Kreativ Blogger Award

My friend Angie over at Eclectic Catladyland gave me a Kreativ Blogger award a few months ago. (Thanks Ang.) One of the stipulations of this award is that you have to share 7 things about yourself that no one would really know. SEVEN?!?!

Those who know me personally know that I talk….ALOT. (There is a button on my Facebook profile that says “People who don’t know me think I’m quiet. People who do know me wish I were.”) There isn’t much about me that my friends don’t know. Some may know more than others. But, I’ll give it the old college try anyway.

1) I love, love, love toe socks. They are a wondrous invention that I would wear every day if I could find enough of them. The local Wal-Mart sells them at Christmas and Valentine’s Day, and that’s about it. And those aren’t quite my size. I try to buy at least one pair though, even if they do only come up to just above my ankles.

2) I wear my regular socks (not the toe socks) inside out. Those little seams on the toes bug the heck out of me. Turn them inside out, problem solved. (And no, I don’t know why that seam bothers me, yet having the fabric in between my toes with toe socks doesn’t.)

3) I’m a light smoker. I say “light” because a pack of cigarettes can last me anywhere from two weeks to a month. No lectures. I know it all. I will quit (again) one day. Just not right now.

4) I love penguins. Don’t know why, just always have. Maybe it’s the little black and white “suits” they always wear. Maybe it’s the cute way they walk. Don’t know, doesn’t matter. I just like ‘em.

5) I used to be a “professional” shoplifter. I say professional because we (an old friend and I) were so good, we’d take orders for items from friends. We could walk into the mall and walk out with hundreds of dollars worth of stuff. Stopped when she got snagged by the cops. I wasn’t with her thankfully as she was a minor and I wasn’t, so I would probably have been looking at some jail time. I actually parlayed my skills into a job as a shopper for a security company. I had to walk around the store watching for shoplifters. Told them I’d be good at it because I used to be one of the “bad guys.” Hey, at least I was honest.

6) I am dying (OK, not literally) to try Karaoke. I can’t sing worth a flip, and I really don’t care. I love to sing. I especially love to sing the “old” 80’s songs. I don’t know if there is a Karaoke bar anywhere around here, but one day I will find one, get together with a friend or two, down a drink or two for courage and have at it. (I promise to post pictures.)

7) Last but not least, as much as I love my late mother (and I really do), one of my big goals in life has been to not be like her. Oh, I know I share some traits with her. My brothers have told me I sound just like her, and I know I look a bit like her (my dad, too), but Mom had a rough time and really got pretty bitter as the years went by. When life threw her lemons, she fussed and cussed and blamed everyone around her…men mostly. She was really angry with the men of our species. I love my mother, but when life hands me lemons, I will forever try my best to make lemonade.

Well, that’s it. Nothing real earth shattering, not to me anyway. I’m keeping that kind of stuff close to the vest. :-)

I am also supposed to nominate seven other blogs for this award, but since this has gotten so long, I will save that for tomorrow. Hope that’s not against the rules. Until then, take life as it comes, pour on the sugar and enjoy the lemonade.

Happy Birthday To Me

Today is not only the first day of winter, it is also my 40th birthday. The Big 4-0! I have decided 40 is the new 20, as much of the time I don't even feel like an adult, much less a 40-year-old one.

Today I'm going to get away from the usual writings about cats and/or snow. But, I do reserve the right to get back to those later on. For now, I'm going to mark my 40th birthday by listing major events for each month in the year I was born, 1969 of course. Let's see how many of you remember these.

*January: Led Zeppelin I is released marking the beginning of Heavy Metal, Richard Nixon becomes the 37th President of the United States, The Beatles give their last public performance on the roof of Apple Records

*February: Yasser Arafat is elected leader of the PLO, The last issue of The Saturday Evening Post hits newsstands, the Boeing 747 makes its maiden flight

*March: the novel The Godfather is published, Apollo 9 is launched to test the lunar module and returns safely

*April: Dr. Denton Cooley implants the first temporary artificial heart, Robin Knox-Johnston is the first person to sail solo around the world without stopping

*May: Apollo 10 is launched and returns safely (a "full dress rehearsal" for the moon landing), John and Yoko conduct there "Bed-In" for peace, the film Midnight Cowboy debuts

*June: Elton John releases his first album in the UK, the Stonewall Riots in New York mark the start of the modern gay rights movement, Give Peace a Chance (the first single by a solo Beatle) is recorded by John Lennon

*July: Apollo 11 makes it's historic trip to the moon and returns safely, Chappaquiddick ('nuff said), the very first US troop withdrawals are made in Vietnam

*August: the Manson Family murders take place, Woodstock music festival takes place

*September: the first ATM machine in the US is installed in Rockville Centre, NY, the very last Looney Tunes cartoon is released by Warner Brothers, The Brady Bunch premieres

*October: Monty Python's Flying Circus premieres on BBC One, the "miracle" New York Mets win the World Series, the first message is sent over ARPANET (precursor to the internet)

*November: Sesame Street premieres, Dave Thomas opens the first Wendy's, Apollo 12 goes to the moon and returns safely

*December: the first draft lottery since WWII is held, the Boeing 747 makes its public debut carrying mostly reporters and photographers (191 in all) from Seattle to NYC

Those are just a few highlights from 1969. There are lots more, and I found the list on Wikipedia. And that is my way of marking my 40th birthday. Thanks for listening. ;-)

Snow Kitties

We got over a foot of snow up here in the mountains, and a bit more is falling now. I figured the kittens wouldn't leave the front porch except maybe to go to the basement while the fluffy white stuff was on the ground, and boy was I wrong. Besides following me around the yard while I took some pictures, they actually played in the snow. Google especially seemed to be enjoying himself.

