Last Friday my grandmother passed away.
I was lucky to have spent a great deal of time with her in recent years, and she remained, at 93, one of my nimblest sparring partners and staunchest supporters.
She played no small part in my lifetime love of reading and ease around animals, and I also have her influence to thank for the time I caused a bartender--and everyone else within hearing range--to stop talking mid-sentence and stare perplexedly at my 20-something self when I unironically ordered a glass of port at a cocktail party.
My grandmother had a mischievous sense of humor and was amused by this webcomic-y endeavor of mine. For my birthday this year, she designed a bumper sticker of her own, inspired by my collection and carefully written on a blank sheet of mailing labels. I laugh every time I see it.
She was also more appreciative of my cats' antics than most, having shared her living space with them for several long stretches and grown fond of their peculiarities. So while it may take me a little while to get back in the swing of things here, I am hoping to post a few more drawings from my crazy-making cats series this week. I'd like to think they would have inspired a grandmotherly chortle or two.