Hello everyone! Today is a kind of a blah day here. Wyatt caught a cold somewhere and hasn’t been feeling well. He is all stuffed up and coughing and had a low grade fever last night and this morning. I hate when he is sick! And, I am feeling a bit under the weather today as well. I need to fight this off! Yuck!
This week was just a week. Nothing too exciting, and then Wyatt started not feeling well on Wednesday so we didn’t do too much after that. I did take Mouse in for a wellness check at the vet. Her eyes are a little runny, and she has been having some litter box training issues so I thought I would take her in. She was such a good little girl, and they all loved her.
I am so glad that I took her in. The vet detected a low grade heart murmur, which he said she might outgrow later, but that they may not spay her when we take her in this month (she is getting spayed somewhere else). So we will find out what happens. My poor baby! He said the fact that she is not fatigued or coughing are all good signs. Other than that, the visit went pretty well. They said she might just be taking a little bit more time to learn the litter box ways, as she is now going next to the box, like a goof. She will figure it out. I hope. Lol.
Miso is trying hard with these kittens. She is still very good with them, although I can tell they annoy her a little. This picture sort of reminds me of Garfield and Nermal!
Max is still Max, an orange floof. He loves Wyatt, which is what I wanted, a pet that Wyatt can grow up with. Miso is my cat, she loves me the most, she’s older than Wyatt, you get it. So the kittens are Wyatt’s growing up pets. Mouse likes Wyatt too, but Max is more attached to him, and will cuddle up next to him. Although, as if they sensed that sentence, Mouse just wandered over to Wyatt to cuddle him. Maybe she knows he doesn’t feel well today.
Michigan is like one giant germ right now! My brother’s family has been sick too, and my little tiny niece, the hurricane, was diagnosed this morning with low grade pneumonia. The doctor gave her some antibiotics and said she should be feeling better within a day or two. Poor baby girl!
I am also so behind on replying to comments and visiting blogs. I apologize. Hopefully I can get to it soon.
And I think that is sort of it for today! I am feeling sort of crummy and uninspired. Lol. Stay safe and well friends!
Hello everyone!! I am a winter lover, but now is about the time I am ready for it to be over. Even I can have too much winter, and with how intense winter has been this month – it’s time to call it. Let’s get some warmer weather, some sunshine up in here. I am done wintering, however February in Michigan means more winter. So, we will just keep on keeping on a little bit longer.
I know this weather is affecting such a large part of the U.S. right now too, and I feel for those of you who are not used to it. It’s tough for me and I am a Michigander. I mean, it was 12 degrees yesterday, and I took the kittens to their vaccine appointment without a coat. Just my sweatshirt and hat. I did cover the carrier with my coat though, despite the car being heated with heated seats. The clinic I went to is one that is run by my SIL. It is a high quality, high volume, low cost spay/neuter clinic that does vaccine clinics on Thursdays, also low cost. I just want to talk about how awesome this place is for a minute. The shots for both of the kittens was a total of $60, and I didn’t even have to get out of my car. I called when I got there, the tech came out to grab them in their carrier, took them in, did the things, and brought them back. It was very convenient! We are also getting them spayed and neutered there as well. They have a grant package (a few of them, one for feral cats too) that is called A Family Affair, where if you take in a mom cat and her kittens, the mom is basically $100 for the surgery and shots, and each kitten is $5 for shots and surgery. So, Max and Mouse will be done with everything for about $20 really, once I pay for their tiny cones of shame on top of it. Our friend where we got the kittens is taking in their mom and their sister at the same time, so we can utilize the grant. The clinic does not do full vet care, but for things like this, it is a fantastic value.
On Sunday, we got a lot of snow! Not as much as some places, but a lot for our area. For some reason snow usually misses us! We got about 7-8 inches. We waited until evening to go outside and shovel and snowblow, and Wyatt went out with us. It has always been sort of difficult to get him outside in the snow, but now that we have the deck and ramp, it was so much easier! And, the ramp served another purpose this time- sledding! Wyatt had fun going down a few times than just hanging out throwing snow at his father and I while we worked. It was mega-cold out but he was not ready to go back in. He had a blast!! Although I realized belatedly that this kid does not have boots! It is just not something we need to buy him normally so we used an old pair of his shoes and really thick wool socks. I need to write a note for next winter to buy boots!
