Mosaic Cats

Dearly Departed Willie, aka Mr. Big Boy

2010-06-18T06:01:00.001-07:00

Willie at age 3 or 4, circa 1995.

My 18 1/2 year old Willie was helped along to Kitty Heaven yesterday morning. He'd been slowing way down all year and stopped eating his baby food meats two days ago. He was struggling to drink water and to walk. I should've taken him in Wednesday but wanted to give the other furs and myself time to adjust to his imminent absence as he was the elder of this tribe, here before all the remaining. My wonderful vet assured me I was doing the right thing as his kidneys, and many of his other organs, were shutting down and his body was pretty much "eating itself", which explained the near-daily bouts of pre-dawn bilious vomiting.

I got Willie March 31, 1992, while living in Monterey, CA. My current collection of cats began the previous November when I took Gracie in over Thanksgiving, an adult female Tabby who looked remarkably like Sadie. Gracie had been feeding with a group of ferals behind Ralph's market at the Carmel Crossroads and the women that were feeding the colony knew she was not feral but probably dumped. I thought Gracie needed company while I worked all day. Gracie was not overly fond of Willie. At all. But he was the remaining kitten of a litter up for adoption and when I went to see him he was splayed out on a couch with legs and the wingspan of a basketball player. And he had fleas the size of quarters on him. There was no debating. I had come with a carrier and was taking him regardless of what he looked like. I've really only chosen one pet. The rest have all come to me as strays or rescues that were the only remaining option.

Willie on 6/16/10, North Carolina, sunrise on the screened porch.

Longest Tail Ever.

I "fostered" tiny Bianca for Maria Hearst who was Italy-bound in October of 1992. Maria had found Bianca in a grocery store parking lot in Paso Robles, CA, and brought her to a Carmel-by-the-Sea inn where I was working. The resemblance was spooky, and of course the "foster" has continued for 18 years.

Bookends I

Bookends II

Willie and Bianca moved from Monterey to New Mexico with me (along with Gracie and a new stray, Merlin, who showed up in my front yard two months before the move!). We found Milo in NM, and then 9 months later we moved to Pagosa Springs, CO, where we lived for a decade. There we picked up Walter, Leah and Sadie! Good Lord. Clearly my pet accumulation phase was in full swing. I had six cats and one crazy Blue Heeler puppy in the house by January of 1999.

From the California coast to the mountains of Western North Carolina. One of my most treasured paintings that was actually not of me and Willie, but of course, it really was.

Going toward the Light.

Last morning coffee on the geriatric couch.

Hospice watch, 6/17.

One of the last shots of the Geriatric Bookends. I love this one.

Willie was so docile I knew I did not need a carrier. After shoving Walter into a carrier the morning he died so suddenly and regretting it ever since, I was not about to stress Willie, or myself, in that way. There is nothing worse than the trip home from the vet's with an empty carrier.

It was a very peaceful and quiet death and while we are sad, having time to gracefully ease into the goodbyes is truly a blessing. I put the blanket on which he was euthanized in the middle of the living room floor as the vet had suggested with Walter to give the others a knowing of what has happened. None of the remaining furs seem confused or unduly stressed, although Bianca is back to her 3am howling (and 3:45am, and 6am) which she had stopped for a while as she and Willie moved out onto the screened porch couch when it turned warm enough.

I took a ton of photos, of course, and decided to shoot two short videos as well. It occurred to me that now it's just us girls at home - Bianca, Annie, Sadie, Leah and me. As much as I'd love to add a boy kitty or two, I think I'm entering a new phase of my life in which "less is more" when it comes to pet collecting. (And you know, of course, this ensures that a stray boy kitten will come howling through my yard any minute now and I will be forced to "foster" him for the next 18 years.)

Sunday, March 21, 2010

2010-03-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

LOLWUT????

WTF????

PTDB!!!

TL; DW!!!

LITTLE BITSY CAN REALLY WIN WEEK 12! PLEASE VOTE DAILY! PLLLLLLEEEEAAASE!

2009-10-20T07:12:00.000-07:00

Little Bitsy has her own youtube video now! The woman holding her is Sylvia, her new Mom. The other lady is Evelyn Bridges, the woman who fed me for months when I was an outside stray young mother. She finally trapped me and had me spayed and brought me to ML's house for "fostering". We all know how that turned out. She rescued Bitsy too and is going to start her own non-profit rescue group here in Western NC. She needs green papers!

Remember what I looked like in August of 2007 when Evelyn brought me to Casa de Mosaic?

