College Friends

My best friend from college is here this week. She drove here from Brady TX to spend Thanksgiving with her parents who reside in Tahlequah. I met Shari in college in 1972 and we have been friends ever since - how many people besides your family can you say that about? We have been shopping and eating out at great restaurants (no cooking for me this week) and just visiting. The cats have even become acquainted with her. Charlie is still a bit of scared cat but Thomas has let her pick him up, follows her around and he will lay outside the guest bedroom door waiting for her. He may decide to go home with her if she did not have 5 dogs.

Love and Birds

There is long hair black and white cat in my neighborhood who has been showing up at my door (as well as sleeping under my evergreen and on the front porch) ever since I moved into my mother's house about a year ago. I used to think he belonged to the people next door and when they moved he was just left behind but now I am not so sure because this summer he got a haircut so he must belong to another family in the neighborhood. Or perhaps he has many families who take care of him. Anyway on occasions I have fed the cat, whom I named Tuxedo, and before I adopted Thomas, I used to invite Tuxedo into the house. Charlie just loves Tuxedo and he knows whenever Tuxedo is outside, as Charlie will sit by the front door and meow or rattle the front door blinds until I open up the door so they can see each other. Now that I have Thomas I don't really let Tuxedo in the house but I still on occasions feed him. Yesterday after I got home from work I went to sweep the front porch and lo and behold there was a dead bird by the front door mat. Guess Tuxedo is telling me he loves me. As I was trying to clean up this bird, I was talking to myself outloud and when I turned aroudn and looked at the front door, there was the face of Charlie. He had moved the blinds aside and was balancing his back paws on the banister next to the door and his front paws on the tiny window panes of the door, probably so he could see what was going on. Guess he heard my voice and wanted to see what was going on, just in case he missed anything.

The Orkin Wildlife Division

It has been awhile since I have blogged. Got back from the short trip and work just got busy, busy. I was out from work for one week due to illness, so I am just now getting back in the swing of things. Fall is trying to make an appearance and it is a welcome one. At least I know the 100+ degree temps are over with for now. I will miss the local tomatoes as they are no longer available at the Farmer's Markets around town. My cats continue to be the height of entertainment. I have noticed that whenever they get startled, if they are at different parts of the house, they will run to each other, huddle together and look around with huge eyes, then take off together. Guess they think there is safety in numbers. They have learned how to open the door to the large bathroom and my bedroom, so I never know what I will encounter when I get home. Yesterday they had quite the fun with the toliet paper and towels as well as knocking everything around the sink into the sink. My brother says I have about 2 more years of them knocking stuff over before they settle down. This morning Thomas let me pick him up, hold him and pet him for 30 minutes. Now that is a record. He usually is okay with about 10 minutes then he wants down. But this morning he was perfectly content to just lay against me. Nothing quite like a contented purring cat in your arms. I did have a visit from the Orkin man last week. I discovered that birds were living my attic so had to contact an exterminator who handled birds. When I called Orkin they told me they would have to refer me to their 'wildlife division'. Who knew. When I was telling the Orkin man this he laughed and said 'I am the wildlife division for Oklahoma and Western Arkansas'. He said it was sort of a promotion for him except every now and then he is not quite so sure about that when he is laying in a cramped attic trying to catch squirrels. But my attic is now bird free will all the entrances secure. My brother, ever the helpful guy, told me I should just let my cats run around the attic for a few days. Yeah, right, like I am going to subject my babies to whatever lurks in the attic.

Outlet Mall Vacation

It has been a while since I have blogged ; work became very busy with school starting, took a short vacay with my sister-in-law and her daughters, my birthday was Saturday August 28, so lots going on. My sister-in-law came up with an idea for the girls to journey down to the outlet malls in Allen, Texas, which is just north of Dallas. The hotel we stayed at was right next door to the mall and we could literally walk out the front door and walk into the Coach and Ann Taylor stores. There were 200 stores so we were up to the challenge to shop them all. Ate at a great Thai restaurant and Mexican restaurant. Was able to shop at a yarn store (my passion for yarn goes everywhere I go) as well as the Container Store (my second passion). Plus getting the chance to bond with my sister-in-law and nieces. I also did not realize how much I had shopped until we returned home and unpacked the trunk. My packages lined up an entire wall of my hallway ; guess I did my job to boost the economy. I had a friend of mine house sit with the cats rather then kennel them again. They did not do well when they stayed at the vet's the last time I went out of town, so needed for Kathy to come house sit. I think they enjoyed having Kathy there and I also noticed Thomas had put on about a pound, which on him looks good. Apparently he bonded with Kathy, would let her pick him up, pet him, play with him ; wonder if it was because she fed him and here apparently I have been starving him. (smile) The cats had a great time watching me unpack and playing with all the bags, wrapping, etc. It was good to get away and looking forward to my next trip.

