They Webified Me...

So, Firefox has this quiz that creates a collage of how you relate to the web and the world. This is mine.

Huh . . . ?


The Mrreows are up to something tonight - -

George and Gracie must be working on some special undercover assignment. Gracie came in, (after much calling on my part) and ate some dinner and rushed back outside. I called George every 15 minutes for about 1 1/2 hour - finally, he just appeared, came in, ravenously ate a little out of his bowl, then ran back out. A few minutes later he was back in, ate some more and looked up at me as if to say, "Is this all we get for dinner?"

I caved and gave him another 1/2 (little) can of his favorite food. He ate and then RAN back outside, like he had to catch a train!

Darn cats. My feline teenagers are turning my hair grey(er)!

Wordless Wednesday

It's Caturday!

Gracie here -

Mummy & The Shepherd have loaded up their string and their sheep furrs and have gone to the faire.

Hmm - Wonder where Georgie is?












George's report:

A faire? What ever that is...

GOTCHA!

Wordless Wednesday

Monday Musings or, The Beginning of the End

Of Summer, that is...

I had last Wednesday - Friday off from work to get ready for the Artisan Faire that I'm participating in next weekend. The weather, which has been SO nice for the past month, suddenly took a turn - grey and cloudy - not too cold, but not really warm either.






George was napping on the back porch, catching what rays he could. This is one of his favorite positions - stretched out, arms in front - flat like a pancake - but on his tummy, not on his back like Neelix did.

Funny cats - it is hard to believe that we've only had them for two months on Friday. They really have taken up a niche in my heart. It's hard to imagine life without them now. The V.E.T. is coming tomorrow evening to give them their last shots for the year. *(Shhh)







One thing I did this week was set up a mock-up of how our table was going to work & I wanted to show you my new display stand for my yarn. A friend of mine is a great "woodworker" and put together this awesome stand for me (if I don't sell any, and don't have plans for any other shows, I don't know what I'll do with it.) It fits handily on our card table and the dowels go through both sides so I can hang 10 skeins (minimum) - And it comes apart into three pieces and stores flat, so it will fit in the closet without taking up much space.

I hurriedly stashed my yarn on it to take this picture, and have re-skeined almost everything so I could put my price tags on it. Hopefully it will look a little tidier on Saturday.





Since it wasn't too bad out, I went on a walkabout with the kitties - took some pictures of the leaves that are turning on The Shepherd's bonsai plants...












And the black-eyed-Susans that are blooming to beat the band.














And it started to rain, so the Mrreows & I headed inside.













I also promised to show you some of the other things that I have made for the Faire - these are little (well, they are about 3 1/2 inches across) rose pins - they have a pin back sewed on the back side. Aren't they cute? If I don't sell them, I'll use them as Christmas presents.

So, there you go, my Monday musings. Got some busy days coming up - I'll try to post when I can.

It's Caturday!

Hello everybody!

Your roving reporter Gracie here, with THE CATURDAY REPORT! (I am all ready with my reporty this week and I especially liked this picture that Mummy took of me yesterday. It really shows how pretty my furrs are, don't you think? They really are that color too)

It's been a weird week around here - Mummy has been home - ever since Wordless Wednesday! I don't know why, but she has been really busy with that string maker and got kind of annoyed with me and George when we took off with some of it. We thought it was fun!



(She said that next week, she will show you some more of the string things that she has made to sell next weekend at the Artisan Faire that she has been getting ready for.)

Yesterday Mummy followed us as we went on our appointed rounds.

We didn't realize it, but she caught us having this little sibling skirmish.





I was just about to whap him a good one when she yelled at us to quit fighting.

We weren't fighting Mummy, we were practicing our break dance routine...











Mummy said that she had a really bad day on Friday and was in a snit because #1, she couldn't find some important Tax paperwork for her C.P.A. - (is that something like a V.E.T.?) and then #2, while she was looking for her C.P.A. paperwork, she opened a credit card bill and discovered that someone had put almost 3500 green paper charges on her Discover Card! Boy, was she upset! Anyhow, she called the nice people at the credit card company and they are going to close that account so the thieves cannot charge any more on it and take all the bad charges off when they transfer to the new card. Whew...




Anyhow Georgie and I made up and spent the rest of the day checking on Mummy to make sure she was OK.

Hope you have a nice weekend and HAPPY CATURDAY EVERYONE!!!

Love, your roving reporter, Gracie

Wordless (Almost) Wednesday

Yum!

Monday Musings

Yesterday's post was #700!

Wow, who knew? (or, maybe, who'd-a-thought?)

