Nighttime Thoughts

Tracy: July 1 was the six month anniversary of my mother's death. It's been rough, but I've managed, with the help of friends, co-workers, my pets and God, to survive. No matter what the future holds, that has to count for something, right?

Raja: Well at least she's not crying or pacing. I wish Mommy would go to sleep so I could do my nighttime routine: stroll along the back of the couch, manicure my claws on the carpet, drink out of the toilet bowl, nap in the bath tub, then jump on her to get petted.

Midi: I don't like i t when Mommy is sad. We cuddle and that makes her feel better. When I have to sleep in my cage I play with my water bottle, dump my pellet dish, kick wood chips ll ve the floor, and if I'm really bored, or the cat is getting too much attention, I shriek!!

Muffin: Used to cuddle; sit in front of the sliding glass doors and meow at the lizards and frogs;
and take a stroll across the coffee table. In the morning we'd find stuff awry and foootprints all over the formica.

Doing the Fagin Chomp

Hi! Yesterday I got in big trouble. I was in bed with Mommy. She was petting me, and giving me scritches, and telling me how beautiful I was. I was purring and purring. Only I guess I got a little over-excited, because the next thing I knew, I was doing the Fagin Chomp on her hand. She yelped and I went flying off the bed. It was only a little nip. I didn't bite down hard enough to do any damage. But boy, was she mad. I hid in the other room for the rest of the night.
I don't think I'll do that again..

-Raja

A New Thing Lives With Us...

A new Thing lives with us and I don't like it one bit. It's silver and lives in a black cage. It has a long black neck and three black feet. It make a zurrr noise. Its head swivels and it blows air. Mommy says that it's our friend, that it it will cool the air while using less electricity than the big wall blower. I say it's a monster that eats kitties. Why else is it's head in a cage? Mommy says tht Midi lives in a cage and she doesn't hurt kitties.... Okay, she has a point. But I still don't like it...
-Raja

Getting Settled

We're finally getting settled in our new house. Mommy is unpacking boxes and putting stuff away.I like empty boxes; they're fun to play in. There's less stuff on the floor, so Midi can run around more. Boy, can that rodent motor. She makes these purring and chut-chut noises too. She's a lot of fun.
Mommy is stil missing Granny and Muffin a lot. Her eyes get leaky and she makes those ee noises still. But she finally closed down the old apartment and put the remaining stuff in storage. That means she has more time to spend with us. It also means she is a little less sad.
I'll write more next time.

Raja

Mommy's Day

Last week I started calling the Lady mommy. It just slipped out. At first I thought I did something wrong, as her eyes got all leaky and she made that high-pitched eee sound. But she picked me up and hugged me and told me that she loves me, too. That made me so happy.
Today I wanted to show her how much I loved her. I brought her in this huge bug. It had six legs, wings and long wavy antennas. She was so happy that she screamed. But I don't know why she stepped on my nice present. Humans are strange sometimes...

Raja

Purraying for the Sherwoods

It's hard to imagine the agony ML is going through unless you've been there with a parent,child or spouse. We're so happy that this picture is history and Charley is on his way home. He has a rough road ahead of him. It'll be a rollercoaster for ML, too. They need our love ad prayers.

More News from Raja

Hi ! I thought I'd continue the story of my first days in my new ((sigh)) home. Ths is what I wrote in my journal:
The Lady is a messy housekeeper. This is a fun place, though. There are boxes to climb on and cupboards to climb into. I can race all around the place and it's okay!! And there are nice sliding glass doors to birdwatch out of. A few days ago I snuck out, but the Lady didn't get mad. I always allowed out before at my other houses. I know how to take care of myself.
I climbed the crepe myrtle tree in our yard. It was pretty bare of leaves, so I could survey my kingdom. I also was admired by the neighbors. A girl likes to hear nice things about her appearence. One lady even snuck me some food.
The Lady is real nice, even though she wishes I wouldn't go out so much. She pets me all the time and I purr. I love to purr. I think of her as Mommy, but I haven't got the nerve to call her that yet. I think I'm going to like it here.

Raja

Message for Muffin

Muffy,

Mommy loves you and misses you so much. You have my whole heart and always will. Please don't be upset about Raja. Midi and I were lonely without you and Granny. I decided to give a needy cat a home. She'll never replace you. I like having a cat to take care of, that's all. This is still your blog. I may change the name slightly, but that's all. I'm still going to post about you, my

big cuddly boy.

Love,

Mommy

Raja Speaks!!!

Hi efurryone. My name is Raja and I'm living with the Lady, Tracy, and the fluffy rodent, Midi. I hope people will read my blog like they read Muffn's. I know I have big paws to fill.
I came to live with the Lady about six weeks ago. I was in my cage ((shudder)) at the local animal shelter when a sad-looking lady with a blue cat carrier came in. I was a little surprised when the tech came and got me. I'd heard the lady asking about orange males and I'm a black and tan tabby with big green eyes. And I am most definately female. But I was carried to another room and dumped on a cold metal table. The lady petted me and I wanted a home so badly that I tried to crawl into the carrier! The tech picked me up and took me back to my cage (sob). They brought in Millie, another tabby who is a shameless flirt. I figued it was all over for me.
Then the next day the sad lady came back!!!! This time I was immediately put into the carrier. She gave the tech twenty-five green papers and we were out the door!!! I was so excited. The Lady and I rode a long retangular metal monster home. She said it was called a bus. The movement was quite soothing. Then we walked the rest of the way. That was bumpy as the Lady had me, a bag of food and a bag of litter to contend with. I was glad when we reached our destination- HOME.
I was s excited thatI raced all over the place, tail in the air, for the first two days. I only stopped long enough to knead the Lady and purr. I'm so happy to belong to someone again.
Until next time,
Raja

Rest in Peace

Hi. It's me, Midi. Mommy decidd to fill everyone in on what has happened. Granny died on New Year's Day. Mommy found her collapsed on the floor. She called 911 and the paramedics tried their best, but it was too late. Granny had suffered a massive heart attack.
The house was full of rescue personnel and men in green (sheriff's deputies). They made Mommy wait outside and I hid in my sack and peeked out occasionally. But Muffin, he saw it all.
It was horrible - Granny lying so still, the strangers walking around and Mommy outside crying.
We all miss Granny, but Muffin ouldn't handle the loss of another of his people. A long-time diabetic, he suffered acute renal failure and passed away on January 7.
Mommy wound up in the hospital after that. I stayed with a neighbor. She was a nice lady.Every time I squeaked she gve me lettuce. Squeak! Squeak!
Mommy is going to get a new kitty. Then we'll all share the blog.
Hope to be back soon.
Midi

Baby's First Fart !!!!

It's me, Muffin. I am so embarassed. I've always thought of myself as a gentleman. When I felt the urge to pass gas I'd quietly go into the other room. For all these years I behaved with the utmost decorum. Then last night it happened.. I tooted. Loudly and in the middle of the living room. All conversation stopped. The people stared at me. Then Mommy started to laugh... I was mortified. I ran into the closet and hid. How could I have done such a thing?
Mommy said it was a fitting tribute to the year 2008...

The Guinea Pig Takes Over !!

