Hope Speaks Softly

Hello all you cats out there. This is Hope and while you have heard about me quite a bit from my big sister Shilgiah, I haven't really talked for myself so since Shilgiah and Tommy are sleeping, this seemed like a good opportunity to chat.

I really like my balcony and share it with my brother and sister who think it is theirs.

As you know, January 20th 2009 was the day I found my true and real mom and so she named me Hope. Never in my life was I able to trust people or other cats much...until recently. So, I was kind of scared for a few months and when I get scared I scream and growl and use my lethal claws to try to protect myself.

During the past month, I have really begun to feel so comfortable that I rarely feel like doing those things and even enjoy napping in the same room with my sibs. I still like to have my study to myself at night. Food is always there when I need a nibble. Still, I do like to stand in the kitchen on my back legs and stretch up to where mom is getting our soft supper and meow politely (o.k. well almost politely). I'm happy now and not scared anymore. I even curl up on my mom's lap and purr 'cause I am so content.

I hope all of you kitties and your human moms and dads have a really nice week to come!

Our Present

Our present to our Mom was to let her sleep late today. Normally, Tommy and I play "thundering herd of elephants" almost every morning before the sun comes up. However, last night before bedtime Tommy, me and Hope talked about what to do for mother's day and decided it would be nice to let mom sleep late even if it meant we had to wait longer for breakfast. I think it was a very kind thing to do...

We appreciate all you do for us Mom!

I think mom was very pleased with our present of extra sleep. When she woke up and got her coffee, she opened the balcony just for us to enjoy the warm mid-morning.

We hope all you Moms had a very Happy Mothers Day!

Fourteen Snowflakes, Hail and Thunder!

What a strange weekend! Yesterday, I was awakened from a nice nap when suddenly there was this rumbling sound and then loud thunder boomies came and then I stared out the window and counted fourteen snow flakes and then pea sized hail came down too fast for me to count! Well, that pretty much eliminated (before it had begun) our afternoon time on the balcony. So, we each found ways to keep ourselves busy.

Hope is learning to play ball. Mom doesn't think she ever had toys before but we are trying to teach her how to play and I think she's catching on quite well.


It was really scary when the thunder boomies fell but it was kind of fun counting the snow flakes and watching the hail.


Tommy busied himself playing with Mom's shoes. Don't tell but he kind of has a shoe fetish. Sometimes he sticks his face inside mom's shoes and actually sniffs them. Eeeew!

We got an award this week! We've gotten awards before but our mom (even though she is not feeble minded) has never been able to figure out how to post the award from someplace else other than "My Pictures" on her computer. Honestly, the woman needs to read a few instructions and use her head! Sheesh! Anyway, this time she e-mailed the award to herself and then saved it to "My Pictures". So, with due apologies to everyone who has sent us awards before for mom not getting them posted, we want to thank Cliff and Olivia for giving us the Zombie Chicken Award.

What an honor! This is what the Zombie Chicken Award is about:
"The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken--excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens to read their inspiring words."

If I ran into a raving pack of zombie chickens I think I'd ask Tommy and Hope to help me herd them toward a big pot full of boiling water. Yum Yum. Thanks so much for the award Cliff and Olivia.

Now, the rule says I need to pass this on to five other blogs. If you get this and you are the type of blogger who would rather walk across shards of glass rather than post awards and stuff like that it's o.k. we'll send some zombie chickens your way for supper.

O.K. Here are some of our friends to whom we want to send the Zombie Award:

Lucy and Trixie
Twizz and Jack
Edgar Allen Bun
Scooby, Shaggy and Scout
William, Olivia, Caroline, Russell and Gracie

Have a really great week everyone!

Lost and Found Sunday

It's been kind of a lazy day for me and my sibs Tommy and Hope. Mom, on the other hand, got up so early this morning I thought the weekend had zoomed past already. She explained that she was going to meet some work friends and do a 5 mile walk called Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and she got to wear a bright pink T-Shirt. We live on the North East side of Albuquerque and mom had to go way far to the North West Side of town.

