Miss Chris's Blog

Jackalope Warning!

I live in Marshfield, Wisconsin (which is recently experiencing a jackalope (a/k/a antelabbit) population explosion of monumental proportions - ::gasp:: - it's the Cheddar cheese which attracts them in such vast numbers!) and I am here to tell you that JACKALOPES (a/k/a ANTELABBITS) *ARE REAL*. NOT ONLY ARE THEY REAL, THEY ARE *DANGEROUS*!  Batten down the hatches, Wisconsinites! While jackalopes (a/k/a  antelabbits) have previously been associated more traditionally with the Western states such as Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, et al, they are now closing in on Wisconsin (attracted by our exceptionally excellent Cheddar Cheese) and WE ARE VERY AFRAID. They are fearless! They are evil! They are cunning! And they have Extremely Sharp and Very Pointy Teeth, which they are inclined to use as weapons, especially if confronted before they have coffee and breakfast.

Keys to being on guard against the wild and savage packs of jackalopes (a/k/a antelabbits) is knowing that if you smell garlic, they are near. Jackalopes are exceedingly fond of Very Garlicky Fettuccine Alfredo, and often emit garlicky vapors.

Please stay tuned for more jackalope warnings and updates... your life depends on it if you live in Wisconsin.

Vapid Inanities From Miss Chris
The July 3, 2009 Edition

Be warned: this will be truly a vapid and inane Miss Chris blog entry. Perhaps later today, I'll be a good girl and post my Gratitude Attitude entry for the day.

*Tonight I played "Eating Cheap Yellow Mustard On My Chicken Sandwich While Wearing A Brand New White Blouse Roulette" - and I won! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

*I am just now "deplaning" (thanks for that word, Beth!) from one very wild and traumatic trip to Planet Migraine. I find it difficult during said trips, to believe that a body can feel that sick and NOT die. While I am grateful tonight that I am back on Planet Anti-Migraine, I am struggling with attitude problems. July is traditionally a horrific month for me with migraines because of the particular allergens which are proliferating, and because of the heat and humidity which will soon enough head our way again. I am not being pessimistic or negative when I say I know that the next number of weeks are going to be a severe test of my mettle; I'm just being realistic, as it does happen every year. I need to work on my gratitude muscles, and also focus on what I CAN do - not on what I can't do during these firestorms of sickness and pain. Many of you who do me the honor of reading this blog are not only my friends, but are also CFS/fibromyalgia/migraine/other chronic pain patients. I know you know what I mean about needing to develop the good ol' gratitude muscles and to find the silver lining to these thunderstorm clouds.

*The sun hasn't shone here in several days. Not only that, but we have set records for low maximum temperatures. Actually, it's been nice having it be autumnal after that nasty little heat wave a week or so ago, but it's not helping my pumpkin patch to grow! I am obsessed with pumpkins this year. In fact, late as it is, I am going to go outside this morning and plant some more Jack-O-Lanterns and Connecticut Field Pumpkins. Me has a hunch that we'll have temperatures in the 80's in early November. It's a weird year.

*Speaking of pumpkins, I have already planted about a gabillion "Jack Be Little" ornamental (3 to 4 inch in diameter) pumpkins in the back flowerbed behind the garage. I had also planted numerous dwarf sunflowers and cactus zinnias, which the evil and nefarious tribe of chipmunks brutalized (a few survivors remain). However, the chipmonsters did NOT ravage the pumpkin seedlings, and this is good.

*Speaking of chipmonsters: I was in Shopko the other afternoon and saw boxes and boxes and BOXES of this massive atomic blasting "Vindicator" water guns. Methinks I have found a humane (though humiliating) weapon with which to chase this brazen band of beasties out of my garden and patio. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

*Back to the pumpkins (seeeeeeeeeee... I told you I was obsessed! ) I didn't put my dad to work spading up the garden this year because he is so busy with church activities and mostly with other lawn care (I'm beginning to think that lawn care is a full time job, even when it's not your second religion like it is one of our elderly neighbor's). I digress. I didn't put my dad to work spading the garden, and doing it myself was simply waaaaaaaaaay out of the question this year (some years I can do it, and some I can't. Those are the breaks). Anyway, I did do some hoeing last month, and built up five hills for pumpkins. Two hills of Connecticut Field Pumpkins (the big, honking 25 pound doozies - Lord willing) and three hills of Jack-O-Lanterns (which typically weigh in at 8 to 15 pounds, plus have a more beautiful deep orange color). I notice that we have bees aplenty in the yard this year, so I am thinking that they will be nice little friends and pollinate lots of the pumpkin flowers whence they bloom so that I will have lots and lots and LOTS of pumpkins. And hopefully there will be spare pumpkin flowers for dredging in flour and then deep-frying!

