May Old Acquaintance (never) Be Forgot....

Well, it's the end of 2008. The year can't end soon enough for me! This has been a very hard year for many, including Possumlady. Serious health issues for many in my immediate family, along with the death of three of my cats. Any year that a cat dies marks it as a sad year for me. When three die, words cannot describe it.

Oh my heart aches looking at all these photos, especially Butterball's. I still miss him somethin' awful. Sweet Pea has taken up the slack in becoming the new Leader of the Pack, but he does NOT suffer fools! No, benevolence does not seem to be part of Sweet Pea's style of leadership. It certainly was with the B-man though.

I did not have either Sunkist or Greybeard as long as Butterball, but they fast became members of my family and the lack of their presence in my house makes it less of a home.

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Okay, enough with the sadness. My current pack have been begging me to put up the video of them opening up their Christmas toys from their most favorite Auntie, Auntie Michele. This is the second year she has given the herd an entire box of toys. Last year, they were all red. This year the theme was green!

Can you see the little snowman cat hammock? I won it in yet another cat raffle!! I honestly didn't think it would hold my husky gents but behold...

Woody and Sweet Pea, each weighing in at over 15 pounds each.

Here's Figaro, using Woody as a chin rest.

Here's Sweet Pea in a slightly staged photo ;-)

Here's hoping 2009 is a MUCH better year for everyone!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

'twas the Night Before Christmas...

...and all through the house



not a creature was stirring

not even a mouse

From all of us at Possumlady Place, we wish that your travels are safe and that you've gotten to where you need to go!

Eat, drink and take lots of naps!!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Trees, Snow, and Bookcases

I've never had a Christmas Tree of my own. I do love looking at them but they always seemed like too much bother for me. It's hard enough keeping my head above water trying to keep my house in order and all the animal inhabitants healthy and sated. The idea of getting a Christmas Tree, or Christmas decorations for that matter, did not appeal to me at all.

Then my mom passed away in February of 2005. While my family in Minnesota were going through her things they asked if I wanted her little table-top artificial tree, prelit, and it came with a number of little ornaments. Oh yes, please! So, since then, Possumlady has had a Christmas Tree with the BIGGEST surprise being that the cats completely leave it alone! Yesterday was the day to put it up.

Isn't she a cute little thing! You probably can't see them but years ago someone gave me a dozen cute little painted wood cat ornaments that I finally found and added this year.

We are getting the coldest weather of the season this weekend. The wind is starting to pick up and we should be getting gusts up to 40 mph bringing the windchill to the single digits today! Last night we had our first snowfall. Just a dusting on the branches this morning but it was pretty nonetheless. I took a little video and not sure if you will be able to see anything but I'll give it a shot.

I think two of the most dreaded words are "assembly required." I've been looking for a small bookcase for my bedroom for over eight months. I know what I'm looking for. Something with a little style, not just a basic rectangle. I've scoured flea markets, Craigslist, used furniture stores and catalogs. I finally found one that was the closest to what I was looking for from the catalog Plow and Hearth. Yes, it has the dreaded "assembly required" attached to it, but really, how hard could it be???

Here is everything right out of the box

Little Oliver checking that things are in order

Sweet Pea--Possumlady's official Snooperviser.

And this is as far as I've gotten. Why? Because the left-hand side does not line up with the holes drilled into the ledges. It's off by just a hair. Arrgh!!!! I don't want to send it back because if I can get it together I really to love how it looks. I think someone with knowledge of power tools will need to come over and drill the holes a little wider on one side for it to fit. Any takers???

Look What I Won!

A box arrived yesterday from Moki's mom filled with all sorts of cat goodies. I won a raffle that was held to help with Moki's medical expenses. I must tell you that Possumlady NEVER wins ANYTHING, so this was such a delight and a total surprise. And, the very best news is that Moki is feeling much better. He is eating and drinking again and even walking around a bit. His temperature is still not up to the normal levels but it is not dropping dangerously low either.

I'd like to show you everything I received but the cat magnets are already on my fridge. The cute cat plate was used last night to serve some leftover turkey treats to the gang. The pottery bowl is absolutely beautiful! Did someone in the CB make that too? I just love that some of the things are home made.

Here's Chloe checking out the box after flipping around the cute little catnip mouse. The book "The World is your Litter Box" is now sitting on my bedside table waiting to be read.

Chloe again, reaching for the homemade catnip fishy. Sweet Pea (you can see his ears) is waiting for a chance to pounce on it.

Here is Figaro testing the huge catnip filled pillow and catnip fishy on the beautiful homemade cat blanket/bed.

I'm just glad that I was able to help Moki's family in a small way. My cats are VERY happy I did too!

To Give Thanks and to ask for Prayers

Even with all the griping and fear about the current economy, I still have so much to be thankful for. Mainly that all my kitties are all for the most part healthy and happy. I say for the most part because there is always one or two with some kind of allergy or respiratory or stomach or teeth issue. Nothing life threatening, just annoyances. And, I can afford the vet bills when it is necessary to bring one of them in.


The blogsphere is another thing that I'm thankful for. To all you who I've gotten to know through your comments on my blog and from your own blog, thank you so much for your friendship, advice and good wishes.


