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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Tonight

Tonight was lovely!  Between the not having the television on all night, the toodleling in the garden, and the chilling with the hubby, I feel relaxed and happy and ready for the weekend (since we're already halfway there). 
I'm a big advocate for the 'silence is golden' movement.  I would rather the tv not be on, and me have to focus on real things, than for the tv to be on and me be distracted.  It's pretty much a given that I will be distracted by ::anything:: that's on tv, so I relish the opportunities when it's not on.
I got to "toodle" in my garden tonight.  I decided to de-clutter some of the underbrush areas from around the tomato and pepper plants.  And so I did.  I even discovered more tomatoes in the process!  So far, I think I've found tiny tomatoes on almost all of the tomato plants.  The red pepper plant still has some blooms, and I think I see the beginning of a squash!  Yes, things are going well!

German Queen.  She loves the sun!
And it's been a lovely evening with the hubby.  We got all of the addresses changed over and are enjoying hanging out currently.
So far, not a bad way to start the week!  ;)

-----
Oh, and did I mention that the cats are ::literally:: climbing the walls, er windows.  It's really not fair to them because we have the light on in the bedroom, and the windows to the outside are pitch black because it's night.  And that means that our windows are attracting the moths and other small flying bugs that want to get to the light bulb.  So Pickles and Cornbread, newbies to the whole encountering bugs thing, are trying to climb the window to talk to them.  And by talk, I literally mean talk.  Pickles, especially, is reaching up as far as she can and then letting  out a light little meow.  It's almost as if she is asking them to come down closer so that she can "pet" them.  :)

Monday, May 30, 2011

The Beginning of Summer

Today was a scorcher!
It's one of those days where you could see the steam rising off the road...
Where all you wanted to do is sit down in the shade with a tall glass of fresh lemonade, or an ice-cold-glass-bottle soda... (and yes, it had to be glass!  And sitting in a cooler of ice!)
Where lightning bugs flirted with the dusk and the sun dared to never go down...

Yes, I do believe that summer is officially here!
Hot days, short nights, and lots of outside time.

Vintage Sodas - quickly becoming a cookout staple at our house!

I ::swear:: I saw a lightning bug tonight.
We were inside, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw the familiar lime green light that a lightning bug emits and dashed outside to see if it were true.  I didn't see it again, so perhaps my eyes and mind were playing tricks on me.  But I want to believe that I did in fact see one, and for me, lightning bugs are just another sign that summer is here!

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Camera Phone High Art

You know, close up, these pictures of my cats don't look like much.  They're grainy, off-color, and pretty poorly composed.  They were taken with my camera phone in low lighting, and as much as I can love the convenience of my camera phone, I have to admit, it does not adapt well, and pictures taken in low light appear grainy.  And dark.  And funky. 

However, if you step back a few feet and cross your eyes at just the right moment, the image begins to appear.  Yea, it's almost like one of those "Magic Eye" pictures... almost.  :)  And, because they are grainy, off-color, and pretty poorly composed, they can ::almost:: qualify as high art!  There's a whole sect of photographers out there who spend their time devoting themselves to photos just like these, and every now and then, what can I say, I'm lucky enough to capture one.  Or two!

Sophie- taken in the midst of a position change...
it reminds me of a holga double-exposure.


Cornbread vs. the tiny spider.  All up-close & personal and such. 
The dark shadows are nice!


Saturday, May 28, 2011

VFW Bingo

We headed to the local VFW for some official Bingo fun this evening.
It's been awhile since Garay and I have been, and Kait and Laura hadn't yet, so it was bound to be fun!  We also ran into Lorrie and Michael and got to converse and hang out with them for the evening.  It was nice!  Good times with great friends!

Ink Daubers... available in a rainbow of colors!
The saving graces:
Ink daubers are awesome fun!
Free spaces ::make:: this game!
Cash prizes make everything more exciting!
Skill levels aren't relevant... bingo is more of a luck thing.

