OYSTERHOOD is reclusiveness or solitude, or an overwhelming desire to stay at home.

— @HaggardHawks

My baby-kitten is fourteen years old today! Happy Birthday, Mr Mozart. All day long, he has been his usual elusive self, but he came into the kitchen when I was preparing dinner and I gave him a special treat for his birthday.

This is his mom, Gienia, with Mozart’s sisters, Myszka and Anya (Mozart is the kitten on the right) soon after they were born. Myszka still lives with my Mom. Happy Birthday, Myszka! A few months after giving birth, Gienia decided to move in with the neighbours, and she still lives there, happily. My Mom and the neighbours became friends because of her resettlement.

Mozart and Anya came to live in Cape Town in September 2006. Anya was killed by a passing car on 27 January 2007. Mozart and she were extremely close (Myszka was the runt of the litter and would not have survived without my parents’ intervention). When Anya died, Mozart didn’t know what to do with himself. But then, Salieri and Glinka came to live with us and we are a family now. But I still miss beautiful Anya, and knowing Mozart’s incredible memory, I think he probably does too.

My heart melts looking at all the kitten photos that I have of them all…

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Today, writers and readers took a stand for books to be delivered to our homes under the level four regulations.

I signed the letter wholeheartedly because of the delivery aspect. After everything that I have witnessed in food shops during lockdown, I think that we are already abusing the current shopping regulations under level five, and we will probably abuse them even more if more shops are allowed to open. But I happily support a professional and safe home delivery of any products, especially books. In this respect, my experience has been very encouraging. Even today, I received another coffee delivery and I never felt that I was threatening the safety of the delivery person or he mine during the brief (non)interaction. I will happily pay extra for this service: so much safer for both parties.

Otherwise, the day was quiet, filled for a while with good quiet work in the afternoon.

Morning

Afternoon

My back is still sore, but I now have a proper hot-water-bottle to make sitting at the computer bearable.

Evening

Dearest Sally, I did try to tune in to your launch on FB, even though after attending just one, I promised myself that I would not attend another virtual book launch, but the thing would not play on my cell phone and I couldn’t leave the fire unattended to try other options.

I never got beyond this point :( It just wouldn’t load…?

But I am certain that you were brilliant – you always are – and I have placed an order for a copy of the book. Such a beautiful cover and the story promises to be amazing! You are unequivocally the Queen of YA Fiction in this land and I can’t wait to read your latest.

Dear All, For an excerpt of Sally’s novel, click here: Sea Star Summer by Sally Partridge

Another drawing came to me while I was thinking about the open letter to the President today. I posted it on the Karavan Press Instagram and Twitter accounts, just adding “Still dreaming…”

I am not giving up hope that it will all work out somehow. How? I don’t know. But I believe in magic.

Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others. Stay at home.

Good night.