208 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread

  1. Birdcage July 9, 2016 / 8:49 am

    Ah, the weekend. My parrot’s 14th Hatchday today so I think I’ll make him a special dinner to celebrate. Just finished a week-long raw, vegan food challenge so I’m ready for some hot, spicy food myself. Gotta mow the lawn and maybe fertilize and weed for a bit but if there’s time I might treat myself to an afternoon matinee – staring at Alexander Skarsgard’s chest in the Tarzan movie sounds nice to me.

    • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 10:31 am

      Happy Birthday to Merlin,…..(I did get his name right?????)???

    • Faye July 9, 2016 / 11:05 am

      Happy Birthday Merlin. Your mommy is too shy about posting your pictures. Have a nice talk with her. Maybe a birthday picture?

      • dubravkamcvmd July 9, 2016 / 11:25 am

        Yes, yes, pictures!

  2. EAG46 July 9, 2016 / 8:58 am

    No profound weekend plans aside from grocery shopping and changing my sheets…but that picture of the kissing kittens is very sweet. Thank you NTMTOM for a place of sweetness and humor in this increasingly crappy world.

  3. Gigi_the cat lady July 9, 2016 / 9:04 am

    It will be raining all day here so I’ll be running errands, I have to go to the pharmacy to get my prescription renewed then stop by the grocery store for green peppers and onions and other stuff for tonight’s stir fry, after that I may go shopping, I need a new backpack.

  4. dubravkamcvmd July 9, 2016 / 9:12 am

    Awwwwww! I wish that kitten was kissing and soothing me!

    • Phred's Mom July 9, 2016 / 9:40 am

      We all could use some soothing these days.

      • Faye July 9, 2016 / 11:08 am

        Yup. Tough news week for everybody. ?

        • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 11:23 am

          Oh, and how. Why are some cops so hair-trigger with guns? My heart breaks,, too, for the officers shot in Dallas – what a world.

          • Faye July 9, 2016 / 11:41 am

            Everybody loses. But maybe this sequence of events will make a difference for all.

            • Phred's Mom July 9, 2016 / 12:40 pm

              I remember the ’60’s, and all the hoo-ha of those days.
              What I find scarier than those turbulent times is that
              so many people are carrying today. The current state
              of affairs is not going to resolve for a long time. I hope
              I’m wrong, but I am not sanguine – no, bad word choice –
              optimistic that the world – USA and all – will improve in
              my lifetime. I need those kitties to comfort me. Or a
              stiff drink. Or something. Maybe chocolate. *sigh*

              • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 1:29 pm

                Some of each?

                • 6rabbits July 9, 2016 / 6:13 pm

                  LOTS of each!??????

                  • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 8:39 pm

                    ?

              • Duckie July 9, 2016 / 9:58 pm

                Stiff chocolate drink served by kittens?

                • allein July 9, 2016 / 10:49 pm

                  • Faye July 9, 2016 / 10:58 pm

                    That drink is gonna get stirred, then shaken, then pushed off the table! Better drink up.

                    • allein July 9, 2016 / 11:10 pm

                • Faye July 9, 2016 / 10:56 pm

                  Yes. That would help.

      • amyliz July 9, 2016 / 1:45 pm

        Yes, Phred’s Mom, isn’t that the truth. Most of the small children I work with are black. I hope by the time they are young adults, race relations in this country will be better.

  5. Phred's Mom July 9, 2016 / 9:44 am

    Just returned from our local farmer’s market.
    There are many farms in this area, so the
    selection is excellent. Got mushrooms,
    tomatoes, and, would you believe it,
    Mennonite mozzarella. Mizzly weather,
    which is refreshing after the heat.

    • Not That Mike The Other Mike July 9, 2016 / 9:48 am

      And I’ll be off to visit my local farmer’s market in a moment, to get my weekly soft pretzel, plus maybe tomatoes.

      • Phred's Mom July 9, 2016 / 10:00 am

        Soft pretzel, with mustard?
        Around my neck of the woods,
        mustard is de rigueur (sp?)
        on a pretzel.

        • Faye July 9, 2016 / 10:09 am

          I accidentally learned how to make a garlic bagel turn into a crunchy pretzel in the microwave. It was delicious buttered. It looked like a bagel until I bit into it. Crunchy, not burned. I was, coincidentally, craving pretzels. All good.

          • Phred's Mom July 9, 2016 / 12:44 pm

            Faye, I must try this. It would go nicely with my stiff drink
            or chocolate, or something.

            • Faye July 9, 2016 / 5:56 pm

              Be careful. But it worked. Depending on the temp of the bagel, wattage and time you can get chewy or crunchy.

              My bagel was cold from fridge and we have a small 700W microwave. I set it on 3minutes by mistake. One side was crunchy one side was chewy.

              • Phred's Mom July 9, 2016 / 6:27 pm

                My micro is small, 650W, so this should work.
                Chewy AND crunchy sounds perfect. Thanks.

        • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 10:32 am

          YES!

        • Emmberrann July 9, 2016 / 11:14 am

          Perfect spelling.

          • Phred's Mom July 9, 2016 / 1:07 pm

            Whew!

      • allein July 9, 2016 / 1:35 pm

        We’ve had contractors at work for like a year or two (they’ve been working out of the conference room behind my cubicle). They’re almost done with the project and only two or three of the group are still here. Yesterday they brought a big box of hot soft pretzels for everyone. With mustard, of course. I don’t like mustard, though, so I ate my pretzel with a few Hershey’s Kisses. 🙂

        • Phred's Mom July 9, 2016 / 6:28 pm

          Corporate s’mores.

