My Silly Girls

I adore how Terra's side-eye toward the camera make her look evil while her claws did not penetrate my shoulder in the slightest...

Polly has adorable "thumbs" while her
pollywogs outnumber them...

Dandelion is a huge goof that
defies this refined posture...

Do you know that still forming tadpoles are called polywogs? How perfect is that term for Polly's lesser toes?

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An Amazing Transformation, & One of My Cats is Next...

The spot on his pretty white skull cap is so unique...

The Girl with the Dogs is an awesome pet groomer I’ve mentioned before. A recent video featured this Alaskan Malamute. His undercoat was a disaster. By the time she finished blowing out loose fur there was enough to create a life sized model.

The change looks subtle; it was not...

It’s transfixing to watch and she says the process is almost as rewarding as the outcome. She wears what looks like a beekeeper’s hood until time for final brushing. The big baby’s whines also required her to don hearing protection and caused me to lower the TV volume.

Meanwhile I plan on transforming Dandelion. She has this super dense, almost microfiber layer that’s shedding like crazy. The stuff leaves snowdrifts on the carpet when she scratches herself. I don’t mind that so much as how it these fibers cover all textiles inside and out. When I’m sweating out in the garden and wipe my face on my sleeve… well… minor miseries commence. As soon as I can book an appointment with our pet groomer this girl is getting shaved down to her adorable pink hide.

Can you believe that huskies and malamutes are some of the whiniest drama queens? Have you seen any videos of their antics?

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Waylaid

With a laundered comforter, basketful of fresh sheets and pillow cases, I intended to make the bed this afternoon. But upon entering I found Dandelion tucked between the balled up comforter and one of the pillows.

What near perfect camouflage…

I adore how one paw is curled over her upturned toes...

Who could roust such a pleased and comfy critter? Doesn’t the word camouflage have one of the most awkward spellings?

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My Furry Houdini

Acclimating my plants to the outdoors (Yay!), I move them through our walkout basement onto the back patio. It’s easiest leaving the sliding glass door open in the process. Preventing our cats from getting out has an easy solution. I close the door at the top of the steps.

Left to right: pepper, cucumber, & tomato
all still have growing to do...

It didn’t quite latch one day, which I knew but wasn’t concerned. Everything locked up and plants nestled back into their little greenhouse, I headed toward the steps. The wide open door caught me by surprise. Surely my husband hadn’t woken from his nap and opened it. He would understand why I shut the door.

At the top I found Dandelion, who promptly got the zoomies while the sisters remained sound asleep. She is long legged, strong, and has big paws with claws to match, so she must have hooked the edge of the door and simply pulled.

Mischief & zoomies over;
time to nap now...

Dani certainly has done a number on the carpet outside the master bathroom. I finally laid down a wooden transition strip to both further prevent and hide the damage. When used for good, these feet are adorable.

 

It was lucky I rediscovered the thing. Even better was the perfect fit. While longer than the bathroom doorway is wide, it slid perfectly beneath our pocket door.

What is the oddest way you ever repurposed an item? Have you ever seen a pocket door?

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An Early Morning Mystery

After Dandelion joined me on the bed this morning I didn’t notice at first that she had dark brown staining behind her right ear. I can only imagine Terra or Polly swatted her ear and drew blood sometime overnight.

She ate kibble as if nothing happened...

My husband asked if I wanted to make a vet appointment. She acted her normal self, even alongside the sisters, so I didn’t see the point of stressing her. Dani later cleaned up a good portion of the stains.

The three have been doing so well. I hope this is an anomaly. At least Dandelion’s blood didn’t spatter the ceiling as happened years ago. That night she ran high onto a cat tree and swatted at her tormenters with her wounded paw. Ugh… Worse still, our beloved angel Tilly once received a mysterious slash to her neck.

We had no idea at the time, though she acted a bit uncharacteristic. My parents were visiting and the four of us went out for breakfast when my husband decided to leave and check on her. He discovered her downstairs, bleeding.

