The first time happened in high school. When the teacher asked where his homework was he replied, “I didn’t do it. . . . The world is ending tomorrow.”

That was the first time he was committed to a mental hospital. As a result, he graduated a year later than scheduled.

She did not know about this episode—or his illness, really—until after she married him. She had to find out the hard way, confused by his strange behaviors and bazaar claims. Classic signs of delusion of grandeur manifested itself as the belief that God spoke to him. God had a great plan for him, he said.

He was diagnosed as Schizophrenic with manic-depressive tendencies.

He was in and out of the hospital throughout his twenties. The couple visited his doctor together. He would go in to speak with the doctor, spinning his stories, doing a good impression of a well adjusted young man. He was an excellent actor. Then the doctor called his wife into his office alone, where they discussed the reality of what was really going on.

One morning, while their young daughter slept, she got up to find him shirtless and wild eyed. He rambled on about God and his visions of the Roman soldiers running him through from side to side with their sword. He insisted he had seen the crescent shaped wounds on his own sides. He held open his hands and cried that there was blood there from the spikes. Couldn’t she see them?

Then he showed her his Bible. Throughout the night, he had rewritten scripture after scripture of the New Testament.

He said he was Jesus. Reborn. The Savior, come again to earth to fulfill the prophecies of the Bible. She was Mary Magdalene, the redeemed prostitute and disciple.

And their daughter? She was the Holy Spirit.

That was the last time he went into the hospital before they separated.

My parents had been divorced for around two years and I was in second grade when Mom explained his illness to me. He was under court order not to talk about God and religion with me. He never followed those rules though.

I never told on him either.

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The lens of the internet produces many misperceptions. What you see online is an illusion. No matter how transparent a person may try to be, the information you see is still filtered. It can never be a completely true representation.

For that matter, the same thing can be said about our real life daily relationships. What you perceive is filtered through the lens of your experiences and observations and it may not be a true representation of reality.

Enough postmodern preambe. This is my point:

Don’t be fooled by the recent cleaning and organizing and getting A’s (and the occasional B) in graduate school. I do NOT have it together. If I posted a full body photograph of myself, you would see, quite clearly, what I neglect daily. Myself.

If I could manage to make myself eat healthy and exercise AND get all my school work done AND clean the house, stay organized, AND care for my family and animals? That’s when I would own having it together. I’d effin’ flaunt it.

I barely make my school deadlines every week. I’m constantly letting something slide and I am rarely truly proud of the work I have produced. I always feel that I am capable of doing better if I just had more peace and quiet and time to myself to focus on my work.

When school is in session, I do the bare minimum to keep the house from smelling or growing something disgusting. I do the dishes daily (almost always), I do a load or two of laundry nearly everyday (but I never put it away, it lives in the clean clothes basket and I NEVER iron), and I vacuum and sweep only when the floors have reached a level of crunchiness that can no longer be tolerated. Don’t even ask about how often I clean the bathrooms. Just don’t. No one needs to know that.

I am far from staying on top of it all.

I’m no Wonder Woman–not even close. I have made no progress towards my health goals. And I still have a temper that is expressed quite loudly and emphatically almost every day. These are the two things I want most to change about myself and if I ever manage to get myself together enough to do that, THEN I will feel like I have my sh!t together.

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Welcome to the 44th edition of the Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos. I’m tickled to host this Mother’s Day edition.

To assist with the hosting duties I’ve recruited the other two mamas in the house.

First is the matriach of the household, Phoebe. This beautiful calico mama entered my life, pregnant with a litter of six, when I was an independent single working woman and she helped me on my way to becoming the crazy cat lady I am today. Everyone say hello to Phoebe.

“Hi Phoebe!”

Next is Jasmine, the young mother of four 10 1/2 week old kittens. Jasmine’s been busy attempting to wean and potty litter train those stubborn babies of hers, so she’s just gonna lay right there and wave hello. Say Hey to Jasmine, ya’ll.

“Hey Jasmine!

To begin on a somber note, please send out your throughts and prayers to the beloved founder of the Bad Kitty Cat’s Festival of Chaos, Megan Monster and The Bad Kitty Cats Poohbox Clan. The bad kitty cats have lost two of its own recently. Sadly, Rimbaud and Braum were victims of a coyote attack and have gone over the rainbow bridge. Beautiful, sweet Rimbaud and Braum will be missed by Megan’s family at home as well as the rest of the cat blogosphere.

