Saturday Was A Sun Day

Ahh, a sunny spot and a good cozy mystery featuring cats who know who did it before the humans do. Saturday was a pretty nice day for March in Michigan. Billie took advantage of the afternoon sun streaming in the west living room window. She's my little glamor puss, but she's not fond of grooming. I must be discreet when I do it. ;)
I listened to a gardening show on the radio yesterday morning. They said as long as the leaves that you used to cover you flower beds in the fall are not frozen to the ground yet you can uncover the emerging plants. It's time for them to get some sun and air circulation. So, I went out with my little hand rake and uncovered my spring garden beds. Oh, they were so cute! Hyacinths, Tulips, and Daffodils. Even some Pansies that had survived the cold winter under their blanket of leaves. My perenial garden in the front of the house wasn't ready yet. There's still a little bit of icy snow and since it's mainly summer blooming plants I figured they still need a little protection. I was a little sore later, but it was worth it to finally do something related to gardening.Today, the sun is hiding and Billie is on my lap. :)
she's purring and I'm wondering if I can get some brushing in before she notices. Wish me luck! Happy Sunday!

Calling All Angels

Often, I find myself saying, "That's not fair!" Or asking, "Why?" I'm never satisfied with the response I get, if any, to the statement or the question. I do know that Love is the strongest power and strongest feeling we have. Some never experience it. Animals give us Love freely. They are more perfected then any person on earth could hope to be. Please think of Miral and of all of the animals that are hurt, sick, at The Rainbow Bridge or without a forever home. I just felt like I should post this today and the need to was very strong.
Lots of Love and Hugs to All of You.

And In This Corner...

These pictures of Cricket and Cody are not exactly in the order of what occurred. They were being nice, well mannered kitties, then Cody decided it would be more fun to play with Cricket than his mouse. She did not feel the same. I took a picture of the staredown before they became a fighting, spitting ball of black fur. I broke it up, don't worry. During the altercation I noticed that Cody doesn't extend his claws. He's truly playing. Cricket; uh, not so much. She extends her claws fully, out to win the battle. She is so high strung! Can cats have anger management issues?
Oh, the bridge for my daughter's physics class held 150 pounds before it broke! That's um, a lot of cats. :)
I have developed a scary suspicion about the dishes. They're breeding! Yup, when they kitchen light goes off their fun begins. To test this theory I will not cook tonight. If there are still more dishes in the sink tomorrow, despite this, (and I know there will be) I will be vindicated.
Okay... I've become a kitty wresting referee and my housework has me paranoid and delusional. I really need to get out more. Oh, I made myself sick on the coffee cake. Hey, it was good! Well, anything with butter and brown sugar and mini chocolate chips must be good. I hope everyone has a nice early spring day!

Time For A Vacation

I feel like Vera the mouse today. My house is like her messy nest and I just don't know where to start. I can't go outside to escape it either. We are having another round of snow and cold. I'm ready to pack up the kitties and go as far south as possible. * -*
At least my daughter's physics project is finally out of the living room! It's a pop cicle stick bridge and to get full points it's supposed to hold 100 pounds. We didn't dare put that much weight on it. It does however hold a 12 pound cat. Cody. ;) He didn't seem impressed. I should have put a trail of Temptations on it for him to follow.
Okay, I've decided where to start; I'll do the dishes because if the kitchen is under control then at least I can function in it. I wish it was warm enough to open the windows. Fresh air just makes everything feel cleaner.c
Now, what would I really rather be doing? Reading blogs,curling up with a kitty and reading, watching Food Network, doing crafts, (well if my fingers weren't so sore and bent right now) Oh, I would also like to make a cinnamon struesel coffee cake and visit a book store. In Fantasy Land I would be outside on a warm sunny day planting Pansies and cutting Tulips for a bouquet.
Apparently though Mother Nature thinks otherwise. I don't know what put her in a foul mood toward Michigan, but I really wish she would get over it! Hope the sun finds you today!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter and Happy Spring! Warm and Bright Blessings to Everyone! I feel very Blessed to have made so many kind friends. With much Love,
Lorianna, Billie, Cody and Cricket. (No Cricket didn't put the bitey on the Easter Bunny. She ate too many Temptations and slept all night.) :)
There is a special Happy Place and when we get there we will be with those who wait in Peace and Love for us.

