Anniversary

Me and the Hubs - 1995

Chris and I went out on our first date on July 8th, 1991. We were married on July 8th, 1992. It's been 17/18 years, and I'm looking forward to many, many more. We are lucky in that we are not only husband and wife, but best friends as well.

For our first date, we went to see the movie Terminator 2. You hear a lot of couples who say their song is from the first movie they saw together or some such. Well, there really weren't any romantic songs in this one, so that was kind of out. And I couldn't tell you anything that played on the radio that day. Wasn't paying much attention I guess.

After seeing Prince of Thieves, the song Everything I Do (I Do It For You) by Bryan Adams became our song. There are others of course, many songs that remind us of each other, but we always come back to this one. Yes, it's sappy and sentimental as heck, but we like it. And the words describe perfectly how we feel about each other. (And I get all gushy every time I hear it. It's amazing knowing someone actually feels that way about you.)

(Everything I Do) I Do It For You
Written by Bryan Adams, Robert John 'Mutt' Lange and Michael Kamen 1991

Look into my eyes - you will see

What you mean to me

Search your heart - search your soul

And when you find me there you'll search no more

Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for

You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for

You know it's true

Everything I do - I do it for you

Look into my heart - you will find

There's nothin' there to hide

Take me as I am - take my life

I would give it All - I would sacrifice

Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for

I can't help it there's nothin' I want more

Ya know it's true

Everything I do - I do it for you

There's no love - like your love

And no other - could give more love

There's nowhere - unless you're there

All the time - all the way

Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for

I can't help it there's nothin' I want more

I would fight for you - I'd lie for you

Walk the wire for you - Ya I'd die for you

Ya know it's true

Everything I do - I do it for you

Chris, to steal a phrase from another great song, I love you more today than yesterday, and half as much as tomorrow. Happy Anniversary.

(The sappiness is over now folks.) ;-)

Let Me Talk...

Hi everybody. This is Blondie. No, I'm not one of the sisters. (Trust me, I did not pick out this name for myself.) I am Major's big brother. Well, not BIG brother really. He does weigh quite a bit more than I do. But, that's an issue for another day.

Anyway, I read what Major wrote the other day, and I thought he was nuts. Why would any self-respecting cat want to sit down at some monkey's computer, no offense MommyLady, and blog? Who came up with this blogging thing anyway? It's just nuts. I mean....wait, I'm off topic again.

So, I sat back and proceeded to make fun of my brother every chance I could. Until today. I heard the MommyLady and DaddyMan discussing something rather disturbing and decided I just have to put in my two-cents worth.

It seems they saw a news report this morning about this President Obama fella killing a fly during an interview. After this happened, some group called PETA sent up a bit of a fuss. Over a fly. A FLY!!!

OK, first off, get over it. Have you ever had one of those things buzz around you nonstop for hours at a time? It's annoying. It's beyond annoying. It really sucks.

Second, what are flies good for? Buzzing around and annoying you for hours at a time. Period.

Third, I can think of only one thing wrong with the president's actions. It was a waste of a good snack. I love flies. If you pick one up in your mouth and let it buzz for a few seconds before you swallow it, not only does it kind of tickle, but it really impresses your siblings. Major and my sisters Face and Eddie thought it was a really neat trick when I did it. Not to mention the reaction I got from the MommyLady and DaddyMan when I finally swallowed the annoying creature. I did not know it was possible for someone to gag like that without coughing up a hairball. That is so cool.

Well, that's my opinion, and you're very welcome to it. You may go back to what you were doing now. I think I hear something buzzing in the next room. I'm going hunting.

It's My Turn

Finally, I get my turn at this computer thing. This is Major...the handsome one among all these cats around here. I swear, if any more cats show up, I'm leaving. Well, maybe not leaving. But, I sure will be miffed. May even stop letting the MommyLady hold me on her lap so much.

The MommyLady and DaddyMan went out the door a few minutes ago, and I've decided to take this opportunity to set the record straight about a few things. I can't imagine why they go out that door so much. Every time I've gone out that door, after being shoved into a box mind you, I end up in a real horrible place where they set me up on this cold metal table and a mean lady in a white coat not only sticks me with needles, but worse...she puts some sort of stick up my butt. What kind of perverted thing is that to do to a cat? I give MommyLady the cold shoulder for at least an hour afterwards, but she still insists on taking me there. She just doesn't understand.

Anyway, what I want to set straight is all this talk I hear about these cats she has outside. I see them in the window once in a while. They just sit there and stare in. The girls, Eddie and Face, don't like that at all. They jump and hiss at the window, then at each other, which is all just a waste of time and energy. The problem is, MommyLady just keeps on feeding them. I don't understand that. If she would stop feeding them, they'd stop coming...and there would be more food for me.

Which brings me to another point; there can never be enough food. MommyLady has put us on this thing she calls a "diet." What confused human came up with this concept? Probably the same one that came up with the stick up the butt thing. I mean, who in the world thought it would be a good idea to limit the amount of food that is given to a cat? What bunk!!!!

