Thursday, July 31, 2008

Toeshee On Ice



We were packing up for a trip to the beach yesterday and look who decided he wanted to cool off! Toeshee jumped right into the cooler on top of the ice! He loved it! Billie watched from a safe distance and she obviously thought he had lost his mind. I had to lift him out of it and give him a cube to play with. He likes water! he loves to watch it drip, he sticks his paw in the water dish and licks it and now this laying on ice thing... I think it's because he's Pisces. :)
We do use a squirt bottle to stop him when he's picking on the big kitties, but I think it's the noise and being told "NO" that he dislikes.

Sweet Praline passed on a Meme to Billie about six quirky things about her.
I'm not sure if we can come up with that many, but we'll try.

1; She likes to sleep on shoes and if it's a pair I want to wear I have to switch them with another pair quickly.

2; She loves to sleep in the bathroom when it's chilly.

3; When she thinks I have slept in too long past breakfast she will jump on the bed and stare at me until I get up.

4; She hates to be groomed and I must do a little bit every day just to keep her fairly under control. She can hear the comb and scissors coming at her in her sleep and will wake up ready to put up a fight. If she's very sleepy though I can get in some time. ;)

5; She loves a big breakfast and a mid-morning snack, then she will sleep all day until dinner time.

6; We recently found out she is allergic to Temptations. Now she thinks Iams dry kitten food is a treat. She really likes it!

7; In the summer at night she likes to sleep on the glass topped coffee table with the fan lightly blowing on her.

Wow, that was 7 quirky things about Billie! I noticed many of them had to do with sleeping. :)

What quirky things do any of you do; kitty or bean? ;) Lately, my thing has been paper crafting with glitter. Lots of glitter! It's everywhere and driving my daughter and husband crazy! (Hee hee!)

I wish I could say all was super happy here, but my husband is cranky and ready to go back to work and my daughter is bored (again) sigh...
I am stuck at 10-15 milligrams of Prednisone for my pain and inflammation and still feeling really achy. I am ready to just be alone with the kitties during the day. They don't complain, (well, maybe when they're hungry.) They don't get impatient with how slowly I move. They believe naps are an important part of the day and do not in any way imply laziness. :)

Okay venting done! I will be popping in to your bloggies to say hi.
Sending Hugs!

Monday, July 28, 2008

Walk Through My Garden





I had a kind of blah weekend. Nothing much to do and really not feeling like doing much. I finally had the afternoon nap I have been longing for. Cricket liked my company. :)
I got out to my garden and did some weeding and I have been taking pictures. I have my garden sectioned off into different areas, or rooms, depending on the amount of sunlight. I had to learn how to do that the hard way. Actually I'm still learning.
Today's pictures are from the south side of our Old Lady Victorian. The buttery lemon lillies are a rare find for me. They were all by themselves at the nursery where I discovered them a few years ago. They have been blooming and multiplying in blooms every year since. They smell better than any perfume I have found
Italicyet. (Well, except for one called Savannah Gardens which has been discontinued :( )
The White Lily is not really scented heavily, but it glows in the moonlight.
Actually the lillies are growing on the South East side.
The Morning Glory's and the Viola's seem to like the full southern exposure with just a little extra watering.
Next Time, I will show you the West side, which is shaded and inhabited with Fairies. ;)
I also have a front yard garden with a Northern exposure and I'm waiting for my late summer bloomers to wake up. I wish I could claim my gardens are weed free, but sadly no. The weeds and the RA are winning, but I continue the battle. Winter's are too long and cold here to not have beautiful plants to look forward to.

The kittie
Italics are all well. It's getting pretty warm here again so Billie is getting more brushing than she cares for. Toeshee is way too energetic. Cricket is an angry Queen of All She Surveys. Cody is a sweet and beleaguered chewy toy for Toeshee.

