Camelama

Floof in the yard

Phoebe accompanied me for an evening out in the yard yesterday, and her floofiness was quite floofy.

My cat has WINGS!

 

Phoebe attempted to stalk me. Doesn't work well, hon, in short mowed grass. And when you're 10 pounds of floof.

 

God Jul Och Ett Gott Nytt Ar!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

Here are the images from my Christmas card this year...

 

Phoebe in a sunbeam nap, with Christmas bows (not sticky-backed!)

 

Me with a couple of Olympic (Vancouver 2010) Mounties, from my trip to the Olympics!

Fascination

 

 

Phoebe is *fascinated* by the bushes in the neighbor's yard. She will sit for hours, staring at the bushes. Whenever I check, there's nothing in those bushes... maybe in the past, there was something incredible in there, and she's never forgotten?

Chin scritches

Bliss.

Winter floof

 

NOAA and local atmospheric scientists are predicting a very very cold, very wet, long, dark winter.

I was ready to believe them, but the cat's prediction sealed the deal.  She's put on about 20 pounds of pure floofiness.

She's HUGE. She's not fat - underneath that all, she's svelte and trim. But even her *forehead* is floofy this fall... I think she knows winter is going to be a long haul.

You can see her furry forehead in this sun-lit photo:

That's all forehead floof lit up there, not side floof. She is all about insulation this year.

Forewarned is forearmed - I have snow shovel, thingees to strap on my boots to walk on the ice, walking stick, lots of canned goods, etc etc. Oh yes, and extra cat food and litter, that's for sure!  I plan on being ready for power outages and heavy snowfall!

After all, if the cat is prepared, I can't be slacking off!

Catch up part 3!

Of course, more cat pictures:

 

 

 

I did a One Tiny Scientific Thing craft swap, and got this incredible little field journal from my wonderful partner "loves2experiment".

 

 

Catch up!

Ok, let's go - about a month of stuff to talk about.

Crafty!

For a Frugality craft swap, I made a tote with ties as handles and a waterbottle holder out of ties, good ways to use up the ties the men in your life don't want any more!

 

I've been doing a lot of reading, though it does get difficult sometimes:

 

Lots of cat time:

 

I enjoyed the early Spring we had, before Mayvuary and Junovember struck:

 

More in the next post, this is getting photo-heavy....

It's a round-up, pardners...

A round-up of everything I haven't been blogging about lately... well, first, why no blogging. The death of my brother David in December was troubling more than I'd realized - the sadness kinda snuck up on me when I wasn't looking, when I was being angry with him and upset with him. So for  long time here, I haven't wanted to do much talking to anyone. The cat and I holed up for a couple months and basically hibernated. With more sun, longer days, and spring bursting out all over ... I guess I started coming out of my shell recently.

My friends have been a great help to me during this time, from Jennie keeping me fullspeed at work, and Sonja distracting me with all sorts of social activities, and Andy going out to dinner a lot (and even paying sometimes, woo hoo!).

Another big help has been my floofy cat, who just wants petting and lovin' and salmon treats.  Oh yes, and the ribbon pulled under the blankets occasionally.

Could YOU say 'no' to this feline?

 

Or these fuzzy paws?

"More please!"

So, I have a few events to catch up on here - the annual birthday ferry trip, latest craft projects, books, etc. More to come soon!

So much to catch up on!

Ok, how about a bunch of cat photos to start off with?

 

My next post will be about my big adventure I had!

Seven Days of Specialness

One of the blogs I read, Domesticali, ran a "Seven Days of Specialness" swap and I joined. I had some troubles making items for my partner, as my concentration seems to be shot lately due to the recent deaths of loved ones. I just can't settle down and DO something, I feel all drifty and floaty and flitty. I haven't been able to manage even a blog post - twitter seems to be about all I can handle these days, 140 characters.

But oh, the specialness I received!!  I'm so spoiled. My partner Sonya really hit the bullseye with her items, because not only were they items I liked, they are specifically styled the way I like - I just adore it all.

Today was Day 1, and my special item for day 1 is: A lovely warm gorgeous cowl!  (Photographed in the box it came in, otherwise the cat was *ALL OVER IT* - wanting to lick it and sit on it!)

 

I *LOVE* it, as it is a big *tall* cowl, it's a big circle so it doesn't choke me, and I can shape it and use it in so many ways. I can keep the furnace off all evening if I wear this at home!  :)

 

I am going to have a very special week with the things my partner sent, oh such lovelies!

And of course i have more cat photos to share.  Of course.

Here's Phoebe in her floofy poofball pose - she tucks all four paws/legs under her, and her tail, and somehow poofs herself out extra poofy (can you tell I like the words poofy and floofy?!).

  

Here are a couple calendar cat poses - she's entranced by the gang of bushtits in the tree, out the living room window, at twilight.

