Christmas

WHAT DO YOU MEAN I’M DOING THIS WRONG?

Wordless Wednesday

 

Tuxedo cat with Purina Friskies Pate box on her head.

 

Lisbeth is participating in the Wordless Wednesday blog hop at Comedy Plus. If you would like do the same, click on the badge below.

 

Looking Back

This week’s Looking Back post is from December 8, 2012. It is entitled, “No. 1 Kitty, Skooter, Loved Christmas.” I think you will enjoy it, as you will have the opportunity to learn a little bit about Dad Tom’s and my first cat. If you do like the post, Kitties Blue and I hope you will consider leaving us a comment on it.

As always, thanks for visiting.

 

A DREAM COME TRUE & THANKFULS

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

What with the holidays, COVID and my site issues, I have not participated in Two Spoiled Cats’ (Teddy and Angel Sammy) poetry challenge for a few weeks. I am back with a poem today and had some fun adding Audrey and Raleigh to the inspiration photo.

 

A black tabby kitten and an orange tabby kitten on a kitchen counter covered in dirty dishes.

A Dream Come True

Let’s see what tasty morsels these humans left behind.
If we each want something yummy, we must form a line.
One too many cats upon this countertop,
And all these dishes will hit the floor with a pop.
Shards of glass don’t mix well with noms,
So we must be careful where we place our paws.
The humans must not guess our plan,
Or we won’t get any of that pot roast or flan.
This sight is something from every cats’ dreams.
Now we must execute an attack without making a scene.

© Janet Buickerood Blue – 1/05/2023

If you haven’t been participating in Teddy and Angel Sammy’s poetry challenge, I recommend you give it a try. It’s the perfect opportunity to get creative. Check out Two Spoiled Cats, by clicking on the poetry badge, for next week’s inspiration photo. And please read Angel Sammy’s poem. He’s one of our very favorite poets.

Thankful Thursday

Thursday is the day we share the things for which we are thankful. Then we join Brian’s Thankful Thursday blog hop.

Kitties Blue are thankful for all the Christmas cards they received from their many friends. They received significantly more than Dad Tom and I did, but they are much more social than either of us. At some point they’ll share their cards here.

Sawyer, Dad Tom and I are thankful he’s not had a seizure in a few weeks. This is the first time I have ever lost track of exactly how long it has been. Another fault of combining COVID and the holidays. To Sawyer’s credit, he has been doing a much better job of eating, which means he is getting more of his meds.

Though, I haven’t shared any in a couple of weeks; I am thankful I have been able to continue work on updating older posts that were missing critical SEO data. I will begin sharing links under the heading, “Looking Back,” again next Wednesday.

Lastly Kitties Blue and I are extremely grateful to those of you who have continued to visit while our e-mail notifications have not been working. I continue to try to come up with a solution to this problem. If any of you using WordPress.org for your site are using a subscriber plug-in that works well for you, could you please share that information with us in the comments. (There is a very slim chance you may get a notification tomorrow if you are a subscriber, but I wouldn’t put any money on it.)

Thanks for being followers, friends and supporters.

If you’d like to join Brian’s blog hop, click on his badge.

 

GIFT-WRAPPED CHRISTMAS CAT

Caturday Art

 

Art rendering of a grey cat sitting with red Christmas wrapping paper and bows with garland and lights in the background.

 

Kizmet is the gift-wrapped subject of today’s art in a photo taken on Christmas Day. She is the only one of the Kitties Blue who is happy to pose for a photo!

To turn her into art I used the Amulet effect from Painnt. I bumped the saturation to retain the bright red of the wrapping paper. I set the color composition to “original” and the coloring to “warm.”

Kizmet will be joining the Caturday Art blog hop hosted by Athena Cat Goddess Wise Kitty If you would like to do the same, click on Athena’s badge.

Site Update

My e-mail post notification plug-in still is not functioning. I have been trying to come up with a solution, but so far, I have had no success. Because of this, I will be posting less frequently, as those of you who actually are stopping by may have noticed. If no one knows I am posting then I have no reason to do so. Skipping posts also gives me more opportunity to search for answers to this problem. If you visit us through a “reader,” I hope you will continue to stop by.

