Freezing... and beyond...

As I am typing this, it is -15, With the additional benefit of a nice breeze to further chill the air. And it is not officially winter yet. It has been subzero for several days now. I just read the weather report, and YAY for us... the temperatures will be warmer, and..... da da da!! SNOW! I will not get warm until July.....

Loving the holiday season

Christmas is coming, and I know I will not be ready when it arrives. I never am. I started my shopping the first of January this year. And i had wonderful plans of doing a bit of shopping every month, and being done the first of November. Not a chance.

I have some shopping done though. I didnt realize I had so many to shop for, or create for. Still, I enjoy the Christmas season, and I look forward to it all year long.

I love the shopping, the smells, the sounds, the music (not the same as the sounds), the pretty wrapping paper, and the shiny brightly colored ribbons and bows. I love driving up on the mountain, to cut our tree, and invariably, every year, getting stuck in the snow. I love coming home when it is dark out, and seeing our yard, and porch, outlined in soft blue mini lights. I love getting boxes from family in the mail, full of colorful wrapped presents. It is not the amount that someone spends, its the thought. And the anticipation, of wanting to know what is in each and every package.

I do miss being able to spend the holiday with the rest of my family. Work sometimes makes it impossible to travel. I am anxiously waiting for the next time I will get to spend it at my Moms house, with my sister, and our families.... until then, I will dream about how much fun it will be!, And in the meantime, enjoy the season this year, to the fullest extent possible.

A new addition to the family.

Three weeks ago, Gary and I were relaxing, getting ready for bed. We had worked the night before, so, both of us were tired, ready to call it an early night. THe phone rang, and Gary answered. It was a co-worker, calling at 9 pm, to tell us that one of our residents had heard a kitten crying under her window, for about an hour. They had brought the scared baby into the house. And called us, not knowing what else to do. Gary handed me the phone.

I could hear the unseen baby crying, almost screaming in her tiny kitten voice. While I was trying to figure out what to do about the situation, I told Cathy (co-worker). to heat some milk, and mix it with some cat food I keep there for our resident felines. Then, I looked at Gary, and inwardly I sighed. We already have four felines in residence here at home, can we handle taking care of this baby? To my mind, there was no question. I knew from the first moment I heard there was a needy kitten, that I would drive 30 miles in the middle of the night, to go and bring her home. And that is what I did.

When I first saw the tiny fluffy grey kitten, she was so scared, and so hungry. Her cries were heart wrenching for me. I felt a wave of sadness for her loss of her momma at such a young age. I drove home, holding her against my chest, trying to share my body heat with this shivering mass of grey fluff. Thankfully, Morgan had found a recipe for emergency kitten formula for me, which I had mixed up before going to retrieve my new charge.

Upon our arrival at home, Gary took one look at her, and took her in his hands. Her entire body fit into one of his hands. We gave her some canned Iams kitten food. Which she buried her face in, she was starving. And when she started to slow down, taught her to drink from a bowl. It didn`t take long for her to learn. We stayed up long into the night, comforting this tiny baby. We figured she was about three weeks old. It was hard to be sure. She had been hungry for awhile. You could feel, and see every bone in the tiny little body.

This was three weeks ago. The starved tiny kitten I brought home, is now a healthy, spastic, fluffy ball of demon terror! She attacks everything! Things that move, things that dont. She spends time digging at the different colored squares in our kitchen tile. I laughed so hard I cried the first time her little paws hit linoleum, sending her headfirst into the kitchen stove. I just couldnt help it! It was hilarious. And at this moment? She is sitting on the back of my recliner, swatting her little paws at me, and spitting :)

The rest of the household is adjusting to having her here. They will soon have to begin to help teach her some manners. As only another kitty can do. We try to spend extra time with each and every one. I think it makes a difference on wether or not they try to turn her into a cat toy.

I was thinking, watching her play with a strip of paper towel that is her friend, how incredibly lucky we are. We brought this kitten into our home, and into our hearts. She brings joy, and smiles into our lives. I am thankful every moment for the kitty`s in our life.

Unconditional love

I just worked all night, so this might not make complete sense.

I was sitting here, thinking about kittehs. Mostly about what they bring to my life, or rather, our lives.

When Gary and I first got together, between the two of us, we had three dogs. We enjoyed every second with them. They went everywhere with us. We even took them steelhead fishing with us. I was devastated when my Shy-dog died. She was an old dog, and it was in her time. But still, just thinking about how much I feel her loss makes me cry. We lost the other two about 6 months later, due to a horrifying case of steelhead poisoning. Neither one of us had ever heard of it. It is a devastating thing to have to watch. What it does is terrible. And is only curable if you catch it in the first three days, but it doesn`t show symptoms for a week.

