Guest Meows!
This is Larry for Ariel. She and her three cats, Atom, Dinky, and Emily, gave us some wonderful Cat Chat articles this month. [Harry is at Rainbow Bridge now.] We are gratified that we can offer this regular article about some wonderful cats and their human beans with visits by a dragon! Please visit the Memorial Page for Ariel's mother. Click the cat wagging its tail graphic to visit their net home. Thank you. Now here is Chester the dragon, Atom, Dinky, and Emily with Cat Chat:

Cat Chat 11-06-01
Grandpa Better

Chester: As you all might have noticed if you read our Cat Chat reruns last month, Mom has been going half crazy trying to get Grandpa better and looking after him and stuff. Well, Mom is still going half crazy, but things are getting better. She's actually even gotten to spend some days at home all day long just to rest, because they are taking such good care of him at the Carolina Village Medical Center, where he went to recover from all his illness and the operation and all.

Emily: Yeah, it's good fur da Mom to get to spend bed days, cause she's bin so tired and wored out. An dem nurse beans at da Village is really really good at taking care ub Grandpa, and dar's been a few days here lately dat she habn't had to do anytin fur him but jus call him an check on how he is. Course, den dar are oder days where she habs to do stuffers, like make sure da nurses is doing eberyting right an tryin to make sure he habs stuffers he can eat. Poor Grandpa bean jus doesn't hab no appetite atall. He says dat eberyting tastes bad, or at least not good, an it makes him feel not hungry.

Atom: Me can't magine not being hungry. Me's hungry alla time! It must be really bad to not like food.

Dinky: Me tinks Grandpa bean must be bonkers! How can anyone not like food? Me likes most anytin atall! Me lubs peas an taters an hamburgers an all sortsa stuffers.

Emily: Dat's cause yous weird. Kitties is not sposed to like peas! An yous crazy too, cause Grandpa bean isn't bonkers. Mom says it's maybe da medicine he's taking what is makin da food not taste good.

Atom: Well, den, he oughta stop takin it den, me meow. Dat only makes sense, don't yous tink?

Chester: Grandpa and Mom have talked about him not taking the medicine, but last time he tried to not take it he got to feeling real real sick. I guess he still needs it to feel better. The good thing is, he is feeling better. He is getting stronger and even going without his oxygen for hours some days. That's really really good!

Emily: Yeah, Mom says he's walking round some widout da walker tingy what day's had him using an doin all sortsa physical therapy an playin da piano and lots ub stuffers. He still habs bad days when he doesn't feel good atall but he do seem to be getting lots an lots better fur sure!

Atom: Well, me tinks it's great dat Grandpa bean is feeling so much better at least some ub da times, but me still tinks day oughta do sometin to helps him eat. It's not good to not eat, me meows! Me tinks me'd be starbin to deafers ifn me couldn't eat good. Me is starbin to deafers as soon as da food bowls is empty!

Chester: Mom and Grandpa have talked to the doctor about that. The pain medicine they have Grandpa on makes him feel real good, but he has to go off of it if he's going to get his taste back. But not having it makes him feel terrible-really sick to his stomach and stuff-so the doctor has taken him off another medicine too, and added some stuff to try to help his tummy feel better. So far it isn't working too well. Without the pain medication Grandpa feels awful, and tireder than he was feeling on the medicine. But they are trying all sorts of things to help make him feel good. And they're trying to make sure there is all sorts of stuff on his tray at meal times so that maybe there will be something he can eat.

Emily: I's not sure ifn dat sounds like a paw in da right direction or not, but I guess it must be. He habs to be able to taste food to eat it. I sure hope da doctors an nurses get him straightened out soon so as he really gets all going home kinda better.

Dinky: Me too. Me miss seein Grandpa. Me miss seein Mom too. She's gone way way too much alla da time. Me likes it better when bof ub da Moms is home most alla da time. Alla alla da time would be eben better, me meows! Does yous tink dat once Grandpa gets to go home Mom will be able to be home like she used to?

