The Fierce Jungle Cat Stalks Its Prey

The fierce jungle cat stalks its prey, the ferocious yellow dandelion.

"Um, it's behind me, isn't it?"

~~~

Sunday was Mother's Day in the U.S., and my brother's family invited us over for a cookout and party in our mother's honor at their home in the Selinsgrove area. All six of us kids (five girls and one boy), plus grandkids, great-grands, and assorted in-laws were able to make it, a feat which is too seldom possible these days.

We had a lovely and mostly sunny May day for our drive and visit. It's just short of two hours to get from our house to theirs, and the drive is a beautiful one, on lovely country roads through green rolling hills and farmlands, and featuring the occasional Amish horse and buggy. The sky was filled with gorgeous, dramatic clouds, and it was quite windy and cool at times, with a freeze warning in effect for both Sunday night and Monday night.

My brother had a new family member he wanted to introduce us to: a wee gray kitten they adopted just a few days ago. The kitten will eventually be an outside cat, but for now it is staying in their garage and is allowed to go outside only under supervision.

The kitten is a tiny little bit of a thing, just a ball of gray floof with a heartbeat and a great big MEW! Many of us in the family are cat lovers, so we took turns visiting with the kitten and holding her. Her name is still in flux. Perhaps you know how it is to name kittens; sometimes it takes a little while.

I was delighted to be able to spend some time with family, and was happy to find my mom and dad, both age 82, in good health and good spirits. My gift to my mom for Mother's Day was a fuchsia plant with the biggest, most colorful blooms - aka Dancing Girls - I've ever seen. (One of those Dancing Girls played the role of Marilyn Monroe in Friday's blip, the famous billowing-skirt subway grate scene.)

The cookout featured cheeseburgers and hot dogs and sausages on the grill. Sides included baked macaroni and cheese, deviled eggs, and fruit salad. Assorted treats such as potato chips and cheese puffs were available for snacking. There was cake and ice cream for dessert.

My own contribution to the meal was baked beans, made with about a pound of bacon and a pound of ground beef and a bunch of other tasty ingredients, cooked in a crockpot for several hours. (And if I dare say so myself, this batch was among the best I've ever made.)

One of my favorite moments of the day occurred during our meal. To my right sat my seven-year-old, blonde-haired, blue-eyed niece. There was much hilarity and silliness going on around us, and she turned to me and whispered sagely into my ear, "You know, your sisters are crazy." And so perhaps we must be . . .

The soundtrack: Creedence Clearwater Revival, Run Through the Jungle.