My Big Old Lubber Dubber

I kept on falling asleep watching evening TV and apparently I wasn't the only one. The Mister took this picture of Si.

Christmas Morning

After we open the presents while drinking a sparkling beverage, The Mister was a sweetheart and made bacon and eggs. That's my new coffee cup. I think it's a "J" for joy, but I'll take "J" for Judy.

See Si licking his lips? Bacon stealer!

The theme this year is Yellow Submarine! We all live in a yellow submarine!

The Mister's stash.

The Mister's Yellow Submarine.

My stash.

Little green man.

That's an inside joke.

Sandy, our neighbor's cat, lonely and forgotten. We decided to save him this Christmas from the rain and wind, so The Mister put up the old pup tent we used to use for our indoor felines, you know for fun.

And it looks like he likes it!

So probably out of some guilt he buys Si an indoor pup tent for Christmas. Awwwww.

Silas really liked his fishy mat, although he smelled himself and subsequently sprayed the mat at a later time.

Look a solar power welcome kitty.

Merry Christmas!

More Tests For Si

Last night's Supermoon was quite impressive. I took a bunch of pictures but didn't like the way they came out. So I present this sunset photo. We have having lots of monsoonal clouds this summer which make nice cloud pictures, and the California fires help tint the sky as well.

Tomorrow I take Si to see Dr. Ann. He continues to shrink despite a good appetite and good digestion. Yesterday was a very good day as far as being playful and active and his typical goofy self. So that's why I made the appointment. I mean if he was sick, wouldn't he act sick?

I started to wonder if the thyroid test was a false negative. Or if he did get thyroid medicine, would it hurt him if he didn't have hyperthyroidism? Just to see if it would help him. Frankly it is a bit scary to see him get thinner day by day.

Dr. Ann will take more blood, and give him a cortisone shot, and probably traumatize him a bit. And we'll get back the results and go from there. I simply don't agree that he has cancer or irritable bowel disease because he shows no poopy problems or appetite issues. And I just read that up to 10% of cats with hyperthyroidism have normal T4 levels.

My 3 Season Bar

This little nook is where my three season bar resides. I have a shaker and an ice bucket. I include a couple of bottles of my high end liquor, some interesting glasses, and bar tools. It's so Mad Men.

Underneath is the wine selection, that is during the three seasons. Upon the fourth season, which I will deem the season of hell called Summer, this area is transformed into a nice spot for the fern, my amazing Jester. All the wine is moved to the summertime cellar saved from the inside temps of 85 degrees or so.

I guess that fern does have a jester-like splay of fronds (see the jester example below). Also notice the baby fern jester in front and to the left. He is still attached to the mama jester. Awww.

By the way, Si never wore this hat. That is the cardboard cat the hat came with. Si has green eyes anyway. Si has never wore a collar either. He's an au natural kitty. Plus try to put anything on him makes him into a ball of pointy nails and teeth. Guess who wins that battle?

Anyway The Three Season Bar has a goose neck wine bottle opener. Well. It works. But. It is so much easier to hand him the bottle and say, "Here. Open this." Because he will and immediately, knowing the just reward for doing so.

Notice on the goose neck opener there is a butterfly. That was my father's. It has a sensor in it that makes the wings move ever so slowly like a butterfly resting on a branch. The sensor, I am told, is the same sensor used in artificial fingers to stimulate touch and movement. And because it moves so gently and quietly, the butterfly can be on for hours, sometimes days before I remember I turned it on. 

Thank you for visiting my little bar. When I fill it back up with wine and booze, I'll take another picture.

My Organic Cat and My Progressive County

It was decided that our county will go plastic bag free at supermarkets, convenience stores, and box stores over 10,000 square feet large, like Walmart and Target. So if you need a bag, these stores will sell you a paper bag for 10 cents each. This is mandated.

This new law has been met with piss and vinegar around these parts, as one might imagine seeing how this county is mostly conservative and backwards. I'm surprised it even passed, to tell you the truth. And I'm even more surprised it hasn't been appealed. It just irks the hell out of people.

Everyone has something to say about it, and the grocery store people get this look like they want to punch your face if you say anything about it, good or bad. It's kind of funny.

Anyways - I'm glad we are so *very* *very* progressive here in the dusty old cow country.

If I were a clog, I'd clog in the morning

My latest obsession is clogs.

