Prayers

MEETINGS, RULES, LEARNING & NIPHEADS

Friendly Fill-Ins: Week #65

We are back with this week’s Friendly Fill-Ins. Mom completed numbers 1, 2 and 4, and we kitties completed number 3. We think she did a pretty good job this time around, and we totally agree with all her completions. As always, we (Mom and us) used teal italics for our portions of the sentences.

Usually, Mom has long, drawn-out explanations along with her filled-in portions, but they really were not necessary today.

1. Meetings are boring unless they are meetings with friends for lunch.

2. Rules suck but are necessary or our lives, those of others, our society and the world would sink into chaos. It already may be there!

3. The best time to get treats and/or nip is when Chris comes to clean the house. She is not stingy like our parents. As soon as she arrives, we all gather around her.

4. I have learned that if I remain open to new information and ideas, I will never stop learning.

Friendly Fill-Ins is a blog hop hosted each Friday by Ellen (15AndMeowing) and Annie (McGuffy’s Reader). Each week Ellen selects the first two incomplete sentences and Annie selects the second two. The hop is on Annie’s blog, which you can get to by clicking on the fill-ins badge.

If you haven’t participated previously in this fun hop, give it a try. It is an excellent way to learn a bit more about your blogging friends.

Coming Up

Mom will be here tomorrow with what is sure to be some wild and crazy art for the Caturday Art blog hop.

We also hope to announce the winner of the $80 rescue/shelter donation from Allie and Mau’s Anniversary Comment-a-thon. An alternate winner was selected using Random.org as the original winner did not respond to our e-mails.

Our Sunday Selfies blog hop this week will be dedicated to a dear friend and new angel, Mitalee HoneyBee, from Critters in the Cottage. Please make a special effort to join us and honor this sweet and beautiful angel.

Until then, we remain your faithful friends.

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

p.s. Will you please continue too send your purrs and POTP and ask your humans to pray for Allie and Raz’s dad, Bill, who remains hospitalized.

ASTRID’S PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED

Friendly Fill-Ins: Week #39

1. My middle name is Elaine, but I use my maiden name as my middle name.

2. Cats are full of surprises.

This little kitty surprised me yesterday. I caught her saying her prayers after she knocked over an almost empty can of Diet Coke on my laptop. Lucky for her those prayers and a little help from Apple Care had the computer up and running after it dried out. For most of the day, however, I was unable to access the internet or visit your blogs.

3. The Super Bowl doesn’t interest me. However, I will watch the Kitten Bowl.

4. My favourite sport is cycling. Most of you know that Dad Tom and I ride a tandem bike, weather permitting. We have been doing this since 2000.

Friendly Fill-Ins is a blog hop hosted by Ellen from 15 And Meowing and Annie from McGuffy’s Reader. You can join the hop on Annie’s blog.

My sentence completions are in teal italics.

We’ll be back tomorrow for Caturday Art.

February 3, 2017 by Janet Blue Friendly Friday Fill-Ins Prayers 23

A SISTER SUNPUDDLE CUDDLE

Tuesday Doozy of a Snoozy

It so warmed my heart when Dad Tom showed me this photo he’d taken of Giulietta and Fiona a couple of days ago. The temps were a bit warmer and the girls found a sunpuddle to have a cuddle together on the deck above the catio. As stated in previous posts, these once inseparable sisters have not been spending much time together since Fiona became ill. I did, however, find them snuggled together on the hall rug a short time ago.

I apologize for the blurriness of the photo. It was taken through a window so as not to disturb the ladies.

Tomorrow is Fiona’s vet appointment. She hasn’t had the best week (another reason I was happy to see her with Giulietta). I will be quite surprised if she’s maintained her weight this week.

She’ll give you an update later in the week.

Come Fly With Me

Have you heard about the fun blog hop taking place this Friday, December 2, to honor our pal, Sammy (onespoiledcat)? If not check out the information below.

