Reddit user dontfeedthecode got a two-for-one deal: “Went to get my daughter a kitten today, couldn’t bear the thought of separating her from her brother.” The kittens were named Matilda (on the right) and Rowan Catkinson (left)
Weekend Open Thread
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Rowan Catkinson??? Mr. Toebean? (Sorry…had to do it.)
???
Ack! Too much cuteness too early in the morning. Kittens are just like potato chips, very hard to have just one.
Busy weekend for me. Had dinner a nice Moroccan restaurant with a friend last night. Today, farmer’s market, Apple class to help me figure out my new phone, and hockey game tonight. Finally, HOCKEY IS BACK. That’s about the only way to tell fall is here in my part of the world. Yesterday, was high 80’s here. Then tomorrow, lunch with another friend and hubby is coming home.
Guess sometime I got to find time to clean the place too. Oh, and pack up a box of my mom’s and grandma’s china dolls that I’m donating to a museum. More stuff going out the door and it feels great.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Judging from appearances I would say that is Ms. Toebean.
I love toebeans!!!!!!!
Happy to know these two won’t be separated – someone obviously followed through with a “cunning plan”.
Out to the garden. Temps not going above 70 today after a week of almost 90’s. Very breezy but must water – it’s been VERY dry – not western US dry, but watering needs to happen. Too dry to weed properly.
Continuing meds for my dear bun Clementine – she’s been ailing for about 2 weeks with head tilt-inducing infection. She’s eating ok but she’s so wobbly and sometimes runs around in circles. She had the same thing back in May, both times after she’d been at Bunny Camp (a friend looks after our buns when we go away). Not the caretaker’s fault. Vet says it could be stress that sets this off. She’s not happy with me – makes me sad when she hides when I come around.
Tomorrow promises to be a gorgeous day in the SE PA area – hoping to go to a local garden called Chanticleer. Have a wonderful week end, everyone – stay healthy, get your flu shots (supposedly a very bad year in store, especially for some of us of a certain age)
Ooooh, I love Chanticleer. I hope you have a lovely time!
Thanks, Tara!
So sad when pets are sick.
Also heard about bad flu strain. I get my shots a bit after beginning of distribution. I like to make sure there are no manufacturing problems.
Hope your bun gets well soon. Give her a cuddle from me, when she’ll let you.
Will do! And thank you.
This is how I ended up with two kittens. Twice.
Needless to say, they were not bonded either time and had long comfortable lives barely tolerating each other.
Blackadder and Baldrick, basically.
That happened to me with two chihuahua combinations.
Gorgeous weather last night. Cold and rainy. Perfect for snuggling and denying reality.
I ‘rescued’ four baby evergreens this week, before they got pulled with weeds. They are sitting on my deck, looking a little startled, but pleased.
Bulb planting today. Crocuses, hyacinths and snowdrops.
Discovered best way to get hold of invisible cat. I put the gooshy food into the bowl, but don’t put it on the floor. Invisible cat suddenly appears, doing figure eights around my legs and vocalizing his displeasure. Pop pill in, make sure he swallows, then give him gooshy food. Duckie 1 Cat zip.
Starting nieces’ pillows today. Also found two fleece vests that I had cut out in spring, so I will be putting them together this coming week. Will also try to work on hubby’s shirt. Every time I pull it out to sew, hubby gets an early time off.
I went into a local pet supply store early this week, and was pounced on by one of the staff. She dragged me (gently) over to a stack of large cages and pointed out the biggest one. “I found you a Pomeranian cage!” She wholeheartedly endorses my desire for a Pomeranian, and honestly believes that, since it would have a crate, it would qualify as a cage animal.
Crazy busy day today, with lots of errands and running around, but I’m looking forward to it.
Murray, you said a bad word in your comment today, and it will be several minutes until I can forgive you.
Have a great day, everyone.
Never knew trees could look startled, lol. And congrats on outwitting the invisible cat, I laughed out load at your solution. And happy sewing/crafting, sounds like a good weekend.
Duckie, I love your description of the startled trees! And your win over invisible cat is to be savored.
