Puppies & Kittens

Oh, that looks nice...

and so unreal.

At least for now...

You see, earlier this week a puppy joined my household and I have barely seen my cat since. Relaxing with a cup of coffee? Tea? There was something hot in my mug at work (I didn't look too close or ask questions - it was warm and ready). As for reading time? Reading... Hmm...I must confess that I have not been reading and my poor books are in a stack in the bedroom (have I been in there?).

The good news is the puppy is cute and sweet and smart! Even if she has eaten up any and all free time and has made the cats disappear... Thankfully, puppyhood does not last forever and the cats are slowly adjusting (very, very slowly). The books, oh, the books... I suppose they can wait... Or I'll just read under the covers with a flashlight like I did as a child. (Who am I kidding? I never stopped!)

For now, I have far too many judgmental cats glaring at me as they guard piles of unread books. Not to mention, hours of puppy (and human!) training to get through. The end goal, after all, is not to have an unruly (but, adorable!) puppy rather, to have a fully trained reading buddy!

Okay, okay! You caught me! I already have fully trained reading buddies in my beautiful, wonderful, cuddly cats. The end goal for the puppy is to have a - how to put this? A more active companion. That is, to have a fluffy friend that enjoys long walks on the beach and adventurous hikes in the woods. The cats have never been particularly fond of car rides, beach walks, or hikes (adventurous or not!) So a puppy, an active companion that, hopefully, will also be an excellent reading buddy.

In the mean time, I'll read a little (likely in the middle of the night). At the top of the list: Puppies For Dummies! I'll also make time for The Art of Raising a Puppy by The Monks of New Skete and How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend by the same.

My previous reading list, in no particular order: Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson, The Amazons by Adrienne Mayor, The Tower of Fools by Andrzej Sapkowski, and The Greek Way by Edith Hamilton will have to wait. Hopefully, I'll have time to reread The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden this winter (it is a perfect winter read and I have been waiting for the perfect time to reread!)

So, keep reading and I'll live vicariously!