Crazy Cat Lady & International Super Spy

Would you believe that the nice little old lady little living alone with her cats in a little flat in a small seaside village in England turns out to be an international war hero and WWII superspy? I would. She probably learned all her secret stuff from her cats.

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

It's happened again. Fall has begun and I've been too busy too notice. It's my favorite season. I love apples, and gourds and pumpkins and mums. And then there's the candy corn. I love candy corn. I've had my little nose to the grindstone so I haven't been enjoying the wonders of the season as much as I should. The weather has turned cool here in SoCal. It really is like autumn. Although the forecasters are already predicting the arrival of the blistering hot Santa Ana winds this weekend...and with those winds the brush fires arrive. In the mean time, I've been enjoying brief moments to read short articles online. I found this one about a little squirrel who was adopted by a cat. And then there was this delightful story about a horse farm in Maryland that is mending the souls of more than just horses. And finally, despite my overwhelming better judgement, I watched a feature news story about the dogs who were found alive on Michael Vick's property when the police raided his dog fighting ring. Everything about this story makes me want to look the other way...but I watched it and was touched. I'm even thinking about buying the book. And making a donation to Johnny Justice -- the newest member of the world of therapy dogs. How far you've come, Johnny! You little tail wagger.

Only 99 Cats To Go...

This is what I fear happens when I'm at work. Roxy has a few friends over and the next thing you know...there's a party going on. It's actually a new commercial for Ikea. They let 100 house cats loose in a store in England....but how did they ever get them all to come back?

And Heaven and Nature Sing...

Are you watching The Choir on BBC America? I'm completely addicted.  It's no Real Housewives of New Jersey, but it has it's moments. There's this guy -- his name is Gareth. He looks a lot like the American Idol contestant Clay Aiken. Only this guy may be an even better singer. There is one thing for sure, Gareth's true passion is to travel around the UK spreading the word of the gospel. And his gospel is a song. He loves to sing and he aims to turn everyone he meets into a choir member. Over the past few weeks I have watched him assemble a rag-tag bunch of middle school hooligans. Turn them into a choir. And then transport them to Royal Albert Hall for a concert. What joy it is to share the world with people like Gareth! You go, young man! You go!

Taking The A-List Train

I got involved in reading an article about Prince Charles taking a train trip to try to increase the knowlege about green tourism. It's an expensive trip! But all that mattered to me was getting to see the interior space of HRH's royal accomodations. The train is lovely but not as lavish as I expected. It doesn't give the Orient Express any competition. Me? I'd be excited to spend some time aboard the Napa County wine train. All aboard!

I Think I'm Suffering From Kitty Vertigo

This is what is going on at my house...only it involves a tunnel.

Toons For Grown Ups

It's that time of year...when I get care packages from home that are full of apples and molasses cookies. It's that time of year when I wish that I could be enjoying the change of seasons. I love fall. And Halloween. And most of all...candy corn. It's also the time of year when the movie industry decides to change things up and release movies that could actually take home awards. It's the time of year when it's nice to stay home and read a book in front of a cozy fire. But not in California...here it's the time of year when the hills are alive with flames. So I'll be watching the television for the new season. Watching the New York Times for movies that I'll have to put on my Netflix list. And I'll be dreaming of going places where you can notice the fall leaves on the trees.