A day for cat naps!

Sleeping near the fire.

Tacumwah

My brother, Marquette.

Today it is windy out. It is 32 degrees outside. We are all sleeping. Even Mommies slept in today. Mommy got up about 8:37 when her phone rang. Mommy Bonnie slept much later than that.

Today is Mommy's birthday. I won't tell you how old she is, only that she was 60 last year. She got a really neat Hawaiian shirt from Stephanie and she can't wait to wear it to work. It is a perfect fit, but at 32 degrees, it may be a while before she wears it.

Yesterday Mommies went to the farm and the campground. They talked to the electrician/plumber about where they needed light switches, etc. They also had lots of help covering the top of the camper to protect it after the ice storm damage. I won't write about it here because it is all on the farm blog.

Mommy finished Mistaken Identity last week and really liked it. She recommends it to everyone reading this blog. Now she is reading about Dewey the library cat and she recommends that book too. She continues to read Lisa Scottoline and wants everyone to know that Lisa has a column in The Philadelphia Inquirer each week called Chick Wit. Today's column is especially funny, and Mommy wants to share it with all of you. The URL is: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/lisa_scottoline/20081228_Chick_Wit__Resolved__Keep_doing_things_I_like.html

Mommy called a Bunny Alert on Friday night but no one responded! She was the first to see the bunny in the front yard and she tried to get Marquette and I interested, but if we aren't the one to call the alert, then we won't respond.

~There is no such thing as a free kitten!~

Bunny ALERT!

There it is! Do you see it?

Last night Mommy called me for my ice cream but I did not come to her. She thought it was strange and came looking for me. It was pretty late and dark outside. She found me on BUNNY ALERT! I had been on Bunny Watch, but had to upgrade to Bunny Alert when I spotted the bunny. Boy, was it big! No, I am not going to tell you who is who in the photo. You should know by now! So Marquette came in and we stayed on Bunny Alert for quite a while before the bunny hopped out of view. Then I did get my ice cream.

Mommies went to Logansport today to visit with Mommy's mother. Mommy gave her mother 12 sleep-overs (in Logansport) for Christmas with movies, and they are going to start in January. They will have fun I am sure!

Mommy Bonnie is off work for a few days but Mommy has to go to work tomorrow. Then they are going to rent a van and take some things to the cottage on Saturday morning and also put a tarp over the damaged camper. If it is too muddy, a neighbor told them they could have the things put in his garage for a while. The dishwasher is going to be delivered that day and Mommy Bonnie will be taking the water heater. Then she will have to perform in the Boars Head that evening and for the next two evenings. Mommy will stay home with us.

~There is no such thing as a free kitten!~

The ice storm

Me and Mommy this morning.

Mommy and the thin twin, Marquette.

We had a really bad ice storm. We were without power from really early Friday morning until after midnight that night. Our house stayed warm and Mommies had the gas fireplace on whenever they were home. Mommy Bonnie brought Steak 'n Shake home for her and Mommy.

Both of my mommies made it to work on Friday even though there was a Level 2 emergency. Mommy said the library should have been closed on Friday and that all fines on materials due that day should have been cancelled. Mommy Bonnie told Mommy to be careful about expressing her opinions. Mommy said she is almost 61 years old and she will express her opinions if she wants to. See...Mommy Bonnie is in management and Mommy Kathy isn't, so they look at these things from two different perspectives.

There was tree damage at the farm and some significant damage to the camper at the campground from falling limbs. You may check out http://blossomridgefarm.blogspot.com/ for photos of the damage. Mommies have to go back to the campground Wed. and, with the help of our neighbor, Denny, will attempt to remove the limbs from the top of the camper and cover the hole in the roof so snow melt and rain won't get into the camper. No chance of snow melt today. It is only 2 degrees and the wind chill is between -15 and -30 degrees depending on the gusts. Mommy Bonnie was supposed to go to a practice at the church today but is not going. Mommy is going to finish a book and watch movies. She is making her famous pork roast today. I hope I get some. It is in a marinade of Greek vinaigrette and will be stuffed with a mixture of feta cheese and kalamata olives and then baked. We can't keep kalamata olives in our house because my mommies eat them right out of the bottle as a snack!

~There is no such thing as a free kitten!~

Hawk Alert!

Click on this photo to see what has my attention!

Feeling a little better today!

