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A grandma with a silver braid paints a watercolor landscape at a wooden easel while a cinnamon Abyssinian cat naps below. 22 / 26

Grandma Ruth Set Up Her Easel in the Garden. Her Muse Fell Asleep.

AI imageabyssinian catwatercolor paintingbackyard

Golden afternoon light slants across the backyard, warming the terracotta pots, the geraniums on the windowsill, and the basket of gardening gloves in the grass. Ruth sits at a wooden easel with a slim brush in hand, adding soft green touches to a watercolor landscape of trees and a hazy path. Her silver braid hangs down her denim shirt, and her face has the calm, focused look of someone happily lost in her work. Down in the dirt beside the easel's legs, Saffron lies stretched out in the sun, eyes closed, paws tucked, soaking up every bit of warmth.

Painting can be a wonderful creative outlet at any age, and many older adults find that hobbies like watercolor offer relaxation and a sense of accomplishment. If you paint around pets, a few precautions help. Some paints, solvents, and cleaning products can be harmful if a cat licks them off its fur or paws, so keep jars and palettes where they can't be knocked over, and clean up spills quickly. Rinse water from brushes shouldn't be left out for a curious cat to drink. Water-based paints labeled nontoxic are a safer choice for a shared space, but they still aren't meant to be eaten.

Saffron doesn't appear to have any opinions about the painting, but she clearly approves of the sunny spot Ruth picked. Maybe she'll end up in the next picture.

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A grandma wrapped in a cream cable-knit blanket sits by a stone fireplace holding a cinnamon Abyssinian cat on her lap.Ruth Wrapped Herself in Her Warmest Blanket by the Fire. It Got Even Cozier.A grandma with a silver braid plays an old upright piano while a cinnamon Abyssinian cat sits beside her on the bench.Ruth Sat Down at the Old Piano. She Didn't Expect to Share the Bench.
A grandma with a silver braid sleeps in a rope hammock under trees while a cinnamon Abyssinian cat sits alert on her chest.Grandma Ruth Fell Asleep in the Hammock. Saffron Stayed Wide Awake.A grandma in a denim shirt and boots shovels snow from a driveway while a cinnamon Abyssinian cat paws at the snowbank.Ruth Went Out to Shovel the Driveway. Saffron Found the Snowbank First.A grandma with a long silver braid and denim shirt holds a cinnamon Abyssinian cat up to a window overlooking a snowy yard.The First Snow Came Overnight. Grandma Ruth Knew Exactly Who Had to See It.A grandma with a silver braid sorts old black-and-white photos at a table while a cinnamon Abyssinian cat sniffs them.Grandma Ruth Opened the Old Shoebox of Photos. Saffron Had to Inspect Every One.