I have not visited anyone in the blogosphere at all this weekend! I think it will take me all week to catch up. My husband has vacation this week. we are sticking pretty close to home, but hope to try to have a little fun by going here and there around town.
Hmm... Blogger, for some reason has misplaced the font selection all of a sudden...
I don't think I did it. :)

I will be by soon to say Hi! Sending HUGS your way!

Friday, July 25, 2008

Make It Work Fairy!


Look what Anne of Zoolatry sent me! Cricket is gorgeous in a dramatic black and gold background. She is glaring at Toeshee (Kittenzilla) waiting for The Good Fairy to work her magic with her Fairy Dust to make Toeshee behave better. Thank You so much Anne! You are awesome! Um, hey Good Fairy? How long does it take for that magic dust to kick in by the way? 'Cause Cricket is looking for BBQ sauce recipes and I don't think it's for chicken!
* No I would never let her eat him! But, wow, does she get mad at him! Hissy, pissy, growling MAD!

This weekend I will (hopefully) be buying Feliway. Some nice people in the blogosphere have recomended it and I went to a cat behavior site and they recomended it too. Oh, I hope it calms everyone down!
Last night Toeshee went after a pair of scissors that I had stupidly left out. I grabbed him before he could hurt himself and he punctured my finger with a claw. It really hurt! I cleaned it out and put Neosporin on it. My husband was concerned because I am on medication that lowers my imunity. He's worried that I could get a really bad infection and wondered if maybe we should get rid of Toeshee if he continues his wild ways. He does attack and bite and scratch a lot and I have to walk away or time him out until he calms down. Many of my bitey and scratchy wounds have been slow to heal, but so far no infection. I love the little stinker though! I don't want him to go! There is only one no kill shelter for kitties around here and they always have a waiting list for healthy kitties to take. They also take FIV positive kitties and give them forever homes too which is nice...
But, I do not w
ant to give up on Toeshee yet. He has a long way to grow and I see so many little moments of sweetness with him. If I have him as long as I had Tookie I would be a 61 year old woman when he goes to the Bridge! Unless of course I beat him to it. ;)
I think I might have an idea as to why he's so aggressive. When he lived out in the country he was constantly man-(girl) handled by a six year old who constantly shoved him into doll clothes and dragged him around. He didn't have any other human contact with the adults there. He was fed scraps from fishing and hunting trips, nursed by a mother who had litter after litter of kittens, (GRR!) and was the smallest of the bunch. Wouldn't anyone be messed up a bit after that? I'm amazed he has attached himself to me as much as he has.
Do you think things will get better? I am wishing and hoping!

I also wish and hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I can't believe I have been blogging for a year and I feel so blessed to have made so many friends!
Blogging has been thereputic for me after a really awful year of being ill and especially losing my most beloved Tookie. The world is a better place to be in, now that I have met so many wonderful people and their furbabies.
Gentle Hugs to All

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Hey Kitty, What's Your Sign? ; )


I'm back! Moving slowly, but I'm here. :) I wanted to share with you a book I have had for a while. It is called Star Cats (A feline Zodiac) by Leslie Anne Ivory. It is a beautifully illustrated book and even you are not into astrology the pictures of the kitties are just really lovely to gaze at.

I found some interesting coincidences in this book; Under the sign of Capricorn which is sweet Miss Peach's sign the kitty is a curly cat with striped apricot fur! Capricorn kitties are serious and sensitive cats who like their comforts.

Under Aquarius which is cute little Daisy's sign there is a pretty tabby. Aquarian kitties are relentlessly curious and need to acquaint themselves with anything new in their environment.

Under the sign of Cancer the crab which is My Miss Billie's sign along with Mickey's and Adan's there is a black and white kitty that looks just like Adan! Cancer kitties are dreamy yet very aware. They are sensitive and moody and respond warmly to affection.