Yikes!  lol
With that being said, however, intensity is apparent.  As newbies to the sport, we went in empty-handed prepared to buy our books, daubers, and refreshments.  Little did we know, some people come prepared with bingo bags filled with daubers in every color, tape, food and drink, magazines, and even music/ white-noise tracks/ etc.  Next time, I'm thinking we will definitely bring our daubers, some tape would come in handy for sure, and a cute little picnic would top it all off.  Yea, I might even bring in a checkered tablecloth...  ;)

It was fun though!  The daubers made "bingo" super easy and the whole layout of the games is very organized.  There were 7 games total with cash prizes ranging from $70 to $140, and a grand prize of $900.  And although no one in our little group  won, Gary was 1 number away from getting "bingo" during the jackpot around.  But as soon as the room starts filling in chatter andd less-than-muted whispers, you get the sense that the game is over, someone has won, and it was just before you were going to have the chance to acheive glory. 


Oh well, there's always next time!  :) 
It was a nice "different" activity. 
It was relatively inexpensive.
It provided a great time for us to sit and hang.
We got to laugh.
It was strangely intense.
And it was fun!

Friday, May 27, 2011

Flavia


Flavored coffee and tea...
in convenient one-time-use pouches.
Yummy and easy to use much??

It's the little things...  :)

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Thursday

::I've got a lovely bunch of {tomatoes}... dee da la dee::

Today is Thursday.  The end of my work week, the beginning of my four day weekend, and a good day overall!

We spent the afternoon outside, chatting and enjoying the weather.
And then the storm hit... lightning, thunder, rain, and hail.
We ordered Chinese right in the midst of it all, and as a result of the power going out, we got to eat dinner in the dark.  The only light muted through the sliding door window, the weather making clarity a problem.
I was fretting for my poor plants.  The last time I checked, the majority seemed to be doing okay, but the squash and cucumber looked all disheveled, and one of the tomato branches was touching the floor.  I will be doing some damage control in the morning.  :)
And after dinner, the power was still out so we all congregated in the living room.  I read a few pages in my book and then decided to nap.  I think it was about an hour later when the power came back on - but I still slept, until about 9.  Then we watched CSI (the one with Justin Beiber), and I've been sitting on the computer ever since. 

It should be another busy, but good weekend!
I hope everyone stayed safe during the storm tonight, and has a good Friday!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Tragedy


When I came home from work today, I was greeted with a tragedy in the bathroom.  It seems that the little plant and red (apparently ceramic) pot had decided to plummet to the bathroom floor, along with the mini watering globe.  Shards of ceramic, thin glass, and plant root everywhere...

Luckily, the actual plant is okay.  Albeit a little shocked from it's jump, but I've revived and put back up on the shelf. 

Needlesstosay, after this finding, the cat's use of the bathroom at all hours has been temporarily revoked.  I have a feeling Cornbread did it... he enjoys sitting by the window.  It's just that this window is a good 4 feet up from the floor, so attaining it means jumping off the wall and rebounding up (?) to the window ledge which is roughly 6 inches wide.  I figure that the plant was a necessary casualty, and that the crash surely scare the begessus out of the poor, frightened kitty.  So all in all, I can't be mad, but am rather glad that the kitties are okay (they knew well enough to leave the shards alone while we were away), and the plant looks fine too!

Monday, May 23, 2011

New Henna


I'm always toying with the idea of getting another tattoo, and relish in the opportunity to "practice".
My sister got me this for my birthday - a henna tattoo on the top of my foot.

I heart it!  And I'm warming to the idea of it being there permanently...
or maybe I'll just get henna'd every month.  :)  That's fun too! 

It's a deviation from a 16th century Turkish design ::slash:: Indian mandala, with more dots.
The artists' name was Crow.  He was dressed in Renaissance Fest garb, topped it all off with a mohawk and had his ears gauged.  lol.  I was slightly intimidated, but he was nice and did a fantastic job!

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Work Hard


I'm not sure if this little guy is helping or hindering the growth of my cucumber, but whatever he is doing, he is working hard at it.  I watched him crawl around the leaves, stems, and trellis until I couldn't follow him anymore...  At one point, he was even cleaning his antennae by putting it between his front two feet and pulling down.  It was interesting to watch - I was surprised to see an insect doing a motion like that. 

