Happy National Cat Day!

For #throwbackthursday and #nationalcatday I posted this picture of Woody and Boo from March 2014 on Instagram this morning.  Little did I know that he would be gone from this world a few months later. I loved him so much, he was so beautiful, loyal and a big cuddle bug.

Woody

Woody

My beloved and loyal buddy Woody passed away last night. His health took a very sudden downturn mid week last week.

I had 15 great years with him. He slept with me every night and even though he often had this melancholy look on his face, he was a contented cat. He was so mellow, that everyone else got along with him without any problems.

Woody

When I got Munchkin back in August of 2010, Woody was the first one to make him feel at home, and didn't hiss and swipe at him like Boo & Tom Cat did. He could be kind of goofy too, and I ended up nick-naming him Monkey Boy a few summers after I got him. I eventually called him Monkey more than I called him Woody, and he adjusted just fine.

He was angelic when he slept, and had the softest long hair I'd ever experienced in a cat. I am thankful that his suffering is over, but I will always miss waking up with him by my side. People that think only dogs are loyal, never had a cat like him.

Woody and Munchkin in 2010

The Huge Box

My step mom Susan shipped Mom & Dad's old drafting table to me via FedEx and it arrived at 10 this morning.

Mom used it to draw out the design for the house that we were building in Lawton Michigan.  Unfortunately because of their divorce the property was sold and someone else presumably finished it.

I'm not sure how Dad came about to have the table, but I'm glad she saved it for me. It looks like it will be my next refinishing project. ..

Susan was right, this was a huge box, but light. There was a lot of bubble wrap and packing paper as you can see. Boo & Munchkin were having a lot of fun playing in that paper!  The living room was a disaster area for about 2 hours.

Woody

Spring Flowers & Showers

When I went to the Barkley Haggen during the week these tulips immediately caught my eye as I was going in the main entrance. I love this color of flowers; this color combination is really pretty in parrot tulips also. It ended up raining pretty much all day today, but it does feel like the weather is shifting. We had day time highs in the mid to upper 50's this week, and tonight when I went to let Tom Cat in, I could hear a bunch of crickets chirping, that is a very good sign!

I just finished reading "Who Moved My Cheese" by Dr. Spencer Johnson a few days ago, and went through it again last night and today to write down the passages that stood out for me, and thoughts I had while reading it. I borrowed it from my supervisor Kelly. It is a book that she has recommended for all of us, because it has to do with change, which we are constantly going through.

At the strong urging of my friend Steve from Premier, I read "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens" by Sean Covey last fall. Even though it is geared toward teens, it's still appropriate for adults. It was helpful in reinforcing what I was already doing, but also helped me become more focused as well. I'm in a better mindset for setting goals, big and small.

At work starting in November I think, each month we have been pairing up and doing a Power Point presentation on each of the 7 Habits during our team meeting. It has been good to get the perspective of others and see what their take-away's were after they read the chapter. 

For March, Peggy & Lindsey presented the Habit: the Public & Private Victory. It is mostly to do with our relationships with others, but also reinforces that we ourselves have to come from a healthy place to be successful in our relationships with others. I thanked them both, because it was very thought provoking, and fit in with a big part of what I have been working on for myself. 

During the Christmas break I read "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield and it was very helpful in helping me see how I was letting a lot of my emotional baggage and fears stop me from progressing. All of these books have been helpful in leading me forward.

Woody

Completely Lazy Sunday

For the first time in years I am staying home on a Sunday,  and it's kinda weird but I'm choosing not to feel guilty about it.

We got more snow yesterday and there was some still around from last weekend. I was doing a lot better as far as my cold and decided that I just didn't want to go out today. I always get a Sunday paper and share the ads at work but not this week!

I've been curled up here in the big chair in the living room for hours with Woody & Boo. Surfing the Web on my phone, snuck in a nap,  and now I'm posting these pictures!

This 'n That

Tom Cat

I love waking up and seeing any one of the cats sleeping against the pillow like this. It's usually either Boo or Tommy. All four of them slept with me last night, which is usually the case, but Boo had moved on by the time I woke up.

Munchkin

Woody

Woody has definitely gotten way more snuggly in the last year. He almost always wants to curl up on my lap now. I also frequently wake up to him sleeping across my chest or neck even. This morning he was on the pillow next to my head.

First Christmas Cactus Bloom of the season

September Summer

Woody

Woody & Munchkin

 The deer have been around again a lot this summer, and I really enjoy that. Boo still usually hides under the deck when they are around. Last night right before dusk I saw the two fawns heading over to Dave's backyard, the doe must have been ahead of them, because I never saw her.

And my little buddy Munchkin just couldn't resist these nice clean sheets.

Munchkin

This 'n That

Tom Cat and Munchkin

Woody

When the sun came out and it started to warm up today, the deck was still too damp for the cats to lay on, so Tommy and Munchkin improvised.















