The lighthouse of my dreams

Can you believe this horse is wild? What a beauty.

Wish I were there

Michael and Michelle just returned from a vacation on the Outer Banks. They missed Hurricane Hanna by inches, and then were lucky that Hurricane Ike went the other way. We heard on the weather channel that for hurricane frequency the Outer Banks of North Caroline are 2nd. Florida is first, of course, sticking out there in the Gulf.

The Outer Banks are someplace I have always wanted to see. I am hoping that George and I can go there this year some time. Michael said there was plenty of room for all of us. Wouldn't that be fun??

When I was a little girl I lived in the hot dry plains of Oklahoma, and I would see pictures of light houses and thought they were so beautiful. To me they were beacons of light in a wild sea. I had no idea what the ocean was like. I thought that the ocean had huge waves crashing up onto the shore all the time. I didn't know that oceans can be quiet and flat and calm. I thought they were always angry and gray with big white capped waves. The truth of course is a little less exciting but there are enough crashing waves and storms for the coasts to need lighthouses, and I am fascinated by the painted stripes on these two. They have to be the most beautiful lighthouses in the world.

I am included a wonderful picture of a wild horse, and a picture of the house where Michael and Michelle lived for a week without us.

Some day.

Have a great day.

Creative Spirits Renewal Day

Today is Sunday. I woke up and went downstairs, made coffee, and started revamping my beading work area. It is a tiny beading studio which used to be a breakfast nook in our kitchen. Since the nook was too small for both George and I and a round table, it was rather a useless area. We took out the round table and chairs and added a long table across the area. He added shelves on the left. Looking back, it would be nice to have shelves on the right as well, but always room for improvement later.

We added a small television hooked up to cable, a small air conditioner, two lamps and an Ott Light. There is a window, which is wonderful to have. I have put up some paintings and added all my beads which are organized in plastic boxes I buy when they are on sale at the craft stores. I have about 35 boxes of beads. It is amazing to me that some of these boxes have probably a hundred dollars or more of silver, a thousand dollars worth of lampwork, and all kinds of other beautiful Swarovski crystals in every color, antique lucite beads,an array of gold and silver clasps, buttons, wire, sterling silver wire in different guages, cord, fasteners, glue, silk thread; well you get the idea. I have an inventory to be proud of and I know where every single bead is. I can put my hands on what I want pretty easily. Sometimes it takes me more time to find the right elements than to put the piece of jewelry together, but that is not surprising. It is the vision first, the hunt second, the design third and then the craftsmanship needed to put it all together well now so it doesn't fall apart later.

George went to Belfast, Maine today to see an air show with the Blue Angels. I elected to stay home and spend the day renewing my creative energy. The beading table is all organized and the beautiful silver that I bought at the bead show yesterday is all put away.

All that feels really good. Now it is time for the creative part to start.

Have a great day.

Waiting at the window for us to come in the house

Brushing time

Sleeping in the sun on a hot summer day

More about the kittens

George and I continue to be crazy about our kittens. They are growing fast and we have noticed that their coats are really getting beautiful and thick. Safari is shy, but George is making great progress with her and she loves to be petted and brushed, but on her own terms. Sometimes she still runs under something when you want to pick her up. I guess that is a girl's prerogative.

They wait for us in the window when we come home. Simba stays in the window, and Safari always comes and stands by the door. When we open the door, we know she will be right there. They are lovely and polite kittens. They do their kitten thing, but they don't seem to get into trouble. They don't knock things off shelves or eat jewelry or do destructive things. They are charming and beautiful. How lucky we are.

Have a great day.

Sometimes you see things that you just have to have!

Today I bought these lampwork beads. I can't tell you why I found them so beautiful, but I just had to have them. Aren't they interesting? This Etsy seller really knows how to make beautiful beads. You can find her work at PatriciaLubin.etsy.com. Wow!

All the news

Today I was going to put a couple of links from Google Reader on my web site. The top four things I wanted to share were in video format. I have come to hate that little arrow on a fuzzy screen which means I have to download video on my computer to read a little news. I would much prefer a simple well written story about the folks coming back to New Orleans after the hurricane that watch some guy up on a tower fixing power lines and calling that news.

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but when I see that video screen on my computer I just cringe. The TV news is bad enough. What happened to "All the news that is fit to print?" from the good old NYT?

Three whales!

This is what a whale looks like from 6 feet away!

A whale of an afternoon!

