Crunchy

(Illustration Friday: December 4, 2009)

Norman flew into his Halloween costume for this week's topic. He can't resist transforming into The Cookie Monster. Who can blame him?

Entangled

(Illustration Friday: November 27, 2009)

The Mother Kitty is in the holiday spirit--for the most part.

Music

(Illustration Friday: November 20, 2009)

I think Thelonious Monk might be just as hard to draw as he is to play. The Kitties are not helping! In any case, we all agree that this is a great tune.

Welcome, Tigerlily!

Say hello to my new kitty! I met her in October at the veterinary office that my sister recently joined in Columbus, Ohio. Jul flew her over during a visit last month. Lily's a 6 month old gray tabby, and she took about 10 seconds to adapt to her new home in Washington, DC. The Kitties can't wait to add her to their adventures!

Unbalanced

(Illustration Friday: November 13, 2009)

I could have drawn any of The Kitties losing their balance while chasing their favorite toys or trying to walk the skinniest of ledges. But then this appeared to me. Obvious, I know--so Simon would have us think....

Blur

(Illustration Friday: November 6, 2009)

On November 13, my new friend arrived, brought by Auntie Julie, in her fancy mesh carrier. Not quite a blur, but here's an impressionistic view. (Thanks for the help with the zipper, Liam!)

Skinny

(Illustration Friday - October 30, 2009 - Skinny

Simon is a skinny boy. Norman is...extra large.

Fast

(Illustration Friday: October 23, 2009)

I've been telling The Kitties that I'm expecting a surprise special delivery November 13th. They are pondering confused, amazed, and excited. They, too, eagerly await, and the days are not counting down fast enough for any of us.

Frozen

(Illustration Friday: October 9, 2009)

In the wintertime, when Simon comes into the garage, he immediately shakes off the chills.

Fly

(Illustration Friday: October 2, 2009)

Some of The Kitties know how to fly and some don't.

Germs

(Illustration Friday: October 2, 2009)

At The Mother Kitty's house, germs are not tolerated. Cleanliness, she says, is key.

Pattern

(Illustration Friday: September 26, 2009)

I haven't yet figured out Jane's fur patterns from the photos I've seen. From what I can tell, she's a fluffy motley mix of greys, with a touch of brown. While I know I don't have her quite right yet, she says she doesn't mind--She's just happy to be here. She says her hot pink collar is perfect, and that's her favorite feature anyway.

Infinite

(Illustration Friday: September 18, 2009)

The Kitties tails (and tales) are infinite. (But Jane's is still growing.)

Welcome!

(Illustration Friday: September 11, 2009)

My nephew Liam tells me that there is a new kitty living at his dad's house. She was found outside a hardware store in Cincinnati. (She knows all about tools and mechanics.) Her tail had somehow broken long ago, and she has yet to tell us how it happened. It healed itself a bit askew. Her name is Jane, and I have yet to meet her. In any case, The Kitties are already pals.

Strong

(Illustration Friday: September 4, 2009)

B.J. is the strong, not-so-silent type.

Magnify

(Illustration Friday: August 28, 2009)

I woke up to this sight once. I'm not sure how long Ashes was staring. As usual, she won't tell me.

Caution!

(Illustration Friday: August 21, 2009)

Norman is abby-normal.

Wrapped

(Illustration Friday: August 14, 2009)

The Mother Kitty used to help Mom and Dad with the mail...until we realized what she was keeping under wraps. It's OK: Simon always took these opportunities to practice his Houdini-esque escapes.

Impatient

(Illustration Friday: August 7, 2009)

The Kitties typically grow most impatient around mealtimes. Please excuse B.J., who built up such an appetite that he hasn't yet bothered bathing since our last drawing project.

Modify

(Illustration Friday: July 31, 2009)

This week's topic stumped me, so I turned the markers over to The Kitties and told them to modify themselves however they wanted. (I see that some of the artistes tested out their ideas on themselves before committing them to paper....)

Norman just made himself fatter so that he could fit in more food (a practical modification, he said). I think Gordon went for some sort of late '70s/early '80s Glam Rock look. Simon--who, I should explain, has been celebrating the anniversary of Woodstock and listening to lots of reggae lately--decided to use all of the markers. The Mother Kitty sees no reason to experiment with her beautiful blank canvas. She did make one change, however, which she is convinced gives her the ultimate sense of mystery and will confuse everyone. B.J. turned himself into his favorite distant relative, the tiger. And, while I thought Comet just drew a picture of Ashes, he actually drew himself with her shiny black coat--just to see what it's like, he said. No one is exactly sure what Ashes was aiming for. She's quite pleased with that reaction and refuses to explain it.

Idle

(Illustration Friday: July 24, 2009)

Norman is dreaming while the action is outdoors. A staring contest is underway!

Tango

(Illustration Friday: July 17, 2009)

The Kitties and I are addicted to "So You Think You Can Dance!" So, they all fought over who would participate in this week's drawing. But the choice was obvious, since Ladies' Man, B.J., is the only one proficient in Tango and promptly swept The Mother Kitty off her feet. The others are busy practicing for when the spotlight turns to them.

