Shelter Crafts Week!!

PATTY:  Daffy remembers the days she spent at the Humane Society shelter and hopes you will join in the fun to make these wonderful crafts for the kitties and woofies waiting for their furever families to come get them.   

DAFFY:  This snuggle buddy is really, really cute and I want one, too.  Go to Smooch and Basil's website to get the pattern and go there every day to get a new craft idea to make.  So, mom, I want a snuggle buddy in every color to match my mood!

xoxo

Take Five Thursday

Too hot to worry about being cool.

PATTY:  Heat wave doesn't mean much to Ms. Daffodil.  She knows no seasons.  As long as there are quilts and beds, she's okey dokey. 

Stay cool, cats!  xoxo

I own this

"This is now mine"

Yesterday I finished another quilt -- which seems to have become my new full-time job these days -- and as I was cutting threads and pulling out the basting, along comes Daffy and plops herself down right in the middle of it all.  See those crossed paws?  That is Daffy-lingo for "I own this."  She couldn't be happier!

xoxo

Paws Together

Thanks to Ann of Zoolatry for this graphic, reminding us that this chaotic weather is causing problems for our beloved pets.  I'm happy to report that our first responders rescue pets as well as people and often the animals who are separated from their families wind up in the shelters.  Their people might be physically or psychologically injured . . . totally traumatized by the loss of "everything."  They might assume their pet is dead.  So it's a good time to remember to support the animal shelters and rescues where these weather tragedies happen. 

Daffy, Empress of the Voids

Hey!  You left this box open, dude!

Before the clothes were folded and put away and the bed made, Daffy imagined she was the Empress.  We can all dream, right?

Daffy has been with us for two years now and we are all growing closer (although she still bites when she gets too much affection). 

The other night we had tornadoes, sirens going off everywhere.  Tornadoes to the north, tornadoes to the south, and always some to the west.  So we all hauled ourselves down to the basement.  She isn't normally allowed in the basement, so Sab had to pick her up and carry her down.  Bhu HATED the basement and he would never go down there.  In fact, when the sirens went off, we would take him down there and he would run back up the stairs and sit at the door.  Our basement is comfy:  it's plumbed and wired and there's food and water and even a litter box!

But Daffy did really well!  We turned on the TV so we could watch the weather casts as they tracked the storms and she laid down on the carpet all spread out like some regal princess oblivious to the chaos just a few feet away on the other side of the wall.  Then she even climbed up on the couch to sit with Sab and eventually went to the easy chair in front of the TV.  She was very happy to be with us!

We hope you are all safe and dry!  xoxo

Sad, Sad Day!

PATTY:  Maggy has crossed the Rainbow Bridge.  I have always loved her and she so reminded me of Bhu, my own glorious himmy.  Please visit zoolatry to see more photos of beautiful Maggy and read about her history.  This news has made me very, very sad. 

Sleep Study

Medical Bling:  some of the most expensive accessories in the world!

 PATTY:  This month I've been having a lot of medical adventures from experimenting with new medicines to enduring yet another sleep study this week.  I can't sleep in hospitals (unless anesthesia is involved, and I don't consider that to be "sleep"); I can barely sleep in my own bed!  Each one of the wires in this photo was attached to my body, including my head.  Those on my head were glued on with goop-I-don't-even-know-what-it-was, so all the hair on my head, except for the ponytail, was gooped up.  Fortunately, I brought a hat for the morning trip home. 

The Sleep Expert at work.

Daffy seems to be able to sleep anywhere, any time, any place.  She's laying on her special scarf (which started out as a cowl for me).  The wool is really spongey and the texture of the knit pattern is such that she likes to knead it as if she was a little kitten again.  She gets this blissful look on her face and she kneads away; so happy.  It's nice and warm for her, too. 

So, who's sick of winter already?  Raise hands!  ME!  I want to be a snowbird.  I want to leave this cold, snowy Minnesota-like land and go somewhere warm from December to March.  How can I do that and where would I go? 

In the meantime, stay warm and dry.  xoxo

We made it!

Happy we made it through another year! 

PATTY:  Frankly, we're happy to be done with 2018.  The good things were the garden, visiting my sister, quitting my job, and finding doctors in whom I have some confidence.  The bad things were -- well, I'll keep those to myself because why spread the pain, right?

