And now introducing....

Cosmo Kitty !!!

The newest member of our family!!! After losing Singer and all the sadness around her being sick and so on, we decided it was the right thing for us to bring a new little life into our home. We got this fabulously black sweet boy through Animal Alliance - a local rescue organization for cats in our area. He is 16 weeks old and was one of the last kitties of his litter to be rescued. I guess some people don't like black cats but they are a big favorite with me ! Cosmo, or Cosmos with a silent "s" is his name, after the blackness of that shiny coat of his, and the sparkly eyes and spirit in him that remind me of the stars !

He is settling in quickly into our house after just two days.

We put him into our dressing room where he could meet the other guys through the glass of the French doors first.

Azzy is our four year old tabby. I think he is the most reluctant to say he is glad that Cosmo is here. We thought he would be so glad to have a playmate but he is still accessing the situation.

Chica on the other hand is totally fine. The little guy wasn't afraid of her one bit !!

He is already batting her tail whenever she wags it in front of him. He is a spirited little guy !

This shot proves we are all going to be okay !

Here are Chica, Azzy and Cosmo all on the daybed in Dave's office TOGETHER !

Azzy is pretty big, and kinda chunky - check out the "littleness" of my sweet new guy beside his gorgeous fat cat bro.

The fat cat has already taught the little one some bad habits - like sitting on the

dining room table to watch the passersby !

One of the most touching things is that we keep finding the

little Cosmo kitty lying like this on the chair where Singer spent

so much time in her last days with us. Sad, touching, right somehow...

I am one happy Momma !

You should see the kisses and "mooks" that this guy gives !

Heavenly !

And yes, that is a new hair cut ! I am loving it !

I also had a blast going to a brand new hairdresser yesterday.

We rocked it together and I am now rocking the new do !

I have had some time to do a little bit of art

in the midst of all the excitement of the last few days.

This is my latest journal page.

I love, love love this poem by Rumi.

The background for this piece was actually started in Judy Wise's Play Book Class at Squam.

I actually started with the face of the bird. I took a photograph of a child's face from a magazine, lightly gessoed it and then painted and drew the features back on. (great technique if you're not great at drawing "realistic" faces, like me !) I integrated it into a bird's body which I drew and then painted purple.

I printed the poem out on regular photocopy paper and then sliced it up. I added the hands which are images from an anatomy book I found on Flick'r. Some details other details were added to the page with my tool of choice, the dip pen and black ink, and a cork and a pencil dipped in white paint .

Basically, I played using all kinds of stuff I have learned from all over the place, including some wonderful teachers along the way. I also put a lot of ME in there, make it my own.

Today, I am so very grateful for the fact that I know how to play.

I rediscovered how to play fearlessly.

That has become a great gift in my life !

I wish the same for anyone who is still holding on to the fear of looking silly or making a mess or having too much fun, you know , like kids do.

Play is really good for you, you know. Even the Greek philosophers knew it :

"Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play." - Heraclitus

So I hope you play the day away, Beautiful Ones !

(our theme song around here....our house is a very very fine house, with two cats and a dog...)