Tag: kitten

Margerumalia – The Ol’ Snip and Clip

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – July 31, 2026

We were surprised!

We started putting out the animal traps to catch the kittens and send them to the Humane Shelter, but Tommy (the tomcat) decided he’d like a bite of that kitten food and walked right into the cage on the porch.

Clang! The door slammed shut when he put his weight on that metal plate.

Tommy is practically identical to Tabitha, the older mama cat, and resembles Rocket as well. He’d been hanging around again and had taken to standing in the driveway singing the blues. The “Baby Daddy Blues,” that is. Most of the kittens look like him so we assumed he was the father of them all. Maybe the father of Rocket, and Tabitha as well.

Cats don’t have qualms about incest or other human mores.

Tommy didn’t go quietly. He hissed and thrashed about. He even scraped his left eyebrow—if you zoom in you can see the blood.

Poor guy just wanted a bite of food. Among other treats.

Tommy would come within a few feet of me when I sat and petted Rocket on the front porch, but dashed away when I stood up. He shared food bowls with the kittens as well, no bullying or manspreading.

Now he’s off to get snipped and clipped.

They’ll neuter him so he stops adding to the wild cat population and then clip one of his ears so anyone will know that he’s been fixed. The fellow from Animal Control told me that the shelter will try to find him a home, maybe in someone’s home, maybe as a barn cat for chasing rodents. If not, they’ll release him in the neighborhood where he was caught.

Meanwhile, on the back deck, Shadow walked into a different, smaller trap. His siblings scattered but Rocket watched me with wide eyes as I picked up the cage and took him inside. Shadow was terrified and huddled in the cat carrier we set up in the basement bathroom.

Here he is huddled among the towels:

You see the worried look on his face? Heartbreaking.

He spent two nights crying from about 4:00 AM to 6:00 AM. The second night I went down there at 5:00 and just sat with him. He was fine with getting petted, but the challenge was reaching him in the back of the cat carrier.

We sent Shadow to the shelter shortly after that. I fell a little bit in love with that sweet kitten, but knew we had to say goodbye. I’m sure he’ll get adopted very quickly.

Tabitha and her trio hightailed it to the woods when Tommy began his mating song, and Rocket took her remaining four kittens away right after seeing Shadow brought inside. We can’t catch the any more if they’re not around.

It’s too, too quiet around here.

TTFN

* * * * *

Quick update: these two kittens of Tabitha’s walked into cages on Tuesday morning. Moth, the tabby with a brown patch on her forehead, and Smokey, the black kitten almost identical to Shadow. If you’re keeping track of the genealogy, these two would be Shadow’s aunt and uncle (or two uncles or two aunts, I didn’t go poking around in their privates).

The fact that both mama cats had litters of tabbies with one black cat is further argument that Tommy is the Baby Daddy of both litters.

We were glad to see them cuddling together for comfort. I’m afraid the third one will have to brave it out like Shadow did.

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My middle grade novel, The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles is available through The BookBaby Bookshop at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-most-amazing-museum-of-los-angeles

Margerumalia – Tabitha’s Meows

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – July 10, 2026

I was walking down the street for my morning walk and there’s Tabitha sitting in the road in front of our neighbor’s house.

That’s an odd thing to do, I thought. Tabby, the street smart cat who avoids all human contact, who skulks under shrubs, and vanishes into the ravine on a moment’s notice. What’s she doing in the street?

I coaxed her back to the house and she followed along the edge of the house under the bushes, no surprise there, and settled on to the front porch to eat the cat food I had out.

Soon after she left, I met her in the street again where she sat and meowed. She’s not a very vocal cat so I was completely baffled by her behavior.

When Debbie came back from the gym, Tabby turned in the street and stood in the way of the Highlander, still meowing at me.

What’s the fuss Tabitha? What’s up with you? 

Debbie rolled down her window, saying, “It’s like she wants you to follow her.” 

So I did, and she led me up the neighbor’s driveway. (I’m currently watching over their house while they’re away, so no worries about trespassing.)

She led me down the side yard and stopped at the porch step where two kittens emerged from the hastas and settled in to nurse.

I sent pictures to Debbie exclaiming TWO KITTENS!

Finally, weeks after first seeing Rocket’s six kittens, Tabitha was showing us two more! (Rocket was also part of a two-cat litter.)

