It snowed again last night

Ho hum

Big surprise.

Concentrate

She may not notice.
Act Natural.
Nothing to see here.
Move along now.

OH my! These ar almst as gud az . . . sardines

http://www.plaguerats.co.uk/

Why can't I?

I'm a very good driver.

Where's Dougal?

Laser Beams locked--so unfortunately Mom found me right away.

Get . . . off . . .the . . . table!

Mom set the tables up for family Christmas . . . .it's like a big cat walk. And BEING a cat walk, I'm cat walking on it.

I so enjoy the 26 foot table set up.


"WHAT?!"

Geez mom is yelling at me again.

"You talking to me?"

Where are MY presents?

Pete's Route

Pete's Route starts from the back yard--cutting through from Fischer's to our house. He crosses the driveway, sometimes sniffs at the garage door and then politely walks along the front path to the front step. Sometimes Pete checks in with us at the window. (He didn't today because there's a lot of water dripping off the eaves this morning.) Then he crosses in front of the Library windows and heads on to Southhampton Drive.

His report is most reassuring. "Perimeter secured. No unusual activity. All is well."

Mom and Dad have never seen Pete.
He's a ghost, in the night.
Probably a former Ranger or SEAL.

He slips in under cover of night.
Leaving only carefully crafted footprints.
Day to day he will find the same foot prints and use them over an over. We only see the new prints when there's fresh snow fall.

(Which right now has been every silly day! . . . There is SO much snow right now. It's like it's all being delivered early. What will be left for January, February and March? . . . . . . mom just advised me to, "Not think about that right now. It's Christmas Eve Day, let's worry about how Santa's going to make it tonight." )

YIPES!!!!

SANTA!!!!!


I forgot about the jolly old elf.

QUICK! Make cookies! Shovel the roof! Get the stockings hung!

OH NO! I forgot to be GOOD!!!

hope he didn't notice anything

Permission to Nap

. . . good morning . . . .

~~yawn~~

Well . . . see ya. This nap isn't going to get started on its own.

snuggle snuggle . . . .~~heavy sigh~~ . . .

Oh this is nice.

Procrastination

Procrastination is the thief of time.
--Edward Young


Not sure what that means . . . I'll think about it later.

Right now . . . STREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETCH . . . . this is a good place for a nap.

Oh the weather outside if frightful!

Mom and Dad went out yesterday afternoon and after many many hours they brought back . . .
I believe it's Jim and
WHOA!
Is that you Jon?

DUDE!

It's so very very good to see you!

Do you have any sardines?

Snow ho ho

Nearly 12 inches of snow yesterday.
Mom and Dad went to work but couldn't get in the driveway when they got home. Dad had to break out the new snow blower.
Dinner didn't get served until 8:30!
What is up with that!

And NO yogurt yesterday.

I would grumble and complain but . . . .
well . . . there's always Pete the Cat.

I don't want to go outside.
I don't want to do the neighborhood watch patrol
ESPECIALLY not in 12 inches of snow.

So I'll just behave myself . . . and perhaps lick lick lick lick lick this plastic bag.

What you really need is

Oh





Hi Dad



You're home





I'm sure after your long journey you'd like some yogurt. Wouldnt' you like some yogurt? Yogurt is just what you need. Seriously. Right now.

Yogurt

yogurt

yogurt



I'm telling you want you need.

Do you not hear me?



Jeeze Dad . . . how can I help when you won't listen?

Dad, please come home

Dear Dad,

I'm so sorry you were unable to get home last night.

Mom showed me the snow storm radar and how it was tracking around Chicago.

We were very worried. All that blue meanie cloud of snow was pretty freaky.

Mom mopped the floor and made 3 more Pomanders. I thought she said PONY so I watched for a bit and then fell asleep. Boooooooooooooooooooooring

Orange and Clove Pomanders
Start by using the toothpick to make holes in your orange. This hole will be used to put the whole clove into. Keep adding the cloves until your whole orange is covered. Use some ribbon to tie a large bow around the orange for hanging. These make great end of year gifts for kids to give teachers and make nice table decorations for Christmas functions and parties.

What makes an excellent snowy evening?

It involves Brown.

Ode to Yogurt

Yum

Yum

Yum

Love

Love

Love

YOGURT

Gnarls Barkley NAILS it!