Hi! it's me, Midi, your friendly neighborhood guinea pig. Muffin is too sad about Jemima and Mr. Kelly to post so I get to talk. I'm so excited. I've always thought at I should have a blog too, but Mommy says no. She says she has her hands full. If she didn't spend so much time on Facebook... but I digress.

We just put up our Christmas bush. The cat keps standing up on his hind legs to sniff the lower branches. I don't know what he's looking for. It's not like when we had the really nice big tree.I hope he doesn't knock it over and break the pretty balls. He's klutzy sometimes.

Mommy went to see the Lipizzaner stallions perform. She said they were awesome. She was horse crazy when she was a kid and always wanted to see them. She as glad to get the chance. She said the horses performed like ballet dancers. Muffy thought that meant they wore pointy shoes. Silly kitty. When Mommy came home she smelled like horseys,sawdust and popcorn. We both sniffed her all over. I got so excited that I peed on her. Whoops. She wasn't happy about that.

Well that's all the news from here. We'll keep in touch.....

Midi

Socks, Jemima,Mr. Kelly, Timothy and Me

With the Clintons returning to Washington power positions I can't help wondering what became of Socks? The last thing I heard he was living with a former White House secretary. I know Buddy the misbehaving chocolate lab met his end in a car accident. I know Chelsea is all grown up and working. So how about an update on Socks? Maybe he could make appearences for the Obamas? We should start a petition....
My friend Jemima passed away. She was a quiet senior kitty who was much loved by her people and fur siblings. Her sisiter Tiger Lily isn't posting because they are moving, but I'm sure the family would appreciate our condolences...
My friend Timothy, Castle's brother, just turned fourteen. Iwant to wish him a happy B-Day and say thanks to his Meowmies for adopting an older cat. We senior kitties need love too....
Finally, I want to send get well wishes and gotcha day tidings to my friend Mr. Kelly. Feel better, my pal.
That's all for now.
Purrs, Muffy

What If You Do Something Wrong and Nobody Yells?

Hey Cats, I need your help here. What if you do something that you know is wrong and nobody yells? Yeterday my litter box was dirty so I crapped on the bathroom floor. Mommy saw it and had to know it was me. She hasn't said anything, though. Last time, when I had the clumping litter and pooped on the carpet, Mommy yelled. Then she pet me and said she understood. This time-nothing, and I left her a pile, too. This is creepy... What does it mean?

R.I.P. Winton

Mommy and I were sorry to here about the death of our friend Winton. He was a senior kitty, just like me, and fought so hard to survive. But his body gave out. He accepted his fate and passed away with dignity. We'll miss his sweet nature and soulful green eyes. Our deepest sympathies go to hs mommy and siblings. Rest in Peace, our friend.

Migraine Woes

Right now my mommy is recovering from a migraine. This is her second bad headache in less than a week. I try to help out when she isn't feeling well by cuddling with her and purring. No human can resist a warm purring kitty.
I stay next to her and telepathically calm her." Whatever is bothering you is unimportant compared to the furry love being shown by the creature next to you. The Halloween party at your job, that you really wants to go to, isn't for hours yet. You'll make it. Give the medicine time to work. You just need to breathe deeply. Smell the sweet aroma of my fur. Your eyes are getting heavy. What you're stressing about doesn't matter. Love me,pet me. I'm what's important. I'm here for you. Take a nap. That's better."
"Oh, and when you wake up, feeling much better, you'll get off your ass and feed me!!!!"

I Got My Litter Back!

It took two weeks and it was rough, but I got my litter back. My beautiful gray,blue and white gravel is sitting in my box just waiting for me to pee in, play with and scatter all over the house.

I knew Mommy wasn't happy with how long the clumping stuff was lasting, so I bided my time. When I saw that the container was getting empty I took a crap on the living room floor! It took awhile but it was an impressive pile. My bunghole hurts just thinking about it. Mommy took one look and shrieked louder than the guinea pig.

My beloved gravel was back the next day.....

I'm Very Upset

I think of myself as an easy-going fellow. I'm slow to anger and always willing to reward the humans with a headbutt or purr. I don't claw the furniture (much), I don't eat Granny's plants and I'm a good brother to the guinea pig.Yet how does Mommy reward this behavior ? She chang-chan - changed my litter!!
She took away my blue, white and gray gravel and replaced it with SAND. I know I track litter all over the place. I know I'm a diabetic cat with a very large bladder. I know the clumping litter is more economical. But if I wanted to pee in sand I'd go outside and irrigate Florida!!!
This situation simply must not continue. If he humans can demand soft and fluffy toilet paper than I can demand my old potty gravel back.
If my litter isn't returned to me then I'll have to do somthing drastic on the carpets.....

We're Back!!

We're back. Mommy got burned out from blogging, so we took a break. But we're ready to share our lives with everyone again.
Yesterday Mommy went to an Indian festival. Some people from India live in our apartment complex. I was worried that she would come back wearing a sari with a red dot on her forehead and a henna tatoo on her hand. Granny told me that Iwas being silly. She was right. Mommy looked like Mommy when she came home. She worked at the festival, handing out information on what materials on India could be found at the library. Her work was well-received so she was happy. She brought home a book, some shiny pamphlets that are fun to lay on, a mandala keychain and some chutney. She smelled like chicken and spices, but she didn't bring me home any of that. Oh well.
Today Mommy is at work. I'm in the window, watching my birds. When she comes home I want to check out that chutney stuff.
Bye

We're Glad Ike is Over

We haven't been around much lately. We're glad everyone made it through hurricane Ike. The Sherwoods got their electricity back and Hendrix and family survived the storm that hit Cincinnati. Who would have thought that a hurricane could strike Ohio? I hear Bendrix enjoyed the power outage, though. He wasn't going to a miss the chance to scratch the carpets.
A couple of people asked about sterno. Sterno is our friend. It's like candle wax and comes in different sized cans.Some of the cans are small like FancyFeast and others look like two large cans of tuna placed one on top of the other. Sterno can be found in hardware, camping, sporting goods and restaurant supply stores. Some grocery stores carry it in the aisle with the matches and charcoal. The bigger the sterno Sterno is can, the longer it burns. Sterno is what restaurants put under chafing dishes at buffets to keep the hot food hot. It works.
Hurricanes in general are a nusance. To all who suffered, we feel your pain. All we can do is pray that the rest of the season is a quiet one.
Till next time, Muffy

Hurricane Hints

We interrupt this blog to offer advice to those of our friends undergoing a hurricane or other significant weather event:

• To heat water and food build a sterno stove. Take a can of sterno, which is what people use to heat chafing dishes at buffets. Take two equal- sized coffee mugs and turn them upside down one on either side of the sterno. Then take the grill from a toaster oven or hibatchi and place it on top of the mugs. It should make a bridge over the sterno. Then follow the lighting directions on the can of sterno.
• My humans heat water for coffee, tea and soup and cook Chef Boyardi crap over the sterno. Other things that can be heated over it include baby formula, Dinty Moore beef stew,corned beef hash, and Pop Tarts
• Be sure to buy bottled water or fill jugs with tap water prior to the storm. That's in case the water gets contaminated and you can't drink it.
• Tuna fish is good warm and right out of the can. Be sure to share with the feline family members.
• Stock up on flashlights and batteries beforehand. You won't find any in the stores once the storm hits.
• Some people use bags of kitty litter to stop minor water seepage. This is bad news for us kitties. Stock up on litter or we may create our own indoor flooding.
• If you do have to evacuate, don't forget to take the kitties.
• Pry and purr. The people get a little frantic during thse storms.

