by Rondo, aka Chatty Charlie,

Well, folks, this has been quite a week!!!  As you know we, all but Gentle Mousie, were on an adventure to see Dr. Whitecoat recently.  It was time for our rabies shots and annual checkups two weeks ago.

Well, I don't like to brag but I am a healthy boy.  Weight stable, all bloodwork normal and nails trimmed.  You can call me Mr. Perfect, if you like.  *Giggles*  Yep, that's me. Mr. Perfect.

As for Sweetie, we'll leave that for another time.  BUT....

Let me tell you about my brother.  Etude, like me had a weigh-in, blood work and his nails trimmed and that was all good... but he hasn't been brushing his toofies properly.  He had to go back last week to have a whole bunch (well, it was only 5) removed.  I think the doctor said it looked like he'd been smacked in the cheek and cracked a few.   Surgery went well and dopey Mr 3-Fangs Gummybear has been on meds and will be until he goes back for his follow-up appointment next week. 

Now, the main instruction on his returning home was 'NO JUMPING ON OR OFF THE FURNITURE'.  Not a good idea when you've just had mouth surgery and you're still loopy from the meds.  And as he wouldn't obey Grammy was forced to assemble the puppy crate ON THE DINING ROOM TABLE and pop him into it.   Well, you'd think he was at the Ritz.  Big comfy bed - warmed, no less. A curtain to keep out the drafts and 24 hour room service.  Mr Sultan of M&M Central was a model guest at Hotel Ritz.  

Saturday he did give Grammy a bit of a scare though... when he checked out that morning he refused to pee or poop.  Had he figured he's lost enough (his teeth, you know) and wasn't parting with anything else?  Meds bunged him up?  We didn't know.  So, Grammy was on edge all day.  She popped him back into his ritzy room and was on Pee alert ALL DAY.  FINALLY just before lights out bedtime the effluvia in here was thick.  BUT Grammy was over-the-moon happy and relieved. Phew!  So after his 3 night stay he's checked out Sunday morning and we have a dining-room once again.

Only one problem... he skipped out without paying the bill.  What a scamp!

by Mousie, Chronicler of Mischief and Mayhem

Good morning, Friends.
Well, let me see... not much to talk about this week but here goes... 

Unlike Buffalo and surround into Canada at Niagara and across lake Ontario to Kingston and the Eastern townships - areas outside of and surrounding Toronto - we only got a dusting of snow. Oh, it is cold.  That's for sure.  In fact, it is bitter cold.  We are hunkered down in our beds, under blankets, on Grammy's lap anywhere there is a modicum of warmth.  I even have my SnuggleSafe warming my bed.  Grammy is bundled up, under her blanket, warm socks on her toesies , a heating pad at her back and a hand warmer on the arm of the chair. 

The scary part is that it is still autumn.  It isn't even Winter yet!  What's it going to be like when winter gets serious?  We shudder just thinking about it. Time to go on-line and look for fleece-lined onsies for all of us kitties and ask/tell Grammy to knit everyone hats, mittens and booties.   Yep, that's the ticket. "Ohhhhh Grammy!  Get knitting... and where have you hidden that plastic money card?  Grammy?  Now, where'd she get to?" 

Well, folks, that's it for today.  See you next week.

by Gentle Mouse

It's mine!  All Mine!  Wohoo!

You must be wondering what this is all about.   Well, sit back and let me tell you. 

I, Gentle Mouse, have lived here with Grammy for close to 12 years.  Yes, that's right.  It'll be 12 years in 2 months and 5 days since I was brought here with my mummy, Whiskers.

In all that time I have NEVER had the house to myself.  Not once.  Not for a moment, not even for half a moment.  That's NEVER, EVER.  That is, until this past Friday.  I've had to share it with either mummy, other foster kitties, my miscreant brothers, Etude & Rondo and/or Sweetie or any combination of the above. 

Can you imagine?

Well, Friday the miscreants and Sweetie had to see Dr. Whitecoat and I GOT TO STAY HOME, unsupervised, unwatched, undisturbed and free.  It was marvellous.  I could do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted and however I wanted.  Isn't that AMAZING! 