As per your quest for a Pomeranian, Millie is more than happy to live in my bedroom and 90% of the time we are together on the bed. She has the run of the room with an open crate on the floor with pee pad. Her water and food bowls are on the floor too. She has a two step stair beside the bed to go down and up on her own. My door is open most of the time with a short gate across it. Because she is small (11 pounds) I can go in and out when I want. Millie has a partial view of the kitchen, living room etc. My door is only closed when I am out or need privacy. She interacts with the cat and my friends little girl. She does not need to be loose in the house for safety reasons and our big dog. I make sure she gets good exercise playing games on the bed. And she chases the cat on her own. I need to get her outdoors more now that it is cooler. Other than that a Chihuahua, Chiweenie, or a Pom can do fine in a small living situation. Millie was unexpected but if I had looked for a dog I would have considered a Pom. Tiny barking fluff balls. And way smaller than Millie. Do it!
My parents’ neighbors used to have a Pom named Spalding. He looked like a furry basketball.
Omgosh. Spalding.
I have nothing against having a Pom running around. Stupid condo bylaws only allow for caged animals. I’m trying to come up with a way to make a Pom qualify as a caged animal.
I know. So convince them it can live in your bedroom. Then do what you want.
Invisible cats are formidable foes. Congratulations on your victory!
What’d I say, what’d I say?????
“Shots”.
OK, then, how about “Schatz”??????
I dunno. Sounds halfway between one bad word and another.
?
Well, it is an endearment.?
What do you have against shots?
Oh, my, that should sere the ol’ esophagus.
I am being lazy this weekend. Not planning on doing anything, except not walking on this leg. It feels better, still hurts to put weight on it, but the aching when not walking is gone. I do have sore muscles in the other leg, from it taking on most of the weight when I walk or stand.
The weather is perfect fall weather, warm enough during the day to not worry about a jacket, cool enough at night to need a blanket. Fall is my favorite time of year.
I’m looking forward to spending two nights in Stratford-upon-Avon early next week to see “Coriolanus” and Marlowe’s “Dido, Queen of Carthage”.
At the moment I’m putting the finishing touches to my second compilation of extracts from the theatrical paper “The Era” – tentatively entitled “Crocodiles in the Green Room”, it covers the years 1900-1910. The first volume, “Fairies in Cabs”, is officially released on 6th October. E-book versions of both books should be available to buy online by mid-October.
*end of free plug*
Please let us know when they will be available to buy, I for one am interested and I’m certain I’m not the only one.
Yay! I got an early edition of “Fairies in Cabs” this summer and I loved it – I’m really looking forward to the next one(s).
Looking forward to Fairies in Cabs! Please let us know where to get it!
Here’s a link where you can pre-order on Amazon (US).: http://amzn.to/2x64D02
Thanks for the reminder – I want to get one for me and one as a gift – maybe even two gifts!
I’m watching an episode of the new Ducktales that’s a parody of the movie, “The Warriors”. It’s like someone is trying to amuse me specifically by creating this.
Happy Day everyone!
We won our Zoning Board Hearing on Wednesday (yay) but now I’m anxious about the fall-out. This person already called my neighbors and threatened to retaliate. They’ve known each other for 40 years. I’m waiting for my turn. We don’t know each other, so I’m expecting any retaliation to be a lot more subtle. But at least (for now) there will be no 3 story building squeezed between two sets of row-homes on already-too-small properties. sigh.
I’m snuggling down on the couch with lots of yarn and kitties – trying to ignore lesson plans. Thanks DebG for the Interweave link about two weeks ago that also had a big yarn sale. I ordered a lot of yarn and so I have a nice pile next to me being christened by my Jacques. I’m knitting booties for felting for Christmas and binge watching Doc Martin. Jacques does not pose happily for the camera. Thus the annoyed look.
Gosh, what a gorgeous picture of a gorgeous house panther! Two of the three feline members of my family are black, they are absolutely stunning, and I am absolutely unable to record their beauty in pictures.
