by Sweetie, intrepid protector of the family. Good morning, friends. Well, life is never dull around Mischief and Mayhem Central. Never! Sunday mornings when Grammy needs to be at church for 9 AM she is up at 5. It takes the old girl a few hours to limber up the old joints and her first pickup is usually between 7 and 7:30. Well, Saturday night Grammy was up around 2ish for whatever reason and suddenly there was a loud bang and everything went DARK... and SILENT. The power was out. Now that means a number of things.... Primarily … No lights! No heating! and No morning alarm! No trickling water fountains! No humming refrigerator! and No quiet music to keep us calm through the night. Oh my.... and possibly NO COFFEE! Oh the horror of it all! Most of these are not a problem and can be dealt with … but the alarm!. To get Grammy up at 5 AM at least 3 alarms are mandatory. The home phone alarm was out, for sure...no power, no phone. Then there is the iPad alarm... fortunately multiple alarms can be set on it... just had to hope it was charged enough to last the night. Then the Android phone... which was an issue... it had been put on the charger for the night and would have gone off... but with the charger out of commission there was no guarantee that it wouldn't be dead by morning. What a dilemma. The lack of lights was not an issue. It seems that the power outage was limited to our condo complex so lights from other buildings, street lamps and such were enough for Grammy to get her bearings. The problem it turned out was US - Mouse and Whiskers are dark, the backs of the boys and yours truly are dark too - and Grammy couldn't see us scooting around the floor and had to step carefully.... because of course, most of us had to stick close to Grammy to protect her and were 'underfoot'. AND I was on duty patrolling the perimeter to be sure nothing attempted to breach the ramparts. To add to the chaos Rondo was howling like a banshee! Yes, he does not like the dark. Thankfully, Grammy has three flashlights strategically placed for emergencies so she shuffled across the floor, brushing against furry bodies but not stepping on toes to the closet and then 'the light came on!' No, not the power, just the flashlight. But it was enough to see us and dance around us and enough to stop Rondo's howling. So, light taken care of, Grammy's next concern... would there be hot water for a shower in the morning? No hot water, no shower! No shower, well, we wouldn't like to think about those consequences. No siree. Gross, to say the least. With that, and just to be sure, Grammy grabbed a second flashlight and tucked it into the drawer beside the bed and then crawled in. Of course, no power, no heat...so she called us all to snuggle on the bed to keep each other warm... and for the rest of the night was in semi-alert mode listening for the power to come on, or if not the power... for the 5 AM alarm... so not much restorative sleep. At 5 AM all was still silent except the iPAD alarm... and Grammy was wide awake. Dilemma! Should she get up? Brrr, no heat all night and it was mighty chilly. Okay for us in our furry coats but the old girl... that was an issue... and no way could she shower under such conditions... so we all opted to stay in bed...including Grammy... and Alarm 2 went off at 5:10, and a third at 5:15. Still no light, no heat and no coffee. No sense climbing out from under that toasty duvet but the wait was unbearable. The old girl needed time to get ready unlike us who keep ourselves perpetually groomed for whatever. Finally, 6:15 we heard another big CLUNK, some whirring and the nightlights and the refrigerator all came on... the power was back! Grammy made a mad dash to the kitchen and put on her brew, fed us then got ready to go out the door... though she was a little stiff in the joints. Like I said... never a dull moment. Now, for those of you who's email addresses we have, we sent out the e-cards this morning... and it turns out for some there is a problem. The cards use Flash and of course, it doesn't work on iPads or Apple devices and now seems to have a security issue in Windows 10 so unfortunately you cannot see the card and the photos. BUT we have a solution for the card itself. Send an email to whiskersandmouse@gmail.com and Grammy will take a screen shot of the card with one photo and send it back to you. We apologize for this. The good news is that Jacquie Lawson is working on converting all older versions of cards to the new format so hopefully in future this won't be an issue. Meantime, Grammy is happy to do this. Well, that's it for this week, friends. Stay tuned for our Christmas post next Monday and have a wonderful week. We love you! Sweetie, intrepid defender of the home turf. Comments are always welcomed, friends... especially the ones with humour, mischief and fun..
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When there's nothing to write.by Rondo, poet in a slump and mischief maker Good day, dear friends. This past week has been a bit of a downer. The old girl has been under the weather which has left us without a topic. Now I ask you, when aren't we under the weather? Whether rain, shine, snow or whatever we are subject to it 24/7/365 which means we are never without weather. AND it is all around us and above us. which means we are under it. So what does that have to do with not having a topic? Well, I suggest that while she's been under the weather so have we. AND we've been under the same weather as she has....thus we have a dearth of mischievousness to report on since we've been so busy doing the nursing thing leaving us no time to dream up new mischief, new antics, new poetry. Absolutely nothing comes to mind for any of us. How boring! But boring must end so here goes. Christmas is coming and that means good food, presents and all that goes with the celebration. Grammy has been in touch with a Facebook friend in New Zealand and her cat family... Skye and Charlie and that suggests, or at least we hope it