Little cats in their nests

Hee. Barry has taken to nesting amid a mess of bubble-wrap in the corner of the office here. I just looked round, and Mac has nested in the same spilled wrappage, within two feet of B. Who is washing himself, and at least trying to look unconcerned. Mac is watching Barry. If they both settle down and go to sleep - for 'tis midday, 'tis nap-time - it'll be the closest they've ever been observably relaxed together.

I did have vague hopes that I might catch Barry washing Mac, or trying to, for Mac is all-over hammy goodness at the moment. I am making ham-and-split-pea soup, and I did of course shred the meat off the ham shank with my fingers; how else am I going to do it? And Mac was of course fussing around and trying to steal; what else would he be doing? He is extraordinarily stubborn in his belief that all my food is his food really, there for his taking when he chooses. I can biff him and batter him and hurl him away, and he does just keep coming back.

So yes, he's all salty and meaty from my fingers; and no, Barry's paying no attention, except that he has observably let Mac come closer than usual; and no, I am not going to sit here and wait out this particular power-play, because I said, I have soup, and sometimes soup is just so exactly the thing I need. Especially when it is salty and meaty and full of pulsy goodness, and I wants it now, I does...

Fetch me the cat, that I may hoover him

Oh, hey, look, I have been working! I've written a short thousand words today, and may yet write more. Therefore, I am entitled to point to this:

from 'Food in England', by Dorothy Hartley, 1954 - a book I love, because it came out at the same time as Elizabeth David began to change for ever the way the British cook, and Hartley stands resolutely with her back to David, recording how the best of British had cooked for the last thousand years - on the feeding of the family dog (for yes, she is thorough):

"Most dogs will enjoy the spoonful of milk pudding left by baby, or cheese rinds, but milk and meat should not be given at the same meal."

Dogs keep kosher. Who knew?

Also. this. Now there's a mensch.