Speaking of the two black felines in my family. Once upon a time we had two Brittish Shorthair kitties, Carmen and Chester. Then a friend of my husband’s searched for good forever homes for the fruits of their Persian kitty’s love affair with a moggie. We fell in love with a gorgeous semi-longhair black girl and we called dibs on her. Two days later we came to the friends’ home to introduce ourselves to our new kitty. She was like: ‘Oh. There you are. Ok, you’re good enough. Now be gone, peasants, I have more important matters to attend to.’ Her brother though. He came to my husband, climbed up his arm and fell asleep curled up in his hands. We fell in love in him instantly, of course, and we adopted both his sis, and him. He is the freaking love of my life ❤❤❤
I’ve mentioned her before, but the daughter of a woman I used to work with does pet (and baby) photography, and one of her pet projects is working with shelters and specializing in black animals to get good photos for their websites. She thinks they get adopted less in part because it’s hard to get a good picture so they don’t stand out when looking through adoptable animals online. She’s been featured on the Today show’s website and other places; I was just looking at her site and saw that for pet photography sessions, she gives a $50 discount with proof that your pet was adopted from shelter or rescue. 🙂
https://www.caseyelise.com/cats
How lovely! This friend of yours has CRAZY photographic skills, the pictures she makes are AMAZING!!!
I don’t know her, just her mom (and I haven’t even seen her outside of Facebook in a long time). I remember Casey as a teenager when I worked with her mom, over a decade ago. I’m sure I wouldn’t even recognize her, now!
But yes, she has some great pictures!
Nice! I especially love the kitten with those wild blue eyes, pink tongue and posed against the purple background. Ooooh, what a love. And I love that she has so many pictures of – how to say it- somewhat “irregular” pusses who nonetheless possess tons of charm.
Gosh wow. Those are amazing photos. I should have her come do my kitties.
It’s $15/hour travel charge if you’re outside L.A.
Thanks Jerzowa! I love black kitties – talk about personality plus! And just fyi – this is one of three “good” pics I have of my Jacques in the 11 years he has owned me. I agree they are soOo difficult to photograph.
Oooh, love house panthers. Was owned by one myself. And yes, so hard to get good pictures of them. They seem to absorb all the light/flash so it just looks like a black blob. He’s gorgous and seems to be saying, no chance of moving me, this stash is now MINE.
Thanks AJ. Ah yes – he is the Master and I am just “staff.”
We had a little conversation involving Greenies and he was convinced he could move from the yarn stash. 😉 He is very reasonable that way.
I’m so glad you scored more yarn. Because who among us really has enough?
None of us. That’s who. My yarn room still needs to be put together after our move (we had to get an extra bedroom just for my yarn, because SABLE is my operating principle, Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy!). I’m going to get the diagonal square shelves from IKEA, which look great. Before we moved, I made sure all my yarn was safely bagged in plastic baggies and sorted by weight, so it’s really just a matter of getting the right shelves up and unpacking the clear plastic boxes it’s in now (which is still helpful because I know that, say, this box has sock yarn, that one has DK, etc.).
I didn’t get yarn at the sale you guys are talking about, but I did get a complete set of Addi Turbo Rocket 32″ circular needles. That’s my most-used size, since I never use straights any more, so it was a great deal. More yarn and needles for all of us! 🙂
Ha! Well – to be honest, I’ve been on a yarn-diet for a few years now. I’m only allowed to buy new yarn after I’ve used up “old” yarn in a project. But I fall off the wagon more than I’d like.
Laura – love your plan for your yarn move. Sounds great!
Someone looks comfortable and content. Good luck getting your yarn. ^_^
Yup – Saturday morning yarn occupation. Just doing’ his job.
Report back from the farmers market – got 3 different kinds of pears, dragon fruit and a loaf of rye bread. The bread is so crusty tho that I’ll have to wait until hubby comes home tomorrow so he can slice it. I barely was able to cut off one slice but oh my was it good! And had sunflower seeds in it! Plus I succumbed to the siren song of a local pottery vendor and bought three bowls, all with a beautiful turquoise glaze or trim. Hopefully my pic will post.
AJ, I’m picturing you with a band saw slicing that bread!
