There was a game they played at dinner. The word delicious was out of bounds. On this occasion the eggs were robust, the grilled salmon was succulent, the salad had verve, Polly’s blackberry cobbler h...
People who really appreciated animals always asked their names.
Cats have many gifts that are denied humans, and yet we tend to rate them by human standards. To understand a cat, you must realize that he has his own gifts, his own viewpoint, even his own morality....
An object that has been owned and cherished by other human beings for centuries develops a personality of its own that reaches out to you. It’s like an old friend. Do
It's unsportsmanlike to engage in a battle of wits with anyone who is obviously unarmed.
The cats were relaxing in a patch of sunlight on the rug without a thought in their sleek brown heads. What matter to them that it was Sunday-or even Thursday? Every day was Today in their scheme of t...
Just a pied-à-terre that he uses for business entertaining, but it’s tastefully done in wall-to-wall money. And the colors are smart—in a ghastly way. I’ve used Eggplant, Spinach, and Overripe Melon.
We call this building the Architects’ Revenge. The balconies are designed to be too sunny, too windy, and too dirty. The cinders that hurtle through my living room are capable of putting out an eyebal...
The dance of life should be created from moment to moment with individuality and spontaneity.
Small birds throw seeds out of the feeder; large birds pick them up off the ground, but the squirrels try to muscle in.
Never before had he met anyone who knew, or cared, that it was Chesterfield who said: Let blockheads read what blockheads wrote.
How do you describe your style? he asked as they drove back to the rocky beach. Descriptive but not realistic. Makes viewers use a little imagination. That’s good for ’em. Imagination’s a muscle; need...
Enchanté! said Qwilleran, bending low over her hand in a courtly gesture. Then he drew from his pocket a perfect Bosc pear with bronze skin and long, curved stem, offering it in the palm of his hand l...
Cool koko also says Dumb animals know more about humans than dumb humans know about animals.
The sky was Alice blue (one
The Siamese had finished their three-hour morning nap and had not yet settled down for their four-hour afternoon siesta. It was their Mischief Hour. Yum Yum was batting a pencil she had stolen from th...
Got a better theory?
Billions are spent for neurophysiological research to control human behavior, he reflected. Beauty shops would be cheaper.
Qwilleran, never an early riser by choice, now found himself routed out of bed at dawn when the birds convened for their morning singsong and the Siamese wanted to join them. Koko and Yum Yum would st...
He also entered a bookstore called Books ‘n’ Stuff, that stocked more videos and greeting cards than books. Furthermore, its supermarket lighting and background music discouraged browsing. Qwilleran h...