by Whiskers, Mouse, Sweetie, Etude and Rondo.

GOLLY GOSH, GRAMMY has GROWN weary.  Sorry, we had a hard time finding a word fitting to describe tired starting with the letter G.  *GIGGLES* but let us tell you.  The old GIRL is dragging her GIRTH today.  Now that doesn't sound as much fun as butt, but, hey.  What can we say? We GOT to use a G-word.  And that's what this is about. 

GRAMMY had a GREAT Saturday attending the Knitter's GUILD yarn fest...The Knitter's Frolic with a GIRLFRIEND.  Not only did she wander through the site checking out the beautiful yarns, accessories and such, she volunteered on the admissions desk for a couple of hours too.  Now we must admit, she resisted spending and limited herself to one skein of yarn to make herself a lap blanket to keep her upper legs warm when she is sitting and it is GORGEOUS.  We can hardly wait to try it out, though we overheard her say when we are on her lap it won't be.  Yeah, sure!  Try and stop us.  *GIGGLES* 

Sunday was equally wonderful (or more so, if that's possible) with visits from niece and GREAT-neice.  They drove down from north of Midland (in the GREAT Canadian Shield) for the day, attended church with her, and took GRAM out to a favourite eating spot for lunch and a long visit before heading back.  The three of them were celebrating a special occasion but that is all we'll say about that.   What an awesome time it was.

GALLOPING onward...

Before heading back to GRAVENHURST (or its vicinity) they dropped GRAMMY off at another GIRLFRIEND's place where she visited, napped and knitted before they both attending evening church and listened to an amazing missionary preach.  It was GLORIOUS, according to GRAMMY.  She loves her friends, family and church and counts each and every one as a blessing in her life.

Today GRAMMY is GETTING her eyes tested.  About time! She's been squinting to read, GETS tired quickly and hasn't updated her GOGGLES for four or five years.  GOSH GOLLY!  It's about time!

Please forgive us for making this short.  GRAMMY has a busy day - teaching this afternoon and GETTING a vitamin jab in her arm before coming back to GREET us, feed us GOOD food and GIVE us cuddles and kisses and all the GRAND things in life.  

GRAMMY put together the following photo GROUPINGS for you to enjoy. 

Comments are welcomed.  Of course, funny, sweet or hilarious are preferred.

by Rondo, Friend to Frodo

Good morning, FRIENDS.  Isn't today FANTASTIC?  
​
Not sure I can do as FABULOUSLY as Etude in his last blog but I shall put my best FOOT FORWARD and FORGE ahead.  Well, actually I'll be putting my paw FORWARD since we cats have paws, which gives me pause.  Why are our FEETSIES called paws but FOLKS have FEET?   Can anyone explain?   And while I'm at it, why do people have two hands and two FEET but we have FOUR paws - two FOREPAWS and two hindpaws but they are all FOUR paws?  Or better yet, why aren't peoples' hands called FOREFEET  or their FEET called hind hands?  I'm FLUMMOXED!  

Well that'll give us all something to FOCUS on other than FOOD.. although just as Eating is Etude's passion FOOD is mine.  I bet you are surprised to FIND that out.  Of course you are.  And while I'm on this topic let me correct Etude's statement that I sing for my FEAST in the key of E FLAT.  I sing in the key of F natural when I'm FAMISHED and F sharp when I'm near to FAINTING FROM FOOD deprivation.  These are very distinct sounds.   Of course, Etude, not being musical would be less than knowledgeable about the distinction between E FLAT and F Flat so we must FORGIVE him FOR being FOGGY minded on that topic. (Just for a little extra FUN - go to a piano keyboard and check out E sharp and F natural.  *giggles*)  

Okay, now on to other FAVOURED F words.  How about FOUNTAIN, FIRESIDE and FEATHERBED or FABRICATE, FICTION and FIASCO?  Well, I think I'll begin with FOUNTAIN, FIRESIDE and FEATHERBED... all of which are FOUND in our home.  We have two FOUNTAINS FROM which to quench our thirst and multiple FEATHERBEDS to FLOP on while being mesmerized by the FIRE crackling in the FIREPLACE on our television.  Now that is FABULOUS, don't you think?   The other three words I'll address near the end... so stay FOCUSED.