Mommy couldn't find me after dinner and checked the master bedroom where I was stalking a HUGE hawk! He was eating something, but it wasn't Little Bear! When Mommy let the dogs out to potty after they had their dinner she heard a lady say something about a hawk but she didn't see one. (Voices really travel here in our development.) Mommy always looks because the hawks like to sit on the electrical tower in the commons behind our villa. It was shortly after the potty break that I saw the hawk. He was sure big and I hope he wasn't eating one of my bunnies! Unfortunately, the photo of me shows off my girth. Dr. Stover said something yesterday about fat cats being cute. I think she was impressed with my size. But today's second photo makes me look...you know...normal.

So today Mommy didn't go to the farm because they were going to deliver the dishwasher very late and there are no lights there yet. So they rescheduled for Saturday and will probably have to reschedule yet a third time.

I haven't been in the litter box quite so much today, and I haven't peed on anything. I have given Mommy lots of love and attention even though she wraps me in a towel twice a day and forces pain medicine down my throat! She read a mystery book today and cooked spaghetti sauce. It sure smells good!

Well, I wanted all my readers to know that I am ok today. Not 100%, but pretty good. I get canned catfood twice a day now so that is nice!

~There is no such thing as a free kitten!~

Plastic bags and cystitis!

Marquette and the plastic bag.

Alien from outer space!

That is my goofy twin in today's photos! Mommy had some meat in a plastic bag. Even though the meat was double-bagged, Marquette could still smell it in the outer bag. So he grabbed the bag and took off throughout the house with it. He put his head inside the bag and Mommy couldn't tell if it was stuck or he just wanted his head in the bag. She threw the bag away after she took the photos so Marquette wouldn't suffocate. He growled just like he does when he eats or has something he doesn't want to share.

Ok, so I'm a little under the weather. Last night when Mommy was cleaning the litter boxes I jumped between the two of them and squatted many times trying to pee. Mommy thought I was playing until I peed on her bed late this morning and she saw some blood in my urine. So I got packed into the crate and I hollered all the way to the vet's office this afternoon and for a while after I got there. Dr. Stover looked at me and thought I looked...well...maybe just a bit chubby. I weighed 11 lbs. 12 oz. on her scales. (They MUST be wrong!) She examined me and said I acted like my bladder was a little tender. She took me in the back room and got some pee out of me for a urinalysis and she stuck her finger up my butt to empty my anal glands since Mommy told her I am the only cat she has ever had that butt scoots.

Is this TMI?

So I had an absolutely AWFUL time at the vet's. Dr. Stover said I had blood in my urine and an elevated white blood count but no crystals. I am on pain meds but no antibiotics. Dr. Stover said this would clear up in a few days to a week if we did nothing, but that I was probably in pain and should have 3-5 days of pain meds. She said bigger boned cats like me are prone to this type of thing and that I might get it every so often, or maybe never again. I am supposed to get OFF dry catfood and eat mostly canned food because it has more water in it. I am supposed to drink LOTS of water too.

Mommy Bonnie wants me quarantined in the master bedroom until I am better but I don't know if Mommy will go along with it. She has put water in more places in the house and has moved a litter box into the main living area so I am always close to water and a potty.

Mommy took her first wine class today. It was a 3-hour course. She enjoyed it very much and had to take a test. She got 100% on it.

I will try to keep you updated on my condition. Right now I am feeling kind of drugged from my pain meds.

~There is no such thing as a free kitten!~

Bunny watch!

Playing mousie this morning. Marquette (lower R) and Tacumwah's back.

Trying to reach that mousie! Marquette to L.

Marquette's turn!

Marquette

See my new blue collar?

Marquette growls when he has the mousie in his mouth!

We had our first significant snowfall yesterday. It is nice to be inside where it is warm!

We posted a photo on Nov. 20th of me on the clipper table in Mommy's room looking out the window. I should explain what I was doing. I was on Bunny Watch. There are rabbits around here and they drive Marquette and I crazy. We see them out the front bedroom window hopping along. So one of us usually sits for a long period of time each day without moving to watch for the bunnies. This is called Bunny Watch. When we actually see a bunny we change to Bunny Alert. Bunny Alert sends us into a frenzy! We twitch and carry on something awful. Usually we are only on Bunny Watch. When Mommy can't find us she always looks for us on that table. Tacumwah doesn't care about Bunny Watch. She is only interested in catching and eating Gennie!