Look, I'm working on getting the MommyLady to go back to the way it used to be, when our bowls were kept very full all day and night, but until then, let me tell y'all how it should be. Cats do not need diets. Cats need food. The bigger we are, the happier we are. Skinny cats? Miserable. They hate the way they look. Fat cats are much happier. Why we.....

...Oops, gotta go. I hear them at the door. Just remember: lots of food - GOOD! Sticks up the butt - VERY BAD!!!

Books, Books and More Books

I've been reading a lot lately, and I've noticed more than ever how my tastes run pretty much all over the place. I tend to read at least two books at a time, sometimes up to four, and they are rarely all the same type of book. I read biographies, mysteries, paranormal novels, science fiction....you name it, I've probably at least tried to read it.



One of my recent reads was William Shatner's autobiography Up Until Now. When I was a kid, I loved to watch Star Trek reruns. We moved a lot, and it seemed like everywhere we lived, one of the local channels played Star Trek. And then along came T.J. Hooker. Remember that one? I adored that show. Even wrote lyrics for the theme music. (No, I won't sing it for you.)


Now, Shatner has become a bit of a joke over the years. His biggest redeeming quality came along when he finally decided to jump on the bandwagon and start making fun of himself. Then came Boston Legal. He was pretty good in that. In this book...? Well,


This book is very disjointed and hard to trudge through. He bounces around, interrupts himself, and even gets some of his facts wrong (Dale Earhardt, Sr. is the one who died in a crash, not Dale Junior). A good bit of the time, I found my self asking "where the heck was the editor?"



I discovered this book about a month ago. It's the first in a series about a cat who suddenly finds he can not only read and understand English, but he can talk as well. Throw in a murder and you have the makings of an interesting story. It's not the most complicated plot, but it held my attention all the way through, and that's saying something.



I love Denis Leary's comedy. When he gets going, you just sit back and enjoy the ride. This book is just like that. As you ready, you can just about hear him. It's great. It's funny. It's thought-provoking. What more can you ask for?


And the thing about Denis Leary, who has an honorary Doctorate and can use that title now, is no matter who you are, you will find yourself agreeing with at least some of what he says. He makes sense, even when he's saying something that is actually aimed at people like you. I mean, no one is safe, not even himself. One thing I did notice though; he points out more than once how wonderful his wife is and how lucky he is to have her. She sure has him trained right. ;-)


Well, that's the latest ones I've read. Right now I'm reading Serena by Ron Rash...which if you like regional novels should be on your must-read list. It's the first book of his I've read and his main character gives me the heebie jeebies. **shudder**


I'm also reading Deadly Harvest by Heather Graham. It's the second book in one of her series, but one thing I like about her books is the fact that if you pick up the middle book like this, it stands alone enough that you'll be fine reading it. (Kay Hooper's are much the same.) I've just started this one, so I don't know for sure how good it's going to be. I'll just say "so far, so good."


I guess that's it. I'm always on the lookout for something interesting to read. If you have any ideas, pass them along.

Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month

June is National Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month, and you all know how I feel about cats. They are wonderful animals full of love and mischief. They make great companions, friends, bed-warmers. They are nothing if not honest and will let you know exactly how they feel about you, your friends and your family. They are full of personality.

So, if you are looking for a great companion, someone who will accept you as you are, then make you into just what they want you to be (just kidding - sort of), then head down to your local shelter and adopt a cat. (For those in my area, I am offering pet sitting discounts if you adopt.)

Now, that's not to say shelter dogs don't still need good homes, and please go to the local shelters if you are looking for a dog as well. (And remember, October is National-Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month.)

Adventures In Pet Sitting

Remember Emma and Gracie, my first official pet sitting clients?

They are just the cutest things, aren't they?

I got the chance to pet sit for these two again over Memorial Day weekend, making me one of the happiest people in NC that weekend. I love these girls. They are adorable, lovable...frustrating. :)

OK, the frustrating part: Emma gave me my first job-related injury on Sunday morning. It was a great morning really. Emma ran around outside more than anything, while Gracie sat with me in the living room. We rough-housed a bit (she loves to growl back and forth with you). The weather wasn't too bad, so I left the back door open so Emma could come and go as she liked. She mostly stayed out.

Time to leave and I got Gracie in her crate with no problem. No sign of Emma. I walked around the house to find her in the yard "playing" with a chipmunk. (Little critter was beyond playing by that time.) I tried to get it away from her, and she was having none of it. She managed to drop it, and I got my hand under her collar to pull her away. She was barking and yelping, I was fussing...I'm sure the neighbors thought I was killing the poor girl. She wanted that chipmunk bad.

At one point during all this, she twisted and went under my arm trying to make her way to where the chipmunk lay in the grass. When she twisted around, my fingers got caught up in her collar and got yanked good and hard. I managed to keep myself from saying the words that came immediately to mind as I extracted my finger from the collar. Wow...that hurt like heck.

My mind finally kicked in and I went back into the house and got Emma's leash. She saw that in my hand and came running, chipmunk firmly in mouth. I hooked her up, managed to get her to drop the chipmunk and led her to her crate. All this time, my finger was throbbing like crazy.

I guess the finger was just bruised pretty good. Got one of those little finger braces and have been wearing it. I could barely bend the finger for a bit, but now I can make a fist without much pain in that finger. I still wear the brace at night since it seems I manage to bang it around in my sleep.