Cricket's Side Of The Story

No, this is not my mugshot! Hmmph! I have been implicated in giving Cody a boo boo that resulted in green goo coming out of his head.
These are my excuses:
I was only playing.
I forgot to retract my claws.
His head was in the way.
He started it.
He told me my butt was big.
He ate my Temptations.
I was under the influence of Nip.
Now, I ask you; Are these not all completely valid reasons for a kitty to take a swipe at another kitty? Fortunately, Cody has forgiven me. He is even making his trilling noise, which means he is looking for me and wants to play.
Mama told me that I better not ever give him or Billie another boo boo ever again. She can handle my peeing with her magic pee cleaning solution and she can tolerate shredded magazines, but boo boos are dangerous. As it is I am under Close Supervision when Cody and I play. Momma calls it Probation. Not that I would ever get in serious trouble. I'm too cute and Momma loves me. I'm her Naughty Noodle. I have moved passed this. Cody just has a tiny scab and I'm still snuggling with Momma at night.
I have something important to focus on now. Rumor has it that a giant bunny will be visiting us tonight! I will be waiting... I have heard that the ears are the best place to start with the bitey. Wish me luck! (I hope I won't violate my probation when I go bunny hunting.)

Spring Is Just A Sweet Dream Away

This is Billie's favorite place to sleep when it's very cold. It's our bathroom. Every morning I spread out a towel for her to nap on. Our bathroom is on the small side and the heat register is right behind the pedestal sink. It's the warmest room in the house. I've been tempted to lay down in there!
The weather is as awful as I feared it would be. I am avoiding looking out the windows. We are having chicken and dumpling soup for dinner. I am bad though. I like the dumplings and the carrots and the broth, but I leave the chicken. It's okay, it doesn't go to waste. Cody loves chicken! :)
Happy Friday everyone and Good Friday too. Cricket wants to do a post in her defense regarding the boo boo she gave Cody. We shall see... I hope she has an attorney on retainer. If any of you kitties practice law let her know. I don't think Cody will be pressing assault charges, but you never know! ;)

First Day Of Spring

First, Happy Spring! Isn't the mouse cute? Her name is Vera. She is the creation of artist Marjolein Bastin. I had a little collection of her notecards at one time, but I used most of them. I have been looking for more, but it looks like the internet is the only source right now.
They are forecasting very un springlike weather for tomorrow. I think if Michigan wasn't shaped like a mitten then maybe winter would leave us alone. Are there any states shaped like palm trees? :)
Well, I tried to get a picture of Cody and his healing boo boo, but he didn't want to pose for long. It is on the right between his ear and his eye. Just a little scab. Maybe it's easier to see when bigafied. He looks even better today. I had to break up another skirmish between him and Cricket this morning. She was about to smack him in the face again! I noticed this burst of aggression came after my daughter tossed Cricket out of her room. Cats are like toddlers really. They're pretty smart and calculating in their thought processes and will act out when upset. I will have to lay down with her this afternoon to let her know she's still loved. I didn't sleep well last night anyway. ;)
I hope this next cold snap passes quickly. Until then I will sip my hot tea, catch up on housework (again!) and figure out what to make for Easter dinner. I hope it's sunny where you are and if you're in Michigan, well, don't put your winter coat away yet. grrr...

It's A Quiet Evening

I was messing with Stumble Upon tonight and came across this site. I will try to link it, http/www.younggalleryphoto.com/photography/brandt/brandt.html

There are a series of absolutely beautiful images of animals in Africa. The cat ones of course affected me the most, but all of the other animals are amazing too.

Very good news about Cody! His scab is now really small and his fur is already starting to grow in. He is a really fast healer. This whole thing started last Thursday afternoon so I am so relieved that he is all better! I can take a picture tomorrow when the light is better. I'm not sure scabs are that fun to see, but at least it's not the green goo. :) I just cannot believe how quickly his fur is coming in. It wasn't that much that came out, but I thought he'd have a little bald patch for a while. His angels were watching out for him. =^..^ =
Good Night and Sweet Dreams...

Sometimes Green Isn't Good

Cody looks like he celebrated a little too much for St. Patrick's Day. He's actually just tired from a long weekend. See his overbite fang? I love that. :) He's so cute. When he's leaping over our heads at four in the morning, he's not quite as charming. We had a bit of excitement with him a few days ago. Warning: if you have a queasy stomach this is gross. Considering I had to clean it; trust me. I was sitting down to make a list and sort coupons for grocery shopping. Cody came to sit at my feet like he usually does when he want attention. I looked down and was about to pet him. Green pus was running down his face from a wound on his head! "Cody! Oh, no, honey what happened!"
Blink, blink. "What momma? I don't know what you mean."
Well, I cleaned it out with antiseptic cleaner, cotton balls dipped in warm water and finally Neosporin was applied. All by myself with no help. Oh, I also had to gently press on it to get the rest of the bright green goo out of the wound. It looked suspiciously like a claw wound. It turns out, Cricket just doesn't play rough, she plays for blood. Now I have to really keep on eye on them. I know it was an accident though and I'm not mad at Naughty Noodle.
The thing is, I didn't even notice a wound on Cody until it started oozing. The vet checked him out and said I was doing the right thing and if it becomes swollen or starts oozing again he will need the pink stuff. Now he has a scab, no swelling and some missing fur on his head. I'm so worried that it will get infected again. Maybe I should just ask for the pink stuff just to be safe. Why do they make medicine for pets bubblegum flavor anyway? He seems fine. Oblivious in fact. Bless Cody's heart, he usually is. :) My husband says as long as it's scabbing over he's fine. I never want to see goo that color coming out of any of my cats ever again! Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