*Speaking of my friends the bees doing their job this year: Whoo hoo! BOTH of our apple trees are simply loaded with baby apples this year! One of the trees has never produced while we've lived here, and I prayed for the dear thing this year, and voila! It actually flowered as profusely as the other true, and those flowers did indeed turn into baby Granny Smith apples. I am going to be busy picking apples this fall - and busier making apple pies and apple crisps (with loads and loads and LOADS of cinnamon! YUM!).

*Back to my Pumpkin Passion: I hope to have something of a Pumpkin Ministry this fall. More on this another time.

*Back to less gardenish vapid inanity: My mind does not function at peak performance during the day. Ever since I was a baby, I have been a Night Person to the profoundest Nth degree. I would get more work done around here if I could get my dad to sleep soundly enough that I could do laundry and dusting and watering the garden in the middle of the night. Instead, here I sit on my "brains", blogging vapid inanities when I could be doing something "productive". Unfortunately, my dad has taken up Coffee Drinking as a second religion as of late and tiptoe through the house like a quiet little mouse I must lest I wake him up and lose my precious middle of the night "able to think clearly" hours. I say a pox on the world that insists on Day Personism. I say, "Equal Rights for Night Owls"!

*Okay, enough whinenyness (would you like some cheese?). The sun is going to shine again today, and (Lord willing) I will spend part of the day outdoors tidying up my patio flowers, soaking in the sun's rays, and getting a much needed change of scenery.

*I went shopping at Shopko the other day for some "be comfortable around the house and yard" tops, and got them all at 50% off. Now I'll have something to wear (she says with her closet so bursting that she can't even get the doors shut) when my mom comes up from Florida and wants to take me shopping. (Hint to Mom: I would rather have technological bling for my birthday than clothes this year!)

*I am getting so daggone geeky that I can't stand myself.  I installed new RAM in two of our computers and set up a wireless network and am going to soon teach my dad about the wonders of email and the web. I should really stop this blog entry and finish setting up some of the network (sharing printers, etc.) while I am awake and functioning mentally (I use the term loosely, of course. I am on Lyrica for fibromyalgia pain relief and I'm just NEVER "all here" mentally anymore. Sigh. But... it's so nice here in my cushy executive chair, beside an open window while a light and cool breeze caresses me as my fingers tickle the keyboard....

*TVLAND.com has had a Beverly Hillbillies marathon going on this week, so on non-Planet Migraine days/nights, I've been watching the Clampetts' antics. So, my comedic tastes aren't always sophisticated and modern! Shoot me! I can't stand the junk that's on network TV the past several years. Netflix, the Internet, and my local public library's DVD selection are my friends. And, I think I could do with some British Comedy again soon.

*I happen to love eMusic.com. Last month, I bought some excellent Celtic fiddle music CDs by: Bonnie Rideout, Liz Carroll, and Natalie MacMaster. Also got the latest by Waterdeep (Pink and Blue). I also downloaded some primo editions of sacred music composed by Bach (the Mass in B Minor, and The Magnificat) and Mozart. And then I bought an audiobook of Tolkien's The Silmarillion, Volume I performed by Martin Shaw. Then I promptly canceled my subscription! I was soooooo tempted to buy the "booster packs" but I just need to not buy anymore music or audio books for awhile. It would behoove me to not spend so much on entertainment. Sigh.

*Eric Clapton Rocks! I just still love the Unplugged CD, as old as it is.

*Independence Day Weekend is when I typically start listening to Christmas music. It is also when I typically get the urge to start knitting woolly mittens and crocheting woolly socks. Last night, while on Planet Migraine Medication, I had a niiiiiiiiiiice dream about cross-stitching Christmas ornaments - everything was in brilliant red and green holiday technicolor. This is one of the advantages of being a CFS and/or fibromyalgia patient: while the rest of the (healthy) world dreams in mere color, WE get to dream in TECHNICOLOR! Whoo hoo!