Chester: Maybe. I know that when Grandpa does get to go home Sissy and her husband will be coming up to stay with him for a while, so maybe that will give Mom a break and let her spend more time at home.

Emily: I sure hope so. I am getting left out fur way too long here lately, cause Mom2 is asleep a lot when Mom is gone, an so dar's no one to let me in an out wheneber I want.

Chester: You would go in and out every other minute if Mom and Mom2 would let you. I don't know why you can't ever make up your mind whether you want to be in or out. It's just plain silly! If you're in you want to be out, if you're out you want to be in, and then when you come in you want to go right back out again! You're nuttier than the Moms!

Emily: Dat's my purgogative as Queen. I should be able to do anyting I wants anytime. An course I habs to patrol da territory all by myself now dat Harry habs gone to Rainbow Bridge, and but den I gets hungry so as I want to come in and get a bite to eat an den go back out an patrol some more. Sides, ifn I get stuck inside fur too long deese wort boys gets on my nerbs. What I need is a cat door!

Chester: You know that isn't going to happen. If the Moms put in a cat door the boys would get out, and the freeloaders would come in. Remember how it was before the deck was all closed in and the freeloaders would come up anytime they wanted? And how Dinky ran off for three whole days and drove the Moms nuts trying to catch him? There's no way the Moms are going to install a cat door.

Dinky: Me wouldn't runs way like dat agin, me doesn't tink. Me is sceered ub da door to outside. But me is eben sceerder bout somtin dat Em said what made me tink sometin bad. Yous don't tink dat Grandpa bean will go to Rainbow Bridge an not get better, do yous?

Chester: No, Dinky, you don't have to worry about that. Grandpa was very sick for a while, but not going to Rainbow Bridge sick. Now he's just having to recover. Grandpa will be fine, in time.

Atom: I was tinkin da same ting. It's good to hear yous say dat, Chester. Me doesn't want anyone goin to Rainbow Bridge atall cause den we doesn't get to see dem no more. Me miss getting to see Harry a lot, an me sure wouldn't want to hab to miss anyone elset! Cause ifn Grandpa could go to Rainbow Bridge, who's to say who elset might go too, maybe eben da Moms!

Dinky: Oh, dat would be turrible!

Chester: Why, that's very sweet of you two, and very uncat-like! But really you needn't worry. No one is going to go to Rainbow Bridge anytime soon.

Dinky: Good! Cause ifn da Moms went to Rainbow Bridge, who would feed us?

Emily: And who would open the door for me?

Chester: Oh, brother!

Cat Chat 11-13-01
Grandpa Comes Home

Atom: Well, da Grandpa bean finally gots to go home fur good. Mom was all worried bout it fur days befur day sprunged him loose, cause she wanted to be sure dat he was really well enuff to go home. But all da nurses an doctors an fikil farapists said dat Grandpa was doing good, eben doe his tummy hurt lots ub da time. So, da doctor said he could go home and Grandpa was jus thrilled to deafers. It had been most a month an a half since he'd been home.

Emily: Mom was happy too, cause eben doe she were worried at first, she nosed dat alla dem nurses an doctors and stuffers saying Grandpa was better enuff to go home meant he really was getting better, ifn yous nose what I means. He was furry weak and tired, but he were real cited. But his tummy got to feelin bad, so as day had to gib him some medicine fur his tummy befur he left da Medical Center place. Well, it were all furry good dat Grandpa got to goes home, an eben better was dat Sissy an her husband were headin up from dar house way down on da oder end ub da state so as to be at Grandpa's house dat night. But still it took Mom alla da whole day to get Grandpa all packed up an alla his stuffers into da car. An he had a lot ub stuffers too, cause he'd been at da Medical Center place fureber!

Chester: Only about two weeks, really, but with that and all the hospitaling it seemed like forever, especially to Grandpa and Mom! Well, Grandpa was so excited to be going home, and so unhappy with the food at the Medical Center, that he cancelled his lunch plate, so of course he and Mom had to stop at McDonalds on the way to his house to get his something to eat. And this was after Mom had spent like an hour and a half packing a hauling everything to the car.