When she got back she said she was pretty tired but needed to do some house cleaning that she had put off. So, wanting to be helpful, I assisted her by looking under the rug by the dressing area and I found something I had lost two weeks ago! I was so happy I had to play with it some more.

Hello little yellow egg! Are there any kitty treats left inside you?

We hope all of you have a wonderful week to come!

It Only Took 90 Days!

It only took 90 Days! I am quite amazed and while both Tommy and I are cautiously optimistic, there she is...Hope snoozing in the same room with us...and not even hissing! Thank you Mr. Sun...if you hadn't come out again then my sis might have been grouchy and hissy all weekend.

Shilgiah, Tommy and Hope enjoy the sun.

Hope has been our forever sister for 90 days now and I, for one, am feeling more hopeful. I think Tommy is too. Mom, is still holding on to her supply of bandaids as well as the purple squirt bottle just in case Hope decides to become Little Miss Hissy Fit again and swat at her.

Easter Bunnies and Passover Peeps

Mom thought I would look cute dressed as the Easter Bunny. She said I would get treats inside little plastic eggs if I let her take pictures of me like this. So, Happy Easter Everyone! And Mom, thanks for the treats! Tommy and Hope got treats in little eggs too but I'm the only one who knows how to open the plastic treat eggs and get the treats out...and I'm not telling...Bwahahahahahaha!

I'm really not too thrilled being the Easter Bunny.

You probably know that we celebrate Passover at our house. Some people don't know that Passover lasts for a whole week. There is a Seder on the first night of Passover and some people go to a second night Seder on the second night. Passover always begins on the 15th day of the Jewish Month of Nissan. Since Jewish months are lunar months, which are shorter than our regular solar calendar months, Passover is in the Spring but doesn't always coincide with Easter day. Here is the dilemma mom faces when Passover and Easter fall at the same time:

• If one keeps kosher for the whole week of Passover then one must not possess anything that is considered chametz (which includes products with wheat, rye, corn, spelt (whatever that is) and additionally basically anything that puffs up (like rice). Ha ha...I just thought of something else...my sister Hope puffs up when she's upset...guess she has to go away till Passover is over!
  
• Well, back to the topic. The prohibition on corn also includes corn syrup...which means...no PEEPS!!!! My mom LOVES PEEPS! Is there any solution? Of course there is...
  

Mom just cut out a "Kosher for Pesach" symbol (you can't quite see it in the picture) and taped it to her favorite purple PEEPS. What could be more kosher?

Our friend Quasi did a wonderful blog posting on "The Cat Version of Passover (Purr-Over)". It is a quite thorough and entertaining piece. However, there was one part that was left out. For the past two thousand years or so cats have had a very important part to play at the Seder.

Generally, with humans, the youngest human at the Seder asks "The Four Questions" known as "Mah Nishtanah". For the youngest cat, there is a special version of The Four Questions. It's called the "Meow Nishtanah" and it goes like this:

• Why is this night different from all other nights?
  

1. On all other nights we eat kibble and soft yummy fancy feast. Why on this night only dry kibble?
2. On all other nights we eat all kinds of kitty grasses and cat-nip. Why on this night do we eat only bitter grasses?
3. On all other nights people tell us not to dip our paws in our water bowls. Why on this night do we dip our paws and splash the water as much as we want?
4. On all other nights we recline near our people at the table while they are eating. Why on this night do we get banished to the back bedroom while our people and many guests talk, sing, laugh, eat and drink four cups of wine?

The answers? Well, we were banished to the back bedroom and fell asleep before we could hear the answers.

May this week bring you all lots of joy and happiness!

Springtime

We've had some blustery days but plenty of sun for three cats to find sunny spots around the house. Hope is all better. Well, at least she is well enough to give me and Tommy an occasional hiss. I have given up on the prospect that she will eventually grow into a warm cuddly sister. At least she tolerates us (and we her) better each week that goes by.

Hope snoozing sitting up on the window sill.


It's going to be a busy week. Mom's finishing her taxes and also is running around like a crazy lady getting all ready for Passover which begins Wednesday evening.

So, whether you are getting ready for Taxes, getting ready for Passover, getting ready for Easter or just getting ready for the new week to come...we wish you a wonderful week ahead!