J Pinder

The title of this post has to do with a cat. My family has four cats now, the best being Sam. The others are Harold (We usually call her Harry - Hera has also been used, though without official sanction [though she is a girl, so some feel it's more appropriate {though it's not her name}]), Lily, and the Gray Cat. I think Tim knows all about the first three cats, I think I maybe even told you about the Gray Cat some time about a year ago. But I probably didn't give you all the details. I certainly haven't given all the details to everyone.

So about two years ago, a little less than two years ago, we got a new cat. There are differing versions of how this came about. I wasn't around at the time, otherwise I could give a definitive answer as to which version is correct. My mom claims that this gray kitten followed the visiting teachers in. Or showed up about when they did and was still on the porch when they left. My brother Nathan explained that he was singing some Sacred Harp music, and this gray kitten showed up at the door meowing. Either way, it was really cold, and it was a small kitten, so they brought it in. I'm inclined to believe the second version of how the gray cat came, for reasons which will be explained.

Once it became clear that we were going to keep this gray kitten, the question of a name arose. I don't remember all the names that were suggested, I'm sure I never heard all of them. Here are some that I do remember: Cleburn, Blendan, Joaquin V. Gonzalez, Blanding, Buen Orden, Ninja Demon, Charly, Frankie, Jimmie, Kai, Spider, Jiminy, Freddie, Remedios Escalada de San Martin, Suomi, Jimmy Peanut, and Strawberry Clean (which I think came from a mis-hearing of Strawberry Queen). Also possibly Socks. J Pinder is short for Jimmy Peanut. If you can figure that out. When she was taken to the vet for the first time to get shots, we figured we'd have to give them a name for her records. This turned out not to be the case, they were fine with just listing her as Cat.

Her name ended up being Gray Cat. She likes to play, to shred paper towels, to catch cockroaches in my brother's closet and take them into the dining room to play with them, to open bags of noodles, and loud singing.

Whenever anyone is singing in my home, the Gray Cat will show up, especially if they're singing loudly. I like to play civil war songs on the piano and sing them loudly - The Vacant Chair or Who'll Save the Left are her favorites - and she'll come and walk around me meowing or she'll jump up onto my lap or grab my arms. This Sunday, I was at home for Christmas related festivities, and while my family sang Christmas songs around the table for Advent, the Gray Cat walked around the table meowing and then got up onto the table walking from person to person.

I'm ashamed to admit that I don't have any photos of any of these cats available to me immediately. Instead, here are some pictures of orange cubic zirconia (a total of 40 cts) and an artificial star sapphire (3.15 cts):