I got a few pictures of them nursing and her cleaning them before I continued my morning walk. 

On the trail I met a friend who wanted to see the photos and I immediately showed her this photo of Tabitha lying on the step nursing her two kittens:

“Three,” my friend corrected me. “I see two tabbies and one black cat.” 

I had to count ears and tails before I believed her. Where had the third one come from? It’s like she appeared by magic! 

Go back and look at the picture of Tabitha cleaning her kittens, then look at the back edge of the step. 

I’ll wait.

Did you see that little eye peeking out of the corner by the plants? Kitten number three.

Both mama cats have been coming by for food recently but we haven’t seen the kittens for days. We trust they’re well, but if were going to catch them, they have to come visit again.

That’s a story for another day.

TTFN

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My middle grade novel, The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles is available through The BookBaby Bookshop at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-most-amazing-museum-of-los-angeles

Margerumalia – Opening Night

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – June 26, 2026

By the time you read this on Friday, it’ll be opening night of the Short Playfest at Greater Lafayette Civic Theatre.

Hearts are beating a little faster. Palms are moist. Everyone has wished one another to “Break a leg.” And then it’s lights up. Show time! 

Fun fact:

I was told for years that the good luck wish to break a leg was just a bit of reverse psychology. To say “Good Luck” outright would be bad luck. Then I heard that the expression was something said by understudies looking for their opportunity to take the stage.

Later, I heard something much more plausible. 

The curtains across the top of a standard proscenium stage are called teasers, they hide the lighting instruments from the view of the audience. The curtains on the sides that hide actors waiting in the wings are called legs, because they fall from the teasers down to the floor when hung properly. 

Back in the days of vaudeville—a live variety show—the performers only got money if their act was among those chosen. In order to go on stage, you had to break past the “barrier” of the legs. Break a leg and you get paid. No starving artist tonight. Now that’s good luck!

I still have yet to hear if that’s the definitive origin of the expression but I find it the most satisfying so I’m sticking with it.

My cast is very on top of the lines and the characters, and they’re deeply dedicated to the passion of the story. I told them I was blessed with a dream cast and they quickly returned the compliment. Not surprising for three people who were in tears on the first read-through.

I’ll be attending all three shows. I’d feel so out of it if I didn’t. It’s probably the actor in me who learned decades ago that “the show must go on.”

Go ahead, tell us to break a leg.

TTFN

* * * * *

I had to share another kitten picture with you because the variety of colors is so interesting and rather beautiful.

On the lower left side you can see the edge of the window well cover I installed last month that the whole litter is now using as a slide. There’s also a second kitten down there, slightly out of focus but the tabby markings are a giveaway.

I have more photos and a video I plan to post on both BlueSky and Substack (margerumeric in both cases). 

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If you received this email because it was forwarded to you by a subscriber, welcome. You can also subscribe to get Margerumalia in your INBOX by following the link on my website: ericmargerum.com. A free story awaits you there.

Margerumalia – Kittens!

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – June 19, 2026

About two months ago I promised pictures of kittens in two months. The little darlings arrived on schedule!

I was sitting on the welcome mat at the front door like I do every morning, petting Rocket while she eats, when a cute little face peered out at me from the plants.

“Debbie,” I hissed in a stage whisper, “Kittens!” She heard me from the kitchen window and checked the opposite end of the house to see more.

I went inside to get a bowl of kitten food and we waited by the windows to take photos and videos of their antics. My favorite was when the little imps jumped up onto the window well covers I had installed last month, using them like slides in a playground.

We eventually counted six of them, five tabbies—like their mother—and one black kitten. One of the tabbies has white ears and white fur between the black stripes. The other four are indistinguishable from one another.

You can just barely see the difference in the photo below. The dim light under the bushes makes it difficult to see.

Look at that cute furry face! Can you resist the impulse to touch those soft paws? Shall we reserve one for you?

Last year we sent five kittens to the Humane Society. We were glad to learn that they were all adopted.

My story does take a turn, though. The kittens showed up on a Thursday morning and we spent two days replenishing their food bowls, giving them fresh water, and taking more pictures.

On Friday night at ten o’clock there was a terrible cat howl from the front steps and I raced to the door, flicked on the lights, and stepped onto the porch. All was quiet but I could barely see an animal circling the bushes in front of the house.