    • amyliz July 9, 2016 / 1:51 pm

      I just got back from the farmer’s market myself. Got lots of veggies so will be making a stir fry tonight. I also bought a gorgeous bunch of flowers from an Amish woman who must have the most amazing garden. Probably not the type of thing I should be spending money on (my budget is pretty tight) but you know what? It makes me happy!

      • allein July 9, 2016 / 2:00 pm

        Sometimes you just need flowers.

        The other day I noticed the vase in the cabinet (that I usually just overlook cuz it’s been there for so long) and thought, I should get that out and put something pretty in it.

        • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 2:10 pm

          I wish you were close enough to come to my garden and get all the flowers you wanted! I love creating bouquets and find that no matter what’s growing at any particular time one can always put together a lovely bouquet.

          • allein July 9, 2016 / 2:11 pm

            Wegmans has a flower section. I’ll be over that way; maybe I’ll stop in. I should get going, though. It’s 2:10, the library closes at 5:00, and I haven’t even gotten in the shower yet.

          • amyliz July 9, 2016 / 4:42 pm

            What a nice thought, Murray C.! It brings back a happy childhood memory. When I was in kindergarten and first grade, I used to walk to school and went by a house with a tons of flowers in the yard. Children knew that the kind woman who lived there, if you knocked on her door, would give you a couple of flowers to take to:
            a) your teacher if you were on your way to school or b) to your Mom if you were on way home. After first grade, my family moved across town so I don’t know how long she kept up that tradition. I always knew her simply as the Flower Lady.????

            • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 8:00 pm

              There’s a wonderful song called “Mr. Harding’s Garden” about a man with a similar attitude – it’s lovely, sung by an English woman named June Tabor. I’m not sure how link to it, at least not right now – I’m on my iPad whose mysteries have yet to be revealed to me.

    • Kar July 9, 2016 / 4:06 pm

      What the heck is Mennonite mozzarella? Grew up in Pen Dutch country and don’t recall this.

      • Phred's Mom July 9, 2016 / 6:34 pm

        Mozzarella made by a Mennonite lady who has a dairy farm,
        that simple. Proof that the world is getting, shall we say, homogenized.
        Don’t know how long this phenomenon has been going on, but I
        thought it was a hoot. Will do insalata caprese a la Lancaster County
        for lunch tomorrow.

        • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 8:01 pm

          And you’ll serve it with what, funnel cake????

          • Phred's Mom July 10, 2016 / 11:02 am

            ?

        • Kar July 9, 2016 / 8:11 pm

          If it’s Lancaster County, you probably need some chow chow. Every now and then I miss the weird cuisine.

          Pie for breakfast, warm bottom shoo-fly pie, stuffed pig’s stomach, chicken corn chowder, celery hearts, whoopie pies, and genuine chicken & waffles!

          • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 8:19 pm

            Stuffed pig stomach – sort of Pennsylvania Dutch Haggis?

            • Kar July 9, 2016 / 9:38 pm

              Sort of.

              Except you baste if so its crisp like sausage casing. And you substitute sausage for lungs and potatoes for oats.

              • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 9:42 pm

                The one time I had Haggis I thought it tasted not unlike scrapple. This sounds better, especially since it’s crispy.

          • Phred's Mom July 10, 2016 / 11:00 am

            Now and then I make chicken corn chowder.
            Those supermarket roast chickens are a super
            buy: 1) hot w/ mashed, cransauce, etc.,
            2) as chicken salad in warm weather and
            3) broth from the bones for whatever strikes
            one’s fancy. We two get two-three meals out
            of one yummy one from Giant.

            • Murray C. July 10, 2016 / 2:26 pm

              Yep, if you’re going to eat a critter have the decency to eat the whole thing. I don’t do it often, but I get the roast chicken at Costco and that’s basically the pattern I follow, too.

          • Phred's Mom July 10, 2016 / 11:06 am

            Have never understood the interest in shoo-fly pie, Have grown up
            in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of the Pennsylvania-German foods,
            but shoo-fly just seems too sweet and tasteless. I made it once,but
            threw in cloves and cinnamon, etc. to make it decent. Now, funnel
            cake is another story. Yum.

  6. Faye July 9, 2016 / 10:15 am

    Well I was planning on picking up a prescription and then going to get my first library card since my retirement from working in a library for 32 years. But my car is blocked in the driveway by two housemate’s cars that I’m too lazy to move. So… Monday is a better day to get out and about. Lol.

    Default plan is coffee, bagel, feed dog, do dishes then art all day in pajamas.

    It’s good to be retired. ‼️

    • Faye July 9, 2016 / 10:18 am

      Oh and reading, of course.

      • Phred's Mom July 9, 2016 / 12:49 pm

        There’s something about curling up in comfy clothes with a good
        book. An actual paper book. One can’t loaf in bed, cracking gum,
        with anything electronic. ‘T’ain’t fitting.

        • 6rabbits July 9, 2016 / 5:45 pm

          I agree, books are better! Pretty much scoffed at e-readers until I couldn’t get to the library for a week!? In desperation I downloaded some digital books to my ipad. Wasn’t as bad as I thought, but I’d much rather have a real book. I was reading Erik Larson’s _In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin_ and it was actually helpful to have it digital because I could use the translate/pronunciation feature on the German words, and names especially! (By the way, recommend Larson’s books highly. I LOVED _Devil in the White City_ because of all the info about the World’s Fair in Chicago.)

          • Faye July 9, 2016 / 6:01 pm

            Ooo The Devil In The White City was wonderful. Worlds Fair info contrasted with truly horrific real serial killer. Unbelievable. But true.

          • Smartypants July 9, 2016 / 6:08 pm

            Oh, The Devil in the White City is great! I think I heard they’re making a movie of it – Scorsese, I think…?

            • Phred's Mom July 9, 2016 / 6:42 pm

              These are new to me. Must find. Love a good
              suspense, psychological thriller and /or murder mystery.
              There are so few really well-done ones around.