I would love to edit our voices out of the video, but don't have the software on this computer. But it's cool, watching little Google play in the snow like that. This is before the bulk of the snow fell, of course, and later on, when it was so deep, he mostly played in areas where I had walked.

Hope followed me out into the yard, but wasn't real happy about it. She stayed right next to the house, then walked out to get under the car. From there, she ended up under the storage building, then hightailed it under the deck.

Was surprised to see her sitting in the snow on the deck with Google for a bit.

Yahoo did follow me around the yard, but not for long. He stayed mostly under the deck (trying to clean snow off his fur)...

...or on the porch, curled up on his favorite cushion.

I really want to find a home for these guys. They are just the sweetest things. Yahoo especially loves to sit on your lap and be held. They are still young enough that they would make great indoor kitties. (They are constantly trying to come in our front door.) They are now spayed/neutered and are up-to-date on their shots. All I ask for their adoption is a donation to the local animal shelter. Not a bad deal if you ask me.

Today, I am thankful for...

...my husband. Even as we have been dealing with his recent illness, he still tries to keep me smiling. And this through his own severe pain. When I told him that I had seen a co-worker of his at Wal-Mart, and that he had asked how I was doing, Chris was appreciative of that. He felt people should be thinking about me as much as about him. (Which we're sure they are, but he just like hearing it.)

...my cats. Yes, they are a pain at times, but they also provide some entertainment and brief respites from the stress and frustration of daily life. Even the kittens, who will hopefully have a furever home at some point soon, are a welcome addition. We often go outside and watch them play in the leaves, or run through the backyard.

...my many and varied friends, including those I have only "met" on the internet. Even distant friends who you may never see face-to-face bring joy to your life. Imagine/remember how BIG the world once seemed, how far away so many people were. Now, with a few clicks of the mouse, a few taps of the keyboard, we can "talk" with people all over the world. How cool is that?

...my life in general. True, there are some things I haven't done that I've always wanted to, but who doesn't have that list? And there are some things that have happened in my past that were pretty painful, but again, who doesn't have things like that in their life? Everything that's happened in my life has made me who I am, and I kinda like me. (Well, most of the time, anyway.)    :-)

...bacon. I am so very thankful for this wonderful, fattening, tasty product that makes everything taste better. I even heard about a chocolate-bacon cake. Gotta find that recipe.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SESAME STREET!

Everyone is getting in on the celebration, even Google. For several days the search engine has put a character from the show into their logo. Today, it's a group shot. Most of my favorites are there, with Big Bird being my all-time favorite character of the show. Wouldn't be Sesame Street without him.

Sesame Street debuted on November 10, 1969, one month and 11 days before I was born. I grew up with the show, learning my ABC's, numbers and even a smattering of Spanish (agua - water - agua). My mother said it was a babysitter of sorts. She'd come in from working nights, get the other kids off to school, set me in front of the TV to watch Sesame Street and be able to catch a nap on the couch. (I hear the grumbling going on out there about television and kids and quality time, but hey...you do what you gotta do.)

My favorite characters on the show have always been Big Bird and Snuffleupagus. I remember in the 80's hearing about how they were going to finally let the adults of the show see Big Bird's "imaginary" friend. How cool was that, to finally have have his frustration end. And he would be able to say "I told you so" to boot.

I have to say, I am glad to see Sesame Street is still going strong. It's nice to know that future generations will continue to enjoy the wonderful characters that live on this street. As a matter of fact, I always wanted to live on this street, too. I wonder if there's an apartment available near Big Bird's nest.

IT'S A GIRL!!

Well, the kittens are still here, and I am hoping to get them to the vet to be neutered in the next week or so. The person I was hoping would take them wasn't able to, but she has promised to keep watch for anyone who might be interested. In the meantime...Jeeves has given us a bit of a surprise. He is a she.

I would have sworn Jeeves was a boy. I would have sworn I saw little...thingies...as she walked away from me. But it must have been a visual trick played by the way the fur was growing, because now they are obviously not there. Then I took her to the vet's office on Saturday and had my suspicions confirmed. The littlest brother is now the little sister. (She still play fights better than her brothers, though.)

So, we are trying to figure out a new name for the little girl, but aren't having much luck. We're still calling her Jeeves for lack of anything better, and she doesn't seem to mind. We thought about Eve since the sound is close to the same, but it just hasn't stuck. Maybe Jenny, but that hasn't made the cut yet either. If we stick with the search engine theme, the task becomes even more difficult. There just aren't many search engines out there using female type names.

