The Look of Love

In the winter time especially, it is important to cohabitate with those with whom you don't mind spending extensive bad-weather time indoors. With a pair of winter storms as bookends to the weekend, this seemed like it just might be one of those times.

Fortunately, I enjoy the company of the two fur-faces with whom I share a dwelling. The larger fur-face, my bearded husband, is taller than this, of course, about six feet. This is a photo of the littler one, Dexter the Tabby, who stands at about two feet tall, and purrs.

They are both good company in winter time. My husband is a great cook and I like to bake, so we make a good pair. Nothing makes me hungrier than a good snowstorm, whether I shovel or not. And yes, we find that the family that shovels together, stays together. Snow enthusiasts are welcome to come on over to our 100-foot driveway and assist if you like. I assure you, there'll be plenty of snow for all . . .

The last thing I did late Friday afternoon before heading home for the weekend was to stock up on groceries, including buying a lovely little Perdue chicken which we baked to golden, falling-off-the-bones perfection on Saturday. I anticipate more snow in the future; I also anticipate chicken soup.

And the littler fur-face . . . Dexter's role is to keep the house homey by simply doing . . . cat stuff. Whatever pleases him, in fact; whether that involves playing in the bathroom sink with the rubber duckies, or lending a paw with my latest little photo shoot, or assisting with a small household sorting task, or curling up together under a cozy blankie to watch the snow.

I took this photo on Sunday very late in the afternoon, just before we settled into the living room for our evening's entertainments. I was snapping photos of Dexter, as I so often do (I could fill up a whole Blip account with just Dexter shots, to be sure). In just a few minutes, we would be snuggling together under blankies, curled up and purring and warm. But just before all of that was this moment: the contented little look of love.

I've picked two songs to accompany this sweet little furry face, and they are both about love. The first is a Susanna Hoffs (from the Bangles) cover of the Bacharach hit, The Look of Love, that was used in one of the Austin Powers films. And the second song's title is nearly identical, just one letter different: The Monotones, with The Book of Love.

May you all be so well loved . . .