*Twenty-five years ago on Independence Day, I acquired my first kitten - the one and only Miss CJ Kitty. She was a beauty, and was simply the best cat friend in the world. Never did I shed a tear without her climbing on my lap and comforting me.

Well, 'nuff out of me for tonight. I'm going to try to clean my closet (albeit on tiptoe, quiet as a mouse). I still have wool sweaters that need to go upstairs to the cedar chest in the loft - IF there's anything left of my wool sweaters. There have been moths in the house this week. I am almost afraid to look. If anything happens to my Irish sweaters, I will be sad.

My prayer for each of us this weekend and coming week is to be content with what we have, and with what we can/cannot do, and to focus on the ways in which God blesses us daily. I will pray for each of you (I promise!), and I humbly covet your prayers - be they even a mere two seconds long - for me.

Much love to one and all in Christ Jesus,

-Miss Chris

Stuff
April 16, 2009.

(Randomized rambles and positive ponderings, hopefully in fun, bite-sized paragraphs without *too* many parentheses. Please forgive typos. I am sleep deprived)

*I am thankful for my dishwasher, which I often fondly refer to as our "portable indentured Maytag dish washing servant". I mention here, in public, in front of the entire world wide web that I am grateful for this, my loyal, most esteemed and ever necessary household appliance so that it may know that I appreciate it and I do heretofore vow to never take its faithful and capable service for granted. (We had a little "incident" yesterday evening. I just want our dishwasher to know that we promise to appreciate it. ::grin::) Long life to our dishwasher, which just recently celebrated its second anniversary at our abode.

*I am thankful for 85 cent angelfood cake pans from the thrift store which are infinitely better and need considerably less pampering than the $25 dollar ones from upscale department stores. (I am also thankful for angelfood cake with fresh, juicy, ripe, red strawberries topped with dollops of real whipping cream with French Roast coffee.)

* I am extremely grateful for the gift of hearing, even though with migraines and such, my ears can go bionic from time to time. I would starve to death spiritually/emotionally/mentally if I couldn't listen to music. And that's another gift I'm grateful for: the gift of being able to enjoy music, and to appreciate so many different genres of it. I just hope I don't render myself prematurely deaf by my frequent listening to an MP3 player. I also pray that I don't inherit Grammy's tendency to deafness.

* What a consolation a kitten is! What would I ever do without my little cat daughter (Miss Maggie McGee, the Wild Celtic Kitty)? She's not only a joy and a constant source of delight; she is also a lesson book in the practical application of learning how to take care of the needs of someone other than myself. Not only that, Maggie, in her littleness and helplessness and dependence upon me to take care of her needs and wants, is an example to me in how Abba delights in my littleness, helplessness, dependence upon, and loving and confident trust in Him to take care of me and give me good things. The tenderness and compassion I have for my little pet is nothing compared to the tenderness and love with which God the Father takes care of me.

*I praise God this night for Vitamin L, specifically Wallace & Gromit. I had a hard day on Wednesday, and some comic relief was a much needed medicine.

* I am grateful that even though the chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS in the US, ME in Canada and the UK) is wiping me out lately, I am recovering from that terrible case of influenza sufficiently enough that I can work out (small workouts) on the Air-Dyne and take walks again. It was a long six weeks without my friends The Endorphins (wouldn't that make a cool name for a rock group?!) to help me through everyday health challenges. Happy days are here again - Whoo! Now, maybe I can drop a few pounds? (I am on a post-workout endorphin "high" right now).

* I am so thrilled that my dad and I have such a nice yard and patio to enjoy. We have a pleasant combination of mature shade trees, large spruces, and ample sunshine for apricating (a word I learned from Xanga's greatgrandpadog which means to soak in the warm rays of sunshine) as well as for gardening.

* I am happy that I felt well enough for part of yesterday afternoon to sit outside on the patio and soak up some of those healing rays from the sun... and that I didn't get a sunburn (or not much of one - my face is just a little pink right now).

* Yippee! I found a basket full of garden seeds from last year, and plan on planting some patio containers with spinach, lettuce, snow peas, and sugar snap peas this week. (I am reasonably certain that those can endure the overnight low temperatures at this time of year).

