The promise of 2011

The living room floor is littered with squeaky balls, catnip cigars, Tuffie toys and little Kahnua toy that has proven to be every bit as durable as its claim. This is what the post-holiday house looks like when the kids are grown and gone, long past the years when Lego bits and comic books were left scattered about while video games lure them to other worlds ripe for conquering. The holiday itself hurtled towards me, only to pass in the blink of eye on its way to becoming one more memory of days gone by.

I’m not someone who frequently laments about how quickly a year has passed, primarily because during most years they seem to grind by slowly that I’m welcoming the chance to put it behind me and move on to the promise of a new calendar. This year, though, I have to concede that it did fly past me. Days, then weeks seemed to slide through my hand like droplets of water, running from my palm no matter how tightly I tried to cup my fingers. I felt perpetually behind. Not so far behind that there was no catching up --- there’s a lovely sort of beauty to be found in the occasional throwing up of the hands and declaring it all beyond your control --- but just far enough behind that it still feels doable, if I can just…

But sitting on the edge of the last week of 2010, the sand has about emptied in the hourglass and I just couldn’t quite get there. Rather than lament about all that’s been left undone, my husband and I began planning for 2011 with a week to spare, as if getting the early jump on the list will give us the time we need to make it all come true. For a change.

We’re again bantering around the idea of another pet, preferably a kitten. With the three who currently employ us all enjoying double-digit ages, we feel a need to insure ourselves that there will continue to be a purrbag should something insidious happen. It’s a straight-up bonus that Darby loves kittens, so another set of velvety paws would seem, to him, a gift.

I’m also seriously contemplating attending BlogPaws, something I had all but out-of-hand dismissed just a few weeks ago when I saw the announcement on Facebook. I’ve always wanted to be someplace where I’m knee-deep in other people who share my passion for critters and writing about them, but this year’s event was simply out of reach, from both a practical and financial perspective.

Now 2011 is peeking at me from just around the corner up the way, whispering hints of what might be possible. BlogPaws may be in my future after all.