George and I went for a drive today, thinking that we would go to Plum Island and do some birdwatching. As we neared Gloucester, we saw the sign for Whale Watch, and decided on a whim to see if we could catch a boat. We waited at the draw bridge for almost 30 minutes while boats traveled to the sea and thought that the delay would probably nix the idea of a whale watch. But we got there in plenty of time! We had time for a nice pizza lunch, then got on the boat and took a lot of pictures of the beautiful schooners that were there for the Gloucester Schooner races earlier in the day.

The day was clear and beautiful and the trip on the boat was going to be fun whether we saw any whales or not. But we were in for a huge surprise. Not only did three whales cavort near the boat for nearly 30 minutes, we went further out and another whale almost mated with the boat he was so close. The whale swam under the boat, back and forth, which mean that we all ran from one side to the other, and the boat listed in the waves. I swear, for a bunch of land lovers, we didn't even care if the boat tipped over it was so exciting to see this beautiful creature come right up to the boat and play with us. Naturally, my pictures didn't turn out well, so I don't have the full effect of seeing fins and tails and eyes of whales staring at us all. The man who led the tour said he wasn't sure who was watching who. I never expect to see whales that close again in my whole life. What an awesome day we had.

As we pulled back into Gloucester harbor four hours later, they had a raffle for a prize of one free ticket to a future cruise. Guess who won. George!!!

What a great day. We can't believe how wonderful it was to see those beautiful creatures.

Have a great day.

Nap time

I have often wondered where the kittens sleep when we are at work all day. I have found Safari under the end table in the den taking a nap. No surprise there. But I was amazed to see where Simba chose to take her nap for two days in a row. A comfy platter on the dining room buffet.

Charming!

Have a great day.

Safari playing hard to get

Our big boy Simba

At home with the kitties

George and I spent a lot of time at home this week. It has been a relaxing summer, and having the kitties here waiting for us means that we are happy to come home after work and relax with our little furry family.

The kitties have the run of the house all day and they don't mess up a thing. One day they found a kitty stick toy that I had put away, and there it was all wrapped up in it's bag on the kitchen floor. At least when they get into things, they get into the right things! Pretty smart to get up on the counter and find a new toy still in it's plastic sleeve.

George has made great big strides with Safari, who now lays down and lets us pet her, and often lays down to be picked up. She loves the head scratching and is really getting the hang of being a lap cat. She is not shy, but she likes to do her own thing. She is never far away from where we are, and often sits halfway up the stairs when I am getting dressed in the morning. The upstairs rooms are off limits to kitties, and they wait for us on the stairs. Cute.

Petco has been a frequent stop for little toys and more tiny cans of catfood. We spare no expense with these kitties, and it makes me wonder why Thunder had to make do with a bed and a litter box. Oh well, the world is for the young.

Have a good day!

A new toy -- boy what a toy

The kitties got a new cat condo today. It is high and just right. They love it. We do too. A kitty never had it so good.

Have a great day.

The kitties discover windows!

Kitty Saturday

On Saturday the kitties get to spend more time in the whole house and don't have to stay in the kitchen. They explore the window sills, the couches, and their favorite hidey hole under the blue couch in the living room. The upstairs is still closed off to them (doors shut) because they have a lot of exploring to do yet downstairs. Simba got into the bedroom yesterday morning and it took us ten minutes to get him out from under the bed. So the rooms upstairs will stay closed off to kitties.

Saturdays for kitties are pretty boring. I am wondering what they are going to do if they have to spend the next 20 years or so exploring this house, but I will wipe that out of my mind. George is working hard to get Safari more comfortable with the whole lap thing. Safari now lies on the couch next to George, in her come hither pose, and we have made big strides in getting her to be less shy. She is by far the more curious of the two. Simba just takes everything in stride, and jumps on every lap he can find.

We have a lot of training ahead of us. Neither kitty will use the new $40 scratching post with the sisal rope. They would rather scratch the purple couch. Last night I decorated the post like a kitty Christmas tree, with fluffy feathers that blow in the air, and a favorite toy, hoping that they will take notice. So far, they haven't, but we have a lot of training ahead of us.

Simba has learned how to climb the back of my computer chair and walk across the keyboard. Bye for now. Hello from Simba: /liouezniop34jk;=dp

Have a great day.

It's easy, right??

I bought a feather toy for the kittens the other day and got it out yesterday afternoon. I like to hold a few things back, and when I see that they are bored and ready to get into trouble, I pull out something new for them to play with.

