23 May 2007

Lest You Fail to Recognize Me

Today, I'm a bit of a grouch again. I just found out when my mother called. I heard the testiness in my voice, recognized my own resistance to her reassurances, felt my impatience with her story of falling off the bottom rung of a ladder at work. Maybe it's because I started talking about going to Dottie's while D is away. I really don't want to go away from home. And if Oscar the cat can't come with me, I will be upset. See? Foretelling doom already, back to my old pessimistic self.

Right now Oscar is lying on the couch next to me, with his hindquarters pressed against my thigh and his eyes half-closed while his front paws knead the edge of the quilt I use for naps. I read somewhere that cats who are prematurely weaned take up that kneading habit as a comfort -- and even though he's more than 3 years old Oscar still does it. At least I quickly taught him not to knead me -- he uses his claws.

I might also be grouchy because I'm in a lot of pain today. My torso, which had started to improve, seized up on me again and has been really hurting today. Or maybe the cognizance of pain increased as the good tidings of motherhood subsided; chicken or the egg. After all, look at what I entitled yesterday's blog entry.

I have two novel recommendations: "Thirteen Moons," by Charles Frazier, author of Cold Mountain, another book I loved, is equally wonderful. Of course, he writes about my beloved Appalachian landscape, and about a time period and people that fascinate me, but his prose itself is so beautiful, so surprising and new and clever, I know I would love it if he were writing about earthworms. I finished Thirteen Moons the other day and just adored it. The second is a novel I'm still in the middle of, "Saving Fish From Drowning," by Amy Tan. Like the other book, I bought this one having heard nothing about it before I saw it in the store, knowing that I would enjoy something written by her. There are a few authors like that -- I always love them.

Time for physical therapy. More later.

1 comment:

The Comers said...

thanks for the book recommendations. i loved cold mountain, altho i ABSOLUTELY CANNOT watch taht movie again b/c i was far to traumatized by it. i'm packing up the other books and will get them in the mail today. or maybe tomorrow. definitely by the end of the month. chin up, honey pie. i know it's tough and you feel like, well, caca, but we love you.