              • Faye July 9, 2016 / 11:03 pm

                What was scary is its a true story.

              • 6rabbits July 9, 2016 / 11:46 pm

                Erik Larson writes nonfiction, but it reads like fiction. He is incredible at research and you learn so much from his books! If you like history, you’ll like his books.?

                • Phred's Mom July 10, 2016 / 11:11 am

                  Thanks, will keep an eye out.
                  To my shame, I do like reading true
                  stuff. MyMike thinks it’s a bit sick.
                  I’m very peaceable, really. Don’t know
                  what it means. I think of it as an outlet,
                  like scrubbing floors, sanding furniture,
                  chopping out unwanted wild grape vines,
                  which I’m doing this morning. Darn things
                  are taking over my holly. Can’t have that.

                  • Murray C. July 10, 2016 / 2:29 pm

                    My husband laughs at me because I watch ID TV – murder and mayhem – about real cases of forensics and crime-solving. We’ve had a few murders locally that have shown up on one or another of those shows. And I carry insects outside so as not to harm them. Go figure.

                    • Phred's Mom July 10, 2016 / 4:51 pm

                      Me too, Murray. Except spiders, my totem.
                      They stay, to help control other wee critters.

                    • Murray C. July 10, 2016 / 10:05 pm

                      Oh, of course, spiders stay put – they have work to do!

            • Faye July 9, 2016 / 11:05 pm

              Scorsese!! Perfect. That I’ll watch on dvd release day.

            • 6rabbits July 10, 2016 / 12:00 am

              Don’t hold your breath. It’s been “in development” for years. The only release date I could find was “2017 TBD”, but there was previously a 2016 and 2015 TBD, so apparently they are experiencing “delays”.

  7. Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 10:35 am

    My big plans include washing a bunny’s poopy butt. She’s fine, just a brief spell of whatever it was. It’s kinda poopy around here weather-wise, but welcome. It keeps me from having to water and I have a LOT to water. What’s going to happen to everything when I have shoulder surgery is anybody’s guess! My poor husband doesn’t know what he’s in for. For that matter, neither do it.

    • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 11:35 am

      (Neither do I, it should say. ?)

    • Phred's Mom July 9, 2016 / 12:51 pm

      He will discover how very much you take care of, when you can’t.
      Or . . . maybe he won’t. One can hope.

      • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 1:33 pm

        He’s really very good but I have a feeling there will be the occasional moments of tension. We approach certain things very differently so when he sees how I handle some things (I’m more, shall we say, intuitive?) he might balk. My mantra will be “sense of humor, don’t fail me now!”☺️

        • Faye July 9, 2016 / 6:04 pm

          Just breathe. Let go. Time will go by and things will be as you like them sooner than you think. Maybe you’ll have a funny hubby story or two to share. Be well.

          • Phred's Mom July 9, 2016 / 6:45 pm

            Right. I find pretending you’re gathering material for a sitcom
            helps. Also that stiff drink, or chocolate, or something.

            • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 8:06 pm

              Very sage advice, thank you all so much. I will know more next Wednesday when I have my first appt. with the surgeon.

              • Faye July 9, 2016 / 11:08 pm

                Here is my mantra when I’m a bit frightened: Observe and Report. It gives you just a bit of distance and perspective.

                • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 11:27 pm

                  Thank you, Faye. You’re a dear. From things you’ve told us here you have been through some things that qualify you as a perhaps reluctant expert on how to deal.?

                  • Phred's Mom July 10, 2016 / 11:15 am

                    Yea, verily. I concur.

  8. Duckie July 9, 2016 / 11:28 am

    Recovering from a thoroughly unexpected thunder and lightning storm early this morning. I’m not scared of storms, usually, but this one had me clutching hubby for a good while.

    • Faye July 9, 2016 / 11:47 am

      Have no fear. Thunder is the sound of Trolls throwing bowling balls down the lane and lightening happens when the balls hit the pins.

      That’s what my Mom said and she never lied to me.

      • allein July 9, 2016 / 12:45 pm

        I thought it was the angels bowling, and taking pictures…

        • Phred's Mom July 9, 2016 / 12:54 pm

          It’s angels re-arranging furniture in heaven.
          Snow is their shaking out featherbeds and comforters.
          Dunno what rain is. Don’t want to speculate.

          • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 1:33 pm

            Hee, hee. Love it all.

          • Jakepets July 9, 2016 / 1:44 pm

            Rain is the angels shaking their wings after a bird bath.

            • Faye July 9, 2016 / 6:08 pm

              Well, my mom wasn’t a very spiritual person. I got Trolls not Angels. This is more telling than I can say. But it explains a lot about my mom’s outlook on life. Angels would have done us all much better.

    • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 8:27 pm

      I just got a great word in my word of the day email. The usage is from Huckleberry Finn and related to a huge clap of thunder – “sockdolager” (accent on the second syllable)

  9. tara July 9, 2016 / 11:57 am

    Happy Weekend Everyone! Wishing you all a quiet one after this week. Thank you all for being such a kind refuge. Lots of kitty-kisses to you (these are hypoallergenic of course!).

    I have been wanting to send a special thank you to whoever wrote about what a terrific show Outlander is. This had to be a few months ago now. Thank you!!! I had nothing to do that day so I thought I would check it out. Wow! Just watched the season finale. So good – can’t wait for season 3.

  10. JenDeyan July 9, 2016 / 12:00 pm

    I has a doggeh curled up on my pillow. Guess I’m not going to nap. Going to pop out for some nosh, instead. Life is okay. Now if I can turn this internship into a permanent job, then life will be wonderful.

    • Faye July 9, 2016 / 6:10 pm

      Ooo good luck.

