CatHouse Chat

Introducing, with great pride, the Hilton Grand Vacations new King's Land resort!

We bought into this particular resort perhaps about 20 months ago; we've been Hilton Grand Vacations Club® owners since 2006. We've been extremely happy with HGV, and have really used the resort stays. Combined with our Hilton HHonors points, we've really been able to leverage our resort ownership into some wonderful travel benefits!

As I say in the video, I've been quite frustrated that I could only find very basic information online, so now that we're here for our first "home resort" stay, I want to show the world how beautiful and luxurious these resorts are, and how wonderfully well Hilton builds, furnishes and manages them.

I haven't taken any video of the little pool they currently have open. It's the precursor to the large pool, which I think should be done, along with the other buildings, by October of 2009. But I do have pictures! It's a salt water pool, and I think it's quite charming (click to embiggen, of course!):

   

We are in building Five at the moment, which is a few buildings to the left (as you face it) of the Club House complex (still under construction). From the mock up in the Member Services Office, the main pool will be behind the Club House, and will be quite an elaborate affair. Last year, the manager, Phil, implied that the water slide here at King's Land might be bigger and better than the one at the (hotel) Hilton Waikoloa Village! Of course, I don't know for sure, and last year Phil wasn't either - but there's a bit of friendly competition going on, that's for sure!

 

My pictures of the mockup don't really do it justice, and it only includes the Club House and a building on either side.

Here are some of the other pictures I took, interior and exterior:

 

John Wayne tells the story of America

Thanks to my dear blog brother, Michael, I am reminded of this wonderful presentation: "America - Why I Love Her" -

But John Wayne has several other paeans to the simple greatness that is America:

Ah, we miss you, Duke!

For your Fourth of July meditaion, the National Hymn "God of Our Fathers"

"God of Our Fathers" was written by Daniel C. Roberts in 1876 (one would assume for our Centennial) and set to music already composed by George William Warren. The CompleteLee Blog has a little Bible study, and goes a little deeper into the history of the song. More information can be found here, here and here.

God of our fathers, whose almighty hand,
Lead forth in beauty all the starry band
Of shining worlds in splendor thro' the skies,
Our grateful songs before Thy throne arise.

And how ungrateful we have become, to turn away from the One True God who brought this country into being. How sad that the songs lifted up in faith and praise to Divine Providence have faded into a background murmur! How foolish we have become, to deny His presence and power, which are proclaimed throughout Creation!

Thy love divine hath led us in the past,
In this free land by Thee our lot is cast;
Be thou our ruler, guardian, guide and stay,
Thy word our law, Thy paths our chosen way.

Father, we have turned astray from the faith and love that built this nation under Your guidance. We reject Your good law and immerse ourselves in sin and unrighteousness, we kill our own children for convenience's sake and praise vain and selfish people rather than simple, honest and good citizens. Father, lay Your hand upon this nation once again to turn us back to You in faith, trust and obedience!

From war's alarms, from deadly pestilence,
Be Thy strong arm our ever strong defense;
Thy true religion in our hearts increase,
Thy bounteous goodness nourish us in peace.

Only God can bring peace, and where the Spirit of God is, there is true liberty. It is the freedom to act with dignity and self-control, simply and humbly living for others according to God's will. It is the peace which passes all understanding, with which we can face the greatest bounty and the sorrows of war with hope and confidence, keeping our eye on the God who holds all history in His hand.

Refresh thy people on their toilsome way,
Lead us from night to never ending day;
Fill all our lives with love and grace divine,
And glory, laud, and praise be ever Thine.

Return, O Lord! Return to us and turn our hearts to You! Renew within us a right spirit, renew our minds with the washing of Your grace and Your word! Take away our hearts of stone and give us hearts of flesh that love Your commands and long to obey them! Make us into a people of praise, living Your precepts, worshiping You in spirit and in truth. Let Your work in this nation and in our hearts and lives be proclaimed to the glory of Your name throughout the world!

And though I despise the heresy of their church, you can't deny the beauty of the voices of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir:

Happy Fourth of July wishes

... from ReasonTV via the Puppy Blender...

Wow! Can we do that every year until the morons in D.C. actually learn fiscal responsibility?!

Beautiful Anaeho'omalu Bay

I forgot that I didn't upload some pictures of A-Bay here to CHC! When we visited the other day, I took a lot of neat pictures, but then got caught up in finding a Flickr uploader that would work with my Ubuntu operating system. I did find one, and although it took a few tweaks, and has one or two small quirks, it's working like a champion! So don't forget that you can see all my Hawaii photos from this year in my Hawaii 2009 set.

