I was settling in well into the countryside. My parents did help me adjust to the new changes. For one thing you couldn’t go shoe shopping every week and end up walking out with the exact pair of shoes you came in with because you realized your own shoes are still your favorite. You also can’t wait in line awaiting the 2 for 1 bag sale that only lasts for a week or spend an entire afternoon figuring out which perfume smells the best and in the end, you buy at least a dozen bottles with the justification that you can recycle the bottles after you’ve finished using them. Of course, there are goods to living in the countryside. I love that I get to live with my family and I love that the neighbors are so close with one another. Waking up to the smell of my dad’s fresh bread is an incredible feeling or even having your mother still make breakfast for you every once in a while.
Now I know I may sound like a critter who spends crazy amounts of money without even thinking, but I’m still a smart, down to earth cat who does like self indulgence every once in a while.
My days were always enjoyable and I do try to make the most out of them and find happiness in the small things like getting to wear my red heels or playing dress up with my younger sisters. Today for example was great!
I got to wake up to the sounds of mother making an omelet and father helping Luke choose a bread for his breakfast. I slept at the floor at Lily and Rose’s room. The three of us rotated, and last night I slept on the floor and they slept in their bunkbeds. After lying there for a few minutes, I got up and picked out a white blouse, I was already wearing my black and white plaid dress and pairing it with a white blouse would be an awesome fashion combo for today. I greeted my parents before going to the neighbor’s house to clean myself up. It was so kind of them to let us use their bathroom. When I come down the stairs, everyone praises my outfit.
“You pretty,” Honey coos as she touches the hem my dress.
“You certainly inherited Natalie’s beauty,” Heidi said as she put Hopper down.
I just smile and thank Heidi before I get home. Mother has already finished cooking her omelet. I just grab a piece of bread and sit down with her. Lily and Rose have awoken and headed to the Deluxe Village House to clean themselves up. “Busy day today?” asks mother.
“Yeah, I have to send in an article to the Calico Times by noon. Teri told me she’s going out for a round of errands today, so she can drive me,” I explain, “Aren’t you going to teach ballet with Mrs.Holly Satin Cat, the Silk Cat mother?”
“Yes, I will. I will be joining you and Teri in the car.”
I smile and soon my younger sisters come in and have breakfast. The four of us discuss VERY TERI articles, fashion and the countryside.
After breakfast, I help my father with placing the bread on the corresponding stands and feed Ginni and my cousin, Olive. Today they’re sharing a cat shaped bread with a crumbly cheese spread.
“Me want ice cream,” Ginni said, looking at me with her cutest eyes.
“Me too!” proclaims Olive also using adorable eyes.
“Eat your breakfast first, you can have ice cream later.”
They answer in unison, “Me want now!”
“Later,” I reply, trying to keep my cool.
Then an idea came to me. “If you have ice cream now, I’ll give you more.”
“Yeah, later!” Olive and Ginni rejoice.
Pretty soon, Lily, Rose, mother and I will be picked up by Teri in her Cherry Cruiser. Then and there came an important decision: what to where! My white blouse and checkered dress was nice, but this was a business meeting. I had to look sharp, fancy and smart. If we go over documents, I will need my reading glasses. I better pack them in my bag, I thought as I got my green bag. For my outfit, I put on gray pants, a white blouse and tried to choose between a black headband or a white pearl necklace.
“We can help!” shouts not one, but two voices.
Lily and Rose come immediately and start listing the pros and cons of each accessory. If I didn’t stop them, they probably would have talked about it for the entire day! “The necklace is classy and shows you have taste,” Rose said.
“However, a critter might miss it because of your white blouse,” adds Lily,, “As for the headband it’s practical and matches your pants.”
Rose shakes her head, “It’s not as shiny though!”
Just then, there was a honk from outside, Teri was here. Natalie was already opening the door. “Why don’t you just-” began Lily.
“-wear both!” finished Rose.
I nodded, “Good idea girls!”
The three of us headed into Teri’s Cherry Cruiser and Teri complimented my outfit. She said it was VERY TERI.
There was enough room for me and my sisters in the back. The 5 of us had a happy conversation regarding fashion. Teri’s style is different from mother’s, Lily’s and Rose’s while mine are also different. I prefer modern dresses, skirts that go with blouses, and heels. The rest of the women in my family like silk or satin dresses that have fine white lace with ribbons and bows. Teri likes dresses made of soft fabrics with 2 colors, floral prints, white felt collars and colorful ribbon at the bottom of the dress to match her ever present lady tie.
After we reach town, I go to the Calico Times office, mother and the twins go to the ballet theater and Teri heads to the Supermarket run by the Fisher Cat family to buy fresh vegetables. There was nothing to worry about at me and William’s meeting. William Cinnamon was an orphan at young left with a small fortune from his parents. He was adopted by the Sunny Rabbits and soon after graduating at the university, he was hired by the Calico Times and he started working his way up to Chief Editor.
Since mother wasn’t quite finished with her ballet lesson yet, I happen to run into Laura Toy Poodle, Stella Hopscotch Rabbit and Lulu Silk Cat and we sit down at the Creamy Gelato Shop and have gelato. I order strawberry, Stella gets orange sorbet, Laura wants vanilla, and Lulu buys chocolate. It’s been a while since we had an outing at this and I was sad when I had to go. Of course, we’ll see each other soon, but the time apart is so long and when we are together time just flies. As a surprise, mother and Teri treat us (the twins and I) to lunch at the Delicious Restaurant! Everything there is unique and tastes great.
Back at home, Olive and Ginni greet me at the door. “I scream ‘ice cream’, we scream ‘ice cream’!”
I laugh and hand them each a premium grape popsicle. Satisfied, they begin eating them while I watch and smile. They were just so cute!
The rest of the day was like every other day. I sat down at the desk, put on my glasses and worked on my next article about the countryside. I decided to write about how countryside cuisine could still be found in city food.
The city foods might have more ingredients, spice, kick, but the base idea is from the countryside. Take fondue, soup and dippings. The dippings can be baguettes, bread, biscuits, most of which originate from the countryside. The soup flavor may have changed from carrot to cheese, but it is still a soup. Speaking of soup, Heidi even came over to buy a baguette from Flour to Dough for her carrot soup this evening. Now speaking of Heidi, the 7 of us went over to her place to use her showers. She and her husband, Harlin, were ever so kind to let us use her bathroom.
Well after we came back home, I kept writing, filling up MEMO cards until mother called a, “Dinner is ready!”
I happily come downstairs to find grilled vegetables, water, 6 soft boiled eggs with ketchup and some leftover bread.
The desk chair is brought down, so there’s enough room at the table. Ginni and Olive are upstairs, they will be fed later. Everything tasted great, and I had to say, mother’s cooking was improving. I cherish these dinners with my family, every one of them is so special. I was sad when my family moved to the countryside for they used to live in Town with me. When William told me they needed a junior editor in the countryside, I immediately took the opening. I missed this and was glad I have the opportunity to do it again.
With dinner over, I help wash the dishes and mother feeds the babies some soft boiled eggs. Rose puts the leftovers in the fridge and Lily clears the table. Father is outside putting away the last of the bread into baskets before bringing them in.
Everyone prepared to go to bed, today was my day on the top bunk and Rose’s day at the floor. Olive and Ginni were tucked in and it was time to go to sleep. Life in the countryside is great and I love every second of it.
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