While we're at it... two more of my FAVOURITES are FRIENDS and FAMILY.  Well, FROM our list of FRIENDS of whom there are many, a FEW of those of the F crowd are FRODO and FAMILY of Many Claws in St. Croix and Da FLUFFAROONIEZ - the whole crew.  These two groups have been our FRIENDS FOR it seems like FOREVER.  FRODO is our buddy who FLITS around the Virgin Islands on his Hoverboard FORAGING FOR FRANKLINS to pay for FUEL to FLY his plane on our adventures to FARAWAY places.  OKAY, he and his FAMILY are our FRIENDS and he hoverboards and FLIES a plane but the part about FRANKLINS was stuff and nonesense... aka FOOLISHNESS.   Suffice it to know that he and his family are our dear FRIENDS and we love their FLUFFINESSES into FOREVER.

by Etude, Eloquent Entertainer.

Good morning, dear friends.  
It is time for one of the male persuasion to write... and since my name starts with E and I'm full of ENERGY I have decided to ELUCIDATE on the fifth letter of the alphabet.  I'm EXCITED and ECSTATIC about it.  You? Of course you are!  EXACTLY!

But first... let me introduce myself and  ESTABLISH a few facts thus ELEVATING your knowledge of me as well as ENDEARING myself to you, our ENTHUSIASTIC, ENERVATED readers. I'm a cat... and an EDUCATED and EXQUISITE one at that.

Now, I don't want you to think I'm EGOTISTICAL.  I'm not. In fact, I'm rather EASY.  Not EASY as in … well, you know but EASY-going.  I love to cuddle... that is.. I love to EMBRACE Grammy's arm with my fuzzy, ELONGATED paws and stare into her EYES adoringly.  This is my way of ENSURING Grammy loves me ENTIRELY and usually ELICITS 'ooohs' and 'awwwws' and return snuggles.  I must say, when she does this with visitors observing it can be a little EXASPERATING and my usual white and EBONY (more ELEGANT than grey, don't you think?) turns pink with EMBARASSMENT but deep down I love it!    

Oh, oh, oh!  I've just had an EPIPHANY about the ELEPHANT.  In previous blogs animals were discussed.  In this one, EVEN though there are many critters with E-names, only one is relevant to me.  The ELEPHANT... an ENORMOUS mammal with a long memory.  Not much more to say EXCEPT that unlike the ELEPHANT with the long memory I have an ELASTIC one that holds about ELEVEN things at a time. But, when my tummy ELOQUENTLY EXPRESSES an EMPTINESS the brain refocuses to one thing and one thing only.  EATING!  Yes, my whole being ENCOURAGES me to ELICIT food from Grammy. 

How do I do that?  I ELOCUTE at the top of my voice.  I would like you to know that I learned from my sweet, gentle brother how to ENERGETICALLY EXPRESS my hunger.  Rondo is a poet and the choirmaster of the sunrise chorus of birds and siblings... but uses his lungs to the utmost when he is hungry.  He EMOTES ENTHUSIASTICALLY.... and it is neither EVOCATIVE nor ELOQUENT like my tummy.  Not by a long shot.  It is particularly nasty bordering on an EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK more like a shrEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK in the key of E flat. 

​But, what I've learned from him is that it ELICITS results EXPONENTIALLY so I've adopted and adapted his ESTABLISHED pattern and use it ENTHUSIASTICALLY, ESCALATING  until I get results. I do it in E sharp and it works like a charm.  Grammy thinks we are naughty, EGREGIOUS which means outstandingly bad, if you can believe it!  We prefer the archaic meaning of that word EGREGIOUS which is 'remarkably good'.  

​<---EXIT stage left. 
                                               **********

​Sorry, my EMPTY tummy was calling me.  But, now that I've EATEN to EXCESS and my tummy is ENGORGED with delicious EDIBLES we can move on to the EXACT topic of the day.  