Allein, again, Happy Birthday – one can never wish someone Happy Birthday too many times. I have to go to the doc – check-up, – having a terrible time with my back over the last week, tho’ I’m still pretty functional – keep moving is my motto. I will get a flu shot then! I have to get one o’ them special “over a certain age” flu shots.
Rowan Catkinson! I love it! One of my friends from college is a huge Mr. (Toe)Bean fan. Happy Saturday everyone!
Tomorrow’s my birthday. I’ll be the answer to life, the universe, and everything. 😉
Murray – I already got my flu shot. Usually I just go to CVS but I had a checkup a few weeks ago and the doctor gave me one them.
Ducky – yay for outsmarting invisible kitty!
No big plans for the weekend other than dinner tomorrow. We’re going to Longhorn Steakhouse because I want steak and their molten chocolate cake thingy. Maybe I’ll try a Moscow Mule, too, since they seem to be all the rage these days. I also have a free burthday drink on my Starbucks card. Thinking of a vanilla tea latte (I don’t get them often because they’re pricey, even from Starbucks). After that I really need to get serious about improving my eating habits. :-/
I’m also starting to think about Christmas cards. I run a card exchange on another site and need to get sign ups going soon. Just need to decide on deadlines and update my instructions.
Happy Birthday! And enjoy, sounds like you have a great weekend planned.
Yay! Happy Birthday Allein!
I really need to reread my posts during the edit window…
burthday?
also, that was supposed to say “pricey, even for Starbucks”
Happy Birthday! Sounds like dinner will be a nice celebration.
Happy Bithday, Allein! ??❤
I hope you have a wonderful Birthday Allein! Many happy returns.
Hi Everyone, I am working on an update and redesign of my website. I posted new drawings and text today that I cannot share here. Also creating a PROCESS page instead of a blog along with a page featuring my text only. As I am up to Drawing 36, and have many more brewing in my mind, it has slowly dawned on me that I am in effect writing a future book about my PTSD experience. I would need to place my experience in a broader context with more factual/autobiographical information, but the bulk of the content is being created as I go along with my art-therapy-writing process.
On that note, I have been experiencing great symptom improvement for about a week. No intrusive flashbacks. I told my Doctor that for my whole life it has been as if my mind was tuned into two or more radio stations all the time. This week my brain was one station from day to day. I never thought this would be possible. I am astonished. While I wish this had happened sooner, I’m very happy to have it happen at all. I’m a lucky person.
Take a look at the theillustratedpatient.com
Any suggestions appreciated.
I’m home alone tomorrow so cooking a big batch of pasta with homemade roasted bell pepper sauce to freeze in portions. I’ve been roasting cut up chicken parts that turn into three meals for me. That means I only have to pan sauté veggies for three days. Yay!
Enjoy the Fall everyone.
Wonderful to hear about your improvement. I know what it’s like when your brain works different from how you’d want it to. It’s certainly a time for happiness when you don’t have that worry.
?
I’m so happy for you! I remember taking an effective antidepressant for the first time many years ago and I was astonished. People all around me feel this way on a daily basis? Unfortunately the side effect was hallucinations, but it was fun while it lasted.
Dubravkamcvmd thank you! Too bad you had bad side effects. My antidepressant made such a difference for me. That came 20 years before this change which the doc says is my amygdala healing inside my brain. Luckily, I have had zero side effects for all those years. There are also a new generation of pills. Aren’t you tempted to try again?
I’v tried again over the years – had a great six months with Prozac in the early 90s. Various other things up through maybe 10 years ago – no luck – in fact, bad side effects, and years of difficult weaning off. Not everybody is helped by medication and they haven’t come up with anything new ( not just tweaking) in 30 years.
Faye, you are an inspiration to us all. Good going, Gal.
It’s so encouraging to hear everybody’s good news! Hope buns and sore legs continue to heal, while those of you enjoying fall weather, cats, doggies, and yarn continue to do so.