* Yippee! Mr. and Mrs. P, my back yard neighbors, have put up a small greenhouse in their back yard this past week. Mr. P has fibromyalgia like I do but he still gets out there all summer and gardens (veggies - especially prize winning tomatoes) and is quite devoted to firing up the Lawn Boy to mow the lawn. I think it safe to say that lawn care might just be Mr. P's second religion. Mrs. P has lovely climbing roses and a myriad of flowers and herbs in a multitude of beds and containers in both front and back yard. I am going to beg her to let me come over to take my time taking pictures of all of their gardening glories this summer.

* I am thankful for my dad who is so faithful to wanting to help out with dinner by firing up the Weber charcoal grill even when he's having a really tired, bad allergy day. It makes things easier for me (not to mention his grilling is extremely yummy!). Wednesday night's main course was whole chicken seasoned with Spice Islands Beau Monde spices and was simply succulent and cooked to perfection - so much so that I was too busy enjoying chicken to want to engage in my current favorite dinner time vice: excessive mashed potatoes consumption.

* I am thankful for my mom who understands when it is too difficult for me to talk on the phone for too long, or to talk on the phone at all on certain days, and who tries to cheer me up with emails even when she is busier than the proverbial one armed paper hanger.

* I am grateful for two parents who pray for me. Do you realize how many people's parents don't believe in God, and who don't have anyone to pray for them? Parents have a special God-given power to bless their children with their prayers, and I feel deeply sad and sorry for those dear people whose parents don't pray for them. Both of my parents pray for me and I'm sure that, when it's all been said and done, that even though we've all hurt each other throughout the course of our lives, their prayers have won tremendous graces and blessings for me.

* Okay, this is getting to be too long for one blog entry, but one last point: I am thankful to God for the things I *can* do, despite the challenges of my illnesses. I choose to focus on the blessings and the abilities which Abba has gifted me with, and I recommit myself to NOT focusing or worrying about those things which I cannot do or which are beyond my control.

***
I hope that my staying up late tonight/early this morning counting blessings instead of sheep, has somehow been a contagious joy to at least one other person reading this blog. God is a God of love, and He is all good, all kind, all merciful, all forgiving, all understanding, all compassionate, and all wise. Together, dear friends, let's choose to focus on the blessings we do have today.

Much love in Jesus to each and every one of you who honor me be dropping by, and please know that I keep each of you in prayer. I might not know your name or who you are, but the Holy Spirit does, and I trust Him to lavish some blessings and love and healing upon you all!

~Miss Chris

Thursday Things, March 26, 2009.

Critter Crazy!

I don't know what it is about this time of year, but March and April always find me getting into EMCM (Elly May Clampett Mode). In short, it is extremely dangerous for me to visit pet shops and the local humane society website. I am crazy for critters!

I long to add more fuzzy and feathered babies to our home, and this year finds me wanting a pair of parakeets. The only two things standing in my way are (1) I don't know how I would deal with parakeet chatter while I have a migraine (I could always put them in another room...), and (2) finances. Bird cages and healthy birds are on the pricey side. Oh, and a third problem is that Maggie McGee Kitty might not ever get another wink of sleep if there are birds in the house! She'd be thinking "Feathers!" and also probably "Oh goodie! Poultry! ). Oh, and I hear that birdies have a penchant for hiding behind bookcases (of which we have a fair number in this house!).

Did I mention that I would also loooooooooove to add a Golden Retriever and/or a Golden Lab to the family?! Gah! I am crazy, crazy, crazy! I would so love to have a big, golden dog to take for walks around our neighborhood. I am in bigger dog fancying right now. Typically, I like little dogs. (I hope that Kermit, the Portage County Humane Society doggie that I was in puppy love with late last summer got a really good home! He was suuuuuuuuuuuuch a sweetie pie, and I remember a bunch of you praying for me to get him myself, but it was a "no-can-do" situation at the time).

It's a good thing I am still dealing with influenza and not quite well enough to venture out of the house, otherwise there would be the distinct possibility of my going on a pet store binge. I would at least come home with a box full of cat toys. Oy! If you all knew how many cat toys we already have for Maggie, you would think I was totally crackers. (Keep in mind that Maggie inherited a number of toys from Miss CJ and from Mr. McFierceson, *and* that I gave her more to get her more interested in life after Mr. McFierceson died last year. It was either invest money in cat toys and time in playing with her, or else getting another kitty).