Before I had this brown mouse with long pheasant type feathers out of the package, I had two small cats clawing at my leg trying to get at the thing. I held it high, and unclipped it from it's cardboard backing and tied it to a string and stick. Bad news. Both cats went nuts. I looked to see if there was catnip in this toy, thinking that my cats were now high on drugs. No catnip. It was the feathers they were after. Safari, who is the huntress, immediately got the thing between her paws and started ripping the long beautiful feathers out of it. She got one out right away. I tried to toss the thing around and the cats were falling all over themselves trying to bite it. It got very aggressive. If this continued, I was going to get scratched. I'm trying to play with the kittens, not make them into blood thirsty feather monsters.

Things never improved, and in a few minutes, I cut the new feather toy off the string and hid it in a place where they will hopefully never find it. Since it cost $5.00 I don't have the heart to throw it away. But, frankly, I don't see many options. They act just like outdoor cats act when they are pulling apart a dead bird. Not exactly my idea of nice housecat behavior.

On the back of the feather toy package, there is a copywrited color wheel chart that lists a kitties "Complete Needs" system. According to this fancy chart, cats need privacy, scratching, hunting, resting, stimulation, hygiene, exercise, nutrition, independence, treats, interaction and safety.

No wonder George and I are tired.

Have a great day.

Yvonne, come here!

I heard these firm words this morning, as George stood looking out the kitchen window. I know when George says this, firmly and quietly, that something amazing is happening in the back yard. Sometimes it is a herd of wild turkeys, one time a huge pregnant raccoon drinking out of the birdbath in broad daylight. Today, I went to the window to look and there was a hawk sitting on the lawn pulling feathers out of an ex-pigeon.

We have been bothered by the pigeons that are coming to eat out of the bird feeder. They line up on the roof and do their pigeon things up there, and we don't want them. They are messy, and look ridiculous trying to hang on to the finch feeder, sometimes four deep, twirling and unbalanced where they do not belong. We asked them to go back to Boston Common, but they don't listen. George sometimes resorts to throwing a pail, or garden tool, or whatever is at hand. I bang on the upstairs bathroom window with a can of hairspray. Well, today I think they are listening. It was unnaturally calm for a while this morning. In fact, there were no birds anywhere for awhile. Seeing a predator will do that to a fella.

This is the second pile of feathers we have found on our lawn. We thought a cat had caught a bird. Now we know who the real hero is. A beautiful, brown, and magestic hawk. And it isn't some hapless bird, but a pigeon as big as a small chicken. You go Mr. Hawk.

Have a great day.

Kittydom

Today the kitties were roaming around the house and it became apparent that they were sleepy and ready for their nap. I put them in the kitchen, with the door closed, and went to work at my beading table. In a while, I looked behind me, and the kittens were up on the shelf in their cage, with their heads together, leaning on each other and enjoying a peaceful kitty nap. George took this picture, and you can see the back of my head. They love their playpen/cage, and I'm glad that we have a peaceful place for them to go where they feel secure and safe.

The Incredible Love Bug (Simba)

Space Cat

Safari likes the wool rug

Home Bodies

George and I are spending a nice Friday night at home with our cats, watching the opening of the Beijing Olympics. The kitties are in bed after three hours of fun exploring. We are happy that they are adjusting so well, and getting to know their new home. Safari spent some time behind the china cabinet, and Simba likes to explore behind the TV, but they also had time for some love bugging.

Have a great night.

Kitties in the living room

Tonight was a big step in a kitty's life. We had our first long visit in the living room. There are so many fascinating things to see. Safari was amazed by the little rocker. Simba likes just about everything. Safari discovered the window to the world first. It is going to be nice not to have to take a nap on the kitchen floor anymore!

Training cats and parental instincts

George and I are pretty strict parents I guess. A friend of mine has a new kitty that was alone and unwanted. They picked her up a week ago and that little kitty has the run of the whole house already. That little kitten hasn't been to the vet yet, and already has access to several rooms and a screened-in patio. I also heard that she likes to hide, and has scared her owners to death more than once. I'm sure this kitty will be fine, and will grow up to be a wonderful cat, but because we went through a shelter adoption agency, our process for making a home for our kittens is very different.

