There's Something Under The Tree

There are lovely packages under the tree, particularly the furry one!

Hmmm....this one seems to have my name on it.

Okay, if you insist...rrrrrippp, teeeeeaarrrrrr. Merry Christmas to me! and you, too!

Home for the Holidays

Oh, holy night...here I am contemplating the glowing candlelit view from my perch atop Big Ma's piano. She has been busy decorating my house with red and green thingies now. Big Pa has been out on the ladder a lot cleaning gutters and putting up lights. My, my...they never rest.

Sometimes when I walk across the electric piano I accidentally step on the on switch. So far I haven't played a tune, but Ma found the glowing red light on a few times. I must practice my Nutcracker Suite for the holidays.

This is the route I take to get down off the piano. Why jump directly down and jar my bones when I can slink along table tops and...

jump over furniture before...

landing squarely on Ma's toes. I am holding her down so that she will have to bend down and pet me. I missed the Big People when they were away on vacation, so I've been busy purring and getting a lot of attention. I miss you, too!

Yarn is Fun!

While mommy cat naps, little kitty enjoys playing with the ball of yarn. That would be me! One morning Cocosampal found a big mound of tangled yarn in the hallwaywhen he came back from exercising. The trail of yarn lead to a room where a crazy knitted cap was underway. He told Big Ma about it, but she was too lazy as usual to do anything about it except to put the mound right back where I had found it in the first place. She will never learn that way, will she? Meow and purr to you!

Waiting to Pounce

Beware, feet and ankles that dare pass me! I am upstairs waiting for someone to come out of that bedroom that is off limits to me. I have been allowed in during the day to explore, but one time I got in at night and bounced around on the bed and found interesting lumpies to bite that turned out to be Big Ma's toes, so she showed me the door. I just wait outside patiently until one of the boring folks gets up early. It's dark when they get up, and I am usually lying right in front of their door, so they better watch their steps! Hhmmm...maybe I better watch my own hide. What are you doing right now?

Dell KO'd

Whoa! The Big People are outta luck because their idiot box has finally bit the dust. I have to say I liked to walk across its keyboard and lie in front of the monitor when the BP were tapping away on it, and I will miss its cozy electric warmth and lowkey buzz. Plus it's the means by which I say I Love You to you!

Right now they are using Cocosampal's laptop, but they have ordered a new idiot box. They are sorry that they are not online as much or available on Skype right now to talk to you. They ARE looking for emails from you and new postings on your blog, though. Me, too...meow. I love you.

There's White Stuff Now

I awoke this morning to the sights and sounds of things going on outside. My keen eyesight saw that there were a lot of white flying saucers coming in for a landing around our house!!! I was told that it is snow - of course, I knew that. Big Ma was excited because she likes snow, but she said it was rather early in the season. In any case, the snow is doing a good job of covering things up.

Even the orange blobby thingie outside is wearing a snowcap.

Big Ma's car is covered, and she said she wouldn't drive in this weather. Even the plumber who was supposed to come today cancelled because the roads are so bad.

Ma couldn't leave if she wanted to because the driveway is covered by lilac bushes that broke from the weight of the snow.

Here are more broken branches from the maple tree. Big Ma had to drag them in off the road. You'll notice that there's no traffic on the road because the police had closed it by our house. A car was being loaded onto a wrecker up the hill from us.

Our lights have dimmed and gone off a number of times because a snow-laden branch is weighing down our lower power line which you can see in the picture. Big Ma's fur got all electric over this, and she called the power company right away. ...they have not come yet.

It's a very pretty sight, but Ma spent a long time outside knocking the wet, heavy snow off various trees and bushes. There are many broken lilac branches by the driveway and in the side yard.

More Orange Blobbies

Everything is so orange here!

Actually, orange offsets my own beautiful coloring nicely, don't you think? You'll notice that some of those orange blobby things have smiley faces on them.

They are just waiting for me to play with them, so I give them a good SWAT with my paw when inspired and other times I play with them like soccer balls and send them flying.

This one thought it could get away from me. Orange blobby thing, feel my wrath! In truth, I am giving blobby a gentle hug.

Too much play leads to exhaustion. My big blobby orange thingie keeps me company when I snooze.

Orange Thingies

Meow... Orange blobby things have started appearing around the house. I don't know what to make of them, but I aim to find out!

Hmm....let me check out these leafy things and those bright shiny lights first.

The logs in the fireplace are wobbly. Plus, I can't reach those orange thingies from here!

Oh, well. Time to rest. I'll have to investigate more after a nap or two. Purr.

I'm a Brave Boy

Meow!

Other Mother is a stealthy cat; I must keep a better eye on her. When I was least expecting it, she scooped me up into her normally loving arms and craftily backed me up into my carrier before I knew what was happening. I didn't even put my legs out to prevent going in, but just sat down in the box. What a scam! She had the lid closed before I could start meowing in protest. Where to next? I had no clue, but gave her a piece of my meow all the way there!