Maybe I will keep Maggie and mostly myself happy by having my dad pick up some wild bird and nature DVDs from the library. And, by window shopping for a two or three story cat condo. And by shopping online at Hancock Fabrics for some fun fur or whatever it's called to fix Maggie's favorite cat toy - the teaser wand (a two foot pole with a long strand of elastic which has a loud (!) jingle bell and several feather-like strands of fake fun fur to tantalize a bird-loving kitten).

If I were a "normal" healthy person, and if I won the lottery, I would buy out the pet shops and be a crazy lady with a houseful of birds and bunnies, guinea pigs and maybe even ferrets... and especially lots of kittens and puppies. What can I say? I am 44 and have no human children. The maternal instincts simply MUST find some kind of outlet. I have such a lot of love to give. I need some more fur and feather babies!

I think I will go visit the humane society website. Perhaps I have a date with destiny...

Critter lovers, unite!

Love in Jesus to one and all! Hug your kids and your fur kids today!

-Miss Chris

 

Mr. Kiki Thomas McFierceson, January 31, 2006.

 

Puddytat Paw of Mr. McFierceson. He had such sweet feet. RIP, Sweetie.

It's almost time for the Spring Reading Thing 2009! You can read about the details of this no/low pressure reading challenge at http://callapidderdays.com/2009/03/spring-reading-thing-2009-giveaways-prizes-miscellany.html. (Just so you know: there are books that can be won by participating).

I'll be posting my reading list soon. I find that the more challenging I make my list (1) the more I am likely to read, and (2) the more likely I am to read books that weren't on my original list. So, if I want to read the books that I REALLY need/want to read, I need to engage in some of my famous/infamous "Miss Chris School of Reverse Psychologizing" techniques.

Also, those of you who have read my reading lists in the past know that I usually also post an addendum or two (what is the proper plural of "addendum"? "Addendae"? ::snort!::) with the music CDs and movies/television DVDs I plan to be entertained by for the coming three months.

Speaking of "CDs" and "DVDs": I find myself absolutely confused these days as to whether to put an apostrophe between the "D" and the "s". I think I am going to side with Lynne Truss (she who wrote Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation) and avoid the wrath of the Apostrophe Protection Society. Hence, I will NOT put an apostrophe between the "D" and the "s".

Off with me. I have unlimited instant watching hours on Netflix for the rest of this month and I crave some Fawlty Towers. Due to a visitor on Sunday, I was unable to get to the library to check out any DVDs <-sans the apostrophe! ::snort!::

Bibliophiles/Bookworms, Unite!

Signed,
Miss Chris

PS: If difficult economic times have taken a big bite out of your book budget, please remember that  LibriVox.org http://www.librivox.org has loads and loads and LOADS of public domain books in audio format for FREE!

Friday Frivolity

I've been mainly quiet in the Land of Xanga. It's been (and continues to be) a season of prayer for me, which is a good thing. I keep on thinking that I would like to blog, but when I sit down to type nothing seems worthy of being written. Also, I have loads of graphics learning that I had wanted to begin doing after Christmas, and that too is not getting done. Every time I get de-migrained enough to think that I could possibly start working with tuts ("tuts" is short for "tutorials") for making graphics, I end up praying. Praying is a good thing, and I say this not to make myself sound "holy". I keep on thinking that I should be doing something "creative", but if God's Spirit says: "Pray!", then I pray. Also, last autumn, I bought a couple of domains that I had wanted to work on websites for. One was a domain for my name. I am "parked" on that domain in the hopes that I will before too terribly, very long publish a book for young adults (my muse is starting to provoke me to that again - let's see what happens with me and with CreateSpace). An author needs their name on a domain. (Hope springs eternal). Mine is a dot net. My name dot com is owned by a semi famous Christian Jazz singer. The other domain I purchased was for saintly quotations and wisdom. I forget what domain that is. I'll have to check my Google Apps. Oh. And last week, when I was going to buy Registry Mechanic software for my computer, Registry Mechanic (which is indeed very good software) gave me the opportunity to get RM for free by making a small purchase from GoDaddy.com. So, I bought another vanity domain (not gonna publish here what it is) to park some public photo albums on using Jalbum software. (I'll share with my friends when the photo albums happen - though, I think I prefer working with Picasa albums at this point).

