In Case You Missed Me...

Just a quick update... this summer has been really rough as far as health concerns.

In May, I had a couple of days where my back was spasming pretty consistently and I ended up going to the urgent treatment clinic for some pain meds.

Later that same month (2 weeks later), I contracted the chicken pox... seriously. :-) Yet another trip to the urgent treatment clinic.

Then, on June 3rd, I slipped down some stairs and broke my right ankle and sprained the left. This time, a trip to the emergency room! I had surgery on the 13th and am recovering VERY slowly. Needless to say, my summer has pretty much been ruined, as I love to swim and I can't with a cast/boot on my ankle.

Anyway, I have a couple of posts I am working on, but the percacet has made me pretty spacey and I want to make sure they are coherent before I publish them...

E. :-)

Fur-Baby Friday!

This is me with my very first little guy, Socks Arthur Hill. He was my 10th birthday present. I had begged my parents for a cat for years, and my mom finally gave in June 5th, 1990. This photo was taken the next year. I am pretty sure I was 11 in this photo, but it may have been the Spring before I turned 11. Socks turned my dad into a cat-person, and he cemented my love for all things feline. He was a Maine Coon mix, and an absolute character. Socks lived to the age of 17.

Happy Birthday, Annabelle!

Today my sweet girl turns 3 years old! It's hard to believe that she has only been with me 2 1/2 years, it seems like she's always been there! So, today it's all about sweet Annabelle. 

Annabelle is hands down the troublemaker of my four cats. She has an inherent ability to sniff out trouble. From sleeping in the clothes dryer, to dashing out into the hallway every chance she  gets, to becoming stranded atop a very high bookshelf, Annabelle likes adventure! 

 

  But, she's also my cat who loves to snuggle and has quite a sweet little purr. She follows me from room to room and asks (demands) that I pet her and scratch her chin. 

 

 

 We have a morning routine whereby she comes running when the alarm goes off, waits outside the shower for me to finish so she can lick the tub, and then retreats to her special corner to wait for her favorite time of the day... treat time.

She is very much a girl after my own heart in that she will try any food, even if it's just once. She has been known to eat hummus, pesto, pretzels, kool-aid, corn on the cob, garlic greens, and maple syrup. She doesn't ask whether she can have a bite, however, and often times I'll come around the corner after returning to the kitchen to grab something, and she'll already have my dinner in her mouth. Just last night she stole a shrimp from my plate... apparently she is a fan of crispy orange shrimp. 

 

 

 

 Annabelle is into exercise. She is by far my most active cat, despite her robust stature. :-) She chases bugs, laser pointers, and sometimes things only she can see. She likes wrestling with her feline siblings, and has been known to give me a love nip or two. :-) These past two summers have been especially exciting as we have had pigeon babies on our porch and she chatters non-stop at Momma pigeon and the babies. 

 

  Annabelle was not an easy cat when she first came to live with me. I got her from a friend because of her penchant for scratching and biting any living thing... especially hands and feet. Of all the cats I've fostered/adopted, she took the longest to train. She was so wild at the beginning that she slept in my bedroom sequestered from the other cats, while I slept on the couch. I was actually afraid she would attack me in my sleep. I spent two months sleeping on the couch, and it took seven months before I felt comfortable letting her off a leash around my other cats. I remember warning friends that if she were to bite them, they shouldn't pull back because she would break the skin. But, we worked hard at understanding the word "no," and slowly but surely she became an amazingly tender cat. 

 

 I love her more than words can express, and can't imagine what I would do without her entertaining antics. So, Happy Birthday, sweet girl, I look forward to many more years of hilarity with you in my life!

Fur-Baby Friday!

Annabelle is a very adventurous girl. But last weekend she found herself in a tough place. I heard her meowing from the dining room area, and at first I ignored it. Eventually it got a little more fervent and I went to see what the fuss was all about... here's what I found...  

 

  Yep, this little troublemaker was perched atop a bookshelf with no idea how to get down.

Zeke found the situation pretty amusing and seemed to taunt Annabelle a little...

  

Mom, how do I get down?  

  

By the end, she looked pretty amused with herself... 

 

 

Of course, after I grabbed my camera and snapped a few photos, I helped her down, but gosh I love this girl, she makes me laugh every day!

Fur-Baby Friday!

Zeke loves his Uncle Roman!

yes, I know we're crazy...

Yes, I live in Kentucky.

Yes, my sister and her husband live in Kentucky.

Yes, I know, the NCAA championship game in basketball tonight is between Kentucky and Kansas.

Yes, we may have been the only two weirdos in Kentucky wearing Kansas gear.

Yes, we may have been the only two crazies in Kentucky who were sad at the outcome of the championship game.

But, we were.

Especially with all the illegal, thug-like action that happened after the victory. Yep, Kentucky winning meant embarassment.

I bet Kansas wouldn't have behaved that way.

Fur-Baby Friday!!!

This is what you'll find most mornings in my bed. I sleep on the left side of the bed, and my fur-babies sleep on the other side... of course, I'm the only one who gets up when the alarm goes off.

What a life, eh?

Fur-Baby Friday!!!

Slowly stepping back into blogging... excited about where I hope to take this blog, but I am going to have to spend some time researching other successful blogs.

In the mean time...

This sweet boy makes me happy...

I was blessed to do a transport for this boy and I fell in love... Story forthcoming... But, today I miss him and want to snuggle him!!!

Coming out of silence for this one...

***Happy Update: Oksana is listed on the "My Family Found Me" page again... prayers that it works out this time!***

I am so sad right now - there are just no other words to describe my mood. In October I posted here, here, and here about how excited I was that my sweet Oksana had found a family. Since then I have checked and checked the Reece's Rainbow website and she has remained on the "My Family Found Me" page, but has not moved to the "Homestudy in Progress," "Traveling Now," or "Almost There" page. To be truthful, I knew there was a problem. I had a sinking feeling that for some reason this wasn't going to work out for her, and again I started praying for a family for her. Well, I was right, and there she was listed on the "Waiting Children" page when I checked today. So, to recap, someone decided they wanted to bring her home enough to commit to the organization that they would work hard to give this sweet girl a home and family. As a result, she was moved off the page of available children for FOUR MONTHS and then they just backed out. Yes, there are a lot of things I don't know about her situation or the situation of the potential family, but I don't care. I am devastated for her. She's such a lovie, and my heart breaks that she could be transferred soon. She deserves better. She deserves (and needs) a family.

if you haven't figured it out...

I am taking a break and assessing where I want to go in the new year. I have been working on a number of blog posts, and trying to get them just right, but they aren't there yet. My involvement in animal rescue has become increasingly important over the last 3 months, and I want to reflect that here; but, I don't want to turn my back on these sweet lil orphans in Eastern Europe, or my desire to adopt in a few years. Finding a way to make it all fit is what's holding me up. Till I figure it out, I am taking a break.

Much love,
Elizabeth