As you know, Sammy is the host of the ever popular Tuesday Teaser. But instead of Sammy trying to tease us, everyone who wants to participate needs to select someplace in their city, state, country they think Sammy might like to visit. Just include a photo of the location with a description and add your link to the hop at Dory’s Backyard.

The badge above gives you all the info you need. And, if you want to post prior to Friday, the link is already open HERE.

And don’t forget to send Sammy some extra purrs and prayers. His health issues and age are catching up with him, and he needs all the POTP we can muster to give him a happy Christmas and 17th birthday on January 1.

We love you Sammy!

November 29, 2016 by Janet Blue Doozy of a Snoozy Health Prayers 20

BEAUTIFUL BOBBLEHEAD & FILL-INS

Today is the Friday Fill-Ins blog hop, but before Mom shows you her completions, I am here to report on my Tuesday appointment with Dr. Neel.

First was the weigh-in. Bad news on that front. I lost more than one pound this past month and am now well under six pounds. MOUSES!

A girl’s got to keep a sense of humor. Right?

Anyhoo, after the weigh-in, Dr. Neel came in and she, Mom and Dad talked. They decided to do minimum blood work. Mom said that the “bad” numbers just make her upset, and no matter what my numbers were, my treatment and meds would not change. So I just got my BUN and PCV (packed cell volume) done. My BUN is down to 110. That is down 48 points from last month when I had my highest number. Happy dance for me; though, that number is not a true representation of how my CKD is progressing.

My PCV had dropped four points to 17. That means my anemia is worse. But thanks to Mom Ellen (15 And Meowing), I have started on a new medication to help lessen my anemia. Ellen had this medicine for Spooky, but he was never able to use it, so she gifted it to me. Dr. Neel didn’t want to use it before now as some side effects are possible, and she didn’t want to compromise my tenuous grasp on stability. I had my first injection yesterday. So far all is well. I will get an injection each week for three more weeks.

Unless I experience any significant change in my condition between now and mid-December, I’ll wait until then to give you another update. That doesn’t mean you won’t see me on the blog. It just means I won’t be boring you with talk of my health.

Thank you everyone for your purrs and prayers. Mom, Dad and I know how powerful these are, and I believe that all I’ve received have definitely extended my life. If you have a few more to spare, I will gladly accept them and be super appreciative.

Purrs and paw-pats, Fiona with a huge thank you to Mom Ellen

Friendly Fill-Ins: Week 28

Fiona was kind enough to allow me to share this post with her so I could complete Ellen’s and Annie’s (McGuffy’s Reader) fill-ins for this week’s blog hop. You can join and/or find other participants on Annie’s blog.

1. One Thanksgiving tradition I have is making pumpkin pie from my Grandma Shirley’s recipe. Every year I pull out the recipe card she wrote for me more than 40 years ago.

2. Black Friday: Just say, “NO!” I have posted about this previously. If you’d like to read those posts, you can do so here and here.

3. The best part about Thanksgiving Day is remembering Thanksgiving as a child when we always had 20 plus people at our house for dinner. Also stuffing and pumpkin pie.

4. One Thanksgiving Dad Tom and I spent the day on a Greyhound bus returning home after our car broke down on the way out of state for dinner with relatives.

The best part of this Thanksgiving will be that Fiona is still here to share it with us 11 months after being diagnosed with CKD.

November 18, 2016 by Janet Blue Fiona Friday Friendly Friday Fill-Ins Health Kitty Written Blog Prayers 28

PATRIOT DAY SUNDAY SELFIES

Sunday Selfies: Week #109

Well, she did it! Mom coerced me into taking a selfie. I actually took four, but she is saving the others for future posts. My photo is rather fuzzy as I was under a chair in the living room when I snapped my selfies. I am not much for socializing with my fursibs so getting photos of me or getting me to take some is not an easy task. I do know, however, that my sweet boyfriend Charles does like to see me on the blog. I really, really, really hope he likes this photo.

