Miss Bridget Paulson has come to keep me company today. I get very excited whenever the Bee comes to hang around the studio. I want to start fussing: show her all my favorite fabrics, bring her cookies and orange juice, play the good songs. But that's the wrong tack to take with the Bee. You must play it cool around the Bee. She's about as cuddly as a ticket stub, and would just as soon punch you in the nose as let you ruffle her downy-soft headfeathers. If you try, just use your index finger, very lightly, right between the ears . . . tickle . . . tickle — whoosh! There she goes. Gone. Eleven years of living with the Bee has taught me to take her on her own terms. Be faux-oblivious. When she comes in the studio and hangs out on my cutting table like this (it's very rare) I'm all, "Oh, is someone else here? Hmmm? Doo-dee-dee, I don't see any cats here." Just the Bee, half cat, half fairy, half hobgoblin. Half baby bird. I love my kitty.
Yes, you. I love you and there is nothing you can do about it.
So, who knew the readers of this blog were major historical pioneer fiction buffs?????!!!!! NICE. Very nice. Thank you for all of the recommendations. Thank you thank you. I was going to go to Powell's today and peruuuuuse, but the day's already half over, so, tomorrow. I have had a tough time reading this past year, and really miss it. If you have any other suggestions (for historical pioneer fiction), please put them on yesterday's post, so they're all together for anyone to find. Today I am trying to make two inset pockets with flaps and welts and linings (blech — not my best work). I did it, but I still have no idea how I did it.
OH. THE BEE DID IT.
She did. Didn't she?
Funny kitties. Funny kitties with their funny kitty ways, and us... accommodating, obliging, willing, and grateful for whatever hints of affection they may cast our way. But it's worth it, especially when they can encourage insets pockets and be the cause of flaps, welts, and linings.
Clever, funny kitties.
Posted by: Natalie VV | January 26, 2011 at 01:56 PM
I went back to read more comments from yesterday... what a treasure of good reads! I am glad you mentioned it, and thanks to everyone that shared their favorites.
Posted by: Natalie VV | January 26, 2011 at 01:59 PM
I have a Bee too! Her name is Harper Begonia, or Harper B, or sometimes just Bee or Beezy. She doesn't look nearly as contemplative as your Bee, though. She heads straight for the pin cushion or the little scraps and threads that would be the most dangerous to her digestive system. Love her, though, even despite her mischievous nature. Cheers to the Bees!
Posted by: Molly | January 26, 2011 at 02:02 PM
How perfectly you captured cats behavior. I'm off to jot down some of the titles from yesterday. I love when you request book titles.
Posted by: samantha | January 26, 2011 at 02:21 PM
There is a cat remarkably like your Bee who resides here in Muddle Manor. Her name is Chloe. She does NOT like to be touched. She does, however, enjoy overseeing everything that is done here.
Posted by: Elaine/MuddlingThrough | January 26, 2011 at 02:29 PM
I think it's interesting how many of us share our world with cats just like your Bee! Mine is Penny - and when she wants to be petted, you can't avoid her, but if you want to just touch her when she's near, watch out! Funny, I very rarely hear of boy cats being so persnickity. They are usually just one big lump of love!
Posted by: Nancy | January 26, 2011 at 02:36 PM
bee is adorable! it's always an honor when a beloved pet comes to visit. about reading more, have you tried audio books? with all of your knitting and sewing, you could play a book in your studio and get both reading and work done! i love it, i play them on my phone, in my car or through headphones or even my bluetooth device. the library system here in washington has downloadable books and they have a large selection of books on cd.
blow kisses to bee for me!
:o)
Posted by: puglette | January 26, 2011 at 02:39 PM
Bee oversees, but I just overlook apparently... because I totally missed the pioneer fiction bit at the end of yesterday's post.
I have my library website open in one window and yesterday's post open in another. Cut and paste.
Thank you!
Posted by: Jodi Anderson | January 26, 2011 at 02:46 PM
Oh, I just love it when the Bee makes a special appearance on your blog. I like her kitty ways and those big green eyes of hers. And now I got to go back to yesterday's post because I totally missed the book suggestions.
Posted by: Sylvie | January 26, 2011 at 02:58 PM
One of our barn cats is like that, tho she loves the attention once you pick her up, she is just shy about the approach and pick up. The poor thing. She has a boo boo paw and so what happened -- poor thing, she saw the cat carrier this am and made herself scarce. So this afternoon I figure out where she is hiding and spend 10 minutes getting her to come to me and jump on my lap. I petted her and apologized for what I was about to do then put her in the cat carrier where she goes off to the vet. Hopefully nothing serious.....