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Laugh A Lot

Tonight for dinner we went to One. Midtown Kitchen.  I had been here once before and loved it, and wanted Gary to have a go at it.  We were both equally impressed let-me-tell-you.  But there was one thing that made us chuckle a bit, and that was the size of the bite that we were able to construct from our cheese platter.  The platter came with 5 slices of different ::fancy:: cheeses, a tiny log of compressed pumpkin bread (Yummy!) and some Mostardo (an Italian jello-like accoutrement).  Well, by the time I had sliced up my slice of pumpkin bread (which was seriously no more than 3 inches long, and about an inch tall and wide), added a dab of mostardo, and a bit of cheese, I had a "bite" of food no larger than about an inch square.  See below.


The interesting thing though was that it was absoultely amazing!  That little bite took all of those complex flavors and melded them into one amazingly sweet and savory bite of goodness that had you begging for more.  And luckily, we were able to oblige... for a few more bites at least. 

:)

Oh, and this is a picture of the window latch next to our table.
Charmingly enough, the inscription on the weathered latch reads "Bliss".



Oh, and you need to go here!
The food is amazing!  (The crispy soft shell crabs were fantastic!)
The staff is very helpful and witty!
And the atmosphere is incredibly romantic!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Love Much

I think that this can be taken many different ways, and I believe that the simple idea of "love" is a complicated matter.  Love is such a deep emotion.  It takes time to develop, patience to continue, and a commitment to yourself and to others.  And it is so much more than just a connection between two people.  It is a daily connection between lots of people, if you wish, animals, ideas, and etc.  It has become such a fixture in our everyday life that without "love" we would not be.  And I think by saying "love much", we are reminded to share that little part of ourselves with as many people as possible.  There is a lot of hate in this world, and our days gets shorter every day, but there is love, and there is the ability to love.  We must allow ourselves to be surrounded with love.  I really don't know how else to put it...  but to quote a favorite movie of mine, "love actually is all around".

(It's even in the waterfalls... taken on our Honeymoon - outside of Asheville, NC)
-----

If I were to contemplate the idea of "loving much" when I was younger, you would probably find me blushing in a corner somewhere.  At least in one manner of the terms, "love much" meant something very personal and very private - an act between person's that loved each other very much, and were committed.  They were married, went to church on a weekly basis, and were in love.  They were allowed to "love much" because of the relationship they had made together, and the commitment they had made to each other, and to God.  This is how I was raised.  I was raised in a loving family, who went to church at least twice a week, and for me, being a Christian meant a whole lot when it came to "love" guidelines.  For one, when I started dating, I was hesitant about dating anyone other than a Christian.  I was very caught up in the sacrament of inner-faith dating, and was unwilling to compromise.  When it came to dating online, it was easy to screen out those who didn't openly profess to being a Christian.  That was one of my top contenders... along with smoking habits, height, and age.  Looking back on it now, however, you can tell I was jaded.  And once I got into college and started taking some of the great classes that I did take, my whole outlook on love changed.

First of all, I took a Sexuality and Society class that was probably one of the most eye-opening classes in all of my college career.  The teacher was amazing!  And she really taught us that love is something so much more important that "making it".  In America, it seems, [we] tend to have the belief that doing certain deeds before marriage, or any sort of committed relationship, is very taboo.  It is looked down upon, and is often labeled with derogatory terms in order to somewhat deter the practice.  In school, abstinence is taught - and a "no sex" policy is preached.  Love will come to you one day, and you will be happy, and you will get married, and then you will be able to officially enjoy the act of making love.  However, in the Netherlands (I think I'm remembering the country right), they seem to hold the opposite beliefs.  In a "sex ed" video that we watched, it talked about trying out those intimate deeds to the point that you are comfortable enough to be able to fall in love with a person. 

To a college student, it was liberating.  And extremely interesting.  The idea that "sex" was actually being taught, instead of abstinence was incredible.  And for me, that was probably the reason I liked that class so much.  It was so different from everything that I had grown up with, and I found myself agreeing with what she was teaching. 

Like I said, that was one of my favorite classes from my college years.  I loved the fact that everything I had grown up knowing was being challenged.  And it didn't make sense to me not to go along with it - it all made sense in my head, and I think it's completely applicable to today's society.  The idea of "loving much" used to make me blush, but now, what can I say, it makes me happy!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Speak Gently


"Chasing Pavements" by Adele.  The very first song/ video I heard of her's and one of the reasons that I fell in love with her music.  I love her soulful voice, her lyrics, and her ability to make a great video. 