Emily: Yeah, Mom was already pooped jus from dat!

Atom: She sure were! But day shared a fish sammich, which is somtin what Grandpa likes pretty good. His taste hadn't come back alla way, but he ate it ok, but he was tired tired, jus from alla da citment, me guesses.

Dinky: It were lots ub citment, me meows! Me nose dat citment wears me out big time!

Emily: Dat's only cause when yous gets cited yous run round da house like mad, stupid wort! Grandpa gets wored out jus from breathin or walkin a little. But anyways, Mom gots him home an he immeditly clappsed in his bed. Mom turned on his lectric blanky an heatin pad an turneded up da house heat, cause it was cold in da house cause no one was stayin dar. Den she unloaded alla his stuffers from da car an put it all away, and den, tired as she was, she went off to da store, cause alla da stuffers what beans eat dat go bad ifn day isn't used in time was all throwed away, an Grandpa needed milk an stuffers like dat.

Atom: She tol Mom2 dat she were jus bout sleep-drivin to get to da store an back way up to Grandpa's house. Me hates to hab Mom get so tired like dat. Me worries bout her, cause she can get real sick from getting too tired. But she was real happy when she got back cause Sissy an her husband was jus gotten dar. So Mom jus hugged dem and brought in da groceries an come home an clappsed.

Chester: Yes, it was really really good that Sissy and Kenneth Darling came up, because Mom couldn't have done anything more, and Grandpa was still too weak to do anything for himself. So, Sissy and Kenneth Darling took over and Mom got to rest for a couple of days, and that was really good. Except that Sissy was all worried because Grandpa wasn't really all that well and was calling all the time. But a little bit at a time Grandpa is feeling better and better.

Emily: Yeah, dat's cause Sissy an Kenneth Darling is waitin on Grandpa hands an footers. Mom says dat's what he needs, cause he's still feelin too bad to do much fur hisself. It's really good dat Sissy an her husband could come up an help, cause widout dem Mom would hab to stay wid Grandpa an help him, an dat would wear her out to death. She got wored out enuff looking after him wid alla dem nurses an oder beans around alla day an night.

Atom: Sides, ifn Sissy an her husband hadn't come up an Mom had habed to go stay wid Grandpa, we wouldn't hardly hab got to see her atall! She wouldn't hab habed time to eben come home, an would hab to sleep up at Grandpa's house an eberytin. Den who would we sleep wid? Me lub da Grandpa bean, an me nose dat Mom woulda done it ifn she had to, but me woulda hated to habs her gone alla alla time. She already gone lotsa da time.

Dinky: Yeah, but we tawt dat Sissy an her husband bein here would mean Mom would be home alla da time again, but it habn't turned out dat way atall. Mom is still goin up to see Grandpa, but eben more dan dat she's going off an spending all sortsa time wid Sissy! She's gone almost more den befur!

Chester: Well, she doesn't get to see Sissy much because she lives so far away, and they really like each other. You can't really blame her for wanting to spend some time with her.

Emily: Sure we can! She needs to spend more time wid us an Mom2, not wid Sissy!! Some days we hardly see her atall! An she's already been gone so much! An Mom2 is gone a lot too deese days. Day needs to stop going all ober da place an stay home an be wid us an do whateber we wants, I meow! Day belongs to us, after all!

Atom: Me meows dat too! Da Moms is gone altogder way too much. An what happens when Sissy leabs? Den Mom will still agin be gone alla time looking after Grandpa!

Chester: Maybe not. I don't think Sissy and Kenneth Darling are going to leave until Grandpa is ready to be pretty much on his own. Sissy has even talked about taking him down to stay with them for a while if necessary. I think in another few weeks things will start to get back to normal.

Atom: A few weeks! But dat's fureber! Me wants da Moms to be home alla time now!

Dinky: Me nose what we can do! We can pray real real hard dat Grandpa bean gets better real furry soon, an Mom2 too so as she won't hab to go to all deese bean vet pointments she's goin too, an den we'll hab dem bof back like normal!

