Old-Fashioned Fruitcake
“There are certain humiliating moments in the lives of the greatest of men. It has been said that no man is a hero to his valet. To that may be added that few men are heroes to themselves at the moment of visiting their dentist.”
Agatha Christie, One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
The dentist has passed sentence on me: all four wisdom teeth must come out. Advice, sympathy and tales of horror all welcome!
Abyssinias
“I met a traveler from an antique land
Who said: A huge four-footed limestone form
Sits in the desert, sinking in the sand.
Its whiskered face, though marred by wind and storm,
Still flaunts the dainty ears, the collar band
And feline traits the sculptor well portrayed:
The bearing of a born aristocrat,
The stubborn will no mortal can dissuade.
And on its base, in long-dead alphabets,
These words are set: “Reward for missing cat!
His name is Abyssinias, pet of pets;
I, Ozymandias, will a fortune pay
For his return. he heard me speak of vets —
O foolish King! And so he ran away.”
Henry N. Beard
See original here. I am happy to report that my cat (though not Abyssinian) has been found, after a nearly three days’ absence.
“As a white candle in a holy place
so is the beauty of an aged face.”
Joseph Campbell