Check me out now. Big, Black and Beeeey-ooooo-tifull!

Bitsy was in THIRD PLACE last week! Out of 60,000 dogs!! The second place dog has only 240 more votes than she does this morning! If we can just get 200 more people to vote for Little Bitsy every day through Saturday, she can totally take this thing!

Please watch the video and GO RIGHT HERE TO VOTE NOW AND EVERY DAY.

Thank you so much. So many other homeless furs will be helped if Bitsy can win this week and move on to the semi-finals!

Saturday Photo Hunt - ORANGE!

2009-09-04T14:52:00.001-07:00

PLEASE C LICK THIS LINK THIS ONE RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW TO VOTE FOR LITTLE BITSY!

This is an email from the woman who fed me for months when I was a very skinny (I WAS TOO!) young stray. She trapped me, had me spayed, and brought me into a rescue group for adoption. On the way to being adopted, Mosaic Lady "fostered" me. For about two weeks. Now I've been living with her and all of the other Mosaics for over two years! I love my life (but I still hate Sadie!)

Friends and Family,

My fellow REALTORS with Steve Owen and Associates are helping us raise money in order to receive funds to create a non-profit organization to further help our efforts in animal rescue. This will allow us to have fund raisers, accept donations that are tax deductible for the donors, to apply for grant money, to pull animals from the shelters and do so much more to help our abused, thrown away, neglected, abandoned, unloved, sick animals. It will be called the Charlie Powers Memorial Animal Rescue in honor of my father who loved and cared for animals his entire life and taught me to do the same by his example.It has been a labor of love for me to rescue and help the animals for almost 50 years.

Please take a few seconds each day to click on the following link and vote for Little Bitsy. You will only have to register to vote the first time. You can vote everyday. Each new week begins on Sunday and continues until end of October. Let's help her win so she can help the other dogs and cats that have not yet been rescued.

If you would like to make a donation to assist with the estimated cost of $3,000 to create our non profit status, please make your checks (if we raise more than needed for 5013c, all donations will be used for welfare and rescue of the animals) out to:

Charlie Powers Memorial Animal Rescue
% Evelyn Bridges
226 Panther Gap Road
Brevard, NC 28712

Thanks in advance for helping in anyway possible, even by forwarding this to others.

This is a great way to help Evelyn! Go to the cutest dog competition site every day until the end of October and vote for "Little Bitsy". She is one of Evelyn's rescues and if she wins during the contest she wants to give it to Evelyn's Fund! They are picking winners weekly so vote for her every day. The votes go back to 0 on Sunday and the week begins again.

Let's see if we can win $500 (or more! ) to help other dogs just like Little Bitsy have happy endings too!

Little Bitsy (and Mosaic Annie) thank you!

5 Minutes of Your Life You Will Never Get Back

2009-07-12T13:05:00.001-07:00

Play Her Off, Keyboard Kitty!

2009-07-05T13:05:00.001-07:00

What The World Has Been Waiting For. ME!

2009-06-23T06:14:00.000-07:00

Watch Out For Flying Pigs, Every Cat!

2009-06-17T13:42:00.001-07:00

Mosaic Lady figured out how to use her digital camera to make movies. Can you believe it? I know. Me neither.

After picking the first batch of blueberries from our yard, she took them out back for some still photos. Sadie The Perfect was hanging out, and ML, in an uncharacteristic display of technological insight and bravery, moved one little button on her camera two places over to the FILM icon. And it filmed! Can you believe that? Me neither.

Here is perfect, loving, adorable, low maintenance, always affectionate and calm Sadie.
Can you see why I live to torture her? I know. Me too.

(Listen for Mosaic Dawg slopping up her water in the kitchen. She's gross.)

A Fleeting and Fragile Detente

2009-06-03T11:36:00.001-07:00

Are You New Around Here?

2009-05-10T06:46:00.000-07:00

Easter Indignities

2009-04-17T14:04:00.001-07:00

We support etsy artists, Monday

2009-04-06T06:53:00.001-07:00

Board of DirectFurs Meeting

2009-03-07T06:40:00.000-08:00

What Mosaic Lady gave me for Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T16:20:00.001-08:00

h/t J-TWO-O

I can haz R-E-S-P-E-C-T now, pleeze?

2009-02-05T13:15:00.001-08:00

Please take this down, Mr. President

2009-01-29T08:32:00.001-08:00

My fellow Americans:

A few days ago, I went to Capitol Hill to meet with the Republican leadership to get their input on the massive economic stimulus package we’re about to approve. We worked very hard, we compromised, and I added a few of their suggestions.

