Ignatz writes his Thirteenth Holiday Letter

December 2022

Greetings, to all my friends and family. I hope that you enjoyed 2022 as much as I did.

Daddy continues to work from home, and I get to enjoy his lap after lunch and every evening. Mummy doesn’t go far, very often. Frankly, Penny, Ginger and I are happy if this Covid thing, or whatever the latest contagious plague is, continues forever.

Mum and Dad had their Christmas dinner at the Olema House, along the Marin Coast. They brought us some nice turkey and prime rib treats from the restaurant.

In February the Winter Olympics were on TV all the time and Mum got nostalgic for all the figure skating events she used to attend. She says she went to over 20 World championships with her friends. She even skated herself, at the Snoopy rink, for 10 years.

Last Fall, we had a foster kitten living with us for several months. We weren’t too happy with him, although Eddie did his best to be friendly. Finally, he was adopted by a nice lady and she brought him over for a visit. Ginger used to bully him, but now Eddie isn’t putting up with it. Eddie’s Mum got him a kitten, so now he has a friend.

In May, Mum and Auntie Gail went to Florida to see my Aunt Marj. I was shocked to see Mum get on a 7am Airporter; she never gets out of bed before 10am. When she got up and got dressed, we were sure she was taking us to the vet!

Ginger continues his neighborhood walks, and even went to Acme Burger with his humans. I wanted to see what this walking outside the gate was about, so Mum took me a couple of times. I wasn’t too keen and only went as far as the front step.

Mum has taken on a new responsibility there; she’s dipping the ringworm cats. This used to be done by the medical staff, but they have now trained volunteers to do it. She says it’s not easy, as most of the kittens don’t like it (duh) but if they didn’t get cured of the ringworm fungus, they would be euthanized at other shelters. OK, Mum, you do come home smelling of sulfur-lime, but it’s worth it to save our kitty cousins.

Mummy left again, to visit Auntie Anne, in San Lorenzo. They went to Filoli Gardens, which Mum says was hot, but the hydrangeas were beautiful.

Mummy, and sometimes Daddy, have been enjoying the garden. They have a big Meyer Lemon tree, as well as many beautiful flowers. At this time of year, they spend a lot of time putting blankets on the plants, as the temperature can fall to 27° F at night. Last September, we had a terrible heat wave, with a high of 115° F. I love to lie in the warm sunshine, but that was too much, even for me.

Again, this year, Mummy made jewelry for the shelter’s fundraiser. This year it was at Kendall-Jackson Winery and she helped out showing off tiny kittens. Fortunately, she didn’t come home smelling of wine; but she did smell like kittens!

In November, Mummy and Daddy went apple picking, and Mummy made a delicious (so they say) apple pie. We didn’t try it; we prefer our treats in the form of fresh shrimp! Of course, we can’t wait for our annual New Year’s Eve Dungeness Crab Fest.

Earlier in the year, at work, Dad was asked to take over the Team Lead position for his employer’s publishing group. That went so well that he not only received a double bonus, but also an official promotion as from the New Year.

We wish you all a joyous New Year, and a healthy 2023!

Love, Ignatz, Penny, & Ginger