The cat blogsphere is also amazing. There are so many out there taking in strays and fostering shelter cats spending enormous amounts of their own money. When someone is dealing with mounting vet bills, someone else will hold an auction or raffle to help out. If you read the comments on my past post on pinching pennies you noticed that I won a raffle that was held to help Moki and his family with medical bills. As thrilled as I was to have won the raffle, it has been tempered by the fact that Moki is not getting any better. Moki was taken in over a year ago as a foster kitten. He developed a severe neurological disorder that the vets think was a virus that was spread from his mother. Even with his severe disorder, Moki seems like such a happy and contented kitty. He recently developed a severe urinary tract infection, along with his temperature becoming dangerously low. Moki's family was hoping his temperature problems were a symptom of his UTI but the UTI is now clearing up yet his temp remains low. The real fear now is that the virus that has been dormant is now surfacing and affecting the part of his brain that regulates body temperature.

Here is a photo of Moki all bundled up trying to get his temperature up. You can read more about him at his blog savemoki.blogspot.com. So, I'm asking for your good thoughts and prayers for little Moki and his family this Thanksgiving.

With that, on this Thanksgiving Day, I'd like to leave you with some words from Rev. David O. Rankin, a Unitarian Universalist minister:

I declare a Sabbath Day--to walk in the wilderness of enlarged perceptions; I declare a release from work--to nourish the stamina to pursue ideals; I declare a special hour--to help cherish life's joys and combat life's sorrows; I declare a reign of holiness--to deepen our grounding in the sustaining mystery.

I declare a time for simply being and letting go, for rediscovering great, forgotten truths, for basking in the arts of the ages, and for learning how to live again.

Have a blessed and restful Thanksgiving. From all of us at Possumlady Place (just a fraction of which is represented in the above photo)! Oh, and I DO make my bed! This photo was taken very early one cold morning as I just got out of bed--really, it was ;-)

Pinching Pennies

Oh I had thought I had gotten over the time in my life when I had to watch every penny. Yes, I have made some very silly financial mistakes in my early years of living on my own--all a part of growing up. I also had the defeatist attitude that I would never make much money so there was no reason to worry about it.

When I started thinking about buying a home my attitude changed. I started reading books on finances and started contributing to my retirement account at work. I stopped getting a permanent and salon hair color. Just little things like bringing soda from home as opposed to buying cans at a vending machine started to add up. It was fun to see my savings account get larger.

Then I bought my home (no small feat for a single gal), having to almost completely deplete my savings account to do so. I was once again thrust into the poor house. That first year was nothing short of miserable. I existed off of baked potatoes for lunch and homemade cheese quesadillas for dinner. No new clothes (including underwear!) for the entire year. I remember if I got really depressed I would go to the local drugstore and treat myself to a new nail polish color! I NEVER went out for lunch or dinner. Any money I could scrape together would go for such exotic items as trash cans, garden hoses, rakes and snow shovels.

But, I kept plugging away. It’s been ten years since I bought my home and every year things would get a little more financially comfortable. Until last year. I have a set amount of money that is automatically put into my savings account with every paycheck. Starting last year I noticed I had to dip into it every now and then just to make it to the next pay period. By early this year, almost every month the entire amount automatically saved has had to be transferred to my checking account to keep me going. Now granted, I’m still putting a sizeable amount extra into my monthly mortgage so I can have my home paid off in seven years. That is something I will not compromise on. I NEED that security of a mortgage-free home by my mid to late 50s as opposed to my early 70s!

I also won’t compromise on my cats’ food. I was reading a blog and someone commented that she had switched her cats to store brand food to save money and they will just have to get used to it. Not me. That’s like me saying I’ll have MacDonalds dollar hamburger and fries every night to save money.

You know what else I won’t compromise on?? Toilet paper! I remember when I first moved to Washington, DC. I lived on Capitol Hill a block away from work at the Dirksen Senate Office Building. I lived in an old rowhouse with a roommate and I had the responsibility of keeping the bathroom clean and supplied with soap and toilet paper. The Dirksen Senate Office building is an old building with wide, dimly lit marble staircases where the housekeeping staff would keep their rolling carts of supplies on the landings. Well, I guess I sort of….stole toilet paper from the carts. Talk about tissue-paper thin! It was awful and scratchy to boot. I’ve been a Charmin girl ever since!

Can I cut back? Sure. Again, I just figured that at closing in on 50 years old, I should not have to be worried about every little penny. One luxury I afford myself is that instead of bringing my lunch every day, I buy a 5.00 sandwich down the block from my office. Always the same, chicken salad on toast. So, this weekend I bought some crackers, cheese and some good Tabouleh and have brought that to work. I’ll eat that every other day and continue to be able to get my chicken salad sandwich a couple times a week. I still don’t go out to dinner or movies.

So this past weekend I’m at Petsmart and privately lamenting the HUGE increases in the cost of cat food when I see these cute little cat toy mousies. Oh aren’t they adorable! The cats would LOVE them. I look at the price--$6.49. Must……resist……toy……mousies!! I hang them back up and feeling quite proud of myself round the corner to the check out line when I see another sign…all cat beds on sale. Well, I’m not too enthused by them. But wait! Is that a tassled PINK quilted cat bed I see buried underneath a big pile. It IS..It IS a tassled PINK quilted cat bed and on SALE for only $14.00!! Oh, this would look SOOO cute on my bed, wouldn’t it? Oh and look, it has a zipper that you can take out the padding and wash the cover. My eyes were glazed over at that point and with a big smile on my face, dropped the bed in my cart. Was it worth it?

I think......

the cats.....

Approve!!

What about you? Are you feeling the pinch? Are there things that you just won't compromise on? Enquiring minds want to know.

Brrrr!

First morning below freezing. I'm in Possumlady Heaven!!