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Shama Lama Ding Dong

By Simone Lipscomb | March 18, 2014

Precious little Willie Fay. Petit, wide-ass open, a ball of energy dressed in multi-colored fur. This is my friend, my companion who entertains me with antics sure to stress the calmest cat mom.

Months ago she leaped on to the railing at the top of the stairs and unlike her more agile orange tabby brother, fell to the hardwood floor below. A fall of 12 feet would probably send me to the ER but Willie Fay just shook her head and trotted off to find more mischief.

They look innocent...but only in rare moments. — They look innocent…but only in rare moments.

Last night I was sitting on my office floor working on a project and WF and her brother Stanley were romping and playing all around me, using my body as part of their crazy hide-and-seek game of chase. Willie progressively escalated to her psychotic bouncing and running and ran out of my office, on to the upstairs landing, up on the large, wooden chest and leaped onto the railing…again. Her forward momentum carried her over as Stanley and I looked at each other while listening to her bounce off of the old church pew below before hitting the floor.

The house got deathly quiet. Gracie, my more civilized gray-with-orange-spots kitty friend, was glued to the floor as I bounded down the steps calling for WF. Stanley quickly followed. It was a kitty emergency. Someone’s fallen and…..

I found Willie under my dining table holding her right paw up and looking quite surprised. Gently I cradled her as I followed the line of her spine…good. Then carefully traced each leg….okay. Carefully probing her body while she patiently waited for me to finish. She was okay.

I immediately thought of the song Otis Redding did in Animal House. (Gee…I wonder why). Not just a ding dong…but a shama lama ding dong!

“If I searched this whole wide world, I’d never, never, never find me a girl who’d love me the way that you do. Cuz you’re Shama lama huh in the rama lama ding dong. Baby huh. You put the Ooh my my(oh, oh, oh) back into my smile child. Hey! hey That is why, that is why, You are my shooby dooby doo. And I love this love we share, it’s stronger than the other. No one else can compare. Stronger than the highest mountain and the deepest sea. Shama lama, in the rama lama Ding dong, baby. You put the ooh my my (oh, oh, oh) back into my smile child. That is why. That is why You are my shooby dooby doo.”

Otis Redding may have been singing about his lady love. I’m singing about my crazy little cat girl whose silly antics make me laugh but take years off my happy life. She is my crazy, shama lama…DING DONG! Who is your shama lama ding dong?

Catnip Mania

By Simone Lipscomb | May 23, 2013

*Gracie using Stanley Kubrick as a pillow*

My two darlings are delighted that two large hanging planters are growing their favorite treat. These bountiful baskets have become the focus of much attention from my feline friends.

*Stanley Kubrick after his indulgence in the wicked weed*

My ginger cat makes no excuses and could care less what others think of his fondness for catnip. And yet he requests that I hold the fresh, aromatic leaf so he can nimbly bite and lick it until a bird flutters by the screen porch or a squirrel barks in protest. Then he’s gone in a puff of orange and white fur. Stanley is a recreational user.

simonelipscomb (9) — *Gracie anxiously awaits more ‘product’….Thinking CNA (Cat Nip Anonymous) might be called in for an intervention*

The hard core addict is my shy girl. Any time I walk out the back door, she is now on my heels and eager to have another…another…another. She consumes huge leaves, stems and I’ve wondered what would happen if I smeared fresh juice on her orange brother. So far I cannot convince him to participate in my science experiment. Her normal behavior is to get up to sleep more. With an occasional break to eat, get brushed, and contemplate more cat napping. They say addicts will do anything for another fix. Reminds me of the search for fossil fuels….hmmm.

At this rate I’ll have to create more baskets of herbal delight to keep up with the demand. My courtyard might become as famous as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. But it was also the only wonder that might have been purely legendary. Maybe their grew catnip, too.

The Creative Process

By Simone Lipscomb | May 3, 2013

It’s messy, never linear, filled with interruptions and unexpected flashes of inspiration. And unexpected help…I cannot forget his help or Stanley would protest. My orange tabby friend is negotiating co-author status on the new book in process.

Today’s substantial rainfall prompted me to hunker-down and bring the outline of my book into form and to set up the ebook formatting…not my favorite part of the creative process….but a necessary one. The energy of this project is pushing me to create the form that will contain it. I got a good lesson in that ability last night.