So, you want to know what I did?  Do you?  Well, guess what!  I slept.  Yes, I SLEPT!  I missed that whole 3 hour window while the house was mine, all mine.

I was curled up in my Marshmallow bed, all cosy and warm and dreaming about chasing my toy mousies and crinkle balls. Oh, I heard the wailing and howling as they were leaving but those noises are normal around here so I thought nothing of it. And I dozed on. Not once did I venture out of that snuggily warm bed.  Can you believe it? 

Grammy came home with the three cow kitties, bags and tins of food and meds in tow... and I hadn't shifted in all that time.   Silly, silly me.

Well, that's all I have to say for today.  Except...
Grammy is waiting for bloodwork to come back on Sweetie and Etude. Not sure what's going on with those two but we'll update you next week if we have answers by then. Oh, and Rondo got a clean bill of health AND his claws trimmed. He's good for another 90 days.  He's kind of like an oil change on a car... 90 days or 10,000 miles only its claws.  *giggles*

Comments are welcomed.

by Sweetie, mischief extraordinaire.

Good morning , friends.  
After a 10 month hiatus we are back.  Did you miss us?  We missed you but the old girl has been busy knitting and ignoring us completely.  She's so negligent.  You might want to have a wee talk with her about it. 

So here's the news...
Did you know Gentle Mouse has been with Grammy almost 12 years now? Whiskers and she arrived as foster kitties in 2011 on January 19th.  It was a bitter cold winter and from what Grammy said they were happy to be inside a warm place.  Little did they know then that they'd stay here for the rest of their lives.  

Well, as you know we lost Mummy Whiskers in 2020 and since then Grammy has been 'protecting' Mousie from the boys.  She says those chubbies are too rough and the little Mouse is fragile.  For this reason the Mouser spends most of her time in the bedroom, is often bored thus she sleeps a lot.  For instance, she's in there for all meal times and when Grammy is busy cooking or cleaning or has to go out.  Oh and often through the night.  Lately though she and Grammy have been sharing a pillow and snuggle together all night.  The boys don't dare try anything. Grammy is a ferocious protector.

Her favourite place to be when Mousie isn't napping in cat beds is tucked under Grammy's chin, pinning her right arm down.  Not completely!  Just enough to allow Grammy to knit and for Mousie to be comfortable.  One prerequisite though.  Grammy has to kiss her forehead every few minutes. Yep.  Kisses are mandatory.  Mousie has become a little snugglebug.  *giggles*

Now Etude, another cuddler, at last weigh-in, weighs 2 1/2 times Mousie's weight and crushes Grammy if he sits on her lap. Poor fellow only wants a cuddle but makes it uncomfortable when he digs his heels in.  *giggles*  Literally.  Grammy screeches and shifts him off her lap onto the arm of the chair.  Before you know it he sidles  onto her hip and digs his heels in once more.  He's a cheeky one.

Rondo is not a cuddler but does like to have his head petted and will sit on the arm of the chair and headbutt Grammy to get her to stop knitting and start petting.  While he isn't a lap sitter he does love to be brushed.  He will move in and elbow everyone else out of the way to get all the grooming attention possible.  AND he has the thick fur that needs frequent brushings... razor back and all. 

Etude and Sweetie have given up trying to get groomed with him around. When Grammy grooms them she puts Rondo in the bedroom and closes the door.  It's the only way to do a decent job on them.

I love Grammy's lap too but am a mischief.  I demand frequent petting and nip her fingers if she stops, or if she touches my hip or if I've had enough.  I can be quite fickle.  My favourite thing to do when I'm  bored is to steal Grammy's knitting needles and to chew the yarn or run away with both.   I'm a scamp.  Mind you, that's not what Grammy calls me.  (grins mischievously)

Well, for those who haven't heard ... Mousie has had a few health challenges in the past ... but Grammy has been focused on her issues throughout the year and she seems to be doing well. At her last checkup in the summer Dr Whitecoat said she's the best she's been in years and to keep doing what we've been doing.   She is off the hook until January for a recheck.  Wohoo!  Isn't that the best news? 

