Come in from the Cold, Josiette, Josiette!

Today and quite suddenly, our wee early morning, earmarked as a the start of a Satchel Packing Day, took a turn! Presently, Josiette and I would be at the close of her and her shiny new, black kitty Clarinet’s makereadies for

(A "something" about Josiette that you might otherwise would not have known, unless this little birdie told you: Upon her return to her charges, she will be celebrating her happiest year yet (number six) as their loving nanny! A well-deserved congratulations be yours, dear “Miss Poppins”!)
their road trip home,

as they shall point themselves in that direction, come bright and dawny Friday. (O the funs and frolics we have pulled from each others pockets during her memory~album~pages~filling, several~weeks stay with me, here, while I am caretaking at Gemmama’s!) Instead, and as if mysteriously triggered by the unlatch of the first suitcase we intended to make thick with freshly foldeds, Josiette did ACHOO! And, then, again...and again...and AGAIN! “Oh, no!” to the very thought of such an untimely, respiratory echo!

All matters regarding the making fluffy of

Josiette’s luggage

were put on ice, as I chop~chop gave answer to her “What ever shall I do?!” “The Brick,” I assured her, “The Brick!” And with scurry in both feet I did trot off to my grandmother's kitchen.

After red~hotting by oven Gemmama’s medicinal ashlar, I placed the block in a pan beneath Josiette’s chair with a flannel covering the seat. Whilst a back~into~her~pajamas sneezer claimed sips from a large cup of ginger and yarrow tea, the minder nurse (<~~~ That would be me!) poured hard humming water over the brick, until the tin it be in was full to the half~way. Swaddle~wrapped in a blanket fat and heavy was my dear Josiette, who I had sit down upon this healing throne.

Spoons of orange Royal
I did nourish her with,
until dew of her own body’s making
began on her face.

Afterwhichbe, a hasty but careful ---so as not to egg on chills, not even those of the slightest rank-–- cleansing rinse of warmed vinegar and water was next called for, followed by a blot~off completely. Then, straight to bed Josiette did go.

At her side and on Gemmama’s famous hilled~ottoman puffy~fabricated from a rich red upholstery with dotting white velveteen tuffs <~~all to mirror a toadstool’s look, ~~~> I perched. As my grandmother’s

phonograph played,

I listened with Josiette to special spots of Truman’s The Thanksgiving Visitor, till Dreamland kindly took her over. Despite delay, her sniffles~in~sleep became purrs of a kitten, and

the hovering Florence Nightingale
that I be
at last breathed a sigh of sweet relief!

In minutes short I will return to Josiette in the cozy Pink Room where she rests, to re~tuck and make coverlets to her chin. As her Nose Nasties continue to shift and lift, at her bedside I shall attentively sit. There and by then, since the knowings can now be counted on as All Is Wells, I will

cast on thirty stitches,

those of which I next shall knit one, purl one, knit six, purl two, (purl one, knit one) five times to make a first row. Row two will behave likewise, only a tadly reversed. So forth and so on but only a little bittle more my needles shall play clicky. Then begin again and finish again two times mair this mesh I’ll make from toty amounts of worsted~weight wool gray.

Once

catnip~stuffed and sewn into closed, I’ll have Mousies enough to treat Gemmama’s Spot, Josiette’s Clarinette, and my very own pointy-eared, fur bundle Puddle! I love when meowing faces smile! And I love happily ever afters, don't you?

Dearest Josiette:

Be well soon.
Love, E.

Postscript: Meant not only as remedy for that which calls for many consecutive geshudteits, vapor baths work their wonder on days when you think the water’s going to carry you away, as well!

Picture Book Illustrations: Mary Poppins by Mary Shepard for P.L. Travers' classic series, Harry Whittier Frees/Kitties!

I Dub Thee...

At midnight twice ago, beneath the passing clouds that hid from us the night sky’s sparkles (whose twinklings we so largely hard~hoped would accent our evening’s planned and merry pandemonium, but, alas, could not ~~ yet make do, we did: several strands of blinking yuletide incandescents extention-corded from out the house’s jib door-window, snaked its way to the grapevine arbor where it draped quite nicely and began its stint as a magical, stellary garnish!), my dear friend and house guest, Josiette; her new catta kitty, Clarinet; my from~the~same~kindle tom,

(Look who is sprouting by bounces and pounces!)