Sunday Selfies Reminder

I will continue to post our Sunday Selfies blog hop regardless of the site problems, so please continue to join us on the hop. Tomorrow will be the first Sunday Selfies of 2023, and you definitely don’t want to miss that! Your host tomorrow will be Raleigh. I know he and Kitties Blue look forward to seeing your adorable faces.

The Adventures of Periwinkle & Stinky

I cannot let our sweet little tabby adventurers down, and so they will be right here on Tuesday with heir next adventure. They are really hoping that you will join them, as adventures are much more fun and exciting when friends come along.

Thank you for sticking with us through this challenging time. I cannot deny that I am frustrated and getting close to abandoning this blog. Kitties Blue and I appreciate your support and friendship and will do our best to keep you apprised of what is happening.

Have fun tonight on New Year’s Eve but stay safe and give your furry friends and family someplace to escape any loud boomers that may occur at midnight!

 

NEW TELEPORTATION TUNNEL INSPECTION

Wordless Wednesday

 

Inspection of black and blue three-way cat tunnel by three cats: a brown and orange tabby, an orange tabby and grey cat.

 

Audrey, Raleigh and Kizmet are joining the Wordless Wednesday blog hop at Comedy Plus. You can do the same by clicking on the WW badge.

Some Words on Wednesday

Kitties Blue and I apologize for our erratic posting. Our site is not working properly, and our e-mail post notification system also is not working. My attempts to alleviate the problems have been in vain. I will be hiring someone after the first of the year to try and straighten things out for me. Until then, we hope you’ll continue to visit to see if we’ve posted.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS 🎄 FROM KITTIES BLUE

Sunday Selfies: Week #436

 

Merry Christmas from Kitties Blue 2022 card with head shots of nine cats.

 

Please join us for this week’s Sunday Selfies blog hop by sharing your Christmas Card, a holiday selfie or a regular selfie. We suspect most of you are busy with family and friends today, so as usual the hop remains open for entries through Thursday.

🎄 Kitties Blue, Dad Tom & I wish you a blessed and joyful day! 🎄

 



TUXIE LISBETH WARMS HER TUMMY

Caturday Art

Here’s a bit more Christmas Art. Hope you enjoy it! Lisbeth was enjoying herself warming her tummy on the radiator.

 

Art rendering in red and green for Christmas of a tuxedo (tuxie) cat warming her tummy on a radiator.

 

As always, I used the Painnt app to create my art. This is the Alice in Wonderland effect. I did change the hue to turn the art Christmas red and green and bumped the saturation. Of course, the frame is from favpng.

I did create a puzzle for all the jigsaw fans.

preview98pieceTuxie Cat Christmas Art

Lisbeth will be participating in the Caturday Art blog hop hosted by Athena Cat Goddess Wise Kitty. You can duo the same by clicking on Athena’s badge.

Health & Weather Report

It seems I am over COVID but now have a cold. Feeling lousy at Christmas sucks and now we have no hot water. It is Friday evening, and the temperature is eight degrees with a feels like temperature of -11 degrees. Sometimes holidays can be a bummer, and this one is starting out that way. Regardless, Kitties Blue and I are thankful for you, our friends!

Sunday Selfies

All nine Kitties Blue will be here with a selfie tomorrow, as they will be sharing their Christmas Card. We know you all will be busy with your families, so if you are unable to join us then, don’t worry. The hop always remains open through Thursday.

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas Eve.

 

KIZMET’S 2ND GOTCHA DAY CELEBRATION

Feline/Friendship Friday

Two years ago today, this sweet girl joined the Kitties Blue family. She has been a delight from day one. Kizmet is sociable and fun and loves to purr and give kisses. She has taken the kittens under her paw, which warms our hearts. Newcomers are not always welcome.

