Smokey’s Official Position on Staying Outside Past Bedtime
A quick note from the cottage porch: This journal entry contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you use these links to gather your supplies from Amazon or Walmart, a small commission floats back to the cottage to keep the kettle boiling, at no extra cost to you.
By Smokey Moonbeam, Professional Cat and Occasional Consultant
Good evening.
As the only truly reasonable resident of Moonbeam Cottage, I feel obligated to address a growing problem.
Tea should be consumed while warm.
Specifically:
Staying outside past bedtime because of fireflies.
As many of you may know, the fireflies returned this week.
This development has been met with entirely too much enthusiasm.
Maeve has spent several evenings sitting on the porch watching tiny glowing insects drift around the garden instead of attending to important responsibilities.
Responsibilities such as:
- Maintaining proper tea temperature.
- Keeping track of time.
- Refilling my food bowl five minutes before I decide it is necessary.
Naturally, I have concerns.
Concern #1: The Tea Situation
This is a straightforward concept.
Yet multiple mugs have now been abandoned in favor of staring at glowing bugs.
I have witnessed this personally.
The tea begins warm.
The fireflies appear.
The tea becomes decorative.
Nobody wins.
Least of all the tea.
Concern #2: Bedtime Drift
The purpose of evening is to gradually approach bedtime.
This system has functioned perfectly well for centuries.
Recently, however, bedtime has become more of a suggestion.
The sequence now appears to be:
“Just one more minute.”
Followed by:
“Oh, look at that one.”
Followed by:
“I should probably go inside.”
Followed by:
Twenty-seven additional minutes of firefly observation.
I find this deeply inefficient.
Concern #3: Questionable Priorities
A typical evening this week has included:
- Watching fireflies.
- Drinking tea.
- Watching more fireflies.
- Talking about how pretty the fireflies are.
- Forgetting the original purpose of going outside.
Meanwhile, nobody has asked the important questions.
For example:
Could the fireflies assist with household chores?
No.
Can they prepare dinner?
Also no.
Have they contributed anything measurable to cottage operations?
Again, no.
And yet they continue receiving praise.
Curious.
An Objective Review of Fireflies
After careful observation, I have compiled the following assessment.
Pros
- Pleasant to watch.
- Surprisingly polite.
- Create excellent evening atmosphere.
- Encourage humans to sit down and be quiet for a while.
Cons
- Not edible.
- Difficult to supervise.
- Cause tea neglect.
- Disrupt bedtime schedules.
Overall Rating:
7 out of 10.
Points deducted for lack of practical skills.
A Reluctant Admission
In the interest of journalistic integrity, I must disclose something.
The fireflies are admittedly rather nice.
There.
I said it.
Please do not make a big deal about it.
The evenings have been quieter this week.
The porch has felt calmer.
Maeve has spent less time worrying about things that do not deserve quite so much worrying.
The garden has been full of tiny lights.
And while I maintain that bedtime should be respected, I will admit that the atmosphere has been acceptable.
Possibly even pleasant.
Final Thoughts
There seems to be a great deal of pressure these days to spend every moment accomplishing something.
Humans are constantly rushing around.
Checking lists.
Making plans.
Inventing deadlines.
Very little napping occurs.
This is unfortunate.
Cats have long understood that not every moment requires a purpose.
Some moments are simply meant to be enjoyed.
A sunny windowsill.
A warm blanket.
A comfortable chair that technically belongs to someone else.
A quiet summer evening filled with fireflies.
I still believe bedtime should happen on schedule.
However.
If you occasionally stay outside a little longer because something beautiful has captured your attention…
I suppose there are worse ways to spend an evening.
Just don’t forget your tea.
— Smokey
Chair Occupant.
Cookie Inspector.
Professionally Unimpressed.
Bring Moonbeam Cottage Home
Love the cozy world of Maeve Moonbeam?
You’ll find whimsical candles, mugs, tea towels, and other cottagecore gifts inspired by the stories and artwork.
✨ Visit the Maeve Moonbeam Etsy Shop