  11. Laura July 9, 2016 / 12:01 pm

    Happy Hatchday to Merlin! ?

    Sounds like Saturday plans are going nicely for everybody. Things here are quiet. My husband was recently diagnosed with IBS (finally! we’ve both wondered about it for years) and woke up feeling miserable, so we’ll probably do not much until he starts feeling better.

    So there are two resentful dogs for missing their morning walk. They’ll live. I recently had a procedure done to help my leftover back pain after major surgery got rid of the worst of it (had 4 disks removed and that area fused, plus screws and rods installed to hold everything straight). and it’s definitely helped, so I’m going to try taking the poor suffering creatures for a walk later. We’re into daily heat and humidity, so they may want to go now, but they’ll be glad we waited!

    And then tomorrow Melody gets to go on her first therapy dog visit to a hospital. And she should also be able to start going to the VA hospital any time they want, so she’s going to love that — all that attention and new people to meet, oh boy! It’s a tough life for a dog who *lives* to get fussed over. ?

    • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 1:38 pm

      Bless your heart, Laura – that’s a lot to deal with. Glad your back is doing well – I have a friend who has endured that sort of surgery something like 3 times – the second was to remove all the hardware – she posted a picture of it and I was amazed to see that her little 95 lb. body could have contained all of that!

      Have fun with your pooch – I’ll bet she will be fussed over!

      • Laura July 9, 2016 / 4:08 pm

        The doc who did my recent procedure came in shaking his head afterwards and said, “It’s a war zone in there!” But honestly, it was actually well worth it. A few years ago I could walk maybe 20 feet without pain…and I was still in my 50s. Spinal arthritic degeneration is just plain no fun. So my limitations now are a blessing compared to what they used to be! Also no more of the heavy drugs that still didn’t really work well enough. I got off all that stuff and my pain doc was so thrilled to discharge a patient I cannot even tell you. 😀

        We did take the dogs out for a short walk, just to see how I’d do, and I was very pleased to discover that I can handle up to 15-20 minutes now. Which my daughter will attest to as being considerably more than I could do when she visited in April. Our timing was good, too; within half an hour of getting home, the skies opened up and the rain started. Neither dog wants to even contemplate getting wet, so they’re as happy to stay in the AC now as I am!

        I won’t be taking Melody on her therapy dog visit; that’s my husband’s thing. He retired, but I haven’t. So this is one way for him to keep busy. When he can start taking her to the VA hospital any time he wants to, without having to make prior arrangements unlike everywhere else, then he’ll really have no excuse to sit around the house bored and bother me when I’m trying to work. I was concerned about working at home with him retired, and my concerns were definitely well-founded! 🙂

        • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 4:14 pm

          I have that concern when we downsize. We’re used to being a house apart doing our own thing (we’re both retired) so a smaller space may mean a lot of adjustment! That’s a few years off, tho’ we’re starting to work on it in small ways to begin with.

          • Laura July 9, 2016 / 6:15 pm

            We actually retired to a house that spreads us out even more than we were previously — the house is kind of Z-shaped (without the angled middle section) and we’re at opposite ends. I made sure of that very deliberately! Especially after my former neighbor at our last home told me about how her husband drove her CRAZY when he retired. She was very sympathetic. 😀

            • Phred's Mom July 9, 2016 / 6:56 pm

              True, one loves them to death, but one also begins to think
              dark thoughts after the umpteenth interruption. What gets to
              me is the increased “picking up after”. Every flat surface has
              become a parking spot for receipts, mail, discarded junk mail,
              important papers, unimportant papers, earbuds, cell phone.
              Gah! I have decided to ignore it, except if we’re about to have
              visitors. He is a sweetie, though. ?

              • Laura July 9, 2016 / 8:12 pm

                Yes. Although I will say my husband is excellent about doing most of the work around the house since I’m working. About the only thing he doesn’t do is bathrooms. But he does all the laundry and cooking and has even (gasp!) learned to clean the kitchen sink and counters, so I can’t complain too much about doing the bathrooms!

                • Phred's Mom July 10, 2016 / 11:19 am

                  You have a paragon of domestic cooperation.
                  My ex was like that, even scrubbing kitchen
                  floors. He also was too good at extra-curricular
                  activities, but I digress.

  12. allein July 9, 2016 / 12:53 pm

    Happy Out-of-the-Egg Day to Merlin!

    I have to return a book to the library today. I got two books two weeks ago, and barely started reading one of them. Tried to renew them online last night so I wouldn’t have to go today but the one I started has holds on it so I can’t renew it. Oh well. Maybe I’ll read it some other time. I was able to renew the other one and there’s another I want to look for. And I’ve got plenty to read at home. Someday….

    While I’m out I’ll go to Target across the street from the library, and I have to go to Home Depot because my AC filter is due to be replaced.

    Fun times.

    • dubravkamcvmd July 9, 2016 / 12:57 pm

      A – DOR – A – BLE!!!!!

    • Phred's Mom July 9, 2016 / 12:58 pm

      Merlin is a cutie!

      • allein July 9, 2016 / 1:04 pm

        That’s not Merlin (as far as I know, anyway).

        I just googled “birthday parrot” and I liked his hat. 😛

        • Phred's Mom July 9, 2016 / 6:57 pm

          Whatsisname is a cutie!

          • allein July 9, 2016 / 8:05 pm

            😀

    • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 1:38 pm

      So dear!

    • Julie July 9, 2016 / 1:53 pm

      LOVE this photo!! Happy Birthday Merlin!!!

    • 6rabbits July 9, 2016 / 6:25 pm

      A birthday cake for and with a parrot!

  13. debg July 9, 2016 / 12:55 pm

    You all are a balm to my spirit on a horrible news week. Things have also been turned upside-down at work, which is much less earthshaking but still unsettling. It will all come right; it’s just that change can be scary.

