That Darn Cat!

you MUST go check out Simon's Cat - it's so funny!

The Antics of 2 Siamese

I was talking to a girl at work about all the $$ I've spent on toys for these 2 spoiled kitties before I realized that all I had to do was offer up an empty toilet paper roll!

She reminded me how much they love paper sacks too and gave me one from the cracker barrel to take home.

I popped it open and kind of chucked it up in the air so it landed in the living room on the hard wood floor. They went nuts for it - Tuck got inside and Nip was pouncing on him and smashing the top of the bag down on him.

They were really enjoying it - so I went into the kitchen to start supper. Some time passes, when all of a sudden, it sounded like 15 cats were fighting in that bag! I stopped what I was doing and went into the living room to see what was going on and there was no paper bag there. I hollared at hubs and asked if he took the bag upstairs by chance? He said no.... so i went up to the bedroom (their sanctuary) to investigate what was going on.

There - stuffed halfway under the footboard of the bed was the bag, all crumpled up and looking like it lost the fight. And then it hit me.... when Tuck came out of the sack, he got his head inside the handle of the bag and when he went to walk off, it was shadowing him - riding on top of his back all the way up the stairs!

I started laughing out loud as I pictured him running up the stairs, looking over his shoulder the whole way. Anyway, I coaxed him out from under the bed and I'm here to tell you, the poor guy was wide eyed and bushy tailed!

I cut the handles off the bag so it wouldn't happen again, but he only sat about 10 ft. away, glaring at the bag for the rest of the night. Even when Nip got inside and was playing, he was having NO part of it.

How do you spell J O Y ???

♥ I spell it Nip and Tuck ♥
Tuck is a snowshoe sealpoint Siamese and Nip is a tortie point Siamese.

We had 2 dogs and 2 cats for so many years and one by one, through illness, we had to say goodbye to each one. That was over 10 years ago and after the last cat went down, our hearts were broken and we just couldn't even think of adopting again. So over the last year or so, hubs and I have been kicking around the idea of getting another cat. We were ready to open our home and our hearts and bring a sweet little someone into our lives.

We finally committed wholeheartedly to the notion and started going to the rescues to see who was going to speak to our heart....we figured we would know the minute we met them! What we weren't expecting was to hear from 2 cats - but that is exactly how Nip and Tuck came into our lives.

They came from the same Siamese rescue but lived in different parts of the city and had never seen each other before.

Tuck (the boy) was in a foster home and from watching his dispostion, I believe he's been treated better than most of the abondoned kitties out there.

Nip is another story. She came with scratches and bald spots where she has licked the fur bare. She had a terrible case of ear mites, witnessed by her raw and red left ear. She was scared and very vocal, but there was something about her that touched Darrell's heart the minute he saw her and he knew she was the one. He drove home to pick me up and take me back to meet her. It was late in the afternoon and the cats were being loaded up for a long and lonely trip back to the shelter. I heard a cat clear across the store parking lot - even over the roar of our motorcycle engines - but thinking it as someone else's cat ready to call it a day and go home, gave it no thought at all. Instead, I headed into the store with my girlfriend - anxious to meet this sweet girl that stole my husbands heart. As I rounded the line of cages, my eyes met Tuck and my heart melted. He was sitting alone all curled up in the corner of a huge cage, not too interested in anything that was going on around him. Not a peep came from him and he barely lifted his head to show interest in the fingers that continually poked through the cage as folks were trying to rouse his interest. When I finally heard Darrell calling my name, I turned around and heard first what my eyes focused on later ... there was Nip - screaming for attention and someone to let her out of this bloody cage immediately!

Sooooo... this was the girl that was causing the scene!

I should have known, after all - Darrell married ME! :)

We picked them up a week later - Tuck on Friday morning and Nip on Saturday morning. Its been a weekend full of "settling in" ... and with Nip, that consists of alot of hissing, swiping Tuck in the face when he passes too closely to her, and an overall disdain for any other 4 legged creature that happens to be in the same room. I knew it would be a matter of time before she caved and decided that maybe he wasnt so bad after all. Last night we had a housefull of company and they had free access of the house, but chose to stay in the upstairs bedroom. So we each went to them to make sure they were doing ok, and not scratching each others eyes out. It's been a big big transition for each of them and I could see slowly that she was warming up to him. It might take a village to raise a child, but it takes baby steps for Nip to warm up to Tuck.