In comparison, our kitties came to us with a file full of vet records, paperwork and lots of baggage. They have all the shots needed for the first year, and were spayed and neutered and one was microchipped. (Little Safari still has that to look forward to.) We acquired cages, beds, toys, scratching posts, litter boxes, bags of food and lots of advice from the shelter foster mom. We have gained knowlege in the process of adopting and I have bought and read four books about raising kitties from Amazon. It is a crash course in kittydom.

George and I are working to train our kitties to mesh with our lifestyle. They have the kitchen to run and play in during the day, and at bedtime, they both scurry into their cage, and bunk down for the night. The cage doors are closed, and locked, and we know where they are. They aren't unhappy about that, and neither are we, and we are all in our beddies by 9:30 p.m. I haven't told these kitties that cats are nocturnal, and maybe they won't find out by themselves. One can hope.

Our plan is to acclimate the kitties and get Safari to be less scared of being picked up by leaving them in one room. We also wanted to make sure they wouldn't escape. We have an "air lock" to make sure; we don't open one door to the outside, until we have shut the other. This means we have to stand in a very tight space and suck it in, but it is worth the effort when we imagine what it would be like to see a kitty streak through to the outside.

The kittens are big in size but small in experience. Safari explores the top of the kitchen counter, and I fully expect her to find the kitchen window to the world one of these days. Simba is like the adolescent athlete. He jumps, climbs the cage and hangs from one leg and isn't much curious about the rest of the world. He is happy and well adjusted. Safari is wary and curious. She tiptoes across the counter in front of the sink as if she is traversing a rope bridge over the Amazon valley. She peers at each dish and is very stealthy. And she must think she is doing something wrong, because when we come in the door, she jumps for the floor. I have never seen her get up to the counter except once, when she jumped from a chair. Without the chair there, I don't know how she does it. Simba is the strong and fearless jumper, not Safari, but there she is, tiptoeing up to the KitchenAid mixer in wonderment of it all.

Someday soon I imagine it is time to open the door and let the kittens explore the house. But, it seems right now, that they have enough to learn in their own little kitchen-world and we are very happy to know where they are.

Have a great day.

The blur on the left is Safari with the Ex-Feather

If it flies like a bug, its a bug.

The other day I went into the kitchen and found that the kitties had chewed off the feathers from their feather toy. The upsetting thing about this is that I never found the feathers, so they are probably already digested. I've learned another lesson about feather toys. Now we are left with a small stick with an elastic cord and a bell at the end. Safari is CRAZY for that bell. It is her favorite toy. She is the one who likes bugs, and this little light weight bell flinging around is just the kind of fly she likes. She jumps and twirls and hangs from the rafters when that bell is around.

I have to be careful, because I don't want to hit her in the eye with it, and I don't want her to eat and swallow it, so I have it securely fastened and we only play with it a few minutes at a time. But she loves it so much, I can't resist.

Simba will play jump around the kitchen like a madman with all toys. He likes the big yellow fake feather one the best. Fake feathers are much sturdier than real ones, and since they are made out of fabric, they hold up to chewing much better than real feathers. They sell feather toys for cats that have long elegant and colorful feathers, and look beautiful. Those would last about five minutes.

We change the toys around, and give them someone new to play with, and put the older things away and then bring them out again later. This seems to satisfy that curiosity. Still you don't always need store bought toys. One of Safari's favorite things to do is to go by the back door and hide under one of George's nylon coats and wait for Simba to find her and pounce on her.

Who needs pretty feathers when and old gray coat will do just fine.

Have a great day.

Life is 10% stuff and 90% kittens

George and I went to Paxton, Massachusetts on Saturday to join Michael and Michelle and her family at the memorial service for her grandmother. As I read about her grandmother, who I only met once, I wished I had known her better. Her home is filled with beautiful artwork that she created, and I would have had fun talking to her about that. I did get a chance to talk to Michelle's grandfather about his rhododendrens and the beautiful large plantings by the front door. The two acres of land in the back were beautiful and serene, and while we were there, a gentle rain was falling and everything was emerald green. It was lovely.

Paxton is a historical place, and I would like to learn more about it. It is interesting to think what it would have been like to grow up there. It is very different than the plains and praries of Oklahoma. The Paxton Congregational Church in the center of town was built in 1728. It was standing for 140 years before Oklahoma became a state. No wonder we are "sooners". Massachusetts is full of history, and makes me wish sometimes that I was a "later" instead.