Funny thing is, it was my middle finger. Perfect.

I still love these dogs.

What's Going On

I have been so buy lately with the garden, yard work, getting the business going and doctor appointments for the hubby, I just have not been able to find the time to sit and write or work on my blogs.

First off, Chris (the hubs) has been sick off and on for several months now, and he finally decided to start really "bugging" the doctor about it. (You know how men are when it comes to going to the doctor.) After a small abnormality in an EKG, he was sent for more tests on his heart which thankfully came out negative. He was also sent for an ultrasound of the gall bladder as well as a HIDA scan, another gall bladder test. We were actually kind of hoping something would show up there as it would explain a lot and would probably be pretty easy to take care of. But, those tests also came out negative. So, it's back to the doctor tomorrow to see what's next. (Keep good thoughts for us.)

Second, the garden.....OH MY GOODNESS!! This gardening thing is driving me nuts this year. I finally got it all in, but it's not looking too good. Now, I haven't had to go out and water it but once since it's rained a bit every day around here, so I guess that's pretty good. But, the tomatoes and peppers aren't looking too good. I'm hoping it's just taking them a bit of time to really take hold. The baby limas haven't come up yet and neither have the carrots. The icicle radishes are holding on, so maybe I'll at least have some of those. The potatoes and onions aren't poking through, but they haven't been in long enough really. The cabbages? Well, I think I will be holding their funeral pretty soon. **sign**

Every thing else is the usual. The yard has grown up a lot, but I'm slowing getting it tamed. The pet sitting is slow moving, but I am still hopeful. I've had a few initial consultations, which are free, and have clients who are going to be taking vacations during the summer and will need me then. (If you surf over to my pet sitting blog at www.tccrittersitters.com, you can see a pet adoption success story I'm pretty happy about.)

Well, I remember hearing about an old Chinese curse that says "may you live in interesting times." Interesting? I think that may be an understatement.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms who read my blog.

Earthworms and Cats and Ticks...Oh My...

OK, first off I have to apologize for not having any new photos for today's post. Both batteries to my digital camera are dead, and organized person that I am, I can't seem to find the charger. It's around here some where.......


So, between rain showers, I finally got a bit of my garden in today. Not all of it mind you, but a good bit of it. It's actually a trial and error type of thing. I have a feeling some of my plants will be moved before all is said and done. I may have planted them too close together. But, at least they are in the ground.

The soil here isn't the best, but a while back, when I dug out my little garden spot, I tossed a couple bags of Miracle Grow Organic Garden Soil on top. I am trying to grow my veggies with no chemicals, which is why I chose the organic mix. As I was digging and planting, I did come across some wiggly little earthworms, which is a good thing. Maybe there's hope after all.

Muffin followed me out into the yard, as usual. I'm a pretty realistic person. I know there is no way I'm going to be able to keep her, or any of the other little monsters....I mean felines...completely out of my garden. But, about five minutes after I got my icicle radish sprouts planted, she was playing around, tossing a dirt clump in the air, and she dug one of my radish babies up. So, I told her to get out of my garden (she just laughed at that one) and replanted the sprout. Cats!!!

Then, there is the tick problem. I have a feeling it's going to be a bad year for ticks. I walked back into the house and immediately pulled one off my pants leg. Of course, any time I work in my garden, I will head right for the shower and scrub like crazy. I am so paranoid about ticks. Any time I find one on my person, it's all I can do not to run screaming hysterically around the house. And for good reason, too. Let me explain....

When I was a kid of about 5 or 6 I reckon, Dad decided to take me camping on one of our weekend visits. So, late into the evening of our first day on this little trip, I suddenly started screaming and holding the side of my head. Dad had no idea what was wrong, just that I was going nuts basically. The youngest of my brothers, Dennis, was along with us on this trip, and Dad figured he had done something. (Dennis was picking on me a lot apparently.)

Dad started getting onto Dennis for picking on me, and in the mean time, I kept on screaming. Deciding something else entirely was going on, he piled us into the car and and off we went to the ER. Upon close examination, the doctor found that a tick had gotten into my ear and was sitting right on top of my eardrum. (There was no pain as it hadn't bitten me, but the screaming was set off by the crawling of the thing I'm sure.) **shiver**

The doctor was worried about getting the tick out as quickly as possible so it wouldn't bite into my eardrum of course, but he didn't want to try and get it out with any type of long instrument as I might not be able to sit still and a worse injury could ensue. I guess the solution was obvious. While nurses, my dad and the hospital janitor probably, held me down, he shined a light into my ear and let the tick crawl....SLOWLY....up on its own. Yeah, there was more screaming involved. But, it did work.

Now, I know that was a long story, but can't you see why I am so nuts when it comes to ticks. My heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest when I find one of those things on me. And if it's actually attached, I'm just plain gone. I can't even remove it...have to get Chris to get it. (The things he puts up with.)

I have a feeling this gardening thing is going to be interesting......

