Herding cats

The title of this blog is usually the reference that is applied to my day job, but I have experienced a bit of this at home as well.  The cat that ruled the roost for most of the past few years now has a companion cat and that has provided considerable entertainment the past two weeks.  And I am happy to report that progress has been made in this relationship.  Goober, the "more experienced" cat has mellowed and will at least be in the same room with Sage, the new addition.  Sometimes they even play with each other, but more often it is Sage playing with a semi-tolerant Goober.  Once Goober's inner kitten-ness is overwhelmed, we hear a hiss or two, a thump as Sage hits the floor after a well aimed right jab from Goober, and the elder, dignified cat flees to a high place where she can't be bothered.

I have been trying to get both of them in the same photo for most of two weeks--this is the best I have been able to do.

Decoration Day

Today is a holiday of remembrance, of reflection, and it was a moment for me to do both.  I have very strong and mixed feelings about funerals and cemeteries.  I guess these feelings could be summed up by saying "I'm not a fan of either."

I know the lame joke about preferring the alternative to a funeral, especially when it is your own.  I get that part of it.  But I think what I don't like about either is the ostentatious display that seems inherent with most funerals and grave markers.  Certainly I live in "Granite City" so granite here is like wood in a rainforest village.  But as I wandered through a local cemetery this morning, I was overwhelmed by the excess of huge mausoleums as edifices to those who have passed away.  If the average cost of a funeral is about $8,000, what did these ceremonies/markers cost?   I am not sure that I just want to be buried in the backyard or propped up next to a tree somewhere or put on a melting ice floe, but I am hoping for considerable moderation from what I saw today.

That said, let me tell you what else I have figured out about funerals and cemeteries.  They are more for the living than for those who have passed away.  That lesson was reinforced today, as I saw hundreds of graves that were decorated by real acts of remembrance of loved ones.  I am guessing that some need this tangible reminder of those who have left this physical world--just as they need a fancy funeral and massive marker to remind them of what is and has been lost.

I do have a more personal goal, though, and one that is probably a solid goal for everyone.  Aim to be remembered and respected while you are alive, and you and those who love you won't worry about a gravestone being the only mark you leave on the world.

Random catching up

I have posted so irregularly these past few months that I have photos that I haven't even really looked at, much less posted any of these photos.  My goal is to post a few every few days or so until I catch up.  I know, a poor substitute for more intentional posts, but it is progress of a sort.

Perfection vs. Progress

I have had several conversations these past weeks about progress and change.  Of course, the human thing to want to do is to move to or change to something that is perfect.  I would agree--perfect is good, if you can follow that.  But sometimes the attainment of perfection takes a long time.  And most of us never reach it (and the ones that do think or believe that they have reached it are simply delusional).

I would argue that rather than wait for perfection, we should show and share  the steps of our progress towards the goal of perfection.  That direction of these steps shows  progress which is probably a more important goal.  It certainly is more attainable.

With all that in mind, here are a few steps of mine.

Colors of spring

The sun caught the tops of the trees in the neighborhood after several late afternoon thunderstorms