Purrs, Muffin

Gotcha Day Update

For Petey ,Stormie and Texas. Cure lymphoma now !!!!

I'm very lucky. I was able to celebrate another Gotcha Day. I think of my friends who weren't as

fortunate. I memory of Petey, Stormie and Texas, and in honor of my mommy, who s a lymphoma survivor, I pledge to contribute to the fight against cancer. I'll be sharing a plan on my blog soon.

Except for the feather boa and pointy hat that Mommy made me wear, my Gotcha Day was great. Mommy made cupcakes for the humans and gave me a can of Fancy Feast with a candle in it. I also got nip, toys and a mylar balloon to watch. I felt very loved.

Till next time,

Muff

My First Photo & Gotcha Day

Here is a photo of me. It's small and blurry, but you can see how handsome I am. Also Saturday is my Gotcha Day. Stop by and say hello!!!

Tropical Storm Fay and Onyx the Miracle Mare

Well, we survived tropical storm Fay. We were lucky. We got wind and heavy rain,which resulted in minor street flooding. We also had several tornados Monday night. One of them hit in Wellington, only 15 minutes from where we live. The tornado hit an equestrian complex. It blew away a sheet metal barn and damaged other buildings and nearby houses.
Incredibly, there was a horsie, Onyx, in the barn that was destroyed and she escaped without a scratch. The humans found her amidst the rubble, standing in her intact stall, patiently waiting for someone to come get her. God was truly looking out for her. There were two horsies in another barn. They got loose but they didn't like being out in that mess and were easily rounded up.
The people in Port St. Lucie got it really bad. They have extensive flooding and many homes are damaged. Please keep them in your purrayers.
I'm glad the storm is over The wind and the rain were scary but I was a good guard cat and protected my humans. Thank you all for your purrayers and concern.
Purrs Muffy

Condolences

We want toextend our deepest condolences to the family of Violette Noelle. She left us far too soon. We also want to express our sympathy to the familes of our friends Neelix and Felix. May they all rest in peace.

Muff-Alympics

Since my mommy is a big fan of the Olympics I decided to award my own gold medals:

-for Terrorizing A Vet- the gold medal goes to Hendix/Bendrix. He hisses,
he claws , he scatches, kicks and bites. The veterinary staff takes one look and
hides. Cats everywhere look to Mr.H. for guidance on How to Make the Vet
Suffer as Much as I Do.

- for Synhronized Peeing - the gold medal goes to BJ ,Sol And Smokey. Mommy ML took
them to the vet in three sepaate carriers. On the way
home they peed simultaneously, aiming out of the carriers. Such talent. Such precision.

- for Ruling Her Household With an Iron Paw- the gold medal goes to Grr. Whether chasing
her fellow felines or alternatively hugging and clawing her humans Grr rules the Chavez
household.We can all learn from her example.

Purrs Muffy

I Was Attacked by a Garbage Can

Call the police! I was just attacked by a garbage can. I was sitting on the arm of Mommy's chair
and decided to jump down. Her wastebasket fell on top of me. There were wadded up balls of paper that fell all over, sticky candy wrappers that clung to my fur, orange peels and pencil shavings. I got all dusty and dirty and Mommy had to rinse me off. All because of that evil garbage can.
Call me a lawyer. I may sue.

MadCat Monday

I am mad. Mommy and Granny went out to breakfast at McDonald's and they didn't bring me anything. Aren't I a part of this family? Don't I get to sample what they eat? Then they went shopping for two hours.That's almost all day. I was stuck in the house with the guinea pig. Okay,
so cats aren't allowed in the stores. And I don't like to go to strange places. But they still left me
alone. I want to be compensated. I want some extra treats.

Cold Box Meme

Hi! Mommy's still sad about Maria's death. We apreciate everyone's condolences. So does her family. They think kitty blogging is cute.
I got tagged for the Cold Box Meme by my good buddy, Castle. Our cold box is covered with magnets. Mommy collects them. We have other metal doors in the house and they have magnets on them too. This tends to annoy Granny. On the cold box are the following:
4 orange kitty magnets
1 black & white cat
1 shark
1 tropical fish
1 of Renoir's painting, Luncheon of the Boating Party
1 Gone With the Wind movie poster
1 Coca-cola polar bear
1 of a raccoon family
1 camel (Mommy's college's mascot)
magnets from Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Palm Beach, New York City, Vermont and Foxwoods Casino.
1 magnet from Penticton, BC
1 magnet shaped like a bunch of grapes that Granny hates.
1 clip holding coupons

Inside the cold box are milk and my stinky goodness. Yum yum.
Purrs, Muffy

We Miss You, Maria

We're furry sad. Mommy's friend Maria passed away suddenly. She was only in her mid-forties.
Maria was smart, funny and pretty. She was good at her job, was involved in a stable relationship, and was loved by many people. She also gave great scritches. We feel terrible about her death. To celebrate her life, lets hug those we hold dear.((HUG))

Fifth of July

I hope eveyone had a happy 4th of July. Mommy had a migraine, so instead of going out she stayed home with me and watched the fireworks on tv. I was happy because towns in three directions were letting off boomies and I really didn't like the noise. Plus our moron neighbors were letting fireworks off all night long. The worst were the high-pitched whiny ones that went on forever. They hurt my ears and caused al the woofies in the complex to start barking. I was happy to cuddle with Mommy. She wasn't too upset about staying home because a few days ago she'd gone to the early fireworks in Delray Beach.
Today it's yucky out so she's cleaning and doing laundry. I head someting about a bath. I hope she isn't planning one for me!!!

Pawdicure Blues

I don't get it. These humans obviously value long fingernails. Granny is always manicuring and polishing hers. So then why do they clip my claws? Don't they know that a security guard mancat needs his weapons of mass destruction? How am I supposed to subdue an intruder with short stubby nails? How am I supposed to catch lunch? Just because I walked on Mommy's face and clawed her eyelid is no reason to punish me. I didn't do it on purpose. I'll show them though.
Next time she can kill her own bugs.

My Job as Security Guard

Like all cats I occupy many roles. My main job lately has been that of night security guard. Since Grampy died it is my job to guard the apartment aganst all enemies foreign and domestic. Each
night I make hourly patrols to make sure no lizards, mice, burglars or other cats have invaded our territory. Then I hunt down and kill all bugs. Finally, when the boomies and flashing lights are going on, I sit in the window and meow at the storm. I tell it to stay outside and not hurt my people. All this work is exhausting, though, so when daylight comes I curl up for a long nap. I take my job seriously and need to be fresh for the next night. A guard kitty's work is never done.....

R.I.P. Stormie

Our hearts are breaking,
Our eyes are leaking.
We love you, Stormie.
Rest in peace, our furry friend.

Swap N Tails 2

I'm so excited. I got a package all the way from Canada. It was from my Swap N' Tails buddy,
Kellie the Orange Cat and her mom, Shelly.My presents came wrapped in a little red bag with .a green fabric ribbon. I like that ribbon. I got Temptations, mice, a nip pillow, a yellow ball and a fevver ball. I never had a fevver ball before. I love everything.
Mommy got some nice presents, too. She got box of matches with a kitty on it. When the matches are gone the box becomes a placque. She got some gum, a yellow photo album and a souvenir magnet. She loved her gifts, too.
Thank you Kellie and Shelly.