One wonderful thing about my little photographic excursion along the Bay was this handome little fellow (he was about 2 feet from lead-edge-to-end-edge of his shell) -

 

I don't believe I've ever seen a Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle so close to shore. They are a protected species, so they're supposed to be able to come and go as they like without people chasing them around.

Here are some more pictures of A-Bay for you to enjoy. As always, click to embiggen!

Sansei at Waikoloa, redux

Well, now that I've had a night's sleep and digested some of that delicious sushi from last night, I can post some pictures for you.

I cannot say how yummy it was! Sansei did a wonderful job, and my only quibble (and only a quibble) was that the fit was rather tight at the sushi bar. However, the place was packed - and was the whole time we were there, with people waiting when we left at about 8p - and I do need to lose some weight, so... ;-)

 

This restaurant is located in the Queen's Market, which opened last year (2008). I was delighted that almost all of the storefronts were occupied when wee returned this year, and that the Market was bustling with activity.

We went in and were seated, as I said, at the sushi bar...

And we ordered Agedashi tofu...

 

... the hamachi kama (which is the "collar" of a yellowtail fish - the area around the front fins and gills)...

 

... and the Kohala Crunch roll...

 

It was all absolutely delicious, and you can go read my full write-up at Yelp...

Crazy-busy day today...

... but we had to do something to blast ourselves (particularly the Munchkin) out of our we're-on-vacation-so-we-can-be-slugs-and-do-absolutely-nothing mentality. So, we got rolling at about 9am and ran a couple errands - checking on an upgrade to our car for next week, getting some books to read on the beach, swinging through WalMart to get some supplies - and then went down to Kealakekua Bay (Wikipedia also has some good info), where Captain Cook landed in Hawaii so many years ago.

If you check out the map at that link, we launched the Diveyak at the boat landing near Napo'opo'o Beach, and paddled across the bay to the Captain Cook monument. We only had the little water-resistant Olympus camera with us, so please forgive some of the fuzziness in the photos (caused by water on the lens).

 

Actually, the Beloved and I think it makes for some pretty cool pictures! And it's kind of fun to use his camera - then *I* get some pictures of me on vacation, LOL

This one was taken right near the Cook monument, which is the white monolith you can see in tee photo above. This is just down and to the left of the monument from that photo's perspective. And you can see our wonderful, tough, and versatile Diveyak there with me - it's DEFINITELY been worth the price paid for it!

Here's the monument

 

And here's a view of the Bay looking out from the monument and towards shore

 

And here's a whole bunch of thumbnails (as always, click to embiggen) so I can get them uploaded here and then take some Tylenol and go to sleep - all that paddling REALLY tired my shoulders out, and I'll be paying for it tomorrow!

   

Anyway, it was one of the most beautiful snorkling spots I've ever seen, and it's too bad that the pictures look rather gray; it was a little overcast, but nowhere near as dismal as is seems. But then, I suppose it does add a bit of "mood" to the pictures...

One last shot, and then I'm going to bed:

 

AIIIIGH! ;-)

And on that note, good night!

More food-from-Hawaii blogging....

Well, I took pictures from Merriman's Cafe yesterday, so I really ought to post them, don't you think?

First of all, the delicious white wine sangria -

 

While the Beloved and I were sipping our sangria, the Munchkin enjoyed her virgin lava flow and messed around with her cell phone. You know, the one that's never charged - or, if it is, isn't turned ON...!

When it came time to order, the Munchkin decided to go traditional and get the French fries. But, Merriman's makes their own ketchup and also serves a tasty mustardy mayonnaise on the side...

 

My Beloved and I, however, decided to indulge our love of Mediterranean food and got some olives and some grilled flatbread with onions and tzatziki sauce

   

But the soups special also caught our attention, so we ordered a cup of the curried broccoli soup

 

Everything was delicious, which is why we keep coming back year after year!

Sansei at the Queen's Marketplace Waikoloa

... gotta feed my addiction! We've ordered a hamachi kama, which is the "collar" from a yellowtail. Also some agedashi tofu, and a Kohala Krunch roll which is a house specialty. I've got pix, so I'll post 'em when I get back to the room! Mmmmmmmmmmmm!