does that there are pressies coming for pussycats. Only question is, will sniffer dogs stop the shipment? The pressies Skye's mom makes have catnip in them, or at least we assume so since they are called Catnip Kickers. Do those dogs in customs know the difference between catnip and that other stuff that Grammy detests and wouldn't have anywhere in the house or anywhere else on the planet for that matter? Also, will our import laws allow vegetation from another country into Canada? Grammy didn't think about that when she was talking to Skye's mom... and we have to admit she was in a state with this virus at the time... so her noodle wasn't working at 100%. I guess we'll find out. So stay tuned and we'll let you know. We think these pressies are another attempt to get Whiskers, Etude and I to exercise. (Yes, we listened in to the conversation and know what's coming, if it gets through customs) Skye's mommy makes these kickers. They are long sticks of cotton stuffed with stuffing, of course, laced with catnip and are meant to be kicked by kitties. Well, we'll see. It's more likely that we'll lick the things into a soggy mess rather than kick them and then snooze for the rest of the day. Another thing Grammy didn't think about is that Etude and I get overly stimulated by catnip and like to beat up the girls. Unfortunately if we do, and we might, she'll remove them and put them away. Again, we'll see. What else is happening? Well, this year Grammy plans to cook 'the bird'.... yes, she has decided we kitties and she ought to have turkey and all the fixings - you know... smashed taters, sweet potato casserole, stuffing, lemon-thyme parsnips, butternut squash, cranberry sauce, gravy (oh, we LOVE gravy) and whatever else she has the energy to make. Dessert is up in the air at the moment... and we don't really care about the dessert part anyway so....I say, forget about it, Grammy! Don't waste your energy on dessert. The turkey bird is the priority. For sure! Well that's all I have 'nothing to write about' for this week, dear friends. Have a great week revving up for Christmas. We at Mischief and Mayhem Central love you. Comments are welcomed. or might Etude Unplugged... be a better title?by Grammy, the woolly headed scribe. Good morning, friends. For once I thought I'd write a blog and not be the butt of the topic. Now as you know there are five feisty felines living in this abode... and they rule. Don't let them kid you... hard done by, they are not. In control of food, they are but only to a degree! The boys will tell you that I dole out food infrequently and in miniscule portions. Well, this may be so, but they do get these miniscule portions at least 5 times a day. YES, FIVE TIMES A DAY! so they aren't deprived by any means. If I didn't make the effort to portion their food the Holstein vacuums would have the day's allotment devoured before my coffee was brewing. We have a routine around here. Wake up, strip bed on washday, otherwise, make the bed immediately. Cover neatly made bed with a bunny blanket to protect it from upchucking by Whiskers (a story for another time). Now, there's a title for another blog. 'Upchucking by Whiskers' has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Well, back to the routine. Feed the girls - and they get a substantial portion of their daily allotment in their dishes so they can graze all day. Refresh the water dish and scoop the litterbox. Then, leave the bedroom closing the door while ensuring the boys are not in said bedroom. Head toward kitchen and try not to trip over two hefty, hungry hippos... dole out their daily allotment into small containers kept securely in the cupboard. This ensures they won't scam me into an extra portion each. Take their early morning scoopful from there and put it into their dishes. Once they begin to chow down I can focus on making coffee for me. Truth be told, I would prefer to have my morning coffee before having to go through these gyrations but I've learned! I do not need galumphing gorillas underfoot while I'm preparing coffee and my breakfast. No siree. It isn't worth it. I prefer my bones in one piece each and a 6th concussion just isn't an option.... So I sacrifice myself for the sake of legs, arms, head AND sanity... though sanity might be in question. As you've probably noted in the previous dialogue I keep the door to the bedroom closed during the day opening it only at bedtime. Why? To keep the boys out, of course while the girls being tiny, lithe little beings are free to come and go at their pleasure. A cat door was installed a few years ago... to accommodate Mouse's need to have a safe haven from the bullies, to keep these bullies out and to allow the underweight Mousie opportunities to eat at will. Now, you must wonder that the boys don't try to go through the cat door. Well! Etude did! ONCE... A little background here. Etude would watch as the girls used the door slipping through with ease... Mousie with her little arcing leap not touching the frame as she flew through the gap. Whiskers stopping to eye the opening, pondering her method of approach, then springboarding through dragging her hind toes slightly. The old dear is a bit stodgy and short in the leg... and the door was not made for her leg length but she's a game old thing. Sweetie approaches the door each time backing up, moving forward, repeat this a couple of times back and forth, back and forth before finally, like an arrow shot from a bow she darts through the opening. As you can tell, the door was made for Mousie, not Whiskers short legs and not for Sweetie's long coltish ones but they manage it nicely. Now Etude, having studied the girls' methods decided one day to visit the delicious bowl of food in the bedroom. How difficult can it be to go through this contraption? If they can do it, why not me? So he sucked in his belly, sized up the opening, took a flying leap and... Oomph! his girth much bigger than the gap he jiggled and half in, half out, legs dangling either side