Thought for the Day

Courtesy of Facebook:

Multi-tasking

I have to multi-task in my job. A lot. So much so that I frequently can't get things done for getting interrupted to do fifteen other things. Not sure if my job has caused my ADD or my ADD has led to my job :D

One of my favorite pictures on facebook lately:

I am trying to keep my blog updated...but am also trying to get my Etsy store going...an any number of other projects which I'll fill you in on at the appropriate time...so bear with me as my posting is sporadic...and random in nature!

Big & Little

Friday Observations

"Borrowed" from FaceBook

...and dogs *in* the ocean....and cats (not *in* the ocean)...and horses. Yeah. That about covers it.

On another note, how cute is this puppy?:

 My friend is basically puppy-sitting with this little guy whose hooman mommy got injured and needs to recuperate.

 

Her kids in the background:

Etsy Store

Time for a little shameless self-promotion....I've opened an Etsy store: Ubiquitous Grace I have a lot of fun with my amateur photography and decided it would be fun to share some of my pictures with anyone who wants them.

Regular readers of my irregular blog will recognize most, if not all, of the pix I've decided to offer as having previously been on the blog...but the blog will continue to have critter pix that won't end up on Etsy, as well as my random natterings.

While it might be a bit much trying to keep up with all my various blogs and pages...I'm having fun exploring the interwebz! :D

Happy Birthday Willow, 2014

I'm cheating this morning. I'm re-posting. I don't think I've ever done this before...and to be fair to myself, at least I'm adding a few notes here to update things. Anyway, today is Willow's birthday. She's *14*! Hard to believe. Seems like just the other day she was so tiny!!! I was going to do a post with some kitten pix...then remembered that I did one last year...and it has all the pix I'd want to show you...again!

I will update you a little. Since last year's birthday (as you know) we've added Spike to the household. And he's been a blessing for Willow....because it gives Xander someone closer to his own age to play with! There's much less jumping on Willow...and she appreciates that.

She's started having thyroid issues. As good as she always was at letting me give her insulin shots (still not needing those!), she's not very good about taking oral meds. She won't eat a pill hidden in any kind of food or treat, and she foams out liquid meds (a remarkable phenomenon wherein cats can produce 34 times more foam to come out than medicine going in when they don't like the taste!) My vet friend (she who brings us kittehs) told us about giving the thyroid medicine as a transdermal "gel" (more like a cream) that's placed inside the ear and absorbed through the skin. It's pretty cool that they can do that...and much less traumatic for all concerned.

Wil' also seems to have a little arthritis-type stuff going on...but who doesn't? All-in-all, she seems pretty healthy and content and we're so grateful to celebrate another birthday with her! HAPPY BIRTHDAY WILLOW!

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Our sweet Willow turns 13 today!! She and her dear brother Oz, who died in July, came to live with us when they were six weeks old. They were so adorable :D

Willow on left, Oz on right

Oz! You got somethin beside you! Don't worry, I'll get it!!!

I bitez your head!

This next one was taken the night we brought them home, or the next day. The two of them together barely covered LoML's elbow! They were virtually indistinguishable but for the dark patches on their heads. Oz's was dark grey and made a "V", while Willow's was dark brown and was a "slash" mark. Over the years, the marks faded away completely....

Teenagers:

Oz in front..

Oz in front..

Willow's our diabetic girl...well, at least she was diabetic...it's in remission right now (though I'm not sure that's the correct medical terminology). She was diagnosed when she was 2 years old. She was insulin dependent for the next 10 years, requiring shots twice daily. Sometime this past year...after we lost Oz maybe...her metabolism changed (?) and she no longer needs insulin! I continue to monitor her glucose levels and my vet tells me that there may come a time when we'll have to start it again, but so far, so good.

I believe Willow misses her dear, sweet brother...as we do....but Xander, a/k/a The Orange Menace, has kept her quite busy! :D He's ruthless as kittens can be, and takes every opportunity to leap on her, pin her down, and bite her neck (unless it's one of those times when he thinks he should lick her...which she never seems to appreciate since he does it while pinning her down). She's lost weight as she's now getting much more exercise than she was there for awhile. While she channels her evil alter ego when she has to go the vet's (can you blame her since her early experiences consisted of having to have blood draws every couple of hours?) she is one of the sweetest cats I've ever known. Another interesting fact is that she's decided it's time now to move to daylight savings time. :D She's my furry alarm clock. While she will progress to more attention-demanding tactics if I don't respond, she always starts out just by sitting by my head and purring. Loudly. :D

Happy Birthday girl!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sometimes the boys are so busy they don't take the time to be lap-kittehs. Sometimes, they prefer to be lap-kittehs with LoML. The other day...when I was home for another snow day...I ended up with this.

