Early

(Illustration Friday: May 21, 2010)

One morning, the Kitties took to the hills and caught a brilliant sunrise. They are still seeing spots. (I told them not to stare at the sun for that long.)

Equipment

(Illustration Friday: May 14, 2010)

Gordon borrowed my equipment for some very important business this weekend.

Fearless

(Illustration Friday: May 7, 2010)

A true story.

Cocoon

(Illustration Friday: April 30, 2010)

Earlier, I thought Lily hatched from a chicken egg. This is another theory she's spreading around.

Ahead

(Illustration Friday: April 23, 2010)

The Kitties are racing to something only they can see. I'm not sure who's ahead right now.

Detective

(Illustration Friday: April 16, 2010)

Lily spends her nights inspecting our apartment's walls. She hasn't yet told me what she's discovered.

Linked

(Illustration Friday: April 9, 2010)

It wasn't love at first sight, but soon enough, Comet and Ashes became forever linked.

Dip

(Illustration Friday: April 2, 2010)

The Mother Kitty is resourceful.

Rescue

(Illustration Friday: March 26, 2010)

When the Cherry Blossoms were out, Gordon was in no hurry to be rescued from his tree.

Expired

(Illustration Friday: March 19, 2010)

You all know our theory that Simon is Rajon Rondo of The Boston Celtics. (It's no surprise that this hasn't caught on. Simon is always incognito at the games, after all.) Here, he demonstrates Rajon's "Get Out of My Way!" play, with typical precision, seconds before the shot clock expires! Way to go, Simon! I mean, way to go, Rondoooooooo!!!!!

Comet (May 19, 1991-January 27, 2010)

I'm sad to report that my sister Julie's Kitty #1 (also known as Julie's #1 Kitty), Comet, passed away in late January. Comet came into Julie's life in dramatic fashion, having been abandoned and condemned to death for no good reason! It was clear that Comet had a bad case of nerves about nearly everyone and everything (and who could blame him?!). His fear was something he struggled to conquer throughout his life. (We all remember those long few days when he ventured outdoors alone to battle bravely the elements in Julie's backyard!)

Eternally grateful to have a new, happy home, Comet became great friends with Julie, with whom his innate sweetness blossomed and his reputation for ultimate adorableness solidified. From his games of hide and seek to his squeaky conversations, Comet's presence is sorely missed. But, as always, he’ll be here, participating in The Kitties’ Adventures.

Comet is survived by his longtime love, Ashes, who thanks everyone for their support.

Subterranean

(Illustration Friday: March 12, 2010)

For the last couple of weeks, The Kitties--of course--have been all about Alice in Wonderland. Today, they made it down the rabbit hole. It's no surprise that Norman immediately spotted the "Eat Me" cake or that Ashes gulped down the "Drink Me" potion. (The Mother Kitty is annoyed with their situations.) Lily is wondering where they've landed and how they'll get back to ground level, but B.J. is still marveling at their new surroundings. Comet is nervous, Simon is dizzy, and Gordon is eager to get a move on. After all, they all have a tea date with The Mad Hatter, and no one wants to be late for that guy!

Brave

(Illustration Friday: March 5, 2010)

All animals have courageous moments.

Perspective

(Illustration Friday: February 26, 2010)

When all of The Kitties are together, you can see that Lily brings a new, intriguing perspective. It may take a while to understand it, but we're all enjoying it so far.

Propagate

(Illustration Friday: February 19, 2010)

This word sparked the thought of grade school kids on field trips: Everyone has a buddy, and entire classrooms were linked hand-to-hand, as they weaved down a street or through a museum. Years ago, The Mother Kitty and her kittens took in some culture one afternoon, just like us humans do. She's cool like that.

Adrift

(Illustration Friday: February 12, 2010)

Simon got all the mud off of his paws, but he's still walking. Some may say he's adrift (or a drift), but he walks with purpose. Even if sometimes only he knows the destination.

Muddy

(Illustration Friday: February 5, 2010)

Mom loves these mornings.

Focused

(Illustration Friday: January 29, 2010)

Most mornings, after I'm fully awake and out of bed, Lily waits for me to come out of the bedroom. Unlike normal cats, she's not waiting in the kitchen because she's hungry. Instead, she is focused on today's chases.

Clumsy

(Illustration Friday: January 22, 2010)

Lily may be one of the prettiest cats, but she's not the most graceful. For this week, I could have chosen to depict the day she slipped off her cat climber and fell more than 5 feet to the hardwood floor. Or, I could have picked one of the many times she did summersaults and bellyflops in an effort to grab one of her toys. Instead, I selected the time she was so content with her purring and rolling that she forgot the size of the sofa and went too far. Here, she lands on her feet. The claw marks on my couch lean toward a different story. I won't tell if you won't.

Wilderness

(Illustration Friday: January 15, 2010)

Each day, Simon tackles the wilderness of his backyard. (As we all know, those leaves can be mischievous....)

(The Kitties and I want to remind everyone help the Haiti earthquake relief efforts by donating today!)