As you have seen, even though we made compromises in this massive bill to garner support from our Republican members of Congress, every one of them voted against it – mostly because there is money for prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and because there is no tax cut for their wealthy friends.

Therefore, I intend to veto this bill, remove every one of these “compromises” and just go with what I originally wanted.

The time of a president is very valuable. There are a lot of things going on in the world and in America that demand my attention. Three hours is a long time when you’re president. I spent three hours on Capitol Hill with Republicans – adding and subtracting things to this bill in the hope that they would support it. We worked hard for this compromise. Not one House Republican supported this bill. It turns out, they had no intention of EVER supporting the bill. Their goal was simply this – the failure of this bill. So, I ask you: What was the point?

As such, I am not going to waste one more minute of my time on these people.

America, I know I promised you that I would be bi-partisan and be President for ALL of America. But that only works when the other side is a willing partner. Yesterday, every Republican in the House showed that they were not willing to do that. Not only that, but they wasted the country’s time pretending to work in a spirit of bi-partisanship while, all along, knowing that they never would vote for a bill that included many of the things they asked for.

Going forward, I will no longer waste your time and my time by meeting with Republicans unless there is a very important reason to do so. If they are willing to work on bills in a bi-partisan way, I will now require, before any meeting, a list of what they want added or deleted, along with signatures of support for the bill should those compromises be taken into consideration. That way, when the bill passes or fails, America will know who promised to support a bill and did not. It will show America who is willing to work to better this country and who is not. I realize this sounds very “grade school” but it’s the way things will work going forward. Again, you didn’t elect me to engage in futile efforts. You elected me to get work done. Spending hours on Capitol Hill with people who have no intention of accomplishing anything during that meeting is futile, and I will no longer do it.

We’ve worked too hard on this massive bill, and I have put a lot of time into addressing Republican concerns to get their support – even adding things to the bill that I disagreed with – all to no avail.

It’s time to stop wasting our time as a nation. It’s time to get to work. Democrats are willing to make the tough choices. It is obvious from the past few days that Republicans have no intention to work together with Democrats. Now that we know this, we won’t waste our time trying.

From now on, we’ll write bills and put them before the House and Senate for up or down votes.

If any reasonable Republican wants to work with us, we’d love that, and we will listen to him or her and make changes that are reasonable, well thought out, and agreeable to both sides. Not only that, but we will openly acknowledge the work that our Republican friends put into bettering America by working together so that you will know who cares about getting things done. However, if we do not find those Republican allies, then we will move forward, doing the work that the American people elected us to do.

Thank you

President Barack Obama

**************

(~~Partial~~ Full credit goes to my talented ghostwriter, Michael D.)

(All photostyling credit goes to Zoolatry, as always.)

Week Two - Up and At 'Em, Mr. President! Eyes on the Prize!

2009-01-26T05:34:00.001-08:00

So Far, So Good!

2009-01-22T04:38:00.000-08:00

A New Day Dawning

2009-01-20T13:47:00.000-08:00

Happy first day of the rest of our country's life, kitties and persons everywhere in the world!

My Presence is Requested!

2009-01-18T07:55:00.001-08:00

Stuff I've Been Into Lately

2009-01-10T12:19:00.000-08:00

Bah Humbug, Mosaic Lady Sucks Sugar Plums!

2008-12-24T14:20:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day Update:

Here you go, kitties. THIS will really make you smile!

Happy Holidays all persons, kitties and dawgs!
I am not feeling very cooperative this year because certain LAZY persons no longer allow me to blog.

I am mortified to say that I am going to have to recycle last year's greeting. I would like to thank all those who sent me photo cards (they are on the fridge along with the ones you sent me last year!) and e-greetings, and apologize for ML's utter lack of effort. She's an abomination.

It's not even worth making any New Year's Resolutions for her because she has the will power of a garden slug.
On her best days.

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

I can haz bra?

2008-12-08T06:59:00.001-08:00

'BOUT TIME, Thursday!

2008-11-06T15:25:00.002-08:00

I never doubted it would happen.

But the waiting was killing me!

I hope this means I can stop wearing these buttons around my neck.

North Carolina Baracked the Vote!

Wordless, Wonderful Wednesday

2008-11-05T05:04:00.001-08:00

GOTV KITTIES!!!

2008-11-04T12:26:00.001-08:00

Choose your favorite campaign buttons.

Leave the house a bit early so you can enjoy the beautiful autumn scenery and the perfect day.