This weekend we absolutely have to leave this house. I don’t care if it is the arctic outside. We are getting out and doing something. If it is not too terrible, a city near us is having an Ice Festival, which might be fun. Actually, a few communities near us are having ice sculpting fests with hot chocolate, so we will pick one perhaps and go. I remember going to the one in Plymouth when I was a kid. My family went with my aunt and uncle, and my cousin Brian and I got to ride in the back of their station wagon, in a fold up seat that faced backwards. The 80s were a wild time, weren’t they? My mom and my aunt were like the moms in A Christmas Story, and would bundle us up so much we could hardly move, but we were warm. We were always together, our whole lives. Lots of good time and memories, even when I had to stomp about in moon boots. God I hated those things! I always felt bad for the kids who forgot to bring shoes in the winter, and had to wear those big boots all day during school. I can still hear the sounds of them walking in the classroom or down the hall, the hiss of the radiators, feeling a bit drowsy in the afternoon from the heat and playing on the playground. Scarves and hats and mittens and boots, and now I try not to wear anything out but boots, a hat, and gloves. Wyatt, however, I bundle up like my mom did me, although I always make sure not to zip his chin like my mom did me.
Tonight is pizza Friday and I can’t wait. I am so over planning dinners this week! We made a whole chicken on Sunday since we were all snowed in and not leaving, and then we ate the leftovers as chicken quesadillas the next two days though, so it wasn’t too hard planning them. And honestly, those were the best freaking quesadillas I have ever eaten. It was the first time I ever made them, and they turned out so good. Definitely something we are keeping on the menu for future leftovers.
While I am stuck here in snowy Michigan, one of my besties is over in London, living it up! She is sending me pics of her trip, and it looks awesome. A Wes Anderson exhibit, tea at Harrods, and shopping at Hatchards. I had no idea what that was, but some of you might. It is the oldest bookseller in London, and has been around since 1797. The owner was a publisher and anti-slavery campaigner, and the store holds a Royal Warrant, which means they service the royal family. Pretty cool! And because she loves me, Kelly texted me a photo of a huge Agatha Christie book display and had me pick a book! She said there was no way she could be at the oldest bookstore in London and not get me a book by a British author. I had a minute of blurting out via text different titles before I settled on The Sittaford Mystery.
Which one would you have picked?
And wow I have really rambled, sorry about that!!! I will close with a few random photos, and a wish for you guys to do somethings today that makes you smile! Stay safe and warm my friends!
Hello everyone! It is crazy weather here in the States isn’t it? I am worried about you all in the south! Stay safe and warm, wear layers, lots of natural fabrics that breathe, build your blanket forts and hunker down. We have been in this house for far too long here, and we just have a few more days of it, although I am taking Wyatt to therapy today at least. We will have a feels like above a negative number so I am going for it, because later tonight our temps really get bad, and we could reach temps of -35. Not fun!
While Billy has been out and about for work this week (poor guy), Wyatt and I have been inside. I did go to the pet store last night to just get out but that has been it. We have been really working hard at school, and Wyatt is doing fantastic. He is really coming along with reading and I am so proud of him. We are also covering the Lewis and Clark expedition in history, learning about boreal forests in science, and we are about to start a whole architecture unit for art, which I am super excited about. I just need to get to the library to pick up some books for it- maybe Saturday I can venture out.
I am having a lot of fun finding pen pals! Lol. When I was younger, I had a pen pal who lived in England and it was a lot of fun. I remember she mailed me the Adrian Mole books which were hilarious. It is sort of neat to revisit this as an adult. I shall call it my correspondence and pretend I am a Lady having my morning tea and writing my letters, when I will really be listening to Wyatt chattering on, the kittens running all over around me, Miso sleeping on my lap, etc. I have been browsing blank cards and stationery sets online, and can’t decide. There are so many different types and designs!
I also finished up my book, Stillmeadow and Sugarbridge, which was so quaint and lovely. It was a nice read for this time of year, slow and easy, and I miss their stories now. I will have to read the other books as well, if my library has them. When I was reading about the women themselves online, it seemed they had very fascinating lives!