Speaking of Tacumwah, she attacked me this morning and we wrestled a little. There was some growling and screaming and Mommy couldn't tell who was doing what. Playing with Tacumwah isn't like playing with my brother. I have her out-weighed, but she is scary because she has all the moves!

Tomorrow Mommy has to go to the farm to receive the dishwasher and, maybe, the hot water heater. I think today she is just going to take it easy and read or watch a movie. She has some phone calls to make also.

I guess Kitty (A.K.A. Gore Bang) got out the other day when Tina's boyfriend, Aaron, let Dot, the beagle, out. Poor Kitty! He was out for a whole night, and Dot was so sad. But Kitty was back the next day, so all is well. I bet he won't be going near the door again any time soon! Kitty is going in to be neutered next month. All of the OH kittens that are left (4) are doing very well and their owners are taking very good care of them. Maya is the only one not yet scheduled for neutering, but she will be. Right now there is more excitement going on in Maya's world as Jennifer prepares to have her baby girl tomorrow! Jennifer will be off work for 12 weeks.

~There is no such thing as a free kitten!~

What did you say about a bowling ball?

Me (L) with Tacumwah.

Time to catch up on my blog. Mommy was busy yesterday shopping with Mommy Bonnie for lighting for the cottage and we didn't get to blog. All the updates are on the Blossom Ridge Farm blog.

So Mommy Bonnie looked at me the other day and said she saw a small head sitting on top of a bowling ball! That was so mean and hurtful, but I have come to expect my mommies to poke fun at my pudginess. I have decided that I am going to ignore them and wear my extra padding proudly!

I like my new collar and have not, as yet, started chewing on it.

Mommy met her son, KJ, at the cottage yesterday. He seemed to like it. He is out of work until at least February and is looking for a new job. He is a cabinet maker for Gulf Stream in Nappanee. Mommy's sister-in-law, Kathy Lynn, is also off work until Jan. She works for Chrysler in Kokomo. The difference is that Chrysler has a union, so Kathy Lynn is still drawing most of her pay where KJ isn't. Times are tough all over and are affecting our family now.

Mommy Bonnie's son, Scott, is in the military, so he and his family are somewhat secure. Mommy's son-in-law, Ty, still has a job in Hawaii, but may need to move to another part of the Big Island to keep his job.

One of Mommy's brothers, Charlie, is a musician and is still working. Her other brother, Conrad, works in a nursing home and doesn't seem to be in danger of losing his job.

Mommy is more convinced than ever that her decision to take early Social Security at 62 is the right decision. She will continue at the library for as long as she can.

Mommy Bonnie's company is suffering from the poor economy. She was going to retire at 62. Then she was hoping to be RIFfed with a nice severance package. Then she was talking about leaving in the spring of '09 because of all the changes her company was making. I don't think she knows what she is going to do at this point.

People who have jobs are holding on to them. People who don't are finding the job market really tight. Mommy sees this at the library. She says more and more people are coming in each week to use the computers to try to find a new job. When she talks to them they tell her they either don't have and can't afford a computer of their own, their own computer is in need of repairs they can't afford, they can't afford internet service for the computer they have. Some of these people are really grouchy and nasty. Others have accepted their situations and are doing their best to pull themselves up. They don't take it out on the library staff.

Mommy has lost several jobs. She worked for an Internet service provider that filed Chapter 13. She loved that job. So then she went to culinary school to learn to be a chef. She got a job in the kitchen of a wonderful Marsh store making all sorts of terrific gourmet dishes. She loved that job. But that Marsh store closed. They she got the job at the library and now they are reducing staff through attrition and who knows what will happen after they bring in all the new self-checkouts next year? Mommy loves this job too! She has been very blessed that she has had many jobs she has enjoyed. She signed up last night for her first online wine class and is looking forward to starting it. She has 3 months to complete it and it will involve her conducting two tastings. She expects Mommy Bonnie may want to join her for those. More on that later. She has the class outline printed and she thinks it will be fun! It is one of the first steps for her new secret project!

~There is no such thing as a free kitten!~

The Biggest Gainers, Part II

I am in the corner, but I wasn't bad!

It has been a while since I have blogged. I am at the mercy of Mommy and she has been busy reading Lisa Scottoline, watching movies and shopping...all things that she enjoys. Also, not much has been happening with me.

