"I Was Eight Years Old, Fair Go Mum!"

[Suzy]

LOL LOL LOL My 22 year old daughter was clearing out her room and she found a diary written when she was 8 years old. I was trying to groom her into an astronomer from a very early age whether she liked it or not it seems.
Gold. Just pure gold! I'm going to cherish this entry forever.

She put it up on my wall on facebook earlier today with the caption "I was eight years old, fair go mum!




It's not just me is it?
Don't all of us in here do it to our children? Something like a rule of living under your roof etc... "you will learn and be educated (to that effect?)

While I'm at it, I'll admit something else. Feeling brave today.
My Burmese cat, Chai who is ordinarily an indoor cat, is trained to come outside at night with me carrying him and not wanting to escape and look up at the sky while I point out to him all the interesting stars and he looks and listens intently. Normal behaviour for a budding astronomer I'd say.

[blink138 (Pat)]

your just weird suzy ha ha!
pat

[Larryp (Laurie)]

My mother was an accomplished concert pianist and later on, a piano teacher. I used to marvel at how she could sit there and play Beethoven or any of the masters with no music-it was all in her head.
She had the same ambitions for me, but I had absolutely no musical talent whatsoever. This led to many arguments in my young life, but she eventually accepted she was wasting her time and mine, and allowed me to pursue my own interests.
So you aren't alone, Suzy!

[Baddad (Marty)]

Hi Suzy,

That's rather well written for an 8 year old. Obviously a smart daughter.

And you talk to the cat? You sure that your daughter is actually your daughter? You? Teaching astronomy to the cat?

Something wrong there.

I can understand teaching calculus to a dog. A cat? Astronomy? No! No!
That's weird

Have fun Suzy, it appears you are on your own with the cat

Well Shirley Valentine used to talk to the wall So I assume its kinda' normal, cat talk.

Cheers

[astroron (Ron)]

Originally Posted by Baddad

Hi Suzy,

That's rather well written for an 8 year old. Obviously a smart daughter.

And you talk to the cat? You sure that your daughter is actually your daughter? You? Teaching astronomy to the cat?

Something wrong there.

I can understand teaching calculus to a dog. A cat? Astronomy? No! No!
That's weird

Have fun Suzy, it appears you are on your own with the cat

Well Shirley Valentine used to talk to the wall So I assume its kinda' normal, cat talk.

Cheers

If you go on our Face Book pages you will see lots of people talk to Cats and Dogs, even taking them to bed and other strange things
So Suzy is not unusual at all
Cheers

[astroron (Ron)]

I think Suzy's daughter is a very talented young lady and that entry proves it
8 years old a budding astronomer in the making, but decided that music was her forte, But still likes to accompany mum in spotting meteors now and again
Cheers

[Osirisra (Ken)]

That is awesome!

I've always wondered what it would be like to see the night sky through the eyes of a cat with their excellent night vision.

[Barrykgerdes]

Gee I remember being eight in 3rd class. My teacher Miss Curwood also taught singing. She had and arrangement with Mr Scott (4th class teacher and deputy head) where she taught singing to 4th class and he looked after the caning for 3rd class.

My knowledge of astronomy was limited to what I read in the Pear's Encyclopedia. And a telescope was something that Grandpa had that we used to set up to watch trains on the hill leading to Mt Kuring Gai station during the school holidays. Train spotting beat astronomy easy as a pastime.

I still have that copy of Pear's encyclopedia. We did not know much about the solar system in those days.

Barry

[pluto (Hugh)]

That's fantastic Suzy. I'm sure she sees it as a positive experience now days, I know I would!
I can remember, when I was around that age, my dad teaching me about averted vision, and how our eyes had cones and rods, while on holidays staring at the stars under very dark skies and it's one of my favorite memories from my childhood

[Suzy]

Originally Posted by Baddad

Hi Suzy,


And you talk to the cat? You sure that your daughter is actually your daughter? You? Teaching astronomy to the cat?

Something wrong there.

Ssssshhhhhh It's a secret just for forum members here only.
Please no one ever google Suzy & cat together in same google line, I'll get people at the door carrying padded suits.
Yes, my cats are that smart They know a lot of key words- cats can be very smart. All I've got to say is "let's go see the stars" and he'll come running no matter where he is or what he's doing or even if his sleeping" & then he claws at my thighs to be carried to go outside. True story.

And one very important reason to have an astro cat: He listens- acknowledges my comments with a purring rub under my chin. My family on the other hand tell me to put a zip on it. Hmmm so whatever works that gives me some attention & an audience for astronomy I guess

[Suzy]

Originally Posted by astroron

even taking them to bed and other strange things
So Suzy is not unusual at all
Cheers

Geeeeeez thanks for admitting that to everyone Ron. You buddy you...
On the count of what I said before about padded suits & what Ron just said, I am definitely not answering my front door anymore....

