Today is #2 pencil day and black cat appreciation day. I have two stories that link the days.
When my daughter was in school, she collected #2 pencils with fancy designs and holiday themes. She would keep them in a vase Selecting a special pencil to use during finals She said that the pencil had to be as special as the day.
When Ruth left for college, I found her stash of pencils. I decided to give them out during Trick or Treating. We always have some children that don’t like candy or can’t have any. The pencils went quickly.
I have loved the look of a sleek black cat. My brother Bob had a Black cat that came with his home in West Virginia. The cat had an independent nature. He would jump out at unsuspecting toes and feet. This earned him the name KC or Killer Cat. He would show his human housemates his appriciation by living gifts of mice and small birds on the front steps.
But the most interesting behavior was to crawl into the base of a small organ that Bob would play. KC would push down on the bedals to gain access. I don’t if he appreciated the music. He would tear out of the organ’s base when the music began. But he would continue to hide in the quiet organ.
People have seen black cats as magical at best and evil at worse. The appreciation day is to highlight the number of black cats available in shelters. By giving them a day and a reduced adaption fee, the shelters hope that the black cats will be adopted. they can be wonderful pets and deserve good homes.
So this Halloween if I decorate with a black cat it will be smiling and cuddlin.
**********
********
A Black Cat
Faster than a running mouse.
More powerful than a stuffed kitty toy.
Able to leap to the highest shelf with a single bound.
Who disguised as a mild manner cat washing his fur,
Fights against black cat prejudice with cuddling.
It’s the American way.
carolaspot@aol.com
copyright 8/17/2021
traveling up and down the blind highway 