There has been a lot happening at Blossom Ridge Farm though! If you haven't read that blog for a while, check it out!

Mommy bought me a new collar yesterday. It isn't leather since my protein deficiency led me to destroy my leather collar. This one is a tightly woven nylon. It is blue and goes very nicely with my silver fur. It is supposed to be snag-proof. Sounds like a challenge to me; however, I have left it alone so far.

So yesterday was weigh-in day and here is the rundown. Marquette and Tacumwah maintained at 9.5 and 9 lbs. respectively. Mille was steady at 12 lbs., and Little Bear remained 7.5 lbs. Gizmo blimped up from 17 lbs. to 18 lbs. and yours truly went from 10.5 lbs to 11 lbs. So much for diets! Mommy is hoping that Giz will take off some weight when we move to the country and he can run at the farm. Me? There is no hope. Mommy keeps saying I have to level off soon. Do I? One thing new since I last bogged is that Tacumwah is now playing with me. With two cats to exercise with, maybe I can at least maintain my weight.

Mommy has a new hobby. I can't say too much about it because she doesn't want anyone to steal her idea. But it involves wines and wine history, some wine tasting and food, and she is hoping to get some of her friends who love wine to participate in her new pet project. She is currently buying some of the wines for the first tasting along with some other essentials, and she has her introduction written. She wants to do the first tasting here on Blossom Ridge, but Mommy Bonnie says it should take place at The Farm after we move in and she is probably right. That will give Mommy some time to research and buy a camera. She is also taking some wine courses through Wine Spectator Online where she has a membership. Stay tuned as this project develops. It could be a fun and exciting time!

The report from Miss Marra on Little Dexter is that he made it through his surgery just fine and was back playing with Baby Si-Si right away. He tipped the scales at 5 lbs. 12 oz. at the vet's office. Sofie will be going in for her surgery early in January and Mommy will have to check on Maya and Kitty.

Mommy is making her world-famous grilled salmon tonight...ok, it is famous in OUR world...and it is driving Tacumwah crazy while it is marinating.

Mommy Bonnie's new HD TV is awesome. Mommy even says so and she doesn't even watch much TV. That TV will go in the basement of the cottage as part of Mommy Bonnie's home theatre system. The basement will be the family room. You can read all that on The Farm blog, so I won't repeat it.

OK, gotta get cleaned up for dinner!

~There is no such thing as a free kitten!~

A day to sleep....

Marquette scoring brownie points with Mommy.

I want some attention too, Mommy!

Tacumwah in front of the fire.

Tacumwah (L) and Marquette warming themselves.

Today is another lazy winter day at The Fort on Blossom Ridge. We are all comatose except for Mommy.

Mommy has the day off only she doesn't have the day off. She has already been to the post office to mail Seyfert's potato chips to Stephanie in Hawaii along with Archway cookies and Russell Stover candy. She looked for a Goodwill drop-off place but couldn't find one...not even at the Goodwill Store! She is starting to get rid of things so that she is ready to move into the cottage in the spring. She looked up where to take the items but won't be going by any of the places today.

Mommy was supposed to have lunch with her friend, Karen, today, but they had to cancel for a variety of reasons. She was also supposed to go to Sam's Club but will have to go next week. She has been working on what she thinks is a great idea about educating people about Indiana wine but she doesn't want to say too much because she doesn't want anyone else to steal her idea. Mommy Bonnie isn't as excited about the idea, but Mommy thinks it is a winner and it is now her pet project. More about this after her idea has been launched.

We want to wish Little Dexter a speedy recovery from his surgery today. We understand he hates going to the doctor. Miss Marra says it takes days for him to recover from the trauma.

Mommy washed the kitchen floor with coffee this morning. As if her day wasn't going downhill quickly enough, she managed to spill half a cup of coffee on the kitchen floor. She is glad it wasn't on the carpet and that the three of us cats stayed out of it!

Mommy Bonnie's new TV is ready to be picked up at Sears, so maybe she will go get it this weekend. The rest of the things she purchased on Black Friday will be picked up on the 18th and she and Mommy will take them to the farm. Today Mommy has to be at the farm by 1 because the air-conditioner is being delivered between 1-3. How happy is she about that??? The builder is busy on another project he is trying to finish up and will be unable to receive the AC. Mommy will dress warmly and take a book. She will also take photos of the progress on the cottage, so there should be an update on the farm blog in the next couple of days.