From the DUH Files

OK, this was the view over New York City yesterday. The Boeing 747 is Air Force One (when the prez is on it anyway), and it is being followed by an F-16 fighter jet. Now, if you live in NY, this is a sight that would put a good bit of fear in your heart. As a matter of fact, people actually began evacuating some of the taller buildings in the city, and who can blame them.

But, this wasn't another attack of course. It was a military photo-op. Seems they've done this in other areas, taken photos of Air Force One around national landmarks (the photographer is in the F-16). This time around, the photos were to include the Statue of Liberty. Now, not only is this a stupid idea anyway given past events, but then no one thought to let the city of New York know they were going to do it. The mayor wasn't even told.



Here is one of probably many videos on YouTube of the flight.

If I was a conspiracy fanatic, I'd wonder if this was actually a military exercise or some thing. Some way to see how prepared the city or control towers or some such are since 9/11. But, I think it was just a very stupid idea that someone came up with then managed to get past some other idiots who also weren't thinking right, or were asleep at that time.

I mean....DUH!!!!!

Local Glass Art

My husband is taking an online art appreciation class as part of his work toward a Bachelor's Degree. One of the projects he had to do for this class is check out some local art work. So, off we went to the Crimson Laurel Gallery to see what they have. I'm going to post some photos of the glass art here, since those were some of our favorite pieces. I figure that would be a good way for his fellow classmates to get a look at what he's talking about in his postings on the class site (as well as a way to get even more traffic to my blog). :)

This is an untitled neon glass piece by artist Jacob Fishman. It's a kinetic work, one of those things with electricity running through you and when you touch it, the light follows your hand.

I like the detail of the glass human figure encased in the blown glass. It's pretty cool.

This is another neon glass piece called Life Form by artist David Wilson. This one is in a wood display case, and is a bit more expensive than the other one. They are both way cool, but I have to say I kind of like the other one better. Has more visual impact for me.

This is one of my favorite pieces. It's called Earth Paperweight, and it's also by artist David Wilson. I would love to have this one. When Chris and I first moved up here, we saw a larger version of this, and it was so amazing. I am going to try to get a better photo later. This one just doesn't do justice. I am so amazed at how the Earth just appears to be floating in there.

This is another favorite of mine...second only to the Earth Paperweight. This is called Acro Bag and it is by John Littleton and his wife Kate Vogel. (John's father Harvey Littleton is the founder of the American Studio Glass Movement) I like this piece because it's actually pretty simple and is very colorful. If I could afford it, this would be on my mantle...right along side the Earth Paperweight. **sigh**

Newest Addition

Finally, some photos of the newest member of the menagerie. This is Alexander (my husband tells me that's his name). He showed up around here a few weeks ago, and is still a bit wary of me. But, I can pet him some when he's eating, and he does let me hold him, just not for too long. He's not quite solid black; has about four strands of white fur on his chest, and from this photo, I think he has a few on his belly as well.

I'm assuming Alexander is a stray as he's pretty skinny and very timid. So, soon he will be "taken care of," so to speak. We have enough kittens running around out there, and in our shelters, and he will have a much longer, healthier life in the end. (Not to mention that hopefully he and Tango will stop their little territory-marking competition on my porch.)

And from the looks of it, Alexander is starting to feel pretty safe here. :)

Just Stuff

Well, I'm a bit too busy to write much of anything, but since it's been so long, I wanted to do something, so here are some funnies to keep us amused. Enjoy.

*Pictures courtesy of LOL Cats at http://www.icanhascheezburger.com/.

Pet Sitting Blog

I'm writing this under Muffin's watchful eyes. Well, figuratively speaking I guess.

I own the URL for my pet sitting business, but haven't been able to get a website built yet. Everyone I've contacted about doing it seems to be too busy, or just too busy to even get back to me at all. So, for now, I have started up a blog for it (http://www.tccrittersitters.blogspot.com/). It's not much yet, but it will grow. I have posted my services/rates list there as well, so that will help a bit. Once the site is up, I can just include a link to the blog and keep it going with stories about my pet sitting "adventures."

So, let's see, that brings my blog count up to four. I think I'll hold there for a while. :-)

Happy Easter and a Birthday

Easter Sunday dawned bright and sunny this morning. What a beautiful day it is. Of course, they're calling for more rain tomorrow, but that's OK. Rain can be a beautiful thing, too. For now, I hope everyone is have a very Happy Easter.


Today is also special for another reason. Chris, my significant other, is celebrating his 38th birthday today. (I say celebrating...he's actually taking a test in one of his online classes. He's studying for his Bachelor's Degree.)

Now, Chris and I have been together nearly 18, married for almost 17, and I have very few pictures of him. He really hates getting his picture taken. You'd think he was wanted by the FBI or something.

But, every once in a while, I get a photo of him. And they are usually pretty good.

I'll be the first to admit that I don't really like photos of myself either, and this one isn't much of an exception. But, it's one of the few (3 I think) of us together. It was taken about 7 or 8 years ago, when we were students at Mayland Community College. (After I lost my job when OMC shut the doors and filed bankruptcy. But, that's another story.) We've both lost some weight since then, and he no longer has the long hair. (I cried when he cut it.)

This one was taken in October of last year...my two favorite men: the hubs and the Stumpy (better known as Major). Chris claims they are all my cats, but he has a soft spot for Major. Actually, he has a soft spot for all of them, but just won't admit to it.

