Sunday Salon 11.14.10

My poor furry little children are sick! A cold has been going around in the cat world here for a few weeks now. Bob, Dopey & Dante are all sick but on the mend. This week Huxley and Lola were hit hard with the cold, Magoo is all better but Sadie is sneezing again and sleeping a lot after having the cold 2 weeks ago and getting all well. Sadie is adorable when she sneezes: she scrunches up her little face & her entire body shakes as she sneezes & she squeaks very loudly! It's hilarious!! She sounds just like a dog's squeak toy!! I feel terribly bad but I can't help but laugh every time. It's really the cutest thing. Otherwise, it feels like I'm running a Feline Hospital here. Sick kitties with their eyes half shut, dull & tearing, their little noses running, sneezing repeatedly 5, 10, 12 times in a row. I never knew cats sneeze so much at once. It must make them dizzy! The sick cats sleep all day, barely moving for hours & eat much less than usual since they can't smell. I took a couple of them to the vet when the cold first hit to be sure it's a basic cold & Bob & Magoo were okay (it is & they are!). I've been in touch with the vet weekly to apprise her of who's sick & how they're doing. Like with humans, a cat cold has to run its course. I have to make sure they're still eating & drinking, at least a little bit, everyday & make sure none of the cats start wheezing or exhibiting other signs of bronchitis, pneumonia, things like that. My poor little furry babies!

The JETS are playing the Cleveland Browns today. The Browns - what an awful name! It's hard to believe they couldn't come up with something better! lolol - they used to be considered an easy team to beat but this season they're playing well, especially their offense. They are a team to contend with now, particularly after the Browns beat the New England Patriots last weekend. The JETS can beat them, but the question is, will they? Last weekend, the Jets (yay!) won but it was a really ugly win which doesn't really matter but what matters, to me anyway, (heee, heee) is that they almost lost. They just aren't playing well lately, not as well as they looked like they could play in the beginning of the season. But the game, the coaching, it all confounds me. So I watch & keep my fingers crossed!

I read a great article on NPR about artist and author Maira Kalman and her new book, And In The Pursuit Of Happiness. The book is making the rounds of blogs as part of TLC Book Tours. I received her book, The Principles of Uncertainty last year as part of one of the book blogger holiday swaps. It's a terrific, interesting graphic book with beautiful full-page illustrations by the Maira Kalman. And In The Pursuit Of Happiness also sounds like an amazing graphic book. It's based on Ms. Kalman's road trip around the USA & came about as a result of her blog with the NY Times. Their are several articles on the web about the author and her work and the book is being reviewed by several blogs such as Suko's Notebook, Rundpinne and Chaotic Compendiums. Be sure to check it out when you have the time!

I'm almost finished with The Postmistress, a book I'm really enjoying and dreading finishing! This morning I finished The Price of Life the debut of author Greg McCarthy, a good and interesting murder mystery. I'll be reviewing Sunset Park by Paul Auster, Every Last One by Anna Quindlen and I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman this week. I'm planning to read Proust's Overcoat by Lorenza Foschini this week but I'm not sure what else. I absolutely love Christmas-themed books & stories. It's getting close to that time of year to read them. I had a wonderful compilation of holiday stories, poems, anecdotes, songs etc. for many years. Then I lent it to a friend and, well, suffice to say, that was that. So I'm looking for a new one. If you have any recommendations for a good book that includes a large variety of holiday-themed stories, poems, recipes, songs and other things, please let me know!