That is it for today!

~There is no such thing as a free kitten!~

Snowy and cold here on Blossom Ridge....

Hiding under the end table.

On the arm of the sofa.

Winter has arrived on Blossom Ridge (Ft. Wayne) and it is cold and snowy. I am glad I am not trying to find food and keep warm at Camp Timber Lake.

Mommies went to the cottage yesterday and were pleased with the progress. They met the builder and his wife at the site and discussed the progress and changes.

Mommy Bonnie bought lots of things for the cottage on Black Friday and you can read about the cottage and its progress at http://blossomridgefarm.blogspot.com/.

Tacumwah is lying in front of the fireplace. Yesterday she put her front paws on the glass and burned them. That was dumb. Mommies are trying to figure out a way to put a fireplace or a wood-burning stove in the cottage.

The other night there was a small spider in the kitchen. Tacumwah played with it. When Marquette saw it he pounced on it and ate it! He said it was yummy!

Mommy has been looking up charts on dog and cat ages and what they equate to in human years. We are lucky to be cats because we don't age as fast as dogs after the first couple of years. My twin and I are about 8 months old now. At 1 year we will be about 15 human years. Mommy says it will be several years before we are intellectually mature. Tacumwah is between 5-6 years old and that is 36-40 human years. The oldest animal in the family is Millie. She is 15 years old and, on a chart that takes into consideration her size, she is about 76 years old. On a chart that doesn't, she is 90! Wow!

Mommy made spaghetti yesterday. I didn't get any. Not even any plain pasta. Tonight it is leftover turkey and maybe I can beg for some of that. Sometimes when we beg too much or get on the counters during food prep, Mommy gives us a time out. We get shut in one of the bedrooms. Marquette The Perfect gets more time outs than any of us cats. In fact, I have NEVER had one and Tacumwah has had only one. Marquette has had many, many!

~There is no such thing as a free kitten!~

From Miss Marra....

Click on cartoon to enlarge.

Getting a handle on it!

Getting a handle on it -- Tacumwah.

Poor Tacumwah!

Marquette in the box.

Cat in the box -- ME!

As you can see from the photos, Tacumwah managed to get her head through the handle of the grocery bag Mommy gave us to play with and wore a paper bag handle for a while before Mommy noticed. Then the handles were removed and we spent a couple of days shredding the bag. The bag was replaced with a box and we are now having fun with it.

Mommy went to work for a few hours yesterday, but not until the afternoon. In the morning she went geocaching to get a puzzle cache she had figured out on Monday. She was the first to find the cache and the prize was a really nice multi-tool she will keep in her car for the times she needs one of the many tools on it. It was a Gerber and came in a leather case and the security gurard at the library where Mommy works said it was a really nice one.

It is Thanksgiving Day and Mommy Bonnie has the sniffles and nobody planned dinner, so Mommies are going to get carry-out. Five years ago they were traveling on Thanksgiving Day and stopped at a Cracker Barrel to eat and had a very good meal. So they ordered a bulk carry-out they will pick up later today that serves 6 so they can have leftovers. Mommy is also going to make spaghetti sauce today that they can freeze and eat over the next few days.

Mommies may drive to look at the cottage today if they are up to it, or they may wait until Saturday. So it will be a lazy day today. Mommy has a mystery to read and a movie to watch, and Mommy Bonnie is working on her job.

~There is no such thing as a free kitten!~

What IS that noise!?

Marquette in the paper bag.

Tacumwah in the paper bag.

On top of the buffet, I am trying to work my way to the kitchen counter!

There is an awful noise coming from the loft here on Blossom Ridge. I have never heard anything like it! Gizmo is howling like he does when he hears a fire truck. Mommy says it is Mommy Bonnie playing a recorder. She plays all sorts of wind instruments and used to make Native American flutes and write her own music. Mommy says it is beautiful music and is very soothing to listen to. Mommy Bonnie hasn't played for a while and it shows! She is practicing because she is going to play with three other people in her and Mommy's church's Boars Head production this Christmas. She played for several years but the group did not perform last year.