Merriman's Market Cafe

... at the King's Shopping Center here in Waikoloa. We stop by here regularly for the cheerful service and yummy Mediterranean-style food. Today with our pupus (that's Hawaiian for appetizers), we're going to have some white sangria. The Munchkin, of course, will be having a virgin Lava Flow ;-)

Air New Zealand gives their all...

Just watch closely - after all, air safety *IS* important!

BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Now, that'll get peoples' attention!

Another slice of Paradise

This is Anaeho'omalu Bay, or "A-Bay" as the local folks call it, and it's one of the loveliest beaches on the island. If I recall correctly, it was "kapu," and reserved for royalty alone back in the day.

I'm planning on taking a lot of photos here in between swimming and sunning, so I hope to have some uploaded (to Facebook, at least - anyone know a good Flickr uploader compatible with Linux?) tonight.

Back by popular demand: the annual waterslide picture! (with bonus video!)

You demanded it... (well, some of you did!) You got it!

 

And now your bonus video!

Yeah, yeah, and now you greedy-guts are gonna demand both from now on, right? ;-)

UPDATE: Oh, and for those of you who are new here, the annual photos are here, here, and here.

But then again for all its faults Paradise DOESN'T SUCK!

Truly, I am blessed beyond all measure! And for my blog family, not only will you be blessed with the traditional waterslide pic, but the Beloved Husband also took a video. So, when I get it uploaded, you will get live action of me making a fool out of myself!

At the pool at the Hilton Waikoloa Village

... and planning to try and get my annual Kat-makes-a-fool-of-herself-on-the-waterslide picture. Of course, my cell phone camera won't be able to take it properly, so y'all will have to wait until I post it - most likely in the middle of the night, your time...

It may be Paradise but it ain't perfect...

... Milk at $7+ a gallon. SKIM milk, at that. I pay something like $3 a gallon at home.

So Hawaii may be Paradise, but even Paradise can be terribly expensive!

The remains of a Thai dinner

Just waiting for my mango sticky rice for dessert... Yummmmmm!

Ahi poke - mmmmmmmm!

I'm not certain that marlin is a type of tuna, but I'm pretty sure... This is a dish that's a standard in Hawaii, and it's simply delicious! Everyone has their own mix, but it always starts with the freshest of fish - uncooked. Um, well, unless it's tako poke (octopus)...

Oh, and it's pronounced "poh-kay" or "poh-keh."

Aloha from the beautiful Kona coast of Hawaii!

And, really, what better way to start a day in Paradise than with Mimosas on the lanai?

Pesto Potato salad from SmittenKitchen: EIGHT thumbs up!

I gave a taste of this wonderful potato salad from Smitten Kitchen to my Munchkin... She was initially skeptical, but indulged her ol' Mommy and took a taste. The eyes lit up, and she put down her laptop and charged over to the kitchen to gobble up some more!

The Beloved Husband and our Wonderful Guest (and me - that makes a total of 8 thumbs) all have echoed her opinion....

And for my readers who enjoy cooking? You really ought to add Smitten Kitchen to your reading list, 'cause she's quite scary with all the yummy recipes she posts! ;-)

It's just a hair kinda day

Gotta cover up that grey (not ready to go grey yet!) and get gorgeous for the summer, LOL!

PESTO! Homemade even!

Made with basil from my very own garden! This is my very first-ever pesto, and it's very very easy - odd, though, that the recipe I used (loosely) didn't call for toasted pine nuts. I try to always toast any nuts I use in recipes because it really helps bring out their flavor.

On Wednesday night, I'm going to do grilled chicken thighs with Emeril's Southwest Seasoning (at the bottom of the Turkey and White Bean Chili recipe). The mix is very easy to make up, and it's also great to sprinkle on chicken before you roast it. I'm going to mix it with some oil and then coat the chicken thighs and marinate them for about 6-8 hours before I grill them. YUMMY!

Anyway, along with the chicken thighs, I'm going to use the pesto in this recipe for a pesto potato and green bean salad... Mmmmmm!

Oh, and I've got to take out the swordfish steaks from the freezer for tomorrow!

Your morning "Awwwwwwwww!"

Some adorably sweet LOLotters:

See more LOLcats and funny pictures at I Can Has Cheezburger.

How does your garden grow?

This growing season has, so far, been wonderful! In the past, it's been difficult to deal with our veggie garden - it was too big, we were traveling, the weather was too dry, it was too hot... This year, however, the Beloved Husband and I seem to have gotten our part right, and God has been very gracious and given us beautiful weather.

