Wordless Wednesday: Best Buds

A Spring Snow

We had a very quiet Sunday after church.  A rare spring snow storm was calling for 4 to 10 inches, so we kept close to home. Seems like we ended up with 6". Local schools are closed.  Jeff is working from home until the plows come down our road. The two youngest just took off to shovel the neighbor's driveway. I told them last time it would be the last time! At least they will earn a little more money, I guess. Ryan will dig us out when he is awake. Jeff, poor guy, hurt his back bringing in his boxes of work Saturday evening. Lessons will get done between shoveling, dishes, laundry, and playing with our feline friends. I just feel so bad for our Robbins. They have nothing to eat until this melts, which might take a few days as we will be below normal temperatures this week.

This Week At Home, 2013, No. 12

Little notes written in order to remember each precious day...

Look at my baby's toes.  

Monday the 18th...

As usual on a Monday, I let the kids sleep in a little.  Lessons go well.  I attack the laundry piles in the afternoon.  This is the only quiet evening until Friday, so we try to make the most of it.  I love quiet!

Tuesday the 19th...

Lessons as usual.  After lunch, Grace and I went to Petco.  Back at home, I have a long list of things to work on.  Tonight is my monthly bunco group.  I enjoyed being with my friends.

Photo bomb revenge.  I'm posting them.  Ha!  

Wednesday the 20th...

Lessons in the morning, lunch, then art class.  Wednesday afternoons before dinner are usually spent kind of quietly so we can all be ready for church in the evening.  I roasted two big chickens for dinner.  One half of one for tonight and the rest of the chicken for the rest of the week's meals.  AWANA went pretty well tonight.  We are down 2 or 3 leaders every week it seems, so we usually end up combining tables.  It's hard on the girls not having consistent leaders.  And now our secretary has brain cancer.  It's been a tough year.

Sweet girl is still my girl.  

Thursday the 21st...

This is our day to get groceries.  Grace and I have discovered that going early, before lessons, we can get in and out quicker at Trader Joe's, our favorite store.  The lessons got done after lunch.  For dinner, I made a homemade cream of chicken soup to use in a chicken and rice casserole, comfort food for a cold day.  After dinner, I took the kids to karate.  Jeff came home a little earlier after a client appointment.  So he and I were able to go to Costco and Petco before picking up the kids.  Grace has decided that she is going to harness train Dorothy, so we wanted to get right on that and get a harness.  Dorothy didn't think the harness was for her, but we will keep trying!

Grace painted this for me!  

Friday the 22nd...

A lovely day at home!  After lessons were finished for the week, we worked on blessing our home.  We also decided to make a nice big dinner to celebrate Jeff's being able to come home and eat dinner with us, the first time this week.  We're having homemade meatballs and spaghetti, salad, and homemade bread sticks.

Tomorrow, we are going to finish up Grace's apron, bake bread, and the boys are going to a computer super store with Granddaddy!

Have a great weekend.  They are calling for a winter storm here Sunday.  Boo!
~Jenn

One Quick Week Later

Today marks the one week anniversary of adopting Giles.  And he remains the amazing cat we hoped him to be.  So far, Dorothy is doing pretty well.  She will hiss at him, but also shares space with him without any anxiety.  Their introduction to one another got rushed.  Mainly because Giles was ready to be out of his safe room.  Sunday morning, he dashed out and into the path of Dorothy.  We then began supervised time. Like I said, they do pretty well together.   We still separate them at night and if we have to leave.  I think that will be the way it is for awhile.  He seems to take a long afternoon nap, so that gives both cats some time away from each other.  We are paying a lot of attention to Dorothy.  She loves to play, so that is our main vehicle of attention.  I do hope Dorothy warms up to the idea sooner than later.  He isn't going anywhere!

This Week At Home, 2013, Week 11

Little notes written in order to remember each precious day!

Monday the 11th...

After another quick, one day time changing weekend, we relish a quiet Monday at home.  The kids and I got a leisurely start, too.  I let them sleep in since the time change doesn't have to affect our start time, if we don't want it too.  :) My main goals today were to get lessons done and laundry caught up.  A sweet friend mentioned seeing Siamese cats at the Humane Society, so after some prayer and discussion with Jeff, I decide it would not be any harm to go see them tomorrow.