Last week I read Sharon's stories about the long time Labor Day gathering that they host. She talked of a trailer called "The Road Toaster", the 2011 Gathering Jigsaw Puzzle and fondly about the "storytelling" that goes on all weekend.

I was reminded of a group of friends I had in my "before The Shepherd" days - we hung out at a local tavern called Cap Hansen's - just a beer and sandwich joint - for years, we gathered nearly every Friday night after work - and as the beer flowed, so would the stories - each year adding a few more - laughing until the tears ran down our cheeks. As the old song says: "Those were the days, my friend, I thought they'd never end" -




But they do end, don't they - The owner retires, the place is sold, the old time bartender gets laid off - some of the friends pass away, some divorce, some get new jobs and move away from "the old crowd" -

But the memories are still there -





Occasionally I sit an reflect on the new friends I've met while blogging - some almost a half a world away - and wonder - would we sit in an old tavern and have a beer and trade stories like in the old days.

I'd like to think so.

We Remember

Something that has affected us all so much is not even given much place in the history books of our school children. They will grow up not knowing what it was like not to have to take off your shoes before you could board a plane -

They won't have any recollection of getting ready for work and The Shepherd calling on the phone - "Turn on the TV - something is going on in NY" - then, watching the dust of the poor souls who were lost, float to earth like feathers from a wounded dove.

My thanks to Mimi Lenox for the Remembrance globe.

It's Caturday!

What?!

You didn't tell me I was doing the Caturday report this week!

I'm not ready! I demand a do-over!

And mummy, when are you going to vacuum?

Yah, that's right, try and change the subject...

Looking back Sunday

Looking WAY back - probably 1905 or so...
This is my dad's parents - "Pete & Dot" (her name was actually Henrietta - she would never tell us where the "Dot" came from)

Grandpa Pete was born Sept. 1, 1885. (originally I thought it was the 5th - cousin Janet says his obituary said Sept 1- We always had big parties for his birthday - celebrating the end of summer, harvest, and Grandpa's birthday - my cousin Janet will hopefully email me the correct date if I'm wrong...she did - see above)

I'm pretty sure this was their wedding picture.









He died when I was 11 - so I don't really remember much about him - He played a mean harmonica and he and my dad would get together and play music sometimes - my dad on the guitar - and we would all sing.






Now, back to the future...

I took this picture a couple of years ago from the harbor in Blaine - the little town where we go to church -

We have this beautiful view of Mt. Baker from many places in our county - we could even see the top of it from our deck until the neighbor's trees got too tall...

I often wonder what the first settlers thought when they came "around the corner" and this beautiful vista was in sight?








2009 - These are yellow mangle beets. They were very tasty and we ate LOTS of them - in fact, I think there are still some in the freezer - I was going to try making "white" borscht. Never got around to it.

The Shepherd was going to plant some again this year, but he lost the seeds and by the time he found them again, it was too late, and he was too busy. There's always next year, I guess.




2006 - That was the year of the big sunflower patch. This year he planted broccoli and cauliflower - just doesn't look the same an a vase.













2009 - Wow - I can't believe that it's been two years since the Labor Day that we bought the Fusion and go rid of the Jelly Bean - I miss it sometimes - I had a lot of good times in that little car.







2008 -

Red sky at night, sailor's delight,
Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.

We're supposed to have sunny weather with temps in the upper 70's all week long. Oh, how I envy my retired friends -

Have a great week everyone.

It's Caturday!

It's not too hard for me to find a cozy place to sleep -












When I sleep outside, Mummy says I blend in with the scenery











Not much happening on the farm this weekend. It's a comfy 74 degrees out this afternoon. Just right for taking cat naps - Mummy says I'm lazy - I told her I'm just conserving energy.

Wordless Wednesday

Purty, ain't she?

Monday Musings

Last month The Shepherd & I went to a special concert given by our friend Lydia McCauley and her current music partner Nancy Rumbel. It was an open air concert at a charming little Italian restaurant out on the Mt. Baker Highway. Truth be told, I didn't really enjoy the food all that much - but the music was fantastic, the evening was lovely and the bread was good -

It was kind of an anniversary celebration for us, as on our anniversary in April The Shepherd was sick in bed. All in all, it was a fun evening.


This little lady has fleece as white as snow - just like "Mary's little lamb" - her name is (Little) Eva - and she's going to be a contender for the BEST fleece next summer at Black Sheep. Her fleece is very much like her Uncle Galloway's fleece - a fine crimpy fleece - BSG, here we come!