Charlie and his adventure

Not sure what was going on with Charlie the other night but he had quite the adventure even if was only in the house. He and Thomas usually wrestle on the floor while I am dozing in bed before I turn the light out. I kept hearing this scrambling noise coming from under the bed. Thomas was sitting in the middle of the floor so I knew it must have been Charlie. I kept calling for Charlie to come out from under the bed. But all I kept hearing was scamper, scamper, scamper. I got up, moved all the under the bed storage boxes out and shined a flashlight under the bed and no Charlie. I saw a piece of fabric hanging from the box springs and determined that Charlie was now scampering amongst the box springs. He apparently had ripped out a hole for him to crawl up into the box springs and now could not find his way out. I had to dismantle my bed, get the scissors to cut the box spring cover and reach in and pull him out. He was scared and ran into the living room followed by Thomas. After I put the bed back together, I went in to see if he was okay and when I picked him up he just looked at me and gave a very pitiful meow. Not sure who had the adventure - Charlie in the box springs or me dismanteling my bed in the middle of the night.

Thomas

My red tabby, Thomas, had quite a rough morning the other day. First he and Charlie were rumbling and Charlie knocked him off the chair and Thomas landed flat on his back with a loud thud. Thomas let out a loud meow and then hissed (something he has not done since the first night he came to live with us). I saw the hair go up on his back, the ears flatten and he and Charlie were circling each other, so I stepped in and said 'easy, easy' and they went their separate ways. As I was geting ready to go to work I needed to close the front door and had picked up Charlie so I could do so. Thomas was up on the banister next to the front door and right as I closed it he poked his head inside and I slammed the door on his head. He scrambled down and ran and hid under the chair. I got down on the floor and told him I was sorry (he does not like to be held or comforted, unlike Charlie) and eventually he came out. Before I left I played jingle bell ball with him and left him a cardboard box to play during the day (he loves boxes and grocery bags). I guess he forgave me because when I got home he was waiting for me by the kitchen door, wanting me to scratch his back. Later on he was meowing very loudly and when I went to see what was going on, he just sitting up in his box, guess he just wanted to say 'look at me, look at me'.

Haircuts

I am one of the lucky ones in that I have had the same stylist, Pat, cut my hair since 1976. I started going to Pat when my hair was 36" long and we gradually cut until it was shoulder length. (if you know me you know my hair is thick so when it was so long it literally took me 1 1/2 hours to dry - no kidding) Having the same stylist has its perks ; she knows my hair, it's texture and how it will respond so I trust her completely. Together we have tried many styles and while some have not been successful, this is temporary because hair does grow back. The other perk I have now is my friend, Michelle, is also going to Pat (who does the most fabulous highlights and color I have ever seen) so there are times I schedule my appointment when Michelle will be there so we can all chat and laugh. Such fun!

A Picky Eater

I probably should have named this blog the saga of my cats because I do seem to write about them a lot. But they are funny and so entertaining and I love them dearly. The past few mornings Charlie has not wanted to eat when fed. He has very loudly complained and protested, will stalk thru the house and then, right in front of me, will jump and knock something over and then look at me. I finally figured out what is going on. As kittens I would buy them small cans of food since most kitten food comes in small cans and so between the 2 cats they basically got a fresh can of food with every meal. Now that they are cats I am buying bigger cans of cat food, so what is left will go in the icebox until the next day. Charlie apparently doesn't like cold canned food, hence the protest and loud meowing. Thomas, on the other hand, is my low maintenance cat and he is just happy to be eating. So this morning, I warmed up the food for a few seconds and viola, Charlie ate his food. It is so true - cats do have staff.

