It’s the first open thread of 2024! Reader Muppet2171 just wanted to get one photo of Miss Penny looking at the camera, but it was not to be.
Bonus: Could this be the earliest known blep? Thérèse B. sent in this image from the Weird Medieval Guys.
Weekend Open Thread
Very artsy indeed Miss Penny.
Hope everyone had a good start to the new year!
Personally I can’t complain, the cats are all doing well, my husband and I are healthy what more can you ask for … OK winning the lottery would be nice LOL!
We are still waiting for snow here, the big snow storm coming up the east coast of the U.S. will miss us but at least the temperature as turn cold so the ski resorts up north can make artificial snow and the outdoor skating rink can make ice for the kids.
That’s it for me, have a good weekend everyone!
Miss Penny is beautiful no matter where she’s looking.
Not much going on…waiting for the “winter storm” which will likely just be rain here. It’s currently 29F but the high is supposed to be 44F; hourly forecast shows rain from 3pm to 3am. Either way, it’s headache weather, so I feel kinda blah (hoping it doesn’t get worse). Gonna try to get some stuff done, anyway.
Not cute but very fun: Google “cha cha slide” then click on the blue microphone on the right (then each subsequent icon that will come up). Have your sound on (but not too loud, maybe). (Actually, I just did it again and a couple of the icons are cute.)
Those are two very tolerant cats. If I’d tried that with any of my cats they would have told me where to shove the Cha-Cha Slide.
Mine too. They’re lovers, not dancers.
First cat was the best, and very tolerant! Only one of my sister’s three would allow that!
Miss Penny’s eyes are wondrous!
Fun New Year’s thing:
There was a set of twin boys born in southern NJ, the first at 11:48pm on New Year’s Eve, and the second at 12:28am on New Year’s Day. On top of that, Mom’s birthday was December 7th, their wedding anniversary was December 12th, Dad’s birthday is also December 31st, and their older son’s is January 3rd (he just turned 3).
There was also a set of twins (boy and girl) born in Connecticut at 11:50pm on 12/31 and 12:00am on 1/1.
Miss Penny’s eyes are fabulous even when she’s looking in the wrong direction. And I love the medieval blep – the only things better than medieval cats are medieval knights fighting giant snails in the margins of manuscripts!
The New Year got off to a quiet start at the Shortcakery but I had a frustrating experience yesterday when I tried, over the phone, to transfer the old home/contents insurance policy from my late father’s name to mine. This wasn’t possible so I had to take out a new policy, as a result of which I spent around 80 minutes on a bad connection struggling to understand three people with heavy Afrikaaner accents (I had no idea there were any call centres in South Africa). When the ordeal was over I was so relieved I finished off the last of the Christmas mead. It occurred to me later that it was a good thing I didn’t get drunk and burn the Shortcakery down before the new policy came into effect…
Penny is a beautiful cat, and that picture is perfect!😊
No snow here.🙁 Looks like there could be some in a week. Such bizarre weather for this area! We usually have PLENTY of snow❄️❄️ Lake Michigan didn’t freeze last year and we had little snow; looks like it will be the same this year. I’m 59 yo, lived here all my life, and we have NEVER had weather like this!
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
In Minnesota they’ve canceled the Beargrease Sleddog Race because of the lack of snow. Unheard of!
Good Grief!
Gorgeous as usual Miss Penny. Glad to be spending my breakfast with you. I’m having a bagel with marmalade and slices of sheep’s milk cheese, mini pumpkin scones and hot peach tea, all while sitting in the recliner with the sun pouring through the window. It’s a good start to a Saturday. Or it was until hubby came out and told me the toilet in the hall bath seems to be leaking. And exactly what am I supposed to do at 7:30 am??? I’m enjoying my breakfast too much so I’ll pull a Scarlett O’Hara and deal with it later.
