My new couch

It's really hard to believe, but it's true. The lady who doesn't like IKEA went to ... you guessed it, IKEA.
She explained to me that she was in a bit of a hurry now to buy a bed couch because she needed it fast and couldn't wait a few weeks to have one delivered. And not only did she order said couch, but she also bought new lamps. Whoa! Where's my Mom and what did you do to her?

We are expecting a visitor from the USA. I don't even know her, I only heard about her. She's the lady who made it possible that we kitties are living here.
Mom always loved cats, but she used to think that all cats needed to go outside or they would fall over and die like her plants. White Dude, the very first cat in the house, changed her mind about that. I think we need to be very grateful for that because without him Esme and I would probably run around in the woods now ... or worse.
If you read Dude's story, you also know about Jenn who introduced him to Mom. And she's coming over to see us. And Mom, I guess.

Mom says that's why she needs the couch, but of course we know it is for us. It's about time, too. Can you believe that we have a cardboard bed with a see through bottom? A not as nice way to say it would be to say it has holes. It's worn down, it's kaputt.
I hope we'll get a new couch every time now that one of our cardboard beds is dead. I like to choose from many comfortable places and scratching spots. The fabric looks great for sharpening our claws although Mom just now claimed that at least Esme's claws are sharp enough to kill a big fish. Just because Esme held on to her knees for a bit, pfff.

Now excuse me while I go and take a nap ... but where? Oh, those choices!

Comfort zone

This month's JAC blog carnival is about comfort zones and Mom practically forced me to participate. She said that I have been lazy much too long and that I should take a moment to contemplate life and think about myself, my family, my pals. She can be so annoying.
What is a comfort zone?
According to Wikipedia "The comfort zone is a psychological state in which a person feels familiar, at ease, in control, and experiences low anxiety. A person in this state uses a limited set of behaviors to deliver a steady level of performance, usually without a sense of risk."

Do I have a comfort zone? I mean, do I perform? Do I need to perform? I'm a cat, so are Esme and Greebo. We don't perform, we are. Yes, of course we feel stress. Greebo is severely stressed out by the vacuum cleaner. Esme hates pill time and drools like a champion. I have stress when Mom once again doesn't do what I want her to.
What is our comfort zome then? I guess it would be different if we were outside cats. We would be facing new challenges each day, cars, other animals, humans who don't like us or even worse who do like us and try to cuddle us. Maybe we would get to know the panic and the learning zone as well, we would learn to avoid the garden where the guy turned the hose on us or check out the house where the lady puts out snacks for us, we would learn to run fast from a car or maybe not.

My head is hurting now, enough of this.
If you want to know what the JAC members have to say about this, check it out here.

Jewelry Art by Dawn
Echoes of Ela
Cat's Wire

If you want to see some real comfort zones instead, however, here you go!

The cardboard beds. They are just the best, and even better with a sun ray.

The cat bed on the hallway cabinet.

Any place where my little sister can rest her cute little chin.

Cats and Christmas as in ME and Christmas

I like Christmas. Seriously, I do. Mom gets us some special treats, her friend always sends us something and since last year we even have a Christmas tree again. I had never seen a Christmas tree before. When Esme and I came into the family it was summer. Until winter it had been decided that around us - which was just the polite way to say "around me" - a tree would be too dangerous.
Mom even admits openly that she thinks pictures of fallen Christmas trees are funny as long as it is not her own.
Well, last year she bought a small artificial tree to give us - as in "me" - a chance to behave. Of course I was good. I only stole two of her handmade weirdly colored pineapple slices - she calls them her stars, but where are the points? - and they were easy to put back. I haven't decided yet what I'll do with the tree this year.

Yes, it's up already, with those nice bouncy wire crochet balls - I have stolen them before, too - and the pineapple slices, and of course Jack on the top.
Today was all about Christmas, even more than the last weeks. If you have wondered why I haven't blogged in more than a month, well, I simply didn't get a chance! Mom is having an advent calendar on her blog, and she has been preparing it forever and still isn't done. She's doing research and page hopping and she listens to Christmas carols and songs and she even took up the challenge of baking without the planet breaking apart!!
Well, and today she turned on Smooth Christmas Radio and finished a blog post, then she got inspired to set up the Christmas tree, she (finally) made the final draft of the Christmas gift list - why aren't we on there? - and ordered things. We all took turns on her lap, so it was a rather pleasant day which was topped by the fact that she gave us treats to eat instead of the regular food.

It had been my turn on her lap when Santa Baby was next on the radio. She got up, held me tight and then she started singing AND dancing with me. Who took my Mom and who is this weird lady?
Okay, it wasn't that bad. She held me really tight and kissed my ear and I was purring all the song through. It's probably one of those brainwash songs.
I was seriously worn out when we were done, though. Christmas is hard work!

P.S. Can you see it? Pineapples, right??

Halloween

"Hey Ponder, do you want to write something for Halloween?"
"Why should I?"
"For the JAC blog carnival."
"Oh, that still exists?"
"Of course it does, we only took a little break. You can write about Samhain, Halloween or Dia de los Muertos."
"I don't even know how to pronounce Samhain. Halloween. Hm. Let me think about it."