These descriptions sound pretty accurate to me! :) If you would like to know about your kitty's sign let me know in the comments and I will post it in your comments at your blog. I will take some pictures of the pages maybe at some point, but I don't think I better post the whole book. I'm sure you can find it on Amazon if you would like.

I didn't have a chance to get on the computer at all yesterday so I have lots of visiting to do. I have been staying up too late with sore hips and sleeping in until 8:30-9:00 am. Toeshee is still wild, but he seems to be taking more nap breaks. I am letting him explore more of the house and he seems to like my bedroom window. He gets a treetop view up there to bird and squirrel watch.
Doesn't that sound nice?

I hope you all take time to relax like a cat. I think if we all did we would be much less stressed! :) No one can chill like a kitty!

Hugs to all! =^..^=

Monday, July 21, 2008

Pretty Mermaids and A Dreamy Cricket For Monday


Well, it's another Monday The weekend for me was quiet; bookstore, craft store (the Halloween decorations are out even earlier than I thought!) and resting from a flareup of the RA monster. My feet and hands have been so swollen and sore! I am back on the Prednisone so I should be getting some relief soon.

I have been daydreaming about the ocean and mermaids. I would like to stand on soft cool sand and feel the cool foamy waves tickle my toes. I would wade in and soothe my sore feet in the welcoming salt water. If I look long enough and wait patiently as the sun begins to set I will see a mermaid frolicking in the waves. The sea breeze catches her hair and mine and we share a smile.

Cricket has been daydreaming about getting rid of Toeshee. He is still wild and he gets put in time out a lot! He has even jumped up on me with teeth and claws! I'm hoping it's just a kitten phase and he will not be a mean big kitty.
I don't understand... I baby talk to him and try to cuddle and pet him often. Sometimes he is so sweet and seems to love just laying near me and sleeping and purring. But, then as if a switch is turned on he becomes wild and mean attacking the big kitties and even me, Momma!
Cricket seems to scare him as he hasn't touched her yet, but Billie and Cody are fair game. Cody can pin him down until I can get to him. Poor Billie though! She always looks completely shocked and frightened when Toeshee goes after her. I squirt him with a water bottle, or my husband will and we put him in the cat carrier for a bit of time out. At night he goes upstairs to the bathroom to spend the night. He has plenty of food, water, toys and a litterbox and a nice breeze from an open window. Does he sleep? I have no idea...

Oh, please don't let him be a Badkitty! I sure hope becomming a mancat mellows him out.

Cricket and I hope you make time to daydream and have a wonderful Monday and week.
Hugs and Purrs! ~ =^..^=

Friday, July 18, 2008

Special Delivery For Billie & Thanks To All : )




Miss Peach and her Mommy Karla sent Billie a birthday card, hand made with Karla's own loving creative hands! Even the envelope was beautifully embellished with a fairy and a little heart. The Persian stamp art is gorgeous and detailed with sparkly paint. Karla had a Persian kitty years ago and she has had this stamp for quite a while.

I read the lovely note inside to Billie and she seemed to enjoy me reading to her. After I read it, Billie had a treat of Catsip lactose free milk. It was a lovely surprise to find this beautiful card in the mail. Karla is so talented isn't she? She makes me want to go to the craft store and get ideas for making something... I just don't know what. :) I love her stamp art. Glitter is so fun and anything sparkly always catches my attention. My family says I'm like a raccoon! (I guess they are attracted to shiny things)
Thank You so much Karla and Miss Peach! :) :)

Thanks too to everyone expressing well wishes for little Toeshee. He seems to be feeling much better. He um, expelled some more wormies the other night and his tummy has lost that bloated pot bellied look. Here,I thought he was just a chubby kitten. Now he is eating a little more normally. He's still hyper and annoying the big kitties terribly. Hopefully after his snip snip he will settle down.

Well, it is another humid sticky day here. Right now at 8:50 am it's cloudy and murky. I wonder if we will get rain today?