Was it Rocket? A predator? Maybe a pesky raccoon looking for a bite of cat food? We’ll never know. 

The next morning I petted Rocket on the welcome mat but didn’t see any kittens. I asked her about what had happened but she didn’t have an answer.

Then from the shadows of the bushes I spied the little black kitten who had a few things to say. His mother replied and I moved the bowl of kitten food toward the edge of the deck. The little fellah decided to brave my presence, having seen me pet his mother, and jumped up to eat. After a few seconds I moved my petting hand over to the kitten and petted him for about a minute solid.

I can’t tell you how amazing that was. Kittens born in the wild are not inclined to trust people but he saw the lay of the land and figured if it was good enough for Mama it was good enough for him. 

Since he was watching from the shadows, I decided his name was Shadow.

Since that morning, only Rocket has arrived at our front step to enjoy a bowl of food, fresh water, and a good dose of affection. We figured that she led the litter back into the ravine where they were born. Hopefully their need to eat more kitten food will bring them back soon.

Stay tuned!

TTFN

* * * * *

If you were wondering why the June 12th Margerumalia didn’t appear in your INBOX until later in the day, there were two reasons. 

First, I accidentally set the delivery for PM instead of AM.

Second, I couldn’t fix the problem because a storm took out the internet service for a large part of the county. Metronet got it up and running early in the afternoon and I sent it out then.

Apologies for my role in the delay.

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My middle grade novel, The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles is available through The BookBaby Bookshop at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-most-amazing-museum-of-los-angeles

Margerumalia – The Birds & The Bees

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – April 17, 2026

Photo: Debbie Margerum

Spring has sprung, as they say, and the woods are full of life, so I thought I’d share a bit of it with you.

Debbie is so good at getting nature photos that I’m using some of hers. I tried to capture a bee on a purple flower from just two feet away, but I wasn’t close enough, so she let me borrow hers. It’s an art! The uncredited photos are mine.

This pair of Mallard ducks arrive every year about this time and enjoy paddling around in the stream. I’ve never seen them with youngsters, but this is their mating season. Fun fact: the Mallards are a sub-family of ducks called dabbling ducks. Isn’t that cute? 

Question: Are you a real duck?

Answer: Naw, I’m just dabbling.

The Redbuds are the big show-offs every spring because, you know, they can. Hillsides are covered with these audacious blooms, bringing a symphony of color to the woods before the maples, oaks, and birches can break out their greenery and soak up all the sunlight. 

As I was walking, I was wondering how to describe the color of these trees using only words. It can be really hard to capture—as are taste and smell—but I think I gave it a pretty good go with this sentence: 

The blossoms are a jubilant shade of pinkish purple normally exclusive to the domain of children’s toys and clothing.

Photo: Debbie Margerum

The squirrels are dashing everywhere digging up acorns they buried last fall. How do they know?! They must have a built-in geolocation app. This photo is from a couple years ago, back before we had to have the old oak tree removed. It’s like he posed for this portrait, it’s so perfect.

That old white oak was situated on the lot when my parents decided to build the house so they had the architect draw up plans in an L-shape to preserve the tree. We estimated that it was about 250 years old when we took it down. The hollow inside made it a danger to the house, but it lived a long grand life.

On my morning walks I constantly see red squirrels chasing away grey squirrels like the one in the photo. “Hey,” I say, “why can’t we just all get along?”

The bluebells opened up the other day. Can you tune in your faery senses to hear them ringing? It’s a subtle tinkling noise that calls to the pollinators, “We’re here! We’re here!”

I love that I could capture the morning dew glistening on these flowers. I’ve learned a few things from my talented photographer wife.

And just as the Easter egg is a symbol of fertility for this fecund spring season, our outdoor cats went into heat a couple of months ago enticing several tomcats to haunt the premises. 

That’s Tabitha on the left eating from the bowl. She’s brought us eleven kittens over three years. We’ve found them homes or had them taken to the Humane Society where they were adopted. She’s walking with a distinctive waddle now. We think she’ll give birth any day.

Her daughter Rocket—from the second litter—is seated on the Adirondack chair where the old oak tree used to stand, watching the early morning activities of the neighborhood. 

