dear santa....

I have been a good boy.

Really I have!

If you must skip our house though, I do understand.

I know you are very busy this special time of year.

And even more so as the big day draws near.

But hear me for just a moment purrlease....

Because I'm sure my case applies to many other kitties, both far and near.

You see I have no thumbs, although some kitties do.

And so there is no possible way for me to do those things, she tells others I do.

Yes, I am a good boy.  Loving, good and kind.

Ferocious? Oh yes! But never mind.

Because although its very true, I'd never hurt your reindeer or the little birdie in the tree (or dining room wreath or the deer under the glass).

Except maybe those voles, but they eat all her flowers, so only for her I do this, don't you see?

And though she may tell all kinds of stories about my adventures and such.

Please keep in mind that I have no thumbs and so really I can't do all that much. Especially to the Christmas tree in the dining room because the door is kept shut.

So I was thinking just today, because I have been a good boy, surely you had toys and tuna fish for me....

But please feel free to skip our house and deliver my toys to those kitties in need.

I have a warm and loving home, and more toys than I possibly want or need.

And good food a plenty, especially when her plate is full and I see it unattended.

You know too many are homeless, too many are unloved, too many are in shelters

and just as important though....

 I really don't want to be responsible if you take the lane to our house,

and slip and fall on your bum.

P.S. She made me do it.  You'd feel the same way if she tied a cold bell to your tail. Right?

estate of confusion

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Turkey Day!  Mine was lovely.  The turkey was cooked to a golden brown, juicy and tender.  Absolutely purrfect!  And oh yeah, the company was nice to me too, so it was a good day!

However, had it not been for the turkey, I might not have known it was November.  Heck, I'm not even sure it's December right now.  The calendar says it is but..... well, it reached 72 degrees here today.  The fifth of December?!?  mEoW!!!!

Not that we haven't had 20 degree weather last month.  But even that was sandwiched in between days of 60's.  It's really enough to confuse and befuddle this handsome and furry man.  I mean seriously, one day I'm working on growing out my winter coat to it's fullest and the next day I'm outside rolling in the dirt to help shed it.

And I can't even begin to tell you how it's confused her.  Oh yes, very seriously confused.  No, no, not rolling in the dirt or anything.  Although I did see her shave her furry legs last week.  Does that count as an equivalent to the dirt rolling?

Anyway, for Thanksgiving, the pumpkins got a dash of winter greenery.  And then because the Halloween decor was gone in the kitchen, she thought that maybe a bit of a winter display would be appropriate.  It was cool after all and all the leaves had already fallen.  So bare trees equals winter right?

Well no, not exactly because the thermometer was all over the place.  The mercury would drop and then the next day it would go right back up by forty degrees. Something like you would see for Easter.

So due to the confusion (hers not mine) there were mixed decorations for Thanksgiving.  The images above are from inside the dining room.  This one below is just outside the dining room, inside the kitchen.  I suppose she wanted to share her state of confusion with our guests.  If they don't come back next year, there will be no question why.  Assuming that is, that her seasonal confusion didn't seriously damage their brain cells.  These kind of things can be contagious you know!

So then a few days ago, this display (above) changed to this one below.  She had planned on leaving this winter one (above) up through Christmas. (Confused yourself? Thought so.)

 Nothing wrong with the evergreens I know.  But they didn't match with this....

Her beloved not-so-white-anymore vintage tree.

I know you are thinking, so put the white tree in another room.  Well, this year, Dad, in an effort to prolong his life, agreed that there only need be one tree.  In years past, there is nothing short of a forest in this estate small house around Christmas. Green trees, skinny trees, big trees and small.  But only one white vintage one.

So when it came time to choose which tree to use, there was no confusion at all.  Well at least until she pulled it out of the Christmas storage facility and realized that it wasn't going to look quite right since they would be in the same room as the green stuff.  You know what a dilemma that causes.  All that coordination stuff that you humans are taught at an early age when trying to dress yourselves.  Glad I didn't get ruined that way. So anyway, the kitchen greenery had to go.

And she used the red and brown combination last year in the dining room and really loved it.  Although it was on a green tree in there.  Could have done the same thing here, this year and would not have had to take down the "winter greenery".  And she could have used a green tree. But well, remember I told you she was sure she wanted to use the vintage white tree.  And well all this coordinating and matchy stuff was causing serious mental confusion.  Especially when the vintage white doesn't match the new white greenery. (How about now, are you confused yet?)

So with a bit of help and a couple totes full of ornaments and fluff.....

Today the tree looks like this....