Normally Mom would have added some super flowery frame to my selfie, but today we want to recognize Patriot Day (National Day of Service and Remembrance) and the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S.A. It continues to hurt our hearts that so many had to lose their lives on that horrible day. We are sending all our prayers to everyone affected by this attack on our country. It saddens us as well that the terror attacks continue in both the U.S. and so many other countries. Peace is the dream we pray will become a reality.

This is our Sunday Selfies Blog Hop, and we hope many of you will join us on this day of remembrance and offer your support and prayers on your blog post. The link to add your selfies is below as is the code to add the hop to your blog if you’d like. As always, we have only one request: Please display our badge and/or link to The Cat On My Head. Thank you.

Purrs, prayers and paw-pats, Lisbeth on behalf of Kitties and Mom and Dad Blue

September 11, 2016 by Janet Blue Kitty Written Blog Patriot Day Prayers Sunday Selfies 47

SAD SELFIE FROM FIONA

Sunday Selfies: Week #105

As we embark on year three of this blog hop, I am honored to be your host. Though I co-hosted last week with Calista Jo, Mom said I could do it again this week all by myself. I took my selfie at the veterinarian’s office on Friday.

I am sorry I didn’t look at the phone when I snapped the photo. I was feeling a bit sad. Though not a selfie, here’s a better photo. Out veterinarian always has a nice snuggly blanket on the table for me and my name on the whiteboard.

I know many of you are waiting to hear about my appointment with Dr. Neel. Mom, Dad and Dr. Neel were all optimistic when I weighed in at 6 pounds, 14 ounces. That’s not my best weight since I’ve been sick, but it is four ounces more than last month.

I had my blood drawn and my claws trimmed, and then came the wait for my results. It is with great sadness that I let you know the results were not good. My BUN is 135. That’s the highest it has been since my original CKD diagnosis this past December when it was 157. All my other values are really crappy as well, and I am now anemic.

With these results, Dr. Neel told us I need to have fluids one additional day per week. Mom also has decided to order Kidney Support Gold by Pet Wellbeing and see if that will help me. If anyone has experience with this, please let us know.

I am certain I would be doing better if I would eat any of the foods specially formulated for kitties with CKD. But I just DO NOT like it. I have tried many types, and I rather not eat if that is all I am offered. Consequently, I am eating food with too much phosphorous.

Mom and Dad, Dr. Neel and I discussed how I was doing overall. In spite of the numbers, we all came to the same conclusion: I still have a good quality of life and do not seem to be suffering in any way or in any kind of pain so we will continue treatment. Darn right we will. I’m not ready for any stupid angel wings. So purrlease keep those purrs and prayers and POTP coming. I truly need all the help I can get.

Now…are you ready to take those selfies and hop? We had a terrific turnout last Sunday as we closed out two years of Sunday Selfies with 59 pawticipants. Let’s start out year three equally well. I think Kitties Blue visited all but a few of last week’s entrants. If we didn’t get to your blog last Sunday, we promise to do so this week.

The link to join the hop is below as is the code to include the hop on your blog. If you do this, purrlease link back to The Cat on My Head and/or display our badge. That would make all the Kitties Blue do a happy dance. If you have trouble adding your link, let us know in the comments. Mom will add it for you.

Thanks for being good friends, hopping with us and praying for me.

Purrs and paw-pats, Fiona

August 14, 2016 by Janet Blue Kitty Written Blog Prayers Sunday Selfies Veterinarian 57

THIS IS MY FAVORITE CHANNEL

Please forgive us for our very late post. Our server was under brute force attack last night, and we could not sign-in to our account. Mom finally gave up and went to bed.

Today is my monthly re-check at the vet. Please keep my in your thoughts and prayers. We all have our paws crossed that my numbers will have improved and I will have gained a bit more weight. I’ll be back to tomorrow to let y’all know how I’m doing.

