My New Collar

Merry Christmas to all the kitties who are celebrating Christmas today! Hope you all got everything you wanted. We watched The Nutcracker on PBS this morning. Mom said I could post my favorite picture of my Hanukkah Collar that Aunt A made for me. I think it makes my white fur look especially dazzling...don't you?

I feel pretty...oh, so pretty...I feel pretty and witty and wise...

Tired Tommy

Hanukkah was over Saturday and now Tommy is really tired.

Tommy dreaming of all the fun he had during Hanukkah

We had a great time with Aunt A on Friday evening when she came over. She brought us really wonderful handmade Hanukkah Collars and Hanukkah earrings for our mom and we got some really good pictures of them but....mom had a glitch in the picture department so we will get those pictures up soon. Hope and I looked very beautiful in our collars and Tommy looked mighty handsome and mom's earrings were stunningly cute! Thanks Aunt A!

May you all have a wonderful week to come!

Hopes First Hanukah

We would have posted sooner but someone has been "busy"? Hint: Three letters--starts with "M" then an "O" and then another "m". Anyway, tonight I thought I would let Hope tell you about her experiences with yet another first in her life called Hanukah. She's had a lot since Jan. 20th when she found mom and us and decided to adopt us .

Hi, Hope here. At first, this first didn't seem like that big of a deal. I've seen mom light candles almost every friday night...but this was different. First, she lit candles and then she had this big candelabra she called a "Menorah" near the usual friday candles.

Mom lit one candle and said it was the "helper candle" that lights the other candles. Then she only lit one more. But the menorah could hold so many more candles...why just one? Mom said it's because we will add one light each night until all eight (plus the helper candle) are lit. Below is a picture of the candles on the first night when they were almost burned out.

O.K. So then I found out that watching the candles burn all down is not all there is to this holiday. Which is a good thing...cuz that would be pretty pitiful and boring. There are also some smells that come with the holiday. Mom makes something called Latkes. Basically they are "fried round greasy things" that any cat in its right mind would never want to even think about eating.

But, there is something else that is sort of fascinating. It's called a driedle. According to mom, children and sometimes grownups play a game with it. A driedle is a top that spins but when Tommy and Shilgiah showed me how they said the best way to play with it (since we don't have opposible thumbs) is to bat it.

I have to look real close to make sure it's on the side to give me "gimmel" so I can win.


O.K. I think I have it now! Here I go...whap! (Driedle zooms across the table and whacks the wall) I win!!

Hope you all have a wonderful and winning week!

My Favorite Flowers

My goodness! It's been two weeks and a day since I posted last! Anyway, this picture was taken on Thanksgiving morning. There was a smell of turkey and stuffing in the air and the temperature at our place was considerably warmer than normal. Our mom keeps the thermostat at 65 degrees in the winter and with the oven making extra heat it was toasty warm instead of icicle cold.

Mom took this picture of me while the turkey was cooking and before guests arrived. I was thinking about Thanksgivings I've spent with mom since I adopted her back in 2001. I am a very lucky little girl and am very thankful that I have mom and Tommy and even Hope too!

Have a wonderful rest of your week everyone!

Up Close and Personal

Winter is finally here. Cold and rainy and windy and then a dusting of snow. Not many rays of sun. So mom decided to practice taking close ups. She's not very good at it and it was a bit annoying.

It's hard to smile when that camera is practically looking up my nose.


Ahhh...now that's just a bit too close mom!

May you all stay toasty warm this week! Have a good one!

Weekend on the Balcony

This weekend we mostly hung out on or near the balcony. It was mostly autumn weather right now. About two weeks ago we had a teaser day with lots of snowflakes...but then it got all warm again. So, with the warm autumnal weather back, we spent a lot of time smelling things outside. Hope doesn't like the balcony as much as Tommy and I but I think that may be because she almost starved to death out in the big cold outside when she was young. Hope likes to smell the autumn...but prefers to be inside doing so.

Tommy, what is that you see?


Don't worry I'll catch the intruder! Oh, it's a leaf! Well, I killed it anyway.

Have a wonderful week my furry friends!

Cooking Lesson

Hi my furry friends! This is Shilgiah and I am feeling great! I am all better and only had to have two doses of the chicken flavored medicine before my appetite came back.

Anyway, in honor of my appetite coming back I thought I would share my mom's favorite supper she likes to make for friends or even just for herself. First, we have chicken! This is no ordinary chicken!

This is chicken that is made as follows: take skinless boneless breast of chicken (in this picture it is chicken breast cut into three pieces each (sometimes called "chicken tenders"). Use three spices--tarragon, garlic powder (or garlic salt if you prefer) and paprika (the red looking hue to the chicken). Saute in butter (or olive oil or parve margarine)...do this on each side until it's kind of golden. Then add 3/4 cup of white wine and when it begins to boil turn the temp down to simmer. Put the lid on and go visit with your guests or your cats for about 30 to 45 minutes (a little longer if it's not the chicken breasts cut into smaller pieces). Then...


when the chicken is almost done, turn the burner on under the asparagus and steam it for a few minutes until it is al dente (or really soggy if you prefer). Then, when everything is ready...


tell Tommy he is not supposed to be sitting at the table.

When mom made this wonderful dinner, she told Tommy to get down from the table...he did...but then when she put the chicken and asparagus on her plate and turned around for a minute he grabbed one of the small chicken pieces, jumped down and when mom turned back around she found him eating the chicken on the floor! She was NOT happy! She had to use the "throw-up bar towels" to clean the mess Tommy made getting the chicken off the plate and down on the floor and dragging it over to a nice nomming spot.

Needless to say, mom learned a very important cooking lesson...never avert your gaze when there is chicken on a plate!