Allegra’s World: A Visit From the Vet

Allegra's World| 20 Comments

tortoiseshell-cat-close-up

I had quite an exciting morning on Monday. All morning long, Mom told me that I would have a very special visitor. I couldn’t wait: I love visitors! When the doorbell finally rang, I sat at the top of the stairs, telling Mom to hurry and open the door. I would do it myself, but I know better. Mom says I’m not allowed to run down the stairs toward the door, or she won’t open it.

Anyway, this nice man came in, and I immediately went to say hello. He held out his hand and let me sniff it, and then he petted me. I like good manners in a visitor. I showed him the way to our living room – I’m a good hostess! Then the door bell rang again. Another visitor? What a great day! The young woman who came in was really nice, too. I liked her right away.

The man had a bag and a strange looking plastic tray with him, and as soon as he put them on the dining room table, I went over to check them out. The bag smelled very interesting.Continue Reading

Sunday Purrs: Holiday Favorites

Sunday Purrs| 22 Comments

cat-christmas-tree-cute

Last week, we talked about holiday traditions. This week, I wanted to talk about some holiday favorites of mine, and hear about yours. I also needed a good excuse to share this photo of Ruby in front of our now fully decorated Christmas tree. Much to my surprise, neither Ruby nor Allegra have shown much interest in the tree, so I got daring and hung the rest of the ornaments. So far so good!

Here are some of my holiday favorites:

Favorite song: Do They Know It’s Christmas by Band Aid (I’m really dating myself with this one!)

Favorite movie: Bill Murray’s Scrooged

Favorite cd: Christmas Eve and Other Stories by Trans-Siberian OrchestraContinue Reading

Allegra’s World: Taking Care of Mom

Allegra's World| 11 Comments

cat-on-bed-in-the-sun

It’s been a busy couple of days here for us, and I’m a little bit exhausted. You see, I’ve been taking care of Mom for the last few days, with Ruby’s help, of course. I’m not sure what’s wrong with Mom, but she hasn’t been herself. She started sounding kind of funny on Sunday. Her voice just didn’t sound like Mom, it was all raspy and weird. She spent the rest of the day laying around on the sofa – very unlike her.

She fed us dinner, so that was a relief. But then she went right back to the sofa, and didn’t play with us like she usually does. That’s when I knew something was wrong. She told us she wasn’t feeling well, and went to bed right after she had her own dinner. She didn’t even brush our teeth, like she does every night. I got really worried. We’ve actually come to look forward to that, because we get treats afterwards!Continue Reading

Sunday Purrs: Holiday Traditions

Sunday Purrs| 19 Comments

cat-christmas-tree-cute

It’s hard to believe Christmas is only three weeks away. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa or Hannukah, are you caught up in pre-holiday stress, or are you taking the time to savor the season? In these stress-filled times, making time for holiday traditions is more important than ever.

Holiday traditions are a way to mark the passage of the season. They give us the comfort of knowing that in this world of constant change, some things don’t have to change.

Most of my holiday traditions date back to my childhood, and I’m sure I’m not alone in this. And of course, a lot of my holiday traditions revolve around my cats. Here are some of my favorites:Continue Reading

Allegra, Ruby and the Birdfeeder

Allegra's World, Ruby's Reflections| 7 Comments

cats and birds

The last time my dad was here for a visit twelve years ago, he built a birdfeeder for me. I put it on my deck, right in front of the sliding glass doors, every November through March, and all of my cats have enjoyed the “kitty tv” it provides. Last year was Allegra’s first year with the birdfeeder, and this year, it’s Ruby’s. They’ve both been having a great time watching the birds, and occasional squirrel.

Allegra and Ruby have been having a great time with the feeder so far. But why don’t I let them tell you in their own words.Continue Reading

Ruby’s Reflections: Putting up the Christmas Tree

Ruby's Reflections| 26 Comments

cat-christmas-tree

We had a lot of excitement here on Thursday! It all started with dinner. In addition to our usual food, there was something different in our dishes, and it was yummilicious!

Mom said it was cut up turkey. Mom doesn’t eat meat, something no self-respecting cat understands, but I love her anyway. But apparently, she went to have dinner with friends who did eat meat that day, and one of them was kind enough to send a small piece home with Mom to give to us. We love Mom’s friends!

After dinner, Allegra and I got ready to settle in for our post dinner naps when we heard a lot of commotion downstairs, so of course, we had to go check things out. Mom was pulling boxes out of the closet, and taking all kinds of interesting things out of the boxes. I asked Allegra what was going on? Allegra said she wasn’t sure, but she thought she remembered this same thing happening this time last year.Continue Reading

Sunday Purrs: Thanksgiving ABC’s 2011

Author's Life| 9 Comments

Allegra Thanksgiving

It’s hard to believe that Thursday is Thanksgiving here in the United States. As we’re looking forward to spending time with family and friends, it’s important to not lose sight of the true meaning of the holiday: a time to count one’s blessings. For the past couple of years, I’ve made a Thanksgiving ABC’s list. Some of the items on the list repeat year after year, others are new.

Here is this year’s list of what I’m thankful for:

A: Allegra

B: Books and blogs

C: CatsContinue Reading

Sunday Purrs: Feeling Overwhelmed?

Sunday Purrs| 15 Comments

Feeling Overwhelmed

There is more to life than increasing its speed. – Gandhi

Do you feel that there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done? You’re definitely not alone. And now that we’re on the verge of heading into the holiday season, many people go from simply being busy to feeling overwhelmed.

Even though it may not seem that way, you have more control over your to do list than you think. In order to stop feeling overwhelmed, you need to be willing to make a conscious choice to cut back, do less, and simplify. The following tips can help you do that:Continue Reading

Ruby’s Reflections: First Snow

Ruby's Reflections| 13 Comments

Ruby watching the snow fall

I’ve been wanting to tell you about something really cool that happened for over a week now, but Mom has been hogging the computer! And for once, this will not be a post about how I got myself in trouble.

I got to see snow for the first time!

The Saturday before last was a really grey and gloomy day, and it was raining. Allegra and I didn’t mind. Mom was home with us, and we knew it was going to be a day with lots of snuggle time. Allegra is not as scared of rain as she used to be, so she and I played some, and then we napped while Mom was working.

When I woke up from my nap, I looked out the sliding glass door, and these huge white things were falling from the sky! It was amazing! They swirled around, and they were everywhere! I got up on the table to get a better look.Continue Reading

Sunday Purrs: Lesson from a Maple Tree (And My Cats)

Sunday Purrs| 19 Comments

Ruby cat maple tree fall

You will find something more in woods than in books.
Trees and stones will teach you that which you can never learn from masters. – St. Bernard

I previously introduced you to the maple tree outside my bedroom and explained its significance in my life in My Cats and The Maple Tree.  Each fall, it’s one of the last trees to turn, and when it does, it turns the most incredibly bright, vibrant red. When the light is just right, my entire bedroom is infused with a red glow from the tree. The glory only lasts for a few days, and each year, I look forward to it.Continue Reading