I'm loving all the pretty clothes you are making. What a wonderful gift you have (and are to us).
Posted by: patty | January 26, 2011 at 03:03 PM
Awww she is lovely! :)
Cats! Everything is always on their terms!
Vivienne x
Posted by: greenrabbitdesigns | January 26, 2011 at 03:07 PM
Cats certainly teach us a lot. I'm glad you had the special time with Bee. Those are the kinds of moments you wish you could manufacture.
Posted by: Melissa P | January 26, 2011 at 03:08 PM
Perfect description of a cat. Our cat Pesto will cuddle for a few minutes but then bite the hand that pets her without any warning. Ouchie!
Posted by: georgie | January 26, 2011 at 03:08 PM
I love it when you talk about the Bee. She sounds so much like my cat, Misty, who preferred very much to be left to her own devices. But she would sometimes snuggle people if she was convinced they were asleep.
Posted by: Kelly | January 26, 2011 at 03:11 PM
The Bee sounds like the perfect cat! I have a slight allergy to cats (watery eyes and itchy) and my oldest son never lets me forget it. When a teacher at his school asked him if he had any pet cats he said "No my mom hates cats" - I had to explain that I just don't like cats who rub all over you due to my allergies and that I wasn't Cruella Deville.
Can't wait to see what your working on.
Posted by: Amanda | January 26, 2011 at 03:18 PM
Oh I wondered why we don't see much of the Bee (and now we know her name is Bridget!). She's gorgeous, and this is a wonderful post. 'Half cat, half fairy, half hobgoblin, half little baby bird'. Love it.
My kitters are up to something in the house right now - sometimes, I wake up in the morning to sounds of kitty industry... only to find that in fact they haven't made breakfast or done the dishes, but have broken into the bathroom and pulled out all the fluffy blankets due back at the cat shelter fresh and laundered. Hmmm.
Posted by: Jenny | January 26, 2011 at 03:48 PM
I have a Bee also, but she is called The Pie instead, which is short for Magpie, which of course, is short for Maggie. As in Maggie the Witch. She's 16 now and has been and always will be my little prickly pear. For many many years I was not allowed to breathe in the same air space with her but now, in her old age, I am occasionally graced with a cuddle and some biscuit making on my shoulder. At no point must she be looked at or mentioned while we stare, afraid to blink, move or breathe, at the tv or a book. And sometimes she forgets and I awake in the night to find her snoring gently in the crook of my knees or small of my back. Isn't it funny that we get enormously excited when the fairy goblin kitties grace us with their presence and we fall over ourselves trying to be nonchalant?
Posted by: Kat | January 26, 2011 at 04:14 PM
She's so, so pretty and looks so, so soft! The temptation!
Posted by: Jessie | January 26, 2011 at 04:28 PM
Oh you are so ready to be a mom if you don't want to leave the house because the day's already half over.
Posted by: Rose | January 26, 2011 at 05:12 PM
oh, i just looooooooooove the Bee!! you kind of have to respect animals that demand things _THEIR_ way, you know? but those are also the animals i try to pounce on and force a bunch of kisses on them before they can squeeze their way out of my arms. SIGH.
Posted by: claire ashworth | January 26, 2011 at 05:50 PM
haha and i just now saw this, and thought of you: http://www.etsy.com/listing/64363765/id-rather-be-quilting-letterpress-print
Posted by: claire ashworth | January 26, 2011 at 05:55 PM
What a nice kitty!
Posted by: Lisa G. | January 26, 2011 at 06:16 PM
Our cats do the same thing! Only they like to get on the cutting may while I'm cutting, and one of them love to eat the tissue paper if I leave it out. :)
Posted by: Regina | January 26, 2011 at 06:38 PM
Hello! Cats are so odd. My cat, Beauie (pronounced Bo-e) loves to cuddle and will bat at my ankles if I try to walk away after only a few minutes of snuggling. The Bee is very cute.
Posted by: Pamela | January 26, 2011 at 06:46 PM
I too love to see the Bee's appearances- she looks so much like our 8 year old cat Rosie.
She too is a cat with her own definite pussanality who only wants to be friendly on her terms, it seems lots of tortoiseshell/calico cats are like this?- based on my very scientific anecdotal evidence of course ;-)
Posted by: Liss | January 26, 2011 at 06:55 PM