Chester: That's a wonderful thought, Dinky. I think that's exactly what we need to do.

Emily: Me too. How can a little wort be so smart?

Cat Chat 11-22-01
No Fun Fur Thanksgiving

Chester: We had the most terrible Thanksgiving we've ever had, and I'm mad about it. We always had wonderful Thanksgivings before, but this year…

Emily: Dis year we didn't hab no real Thanksgibin atall is what we had! You'd tink dat on such a special day da Moms would be sure us kitties…

Chester: And dragons!

Emily: Would be included in da festivitieses. But nooooo! We was stuck in da house all toder all day long by ourselfes. Which means I was stuck inside all day wid da wort boys, an didn't get to patrol or nothin atall!

Chester: And there wasn't even any good food smells, and there sure wasn't any good food! Oh, we got some leftover after the Moms came home, but it just wasn't the same at all! Thanksgiving should mean a house full of wonderful smells from the kitchen and a table full of tons of ham and yams and other yummy things, not a couple of plates covered in plastic wrap! It should mean all of the family together, but I guess we aren't part of the family unless everyone comes to our house (sniff).

Emily: Not dat I'd want to go riding off to anyone else's house jus to be part ub da family! Da Moms hab gone too far dis time. It's bad enuff dat Mom goes alla time to look after Grandpa an spend time wid Sissy, but to leabs us all lone on Thanksgibin wid no yummy food is way too much, I meow! We habs to get deese beans in paw, we do!

Dinky: Me tawt dat we was habin Tankgibin. Mom cookeded some stuffers da night befur. An me heared Chester talk all bout how wunnerful Tankgibin dinner were an all dat, but me tink Tankgibin is a bunch ub cat poo. Da ham scraps what da Moms gab me was yummy, but da whole ting sure wasn't what Chester was talkin it up to be atall.

Atom: It sure wasn't. It wasn't a ting like last year. Last year was great! Me aggrees wid da Em dat we habs to get da Moms under paw agin. Day is getting mighty uppity, goin off alla da time an leabin us an not doin tings da way day's sposed to be done. Now, me nose dat Grandpa wasn't feeling too good still an maybe it woulda been a liddle hard to hab him ober here like we did last year, but me tinks da Moms shoulda done dat anyways. Mom coulda went an got him an tooked him home an stuffers, an den we'd hab habed a good Tanksgibin all togeder like a family should!

Chester: Well, there was Sissy and her husband to consider. It would have been crowded her with all of them here, and I'm not sure you cats would have liked having all those people here for dinner. I know how you don't much like people coming over. But still, with Sissy and her husband here, I think they could have had Thanksgiving with Grandpa and the Moms could have had Thanksgiving with us! It would only have been fair, I think!

Emily: Now you're thinking like a cat! Now you unnerstand dat it's us who runs da show, not da Moms!

Chester: Well, when it comes to not getting lots of ham and yams something has to be done! This isn't a minor inconvenience, like not getting to go out exactly when one wants to. This is ignoring our needs and feelings entirely, and that's just not right!

Atom: It sure isn't! We deserbe respect, we does! We sure doesn't want Christmas to be ruint like Tanksgibin were. We gots to moob fast to gets dem Moms in line, we does!

Dinky: Yeah! So, what does we do?

Emily: Well, we've been growlin an poutin and telling dem off good. But I thinks we needs to do more dan dat.

Chester: So do I. We need to insist that the Moms start spending more time at home.

Emily, Atom and Dinky: Yeah!

Chester: And tell that that they absolutely have to have Christmas here with us, not at anyone else's house!

Emily, Atom and Dinky: Yeah!

Chester: And…and…

Dinky: An what?

Emily: Oh! I nose! I'll tell dem I won't roll ober on da floor an be bootiful fur dem anymore ifn day don't do what we say!

Atom: That's a good idea! Me'll tell dem dat me won't gibs dem no more full furrings ifn day doesn't start staying home.

