My paws are flawless, youthful and utilitarian, not to mention really cute to gaze upon because I resemble a rabbit in many ways. I wouldn’t admit that to just anyone, but the cutitude of my paws can handle it. My paws are longer than most and curl when I’m happy so you can really notice it–that, and my grin.
Mama’s paws, on the other hand, do not resemble a rabbit’s, are not flawless nor youthful even though she is a long way from becoming a dinosaur, at least not yet. All of her friends, even those past, shall we say, a certain age, have great hands that look as if they did nothing but eat bons bons all their lives (or special kibble, which I prefer), and of course, the-secret, says mama, is …. RUBBER GLOVES.
Which mama never wore in her whole life except maybe to clean hot peppers or the fireplace insert, which I am watching her do right now, hoping she won’t spatter me with oven cleaner and strip my color!
I was watching a re-run of that funny lady in America who cooks on TV and who was queen of the kitchen forever, Julia Child, and mama says that SHE says (with emphasis on every other word), when asked about rubber gloves in the kitchen, “Oh, I couldn’t possibly wear rubber gloves, because…you know…one does several things at once and suddenly you notice that the cat box (or john) needs cleaning and so you immediately do that for your kitty, and then you go back to chopping vegetables for your ragout and my lord, one doesn’t want THAT to happen!”
Well, mama remembered that and leaves the gloves in the drawer, but now she’s wishing that maybe she had worn gloves from the very get-go and her hands wouldn’t distress her so.
“But,” she says, “these hands can make bread and prune roses and hug papa and give you shiatsu, Loulou, so why am I fretting?” (I like that word ‘fret’, but I’ve never understood why a guitar has frets…hmm..next time I strum a little ditty, I’ll ponder that).
I’ve been thinking about mama’s dilemma and here’s my solution: I lick mama’s hands every night when we’re on the bed together, giving her a nice bath all over with my little sandpaper tongue, and I think her hands are actually becoming smoother.
Or maybe it’s just from petting me…that could do it.
Well, they say sheep shearers have soft hands because of the natural lanolin in the wool, so it makes sense that mommies of kitties who pet their kitties would benefit something similar.
QUINN