was not able to get a purchase on anything. He reminded me of Winnie the Pooh when he was stucked in Rabbit's front door. Where was I during all this commotion, Etude caterwauling and Rondo commiserating (and girls giggling)? Well, once I stopped laughing - and that took a while - I supported the tubby's hind feet with one hand and with the other eased his excess girth through to the bedroom. With all his squirming and such it was no easy task, let me tell you. Was that the end of it? A resounding YES from Etude and, Rondo, smart fellow that he is has decided to never attempt such a feat... and just as well. He's taller, longer in the body and may fit but is more likely to bonk his head on the top frame. Instead, he sits at the opening, head peering through in hopes one of those food dishes might just fly through the opening to him. Just like a poet, living in a dream world, Rondo. Well, friends, that's all for this week. Comments are welcome, friends. Website under Constructionor would this have been a better name for it? by Rondo, the handsome one Well, Grammy got this promotion to get 100 business card for a minimal fee... and before taking advantage of that if she decided to do so there were other things to consider. Should we upgrade our blog site by paying for support? Now, to all of us feline furries that seemed a good idea! Our fuzzy brained scribed needs help and lots of it. And so, after using a free website for the blog maybe it was also time to upgrade to our own domain while taking advantage of the purchased Weebly support. BONUS - seeing as there was a promotion, get 2 years support and they'd throw in the domain free for 1 year. In a year we would have to pay further for the domain but it seemed a great idea to Grammy and an even better idea to us. So, to shorten a long drawn out tale, she made the jump. Bought the support, got the domain name, ordered the cards. Once done we'd be official. FINALLY! The site was purchased, website domain name available and taken by us, and cards purchased. AND THEN IT WENT DOWNHILL FROM THERE. Once everything was supposedly in place Grammy tried to transfer everything to the new website but got a message that we needed to purchase the domain name.. How can that be? Fortunately, with support as the main part of the deal Grammy put in an email to Weebly for assistance. We have always had great phone support in the past and this support has been no different... someone was assigned to our issue and worked on it, messaged Grammy it was transferred but Grammy had more questions. She posed these in a return message and has been waiting for further information since Tuesday..... and has heard nothing despite a second request for an update. Meantime, it seems like work is being done and we are grateful for that and for Weebly support because the old dear's brain isn't up to snuff anymore. So, despite the confusion and because it would be good to get another blog out there we have decided to post this short blog to let you know the situation. Hopefully Monday everything will be totally operational. The great thing is.... our new cards are in and we have graciously allowed Grammy's knitting site a spot at the bottom of them. And the website is a work in progress, and Grammy still has a head of hair. The bulk of the work seems to be completed, we love our domain name, and the business cards are cute. At least, we think so. What do you think? Comments are welcomed, friends. by Rondo, Poet and Chatty Charlie Good morning, Friends. Grammy has been up to her eyes in 'stuff'. Between having an 18 year old university student camping out in the livingroom in a one bedroom condo, dealing with an infected eye and her own stupidity she's just a little stretched. Yes, you heard me... HER OWN STUPIDITY!!!!! With a food allergy you would think she'd be more wary about what she buys. It used to take Grammy at least an hour to do a small grocery shopping. Every label read, every minute detail noted on each and every product every time she shops. Shopping becomes a time consuming task. Let us tell you, that ingredients are often changed on products and more often than not there is no flashing notice on the packaging to advise this. Firstly, her allergy is to SOY in all its forms and it doesn't matter which of the 50 different names for soy are used to confuse the customer it is still SOY! AND it still affects Grammy the same way. We won't go into details... just that it is nasty! Lately she's gotten lazy or has been in a rush and hasn't bothered to read ingredients and … well, it caught up with her.. A wee treat that she's loved and eaten for years is now made with soy flour and soy oil. She had a feast on this supposedly safe treat and now.... well, we all dove under or behind sofas, chairs, anything to avoid the old girl until she felt better. Thankfully, she's feeling more normal this morning. THAT'LL TEACH THE OLD DEAR to cut corners. Well, now, on to our blog.... Our friend, Suzanne, had a wonderful experience this summer. Monarch butterflies graced her gardens which include milkweed and hyssop and she was able to watch caterpillars and bees feasting and the transformation of many a caterpillar to butterfly. We are going to show you a few of her personal photos of these and I think I should also reprint the appropriate poem. So here goes.... Butterfly - Creatures Divine Of birds and bees have I much written And more there is to say But other creatures delight me too ‘Tis time they had their day. There is a creature I do adore It grows in stages; There are four. Egg to larva that crawls and eats At pace no other creature beats Leaves and such to gain its strength For stage three – when at length Its skin reforms and dormant seems. But ‘cased inside are magic dreams That to outsiders make no sense For shell they see, ‘tis plain and dense. Yet within a subtle change is made As soup reforms the old will fade ‘Til nestled safe within the shell That soon will ope’, will soon dispel A delicate beauty. As