TGIF *YAWN*

This is Friday and I'm bored already.  The cats are all sleeping off their dinner.  The husband is growing roots on the couch and in-between snores watching wrestling.  The dog, in her box, on her pillow, sound asleep... is chasing after some unknown object of her dreams.  Here I sit blogging and yawning.  The beginning of this weekend is so exciting I can hardly wait to see what the rest of the weekend holds. *snicker*

I finished three of the wrist warmers and found out that only one pair will fit my friend in Hawaii.  The other pair is much too big.  I'm going to start a new pair that will fit her.  I want to send two pair this time.  After I get done with the wrist warmers I want to start beading again.  I have been asked to do jewelry for a wedding in April so I have to brush up on my skills.

I think we can forget about any snow this Winter.  It's almost February and we've had nothing.  Back East is getting hammered though.  I wouldn't want to have anywhere near that much snow.  I feel sorry for everyone that is going through all the problems caused by the many storms that have rolled through their area.

The yawns are taking over...I need slee.......................................................................................................

Goodnight from Muttzncatz's Place

A Place In The Sun

Fina found a spot in the sun under the Bentwood Rocking chair.  There wasn't much sun today but she enjoyed what we had.

The cats were doing strange things today.  I was in the computer /craft room this afternoon and I heard a couple of thuds.  No screeches, howls or screams. I rushed out to find four  cats quietly laying around a huge pile of grey and white hair tufts. They all looked so innocent...ya right! I think this was an alpha kitty fight.  Paddy and Lamont still have not determined who's the top dog (kitty).  Fina believes herself to be the crowned queen of Muttzncatzville.  She's the smallest, yet she'll take a swat at any of the other cats without  provocation.
The repairman came today to fix the dishwasher and there was not a cat anywhere to be seen for the first 20 minutes.  Fina decided at that point to come and help the poor guy.  She ended up supervising his every move.  He temporarily fixed the dishwasher but we are going to need a new one soon.

I have three of the four wrist warmers done for my friend in Hawaii.  I hope she likes them.  They're different from the first pair I gave her.  I had Better get them done soon.

Goodnight from Muttzncatz's Place

Another Day In Muttzncatzville

The vet was uneventful.  Cherry could not produce a urine sample so we went there for nothing.  Now I have to try and get it myself this weekend.  I'm waiting for an estimate from one of the doctors for the surgery she needs.  While I was there I picked up the meds I needed and a round of flea medication for all the cats and the dog.  That means this weekend we will be chasing the feral ones all over the house to apply the flea dose on their necks.  I'm referring to Tanner, Homer and Victor.  Cherry is starting to help with trapping process.  She herds them into our bathroom so they can't get away.  I think she missed her calling.  She might have been good on a farm.

Tomorrow the repair person from Sears is coming to fix our dishwasher.  I'm always concerned that whoever they send might be allergic to animals.  It's pointless to tell the appointment taker to send someone who has no allergies.  People are getting so uncaring and cold it scares me.  Customer service isn't a concern for a business either.  When they make an appointment with you to show up between 1:00 and 5:00 PM.......I think that's rude.  In this age of cell phones and all the ways of communicating with one another....They can't make an appointment for a set time and then call if they are going to be late?  Almost everyone has a cell phone.... why are they tying up our time for FOUR HOURS?  Better to inconvenience the customer than the repair person!  Now that's customer service.

I think I'm losing my faith in mankind.  You have to guard everything you own....including your name.  Thieves will break into your car just for a GPS charging cord.  If you leave an aluminum ladder outside too long...it's gone. 
Metal is a precious commodity these days. One of our neighbors got their car stolen and found it a day or two later with all four rims gone.  Nothing else was taken from the vehicle. You have to look over your shoulder no matter where you are and don't trust anyone. Sad, isn't it?

Tomorrow is another day...maybe it will be a better one.
Goodnight from Muttzncatz's Place

Basket Beds And The Fuzballs That Frequent Them

Here is a basket bed and Ming is the fuzzball taking a nap.

We have five baskets and ten cats...ya gotta be quick to get a good spot after having your meal and a quick potty box visit.  As old as this boy is he still beats out the younger ones to an ideal spot.  This one is by the front door so there are times that it's sunny and warm near the basket.