She’s also got a full womb. I know because I pet her every morning while she eats, and I talk to her about finding a good nesting spot away from predators but not too far away so she can still come to eat every morning on our front porch. Gotta be able to produce enough milk. 

It’s her first litter so I figure any information is only going to help.

From past experience we know we won’t see the kittens until about two months after they’re born. So watch this space for some adorable kitty pics in June!

TTFN

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If you received this email because it was forwarded to you by a subscriber, welcome. You can subscribe as well by following the link on my website: ericmargerum.com. A free story awaits you there.

Margerumalia – A Mother/Daughter Pair

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – January 23, 2026

It’s very cold outside in the Midwest. I hope it’s less severe where you are. 

Our outdoor cats have us worrying over them when they don’t show up for 48 hours to eat. Tabitha, the mother, finally showed up on Saturday. Then Rocket, one of her kittens from last spring, apparently went into heat because I chased off a large tomcat who was stalking her. The next day she was nowhere to be seen. She came back the day after.

That mother/daughter pair had been sharing warmth in the little cat house we set up for them, but they seem to have abandoned that cozy nook. Meanwhile the temperatures dropped into the single digits. Yikes!

So I’m entering the doors to the track at the Wellness Center and I hold the door for a young mother carrying her baby in a carseat. After my first circle around the track I see her again, cradling her infant while taking a slow walk. She looked like the drawing above but with an infant half that size. 

Two weeks old? Three, I was guessing. It’s been a few years since my daughter was that size.

The mother/daughter pair were the very definition of motherhood and she shared a smile with me as my face reflected that thought. Watching them warmed my heart and reminded me of the kindly looks I got standing in the aisle of an airplane, bouncing my infant daughter on a cross-country flight.

Something in all of us, I thought, wants to keep that infant protected and cherishes those who do.

TTFN

P.S. I’m careful to credit any photos I use in this newsletter to give due credit. In checking the URL of the artwork above, their ending of “.co” is correct. It’s freekidscoloringpages.co (If you try to change it to “.com” it won’t work.)

* * * * *

This just in…

A fellow named John Raccio posted that on the Baby Boomers account of Facebook. I thought it’d be funny to share in light of last week’s newsletter.

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If you received this email because it was forwarded to you by a subscriber, welcome. You can subscribe as well by following the link on my website: ericmargerum.com. A free story awaits you there.

Margerumalia – Giving Thanks

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – November 28, 2025

“We had eight cats,” my wife said, “now we’re down to two! Can you believe it?” 

A few days after the four kittens (huddled in the bathroom sink last week) went to The Humane Society, their fifth littermate walked into our cage and spent a night in the same bathroom before Animal Control transported him or her to join the rest. We’re thankful they’ll all find safe, warm forever homes.

During that same stretch of time, a neighbor across the ravine told me that his mother-in-law wanted a cat to replace her beloved pet of many years.  I told him and his wife about GG (or Gigi) who is pictured above. He has been so responsive to affection over the last few months that I knew he would make an ideal companion.

I have to admit I lost several hours of sleep picturing how GG would or would not go willingly. What if I tried to put him in the carrier and he squirmed away? Would he run scared? Would he even come back?

We left the carrier on the front porch for a couple of days and I tossed in a couple of cat treats to make it an appealing spot. I saw his sister and his mother both enter the carrier to get treats, but never saw him do it. 

On the scheduled day, I let GG and his sister get a good bellyful of food on the porch and then I went outside with a generous helping of affection for GG. At some point I could see he was facing the right direction and I directed him into the carrier, zipping it up before he knew what had happened.

My heart was pounding out a drum roll while I texted our neighbor that GG was in the carrier. “I’ll be right over,” was the reply.

All those months of getting him used to human touch, and all those hours of lost sleep wondering how I would accomplish the capture, and it was all over in a few seconds.

A few days later I got this photo: 

(I cropped out our neighbor’s face, not having gotten permission to show her for this newsletter.)

The report on GG was that he was timid, and not eating yet, but willing to crawl into her lap, which he never did with me. I recently got a follow up message that he’s eating now and using the litter box. The granddaughters are coming to visit soon and will decide on his new name.

I’m writing this several days before Thanksgiving, but we should be in an arctic freeze by the time you read this. We’re thankful that the cat formerly known as GG will be in a cozy home nestled in someone’s lap, soaking up the love the way you see him doing above.

