Why I Think Kittens Should Stay Young Forever and Where to Stand on Top of the World

It's been awhile and I feel compelled to write something today. However it appears that my creative ability has decided to go on vacation because today’s post is definitely not my most eloquently written. I won't blame anyone who feels like skipping it, but for anyone wanting to read on here a few of the things in my life this week...

I'm going to start off with my least favorite event. First, let's go back in time to July 3rd when I first brought home Faelina. I had brought her home as a foster because in Maine it's not legal for shelters to adopt out cats and dogs who aren't fixed, and Faelina didn't yet meet the 2lb weight requirement to have that surgery (all her brothers and sisters had). She was so tiny she could easily sit on my shoulder and observe as I walked around the apartment doing whatever I needed to.
Now back to present day. Yesterday Faelina went to the vet for her last set of vaccines for the year and of course the first thing that happens at a vet appointment is getting the weight of the animal. I am unhappy to say that she now is 4.4 lbs. I am not surprised by this as now whenever she attempts to sit on my shoulder she ends up having to drape herself over it and cling desperately to my shirt with very sharp claws as she moves around. This all leads me to a question: WHAT is the point of kittens growing up? I understand why puppies need to; they need to be house trained, have obedience classes etc... But kittens basically start using the litter box from go, and trying to train a cat in obedience is futile, so again I ask what is the point?

Now on to books....
This year a large number of the books I have read either have mentioned the story of Alice and Wonderland or had the story as a central theme of theirs. I was never a fan of the Disney Alice in Wonderland movie and so had never felt a desire read the book. I did like the Tim Burton movie version that came out a few years ago though (and not just because Johnny Depp was in it), and so I figured that maybe the appearance of the story in all these other books was a sign from the universe that I should actually read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I got my book from the library along with the second story "Through the Looking Glass". I am happy to say that I did enjoy reading both of them. They may not make my list of all time favorite classics, but I would recommend both to others. The Disney movie actually combines both stories, and I'm glad that I now know that. Of course since I was reading the stories from library books I couldn't follow my usual way of underlining any lines that strike my imagination. Some of them are well known such as "We're all mad here" and "sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast". Here are two others I loved..
"I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt, and perhaps it says, "Got to sleep, darlings 'till the summer comes again" 
and the second...
""What—is—this?" he said at last.
"This is a child!" Haigha replied eagerly, coming in front of Alice to introduce her, and spreading out both his hands towards her in an Anglo-Saxon attitude. "We only found it to-day. It's as large as life, and twice as natural!"
"I always thought they were fabulous monsters!" said the Unicorn.

I am now reading Uncle Tom's Cabin. I feel somewhat ashamed to say that I lived in Brunswick for over a year before I realized that Harriet Beecher Stowe had lived here too and that her old house was just one street over from mine. They say that she got the idea for this novel while sitting in a church that still stands just down the street from my front door. I'm not far into the book yet, but so far I find it compelling. There are some beautiful phrases in there as well and since I'm once more reading a library book and can't mark it up (I so wish I could) I will share those words here...
...a pair or large dark eyes, full of fire and softness"...
.."a whole volcano of bitter feelings burned in his bosom and sent streams of fire through his veins" ..
..."a sword will pierce through your soul for every good and pleasant thing your child is or has; it will make him worth too much for you to keep"...
Hopefully the rest of the story will be written in this same fashion.

This next little bit has to do with food! Whoever the genius was who picked up a julienne peeler then looked at a zucchini and thought to themselves "I wonder if I can use this to make pasta out of zucchini", that person is my hero. I LOVE zucchini pasta, and this week I found a wonderful recipe for it: the pasta (of course) with avocado, garlic, lemon juice and figs! I had never had figs before and it's a fact I am now seriously regretting because they are AWESOME!! That recipe is too and I highly recommend that everyone try it.

And finally, today for the first time this year I went hiking!!!!!! I go to Bradbury Mountain at least once a week but hiking there is really more like a nice easy walk through the woods. Today I did some real hiking full of steep trails, sheer cliffs, and real mountain views! I drove to Grafton Notch and hiked the Table Rock and Eyebrow loop trails. I got there early and started on the Table Rock trail up into a mountain of fog. When I got to the top, I could see clear blue skies above me and only the tops of the mountains and trees surrounding me, everything else was lost in thick blowing clouds. With the wind blowing in my face only myself and nature in sight, I felt like I was standing on the top of the sky. God how I loved it!