Black Cats & Harmonica Players

It's no secret that I'm exceedingly partial to black cats and harmonica players.

My house has never seemed exactly right without a black cat in residence - it feels off balance. Of all cats, a black cat has the most poise and elegance. Once they outgrow kittenhood, they become graceful and dignified.
They cultivate mystery and a few will even play on our superstitions. They expect but don't demand attention,
they are aloof but loving, they don't indulge in the wild antics of tabbies nor the vanity of calicos. A black cat never scrabbles for his food but eats calmly and has good manners. They are generally well read on the subject of owners and while they prefer to keep a civilized distance between themselves and other cats, they will never cross the line and be the instigator of quarrels. If provoked, they will simply turn and walk away with a dismissive flick of their tail. They do not care to discuss the subject of dogs but if forced to share a home with one, will display a remarkable tolerance for what they see as a lesser species with precious little self-respect and even less intellect. Look into the eyes of a black cat and you will see a reflection of your better self.

Among musicians, harmonica players stand alone. To watch a good one is to marvel at the complicity of hands and breath, facial expressions and muscle movements. Thought, motion, and breath all work together to produce music. The harp is eloquent in it's simplicity and purity - it can shriek to the skies or whisper like a caress, it can be joyfully raucous or so sweet that one note fills all the empty spaces within. Harmonica players capture the essence of what music should be and then breathe it to life. No other instrument demands as much.
Watch a harmonica player and you will see an elemental musician.

In a perfect world, Stephen King would write a new novel every month, thin would be out of style, every animal would have a good home, there would be more chocolate than you could possibly eat, Garrison Keillor would be on the radio every day, all men would be silver haired and shaggy, and every home would have at least one black cat and a harmonica player.