    Still working on that kitchen! Today cabinets get installed. When my back aches or I’m sick of sweating into paint cans, I tell myself how much money I saved by doing nearly all the work myself.

    • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 1:43 pm

      You are a champ!

    • Laura July 9, 2016 / 4:10 pm

      Great job! We put in a floor ourselves some years ago, and that was hard enough. I cannot imagine doing as much as you’re doing! But your feeling of satisfaction and pride when you’re done will be well worth it, believe me.

  14. debg July 9, 2016 / 12:56 pm

    And happy hatch-day to Merlin! Birdcage, I love your anecdotes and info posts about bird life.

  15. murkle46 July 9, 2016 / 1:05 pm

    • allein July 9, 2016 / 1:31 pm

      ?? ? ? ? ?

    • amyliz July 9, 2016 / 5:11 pm

      ???!

  16. allein July 9, 2016 / 1:55 pm

    Okay, here’s something to help the soul…some weeks ago I mentioned the daughter of a friend of mine who takes pictures of cats at a shelter in LA; she likes to focus on black cats, especially, since they’re hard to photograph and get less attention from potential adopters. Just saw this article that her mom posted on facebook.

    http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/30-unbearably-cute-cat-pics-from-los-angeles-kitten-rescue

    I think this one’s my favorite.
    He looks like he’s contemplating the great mysteries of life.

    Or this one, who clearly plans to get to the top.

    • AB July 9, 2016 / 3:27 pm

      Great pic! Love the look on mama cat’s face in the first one. Kind of a can’t-wait-for-the-kid-to-go-off-to-college look.

    • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 3:58 pm

      SOLD! well, I mean I”m sold – wish I could take them all.

    • Kar July 9, 2016 / 4:09 pm

      I love that cat that’s decided to sit on your foot. Youi’ve been claimed!!!

    • 6rabbits July 9, 2016 / 5:55 pm

      Theses kittehs are so adorable! I do like how the grey one is staring into space, but being a cat, I’m assuming he’s plotting mischief! I like determination on the face of the climber!?

  17. Patty July 9, 2016 / 2:57 pm

    I am cat sitting this week, as my daughter and her family are on vacation. First I went to my sister’s house and fed her really old boxer, Roxi, a donut. Yes, I know they aren’t good for her, but she only gets one from me once in a while, and she is old so I give her the treat she loves. Then I went to my daughter’s house where one of her cats, Alice, let me pet her for a minute, then sniffed me and hissed. I guess she doesn’t like the smell of boxer. The other cat, Cosmo, sniffed me, then rubbed himself on me to cover the boxer smell, lol. My husband did the farmer’s market where he brought home corn on the cob and cantaloupe.

  18. Kar July 9, 2016 / 4:14 pm

    Went to see Secret Life of Pets with a LOT of kids. Cute, but not quite Finding Dory level of adult aimed laughs .

    Couldn’t believe that neither of my friends had ever heard of Louis CK.

    Followed up with lunch at the ethnic grocery store for their chili and black mushroom laced tofu and grilled pork bahn mi’s. And freshly made adelinas!

      • Kar July 9, 2016 / 4:39 pm

        This place starts by slathering the baguette with vietnamese butter and pate. Its hard to mess up when you start from there!

        They also sell the daikon/carrot salad in the produce area. Its great on brown bag sandwiches!

        • murkle46 July 9, 2016 / 4:53 pm

          Yum!

  19. Kar July 9, 2016 / 4:31 pm

    BTW, are the flags at half-mast where you live? Here in the US, there seems to be a reason/incident every other month to lower them. Between Orlando, Dallas, Muhammad Ali, etc. it feels like they’ve been at half-mast since January.

    • amyliz July 9, 2016 / 5:14 pm

      Yes, at half-mast here, too. An appropriate gesture but one that’s needed far too often.

    • 6rabbits July 9, 2016 / 5:58 pm

      Indiana’s are at half-mast until Tuesday because of the Dallas shootings.

      • Phred's Mom July 9, 2016 / 7:05 pm

        Not to be a pedant, but “half-mast” is for ships, on land it’s “half-staff”.
        *slinks away clutching Webster and Roget.*. Whatever you call it,
        it’s too frequent. That’s why I’m feeling kinda hopeless for our near
        future. Depressed, even. I’m having difficulty processing all this.

        • allein July 9, 2016 / 7:23 pm

          I’ve been avoiding the news lately. I feel like I should know more about what’s going on but…sometimes I just can’t.

          • Phred's Mom July 9, 2016 / 7:49 pm

            When the Amish girls were murdered out in Lancaster County
            years ago, we stopped watching the news – it was too painful.
            We don’t have a tv any longer, but now there’s the internet.
            The news will getcha one way or another.

            • allein July 9, 2016 / 8:03 pm

              The cafeteria and the gym at work both always have CNN on. Every once in a while they change the channel in the cafeteria (usually for something like the Superbowl or other big sporting event) and then don’t change it back for a day or two. The gym has three TVs and I usually use the treadmill at the far end under the TV on CNN in Espanol. At least then I don’t know what they’re talking about. (The other two have regular CNN and ESPN with subtitles turned on.)

            • Kar July 9, 2016 / 9:41 pm

              Are you in Pennsylvania? You sound close.

  20. 6rabbits July 9, 2016 / 6:08 pm

    My Saturday was shopping with a friend. I needed advise on lamps for my condo. (The builders didn’t believe in ceiling lights and I needed 3 more lamps.) Managed to get all three for fairly good prices. Plus I need to paint over the aqua in the LR/dining/kitchen area. The aqua is pretty, and trendy, but doesn’t go with my delft blue furniture at all! So now I have tons of paint chips to hang up. I hate picking paint.?