Did you know that the letter E is the most frequently used letter in the ENGLISH language?   A study was done by Samuel Morse (1791-1872) the inventor of the Morse Code.  In short, he did it by counting the number of letters on printers' plates.  I won't ELUCIDATE further on this but if you are interested it is ELOQUENTLY and EFFICIENTLY laid out in the article linked here.   ENJOY!  It is definitely worth the read to ENTHUSIASTS of ENGLISH.

One last statement.  Well, three statements. I do not ELABORATE and EMBELLISH things.  EVERY word in this blog is ENTIRELY true.  Not one scintilla of EXAGGERATION here.

Comments are welcome.  Let's make them ENTERTAINING. ... EXIT stage right. --->

by Sweetie, DEVILISH mischief.

DEAR friends, 
As you must DEVISE, we are working our way through the alphabet and have arrived at our 5th Alphabet Soup blog and 4th letter of said alphabet.  So, here we are at D.  I'm DELIGHTED to be DESIGNATED blogger today.  DELICIOUS and DOWNRIGHT DARING!

So, you all know our Grammy, right?  Her name is DOROTHY, an old fashioned name but a name she loves as she was named after two of her mother's best friends and one of them was a DOROTHY.  DELIGHTFUL, you say?  DECIDEDLY! 

Aunt DOROTHY, as she was called, came DOWN the street from her DWELLING every DAY for a week or more to DON an apron and DELVE into DISHES, DUSTING, and other DAILY chores after caring for Grammy and each baby once it arrived home from hospital. This gave Great Grammy, aka Grammy's mommy, a bit of time to rest and adjust to the renewed routine of DIAPERS while still keeping the rest of the DENIZENS of the DOMICILE fed, laundered and the DIGS squeaky clean.  This Aunt DOROTHY was a DARLING.

Of course, our DOROTHY, aka Grammy, isn't so DOMESTICATED.  She's DELUSIONAL and somewhat DICTATORIAL but DOMESTICATED?  NOT!  Oh, she keeps our  litterboxes DE-LITTERED, DUG-OUT and DREGS DISPOSED of,  furniture DUSTED and DISHES scrubbed but falls a little short (you might say DELINQUENT) when DISPENSING our DINNERS.  DASTARDLY, DON'T you think?  But, now, I'm sure you'll find reading about our DOMESTIC DRUDGERY DREARY so let's take this DISCOURSE in a DIFFERENT DIRECTION.

You may not realize it but I'm having DIFFICULTY DELIVERING words using the letter D so, maybe we can list a DUO of animals of the D persuasion and DREDGE up some ideas.  There is the DONKEY considered a DUNCE of animals but let's DEBUNK that idea.  DONKEYS are DAPPER, DOMESTIC little hoofers with DAZZLING personalities.  Nothing DUMB about them.   Another is the DROMEDARY or Arabian camel.  It DOESN'T have the DOUBLE hump  of the BACTRIAN but is far taller.  In fact, it is the tallest of the camel family.  DECIDEDLY!

​Now a mishmash (had to use that word because no D -word exists.  DOGGEREL comes close but this is not poetry) and the closest is a DISCOURSE but mishmash is more DESCRIPTIVE.

Firstly, on the DEFINITION of onomatopoeia, that is, words whose sounds suggest their meaning - DELIGHTFUL words like DRIP, DROP,  DING DONG.  I know, these are a little lame but the best ones DON'T start with D like sizzle, zap, pow and bop.  Those ones to me are truly DIVINE.

Secondly, if you look in the DICTIONARY you will find a gazillion words starting with D and yet my DENSE brain feels DECIDEDLY lacking.  Here I am DREDGING up words in the DICTIONARY and still getting a D-.  This is DREADFUL, DRASTIC, DRACONIAN even a little DUBIOUS.  I think I'll DEPART and return to my DEN to DREAM of DRIPPING water fountains and the DULCET tones of DROWSY, DOZING family members.  *Sigh*

In the course of writing this I've gone from DELIGHTED to DEJECTED. That's it for today, DUCKIES.

