Cats on Tuesday: Amber has culture

Amber sez, dis is how I lik to spend my Sundays gettin "culture". Da beans spend dere time lookin at these paper things.

I prefer to absorb my knowledge dis way.

I don't think it matters which way it happens, do you?

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Today's small blessings so far:

1. Heidi's bus was on time today so we didn't have to wait long. Yesterday, the bus hadn't shown up by 7:30 so we ended up driving her to work. Luckily there were some things we needed from the store.

2. It's supposed to get up to around 60 today. I'm thankful for the mild winter we've been experiencing!

3. Heidi gets back to town around the same time Kristin gets dropped off today so I'm grateful I'm not going back and forth.

4. Munchkin's ears have been looking better although I'm not sure the ear mite infection is totally cleared up.

5. I'm so glad I collected so many CDs over the years. Now I have plenty of music to listen to when I'm sick of the radio station's play list.

Making a toolbox with Tomas

On Saturday, our little guy came over with his father for a few hours of fun. We had them come over earlier than usual because we wanted to start out by taking T to the flea market. The project this week was to make a tool box and we thought to pick up some tools for T. He seemed really into it.

I was surprised at how few people were at the flea market. TB said most people show up on Thursday or Sunday. Hm. I would have thought Saturday would be a big day too, but that's all right. We didn't have to fight any crowds. There weren't a lot of people selling tools but TB managed to find a good collection to start T off and it cost us only $12.

We went back home, had lunch, and then headed to TB's workshop. T wanted to paint stripes on his birdhouse so that was the first thing to do.

Next, T peeled off all the blue paper to reveal the stripes!

TB and T are using a drill press to make holes in the pieces for the toolbox. The holes will make it easier for T to hammer nails in.

T hasn't entirely gotten the hang of hammering but he's catching on fast. It just takes practice!

Once the toolbox was together, it was time for T to paint his name on it. His favorite color is red and so that is what he chose.

T decided he wanted to paint the whole tool box red and so TB is showing him how best to hold the brush. It's all painted and dry by now so when he comes over next weekend, he'll just need to paint his name again in a different color. I'm hoping it's a nice day so we can then go to the park or playground!

Tomas is such a joy for TB and me. The unconditional love strengthens us when we feel low and his energy inspires us to set aside our aches and pains. Grandchildren are very good for health and well being!

Small blessings:

1. What I just wrote above -- the energy bursts I get from being around our Little T. The rest of being with him, well, those are big blessings.

2. I think Kristin's financial aid is finally coming through. Long story.

3. Alcatraz looks like it's going to be a good series. I need something to follow as avidly as I followed Lost.

4. Jorge Garcia is in the series! He was my favorite actor from Lost.

5. Kristin gets dropped off for work and Heidi gets picked up from the bus stop at about the same time. The good thing about that is that the bus stop is just yards from the store where Kristin works. The other good thing is that I don't have to go back and forth today. That happens sometimes...but not today!

World Without End by Ken Follet

I so enjoyed this book but, I have to say, not as much as The Pillars of the Earth. I'll get to why in a minute.

World Without End takes place 200 years later than Pillars in the same town of Kingbridge. It opens with four children doing what kids like to do--playing in the woods. Their play is interrupted by violence: a man is attacked by two others. Three of the children are able to get away as the two attackers are killed. The fourth child enters into a pact with the surviving victim. They hide a certain something and it's not to be spoken of ever unless the man dies.

Fast forward ten years. The children have all grown up and are pursuing different paths in life. The secret something remains buried, just waiting to be uncovered. The book spans a good 25 years, following the fortune and misfortune of each of the four. There is a true love, soul mates type romance in the story that is continually frustrated. There's triumph and tragedy in the story. There is also that dreadful disease that wiped out half the population in the Middle Ages: the plague. And does the secret ever become exposed? Read to find out!

Now here's why I didn't enjoy it as much as Pillars. I think I read it too soon afterward. At first I thought the characters would be completely different but then I realized there were a lot of similarities. The lead hero and lead heroine are almost interchangeable between both books. Even the heros look alike. The love affairs go through many trials and tribulations, similar but different.
There is a cruel, amoral earl in both Pillars and World. There are kind and decent monks and there are selfish, self-centered monks in both books. In both books, there are characters that carry grudges throughout a lifetime. I don't think I would have noticed it much if I'd read a bunch of books in between the two.

I would definitely recommend both books to anyone but I would also advise not to read them back to back like I did!

Cats on Tuesday: Hibernation Mode

CATS ON TUESDAY is a group of cat lovers who share pictures and/or stories about their cats once a week, hosted by Gattina.

I haven't had much luck getting pictures of the gang doing anything but sleeping. They do play but by the time I get my camera, they've moved on to other things. It's not just the cold weather that makes them sleepy. Today is a nice, mild day.

Indigo

Mouse

Munchkin

Amber

Cubby sez, uh oh, Mommy Bean's at it again wid da fwashy ting!

Kosmo sez, don' worry 'boud it. Just kwose your eyes and go back to s'eep and she'll go 'way!

Better luck next time!

Want more cat blogging?

Be sure to check out Gattina's blog and Blogging Cat Noos for all the latest!

Today's small blessings:

1. The vet's going to let us buy ear mite medicine for Munchkin without making an appointment for her. So we just have to pay for the medicine.

2. My daughter has to work on her birthday today but at least she's got a day shift and can have a hot meal with us at dinner. :)

3. My other daughter has the day off. I like it when all or most of the family can be together on birthdays and holidays.

Man Cat Monday: Cubby's Nest

Cubby's got a couple of nesting spots throughout the house. There are two in our bedroom closet, at least one in TB's shop, another one under TB's desk and then there's this one.

Cubby sez, with Mommy Bean and her flashy ting I can't always get all the privacy I want.

Pwease go away now and lemme nap in peace!

Some recent small blessings I'm grateful for:

1. We didn't get a lot of snow, just a couple of inches, over the weekend. We can have a snow drought this year--I don't mind!

2. The weather's supposed to be in the 50s and 40s this week. I like that--a week of consistency!

3. It's been fun watching DVDs with the kids over the last couple of weeks. The library is a wonderful resource for movies and Walmart has some for $5.

4. I haven't heard anything back about the CAT scan I had for the possible adenoma on my left kidney and the chest scan. It's been over a week. No news is good news?

5. Today, I don't have to do any driving until 5. That's a nice break from yesterday, when there was a lot of driving.

6. I use this as a small blessing a lot but it really means a lot to me in the mornings: our coffee maker with a timer. Some mornings we have to be up at 4 a.m. and it's a blessing to have nice, hot coffee waiting for us!

7. Kristin organized my recipes for me. I re-discovered recipes I tried once on the family and they really liked it but it got "lost" amongst all the others.

8. This morning I took a shower and the bathroom was nice and warm thanks to our space heater.

9. Munchkin has ear mites again but we still have medicine to treat her.

10. Walmart has a store brand for different products. One is lemonade. I like to make a pitcher and then mix it with my lemon tea protein. It tastes so good to me and definitely makes drinking the protein mix easier!