Tabitha and her daughter, Rocket, still need to be caught and spayed before they deliver more litters of kittens. But that’s a story for another day.

I also wrote a check to The Humane Society for their valuable work. I’m grateful that we have a couple of no-kill shelters in our town.

TTFN

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If you received this email because it was forwarded to you by a subscriber, welcome. You can subscribe as well by following the link on my website: ericmargerum.com. A free story awaits you there.

Margerumalia – The Rest of the Story

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – November 21, 2025

HEADLINE: He got cuffed after playing the ‘Imperial March’ at National Guard. Now, he’s suing.

[https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/11/10/star-wars-imperial-march-national-guard-washington-dc-first-amendment/87064239007/]

In my October 24 newsletter I invented a phone conversation between a National Guardsman and the DC Metropolitan Police. Turns out that my version of the story is not how the incident played out.

The “Imperial March” dog walker, Sam O’Hara, was confronted and cuffed by the DC Police for 15-20 minutes before they released him. Now he’s suing the city for violation of his First and Fourth Amendment rights, backed by the ACLU.

I think my version of the story had a better outcome. 

Now, the City of DC has a lawsuit on their hands because of a National Guard deployment that they didn’t want, and the National Guard has earned a reputation for not being able to handle a little bit of teasing.

By the way, I looked up the 2:02 on O’Hara’s T-shirt. It turns out to be an Angel Number  (02:02) representing balance, harmony, and the importance of relationships in our lives. Isn’t that interesting?

* * * * *

You probably wanted to know about the four kittens in our basement bathroom. There’s a story there, too.

The Humane Society of told me that strays had to be delivered by  Animal Control from the kittens’ jurisdiction, so I called them for two days and got no reply. On the third day I went to the police station and talked to the guy in person.

“Why did you wait so long to contact us?” he asked. 

I assured him that I had been trying for two days. He was surprised to hear it and I went through my phone menu on speaker so he could hear his own outgoing message. 

His coworker figured out the next day that the desk phone had been disconnected. Lots of voicemail to catch up on! Good thing I came in person.

I’ve always found that direct human contact is the best way to accomplish things. Words of understanding are spoken, clarity is established, and difficulties are resolved.

What was 02:02 supposed to represent again? Oh, yes, balance, harmony, and the importance of relationships in our lives.

I suppose I’ve been using that Angel Number for a while now.

TTFN

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My middle grade novel, The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles is available through The BookBaby Bookshop at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-most-amazing-museum-of-los-angeles

Margerumalia – Getting Ideas

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – November 14, 2025

Well these weren’t here when I walked down this path on the way to the park. I wonder if someone dropped them or just abandoned them…

I wonder. 

That’s what I do. I wonder. And ideas begin to take shape. 

I showed this photo to my wife—the photographer—and she complimented me on the composition after I described a different version that didn’t include the path in the distance. Isn’t it exciting to realize what you’ve learned from your partner just by sharing interests?

“Now there’s a writing prompt!” she said, reflecting my thoughts back at me. “It makes me think of someone who was so scared he jumped out of his shoes and ran. Or  maybe a huge eagle grabbed him and flew away leaving just his shoes.”

“Right?” I asked, feeling the juices of more stories start to bubble up in my imagination.

In my newsletter from two weeks ago I wrote about a 12-year-old girl who came to my book signing at Main Street Books. She wants to be a writer and her mother encouraged her to ask me questions. As did I. 

Of course, the most commonly asked question of any writer is “Where do you get your ideas?” Especially when the writer has written a fantastical adventure tale! 

Just as the girl asked me that question, a customer walked past, saw my flyer about the kittens, and exclaimed “Awww, they’re so cute!” as she passed by.

“There’s a story right there,” I told her. Maybe she always wanted to adopt a kitten but lives in an apartment that doesn’t allow pets. Or maybe she had a cat who passed away but looked just like one of these kittens. Everyone has a story to tell, right?” The girl nodded. “If you pay attention to other people and listen to their stories, that’s a great way to begin. And then you can start playing around with those ideas by using your imagination.” 

I didn’t tell her that I was a notorious daydreamer in school. My mom told me I was an easy child because she could set me in the middle of the room with a handful of toys and I would entertain myself for hours. She was right! I remember doing that.