​Comments are always welcomeD.

By Gentle Mousie, Quiet (maybe a little Erudite) Blogger

Good morning friends.

​I have decided to QUIT following the QUINTESSENTIAL alphabetical format and  take a QUANTUM leap into the latter half of the 26 letters of our alphabet.  I can be a little QUIRKY that way.  I may be QUIET but I'm also QUICK-witted and I think well-QUALIFIED to write this one as you'll see.

Now, you may disagree with my assessment and think I'm a QUACK but let me QUASH that thought.  I have all the QUALIFICATIONS needed to discuss this subject. 

Oh, how QUAINT! Now Grammy is QUESTIONING me.  Grammy,  no need to be in a QUANDRY.  Whiskers will QUELL your doubts.  She was my guide through the QUAGMIRE of college subjects for a QUADRENNIAL.  Yes, I finished my schooling in four years... start to finish.  So, no more QUERIES or QUIPS, readers! Let's move along here.

For those who have been following the neverendingly boring tale of the ants you'll be happy to know that it should come to an end by the time this blog is posted.  The bug-man had no QUALMS in guaranteeing that the gel he put in strategic places will make the QUEEN and her brood QUEASY.  The QUESTING QUORUM of worker ants will have taken their QUOTAS back to the nest where once consumed all will QUIVER as in shrivel up (not to be confused with a QUIVVER of arrows) on QUEUE and die.

Shall we stop QUIBBELING and continue on with our topic of the day?  The form of the letter Q is an interesting one.  It has a QUEUE at the bottom of its O, just like men of old at the bottom of their pates and like Etude has on the back of his noggin.  Check it out in the photo below.  Isn't that QUAINT?

And how about that acidic citrusy pear-like fruit, the QUINCE?  I've heard that it has a bit of a bite to it and yet they say it is a flavourful preservative.  Not sure I'd be too keen on it. It might make me QUEASY.  We cats don't like Citrus.  But hey, we do like QUICHE - that eggy dish filled with vegetables on a bed of pastry.  Yum! 

And while we are still on land how about the QUOLL, the catlike carnivorous marsupial with short legs and a white-spotted coat, native to the forests of Australia and New Guinea.  Or that geological term QUAQUAVERSAL meaning dipping from a center toward all points of the compass.  

Let's leave land and air now and dive into the deep and check out QUAHAUGS... those clams eaten in QUANTITIES by New Englanders until they've each consumed their QUOTA. I hear they bury themselves in the sand (the QUAHAUGS, not the New Englanders).  Then, when tides roll out they are plucked from their silica beds and unceremoniously  dropped into bubbling-hot cooking pots.  Don't you wonder if they QUAKE in their shells when they realize their fate?  

So, let's see what other creatures start with the letter Q.  There is the QUAIL, kind of a QUASI-partridge. ​ And, another one - the QUETZAL , a bird of Aztec persuasion.  If you look closely at my photo above you'll see I was reading about them in the latest QUARTERLY when Sweetie snapped the shot.

Now on to another QUADRANT - we've covered land, sea and air. Next comes way-out-there where there is no air - the realm of QUARKS and QUASARS.  Not much more to say about that other than there are many Q words to explain mathematical terms relating to QUANTUM Mechanics but those are out of my realm of expertise.

I think I've dragged this out long enough, don't you?  Let me put QUILL to QUIRE and deliver to you a QUATRAIN containing QUOTATION marks before you become QUERULOUS and QUESTION my sanity.

The QUADRAGENARIAN QUAKED, said, "This is QUEER!"
For he just remembered his QUARTERLY rent was due.
In a QUANDRY he combed his QUIFF as he QUAFFED his beer
And QUAVERED, "I don't know what to do."

You might say now that we've reached the end of this blog I was unequivocally QUAQUAVERSAL in my coverage of the letter Q.  Then again, you might not. You decide.

Looking forward to your QUESTIONS and/or responses, dear friends.