Help Thy Neighbor

An eldely man in Hartford was hit by a car. As he lay in the street, bleeding, cars swerved around him and pedestrians kept on walking. No one stopped to help. It makes us ashamed to be from Connecticut.
Florida has its faults,but at least down here, if someone is sick or hurt, people will stop to help. If television stations or newspapers feature stories on people or animals in need, donors will step forward. It's a pleasant change.
On this, the 64th anniversary of D-Day, we should pause and think what would have happend all those years ago if no one had volunteered to help.....
Purr, Muffy

Two Poems

My allergies are better. I'm almost done with the yucky medicine and the air here is clear again, so we can sit outside on the porch. Mommy just joined this group whose members write a poem or haiku once a week. She found out about it from Gandalf & Grayson's mom. Since she refers to herself as a member of Crappy Poets Anonymous this should be interesting. She's mainly doing it to improve her eye for detail. Here's her first effort:

A Reflection on My Cat

A shaft of sunlight
slashes through the
venetian blinds.
A pool of yellow light
rests upon the hardwood
floor.

My fat orange cat
waddles into the circle of
yellow. He curls in to a ball,
scrunches his eyes shut and purrs.

Common light becomes special
when enveloping
a loved one.


Here's my first effort:

I sneezed twelve times in a row.
The Man thought it was funny.

I wiped snot all over his shoe.
Who's laughing now?
Hehehe
.
Purrs, Muffy

The Serial Sneezer Strikes Again

Achoo! My allegies are acting up. I'm congested and get these sneezing fits. I'll sneeze ten times in a row. My eyes get all watery and my poor little nose gets sore. This happens every year at this time. Mommy took me to the V-E-T. He stole some of my blood, stabbed me, and gave me some yucky medicine to take. I hate taking medicine.
I've been napping a lot. Mommy and Granny have been fussing over me. Today Mommy called from work to talk to me and Granny snuck me some treats. Mommy didn't even get mad when I sneezed a bunch, then wiped my nose on her blouse. I know I'll feel better in a day or two.
Unti lthen, take care.

Thursday Not-Quite-Thirteen

A few projects my mommy is working on :

1. Her writing project on the Pilgrims. After a lengthy hiatus she's back on the job. She' s found
new sources of information, which always makes her happy.
2. Her genealogy research. Right now she's concentrating on her great-great grandfather,
Lazar Loeb. He settled in Mississippi before the Civil War. She's finding new info and really
enjoying it, too.
3. She's crocheting me a new blanket. A kitty can never have enough blankies.
4. Vacuuming. Someone tracks litter all over the house.
5. Going through her books and getting rid of some. Ouch!
6. Cleaning the house. I try to be as much help as possible.
7. Cleaning the porch. We haven't been able to do this as the smoke from the wild fires has
made the air smell bad.
8. My six word meme from Hendrix:

Feed Me.
Pet me.
Love me.

Purrs, Muffy

Springtime in Florida

We don't have too many seasonal variations here in south Florida. It was 80 dgrees in Febrauary and it's 89 degrees out now. The flowers are blooming again and that means birds, bees and butterflies. I like to curl up on my porch and watch the show. One of the best things about spring is the lizard babies. There were several onthe porch. They like the bugs, too. One of them ate a big fat juicy caterpillar. He was so excite about his meal that he forgot to be cautious.Then I ate him.....M-mm, good.
Happy Mother's Day to all the mommys out there.

Mad Mancat

Meow! That's what I've been saying to Mommy all weekend. Meow as in " Hello" and meow as in "Goodbye". On Friday she worked, then went out to this music fest. On Saturday she worked at the music fest. On Sunday she worked at the library and today she worked all day too. I'm feeling very neglected. I want some pets, some scritches, some treats. I've spent quality time curled up on the couch next to Granny, but it's not the same. I want my Mommy and I want her now!!!

Purraying for Stormie

Our friend Stormie and her meowmie Linda need our purrayers. Stormie's lymphoma has returned. She is undergoing chemotherapy, but her prognosis is uncertain. The cat blogosphere worked together to convince GOD to work one miracle- the rescue of MuShue, Lilly Lu and Iris.
Let's work together to convince Him to work number two: a remission for Stormie. We love you, Storm.

Food Facts

Mommy's been really busy with work and the holidays. I've had lots of chicken to eat. Midi likes the matzoh, but I think it tastes like cardboard. The gefilte fish is good, but I'm not allowed to have any. Last year I ate some, then threw up. Mommy had to stop in the middle of the seder to clean it up. Instead, ths year I got tuna in juice. I love tuna. When it's served in juice Mommy calls it my "Slurp and Burp" special.
The birds are busy building nests and then caring for their babies. Mommy's been putting out bread, matzoh and fruit for them. They are eating like crazy. We have to fill our feeders twice a day to keep up with them. I don't want my friends to go hungry.
That's all for now. We'll post again soon.

Thursday Thoughts

We're so thankful that Mama Laura and her three cats survived the apartment fire and were reunited. It truly was a miracle. MuShe, Lilly Lu and Iris, we're purraying for you to recover quickly from the trauma. We hope the other beans and pets from the building are reunited as well....
Mommy is busy making matzoh balls. She and Granny are preparing for Passover, which starts this weekend. They weren't going to have a seder, but Mommy changed her mind and decided to go ahead with it. That means there will be lots of good things to eat....
Mommy was really amazed that a simple FYI comment could be misconstued by so many people....
Miz Allie Cat tagged us for the book meme. I took the nearest book, turned to page 123, read down five lines and now am quoting the next three:"Organize fairly and try, he urged, "And I will ensure your success. Indeed, they can by no means refuse you. You have as good a right to choose how you shall be governed." The patriot Dr. Thomas Young was speaking to an audience of Vermonters who wanted to form a colony of their own. In colonial America, Vermont was governed by New York and New Hampshire. The book the quote is from is The Old Revolutionaries by Pauline Maier.
I tag anyone who hasn't been tagged.

Swap N Tails

I recently took part in a gift exchange calld Swap N' Tails. It's organized by Miz Allie Cat's mom, Debb. I sent gifts to my friends the Meezers and their mom, Mary. I received a box of gifts from a lady named Cathy Ch in North Carolina. I got a bag of Whisker Lickin's. They are soft and moist, and very tasty. I also got a pretty knitted square that I use as a pillow. I may be a ferocious mancat but I love pillows and blankies. My mommy got fleece booties, a notepad, some cat stickers, a discount card and some coffee. We enjoyed our package very much and will be participating again soon. Check outiz Allie Cat's blog for the Swap N' Tails link.

I Went to the Vet-UGH!!!!!

Yesterday I went to the vet. Here are five ways that I made the trip enjoyable for my Mommy:

1. I yowled all the way there. Hey, how would you like to jammed into a plastic prison box? Not to mention having to endure a trip in the metal monster. It felt like I was held prisoner for hours.

2. Then I refused to come out of my carrier. The vet and Mommy had to drag me out. I knew where I was. I knew they are going to stab me. Why make the process easy ?

