84 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread

  1. Birdcage June 17, 2017 / 8:26 am

    Wish I had a zen kitteh to stroke for a few minutes. After weeks of decluttering and organizing, this is the weekend of my parents move from their home (of the last 45 years) to a retirement resident. My goal is to be the most patient, upbeat, helpful, attentive daughter ever born. Wish me luck.

    • Dubravkamcvmd June 17, 2017 / 9:01 am

      Wow. That will be fraught. Good luck.

    • Amyliz June 17, 2017 / 10:28 am

      Recently went through it with my parents. They have been there a few months now and are settling in but of course it’s been a big adjustment for them. Nice to have them two hours away instead of eight and my brother is only about twenty minutes from them. So anyway, Birdcage, I wish you and your parents all the best!

      Just like sweet Liz, I am singing “Hallelujah!” for the weekend! Enjoy, everyone!

    • Murray C June 17, 2017 / 12:01 pm

      Oh, yes, best of luck with all of that, Birdcage – so difficult even in the best of circumstances.I just realized I have a new Avatar! Cute! Miss my blue cornchip and my Christmas Tree, but a change is as good as a rest.

    • Laura June 17, 2017 / 12:02 pm

      It’s tough, definitely. I helped my grandmother make that move some years ago, and she was crying over all her things that she couldn’t move until I promised to take the furniture. I ended up with a whole bunch of furniture I’d never planned on having, and after she passed away a few years later (at age 102!) gave most of it away myself; but I’m looking at the coffee table, side tables, and beautiful secretary desk that I will always keep and I always have happy memories of her when I see them. She was quite a lady.

      So it can be tough, but I’m sure you will end up with meaningful memories yourself. So just try to get through today with a smile!

    • Faye June 17, 2017 / 12:05 pm

      So difficult. I’m sure you will be all of those attributes for them. Good luck Birdcage.

    • jlamusings June 17, 2017 / 4:28 pm

      Hoping that goes smoothly & they settle into their new residence quickly!

    • Ricky's Mom June 17, 2017 / 4:37 pm

      Wishing you and your parents as peaceful a move and adjustment as possible. Fingers and paws crossed for you, Birdcage!

  2. Elizabeth June 17, 2017 / 8:42 am

    Who knew? Even photo yawns are contagious. Good luck, Birdcage. Hope all goes well.

  3. Patty June 17, 2017 / 9:24 am

    I am awake early, thanks to my husband’s blood sugar level. He woke up with low blood sugar, so he got breakfast in bed. He is such a jerk when his blood sugar is low.

    The kittens are getting so big. One of them has figured out how to climb out of the box, and now will only stay when Grace is in there nursing them. The others see me and mew at me while trying to climb out. I guess they will figure it out in a day or so. Grace and Sophie were stressed out yesterday following the kitten around. Today they don’t seem as concerned about it. Here’s a fresh picture of them.

    • Jan June 17, 2017 / 9:27 am

      Aww, what a bunch of cuties!

    • Murray C June 17, 2017 / 12:02 pm

      Oooooh, adorable matched set!

      • Patty June 17, 2017 / 12:45 pm

        Almost matched set, it’s hard to tell in the pic, but 2of them are black on their backs, and striped on their faces and bellies. The others have stripes every where. I have never seen a cat that was so black on top, and striped on the underside.

    • jlamusings June 17, 2017 / 4:29 pm

      Kittehs! I would love to snuggle all them at once.

    • Ricky's Mom June 17, 2017 / 4:41 pm

      Kissy kitten-faces!

    • Rachel June 17, 2017 / 6:32 pm

      Aww, look at all that tabby kitteny cuteness!

    • Emsthemonster June 18, 2017 / 12:40 pm

      yay a tiny tabby team, so cute 🙂

    • Smartypants June 18, 2017 / 3:28 pm

      Cute little mischief makers!

  4. Jan June 17, 2017 / 9:35 am

    A profile of Lily! Nothing else going on around here, I’m kind of in a holding pattern until surgery. Did have my pre-op PT visit, so that’s one appointment down… five more to go before scalpel day.