Tuesday the 12th...

What a delightful day! First, we went over to our dear grandparent's home so that the computer guru could work his magic.  They generously invited us to Panera for lunch.  Wow!  I had the best salad ever.  I always enjoy their salads, but this one was fantastic.  I could have licked the bowl.  :) Afterwards, the kids and I headed up to the shelter to see cats.  As I was filling out the "I want to see cats" form, I kept thinking I was crazy to be there.  It was so loud with dogs barking and the dog smell was overwhelming.  (I am allergic to dogs.)  We found our cat which can be read about here. 

Wednesday the 13th...

Woke up to 27 degrees and some light snow on the ground.  So much for my proclamation that snow was done for the year.  At least this all melted as soon as it warmed up to the 40's today.  Giles had a good night.  Dorothy doesn't seem upset yet, or she is just ignoring him.  Lots to do today:  art, lessons, chores, a long afternoon visit with friends and church.

Thursday the 14th...

Another busy day!  Grace and I met with a dear friend for coffee and then we all went to Trader Joe's.  We worked on chores and dinner was a big pot of chili.  The kids did their independent lesson work only today.  It was just too busy to do more.  I also had to take Giles to the vet because he has an ear and eye infection. That visit went well.  He is pronounced generally healthy.  We had to rush back home, eat, and then dash to karate.

Friday the 15th...

I think the time change is messing with my sleep.  I keep waking up in the middle of the night, and I was wide awake at 5 AM today.  It's another busy day.  We HAVE to catch up lessons. Laundry is piled up again.  The house is a mess.  And, we host small group tonight.  Plus, I must go to Costco as we are nearly out of coffee.  That would be bad.  Trevor goes to grandparent's house for the night.  Grace is off to a slumber party. 

Saturday the 16th...

Jeff is working today.  I drove across town to pick up Grace from the slumber party.  Then I wrote myself a long list of things to do to keep me busy today. I do plan to have a little down time this afternoon, as I am lacking in that area right now.  I think we have had a great week, although on the busier side.  Tomorrow is unfortunately busy after church with choir for Trevor, a meeting for parents, and a business meeting after the prayer meeting.  Yawn!  I don't know when my poor husband will rest and recharge for another 6 day work week.

Have a great weekend!
~Jenn

Meet Lord Giles Purrbiscuits the First

Yep, my wait for a kitty is over. But, we didn't find him where we were planning to adopt from.  A friend of mine suggested we look at our county's shelter. She had seen "fancy" cats on their Facebook page.

I saw a couple that seemed interesting.  Jeff and my mom said to go look.  I wondered if I was being too impatient. But the idea of a bird in the hand being worth uncounted ones in the bush, was too inticing.  Plus, I would still be rescuing a beloved Siamese. And, this shelter is priced right! They also include a vet visit, already microchipped, and a month of free pet health insurance. And one more thing, I'd be helping a local shelter.

So, yesterday we went to see their Meezers, all males.  Quickly we eleminated the Seal Point who was bonded to a 12 year old black cat. They were a package. One cutie Snowshoe had just come from his surgery, so was not available. Another was FIV +.  Another was a sweet guy, but had lots of baggage.  That left Peter Pan, an 8 year old stray Blue Point.

They let us take him into a room and within minutes I knew we had found our love bug. He was friendly, loved being petted, and briefly sat in my lap. All the while he purred.  What a delight! He was a little older than I was looking for, mostly for Dorothy's sake. I wanted a match in energy. But really, I love mature cats who want lots of affection, so that quickly did not matter.

I did feel bad about having gone to the trouble of getting approved by the other rescue.  I learned so much from that process. I talked to some great fosters.  The work they do is so valuable. But the end goal was met, just not how I thought.

Peter Pan didn't know that name, so we quickly changed it to Ryan's favorite,Giles.  When we got him home into his isolation room, we quickly discoverd just how affectionate he is. My does he love to purr and "knead" when he is petted.

Monday he gets his free vet check. He is being treated for an ear infection with drops twice a day. I also know he needs a dental sometime. Other than that he is a great guy.