Here's what we started with:

 

I ripped off Square Foot Gardening for the basic philosophy of small, raised beds, but I've done it my own way (and I don't think Mel Bartholomew will really mind, LOL). We have hard red clay in our area, but last year we tilled in a LOT of aged manure, which helped immensely. If we can keep our momentum going, in the fall we'll till in a ton more (metaphorically speaking), cover the garden (not sure with what - maybe heavy landscaping fabric), and let it age through the winter.

Here's what we have now:

 

Some of the beds, off to the right of the picture, are either only partially used or empty. I'm going to cover those unused areas with black plastic and killkillkillKILL! the weed and grass seeds in there. The third bed in the front has limas in it, and I'm hoping they'll do well even though they seemed to start late (note for next year: presoak the seeds!).

The lima bed has about half grass there in the front - but the nice thing about this method and the wet weather is that weeding is a breeze! I doubt I spend more than 10 minutes in the garden daily, weeding.

You can see corn in the background on the left. I've got no idea how that's going to do; we've never had much luck before, but we are seeing tassels this year, and very healthy stalks - so I'll keep hoping. The very bushy green in the middle left is my two bush zucchini plants, and I can already tell that we're going to be heartily sick of zucc before the summer ends, LOL! Barely visible in the same bed is a Better Boy (? I think) bush tomato. Maybe next year the zucc will get their own bed so the tomato has more room, but it doesn't look unhappy - just a wee bit crowded.

 

My basil and peppers... The basil is going gangbusters - I even have 4 or 5 little guys coming back from last year, when the basil went to seed. The pepper plants are mixed - 3 are red bell peppers, and the 4th is a jalapeño. I don't think they'll get very hot-spicy  this year; they like it much drier and VERY hot. But I have harvested a couple to use in a pico de gallo, and they had pretty good flavor.

 

These are the last of the first batch of radishes - they were getting very leafy, so I pulled them. Another crop was planted on Sunday (I presoaked the seeds), and they've already sprouted through [happy dance]. Here is also my first cucumber, and I'm very proud of it; the ones we tried to grow in Chesapeake got too big, and were very bitter. And, of course, my first two jalapeños, which I used in the pico de gallo. I also used cilantro from my garden; it's taken off like crazy, but it's also wanting to go to seed, so I have to keep an eye on it. Hm... Or, I could get my own coriander seeds..!

My Beloved says that, since we've actually gotten real FOOD that we've actually EATEN from the garden already, that that qualifies this year's garden as a success. Me, I want to wait to say that until the late fall when we put things to bed. I figure, if we can see it all the way through one growing season, then I'll say it's a success!

I've got a lot more photos, but I'm going to post them as thumbnails; just click to embiggen!

       

 

Twenty-two years ago: "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

Oh, President Reagan, how I miss men of your strength and character! How I miss statesmen with clear moral vision and spines of steel!

It has been too long since giants walked the earth, and we are all diminished by it.

Stereotypical Republicans

Or at least that's what you'll think, if you watch the lamestream media all the time....

Loved the video! But then, it's got BOTH Steven Crowder and Zo, so how can you lose????

Sarah Palin's class and grace emphasize the petty depravity of Letterman

I am so glad that I never watched Letterman! If I had years of this bitter, unfunny drivel cluttering up my brain, I'm sure that I would be a brain-dead liberal, too.

Here is Gov. Palin's gracious and self-effacing response to Letterman's arrogant slander:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Classy, classy lady! It would be an honor to shake her hand. Letterman, of course, would get the disdainful cold shoulder, which is more than a cad like him deserves.

The dumbest dog in the Universe...

"I want OUT!"

"It's raining, you dumb dog."

"I WANT OUT!!!"

"You hate the rain! It's a storm, stupid!!!"

"I. WANT. OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"OK, go on out..." [rolls eyes]

"Um... Can I come back in now?"

[headdesk]

And here's what she wanted to go out into!

Dumb dog.

Horse Camp day three - the Veteranarian

Now the kids get to learn from Dr. I., the local vet - he's great!

Horse Camp - day three: the Farrier

The farrier, David, comes to visit. The horseshoes and the forge are always a hit with the kids.

Spoiling myself for dinner

Broiled asparagus, parsley potatoes (which are EXCELLENT as "hash browns" in the morning - especially with some cheese and ham), and a steak...