Like a hoof - a clog knows how to ka-lunck.

Old album covers are rad too.

These clogs have knots.

These clogs have buckles.

This cat is not a clog.

Calling Cards!

I am a Cloud Junkie. This is a fact that I have come to accept as part of my whole being. Clouds make break out in song. Clouds make me look like fool as I jump out of vehicles to photograph them. Add a sunset and I'm likely to dance a jig too. So what's a happy girl to do.

Make calling cards of my cloud photos!

This is the word side covered up.

Name.

Phone number.

Email address.

with my icon!

Speaking of which, here he is with his stuff. Catnip and crackers. What a mess!

And I know I haven't really blogged about notebooks much or at all, considering this is Judy's Notebook. But I do collect them and fill them up with words and pictures and other things. I guess you could call me a "journaler." Personally I am so glad I did not call this blog, "Judy's Journal." But if I were to rename it what would you suggest?

On the left is Martha Stewart's newest line with Staples. Totally bringing out the office nerd in me with a selection of file folders and labels and notebooks. I told The Mister "Get me outta here before I spend money on one in every color!"

On the right is the fabulous cult Rhodia lined notebook. It even smells good.

And I just blogged these postcards on Judy's Bento Box. These are postcards that I had made by Moo. There are 20 different photos from my Flickr account and I did some bento, some food, some clouds, some Si. A real assortment.

Do you like to get mail from your postal person? Email me your mailing address and I'll send you a postcard.

A Few Things in March

 The rain total to date is 7.1 inches, so the couple of storms we had in March helped a little.

My car turned 34567. A thrill to be sure but even better this grand occasion happened out on a country road at one of favorite houses.

Silas is doing a drum roll.

There is this magazine slash gas station slash buy your lottery ticket and junk food type places in town. I'm kind of a magazine junkie, just so you know. I once asked them to carry Bust magazine, but the women thought I meant a girlie rag. Uh no

Artificial Meat and Mags

More Meat and Mags

 Clouds are too few and far in-between that I must take pictures. The local goat said hello!

My cat has the prettiest feet.

Caption Blog

going into town

Valentine's Day wine

Cockpit at night

I'm a passenger.

Herringbone clouds

Gosh, I love this cat!

Watertank sunset

I took a trip and ended up going nowhere

Kitty in the cupboard

So far this year has been kind of so-so. It all started around Christmas, well no, it all started last September when I hurt my neck by freaking out due to a wildfire accidentally discovered at my work place. I think I wrote about it. That took months to heal. X-rays and physical therapy and pain.

Then on Christmas Eve I twisted my ankle. I almost fell at this very spot about six times prior. Six times! You'd think I have rocks in my head not to fix the trip hazard. But no. And finally the trip happened.

There is nothing more annoying then not being able to walk and then being in pain with every damn step when you finally can hobble around. So looking forward to being well again.

I feel better today. The repeated application of ice probably really helped me turn the corner. I think when I am completely well again, I'll start with the walking/hiking regimen. Not to put forth resolutions, but just to say it aloud.

Swimming too would be good as I have stiff joints due to side effects of a prescription drug. I guess the idea is to start slow and keep it up.

And get rid of trip hazards.

Christmas Tree Time

Currently it is really really windy here. I'm sure that is why the Christmas tree place ties these large trees to this merry-go-round device.

We bought two trees this year - a live one that is little tabletop size, and a smaller than our usual living room size - a five footer. Both are Nordman firs. I haven't photographed the smaller one yet. I think I might try to bonsai it. Most live trees don't make around here. It's too hot and too dry and the soil is too clayey too. And you think you can alter some of those things, but in the end you just watch the poor plant suffer.

This aloe vera plant on the other hand loves this sunny window. 

Pay no attention to that cat in the background. 

This plant literally saved its own life. He was once in a different pot and sat on top of a six foot bookcase. Pretty much ignored, I dare say. He grew towards the light and one day became so heavy on the lit side that he fell out of his pot, roots and all.

I came home from work and saw all this dirt and plant on the floor. I asked The Mister just what the heck happened. He hadn't a clue, although he said he thought he heard something around noon.

Well, I repotted the aloe with fresh soil and a bigger pot and gave him the sunniest spot in the house. You can almost hear him say ahhhh!

Here's my Christmas tree at the lot.