means war!

That’s how it starts…targeted clothes destruction, the ‘accidental’ almost tripping you as you walk downstairs…and then cats like Shiva kill you in your sleep.

Sophie and I are on guard from this point forward. I guess I’m taking first shift…