Mommy gave us a paper bag to play with because Marquette won't stay out of Mommy Bonnie's cloth bag that has all the receipts for materials for the cottage in it plus lots of other important papers. Marquette and Tacumwah have been inside the paper bag but I have not. It makes lots of crackling noises.

I forgot to tell you about the macaroni jar! One day, about a week ago, Mommies heard a loud and terrible crash coming from the kitchen and, when Mommy investigated, she found her macaroni jar smashed into a zillion pieces on the kitchen floor with a zillion pieces of macaroni all over too. What a mess! And Marquette and Tacumwah walked right through it to escape from the kitchen! They had been chasing each other all over the counters and, when jumping from the top of the kitchen cabinets to the top of the fridge, they broke the macaroni jar. I was not in on this because, as yet, I do not get on the counters much and have not figured out how to get on top of the cabinets.

We want to wish Miss Marra a very happy birthday. She turned the big 3-0 on Friday. We also want to send our good wishes to Little Dexter who will be going under the knife in about a week. It is ok, Dexter. There are worse things. You could still be in Ohio in the cemetery instead of having a wonderful home with your Mommy and Baby Si-Si.

~There is no such thing as a free kitten!~

Vindicated...sort of!

Naptime this afternoon with Mommy.

Marquette at naptime.

Marquette "reading" a Lisa Scottoline mystery. Ummmm!

Looking out the bedroom window in Mommy's room.

Do you remember not long ago I got accused of barfing while Mommy was visiting her mother in Logansport? Well...today Tacumwah barfed and it was the same kind of barf with the same kind of hair in it! So Mommy is thinking it might not have been me after all. She was going by the color of the hair in the barf and thought it was gray. So I am relieved that doubt has now been cast on whether it was me or not.

Mommy has been busy working on the Farm blog the last two days. She and Mommy Bonnie think a lot was done this week. Windows, doors, all the framing is the hope. I guess they will see on Sunday when they drive to the Farm. The man is coming to drill the well on Monday. Mommy Bonnie will meet him there Monday morning because she doesn't have to work next week. Mommy Kathy will be working though.

The air-conditioner will be delivered next week too and Mommies have to take it to the farm because the delivery man will not deliver it there.

Tomorrow Mommy will be at the Main Library all day for Staff Development Day and she was invited to have pizza with the Art, Music and Media department where she worked for several months this past spring. She is looking forward to that.

Tonight Mommies have been invited to a wine tasting by Hagan at Belmont Beverages. Mommy used to work with Hagan at Marsh when she was cooking there and Hagan was the wine steward for Marsh. Hagan is very knowledgeable and I think Mommy will go even though she is tired and has a long day ahead tomorrow.

The difference between a CHUNK and a HUNK is a C and a few pounds!

Tacumwah last night on top of the cabinets.

Tacumwah

Mommy is uploading two photos of Tacumwah today because she thinks she finally took some photos of Tacumwah where she doesn't look mean.

Mommies are going to the farm today to take photos. It is very cold out. I am glad I do not have to go out. Tacumwah is snuggling with Little Bear on the wool blanket that has become a permanent addition to the sofa. Marquette is curled into the back of the swivel rocker. My new favorite place is the comforter on Mommy's bed though, right now, I am dictating this post to Mommy from across the living room where I am curled up on the recliner.

Mommies are drinking caramel lattes and Mommy Bonnie is doing work for her job.

You know...the only difference between a Hunk and a Chunk is a C, right? How awful that we label people. I get called a chunk all the time. Mr. Chunkie. I hate it. Let's drop the C already. Better yet, let's just call me Possum.

See if you can guess who this was written for:

He has a killer body
that is sleek and muscular
from tip of nose
to ends of toes.

I love his perpetual grin,
slightly lopsided.
You are never certain
what he has been up to.

And his swagger!
As though he is packing
more between his legs
than he can comfortably carry.

A sharp dresser always,
with every hair in place.
Mischief twinkles in the eyes,
of this little twin I love.

He walked out of the woods
and straight into my heart.

How about this one:

The pudgy twin,
not long and sleek,
not built on stilts,
he hugs the ground.

So grateful for everything,
so humble, so accepting.
Wanting to be loved
and even more to love.

Putting himself last,
he never complains.
He lives for the moment
and loves unconditionally.

The twin who had to
struggle on his own
so he might appreciate
that family is everything.

He is the whipped cream and cherry
atop the sundae that is our family.