I should be out in my yard marking the new landscaping layout, since tomorrow we’re expecting thunderstorms. But I’ve had a metaphorical black dog on my shoulder for a few days and Harry Potter audiobooks + knitting seem like a better idea. And (sorry for mentioning politics) if I go outside to work, I’ll just start stewing: not just over the worsening horrors in Puerto Rico, but the official response to them.
Thank goodness for cuddly kitties. The BOGO option is always a smart choice!
Stay safe, happy, and healthy, people. Early happy birthday to Allein!
In case any of you are considering renovating… 😉
Lol!
OMG, that would be my friend’s house!! Loving it! And she’d probably get it as long as her hubby had a garage just as big for his boat and other toys, lol.
I saw other versions of it; one of them had the big room labeled “Garage.” Another was “Library” (my personal favorite, which I shared in a book-related facebook group I belong to).
The kitchen size is actually pretty accurate for my place, anyway. 😉
I really don’t have anything much to talk about, I’m still trying to get in shape and lose some weight, as of now I loss about 6 pounds, not great but it’s a beginning. I try to either walk 5 kilometre or do 10 kilometre on the exercise bike 4 or 5 times a week depending on how my back is doing.
Last week I had to postpone exercise for 3 days in a row because of the heat wave we had here, the temperature was 40 Celsius when you factored in the humidity, that’s over 100 in Fahrenheit. Thank goodness we are back to fall temperature now.
I started doing the Walk Your Butt Off program (it’s a book from the folks at Runner’s World magazine; I have the Run Your Butt Off book as well, but I decided I had a better shot at sticking with walking for now). Unfortunately I started it last week, the week before I went on vacation, and also hurt my back on, like, day 2, so I haven’t even gotten the 5 weekly workouts in each week. It’ll be easier when I get back to work and can just go to the gym or the park right after work. I also was doing a “30 Day Fitness Challenge” app; I did well the first 30 days and halfway through the second 30, but the hurt back derailed that even more than walking (actually, I think poor form on one of the exercises was the cause, or at least a contributing factor). I might just start fresh on Monday. That would end the 12-week walking program just before Christmas.
At least I have a few more weeks before it’ll be too dark to go to the park after work.
Lots of great pictures of great current (and former) pets this week! Love the house panther photo especially. When I was very little and we lived in India, we had a house panther. But we weren’t able to bring him back by ship (2 months from India to New York, including crossing the Atlantic on the Queen Mary!), so he moved in with a new family when we left. Alas, I was only 4 at the time we sailed on the QM so I don’t remember her. I still rather resent that, especially seeing her sitting tied up in Long Beach these days.
We had a patch of ceiling fall down in our kitchen a few days ago; fortunately, it wasn’t from a water leak, just from crappy application by whoever put up the current ceiling when they removed the popcorn. So a HUGE but extremely nice man named Ron came over and repaired it yesterday. He and Sebastian got along famously; the contrast in size was wonderful. Seriously, he was at least 6’6″ and big all over. Very few people make me feel THAT tiny, but he sure did!
I got a whole box of knitted baby gifts off to my niece’s baby girl — blanket, sweater, bonnet, socks. Now I’m starting on things for her sister. I have 3 months, so wish me luck. It’s a boy this time. What happened to the Mystery of Childbirth???
Sounds like people and critters are (mostly) doing well. I hope those who aren’t feel better soon! And thanks for the flu shot reminder, Murray. This was my second reminder in two days; folks in the other hemisphere had a really bad season, apparently, which is how our vaccines are determined each year. I had bad flu one time, many years ago, and I do not EVER want to be that sick again! I’ll get it before next week’s Open Thread. I challenge everybody to do the same thing! We all need to be super-healthy so we can fully appreciate Mike’s hard work in keeping this website up!
I got flu shots every year in college (at $20K a year while sharing a bathroom with 25 other people, I really didn’t want to get sick), then I didn’t get them again until 2010…because I got the flu in February and it was the most miserable two weeks of my life (a week after the worst of the flu came “borderline” pneumonia; I really don’t want to know what the “real” thing feels like). I’ve gotten one every year since, except one, when there was a shortage and they cancelled them at work because they couldn’t get enough for everyone (I just didn’t get around to going elsewhere). Ever since then whenever I get a cold I feel like it gets more in my chest than they ever used to, so I’m even more wary of catching it again.