it uncurls It’s newborn self, it will unfurl As heart its veins infuse Gossamer wings of many hues. And when the wings are held up high We’ll see a wondrous butterfly. © Whiskers, Mouse, Sweetie, Etude & Rondo - Mischief and Mayhem Central Dear friends, we welcome comments. Especially the light, humorous ones. by Whiskers, intrepid adventurer and social butterfly Friends, you must remember our very first blog - Moth Day when we were inundated with moths. They were into everything and despite Grammy's efforts to conquer them they kept appearing - just one or two - but where there is a pair there is a potential for a whole host of them. So Grammy hired Mr Exterminator to get rid of them once and for all. You must read it if you haven't already. Etude wrote a corker. And now we come to the present. Last night Rondo was sitting on the window ledge in the kitchen - his usual spot to be fed when Grammy came in, saw him sitting regally by the window and looking at his bowl, his empty bowl, I might add. What he didn't see and Grammy was freaked by was a platoon of miniscule ants walking in through the drainage hole in the screen frame. As they reached the marble window ledge they split off into three divisions - one sent to raid the counter to the right and onto the tile backsplash, another to the left searching the window ledge for anything and everything sweet. The third platoon went straight for Rondo's empty bowl. Grrrr! Grammy dislikes any critters that will crawl through food and ants are the worst. Last year another platoon entered through a crack in the balcony floor behind where the fridge sits and worked their way up to the counter where coffee pot and sugar bowl sat. That sugar bowl no longer sits on the counter and fortunately ants aren't partial to coffee. Grammy conquered them with borax and a little sugar but we cannot have borax and sugar on a window ledge where curious boys might get into it. Well, in the meantime, Grammy got a paper towel wet down with vinegar and smushed this new batch into oblivion. She can be scary. That done, Grammy settled down to start a blog when Rondo let out a mournful wail. Now what? There's a fly in the house! Not one but two... and we are all curious and following them with our eyes but not one of us has attempted to dispatch them. So Grammy the brave got up, found the flyswatter, stunned the critters into submission then set the semi-conscious beasts outside where the birds could have an easy meal. On rising this morning, those flies ignored by the birds lay dead on the balcony floor. Get rid off them Grammy. And all of this after a harrowing day Saturday. Now, Saturday is one of two days each week Grammy spends the afternoon with her friend, L. For those who aren't aware, Aunty L is visually challenged. Usually it is an easy day consisting of a bit of computer stuff, a few tasks around the apartment, noticing if things are not where they belong, lights on that should be off, simple things for Grammy but helpful to Aunty L. Then the two of them go out, run a few errands, find a place to settle and do crossword puzzles, chat and just enjoy their afternoon together. On Saturday, however, Grammy was doing something at the kitchen sink when she let out a blood curdling scream. She can handle bees, wasps, flies, ants but Centipedes are another matter. She is terrified of those things and there in Aunty L's sink was a Centipede. It was ginormous. Grammy said it was bigger than her big toe... but we think she's exaggerating. Anyway, shaking, she bravely took it on with the help of a wet paper towel before it could escape all the while shuddering head to foot. Better that, than to chance it might attack her later. *Whiskers shivers thinking about it* But wait until you hear this... Aunty L KNEW there was one in the apartment. It was escorted in by an earlier visitor, escaped and hid, laying in wait for Grammy. All we can say is, it's a good thing Grammy didn't know beforehand that there was a centipede on the loose or she'd have cut her visit short and that would have been disasterous. Poor Aunty L would have been short her twice weekly visitor until someone had dispatched it. Oh and by the way, every once in a while Grammy can still be seen shuddering head to foot when she remembers the critter with 100 feet. Comments are welcomed. Let's keep them light and fun. by Mousie, Reporter of terrible, horrible stuffs Happy Monday, friends. I have to tell you about our terrible horrible day. It was terrible and horrible. Really it was. Okay you need a little background first. It all started a gazillion days ago... like in the middle of winter when we had lots of snow. Do you all remember we reported on Facebook that Grammy had a leak where melted snow seeped in from the balcony under the new kitchen floor tiles and into the diningroom lifting the newly finished hardwood floor? Well, the maintenance superintendent was worried. So worried he investigated immediately. Long story short, he identified where the water was seeping in. He advised Grammy to keep that side of the balcony shoveled and came back with his spade to clear the area that night. Yes, he's a super super! Teehee. Next morning he returned to make sure everything was drying up. On inspecting the balcony further he noticed where the caulking had come loose and said he'd arrange for someone to come in spring to recaulk the balcony floor where the leak was. In the meantime in the diningroom Grammy put down towels and weighed them down with tool boxes and anything else that would keep the hardwood from warping. By morning the worst of the wet had dried and fresh towels put down remained dry. Phew! The new floor was saved. Well, next day Grammy went out and bought the same shovel (seeing as how it was super too, just like the super super) and kept the balcony clear for the rest of the winter and spring - right up to the last snowfall a month ago. CRAZY right? Almost the end of April and we had more snow. True to his word, Bill, the superintendent