I was getting too addicted to buying things online these past few months, so for Lent I'm putting myself on a short leash. Unless I reallllllllllllllllllly need something, I'm not going to buy it - online, especially. Especially: books, CDs, DVDs, and software. However, I am not going to abstain from thrift shopping at St. Vinnie's. I really do need another tea pot. And I need some large baskets and another magazine/book rack or two for floor areas.

***
I am a Bad Girl. Last night, I indulged in one of my worst dietary vices: the combination of Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Sauerkraut. When I get on the scale in half an hour, I fully expect to weigh about twenty-three point six pounds more than I did at this time yesterday morning. Add to this that I had a couple of glasses of Dr Pepper (Good Morning, I don't think I need coffee at this point - Dr Pepper is like rocket fuel...) When did I become such an old German that I learned to like the combination of mashed potatoes and kraut? I think it's got something to do with sitting with the old folks at Oktoberfest the past couple of years. They taught me to not just have mashed potatoes and kraut on my plate separately, but mixed together. Those "old timers" are such "dear hearts and gentle people", like the old Bing Crosby song of that name.

***
We have made the digital transition here in the central Wisconsin television viewing area. We have our converter boxes, but our amplified rabbit ears antennas don't pull in anything more than the three public television stations (which is all I give a hoot about for my bedroom TV, anyway). However, my dad just invested in a new higher powered antenna from Radio Shack for the living room television. It ought to be arriving UPS? this afternoon (Friday), so I will get the fun of hooking up wires through tiny little slots in the back of the big entertainment center. I am glad to do this, but I am guessing that I will have a few frustrating moments. My dad and Maggie the Kitty will feel that they need to supervise me. I would rather do the fussy work without an audience and without constructive criticism. :) My dad wants to know still what I want for my belated Valentine's present. I told him originally that I wanted a rechargeable lithium battery for my Kodak Z712 IS camera, to use in my Kodak printer dock (the Z712 is a battery eater compared to the DX6340, which uses NiMh rechargeable batteries but doesn't take as high quality photos). But I am wondering if I would like a lower grade DVD player for the living room instead of the battery? Nah. I want the battery, which Kodak gets a pretty penny for. Even with the rechargeable lithium battery, I am still going to need to supplement with non-rechargeable lithium batteries. Interesting note: the grocery store sells Energizer AA lithium batteries in 4-packs for $8. Do you want to know how much Radio Shack charged me for the same Energizer AA lithium batteries? Over $14. While I appreciate the expertise of the guys who work at RS, I don't think I need to buy my camera batteries there.

Speaking of my Kodak EasyShare Z712 IS: I have had it since Labor Day weekend of 2007 and I still don't know how to use all of the functions on it. One thing I know is that I do NOT, NOT, NOT like its flash. Kodak flash is evil. That is the only thing about Kodak which I do not like. I really want to become more confident using the creative control features of both of my cameras.

***
I had a fun time watching The Lawrence Welk Show on public television last Saturday. Eli and Christy, do we want to do a synchronized viewing of TLWS tomorrow?

***
I want to go to the library today, only it is beastly cold and windy. As it is, I promised to stay home while my dad does banking and shopping today so that I can watch for UPS's delivery of the television antenna for my dad (our UPS delivery guy is quite creative for leaving our packages in Very Interesting (Hiding) Places. Not too long ago, I found a small book package in the "sand box" (for sanding the back step and driveway instead of using salt) next to the back door. Not on TOP of the sand box, but INSIDE the sandbox. Our UPS guy must've been very experienced in such childhood sports as "doorbell ditch" and "hide and seek". ::grin::

***
We were under a winter storm warning until a couple of hours ago. I don't think we received nearly so much snow as was predicted. I hope the the neighbor who snow blows for us gets to work blowing soon so my dad doesn't decide to shovel the end of the driveway. Actually, I take that back. I've not yet heard the snow plow go through.

A couple of mornings ago (Ash Wednesday), we had so much ice on the streets and sidewalks/parking lots that between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. there were 21 police reported vehicle crashes (the ambulances were busy!) and many, many people who fell while walking and who broke bones. Keep in mind, friends, that I live in an area whose inhabitants are very accustomed to slippery surfaces, so if we have this many events in a two hour period, it had to have been monumentally icy.

