Breaking Cat News by Georgia Dunn for March 13, 2020

Ah! A rerun! One of our favorite storylines. . . St. Gertrude, Agnes’ new job . . . =)

Is…is the Girl pointing out a “Wanted” poster for the Robber Mice? They seem to be similar colors, so maybe not…but am I imagining stripes?

Don’t say Agnes didn’t give you guys fair warning, boys! Although if I saw dressed- and dyed-up mice stealing anything of mine, they’d get away with it – I’d be laughing too hard to see straight anyway!

Lupin is showing remarkable poise in the presence of snakes!!! (Cats & snakes are not usually a good combination…)

Although, it could be that they are just out of his line of sight…

So many details! But hard to see … Is the Hiss snake holding a tiny mug of coffee? And is Natasha — GASP — putting on makeup?? I wonder if she’s disguising herself as an Easter egg?

Lepremice!

The wearing of the grin… ;D

Yay, the snakes are back! I missed them. :D

From the Snakes to St. Patrick: Greensleeves

Alas, St. Patrick, you do us wrong,

To drive us off discourteously,

For we have have loved the Emerald Isle long,

And you did not care, as we can see!

…….

Green snakes, we loved the land,

Green snakes, we had no doubt,

Green snakes, we ask of you,

What was that all about?

…….

So now on seventeenth of March,

We have no time for you,

St. Trudy, the patron saint of Cats,

We love quite well, so there, too!

…….

Green snakes, we loved the land,

Green snakes, we had no doubt,

Green snakes, we ask of you,

What was that all about?

I love celebrating St Catty’s Day! I also make a point of wearing a snake pin on the day. So glad to see the snakes and the mice!

In Night Vale, they celebrate St. Patrick by remembering him as the guy who made friends with the snakes and he is always pictured with his pet snake Ainsley.

The girl looks so cute with her little skirt and sockie feet sticking out.

The robbery squad is on the way! Security guard Elvis, to your station!

Beware, for today’s Friday the 13th and coming up is the Ides of March!

It never occurred to me before, but the cats I grew up with may have been Irish. They were always hunting the garter snakes that we had out back, and after a while, we didn’t see any more snakes. Too bad, as the snakes were harmless, but if you expect a cat to ignore an animated piece of cord, you’ll be disappointed.

Snakes and robber mice aren’t too bad, but with leprechauns you’re … er … I mean with leprechauns and other members of the Fair Folk you will be delighted with their company.

Ah St. Catty’s Day – celebrate the wearing of the fur. And whiskers. And toe beans!

The Robber Mice come in for St. Catty’s Day!

OT: I went to CVS yesterday to pick up a prescription. There was a woman sitting in the waiting area, presumably waiting on her prescription. She had both arms wrapped tightly around an 8-pack of toilet paper and would glare at anyone who so much as glanced at it.

Meanwhile, my sister is sitting here telling everyone to quarantine themselves in their homes lest they be exposed to sick people, just like she is doing. Which is fine except that her husband is a radiologist. Who works in a hospital. Around sick people.

My cousin, a microbiologist, is at least taking the more measured approach of avoiding unnecessary potential exposure (such as canceling her plans to attend an upcoming international conference) but still going about her life otherwise.

Yay!! Both the snakes and the robber mice are back!

“May you have all the happiness

and luck that life can hold—

And at the end of all your rainbows

may you find a pot of gold."

Don’t read my following reply to this if you don’t want a quick refresher on last year’s robber ladies’ caper, OK?

I think I saw Elvis cutting three stout shillelaghs …

Looks like the robber mice are preparing disguises. They’ll soon be UP TO NO GOOD, I’m sure. Love to see that Agnes is still on the reporting team, and dressed so professionally!

The idea of neckties on snakes is messing with my mind. Snakes don’t have necks. Or maybe they’re all neck? I don’t know …

I admire the Children’s creativity.