In kitten news, we had a little surprise. Mabel is really a Max! Our two sisters are really sister and brother. It happens, kittens are so hard to tell when they are really little. And Max looks like he is going to be a big cat – his paws are enormous! They have been cracking us up. We have a new little routine: when I get up, I feed Miso, who is generally waiting next to me on the bed, or rather, pawing my face for her breakfast, then I get Wyatt’s breakfast, and fetch the kittens. Wyatt and I sit in my bedroom with the kittens while they play, and after an hour or so, I put them back into the office, feed them, and then they take a nap. Only a few more days or so and I should be able to just let them have free run of the house. Miso seems to be handling their presence ok – when Max escaped yesterday she found him and they gently sniffed each other’s faces. We are going slow because she is such a gentle animal and I don’t want to overwhelm her and the kittens are a lot.
I have also had a lot of time to plan things! I lined up a skating event for our Blackbirds at a place called the Ribbon in Toledo. We have a cabana, a fire pit, and skating aids at our disposal, including a sled with two runners that Wyatt can use on the ice. We rented the place for two hours, and even if our kids spend most of their time drinking hot chocolate by the fire, it is right by the ice and can be part of the scene in whatever way they choose and are comfortable. I am really excited.
I also formed a teeny book club for Wyatt and two of his friends! Our goals are pretty simple, just to have them say maybe what they liked and didn’t like at first, and then we will have a themed snack and craft, because that is how I roll and these three will love it. We are planning our first club meeting all the way out in March, which is crazy to think about. It’s hard to believe Christmas was already a month ago!
I have been doing a lot of journaling, list making, letter writing lately, and will probably start a sewing project or two this weekend. We have our first Crafternoon of the year Saturday and that will be a nice way to break up this inside time!
And that is it for me today – if you are in the States and in the path of this storm, stay safe and warm! I know that our Southern Hemisphere friends have been experiencing the opposite weather, very hot days, so I hope you are all staying cool! Wish me luck, I need to go snowblow so Wyatt can get to therapy!
Updated to add: I remembered while I was out snowblowing that we have also been watching the adventures of Josh and Jase, two Brits that are touring through Michigan right now. I was sorry to hear they had encountered mishaps on their visit here, but are on the mend and in the U.P. now! They are hilarious, and I love how they are representing my state! You can check them out here!
Hello everyone! I am finally taking a moment after a crazy morning of kitten wrangling and not enough coffee.
If you read here pretty regularly, then you know that my husband surprised me with a kitten for Christmas! We couldn’t bring it home until this weekend though, as she was too young to leave her mom at Christmas. So on Friday night, we brought home two kittens, Mabel (orange) and Mouse! We decided that it was better to adopt Mabel and one of her littermates so they could occupy each other and save Miso from a lot of their kitten antics.
You can read more about it all in my Coffee Catch Up from yesterday if you want!
Books:
I finished up The Lady on Esplanade, which was pretty good. There were some aspects that sort of bothered me but the story itself was solid. I am also still enjoying my slow read of Stillmeadow and Sugarbridge. So much so that I joined a Pen Pal exchange for adults through the Analog Life Project I signed up for! I have a new snail mail pal, a woman in The Netherlands. I think I am going to make letter writing a part of week, for my new pen pal friend and also, just to my other in real life friends and online friends. I think it would be fun.
I also started the book While the Earth Holds Its Breath, and goodness I am loving it. I love Moat’s writing style and going on this journey with her. It is interesting to me, mainly because I already love winter, so reading about someone training themself to love it is fascinating.
Screens:
As for screens, Billy and I have been binging Stranger Things, and we finally finished the series last night. It was a great final episode. It was nuts to see them so tiny and little in flashbacks from the beginning and now the actors are all new adults. It was just really well done. I think tonight we are going to watch a movie but I am not sure which one yet. We may even watch two, since today is in the negative temps here.
The In-Betweens:
I already told you about the kittens, and other than that, it has been a pretty slow week. Other than Wyatt’s wheelchair completely losing a wheel while I was pushing it!
