Morgan, spider killer and designer extraordinaire!

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Final setting with spider

Final setting with spider

Everyone has a that one skill. (Yes, even you!) Those that you think aren’t good at anything can create chaos effectively and with little effort. (Trust me on that one!)

Pets are the same way. Each one has different quirks.

When Jake was young he loved to sit in the big picture window at the beloved husband’s house. There were colored glasses displayed there and he did his best to arrange them to his liking. He never broke any, just regrouped the colors.

My lady cats, Mollie and Hazel both enjoyed the catnip mousies that come free with a vet visit. They didn’t like the vet visit preferring to reap the benefit of the visits of the other cats.

Morgan isn’t big on those catnip mousies. She likes the bigger catnip bags I make. What she likes even more is rearranging a room to make it look its best. That and eating spiders.

She is known for moving things around on shelves and coffee tables. She used to rearrange the fireplace mantel until “the accident.” That involved something that broke into a million pieces.

I don’t “decorate” the house like I used to. I just noticed that I have my “spring” vase on the mantel complete with forsythia branches. Somehow I didn’t switch it out for my summer vase of roses. I’m waiting for Christmas now.

I decided in my “cleaning out” mode, that I would open all the gewgaws I have for the various holidays and either use them or toss them. That meant I would do my dining room table for fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving. (That is one holiday in my mind!)

I love those “Jack Be Little” pumpkins and I buy a bunch to put in a container for the table but this year I decided to get some fall picks and mix it up. It’s not a lot of work. I’m going to throw out the ton of other crap I have for the fall. I intend to keep one plastic container for fall and whatever fits, gets to stay. Ok, I’ll keep some pinecones and leaves but really, that’s it.

My fall display turned out great. It wasn’t expensive except for the special real pumpkin in the middle. I have found a good fake one for next year BEFORE I invest in the real ones.

Spider made out of pipe cleaners

Spider made out of pipe cleaners

I also found a wonderful spider made out of black pipe cleaners and tulle (net fabric used for bridal wear). The spider perched perfectly on the flat pumpkin.

At least it did until it wasn’t there anymore. It’s not real so it didn’t go anywhere. There was only one answer.

My spider-adoring cat absconded with my spider.

Just as I suspected, I found the spider in a heap, all wet and soggy under the table. Yuk! I dried it off and put it back.

Pumpkin minus spider

Pumpkin minus spider

It has since become a frequent game of “find the spider.” I could use glue or put it away but what’s the fun of that?

Pets grow up so fast that it’s a real treat to have a young one making you crazy. Any day now, she’ll want to nap more and play less. My only hope is that it will coincide with my desire to nap more and play less.

38 thoughts on “Morgan, spider killer and designer extraordinaire!”

  1. Kate this is why I love the cats so much, they all do different little quirky things. Spock our travelling cat often climbed my husband’s shelf walking
    among his collection of trekkie items, she would push the figurine of Spock to the ground. We would find him all over the house. Curious as to why it was only Spock? Who knows. Your little spider would be a definite fave in my house too. Yesterday I had all my crotchet birds sitting in a box ready for my market next week. Spock kept climbing up on the table and stealing them. Never a dull moment with cats in your house.

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  2. Kate … I love your pumpkin table setting – with or without the spider. I only change the decorations twice a year – spring/summer and fall/winter.

    I feared some of our knick knacks were in danger when we discovered that our kitties could leap on top of the cabinets. I had nightmares about our beloved Shultz and Dooley mugs crashing to the floor. To reduce stress and restore sanity, they were put away for safe keeping. 😉

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  3. I agree that fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving are the same holiday… and my favorite. It’s finally cooling down here a bit (under 90 degrees) so I’m starting to get inspired to decorate. It sounds like Morgan is auditioning to be your official Spider Relocating Kit(ten).

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  4. I love this post! It says so much about your wonderful sense of humor and your love of those kitties and the quirks of the young critters and our own people-quirks and the inevitable changes that come with aging. 🙂

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    • Since I lost Jake, I have been very conscious of how my other cats are aging. Two that were just kittens are now 9 and 10. Morgan is getting a lot of attention because I want to encourage her spirit and hope it stays for a long time. She has brought energy into this house. I don’t want to see it turn into extended naps (unless I nap too).

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  5. I can see moving fake spiders around, but how in the world did Jake rearrange colored glasses without breaking them? What a talent!

    Your display of pumpkins and gourds is beautiful. Love the big spider.

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    • We don’t know how he did it. He was a large (and somewhat clumsy) cat but he didn’t break any. However, he did break my ducks which were flatter and harder to roll over. I love the spider too. It was a gift from my former next door neighbor that was languishing in the basement.

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  8. FInd the spider. RC Cat has a version of that with the fuzzy sheep from NZ that we put in the Christmas manger scene. There’s something about that sheep she cannot resist.
    I’m with you: one plastic container of Halloween and that’s it. I shoved all the did not fit stuff last year off on my daughter for her office’s decoration. (Determined to slowly cut down on the hoarding ’cause we might need it….)

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    • I remember you writing about that. They zero in on something and it’s hard to distract. I need a daughter so I have someone to give my stuff to. The only time I really miss work is when I think I could take this to work and someone would love it. That worked for leftover food, mugs, or just about anything. Put it in the cafeteria and someone took it.

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  10. I used to do all kinds of lovely centerpieces. I have a ton of mini roses, and I used to arrange and float them in gorgeous crystal bowls. Then Bat Cat, a very classy cat, decided that expensive crystal bowls with rose-scented water was the only way to drink. Only the pesky roses always got in the way. So she started chucking them out of the bowls and making soggy messes.

    I switched to vases. She rubbed up on them until she knocked them over.

    I went with marbles. Commando Cat loved to bat those out of bowls and play with them on the hardwood floor.

    They made a heck of a racket.

    I gave up on centerpieces, but your pumpkin runner is inspired. Maybe I’ll try that.

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    • I can’t do artificial flowers. I have a cat who eats those. I can’t do delicate pottery. I have a cat who likes to roll them on the floor. I get it. The bottom of our Christmas tree has only unbreakable ornaments and the vase I use on the mantel is plastic (but somewhat classy as long as you are 5′ away) just in case because they broke my expensive cut glass one. I can do real flowers in a small vase without any grassy or pokey things that would intrigue a cat. Pumpkins are safe. Spiders are not.

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  11. I love the spider and your display looks beautiful. It wouldn’t remain intact at my house, though. Our cat, Katie, moves stuff around so much that we’ve started calling her “Dozer.”

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    • During the night our cat Hazel will sometimes sneak up on the dining table for a snooze. The only way I can tell are the paw prints and the centerpiece is slightly askew. I think this is too much stuff for her as she hasn’t seemed to move it…..yet. You never exactly know what goes on in your house when you sleep.

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  15. My sister’s cat is about 10 and she still plays, a lot! She also knocks anything off a flat surface that isn’t glued down. And then she looks at you with that cute face and all is forgiven. Table looks nice. I never decorate but I am getting a pumpkin on Saturday; maybe I’ll pick up some small ones and a few gourds too.

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    • Don’t let this fool you. It’s not a lot and the only place you will find anything. I have a mum and pumpkin on my front porch too. My Christmas decorations are sparse too. When we did more entertaining it was fun. Now it’s just work.

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    • Fortunately the spider was something I found in my basement decorations. Leftover from a pumpkin I received as a gift. It’s not the center of the setting and that’s a good thing because it isn’t always there.

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