I led the service yesterday at church. It was our end of the summer service (we only have two services during the summer) - and everyone who was there contributed - it was fun to hear how Laura, a 70 plus year old great grandma went on a zip line ride in Costa Rica - I mean really - you couldn't get ME to do that - You absolutely rock, Laura! - and another friend, whose daughter & granddaughter visited from England, fell in love with that little girl all over again. Oh, you grandparents - sheesh...



Well, speaking of children - aren't these two just so sweet - George has now decided if Gracie gets to sleep with Mummy at night, George gets to sleep with Mummy at night too - sometimes I wake up and cannot move my legs - It takes me a minute to figure out that I'm not paralyzed, I just have a 10# weight on each side holding me down.

They are pretty good about coming in at night - sometimes teasing me - one will come in and the other one disappears and no amount of calling will get him or her in until they are good and ready.

Here are some more of this year's lambs, with Vanessa from last year in the back.

Wendy, they black one in the front has changed colors again - according to The Shepherd, she has three colors in her fleece now - I'll have to go out with him one of these afternoons - I'm sure she wouldn't let me touch her by myself.

Her half brother Blanco went to the big BBQ in the sky last week. I just try to think about it that we gave him a very good life for the first 5 months of his life, and hope that the fellows that bought him will humanely end his life.

My friend Diane (who happens to work in the tech services department of our local Voc-Tech college) came over to visit on Saturday, and helped me put my new W I D E screen FLAT monitor together with my new/refurb computer. I had to get the new monitor because the new-to-me computer was not a tower style, and would not have worked with the old Gateway monitor that I had, which was AS BIG AS A HOUSE! It always seems like every time you upgrade one thing, another has to go...

I am grateful l that she was here, I'd never have been able to figure it out myself. Thank you Diane - I owe you a lunch! (at least...)

Well, that about catches you up on all the "noos" that Gracie hasn't imparted - I'm busily spinning and crocheting and now on top of the things that I'm making for the Artisan's Faire I have special orders for six pairs of fingerless gloves. Yikes!

Oh, and five more posts and I'll have 700 posts! Double Yikes!

It's Caturday!

Hellow everybody! George here with the Caturday Farm Report.

I have been doing a lot of snoopervision of The Shepherd. Every day he loads everything into a big white thing with wheels (that's his work trailer, sweetie) and drives away and doesn't come back until it's almost time for Mummy to come home and feed us dinner.

I heard him tell Mummy that he has been very busy working on some pretty new yards for people. Maybe he'll say it's OK for us to show you some of them next week.


Here is that silly Gracie taking a dust bath. I give her a bath every morning before we have breakfast - I don't know why she has to go out and roll in the dirt. (Mummy here - boy, I don't know why either - they both run outside every day and flop down in the sand - I think their flea medicine might have worn off - they aren't doing it as much since I put new stuff on them last week...)




We gave Mummy a scare last Wednesday - the V.E.T. lady had been here on Tuesday evening - she gave us a "FLV vaccine" - and Mummy said it didn't agree with our systems (or something like that) because we were both under the weather all day. Mummy's eyes were leaking because she thought that we were really sick. Our tails were draggin' - but as the day went by, we got to feeling better and by Thursday morning, our tails were waggin' again.

That's about all I have to say. Mummy has been spending a lot of time on the 'puter and sitting behind that yarn making thingy and not enough time playing with us. She keeps saying "soon, kitties, soon" -- Then she goes off to play music with another lady, and leaves us and The Shepherd to our own devices...When's soon, mummy?

In Memory-

Our dear friend Miss Peach went to the Rainbow Bridge yesterday.
My heart is breaking for her Mama and The Lapdaddy.
She was a quirky old girl and had so many escapades that always made me smile.
Rest in Peace, Peachy.

The 'Citing Noos -

Hooray for The Shepherd (and Galloway too!) They took Best of Class at the NW Washington Fair in Lynden this week.












Our friend (and the Mrreow's V.E.T.) AnneMarie, who was demoing spinning that afternoon took this nice picture of the proud papa.














And I can toot my own horn too - I got a blue ribbon on my blue yarn (the "center" one here) - Now, when I launch my Ewenique 4 You Designs at the Artisan Faire next month, I can add the by-line "Blue Ribbon Yarns" Hooray for me too!

Tomorrow we will go down to Monroe to pick up our processed fleece from our friend Gretchen. I am anxious to see what she has come up with for us.

Happy Caturday

The Shepherd's corn and pumpkin patch -











Man, let me tell you, that corn is REALLY good!













Gracie here - testing my stalking skills - oh, and that s'prize I promised you? Think Red & White rosette and pretty blue ribbons...










Here are some more pretty flowers from The Shepherd's garden - not as pretty as me, tho. Ha, Ha...