Friday-Fill-Ins

IT’S OFFICIAL: WELCOMING NEW FAMILY MEMBER

Not Charlie is the newest member of the Kitties Blue Krew (as Angel Sammy Kimmell likes to call them).

Not Charlie visited Dr. Neel today at Vinton Veterinary Hospital, and he was cleared to meet the current, resident furballs. He is:

not microchipped
FIV and FLV negative
a healthy, young adult between the ages of one and two years
12.1 pounds

So…drumroll, please! I’d like to introduce you to

Cooper Murphy Blue

Cooper Murphy was totally chill at the vet. He didn’t flinch when he got his vaccinations. He hung out on the exam table looking around the room while his blood tests were being run. We don’t know where Angel Fiona found this young fellow, but she certainly selected a winner for us.

It hurts my heart that Fiona had to leave in order for Cooper Murphy to come into our lives and adopt us. But we are happy we can give a home to a kitty who did not have one.

Friendly Fill-Ins: Week #36

FriendlyFillIns I am participating in Fill-Ins again this week after skipping last week. This is a blog hop hosted by Annie (McGuffy’s Reader) and Ellen (15 and Meowing). They each select two partial sentences for participants to complete. Ellen selects the first two and Annie the second. My completions are in teal italics. This is a blog hop, and you can join on Annie’s blog by clicking on the Fill-Ins badge.

1. My guiding word for 2017 is positivity.
2. I am helping to research and locate classmates for my 50th high school class reunion.
3. Truth be told I am superstitious about Friday the 13th, which today is. The reason is that my mom died on Friday the 13th, and she was superstitious about a lot of things.
4. Lately, I have been spending a lot of time with new family member Cooper Murphy (Not Charlie) to make him feel at home here. I think that goal as been accomplished. Now he just has to meet the current feline residents and pass their inspection. You know, they and I will keep you posted on how this goes.

GIFTS JUST KEEP COMING

Friday Fill-Ins: Week #34

We are joining this week’s Friendly Fill-Ins hosted by Ellen (15 And Meowing) and Annie (McGuffy’s Reader). Today, a couple of us kitties are sharing filling-in with Mom. She maligned us last week, saying we would never help without being bribed with treats. We felt it our duty to prove her wrong! Our completions are in teal italics.

Mauricio: 1. The highlight of my Christmas were the gifts I received from my wife Allie. All the goodies were amazing, including some really great gifts for Mom. Allie is so thoughtful and sweet, and I love her with all my heart. (I am sharing a collage today. Mom, however, took oodles more photos and video, which I will share in a future post. As Mom types this for us, I am camped atop the box where most of the gifts are as Calista Jo continues to try to steal them. We had a bit of smacky paws earlier. You’ll see C.J. photobombing the photo of all the gifties.)

Misty May: 2. My New Year’s resolution is to try not to terrorize Astrid. (I have to say I will “try” as I just cannot help myself when it comes to chasing Astrid and making her squeal!)

Mom: 3. This year, 2016, sucked. (We kitties don’t totally agree, but we know it was very hard for her to watch Fiona’s health fail and to lose her on December 1. Mau and Astrid were ecstatic to marry the loves of their lives. Lisbeth was delighted to get a promise ring from Charles. Though we are so sad that our sisfur had to get her wings, it was a meovolous year for the three of us.)

Kitties Blue: 4. Next year, 2017, will be a surprise. (We pray it will be a great year for all our friends, spouses, significant others, Mom and Dad and ourselves.)

This is a blog hop. To join, click on the link to Annie’s blog. It’s in the first paragraph of this post.

We’ll see you tomorrow for Caturday Art.

Purrs and paw-pats, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Angel Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

December 30, 2016 by Janet Blue Allie and Mauricio Asrid & Sampson Christmas Friendly Friday Fill-Ins Kitty Written Blog Lisbeth and Charles Prayers 23

CHRISTMAS SING-ALONG

Friendly Fill-Ins: Week #32

We are joining this week’s Christmas-themed Friendly Fill-Ins hosted by Ellen (15 And Meowing) and Annie (McGuffy’s Reader). The kitties asked me to complete all four fill-ins again this week, as they found them to be human-oriented. My completions are in teal italics.

1. My favorite Christmas Song(s) is/are “What Child is This,” “Do You Hear What I Hear,” and “Mary, Did You Know.” but I could do without hearing _____________________ever again. I didn’t finish this fill-in as I really don’t have any Christmas songs I don’t like; though, I can get tired of some by the end of the season. (I have included videos of the three songs I listed, each by a different artist, at the conclusion of this post.)

2. My most meaningful Christmas ornament/decoration is now Fiona’s Star. The other is my Christmas stocking which my grandmother knit for me when I was an infant. It has my name and the year knitted into the pattern. The second part of this fill-in was “because.” I did not complete that as I think the reasons these are meaningful are self-evident.

As I didn’t decorate this year, I had to dig into the photo archives to find a photo of the mantel with our stockings. This photo is from 2012. My stocking is the longest one with the striped toe.

3. My favourite holiday treat is the Oreo truffles my friend makes.

4. A holiday tradition in my house is opening a bottle or two of wine and sitting down with Tom to write our annual Christmas letter. The more wine, the more amusing the letter. That’s on our schedule for this weekend.

This is a blog hop. To join, click on the link to Annie’s blog in the first paragraph.

We’ll see you tomorrow for Athena’s Caturday Art blog hop, featuring Giulietta.

December 16, 2016 by Janet Blue Christmas Flashback Friday Friendly Friday Fill-Ins 18

LILY OLIVIA, OPUS, BILL THE CAT & NEWLYWEDS

Friendly Fill-Ins: Week 12

1. One quirk I have is going through the house turning off lights. I often don’t even look in a room. I just flip the switch and move on. More often than not, I’ll hear a blurted out, “Hey,” as Tom lets me know he’s actually in the room and hasn’t just left the light on and walked away.