DAFFY:  I'm glad my butt furs are growing back so I don't have to face the new year in total humiliation. 

PATTY:  Well, I'm not gonna ask you if you have any resolutions because I can imagine they cover the subjects of an increase in treats, more gravy, and a giant water fountain that runs all day long.

DAFFY:  Yes, those are the resolutions I made for YOU.  My resolution is to nap more.

PATTY:  I don't know how it is possible for you to nap MORE, but okay, I can live with that.  If you're napping, you're not begging for food, treats, or running water. 

Let's just hope for a kinder, more peaceful, less violent, less hateful, more humane year in 2019.  xoxo

all I want fur kissmess

Exhibit A:  We need more gravy and get rid of these gray chunks!

Exhibit B:  Sorry, Purina, but I'm not eatin' these gray chunks.

Dear Purina:

I am a middle-aged, "curvy" feline with a lotta smarts and discriminating taste.  My mom feeds me Fancy Feast Creamy Delights Tuna Feast since she discovered a couple of years ago that this is the only thing I will eat.  But, as you can see from Exhibit A and Exhibit B above, I cannot abide the stuff you put in the gravy.  My mom calls this "meat" but I'm not sure.  Whatever it is, it sux. 

So, my mom wrote to Purina and asked them to share the recipe for the gravy because that's really all I'm interested in eating (Exhibit A & B); but (no surprise) they did not respond.  My mom is a smart one and she always has a Plan B (and C and D) to find out how to make that gravy. 

In the meatime, I am sending this message to you to request that you (a) either take the gray chunks out of the gravy, or (b) put waaaaaay more gravy in and take out most of the gray chunks.  Then, it will be better.

Yers sinseerly,

Ms. Daffodil K. R. Skypants

Annifurrsary

The BEST toy is a kitty tail!!

PATTY:  Sab and I have been together for 35 years and we decided to celebrate by booking the cat room at our local cat cafe.  All the kitties are rescues and are available for adoption and they get to stay in this huge room where they sleep, play, eat, drink, and have pets visited upon them every single day by many visitors and staff, as well as the cat wrangler.  They have a private toilette area and can escape into a variety of cubbyholes when they want "alone time." 

This photo shows only a few of the kitties.  The rest are in the front of the room in a tree by the window (catching some rays) and there are two sleeping under the little white table (lower left).  All the chairs have cat paw socks.  The cafe has three permanent kitty residents who are not up for adoption, one of whom is a polydactal.  When you book a room, you get free coffee and pastries. 

DAFFY:  What do you think?  Should I feel betrayed?  Not really.  I was glad to get rid of them for a little while so I could have "alone time." 

Do you have a cat cafe in your town?  Tell me about it!  xoxo

November snow!

Where'd my furs go!?! 

Why'd you do this to me?!!

PATTY:  So, as you can see, Daffy got a fur cut -- basically her whole back end.  She still looks amazingly beautiful but I worry about her being cold.  However, as  you can see she is intelligent enough to have found a nice warm spot for naps.  Yesterday afternoon she even came up on the bed and climbed onto my stomach and lap and snuggled while I read (Postcards from the Edge by Carrie Fisher which was pretty funny, so I recommend it).  This was a VERY rare occurrence (not the reading; the lap snuggling)!  She has NEVER climbed on anyone's lap for snuggles.  This fur cut has altered her personality a little, I guess.

As is becoming the habit, apparently, when the weather changes her fur starts flying off her body.  We were finding hand-fulls of fluff everywhere.  In the morning the path to the kitchen was covered with big tufts of fur leading to the food bowls . . . a feline Hansel and Gretl twist!  Then all of a sudden, as if overnight. her back end was completely matted and all the mats were like concrete -- we could NOT brush them or comb them out.  She was suffering and confused about what was happening, so we had no choice but to take her to the vet.

That's because unlike normal kitties, she won't let strangers touch her without biting their hands off.  So, not only do we have to pay for an office visit ($53) and grooming ($35), we also need an anesthetist ($50) to administer the sedative.  I realize there are some human females who spend about that much for grooming visits to the salon.  So, am I complaining?  Nah.  We lived with Bhu, the Mat-Master of them all, for 19 years and so I should say we are used to it (but we never really are).