    • Laura June 17, 2017 / 12:03 pm

      Lily just gets more beautiful every day!

    • Faye June 17, 2017 / 12:08 pm

      Lovely young lady kitty. There is something special about your girl.

    • Murray C June 17, 2017 / 2:25 pm

      Lily is so Egyptian hieroglyph-looking – elegant.

      Good luck, Jan, with all of those appointments – and I’m sure you’ll keep us up to date with your surgery, etc.?

    • Jan June 17, 2017 / 7:19 pm

      Lily in the garden a little while ago!

      • Faye June 17, 2017 / 7:51 pm

        I love your Lily against the greenery.

        I had a cat with Lily’s Egyptian look. We always thought he had some Siamese or Abyssinian in him.

        • Jan June 17, 2017 / 8:11 pm

          She’s a rescue from a kitten mill (I’m her second home post-rescue). Her mother was supposedly a purebred Ragdoll, which does indeed have Birman/Burmese ancestry, but Lily doesn’t look anything like a Ragdoll. Her coloring is just like a Turkish Van Cat though, which also has some exotic ancestry.

          I used to have a half-Siamese cat and Lily looks exactly like him other than color. Same body and head shape, same big ears and long tail.

    • Smartypants June 18, 2017 / 11:25 am

      She is gorgeous – what a noble profile!

  5. gigi the cat lady June 17, 2017 / 9:48 am

    I’ll be at the beer festival today with a bunch of friends. Lots of different beers and other spirits to try and also many tasty dishes from all over the world.

  6. Debg June 17, 2017 / 10:18 am

    Such kitty cuteness today–great pix all around. Birdcage, best of luck to you.

    Quiet weekend (hooray!). No guests, no housecleaning. Just knitting, caring for a friend’s pets while she travels, and calm ordinary relaxation. I might finish sweater #9 and come close to completing #10, which just needs sleeves.

  7. Duckie ? June 17, 2017 / 10:54 am

    Weird dream.
    We had all clubbed together and bought the previously featured cat house, and had all gathered there for Christmas. And we all looked exactly like our Cutetropolis avatars!
    Very weird.
    I decided yesterday that hubby and I need a little fun, no matter what. So, tomorrow, with a limited but acceptable budget, we are going shopping for fun. Whatever we want, no matter what (within the bounds of matrimony, legality, decency and morality), we get. Whether in a physical store, or Amazon. So looking forward to it.
    I wish everyone a fantastic weekend.

    • debg June 17, 2017 / 11:59 am

      Duckie, I think you and hubby deserve some fun too. Have a great time looking for your bliss.

      And I love that dream (or nightmare?). I would love to look like a slow loris getting tickled.

    • Faye June 17, 2017 / 12:11 pm

      Duckie, I would definitely come dressed as a white Chihuahua if it meant I got to meet Cutetropolians in real life. I’ll start sewing a size 2x costume now.

    • Murray C June 17, 2017 / 12:12 pm

      LOVE your dream, Duckie! And have a great time on your shopping spree – it is nice every once in a while to buy something new. I don’t do it very often but I did buy a few things recently – nothing high end, tho’ I did order a couple of pairs of shoes from Hotter – haven’t gotten them yet but they were on a 40% discount and free shipping. I love their shoes.

      I’m about to have an extra bunny for a couple of weeks – a friend is having her knees done and obviously can’t look after a bunny very well – they require a lot of bending and climbing over pens, as many of you already know.

      Today I was planning to go to a music event but the weather is not very conducive, thunderstorms predicted, and it’s pretty much an all outside event. Most people who go have elaborate camping set-ups but I’d be wandering around on my own unprotected (I think I just quoted a Victorian Parlor Ballad)

    • Emsthemonster June 18, 2017 / 12:56 pm

      What a nice dream 🙂 While I have been mostly away from keyboard lately as my life seriously sucks these days, I would still like to join the Cutetropolis Christmas party.
      Unfortunately in real life I look a lot more conventional than my avatar. No green hair, black skin and chicken feet 🙁 (but on the positive side I might have a little better figure than this black, green-haired potato)
      Have a nice weekend and next week, everyone!