arranged for the caulking repair for early May. So that is the background and brings me to the terrible horrible day. Grammy was advised that the repair work would be done Wednesday and/or Thursday and to be sure that we were safe in the bedroom. The workmen would not do the work if we were loose in the hoose. *Giggle* Well, Grammy got up, had her shower and got ready to go to her volunteer work after feeding us. THEN when she was ready to go she put out a big bowl of water on a boot tray IN THE BEDROOM. Something she never does because the boys splash the water all over the floor. Woohoo! Something new to entertain us! AND she set up a large bowl of kibble in there too. Now, you know normally we are separated during meal times... boys in the kitchen and diningroom and the girls in the bedroom. This joint meal was going to be a bonus for the boys since they aren't normally free fed while we are. That's because we girls aren't gluttons. Woohoo! The boys were dancing for joy! And how does she manage this separation? With a cat flap in the bedroom door. We girls are allowed to come and go as we please but the boys are too chubby to get through the door flap. The boys were dancing for joy as I just said. Free feeding. Woohoo! Little did we know what was coming. Oh... a little aside here..... Etude tried to go through the cat flap once and got stuck. Grammy had to rescue him as he straddled head and front paws hanging on the bedroom side while butt, hind legs and tail hung on the hall side. It was too funny! Just picture Winnie the Pooh stuck in Rabbit's hole. That was our Etude. Bulging in the middle of his tummy. Teehee. Luckily we didn't need to leave him there until he lost weight like Pooh. No! Grammy braced his hind feet and pushed his butt through to the bedroom side with a sluuurp, kerplunk. Embarrassed, he slunk into the diningroom after Grammy opened the door and headed straight for his feed bowl. Yep! That's our Etude. But he's never tried to go through the cat flap again and Rondo, quick learner that he is, decided he wouldn't bother embarrassing himself. Teehee. So back to our terrible horrible day... Once Grammy put out the food we all gathered around for a chow and she sneaked out of the bedroom and closed the door trapping us inside. She'd even latched the flap so we girls couldn't escape. NASTY GRAMMY! We rattled the door and called to her to let us out, sang the song of our people to alert the neighbours of the abuse, but she ignored us, the neighbours ignored us and Grammy left for her volunteer work with our plaintive howls in her ears. To no avail! We were ignored! Boohoo! THEN the noisy man arrived, let himself in, tromped to the balcony and proceeded to scrape and bump around out there. We could hear him and called to him that we were trapped. We rattled the cat flap and meowed as loud as we could. Please let us out! PLEASE! But he ignored our thrashing and wailing while he worked. When he was done though, he did open our door. Grammy had left a note to ask him to release us. Phew. Finally we were free. What a terrible, horrible day! But there's more. Grammy arrived home and we were scattered around the livingroom enjoying our freedom. NASTY Grammy for locking us up. The good thing is that the balcony floor against the wall is recaulked and should be leak free next winter. Yahoo. No, that's not the end of or Terrible Horrible Day. Grammy ignored us, didn't give us any treats or special food and wouldn't pet us when she arrived home. She said she was exhausted, needed a nap and proceeded to stretch out on her bed for a gazillion hours. No play time for us. That's just mean, abusive, don't you think? THEN!!!! At bedtime Grammy closed the balcony doors so we couldn't enjoy the fresh night air. She said there were raccoons fighting in the courtyard and it wasn't safe because they could climb walls and might come onto our balcony and screens could be torn. Well, we thought we could have a party with them since we'd had such a terrible, horrible day but she said, NO PARTY!!! Yes, with three exclamation marks. Party pooper!!! We can do three exclamation marks too. So there! She said if they were fighting it was probably mating season or they had babies and they would be aggressive. And we fluffballs were no match for a bunch of masked marauders. Harrumph! *giggle* Etude says the harrumph sounds funny coming from a little mousie girl. Harrumph, Etude! *giggles again* So we were trapped all day, no playtime with Grammy and then suffocated all night. She's so mean. Maybe we need to search for a new Can Opener/Pooper Scooper/Wand Wielder. Any takers? We pay well! What, Sweetie? CO/PS/WW pays us? Oh! So friends, you would pay us with treats. Yes, treats! Oh! That sounds great. Bring treats if you want the job. Oh, and when Grammy was napping, we inspected her knitting. Teehee... someone, name not disclosed but starts with a squiggly capital letter, SHE nibbled through an exposed bit of yarn.... on a seamless, supposedly one ball, single strand sweater that then required a join... But that's a story for another time. Yikes! Maybe things were not so terribly horrible after-all - at least not as terribly horrible as when Grammy sees the sweater, that is. Yikes. What do you think? Friends, comments are welcomed. AND the site is supposedly fixed. So please leave comments, we love to hear from you, our readers. Keep it light and fun. By Gentle Mouse, aka Mousie To begin with, dear friends, you have probably noticed that our page has changed. Yes, we had some problems with the old template and since it was no longer supported we were forced to change. We hope you like the new look. Now! To the crux of our misadventure... Grammy and I were almost swept into Lake Ontario. Yes we were. I was being dragged to see Dr WhiteCoat for a goopy eye that didn't get better with L-Lysine. First clue that something worse was going on. As you all know, Grammy has been fighting the flu followed by another virus and a cold then shoulder