We three cow kitties are NOT off the hook though.  We have an appointment Thursday for our Rabies vaccines and to do a senior blood panel on each of us... now that we are all over 10.  Yuck!  Rondo goes quarterly for his nail trim but more than a trim this time for the old boy... weight, etc.  *gigglesI  I wonder if he's gained any weight?  We think Etude has.  Not so sure about Rondo though.  Luckily we all love Dr Whitecoat and Grammy thinks we are quite healthy.

Well, that's all for today.   Enjoy our captioned slideshow below.

Comments are welcomed, especially if they are funny.

By Gentle Mouse, Weather Watcher and Cheeky Mischief.

Well, dear friends.  

Here I am all snuggled in my condo, tuque on and mittens at paw.  Note my own personal heaters - one beside me on the ledge and the other under my laptop so it doesn't freeze up on me.  *giggles* 

We thought the cold a few weeks ago was bad.  Now it's cold, snow blizzardy AND we can't get rid of Grammy for the day.  Ooops!  Scratch that.  We are stuck with Grammy at home!  Oh no!  That sounds bad too.  

Okay, let's try this one.  Today is a day where Grammy must stay home and we will all cuddle up together with blankets and pillows and just snuggle and nap in toasty bliss.  Yes, that sounds better.   We might even let Grammy knit between naps. 

Oh GRAMMYYYYYYYYYYYY!  Put on a fresh pot of coffee for yourself, hot apple cider for us and bring kitty treats.  Sweetie and I are piling up the blankets on the sofa while Rondo and Etude pile up the extra pillows from the bedroom.  We should all fit, don't you think?  We promise to shift over for you.  MORE PILLOWS, BOYS!!!

By Etude, writer dude.

Not much to say today.  Christmas was great. Quiet.  Grammy spoke with local friends and some in Austria and tried to speak to another in England but couldn't connect.  Could be the phone lines were too busy or something was wrong with the number.  Not sure.

But, where did the old girl get the 'Silly' descriptor, you ask?  Well, we told her the topic for today and now she can't remember what we told her.  So you only get this brief missive.

What?  No, of course we don't remember.  It isn't our job to remember.  Once we pass the topic on to her it is up to Grammy to type it and post it.  She's the one with opposable thumbs.  And we have more important things to do like napping and eating.

So, since the topic is 'in the wind' this is it, friends.   A few pictures of us and....

Our wish for you.

Hope your New Year is Happy, Healthy and filled with the promise of a better 2022.

By Sweetie, Blogger of Silly Grammy Antics

Hello, dear friends.   Well, the old girl has done it again..  And this time she's done a bang-up job of it.   What has she done?  Well you might ask!!

She lost her phone!  Her only phone!  The phone that she carried EVERYWHERE - Yes, even to the loo!  Oops! Forget I said that! The phone she's had for at least 5 years.  The phone that has all of our pictures on a memory card.  The phone that has all of her contacts, calendar, notes to self, access to her medical apps and her life on it. The phone that locks itself after a few seconds of idleness.

Also, the phone that wouldn't hold a charge anymore.  The phone that emptied like the bathtub drain when Facebook was open. Or closed, by the end.  The phone which buzzed in crazy ways on a schedule only known by it.  The phone that echoed voices if someone called either person while they were on the phone talking together.  The phone that has had the screen and battery replaced at least once over the years. The phone that needed to be laid to rest.  And the phone Grammy kept procrastinating on replacing.

Well, it looks like that phone took matters into its own digits and decided to retire - yes retire, jump ship, permanently hang up.  Here's what happened.

Grammy and her phone accompanied a friend to an appointment.... the phone taking a break settled into a pocket for its nap.  Appointment over they were on their way to their next destination within the building.  Grammy had wakened it up to check the calendar... then set it onto the rollator seat ... not back into her pocket.  BIG MISTAKE! 

In trying to get through an uncooperative 'automatic' door said phone annoyed at being wakened must have seen his chance.  At some point between there and the food court he jumped ship.  Well, actually, he jumped rollator.  It wasn't until after meals were consumed that Grammy reached for the phone and realized IT WAS GONE.  GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!    Not in pockets, not in the basket, not on the floor beneath.  GONE!   