It was very scary for a minute, and I am so thankful that I was actually pushing him with both hands when it happened. We were walking through the parking lot to our car after physical therapy when it happened, and if I wouldn’t have had hold of both handles it scares me to think what would have happened to him. I stood there for a moment trying to figure out what to do, trying not to alarm him more than he already was, because he was scared. I ended up leaving the wheel where it was, then wheeling him to the car on one wheel, just holding up the other side myself. However, to load him I had to gently rest the chair on the ground in that weird off balance pose which really freaked him out but then I reminded him I would never let him fall and he calmed down. After we were all loaded back into the car, I drove to my FIL and he got the wheel back on solid enough to get Wyatt in the house, then Billy fixed it the rest of the way. It was quite the adventure, which ended much better than it could have.
Just a reminder that Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I co-host A Good Book and a Cup of Tea monthly which is for any and all bookish posts. And as I am typing this I realize I didn’t post any January information yet! I will rectify that today!
And I have decided to retire my idea of Soup and Story Saturday. I can’t figure out quite how to run it so I will shelve that idea, but still eat soup.
And that is it from me today! I hope that today you do something that makes you smile! I know too, that the world is very heavy right now, with a lot happening. So the small things we do, like just getting a special coffee drink (my current favorite is the matcha latte with vanilla syrup 1 pump and oatmilk from Starbucks), finding a moment to settle down and read, a long walk outside, are all so important to keep our mental health.
Good morning everyone!! If you read here regularly, then you might remember that Billy surprised me with an orange kitten for Christmas! I just had to wait for her to be old enough to leave her mother to pick her up.
Well, in the meantime we decided maybe we should also adopt one of her siblings to save our senior cat Miso from the full onslaught of kitten play. So, we told our friend we were interested in two, and well, we got to bring our new babies home last night! Billy braved the snow and cold to drive over and pick them up, and Wyatt and I were waiting very anxiously for them to return.
About 15 minutes later, we heard the car door shut and Billy’s boots crunching up onto the porch. They were here! I let Miso sniff at them through the carrier for a minute, then we took them back to my office, where they will live until they are vaccinated and dewormed. Well, for as long as we can keep them there. We had a little escapee this morning..
Meet Mabel (orange) and Mouse!
Our friend Justin, who has been raising them since they were born in house the week of Thanksgiving after he took in a stray mama, said that Mouse is an explorer and Mabel is a cuddler. And so far it does seem like that is the case! They seem to be adjusting well to leaving their home and mom. They have eaten and used the litter box and and played and cuddled and slept – and that was all within the first hour.
The night was pretty quiet, we didn’t hear much out of them, and I think adopting two was a good idea. They curled up in their little bed and pretty much stayed there until I got out of bed at 6 am to use the restroom. When I came out, I looked into the room and saw them, waiting for me.
I tried to go back to sleep but it was game over. The little plaintive mews came from the room, and Miso’s interest was piqued, and she was prairie dogging to look over the barrier, and then I heard a scrabbling and up popped a small little gray head. Mouse. In seconds she had scaled the wall and plopped down into the hallway. Miso just sort of looked at her like “What in the world is this?” as Mouse made her way into the bathroom. So I got out of bed, scooped up our adventurer, and put her back in the office. Then I got a coffee and joined them, while they played and climbed on me and decided my phone and coffee were new toys. Now I am chilling with Wyatt and Billy is hanging with the kittens for a bit too.
It is definitely a change and something new to get used too, which we will. It will be a lot easier once we can let them roam around, but I want to make sure we don’t have them pass anything (like possible worms) to Miso. I am not sure if we will make it all the way to that appointment but we are going to try!
And that is our big news! Wyatt is a little apprehensive about them, but he will get used to them and love them as much as he does Miso.
They are adorable little balls of fluff, and I am so glad that their mother curled up on Justin’s porch that cold week before Thanksgiving, and that he let her in and let her stay, even after he knew she was a week from having babies. And he kept the mom and one of her babies too, so don’t worry, Mama cat is safe and happy too.
I hope that whatever you do today, you do something that makes you smile!
Hello everyone! I hope that you are all having a wonderful December!
This story was supposed to be part of my soup and story Saturday, but it didn’t work out for me Saturday. So here it is.