Woody found his own spot in the sun. After all of our rain this week that seemed like we were jumping right into fall, I'm glad that it is getting sunny and warmer again. It's supposed to be nice all week and I am definitely looking forward to it.

Critter Day - Part Two

So a few hours after the doe and her fawns were here, one of the bucks stopped by. Woody and Munchkin went out to say hello again.

Lazy Sunday

Woody, Munchkin and Boo

The battle with the yellow jackets continues, and the cats decided to hang out inside this afternoon.

We got a little moisture this weekend, and if we had any thunderstorms like Seattle did, I unfortunately slept right through them.

Munchkin and Boo

Woody's Trip to The Vet

Tea Set featured on MemeBase

I had Woody's annual vet visit first thing this morning and oh dear, my poor little buddy was trembling really bad while we were waiting for the bus. I tried to get him to take two of the calming treats before we left, but he wasn't interested.

He didn't end up yowling, but he kept trying to bury his head in the cat bed, and it wasn't much better when the vet started to examine him. He got a blood draw and I have to try and arrange to bring him back in to get a urine sample to test his kidneys. Otherwise everything is A-Okay.

And then when we left I missed the bus by one minute, so he got the walking tour of downtown Bellingham just like Boo did. I even made a quick detour into the post office to get some stamps. The nice thing is, that after all the stress of the travels he wasn't mad at me and relaxes and everything is normal in 5 minutes. Well, back to my Saturday chores

The Internet; A Love - Hate Relationship

Woody & Boo

So I'm back online. Again.
I swapped out the modem I got from Comcast last Tuesday for another one today and activated it, and so far so good! (Knock on wood).

It's a different model, so I'm hoping that this will be a keeper and I won't have any more trouble.

Hello Boo, my beautiful girl

This 'n That

Sweet Peas

Sweet Peas

I am so ready to plant my sweet peas, I just have to get some more potting soil. Our typical spring weather is so back and forth between cold/wet and sunny/warm; this weekend, wet of course.
I'm ready for it to be nice and work outside.







I have gotten a lot of my spring cleaning done and was doing more inside today. In between I took a power nap and Boo And Woody joined me. They were so sweet together, curled up and cozy ☺

Woody and Boo

Spring

Mt. Baker from the Cordata Bus Station

Another sunny day today after a beautiful weekend! I'm still a bit sore from working out in the yard all afternoon Saturday. I got the first lawn mowing of the season under my belt, as well as some tree trimming.

Sweet Peas 2013 - Day Two

I also started my sweet peas inside from seeds from last year, mixed in with some seeds from my coworker Peggy's plant. Her sweet peas were very colorful and mine were very fragrant. I'm hoping that they blend....

Woody

My desk is finally done!

Woody & The Late, Great Miss Kitty

I finally finished my desk (see pictures below)! It was my goal to put this desk back together on my Christmas break this year. It took two days, and I was actually a little worried when I got started because I did not document anything as I took it apart, and that was 3 summers ago.....

The picture at the top is reference for how it was before I started. The finish was not a consistent color and the wood pulls were different sizes too. I think it's an old army desk from one of the bases here in Washington, I bought it from my friend Steve Stimson from his former antique shop.

The wood is maple, and it is a nice sturdy piece of furniture. The chair I also got from Steve, but at a different time, and it is also maple with some beautiful grain patterns here and there. I refinished the chair in 2006. 

Woody & Pauline

 

It looks like I will have to compete with Woody and Pauline for this spot when I need to set up my sewing machine...

Catching Up

Boo, Sunday October 21st

Woody, Saturday October 27th

Tom Cat, Saturday October 27th

I thought it was funny catching Boo sitting in the chair on the back deck like this. She's out there sitting in it right now as well, thanks to a mild afternoon.

Woody loves the quilt that Denise made for me, and he always cuddles up against the stuffed polar bear too. And surprise, surprise, he's sitting in the same spot today!


As usual I am playing catch-up on the weekend and trying to work in a fun project for work. I have to go get my mail at the post office and get my ballot, this is an election I obviously can't miss, and feel strongly about.

This is a good clip from The Daily Show from this past week. I had read a really good blog on Huffington Post towards the end of the week, but could not find it again today to link it here. It was about the reality of rape and statistics from around the globe, and the numbers were very sickening.
 There were references to several stories that I was already familiar with. One of them had to do with the on-going civil war in The Congo in Africa, and a doctor who treats women who have been so brutally gang raped by soldiers that they require surgery. I was reading that article within a day or two of reading about how someone had tried to assassinate him in an attack that left his bodyguard dead.
Sometimes, I just can't take reading about this subject, because it makes me so sick at heart. Last month there was a girl about the age of my niece that was gang raped in an apartment 6-7 blocks from where I live. I sat and cried thinking about her, and hoping that something like that never happens to Jennifer. I was talking to my good friend Gerry yesterday, and I told her that sadly, I don't think that we will ever get to a place and time where women will be able to truly live free, even here in the US.