The kittens are doing well. Safari has discovered climbing, and has been to the top of the cage (like the top of the Empire State Building in kitten terms), and is very interested in bugs and flies. She can chase and catch and bat, and is really agile and quick and intensely interested. I hope one of my china cups never comes between her and a fly. The cup will lose.

Simba has learned how to jump over to my lap and nuzzle in for some petting. Safari stands nearby and watches, and now rubs just a little on my leg. She is coming around. They are a handful, and just taking the time to play with them several times a day sort of wears us out. George lays down on the kitchen floor and pets Safari gently to get her used to being touched. And sometimes he taks a little snooze there. Since the kittens arrived, sleeping on the kitchen floor doesn't seem strange at all!

Have a great day.

Paxton, Mass

Great Balls of Fur!

Our kittens are great balls of fur. We play every morning and every night and the fur really flys. Simba can jump four feet in the air, as high as the kitchen counter, and she can do almost that well. They chase the feather toy, and I have to be careful so we don't hurt ourselves. Claws out! Beware!

George and I are spending a lot of time in the kitchen with the kittens, and they are showing the effects of all this good food and love. They stay in the kitchen all day, and the play must have been really good yesterday, because they were two sleepy kitties last night.

Pictures of kitties in play are all a blur. They love to play together, and once or twice a day, they indulge in a playful love fest, where they hug each other and roll around like two wrestlers. They are all "claws in" when they do this, and there are no yelps or scratches....just a lot of rolling hugs.

Have a great day.

The original Cadillac Ranch

Cadillac Ranch

Sometime in the early eighties, my family took a car trip from Oklahoma City to Albuquerque, New Mexico for New Year's holiday. We had a great car trip, a great time, and it is all a big happy memory.

As we drove along in the dry, flat, featureless plains outside of Amarillo, I looked over to see a whole row of antique Cadillacs buried in a wheat field. The site had been mowed, so you could see the cars. I was so impressed that an artist would take the time to crease such a spectacle with no fan fare, no signs, no credits. I hollered out and we pulled the car over to the side of the road and got out to stare. We couldn't believe our eyes. It was wonderful, strange, and crazy. We loved it, and I loved the artist who shared this with all of us driving along that very boring stretch of Americana.

The pictures of the Cadillac Ranch installation which I found on the web this morning include cars painted with years of graffiti. When I saw them, I don't remember any graffiti, just a long line of beautiful antique cars planted in the field bent over like wind-blown corn.

Today in the New York Times, there is an article about people who are giving up their dream SUVs because of the price of gas. They call it Putting the Dream Out To Pasture. They have illustrated with a picture that is a clear reference to the original Cadillac Ranch, which I don't believe many people know about.

Cadillac Ranch: I'm amazed and grateful that I saw the real thing!

Have a great Sunday.

Safari

Safari was originally named Holly. It occurred to me to call her Holly Safari, but that is a little too much. She is a scardy cat. The foster mom explained that when the kittens were just a few weeks old, another foster mom let them have the run of the house, which is not a good thing. The vet visited that foster mom to give them the shots, and called the shelter to say that these kittens should be removed to a home where they are confined to one room. So, they were moved to the next foster home, where we met them. They lived in a large room with five or so other kitties. Through all of this, Holly (Safari), became a scardy cat.

When we first met her, we had to try pretty hard to catch her and hold her in our arms. When you picked her up, she would sit quietly and purr lightly. It wasn't that she didn't want to be held, it was that she is afraid of those big hands coming to get her. We knew that in order to make her into a lovely house cat, we would have to work with her patiently and get her to trust us.

Today, Safari was laying quietly on the kitchen floor, and George reached down and petted her as she lay there. He didn't try to pick her up, he just reached out calmly and stroked her from head to tail several times. This is a big step for Safari. Holding her on your lap is no problem, and she will stay calm, and purr quietly, but laying there and not being afraid of his hand coming at her is a very very big step.

She is learning that we love her, and that even though she has a big brother who climbs higher, catches faster and purrs louder, she is every bit as important to us and we love her just as much.

I took this picture to show how beautiful her striped tail is. She has wonderful markings, a calm manner, a quiet ladylike purr, and she pays a lot of attention to details. We know now that only one in a thousand orange cats is female. It will be wonderful helping her not be a scardy cat.

Have a great night.