Dorothy doesn't seem affected by his smell on us. She smells our hands and doesn't get upset. She also doesn't try to get un his room or act curious about the door being closed. I am relieved.   I thought things might be tense. We have a week with him in isolation.  Then we can think of introduction.  I have plan. Just hope they agree. He was said to like other cats, so that is half the battle!

Almost a Year Later

It's hard to believe that my sweet Abbey Cat has been gone almost a whole year.

Look at that girl stretch!  

My lap has been a very lonely place since that day in April last year.  Quickly, maybe too quickly, we invited Dorothy into our home, just two days after Abbey left us.  Sometimes I do wish we had taken a little more time with that decision, although, I love her and would not want her to be with someone else.  I mean, who can resist her beautiful face?  It would not have mattered what cat we got in that moment of grief.  I was in no place ready to move on.  Perhaps it is just now that I feel like I can really love another cat.

While Dorothy is the best cat, behavior-wise, she isn't a lap cap.  She is easily over stimulated by our touch and will swipe you with a claw filled paw if you cross her line.  It doesn't hurt much physically, just emotionally.  I feel rejected at those times.  I have tried everything, food bribes, sweet talk, gentleness, time.  She just isn't a lap cat.  And she is easily frightened.  I wonder if she was mistreated?  What she is is a playful, entertaining, beautiful, sweet, affectionate,good, but better keep your hands to yourself cat!  And we do love her.  I think she is perfect, except for that one little thing of not liking laps.

My dear, gracious husband has given his consent for me to find my lap cat.  (Oh, how I love that man!)  Even before Abbey passed away, I had been visiting Siamese Cat Rescue's webpage regularly.  I knew she was not going to live forever.  However when she died, I didn't want to go through the lengthy process of approval.  And we found Dorothy so quickly!  (She is part Siamese,distantly.  Her blue eyes make her part Siamese. The vet called her a Lynx Point/Snowshoe.)

Last week, we were approved to adopt a cat from The Siamese Cat Rescue.  I feel as if this is a dream come true!  Of course now that we are approved, there are not any cats that match our special needs since we already have a quirky cat and that dictates the kind of cat we can adopt. We think we have the best chance with her approving the cat if it is male, young, and outgoing.  For me, I must have a lap cat or burst.  (Not kidding!) So we are looking for a young male who is laid back, outgoing, and loves laps.  

So far we are finding it a very competitive process, too. I think there are many more adopters than cats.  That is true of this geographical area anyway.  There are only 6 cats in our area.  Two are very sick from a hoarder and not available.  One might be perfect except he hates other cats.  One, while my heart goes out to him, is very old.  One is not a lap cat, but otherwise very nice.  He has another family in line before us and he is in KY.  The other is maybe too shy and a bit older, 5.  I am waiting to hear about him.  He also has a family ahead of us.  He could work if Dorothy's playfulness didn't bother him.  He may need a more relaxed cat to buddy with.

Anyway, I am not going to stress or worry. Our guy is there,somewhere!  I have to keep my eye on the website as it is first come, first serve.  This may take awhile. Stay tuned.

~Jenn, the cat crazy blogger

This Week At Home, 2013, Week 10

Little notes written in order to remember each precious day at home with my family.

She rules. 

Monday the 4th...

Lovely day at home.  After a full morning of lessons, Grace, Trevor and I went to the nearest grocery store to pick up some cake flour.  While we were there, we visited their salad bar for lunch, a rare treat!  Grace and I made the most tender yellow cake cupcakes for someone's birthday tomorrow.  I usually don't buy cake flour, but the last time I made this cake, it seemed too dense.  This did the trick.  We were approved for our cat adoption tonight.  Now we have to find the right cat.  Right now there are not many that fit our criteria in Indiana.  Kitten season is about to start, though.  >^..^<

Tuesday the 5th...

Happy birthday to my dear son, Ryan!  The day is here.  He is 15.  Woa.  He spent the night with his nana, so the rest of us went there to take them to a birthday lunch at Ry's favorite pizza restaurant.  (Where did I go wrong?)  Then we went back to Nana's house to hang out awhile.  We couldn't stay as long as we wanted as there was a winter storm warning and I didn't want to get caught in it.  When we did get home, Grace baked cookies for the AWANA bake sale the next day.