 

Grey cat with holly and berries around neck, framed in blue and gold with the words: Happy 2nd Gotcha Day Kizmet in red and white candy cane print.

 

Cooper Murphy was kind enough to bake a cake.

 

Gotcha Day cake for Kizmet with grey cat emerging from pink and hot pink hatbox with a bow on top.

 

And please help yourself to hot chocolate, lemonade or iced tea. (Sorry, we have no champagne today, as Kizmet is underage.)

 

 

Kizmet is participating in the Feline & Friendship Friday blog hops hosted by Comedy Plus and Create with Joy respectively.

Friendly Fill-Ins

Friendly Fill-Ins is a blog hop hosted by Ellen (15 And Meowing) and Lorianne (Four-Legged Furballs). On Thursday they each select two sentences to be filled in by hop participants, and you can find those on both blogs. Enter the hop by clicking on the graphic.

As I am experiencing web-site issues, some of the Kitties Blue volunteered to lend me their paws. They completed all the fill-ins without me having to do anything more than post their fill-ins here.

They all used teal italics for their fill-ins.

1. Kizmet: My favorite holiday tradition is playing in the empty boxes.

2. Sawyer: On Christmas (or Hanukkah) I plan to fill up on treats.

3. Kitties Blue: ‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house we kitties were snuggled up in bed with our humans.

4. Sawyer: Sharing my treats is the best way to spread holiday cheer.

Thanks for joining us today. Hopefully you will get this post in its entirety, as the problem I am having is being unable to save my drafts.

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow with some Caturday Art and then again on Sunday for selfies. We will share our Christmas card then.

 

LETTER TO SANTA CLAWS & THANKFULS

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

With apologies to Teddy and Angel Sammy (Two Spoiled Cats), I am using Thoroughly Poetic Thursday to repost Kitties Blue letter to Santa Claws from 2018. Regardless, I recommend you visit their blog (by clicking on the poetry badge) to read Angel Sammy’s poem. I know it will be another winner, as the inspiration photo is adorable!

A Cat’s Letter to Santa Claws

Christmas cat graphic with flashing lights and stars.

Dear Santa,

Oh dearest Santa, I promise I’ve been good.
Always used my litter box and eaten all my food.
That broken lamp was a minor transgression.
I don’t think it required that time-out session.
And it wasn’t I who shred the arm of that chair.
Besides, isn’t that why they come as a pair?
The hairball on the human’s pillow didn’t come from me.
I don’t have floofy furs, as you can plainly see.
And all that litter spread throughout the house hither to yon…
It sprang right out of the box long after I had gone.
And you know that sandwich the human left on the table…
I swear it was stolen by a stray mouse named Mabel.
And the Christmas tree that suddenly toppled over…
Was not pushed by me but a marauding gopher.
I have no idea how these critters invaded my space.
I never leave the cat door open or out of place.
Oh. dearest Santa, I’ve truly never ever been naughty.
So please bring me some toys from Jackson Galaxy.
And a big bag of nip to last a whole year…
Please, oh please, oh please Santa dear.
And some nommy treats would be totally pawsome.
I’d eat every one and not leave a crumb.
For I, the cat, have been as good as a cat can be.
So please don’t pass me by this Christmas Eve.
If you’ll stop by my house once again this year,
I promise to leave cookies and a bit of good cheer beer.
And as to next year, I raise my right paw
And promise to be a good cat, oh dear Santa Claws.

Yours truly, The Cat

Thankful Thursday

Each Thursday we like to share with you the things for which we are thankful.

  • I am particularly thankful this week to have my bout with COVID coming to an end. That Dad Tom did not get it truly is a blessing. He has been exposed at least six times, but has continued to remain uninfected!
  • I am thankful that all 13 packages with Christmas gifts that needed to be mailed made it to the post office yesterday thanks to Dad Tom. With priority mail, most should make it to their destinations by Christmas.
  • Kitties Blue and I are grateful for all the holiday cards we have received from our blogging friends. We will share them here after the holidays. We also will share Kitties Blue card on Christmas Day, for those of you who did not receive one via snail mail.
  • Cooper Murphy is thankful to have the opportunity to earn twelve new merit badges at Scouts prior to Christmas. He has earned eight so far by learning about the animals represented on the badges and passing the accompanying quizzes. The ninth badge is for completing the December craft project.