I am starting to get caught up with my visiting. I still have some more blogs to visit and am hoping to get to them between housework. I finally did Billie's post at Floof and Fur which was started by the Zoolatry Kitties and their Mom. And I have done a post featuring Cody at House Panthers. Mo and Company do a great job with that Blog. :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday and a really great weekend filled with fun and relaxation. I'm sending Hugs and Loving Thoughts To All!

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Toehee's Tummy Troubles& Momma's Busy Day


Toeshee went to the VET today for his first exam, a shot, and a pill to get rid of roundworms. He has a lot! They are gross! He also has fleas so he had a Frontline treatment and we were sent home with enough to treat the other kitties with. Great... *o* Thanks to Daisy's Mommy I knew what to expect.
She has probably seen it all and then some at the shelter. Worms are awful and I hope that no furbabies have to deal with them if at all possible. Bring in those poo samples when the VET asks for them moms and dads!

He has to go in for the next dose on August 8th. Then we can schedual his snip snip. It seems like all I did today was clean up barf, scrub carpeting and scoop litterboxes. My kitties are high maintenance but they are worth it. Wow did my husband grumble about the bill! It was $121.00! (gulp!) 80.00 something of it was for the Frontline Flea medicine! He said he likes Toeshee, but thinks the VET ripped us off. I like our VET though. She's very thourough and seems to really like her job and the animals she treats. When she helped Tookie cross over she was very gentle and sympathetic. and told her it was okay to go to Heaven. For her to say she believed my kitty had a soul, a spirit that would not just fade away, but move on to a better place meant so much to me.

Well, I am am super tired! It's after Midnight here and I need to wash up and brush my teeth. I have a lot of Blogs to visit yet this week and I'm really hoping I can say "Hi" at least once to many friends by the weekend.
I hope tomorrow, or today actually won't be as busy for me and as difficult for poor Toeshee. I never want to see him throwing up like that again!

I hope you all have a great rest of the week! (((Hugs)))




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Monday, July 14, 2008

Monday Evening

This past Saturday and Sunday I learned of several kitties crossing over The Rainbow Bridge. Emil's family said their goodbyes. Beautiful Forrest went so suddenly. An author that I am a fan of and whose blog I visit quite often lost two kitties in a week's time, one to liver cancer and another to end stage renal failure. It is so heartbreaking to hear of all these furbabies passing away. Last night I lit a candle in rememberence of those kitties and for all who have gone on before.

I bought the kitty candle holder earlier this week just for such occasions. I sadly knew that saying goodbye to our beloved friends happens more often than anyone wants to think about. Please know that I am holding all who are mourning in my heart and thoughts.

I once again have a busy week, but I think it won't be too hectic. (I hope)
Toeshee has a V E T appointment Wednesday. He will be getting shots, an exam and they want a poo sample. (ick!) I guess they want to weigh him and make sure he's healthy before they snip snip. :)
I think I hear Cody snickering whenever I mention that Toeshee is getting his snip snip done. :) He and Cricket both need to vent about him and I hope to help them blog on House Panthers this week.

I hope everyone has a spot of sunshine to relax in this week, with a cool breeze and some free time to go with it. Take care and Big Hugs.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Hot And Cranky




Cricket is giving us her best cranky & disdainful expression. She is glaring at Toeshee, whom she still wants to eat.

Billie is enjoying the cool glass top of the coffee table. It is very humid here today. Furry and humid do not mix well. :) Poor babies. Oh, Billie would like to than everyone who wished her Happy Birthday! How nice! (((hugs)))

Toeshee is enjoying the tile on the hearth. He will be going to see the V E T next week. We think he has worms. (Let's just say, I did not give him spaghetti and that's what he threw up last night looks like. Sorry!) :( He seems to be feeling okay, with a good appetite. It seems like every month we have to take someone to the V E T! I guess the more kitties you have the more often the opportunity for that comes up.

