still out there....

It's true! I'm still out here and yea she is too.  Not that you are particularly interested in her - I know it's me you come to visit.  Of that I have no doubt.  She's too boring.

If this was her blog she'd probably tell you about all the flowers blooming and that I had my anal glands purged.  Me, I'd let you know that the winter killed off the gardenias but not the ticks and I wanted to kill the veterinarian.

She'd probably also mention that she's been working like a dog and I would tell you that I've been working hard supervising (cats are VERY good at this). I work much harder than she does.  And I'm also much quieter while I work.

Note: paint on head....do I get workers comp for this?

She has been making a lot of noise for months now.  Building, hammering, measuring, hand sawing with the miter box, ripping up old nails off a barn door and just general woodworking, rabid woodchuck style.  And all this so I can have a few extra catnip plants this summer.  You know, thinking about it, I AM grateful!  So long as she doesn't delay in getting those catnips in the ground asap.

So how is what she created and gathered going to get me catnip?  I'm sending her off Wednesday morning (only after my breakfast naturally) to Springfield, Ohio to sell all this stuff.  And while many folks are familiar with the wonderful Springfield Ohio Antique Show and Flea Market, did you know within that venue is The Vintage Marketplace?!!?  The brainchild of the Junk Mistress herself, Sue Whitney!  And what a show Sue, Jon Jenkins and the staff puts on! And I'm not just saying this.  Seriously. Great. Show.

At The Vintage Marketplace you'll find all kinds of talented vendors and fantastically magical goods!!!!  And this year they have all kinds of great perks for the customers!  Giveaways and drawings for $500 and $250 shopping sprees just to name a very few things.   If you live in the area, this is a show not to miss!  And if you're not in the area? Catch a bus, train or pull the rusted tricycle out of the garden and head over! It's so worth it! Whisker promise!!!

Here are a few more things that I'm sending out with her......

I'm also sending the camera with her. I'm hopeful she'll bring back some good pictures.  She should be hopeful that she has time to get some pictures.  "Why?",  you may ask..... she either brings home some good photos or I pee in her brand new walking shoes.  It's just that simple!  Check back with me in about a week for the outcome.  In the meantime, the betting office is now open.  Pictures or wet shoes?  Let me know....

serendipity

noun \ˌser-ən-ˈdi-pə-tē\

: luck that takes the form of finding valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for

A wonderful word don't you think?!  And so it happened last September.  Yeah, I know a wee bit behind on posting.  As if this is a surprise to anyone, right?

Anyway, it was at the Yellow Daisy Art Festival that she discovered that rare moment of serendipity.  Fleeting and rare, they are always a thrill. 

As she was loading her purchases into the back of the vehicle and cramming them in (specifically the curly willow) to make them fit she noticed....

...a wonderfully built cocoon!  Nothing like anything she had ever seen before.  So much time had been taken by some little critter to build a purrfectly camouflaged winter home that even she missed it until it was in her face. Literally.

So delicate, she was now a little more careful with the cramming of the curly willow branches into said car.  And hard to believe as it is, the little guy made it home intact and still attached to the branch.

When she got home she couldn't wait to share this moment of elation with me.  As I listened to her, I pondered two things.

One, how the heck did she know what gender this cocoon-bound thing was? Er....never mind, I don't want to know.

So I moved onto the second pondering, and more important, what would emerge?!  I mean look at the construction with the little pieces attached to the outside!  Are those little pieces of lavender?  Did he attach them as he made his cocoon or before?  Lavender! It brings to mind the smells of summer!

Many a night I fell asleep and dreamed of a grand butterfly emerging.  Perhaps a Royal Lavender Crested butterfly!  Oh wouldn't that be most glorious?!?!  I could almost taste it! The lavender that is.  Not the butterfly. Just kidding. Maybe.

But wait! I could keep him as a pet and charge admission to those who wanted to see him up close and personal.  I'd probably be so rich I would have to buy acreage to plant all the catnip seeds I could buy with the bags and bags of money!!!!

Months went by and the branches sat in the studio still tied together so as not to disturb the little snoozing fellow for fear it would simply fall right off.  And me? I keep dreaming of the Royal Lavender Crested butterfly and fields of catnip.

Two days ago, Grammie came over and finally she remembered to ask if they could look up the info to determine the species of this glorious wonder. (It only took her five months to remember to ask Grammie, who has this kind of information readily available in books.)

Later that evening, with information in hand, she returned home to share the news with me.  My cherished little guy....

was a......

bagworm!

A BAGWORM?!?!  

The horror!  I have provided shelter and protection to a BAGWORM!?!  The absolute H O R R O R! 

I should have let my bratty sister, Matilda,  have it. 

Grammie suggested that she put it in a jar.  Just in case it, (not a he anymore) overwintered.  The information said, they are VERY good at overwintering.  Of course it is in the house, would it know that it's still winter and not time to hatch?

Purrhaps, it knows it snowed here yesterday.  Eight and a half inches. We very seldom get snow. I am not allowed to venture outside even though it is melting. I am bored. 

The bagworm is not in a jar yet. Tomorrow she says, it will go in a jar. Right now though, it is unprotected.  

Are you aware that it is not nice to ruin a cat's glorious plans of catnip fields and lavender butterflies?  Well, I'm here to tell you, it is not nice at all!

May she sleep soundly tonight and never hear that which goes bump, for I shall not remain bored or humiliated for long..... 

.... a bagworm? hmpfh!

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!