Gary was always adament about hating cats. He would not even entertain the thought of having one. Then,

someone dropped off a female cat at work. She had kittens, six of them. When they were about 4 weeks old, she brought them out of hiding, and we were able to socialize with them. I so wanted one. I had it all picked out. A siamese colored female, gentle, loved to cuddle. It was not to be. One of the kittens wore Gary down. A black male. He hissed, and spit at everyone. He would keep the other kittens away from the canned kitten food I put out to supplement the milk they got from Momma. Unbeknownst to me, every night, when it got quiet, Gary would sit on the fire escape, and watch the kittens at play. The mean little black kitten would climb his leg, crawl into his lap, and sleep. Gary was hooked. So, when I was whining about how much I wanted to give one of these babies a home, Gary told me that if we got one, it had to be this one.

I brought the little hissing ball of black fur home, and he was so tiny!! He could not jump from either of our chairs, to the tv tray we have between them. He had us wrapped around his tiny little paws!

A few months later, Morgan shows up, with these two grey fluff balls that she had been raising since they were only a few days old. Bugsy and Diablo (very appropriate for the monster kitteh!) became instant friends. So, Bugsy moved in. And they were so close, always together, playing, sleeping, whatever.

A few years later, Gary tells me we have this little grey kitten hanging around. I finally got a look at her one September afternoon. And, in the course of a few hours, was holding her in my arms. I had to run to the store, and when I returned, Gary had set her up with food and water. I told him, that meant that we were responsible for her now. And he looked at me, and said "take her in, let the boys get to know her". She is two now..

And then, this spring, while we were camped during steelhead season, this bobbed tail, black female wandered into camp. She is so sweet. I had her sleeping with us the first night. She was obviously very loved by someone. So, we put up notices, made inquiries, but no one would claim her. Well, I would not leave her. So....... We named her Liza..... She is my baby......

Ok, lets recount, shall we? Gary, self confirmed cat hater, Sleeps with his cat, Diablo. Gets his head licked all night by Diablo. Gives Diablo a quick rub down, and brushing at least three times a day. They take naps together, Feeds him off of his plate, lets him drink out of his glass. They are inseperable.

I think it is an amazing relationship. And very good for the both of them. And me as well. I get to share the house, and my life with four amazing and loving cats. I would not trade them for anything!

Cats are amazing creatures. Everyone should be so lucky to be loved by one, or more. And how people can abuse them, I dont understand. It takes a cruel person to intentionally hurt a creature who wants nothing more than to be loved. Cats give unconditional love. It might not be when you want it, or how. Opening your heart to a cat, means getting a lifetime of love in return.

What the crap was the point??

I am sitting here, trying to figure out how crap freakin` happens. Not that it will ever happen, I know...

The prelude to this ramble;

Our neighbor is a nosy type. He looks over the fence, to see what we are doing, where we are...etc... And he has issues with the property line that divides the two pieces of property. Questions it almost constantly, and even had a surveyor come in. He learned nothing. Except that by law, he doesnt own eight feet of his house, we do. Hm.....

So, he is driving us crazy about it. Gary mentioned to me, last week, about giving him this 3 foot strip of land, that would give him walking room around all four sides of his house. After a lengthy conversation, we decided against it. That is the huge point here, WE. As in the both us us. Two people involved in the conversation. 2

So, tonight, I am cooking dinner, and Gary walks in, and says he has just given (WTH?!?!?!?!) GIVEN them this 3 foot strip of land. And isnt this a great thing? They are going to pay for a new fence, higher, so they cant look over. And they are paying to have the sprinkler lines moved, and they are paying to move the trees we just planted... blah blah blah (my mind shut down at this point) And he he wont have to deal with the lilacs on that side anymore. I said- I love the lilacs. Then, I just shut up.

I knew if I sad a single word, it was over, I would be crying. I was so upset. Not mad. At first, I thought it was disappointment. That I was disappointed in him. Then, I knew my feelings were hurt. We had just talked about this! And decided not to do it. How could he just change his mind, and not say a word to me, and do it? I didnt get it.

So, we were eating dinner, and he got all quiet, and said I was mad, and he got pissy. I told hm no, I am not mad. And I told him how I feel, and why. He kept trying to turn it all back to how great this would be. I told him I wasnt at all mad. Richard (neighbor) got a great deal, and he got a great deal. And that my feelings were hurt by what he did. HE got mad and just went to bed..

So, here I am, trying to figure out what the point was in our having discussed it at all in the first place. ( I asked him that too) What was the point if my opinion meant nothing in the first place?

I might just be mad right now though.. And blowing off steam..... I`m thinking not though.......