To my delight and great great surprise this afternoon, I returned from church to find them sprawled out on the same chair!

The ice has broken... the bonds of healing and trust and love have begun to show through.

By the way, it's killing hubs that no one wants to spend long leisurly hours in his lap each night!

Remember ... baby steps, baby steps....

♥ Meet Tuck ♥

As I mentioned, we made up our minds to adopt a couple of rescued Siamese. The two that we chose are adult cats, "between 1 and 3 yrs old" - they live with foster parents until someone claims them and the 2 that we adopted live in different parts of the city.

We picked up Tuck yesterday - he is a snowshoe sealpoint Siamese.

I hadn't even gotten to hold him yet in the picture above - the pic below is me finally getting to hold him!

I dont have much time this morning but wanted to share a couple of pics with you - isn't he wonderful?

We are busy this morning traveling to meet our second addition, Miss Nip and then celebrate hubs birthday this afternoon, but I think it's safe to report that Tuck is settling in just fine!

I'll post pics of Nip later :)

We're Taking the Plunge...

I'm so excited...
Hubs and I haven't had any pets in about 10 years. We used to have 2 dogs and 2 cats but lost them, one by one to cancer and other diseases that plague older animals. I admit our hearts broke each time we had to say goodbye but when we put Rocky, our dobie of 16 yrs down, it just about did us in.

Hubs and I dont do much of anything spontaneous (except throw some clothes on the motorcycle and take off for a weekend trip) and we've been discussing adopting for a very long time. Well... the decision has been made and I'm about as excited as a person can be! You see, this weekend we are adopting 2 rescue cats from the KC Siamese rescue. Both are between 2 - 3 yrs old, one male and one female.

We decided to get 2 Siamese cats, so they can keep each other company for the times that we are gone overnight. We get the male on Friday morning, and the female on Saturday morning - so I'll post pics soon! Their names now are Requiem and Tiffany - ummm.... I've been giving that some thought too, and I think their new names will be Nip for the lil girl and Tuck for the laid back boy ♥

I hope they like us!!

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Being Irish, I love St. Patrick's Day and here in Kansas City, we hold one of the best celebrations in the nation! The whole Westport area closes down and downtown is a bottleneck of cars and people trying to navigate their way around one of the largest parades you would ever see. So with a glee in my heart, I offer you this simple Irish Blessing:


May your neighbors respect you,
Troubles neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And Heaven accept you.

HAPPY ST. PADDY'S DAY!

Please Don't Pinch...

I'm so afraid that I'll wake up and realize this is just an awesome dream! So please don't pinch me, don't talk to loudly and don't do anything that will jerk me out of my dream, ok?


Most of you know we are in the middle of another awesome TDIPT swap - and I have officially been spoiled rotten by my pal Patty Kelly / Dogpatch Primitives! She took a box and just jam packed it with everything I love - to the point that I couldn't even fit everything in my photo tent for a picture without the side seams showing!

I started unwrapping gifts and took pictures along the way ... so without further adieu, let the photos speak for themselves:

I found this sweet Easter basket, filled with eggs and carrots and one of her sweet Bunnies and tucked in the box was an awesome feedbag that reads "CHICK FEED" on the front.

Very cool....
But as I dug deeper in the box, I started unwrapping the most wonderful treasures - there was some delicious coffee from Tim Hortons, an awesome Americana Vintage Sweet Herb candle that smells heavenly (I've never seen these before, but it's covered with herbs and is just incredible), some cinnamon incense which I cannot wait to burn, delightful teal tinsel from Bethany Lowe, the sweetest single stem sunflower,

and an INCREDIBLE UNCLE SAM shelf sitter.
Now I could have been the happiest girl around if the box stopped there... but it didn't! She also included these amazing treats:

There was a tin filled with the most fragrant dried herb, a sweet cupcake bath bomb, chocolate dipped toffee pistachio candy, a Russell Stover dark chocolate coconut egg and a box of berry blossom white tea! Patty made me feel like the most special girl in the world and I can honestly say her handmades are most amazing! I just cant get over the workmanship, the attention to detail and the wonderful way she creates these treasures.

