I truly wish I had more time to gaze upon my sleeping cats. As Jane Pauley so accurately states, you absolutely cannot look at one without feeling the tension fade away from your stressful day…

Margaret Jane Pauley (born October 31, 1950 in Indianapolis, Indiana), better known as Jane Pauley, is an American television journalist, and has been involved in news reporting since 1975. She is best known for her 13-year tenure on NBC’s Today program, followed by 12 years as co-host of Dateline NBC, and for her public acknowledgements of her struggle with mental health and bipolar disorder.  She is married to the Doonesbury cartoonist, Garry Trudeau, and they have three children. (Wikipedia)

Happy to provide a smile on this Wordless Wednesday for any of you that might need a tiny stress relieving break! Harley is our couch potato extraordinaire and it’s a shame that she just can’t relax…

Thank you to Karen Brademeyer for this very popular quote, but I could not find any information about her to share!

To see full beauty of image, please click to enlarge

I cannot even pretend that this quote was not written specifically for me. My cats have me wrapped so tightly around their little paws that even a stranger could recognize that fact. Oh well, I would wager a very strong bet that most of you reading this would swear that quote was written specifically for you as well…

Bill Dana (born October 5, 1924) is an American comedian, actor, and screenwriter. He often appeared on television shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show and began his career as a page at NBC’s famous Studio 6B while performing comedy in nightclubs around New York. He has been on The Imogene Coca Show, The Danny Thomas Show, and The Martha Raye Show. (wikipedia)

To see full beauty of image, please click to enlarge

Who among us has not seen that intense, faraway look a cat has. Where do they go? It would seem they are miles away in thought, perhaps in some distant world filled with fluttering butterflies, hovering birds, scampering bunnies, chattering squirrels and heaven knows what else. Or perhaps it is nothing at all, but a speck of dirt on the window… With a cat, one will really never know…

To see full beauty of image, please click to enlarge

Sure, there are times that my cats judge me – when I dare to sleep in the morning, when I do not feed them at precisely 6:00 pm on the dot, and when I have the audacity to remove them from my numb lap when I have to get up and use the bathroom. They do not judge me, however, when I am not wearing makeup or if I am wearing ratty old sweatpants. They have no interest whatsoever in what my political views are and they are not remotely impressed that I am an author while holding a full-time job. They live by their own rules and I think that is why I respect cats so much, as did Andre Norton of this prolific quote. I love the contrast of Peanut in this image against the black background of the patio furniture and the stunning juxtaposition of the ceramic zebra next to her. It all seems to imply that we should accept life for what it is without discrimination. I also love the connection between cats and creativity. In light of my circle of cat friends, I would agree wholeheartedly.

 Andre Alice Norton (1912  –  2005) was an American science fiction and fantasy author who published her first novel in 1934 and was the first woman to receive the Gandalf Grand Master Award from the World Science Fiction Society in 1977. An important role in Norton’s books is often given to animals — both ordinary terrestrial ones, such as cats (with whom she had much personal experience) and exotic fictional ones, whose characteristics are meticulously worked out. Many of Norton’s animals are highly intelligent without being anthropomorphic, acting as virtually full partners to the human protagonists and in many books forming telepathic links with them. (Wikipedia)