    These kittehs are perfect.? I need to save that pic to send when someone is feeling blue!

    • allein July 9, 2016 / 6:34 pm

      I need lamps for my living room. I’ve been making do with an old light I’ve had since college (one of those three lamps on a post deals). I bought some a while back but I had to return them because a) they were too short (I felt like it was right over my head when sitting on the couch) and b) the switches were on the floor and that put them behind the couch…which doesn’t work very well. 😉

      I know what kind I want but I haven’t seen one I like (though I haven’t look that hard). Might end up having to order online.

      • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 8:44 pm

        Allein, I’ve gotten some wonderful lamps from Lamps Plus – we had to replace a hall ceiling light and about three outdoor lights and they are beautiful. They have every kind you could wish for so you might try them.

        • allein July 9, 2016 / 10:45 pm

          I’ll check ’em out. Thanks!

          My mom has one that is the type I want; I just don’t like the color. Hers is a silver-colored stand with a white frosted-glass shade. I want the dark rubbed bronze with a beige shade (which will match the other ceiling lights I have, though the shade in my hall is broken so I might end up replacing them at some point, unless I can find the same shade). Target has one that I like but they didn’t have it in the store when they were on sale, and I couldn’t make up my mind and didn’t order them before the sale ended.

          On a side note, it’s raining. I’m sitting in my living room with headphones on and I can hear it loud and clear. Heard a few rumblings of thunder but I wasn’t it wasn’t a plane at first. 😛

          • allein July 10, 2016 / 12:27 am

            *wasn’t sure it wasn’t a plane*

            I hate it when I don’t notice a mistake until the editing window has passed!

        • Faye July 9, 2016 / 11:16 pm

          I used that site. Be very careful with height. But they have every kind of lamp.

      • 6rabbits July 10, 2016 / 12:11 am

        I went to a very expensive lighting store, but couldn’t bring myself to pay $300 for one lamp! Ended up getting a bedside lamp at Lowe’s and 2 floor lamps at Target. (Under $150 for all three!) The one for the LR is a bookshelf lamp–very unusual, at least to me.

        • allein July 10, 2016 / 12:25 am

          Yeah, I can’t spend that kind of money. The one I was looking at at Target is around $80, I think (at full price). I’ll watch for another sale before I think about ordering them again. Unless I find one elsewhere. I’ve seen similar ones at Home Depot. (My mom’s came from Walmart but I try to avoid them.)

          The bedside table lamps in my bedroom actually came from Wegmans for under $20 each. They’re just plain blue ceramic lamps with beige shades, but they’re cute. Then I have another one on my dresser that doesn’t really go with the rest of my stuff but it was my grandmother’s so it stays. (There’s also a ceiling fan with four bulbs in it, which is what I turn on when I need real light in there.)

    • Phred's Mom July 9, 2016 / 7:50 pm

      A soft, creamy yellow with white comes to mind.

      • 6rabbits July 10, 2016 / 12:04 am

        Not a fan of yellow, but thanks! Thinking of taupe or cocoa shades.

        • allein July 10, 2016 / 12:16 am

          That’s what I gravitate toward; also blues and greens and grays. My condo is mostly a light beige with a slightly darker shade of the same color in the bedrooms, then my kitchen is blue (called Lake Placid; I was kinda hoping the name would transfer to my mood) and my bathroom is kind of a mint green (it came out lighter than I expected, though). Then the trim all throughout is white. The carpet that was in here is a light brown with darker brown and gray flecks in it so picked colors to go with it, since I have no intention of replacing it any time soon.

          • 6rabbits July 10, 2016 / 12:43 am

            I like cool colors, too–blues, greens, greyish purple, but cos my LR/kitchen/dining is open concept I can’t paint them different colors. I’d just go white, but there are architectural details that will be lost if it’s all white. (There’s a short vaulted ceiling, a beam across the kitchen/dining area and a tray ceiling in the kitchen.) I’m keeping the trim white. All the other rooms are white. I hate carpet so next summer I’m putting in bamboo floors! I’m mad there’s no ceiling fan in the bedroom–I miss my old one. Since there’s no ceiling light at all we can’t put in a fan?.

            • allein July 10, 2016 / 12:50 am

              Yeah, there’s a slight tinge of gray in all the colors I used. I can see into my kitchen from the living room, but it’s separate enough that having a different color in there works. I didn’t want to have the whole place be beige. Blue is my favorite color so I went with that.

              I picked green for the bathroom based on the labels of the Bath & Body Works Stress Relief Aromatherapy bubble bath and bath salt I had. Not that I ever get around to taking an actual bath… ?

            • Phred's Mom July 10, 2016 / 11:30 am

              Yes, you can put one in. My electrician put in a ceiling fixture and
              set it up so we can add a fan whenever. All one box in the ceiling.
              Don’t give up what you want.

              • 6rabbits July 10, 2016 / 7:17 pm

                Thanks!? I guess I need to find an electrician now!

        • Phred's Mom July 10, 2016 / 11:27 am

          That sounds good. I’m not a fan of yellow,
          but a buttery ivory is nice with cool colors.
          Taupe is great. White trim? Send us images
          when you’re done. Nest-building is fun.

  21. Jan July 9, 2016 / 6:22 pm

    After 7 months of tears over the loss of my beloved kitty shadow, I took the plunge and brought home a kitten. Her name is Lily the Fierce and Fabulous. Her mother was from a kitten mill (*spit*) and kept malnourished in a tiny cage. Lily is the runt of the litter and the last to get adopted. All the other cats and kittens have been rescued thankfully. Right now she’s curled up on my chest asleep, so I guess that means she’s settling in 🙂

    • allein July 9, 2016 / 6:34 pm

      Aw…and here I’d go for the runt first! The littler the better 🙂

    • amyliz July 9, 2016 / 6:55 pm

      She is adorable and I hope she is with you for many happy and healthy years!