I can honestly say you have just made my year - Thank you, Patty ♥

The Cause of Christ

Yesterday after church, hubs and I were spending a quiet day enjoying lunch when news came over the television that Pastor Fred Winters was shot and killed in Maryville, Illinois.

I haven't seen much being reported on this and can only assume that authorities are still gathering details to determine exactly what happened, but it has really left me contemplating what I am willing to do for the sake of Christ.

There have been martyrs, too many to count ... good and godly men and women who have suffered and died for the cause of Christ.

We have dear friends who have spent their entire life spreading the gospel to the unsaved in countries of North Africa where it is illegal to be a Christian. If the govenment finds you preaching the gospel in these countries, they can throw you in jail or much worse.

Our dear friends have changed their names twice to deter persecution and arrest from those who try to track them down and yet, they continue to serve. They serve faithfully and fearfully because the God we serve is so much bigger than a crazy man with a gun and a bullet, He is so much bigger than a guard at the borders between countries, and so much bigger than the persecution that could one day be waiting for any of us in our own country when it becomes illegal to firmly stand proclaiming Christ as our Savior.

Our dear friend recently sent a newsletter telling how he was taken to an underground church and preached the Word to a body of 45 believers. They were in a building with no doors or windows, yet the room shone brightly with the presence of the Lord and His Word reaching those whose lives have been changed from a radio message reaching them in the far reaches of North Africa.

There are so many modern day Paul's among us - and just like this dear Pastor who lost his life yesterday, lives are transformed and changed by their actions. An entire tribe of Auca Indian headhunters in the jungles of Ecuador were reached with the gospel of Christ back in 1955 - all because of 5 men willing to suffer for the cause of Christ.

I've learned this morning Pastor Winters is a cousin of 2 brothers that attend my church and he had many ties to Kansas City. My thoughts and prayers are with the family of this Pastor - and my heart grieves for them because of the actions of one man but I only pray that God's Will be done.

For who is going to harm you if you are devoted to what is good? But in fact, if you happen to suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. But do not be terrified of them or be shaken. But set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess. Yet do it with courtesy and respect, keeping a good conscience, so that those who slander your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame when they accuse you. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if God wills it, than for doing evil. Because Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, to bring you to God, by being put to death in the flesh but by being made alive in the spirit. For who is going to harm you if you are devoted to what is good? But in fact, if you happen to suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. But do not be terrified of them or be shaken. But set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess. Yet do it with courtesy and respect, keeping a good conscience, so that those who slander your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame when they accuse you. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if God wills it, than for doing evil. Because Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, to bring you to God, by being put to death in the flesh but by being made alive in the spirit. 1 Peter 3:13-18

Doodlebug is home

We are in the middle of another awesome swap on TDIPT - and it's in full glorious spring swing with boxes being delivered all over the country.

I'm here to tell you, these ladies really know how spoil each other and it's always so much fun to see what each of us receives.

This time around, my swap partner was my buddy Patty Kelly, of Dogpatch Primitives.

My lil "Doodlebug" just arrived on Patty's front porch today and she already phoned to tell me how she fell in love with Patty right away and also to let me know that she is going to be so happy in her new home.

And if Doodlebug is happy, that makes me happy ♥

Join us on March 31st !

I was just made aware of a movement in progress that has really sparked my attention and it's all for the plight of the unborn baby.

ABORTION is something near and dear to me - it's the first thing I ask when looking at anyone in the political ring and the current actions of our new President have me so distressed, I'm jumping at the chance to do anything with the hope and prayer to change his heart in his support of Abortion funding.

Obama has been in office less than 2 months and already has made sweeping movements that grieve my heart to the core. He has signed executive orders releasing funds to pay for abortions, permission to fund human stem cell research, and federal funding for contraception. I for one have NEVER supported any of these things - I do not want any of my money going to support these things - not now... not ever.