pain and more. Because of this she didn't notice when mummy Whiskers had more teary discharge from her eyes than usual and I had a lot too. Well, as soon as she did she added the L-Lysine to our wet food and Mummy's eyes cleared right up but mine didn't. SO two days later it was off to vettieland for me. YUCK! Grammy is getting quite adept at scooping me into the carrier.... She's a sneaky one. She put the carrier on the dresser and left the room for hours and I let my guard down and crawled into my blankie for a wee nap. Mid-afternoon there she was peaking at me like she does and I just blinked and relaxed 'cause she does that now and again. Well, she reached into my blankie and scooped me out and into the lamb fleece lined carrier before I could protest. She is a sneaky poopyhead. I had to tell her what I thought so I screamed at her. (Grammy here – I would not call ‘meep, meep, meep’ screaming. It was hardly audible more like a squeaky mouse. HAHA! Mouse! Definitely not screaming.) Hey, who's telling this story, Grammy. Shush! I screamed, friends and continued to scream all the way down the elevator and into the vehicle. Now the forecast for last Friday was high winds and intermittent short showers and we got caught in it travelling there and back. When we were dropped off to transfer to another vehicle the wind grabbed the cart with me on it and I flew around Grammy like a kite in a zephyr. Woohoo! Such fun! But I don't think Grammy would agree. She was struggling to hang onto me, keep upright against the wind and not hurt her shoulder and hip anymore. And we were being swept closer to the lake! Not a good place to be on a windy day. Well, we finally made it after a few more windy glitches. Grammy had a senior moment and got off the bus at the wrong address... (Same street, just 299, should have been 199, goofy Grammy!) and then had to cart me three blocks further. The whole time the wind whipped against us and sent me sailing again, two or three times. Boy, it almost reminded me of ballooning with Raina, our pal only ballooning wouldn't be allowed in gale force winds. We finally arrived, and none too soon. Grammy was exhausted and I’d almost lost all my fur – blown away on the blustery wind. Dr WhiteCoat checked my eye and took bloodwork, gave Grammy instructions on how to care for the eye and then plunked this big blue collar on me. It was so heavy that I couldn't hold up my head and I couldn't see anywhere except in front of me. GET IT OFF ME! Meep OFF! Meep PLEASE! Meep Phew! Dr WhiteCoat removed it. What a lovely lady. NOT! Know what she did then? She got out garden shears - you know those big ones for trimming hedges... yes, Big, BIg, BIG scissors to cut down the collar and plunked it back on me. Meanie. She said it was so I wouldn't clean off the medicine. WHAT! What medicine? I don't need medicine. Then she jabbed me with a needle in my hip and poked out my eye with her finger and this nasty goop. (Grammy here again - she didn't poke out the eye. She put ointment in it.) SHUSH GRAMMY, this is my story. Now, where was I? Oh yes... The Doctor poked out my eye and scrubbed it with gauze before she put it back and stickied it up with goop. Then she said take the little baby home and I'll call you. I'm NOT A LITTLE BABY! I'm delicate and petite. I scampered back into my carrier annoyed that she’d say I was a baby! Before we could pay POW! Out went the hydro electric. The power was knocked out by the wild winds. Unkie (our driver) had arrived to take us home. Not much else we could do without power but ... Such excitement. Everyone was discombobulated... so we left. And as we stepped outside the door it happened again, the cart flew up in the air again, my blankie blew away and Grammy almost landed on her bum *teehee* I said bum. *giggles behind paws* Well, Unkie ran to get the blanket which was half way down the street to the lake, then helped us into the car while dodging signs and debris as it whipped along the sidewalk. Wow! That was dangerous stuff. Unkie almost got hit a couple of times but he ducked quickly. Finally settled inside the car we felt safe so, we started out for home.... and on the way the car rocked and swayed and trembled in the wind like a giant was playing zoomies with it. Unkie is a great driver so he got us home safe and then skedaddled off to his home before the winds got worse. Thank you Unkie for driving us home! When we came in from our adventure the rest of the crew ran away from me. Rondo said I was an alien while Etude said no, not an alien an iguana (cause of my ruffles, I guess). Mummy hissed at me and Sweetie fluffed up her tail and arched her back. What's wrong with you guys? It's me Mousie, I said. Noooooooooo! You can't be Mousie, she doesn't smell yucky and she doesn't have a big blue thing around her neck. You're an alien iguana something. Well, I showed them. Grammy gave us our dinner and nobody would eat near me so I ate it all - all by myself. Hahaha ! And it was delicious! Comments are welcomed, friends. Let's keep it light and fun. by Sweetie, the recently turned 6 years old chronicler of mischief Well, the day started out slow... yes, the day following my big party, April 2nd... 3 weeks ago. We kitties were all tired from partying with our friends... all 67 or more kitties and untold numbers of kitty moms and dads. Grammy (our scribe, maid and can-opener) was up at the crack of dawn to feed us. NOT! More like 7:30. Lazy bones! But finally we were fed and coffee was brewing. The old girl (well she is old...at least 10 times my age and MUCH more but who's counting? oh, yeah! We are!) sat down to the laptop, logged onto the blog site and WHAMMO, the internet connection went down. Reconnect, try again. Nope. Didn't work. So, recycle the modem. Yahoo! First things first, (after feeding us and pouring coffee, that is) her paying client gets to have her blog posted. Not fair. She may pay in money (can't say green papers 'cause we're Canadian and our money comes in many colours) but