I’m [always] busy playing. When I’m playing I don’t pay attention to who’s listening.
 
Charles Mingus
 
[At age 20, my beloved cat Mitchell went to his heavenly reward. Mitchell loved my collection of stringed musical instruments and would pull at the strings with his teeth. So I named his successor Mingus after the great jazz bass player Charlie Mingus. Only after I chose that name did I learn that Charlie Mingus collaborated with singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell on his last musical project. At age 7 months, Mingus the kitten not only looks like my former cat Mitchell but is beginning to show an interest in playing stringed instruments.]