3.They stabbed me and took some of my blood. I squirmed and meowed as much as I could. Before that they rubbed alcohol on my paw. I tried to lick it off. Blech!!

4.The vet wanted to see me walk because I've been limping slightly. I preferred to sit down and lick my private parts.

5. On the way home I peed all over the carrier. It's plastic. She'll wash it.

Purring for Purim

Yesterday was Purim. It commemorates Queen Esther's saving the Jews of Persia. It is not, contrary to Sen. John McCain's belief, a Jewish Halloween. Some people do dress up and parties are held, but the holiday is a celebration of survival. We all survived Mommy's attempt at baking.
The baked foods served include hamentaschen, pasties stuffed with raisins and jelly and shaped like tri-cornered hats. Every year Mommy attempts to make them and every year they come out wrong. This time they were more like isoceles triangles. She used roll-out dough but just couldn't shape them right. At least this year she didn't set off the smoke detector. The little hats were tasty, though and I learned some new swear words while snoopervising her.
Oh, Mommy's keys are back home. Some honest person turned them into the bus driver. She just had to go down to headquarters and claim them.

St. Patrick's Day Blues

Happy St. Patrick's day. It wasn't for Mommy. She went to an Irish music festival downtown. She had a good time until some guy bumped into her and spilled beer down her pants. Then she lost her keys for real. She thinks she left them on the bus. We'll know tomorrow. She was so upset she had a panic attack. Then when she got home Granny yelled at her for leaving her alone. Then they had a fight over the keys. Now they are not speaking......
Oh, Mommy stuck me in a shamrock scarf and took pictures.UGH!

Tuesday Thoughts

Whenever Mommy leaves the house to hunt or shop I get nervous. She tells me that the bad man who did the shooting is dead. But there are other bad men who do similar things. One dies and another takes his place. I don't like this. Humans can be so hateful.
Mommy tells me not to worry. She's been struggling with migraines, though. I think part of it's due to the shooting and part is because she misses her father and the Man. I don't miss the Man,
even though his pants were good to sharpen my claws on.
I try to be a good kitty. Hopefully Mommy will feel better soon. Until then we'll be cuddling a lot.
Take care.

Gunfire at Wendy's

A terrible thing happened here yesterday. A man dressed in a business suit and baseball cap entered a Wendy's restaurant, pulled out a gun and started shooting. By the time he was through one man was dead and four people were wounded. The murdered man, Ray Vazquez, was a Royal Palm Beach firefighter. In town for a training seminar, he seized the chance to have lunch with his wife and their four year old son. He was at the counter, exchanging a toy that came in hs son's kiddie meal, when he was shot at point blank rage.

The four people wounded were an elderly couple, a teenage girl and a visiting airline pilot. The girl's mother was injured in the subsequent stampede. The killer shot himself after fumbling for more ammunition. Medical helicopters rushed the injured to local medical centers. They're expected to survive.

We're sickened by this. It's soo, so sad.

Leap Year Post

Hi! I just wanted to post on February 29th. This may be my only chance. Nothng much is new here. The Man is leaving tonight for several weeks. He and Mommy were going to have a romantic "dinner". She was home early. She got her period. So much for the romance.
She is not a happy woman......

Tee-hee- hee....

My Favorite Things Part #1

These are a few of my favorite things:

1. My family. Being homeless, then being dumped twice was awful. I'm so glad I found my
furrever family. I love my Mommy, my Grampy, my Granny and my fur sisiter Midnight. I miss my Grampy so. Mommy said he didn't want to go away and leave us; he died. I still don't understand.

2.My bed. It's a huge rectangular pillow. It's soft and cuddly and made of flannel. On top of it are my blankies. They were supposed to be panels in an afghan that mommy was crocheting, but I commandeed them.

3.My food bowl. It may look like a teal plastic bowl to you,but it's love and security to me.

4. My litter box. A mancat's toilet is a very important part of his castle.

5. My new plastic coffee can. It's full of my toys, my fevver wand, my comb, my flea comb and my brush. When I want attention I knock it over and Mommy goes through the items till she finds which one I want.

Purrs, Muffy

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to all our kitty and human friends. We love getting to know you all.
Mommy is going out to dinner with the Man and she promised to bring me home a treat. That should make up for the fact that she made me wear a pink bandana with red hearts on it. Hey, I'm a boy cat. Wanna see my turkey thermometer? Even if I do look handsome in pink and red,
I hate being dressed up like a girl cat. The guinea pig had the right idea. Mommy stuck a pink bow in her fur and Midi ate it.
Purrs, Muffy

Weekend Human Blogging

Tracy, Muffin's Mommy here. We have Weekend Cat Blogging, how about Weekend Human Blogging? We take over our cat's blogs and speak for ourselves? I want to thank Ben,Lucy and Toni for giving us the You're So Special Award. I'll try to display the badge soon. Mainly, I want to reassure everyone that Muffy's inappropriate pooping incident is totally fogiven. He's receiving his usual ration of hugs, cuddles and scritches. We'll post again soon.

Mommy Went to the Fair and I Took a Crap on the Bedroom Floor

Mommy went to the County Fair with The Man. She came home smelling of hotdogs, popcorn and cotton candy.She also smelled like cow, dog, horse and sheep. Evidently there were all sorts of other animals there. Worse, she smelled like Him. She had a good time and bought some stuff, so I don't know why I did what I did. She wasn't gone that long and Granny was here.
I guess it was just that furniture's been moved and Mommy's been busy and I wanted to make sure everything was still the same. So I did a humungous crappola on the floor near her bed.She was mad and reprimanded me, but I'm still here, so I guess everything is okay. It must be. She picked me up and cuddled me. Then she made we wear this stupid necklace she bought. She hand fed me tuna. Yup, everything must be okay.

Sad About Caesar

Mommy and I were shocked and saddened to learn of Caesar's death. He was a loving mancat and a loyal friend. Our hearts ache for his sister Prinnie and their human family.All we can say is what we've learned from Caeasar, Suzanne, Oscar, Buzzerbee, Jasmine and the Poi/Fluffy rats: to love each other every day, all day, because out time together is short.Shalom, my cornish friend.

Get Rid of that Sucking Monster

Okay, people. I know it's sometimes necessary to pull out that big sucking monster, but twice in two days is too much. What do you have a carpet sweeper for? It's not my fault that someone dropped a plate of fried rice all over the living room carpet. I would have eaten it up if they'd let me.Instead they dragged out that noisy, sucking, mechanical thing out. It picked up the mess, but hurt my little kitty ears. Can't they invent something that picks up dirt silently?

I Got An Award !!

Stormie, the Furry Fighter, gave me an award. It's called the "You Make My Day Award", and it's given to bloggers whose blog brightens up thr reader's day. Thanks,Stormie. I'd like to pass this award along to Daisy Mae Maus, Mr. Hendrix and Halloween. You can get the award badge from Stormie's blog.
Mommy has bronchitis again and feels lousy. Granny made her chicken soup in the crockpot. Of course, I got a generous helping of chicken for dinner. Yum! I've been a good boy, cuddling with
Mommy and looking after herI hope she feels better soon.