2. My favorite comic strip is Bloom County, and I hate that it is no longer written. Opus the penguin was the funniest, and he had a crazy kitty friend, Bill the Cat.

3. I am really happy when one of the Kitties Blue lets me give her kisses and responds in kind. Usually only Lily Olivia and Misty May will return my kisses. Lisbeth refuses all kisses.

4. If I could go anywhere on a road trip, I would go to Savannah, GA, (after the hot summer weather abates). That’s where Mau took Allie on their honeymoon, and I am quite jealous, never having been there.

FriendlyFillIns We are participating in the Friendly Fill-Ins hosted by 15 And Meowing‘s, Ellen, and McGuffy’s Reader’s, Annie. This is a blog hop, and you can add your link on Annie’s blog.

If you missed yesterday’s post, “A Grand Affair,” I encourage you to click on the link below. Mauricio shared another of his poems and several more photos from Allie’s and his honeymoon. They truly are a sweet couple.

Thanks for being our followers. We’ll see you tomorrow for Caturday Art.

July 29, 2016 by Janet Blue Allie and Mauricio Friendly Friday Fill-Ins 19

INTRODUCING THE NEWLYWEDS

Astrid’s & Sampy’s Wedding

Astrid and Sampson (Kitty Cat Chronicles) were officially wed in a small ceremony yesterday at the BlogPaws Conference in Phoenix. The Pawparazzi were snapping photo after photo, but their official wedding portrait was created by Lorianne Miller (Four-Legged Furballs). I added the frame using PhotoFaceFun.

Rings and gifts were exchanged and vows made.

Astrid and Sampson will share additional photos sometime next week.

The new bride asked if she could complete the Friendly Fill-Ins for this week. How could I possibly refuse.

The Friendly Fill-Ins are four fun and easy statements to complete. Ellen of 15andmeowing provides the first two statements and the final two are from Annie at McGuffy’s Reader. This is a blog hop. You can add your link on Annie’s blog.

Here are week #7’s statements. Astrid’s completions are in teal italics.

1. My feelings get hurt when my sisfur, Misty May, chases and bullies me.

2. I am excited about now being married to the love of my life, Sampson (Sampy) Hall.

3. Astrid Blue first, then Astrid Blue Hall.

4. One time, I fell in love; that’s why I got married.

That’s all for now. I’ll be sharing more from BlogPaws tomorrow.

June 24, 2016 by Janet Blue Asrid & Sampson BlogPaws Conference Friendly Friday Fill-Ins Wedding 31

YOU
For Fiona

It seems like only yesterday…
You were just a kitten.
When I saw your pleading look,
I was completely smitten.

Now at only six years old,
You are getting ready to leave,
Soon you will have your wings.
I’ve already started to grieve.

You’ve fought hard for the past year,
And I’m not ready to say good-bye.
I can’t imagine you not in my life
I am so sad…today I had to cry.

I am grateful and blessed
For my six years with you.
You’ll live in my heart forever.
You’re one of the best ever Kitties Blue.

YESTERDAY

Many yesterdays have passed since
You gained your angel wings. Today
Is six months since you left us behind
To remember and mourn. Our hearts
Continue to hurt, and we miss
You as much as the day you left.
Giulietta whined from the catio
Yesterday as I worked in the yard.
I know you put her up to it. That
Was your way of getting me to,
Allow you to join me as I
Gardened. You were there with me
In spirit. With every meow
I thought of you and how much I miss
Your sweet face and disposition.
In these past few months, many friends
Have traveled your same path in your
paw-steps. I am certain you were
Waiting to greet them with purrs and hugs.
I pray you and your friends are laughing,
Frolicking and having fun together.
Picturing that makes me smile, but
Does not lessen my sadness at your
No longer being here to snuggle
And receive our love, care and kisses.
Fiona, please do not ever forget
You are still and always will be loved.

ONE YEAR MISSING YOU

One year has passed since you flew away,
And I still think of you everyday.
I see your sweet face in my mind’s eye
And wish we’d never had to say good-bye.
It’s nice you’ve sent us kitties needing a family,
But my dearest love, we are now at capacity.
You thought it would take more than one cat
To take your place in our habitat.
We love Cooper Murphy and baby Sawyer dearly
But thinking either could replace you makes me teary.
You were one-of-a-kind and will stay in my heart
Until the day I join you and we’re no longer apart.
When once again I can hold you in my arms
And revel in all your love and feline charms.
Together with you and all who have passed.
I will spend eternity contemplating how blessed
I was to share my life with my furry children,
Each and every one of you one-in-a billion.

UNTIL

I miss you each day.
Until we meet in heaven,
The pain will remain.

ONE OF A KIND

I don’t know how to say good-bye.
I thought you were invincible; though,
You used up many of your nine lives.
You ruled us all with an iron paw;
Never took “no” for an answer
And always got your way.
If not, you’d bark to signal your
Displeasure and sometimes raise a paw.
I always joked that you were bi-polar.
When I told people you were a calico
They immediately understood what I meant.
Today was unnaturally quiet in the house.
Can a home seem empty with eight cats?
I will miss waking up at night to find you
Sitting next to me and staring at me.
I will miss you yelling at us as you did
When you wanted breakfast and dinner.
I will miss watching you lounging and snoozing
On the porch settee on a warm afternoon.
But most of all I will miss your kisses!
When kitten Sawyer befriended you,
We suspect you were imparting your
Wisdom and secrets for controlling us.
Time will tell if he was a good listener.
But whatever he may have learned,
Neither Sawyer nor any other cat
Can or will replace you in our hearts.
Lily Olivia, you were one-of-a-kind.