Yum, YUM!!!

Horse Camp, Day Two - the Case of the Horse in Disguise

One of the horses we're using at the camp this week is Gypsy. Gypsy is a 16 year old American Paint mare, owned by my friend Lisa (who is the creative brain behind most of the crafts and a lot of the horse-related activities). Gypsy is also one of the girls' "project horses."

Each project horse is assigned to a group of the girls (three groups this year), and they learn to groom and take care of that horse. At the end of the week, we have a little horse show, displaying what the girls have learned to their parents and loved ones, and the project horses have pride of place in the last class: the Costume Class.

So, when Gypsy got groomed yesterday, Lisa mentioned that she really ought to be bathed because she was so dusty (and a dusty horse can be VERY dusty!).

I think that Gypsy took that a little too much to heart...

Here's a "before" picture of Gypsy that shows you what she's pretty much supposed to look like:

But here's what that naughty girl looked like when she was brought in from the pasture this morning:

I was astonished! I have never seen such a completely FILTHY horse! Lisa and I were convinced that the other mares in the pasture coached Gypsy as to where she was missing a spot, because that girl was completely covered in mud... Even after her bath, she had muddy spots under her belly and *ahem* on her buttocks.

I guess she really wanted to be pampered today.... [headdesk]

Horse Camp - day two

Longacre Stables is a beautiful property, and a wonderful place to ride. The horse camp is a summer tradition, and has introduced many kids to the fun of riding.

Horse Camp - Day One

Crafts are always a part of horse camp. We are VERY blessed that the lady who does the organizing is brilliantly creative!

Oh, I think I got too much sun today!

The pool was so beautiful, and my hubby had a free afternoon....

 

The air was warm, but not HOT; the skies were blue with nary a cloud; the chores were done; and my allergies had calmed down after their regular morning tantrum...

We'd even walked the cats:

 

Smudgie seemed to enjoy her little tour of our garden -

 

But Pixel was not a happy camper! She hissed in displeasure several times; although she explored a little bit, she came running when I called (!!) and was very happy to return to the comfort of the house thankyouverymuch!

 

But, with all the fun and excitement (hey, and I even seem to have overcome my great uneasiness with diving into the pool!), the Kat has gotten quite... red. I've slathered on three generous coats of aloe, but I'm getting some mild heat-chills, and my skin is already warning me that tomorrow won't be too fun.

*sigh*

And just yesterday I was tease-scolding the daughter of a dear friend about using plenty of sunscreen! Somehow, "pot, meet kettle" seems appropriate! [headdesk] I'm glad it's supposed to be cloudy this week; I'm helping out with some munchkins at a horse camp, so I need to be functional! The weather is supposed to be a bit stormy, so I may luck out and be able to stay inside - but you'd better believe I'm gonna have some SPF100 with me, LOL!

Oh, and here's a picture of me in the pool:

 

See? I don't melt in water! ;-)

Good stuff for a Thursday read

I've been neglecting CHC for a couple of days (although I have gotten a lot done around the house!), so I thought I'd put up a few links that have caught my interest...

Mike Reagan sums up my position on the murder of Tiller

Like others in the pro-life community, I found Tiller’s profession abhorrent and believed it appropriate to protest and criticize his actions. I am deeply ashamed that we live in a society that has legalized the destruction of innocent human life.

Yet no matter how fervent my objections to Tiller’s actions, my very pro-life beliefs spur me to denounce his killer, as well.

Indeed, I mourn for Tiller and his grieving family. As Dr.Martin Luther King reminded us, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

Teh One appears to have feet of clay - at least for some gay activists

Gay rights campaigners, most of them Democrats who supported Obama in November, have begun to voice their public frustration with Obama’s inaction, small jokes at their community’s expense and deafening silence on what they see as the signal civil rights issue of this era.

His most important campaign promises repealing the Defense of Marriage Act and the military ban on openly gay and lesbian service-members have not been fulfilled.

And the news, which emerged quietly earlier this year, that he’d supported same-sex marriage back in 1996, then changed his mind, especially rankles. As mainstream Democratic politicians such as Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) move to support same-sex marriage, gay rights advocates say that the barrier-breaking president looks increasingly odd for opposing what they see as full equality.

Tiananmen Square, twenty years later... I hope and pray that "Tank" Man is alive and well, and maybe that this generation of Chinese can continue the fight for freedom...