~There is no such thing as a free kitten!~

Twins...TWICE the fun!

Tacumwah trapped in the pie safe.

Yet another bath from Tacumwah!

Marquette (foreground) and me napping on Mommy's bed!

Marquette waiting for Mommy.

As you can see from the photos, today was a lazy day on Blossom Ridge. The top photo was actually taken last night. Tacumwah likes to run up the stairs to the loft and then jump down from the loft onto Mommy's antique pie safe. This drives Mommy Bonnie absolutely crazy because she uses Mommy's pie safe as an entertainment center for her flat screen TV and surround sound stereo system. Tacumwah is always dislodging cables and it makes Mommy Bonnie very upset. Last night the glass doors on the pie safe were closed tightly and Tacumwah couldn't push them open to jump down to the floor. Mommy took her photo and then opened the doors. The alternative was to jump down from the back and mess up the wires and that would not have been a good thing.

The second photo is Tacumwah washing my head and ears last night on the sofa.

In the third photo I am crashing with my brother on Mommy's bed. We love the thick comforter.

Remember how I mentioned in an earlier post that Marquette always likes to know where Mommy is and how he will wait outside her bedroom door (sometimes for hours!) while she is in there reading and giving the terriers some attention, just waiting for them to go back to their room so he can join her? Well, today's last photo is an example of how he will curl up on the floor outside a door waiting for her. I don't understand it. He is just crazy about her.

Now, to be honest, I must admit that the past two days I have actually gone into Mommy's bedroom, jumped on her bed and given her some attention and then lay down next to her with my head on her. The first time it happened I think it took her by surprise because I am not all that demonstrative with my affections. I think she is growing on me.

I love it when Mommy calls us her twins. We are twins, you know, since our birth mommy, CTL, only had a litter of two. Mommy Bonnie calls us the boys. We like that too. There is something special about living with your brother.

Mommy finished another Lisa Scottoline mystery today. She said it was the best yet. Mommy thought the first two books were ok, the third one was very good, the fourth better, and the fifth was excellent. She is looking forward to picking up the 6th book tomorrow when she goes to work. Mommy could hardly put this last one down. She would read a chapter, fold the laundry, read another chapter, run to the grocery...well, you get the picture. Mommy had been reading Janet Evanovich and someone recommended Scottoline. At first Mommy expected Scottoline to be as funny as Evanovich. When she wasn't, Mommy was disappointed. But then Scottoline really took off and, though her humor isn't laugh-out-loud funny like Evanovich, she is very clever and witty. Her books are more complex, often with several plots going on at the same time which she always ties up very neatly at the end.

Mommy made a quick trip to Kroger this morning because we were out of milk for lattes. And, heaven forbid, Marquette should miss his morning milk. She picked up ice cream too because, of course, her twins have to have their bedtime ice cream!

The weather is nasty. We have had some very cold days. It rains. It sleets a little. Soon it will snow. We are so glad to have a warm home, lots of food and treats, toys, and two mommies who love us.

~There is no such thing as a free kitten!~

The biggest gainers

9-pound cat - Marquette

10-pound cat - yours truly

9-lb. cat (Tacumwah), 7.5-lb. Chihuahua (Little Bear)

Marquette thinks he is so cool!

Because Miss Becky at the library weighed her cats over the weekend (one weighed 22 lbs. and another 16 lbs.), all of us here on Blossom Ridge (except Gennie and Mommy Bonnie) got weighed on Monday. We thought we would never be weighed because Mommies don't like to get on the scales and they have to weigh themselves and then hold us on the scales to get our weights. But, no! Mommy weighed herself at noon on Monday and then weighed all of us. (BTW, Mommy was ok with her weight.)

The scales weigh to the half pound so, of course, they could be off by several ounces. Nonetheless, Marquette and Tacumwah tipped the scales at 9 pounds each while I, big-boned and muscular cat that I am, weighed in at 10 lbs. Little Bear weighed 7.5 lbs., Millie 12.5 lbs., and Gizmo 17 lbs.

Gizmo and Little Bear are now on diets to lose weight. Gizmo has to lose at least 2 pounds, maybe 3. Little Bear has to lose 1 pound. Millie has to GAIN weight...lucky dog! At the present, Tacumwah and Marquette will suffer no dietary changes and Mommy will monitor my weight (once a month) and put me on a diet if I get any heavier. Hmmm....

