Slice and Dice

Slice and dice – a catchy little phrase I am using to help my students write their blogs. I want them to take a slice of their day, one small incident or thought, then proceed to dice it apart. Look at all aspects. Explore it from different angles. Think about it from a different point of view.

So here is my try about my cat. In the winter this outdoor cat is a nuisance. (Original thought, now I need to dice it apart} Okay I can understand how frustrated she can get with this cold, snowy weather in northern NH. When it is real cold, around zero degrees, she is all too happy to just sleep next to the wood stove all night. But it is these warmer winter nights that seems to get her inquisitive nature working again. She does not want to stay in all night.She does have safe harbors under the stairs and in the nearby barn, but I still worry when she is out in the middle of the night.And so I leave the outside light on. My rural neighborhood borders fields, trees, hills. I know that there is a cruel side to Mother Nature and all animals must eat to survive, but I don’t want my kitty to be attacked. My cat is eight years old and has acquired some survival smarts I’m sure. But I sit up, wrapped in a fleece blanket, waiting for the scratch at the door, telling me she is safe and now ready to come in – maybe for another hour or two. .. Yes, she has me trained. I am always amused by the idea that it is really the pets who train the owners. It is human hubris that thinks we are dictating the schedules of our cats and dogs daily. For all too often it is those cute furry creatures getting what they want when they want it. “Oh yea, I’m reading her mind.” we may say to ourselves, but the proof lies in the fact that Kitty/Fido only eat that brand of food, sleep on that blanket, etc… In summary, no matter how inconvenient the cat seems at times, I like her company and her mice hunting skills and I want her to stay around much longer.