Megan also shares updated photos of the three adorable new members of the Poohbox clan. Maggie the cat’s five week old awesome kittens claim three equally awesome names that could only belong at Megan Monster’s house. Go say hello to Atari 5000 Lupin, Skimpleshank Cooper and Cat Blue Velvet.

Frankie Kangas shares the story of a lovely, young, feral mama cat, named Poppy, in Feral Kitten Readies To Give Birth and 1-Day Old Kittens (Pictures) posted at Cat Care, Breeds and Resources Blog.

Frankie also shares information about China’s appalling inhumane treatment of animals in China Killing Cats For The Olympic Games posted at Cat Care, Breeds and Resources Blog.

Middleman tells the story of “Maslow’s Fall Without Grace” in My Family & Other Animals (Part 3) posted at Middle Man. We all hope that Maslow is feeling better soon.

Abby’s found a new lap to claim in Finally Friday: Where Am I? posted at MANX MNEWS.

Puff’s posing in lace in Saturday Caturday - Puff Vouges posted at Perfectly Parker.

Rahel caught sight of a beautiful calico mother and two of her kittens in While Strolling through the Park One Day posted at Elms in the Yard.

Dolphin keeps Gryphon and Sigyn’s food bowls separate with some creative placement Feline Friday posted at Dolphin’s Dock. We can sympathize. We keep our food bowls on top of the clothes dryer to keep it out of reach of the dogs.

Mog presents the handsome Meowza in Mancat Monday Musing posted at Mind of Mog and gorgeous Cece in Wordless Wednesday posted at iInfidel.

Mog has also written a lovely post in memorium of Rimbaud and Braum’s passing in Untimely Deaths.

Katie presents My Cat Has Issues…But We Already Knew That, Right? posted at A Byootaful Life. We can relate, we have quite a few felines with issues around here too.

Exhibit #897:

See? This kitten has no bones. Pure liquid. Talk about issues!

But we digress. It’s so easy to get sidetracked by the floppy kittens around here.

Back to the Festival.



Andrée presents the wisdom of scripture translated LOLstyle in LOL Cat Bible: Lectionary Readings for the Day of Pentecost posted at meeyauw.

Pet campbell presents a lovely capture of Sir Woody surveying his Kingdom from his perch in Photo Friday~Professional posted at Pet’s Garden Blog.

Cheysuli continues to run her campaign for president in Meezer Rule Wednesday posted at Chey’s Place. I would vote for her, but I have to agree with the voters who thought she took too many naps to be an effective leader. Sorry Cheysuli!

Kashim & Othello presents a lovely poem for their momma with Happy Mother’s Day Momma! posted at Kashim & Othello.

And last but not least, Amar and Luna at Catsynth update us on their busy week and include some lovely pictures of Ms Luna in Weekend Cat Blogging: A Busy Week posted at catsynth.com mp3 kitty cat synthesizer music.

If you have a post to submit to the Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos, make sure you send in your links via the Blog Carnival form or send an email to festivalchaos at gmail dot com by the end of Sunday and we’ll update the post to include you too. But get them in by Midnight central standard time, that’s when I’m closing the post to any further updates.

Happy Mother’s Day!

For more Weekend Cat Blogging make sure you visit these links:

• Friday Ark Edition 190 Hosted byThe Modulator.

• Weekend Cat Blogging hosted by Sher at What Did You Eat.

• The Carnival of the Cats at Bad Kitty Cats Journal.

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This is one of the shelves I plan to paint this week. Molly (the black and silver tabby) and the stray tomcat, Freeloader (the orange tabby), are making use of it while it’s out on the patio, awaiting a coat of paint. When I saw them, I had to capture this shot.

I want to post Colby outside on the porch railing in October as our official Halloween cat. Too bad he wouldn’t stay there.

And how do you resist these two?

For more Weekend Cat blogging check back here tomorrow, I’m hosting the 44th edition of the Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos. You can find other cat and critter links at these great sites throughout the weekend.

• Friday Ark Edition 190 Hosted byThe Modulator.

• Weekend Cat Blogging hosted by Sher at What Did You Eat.

• The Carnival of the Cats at Bad Kitty Cats Journal.

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“Who’s there?”

“Orange.”

“Knock Knock.”

“Who’s there?”

“Banana….Okay are you ready for the funny part?”

[insert mommy laughing hysterically]

“Yeah.”

“Aren’t you glad I didn’t say orange?”

~This Saturday funny courtesy of the middle child, aged five years.

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