She loves me...she loves me not.

My dining-room is upside-down today as we replace some windows and paint where it is badly needed.

There is nothing more refreshing than to have new window panes installed as it makes the whole room look better. Some are just being cleaned and they will do for awhile, yet.  We'll save money anywhere we can. Looks like someone sees a bird in our Maple outside the window.

 My daffodils have been sitting up on top of the fridge since Easter. They are safe there, and because they are poisonous for cats,  I don't have to worry about mine chewing on them.

It was time to cut them and place them in fresh water.

These tiny vases belonged to my mother. She loved flowers and she adored the colour peach. That explains why I also received a peach tablecloth, peach lamp shades, peach duvet and pillow covers and on and on.

These vases, though, are very special and are among the favorite things I have of my mothers. They are kept in a safe place with some of my china.

So, now the daffodils go up on top of the fridge so the cats won't eat them.

Here it is Friday again. I have a bit of cat-sitting over the weekend and will be working more on de-cluttering some closets and drawers. I'm really getting into this and I'm being ruthless about it. I feel happiest and most inspired when I am not faced with clutter. I don't have a lot of clothes but I do have some that I haven't worn for a long time. To be sure that I want to pass it on, I will try on the item  and see if I still find it appealing and comfortable. Do I look like the side of a bus in it? Does the colour wash me out? Does it itch? If so, gone, gone, gone.  With dishes, I just have to be strong and eliminate those that I can.  This is no easy task for a dishaholic.

So,  it's onwards and upwards.  "She loves me...she loves me not."

"Goodness...you do love me, right?"

"Oh yes,  Audrey.  You are staying."

I follow a beautiful blog named Estelle's and would love for you to pop over and say hi. If you love apple desserts you will be wanting to make her Apple Brownies.http://themainehouse.blogspot.ca/

I'm joining A Favorite Thing at http://mockingbirdhillcottage.com/
hugs, Deb.

It's a hit.

I have been 'purging' unwanted items from my home for awhile now. Yesterday I went through my clothes again and found I had one more bag to donate to our local thrift shops. It feels really good to clean out closets and drawers and lessen the load of things in our lives. I am slowly beginning to live by the rule to  'Only surround yourself with things you love.' Clothes, books, china, bits and bobs have all fallen victim to my new mission.


This morning I gathered up two cat-scratchers and a cat bed that have been ignored long enough and they, too,  headed out the door. I replaced them though with  this cat bed/scratcher combined that would house two cats at a time inside and as you can see by the last photo, even one on top. It's also good-looking enough that it can sit in the living-room for now. The real scatchers in our house are actual logs that we place around the wood-stove. The cats love to use them to sharpen their nails before the log ends up as fire-wood.

This seems to be a hit. It's made by Bailey & Bella. It is so light-weight you can pick it up with one finger.

The pillow is velcroed to the bottom so it can be easily removed and washed. 

"Hey, I want the top bunk. Tell mom she looks fat up there."

"Oh Audrey, quit complaining. "

hugs, Deb

Tough-love

The drive to Cortez and Teddy's home is the best medicine for high blood pressure. You pass by gorgeous farms and take in the lovely sight of horses enjoying the sun on a cool, windy day.
I love doing cat-care in the country.
Teddy met me at the door and he was livid. How dare they leave him to pace around the house (albeit a beautiful house) when he undoubtedly should be outside chasing the morning doves.

Poor Teddy. So, he immediately brought me over to the patio doors and gave me a look that would melt your heart. He gave a plaintive 'meow'. Poor Teddy. Does he not know what he is up against with this very experienced cat-sitter? I said to him, "Teddy, it is cold outside. There is no-one to let you in tonight. There are fishers (of the wolverine family) in the area.  I was given instructions to keep you in." This time he screamed at me. "Will you be happy if I brush you? Or how about I crack open a can of stinky goodness and you can share it with your very calm and cool friend, Cortez? Or would some cat treats make you happy?"

With his ears back he took stock of his options. He settled for a bowl full of chicken & liver pate.

After his feast, he rubbed up against the island and gave me a look that did melt my heart. He was happy. And Cortez is always happy as long as there is a sun-puddle to lie in.

So, off I went knowing that Teddy would be occupied with a few kitty treats and Cortez was guaranteed an afternoon of puddle-napping .

Being a cat-sitter means using tough-love sometimes. :(

hugs. Deb

What's one more & bonding through play

After spying this cup on the shelf at the corner store, I had to rely on my will-power whether it was coming home or not. 