For now, Jeeves is still Jeeves, and her brothers (Google and Yahoo) still treat her like a little brother, wrestling with her in the front yard, chasing her up trees. Or maybe, that's how little sisters are routinely treated. Either way, she doesn't seem to mind.

Kitten Update

May have a home for one or more of the kittens. (Keep fingers crossed.) For now, they are still running all over my front porch, raising a heck of a racket. Today, I gave them a treat...a bit of sardines. Boy did they like that.

My usual readers know I have a small house outside for the cats. (a couple actually) The kittens recently discovered the foam one that Muffin usually sleeps in. I'm betting the little microwaveable "heater" I put in there has something to do with their discovery. What's odd is what they're doing with this "new" item they have taken over. Instead of sleeping inside it, they seem to like the idea of sleeping on top of it, collapsing the thing around them.

That's Jeeves and Yahoo in the picture. When I went out there early yesterday morning, Jeeves and Google were laying there like that. They came running to me, and then I was surprised to see Yahoo come crawling out of the house. They were laying on top of him. Maybe it was his idea, a way to keep warm.

I still get a kick out of Google's eyes. He is always wide-eyed and ready to go.

And Yahoo is such a beautiful boy. Sometimes he just sits beside me and watches the others play.

Jeeves is a hoot. Still more standoffish than the others, but does come running to be petted. He's a doll.

They're growing like weeds. I see a difference every day. Such beautiful little guys. Even Muffin is learning to accept them being around.

Sort of.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

One of my favorite times of the year has arrived. The weather is turning cooler, the leaves are changing and the catalogs have begun to arrive. And I don't mean the usual clothing, toy or electronic catalogs. I mean the cheese, sausage and chocolate catalogs.

Every year I pull these colorful marketing tools out of my mailbox and drool over the items they contain. I have long dreamed of one day getting a huge box of assorted meats and oh-so-wonderful cheeses from the likes of Hickory Farms, petits fours from Figi's or even a Forest Friends log from Swiss Colony.

I've even told my husband he is welcome to get me something from those purveyors of pure pleasure for Christmas or my birthday, but he thinks that wouldn't be a good present for a husband to give his wife. One year, my mom did send me something from one of them, and I eagerly ripped open the box to find...a small soup pot and bag of 21-bean soup. No chocolate. No cake. No cheese.  *sigh*

I may have to break down and purchase something for myself one of these days, but for now, I will enjoy my trips to the mailbox. I will revel in the visually aromatic photos of cheese spreads, chocolate-covered cakes and various fudges from various parts of the world. For now, I will simply continue to indulge in one of my favorite fall/winter traditions. Maybe I should purchase that sterling silver drool cup I saw online.

Life Goes On

I still start to cry when I look at pictures of my Little Buddy, or read about him in my journal, but there are three other kittens, not to mention all the adult cats, who need my attention.




This is Google (on left) and Yahoo (on the right). Google was the first named because he had such googlie eyes. His eyes are always wide open like that. We decided to go on with the search engine theme and called the other one Yahoo...because it's another search engine and he follows along behind Google, who seems to be constantly searching for something. It all works.



In thinking about other search engine type names, we decided to call this little guy Jeeves (along the lines of Ask Jeeves). We don't know for sure yet if he's a boy, but it works anyway. He's the most skittish of them, but he always has been. We're working on it though.


Here's Yahoo letting me pet him. It helps if I try while he's eating. He's getting to where he really wants to be petted, though. I even managed to pick him up for about a second or two this morning before he yelled at me.

Not everyone around our house is happy about the kittens being here. Muffin gave them a good talking-to this morning. But, with all her hissing and such, the other night I went outside to find her actually running around playing with them. When she saw me watching, the play stopped of course. You know how cats are.

I'm Sad Today

I lost one of the kittens last night. Second from the left, looking up at the camera, is the one of the bunch who let me hold him. He had gotten to where he would come up to me and rub on my legs and we'd play a bit when I went out to feed them. He was a sweetie and I was really hoping to find him an indoor home. But, it wasn't to be. I found him lying in the grass this morning. There was a small wound on the back of his neck, and we figure a dog probably got hold of him. (You know how they shake things like that.) I have seen a coyote not far from my house, but if that had been what got him, it probably would have taken him off.

The other kittens are a bit more skittish now, which is understandable. After my pet sitting appointment this morning, I came home and buried the little guy in my front yard. As I was digging, the others came out from under my porch. They sat near and watched me until I was done. Almost like they were saying goodbye themselves. I think they will probably move over here now as they can go up under my porch where there is a small opening that leads into my basement. Much safer area.

I wish I could handle things like this better. A part of me wishes I didn't get so attached so easily. I'm second guessing myself when it comes to how I've been dealing with these guys now, and I'm really tired of crying over animals like this. (If more people would take care of their own pets, this type of thing wouldn't happen so often.)

At least I know the little guy was pretty happy. He and his siblings were over here on our porch late last night and I held and played with him. He had the loudest purr I've ever heard on a kitten. I'll never forget that, or him.