***
I mentioned earlier that I wanted to go to the library today. I should really, really refrain from going even after the television antenna is delivered. I have many more books of my own which I should be reading instead of hogging goodies from the library. What do I mean by hogging "goodies" from the library? I have a list of almost one dozen Irish-related books and CDs which I want to check out, including Irish cookery (I want to learn how to make, among other things, Irish Soda Bread). I also crave a Jeeves &  Wooster DVD (Season Four), but already have more of my own DVDs and VHS tapes in the house than I can possibly reasonably view in the next month or more.

I really, really, REALLY need to ask God's grace to help me to overcome my sins and faults of being greedy, greedy, GREEDY for media. She who dies with the most books/CDs/DVDs/software does NOT win! Avarice is indeed a sin.

***
Well, I would like to enjoy some Irish music before my dad wakes up for the day and regales me with boisterous song. I love that my dad loves to sing, but I do NOT love it that he loves to sing loudly, first thing in the morning. Doesn't the Book of Proverbs have something catty to say about those who sing loudly first thing in the morning?! ::wink, wink!::

***

I'll try to get back to posting poems and other more Lent-worthy blog posts in the future. But most of all, please know that I pray for each of you who visit this silly little blog. I wish I had something more inspiring to say at this time. I have ideas going through my mind for posts, but now does not feel like the right time to post them.

Happy Friday, dear friends.

Much love in Jesus to each of you,
Miss Chris



PS: I realize the graphics look very Christmassy (but I had to use it because my cardinals came back to our yard yesterday).

In Remembrance of Mr. Kiki T. McFierceson

One year ago today, my dear, good, loving kitty boy (Kiki Thomas McFierceson) went Home to his new eternal life with Jesus in Kitty Heaven. It took me ten months to stop missing him so overwhelmingly. The day he died was probably one of the top five hardest days of my life, but I am truly overjoyed that he is with Jesus in eternal kitty bliss. No more diabetes! No more arthritis! No more suffering - only joy and bliss (and I do believe, he is friends with many, many gerbils, birds, and other critters). I'm sure Grammy was glad to see him when he arrived. CJ Kitty was always aloof with Grammy, and Maglet too was distant. But Kiki won Grammy's heart. I'm sure she is loading him up with the most delectable of all kitty treats, and... the supply of tuna will never run out!

Maglet has taken up Kiki's post of being my comforter. Miss Busy Kitty has miraculously turned into a lap cat in the past year. It really IS a miracle that she deigned to begin sitting on my dad's and my laps. It's also a miracle that she likes to be petted as much as she does now! While she still misses Kiki (we just found a little patch of his black and tan hair in the "cozy" corner on an afghan between the living room couch and a heating vent yesterday - which, like seeing his toothbrush, reduced me to a puddle of tears and had Maggie looking worried), she has been thriving on being Miss Prima Pussycat Princess.

Here are a couple of little videos which star Kiki. One of them also contains Maglet. And for the record, I don't talk baby talk except to kitties. >^..^< I am actually mostly a well spoken individual of at least minor intelligence. But I like to talk baby talk to cats. :) I'm too busy tonight to upload the movies to my Life Is A Polka account, but if you would like to see my little guy (all 23 pounds of him) and the little baby girl kitty (all 7 pounds of her, and she was the boss!) please go to Kiki's web blog at the links below. Maybe when I have time for some uploading in the middle of the night, I'll do an edit and upload the movies to this blog as well.

http://video.xanga.com/KikiThomasMcFierceson/4958b422438/video.html?rewrite=true#filmstriptitle

http://video.xanga.com/KikiThomasMcFierceson/5e129422439/video.html?rewrite=true#filmstriptitle


Enjoy the movies. If you think of it, mayhaps you might enjoy a couple of little visits to Kiki's blog (wouldja believe Mancouch wanted to feature it?! Eek!) at http://www.xanga.com/KikiThomasMcFierceson (be warned that Kiki could be a little... earthy, especially in his first posts. :))

Maglet's blog is at http://www.xanga.com/maggiemcgee . I feel the inclination to resume catly quotations (of which I have many typed up and ready to copy/paste into her Xanga with some lovely kitty graphics) and perhaps occasionally a little story from Maggie in which she is given free reign to tell tales on her Gwampa and Mom.