Call me smitten!  lol.

She has the ability to speak gently and yet so profoundly through her music.  For me at least, she reaches into your soul and shakes it all up.. and yet it's gentle.  I guess there's not really a way to describe it besides discovering for yourself, but to me, Adele is an amazing artist and a wonderfully fresh face in today's musical world. 

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Think Deeply

I think one of the most important things is the ability to hold a conversation.  A real conversation with words, deep thoughts, interaction, and communication... it's a really special thing.  And every now and then, a situation happens and a group of people evolve into the realm of ::real conversation::.  I had one of these moments today.  I was at work, and all of the sudden, a conversation occurred... not that conversations don't happen on a daily basis, but this conversation hearkened upon deep thinking and reminded me a bit of my college studies.

In college, I enjoyed classes the most that were very liberal and challenged the beliefs I grew up with.  I could see a new perspective that made complete sense to me, that I had never encountered before that moment, and I was hooked.  I would gravitate towards these liberal-thought classes and delighted in my ability to appreciate them.  It was great!  I left college with a new sense on the world, on people, on religions, and on my own beliefs.  It was liberating and life-changing.

But then life happened.  And while everything I learned in college was amazing, it somehow did not seem to fit in my world.  It's strange, and while it's taken me a quick minute to come to terms with it, I'm comfortable with where I am now.  I definitely still have those thoughts, and can appreciate a liberal point-of-view, but can also recognize a conservativeness.  I think there is a balance between the two that I tend to encompass.

And that's on a daily basis.

I think things happen that make you challenge your own beliefs.
And in handling them, you grow, you reflect, and you define yourself.
And I think that that in itself is a conversation.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Monday, May 16, 2011

Simple wisdom...


Amazing words to live by:
Think deeply.
Speak gently.
Love much.
Laugh a lot.
Work hard.
Give freely.
And be kind.


Sunday, May 15, 2011

Whimsy Cucumber

My cucumber plant is making me so happy right now!  Not only is it ::growing:: and blooming all over the place, but it has these little runners that shoot out in the hopes of grabbing on to something and twirling around.  Well, one little runner did find something to latch on to and managed to twirl itself around a trellis spindle a few times, and has almost finished tying itself in a knot - and this is completely without any coaxing on my behalf, which makes it even better..  It's so cute, and being that I've never grown them before, the whimsy-ness of it, makes my day!  Such a cute plant, and I am looking forward to the cucumber-y goodness that will be growing from the vines.  :)


 

















So far, I think I've located blooms and the beginning of "fruit" on almost all of the plants.  There is even a little baby pepper growing - tres exciting!  And I've moved the geranium over behind the German Queen and the Cucumber.  I don't think it was getting enough love over in the corner, and here it's more visible, gets more sun, and will be more prevalently watered.  It should definitely be more happy!  We also picked up a "Wandering Jew" this weekend.  This is one of my favorite plants (it reminds me of my Grandma) and the deep purples offer some nice contrast!  I put it behind the other tomatoes and the petunias.

The herbs are all doing really well, and the newbies seem to be fitting in quite well.

I'm just ready for the heat of the summer... I think all of the plants are looking forward to it as well!
Adieu for the evening!  :)

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Crazy Cake

I'm pretty sure that no matter how old I am, I will always opt for the cake that is 7 layers high, and has almost every color represented...  It's so pretty!  And that way, you can have the best of every flavor to boot!  I mean, I'd ever dare to go so far as to say that this cake is better than chocolate cake (which  is incredibly hard to beat), and although I've never been much of a fan for sprinkles - except for the tiny ball ones - these sprinkles really add a lot.  And I think this stems from a childhood adoration of anything bright and colorful. 
It's like a black and white coloring book picture of a piece of cake, and a box of crayons: 
Dismiss the notion of staying in the lines. 
Avoid matching colors. 
And don't be afraid to mix it up a bit!

They certaintly didn't when they made this cake.

 
You can't help but stare...  and then you realize you're drooling.
lol. 
:)

Friday, May 13, 2011

What's in a name?