we pay in biscuit-making and purrs galore... and there are 5 of us paying...so I'd say we should get priority. But it seems we have no say. Well, half-way through loading the blog the internet connection was lost AGAIN! What is this? The ISP just upgraded our service, gave us a brand new modem and what!!!? slower internet and intermittent service... we don't see the improvement. Recycle the modem... Didn't work! Restart the computer and then recycle modem again. Finally she was in business again. One blog published and shared on social media and one to go. OURS!...and that went without a hitch! Or so we thought. It published but the social media part must have been too much for Mr Modem. Everything just hung, for ages and ages. No matter what Grammy tried, nothing worked. And the old girl is frantic. She has to get knitting... yes, deadlines. Well, NOT BEFORE WE GET OUR BLOG SHARED, Scribe!. Another recycle and reboot and finally out goes the share. In the meantime, two friends have tried to connect through a PM and NOTHING! Poor Grammy.! Now we are feeling sorry for the old girl because when it finally worked again one friend had already signed off to have a nap and the other probably gave up because... well, just because. And who could blame them. So, wisely, Grammy put aside the computer saying she'd deal with it later... that other things were more pressing. Yes, definitely more pressing - on our bladders and more smelly... litterboxes! No scooping yesterday due to Grammy being gone all day and 67+ guests and us using 2 boxes... not a pretty site. And five kitties with crossed legs dancing around the boxes waiting for them to be scooped finally got her attention. Especially when one, name withheld (but starts with R) headed for the bathtub. Now, that is desperation and a first! Well, one box got scooped, scrubbed and refreshed with new litter lickety-split, used X5 and then required another super-scooping. A maid's job is never done. But at least we kitties were able to relax again. The other box immaculately cleaned soon after so all is right in kittydom again. But where does this leave Grammy? Well, mid-afternoon and very little progress on the knitting. What's wrong with you, Grammy? oh, before I forget... It took until this morning for Grammy to put together the photo of all our guests at the party which we have posted below and on Facebook. Hope you can find yourselves in there. Grammy says she'll try to tag everyone once it is posted. Comments are always welcomed... Let's keep it light and fun. By Whiskers, Chief Groomer and reporter of all things related to Cleanliness and Grooming. It has been a while since you, our readers have heard from me. Of course, with all the shenanigans with the boys, their mischief and Mousie’s clever ruse I have been steering clear. Yes, I have been hiding out in my favourite tent with occasional forays for food and cuddles from Grammy. But, finally I must come out of hiding to relay this latest hoopla from Grammy. What Grammy? No, I have not come out for frequent forays for food. Goodness me! Who’s writing this anyway? Grammy, this is our blog. So shush! As I was saying before being so rudely interrupted, ...latest hoopla from Grammy. Yes, our Grammy has been on a cleaning and grooming binge. Normally it is either Spring or Autumn when normal people do the Spring or Fall cleaning. Not Grammy. At least, not this time. On a cool day in early summer she went on a cleaning binge preparing for the hot summer when she wouldn’t feel like doing sweat producing cleaning and more importantly, in preparation for the arrival of a friend from Austria. Now, this friend is not staying with us but she’d be visiting us frequently.... because she absolutely adores me and I think she’s the cat’s pyjamas and so best to get the big cleaning done and then stay on top of it for the duration. So, that is what happened and the place looked spic ‘n span... Spic ‘n Span just like the cleaning product. NOW That’s Clean! And since then she has kept up with the day to day.... but noticed that she still had to vacuum daily just to manage the drifting waves of fur that we were shedding. Yikes! So that triggered another switch in Grammy’s head and she decided it might be necessary to ‘clean’ us too. Oh, that is normally my job. I’m chief groomer but in shedding season there’s absolutely no way for one kitty to stay on top of defurring self and four others. No way! At least, no way without major hairball issues and I don’t need those. Oh, and Grammy doesn't like the cleanup if I chuck one at her. Look out guys. Run. Grammy’s coming. Taking cover. Mrs M, our Austrian visitor has been to visit once and the boys and I had a wonderful time getting pets and cuddles but this was before the masses of fur started drifting from here to there and all around the condo. Blame a sudden hot spell for that. Out came Grammy with the Furminator. Rondo LOVES the Furminator so he did not run. Well, he did run, but not away, he ran straight to Grammy, serenading her while dancing on the spot as Grammy worked from his neck to his tail in short controlled movements.... removing an abundance of undercoat as she went. By the time she finished Rondo looked slimmer, sleeker and he was one happy dude. Now normally, he would demand more attention but he was satisfied he’d been groomed to the max and settled down for a rest in his well aired and thinned out suit. In no time at all he was napping contentedly. I decided if he felt that good then maybe this was ideal for me too so I pushed past Etude and took second place. Well, you know, the Matriarch of Mischief has to exercise her authority and show who’s in charge. Oh Grammy! Hush! I am so in charge of M&M Central... I’m the eldest... so naturally that position falls to me. Just ignore Grammy and let’s carry on. My coat is more like thick, rich velvet with an undercoat of more velvet. It takes a lot of work to penetrate the outer layer to get down to the undercoat so Grammy worked on me for