Nine Cat Scout Merit badges featuring sloths, axolotls, reindeer, platypus, smart dogs, raccoons, cane toads, polar bears and Christmas craft project

Here’s a photo of his Christmas craft project.

Christmas tree made from folded magazine pages with star and round gem embellishments.

  • And, finally, Kitties Blue and I are most thankful for your support, following, comments and friendship.

Thankful Thursday is a blog hop hosted by Brian. To participate, post on your blog for what you are thankful. Then click on Brian’s badge to go to his blog and enter the link to your post.

Thanks for joining us today!

 

 

THE ADVENTURES OF PERIWINKLE & STINKY: PART CLXVI

Periwinkle Arrives

Stinky waits impatiently for Periwinkle to arrive. He really needs her help with his planned adventure. Finally he hears the familiar whoosh from the teleportation tunnel, and Periwinkle tumbles out into his arms. Periwinkle throws her paws around Stinky and gets as close to him as she can. “Stinky, it is so cold here. How can you stand it?”

“I stay in the house, silly; though, this isn’t all that cold. Christmas Eve is supposed to have a high of 25 degrees!” Stinky replies. 

“Yikes! I certainly hope we are going somewhere warm today, as I really don’t like the cold,” Periwinkle tells him.

“Don’t worry, we aren’t going anywhere, not even outside,” Stinky replies. He continues, “Since my mom is still sick with COVID and has gotten really behind with getting ready for Christmas, I thought we could spend some time helping her out. But first I thought we could make a Christmas card for all our friends and fans.”

“Those are great ideas, Stinky.”

Christmas Greeting for Our Friends & Fans

“Thanks, I am going to gather some supplies to make our card.” Once Stinky has everything, they start cutting and pasting and coloring their card. When they are done they each sign their names.

“Stinky, I really like this. I sure hope all our friends will as well.”

“I’m sure they will, Periwinkle!”

 

Christmas Card with two cartoon tabbies in gold frames atop a wreath and framed in red.

 

“I’m going to get everything we need to wrap the gifts. All the boxes with the a presents are on the dining room table, so we can work there.”

“Would it be okay if I visit with some of your fursibs while you do that?” Periwinkle asks.

“Of course. You’ll find a bunch of them on the bed in Mom and Dad’s room,” Stinky tells her. Periwinkle skips off to join them.

 

Four cats and a cartoon tabby cat on a human's bed napping in a sunpuddle.

 

“Wow, what a great place to nap. Lots of room for everybody and a giant sunpuddle. It looks as if none of you want to be disturbed, so I’ll just tiptoe out and Stinky and I can get to work.”

Wrapping Gifts

“Stinky, I am really good at untying bows, shredding wrapping paper and playing in the boxes, but I have never wrapped gifts before now. Don’t you think that without opposable thumbs it’s going to be pretty difficult?”

“I’ve never done this before either, Periwinkle, but I think, if we reverse engineer the process, we can get it done. Even though we don’t have thumbs, I think having four paws each will work to our advantage.”

“I’m willing to give it a try, so let’s get started.”

 

Two cartoon tabby cats wrapping Christmas gifts with a lit and decorated Christmas tree in the background..

 

“Stinky, this paper with Angel Mau in a Santa hat sure is cute. It’s nice that you are using it on a gift for my mom. You also are so thoughtful to have gotten something for her.” Stinky blushes at the compliment.

Periwinkle and Stinky work diligently and soon have a pile of presents completed. “How many packages have we wrapped, Stinky? My paws are getting pretty tired?”

 

Cartoon tabby cat sitting among a pile of wrapped gifts.

 

“Let me count them.” Stinky proceeds to paw through the gifts counting each one. “We’ve completed wapping 18 gifts, Periwinkle.”