Happy Birthday to the love of my life...my very best friend.

Spring in the Mountains

Here are some photos from today (April 7th, 09). I had to check the calendar. It's spring, right?

In case I haven't said it 100 times before....I love snow.

But I really would like to get my garden planted.

Miscellaneous Musings

Poor Herman the Possum. Haven't seen him for a few days, then this morning he was on the porch, chomping on the cats' food as usual. As he started to climb down the porch railing, my husband noticed his tail...it's partly gone. Looks like Herman got caught up in something, or with someone. Poor thing. His tail is too short to hang from now. Too bad possums aren't like lizards. Would be cool if he could just grow a new one. (No new picture of the little guy. Didn't want to startle him more than we already had by going outside in the first place.)

A while back, I walked in the living room to find Major staring intently at the front door. I walked over and heard some scratching outside. Thinking Muffin was playing around, I opened the door. Well, I guess she had cornered a mouse between the glass door and the front door (there's a small gap at the bottom corner), and my opening the door gave that poor little mouse an escape route. It ran into the house and hid behind a side table. Major and the other kitties sniffed around at different times during the evening, but they aren't the best mousers in the world.

So, I pulled out a humane mousetrap that I bought years ago (and my husband made fun of me for buying) and placed it where I thought the mouse would probably end up trying to make a break for it. It was still empty the next morning, so I took a small piece of bread and put it in. Later on in the morning, I heard some scratching around and there the little guy was...safely ensconced in the trap. How cool. I took him outside and let him loose among some overgrowth in the yard. Hopefully he's learned his lesson and won't get around Muffin again.

Took this picture on a warm day at the beginning of March. Muffin was in the front yard, sunbathing among the ivy. She loves the sun. It's been raining for the past couple days, so needless to say, she's not happy right now. Of course, in this picture, she's not looking too happy either. Maybe she just wanted me to leave her in peace and let her get back to her sunbathing. (Would this be considered nude sunbathing?!?)

Blue Moon Bookstore

Independent bookstores have a hard time staying open when the economy is good, but an even harder time when things are tough. The latest casualty is Blue Moon in Spruce Pine. My writers' group held our monthly meeting here, as did the local women's poetry group, Eve's Night Out. The building used to be a pharmacy complete with soda fountain I'm told, and it has such great historic charm. Hopefully it won't stay empty for long. (There's even talk of someone wanting to try their hand at the bookstore thing, with maybe art classes and such as well.)


This is my friend Sharon Huskey. She bought the bookstore (building is rented) a few years ago and has been a downtown fixture ever since. She held on as long as she could, but it just wasn't meant to be. But Sharon has come out the other side with a bushel of friends at her side and a strength only a woman, especially a red-headed woman, can have. ;-)


Judith Smith, a member of my writers' group, organized a pot luck at the store on Tuesday evening, the last day of business. Lots of people came to offer Sharon support and she really seemed to be enjoying the company. Great people hang out at bookstores.



Sharon gave me one of the bookstore's chairs since my recliner was falling apart, and she knew I couldn't afford a new one right now. I love this chair...it's like my own piece of the store, and it's bigger than it looks. I can even curl my feet up under me when I sit in it (a big deal when you're a large person like I am). But, I don't actually get to sit in it as much as I'd like to. For some reason, Face has adopted it as her own. She has never done that, usually stays in our bedroom or in her own little bed in the living room. She likes smells so maybe it's the "new" smells she gets on the chair: Sharon's late dog (Bascom), her cat (Freda), the various customers, the store itself. Whatever it is, The Empress, as Face insists on being called, has claimed it and will not give it up. Sometimes she lets one or both of her brothers cuddle up in the chair with her, but not often.


As long as I have this chair, I will look at it and think of Blue Moon...and smile.

Welcome to the Menagerie

My house is turning into a menagerie. Who am I kidding? Turning? It's been a menagerie for a long time now. Besides the various birds that I feel the need to provide tons of feed to, other animals keep showing up...mostly those of the feline persuasion. But, the "herd" is not limited to cats.



Of course, there's the neighbor's cat, Tango. He's a sweet guy, but since another tom cat has started hanging around, he's taken to marking every part of my yard, including items on the front porch. (I've given the people around me the neuter lecture. Only so much I can do.)



Then there's Drifter. This one has been hanging around for a while and still won't let me too close. I think it's a girl, but haven't been able to tell actually. (The new tom cat that's hanging around is jet black. {Haven't been able to get a photo of him yet.} What a contrast the two make.)



And of course, there's always Muffin. She's a sweetie, but a bit odd at times. Yesterday, she ran out into the rain to greet me when I got home from an appointment, then complained the whole time about getting wet. I kept telling her it was her own fault, but she didn't seem to believe that at all.



Squirrels used to be very abundant in my yard, but seemed to disappear for a bit after we had the large maple tree trimmed back last year. No where good to hide I reckon. But, I think they will return. I do know I often see them using the power lines to cross the road and come to my feeder. Maybe they just wanted to use that little trip as their form of exercise. This little guy looked up just as I was taking the picture. How perfect was that? (On a later post, I'll tell you about the three "regulars" we used to have and how they got their unusual names.)