Dinky: Boy, dat will ,really get Mom! She lubs dem full furrins an whines when she don't get dem enuff. Let's see…oh! Me'll tell dem dat me won't be all snuggly wuggly wid dem ifn day don't start actin right. Dat will get dem, me meow!

Chester: It will indeed. And I'll tell Mom that she'll have to start typing the Cat Chat's herself if we don't have Christmas here!

Emily, Atom and Dinky: Gasp!

Emily: Wow, Chester, dat's really going all out! Ifn Mom don't come under paw wid dat threat nothing will straighten her out! It won't do much to straighten out Mom2, tho. But…I think not habin us be bootiful an snuggly an gibin her furrins will do da trick more den nicely. So, gang, is we all set to get da Moms under paw?

Atom: Yous bets!

Dinky: Sure am!

Chester: Absolutely! We have to have a good Christmas, with lots of ham and yams!

Emily: All right, then, let's go talk to da Moms! Hey, Moms! We's gots sometin to disguss wid yous!!

Cat Chat 11-27-01
The Homewreckers

Emily: Grrr, dem stupid wort boys! Here we habs a long searus talk wid da Moms bout how day isn't treatin us right, an get dem to feel all guilty an promise to be better beans an stay home more an stuffers, an what does dem worts go an do? Day runs wild and wrecks da house! Claws an tails da Moms were mad! How is we sposed to keep da Moms under paw ifn certain worts go an be's bad kitties?

Atom: We wasn't doin nuttin. We was jus pwayin is all. It's fun runnin round da house all up an ober eberyting!

Dinky: It sure is! We runs and chases each da oder an runs more an goes skittering cross da kitchen floor an eberythin! It's major funness. Heehee!

Emily: But yous riunt eberyting! We was tryin to keep dem Moms under paw an den yous goes an wreck da house an makes dem mad at us. Now day won't listen to us atall, I meow!

Chester: Oh, I don't know about that. Mom2 was pretty upset at first, but I think Mom thought it was funny. Of course, part of what Mom thought was so funny was Mom2's note about the HEATHENS, as she put it, trashing the house.

Emily: Oh, Mom2 were furry upset! She weren't a bit happy bout habin to clean up alla dat mess first ting when she got up! Da only reason Mom wasn't as mad was cause she didn't hab to clean it up first ting when she got up like Mom2 did. I mean, really! Cat food all over the floor! Not just a little over the floor. All ober da floor, in ebery nook an crany an den some! An our dry food tin all squisheded up!

Dinky: It were an asident! It jus squished all on it's own. We habed nuttin to do wid dat. We was jus pwaying, like Addom says.

Emily: Yeah, right! It got squished all on it's on when one ub yous plowed into it!

Atom: Well…but we didn't mean to squish it. It jus happened. An den da food went flyin an we went flyin an more food went flyin an…it were an asident, like Dinky says.

Emily: Humph! An I spose dat alla dem papers an magazines an stuffers all ober da libin room were an accident too!

Atom: Ub course it was! We were jus runnin all ober da tables an stuffers an, well, tings went dis way an dat way an it were so fun dat we hepped dem go dis way an dat way…some…after day asidently went dis way an dat way, ub course! We would neber make tings go dis way an dat way ifn day wasn't already doin it on their own!

Emily: Yeah, right again! Like yous neber drag throws offen da chairs or washcloths out from da baffrooms or run off wid Mom2's bedroom shoes!

Atom: Well…

Emily: Admit it, yous did it on purpose!

Dinky (hiding behind Atom): Addom, me tinks she's really mad at us!

Atom: No, she jus being all huffy like she do alla time. Now Em, looks at it dis way: dis be our house, right? Ours, not da Moms'. Isn't dat right?

Emily: Well, ub course! We owns da house an da Moms an eberyting in it! But…

Atom: But so ifn we owns da house, den we should be able to do whateber we wants wid what's in da house, right?

Emily: Well ub course we can do whateber we wants wid what's in da house! We owns it all…wait a minute! What is yous gettin at?