      • allein ? June 18, 2017 / 1:05 pm

        Well since you shared, I will also…I know you’ll all be shocked, but…I … do not look like a Chihuahua.

        • Murray C June 18, 2017 / 2:08 pm

          Say it isn’t so, Allein! And here I was picturing you at work typing away with tiny little paws and growling at co-workers who dared to stop by and scritch your ears.

          And, Emsthemonster, I am relieved to know that your resemblance to your Avatar is nil. Too bad about the chicken feet, tho.?

          I am sorry to hear you’re having a tough time.

          • allein ? June 18, 2017 / 3:13 pm

            Well I do frequently want to growl at my coworkers…

          • Emsthemonster June 18, 2017 / 5:02 pm

            Oh Murray C, I have always wanted long, thin legs, so my avatar got them 🙂

            Thank you 🙂

        • Emsthemonster June 18, 2017 / 4:56 pm

          …. but but I thought you were a lovely kitten playing with a banana!

      • Smartypants June 18, 2017 / 3:26 pm

        EMS, I’m sorry about the life suckage – I hope things turn better for you very soon.

        Do you at least have the pink tentacles you can wave at people?

        • Emsthemonster June 18, 2017 / 5:06 pm

          Thank you, Smartypants.
          Yes, I have the pink tentacles. It is a bit inconvenient when someone wants to shake hands though.

          • Smartypants June 18, 2017 / 5:54 pm

            You can whap them briskly if they annoy you 😀

  8. allein ? June 17, 2017 / 12:06 pm

    Happy weekend everyone! Today I need to do some dishes and laundry and hopefully not kill my neighbors. Or I might just leave the house for a while.

    I just over looked at my cup of hot chocolate, and at the spot where the spoon was resting it looks like cat ears.

    Here’s something for Liz to sing along to.




    • allein ? June 17, 2017 / 12:32 pm

      Of course, that was supposed to say “looked over” and here are my chocolate kitty ears..

      • Murray C June 17, 2017 / 2:19 pm

        I read it as you intended – and yep, there they are, tiny pussycat ears! IT’S A MIRACLE!!! ?

  9. Laurabetwee June 17, 2017 / 12:07 pm

    First thing this morning my husband came in from a trip to the dog park with Melody and Sebastian and invited me to go see our “new neighbor” in the pond right around the corner — a six-foot (nearly two-meter) alligator! Fortunately, there are several yards and fences betw

    • Faye June 17, 2017 / 12:13 pm

      ??

    • Laura June 17, 2017 / 12:15 pm

      Lily just gets more beautiful every day!weird, I was trying to finish the sentence and it added “betwee” to my name and sent in and didn’t even give me an edit option!

      Anyway, there are several yards and fences between our yard and that pond. Unfortunately, there’s nobody at the HOA office to take a report, so it may get to stay there till Monday. That’s the biggest reason I didn’t want a house on a pond! That and mosquitoes.

      I’m finally over my bronchitis, thank heaven, but it’s been a quiet week, deliberately. I’d tried to work on the baby blanket for my niece while I was sick, but I had to rip it all out, it was such a mess. Fun.

      I hope everyone has a good weekend and week!

      • Murray C June 17, 2017 / 5:02 pm

        Glad you’re over the bronchitis, Laura – horrible thing to visit on the body. Who’s in charge anyway! A year or two ago I had it for a long time and it seemed to persist in a milder form for almost a year. Very troubling for a singer – tho’ I don’t sing much except in living rooms anymore. So I hope it doesn’t linger at all and that your only issue now is how to get that alligator out of your neighborhood! Yeow!

        • Laura June 17, 2017 / 8:05 pm

          Trust me, I’m also very glad I’m over that awful bronchitis! I seem to have finished *all* the coughing about Thursday, so that’s good. We have so much humidity here it’s hard to tell if I really am done coughing, since that can cause me to cough in any case, but fingers crossed!