Alice you are a fount of wonderful little facts, who knew that medieval manuscripts had knights and snails going at each other? Sorry you had to deal with bureaucracy, always inept but glad you didn’t bring the Shortcakery to ashes, And medieval bleep is epic. Guess cats were always, well cats.
Today was a sad day, put away the last of the Christmas decorations. Sniff, house looks a little dull and boring after the lights and colors. Might need to get some fairy lights and decorate the gargoyles for Valentines day. Running a few errands this morning then off to a pow wow at one of the Indian reservations. And if there’s any extra time, might go to a local car museum. More errands and cleaning tomorrow.
Stay warm and dry for those that have storms brewing, and happy first weekend of 2024.
The marginalia of medieval manuscripts often has amazing, hilarious stuff–animals doing people things, humans doing rude things, etc. Think dogs playing poker, but medieval. All kinds of animals show up.
Happy weekend, everyone.
Miss Penny, you have such beautiful eyes.
Polar vortex threatening us next week, so I will be scrambling around trying to get things ready. Bitter cold, snow, wind gusts that shake the building, possible power outages. Want to get everything done before, so we can just wrap in blankets and not worry.
A sentence I never imagined I’d say: I can’t find the power cord to charge my duck! We had a transformer blow early Friday morning, and I turned my duck light on. Later, once the power came back, I couldn’t find the USB cord to recharge it.
Off to do mega shopping today, using the last of our gift cards. By using them, we actually haven’t spent any of our money since Christmas. This month’s bills are gonna be puny.
Have a safe weekend, everyone. Hopefully by next weekend, I will have kicked this cough (2 weeks now). If not, I will need medical help.
I love Miss Penny’s art photo! She always looks beautiful, and it’s wonderful to see her sweet face.
Hope you all had a good first week of the year.
My plans for tomorrow, having friends over for a movie night, got cancelled last evening. Now all the time I’d allocated before and during this event has opened up. It’s disconcerting, because I’m the sort of person who schedules time to be spontaneous. So I’ll try to finish up some major adulting tasks–finish notes for my will (so I can finally write the silly thing), set up a password manager, etc.
I spent part of my day off on Tuesday figuring stuff out for the will and making notes on end of life care for my brothers. It was strangely emotional in a way I hadn’t expected. No wonder I’ve been putting it off for so long! (Meant to do it after the appendectomy in 2017.)
Miss Lavender just stole my pen, and that’s a sign to stop wallowing in my emotions. Happy weekend, everyone!
We made it from the US Midwest to Austria ahead of the storms. Snow will start here tonight then a deep freeze.
Mutz was miffed that we were gone for so long, but he’s happy to be inside out of the wet weather.
My bf was in the hospital 4.5 days with pneumonia and released on Wednesday. Taking any and all guesses as to how much the final bill will be with two Urgent Care visits, one ER visit, medical tests including cat scan, medications, and 4 days in a private room. Still don’t know how that’s going to fly with his Austrian insurance!
Happy New Year everybody! Wishing you good health and positive adventures in 2024!
I’m glad your bf is home safe and sound–best wishes for a speedy recovery for him. And kisses to sweet Mutz.
If it was here in the USA, he is going to be in debt a loooonng time☹️ Glad he is doing better tho. I’d hate to be so ill in a foreign country.
Stuff like this is usually covered by travel insurance if he purchased it.
That said, hospital visits in the US cost a lot in part because you get immediate access to diagnostics you wouldn’t get anywhere else. Good luck getting a CAT scan or MRI for pneumonia, a broken leg or similar straightforward ailment. You get an old timey X-ray and the standard course of treatment.
Quick off topic laugh.
I had gone shopping, and the answering machine was flashing when I got in, so I hit play. No voice, just strange sounds, but Duckie started chirping like mad. So I listened closer, and it was a recorded message for Duckie! The lady downstairs had called when she knew I was out, recorded thirty seconds of her happy birds, and then hung up!
😄😄😄
I’m not crying, you’re crying …
Totally adorable
That’s so sweet!
Awwww!💕