Atom: Well, it only makes sense dat ifn we owns eberythin an can do whateber we wants wid it, den we wasn't really wreckin da house. We was jus doin whateber we wanted wid our own stuffers!

Dinky: Sides, it were an asident!

Emily: What??? Um…hmmm. Well, dat sorts makes sense, sorta, but…

Chester: You have to admit, Em, that it does make perfect cat logic. If we own everything in the house, then the boys ought to be able to do whatever they like. You cats are always saying that everything is yours and the Moms are just your servants. So, if they have to clean up something the boys did, what's the difference between that and cleaning the cat box, or getting up to let you in and out twenty times a day?

Emily: Dar's a big differnce! Cleanin da cat box an letting me in an out is part ub da Moms' jobs! Jus like feedin us is part ub dar jobs. But habin to pick up stuffers dat da worts strew all ober da place is different cause…cause…it's jus different! I don't tear up da house, an neider do yous, Chester. It's jus da boys what mess things up.

Chester: I bet you knocked a few things over when you were a kitten.

Emily: Me??? Neber! Me was a good kitten. Me neber got in any trouble!

Atom: As yous says, yeah, right! All kittens gets in trouble. It's part ub our job. Sides, mosta da time da Moms like watchin us run round bein crazy.

Emily: Well, dat's true nuff, ifn yous isn't doing bad tings. But dat's not da point ub da whole matter. We's tryin to get da Moms to behabe an how is we sposed to make dem behabe ifn we don't behabe? We needs to act like responsible kitties so as to set a xample fur dem, so dat day'll stay home alla time an we'll hab a good Christmas.

Chester: I really don't think Atom and Dinky making a mess of the place now and then is going to make any difference in how the Moms act. After all, they know the boys are just silly kittens. Atom's right, the boys are supposed to act that way.

Atom: Yeah! Yous tell her, Chester. Da Moms like us being silly!

Emily: Humph! Well, maybe yous right, but ifn da Moms don't straighten up an get under paw it will be da boys' fault, dat's fur sure!

Chester: I think we've got the Moms where we want them.

Emily: We better! (glaring at the boys) Ifn we don't habs a good Christmas I'll tear you worts up, I will!

Dinky: Me tinks me's gonna hide til after Christmas!

Cat Chat is © 1999 - 2007, 2008 Ariel, Emily, Atom, Dinky, Harry, and Chester the Dragon. All rights reserved worldwide. This column may not be reprinted in part or whole without express permission of Ariel.

Poetry Corner
“A Warm Moment” 11.18.71 
by L. E. Shaffer © 2001 L. E. Shaffer

A wistfulness
A long time gone
Has come back
Welcome, you warm memories...

As if the sun
Has made me golden
And feeling all warm
And happiness, a giddy state

Music throbbing,
Certain words
A flowing sound
Yes, it all comes back...

There was you in those days
Yes, we were young
And you were smiling
Memories so warm a glow is left

The music is over
The night has befallen me
Here I am in the present
And all I have is
A wistfulness
A long time gone
Goodbye, you fleeting memories...

© 2001 L. E. Shaffer

Hockey Puck
In the NHL the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning continue to lose with a win or a tie in there somewhere but not often enough. I still enjoy the NHL though. In the MLB they are thinking of doing away with two teams so that the bigger teams won't have to support them. Thankfully, fans, politicians, and the media are raking the MLB over the coals for this. NASCAR saw my favorite driver finally win a race after seven long years. Congrats to Bill Elliot. Jeff Gordon won his fourth Winston Cup Series Championship. Only two other drivers have won as many, Petty and Earnhardt. In the NBA Michael Jordan's comeback is going well for him personally, but his Washington Wizards are losing a lot of close games. In the PGA, Tiger Woods is back with a vengeance. He won the Grand Slam of Golf quite handily. Tiger will do well in the Skins game too. In the NFL, the New York Jets once again beat the Miami Dolphins. The Jets took over first place over the Dolphins.

Guest Articles
We have various guests this journal. As always everything is copyright of the author.

Misty-Blue