Tank Man — his identity has never been determined — shot to worldwide fame that day for stopping those tanks, hours after they had brutally crushed student-led protests on Beijing's Tiananmen Square. Hundreds — possibly thousands — died in the early-hours protest on June 4, 1989, an event that still remains a forbidden topic in Communist-governed China.

Pictures of Tank Man's courageous efforts and other information about the crackdown are still officially censored in China. But now, 20 years on, modern technology and the wide reach of social networking sites like Facebook are providing curious students with the information they were previously denied.

Is it really OK for Iran to have nuclear missiles, while at the same time the US CAN'T have nuclear power? Gotta love the hypocrisy....

Iran says it's developing nuclear power to generate electricity while it waits for the 12th Imam and the apocalypse to arrive. To hasten the process, however, it is using its nuclear knowledge to amass fissile material necessary to build a bomb. It's developing missiles to deliver that bomb, presumably somewhere in the heart of downtown Tel Aviv.

Our new administration is trying to talk them out of it, and the Iranians are quite willing to drag out the conversation as long as it takes to develop their nuclear weapon and the means to deliver it.

Some people positively parade their ignorance - "Baptism = Waterboarding"

An ancient Christian religious ritual is apparently comparable to a controversial interrogation technique, according to Joy Behar of ABC’s “The View.” On June 3, the hosts of “The View” were discussing the new reality show, “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here,” where pampered “celebrities” are placed in a jungle in Costa Rica. “Hills” reality television star Spencer Pratt was baptized on the show and “The View” featured a clip from his baptism in a river.

Behar, of course, had to add in her usual quip. “Isn’t it like water boarding- when they dump your head under there like that?” Fellow host Elisabeth Hasselbeck quickly replied with, “no.”

Did President Obama get dissed? *snicker*

Oh, and this is SOOOOO cool: Dawn of the Personal Computer. The Commodore Pet and the C64 bring back so many fond memories!

Cause LOLcats are just teh best!

(see more Lolcats and funny pictures)

Upcoming stuff that looks really cool: Google Wave (in the works) and Google Squared (live beta). And, since we're linking TechCrunch, I must say that their new CrunchPad looks very "DO WANT"-worthy!

As for me, yesterday was busy. I took out the trash - and this is pretty much normal procedure when living in the country and the nearest trash collection is three miles away (no, we don't have a garbage service out this far!) (oh, and click to embiggen!)

And I got my first produce out of my garden! Well, I have been getting strawberries already, but these lovely - and spicy! - radishes were from seed:

 

And, I've got a couple pictures of my brilliant and adorable daughter that I dug up the other day. Here she is at about two years old (is she the cutest, or what??)

And here she is, Ms I-So-Cool Kid, at about 9 years old...

 

My beautiful baby - who's growing up... *sigh*

Oh! And I've got a picture of a turtle I took the other day. He was crossing our driveway, and it's a good thing I was going slowly (for me), or I would have run right over him!

Finally, our pool has been open for a good three weeks already. This summer looks like it will be wonderful; not too dry and not too hot. So, that's all I have for now, and I really need to get caught up in my Bible reading [swats self]!

We're gonna get THUMPED!

I hear the grumble rumble of thunder closing in, and I see the bright flash of lightning....

 

That little dot, right in the center? Gretna? That's us... And those cells move from left to right with a small northward drift, normally.

I LOVE THUNDERSTORMS!

(Maybe I'll get some good pictures...)

Groundhog wars

We have a "pet" groundhog here at the CatHouse Base of Operations... Actually, I think right now it's a family of groundhogs, because the star of this morning's little production seems smaller than I recall...

At any rate, this poor guy is out browsing in the grass for his breakfast, and one of the local birds (it looks kind of mocking-bird-ish, but not really - a very slim, active, and showy bird) has taken exception to it and has been dive-bombing the groundhog.

Please forgive the lack of quality - these were taken from inside the house, through a rather dirty window, and also have a bit of sun-haze in them. I've cropped these a bit as well, for some "close-ups."

Here is our poor, innocent groundhog, out to gather his morning breakfast:

And here is That Bird attacking our Poor Guy. Poor Guy, to his credit, never really did acknowledge the dastardly attacks of That Bird...

k-ROFL

Farewell to my beloved Furr-Nephew, Casey

I just got notice that Casey, the First Cat of our friends Court and Jen, just passed away this morning. Casey was a wonderful cat, and he lived a long life (I think he was 20) surrounded by his devoted and loving humans. He loved to bring presents from the bedroom down to the living room, and he would talk about them all the way down the stairs so you would be prepared for the wonderful treasure he was going to show you. He was also a wonderful ambassador of snuggles and skritchies, and very gracious in permitting everyone to show him adoration.