Aren’t I lucky to have married a man with great instincts and even greater compassion? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all beings who lack communications skills could express themselves?

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Kitties in Repose

These three cats make me laugh every day. I cannot imagine life without them.

Are crossed paws not the cutest?
(Dandelion)

Do you see the milk dots on her nose?
She only gets a taste, by the way...
(Polly)

Doesn’t she look contemplative?
(Terra)

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Unintended Consequences

When my very old Kindle Fire finally died I figured we could do without. E-books are accessible on my phone, after all. My guy had other ideas. We often play Scrabble on it while dining out and he didn’t want to give up that tradition.

He found a decent deal and I discovered a new addiction. Love of language and word play led me to the game Word Carnival. I refuse to either spend money on this or watch their obnoxious advertisements.

Instead I simply take my Kindle offline. At least, that is, until I’m utterly stumped. Watching an ad or two grants me ‘gems’, fifty of which give useful hints. Then I log off again to resume play.

Why I still can't upload video stumps me. Oh, well.

It’s a first world problem, isnt’ it? Does it surprise anyone that moving graphics sometimes enchant Dandelion?

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Polly the Punk

For several minutes Dandelion and Polly peacefully shared a tabletop the other day. Then I turned and found this little hooligan alone.

I like how this closeup makes the harmless
fluff ball look menacing...

Isn’t it nice that Dandelion didn’t let this stop her getting a drink? Do you think she will ever join in our younger twins’ play fights?

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Sweet Dreams

It’s always an endearing compliment when a pet goes into REM sleep. Dandelion went there the other evening. 

What do you think she dreamed? Have you seen the following video?

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Old Timers Moving On – & – an Apology

First, I want to let our blogger friend Strayer know that her tireless work is much appreciated. I’m sorry that no web browser I’ve tried will let me comment today. ~rolls eyes~ Be that way, Google…

So, anyway, my husband and I moved into our home in 1994. We bought a flat screen television that year, an expensive investment. Years ago we planned on buying a high definition unit when the old Sony died. But it’s hung on all these decades (!) and weighs more than we can now lift together.

Together deciding we would finally replace it, my husband did excellent research. He discovered a unit that fit our living space and even the old stand (!), whose own heavy components I assembled.

Before this new Samsung arrived we needed to clear space and contacted 1-800-JUNK. These crews don’t just haul things to a garbage dump, they donate/recycle everything possible; I’ve seen their work on shows about hoarders.

This super kind and competent duo gave a fair estimate, we agreed, and they quickly loaded up a broken treadmill, miscellaneous outdated electronic devices, plus the dinosaur television. This all happened a day earlier than expected, mere hours after our new TV was delivered.

Impressed by their service, my husband added a tip to the reasonable fee. And I made sure to leave a good review. Even our cat Dandelion was happy because the guys doted on her while the twins hid.

The way things worked out is awesome,
and "Titan AE" looks amazing...

Can you believe our receiver has since died? How lucky are we that the television has decent sound?

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Why Our Carpet Looks Awful

This house, built in 1978, has all original carpet as far as we know. My husband and I had one bathroom and the kitchen renovated years ago, plus new entryway flooring installed. Outside is another story altogether. Anyway, the following illustrates why we’ve left the carpet alone.

While I make grooming attempts, Terra and Polly wrestling gets the job done better. Check this out…

I must be clear that we’d rather have our silly kitties than a neat and tidy house. They are well behaved felines with only the expected issues.

Meanwhile, Dandelion is a long legged female with great strength. We think she never enjoyed a proper kittenhood before we took her in. By the way, my husband doesn’t know she’s shredded anything but cat furniture.

Look at those pink ear tips as she
surveys her efforts...

Do you prefer rugs and carpeting? If not, what is your favorite flooring material?

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How Old Are You, Exactly?

 

Three's Company

Upon returning from the grocery store this afternoon I was pleased to see Terra about a foot away from Dandelion on our bed. Several minutes later, Polly had joined her sister for a mutual grooming session. This development made us very happy.