The four cats I blogged about earlier today usually head for the sliding glass door for wildlife theater and Ming, Fina, Paddy and Midge look for a good place to take their morning naps.  Hunter and Moosey are in the back room since they don't get along with the others to well.  They have their own beds. 

Tomorrow is vet day again (Cherry).  She has to go and have a urine test again to see if her infection is going away.  I'm thinking she is going to need an operation.  I have to pick up Midges and Ming's meds (Ming-$63.00 Midge- $65.00)  By the time we're done it's going to be another two hundred dollar visit.  I have to find a way to make some money,and soon!

How many of you enjoy beading?  That is an escape for me as well as reading and knitting.  Here's some of my beading (which I haven't done for about six months).

http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/listing/user/muttzncatz

I'm thinking about starting one blog for reading, one for knitting and crochet, one for beading and one for recipes.  Whew!  That's a bunch of blogging.  I will share patterns and titles of great books I have read and yummy recipes that I have tried or use frequently.  Are you interested?  If you are, start following me now so we can take this journey together. 

Goodnight from Muttzncatz's Place

Movin' Right Along.................

Got a new used tire on Saturday.  The tire is almost new and was only $30.00.  That's an OK deal since it only has to last until March or April.  On Sunday the cats were busy with their morning bird and squirrel watching.

The squirrels are to their right and the birds are to their left.  From left to right we have: Homer, Lamont, Tanner and Victor.  When a bird or squirrel gets close to them on the deck they flatten out like little fur pancakes.

I'll write more later ....this was just a quick update.

Knitting Smart

I love to knit and crochet.  I don't love spending a bunch of money on patterns and yarns.  Lion Brand yarns are priced  for the middle income people like most of us.    Even better is when they sponsor a knit along.  Here's their new one...come play with us!  I would wear this sweater.  I'll  have to knit in the computer room/office so the yarn doesn't entice any of the 10 little indians I live with.  The cats can't resist yarn any more than I can.

Is There Still A Debtor's Prison?

Our puppy Cherry, went to the vet with Midge today.  Midge got her blood tested for the Thyroid T4 numbers and got a Cortisone shot for her leg as well.  Cherry had X-Rays to make sure she didn't have kidney or bladder stones since she is having her second bladder infection in five months. Good news.....no stones in either place.  Bad news.....the bill for the two was $369.11.  Our credit card is getting sooo high. *choke* 

It's super expensive to rescue animals.  I just can't stand to see animals turned out to fend for themselves.  NOT ALL CATS CAN HUNT!  I can't stress that enough.  I've seen several cats that could not catch a bird or mouse to save their lives.  Those are the cats we rescue.  There are so many animals that need our help.  I wish I could open a no kill shelter for cats.  I would have a geriatric wing for them too.  Sort of like the progressive care/assisted living rest homes for the elderly.  As they get older and need more help they are moved into another wing of the facility.  We could have a visiting vet and a tech on duty 24/7.  There could be a play/exercise room too.  It's a dream but wouldn't that be wonderful?

I wonder if I could start a cartoon strip about these fur people?  I would have enough to write about with all the crazy personalities in this house.  So many of my friends tell me that all these cats are strange.  Hunter talks....he says hello, help and my room. That's just for starters.  Ming does a drum roll before he has a bowel movement.  His front feet go back and forth like he is digging only super fast and there's a beat to it. They use to have Friday evening meetings.  Before my husband's cat died (she was the alpha kitty) she would sit on a table and they would all gather in the room around the table.  The meeting would go on for around half an hour. I'll bet Stephen King would love to take that one into print. It was strange.

Baby Didn't Need New Shoes

I'm telling everyone my car got new socks this weekend.  I only had to have brake pads put on.  Unfortunately, my Son found out that I need a new tire.  Apparently when my car had a new front end put on (before we bought it) they didn't make sure that there was no rubbing going on in the wheel well on the passenger side.  So...that has to be addressed before I get a new tire.  It needs to be done soon because the threads are showing.

