Naturally this did not go as expected

As I may have mentioned, for Christmas the cats very kindly and thoughtfully gave me a three and half story cat tower, with scratching posts, for me to put together for them. (The "half" is a little half tunnel thing between the top and second stories that in the optimistic view of the designers can be used as a resting place for a small cat and a good place to dangle a tail from.) As I was informed, the cats had decided on this cat tower in the hopes that the top of the tower would tempt a certain small black and white cat away from from the top of the bookshelf in the living room, where he is not wanted on the grounds that when he descends from the top of the bookshelf, he lands either on the aquarium (whose cover was not exactly designed with cats in mind), the TV/TV stand, which now holds a considerably more expensive and lightweight TV that could be knocked over, or on a small grey cat who finds having a black and white cat fall on her a terrifying experience that justifies not using the litter box for a few hours. AUUUGH. Also their old little cat condo was getting quite scratched up and scruffy looking (they've had it for about ten years -- they don't get into it but they like to scratch the outside and the Grey One will sometimes sleep on the top curled up into a small ball. The cat tower would also give the Grey One new places to hide in, which if you are the Grey One is a decided advantage.

So, naturally, this morning I found the Grey One standing on top of the second story not hidden at all, and the Little One sleeping on top of the bookshelf.

I didn't take him down (although I am watching to keep him off the aquarium). I should, but he's 13, and I rather like this reminder that he's incredibly active for a 13 year old cat (far more active than the Grey One, who at 11 has decided that really, this is the time of life when cats should nap a lot, preferably in places where they can't be seen.) He still dashes around the house, still plays with his mice, and still seems to be under the impression that he's a kitten or a dog. I can take a little bookshelf excitement. And maybe he'll find the top part of the cat tower at some point.

Needlepoint musings

My inner self conversation yesterday morning went something like this:

Me, drearily: It's a gorgeous yet not hot day! Should head outside!

Me: Bleh.

Me, slightly less drearily: It might cheer you up!

Me: Bleh.

Me: Also, I need to get a new space heater!

Me: Bleh.

Me: Or I could just stay here and stare at this not-exactly-progressing short story!

Me: Right! Where are my house keys!

Which is how I found myself at Jo-Ann's, not exactly a place renowned for selling space heaters, spinach or almonds, but known for selling little crafts. The sun had given me a touch of an idea: since various people have made the excellent suggestion that perhaps focusing on other artistic activities might help get me out of this creative dry spell, but since the little art classes run by the town have already started up (given the abysmal results of my attempts to do ceramics, perhaps not a bad thing), perhaps I should see what Jo-Ann's offers.

Jo-Ann's, in a word, offers too much. Eventually I found myself near the needlepoint/counted cross stitch, and thought, hmm. Long term readers -- well, actually, further back than that; this all happened well before I started blogging -- may remember my propensity for picking up large needlepoint kits, the ones with the nice stamped printed image on them to make them in theory the easiest crafts projects to finish, ever, a theory that died after meeting me, primarily because I inevitably managed to lose or badly entangle/destroy the yarn well before finishing the project. Since my prime reason for buying the things was to keep my fingers occupied while doing other things (television and so on), I eventually decided I could find cheaper ways to keep my fingers occupied. I did get another little one after moving here, assuming I would use it to combat boredom during doctor's appointments and the like, only to promptly lose first half the yarn and then the kit.

But, I thought optimistically, maybe I could get my hands moving again, plus, needlepoint sounds like exactly the sort of thing I should be doing during Downton Abbey. If I just stuck with a little project...

...and then my eyes caught something a bit different: counted cross stitch kits based on Ruth Sanderson images.

I have tried counted cross stitch before, with only one success, a very small Christmas ornament that anaisis yelled at me to finish, this largely because counted cross stitch involves something I am not very good at: counting. Given that, as I noted, I am pretty much invariably doing something else while doing this sort of thing, I also pretty much invariably lose count, and then mess up the project, while invariably losing the yarn.

So I resisted. Kinda. I picked up a little and considerably cheaper butterfly thing, while wishing that the Ruth Sanderson kits were also available as needlepoint. That way, when I inevitably tangled up the yarn, I might have made a little more progress first.

(I still might pick one up, but let's see if I finish the little butterfly first. It's unlikely, but you never know.)

Meanwhile, I have instruments resting around the house that need to be played. And they, at least, can't lose yarn. Strings, perhaps, but those can be replaced, letting me finish up songs.