This was a talk between Mom and me a few days ago.
Halloween ... what does it mean to me? Even if I wasn't an inside cat, Mom wouldn't let me go out on Halloween. Or Esme, for that matter. While the day is associated with witches and black cats, black cats are not safe out there at that time. There are too many crazy people out there.
Sometimes Mom asks me if I would sit on her shoulder and stay there if she dressed up as a witch. Yeah, right. I don't even want to think about her nagging if I have to hold on to her with my claws out. Just today she shooed Esme off her lap yelling that her knees were pierced now.

What else is there on Halloween? Treats. What are we supposed to do with chocolate we can't eat or candy apples we don't want? We are not even allowed to scare anyone!
Nevertheless I have to admit I do get Halloween feelings. Maybe it's in my blood. So let me share my favorite Halloween video with you.



Also check out the JAC members' posts!

Jewelry Art by Dawn
The Crafty Chimp
Cat's Wire

Ponder Palmer

"What are you doing there, Ponder?"
"I'm impersonating Laura Palmer, kind of."
"You are in the plastic I just tore off the new pillow, you mean."

"Wrapped in plastic. Laura Palmer. Twin Peaks."
"I know who Laura Palmer is and you only know it thanks to my Twin Peaks marathons."
"So why are you asking?"
"Shouldn't the question be since when you are a Twin Peaks fan?"
"There will be a sequel."
"I know. I know everything."
"No, you don't. Do I have to remind you of the moments when you don't get what I want from you?"
"I meant Twin Peaks everything, not universe everything."
"First, that's not true. Second, why did you have to ask me what I am doing then? Can't you tell?"

"Get out of that plastic. I don't have time watching you and I don't want to you become a dead Laura Palmer."
"That would be true method acting, though."
"And highly unpleasant for all of us."
"Yeah, well, that's true."
"How about a damn fine cup of coffee?"
"And cherry pie?"

Of course we didn't have coffee (tea is the choice of beverage in this house) or cherry pie, but I had kibbles, and that wasn't bad, either!

P.S. For people who worry about my safety ... there was no danger. Not only were there two big holes in the plastic, but Mom didn't let me out of sight for a second.

Pouty Ponder

"You ... laughed ... at ... me."
"I ... did ... not."
"Oh, now you are making fun of the way I speak, too?"
"I didn't laugh at you, and believe me, it wasn't easy."
"Well, thank you for nothing. It was your fault after all."
"My fault that you didn't notice you were on the edge of the bed?"
"I had been sleeping and you woke me because you needed to hold hands."
"You looked so adorable all stretched out like that!"
"I'm handsome in a manly, rugged way, you wanted to say. You make it sound as if I am still a kitten."
"You behave like one sometimes."
"Which gives you the right to laugh at me?"
"I did not laugh at you!"
"I could have hurt myself, you know. More vet bills for you, not talking about the huge guilt trip."
"My whole life is a guilt trip thanks to you guys. Ponder, you fell about 20 inch. Your butt was over the edge already. If you forget what a long and big cat you are, that is not my fault."
"After holding my paws you started rubbing my belly!"
"And you started stretching like Elastocat because you liked it. The only thing hurt is your pride."
"I can see you giggling."
"I'm not g...giggling. Oh, sweetie, you did look f...funny, though, when you sat there, all frozen up, staring at me."
"It was the Stare of Death. Unfortunately it didn't work, you *bleep bleep*."
"I had never seen that happen to you. The others, but not you. One moment on the bed, the next on the floor, and boy, it was loud. The neighbors probably thought there was an earthquake. A catquake."
"Eat my shorts."
"You don't wear shorts. Ponder? Ponder, where are you going? Pon, not the carpet! NOT the ... argh."

I always win in the end.

How I develop my designs

"Ponder, wake up. Do you want to blog today? It's time for the Jewelry Artisans Community blog carnival again."
"What's the topic?"
"How to develop your own designs."
"What designs of mine were you thinking of? My way of arranging your blankets or designing with kibble bags? How about the litterbox?"
"Your litterbox arrangements are the best. I like how you take the litter from the edges and turn it into a mountain in the middle."
"I do like that movie about the Englishman who went up a hill and came down from a mountain, you know. Pretty much the same thing, isn't it? Unfortunately my artwork is for the moment, thanks to you."
"Yes, I guess that's in the nature of litterboxes."
"You won't take a picture of it, will you?"
"No worries. So, anything else you got to offer?"
"I could throw up for you."
"Don't you dare!"
"I could make a completely new design for your carpet."
"Ponder!"
"I'm just kidding. What could I throw up? I'm starving again."
"Is that a subtle way of telling me you are hungry?"
"What a smart human you are."

Nice. First a snack and then another nap.

If you want to see what the JAC members have to say about the topic of the month, you can find them here. I doubt it will be as interesting as my litterbox art would have been, but do give them a chance.

Jewelry Art by Dawn
The Crafty Chimp
Bead Sophisticate 
Cat's Wire