And here's the little charmer in the sun again, right before she decided to squirm and wiggle her way into my fabric stash pile next to her, and take a nap in the middle of it!

God Jul och Glad Nyåren

Or: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Sincerely, me and the cat.

 

Sunday Sunbeam

 

Phoebe and I spent most of today napping in the sun.  Recovering from bronchitis is taking a lot longer than I expected, and the latest windstorm really stirred up all the dust, pollen, and mold - so it's as if I took a leap back in health.  Coughing so much the neighbors are commenting.

I hope that a full day of rest today in our weak winter sunshine, cozy under blankets and my boiler-furnace of a cat, will help me move forward in health again.  I have a full week coming up, I need all the energy I can get!

Last sunbeam nap for a while...

We had our last sunbeam nap for the season a few days ago.  It's now rainy every day, and the few sunbreaks we get aren't worth much in warmth - just enough to cheer the soul, not heat it up!

So this nap's happiness will have to last her for a while...

 

I know I promised crafts and giveaways, but life got busy on me. Hoping with things calmed down a bit, this next week lets me catch up on projects and get some stuff up for you to win!

SUN!

During the summer, the sun is too high for really good sunbeam action in the house. But the fall and spring are prime beam times, so we've been busy lately napping in them while they last.

Lots of action next week on the blog, crafts to share, giveaways, patterns, oh boy! Excitement! Or, um, not. But hey. At least lots of posts.

Catnap

I'm spending today getting caught up on paperwork, filing, emails etc. The cat is catching up on naps.

Safe haven

While I whirlwind around the house on a cleaning binge this weekend, the cat has found the one safe place:

Tidied herself away into a box and stayed there for hours. She went right back in again this morning when I started mopping the kitchen floor.

UFF DA. MELTING.

The NOAA weather service forecast.  Oh. My. GOD.  98 today 100 tomorrow.  99.  Hey, only 90 on Friday, what a relief!

I can't even THINK I'm so hot. Even about stupid little things, like, is today trash day or not? I've only been here 11 years in this house, I should know when trash day is. I'm reduced to eating Saltines and putting my head under the faucet every hour or so.

Because of course there's no air conditioning - it's Seattle! It doesn't get hot here!

UFF. DA.

The neighbor's cat has been following the shade up and down the driveway all day:

Poor Stinky.

My cat has been like this most of the day:
Inside the dark infinitesimally cooler house, dozing in the heat, keeping an ear out for sounds of dogs or trash trucks coming down the street (the screen door is open to try to catch even more of a breeze).

Baked Cat

My insane cat has been insisting on going outside, sprawling out in the sun, and baking herself in the 90+ degree heat and blazing sun.

After an hour or so, she comes back inside ... and wants to CUDDLE.  Aieeee, hot sweaty gravel-y cat! Plastered against already-hot-and-sweaty me!  Nooooo.

Starting the roll:

Over:

Over:

Oomph - almost there!

Done!

She was then ready for a couple hours of baking in the sun.

And as I type, she has plastered herself against me, shoving her hot little sweaty furry body up against my leg.  I love you, cat, but nooooooo!

And the pyrotechnics begin....

We are not amused.

Lovely Day

Gorgeous day today - the excessive heat is gone, and we're back to perfect Seattle spring weather: sunny yet cloudy, good breeze, and everyone happy.

I went outside to read for a bit.  Took a blanket, a book ("Pigeon Post" by Arthur Ransome - a children's book that still pleases me long into adulthood, as do all of his books in the Swallows & Amazons series), and of course I took the cat.  She's been going crazy with the screen door lately so accompanying her oustide is the least I can do for her.

Oh yes - and we have Wildside Salmon snacks. I give her these whenever she comes running back to me when I call her.  These days I can call her name once and she comes from wherever she was, immediately, and even comes back inside the house. She really really REALLY likes these.

We lay in the shade of my gorgeous birch tree...

It shades the whole side yard and makes even the hottest day liveable, when stretched out beneath it. Peeking into the photo is my little apple tree - last year it had two apples.

*Someone* was extra cute this afternoon:

 And here she is getting into the picture when I was trying to photograph how the quilt is tied together:

This little faux-quilt was made by my mother about 30 years ago, for me to take to summer camp. We picked out a cheater material that already looked like a patchwork quilt:

Mom got yellow material that matched and we sewed two pieces of the top and two pieces of the bottom together to make the resulting blanket a bit wider, then sewed two long front and back pieces together. There's no batting inbetween the layers, I didn't need warmth from this - just coverage. Then in the middle of every large flower, Mom and I stitched a piece of red yarn through and tied in a knot on top:

I can remember sitting and tying these knots with Mom, debating how long to make each piece of yarn. These days they're just little yarn nubbins, they're so worn and washed and used.

