Odds and ends

I recently posted about finding Tiger Lily sitting in one of my antique glass bowls. That sort of freaked me out even though I eventually thought it was kind of cute. This afternoon, as I was watching Jeopardy, I asked husband if he would bring me a bottle of water. He immediately told me to get my camera, and this is what I saw.

Since we adopted two of daughter alipurr's tiny kittens last Friday, we have had to close all the bedroom doors to ensure the kittens have access only to the bathroom, kitchen, and living room until they are completely trained.

Because Tiger Lily's usual daytime nap place (my bed) is now off limits with the bedroom door closed, she is finding unusual places to catch a few zzzzzzz's. She looked so peaceful snuggled up in the Dasani case, I didn't have the heart to make her move.

We brought these two cuties home from alipurr's in her cat carrier. They proceeded to cry and howl all the way home and there was no comforting them. We have learned our lesson of having kittens and cats loose in a moving vehicle, so they were in the carrier to stay until we could get them home. Because of their loud, pitiful, and continuous howling, I decided to name them Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn. Dolly's on the left and Loretta's on the right in the above picture. I guess we're going to have to get them different color collars because they are really difficult to tell apart right now (Dolly is a little fluffier than Loretta).

I have decided that we must be nuts to adopt two more kittens. We already have five grown cats. As soon as these two get big enough (around six months of age), off they go to the vet's to get spayed. No more kittens for me (famous last words).

It's becoming more fall-like every day. We have been able to turn off the A/C for longer periods and the trees are beginning to turn beautiful colors. While husband was working on his "closing the pool" ritual this afternoon, I mowed our yard. I don't imagine I will have to mow too many more times this fall.

I noticed that the trees are beginning to drop their leaves. During our drives around the area, we see that many people have their Halloween decorations out already and the farmers' markets are selling pumpkins, gourds, and mums. Our hummingbirds are still here, but I imagine they will all have migrated south within the next couple of weeks. That's a good indication that winter is just around the corner.

Have you noticed that the stores are already decorated for fall and are selling Halloween items? I am being inundated with fancy, full-color catalogues with fall and Christmas items hoping to entice me to make my selections early. Christmas sales are nearly upon us. To increase their profitability, the stores have been putting their Christmas items/decorations out before Thanksgiving instead of waiting until the beginning of December. Pretty soon stores will have Christmas items for sale for six months out of the year. Can you believe there are only 81 days until Christmas? A local financial institution tried to loan us Christmas money today for which I said no thanks.

Between the upcoming elections on November 7 and the October, November, and December holidays, will we be able to turn our television sets on without being beaten over the head to buy, buy, buy and vote, vote, vote? I feel like going on vacation until January 1, 2007, or maybe crawling inside a Dasani carton and taking a little afternoon siesta.