A few weeks ago, we were driving down the street when we saw a tiny kitten get tumbled by a car. We saw it scamper off to the side of the road, and Billy immediately pulled over and got out to investigate. The kitten, a sweet little calico, took off running away from him, although he tried to catch it. He wanted to make sure that it was uninjured. He followed it up onto someone’s lawn, and when it darted in back, he stopped his pursuit. We hung around another minute or more to see if it would come back, but we didn’t see it again. Our consensus was that the kitten was okay.
Billy told me later that as he got out of the car he was thinking to himself, “Well, if I catch this kitten, I guess we will have a new family member.” He had been telling me for two years that we don’t need any more furry animals, and he thought, “Well, this might be it. Erin will get her wish.”
So back to the present. A few days ago a friend of ours posted a video of kittens playing, with the caption, “Who wants a kitten?” And among the gray kittens were two little orange ones. I love little orange kittens, but I passed the post by, just dropping a like on it. Billy however, texted our friend, setting up a time to go see the kittens, and one day after work, Billy dropped by. On the way home, he called to let me know that in four weeks time, we are going to have a new little furry friend joining our home!
The story behind the kittens: Around Thanksgiving, a stray cat curled up on the porch of our friend’s house. His partner told him there was no way they could leave her out there, it was so cold, she was underweight, and they could tell she was pregnant. He agreed, she couldn’t stay outside, and so they let her in. They took her to the vet, and the vet told them the kittens would be born very soon – and five days later, she had six little kittens. And my friend had a very full house! His girlfriend is another animal lover, with a whole bunch of animals, including lizards and rabbits and cats. They really didn’t need to add seven more cats to the bunch. (and they didn’t consider it lol) They are keeping the mumma cat, and one of her kittens, and are using a local animal clinic to get them all fixed and vaccinated, and finding them homes. (The PAWS Clinic is amazing – they have a deal for a mom cat and kittens, and all the kittens are only $5 each to get fixed and vaccinated!) And our home will be one of the new homes!
Our kitty Miso is a sweet old girl. She has always been the mild mannered cat, a cat who loves people and she also really loves other cats. Before our previous other cats, Maggie and Marlow, passed away, Miso could always be found following one around, sleeping near them. Now we find her curled up with Wyatt’s stuffed animals. I think she will like having a new little friend as well, and when the new one gets on her nerves, I will let her have her space alone. She is such a gentle cat – and she will always be my baby kitty. She is the cat that of all of our cats was the most mine. She is my shadow.
I can’t wait to properly introduce you to the new baby! She is not old enough to leave her mom yet, so we will get her in about a month, but we are still calling her our Christmas surprise from Billy. Wyatt is also excited – although maybe not as excited as me!
And that is it from me today, and my post about our sort of Christmas kitten!
Hello everyone!! It’s the time of year we are surrounded by images of black cats for Halloween, and I wanted to pay homage to these cuties! I love black cats, and I know I mentioned this in another post, that they are the least likely cats to be adopted. They are overlooked in shelters and rescues, as their more colorful cat companions usually stand out. And there is also the whole black cat superstitious thing too. I know that the whole Halloween association doesn’t help either, which is why I want to celebrate these beautiful cats, for who they are, and that is not as bad luck, but cuddly cats just like all the rest of the cats out there. I have read that in Scotland, a strange black cat arriving at your doorstep is considered lucky, and in Japan, they are seen as good luck and attract wealth.
I am an animal person, and I often buy animal themed things for my house. I am just like that. And it seems like these artists on Etsy feel the same way!
This post contains Etsy Affiliate links. If you were to purchase an item through these links, I would receive a small commission that I use to help purchase items for Wyatt. If you were to purchase anything through this post, I will also donate a percentage to my local animal shelter where I used to volunteer.
Black Cat Energy Tee – This tee is from Ellie Threads Co., located in South Carolina and it 100% made me laugh. It is so cute and honestly I think I need it.
This little peeking black cat mug is adorable, isn’t it! It is from Penarth Ceramics, located in Penarth, UK. I have a huge love of handmade mugs (and just mugs, let’s be honest) and I think this one is just so fun.
Can you imagine any better bookends to hold up your cat themed books? I know I have a bunch of translated fiction books with cats on the cover. These 3D printed black cat bookends are purrfect. They are made by Diggity3D, located in Georgia.