Mommy is home today and tomorrow. I think she wants to do some laundry and housecleaning. She is also reading a good mystery book and says we must work on the farm blog.

~There is no such thing as a free kitten!~

Grandma and Lucy

This is Lucy.

This is Lucy and Grandma.

Mommy went to Logansport today to see her mommy. I have never met her. Neither has Marquette. Grandma has a cat named Lucy. Lucy isn't a tiger cat like me. She is a calico and she is many different colors. Half of her face is one color and half is another. She is very pretty. She is about 8 or 9 years old.

When Mommy came home from Logansport one of the dogs had puked and one of the cats had puked. She wasn't pleased. She thinks Gizmo was the dog because he ate some grass as soon as he went outside. And the cat...well, Mommy found gray hair in the puke and there is only one gray cat in this family. So I have puked up hair twice now and I am the only of us three cats who hurls hairballs.

Mommy had thought about going after a puzzle cache when she got back from Logansport but with the puke, and then the wind picked up, and she needed to put air in her bicycle tires because she was going to use her bike to get to the cache...well, she decided just to stay home and feed us. She did stop by and take some more photos of the cottage so we will have to post to the Blossom Ridge Farm Blog this weekend. Both of my mommies are working tomorrow and they will rest up on Sunday...maybe go check the work on the cottage...maybe not.

That's it for today!

~There is no such thing as a free kitten!~

My bad!

Marquette on top of the cabinets...again!

Me peeking out from under the swivel rocker.

I am NOT a Kliban Cat!

I guess I have been a bad boy. I don't understand why. How can chewing on your leather collar be a bad thing? Now my collar is too tight because Mommy put it in a tighter hole so I couldn't get it into my mouth to chew on it. She said something about having to buy me a new collar but waiting until I stop chewing on my current one.

And, speaking of collars, yesterday my perfect brother, Marquette, had to have a new hole drilled in his collar to make it looser. How about that?

Last night was election night. I don't understand elections. Mommy tried to give me an analogy. She said it is like how Tacumwah is the boss of us cats with Marquette being second in command and me being at the bottom of the totem pole. (Now how good is an analogy if you don't understand the words being used?) Anyway, with this election, I guess, people vote for who they want to be their boss, unlike our house where we didn't vote for Tacumwah. Mommy Bonnie voted. Mommy Kathy couldn't bring herself to vote for either candidate.

My mommies said I should be concerned about the economy because both of their jobs could be affected which could mean no more ice cream in the evening. (Now THAT I understand!)

Things are tight at Mommy Bonnie's factory and 700 people worldwide will lose their jobs in the next two months. Mommy Bonnie's plant makes power tools. Right now some of their biggest customers are not buying tools. The biggest is Boeing. They make airplanes and they are currently on strike. When they are on strike they don't work so they don't need tools. Get the picture? So orders for power tools are down. Some people at Mommy Bonnie's plant may lose their jobs and others will be asked to take voluntary layoffs. Mommy Bonnie is most concerned with a few of the people her age who are close to retirement. She doesn't know if she will be asked to retire early or not. Her retirement date is Oct. 1, 2010. She has said she will take a buy-out if they offer her a nice incentive package to leave early. Then she will have half a year to find another job closer to the cottage. She will have been at her plant for 30 years next spring.

Where Mommy works at the library they are reducing staff through attrition. (These BIG words!) She heard that next summer they are putting in self-checkouts at all of the libraries. They will still need real people to do jobs at the libraries and Mommy hopes she will be one of them because she really loves her job. Some of the people at her library who currently work parttime may leave for fulltime jobs elsewhere, and at least one person who is going to college indicated he/she is considering a transfer to a college further away. Right now there is a fulltime job opening at the Main Library and Mommy knows 3 people at her library who put in for it. She said there are probably lots of people from the other libraries who are putting in for it also. She is not.

Mommies have to go to the cottage today to discuss with the builder the amount of backfill to be put up against the basement since it does stick out of the ground quite a few feet.

Mommy is off the next few days. This is her last Saturday to work at the library because her co-worker, Tina, wanted to work every Saturday. That means Mommy doesn't have to work on Saturday any more. She will work every Friday instead. That starts next week.

I need to work on the Blossom Ridge Farm blog now.

~There is no such thing as a free kitten!~