Thought for the Day

(Liberated from Facebook.)
A good reminder for me that I have to put some effort in....I'm not a spectator.....this is not a dress rehearsal! (Feeling philosophical while watching Olympics on another snow day!)

Randomness

So, like many other places, coastal NC has been experiencing wacky weather this winter.
It's been rather like a rollercoaster...35 degree changes in 24 hours have not been unheard of. Today's another snow day...even though my area is mostly getting ice once again. I did leave the house this morning before it got too bad to take Gwyn to visit our vet friend and took Spike along for the ride since this is the vet friend we adopted him from. They had a pretty good time but were exhausted by the time we got home:

Fortunately, LoML was willing to serve as a bed. Good thing he knows his proper role as assistant cat staff!

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And, again, what's the deal with naming snow systems now? Apparently this is the second year we've done it! Here are this year's names:

We're currently experiencing Pax. Really people?! Pax?!?! You do know that means "peace," right?!? 'Coz right now, with just ice and wind...it's not looking that peaceful! Maybe they meant it's peaceful if you stay in with blankets and kittehs and goggies...yeah, that must be it!
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Lest Polly stop following my blog, here's some peace for you:

Monday Morning Cuteness

A fun way to start the week...reminds me I need to tell you of my cute dog & horse story from when I was much younger...but that will have to wait as the "real" job beckons...

'Til we meet again, go check out the latest updates to Xander's story over on The Orange Menace

Attack of the Cube Monster

For your viewing pleasure:


And here's your bonus Friday video:

HappyHappyHappy

My sneaky husband didn't tell me yesterday while we were on the phone that our new sofa arrived! He had to run out and wasn't home when I got home from work. I was on the phone with my friend, trying to get in the door, greet the fuzzballs, set my stuff down...and then nearly shrieked in my friend's ear when I turned around and saw this:

 When we got the new "big boy" recliners for ourselves at Christmas, we decided we needed to get a new couch. We liked that this one is bigger than a love seat, but shorter than a traditional sofa. It's made for apartments, etc. Liked the way this one felt, and fell in love with this fabric.

 It helps to have a furniture store in the family! :D We were just saying we wished it would come in before a friend arrives this weekend for a visit.

And then there's this:

(Sorry Polly! But there are greys on the medallions in the top picture!)

Great Blue Heron

Greyhound Decor

I showed you the cool medalions my sis' & her hubby got us for Christmas Art Deco Greyhounds. Well, we *finally* got them hung on the wall. I know it looks a little weird, but we've got a new sofa on order from LoML's mom's furniture store and we went ahead and took the old one out. So Gwyn's helping demonstrate where the sofa will be...

Fabulous Friesians

We have some new horse neighbors.They're Friesians. And a mini. :D

 Gorgeous, yes?

 They're very sweet too!

Snow Zoomies

Gwyn is a diva. It's true. Don't get me wrong...she's a dog, she's a retired racer, and she's incredibly tough in some ways...but she's a diva. She was not particularly impressed with Leon, the Snowpocalypse. Our frozen precip' started out on Tuesday as sleet/frozen rain. It didn't turn to snow until during the night. I wasn't surprised that she only went out in the sleet to take care of business and immediately wanted back in. What I was surprised at was the reaction LoML got when he tried to take Gwyn out for her "walk" (to play in the snow) on Wednesday after it had stopped falling and Gwyn said "NO WAY!" I was still pulling on layers of clothes and grabbing the camera, and before I could get to the front door Gwyn was already back in?!? LoML said he got her off the front walkway just enough for her to take care of business and then she was dragging him back to the door to go back in! I think her feet were cold :D The most ridiculous part was that then, when I went out so LoML and I could walk around our yard and look at things and take snow pix, Gwyn was howling inside because she wanted to be with us. Sheesh.

 This is why you shouldn't be out driving around here in snowy, icy weather...too many bridges to cross...this was taken on Thursday afternoon after the melt-down had begun:

Eventually, Gwyn did deign to do one or two zoomies in the backyard:

..and just as fast, want back in!