Do You Have Your Costume Ready?

You only have a few days left to get that Halloween costume together.

Our cat?
She's going as a shower curtain.



I love that she thinks we can't see her.
She is a master of disguise.

This Face

This is the smallish face that showed up on our doorstep (literally) this week.

She must have known that a bleeding heart softie lives here. (Make that 3 bleeding heart softies.)

I took her to the vet and spent a sad amount of money getting her checked out and treated for a respiratory infection. Then I spent some more money on de-worming meds and flea treatment because we don't have the heart to look at that face and tell it "no." That's probably what's wrong with the boy. Not worms... We can't say "no" to cute faces.

She barely weighs a pound, and the vet says she's probably about 6 weeks old.
We've known her for 3 days and we already love her to pieces.
The sad part of the story is we can't keep her. Our very overgrown and spoiled cat H-A-T-E-S her. Hate is a mild word.

We've spent 2 days on the phone and on the internet searching for rescue centers, no-kill shelters, pet foster homes, and humane societies.
No one can take any pets. NO one. And that includes several cities.
They are all so overfilled already, and they can't legally have any more.
It is heartbreaking... it makes me see why some people (mean heartless people, that is) just dump unwanted animals out like trash. They really don't have many options.

I am waiting to hear from 2 more rescue places, but the path ahead for baby kitty is unclear.
My mom is considering taking her, but she doesn't really want another pet. She also has 2 very spoiled and unfriendly cats already.

So for now, baby kitty is with us. Getting well and getting lots of snuggling.

In the words of Bob Barker...

"Have your pets spayed or neutered!"

Shelby 1994-2011

Well.
We had to do the thing we were dreading.
After watching her health go downhill for a week, the vet and I decided it was time.

The boy had said his goodbyes that morning before school. (Thank Heavens I didn't watch... couldn't have handled it.)
I called Dan/Daddy (who is away at Chaplain school) from the vet's office (sobbing), and he asked me to hold the phone up to her frail little head. I am not lying, and he may be embarrassed by me telling, but it was the sweetest thing. And I know she heard him tell her goodbye.

So in the end it was just me and her. And it was ok. My friend offered to come and be with me, and Dan/Daddy kept apologizing for not being there. But I didn't mind.
I was able to hold her and kiss her and tell her how much we loved her.

17 years is a very long time to share your home with a pet.
And your heart.
And mine has a kitty shaped hole in it today.

My Version... 6 on Saturday

I missed Ten on Tuesday. Again. I had it all ready to post, and then Tuesday came and went. It was a great little series of questions... most of them about faith. But did I get it finished? Nope. Just one more thing that "didn't get done" this week.

So today, I made my own fun little list. I call it "6 on Saturday." (Cause that's all I could come up with.)


1. The snow/ice is gone. I can still see a tiny bit here and there on the rooftops. Now we are building an ark just to get to the boy's basketball game today.

2. My house is a wreck. I even took pictures with my phone and sent them to my friend who said she didn't believe my house was messy. I obviously have enough time to talk about the mess and take pictures of the mess... but not enough time to clean it up.

3. School being out on Monday and delayed on Tuesday caused my whole week to be wacky. At least that's what I'm blaming everything on.

4. If you are an overweight geriatric cat, and if you happen to live in my house, you will find things in the floor to use as a pillow. Someone appreciates the mess.



5. We are counting down the days until a soldier we know comes home for R&R.

6. The boy got his braces this week. The whole process flashed me back to 1985. Wax and wires and Oragel and headaches and bloody lips. Good times.

The happy "Before" picture...


Choosing his bracket colors (times sure have a-changed)...


The "After" picture...


I let him miss the rest of the school day, and we went out to lunch. Then we got ice cream. The one thing he could eat with no trouble. If you can't tell in the photo, he chose crimson and black bracket colors. For his beloved Alabama. If you're gonna be in pain and unable to eat, at least keep on showing the love for your team.

Merry Thanks-Scarecrow-Turkey-Mas

I totally made that up, but I think it fits.

You see, there is a scarecrow sticking from a hay bale on my front porch. There's a pretty Fall-ish wreath on the door. There's a puknin out there too.

The Christmas CDs are out. The candles on the table are orange. There are some festive gourds in the fruit basket.

Giant Rubbermaid tubs sit half-opened by the garage door.

Thanksgiving is still 3 days away.

I haven't packed a single thing.

And the Christmas tree is up.

I'm having some holiday confusion and anxiety.

I always feel sad that our Christmas decorations go up, and then we go a-traveling. And I don't get to see them very much. So this year, the tree went up early.

I'm trying to convince the boy that we need to wait to put out EVERYTHING else.

'Cause when you go out of town for Thanksgiving and you are the owners of a particularly bad-mannered and devious cat... well...

Let's just say the wise men and nutcrackers deserve better.

She's already yanked some poor little snowman off the tree 895,629 times. By his raggedy little scarf. And the tree's only been up 48 hours.

Here's hoping your turkey fixins are ready and that you bought enough food.

I was at The Mart this morning, and it wasn't pretty.

God bless us, every one. Especially snowman ornaments.

Trick or Treat?

Now if this doesn't put you in the Halloween spirit, I don't know what would.



Ain't she a happy camper?

I mean... Ain't she a happy obese elderly cat wearing a witch hat with groovy green hair?

Let the Halloween madness begin!

Soccer Camp, Swimming, and Our Favorite Channel

It finally feels like summer around here.
No, I am not referring to the outdoor thermometer and its unholy numbers. I am referring to the fact that:

We are at home.

No one is sporting a 103.5 degree temperature.

No one is in the ER.

We have been in our pajamas more than our regular clothes.

We have eaten lots of cereal, chicken nuggets, mac & cheese, and chips.

We have enjoyed lazy lie-around and read afternoons.

Last week, the boy participated in Soccer Camp. He came home each afternoon roasted and tired.




And... we have been to the pool.




My personal favorite... hiding under a towel... eating Chex Mix. Good times.


And what better way to spend the dwindling days of Summer vacation than being a couch potato? With your cat?

Yep. I don't often write about the two cats that own the blog title, but this was worth sharing.

I came into the living room and saw this.


My cat was WATCHING TV.
Look closely. She has the remote.


And what are they watching? What else?


Ahhh. Summer.

Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

We have had a bit of chilly weather here this past week. COLD, people. COLD.

I think the wind chill one morning was a toasty 8 degrees.

You won't hear this Southern girl complaining, though. I love me some chilly weather. Now before you tell me to pack it up and move to North Dakota, and that I am not really "Southern" because I like cold weather...

Let me explain. It is January. That- in my tiny mind- translates to "cold." I like to enjoy each Season as the good Lord intended. Warm in the Spring, cool in the Fall, hot in the Summer, and cold in the Winter. Nothing irritates me more than for it to be cold on Easter. Or blazing hot on Thanksgiving Day. Irritating.

And, in my defense, I am a flip-flop lover. (See. I like Summer. IN Summer.)

How cold has it been here?

Just let my two cats explain it for you in their own way.

These cats barely tolerate each other. In truth, the fat one HATES the skinny one.
Hmmm...

Anyway, this is Shelby (a.k.a. "Biggie") trying to cuddle up on the couch with what she assumes is a pillow?



Trust me, this cat cannot STAND her adopted "sister." She growls and hisses when Subway walks past. It doesn't help that Subway takes random smacks at her at EVERY opportunity.

Does she really think it is a pillow? Maybe with her old age and half blind self she thinks it's me or the boy?


Or maybe when it's 8 degrees outside... enemies can become friends... if they're warm.