[Sleepy] Hollow

(Illustration Friday: July 10, 2009)

There was no talking The Kitties out of this one. I can't really blame them. It was the first thought for all of us. We really tried to think of something else, but all we heard were crickets. Besides, Gordon was already headed for the tree. Of course, Norman volunteered for the other role because--you know--he's crazy. (Don't ask me where he got the costume.) Comet is still hiding under the bed.

Shaky

(Illustration Friday: July 3, 2009)

Simon is only afraid of a few things: cars, trips to the vet's office, sitting too close to The Mother Kitty. Most recently, we discovered that thunderstorms also give him the shakes.

Worn

(Illustration Friday: June 26, 2009)

We all imagine that when Gordon returns from his exotic worldwide travels, he'll be a bit worn out.

Drifting

(Illustration Friday: June 19, 2009)

A couple of weeks ago, I raced home to give The Kitties a minute-by-minute report of the fantastic Eric Clapton/Steve Winwood concert at Verizon Center. Gordon, of course, is still reminiscing....

Unfold

(Illustration Friday: June 12, 2009)

Norman tends to unfold when he sleeps. We're still trying to interpret the dreams that cause this.

Craving

(Illustration Friday: June 4, 2009)

At mealtime, Norman quenches his cravings quickly. His housemates are typically still hungry.

Adapt

(Illustration Friday: May 29, 2009)

In summer, The Mother Kitty adapted to the warm weather by decorating our brown living room rug with tufts of her fluffy fur. This was Mom's favorite of all of Mother Kitty's habits, especially if she had just finished vacuuming.

Cracked!

(Illustration Friday: May 22, 2009)

I have an old photograph of kitten Norman making this face. He still does it, and you know when you see it that something has momentarily cracked. Beware of PsychoKitty.

Contagious

(Illustration Friday: May 15, 2009)

Kitty happiness is contagious.

Parade

(Illustration Friday: May 8, 2009)

Every parade should include The Kitty Float, don't you think?

Hierarchy

(Illustration Friday: May 1, 2009)

The Mother Kitty is insulted that this might be in question.

Theater

(Illustration Friday: April 23, 2009)

After I returned home from a classical music concert at the Strathmore, I told The Kitties all about Prokofiev's powerful "Romeo and Juliet." (Well, OK, Gordon was more interested in the Radiohead portion of the concert, but....) They were all so taken by it, that they decided to revisit the play on the spot. The leads were obvious, even though Comet hasn't yet learned his cues...or his lines.

Impossibility

(Illustration Friday: April 17, 2009)

I once tried to convince the kitties that swimming in the ocean is an adventure worth trying. They think otherwise.

Fleeting

(Illustration Friday: April 10, 2009)

A kitty leap is fleeting. Blink and you'll miss it.

Talisman

(Illustration Friday: April 3, 2009)

Here, Ashes presents Comet with a Courage Talisman, which she crafted in her spare time. (She loves her jewelry!) I think he likes it. And, I'm sure it will slowly work its magic.

Poise

(Illustration Friday: March 27, 2009)

Always a lady, The Mother Kitty always maintains her poise...eventually.

Subtract

(Illustration Friday: March 20, 2009)

Cat math is a little different from human math.

Legendary

(Illustration Friday: March 13, 2009)

At a very early age, it was clear that Gordon was no ordinary cat. The day he left home, we knew he was bound for greatness. These days, he's well on his way to becoming legendary.

Intricate

(Illustration Friday - March 6, 2009)

An intricate pile of kitties on a lazy afternoon...

Breezy

(Illustration Friday: February 27, 2009)

During our most recent blast of frigid weather, The Kitties couldn't help dreaming of the first breezy day of spring. Anytime now would be fine.

Instinct

(Illustration Friday: February 20, 2009)

One day, Gordon noticed a white caterpillary-looking thing crawling around on our porch. After weighing his options carefully, I think he made the smart decision.

Celebrate!

(Illustration Friday: February 13, 2009)

Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad!!!

Time

(Illustration Friday - February 6, 2009 - Time)

Time is no object when Simon, star point guard for The World Champion Boston Celtics, is in the middle of a game (even if it's just a practice one).

Flawed

(Illustration Friday: January 30, 2009)

All of The Kitties are strays who found their way into our lives. Who knows why they were given up on/thrown out/lost, but we were happy to welcome them, flaws and all.

Climbing

(Illustration Friday: January 23, 2009)

The Mother Kitty's favorite tree is outside our garage doorway. She would often tackle it with her ferocious claws. One day, she climbed it so high that we considered calling the fire department, but we couldn't help laughing, congratulating her on the achievement, taking photos, and hoping that she'd find her way back down in one piece. (She did.)

Pale

(Illustration Friday: January 16, 2009)

Who you callin' pale???

Contained

(Illustration Friday: January 9, 2009)

I told The Kitties a secret over the weekend. They are containing themselves surprisingly well so far.

Resolute

(Illustration Friday: January 2, 2009)

With the new year, The Kitties have resolved to conquer The Ribbon. (They make the same resolution every year, of course, but don't discourage them!)