Wednesday the 6th...

Look what we woke up to!

This 5 inch snowfall did not bother me.  I am pretty certain it is the last one of the season.  The 15 day forecast calls for us to be in the 50's most days, starting Friday.  This will all be gone.  Winter can't ruffle my feathers any longer.

We did our normal Wednesday things:  art, church, lessons.  The kids shoveled two driveways.  The snow was wet and heavy and the snowplows made a big heap at the end of our driveway.  I was proud of their easy going spirits today.  I might have complained myself.

Ryan figured out how to have dual monitors.  Cool.  

Thursday the 7th...

We are still in the 20's in the morning, so no melting yet.  The trees are still snow covered, suggesting a winter wonderland.  It's only pretty when you know we are two weeks from spring.  Today, we mostly hung out after lessons were done.  I admit to watching too many episodes of House Hunters.  I am not going to do that again.  Tonight I took the boys to karate and back while Jeff and Grace went on a grocery date.

Friday the 8th...

Sunny!  The snow has melted.  I feel as if we have made it through this winter and now the outdoor active life can begin again.  Today we finished up our lessons.  Worked on a house tidy.  And then I made some bread.  No kitty news.  I only check the website, oh, a few times an hour.  Tee, hee.  Tonight is a quiet night at home. Tomorrow I want to sew some napkins with Nana.  Grace wants to finish her apron.  Sunday is a normal Sunday with choir rehearsal, too.

Practicing karate at Nana's. 

Happy 15th Birthday, Ryan!

Today is Ryan's 15th birthday.  15 is hard to wrap one's mind around.  In comparison, I have not changed much in 15 years, but he has gone from a little baby to a young man.  That is amazing.

Yesterday, he got to spend the night with his Nana and today we all went out to lunch to celebrate.  Tonight, I will make his favorite dinner, chocolate chip pancakes.  He had a cake on Sunday, so today's treat is homemade cupcakes.  His main gift was a tablet.  He also got us to switch to cable internet as part of his birthday gift.  Here are some pictures from his birthday.

Homemade from scratch!  

Something fun.  

A new shirt.  

Ryan and Nana.

Lunch at his favorite spot.  

My three darlings.  

Happy birthday, dear Ryan!  You are and will always be one amazing man.  We love you!!!

This Week At Home, 2013, No. 9

Little notes written to remember each precious day!  

"Mee wantz a bruther." 

Monday the 25th...

So nice to have a day at home!  But, it's easy to let a day at home slip away, so I always try to be diligent when one comes our way.  Lessons were done, the weather nice enough (40's and sunny) for outside play too.  And the big news of the day is that we've decided to apply for a Siamese rescue cat, something I've wanted to do for a long time.  It's time for Dorothy to have a sibling.

Tuesday the 26th...

Our last quiet day at home this week.  The weather is back to cold and rainy, not just rainy, but pouring down rain all day.  Now I am glad the kids were outside yesterday.  The day was spent working on lessons, chores, and personal projects.  Ryan is cleaning his room again to make room for new kitty.  We won't get new kitty for quite some time, but in his room's case, he's going to need extra time!

Just little details to add she says... 

Wednesday the 27th...

The sky is gray all day.  We did get some snow,but mostly melted as it came down.  Art class and the usual today.  I am too distracted with this cat thing.  I can't seem to do my Fly Lady cleaning.  I am purging in the living areas though.  I need to rescue them, not a cat!  lol.

Thursday the 28th...

Another gray day!  We finish up our lessons for the week.  I love that today is the last day of February.  I really don't enjoy February.  Bring on spring, please!  Tonight was the usual, karate and getting groceries.

Silly boy.

Friday the 1st...

This morning I took sweet Dorothy to the vet.  Boy was I surprised!  She did so well.  I was worried she'd be a total nut case or worse.  I guess she showed me that she is truly a good girl.  Even when she was stressed out, she kept it together.  And, the vet gave me a good reference!  Yippee.  The ball is rolling.

Tonight is a conference at church. Tomorrow more conference and I need to get ready for Ryan's party Sunday afternoon.  Lots to do!

Have a great weekend.
Jenn