more than an hour... Neck to tail along the spine, neck to tail along left hip, neck to tail along right hip, repeat numerous times, pantaloons, then butt to tip of tail. AND do you believe it... I was still full of undercoat! ... so off she went again... neck to tail... and on and on... until I was completely defurred – almost to the point of baldness. It felt wonderful. I could even feel a breeze on my skin.... ahhhhh! It was delightful! We must do this more often. Etude and Sweetie followed with the same routine with minor variances until they too were groomed to the skin and when Grammy got done she had four piles of fur... which when set down on the table looked like three kitties and actually weighed almost a half ounce. Now that’s a lot of fur! And where was Mousie during all this? Observing. She never needs a Grammy groom. The little darling does her own superbly, though I do check behind and between the ears. Grammy was feeling pretty good having gotten through this with nary a scratch so she decided she must be charmed. Why not clip claws while she’s at it. Charmed.... NOT! Delusional more like... but at least this time she listened to me and agreed to have a friend help. Enter Jewel. And Jewel is exactly that.... a real gem and a dear neighbour. Well, claw trimming is an experience, let me tell you. Grammy prepared the well padded dining table and they went to work! I, Whiskers, ever the seeker of cuddles and such was happy to oblige and purred through the entire ordeal. I was even willing to stay for more pets and cuddles if people so wished.... But alas, no! More to do and duty called. Pooh! Maybe later? Next up, before he could be spooked was Rondo! Our Rondo howls in pain when his claws are trimmed. It seems that some animals, like some humans have sensitivities that cannot be explained. Rondo is one of these sensitive dudes. So, knowing that Jewel donned Grammy’s spare oven mitts to protect her from teeth and talons, held him gently but firmly over the shoulders and front legs and kept her face turned away. Why the head turn, you say? Grammy’s scars can attest to his lightning reaction should things go amiss. So Grammy decided to trim those sensitive beasties before he realized what was happening! Amazingly, he didn't howl like a banshee. Is it possible the anticipation is worse than the actual dirty deed? Those clipped, the other eight were snipped lickety-split and with only two weak howls of protest he was done! No attempt to take Jewel’s face off, nor to slice Grammy’s arm elbow to wrist. Yahoo! Etude followed with minimal fuss only a bit of wiggling on his portly part to advise he was still boss of his own claws, so there! Well, they still got trimmed, Etude! So there! Sweetie insisted on a cuddle and kisses before submitting to the indignity and then demanded a second round of kisses before being set back on the floor! Grammy never refuses Sweetie her kisses. Then it came to Mousie's turn! The little minx, on hearing Jewel's voice when she first arrived had slunk off into the bedroom her antennae on high alert. When Grammy finally entered the room she slithered off the bed and hid under it and refused to budge. So Grammy let her be FOR NOW, and plotted with Jewel for the following morning and Round 2! Round 2.... The morning was quiet, kitties sleeping around the livingroom, Mousie relaxing on the sofa. The phone call came; Grammy unlocked the door and set it slightly ajar. Jewel entered silently and yet, in a split second Mousie was GONE behind the sofa! No problem... pull out the sofa an inch or so and she’d scoot out the other end. And she did. Right past us and into the bedroom. Once she was there the dance was on! Now, we must tell you Mousie is not afraid of Grammy! She just doesn't like to be picked up, thus the avoidance game. From under the head of the bed, which Grammy moved, Mousie scampered to the Kitty condo and into the smallest enclosure. Claws dug in it was impossible to extract her through the condo doorway. Grammy had no choice. She’d have to wait until Mousie came out on her own... but let’s close the bedroom door to keep her contained. Moments later Mousie scrambled down from the condo, slipped behind the outpulled bed and scrunched into her safe spot- the one place she feels safest and which Grammy only enters for reasons of safety or absolute necessity... Behind a blanket on HER very own CHAIR. Grammy, as I say, only intrudes if Mousie’s safety is at risk or she needs meds... but never willy-nilly nor on a whim. This is Mousie’s equivalency to having a security blanket. Seldom do any of we other cats venture there either. It’s an unwritten law that Mousie owns the chair and we respect that. Okay, so back to Grammy... Entering her nest was absolutely necessary. The claws were catching on everything and they were so curled that Grammy feared they might hurt her pads if they grew any longer. So...blocking the exit with one hand, Grammy scooped her up with the other and brought her out of the bedroom to the table. Being a gentle wee miss, once Grammy had her, she resigned herself to whatever would follow and with Jewel holding her gently Grammy trimmed those razor sharp needles without incident. What a relief for everyone. The bonus? Once the claws were trimmed and Jewel released her Mousie stayed for pets and cuddles! This was the first time Jewel had ever gotten to see the little beauty in all the years she'd been visiting! And Mousie? Well, she looked around calmly and soaked up the attention for 30 seconds before joining me under a chair in my observation post. House clean, cats groomed, all Grammy’s digits intact, all claws trimmed... 50 of them... and no blood drawn. It was a good day. Have a great week friends! We love you all to bits. Friends, we welcome comments. but let's keep it fun.
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AuthorFive Cats, Five Personalities, One Goal - Mischief & Mayhem. Archives
August 2023
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