His passing was quiet and dignified, just like him. He was snuggled in bed, sleeping with his best friend, Court, and slipped away early this morning. I am so glad that he was at home instead of at the vet's! I'm sure he had a wonderful vet, but I also know that the office can be a strange and frightening place; dieing in your own bed, slipping away gently and among friends is surely a better way to leave.

I very much wanted to go down to Metairie before he passed to offer him my own love and snuggles, but he has now gone across the Rainbow Bridge and is with my own darling Romeo, awaiting the arrival of their humans. I'll have to wait until I, too, am called Home to give him his skritchies.

God bless, Casey. We'll miss you dearly!

Here's something to get you through Monday.... Cat yodeling!

A lovely Sauvignon Blanc at the Club

After a long day with family, sometimes a glass of wine is just what you need! And the staff at Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club are as wonderful and gracious as ever. Their kindness was a HUGE help a few years ago (each time) when Mom went through knee replacement surgery. So while I wait for dinner, they serve me wine and bless me with their WONDERFUL hospitality.

Gardinias in the morning

I love the beautiful aroma of gardinias... Maybe I'll plant some at home someday.

Wanna go TOO!

The Kittipurrs don't want me to go... Sorry, darlings - your GrammaCat needs me to help out for a bit.

Oh, what a beautiful morning!

Open to me the gates of righteousness,
   that I may enter through them
   and give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD;
    the righteous shall enter through it.
I thank you that you have answered me
    and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
   has become the cornerstone.
This is the LORD’s doing;
   it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the LORD has made;
   let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:19-24, ESV)

Yesterday we got a lot of (much needed) rain, and this morning the air is crisp and clear like fine crystal. The rising sun coaxed mist from the damp ground and gilded the trees with a soft glory. Birds are singing, a light breeze stirs the air, and God is on His throne!

Mount up with wings like eagles!

Isaiah 40:30-31

Even youths shall faint and be weary,
   and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
   they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
   they shall walk and not faint.

Mmmmmm! Chile Relleno!

Mmmmmm! Guacamole!

Taking a well-earned break after a stressful day...

BABY QUILTS!

Yeah, I've been assembling more quilts, and I've got a friend who has requested one (so she gets first pick)... But if my dear blog readers need a unique baby gift which will give years of joy, snuggles and comfort, please let me know, and I'll send you my prices.

ALL my baby quilts are made with 100%, high quality quilting cotton fabrics, and 100% cotton batting. They get washed, effectively, three times before my customers receive them: all the fabric gets washed before I sew it together, the completed quilt gets washed, and then washed again immediately before I mail the quilt to my customer. I use Shaklee™ detergent, which is mild and kind to fabric, and very kind to baby's skin. I have detergent sensitivities, and Shaklee™ is all I use. Certainly, there are no guarantees, since everyone's body chemistry is different, but Shaklee™ has worked for me for 10 years. So, I do all I can to make sure your baby's skin receives nothing but warm, soft, cozy snuggles!

Each quilt top is unique, and the fabrics provide ample opportunities for finding objects, colors, and shapes. I use bright fabrics to stimulate a baby's vision and give them opportunities for their eyes to explore. The backing for all my baby quilts is high quality, 100% cotton flannel in unique, child-friendly fabrics. Each quilt will have at least two, random flannels so that the back of each quilt also provides its own fun. Your baby will spend many hours in discovery, surrounded by the highest quality of quilt-snuggles your money can buy!

So, here are the six tops I've just completed:

 

UPDATE: Here are typical fabrics I use on the back of my baby quilts (just a sample, I do not guarantee the presence of ANY particular fabric)

Sometimes, a girl's gotta do what she's gotta do...

Yeah... Well, I've got to update/reaffirm my "OMG-she-has-NO-FOCUS!!!!" creds, right?

So, tonight, I decided to give myself a manicure. I've been considering getting acrylic nails (or maybe wraps), but they take a lot of professional maintenance and I don't think I want to deal with that right now... Hm. It would be helpful for hand-piecing some quilt tops, though...

ANYway... I decided to pull a girly thing, and now I've got painted nails!

*sigh*

Well, sometimes, I've just gotta indulge my inner diva...