Skin Care and Some Favorites

Anyone who knows me knows I am a skin care-shampoo-lipstick/gloss freak. I have tried most everything in the drug and department stores, catalogs as well as what is featured on TV. I switch brands often which I think helps my hair and skin stay fresh so to speak. I have fair combination skin and a sometimes oily scalp. I had oily skin as a teenager but not a lot of breakouts. Along this journey I have found some favorites and will share these with you.
Dr. Bronner’s Baby Mild Aloe Vera Castile Soap liquid ; okay not a fancy shower gel but nonetheless a sudsy, simple liquid that will get you clean and be gentle to your skin. If I want more of a fancy shower gel I use Korres Vanilla and Cinnamon.
Neutrogena Sesame Body Oil; hands down the best oil to use after a shower instead of lotion. Just pour into hand, smooth over body, let sink in a bit, then towel off. I discovered this when I lived in Michigan and found it helped curb dry and itchy skin in the winter.
Philosophy Pure Grace lotion; I use the cream in the winter and the lotion in the summer. What a great soap and water fresh smell. I also use Korres Yogurt lotion in the summer ; very cooling to the skin.
Philosophy Eye cream; much thicker than a usual eye cream and you sort of have to work it into the skin. Being a contact lenses wearer, I pull my eye area at least twice a day and this cream really works to keep those lines at bay. I also use Mary Kay firming eye cream ; a new discovery for me and so far I am liking what it does for my wrinkled eye area. Since I am a contact wearer I don’t use eye shadow or mascara but I do use Smashbox Brow Tech in brown to keep my brows in check.
Meaningful Beauty skin care; yes, the one Cindy Crawford hocks on TV. It took me a while to get used to a cleanser that doesn’t foam but this system has the absolute best night lotion, mask and décolleté crème ever. I stock up on those items. This is one line I can travel with and not worry about my skin reacting to different water or a climate.
In An Instant tinted moisturizer; another Guthy-Renker TV product. This tinted moisturizer is perfect for my combination skin, just the right amount of color, no breakthrough shine, perfect winter and summer. The moisturizer comes out a gray color but does it’s magic on the face.
Christine Mineral Power compact. I don’t wear foundation or blush but I do like face powder and saw this on TV and decided to give it a try. Like the fact that I can swirl the brush over all four colors and buff onto face. Lauren Hutton also makes a good makeup line for women ; the pigments are more natural and not as harsh. Rice powder is also good for oily skin though it is hard to find.
Ojon Tawaka shampoo ; snap this up when you see it, because it is created with products from the Rainforest, it all depends on what they can harvest and if not available, then no shampoo. Plus it also smells like coca.
Samy Fat Hair shampoo ; a new product I picked at Walgreens and am enjoying how it thickens my hair and I don’t need to shampoo every day.
Maybeline Totally Toffee Lipstick ; the best brown-pink lipstick ever. I bought 6 the last time I was at Target. I am afraid they will stop making this and then where will I be.
Korres Cinnamon Lip Gloss ; made with cherry oil and not the least bit sticky.
Bonnie Bell Dr. Pepper lip smacker; this product was suggested to me and I have added it to my list of favorites. Great color for a lip balm and gotta love the Dr. Pepper smell. (try the A&W lip smacker as well)

Life with Cats

There is a saying that dogs have owners but cats have staff...I think my cats must have read that somewhere because I think they think my job is to cater to them. And I guess I let them get away with it. There is the 3am wake up call for breakfast. There is the meowing to open the bathroom door so they can drink from the faucet (which I need to turn on as well). The scratching on the sofa when one of the jingle bell balls has rolled under there and they want me to retrieve it. The cats also make quite the tag team together. One night while sitting on the sofa reading I kept hearing this noise coming from the bookcase. I got up to see what was going on and lo and behold Charlie was pulling books out of the bookcase and Thomas was spreading them out on the floor. The blinds are also a favorite play item. They will bat the cords around. Charlie will rattle the blinds when he wants the front door opened so he can look outside. Charlie will also get on the window side of the blinds and will play tag with Thomas on the other side thru the blind slats. Thomas, who loves to chew, has left teeth marks on my blinds and has chewed every cord so they are now only small pieces of cord. One night I heard noise coming from the kitchen and when I went to investigate I saw four eyes and four ears behind the microwave which they apprently had crawled behind. When they get scolded they look at me as if to say 'so...and your point is'. During a recent storm I felt the need to seek shelter in a closet so I gathered up the cats and in we went. Well, that was an experience. I spent most of my time pulling Charlie down from climbing up the clothes, shelves, shoe rack and trying to keep Thomas away from chewing on any item of clothing he could reach. I decided if we ever have to do this again, they are going in the cat carriers first.