I sat on the front row of an intimate Ben Taylor concert and marveled at his talent…not just his songwriting, singing and guitar-playing but the ability to create through electronic gadgetry. Observing his process inspired me to move forward courageously. He balanced the music flowing through him with knowledge of how to operate his toys. It seemed a perfect balance of passion and flow.

And speaking of flow–during a break from the torrential water pouring from the sky, I needed a break so took a walk and saw the river near my home flowing wildly. If I wasn’t concerned about high bacteria counts that comes with flooding, I would have been tempted to don a life vest and take my SUP board out for a ride. And while I made the correct decision for safety, a girl can still dream of racing downriver using her paddle only for steering. Alas, my project called me back home and I resisted the temptation to allow distractions to change my focus.

*a little friend greeted me on my walk to the river*

During this rainy day, fits of writing and organizing the project were interrupted with much-needed breaks such as my walkabout. These times of movement and stimulus, away from the computer, kept the process fresh and exciting. And while assistance is always appreciated, I must say that it’s not always helpful. And yet having my arms filled with a loving little helper, the creative process was boosted to greater levels. Stanley approved of the music and dozed happily as I engaged in the process of birthing a new book.

What Happened to Spring?

By Simone Lipscomb | April 20, 2013

It was 80 degrees yesterday. This morning was warm and in fact, I had the doors open. It started raining and I went upstairs to finish cleaning my home. Then I began cleaning my desk and balancing the checkbook….which took a while. Suddenly I realized I was freezing.

The temperature had dropped and continued to drop as I hurriedly closed the doors and turned on the heat…again. And put on socks and a sweatshirt.

Spring arrived in January when my azaleas began blooming. They were bloomed out when winter arrived here on the Alabama Gulf Coast–somewhere around the beginning of March. Even though spring peeks through for a day or two, it has been very shy this year. The low tonight is near 40 degrees. This is definitely winter weather here.

*Stanley Kubrick, my orange tabby companion*

With many of the past several days spent outdoors I really missed the sun, wind, soil….all the elements. However, today I simply wanted to cuddle in the recliner with a blanket made of orange cat boy. And though my productivity was high and the abode is now sparkling, I would like to send out an invitation for spring to return.

For the Love of Animals

By Simone Lipscomb | April 5, 2013

I grew up having tea time with my friend Bridget, a beagle. Our ‘cake’ was Bridget’s biscuits. Milkbone makes a very good tea cake…in case you are wondering.

*Stanley Kubrick, my current orange tabby friend*

*Gracie, my darling queen of the manor cat friend*

My best friends have always been four-legged. Their unconditional love, acceptance and loyalty have been, without a doubt, vital to my happiness. It started with Bridget and then there were others…Freckles, Sarge, Inka, Jake, Pete, Ben, Jessie, Uriel, Stacey, Angie…and the cats Hazel, Maya and Maat and others that left too soon. And Yokie, Gracie and Stanley.

Tommy with my three year old daughter and me...1988-ish. — *Tommy with my three year old daughter and me…1988-ish.*

When I was 13 or so bigger four-leggeds came into my life…’D’ and Tommy (Tomahawk Red). Tommy and I participated in horse shows and my relationship with him was my most important teenage friendship. A short story I wrote about our relationship was published in WNC Woman and it remains one of my favorites.

My manatee friend...our story is in another blog post from January 2013 — *My manatee friend…our story is in another blog post from January 2013*

Over the past several years there have been wild animals that became my friend in a moment, from first contact, and that heart-felt relationship has lasted for years..the memories still precious. Those would be manatees…flippered-ones.

Henry Flager, my salty sister Renee and her husband Hans' wild boy. — *Henry Flager, my salty sister Renee and her husband Hans’ wild boy.*

People that make room in their hearts for animals are worthy of their love, of that there’s no doubt. When we commit to a relationship with an animal, be it one that lives with us or a wild animal whose cause we champion, we make an expression of love and compassion. You, my friend, are worth caring for. You are worth the energy it takes to keep you well. Why is it so difficult to maintain human relationships when we do this so easily with animals? It remains a mystery to me.

Sambeaux, my mom's lab — *Sambeaux, my mom’s lab*

To all the animal companions I have known as my own ‘child’ or as friends in the wild or in other’s lives, I say THANK YOU! You make life wonderful!

Abbey, my friend's Phyliss and Bob's companion — *Abbey, my friend’s Phyliss and Bob’s companion*

Ollie, my daughter's companion — *Ollie, my daughter’s and her fiance’s companion*

Yokie, my true friend of many years...RIP buddy — *Yokie, my true friend of many years…RIP buddy*