Otis is the name of the elevator manufacturer that we stumbled upon the other day.
I wouldn't probably ever had otherwise taken note of it except for the fact that that name had come up in conversation earlier that day.
"Otis" is to be the pet name of a friend of mine's new baby kitten.

And while I will now forever associate her kitty with elevator manufacturers, the name came from a character in a sitcom: Otis, a drunken character, from the Andy Griffith show.  :)

It got me to thinking about the modern preponderance for wacky names and a liking towards the unusual.  I mean, Gary and I named our cats Pickles and Cornbread.  I was fairly certain at the time, that those were entirely unique names... but I have heard of other animals named Pickles.  Cornbread, on the other hand, is still a one-and-only.

Pet names have always been interesting.  I remember as a kid, I had a "Sandy" cat, a "Her-she" dog (note the spelling - we kept referring to her as a boy before we named her), a "Peanut" cat, and many others.  My grandparents had "Thunder" and "Lightning" cats, and my aunt has an "Olympia".  I think pet naming is perhaps a good excuse for  us to call animals names that we would only hope we'd be brave enough to cal another person.  But then again, I think that whole idea is changing as well.  "Human" names are becoming much more creative.  What with the Hollywood starlets and modern-day hippies as a perfectly good example, naming is a much more liberal and carefree sport, as it were.  I think it's important to think about a lot of things when naming a child, but I like the fact that the parents get to be as creative as they want.  Anything goes these days!

I'm looking forward to the day where we will get to conjure up names for our kids.
They're gonna be goodies!  :)

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

They're coming!

Gasp!  There are tomatoes living in my garden!!!
The first little buds of the season always make me sooo happy!

So far, we have 1 Jet Star tomato baby (pictured below - bigger than the size of a quarter), and three little Lemon Cherry tomato buds (pictured below that - pea sized). 
First "Jet Star" baby.

First "Lemon Cherry' babies.
And there are blooms everywhere!!!  Yesterday, I didn't get to look at them really good because it was dark when we got home, but even through the darkness, I could tell that they had grown a lot!  Today, I made it a point to get home before the sun went down.  I gave everything a good watering, turned all of thee containers except for the main tomato one - because it's tooo heavy to move, and gave them a good once over.

Everything is looking so great!  The only things I'm remotely unsure about are the pepper plants, but we'll see how they do as time goes on.


Yay!  Be happy!

Monday, May 9, 2011

Mirror Mirror

Every now and then, I find it's a good idea to sit and reflect... especially if you happen to find yourself in front of a floor-length mirror at 10:37 pm on a Monday night.  Yes, a good time for reflection indeed.


Sitting in front of this window, I am reminded of this book I read when I was in Middle School.  I had a strange fascination with paranormal things and delighted in books that featured ghosts, haunted spirits, secret passage ways, and magical mirrors.  It was a great way to escape, and lucky for me, there were just enough books out there featuring those subjects to satiate my palette. 

One such book I remember featured a magical mirror and a parallel world on the other side.  I don't really remember the details, but it was something along the lines of a trapped soul inside the mirror, and if the symbols were touched right or some other non-scary-but-still-intense-for-a-7th-grader thing happened, the trapped soul who trade places with the "human" and the "human" would be stuck inside the mirror for an indefinite time until some other non-scary event happened.  there was some sort of deceit, a feeling of betrayal, and a genuine worry (on my behalf) that this poor girl would never get out of the mirror.  And even though I don't remember how it ended, I'm fairly certain the girl got out, the soul was released, and the mirror was no longer magical.  When I imagine how a book for a 7th grader, that ending seems sufficient.

Needlesstosay, that book has ::mostly:: stayed with me for the better part of 13 years or so.  Something about magical mirrors and parallel worlds has always captured me.  Just now, I am also reminded of "Labyrinth", "Pans Labyrinth", and of course "Alice and Wonderland".  They all have the same general sort of storyline.  I poor, trapped soul longing for something else embarks upon a fantastical journey with no sort of realistic connection, and yet, to them it is real.  It hearkens to me!  (hearkens? eh...)