Puddle;

Gemma’s gib and my charge while she is Across the Pond, Spot (who, in point of fact, had better things to do, so he was more “there” than “here”); my other dear chum, Soose, and I curled round Soose’s preferred lantern,

a family "heirloom,"
or so he claims (ahem),

middled on one of Gemmama’s plenty big, black sateen bedtop veils in the backgarden. Soose was about to draw the curtain on our ceremony with a reading. As it goes, during the afternoon’s early, whilst Josiette prepared our pre-ceremony supp: her variation of Shepherd’s Pie (Culinary genius that she be, Miss Josiette spins the original receipt by merely substituting the word “Shepherdess” for the word “Shepherd” in its title. VOILA! A more favorful dish indeed!), and

I stoved

a Streuselkin
(Pumpkin Streusel Pie)

for the desserting, Soose searched out Gemmama's library (in which the book is housed) for Mother’s from~when~she~was~a~little~girl edition of Margaret Embrey’s tender and charming and oh so sentimental Halloween story,

The Blue-Nosed Witch.

But first, if you asked our Moments Before, which found us on the coverlet under the outside night, this tale they would tell:

Howbeit I had chosen the name “Puddle” for Puddle upon my first looks at him, his formal Dubbing Ritual had not transpired until minutes ago, because it had to make waits until I settled on a Call Name before the rites could be made true. A Call Name is the name used by a cat’s keeper to literally call his or her pet. Typically, a one-syllable, peaky moniker works best. If it be more than one vocable, it most definitely must shrill the air upon meeting it to be effective.

We cast a magick circle in a clockwise manner and summoned the elemental spirits of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. On that occasion, in the circle’s center was lighted the lantern’s candle that had been anointed with a few driblets of Catnip essential oil. With arms like a loving cradle, I held my kitten; Josiette, likewise hers. We put gentle strokes to our animal’s fur, and when each began to purr, we visualized the feline surrounded by a protective aura of the whitest light and then nine times we did impart the following prayer (once for each of the cats' nine lives):

Puddle Pie
(Josiette spoke “Clarinet Teasweet”)
is the name I give thee.
Puddle Pie (Josiette again spoke "Clarinette Teasweet")
is the one who ye shall be.
And may the sound
of thy new name
Magick and power ninefold claim.
May ye live free and blessed be
By goddess Bastet. So mote it be!

After the recitations, a consecrated wand traced the scared symbol of the pentacle in the air over each kitten. Along with Soose, we did give thanks, sealing a name to each cat with a forehead kiss. Before uncasting our circle, we bade farewell to the elemental spirits and stilled the candle’s glow. Including sleepyheaded kittens, Josiette and I did then gave listens while Soose read to us from

my favorite childhood novel:

[INTRODUCTION] "Not more than four of five Halloweens ago there was a very young witch named Blanche who owned a broom, a back cat named Brockett, and a bright blue nose. She belonged to a very special scurry of witched, Scurry No. 13, known in the best witch circles all over the country for its beautiful flight formation.

The Grand Madame, who had been leader of the club for as long as any of them could remember, flew center front. She used a vacuum cleaner instead of a broom, and when she gunned her motor it sounded as exciting as a fire engine.

On the far right was Minnie Max waving her blood-red finger nails in the dark; they really did shine like rubies. And on the far left was Blanche’s best friend, Josephine, who had long yellow fluorescent teeth that gleamed like stars.

In between and a little behind flew the nine rather ordinary witches who were only expected to follow the Grand Madame’s lead, and cackle with horrid glee at appropriate times.

And last came Blanche, usually far, far behind. If it hadn’t been for her marvelous blue nose that she could turn on and off at will, she wouldn’t have been allowed in Scurry No. 13 at all...”

POSTSCRIPT: If a cat number two be in my stars, I shall name it

Streusel!

Gemmama Called! Gemmama Called!

Although this wasn’t THE actual postcard from Gemmama, given her message~intentions, it truly would have been the purrrfect “pick of the litter” to send!