(sorry for the poor lighting on this one - hard to find a good photographer now days)

And so, even in this estate of confusion, the kitchen area is looking like Christmas.  Albeit, in her strange kind of decorating way.  And now at 9 p.m. the temperature here on the computer still says 68 degrees.

There is still the dining room to decorate and the living room.  I wonder what I'll find in those rooms when I get up in the morning. The Easter bunny maybe?

Further still, I wonder if today's color scheme will change and I will wake up and find myself in a tropical looking locale complete with pink and bright green lighted palm trees.  As if I'm not confused enough!

Hoping you're having a nice pleasant week filled with purrfect clarity.  If however, you're feeling low on confusion, just come on over and she will fix that!  Over here, at the estate of confusion.  A state of confusion.  Oh heck, just plain "confusion".

Purrs to all of you!

post show horrors

Sometimes when she returns from a show, she becomes a no-show.

How's that you may ask.  Well being older than dirt and dinosaurs, she is quite simply about as good as what you find in my litter box.  If you need a photo, leave me your email and I'll send you one.  A picture that is. Not the litterbox contents.

Anyway, so as I was saying..... it may take a few days to get back into the daily order of life and responsibilities.  Things like remembering it's time for my snacks, plumping up my bed, fixing my dinner, and other such critical matters.

This time however, things were different when she got home.  Her show space was outside and included (at no extra charge) rain during set up on Thursday.  Storms were rolling in Friday evening which meant that some of the merchandise was put back in the trailer, the tent lowered and everything else sheltered as much as possible.  During the night, a generous thunderstorm left 3 1/2 inches of rain during Friday evening and early Saturday morning.  Saturday arrival was a very pleasant challenge.  Rain drenched merchandise due to a collapsed canopy on the tent.  The recovery time of approximately 2 hours needed to remove water from everything.

So you can fairly presume (notice I didn't use the word "assume") that I needed to go into hiding before she returned home.  No, I am not a coward, simply a very smart feline.  Indeed!

To my great surprise, she was still functional and went right to work cleaning the screened in porch.  Pulling the garden hose in and moving furniture out.  To the driveway and deck.  I suspect that if the driveway display had been more appealing, we probably could have had a sold out garage sale.  Instead, I believe I saw several cars speed up.  No doubt for fear that something might jump out in front of them from our driveway.  Can't say I blame them. (Sorry, no photo...some things just should not be shown for fear of liability from shock, heart attacks and other such mental trauma induced ailments)

After two days of cleaning pollen, dust and unknown specimens of alien life from every surface on the porch, things began to take shape again.  A new.  Some things did not return into the porch, some did and there was even a new addition when the loveseat from the kitchen area was banished moved out there.

And this year, Halloween decor would make a comeback.  Last year, I sent her to the Country Living show in both Columbus, Ohio and Atlanta, Georgia so Halloween didn't stop here.  This year however, out came boxes and bags and a bit of imagination that was still left after the show.  And here's what she accomplished.....

And....she added a little bit of Halloween inside the house too!

And if I wasn't already scared.... she took the time to make two handmade medallions.  Check out the black one below and the cat on the pumpkin in the following photo.

Okay, so now I've shown you a large part of what took place right after she returned home.  With energy.  And her mind intact.  Well at least a good percentage of what she left with (which isn't necessarily alot but...)  Is it any wonder at all, why my whiskers are trembling?!?!  I mean this is unprecedented!

And I was even thinking of placing an ad here, requesting a temporary vacation with any one of you wonderful souls.  But I needed to clear my mind as to find the right words so as to invoke great pity......

....... so I went for a walk through my catnip patch......

......and that's when the real horror hit me.  My catnip was gone!!!! Every last leaf and twig of it!!!!

.......She's been into my catnip!!!! 

.....certainly explains A LOT.....but no worries.....

.....that patch of catnip was still there because.....

....... I'd seen the neighbors dog in there. Standing on three legs......

.......now who's horrified.... MOL...... yes, a very smart feline indeed!

Honk, honk, yeh beep, beep!

Yeah, I know.  Where the heck have I been?

Well it's not so much where I"ve been as much as where I am going.

Places.  And big wide open spaces.

On the road again.  Just can't wait to get on the road again.....

Going places that I've never ever been.....

Just can't wait to get on the road again....

Officer, what'dya mean I need a license?

Well kitty turds. He's probably just jealous cause I've got it all going on.....

Fine.

I'm goin' take my catnip and go home.  "She" on the other hand is going to have to drag this load to Springfield, Ohio for the Fall Extravaganza.

Can't ever say I didn't try and help though.....