Several phone calls to see if they could hear it ringing failed.  Retracing steps systematically, with a slight detour to Security, right back to its last known location.  Phoning it from there FAILED!  The old crone, I mean phone,  was AWOL.  

Now what?  Fortunately Grammy's friend has a head on her shoulders that WORKS!  So, nothing more to be done there they carried on to the next destination.  AND fortuitously, Grammy's cellphone provider has an outlet within walking distance of that destination so they stopped off there first to cancel the SIM card.   A very sweet and kind sales person set Grammy up with a new phone, a protective jacket and screen shield and a really great deal.  

And two additional bonuses? A free tablet with WiFi included for 2 years was part of the deal AND because everything was backed up to the cloud everything uploaded to the new phone without a hitch.  

Hmmm!  It seems maybe one brain cell is still working in the old girls head.  We could hope it'd jumpstart a few more.  Not holding my breath though!

Well, while I'm on here let me thank Grammy's friend, our Aunty, for being so patient, and understanding considering this isn't the first phone adventure they've had together.  Thank you, Aunty.  You're truly a treasure.

Comments welcomed.  We love them... especially when they are funny.  *giggles*

By Rondo, bothered and bewildered.

Good morning, friends.  Just a week ago Mousie was musing on a snowy day.  Today we are looking at rain.   Yes, you heard me right.  RAIN! 

Here it is December 6th, a week later and the temperature is 11 degrees Celsius.  That's 52 degrees for those using the Fahrenheit  scale.   This is totally unacceptable for December in my books.  Especially since it is overcast and rainy.  At temperatures like that we should have windows open and sun puddles pouring into the living-room.  How else are we to get our Vitamin D levels up to acceptable levels?  

Etude:  Hey! Stop a minute, Rondo, my boy. Didn't you just hear the 10 AM weather forecast?   Temperature is dropping to below 0 Celsius (32 F) and rain changing to freezing rain, with slick, slippery roads for the evening commute.   

Well!!!  That's more like it.  Not the freezing stuff and slippery roads part, but  December ought to be cold and spent snuggling in warm beds, in front of a crackling fire enjoying hot apple cider and ginger cookies.

So what ought we to do on such a discombobulated day?  Well, I don't know about you but I'm going to go crawl into my fuzzy, though extremely small daytime cat bed.  Hint! Hint!  Grammy!!!!!!!!!!!!  Extremely SMALL!  GRAMMY??  Now, where did she go?

Then, after my nap I plan to make a list for the old GAL and at the top of the list:
1 LARGE, FLUFFY, SHEARLING-lined CAT BED heater included.   I think I might write it in GREEN ink and underline it in RED and BOLD the whole thing.   Yes, that's what I plan to do.  

I don't understand how Mousie can have a bed, NO, make that TWO beds that are big enough for three of her and I get a puny chipmunk-sized bed.   AND imagine how ETUDE must feel.  He's bigger than I - like 20% bigger than this handsome fellow (that's me!). His fluffbutt hangs out of all beds even one that is big enough for three Mousies.  Imagine him trying to fit into my skimpy bed?  In all situations the poor guy is bound to get a chill in his nether-regions.  In fact, if not careful those nether regions might freeze and drop off.  Horrors!   GRAMMY!  make that 2 Shearling-lined CAT BEDS.  1 Large and 1 Great Dane-sized for Etude.

Friends, I've decided to show how utterly deprived we are.... Warning, be prepared for the shocking photos below. 

Editor Comment:   As I post this for the vociferous complainant, let me clarify...  There are more cozy beds for kitties - even Great Dane-sized kitties - than you can imagine.   More shearling-lined toasty resting spots for them than for the one who pays the bills.  AND if that isn't enough there are heated SNUGGLE-SAFES and MAGIC BAGS warmed up and put into those beds morning and evening through each month with the letter R in it.

Comments are encouraged.  We love the humorous ones especially.  Hugs!