Purrs and paw-pats, Fiona

May 11, 2016 by Janet Blue Prayers Wordless Wednesday 24

PAINTED AND GLITTERY ASTRID

This week’s Caturday Art features Astrid. I tinkered around with this photo in PicMix, Picasa and PhotoFaceFun but can’t tell you more than that. I feel this is one of my least successful creations. A poet that I was taking a class from years ago told me that most poems are never truly finished but rather abandoned. That’s how I feel about this “art.” I got tired of fiddling with it, put a border around it and called it done.

The portion of this created in PicMix turned the photo into an animated image, but I could not get it to save in the gif format. All the sparkles and glittery stars are now static and less apparent.

We are entering Athena and Marie’s wonderful Caturday Art Blog Hop. To add and/or view the submissions, click on their badge. I mentioned last week that I have compiled a list of free photo editing applications. If anyone would like a copy of the list, let me know in a comment.

You all know by now what follows Caturday Art…Sunday Selfies. At this point I have no idea who will be hosting. No one has stepped forward to volunteer.

We had 61 entries last Sunday, and the kitties did not have an opportunity to visit all your blogs. They are ashamed and pray you will accept their apologies. Fiona’s health issue has made for even more turmoil than we are accustomed. They promise to make every effort to do better this week.

We truly are thankful for your support of our blog and the blog hop. And we especially appreciate all the purrs, prayers and POTP for Fiona. We hope you will consider continuing them for the unforeseeable future.

Hugs, Mom Janet & purrs and paw-pats, Kitties Blue

January 9, 2016 by Janet Blue Caturday Art Blog Hop Prayers 31

SAYING GOOD-BYE

[follow_me]
I am preempting the book review of Purr Therapy, which speaks to pet loss and grief, I had planned for today’s post in order to say good-bye to a truly remarkable person: veterinarian, Dr. Lorie Huston, who passed away on Tuesday.

I met Lorie on the airplane last May on my way to the BlogPaws convention. We were sitting across the aisle from each other. Mom Paula (Twinkletoe TAils) and I were sitting together and gabbing about our kitties (big surprise, right?) when Lorie piped up and asked if we were on our way to BlogPaws. From that point on the three of us chatted our way across the country as if we were old friends. She was friendly, warm, engaging and down-to-earth. We shared a 40-minute cab ride to the hotel. We crossed paths many times during the days at Blog Paws. Paula and I were so impressed by her that we attended her Table Topics lunchtime talk.

Dr. Lorie Huston with her award.

Paula and I were delighted when our new friend was honored with the Winn Feline Foundation Media Appreciation Award at the convention.

Lorie was well known, respected and loved in the pet blogging community, and she was the current president of the Cat Writers’ Association. (She offered to sponsor me for membership when I met her.) You can read a heartfelt tribute posted on their web-site here.

So many knew her quite well and have written lovely tributes to honor her. You can read Layla Morgan Wilde’s (Cat Wisdom 101) beautiful tribute to her here. Another tribute is on Mousebreath and yet another here at Cat Chat with Caren & Cody. You can read Lorie’s obituary here. And you can read about her on the BlogPaws website here. I suspect there are and will be many more well-deserved tributes.

I am planning on attending BarkWorld at the end of the month and had expected I would see and have a chance to get to know her better while there. Sadly for me, that will not happen.

Please join me in sending purrs and prayers to her family and the six cats she leaves behind who will need new homes.

October 2, 2014 by Janet Blue Prayers 23

BLOG FOR PEACE 2013

TODAY BOTH THE KITTIES AND THE HUMANS AT THE CAT ON MY HEAD JOIN BLOGGERS WORLDWIDE WHO DREAM OF AND PRAY FOR PEACE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE AND ANIMALS OF THIS EARTH.

MAY EACH OF YOU FIND YOUR OWN INNER PEACE AS WELL.

Click here for additional information about Blog4Peace.

November 3, 2013 by Janet Blue Prayers Uncategorized 22

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.