FEBRUARY

And the door into summer

This month I had a wonderful opportunity to work on another Summer Meadow moth commissioned by lovely person in Scotland whose birthday only comes once in four years. It felt dreamy and luxurious to embroider flowers in February, with it being so cold even dog didn’t want to go outside. And it reminded me…

Many years ago we had a cat that preferred to live outside, only becoming a house pet in November. He would disappear inside the house and become invisible until early days of February. As soon as daylight noticeably lengthened he’d come to a kitchen door and demand it open. Annoyed, i  would dig myself from under a pile of blankets and swing the door open letting a blast of freezing winter’s breath enter my kitchen. And the damn cat turns around and walks away.

At this point I don’t even try to worm my way back into a cozy blanket pile - i know what happens next. The cat goes straight to front door and in the same raspy voice wants to see if it’s any different on the other side of the house. Nope, same freezing landscape. Unhappy, cat disappears upstairs figuring maybe another nap would fix it. I go back to my armchair shivering, kick off my house slippers, and try to warm up again. He will be back in an hour with same demand.

We laughed at this strange behavior pattern without giving it much thought. One morning in late March when i opened my bedroom window and stuck my arm out to feel the weather it finally downed on me. My cat believed that one day that door would open and there will be summer. Maybe not in a morning, maybe in afternoon. Maybe not kitchen door but the one at the end of long hallway. Maybe not today, but it’s worth checking.

And he was right.

Until March

XOXO Larysa