One week ago this day, my grandmother, who remains Across the Pond where she pays visits to her dear friend Luella, jingled me! And, indeed, it was a wee wee early last Monday morning (It would be 6pm, their clock.), when Gemmama and her forever-let-the-good-times-roll partner put down their esscential doings to place a counted on call to me.

(The Esscential Doings: Neither my grandmother nor Luella have ever dealt gently with human deodorizers or Central Air, but that doesn’t mean they surrender their toilette. Instead they trust Lavender-Scented Full Moon Water Spritz before pressing their frocks and linens. (Yes and can you imagine?! These two hens still keep lively their ironing boards!) And nearly at the start, when her receipt called for witch hazel,

Gemmama deemed it necessary to substitute with vodka. Methinks it's much ado about the 100~proof, that of which these two concocters merrily sip before the readying, during the readying, after the makehay, and even while they same~day spritz! More about Lavender~Scented Full Moon Water in a while.)

After an overthewire, quick exchange of “Hellos” and “Oh, How I’ve Missed Yous," Gemmama joyously (and with happy tears in her eyes, I could just tell!) exclaimed, “A card large with importance from we to you has been full chisel sent!” Then she boldly underlined it with, “Be wide-awake of Thomas.” (Thomas being Gemmama’s mail carrier.)

The delivery arrived promptly the following day: a lovely postcard whose illustration expressed a picturesque Welsh countryside and whose backside, penned in Luella’s beautifancy (I'd know it anywhere!), read:

To Our Cherished Pet,

Inked to paper, then torn in half
And bubbled in a caldron bath,
By coalish cats with eyes: marine,
By all the Magick ever seen,
Your wish is granted and anointed–
Now make haste the time appointed!
Love, G. & L.

Beneath the charmed directive and written
in her signature nervous~pigeon~walking scrawl,
Gemmama added:

Off with you, then, in well-timed fashion to 1333, where your dream awaits you. NOW SCAT!
P.S. Bring with you a paper sack into which your hastened breaths in and out shall go, for surely the excitement will take you miles!

Ever since I can remember, my heart~want has been to call a Magickal cat my very own. But it just hadn’t happened yet. That is, not until Josiette and I, with small brown bags in hand, bee~lined to Miss Monica’s, two houses over.

Trumpet fanfare, please!
(But not too full~volume, as he is still a morsel-bit mousy.)

INTRODUCING:

Puddle!

Monica’s cat Boo mixed up a small batch of three kittens about seven weeks ago. Puddle is mine (all mine!) and his lookalike brother is now the latest family member of another neighbor, Ina, two houses the other way from Gemmama’s. And Josiette~~ahhh, my ever~patient Josiette! She has been promised the black cat sister (whom she’s already christened Clarinet), just as soon as the little scamp is finished hiding!

Hmm. Thinking backward in my head, I recall a weeks ago, stifling night at the top part of August, when a sleepy me flipped over my pillow in hopes of finding cool. Suddenly, the entire feathered pudding went sweetly warm and cozy! And I inexplicably smiled, as I am at this point, only this go ‘round, my inside~knowing tells me the exact answer (and so, too, did Miss Monica, verifying with her Kitty Birth Records): That mysterious calefacient had ocurred at the bull’s-eye moment that Puddle met the world!

Come this week’s Thursday, my very own pussycat and I (and positively Josiette and Clarinet) will celebrate our first full Moon together! I am so excited that I’d best be putting little paper bags at the top of the market list!

POSTSCRIPT:

Lavender-Scented
Full Moon Water Spritz
(low yield)

1 couple of small, sealable Masons (jars)
2 teaspoons lavender essential oil
5 tablespoons 100~proof vodka (or witch hazel, if that would be your preference)
1 cup Full Moon water
spritz bottle

Let oil an vodka cooperate by shaking vigorously together. Add Full Moon water and store in previously cleansed~of~negative~energies vessels. Keep in a dark place for fourteen days. When ready to use, shake jar ever so gently, so as not to bruise or bend the luna charge. TO USE: Lavender~Scented Full Moon water~fill a cleansed atomizer. Fine mist on clothing (including dailies, work clothes, romantics and other fine washables, or spray on bed dressings, curtains ~~any fabric items calling for fresh and crisp) before putting an iron to it.

lavender forest, lavender atomizer