Today was a big cleaning day. I wouldn't recommend mopping floors when the humidity is 80%. I felt kind of gross afterward and needed a shower. It also puts more humidity in the house. Great in the winter, probably not in July. :)

Well, as usual this week I am behind on visiting blogs. I will stop by as many as I can. I could use the smiles. Have a really wonderful summer weekend!

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Salmon Cakes And Niptinis For All



Tomorrow is Billie's Birthday! She will be 13 years old. I know that tomorrow is also Adan's Birthday! Happy Birthday to two very sweet, gentle kitties!

There are some oopsies I must correct about yesterday's video. It says it's a sunrise, but I referred to it as a sunset. I still think a sunset would be nicer to enjoy though. :) That beach I believe is Myrtle Beach and I have never
been there. I wish I could be there! Nope, I'm stuck in Michigan and I haven't been to the beach yet this summer.

Toeshee is still being quite naughty, but he can also be very loving and sweet. He has to sleep in the upstairs bathroom still because he just will not give Cody a break. He is constantly jumping on him and biting and trying to wrestle with him. Cody just wants to rest in the evening and gets so frustrated. I feel so bad for the old guy. I think next week I will call the V E T to find out if he is old enough to get his "snip" "snip". Then hopefully Toeshee won't be "Toeshee The Terror". :)

I'm not sure why I can't make more time to keep up with my blogging. I think it's because my daughter has been home all week, which is nice, and I have been staying up late with her and sleeping in past 9:00 a m in the morning. Then I must hustle around to get things done around the house. I think summertime is kind of more laidback and not quite as schedual oriented. The sun sets so late, kids are home and one gets easily distracted with a sunny garden, a breezy porch and a good book. Soon, housework is neglected and nothing has been planned for dinner. Like now: it's 5:30 p m and I am not even ready to start dinner. I haven't visited any blogs yet today either. :(
I'm really hopeful that tonight I can get some nice "me time" to visit.

I hope you all are able to enjoy a warm summer evening!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Sunrise Myrtle Beach Waves Ocean Sound WV

Isn't this beautiful? This is where I would like to be, the beach at sunset. Let's go! :)

Monday, July 7, 2008

Funny, Pretty, Happy Stuff : )



Well, the past few days have been kind of un -fun, but I think I'm starting to feel better. I missed blogging and visiting blogs again yesterday. : (

Right now, I'm trying to focus on fun things to keep my mind off of not feeling well. Last week Daisy had one of the funniest posts ever! I think she needs a "You Make Me LOL Award"! I need to go catch up and see what she is up to now. :)

I am behind on many blogs actually. I'm trying not to be too hard on myself about it, but I miss my idle time. Today so far hasn't been so busy. My daughter is home and my husband is at work. Toeshee is finally napping and another mild thunderstorm has passed. Not scary like last week's!

Isn't the Summery Faerie pretty? She is the work of Faerie Artist Linda Ravenscroft. I saw a calendar with her art in a catalog today. A 2009 Calendar all ready!
I'm not ready to even contemplate that yet.

I think taking one day at a time is best, for me anyway. On good days, when the pain level is low and I can do what I can and what I like I will be grateful. On days when the pain is bad and I feel alone I will be restful. The pages of the calendar will change, but I'm in no hurry to peek ahead because there is still a lot of Summer to enjoy. Though I can guarantee you that next month Michael's Craft store will have Halloween stuff out. I'm not kidding! Go visit one in mid August, it's crazy! : )