Before I got up, Dani had settled on my side. We have the sweetest cats. And I can say the same about the three who lived here before passing away.

I like having my smart phone handy...

I took the next image a while back. This little unicorn tent sits on the guest bed. If Terra had a bushy tail like Polly’s I might assume there is just one cat in there.

I once feared the tent too small for a cat;
Obviously, I was wrong...

Can you see the second pair of kitty ears in the tent? Isn’t it funny that I sort of ‘photo bombed’ both of my own images?

A Strange Day

Our cat Dandelion woke me early this morning jumping on the bed seeking attention. After telling my husband, on his computer at the time, I returned to bed.

Ornery Terra later woke me by knocking my phone off the nightstand. To my shock, it was past 11:15! No wonder she wanted me up.

Discombobulated, I thought I might still be asleep and dreaming when my husband then told me about a derecho sweeping through the central United States. Unfortunately for those living in this weather pattern’s path, it’s very real and I wish them all the best.

On a lighter note, I opened a box just delivered. I turned around moments later and found the aforementioned kitty Dandelion sitting there.

Is that expression adorable or what?

Isn’t nature's force often either wondrous or terrible? On a different topic, did you know that the wonderful character actor Dabney Coleman passed away?

There’s a fabulous homage on the blog Shadow of a Doubt. By the way, I do not think the bubbles forming in the rain were caused by any chemicals but rather ideal conditions. It probably would not have happened had the guy who replaced our driveway done a better job years ago.

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One Wild Bird and Six Pet Kitty Names

Our kind friend Strayer expressed interest in video I took during my riverside walk. Here are two, in fact. ~grin~ The first shows a very determined crane on the hunt. I’m impressed by how still they can stand even near raging waters.

Then I must have gotten too close, which made me feel bad. At least I got to see its majestic flight.

On her blog, Pam shared a cute game in which you try to describe a pet’s name without declaring it outright. I just had to join the fun. I’ll start with the three sweethearts we’ve lost over the last decade, listing each in order of their arrival into our hearts and home. Of course each is listed under my blog’s labels but I’ll put the answers below…

Our Earth’s moon in Latin
Actresses Meg and Jennifer
The wicked wife of Israeli King Ahab
The Earth, ‘firma’
Who wants a cracker?
A prolific yellow flowering weed

Do you think the bird recognized my predatory ocular orientation? And since cats are both predator and prey, why don’t they have a second set of eyes on the sides of their heads?

Here are the girls’ names:
Luna
Tilly
Jezebel
Terra
Polly
Dandelion


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A Very Silly Girl

 

My Year?

My dentist prognosticating 2024 as “my year” leaves me in doubt as to specifics. February hasn’t started off so great.

Dandelion decided to jump onto my side around midnight, January 31st. Slipping, she dug her claws into my right forearm. While painful, it didn’t give me much thought until later. I could have sworn she left a shed claw in my flesh.

After consulting my primary care physician via phone I visited a local urgent care facility. The nurse practitioner who treated my topical foot infection last spring retained his dry humor.

“Now, the fun begins,” he quipped upon entering the examination room. His magnified close inspection revealed no foreign object, much to my relief. I’m simply on a seven day antibiotic course.

As in May of 2023 he again said to avoid folk remedies like warm compresses followed by squeezing the wound site. I replied in agreement and how I declined my husband’s suggested ointment and bandage.

Acting impressed, he immediately asked if I had a medical background. Far from it, mere bad luck and being a klutz have taught me a lot over the years.

Did you know that antibiotics help push intruding objects out? Isn’t a good sense of humor important in most any upbeat workplace?

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The Sweet and the Tangy

I’m happy to report that Dandelion has not avoided me since she came out of hiding yesterday afternoon. I will not attempt peering into her ears for a few days. She really is a sweet kitty.

As for the tang in my title, I discovered an easy recipe on the inside of a Philadelphia cream cheese box for mini lemon-ginger cheesecakes. One ingredient I didn’t recognize is lemon curd.

These folks charge $12.95(US) per jar!

