Reactine Well

Reactine Well

The virtual book launch for my new novel Charybdis just finished and it was lovely, so huge thanks to everyone who came, to my special guests Susan Richardson, Lawrence Moore, and Paul Brookes, and an especially big thank you to my amazing publisher Jane Cornwell of JC Studio Press for organizing it!

Aside from that, it’s been a lovely week because I’m currently kitty sitting my grand-kitty. Kate and her boyfriend are on the West Coast visiting his family, so we’ve been left in charge of the delightful Ilana. The delightful and furry Ilana. Did I mention that I’m very allergic to cats? So while I’m loving taking care of this tiny monster of joy, I’m also stuffed up to the gills, which is being compounded by all the pollen in the air now that spring is finally and definitely here, because if you know anything at all about Canada, you’ll know we actually have something like 13 seasons here, and I take this from the several many memes about Canadian seasons that one can find on the internet:

Winter
Fool’s Spring
2nd Winter
Spring of Deception
Third Winter
Pollen Spring (this is where we are now)
Construction
Summer
False Fall
Second Summer
Fall
Winter Is Coming
Hello darkness my old friend

So you can only imagine how difficult breathing is for me right now, but I can’t help it. Ilana is adorable and sweet and a total little goblin who likes to wake me up in the middle of the night by punching the back of my head and then rubbing her face against my nose until I wake up:

Me: What the hell?
Ilana: There may be a mouse…
Me: Well, go get it. That’s your job.
Ilana: But I want you to know about it. If I catch one, I will bring it to you.
Me: Please do NOT do that.

There is a mouse down here, I’m certain

Like most cats, she’s also very fickle about how and when she receives attention:

Ilana: I present to you my tummy. Please rub it.
Me: Awwww. Such a cute—ouch! Why did you attack my hand?!
Ilana: Changed my mind. Wait. Rub my tummy.
Me: Will you attack my hand again?
Ilana: No, I promise.
Me: Okay. You’re so sweet—ouch!! Damn it!!
Ilana: One more time?
Me: Sigh. Alright.

Of course, she’s still not comfortable around Atlas but she’s getting more used to him, and he still regards her as a wild woodland creature:

Atlas: That skunk is back.
Me: Not a skunk. But don’t bother her regardless. You think a skunk is an issue? Wait until you try to rub her tummy.
Atlas: Fair enough. Will you rub MY tummy?
Me: Will you attack my hand and bite me?
Atlas: What do I look like—a psychopath?

At any rate, we have her for over another week, and I’m thoroughly enjoying everything about her, because, as you can see by the pictures, she is the most precious little kitty in the world—no matter how much of a psychopath she is, and I’m single-handedly keeping the allergy medication people in business.

44 thoughts on “Reactine Well”

  1. Hello, Suzanne!

    It’s been quite a hectic week here at the farm. Much like Canada, Vermont’s weather is notoriously capricious. This year, we seemed to have bypassed spring altogether, leaping straight from winter into an unprecedentedly hot summer. I’ve spent the week diligently tending to the fields, mowing the grass, trimming around the house and garage, and planting more trees. The pollen count is off the charts, making the work even more challenging.

    Due to her autism, Amelia can’t drive the tractor—it’s too large, loud, and has poor suspension—so I’ve taken on that task as well, navigating it around the property daily. Though it’s demanding work, I find it quite fulfilling.

    On a related note, June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month, and Amelia and I are joyfully celebrating together. Life is good! Say hello to everyone for us! 🙂

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  2. I’m sorry I missed the book launch yesterday. It seems like it’s a week of taking care of animals. Yesterday I had to go to a friend’s farm and feed her cows, sheep, and chickens while she’s away. At least Ilana will let you pet her sometimes. I try petting the sheep and they run away. But they don’t bite so there’s that.

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  5. I’m sorry I didn’t get to your book launch yesterday. I was on my roof temporary tarping it in case it rains. I stupidly thought it would be easy, and of course it wasn’t. I’m glad it went spectacular and speaking of spectacular, IIana is just so freaking cute! She gained I bit of weight since you last posted a picture, but cats don’t care, lol. She looks like she has little white socks on. Altas is probably thinking when is this little mean fur ball going home, lol.

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  6. barbaramullenix's avatar barbaramullenix says:

    On the bright side, maybe she can catch that alien creature that keeps showing up on your midnight videos. Congratulations on your successful book launch!

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  9. If it weren’t for cats we wouldn’t have the internet. We’d all still be scratching out postal communique or gasp, dialing phones and speaking 1 to 1.
    It’s the dander, I suspect, that you’re allergic to. A rigorous scrubbing in a bubble bath would reduce the allergen count. (But only if you own welding gloves and a mask! And a farrier’s apron might help avoid lap scratches — the opposite of a lap dance.)

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  15. Adorable kitty. As a fellow Canadian, I hear you about the seasons. Out here, in the Napanee area, we are currently dealing with construction and record heat. Last week we had frost. All the best with the book launch.

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