Midge is going to the vet tomorrow.  She's having a problem walking again.  I think she needs another cortisone shot.  She had one last year and it helped tremendously.  She also needs her yearly check up so she can have her meds for another year.  Her Thyroid will have to be checked as part of her checkup since she is on medication for that.  It seems that every month it's something more to spend money on that we don't really have.  I truly wish I could find a job that I could do from home.  We need the money for the cat's vet bills.

The cats seem to be partying every night.  I get up in the morning and there are all kinds of things on the carpet.  This morning there was a pencil, a Dot (candy) with black hair stuck all over it (HOMER), the table cloth was almost off the table, the throw rug in front of the door was in a wad with a catnip mouse hidden in it and someone must have ridden the cutting board from the kitchen island to the floor. Is that what they call hanging eight?

We're Having A Heatwave!

I can't believe that the weather here has gone from icy to almost 60 degrees F.  Now we're looking at 2 inches of rain this weekend.  Good grief!  There will be all kinds of flooding.  Since there isn't anything we can do about it...bring it on.  I think this is close to a pineapple express like we had in 1996 when we had major flooding in our area.  The weatherman says that some of the snow on Mt Hood is going to melt too.  This means, he says, it will be like 5 inches of rain.......yikes!  If it gets bad enough that we have to evacuate I do have enough pet carriers for the cats.  We had to leave in 1996 because we live next to a river.  He did say also that it should get back in a few days to more normal temperatures.

This weekend the brakes on my car need to be worked on.  My son, bless his heart, is going to fix the front brakes for me.  That way it won't cost so darn much.  He has been such a help to me the last few years.  I don't know what I would have done without him.  I think he realizes that I'm getting older and need him more now.  Whatever the reason, I thank God he's there for me.

The cats have their own special places to sleep.  I have several baskets with towels placed around the house for them.  Recently we bought one of those pillow pets (Bee) for Fina.  I put it in one of the baskets and now she only sleeps there.  The back of the couch is also a favorite place for some of the cats.  In the evening sometimes it looks like a long strip of fur on the top of the couch.  Three or four of the cats stretch out heads-to-butts and drape over the  cushions. I might add, the couch is covered with a king sized flannel bed sheet to catch flying hairballs and cling-ons.  Almost every piece of furniture is covered with something to keep from being ruined.  When you have ten cats and one dog you can't have anything nice, trendy, antique, priceless or God forbid, new!

Unimpressive Drizzle

No snow...no freezing rain, only drizzle and 47 degrees F when I got up this morning. No skating birds or squirrels on the deck. The cats seemed to be unimpressed with the weather too.  Only a couple of the die hard cats were at the slider gazing at the comings and goings of the wildlife.

I need to get back into my crafting (knitting, crocheting, cross stitching, beading and polymer clay)  I need to make a couple of pairs of wrist warmers for a friend in Hawaii.  Yes, I said Hawaii.  She's old like I am and if it gets below 60 degrees F she has joint pain and is freezing.  I can sure relate to that.  If it gets cold here (below 40 degrees F) I get the same pain.  I'm thinking the cats (the older ones) have a bit of the arthritis as well.  I know when it gets damp feeling or exceptionally cold here I make a fire in the fireplace and Midge and Ming are somewhere close to soak up the heat.  I almost made a fire today but just didn't have the time.  It isn't cold but certainly is damp.  The damp weather affects my Fibromyalgia so I personally would have felt better if I had started a nice toasty fire.

Soooo when will it snow here?  Is there a weatherman out there that knows when it's going to snow in the Northwest?  We still have through February so I'm still hoping.

Slicker Than Snot

I can't believe a snow storm has turned into an ice storm.  It started with sleet and then went to freezing rain.  It's supposed to be gone by the morning commute time but I don't see how.  We're holding at 30 degrees F and it's lightly raining.  What a bummer!  If it's still here in the morning the cats can watch ice skating birds and squirrels.  They might actually like the new twist to their daily bird watching.  Those Oregon Juncos will be entertaining on the deck.  The bush tits don't land on anything but the hanging suet so they aren't in the equation same as the Hairy Woodpeckers and Northern Flickers. Occasionaly a sparrow or wren will forage on the deck but it's mostly the Juncos that dominate the area.  One of these days I'll take a pictue of the cats doing their bird watching and I'll post it here.  They tend to line up at the sliding door and scrunch down like little pancakes so the birds can't see them (ya right)  That's like them hiding under the couch cover only their rumps are sticking out but they are sure they can't be seen. (ya right)
Cats are funny creatures aren't they?