So, we arrived at a place that smelled of .... other furry creatures. This was not reassuring, but Other Mother spoke softly to me and told me it was ok and that I was a good boy. Purr. Next, somebody took me out of the box and plunked me on a large thing that weighed me...13.3 lbs! Everybody crowed over what a big boy I was. Then I got put back into the box, protesting a little bit this time, and taken into another room where a lady examined me all over and cleaned out my ears and poked my belly and checked my teeth and clipped my claws and told Other Mother that I was a very expensive Manx. Ha, ha. According to the lady, I am a brown classic tabby, the best kind in my book.

Oh, yes, I almost forgot...I got two shots in my heinie (rabies and distemper). Meow! Ow! I was very brave and only hissed a few times. Then it was back into the box again and back in the car. By that time I was so rattled that I had an "accident. " Other Mother opened the car windows on the way home. Once home she put me in the laundry room and closed the door so she could assess the mess before I spread it all over the house. I wouldn't do that! Instead I headed for the back of the dryer again until I got my nerve up to come out. Other Mother gave me some food and then wiped my fur a bit, but I did the proper clean-up, cat style! It was no time before I was back on my paws and this was just a distant bad memory. The shots did make me sleepy, so it was a restful end of the day. Other Mother was relieved that this was all over, too.

Insurrection!

Other Mother has taken over my blog to post some wedding pictures of people I don't even know!! She says you know them, but honestly, wouldn't you rather see pictures of me?

Josh and Cameren's Wedding

Okay, back to me!
Much better.

My Playhouse

Here I am in my amazing paper maze! The big people got a box in the mail with a whole lot of crinkly brown paper winding around a very small package...so lazy Other Mother, rather than throwing out the paper, simply plopped it on the floor for me to play with. As you can see, I very artfully laid out a maze, with overpasses even! I am such an engineer!! I have had fun jumping on the crinkly paper for the past few weeks, but all good crinkly things come to an end, and Other Mother finally got tired of her house looking aMAZing. Oh, by the way, see that kittycat bed in the background? I snuggled up in it the other evening for a nice nap. It is getting cooler here, so fleecy beds are appreciated. I miss you. Meow!

Where'd They Go?

So, those "Others" up and left me two weekends in a row! Once for a wedding (who cares!) and once to move Other Sister into a new apartment. Of course, I was deeply disturbed when I saw the suitcases being pulled out, so I retreated to my safe spot. A visiting catsitter tried to cheer me up with heaping bowls of food. I guess it was O.K. afterall, but I did miss the "other" folks. They found me in my safe spot each time they came home, so I worked a good guilt trip on them, but actually this is what I was doing while they were away. Don't tell!!

MMMMmmmmmm........ I own this place!

My Furry Friend

Cody and I bond during the quiet daytime hours. He's furry like me, and I like that!

He is a good source of warmth for me at my naptime.

He is my buddy.

Hissssss...

Aren't the exotic hibiscus flowers lovely? Almost makes you want to get up close to them and maybe even weed around them. The flowers are platter-sized and very alluring. I found them alluring, too, but for other reasons....

Other Mother finally noticed my body language as I pointed to something queer and slithery just outside the door by the hibiscus. It had a long body and a pointy head and one beady eye looking back at me. Brrrrrrr.....the creepy thing gave me the yikes, but I stood my ground.

Other Mother went over to investigate and told me that it was just a little garter snake. Little, my foot! It was the size of an anaconda! Even Brother Cody said it looked like a boa! Other Mother is one crazy cat - she went outside to snap its photograph. She did take a broom with her though, just in case!

Stinky Tofu for You - Stinky Toe for Me

I "read" your China posting about stinky tofu with great interest. I, too, have had such an experience here at home. Do you see what I mean? Actualllllly, other Mother insists that I tell you that her "tofu" had a zesty clean scent.

Right now I am pestering other Mother, but when she stops typing to pet me, I can't help myself and give her a nip on the hand. Other Mother is not pleased with this situation, but hopes I will outgrow it. She's lucky I didn't nip her toe!

Meowouts to China Newbies

Dear Mother and Father,

Do they have tasty looking birds like this in China? I am waiting by the back door for one of my feathered friends to pass by so I can have some excitement. What am I saying? I just exhausted myself (and other Mother) playing with the fish on the fishing poles. I actually ripped one of the fish off the pole, so other Mother better get busy and fix it. Now I have jumped up on the desk to assist other Mother with her typing. Usually I have to stop her as soon as I see her sitting down at the computer, but she is doing my biding now, so it's okay.

Purry luv from your furry luv!

I'm Going Green, Too

On Saturday the sweaty folks returned with another gift for me! This one was from Mommy and Daddy - a box of sweet grass! I immediately knew what to do, but had to find the right line of attack. Yummy.