          I just hope the alligator doesn’t eat any of the lovely egrets that have returned to the various neighborhood ponds now that the rain is filling them up again. (One small pond actually went dry a few weeks ago; at least it has some water in it again. A dry pond looks just sad!) I don’t know if any fish survived the near-draining of this particular pond, either. But there’s at least one turtle in the pond, too — we could see the head poking up out of the water — so apparently it/they moved in at the same time as the gator. (And here’s hoping there’s just the one gator!) The authorities in Florida are used to calls to remove unwanted gators from ponds and pools, so I’m sure there won’t be any issue moving it to a new, better home. I wouldn’t want to live in one of the homes bordering one side of the pond that have no fence or anything between their house and the water, though; that strikes me as tempting fate perhaps a bit *too* much!

    • Faye June 17, 2017 / 12:34 pm

      Oh Mike beat me to it! Thank you Mike.
      Millie can speak for herself!!

      The artwork is dedicated to my Doctor. It is about having the confidence to confide in someone you can trust. It is an intimate give and take to be in therapy with a knowledgeable, kind and caring professional. I am very lucky to have his help.

      I am giving the drawing to him next week. Thank you for looking.

      • Jan June 17, 2017 / 1:51 pm

        The phrase “bright as a button” was simply MADE for Millie!

        • Faye June 17, 2017 / 7:03 pm

          Jan, she’s happy and funny all the time or asleep! Thank you.

      • dubravkamcvmd June 17, 2017 / 2:07 pm

        WHAT is around Millie’s neck?

        • Faye June 17, 2017 / 7:01 pm

          A pink collar and tags. It’s only on for identification. She wears a harness to walk. Chihuahuas cannot be walked on a leash attached to a collar. In fact when I go out and she is alone in my room the collar comes off so she cannot snag herself on anything.

          • dubravkamcvmd June 18, 2017 / 8:03 am

            Thanks. Now that you’ve told me what it is I can no longer see what I initially saw – a collar made of fur the same color and pattern as Millie’s. The human brain is a wonderful, and frightening, thing.

            • Faye June 18, 2017 / 11:26 am

              Too funny.

  10. Faye June 17, 2017 / 12:29 pm

    Hi everyone, Well I did five days of hand-on child care for my friend’s 10 year old daughter. Up at 5:30 to get her up at 6 for 4th grade. Dinner. Shower. Bed. My first ever maternal experience at age 65. I indulged my wish I was a grandmother instincts big time.

    Her mother had emergency surgery for a perforated peptic ulcer. No symptoms until she felt like she was being stabbed in the guts while driving the car! Turned out it was from taking three Advil after running.

    This is exactly why she and I live together so I was ready and happy to help. A good bonding experience for us all.

    My friend is home for the next three weeks and has promised to grill juicy skirt steaks for me when she is able to eat them too.

    I have asked Mike to post an updated Millie picture. She amazes me more every day. Feisty, funny, snugly, and smart. I. Am. Blessed.

    I also sent in a drawing that is NOT ABOUT MY PTSD. So you won’t have to look away! I will explain it when Mike posts it.

    Catching up on room cleaning and then updating my website.

    Have a safe weekend all. Hugs Faye & Millie.

  11. Murray C June 17, 2017 / 12:34 pm

    Very good, Faye! Good for you – keep at it. And Millie – ah, Millie – I want to boop the nose, skritch the ears, pick her up and give her a good snuggle for hours on end. She’s bright as a button.

    • Faye June 17, 2017 / 1:16 pm

      Thank you Murray!

      • Murray C June 17, 2017 / 5:05 pm

        I meant to say when I originally responded to you that you are a very good friend and your roomie is very lucky to have you – and I’m sure you feel much the same towards her – you are both fortunate to have someone who has your back in trying times.

        • Faye June 17, 2017 / 7:06 pm

          Thank you Murray. She and I are both blessed.

