Tim Lambert, a homeschool lobbyist here in Texas, perhaps a bit too conservative for my tastes, though I admire his dedication to his work, once likened running a homeschool group to herding cats. I just read a post from a friend who took it another step further...homeschool leaders (among otheres) as sheperds of cats. I love the visual poetry of this...definitely going to be thinking about this today. It totally messes with a hymn we sing at Mass sometimes, not because it changes the meaning of the hymn-- just the perspective. I mean "cats" instead of souls seems a bit more on the mark when you think about it. Cats are independent,needy, recalcitrant, suppline, high strung and laid back. A general and generally loveable pain in the ass. All things God/the Universe/Gaia-- whomever you give the nod to, would see on a regular basis.

Shepherd of souls, refresh and bless
thy chosen pilgrim flock
with manna in the wilderness,
with water from the rock.

We would not live by bread alone,
but by thy word of grace,
in strength of which we travel on
to our abiding place.