This first print is a linocut, and I love linocut. I actually just purchased a tee that has a linocut rabbit on it, from Etsy actually. The colors in this one, and the expression on that little face is just priceless. Although this is $14.00 and available from ArtLuxBoulevard.
And this little cutie is a mini oil painting, the perfect size to slip onto a bookcase. I always think it would be so hard to paint such small little things, and this is lovely. This little bookish cat is made by OilAura.
I love folk art and pottery, and I am in love with almost everything in this shop, the MagicGardenCeramics shop. This plate is so pretty!!
Ok. So I know I said the black cat Halloween association doesn’t help their image but it is totally iconic. And this mug that is a of a bat black cat has been on my wish list for a long long time. I love BreadandBadger although they are out of my price range. The price is totally warranted, as this is hard work and takes a lot of talent and time, so I am not complaining about the price – just saying that it would definitely be a splurge piece for me!
These tiny little clay cats are called luck cats, and I loved that spin on the whole bad luck myth. They are so wee and sparkly!
And finally, this beautiful linocut piece. I am in love with it. It is from the shop Society of Cranes located in North Carolina. I may need to get this one and hang it…somewhere. I can find a spot!
Now, if you need something more Halloween or fall minded, check out these suggestions from Etsy!
Do you have any cats? I would love to hear about them!
I usually group my book reviews, but today I wanted to add some additional information in with my book review, so Cat’s People gets its very own post.
First, the summary from the publisher.
Núria, a single-by-choice barista with a little resentment for the “crazy cat lady” label, is a member of The Meow-Yorkers, a group in Brooklyn who takes care of the neighborhood’s stray cats. On her volunteering days, she starts finding Post-it notes left by a secret admirer in an area where her feeds her favorite stray—a black cat named Cat. Like most felines, he is both curious and observant, so of course he knows who the notes are from. Núria, however, is clueless.
Are the notes from Collin, a bestselling author and self-professed hermit with a weakness for good coffee? Are they from Lily, a fresh-out-of-high school Georgia native searching for her long-lost half sister? Are they from Omar, the beloved neighborhood mailman going through an early midlife crisis? Or are they from Bong, the grieving widower who owns Núria’s favorite bodega?
When Cat suddenly falls ill, these five strangers find themselves bonding together in their desire to care for him, and discover that chance encounters can lead to the meaningful connections they’ve all been searching for.
My thoughts:
I wanted to hug this book. This book is so heartwarming, wholesome, pure, and I absolutely loved it to pieces. The story is simple, but with so much emotion and complexity hidden within. So much love. So much kindness. Found family, both human and feline. It is definitely a five star read for me.
Every character had their own challenge that they were going through. Social awkwardness, grieving, doubting life choices, just the self-doubts that creep up on us late at night. This book is told from all of their viewpoints, and one additional point of view – Cat’s.
One thing that you may not know about me, unless you read my former blogs Cinnamon Owl and Quixotic Magpie, is that before Wyatt was born I was very active in animal rescue. I helped start an animal rescue organization, I served on the board as an officer, I volunteered at the animal shelter at least twice a week, and spent countless hours doing what I could for the animals. I never fostered because every time I did, I was a foster failure, meaning I adopted every one. All three of my cats and my dog Penny were all fosters that I ended up keeping. So when I say this book touched my heart, it really did. I was not surprised to see that the author, Tanya Guerrero is in animal rescue because every detail, every bit of advice, every aspect pertaining to cats and stray cats was on point, and it reminded me so much of all the animals lives that I have known. The happy stories, and the sad too sometimes.
And spoiler here:
And if you are worried about reading this book, don’t be.
If after reading this book, you find you have a heart for rescue, start with your local animal shelter. They can help you find the right places to volunteer and get your started. Or google local animal rescues and send an email. It can be very rewarding but also very emotional. And you may end up with an extra animal or two or three.
Here are my rescue babies. Maggie, Marlow, and Penny have crossed the rainbow bridge and I am so thankful I had them while I did.
Marlow || Miso || Maggie || Penny
I loved this book so much, and in this world we are in right now, it was so just nice to read a book that was so full of kindness and love. This is definitely one of my favorites reads of the year.
Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs.. 