    • Murray C June 17, 2017 / 2:23 pm

      Love it – tho’ how they can say it’s the end of soggy paws I really don’t comprehend since it only protects the back.

      • allein ? June 17, 2017 / 2:32 pm

        That’s what I thought, too. The paws are still on the wet ground. And if pup goes on the grass the paws will be even soggier. He also doesn’t seem to be completely covered as he’s walking. Still, it’s cute and that’s what really matters, right? 🙂

        • Ricky's Mom June 17, 2017 / 4:47 pm

          It would be cuter if that dog had a harness, and not a dogbrella leash attached to his collar. Small dogs like this little Maltese are very prone to collapsing trachea. Dog is adorable, though—and much cleaner than Ricky is at the moment!

          • Murray C June 17, 2017 / 4:58 pm

            I always thought a harness was so much nicer for a dog – or any animal on a lead. Who ever thought a collar was a good idea anyway? Except as a place to display ID or a license.

            • Faye June 17, 2017 / 7:08 pm

              I just mentioned that above re Millie.

              • Murray C June 17, 2017 / 7:22 pm

                Yes – I know you’re a fabulous Mum to your Dear Millie and would only do what’s best for her! I didn’t mean to cast aspersions on collars since they’re quite a necessity, too. I’ve just always hated to hear dogs practically choking themselves as they strain at a lead – the dogs have to bear some of the blame here, I think!?

  12. Smartypants June 17, 2017 / 4:22 pm

    Hello NTMteam! It’s great to hear what everyone is up to.

    Tough day physically here, but I did get to the dump and the grocery store this morning, and I’ve been really good this week about doing my physical therapy and not taking excess corticosteroids (which make you feel better…until they make you worse!).

    This afternoon, just the easiest tasks – little household repairs and prepping healthy noms. Thank goodness for shortcuts like frozen broccoli in the microwave bag – no pan, no cleanup, just vitamins! And there’s a ‘Mythbusters’ marathon on TV.

    Tomorrow – off to the Laundromat and then cook up some nice salmon. Have a great weekend!

    • Murray C June 17, 2017 / 5:09 pm

      Smartypants, I have to admit – shamefacedly – that tho’ I remember your talking about impending surgery? and PT that I can’t bring to the forefront of my poor brain what the specific issue was. I’m happy to hear that you’re doing your PT – I know we went on about it – or was it to Jan??? Egad, it’s all a blur. But doing your PT is paramount. I’m glad you’re able to hold back on the nasty meds and that you’re able to get so much done. I’m mightily impressed.

      • Smartypants June 17, 2017 / 6:22 pm

        Thank you, Murray! It is Jan who’s got the surgery coming up – my ailment is more of a chronic inflammation that shows as joint pain, fatigue and migraines. I was treated with Rx opiates for years until my doctor had to discontinue them last Fall (I agree with her decision, but that still sucked!) so now we’re working on techniques that are more sustainable.

        One of my neighbors, who benefited from PT himself (for a broken neck!), gave me a good pep talk last week and I’m trying to really apply it 😀

        • Murray C June 17, 2017 / 7:24 pm

          I have to admit to a certain prejudice since I’m a water exercise instructor, but if you can get in water you might find it very beneficial. I have a few in my deep water class who really gain more range of motion being in the water. I believe you can get prescriptions for the Y or some facility that has a pool.

          • Jan June 17, 2017 / 7:31 pm

            +1 for water therapy! In the water is just about the only place I’m not in pain. And after doing my laps when I’m all warmed up is the best range of knee motion that I can achieve. I do flexes and stretches then that I can’t do at any other time. I wonder how soon after surgery they’ll let me swim again? I’ll make a note to ask.

            • Murray C June 17, 2017 / 7:52 pm

              After my shoulder surgery I was able to get back in the water 4 weeks later – stitches were out in two weeks. But my surgery was done arthroscopically so the incisions were very small and healed quickly. Hopefully yours will be done similarly, Jan. Also you might eventually try an arthritis or similar class that uses a wider range of motion than simply swimming. And deep water is fantastic – no pounding on the floor.

