Enfin, Chez Moi by Jane Tolbert

5 a.m. This seems to be the witching hour of the two cats. They are everywhere, playing or leaping over me as I try to get those last winks before leaving for the day job. New Year’s day, the three of us moved to a new place. And the interior of this Cappadocia-esque apartment resembles a large cat house—holes to enter and exit, walls to scale, and small passages. The pets spent a day in hiding but have now settled into a routine—arising early then sleeping the remainder of the day.

Although the apartment seems designed with pets in mind, convincing the pets to move with me required some work. One cat, who has an international passport, reluctantly came on a leash. But the other became skittish. It took some smooth talking and a sleight of hand by a cat whisperer to get her in the carrier.

Six days after the move, I can find most things—clothes, tango shoes and my coffee pot. The Ikea shelves are filling with curios--ink wells, an absinthe spoon from the flea market in Nice and a door knocker from Turkey. There is a small water color of the Gorges du Loup, the view from my former mas in France, a drawing by Munro Leaf and a photo of tango dancers. I need to be surrounded by my stuff-- laptop, books and music, a marble-topped café table and wooden café chairs from Michel’s boutique. The yellow armoire, which has been an essential part of my moves since 1998, is in sections, awaiting repair. My sister’s paintings, along with a collection of drawings by other artists, line walls or shelves. A few rugs and favorite books--Eric Ambler, Dr. Seuss, four volumes of Harry Potter and Graham Greene—create a much-needed clutter and make it more like chez moi.



But six days after the move, I still have not put in the new shelf paper . . . .I still have not washed windows.

My minimalistic approach (which stems from a lack of furniture and one too many moves) seems to work well given the space. But hélas, it will not compensate for a lack of beds. The cats don’t seem to notice. At 6 a.m., they are now exhausted by their play and asleep on the couch.