Potatoes

I woke up this morning thinking about potatoes. I don't think I dreamed about food. It could be because I need to make a trip to the grocery store since I have only almond milk, greek yogurt, half a tomato, miracle noodles (which I have yet to try), plums from a corworker, and about 1/4 lb of cheese. Since I ran out of cat food today it will be time to visit the store. But back to potatoes. Unlike like Oprah, I can't say I haven't met a potato I did not like. Not all potatoes are created equal to me. I started thinking about my favorite 'potatoes'. My brother's skin-on mashed potatoes we have him make every holiday or dinner gathering(personally I would be happy if he made them for Christmas breakfast as well). My grandmother's potato salad and Sunday lunch with the family gathering after my grandfather's sermon at church, all the kids running around, Lolly their dog, the rolling hills of West Virginia, cousins I only saw once a year since we lived in Philadelphia(thank goodness for Facebook as we are, for the most part, connected again). The first time I was introduced to a potato being an actual meal was the Baked Potato Supreme at the Nine of Cups (a restaurant that has been closed for several decades). The Rubicon's Chicken Baked Potato, is probably the fluffiest potato I have ever eaten. It is so fluffy you would think they remove the potato, whip it up and put it back in the skin. Latkes my friend Maureen used to make during Hanukah (I still cannot make them the way she did, crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside). Well, lunch is not too far away. Anyone up for a potato?

Yarnaholic

My new obsession is yarn. It all started last December when a co-worker got me interested in knitting. I had crochet for many, many years but knitting always scared me. Then I bought a beginner kit and I have been hooked ever since. I live to go to the yarn store. I can spend hours in a yarn store. When I went to out of town to a workshop recently, I had a list of yarn stores to visit. The closet in the spare bedroom is overflowing with yarn. Now I do have a project in mind for each skein of yarn and there are different types, textures and weights but seriously...who needs that much yarn unless you are going into the retail business. So now my goal is to steer clear of any yarn store until I have at least made a dent in my stash. So everyone on my Christmas list can expect to receive something knitted this year.

Guess I was in a hurry...

I forgot my cell phone this morning. Not that I am tied to the phone, but every morning I call my friend, Shari, in Texas and since we talk just about every day, we chat about how the day before went. Those conversations get my day off to a good start as the conversation is filled with laughs, stories and shared feelings. Today I will have to do without that phone call since I left my cell phone at home.

Simple Livng

Nothing quite like a everything bagel with scallion and chive cream cheese and a cup of cream earl gray tea with the Sunday paper. Thomas, my red tabby, loves to lay on the table with me while I eat breakfast (only breakfast, no other meal) and watch me read the paper helping me turn pages with his paw. Thomas was adopted on 2/26/10 from an animal rescue group. He and his brother had been found as kittens in a storm drain during a rain storm and had been at the shelter for 7 months. I needed to get a playmate for Charlie so he would not continue to wake me up at 2am to play so I wanted to adopt a cat that was not quite a year old and had gone to the vet's office to see another cat. I quickly realized that cat would not work out so the vet tech said there was another cat, who was about 9 months old, who came to the shelter with his brother and his brother was being adopted the next day. She brought the cat out (they had named him Kyle) and he was so playful and since her was used to playing with his brother, I chose to adopt him. I renamed him Thomas (after my sister-in-law's cat she had when she and my brother were dating) and brought him home that Friday. After a tense night by Saturday afternoon they had bonded and have become brothers in the truest sense. And no more 2am wake up calls. Now I get 3am wake up calls because they want to eat.

Prince Charlie

My cat thinks he is royalty. Yes, I do call him 'my prince' or 'Sir Charles' sometimes, but I think one day when he was pulling books out of my bookcase, he looked up the word 'prince' in the dictionary and decided he needed to start acting royal. He will meow very loudly and when you go to see what is happening, he wants something, like he will want the water in the bathroom faucet turned on so he can get a drink or he will want the food scraped from the sides of his food bowl and placed in the middle of his bowl or he wants the back door opened so he can look at the birdfeeders. But he is my cat and I love him.