Two weeks of kittens

We have had the kittens two weeks and I think they have doubled in size. They are growing, which is what I expected after they had good food, lots of play, and two people who love them. Safari is coming around. She is not so afraid, and she lays right in the middle of the kitchen and lets you walk around her. She is home. Simba is our fearless leader, and jumps to the top of the kitty condo and with paws hanging over the side, is king of all he surveys. They are breathtakingly beautiful to look at, and as they fill out, and their fur gets longer and prettier, their stripes show up more, and they are just awesome little cats. Am I prejudiced? No.

We go to bed a little later, and we get up a little earlier to be with the kittens. It has been a big change in our lives. It won't be this way forever, but for now, until the kittens are acclimated and we are sure they are safe, we stay with them most of the time that they are not in their playpen/cage.

Safari likes to go into the silk colored bag that we bought and play "mouse" with George. Simba likes it up high, where he can grab at the feather toy and almost always catches it. His reflexes are perfect, and what he wants, he gets. Simba can climb anything, but Safari has more trouble pulling herself up to the top of things. She is content to stay below most of the time. I make sure that she is included in all our games, so that Simba doesn't get the best of her. They are so different, it is really interesting. They roll and wrestle and have a good time together. What great kittens. I feel so lucky to have such beautiful cats in the house.

More tomorrow. Have a good day. Happy Friday.

Pictures of play time

Steeplechase

In the morning, I let the kitties out of their play pen, and stay in the kitchen with them for a quiet hour. Ha. Today they were far from quiet. They had a steeplechase all around the kitchen, jumping over food bowls, landing in water bowls, and going over one obstacle after another. They were clearly getting their exercise after a long night penned up. We never hear a peep out of them in their cage at night, and many times during the day they go in there to sit up on the shelves or play on the floor.

There are big differences between Simba and Safari. Safari likes to root around on the floor looking for the stray small ant, or finding little bigs of fluff or paper. She is the follower. Simba is the alpha male. He likes to climb and is darn good at it. He already knows how to get to the top of the cage, (which is five feet high), in three steps. He sits on top and meows at me, triumphant in his success.

They are playful and fun. George and I take turns sometimes being in the kitchen with them so we know they are not getting into trouble. Little noises are a very big deal. They hear George coming down the hall and wait for him at the door, and then when he steps in they run. It is a game. They listen to teapots, birds, squeaky toys accidentally stepped on, dropped beads...anything that might mean a little extra fun.

We are doing well with our kitties, even though they take up a lot of time. I'm happy that my jewelry table is right there in the kitchen too, so I can work while they play. It is a big world in that kitchen!

Have a great day.

Simple pleasures: a bottle cap

The kittens are staying in the kitchen for now. Life is good. A pop bottle cap can provide endless entertainment. Today I put the circle blue plastic wrap off a milk bottle cap and tied it to a string. We had fun for an hour with that!

They have bouncy toys, a ball of yarn, feather mice, measuring spoons, and stuffed moose as playthings, but their all time favorite toy is a feather thing attached to an elastic cord, which is attached to a stick. Thank God for that little black stick. The kittens fly at the feather with all claws out, and my legs are 4" away. It is inevitable that I am going to get scratched in the melee, but...right now I don't care. When I play on the floor with them, I cover my legs with newspapers, and that seems to work fine, and adds a little crunch as they land as well.

It is a high time in the kitchen every morning, every evening, and several times a day as well. Both of them can jump as high as the kitchen counter, and twist in the air, and come down on all fours. Sometimes they come down on their back, but it doesn't seem to faze them. Playing together is fun. Sometimes Simba gets the better of the feather game, and Safari has to stand back and wait her turn. We saw that at the foster mother's house too, when our kittens stood back and waited their turn while the more aggressive older kittens batted and played. They are really sweet kittens.

Food doesn't seem to be any problem for them. In fact, I'm a little worried that we have gone through half a bag of dry food this week. They get a cup at a time, and they finish off one during the night, one in the morning, and at night they get a small can of kitten Science diet. They have grown, and sometimes they look so big to me, but when I hold them in my arms, they seem much smaller. They hide their heads under my elbow as I comb and brush them. Grooming is important, and these kittens get brushed several times a day, and I'm going to clip their nails once a week, starting today. I'll report later how that goes.

Today is going to be 93 and humid. I have the air conditioners going, and intend to lay low and make jewelry today. It is high time. I have 13 special orders, and today is the day I have to finish them.

Tomorrow is church, and then who knows what. The summer is here, finally, with the kind of weather you think about when you are shoveling snow. The birds outside need fresh water, so I gotta go.