Cricket's Deep Thoughts

Waiting... We are waiting for spring. Wishing... We wish the snow and ice would melt and the sun would warm the earth. Wanting... We want our pretty flowers to bloom and our songbirds to return.
Until then, Momma will sigh and shed tears for what can and cannot be.
I however will just get bored waiting and shred magazines and chase Billie out of her litterbox! Hey someone in this house has to keep things interesting!

My Little Angels

I am feeling a bit better today. Thanks to all of you for sending well wishes. I can't get over how nice you all are! I am kinda tired of talking about my stupid RA and the meds, so I want to tell you about my two girl kitties. I need to update their pictures.
Cricket: She's black, sleek and shiny. She's around six years old and is slowly becoming my cat. We got her when she was a kitten. She had been living on the streets and was rescued by a little girl that my daughter was friends with way back in sixth grade. The girl had saved Cricket from being hit by a bus after some boys had been chasing her. She took Cricket to school and my daughter became immediately taken with her. My husband grudgingly let her take the kitten home when he picked her up from school that day. The girl that rescued Cricket couldn't have pets because her family rented. After much begging and pleading to my husband we decided Cricket belonged with us. I named her after a black cat that my grandmother had. Cricket used to be considered my daughter's cat, but as my daughter has turned into a teenager she has been distracted with school and friends and no longer allows Cricket in her room. (This could also have something to do with Cricket peeing in her bed as an act of revenge for my daughter daring to have a sleep over party.) ;) After Tookie passed, Cricket seemed to pick up on my sadness. She began coming to me while I quietly wept in my bedroom, purring and licking me. If you knew her you would know that this was out of character for her. I welcomed her affection gratefully. Now, she seeks me out throughout the day and sleeps on my tummy every night. She is still very naughty, but I admire her craftiness and I think she's adorable.
Billie: Her full name is Billie Holiday Lady of the Day. I gave her a "fancy" name because she's a pedigree Persian. I was also in a Billie Holiday phase and Persians kind of look like they could sing the blues. :) Billie is actually a very happy cat. She's on my lap right now. She will be 14 in July. To our frustration, she hates to be groomed! Every day I must carefully, gently comb her while her mood is relaxed. When her tail starts swishing I know I'm either going to get scratched or get the bitey. Knots must be cut and that usually requires some help from my husband. I am definately Billie's Momma. I baby her and she loves it. For some reason I still think of her as a kitten. Maybe because she's kind of small.
Well, those are my two girls. I can't believe they are as old as they are all ready! Tookie was well into her 20's when she passed. The V E T said that was highly unusual and a testament to how much I loved her. Maybe, hopefully Billie and Cricket will be around for a long time yet. I know they bring a bit of happiness to my days.

Hey, When Did Monday Get Here?

Cody is winding down from a tiring weekend. We had a housefull of loud teenagers yesterday, supposedly working on another physics project. They are supposed to make a bridge with popcicle sticks. Well, my husband did all the work. They gave some opinions on how it should be done, then played video games. I'm afraid I wasn't much help either. My new anti inflamatory medicine is making my stomach very upset. I spent most of yesterday afternoon in bed and I'm still queasy. I think I'm not going to take it anymore.
Poor Cricket! She is traumatized from all of the loud kids that invaded her home. When the last two finally left last night she crept very cautiously downstairs to investigate and sniff everything. Billie seemed a bit upset too, but she got over it more quickly. Cody didn't like the noise, but he is a social butterfly and managed to mingle and get some petting. After everyone left he crashed on the sofa and started making his baby bear noises in his sleep. :)
I have so much I should be doing today, but I feel so icky. I'm worried that my husband is becoming impatient with me feeling so bad all the time. It takes me all day to clean up the house and dinner has been very late, usually around 7:30. I feel so "urpy" today that I don't even want to think about making dinner.
Cody has the right idea. He just chills out when he needs to. Sometimes I wish I was one of my cats, but then I would have to have a momma like me to take care of my cat self. Hmm... I think I just confused myself. Any way, I'm just going to drink plenty of fluids, visit blogs and hope I feel better this afternoon. If not, Husband and Daughter may have to forage for themselves. Really, the kitties are so much easier to please!