[Nico13 (Ken)]

Absolutely brilliant Suzy, smart daughter, smart cat, what more could you ask for.

My little mate Casper after a well known ghost and the Apollo 16 comand module loves to be taken outside and will stand up to the telescope and check it out but not smart like yours Suzy he just wants to be loved, a little Casanova.

[Gem (Grant)]

I remember being around 10/11 and getting dragged to dark sky sites and catching the train into Observatory Hill to attend BAA (British Astronomical Association) meetings.... but that was by a big brother!
He is now a professional astronomer, I took the amateur path.

As for parents, my dad played rugby league for Canterbury in the 1960s. My parents are very different, and my mum decided she didn't want me to be like my dad.... so she sent me to private school and enrolled me in fencing at age 11. It kinda backfired when I dropped out of uni to compete at World Champs... all those years of school fees "wasted" for sport.

[Baddad (Marty)]

Hi Suzy,

I can get you help. My son has an Hon Pyschology degree. (also a Black Hawk pilot) He is very understanding

Hi Ken,
Cats have virtually monochromatic vision. Because they have such excellent night vision they can not see colour.

Anyway Suzy, we can get you help. I assume you suffer greatly from this affliction with your cats. So give it some serious thought and let me know. We can put you back on the straight and narrow. We'll have you enjoying the companionship of dogs in no time. You will find dogs are much better than cats at astronomy

Heh Heh

[astroron (Ron)]

Originally Posted by astroron

If you go on our Face Book pages you will see lots of people talk to Cats and Dogs, even taking them to bed and other strange things
So Suzy is not unusual at all
Cheers

The strange things I was talking about in the above post, were people dressing up dogs and cats as humans and having the animals sleeping in the same bed as them ,which to me is not what I would do.
Cheers

[ZeroID (Brent)]

We have had a number of Oriental Siamese over the last 12 years or so and for sure THEY understand AND talk back to you.
Isaac used to know when you said bed .. or food. His sister Elsa used to go 'chatchatchat' if you told her off. Koko, our current and only walks in 'talking' and expects and responds to conversation. He also likes me to jump him and scruffle him up. Kind of weird when people see you bouncing on a cat and pushing him around but I always land over him and he purrs and pushes back.
Our blonde girl Halo was ... blonde. Only cat I know that would walk along then just go into a forward roll for the fun of it.
Yeah, personalities is what they've got and all different.

[Larryp (Laurie)]

Originally Posted by ZeroID

We have had a number of Oriental Siamese over the last 12 years or so and for sure THEY understand AND talk back to you.
Isaac used to know when you said bed .. or food. His sister Elsa used to go 'chatchatchat' if you told her off. Koko, our current and only walks in 'talking' and expects and responds to conversation. He also likes me to jump him and scruffle him up. Kind of weird when people see you bouncing on a cat and pushing him around but I always land over him and he purrs and pushes back.
Our blonde girl Halo was ... blonde. Only cat I know that would walk along then just go into a forward roll for the fun of it.
Yeah, personalities is what they've got and all different.

Yes Brent, they all have different personalities
I have a grey tabby I got from RSPCA when she was about 9 months old. She answers me every time I say something to her, and she understands words. If I say "dinner", she runs to her food bowl.. She loves to curl up in my lap when I am watching TV-cats make great pets.

[Suzy]

Ron, you do you mean like this?
If I could sew and owned a Romba, my cats would not be blissfully sleeping right now.... zooooom zooooom

It's okay Ron, I got what you meant, I just couldn't resist me poking at myself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of2HU3LGdbo

[LAW (Murphy)]

Haha, that's classic! I remember it was always the other way around with me, I was dragging my parents out of the house to look at something or other, usually an ISS pass or MIR back in the day.

[Suzy]

Marty, to further back up what the guys are saying in agreement with me,
here's just two of the several examples I have of my cats being smart.

Guys step forward with yours and throw it at Marty na-na-na na-naaaa

BTW anyone with a cat knows that they're not fully colour blind- a vet will tell you the same. They have a liking for certain colours proved time again by their owners.


Ahemmmm *cough* *cough* so here's proof!

Notice in this video how Millie shows a response when asked if she's hungry & also note what she does when I ask her where her din-din is. She also sits on command & I have proof but no one is seeing that on the count of what I'm wearing...doh!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7khCKrfGpss

And here's a video of Chai playing fetch- I couldn't even teach both dogs I had to do that.
Note when he hears a bird that he still keeps his mind on the job.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyRDKhsWwRs


And on the other topic of this thread, thank you guys for your feedback, I am enjoying reading about astronomy when you were a child, thank you & bring on more.