Feline Friday

 

My dear grandma passed away in 2004. She was a master seamstress, having honed her skills in upholstery and fur coat factories. It was hard work but as a single mother she had no other way to support her family.

In addition to making her own dresses, Grandma enjoyed making stuffed animals (with their own wardrobes!) and cat toys. Even though Grandma left us long before Lily was born, Lily loves to play with the stuffed turtle she made for my kitties. Tinsel was partial to Grandma's catnip-filled green satin snake -- which is strangely STILL lost somewhere in this house!

When I cleaned out my parents' house back in 2013, I found this cat bed up in the top of the garage, clearly made by my grandma. I am almost positive I have a picture of her wearing a dress made from the same fabric! It was dusty and dirty from years at the bottom of a basket of odds and ends. But I tossed it in the washer and sure enough, it cleaned up beautifully.

I'm certain the cat bed was made to fit within the confines of a basket, although I'm not positive which one and of course, the basket is long gone.

The cat bed has been at our house for quite some time but Lily has only recently decided that she absolutely loves it. It does my heart good to see my grandma's handiwork making her so happy.

And I know Grandma would be thrilled that her handmade treasures are being loved by a new generation of kitties!

Feline Friday

It's Feline Friday and what better way to celebrate than with SEVEN kitties? 

 

This is the current breakfast scene at my sister-in-law's house. Her two adult kitties are dining in the company of five babies! This is my idea of PURR-fection!

 

These sweeties are the final babies of Mama Cat, a sweet ginger kitty who lives in the garage. Mama will be going for her spay day in a couple of weeks. The kittens will all be adopted into loving homes. 

I'm still trying to figure out how to smuggle one into our house, but I'm not sure Lily would welcome it!

Feline Friday

 

 Lily is truly living her best life! Earlier this week, I found her sprawled out on the bed, the overhead fan cooling her tummy.

 

 She slept all through lunch, occasionally pausing to squeeze those sweet little paws over her eyes.

 

What a life! What a joy she is!

 

Happy Feline Friday!

Feline Friday -- Now Cat-urday!

 Friday blew right by with no Feline Friday post! It was a busy day and I just didn't get to it. But every day is a good day for a kitty post...especially Cat-urday!

It was a PURR-fect Saturday morning to sit outside on the patio! Finally, we are welcoming lower temperatures and humidity!

Of course, Lily wanted outside, too! But lawn mowers were buzzing in the neighborhood and I thought she'd be scared.

Pleeeze, Meowmy?

I want outside!

PLEEZES?

Next thing you know, we're suited up and outside on the patio!

 

Of course...it's CAT-urday!

Feline Friday: Yoga Kitty

Every time she hears the "thump" of me rolling out my yoga mat, Lily comes sauntering in to my "yoga studio" AKA craft room. She positions herself directly on the mat, usually exactly where I need to step!

 

  Sometimes she'll even sit under me as I'm doing one of my awkward downward dogs. She's a brave girl! LOL

 

I enjoy the company, even if I'm the one doing all the work! #yogakitty

Feline Friday: Now with Kittens!

 Oh, I am sorry to excite anyone.

We don't have kittens in da house.

But my sister-in-law and her family have FIVE new kittens in their garage! Mama Kitty recently had her final litter before her upcoming scheduled spay day. Over the years she has produced some beautiful and very sweet kittens. By all accounts, these kittens are over-the-moon adorable!

Okay, raise your paw if you think this one looks like LILY!

And even though these babies are pretty new, they already have homes lined up! Kudos to my nieces for lining up forever homes for each one.

I only wish I could hold them myself and maybe sneak a couple home with me! :)

Happy Feline Friday!

Feline Friday with Rory

 We spent the long Easter weekend in Texas visiting the kids...and Lily's cousin, Rory! 

 

 

Rory is clearly living her best life. She is a big girl now, weighing in at around 14 pounds! She is a fierce protector of the house, guarding it from rabbits, squirrels, and the occasional neighbor cat.

Rory has also PURR-fected the fine art of napping! She takes naps to the next level, burrowing under covers and going completely limp while she sleeps. It's quite adorable!

It was so much fun to hang out with them all for awhile!

Signs of Spring

 The weather here has been crazy! We've had 60 degree days followed by snow. 

 

Tornado sirens followed by freezing rain. 

 

I've had on my sandals one day and winter coat the next.

 

 But in spite of the whiplash temperatures, spring truly IS on the way. A few green things are popping up in the garden! My Asiatic lilies are looking good.

 

 And most of the 50 tulips I planted last fall are coming up nicely! I suspect that some bulbs may have been stolen by squirrels as I've spotted a few holes in the area. Still, the tulips are coming up nicely!

 Let's hope they don't mind a few more chilly days!

Feline Friday: She Can See Clearly Now!

 We had the windows washed and the gutters cleaned out this past week. It's not all that expensive to hire it done and frankly, it's a real treat to have clean windows! 

We can't reach the second floor windows anyway so it's great to have the guys with the tall ladders just get it done!

Lately we've had had lots of bird activity in our yard, so Lily had a vested interested in the spring window cleaning! Now that the glass is clean, she's been keen to watch the finches who are contemplating building a nest on our front porch.

Lily says, "Thanks for the clean windows! Now I can see my feathered friends!"

Good Advice for Living

 I ran across this recently and boy, did it ring true to me. 

Am I guilty of most -- or all -- of these? YEP.

Would I be better off if I STOPPED doing them? DEFINITELY.

I've recently been paying a lot more attention to the role that anxiety has been playing in my life. All of the items on this list contribute to my anxiety.

And I'm so invested in looking calm to the outside world that I internalize my anxiety. Suffice it to say, it has taken a toll on my health and well-being.

I'm on the mend now, and I think things will be even better if I just stop doing a FEW of these things. Being aware of them is the first step.

Here's to a healthier 2022!

Feline Friday

Happy Sweet 16 to Lily!

 

She's my little buddy through thick and thin, and I'm so thankful she's doing so well in her golden years!

This week she even helped me with my work! You're never too old to learn new things!

 

Feline Friday

 Things have been crazy around our house. We have many irons in the fire! As much as I wanted to blog more, it's just not happening at the moment.

But I can't miss Feline Friday! Better late than never, because I KNOW you've been wondering what Lily has been up to this week! LOL

Lily always waits for me to get up in the morning, but her exact location varies with the day. Lately, she's started waiting on the stairs. This position midway up allows her to spot me as soon as I emerge from the bedroom AND look out the front window at the same time. Believe me, if I'm the slightest bit late with her breakfast, she'll come and get me!

This is one of Lily's silliest poses. It happens when I interrupt her as she's licking her round, soft belly. I caught her in this position a few times this past week. It always makes me laugh!

This is one of Lily's best poses when she wants to emphasize just how cute she is! She curls those sweet little paws and even makes "air biscuits" when I talk to her. Just makes my heart melt!

Cute pictures of Lily always make the day better for me. Hopefully for you, too!

Happy weekend!
Janet