This is Herman, the mostly black opossum that shows up at night to eat the cat food. He's pretty cool really. We have a couple old tables on the porch that were supposed to be hauled off, but the cats started using them, so now their food gets put up there. This guy just climbs right up to eat.

This is the little house Muffin uses sometimes. It sits right by our living room window, and since she doesn't like the wind, when it's cold and very windy, I'll put her plate of food in front of it so she can eat without being bothered. One night, I looked out the window to see Herman happily chomping away. I grabbed my camera and tried to sneak out the door. He panicked of course, and turned and ran into Muff's house. No escape there. I didn't get too close as I really didn't want to scare him any more than he already was, so the zoom feature came in handy. (Took the picture then went back in the house so he could eventually come out and finish his nightly raid.)

And of course my four "little" cuties who love to watch the others from the comfort of the bed or sofa. Have I ever written about how I got these guys? I'll have to check back and see. For now, I'll just say they are a bunch of bottle-raised, spoiled-so-rotten-they-stink fur babies...and I love them as if they were my children, because when you think about it, they really are.

And so the menagerie continues to grow. We even had a mama raccoon at one time that came around in the wee morning hours to eat. (Probably the only time she cold get away from the little ones.)

Wonder who's going to show up next?

Yippeeee!

Vicki Lane has given me my very first blog award. I'm doing the Snoopy Happy Dance here. Thanks Vicki.

Now, I have to pass it along to five deserving blogs. That's a hard thing in a way. I'm always surfing around and finding new blogs to read. There are so many good ones out there. But, here are five I feel deserve this little honor. (Just right-click and copy the picture of the award for your sites, then pass it along to five you think deserve it as well.)

First there is my friend Stephanie over at Blogging My Way to a Better Life. Steph is a member of my writers' group, and the first client of my new pet sitting business. (I ADORE her dogs.) She's a great writer and definitely a major sports fan. (Go Steelers!) :0)

Katey Schultz is another local writer. She is also one of the organizers of the Carolina Mountains Literary Festival which takes place in Burnsville, NC, as well as the Eve's Night Out monthly open-mic poetry event. She is currently working on a book about Western North Carolina's swinging footbridges. Check out her blog, The Writing Life.

The CUPZ by Watie in Malaysia is all about cupcakes. Yep, an entire blog about cupcakes. She's a baker and decorates those wonderful little cakes for different occasions. I love checking out her blog. The photos of beautifully decorated cupcakes are enough to make your mouth water. YUM!

Over at Frugal Family Recipes...What's for Dinner Tonight?, Michelle Jones of Atlanta has put together a great blog of home cooked recipes geared toward the very busy cook with very little time. (That's most of us, isn't it?) I'm a huge recipe addict, and this site is one way I "feed the need" without stacking up even more cookbooks in my house.

And last, but most definitely not least, is Angie Bailey over at Eclectic Catladyland. I love this blog. Maybe it's because we're both "crazy" cat ladies, or the fact she's from the Twin Cities (I was born in St. Paul), or because according to her profile we're the same age...wow, now that I look at all the similarities, it seems kind of creepy. ;-)

Check out these great blogs when you get a chance.

Business Logo

When I decided to start my pet sitting business, I searched around for some sort of artwork to use as a logo. My search on the net brought me across the picture above. It was posted with a statement that anyone who wanted to use it was welcome to. Well, it was pretty close to what I was looking for, but not quite. For one, it shows only dogs, and my business isn't limited to just canines. So, I put out a call to people I knew who were artists, and my friend Gera Girard answered that call. I told her my ideas about adding in a bird cage and fish bowl on either end of the couch, as well as changing the hair to look a bit more like me...and of course adding in cats. She took those ideas and ran with them.







This is what Gera came up with and I am happy as can be. I especially love the look on the fish's face. Best part of all, when I first saw this picture, it made me laugh. That's important to me. I want people to know that their pets will be safe and happy while they're gone, and I want them to know how happy taking care of animals makes me.

It's a happy little picture, don't you think? :-)

Erin Go Bragh!

Here it is...the one day a year when EVERYONE is Irish. :-)





I have added the book Irish Girls About Town to my reading list, and will start on it today as way of celebrating my Irish heritage (Family name is Flanagan way back there).

Today, find your own way to celebrate your Irish heritage, or that of a friend. Read a book, wear green, drink green beer, dye your hair red...go for it.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Five Questions

OK, I was reading Vicki Lane's blog the other day and she wrote about how on another blog, the author had invited her readers to answer five questions on their blog...and then invite their readers to do the same. Vicki got her questions and answered them, and passed along the invite. So, I figured why not, and threw my hat into the ring.



Vicki posted my questions in the comments section of my blog, and I grabbed them and went to work. And what work it was. I still think I could add more to my answers, but it's time to stop "fiddling" around and post them already. If any of my readers would like to do the same on their blogs, let me know in the comments section and I'll pass along some questions of my own for you to post.

