Unexpected Surprise

Thursday was critter day. I had agreed to foster three kittens--see above. Pretty cute aren't they. So I stopped by the vet to pick them up then got them settled in. These guys brought the critter quota up to a dog and eight cats at the house. Plenty of critters, right? Later that evening, I went for a walk with the hh and the dog. We were walking down the lane when what did we see coming toward us on the other side of the road....Take a guess.

1. A car

2. A truck

3. A turtle

4. A deer

5. A raccoon

6. A parakeet.

I bet you cheated and looked at the pic. Yup, there was a little blue parakeet meandering down the road. He hopped right up on my shoe and began to nibble at the laces. We put him in a box and made the rounds of the neighborhood but no one claimed him. So yes, we now have a dog, eight cats and a parakeet in residence. The poor little guy, who I call Fred, probably thinks he died and went to birdie hell with all the cats around. I'm hoping to find him a good home soon.

Years ago during the depression, if a farmer was generous and gave them food, hobos would leave a mark at the end of the a farmer's lane. This was done to alert other hobos that this was a good place to stop, that they would be fed. I think the animals have discreetly placed a paw print somewhere on the property:)

Aubrie Dionne

Please join me today, at downtownya.blogspot.com, where Aubrie Dionne will be stopping by on her virtual book tour to promote her new book NEBULA’S MUSIC.

*We've got 3 4 week old baby kittens coming tomorrow. I'll take pics and post.

CONTEST FOR CAT LOVERS

Promo
CONTEST FOR CAT LOVERS. Win a signed copy of Makita for yourself and a goody bag for your favorite feline filled with rhinestone collars, walking leash and harness, cat toys and treats. Simply leave a comment at downtownya.blogspot.com and send an email to sandracox1@gmail.com. Put MAKITA CONTEST in the subject line. The contest runs from April 12 through April 30. The drawing will be held on May 1st. Good luck.

Congrats to LuAnn who won the GROUNDED contest.

Excerpt:

Trembling violently, Makita, the Himalayan cat, stood on a bridge aglow with brilliant colors. Sunshine warmed her back and fresh air filled her nostrils. She smelled fear but it emanated from herself.
At the bottom of the bridge, a semi-circle of cats stood waiting.
A regal Abyssinian raised his paw and beckoned. “Come, friend. Join us.”
The Himalayan took a tentative step forward. “Who are you?”
“I am Ramses and this is the Council of Nine.” He lifted his paw to encompass the other cats. “Actually, the Council of Ten.” He put his paw around the little tabby that sat at his side. The tabby purred in response and licked his ear.
“Where am I?”
“Catarau,” Ramses said.
“Catarau,” she breathed in wonder. “It really exists.”
“This is the first life you’ve lost then? I didn’t think I’d seen you here before.”
“Yes.” She looked around. Lush grassy acres stretched as far as the eye could see, dotted with mountains of—she sniffed—kibble.
She sniffed again. Nearby, catmint plants waved their pretty leaves in the breeze.
Kittens chased butterflies. The more mature cats lay or sat in the luxuriant transparent grass, sunning themselves, some on their backs with their paws in the air.
A light breeze in the blue sky tossed and separated the grass. Clouds floated not only above her but below as well. Mists rolled beneath them.
A lonely howl rose to meet her. “Bennie,” she whispered. Her tail twitching, her ears flat, she crouched and looked through the mists. A brindle-colored boxer nuzzled her lifeless body, then threw his head in the air and bayed as if his heart would break.
“Oh, Bennie.” She sniffed and wiped a tear from her eye. Quivering, she got to her feet and faced Ramses. “I’ve just used one life. Correct, oh great Ramses?”
The big cat flattened his ears and swished his tail. “Yes,” the Abyssinian hissed, his eyes narrowed as if he sensed what was coming and didn’t like it.
Already trembling from her death experience, she quivered at his attitude. “And I have eight more?”
“Yes.”
“So I can go back?”
He sighed and waved a great paw. “Look around you, why would you want to?”
“Look below you, how could I stay?” she responded quietly.
http://www.wing-epress.com/
www.sandracox1.com

Also:
Please join me April 14th, at downtownya.blogspot.com, where Aubrie Dionne will be stopping by on her virtual book tour to promote her new book NEBULA’S MUSIC.

Pluses to Being GROUNDED In a Statue

Being stuck inside a statue from dawn to dusk isn't a perfect scenerio but it does have benefits:
1. If you're a night owl you can sleep all day.
2. If you're wrongly accused and thrown in jail, poof you'll be gone come morning.
3. You never have to worry about not wearing enough sunscreen.
4. You don't have to fight rush hour traffic or get stuck behind a school bus first thing in the morning.
5. You don't have to mow the grass.
6. Or weed the garden.
7. Or deal with ants crawling all over you at a picnic.
8. Or worry about your sunglasses being out of style.
9. The beach isn't as crowded.
10. You can watch the fireflies flit in the dark.
11. Watch the moths dance in the light.
12. Take romantic walks in the moonlight.
13. Listen to the soft hoot of owls and other night birds.
14. Wander through a night garden.
15. Dance under the stars.
And lastly, just be.

The Dark Side of Woman

Picture painted by Meghan Cox

~*~

The Dark Side of Woman

A woman was in town on a shopping trip. She began her day by findingthe most perfect shoes in the first shop and a beautiful dress on saleslashed by 75 percent in the second. In the third, everything had justbeen reduced by 50 percent when her mobile phone rang.

It was a female doctor notifying her that her husband had just been in a terrible car accident and was in critical condition in the ICU. The woman told the doctor to inform her husband where she was and that she'd be there as soon as possible.

As she hung up she realized she was leaving what was shaping up to beher best day ever in the boutiques. She decided to get in a couple more shops before heading to the hospital. She ended up shopping therest of the morning, finishing her trip with a cup of coffee and abeautiful chocolate cake slice, compliments of the last shop. She was jubilant.

Then she remembered her husband. Feeling guilty, she dashed to the hospital. She saw the woman doctor in the corridor and asked about herhusband's condition.

The doctor glared at her and shouted, "You went ahead and finished your shopping trip, didn't you!? I hope you're proud of yourself! While you were out for the past four hours enjoying yourself in town, your husband has been languishing in pain in theIntensive Care Unit! It's just as well you went ahead and finished,because it will more than likely be the last shopping trip you'll evertake! For the rest of his life he will require round-the-clock care.And he will now be your career!"

The woman, overcome with guilt, broke down and sobbed.

The woman doctor chuckled and said, "I'm just messing with you. He's dead. Show me what you bought."

Hoppy Easter

How to Decide Who to Marry

You may have already seen this.
What a hoot.
HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY? (written by kids)
(1) You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming. - Alan, age 10
(2) No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with. - Kristen, age 10
WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?
(1) Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then. - Camille, age 10
(2) No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married. - Freddie, age 6 (very wise for his age)
HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
(1) You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids. - Derrick, age 8
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
(1) Both don't want any more kids. - Lori, age 8
WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
(1) Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough. - Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure)
(2) On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date. - Martin, age 10 (Who said boys do not have brains)
WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?
(1) I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns. -Craig, age 9
WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
(1) When they're rich. - Pam, age 7 (I could not have said it better myself)
(2) The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that. - Curt, age 7 (Good Point)
(3 ) The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do. - Howard, age 8 (Who made the rule)
IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them. - Anita, age 9 (bless you child)
HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?
(1 ) There sure would be lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there? - Kelvin, age 8
And the #1 Favorite is........
HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
(1 ) Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck. - Ricky, age 10 ( The boy already understands) .