"Basically I'm complicated
I have a hard time taking the easy way
I wouldn't call it schizophrenia
But I'll be at least 2 people today"

This could be my song . . .
OR THIS could be my song . . . .

"I remember when,
I remember, I remember when I lost my mind
There was something so pleasant about that place.
Even your emotions had an echo
In so much space
And when you're out there
Without care,
Yeah,
I was out of touch
But it wasn't because I didn't know enough
I just knew too much
Does that make me crazy"

Thanks Mom for leaving your iPod plugged in over night.
And no . . . I have absolutely NO idea why it isn't working this morning.

Snowman Army

Excellent

Mom is building me my own snowman army.

Easy as

One Two

Three

Old Fashioned Rolled Out Sugar Cookies

(You too can build your own snowman army)

1/2 c. Shortening (Mom uses butter, Gma uses Crisco)

1 c. white sugar

1 egg

1/2 c milk (Mom uses skim milk, Gma uses 2%)

3 c flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 TBL baking POWDER (not baking soda--they taste nasty with baking soda)

1/2 tsp vanilla

Roll out to 1/8 to 1/4 inch on floured surface and cut into desired shapes. Bake in 350 degree oven until edges begin to brown slightly (8-10 minutes depending on how thick the dough is.)

TIP: The less you handle and roll out the dough--the more tender the cookies. Rolling out over and over and over again creates a tougher, crunchier cookies.

This is the recipe that began in the kitchen of Great Aunt Mary (Great Gma Teske's sister) and has become a family favorite.

What do you mean you have to be GOOD to get presents?

Define "good."

Down in Front!

This is MY photo shoot, brother dear. Get out of the shot!

WAIT!

Before you get that camera out, let me spiff up a bit!

Yeah, well

I THOUGHT it was a real tree and many parts of a pine tree are edible.

Cat TAILS?
Are you kidding me?
Cat Tails aren't edible!
~~SHUDDER~~~~

heh heh heh

I have ways of making a squeaky mouse talk!

Snow
Nature's intriguing carbon paper
recording visits by Pete the Cat
On his morning route checking
neighborhood security perimeters
Snow
Transient yet powerful
A gathering mob of passive resistance
immobilizing communities
Stopping the sardine shipments
holding up UPS deliveries and canceling school
Snow
Just a tiny little ice crystal so very beautiful by itself
So enchanting when frosting evergreens and holiday lights
So annoying when you have to move it from sidewalks and roadways
Snow
Ingenious cosmic trick.

So subtle.

So pervasive.

Creating such ambivalence.
I love you snow, when I am inside.
I love you snow, when you keep us home--together--
I love you snow, when you stay on your side of the wall.

But take CARE!
Don't be bringing that icky white stuff in here.
Don't you realize it is just a disguise?
Don't you realize that as soon as it's achieved it's mission,
deluding you into a deceitful sense of complacency
it transforms
morphing
into
evil
wet
clinging
dangerous
chemical madness . . . .

H2O

Detective Cat

Boxes
Up from Basement
Tree
In Living Room
Mini-lights illuminating the midnight hour
Something's up
Something's coming
Nervous
Twitchy
Itchy
My skin tells me something's . . . oh hey . . . this is a great place to take a nap.

Dear Santa

I have been a very good cat this year.
Well a pretty good cat.
Okay . . . I've been a cat.

I know that you have many deserving cats around the world. I would like to point out that none of them are as handsome and talented as I am.

I volunteer for "Pools for Penguins" ( the Avian version of Habitat for Humanity. I'm sure you're familiar with it.)
I give my old cat toys to needy cats and/or chipmunks, whomever needs them the most.
I attend school all the time and work as a tutor with my mom and dad, teaching them the language of cats and the power of gravity. They have learned much under my tutelage.

I haven't sworn one freakin' bit all year.

I would dearly love the following items for Christmas:
a new squeeky mouse
a bright red chili pepper
a rollie ball with jingle bells inside
a sparkly new collar
sardines (or tuna . . . . either would be fine.)
a penguin pen pal
and a pony.

Yes . . . I know. . . I have asked for pony before.
I don't know what else a cat has to do to get a pony.

If you would be so kind as to deliver these in unmarked bags to my home on Christmas eve, I will know they are from you and be sure to write a thank you.

Seriously.

I will.


LOVE LOVE LOVE
Dougal