Snow?

I love the snow.  For days now the local weather people have been talking about a storm that's on the way.  Now tonight they are saying it's not going to be a storm just a short event. grrrrrr!  I absolutely love to watch it snow.  So much for that I guess.  The cats are in awe when those fluffy flakes start to fall.   It's almost as big a sport as watching squirrel tales and birdie toes on the deck.  Maybe I should get my fur children some fish.  I'll bet most of them would be thrilled to fish tails to watch too.  I would have to put some sort of mesh over the top of the tank to keep them from fishing.

I'm learning to use my E-Reader more each day. The Nook is fantastic.  It has a dictionary, shows you color book covers and you can purchase a book from anywhere there is a strong cell phone signal or if you have a wifi connection.  The only drawback is that you can't always buy books before they are released like you can with a hardbound book.  I would love to purchase the new Diane Mott Davidson ,"Crunch Time" novel that is coming out April 4th....... but there is no sign of it yet in Nook format.  I had to go to Barnes and Noble to download an update for it because I can't get my password right on my wifi connection.
Apparently you can only download if you are on a wifi connection not a cell phone one.

Santa's put away, time to look forward to Valentines day.  What am I saying?  I get nothing for Valentines day.  It would be wonderful to be in love again......maybe I'm too old and wrinkled.  When I look in the mirror I see my grand mother....Oh-my-God!  I look like an old Native American.  I'm not sure if I was my husband that I would get me a bouquet of flowers either.  I'll quit with the boo hooing now.

Oh hey.......I should try a snow dance!

Santa Is Still Staring At Me!

My five foot Santa is still standing in the dungeon waiting to be put in his box.  Ya know how sometimes it's just a pain to put away the last little bits of stuff from the holiday?  That's where I am right now.  I can't make myself go into that room, get his box down and put him away.  It's going to bug me until I get it done too.  Oh well......maybe tomorrow?

We are suppose to have a Wintery Mix on Wednesday morning.  The weather people here never sound an alarm before we get anything bad.  That's probably because it's hard to predict the weather in this area.  The weather systems seem to shift suddenly and go elsewhere.  Sometimes when we aren't expecting anything bad the system shifts and we get a bunch of snow dumped on us.  It should be interesting to see what's going to happen.

The cats have been resting since the New Years eve celebration.  The youngest one (Homer) is playing with all the toys that were in everyone's Christmas stockings but everyone else is resting.  I came out of the bedroom this morning (the cats are not allowed in the bedroom) and it looked like they had a party of their own.  A coffee table book was on the floor, the swivel rocker was turned around facing the bedroom door, one of them had thrown up in three different spots on the carpet, The stereo is in a cabinet and the door to it was standing open and one of them peed over the side of the NEW kitty box onto the floor.  We replaced the old kitty box the day before because the cats were doing the pee over the side thing.... so we got one that was a bit higher in the front.  DIDN'T WORK!  I'm at my wits end.  I don't know how to stop that behavior.  Any suggestions?

The Party's Over

So much for celebrating the New Year.  It was fun last night ....I even won a couple of Yahtzee games.  That's unusual for me.  Today we took the tree down and drug it to the curb so it can be picked up on Monday.  Tomorrow we take down the outside lights and decorations.  Thank God the weather is at least dry.  It's a bit nippy, but dry (with the wind chill it's about 27 degrees). 

I'm so proud of the cats...not one of them sprayed or climbed the tree.  That's amazing to me.  One of them (Lamont) acted a couple of times like he was spraying the table we had the tree on but when I checked, he hadn't.  I think everyone in the house is happy to have everything back where it belongs.....I know I am.  I still have to put our five foot Santa back in his box but all else is stowed away until next year.  This year I didn't have as much to put away since I didn't take out my Snowman collection. That's at least another three boxes of stuff to pack and store.

All in all,  I think this holiday season was wonderful and I wouldn't change a thing.... except maybe the death of our neighbor a few days before Christmas.  We're thinking about you Joe, go into the light,  God's waiting for you.
Happy New Year Everyone!