If you feel the same, won't you check out the
RED ENVELOPE?
It's a very simple act that has potential to open eyes to the plight of the unborn - and while you're at it, support another wonderful group called
Abort73.com
they are all about education and help in saving the life of the unborn. They have some awesome clothing, hats, bags and other goods you can purchase as a means of support.

The time has come to move out of our role of complacency - it's time to show some action - it's time to shake some feathers and wake folks up out of their slumber to what is really going on out there. I would share this Utube with you as well, and hope you have a few minutes to listen.

Meet McKay Hatch

While I was fixing supper tonight, I had the TV on in the background ... more for noise than anything else, I 'spose.

But something caught my attention - and as I listened more intently, I heard adults (I wont call them grownups) leaving threatening phone messages for a 14 year old boy in Southern California. And these were not idle threats - adults were saying they would hurt him, shoot him, and even kill this kid!

Why??? Because he has started a club called the NO CUSSING CLUB.

He started this club in 2007 and now has members in every state. I really really admire the kid and if I had any children, I'd encourage them to join it too. You've gotta check him out ... what an awesome kid!

Good for you McKay ... I'm proud of you ♥

My new hero is Ed Barnett!

The email says this is an actual 'Letter to the Editor' from the February 5th edition of the Wichita Falls , Texas Times Record News... - I really hope it is, because it's just Phenomenal !

Dear IRS,

I am sorry to inform you that I will not be able to pay taxes owed April 15, but all is not lost.

I have paid these taxes: accounts receivable tax, building permit tax, CDL tax, cigarette tax, corporate income tax, dog licence tax, federal income tax, unemployment tax, gasoline tax, hunting licence tax, fishing licence tax, waterfowl stamp tax, inheritance tax, inventory tax, liquor tax, luxury tax, medicare tax, city, school and county property tax (up 33 percent last 4 years), real estate tax, social security tax, road usage tax, toll road tax, state and city sales tax, recreational vehicle tax, state franchise tax, state unemployment tax, telephone federal excise tax, telephone federal state and local surcharge tax, telephone minimum usage surcharge tax, telephone state and local tax, utility tax, vehicle licence registration tax, capitol gains tax, lease severance tax, oil and gas assessment tax, Colorado property tax, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Oklahoma and New Mexico sales tax, and many more that I can't recall but I have run out of space and money.

When you do not receive my check April 15, just know that it is an honest mistake. Please treat me the same way you treated Congressmen Charles Rangle, Chris Dodd, Barney Frank and ex-Congressman Tom Dashelle and, of course, your boss Timothy Geithner. No penalties and no interest.

P.S. I will make at least a partial payment as soon as I get my stimulus check.

Ed Barnett

Wichita Falls

It's a Sad Day for All of Us

I grew up listening to Paul Harvey and his bits of wisdom that he would share each afternoon as we sat in the car at lunchtime or drove home from school or work.

He was an American Icon that you never gave much attention to - you usually wouldn't find yourself talking about him around the water cooler - but his wonderful little daily quips would always leave you feeling good and trusting the world to be a better place because of the news he just shared with you.

So it's with a heavy heart that I bid farewell to a wonderful man who brought integrity and truth and honesty, along with a smile in my daily boring grind.

I can honestly say that my day was just not complete without hearing on the radio:

"Paul Harvey. [long pause] Good day!"

It's a Birthday Celebration!

The TDIPT Mercantile is celebrating it's 2nd anniversary and we think that is an awesome reason to celebrate !!

There are some wonderful offerings that were listed on the 1st - and even more will be loading up on the 15th for your delight and pleasure!

As well, several of the members have donated some knockout creations to be given away - I am offering this sweet Party Girl as part of the drawing-
It's so simple to be entered in the drawing: Just make sure you are signed up on our mailing list that is sent out - If you receive the newsletter now, you are in the running!

But it gets even better... any purchase made from March 1st through March 20th will be eligible for two entries in the drawings!

Be sure to go check out all the awesome gifts and take a moment to get registered for the goods that are being given away - you won't want to miss out on this one, folks!