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!~