1. What was your favorite toy when you were a child?
For some reason, I have very few clear childhood memories. I do remember having a box of toys in the basement at one house we lived in. There were so many odds and ends in that box, including empty tomato paste cans for some odd reason. I also remember having a Weeble’s Treehouse that I adored, and a Big Wheel that my stepsister (for a time anyway) would tie to her bike so she could pull me along behind her.

But, in the end, I have to say my favorite toy was, and still is, my teddy bear, Fudge Brownie. Still have her. She’s 37 now, and a bit beat up, but she’s still a comfort when I’m in a bad mood or sad about something. For some reason, she gives my hubby the creeps, so I kind of keep her in a place where he doesn’t have to see her a lot. :-)

2. If you could spend a day being invisible, what would you do?
This is a tough one. (Thanks a lot, Vicki.) ;-)

My husband has lots to say about this one. Mainly things like how it would depend upon, when we say invisible, do we mean only in the visual spectrum, are we still detectable through body heat, etc? (Kind of annoying, that.) I’m thinking totally invisible. I’ve tried to think of what I would do, especially since time travel isn’t involved. (Would love to see my parents first meeting so I could know how those two ever got together – albeit temporarily.) I’d love to spend a day in the west wing of the White House, just to see a “typical” day in the running of our country (if any day is typical there).

Then, there’s that little part of me who would just like to be able to hang out in my own home without anyone (cats included) knowing I was there. To be able to sit outside in the sun reading a book, or stretch out on the bed and take an undisturbed nap with one of my Enya CDs playing in the background…ah, what dreams.

3. If your cats could speak English, what would they say?
Major (as I’m getting ready to walk out the door): “Hey, where’re you going? You can’t leave me. Wait a minute. You can’t leave.”

Eddie (the Princess): “I really should be an only kitty. I just don’t understand why you had to let those others live here.”

Blondie (the former athlete): “Hey, did you give me my snack today?” (then at about 2am) “HEY, ARE YOU AWAKE?!?! Just checking.”

Face (the Empress): “Feed me now, monkey, before I die of starvation.”

Muffin (originally Muffinhead – an homage to her vast intelligence): “Why do you keep all those cats inside? Did they do something wrong?”

4. What would you like to be doing in 25 years?
Writing still, but actually being paid for it. Maybe with my pet sitting business expanded enough that I can either “retire” and let someone else run it for me, or just sell it to someone outright. (I can dream.)

5. What is your favorite tree and why?
I’ve never really thought about my favorite tree. Favorite flower of course, but tree? Let’s see…there are three trees I really like: the Weeping Willow, the Magnolia and the Live Oak with lots of moss hanging from it. Out of those, I have to say the Live Oak is probably my favorite, especially those that stretch down, touching the ground so you can just climb right up and sit on a branch. I also love those places that have moss draped live oaks on either side of the road or driveway, the branches crossing over above you like some giant canopy. They just draw you in, seeming to call you down the lane, making you want to see what just might be waiting for you at the other end.

Small Voter Turnout...

...but it looks like the referendums passed anyway. (http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NC/Mitchell/10288/15074/en/summary.html)

I woke up at 1:30 this morning and just could not go back to sleep. Hate it when that happens. But, I figured since I'm up, I might as well go to the Board of Elections website and see how the vote went yesterday. It does look like all four of the alcoholic beverage issues passed, but I have to say I'm kind of disappointed in the voter turnout. Only 51.71% of registered voters actually showed up to vote on an issue that it seems EVERYONE had an opinion on. Well, maybe that worked out for the best in the end.

I also have to wonder why it appears that some people voted on one or two of the issues but not on all four. That's kind of odd to me, but who knows why people want one thing and not the other, or vice versa.

So, we are finally coming up into the modern world. Took long enough.

Am I Just Being Picky?

There are currently four dry counties in North Carolina, and I just happen to live in one of them. Of course, we're only dry on paper if you ask me. There is golf course in our county that has a store that sells beer and wine. How that works, I have no idea.

That being said, today there is a vote in town to bring in sales. (Four different referendums on the ballot actually.) Now, this is only in the city limit, so only those living in the city limit can vote. Which leaves me out...which I hate. I understand there are those who don't want any of the referendums to pass, but I for one like an occasional glass of wine, or *gasp* even a mixed drink. (I discovered chocolate martinis a couple years ago. Yum.) And considering how many people go outside the county to purchase now, our we are losing out money-wise. (Even purchases made at the golf course do not benefit our county.)

So, here we are, awaiting the results of a city vote. If this stuff passes, maybe it will open things up county-wide. Who knows. There are many signs around town pushing both sides, which brings me to my actual reason for this blog. Do you see the problems with these signs?

I'm not an English major or anything, but I have this issue with signs that are just plain wrong. This one for instance. It should read "proposals," plural.

And then there's this one. If I'm not wrong, it should read "alcoholic beverages." (Someone correct me if I am wrong.)

Now, since I'm on the 'other' side of this issue, some may think that's the only reason I'm pointing these out. That really isn't true. These are the only such mistakes I've seen in the dozens of signs that have popped up in my town. And I really wonder if I'm just being too picky when I say that grammatical and/or spelling mistakes on signs (ANY signs) is one of my biggest pet peeves.

Always Welcome Fluffy White Stuff

Just some snow pictures today.