“Wow that’s a bunch. Do you think we could stop for a snack?” asks Periwinkle.

“That’s a great idea, but first let me get the tape out of your furs and off my shoes,” replies Stinky.

 

Two cartoon tabby cats, with tape in their furs, sitting in front of a stack of wrapped gifts.

 

“That’s better. Thanks Stinky, it only hurt a little bit when you pulled off the tape.”

“I’m sorry it hurt, Let’s go get that snack, and we’ll both feel better.” Stinky and Periwinkle enjoy some Temptations and Fancy Feast. When finished, Periwinkle asks, “Can I see your tree with all the glass ornaments. You promised you would show me when I was here two weeks ago.”

The Glass Ornament Christmas Tree

Two cartoon tabby cats sitting in front of a nine-foot decorated Christmas tree with glass ornaments.

 

“Stinky, this is the prettiest tree I have ever seen, and I understand why your mom won’t let you all spend any time in here. Thanks for sharing it with me and our readers. Is there anything else we can do to help your mom? I am pretty tired from all the wrapping”

“I was hoping we could do some baking for her. She usually makes cookies for several of our neighbors. I’m not certain she’ll get to do that this year,” Stinky explains to Periwinkle. “But I don’t think we have time for that today, and I know we are both tired.”

“That would have been fun, but I do agree that I am a bit too tired. And I do know it is time for me to head home,” Periwinkle tells Stinky.

“I wish the time hadn’t passed so quickly, Periwinkle! Thank you for all your help today. I know my mom really appreciates it as do I.”

“I had fun, as I always do when we are together, Stinky, and I am happy we could help your mom.”

Periwinkle and Stinky share lots of paw hugs and whisker kisses and tell each other how much they love one another. Then it is time for Periwinkle’s departure. The two tabbies say their final farewells and wave to each other as Periwinkle enters the teleportation tunnel. And with the usual whoosh, she is gone.

Stinky heads to the sunpuddle in his Mom and Dad’s bedroom for a nap and to dream of his sweet girlfriend.

Stinky and Periwinkle are joining Happy Tuesday at Comedy Plus.

Thanks for joining Periwinkle & Stinky this week.

 

CHERISH THE SIMPLE THINGS

Sparks

Cats know how to appreciate and cherish the simple things in life: a piece of string, a cork, the ring from the milk jug lid, and cardboard boxes!

Audrey is enjoying the same box Cooper Murphy took his selfie in for yesterday’s post.

 

Tabby kitten in a cardboard box cherishing the simple things with the quote from Ronan Keating: "As you get older, the cliches of life ring true. It's the simple things that matter most: your family, the people you love, your health and sanity."

 

Thinking of Kitties Blue, I knew I wanted a Spark about cherishing the simple things. I was surprised how many quotes exist representing this sentiment, and any of them would have been appropriate. But as I am one of those “older” individuals, this one spoke to me. I suspect most, if not all, of you will agree.

The author of today’s Spark, Ronan Patrick John Keating is a 45-year-old, Irish singer. He debuted in 1993 as the co-lead singer of the Irish pop group, Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and he has recorded eleven albums.

Sparks is the creation of Annie from McGuffy’s Reader. Sparks began as a blog hop, created by our friend. Annie stated when she began Sparks, “I believe we are meant to be lights in this world. If we allow our light to shine, we can see where we are going. It is then that we can begin to truly see each other clearly. Together, we can light up the entire world.”

Awww Mondays

Audrey will be participating in the Awww Mondays blog hop at Comedy Plus. You can join her there by clicking on the Awww badge.

The Adventures of Periwinkle & Stinky

 

Tomorrow, our two experienced, adventuring tabbies, Periwinkle & Stinky, will be setting off from right here on their final adventure prior to Christmas. Once again, Stinky has not shared any details with me, so I will be as surprised as the rest of you to see how they spend their day. Periwinkle & Stinky always have more fun when you join them, so please drop by and lend them a hand or paw in whatever they get up to!