    • dubravkamcvmd July 9, 2016 / 7:18 pm

      That’s a wonderful and heartening story.

    • Kar July 9, 2016 / 7:54 pm

      What a wonderful name!! And obviously she’s settling in!

    • Murray C. July 9, 2016 / 8:13 pm

      How wonderful for both of you – she’s a sweetie – love her wonky eyebrows, like she got into her mom’s makeup kit.

      • allein July 10, 2016 / 12:52 am

        I did that once (my mom used to sell Mary Kay when I was little and she had this giant pink case full of makeup…how could I resist!?). I don’t think she thought I was as cute as this kitty is, though.

    • Laura July 9, 2016 / 8:16 pm

      Oh, she’s precious! I know you two will be very happy together!

    • Faye July 9, 2016 / 11:18 pm

      Winner. Precious.

    • Smartypants July 9, 2016 / 11:50 pm

      Yay! She is lovely – congratulations.

    • 6rabbits July 10, 2016 / 12:21 am

      Awww…she is a sweetie!? Are her “brows” the only fur that’s colored?
      I also tend to go for the runts, or the ones who are a little odd, or need special care. I do love how kitties cuddle on your chest (not something rabbits always do). So happy for you both!?

      • Jan July 10, 2016 / 12:47 pm

        She has another brown/orange patch on the back of her neck, a back patch on each back leg above the paws and her tail is orange and black. This isn’t the best picture, but you can see most of her:
        IMG_3154
        (If you click the white ‘x’ in the upper right corner, you can see the rest of the pics I’ve taken so far.)

        They claim the mother was a purebred ragdoll, but I don’t trust that (I haven’t seen her) and no one has any idea what the father was. It would be kinda cool if she turned out to have blue eyes though!

        • allein July 10, 2016 / 12:50 pm

          I love the white kitties with colored tails. Like they traded with someone else. 🙂

          • Jan July 10, 2016 / 1:01 pm

            Actually, clicking around the internet, she looks just like a Turkish Van cat.

            • allein July 10, 2016 / 1:06 pm

              I think you might be right. Whatever she is, she’s adorable.

            • 6rabbits July 10, 2016 / 1:46 pm

              I agree. She doesn’t seem to have the fluffier fur, but the coloring is spot on! I love the last pic of her sleeping and am quite fond of the little black spots on her nose!

              • Murray C. July 10, 2016 / 2:09 pm

                “Spot on”? ?

                • 6rabbits July 10, 2016 / 7:19 pm

                  Yeah, I crack myself up.?

              • Jan July 10, 2016 / 7:16 pm

                I think she’s going to be fluffier than a regular short haired because she has all these longer guard hairs, especially on the tail; it looks like it might be extra poofy someday!

                • Faye July 10, 2016 / 7:49 pm

                  Definitely gonna be puffy. Love tiny kitty tails. Adorable two color tail.

        • Murray C. July 10, 2016 / 2:08 pm

          She is so precious and her little touches of color are to die for, especially the tail.

    • Mariana July 10, 2016 / 7:09 am

      This makes me so happy..

  22. Jan July 9, 2016 / 7:03 pm

    Love the tiny ones! At 8 weeks she’s still only 1.4lbs and practically fits in the palm of my hand!

  23. 6rabbits July 10, 2016 / 12:24 am

    Okay, we’ve got 139 comments now! Have we broken a record, NTMTOM?

    • allein July 10, 2016 / 12:29 am

      Wow! 142 now (not including this one!).

  24. allein July 10, 2016 / 1:00 am

    I considered something like that but it wouldn’t really fit without rearranging my living room (which isn’t really an option).

    This is the type I was looking at, though probably something a little more plain. They’ll go at either end of my couch and you won’t be able to see the bottoms. Need something that will fit in a small space.

    http://image.lampsplus.com/is/image/cropped/8C397cropped.fpx

    • Faye July 10, 2016 / 3:44 am

      I love that lamp. The two sources of light are always nice. Looks sturdy.

    • Phred's Mom July 10, 2016 / 11:33 am

      The dual light source looks ideal,
      nice design.

    • 6rabbits July 10, 2016 / 1:50 pm

      I looked at some like that, but all I saw had a reading light that only took a 40w bulb, and I need something brighter for reading.

  25. Em July 10, 2016 / 1:05 am

    Love reading through everyone’s notes to the thread! A bird’s hatch-day, a new kitten, lamps, books to read, a woman with a cutting garden that gave flowers to people, too much to recount, but it’s a great balm after a hard week. It’s news from the cyber ‘hood. This is an illustration by Józef Wilkoń, one of my favorites by him. Hope everyone has a good week ahead.

    • allein July 10, 2016 / 1:11 am

      I love this!

      Never heard of this artist; just did a quick google image search and saw this one, too!

      And on that note, I’m off to bed. Good night, everyone! See you on Bunday!

    • Murray C. July 10, 2016 / 10:30 am

      I hadn’t heard of him he’s wonderful! Thanks, Em. – and Allein for the one below.

  26. Birdcage July 10, 2016 / 10:13 am

    Here’s a wee splash of Merlin for those of you who asked:

    • Murray C. July 10, 2016 / 10:32 am

      He’s breathtakingly beautiful – and you can tell him I said so!

    • allein July 10, 2016 / 11:25 am

      He almost doesn’t look real. Such perfect greenery!

      • 6rabbits July 10, 2016 / 1:53 pm

        Is he real? was my first thought! Sooooo green! I must boop the beak. *boop* Happy hatch day dear Merlin!