Ankle deep snow, too fluffy to make a snowman or a good snowball, but very beautiful.

Muffin hates the stuff, and really hates the wind (as do I) but still insists on following me around the yard as I take pictures...complaining all the while.

If the squirrels want corn today, they're going to have to work a bit for it.

Paul Harvey: 1918 - 2009

Legendary broadcaster Paul Harvey died today. He was 90 years old, and will be greatly missed.

The Eye of the Beholder

Art. What is art? I think that depends on who you are. What is one person's art, is another person's...well, trash.

This is my favorite work of art: Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night. The first time I saw this painting, I had a real emotional reaction to it. I don't know what it is. There's just something about it that gets to me to this day. To me, this is a true work of art.

This is Jackson Pollack's No. 5, 1948. Pollack is one of those artists whose work I just don't understand. To me, it's just a bunch of paint splattered on a canvas, or in this case a piece of fiberboard. I've seen children's fingerpaint pictures that look more like art to me than Pollack's work.

An artist I recently discovered is Charles Bell. My husband, Chris, is a fan as well. He was a photorealist, and when I look as his paintings, I can't believe how much they look like photographs instead of oil paintings. This one is call Marble Swirl.

Chris is also a fan of Leonardo da Vinci (self-portrait above), but not only for his paintings. In actuality, I don't think he really pays much attention to the man's paintings. He likes him for the fact he was what we now call a renaissance man. da Vinci was a scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, painter, sculptor, architect, botanist, musician and writer. His insatiable curiosity led him to become one of the most diversely talented people to have ever lived. To this day, I can't think of anyone who comes close to this man's talent and achievements.


Most artists seem to agree that even if their work elicits a negative reaction, they've accomplished something. Positive or negative, the goal is to make a person think and react in some way.

Try Something New

Never be afraid to try something new. Especially when it comes to food. As I get older, I have found that my tastes have changed. Even after my hysterectomy about a year and a half ago, I found I liked some things I didn't like before. Odd huh? Must be a hormone thing.

A month or so ago, I decided to give sweet potatoes a try. I don't know if I'd ever actually tried them before. I think I did as a kid. If so, it was more than likely in the form of a casserole at Thanksgiving or some such. Walking through my local grocery store, I noticed how inexpensive these things are, and we all know they are healthy. So, I bought one, brought it home and baked it.

To use a phrase from an old Shirley Temple movie, "Oh my goodness." I love these things. What the heck have I been missing all these years? And I wonder if they are as easy to grow as regular potatoes. I'm still planning my garden after all.

More recently I tried turnips (left, above) and rutabagas (right), two other veggies I have long avoided. They kind of look like the radishe's larger, odd-looking cousins. Should have told me something. Anything that reminds me of a radish deserves a chance. Again, I can't believe what I've been missing all these years. These things are oh so good.

My latest "discovery" is the avocado. Last week, I went to lunch with my friend Liz. We decided on Mexican as we have a pretty good Mexican restaurant here, El Ranchero. (Plus I think Liz likes to flex her Spanish chops.) She ordered guacamole, another food I have always stuck my nose up at...fiercely. Being the brave soul that I am, I let her convince me to try it. And yet again, what the ever-loving heck have I been missing all these years. Then, I tried a slice of avocado that came with our meals. Jeez, I've been in the dark way too long. Those things are pretty darn good.

Definite proof that you should try something new every once in a while. You never know what treasures you will find.

Surfing the 'Net

Wow, over a week since I last updated this blog. Time just goes by too fast sometimes.

Today I'm going to point y'all to some blogs I've come across while surfing. I actually like to go out looking at random blogs using the "next blog" link found at the top of most blog pages. Some of the blogs have links to interesting websites, some have great family stories and yet others simply have photos that I found interesting. The reasons a blog makes my favorites list are many and varied.

At the blog titled Lloyd's Newfoundland Photos (http://lloydsnfldpics.blogspot.com/), Lloyd C. Rees posts some great pictures. I especially love the ice photos; nice winter images.

I don't remember what initially interested me in the Billboard Jen blog (http://billboardjen.blogspot.com/), but it does have some interesting links. Like the link to a site where you can see famous paintings recreated with Legos (http://oddee.com/item_96540.aspx).

The Billboard Jen blog had a link that led me over to the Shakin' & Bakin' blog (http://shakinandbakin.wordpress.com/). Some interesting things can be found here as well. Such as the link to a site where you can buy anti-theft lunch bags (http://www.thinkofthe.com/products/lunch_bag.php). These are very interesting. Check them out.

Well, that's enough surfing for this morning. So many blogs, so little time.

Saying Goodbye Part II

My dad's funeral is this afternoon in St. Paul, Minnesota. I could not be there so have said goodbye in my own way.

Courage Campaign

Not long ago, California passed Prop 8 banning gay marriage. Now, attorney Ken Starr has filed a brief that seeks to forcibly divorce the roughly 18,000 same-sex couples who were married before the propostion passed. I love this video. It's very touching and puts a very human face on the whole thing. (You can go to this website and sign the letter for the state supreme court if you wish as well: http://www.couragecampaign.org/page/s/divorce)




"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.