And I think that's where the reflection comes in.
And I drawn to these stories and ideas because I too am a soul longing for a  fantastical journey?  Or is it that I just enjoy the things that make up dreams.  Yes, I believe that could explain why I've always enjoyed dreaming... (for the most part) they haven't been way far-fetched or too much, but sometimes just enough of a taste of the fantastical to keep me wanting more.

And I do. 
And in that sense, sweet dreams!

Sunday, May 8, 2011

I Hope You Dance

In honor of my Madre on Mother's Day,
here is one of her favorite songs...
"I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack


I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat
But always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances
But they're worth taking
Lovin' might be a mistake
But it's worth making
Don't let some hell bent heart
Leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out
Reconsider
Give the heavens above
More than just a passing glance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
(Time is a real and constant motion always)
I hope you dance
(Rolling us along)
I hope you dance
(Tell me who)
I hope you dance
(Wants to look back on their youth and wonder)
(Where those years have gone)

I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
Dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
(Time is a real and constant motion always)
I hope you dance
(Rolling us along)
I hope you dance
(Tell me who)
(Wants to look back on their youth and wonder)
I hope you dance
(Where those years have gone)

(Tell me who)
I hope you dance
(Wants to look back on their youth and wonder)
(Where those years have gone)

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Bingo!


Gotta love it!  There's just something about matching called-out numbers to numbers on a board in straight lines.  It appeals to my wanting to make said straight lines, and wanting to match things.  It probably stems from a deeply-rooted childhood activity, but it's stuck.  And I love it!  We had the pleasure  of playing bingo tonight, and it was great!  The tension in the air... the prizes waiting on the sideline... the disappointment when someone else calls out bingo before you get yours.... and the joy when you finally fill all of the slots, get to walk up to the front and claim your prize!

It makes me want to go to the local VA and play 'fo realz'.
And I'm pretty sure we will be going fairly soon...
The itch has been scratched, as it were.

:)

Friday, May 6, 2011

Cat's Eyes


If Sophie is the uber-conservative Republican resident committee member, I must be the liberal aunt, visiting from somewhere like California, or Utah, practicing things like crystal worship, veganism, and accelerated happiness. At least that's how I imagine her seeing me. Not only do I badger her by "talking back" to her, but I've brought the cousins - the two little ones named Pickles and Cornbread. Silly humans, she must think.


And not only did I bring the little ones, but I had the audacity to think that Sophie would play nice. She has been less-than-welcoming to say the least. It's interesting though because when Peanut was here, I would have called Sophie the "bullied one. I don't think she ever warmed to the idea of there being other animals in the world - at least not to the idea that those other animals should live where she lives. Which creates the problem. Peanut would torment her yes, but I believe Peanut might have actually been training her, because now, she is quite the bully. And it's only been a week. She has already chased Cornbread into her bedroom after he dared venture downstairs, and today, when I opened the door, she was right there... just waiting for a chance to see a cat, and jump. And another time, I had the door open and Cornbread was standing there, looking over the stairs. And then he started hissing, and low-and-behold, Sophie came right up the steps, and just-as-she-was-lunging-towards-Cornbread, I stepped in front of the door between her and Cornbread, and asked her what she thought she was doing. She stopped right at the threshold, her tail fluffed to about 3 times it's normal size, and retreated. Poor Sophie. It's must be hard on her... but at least she's still getting treats.

And then, to add to the whole stressful situation, we had a kitty visitor. Today while I was out tending to the garden, I heard this "meow" and this huge tabby was on the porch with me. He's been around before - super sweet, and loves to be petted for as long as you have to pet him. Well, I had left the door open, and I didn't know if Sophie was in or out, so I went over to close it to kept him from going in, and then went back to Tabby, to pet. A few moments later, I see Sophie run over to the closed door in a panic - arched back and slightly shaking while looking at the new kitty. I jaunted over, opened the door for her before Tabby could see her and let her in. And once she was safely in, and there was a piece of glass separating her from the outside, she watched. Sure, she's pretty brave when there's a separation. Side note: Cornbread was also watching. He was sitting on the windowsill, a story above the deck, fearfully watching the new activity below. He seemed to be okay though.

I think they will all be okay eventually.