If you are some of the "lucky" Americans who are having snow this week, may I sympathize!  All I can suggest is plenty of hot cocoa.  xoxo

Before it's too late!

Graphic compliments of Ann of Zoolatry!

PATTY:  I love my sister but she doesn't vote.  Why?  Because she doesn't read and so she doesn't know who the candidates are or anything about their values or platforms.  She doesn't know what constitutional amendments or proposals are on the ballot and I'll bet she doesn't even know where her polling place is.  She is, however, registered to vote.  This just makes me so mad and I tell her but she always counters that the issues really aren't relevant to her life.  Of course, she is so wrong but I'm glad she has the intelligence to NOT vote if she knows nothing about the issues.

If you are a person who knows nothing going into the polling place, I have a treat for you.  Wouldn't you rather be informed as you cast your vote?  Here is a link to a site that will tell you what is on the ballot in your city and what those things mean:  ballotpedia.org.  All you have to do is type in your address or zip code and it will show you what's on the ballot so you can be prepared.

DAFFY:  Wish I could vote!  I'd vote for tuna! 

BOO!

PATTY:  Thanks to Ann of Zoolatry (zoolatry@gmail.com), Daffy has fulfilled her dream of masquerading as Katy Perry for Meow-O-Ween!  I mean, seriously, they could be twins, right?  So Daffy is thinking that with this costume she is going to be raking in the treats!!

DAFFY:  Fer shur, no doubt!  Kiss Kiss!!

xoxo

PeeEss:  Today is Bhu's birthday.  We miss him so much!  

Kitty Krack

WARNING:  Addictive substances!!

The User displaying absolutely no remorse and plotting to get her next fix.

Yes, it's true.  The new scourge of suburbia:  PARTY MIX!  The sight of these little packages makes Daffy so excited she gets a little wild-eyed.  She is crazy for them, even though they make her tummy a little dense.  But, as you can see from her expression, nothing is going to stop her from getting more.  NOTHING!  Thanks a lot, Friskies!!

More information about Daffy's skin condition.  Since it was a grooming visit and not a medical one, the vet did not pursue the exact nature of the condition, but the treatment she gave us is called Douxo Seborrhea Spot-on, which is very easy to apply.  The active ingredient is Phytosphingosine 1%.

Heat wave is back today, but at least we got some rain this week!  Hope your summer has gone well!  All I know is that I have seen quite a few monarch butterflies this week, so I'm happy!  xoxo

Potpourri

These giants weigh a little over 2 pounds each. 

PATTY:  So, you're expecting to see Daffy but no can do.  She's snoozing in the window and doesn't want to be photographed.  We had to have a grooming intervention last week ($150 because she has to be sedated), so she has a few "bare" spots on her belleh.  It's just astounding how much she was shedding!  We absolutely could not keep up with it even though we were brushing her at least twice a day.  Plus, we learned she has a skin condition that is causing copious amounts of dandruff so now we have to apply an ointment to her coat.

Instead, what you are seeing here is a mountain of tomatoes that I harvested last night.  These are not the first, as you know, and will probably not be the last but they are GIGANTIC (in both size and flavor).  Also harvested were a few squash and some anaheim peppers.  Here's a photo of some of the smaller, normal sized tomatoes.  Yum, huh?

We're normal and will probably go into a salad or sandwich. 

Yesterday I watched the Sex & The City movie.  Quite possibly the stupidest thing I've ever watched (and I've seen "Meatballs" and at least one other early Bill Murry movie).  How did this series/franchise ever become so popular?

But the big thing for me this weekend is that I have been trying not to think about the big failure I am having at work.  It's BIG.  What do you do when you have a FAIL at work?  Usually, I can fix it; but this time I don't know.  Plus, I have reached a level of IDGAS that is disturbing for me.  Usually I care . . . I really care; but lately, IDGAS.  Honestly, I'm stressed out.  Too much has been assigned to me and I'm not getting any institutional support.  Bear in mind:  I'm part-time.  I'm retired.  I know what you're going to say. 

At least I didn't have to have my belleh shaved, right?!  Have a good week, all!  xoxo