Warm Thoughts. Loving Thoughts

I buy these every year. I have a lot of Hyacinths planted outside, but I usually have to wait until late April to see them in the garden. It's still so cold here and we have around two inches of snow left on the ground. I'm hoping winter takes his leave by March 20th. That's the first day of spring. In Michigan winter tends to overstay his welcome often well into April. I even remember flurries in May. Ick! I need to feel warm. I have not been able to get warm since winter began. I have been drinking a lot of coffee, tea, and hot cocoa. I've been wearing two pairs of socks with slipper socks over them. Thick hoodies with at least two long sleeved shirts underneath have pretty much been my standard clothing choice. I'm so tired of it. I want to wear something pretty, floaty, gossamer and feminine. But, really I'd settle for my blue jean capris and one of my cute tee shirts.
Now, onto important things. The candle above the flowers: There are some kitties and people in need of good thoughts and healing wishes that I am aware of. Some kitties are sick or missing. And I know there are some people right now that are mourning the loss of people that they loved very much. There are people mourning for their fur babies that have gone to the Rainbow bridge. So, as I go on throughout my day I will keep them all in my thoughts.
I hope the sun shines for us all this weekend. =^ ..^=

Cricket Is Watching You

Hello. It's me Cricket, taking over again. Momma says I should let Billie and Cody blog too, but they are always napping and personally I don't think they are smart enough. Do you see those tiny little green things in the dirt? It's baby Nip! Momma planted the seeds late last week and they are sprouting already. She put them by the West window because the sun lingers there longer in the afternoon now. She is very in tune with the changes of the seasons. I think that is rather catlike of her. Now, I like to imbibe in the Nip once in a while, but I am not a big fat Nip Head like Billie and Cody! Those two are shameful. Momma better hide that nip when it gets bigger, because those two will graze like cows and there will be nothing left. I will just have to sit here on my sofa perch and stand guard over it. and, don't think I won't "tattle tail" on those two if I catch them. I am a very good watch cat by the way. Remember that spider I alerted Momma to? Well, this morning I saw the neighbor's giant dog in our yard! My pupils dilated and my fur on my back stood up. I ran to the windows and crouched low to keep an eye on her. Momma assured me that we were safe, but I watched her until she left. I swear, my work is never done. I hardly have time to be naughty any more! I haven't chased Billie out of the litter box in days and I only scratched the furniture twice this week. I'm losing my edge. Don't worry though, I'll find something naughty to do. I can't help it, it's in my nature! Now, I'm off to nap and scheme... Remember, do something naughty, it's fun!

Rainy Monday

Today is a good day to curl up and read. It's raining right now, which I think is better than snowing. It's supposed to turn to snow later, but I'm pretending that won't happen. Saturday I bought a Hyacinth plant and put it on my fireplace mantle. The living room smells like Spring. When I light my lavender candle later it will really smell like a garden. I'm trying to keep a dark mood at bay. Just the usual stuff; pain, cold weather, feeling bad for people and pets that are hurting, worrying about my little family and really missing Tookie. I could have opened an upstairs window for her yesterday. One of her favorites when she was healthy. I even dreamed that she jumped up into it without any problems. Maybe in Heaven she is sitting in a sunny window, with my Grandmother. I like to think of them together. She would be the one to take care of everyone's kitties. She had the sweetest smile, wavy brown hair and big gray eyes. She was only a little over five feet tall, but she was strong because she washed clothes with an old wringer washer and kneaded and baked her own bread. Yes, I think she is the perfect caretaker for the kitties in Heaven, smiling sweetly, letting them take turns on her lap.

Totally Nipped Out

Billie has over-indulged. See Secret Squirrel's empty tummy? It was full of nip. Billie ate all of it then passed out into a deep nap, snoring away. She sleeps in that same corner of the sofa every day with her squirrel, beginning right after breakfast. Usually by late afternoon she wakes up for another snack, maybe a drink of water, a visit to her box, then right back to her sofa and squirrel. Wow, does she know how to live, or what? :) In her defense, she is almost 14 years old and it's not as if she has any pressing matters to attend to. She has grooming appointments with me, (that usually end in me getting scratched or bitten) and sometimes she will sit on my lap for a quick snuggle. Usually though, this is how she prefers to spend her time; eating catnip from her toy and passing out. I think I'm jealous. =^..^=