A quick search answered my question and uncovered a recipe for making instead of buying it. Believing homemade is best I also do not plan to purchase ginger snap cookies for the cheesecake bottom “crusts”.

I cooked up the curd yesterday and ate some in my morning yogurt, also homemade. lol Yum! I plan to freeze and vacuum seal most of the curd since my husband bought ingredients for banana chocolate whole wheat muffins.

He baked them in the 2000’s and I’d take some to my office. I still joke that the guys stampeding from the factory floor put me in danger; they were that popular a treat.

Funny enough, I’ll be freezing and sealing some upcoming muffins plus both my lemon juice and zest had been processed from fresh fruit, then frozen and sealed. It’s so rewarding being able to preserve bargain food purchases.

A key to using my FoodSaver is freezing the food stuffs first. Before learning this I ruined some packages via liquid breaking the seal in progress. So far nothing has gotten irredeemably freezer burned.

Besides meats, fruits, and vegetables, baked goods should be pre-frozen. I once crushed room temperature corn muffins. Hitting the seal button early would have prevented this. ~rolls eyes~ Thawed, my muffin pucks at least tasted fine.

Is it silly that I enjoy running my FoodSaver? Should we offer some of those banana chocolate muffins to neighbors?

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The Good, the Bad, and the Sweet

This morning our cat Dandelion delighted me by coming out of her comfort zone, joining me in an another room. It was so sweet seeing her enjoy a good scalp massage despite the mess her fur left on my clothing. While unrelated, a bag of store-bought cherries also made me happy.

I like how these cherries look like Valentine hearts...
I will ignore any remarks about the crevices ~grin~

Unfortunately I also noticed Dandelion’s terribly dirty inner ears and used an ear cleaning solution which she did not like one bit. While she didn’t run from me or struggle much, I should have left well enough alone after swabbing one ear instead of going for a second cotton ball. She bolted under the couch we’d shared earlier and hasn’t come out since.

At least treating her ears removed a fair amount of gunk; I can only hope she’ll forgive and forget. It’s always me that notices and treats these types of things. ~sigh~ As soon as my husband sits down to watch television he’ll no doubt have Dandelion on his lap in minutes.

As for my clothes, I used leftover sticky fly paper to clean my sweater. It worked quite well.

Finding the stuff reminded me how Terra somehow got a piece stuck to her underbelly as a kitten. I didn’t panic and she calmly let me cut her free. Ah, memories.

Isn’t it funny how playing the mean role translates to raising both pets and young kids? Wouldn’t it be nice if either comprehended loving good intentions?

If you want to see how gross my hairy black sweater looked after petting Dani, keep scrolling down…

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So Much Fun, Many Blessings, & One Reply

Well, first off I discovered that Strayer photographed a scene not unlike what I saw during a recent park excursion. Finding random connections with good people makes me happy.

A sidewalk to nowhere, for now?

This bizarre little park, located under both an automotive and train track bridge at either end, is obviously under construction. This time my smart phone didn’t lead me there. Rather, planning to revisit a nature preserve discovered early December I spotted its entrance while passing over the car bridge.

Pam from Through the Eyes of My Scattered Brain wondered if our white kitty Dandelion has blue eyes and might be deaf. Funny enough, she has pale blue peepers yet exhibits normal hearing ability. In fact I considered naming her Frankie. ~grin~ Her fur has gray smudges atop her head and at the end of her tale. That and the fact her eyes reflect pink makes me think she is leucistic, reducing her pigmentation.

Changing from my usual posts about nature and kitties I have to share the silly Sunday my husband and I shared. He has been experimenting with new software on very old hardware such as turning an old two-sided ‘flippy’ DVD of “Goodfellas” into a streaming video file so we don’t have to turn the disk over partway through the film.

Testing his results went from a brief viewing to me requesting we watch the entire flick. Then we turned to a program called “Ugly Americans” on that old hard drive. We laughed so much.

Can you believe our 1989 bond over dark humor is still going strong? Like us, does your sense of humor clash with most loved ones?

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