Muffin's Rules #2

My mommy sleeps with piles of books and papers on her bed. Since I'm a rather large kitty I need a lot of room to stretch out. This is how I let her know at she has too much crap on the bed:
1. I stretch out on the papers. Then I stretch out my toes and flex my claws on the papers.I massage them, I crumple them, then I roll over and scent them.
2. The books are next. I wait till 2 am,when the house is quiet, then I take my huge paws and knock the books off the bed, one by one. They make such a nice thud when they land.
3. Now that the bed is cleared, I curl up next to Mommy and purr. She reaches over and pets
me and we snuggle.
4. In the morning,when she discovers the carnage, I make sure I'm nowhere to be found!

Thursday Thirteen #2

Thirteen Things About Xmas in Florida:

1. There is no snow.

2. People compensate for that fact by putting fake snow around.

3. Fake snow at the base of palm trees looks stupid.

4. Santas dressed in surfer gear look like dirty old men.

5. The balmy weather allows for elaborate Christmas light displays. If a decoration can be
lit up and stuck on a lawn , it will be.

6. Inflatable snowmen and animated Santas are popular targets for thieves.

7. Their electrical cords are popular targets for possums and raccoons. "ZAP"

8. Baby Jesus has to be padlocked to his manger .

9. Xmas lights aren't taken down in January. Busy homeowners leave them up all year.

10. When a hurricane is coming those same homeowners forget about stocking up on
groceries and plywood. Instead, they run around removing their Xmas lights.

11. Being forced to listen to musical decorations 24 hours a day results in violence.

12. People actually give help to the less fortunate.

13. Peace, at least locally, seems possible.

Thursday Thirteen

For my first Thusday Thirteen I want to list 13 animals that my mommy has either
a figurine or a bean bag of :

1. Cats
2. Elephant
3. Frog
4. Panda
5. Penguin
6. Polar Bear
7. Duck
8. Raccoon
9. Giraffe
10. Turtle
11. Whale
12. Lion
13.Horse

Grampy used to say that her living area looked like a garage sale waiting to happen.

Purrs, Muffy

Post #50 : Muffin's Musings

Wow! My fiftieth post. It's hard to believe that it's taken me over a year to reach this point, but
here I am. In celebration of my milestone I present some random musings:

1. Mommy decorated the house for Hanukkah. She put a blue shiny garland along the counter where the menorah was. She put cardboard stars and other shapes on the wall behind my bed.She thought they looked pretty.

2. I undecorated the house for Hanukkah. I couldn't reach the garland, but the stars and stuffwere only stuck to the walls with tape. I helped them fall onto the floor.I thought they looked pretty down there.

3. Mommy and a friend went to see the Gran Folklorico Ballet de Mexico. She's a big fan of the
company. They did dances fom Aztec, Mayan, Spanish and other cultures that combined to
create Mexico. She demonstrated some of the dances for Granny. It was fun till she collided with the coffee table....

4.Should Mommy change the name of my blog? "Fat Cat" is kind of insulting......

5. Should I post more often?
Purrs, Muffy

We Saw the Goodyear Blimp!

We saw the Goodyear blimp! One of the blimps is based in Pompano Beach, about an hour south of here. It flew in figure-eights around our neighborhood for two hours, scouting locations for two televised sporting events: a golf tournament and a marathon race.
The blimp was pretty. It was silver, with a blue nameplate that said "Goodyear" in yellow letters. When Mommy heard the chutt-chutt sound she knew what it was. She grabbed Midi and I and her camera and ran outside. She took a lot of pictures but her camera isn't very good.
Midi chutt-chutted rght back at the blimp. Maybe she thought it was a gigantic guinea pig. I got bored afer a while and stated chasing lizards, so Mommy took us back inside.
She was really impressed with the blimp. At least now I know what she's talking about when she calls me "Goodyear".

Getting Ready for Winter

Hi!Mommy just found out that she can blog in different colors. Isn't that neat?Maybe next time the woman will learn how to add pictures and links.

We put away our fall decorations and now have some winter stuff up.It's hard to decorate for winter when you live in Florida. Fake snow looks ridiculous against a background of palm trees.

Mommy is back to work on her book and I'm back work on getting as many pets as I can out of her. She works on her computer on a footstool on the floor, so I keep her company all the time.
She went back to work on Saturday so I have to get all the loving I can.

We had a nice Thanksgiving. I got lots of turkey.

See you soon!

We're Back Again!

Mommy got a laptop computer so we can finally post from home. She's really enjoying getting to know her new machine. I'm enjoying our petting sessions. She is sick again, with another sinus infection. This one developed into bronchitis as well. So our post will be short.

Muffin's Rule: If there is a box on the floor and it's blocking your usual pathway, don't go around it.Instead meow angrily till one of humans gets up and moves it.

7 Things Meme

Awhile ago Tiger Lilly tagged me for the 7 Things meme. I'm to list seven things about me, then tag seven people. So here goes:
1. I demand a clean litter box. If it's not clean I'll hold it till I can't anymore. Luckily these people caught on to that pretty quickly. I now get excellent box service.
2. I'm bigger than half the dogs in our apartment complex. I like to remind them of that fact.
3. I love shoelaces.
4. I like to go outside with my mommy.
5. I'm the one who knocked over the fake ficus tree.
6. Remember that little lizard that got into the house? Well, he's never getting out. "burp"
7. I don't like to travel.

I tag anyone who wants to play. Thanks Tiger Lilly.

Go Red Sox

Hi! Thanks for all the blogoversary wishes. we feel so loved. Our system is still down, so this will be a short post. The Red Sox won the World Series last night. Mommy and Granny were jumping up and down and yelling. That was obviously a good thing. Then Mommy started to cry
because Grampy wasn't here to see that. I miss him too. I guess we'll always be a little sad at happy times because he isn't here. We love you Grampy!!!!!

Blogoversary

It's my one year blogoversary. My Mommy and I have really enjoyed getting to know
everyone. Hopefully we'll be able to post more often in the future.
Hendrix sent me a middle name meme. Since I don't have a middle name I
will use the letters of my first name to describe a quality about myself:

M= Mancat. I take good care of my womenfolk.

U= Unchained melody and Unforgettable. Two songs that Mommy insists on singing to me. Ugh.
Sigh.
F = Fat, fluffy, friendly and fastidious.

F = Fish Face. The name Grampy gave me because I'll only eat stinky goodness salmon. My
brand of choice is Fancy Feast.
I= Indoors. I like to go outside with my mother, but after being homeless I'm glad for an
indoor home.
N = NOMSS. My sisiter Midnight. Midi is a long-haired black guinea pig.

That's all.
Purrs,Muffy

I Peed on the Kitchen Floor

This is ridiculous. These humans are going out and leaving me alone way too much. First it was religious services, then it was Granny's doctor's appointment, then it was grocery shopping. Plus Mommy's been at work, out with friends or seeing Him. What am I, something to avoid?
Today they went out clothes shopping. Talk about a stupid errand. This has to stop.
So I peed on the kitchen floor.
That'll show them.

Post # 41

Hi! This is post 41 for my contests.

I was good on Mommy's birthday. She went out with friends and a couple days later with The Man.I didn't complain (much) and welcomed her back. Granny got her a music box. It plays 'You are my Sunshine'. I like to listen to it. I got her a little stuffed lion. He's orange and white striped and has a white mane. Mommy says it looks like me because instead of a mane I have a ruff and jowls.
We're having trouble with our system again. Mommy said that MSNTV is crap. She recommends that no one buy it.
I'll post again soon

Contests

I'm having two contests: the first cat to comment on my 50th post and the first cat to comment on my blogaverasry post will each receive a gift. Both postings should occur in October.

