The Cat and the Moon

I love my cats. I've always promised myself I wouldn't be a "cat person," but there is something picturesque, mysterious and slightly superior in the attitude and posture of a cat. I'm pretty sure Djinn understands exactly what I'm saying, but he chooses to ignore it and do as he pleases, whether to curl up contentedly against my leg while I'm reading in bed, or perch at the edge of the bed and groom. I love the poetry of T.S. Eliot and his mischievious cats, and my mom introduced me to this wonderful poem by Yeats. The poem below is a perfect portrayal of the relationship of a cat with an equally mysterious object which I love to ponder, the moon. In keeping with my moon poetry, enjoy the poem!


The cat went here and there
And the moon spun round like a top,
And the nearest kin of the moon,
The creeping cat, looked up.
Black Minnaloushe stared at the moon,
For, wander and wail as he would,
The pure cold light in the sky,
Troubled his animal blood...
Does Minnaloushe know that his pupils
Will pass from change to change,
And that from round to crescent,
From crescent to round they range?
Minnaloushe creeps through the grass
Alone, important and wise,
And lifts to the changing moon
His changing eyes.

W.B. Yeats

My man Djinn

I have been adopted. A bahraini kitten literally stopped me outside the commisary on base. Meowing pittifully, he knew just what would pull my heart strings. I took him home and then told my husband about our new baby. He has, in just a few days, made us fall in love with him. He's a little terror, always jumping right into trouble, walking on the laptop, knocking over things, but looking innocent all the while. His nickname is "monster," but his real name is Djinn, or genie in Arabic. It also means little devil, which is most often what he reminds us of. But he is the sweetest thing and has to sleep nestled right up to us. He's always in motion, and while trying to capture him on film, it shows exactly how hard it is to get him to sit still. Except for when he's sleeping that is, then he's out like a light!

It's a wonderful life

Every little girl dreams of getting married. Every woman wants to meet the man of her dreams. I am so blessed that on March 18th, 2006, I married the man of my dreams. We are both so blessed; we can laugh with each other, comfort one another, and have an all out fun time together. I am lucky to be married to my best friend. Our wedding day, both of us agree, was the most amazing day of our lives. Friends and family all around, the excitement was intoxicating, and there was no regret or cold feet to be found that day. In a few days, we will have been married for five months, and it keeps getting better every day.

Moon Dreams

I love the Moon. My grandmother said it best, "you and I are moonies." I don't know if it is the slight mystery of the moon, the varied personalities revealed throughout my journey around the world, that so enthralls me. Or perhaps it is because she is the bell of the ball, the brightest light in the night sky; unlike the sun, her light shed doesn't reveal the beauty around, rather it reflects her own. The stars are merely the backdrop for her entrance, and the water simply her looking glass. But this I know for certain, all of my journeys in the Navy have had one constant, the moon has never ceased to stir the romantic in me. And my time in Bahrain, while revealing a different side of the moon, nonetheless struck a chord of wonder.


THE MOON OVER BAHRAIN
I’ve seen the moon rise in many places
Over strange lands and foreign seas
I’ve seen it hang like a plump red fruit
Ripe for a plucking - under the
Southern Cross, where the stars
Hang upside-down.
Yet, it is a mystery to me, this moon
Which sits in the Mid-East sky.
It peers at me beneath a shroud, or passing
Mist I cannot tell. What do those cavernous
Eyes say. Are they looking my way or just
Beyond. Like a woman, behind her burka
Does she judge me or is that envy I see.
My sleep is uneasy tonight. It is not the friendly moon
I know. Or is it me she does not recognize?
Perhaps tomorrow will unveil
One familiar face in this desert land.

My first day as an aunt

I woke up this morning, discovering that I now have a nephew. He's been a long time coming, and the anticipation has been mounting, yet I never expected how his arrival would bring me so much joy. I have a nephew! A little baby has come into this world, that I have only been introduced to through pictures, and a discription from my brother, the proud papa, over the phone. Yet I feel such joy at the anticipation of meeting him for the first time, and knowing that I am an aunt! I can't wait to introduce him to the wonderful things this world has to offer. Little Jack, your aunt can't wait to hold you. Don't grow too big too fast. I'll be home soon!