      • Birdcage July 10, 2016 / 2:31 pm

        The first time I met an eclectus parrot – it would have been Merlin’s dad – I thought it was a brightly coloured toy placed in a cage as a joke because they are very good at sitting very still. Lots of people have the “he’s not real” reaction at first!

    • Phred's Mom July 10, 2016 / 11:34 am

      Handsome dude, indeed.

    • Em July 10, 2016 / 11:54 am

      Merlin is like a jewel with wings.

    • dubravkamcvmd July 10, 2016 / 12:14 pm

      Amazing! I’d have trouble ever leaving him.

      • Birdcage July 10, 2016 / 2:33 pm

        It is very hard to leave him. Especially when he calls out to me wth words like “Wanna come, Mommy!!!”

        • Murray C. July 10, 2016 / 2:42 pm

          Hee, hee. I once read a little story about a parrot that squawked so much that the only recourse was to cover his cage, which would shut him up immediately. But after a little while, very quietly from the cage, came a little voice saying, “Help me. Help me.”

          • 6rabbits July 10, 2016 / 7:22 pm

            Very glad right now that I have non-speaking anipals!

        • 6rabbits July 10, 2016 / 7:21 pm

          OMG! I would not be able leave the house if my bunnies could say that! The guilt!!

        • Faye July 10, 2016 / 7:55 pm

          Oh gosh. Mommy!? Ded! Clunk! Halp, I’ve fallen and turned into a parrot shaped puddle of maternal goo!

    • AB July 10, 2016 / 7:21 pm

      Aww! Happy hatch day, gorgeous bird!

  27. Faye July 10, 2016 / 12:26 pm

    Oh wow! How do you get out of the house. What an alive being. There are no greens that can rival that green. A living, breathing jewel!

    Happy Hatch Day +1 Merlin!

    • Birdcage July 10, 2016 / 2:35 pm

      Thank you, Faye. He knows he’s beautiful and he loves to be admired. If he catches you admiring him, he’ll lift up a wing to show you the pretty red feathers underneath and he’ll sit there for as long as you need, one wing lifted, while you gaze upon his magnificence.

      • dubravkamcvmd July 10, 2016 / 3:06 pm

        That’s so adorable and touching it brought a tear to my eye.

      • Smartypants July 10, 2016 / 4:49 pm

        He’s so handsome! I love the candy-corn colors of his beak. And look at the intelligence in that eye. I love that he’s so accommodating when you want to admire him! Thank you for posting the pic.

      • Faye July 10, 2016 / 5:01 pm

        It’s good to be Merlin. Lol.

      • Kar July 10, 2016 / 5:37 pm

        Well, he has a LOT of new admirers, be sure to tell him!

    • 6rabbits July 10, 2016 / 8:14 pm

      Good on you! ?

    • Faye July 10, 2016 / 9:25 pm

      Awww lucky bunny.

    • Laura July 10, 2016 / 9:28 pm

      Oh, such a sweet little creature!

    • Murray C. July 10, 2016 / 11:27 pm

      Dear little bun!

  28. fkaWaldenPond July 10, 2016 / 10:41 pm

    Hi Peeps, I have been quiet this weekend as well, I have don’t much to say due to all the sad stuff happening these days. I know sad stuff does occur everyday, every year, but 2016 has been a heart kicker mainlining straight to my soul. But! having said that!
    Happy Hatchday to you fetching, magical Merlin; if your underwings are as gorgeous as your visage then darnit, give a wink when you deservedly show them off.
    Everybody seems to have hit a farmers market, yum! Shoulder surgery (ouch and strength to you), kitchen flooring/ cabinets (sweet!), curled doggies on pillows, new- homed lovely and might not need to be so fierce in the coming days Lily (little lady, you landed in wonderful place), cat-sitting, matinees!, Phred’s Mom thank you for half-staff vs half-mast, truly!, poopy butts (hang in there, we’ve all had them), yup and good read re Larson’s Devil, yet to read his other two – Hitler and Lusitania but want to, thunderstorms, and ahhh lamp shopping—I hear ya, I am rich on taste but poor on cash in that department. So much happening here this weekend, I am sure I missed a tonne.
    Orange yelly mouth and I pondered things together—he especially wondered why the loose parquet flooring slat could spin so dramatically with the whap of his paw and me? I saw a wildlife tableau vivant today while walking—first a dramatically posed chipmunk, a few yards later a statuesque bunny, then a couple more steps radiant Robin and I am like huh? look down and there are deer droppings, and then walk a few more steps and the showstopper!– a beautiful delicate goldfinch. Night all and hope this week is kinder.

    • allein ? July 10, 2016 / 10:51 pm

    • Em July 10, 2016 / 11:09 pm

      FKA Walden Pond, I hope the coming week is kinder too. I think it was Faye who once wrote very eloquently about the power of the adorable, and I’ve wanted to find that again. The coming week will be better, in part because in cherishing, adoring, caring, being struck by the cute and beautiful, we make it so. It is no small matter to have this little light in dark times. Have a strong week, and keep your eyes on beauty and kindness as you did in your beautiful note. I will too.

    • Murray C. July 10, 2016 / 11:32 pm

      How wonderful to have experienced nature’s antidotes to all the misery of this past week. Great synopsis of this week end’s thread. Boy, oh boy, do we cover some turf!. Sleep well, all.
      Em, that was lovely and I hope we can see Faye’s quote – she is very wise.

      • Faye July 11, 2016 / 12:06 am

        I humbly thank you Em and Murray. I do wholeheartedly believe in the power of the cute and the strength of NTMTOM to have continued on for all of us. I know we all have a wonderful positive influence on eachother through the magic of technology.

        • Murray C. July 11, 2016 / 4:19 pm

          I do believe in the power of humor and laughter – and the creativity that abounds among all you very talented and accomplished people – Mike being at the top of the list and our “Impresario” for lack of a better word.

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