Happy New Year

My people have been celebrating their New Year. It's not like the regular new year, where people watch the ball drop and throw confetti. This new year involved going to religious services. I was left alone for hours. I didn't like that. Mommy cooked a big meal with chicken and chopped fish and I got samples. I did like that.
Mommy's birthday is Tuesday. I don't know what to get her. Granny usually gets her something from me with a cat on it. That way she's always reminded of me. She'll be going out more over the weekend. I don't want her to forget she's neglecting me. Heehee.
Since it's a new year I made a resolution. I'm going to stop using The Man's leg as a scratching post. His legs are just so huge, like tree trunks, and they're covered in denim. I love to scratch denim. I'll try to be good......
Oh, and here's my favorite proverb. It's from Garfield: Cats don't ask; cats take.
Purrs. Muffin

We're Back

Our system is up and operating again, so we'll be back visiting everyone and leaving comments.
My Gotcha Day was great. I had a little cake made out of Fancy Feast with a candle in it. I got some treats, a new scratching box and a little pillow. My people fussed over me and I really felt like the King of the Household. Of course, I'm the center of attention most days anyway. Take care.

Gotcha Day

Our system is still down but I wanted to let everyone know that Aug 30 is my Gotcha Day!! I'll have been with my people for 13 years. When I'm back on line let's celebrate.

System Trouble
Due to problems with our computer system we won't be able to blog or comment until next week. Feel free to e-mail us though. We will be back.
Muff & Mom

Nicknames & Comments

Some Dopey Nicknames That Mommy Calls Me:
1. Muff
2. Muffy
3. Muffin Man
4. Muffalota
5. Moussaka
6. The Lion King
7. Fat Boy
8. Bubbeleh
9. Orangeman
10. Pookie

Some Comments That People Make About Me:
1."He looks like Morris."
2."He looks like Garfield."
3."Is he pregnant?"
4. "That cat is bigger than my dog!"

Purrs, Muffin

Water Woes

We've been having a lot of rain lately. That's okay because Florida is experiencing a major drought and the drinking water supply is severely depleted.
I don't mind that. Water outside is good. It's when it attacks inside the house that I don't like it.
Last night we were in the human litterbox room. Mommy flushed the round white bowl and the water wouldn't stop coming up. It poured out of the bowl and all over the floor. My paws got wet. I did the only thing a kitty could do- I ran!I felt bad about leaving Mommy, so a few minutes later I peaked around the corner. She was using towels to sop up the water and swearing. Her vocabulary was impressive.
Then this morningmy water bowl was empty and Granny poured some from a bottle into my dish. Only it wasn't water. It was lemonade that myMommy had mixed together to take to work. BLECH. I meowed trying to tell granny that something was wrong,but she didn't get it. Then when Mommy got up I meowed at her, She didn't get it either. She just poured water over the lemonade. Finally i jut sat by my dish and cried. They were fussing around me , then Mommy went into the fridge, saw her bottle was missing and figured out what happened. She hugged me, apologized and gave me some water. Finally.

Meme from Hendrix #2

Muffin: Five things I would do if I had a million dollars: buy my family a house up north, start a shelter for older homeless pets; give money to find a cure for feline diabetes; buy lots of catnip and invent a better cat carrier.
Muffin: My five favorite treats are Meow Mix, Temptations, tuna, chicken & hamburger.
Mommy: Six fashion mistakes from the 80s that I won't repeat: blue eyeshadow,white socks with black shoes; cheap plastic jewelry,
novelty earrings,over-size eyeglass frames and big hair.
Muffin: Two things I refuse to wear again:
A yellow dress. Lady, I don't care if you wore it when you were a baby. I'm a boy. Stop putting it on me. Scrunchies on my tail. That is so undignified.
That's all for now.

Meme from Hendrix

Mommy and I decided to each answer part of Hendrix's meme.
I'll go first.
1. What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was sitting on the porch, chasing mice and lizards,climbing the crepe myrtle tree and sharpening my claws on the palm tree.
2. What were you doing 1 year ago?
I was sitting on the porch, chasing mice & lizards and sharpening my talons on the palm tree.
3.Name 5 songs that you know all the lyrics to;
Mommy: The Star- Spangled Banner, My Country Tis of Thee, America the Beautiful, Happy Birthday and the Meow Mix song. (I'd make a pitiful contestant n that show the Singing Bee.)
4.Name 5 Bad Habits:
Muffin: I claw the couch, track litter all over the house, and chew on Mommy.
Mommy: I am a major slob.I also collect too much junk.
5.Name 5 things you enjoy doing?
Muffin: Clawing the couch,chewing on Mommy, cuddling with Mommy.
Mommy: Cuddling with my puddy-tat, singing to my puddy-tat.
We'll finish the meme next time.

Dear Mommy,
I had a really nice Fourth of July. I liked the hamburg you brought me from that pool party you went to. I also appreciate the way you came home and watched the fireworks on TV while spending time with me. I'm also glad you let me into your bed when the neighbor's firecrackers got on my nerves/
I really am sorry about the plate with the apple pie on it.The whipped cream looked like it would be fun to play with. I didn't mean to knock the plate over. I also didn't mean to leave whipped cream pawprints all over the carpet. You shouldn't have left it on the coffee table before you went to bed. You know I make nightly patrols to make sure the house is safe.
Oh, and I'm sorry for wiping my whiskers in you hair. That whipped cream was sticky.
Love, Muffin

Happy July

Happy July to everyone. Mommy's been busy working on her book and I've been busy
eating, sleeping and working on my tan.I'll post more later.

Silly Mommy

Last night Mommy was petting me and her eyes were all leaky. She kept saying she was sorry for being such a lousy mother. When I meowed to find out what was wrong she told me: we were out of kitty litter. Sheesh, lady, I thought something was really wrong! I know I'm fussy about my litter, but I can live with having to pee on newspaper for twelve hours
till you can get to the store. Humans!

June News

The painters finally left. The patio furniture and all the plants are back outside and I'm free to work on my tan. I like my fur to be a specific shade of orange, so I need sunlight. Best of all, a big curly-tailed gecko ran by and I chased him. He ran under the door to the storage room, though.
I'm glad Ben has taken over Suz's blog. We miss her, but it's good to hear from her family.
Today was the anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill. Mommy is working on a book onthe Revolutionary War, so that anniversary was a big deal to her.

The Painters Who Won't Leave

The painters are still here. The paint part of our building, then leave, then a few days later come back and paint another part of our building. I hate it. I need to get outside to work on my tan. I'm sick of the patio furniture sitting in the middle of the living room floor. Most of all, I want to
hunt. I haven't chased anything reptilian in two weeks.
PS We're so glad that Suz is feeling better.

Under the Bed

Right now I feel like joining Suzanne under the bed. My apartment building is being prepared for painting. There are men with ladders and hoses, pressure cleaning the outside walls. Then they're using hissing
bottles to caulk cracks in the wood, hammering loose boards and spraying smelly primer all over. I hate it.Why can't they shove
on some paint and go?
Then Mommy's been working more hours. I know she needs the money,but I miss her.I'm used to constantly being petted and talked to. She says the rush at the library willend soon. I hope
so.