Yeah, I went back to work for one day after being down with a bad flu for 2 weeks, and then came down with strep and ran a fever of 104º for two weeks. The biggest problem with a bad flu is that it destroys your immune system so you’re easily susceptible to just about ANY germ that comes along. I appreciate all the reminders; I never, EVER want to feel like that again!
I started getting sick on a Sunday. Felt fine and then around 8pm I was just suddenly exhausted. Went to work on Monday because I didn’t have a fever or anything, but my boss could even tell I wasn’t feeling well. By that night I had a fever around 101, and texted my boss that I wouldn’t be in the next day (he wasn’t surprised). Tuesday morning it was over 102, by the time I went to bed it was 103.5, and when I woke up Wednesday morning it was 103.8. My mom had to pick me up and take me to the doctor (I could barely sit up straight, let alone drive anywhere). Then she dropped me off at my parents’ house and went to the pharmacy to get me meds and juice. I stayed there until Saturday. I went back to work on Monday, and really shouldn’t have. By Wednesday I was coughing badly and Thursday I was back at the doctor, and spent several more days at my parents’ house (at least I didn’t have the fever anymore, because that was the really miserable part), and was on two different antibiotics for a total of two weeks (they overlapped by a couple days), plus an inhaler for about a month.
This was during the winter Olympics. I watched a lot of curling and Law & Order reruns.
I remember so well watching the hockey game they call the Miracle On Ice, when our amateur team beat the Russian team, while I was down with that flu. For two hours, I forgot I was so sick! Unfortunately, as soon as the game was over, I crawled back in bed. My daughter was only about 4 or 5 then, but my husband, bless his heart, did a great job of filling in; we lived on an Air Force base, and so the days I was sickest, he’d just take her to the base day care center as an emergency drop-in. But watching that game was so exciting, it made me feel great very briefly!
Ha! Olympic curling is…not that exciting. But it seemed to be on a lot in the afternoons.
Curling! Just kidding.
Another vote here for getting your Flu shot! I got mine (and also the anti-Pneumonia shot, at my Dr’s suggestion – if you take corticosteroids for inflammation, it’s good to be super germ-conscious because you can get sicker quicker).
I’ve been getting the Flu shot for about the last twenty years – I had a relative in a nursing home, and they urged all of us family/friends to get it to protect the residents. So even if you don’t feel like you want/need it for yourself, think of the folks around you – babies, seniors, anyone with a weakened immune system.
By the way, does anyone else feel like the shot hurts less now than in the old days? It used to really burn, and now it’s just a tiny pinch!
Glad these two cuties get to stay together!
Not much news but it is a picture-perfect fall day here. Enjoyed one of the last remaining weekends of the farmer’s market, which runs through October. Bought some delicious, crunchy, juicy apples! Also went into work for a couple of hours to switch out books, some toys, and prepare materials for the upcoming week. This week’s theme was “A is Apple”, next is “B is for Bears”!
Enjoy the rest of the weekend, everyone!
Hello team! Just a quick check-in – it’s dark & rainy today, so I’ve mostly been sleeping (not sick or depressed, just lack of light). I did change the bed, phone in an Rx, and do my Physical Therapy…but that’s literally about it. Fortunately, the forecast says it’ll now be warm and sunny starting tomorrow through all of next week.
Off now to read everyone’s updates – have a great weekend all!
A PHOTOGRAPHER IS APPROACHED BY A BABY DEER AND BABY WOLF WHILE OUT IN THE FIELD(from Slowrobot)
Oh my…she looks terrified! 🙂
?♥️ That’s so cute my “squee” wouldn’t even come out!
Things like this never happen to me. Maybe I should go outside more?
That wolflet is beyond adorable.
I have done literally nothing worthwhile today.
You are an inspiration to us all.
lol
It’s 10:46 and I got out of the shower about half an hour ago.
I did do a load of laundry just before I got in the shower, so there’s that…I have a feeling it will spend the night in the dryer, though.
Ahhh. Good for you!