At last, St. Gertrude is getting the attention she deserves!

I like the snakes with shirts and ties. Now that’s Scarry, Richard that is.

A nice message from Georgia about the anniversary of BCN along with a slideshow of photos of the boys exploring the cover of the new book. Lupin looks so handsome in that final photo!

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9p-EQ4JGfy/

Where’s Goldie!

How does Elvis feel about having a patron saint? I’m guessing he’s not entirely comfortable with the idea.

The mice are all girls. The snakes’ ties say boys. Maybe there will be a St Catty’s Day dance.

Fortunately, those snakes appear to be garter snakes who aren’t big enough to eat mice.

Today is Earmuffs Day. I never had much use for earmuffs. I can see how someone with a luxuriant amount of hair might like them. If not, I see no sense in keeping one’s ears warm while the rest of your head freezes. None of them ever kept my ears warm, either, just made them hurt from the pressure. I’m one of those old, sensible people who has always worn a hat in cold weather, with ear flaps if it’s cold enough.

So there is little I can say in praise of traditional earmuffs.

However, I will praise sound-deadening earmuffs, a true boon to anyone working in a loud environment or with loud tools—or who wants to ignore the world for awhile. Although hearing aid technology has advanced enormously and wondrously, it cannot fully compensate for really serious hearing loss. They are also expensive, and usually not covered by medical insurance. (Mine cost $5000, and worth every penny.) Hearing loss is not only inconvenient, it is also dangerous. Few people realize just how much subliminal information comes in through the ear. When I was younger and before chemo (which causes hearing loss), I was often accused of having eyes in the back of my head. “Yes,” I would reply, “they’re called ‘ears’!”

And if you need hearing aids, by all means spend the money for good ones, from a qualified audiologist.

Real earmuffs no only keep ears warm, they protect your hearing.

We hobbits never wear green in the month of March so we won’t be bothered by idiots looking for gold. We cherish snacks, not gold.

Love the snakes!!!!

Wait! The Boy has tape! Where’s Lupin? He needs to chew on it!

OT: Just curious about how people are preparing for isolation …

Happy Friday the 13th! Hug a Black Cat for Good Luck!

I just can’t get enough of BCN jusy love the cats.

Oooh! Teeny little sneks! I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

“noted snake harasser” is hilarious!

I’ll stick with St Patrick’s day. I hate snakes.

( •∆• )

I had to look up St. Gertrude and figure out WHICH St. Gertrude Lupin is talking about. Gertrude of Nivelles, Gertrude the Great, or Gertrude Comensoli. The first St. Gertrude is the one Lupin refers to, though I think the robber mice would hate her. In addition to being a patron saint of cats, she’s also a patron saint AGAINST mice among her other patronages. Now the children might prefer the third St. Gertrude, among her patronages she’s a patron saint of youths (though her feast day was last month). And the second St. Gertrude is a patron saint of the West Indies (her feast day is in November).

Thank you, Orbsters for all the beautiful birthday wishes & encouragement to keep up the fight. You really are a great Orb of people.

O.T. – Ok, now this virus stuff is getting serious. Yesterday our governor (Maryland) locked down retirement communities/assisted living/nursing homes, closed all of the school systems statewide, declared a state of emergency & activated the National Guard among other things. BUT today it went too far. They CLOSED THE LIBRARIES in my county! Yesterday they cancelled all of their events. Today they announced they were closing until March 31. Oh my! What are we supposed to do for 2 weeks? I can do without all the other shortage stuff if I have to, but no books? They just cut my life line! Sigh. No books?? I am already going through withdrawal.

Somebody at work today said that their child insisted that they make a leprechaun trap. Did that originate with BCN?

I can’t figure out what the mouse on the left is doing.

HECK YES! Made cat ears for my snake stuffy Ribbon, and got out Caterwaul who is a cat ceramic thing from Halloween. (Although no one else really made an effort in either direction.)