swag

BLOGPAWS SWAG DELAYED!

Today is the fourth week of Sammy’s Thoroughly Poetic Thursday and our prompt is the letter D.

Mom and Dad are on an overnight jaunt, so our poem and post are a bit off track. After a filet, a bottle of Malbec and some ridiculously decadent, dark-chocolate torte, our petrecary’s brain is muddled and befuddled.

The best she could accomplish is this pathetic haiku.

Tired of our toys.

Waiting for our BlogPaw’s swag.

Delayed…train derailed.

Our “D” is represented in both delayed and derailed. Add to that disappointment, and we think we have the bases covered.

The two boxes of goodies our parental units shipped home from the BlogPaws Conference via UPS were scheduled to arrive Tuesday, the 5th. The arrival is now scheduled for today. Dad checked and the boxes are in Virginia, so we have our paws crossed that we’ll be burrowing through the booty by day’s end.

Calista Jo is pouting as her birthday gift is among the BlogPaws’ loot.

If you haven’t visited and left a comment on our post, Please Help Our Barn Cat Buddies Friends, please do. We are having a Comment-a-thon to help them save some kitties living at a steel mill. Thank you.

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

WHERE’S THE LOOT?

As we’ve been catching up with our bloggy friends, we have seen oodles of loot from BlogPaws being unpacked. If you recall, when I had my birthday on the 20th, I was promised my choice of any of the BP swag. Lily’s the queen of luggage, so I sent her to inspect Mom’s suitcase. She found absolutely nothing. Check out the expression on her face. That is not a happy kitty.

What we didn’t know was that Mom had already removed the few toys she brought home. She’d hidden them in a drawer until I could check them out first. Guess I am appreciative of that.

Can you believe this is all she brought me? I can’t imagine she expects me to select one thing. All this should be mine.

Mom and I played with the wand toy. She was trying to take photos while we were playing so this is blurry. Sorry. The minute she set it down, Fiona picked up the red fuzzy end and took my wand downstairs. I am certain she’s hidden it by now, and I’ll never see it again.

Then Lily Olivia came along and grabbed the kicker.

The ModKicker was actually made in Phoenix, the site of the BlogPaws Conference. It’s a Hauspanther product (available at shop.hauspanther.com for $6) and has catnip. They must grow some potent nip in Arizona ’cause after a few minutes, Lily crashed hard. When I tried to retrieve it, Lily woke up long enough to kick me in the butt. Totally rude!

I guess that’s all there is…at least until next Tuesday when the real loot arrives. Mom says I will be getting a super cool gift that she swears I will love. She claims it is purrfect for a princess. We’ll see!

Okay, don’t get me wrong: I am totally thankful for these cool things, but there are eight of us and only four toys. So…I’ve just got to say one more time to annoy Mom, “Where’s the loot?” MOL…

Purrs and paw-pats, Calista Jo

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.