I'm not sure how I'll patch this, I need a 6"x6" square and a 2"x2" square for two different rips. After that first summer, Mom patched one corner with the old 70's iron-on patch:

But that won't work for these larger portions:

The poor used worn spot, where you can see the backing...

Mom and I still joke about how we "made a quilt" all those years ago. We know it isn't really a quilt, it's just our silliness.

Thirty years later and I'm still using this blanket frequently. It went to summer camp many times when I was a camper, many times when I was a counselor. It went to the ranch in Wyoming with me, on numerous camping trips, to college dorm rooms and first apartments, cookouts on the ocean beaches, picnics on the shores of Puget Sound, and for many naps over the years it's covered myself or my friends. It deserves a really good patch so it can keep on blanketing for many years to come!

I need to start reading up on patching methods - this is 30 year old cotton material, soft and warn.

Big Happy Funtime Box

While I'm packing up and sorting out belongings (on a big minimizing kick - trust me, the living room is *insane*), I've had a little help from the cat.  And I mean, a little.

She keeps the boxes warm until I pack them:

She keeps me on my toes and alert by attacking me whenever I walk by:

And she keeps me entertained by pretending to be OH so innocent afterwards:

I couldn't resist.

Sheldon Stuff on my cat!

Phoebe was blissed-out on the kitty heating pad, and the buttons were next to the computer, and ... well, this happened.

Hours later, she's in the same position, zonkered out and snore-purring away happily.  The kitty heating pad is a wonder.

(That's Sheldon the webcomic, here - http://www.sheldoncomics.com/ - and those are some buttons featuring characters and sayings.  I do so adore the webcomic!)

The Cat

Happy Monday!

It's all sunshine and floofiness here today.

Moving slow today

Both the cat and I are moving very slow today.  She got 3 vaccinations yesterday, and had quite the traumatic day overall.  Utilities crews were outside the house all day tearing up the street to expose the lake underneath (major leak, luckily on THEIR pipes, and none of our house pipes!).  So that was hours of jackhammers, backhoes, trucks, pumps, etc making noise less than 20' from the living room.  Phoebe was a pancake under the couch all day until time for the vet visit.

She was quite the little lady - everyone at the office loved her, and so many compliments!  While we were waiting for the doctor, she got to wander around the exam room.  And half the exam took place on the floor!!  She was so calm, she even tucked her paws in and closed her eyes while the vet stroked her and we chatted.

Phoebe is 2 pounds overweight - yes, I spoiled her for a year.  :)  So we're cutting down on the treats, and ramping up the running playtime (sometimes she just sits there and wants me to pull the toy past her).

i got out the heating pad today and that helped her a lot, she stretched out for the first time today and really was able to finally relax - she'd been guarding her legs all morning, and only sitting in one pose.  So that was lovely - I could hear her purring from the next room!

As for me, well, I wiped out while taking out the recycling last night.  No injuries, just sore.  But the two of us together were kind of silly - she stood at the edge of the bed and mewed for me to come put her on the floor, but it hurt me to raise my arms, so I mewed while moving her!

The Cat and her mysterious ways.....

Walking past the front door today, I saw something out of the corner of my eye ....

Wait ... what's that?

A closer look:

Somehow, she got her Mr Squid (from Auntie Danie) into the handle of the water jug!   This is her favorite playing spot, right in front of the open door, where she can monitor the neighborhood and catch a breeze and also monitor the household.  Maybe she put him there for safekeeping?   Last week she left him outside in the rain.  The other night she stashed him in my yarn bin.  He leads quite the interesting life....

Tomorrow is the V. E. T. visit....

She sleeps so peacefully, snoring and with her head turned upside down.  Little does she know she will be put in the carrier and driven to the V. E. T. ....

(Just a regular yearly checkup, nothing is wrong with her.)

The Pawitude....

Just a bit o' floof between the toes.

One Year

The Cat has now lived with me for one year.  And, seeing as it's been a year, with no word from her previous owner regarding if she's wanted back or not, I'm going to consider her officially mine now.

As such, she's due for a name change.

She loves baking in the sunshine, and she likes flopping over in the moonlight on the kitchen floor.  She's goofy, loving, silly, smart, dumb, pretty, and makes the most annoying sounds when she "sings" to get me to open the door or use the feather toy. 

Because of these, I'm reminded of a few mythological goddesses, and a character from "Friends".

Thus, her new name, on her 1-year anniversary with me, is:

PHOEBE!

Fat Kitty Paws

The Cat attempts to take over ownership of the pillow...

Ahhh, FREAK OUT!

Evening?    Check.
Windy Out?        Check.
Raccoons rustling around outside scaring me? Check.
Fresh catnip in my toys?  Check.
Freshly Brushed?  Check.
FREAK OUT AND ATTACK THE CAMERA?  CHECK!

Purrrrr

The cat says: Happiness is sleeping in the sun on the couch.