I think it was the tulips that got to me. Of course, the colors were nice, too. And, you only live once.

So, I now own another blue and white tea-cup. 

Royal Twickel

Delftware

Made in Holland and hand-painted.

And that cat-shaped black licorice candy was a nice surprise. It is the salty Dutch licorice. Delicious.

It is a strong tasting licorice with just a hint of salt. Each kitty was two bites.

Who would have thought cats tasted so good.

"This woman is out of her freakin' mind."

                                                      "I must warn the others."

Audrey is getting bored. I find myself playing with her more often throughout the day and evening. I expect it has something to do with Spring arriving and the fact that her mom only plays with her for awhile and then nips her in the butt before sauntering off.  I have set aside time in the evening for her exercise and play-time.
Her favorite toy is a feather on a wand. She will jump 4 ft in the air for it and loves to hide under the ESS and jump out to attack it. It does take two to play and time has to be set aside for fun. We play on the stairs often too. Her favorite toy to retrieve is a wine cork. It is a safe toy but must be put away after play so she doesn't chew on it.
It is a great way to bond with your cat and if you get right down on the floor with them they will play as long as you are willing.
hugs, Deb

Ham it up, Willow.

There is always one cat amongst my kitty-clients that is a ham for the camera.

Meet Willow...

She's a yoga instructor.

She came to this house toting 3 kittens and a hungry tummy. She was rescued and given a wonderful, love-filled home. The kittens found new homes and Willow stayed. There are 4 beautiful cats in this gorgeous Victorian home and I always look forward to caring for them. They are such a cherished little family of cats and it shows by their loving personalities.

This is little Jenny who lives with Willow. She is a geriatric kitty and quite shy but we got along just fine. She had the sniffles and is on medication for a few days. Hope she is feeling better soon.

Willow wanted a photo taken on her favorite chair. This gal is into 'colour', as most pastel calicos are and thought the fabric would make her eyes 'pop'.  I think her mom would surely like a copy of this photo so I will print one off for her and pop it over to her first chance.

Isn't she a doll.

At the end of the road to our property, there is a corner store owned by a Dutch family that has been there since I was a child. I believe this is the third generation now running it. I popped in today for some candy because, lets face it, I didn't have enough over Easter :) and found not only the best licorice ever but a gorgeous tea-cup from Holland.

Did I need another tea-cup? No! Did I need black licorice shaped like a cat? Well, of course.

Made my day! 

hugs, Deb

The purr-fect bun basket

Today was a day of chillin' and getting the dining-room and kitchen back in order.

Poor, poor Audrey. She's completely exhausted from hiding on the company yesterday. It really cramped her style.

 She only likes people over 3 feet tall.

My new bread basket looked pretty as a center-piece so there it stayed. I should have known before long that anything that houses bread buns would also suit a cat.

You have to know by now that I am a complete push-over when it comes to felines. I guess it is now a cat bed and I'll just pick up another one for the dinners. :-b

I know...sad!

hugs, Deb

Bye, bye March.

Wow..that was a busy weekend. Let's see...
Besides all the animal care at home, I pampered 8 cats

 and added lettuce and carrots to the cat-bag for the Easter bunnies, Boo & Pepper. You must spoil bunnies at Easter.

I had lots of slow walks with Kane, bathed him and now he smells like coconut.

I  decorated the dining-room for dinner & added Easter eggs to the front porch.

Enjoyed a traditional Easter meal with all the family; OK - the table's not so pretty anymore but it was tasty.

Snuggled up to the cutest little bunny ever.

Bradley is now 6 months old.

Riley will be 3 in May.

We had an Easter egg hunt and ate far too many jelly beans.


Now, I am relaxing with a good cup of chamomile tea and a new book I just ordered from our local book store, Reads called You Can Do Tea by Sandy Lynam Clough. It is a beautifully illustrated book with many ideas for gathering friends for tea. This may be really handy for a future baby shower.

Audrey was glad to see the tail-end of our company as she is not too keen on crowds. She's a funny little cat; you'd think she'd love an audience.

And that's that. Now I have a few days free to get back to some projects and start cleaning up outside. The snow has almost all disappeared and some tulips have popped up in the yard.

"Can words describe the fragrance of the very breath of Spring?" Neltje Blanchan

I hope you had a wonderful Easter. Now we welcome April on this cool, rainy morning.

hugs, Deb