My attraction to theatre was a natural extension of that kind of thinking. Hey, Eric, do you want to join a group of students who all use their imaginations to tell stories and then add sets, costumes, props, lights and more? Hey, sign me up! What a perfect activity for a devoted daydreamer!

Taking my own advice, I made a point of asking the girl what she had written and then listened to her story. I could tell we were kindred spirits, dabbling in fantastical worlds and characters. I could also tell that she appreciated having an adult listen to her like an equal while encouraging her aspirations.

So what flight of fancy did my imagination run to when I saw these shoes?

Maybe they’re lying in wait for you to come along and try them on, because they’ll take you into a world where trees talk, birds read your thoughts, and dreams come true. 

TTFN

* * * * *

Sinking Feeling

Having failed to lure Tabitha into our humane trap, Debbie and I pivoted to catching her kittens instead. Maternal instincts are a pretty major influence so this could be the needed work-around. We only managed to catch four of the five before the early snowfall, but we still hope the last one will give the cage a try.

They’re isolated in our small downstairs bathroom and when I went to visit them, these two were cuddled up together in the sink. That’s like a greeting card photo, right?

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If you received this email because it was forwarded to you by a subscriber, welcome. You can subscribe as well by following the link on my website: ericmargerum.com. A free story awaits you there.

Margerumalia – What I Learned In Kindergarten

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – November 7, 2025

I had the pleasure of going to see twelve high school students perform a one hour version of this play on Sunday. I had directed all of them in junior high or high school plays over the past seven years. Some backstage students, too, and several more who were in the audience. 

Talk about a proud Papa! I got to sit in the auditorium and appreciate how much each of them had grown, both as actors and young adults.

The new director told me that when the students heard I was coming, someone had said “I hope he’s ready for a lot of hugs.” That really warmed my heart, and after the show I gave and received lots of hugs! 

The play also made me stop and think about what I had learned in kindergarten. 

It’s not easy to remember specifics after sixty years, just a lot of general things. One day we made applesauce, which was delicious! On another day we learned our addresses and phone numbers by pasting pieces of construction paper onto a page and writing on the house cut-outs we had made. 

I’m sure we also learned please and thank you, if we hadn’t already learned those “magic words” by watching Captain Kangaroo on TV.

But what stands out in my mind is the epic incident of a visit from Batman.

You see, my friend Rob had a Batman costume from Halloween and I had my Superman costume. He came up with the idea to wear them to school because, you know, that’d be really cool. 

The next morning when I told my mom what we were going to do, she vetoed the whole notion. Halloween was months behind us and, despite my protestations that Rob was going to do it, the answer was NO.

We walked to the elementary school with Rob in full Batman gear, cowl and all. And when we arrived at the classroom, the kids erupted. 

The Batman TV series was playing every week and the Caped Crusaders were enshrined on lunch pails, cereal boxes, and jars of peanut butter. To have Batman show up in your classroom was a lightning bolt from the sky! 

Have you ever experienced mob behavior? I got my only taste of it in kindergarten.

Like a kennel of loose puppies on a sugar high, the entire classroom rose as one and headed straight for Rob. He did the only logical thing. He ran. 

A double classroom of forty or fifty kindergarteners (it was the Baby Boom, not enough classrooms) chased my friend around the playground like a swarm of bees defending their hive.

I chased him, too. Like I said, mob mentality.

We ran until everyone was exhausted, including the teachers, who were insisting that we come in AT ONCE.

What did I learn? I learned that I was perfectly capable of getting caught up in the moment along with dozens of other children. When Rob later asked me why I chased him, the answer was simple. Because everybody else was doing it.

I expect that the two kindergarten teachers gave us a firm talking-to on how not to behave, but I have no memory of that speech, just the unruly run around the playground under the influence of all those kids. 

What I learned in kindergarten was that crazy things can happen when you’re part of a mob. And you know what? I haven’t done it since!

TTFN

* * * * *

My wife took this picture of Tabitha nursing her kittens on the back deck. I thought I’d share it with you. Talk about a mob. It’s an entire kittenkaboodle! (I figure if I use that word enough it’ll catch on.)

Tabitha entered the humane trap a few days ago and backed out with a mouthful of food without setting off that hair-trigger spring. Clever girl!

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My middle grade novel, The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles is available through The BookBaby Bookshop at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-most-amazing-museum-of-los-angeles