            • Duckie ? June 17, 2017 / 7:57 pm

              Jan, after one of my knee surgeries, I was in the water as soon as the incisions were fully closed. I did not do much; the lifeguard put me in a life jacket and left me floating in the deep end. But the relief from the strain was full body, not just knee. And when I wasn’t bearing any body weight, I felt more willing to do the &$:?”&@ therapy exercises.
              No swimming. Just floating.

              • Jan June 17, 2017 / 8:17 pm

                That’s good to know. It will be a major incision, not just arthroscopic, but as soon as it’s closed up, I’m hoping to hit the water!

  13. Faye June 17, 2017 / 8:04 pm

    Since so many of us have mentiond orthopedic and other conditions that cause pain or discomfort, I was wondering if anyone has tried acupuncture.

    I have had a lessening of most of my orthopedic problems that are, thankfully, arthritic or positioning oddities from previous injuries.

    But I have a stiff left hip that aches when I walk. It’s just enough of a bother to set off some anxiety about getting where I need to go. Then I stiffen up more!

    I would like to try acupuncture to free up that area and then other areas too! Does anyone have experience.

    • Laura June 17, 2017 / 8:19 pm

      I’ve had acupuncture several different times, for a couple of different issues. The most important thing, I think, is the skill of the acupuncturist. On one cruise, they had an acupuncturist on board who honestly improved my enjoyment of the trip about 100% because he was so good at easing my back pain and stiffness. I was just sorry that he was going to be setting up practice in Austin, so I wouldn’t be able to continue seeing him! I also saw a different person about hand pain, and she did me absolutely no good at all.

      So it can be very helpful in relieving pain and stiffness and at increasing overall energy, but it really depends on who’s doing it. I recommend trying it to see if it helps you. And if the person you see doesn’t seem to help much, try someone else. It’s like massage therapy — some people are incredibly gifted at finding the places where you need extra work done, while other people just go through the motions and do the same thing for everyone.

      Also, check to see if your insurance covers it. Ours does, which definitely makes it less stressful since my cost is greatly reduced! There’s a limit on the number of visits covered, but the acupuncturist will work with you if it is covered to make sure you don’t go over the approved number of visits.

      • Murray C June 17, 2017 / 10:38 pm

        Faye, I have friends who have tried it with great success – and I have friends who give it and have a very good reputation. I’ve never had it because my insurance doesn’t cover it but I was on the verge at one time. But if you can, talk to some people and see what their experiences have been and if you can get a recommendation. It’s so important with arthritis to keep joints moving even tho’ the pain might suggest otherwise. There’s a lubricating fluid in the joints (sinuvial? not sure of the spelling) and the only way it’s produced is by keeping the joint moving. It’s sort of a classic case of move it or lose it.

    • Faye June 18, 2017 / 6:06 am

      Thank you Laura and Murray. I have two persons in my area. And I will check on insurance.

  14. Alice Shortcake June 18, 2017 / 7:00 am

    At the risk of hijacking the thread, I’ve used Cutetropolis as therapy during the past week because I’ve been FURIOUS about the totally avoidable loss of life in the Grenfell Tower inferno. It boggles the mind that
    a) a company manufactures cladding that isn’t fire-retardant, and
    b) someone bought this cladding because it was fractionally cheaper than the same company’s fire-retardant version.
    There seems to be an unwritten law in Britain that dozens of people have to die before screamingly obvious safety measures are implemented.

    • Murray C June 18, 2017 / 12:29 pm

      Alice, it is so horrible – the Titanic keeps popping into my head – silly comparison, I suppose but cost-cutting is infuriating. The idea of accepting the cheapest bid is ridiculous. I’m sad for all of the victims – and all who mourn them. Truly devastating.

      • Smartypants June 18, 2017 / 3:21 pm

        I’ve been thinking of the Triangle Shirt Factory fire a century ago. People were outraged enough to change the laws and make things better, but it should have never, ever happened.

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