I hope everyone has a Magnificent Monday. Love and Hugs... <3

Friday, July 4, 2008

Happy Fourth. Enjoy The Cuteness



I'm back, though not feeling too great yet. Where do I start? Wednesday afternoon after my daughter left for her weekend at her friend's cabin, (two parents to deal with 7 teens yikes!) I thought I would start visiting my blogging friends. I made it to one and as I finished I noticed that it was getting darker by the minute. Thunder began rumbling and some lightning was flashing. I turned on the t v and saw a thunderstorm warning with heavy rain and cloud to ground lightning heading right for us. By now it was dark as night and Cody had headed for underneath the sofa. I decided to turn off my computer because my battery no longer works and I did not want my laptop fried. I also turned off the desktop my daughter had left on, lit a candle and turned on a lamp. The wind began to really kick up and the thunder and lightening were becoming more frequent. It was getting kind of scary here! I had to rush around closing windows. That was around 3:00 pm Wednesday. It stormed all night. 5 inches of rain, power outages and there were even some house fires around town started by lightning strikes.
Thursday morning I woke up to one of the worst RA flares I have had in a long time. My ribs were inflamed, my hips hurt as well as my ankles. I took a lot of pain relievers and I have been on Predisnone and Plaquinel. Nothing helped. All I could manage was to feed the kitties and rest with no sleep because I was hurting so badly. At least the kitties were good. I couldn't walk, or even sit up straight. You forget how important your ribs and hips are to basic movements. This morning at 5:00 am I awoke to really awful stomach pain probably courtesy of all of my pain medication and that stupid Plaquinel. All I could do was take an antacid and put a heating pad on my tummy. So, now I'm finally out of the grip of intense pain today, finally. I took a nap with Cricket and I'm trying to take it really easy.

Toeshee still has his moments of extreme naughtiness, but they are tempered by squee inducing moments of extreme cuteness. My husband calls it his survival mechanism. ;)

I have really, really missed visiting my friends! : ( I hope you don't think I'm ignoring you all. I truly have felt lousy. I'm so frustrated with this disease too. I'm waiting for the meds to work and not getting any pain relief. Doctors are willing to throw meds at the problem, but hesitant to understand and treat pain.

Well, I feel better after my whining. Can I offer some cheese with that? Sorry.

I hope you all had a Fun Sunny Happy Fourth Of July. I hope your neighbor's don't light off fireworks all night and make your street smell like one of Dante's levels of hades with all of the sulfur. :) I hope your fur babies are scared of all the noise. Cody is already hiding and will get some Nip to get him ina calming buzz.
I hope to start visitng soon, now that I can sit up. HUGS!

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Isn't She Lovely? Pass Her On! : )

This is the "Arte y Pico award." It's Art Deco in design. The lovely and amazing Miss Peach and Karla presented it to me and some other really cool (and more deserving) bloggers. It is a very special award given to Bloggers who inspire others with their creative energy and talents in writing, and artwork in all media's. Once you recieve it you must pass it on to at least five others. That's the hard part huh? :)


So, I will present this lovely award to:

Mo, from It's a
Blog Eat Blog World, for his always thought provoking often funny and heart tugging random thoughts and even his crazy dreams. ;)

JB's BIG World, a companion blog to her cute Small World. JB's Mom is the Photographer on assignment to find animals wherever she happens to be. These amazing animals share a bit about themselves and become JB's new friends. Her pictures are always awesome!

Adan and Michico. Michico's photography skills are amazing! She captures every emotion from her kitties, the handsome Adan and his cute little brother Lego. She even takes beautiful photos of cats she finds around her city and pictures of her friend's kitties.

Purrchance To Dream. Not The Momma's five Purries share their gotcha stories and talk about their lives with their beloved Not the Momma

Prinnie the
White Curly Cat. Princess and her Mommy have shared their sadness over losing their beloved Caesar and their joy of adopting little Pierro. There is always a touching or thought provoking quote on Prinnie's Blog and I have even found a very special one that I keep by my Tookie's ashes. We are going through the grief process together and she has been very comforting.

There are so many more deserving blogs. I think everyone that takes the time to write a blog is extremely creative. Writing is not easy, no matter what the subject and I can't take a really great picture or Photo Shop to save my life!

So ,that's it for now. I hope you all have a really wonderful day and I will pop over soon to visit. (((Hugs)))