7 Things About Mommy

Hi! I tagged my Mommy. Here are seven things I know about her:

1. She has a serious book habit.Never mind that she works in a library. The woman is always buying books at thrift shops.This makes her living quarters rather crowded. I like to knock over the stacks. The books are fun to smell too. Sometimes they smell like dog.
2. She's always losing her keys. Yesterday she tore the house apart for an hour lookingfor them. Then I got up and off them. It sure was fun watching her search.
3.During hurricane Wilma I was braver than she was. She cringed at the banging and flying tree limbs; I sat in the window watching the show.
4. She's been near the Man. I haven't seen him but I can smell that he's back.
5.She writes stuff. She'll read me parts. I like being read to.
6.She lets the laundry pile up so I have a nice place to sleep.
7. She wuvs me.

Tagged

I've been tagged by Suzanne. Here are seven things about me:
1.) I snore. Loudly.
2.) I was dumped at a local college, then I thought I'd found a new family. But they moved and I got dumped again. Now I'm with my furrever family. It took me awhile to warm up to them. I was afraid to love them for fear I'd be dumped again. We've been together for almost 12 years now.Mommy says it's time for me to stop worrying.
3.) When I meow out the window it sounds like I'm saying hello.
4.) I'm diabetic. Mommy gives me insulin shots everyday.
5.) I love to sleep on y people's dirty laundry. I knead it with my paws and make holes in the fabric.
6.)I have a nip habit.
7.)I love to catch lizards.

I tag Mr. Hendrix, The Crew and Merlin.

Sunbathing

Today it was beautiful out. I laid on the porch, working on my tan.I visited with Boo and some birdie friends, then sharpened my claws on the palm tree. It's important to keepmy nails in tiptop condition. The Man is due back soon.....

Back to Blogging

Tracy: Muffin and I haven't felt much like blogging since the Virginia Tech carnage. My father (Grampy) was a college security officer for almost thirty years. We were all emotionally tied to the daily life of the school where he worked.
But beyond that, if high school was a circus,then college was a safe, rarefied place where people could begin to figure out who they really were, grow intellectually,and make life-long friendships. It was a world where anything seemed possible. Anything but this....
For all the Virginia Tech students the massacre was the death of their innocence.
It's just so sad....

Muffin: Mommy and I are sad about the deaths of Joaquin, Gizzy and Bear and the illness of Lily Lu.
We realize that life goes on,so we'll post again soon.

Shut up, Please

Well,I finally did it. See Mommy went to this play with music by a guy named Billy Joel. She keeps playing his music and singing along. Only she can't sing. And I don't like him. His music is all clanging and jangling. So I took my paw and rolled the silver frisbee-thing under the couch. She'll never find it there. And now I don't have to listen to them.

Why We Blog

Muffin:I blog because I want to get to know kitties from all over.

Midi: I blog because the cat does.

Tracy : I blog because I want to get to know people from all over.

Tracy's Recommendations:
Books: I lucked out and found a volume of an old Time Life series,Great Ages of Man, called "Cradle of Civilzation". It's on the Sumerians and really fascinating.
I also just finished Cindy Sheehan's book, Peace Mom. She's a very courageous lady.
I also read a fluffy mystery about a lawyer caught in an international conspiracy, called Cold as Ice by Cindy Stewart. it was good.
Television: My current guilty pleasure is "America's Next Top Model"
Music: Anyone for a little My Chemical Romance?
Take care, Tracy

Oops!

I'm still trying to work the stair thingy. Mommy is my own personal elevator. She picks me up and puts me on her bed. I like that. Only if I jump down and later want to jump back up she wants me to use the stair thingy. I like to meow pitifully near her bed till she rescues me. It would be nice to stretch out there when she's not home, though. I love her bed. So I better try to master the stair thingy.

March Madness

Well, we made it through St. Patrick's Day without any fashion humiliations. Okay, so she put a plastic hat on me and Midi wore a green bow, but compared with holidays past, we got off easy.
I'm still trying to master the stair thingy. Whenever I go down the people applaud, so it must be a good thing.I'm still working on up, though. I'm a mature gentleman and I weigh twenty pounds (don't feel bad Grr- big kitties are squishier}. It's embarrassing to try to jump on the bed and miss.

Muffin & Mom

Muffin:
Mommy bought me this stair thing so I can get into her chair and onto the beds easier. When I get off I don't have to jump down. I can just walk down. Only thing, I can"t quite get the up part. Down is fine. Up is still a little scary. I tried to jump on her bed and missed, though.

Tracy:
I'm trying to blog a little myself. I love books and recently finished two of which I'd recommend. The first was called The Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud by Julia Navarro. It was an intricate story of two secret brotherhoods, one of which had been trying for centuries to steal the Shroud of Turin, the other to defend it.
The story flashed back in time to the Knights Templar and various historical figures,then returned to the present, as Italian police tried to find the organizations and stop them.
The second book was The Orchid Shroud by Michelle Wan. It too was a mystery. She combined a dead infant found in the walls of an ancient chateau, werewolves and an unclassified species of orchid and anaged to tie them all together in a reasonable manner.
Set in the Dourdogne, Wan's book also gave me the opportunity to brush up on my French phrases.
I also watch television. Am I the only one who was glad to see Rob & Amber get bounced from the Amazing Race?
Hope to here from more humans soo.

Resting Up

I was exhausted after my labors and needed several long naps to recover. My last nap was interrupted by the Big Sucking Monster. Grampy always tells me that i won"t eat me, but I'm not so sure. It looks like one of those scary monsters in in the movie Jurassic Park. If those monsters could open wide enough to eat a human than this one could eat a cat!!
I hope Mittens is feeling better. Blogger sometimes won't let me post on her web site. Sometimes it won't let me post on my own.

Housecleaning

I helped Mommy clean today. She was glad of the help. She says I think litter is a verb. I don"t know how it gets tracked all over the house. I supervised her cleaning it up, though.
I also sat my booty on all the papers she piled up, burrowed in the dirty laundry and knocked over my bag of Meow Mix. Wasn't I helpful?

Cardinals

Hi! i just made two new birdie friends. Their names are Oliver and Olivia. They're cardinals. Oliver is bright red with a crest on his head. Olivia is a duller red with olive on her chest. She also has a crest. It took them a long time to get the courage to visit my feeder. I wanted to introduce myselfbut didn't want to scare them. Finally I waited until Boo was at the feeder and he introduced us. I told Oliver and Olivia that i was a nice kitty and would never hurt them.Now we visit all the time

Home Sweet Home

The Man finally went away. Now I have Mommy all to myself. I did put the bitey on the Man before he left. He deserved it. Mommy misses him but Im getting lots of hugs and cuddles. I don't miss him one bit.

Company

Hi! A Man is down here visiting Mommy. I don't like him. He takes Mommy away. He always brings her back, though. The first time it happened I threw up all over my bed. Granny took good care of me, though. So did my mother. I hope the Man goes away soon. I want to go bitey on him.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone. I hope your holiday season was happy. I had a good Christmas. I got a blue, brown and white kitty bed. It's like a gigantic pillow and I can stretch out in it. I also got a wand with green feathers on it to chase. Mommy says I need to lose weight. I'd rather chase her.