So yea, Sophie is the conservative Republican. She knows her land, and will defend it. She is not afraid to get all-up-in-your-face and let you know that you are not welcome. She is wary of new-comers and relies heavily on the comfort of a familiar face, and even then, she may not like to talk to you.
I am the liberal Liberal. I am open-minded and willing to accept all cats. I embrace the idea that everyone can be friends, and almost encourage face-to-face time.
Tabby is the sweet foreigner. He has no qualms about visiting foreign territory, and will happily make himself at home. He likes to strike up random conversations and shows a lot of affection. I would dare say he's Italian. It seems to fit him.
And Pickles and Cornbread are the young soldiers, in enemy territory. They are still getting their bearings, and are quite fearful of the natives. Due to their young nature, they are easily swayed by their elders and aren't willing to cause opposition - at least not yet. I think that once they get their scent all over their room, and get less fearful that Sophie is going to bother them, things will get much better.

There has been significant improvement with Pickles. Gary used his "Gary Therapy" and was able too get Sophie to come out from under the bed for the first time (as far as we know) on Wednesday night. She went potty, ate some food, and explored the bath time - 7 times. She still spends the majority of her day under the bed, but is coming out every now and then, and has even found the window sill. She is afraid of the ceiling fan, but that too shall pass.


And Cornbread is good! I'm surprised actually that he is doing so well. He walks around quite timidly, but is being brave! He likes the bathroom counter and the windowsill, and was even sleeping on the bed this afternoon, all by himself. I believe he enjoys being able to see outside while in bed.

And if I was a cat, I'd like that too.

Good times!!! :)

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Heart

Words cannot express the relief and joy I feel today... but I feel truly blessed!


Mom is okay!  And just in time for Mother's Day!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Little Angels

I think the reason that I appear to be so "calm" is that I am surrounded by so much support and amazing people.  There is less of a need to worry because of all of the reassurances.  There is such an amazing group of people that I work with, and they are an awesome support group for anyone who might need it - and lately, we've all needed it a little bit.

And I think that anytime we are able to support each other, we are sending the good vibes, and prayers, and little angels to watch over each and every one of us! 

And it's those little angels that warm my heart!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Easter Sunrise Spiderweb

Yes, it's a few weeks old, but I just love this picture.  :)
Btw, this is probably the closest I've ever ::willingly:: gotten to a spiderweb... 


Monday, May 2, 2011

Gus update

He's growing... impressively so in the last week or two.
He is sprouting these long runner things that are shooting out about 14 inches, and then twisting and ebbing a bit whichever what it seems fit.  There are also little buds (which look strangely enough like asparagus buds) on the ends.
The middle is likening to a forest.  A wild one.
There are tiny, super-thin stalks growing, underbrush, and probably extreme wildlife (if I dared looked closely enough).
A very interesting specimen indeed!

All in all, I am very interested to see how this plants... works.
I can't imagine quite how asparagus grows, and I'm not getting a clearer mental image from the progression of Gus.
So far, he has been a great amusement!
I just fear having to find a spot big enough for all of his "runners" yet calm enough to keep him happy.
For now, the kitchen windowsill is sufficing!  He is enjoying looking out over the "big kid" garden, and is having fun mingling with the glass bottles.  He is even ::reaching out:: and trying to make new friends with the plant growing down on the counter.  I'm so proud of him!


Oh the joys of plant-rearing!  lol.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Transplant Shock

Cats and tomatoes... well, at least they have one thing in common...
When you transplant them, there is sometimes a moment of ::shock::.

For our kitties, transplanting them has had mixed reviews.
Pickles has spent the whole of her experience today under the bed.
And she doesn't appear to have any interest in coming out.
Cornbread has been slightly more adventurous...
... checking out the floor.
... frockling in front of the bed.
... stepping into the bathroom.
... venturing out into the hallway.
... oh, and hissinng at the ceiling?
Yea, the bombardment of smells is a bit intense, but after a few days, they will be fine.
Luckily, we brought their box of toys, food, and litter box, as well as their blanket, cat beds, our bed, their tower, and some shoes.  There should be a few things that they recognize at least, to make their transition easier.  :)

If you look close enough, you can see Pickles at the very back, cowering. 
Cornbread, on the other hand, has gotten comfortable enough to bathe.