Have a great Summer day!

Meet Safari and Simba

Blogging Away....Kitties Ahoy!

This has been a strange summer for blogging. My mother got sick in April and was hospitalized, and then again in June, and I rushed from the Milwaukee Bead Show to Oklahoma. I stayed three days with her at Baptist Hospital, until she was transported to a longer term specialty hospital. She was getting good care and gaining strength every day. When I came back to Boston, life sort of returned to normal, which means that I worried a lot and went to work every day. I consulted a counselor about how to separate myself from my mother enough to enjoy my own life. I let the family know that I was planning to go on vacation and we did. George and I just returned from our vacation in New Hampshire; six days of fun at the cabin, fishing, playing cards, reading, resting and cooking good barbecue. It was fun, and I talked to my mother once while I was away. She was doing well. She is now at Grace Living Center in El Reno, which is a skilled nursing center near her home, and coping with yet another change. At 98 years old, I guess change is something you are very familiar with.

So now I can blog again. And I have a great subject. George and I got two new kittens. The adoption process was a month long and scary. The agencies are careful, and each has it's own style. After weeks of looking at pictures of cats, I had sort of given up and was just coasting along with the idea in the back of my mind. I felt that when there was a cat that was meant for us, he or she would just turn up somehow.

I was looking on the web one day at Petfinder.com, and voila, I saw the kitties I wanted. I love orange and white and had given up on getting an orange and white cat because they are rather rare. I was also hoping to adopt a cat that didn't already come with Feline Leukemia or other health problems. I saw this picture of "No Names", little buff and white kittens, and fell immediately in love. I had told myself that I would never fall in love with a cat over the internet, which is a good way to get your heart broken, but I fell is love with both of these beautiful kittens.

We went through the adoption phone calls and paperwork, then went to meet the foster mother and kittens. It was an amazing experience and I have so much respect for people who open up their homes to foster cats, and who spend such a big part of their lives caring for animals. The kittens were all beautiful and well cared for, and none of them had medical problems.

On Friday, July 11, my birthday, we brought home two fawn and white kittens. They are already 14 weeks old, so they are getting big already. After thinking of 1000 names, I have settled on Safari for the girl, and Simba for the boy. There are a lot of really great cat names, and creativity got the best of me, but these seemed simple enough and charming enough to suit these very beautiful kittens.

Today we made big strides. They have explored the kitchen, which is their new temporary home. Kittens need to be in one room, with doors, so they don't get the run of the house and go wild. The three storied cage gives them respite from the outside world and makes them feel cuddled and safe. It is also a safe place to leave them when we need to leave the house. The adoption agency gave us the huge pink cage, a beautiful bed, two bags of food, and a whole bag of stick and feather toys and other little toys. They were MORE than generous and very kind. We have turned the kitchen into a cat house. I have swept and slicked it all up so there isn't anything dangerous for them to get into. For now we are doing well. They are far less scared today than yesterday, and they purr and meow and poop and eat and play with toys and do all the great things kitties are supposed to do.

You'll be hearing a lot more about these two! Welcome Simba and Safari, to your new loving home. You will never replace Thunder, but you were never supposed to.

Have a great day.

From bad to worse and up again

I haven't updated my blog in a long time. Things have been rocky. First, Thunder died. Then mom got sick. Then I went to Milwaukee with my friend to the bead show, and got a call that I had to get to Oklahoma immediately, because my mom was being rushed to an Oklahoma City hospital. It was a nightmare getting there, and I spent three days in the hospital. Mom is a little better, but still far from able to walk or do much of anything. In a week they will refer her to Grace Living Center which is close to her home, at least. It is so hard being her age, and even harder to imagine what it will be like for her to live in a nursing home. Somehow God takes care of old people, I guess, like he cares for the rest of us.

In the meantime, I have been back at work, which is a good thing. I haven't been going to the health club because of all these life setbacks, and I'm going to start up again this week. Next week George and I leave for our annual vacation to way up New Hampshire to plunk our bait in the water on the dock and call it a fishing trip. It is more like a reading and resting trip, but there will be lots of bird watching and moose watching, and some lovely cabin meals that I am planning out now.

Life goes on. Mother is ok. I am going on vacation and really need to do that. And I am going to enroll in the next class that I can find in "how to stop worrying and start enjoying the day."

God is good. Things will be ok. Have a great day.

Thunder (October 30, 1991 - May 20, 2008)