Wait for your canvassing partner. Always take a buddy.

Reflect for a moment about what an important day this is.

Coordinate your route with your partner.

Walk your route with pride.

Watch out for loose dogs.

Eat before you go because the volunteer office is filled with nothing but sugar and carbs.

Do not try to canvass the geriatric cats because you know for sure they are for the old guy.

Be proud of your contribution, even if you got lost a zillion times because you can not find your way out of a paper bag.
Go home, put on your flannels (the leapord print ones for extra good luck), get out all the kleenexes, and try to hold off on hitting the sauces till 5PM EST.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-11-03T17:02:00.001-08:00

I can haz more green papers pleeze?

2008-10-30T11:01:00.001-07:00

Your eyes will leak all over your computer if you watch this.

2008-10-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

You've been warned!
Dogs greet their person after 14 months in Iraq:

This One?

2008-10-08T07:40:00.000-07:00

Geegaw Annie - Cover Artist

2008-10-01T14:53:00.000-07:00

HALP ME! I've been swallowed up by stacks of magazines and I can't get out!

A while back I made a Women for Obama jewelry mosaic mirror. (I could not find a CATS for OBAMA campaign button or else I would have used that for sure.)
Mosaic Lady "happened" to discover Western North Carolina Woman Magazine.
They "happened" to be doing an October issue all about the elections.
ML sent them photos of my mirror, and they wanted to put it on the cover!!

We shipped it up to Max Poppers in Asheville, a very nice professional photographer, and he took this beautiful photo of it for the cover.

And then ML got 200 copies yesterday to put all around our town so she can get me more business for my Geegaw Designs!
Look at my cover, Kitties:

(Oh yeah, ML has an essay on page 30 but it's a lot of "blah blah politics blah blah Obama".)

Speaking of Obama and Asheville, he is speaking up there in 4 minutes.
I have to go now so I can watch it. I hope he sees my magazine!
ML would love to be there but she hates crowds, traffic jams, and waiting in line. (She hates waiting, period.) Plus, we have no gasses for the car in our area right now.
When she learned that there were no bathrooms for the persons in line, that really made her glad she did not go!!

Lost Weekend

2008-09-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

Not the end of the story, Saturday

2008-09-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

Did you read this?
Why didn't you tell me??

I am not happy about this at all.

I'm going to sit right here and wait for them to come back.
I have all the time in the world (unlike some persons I know).
I am only two.

Looking good, if I do say so myself!

2008-09-18T06:37:00.000-07:00

Nice elbow, ML.

Too weird for words, Wednesday

2008-09-10T14:55:00.001-07:00

Mosaic Dawg has an idea, Monday

2008-09-07T14:42:00.000-07:00

Mosaic Dawg was pounding down a few slurps with her godbrother, Zeke, at the local watering hole in South Carolina.
He invited her to the Grand Opening of his very own hot dog stand in North Carolina.

Zeke was very proud, and very full, on his big day last Saturday.
His partner, Earl the Labrador, was not in attendance.

Mosaic Dawg had (what she thought was) a Major Great Idea!

From Exhilirated to Exhausted

2008-09-01T13:57:00.000-07:00

Fired Up! Ready to GO!!!

2008-08-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

Nothin' but net, Barack.
Nothin' but net!

We would like to thank our very creative and cooperative Photo Stylist, Zoolatry Human, for making us look so good!

Hell on fur wheels. Zoey & Annie DO Denver!

2008-08-28T17:51:00.001-07:00

ML: Pace yourselves, Girls! You've got another hour to go.

Annie: Did you hear something, Zoey? Was that a gnat buzzing in my ear?
More diet tonic with Splenda, Darling?
Persons who live in (Ketel One Citroen) glass bottles should not give advice, ML.

BOTTOMS UP!

All aboard the Love Train, Kitties!

2008-08-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

What a night!
Who is that man and what has he done with John Kerry?

A blogger wrote that if this was how he spoke in 2004, he would be running for re-election right now.

Instead of windsurfing.

Biden's speech was less than we expected.

But we loved his blue tie

and his big smile

and his heart

and his very moving family story.

Bill Clinton's speech was more than we expected.
Like a gazillion billion trillion times more.

We do not know what to expect tonight, Kitties.
Like our Godmother says: "Don't have expectations, have HOPE"!

Bidin' our time for Biden (sorry.)

2008-08-27T14:23:00.000-07:00

Kitties, we are sleepy today! We were up way too late last night waiting for Hillary to say something that she meant.
And we woke up way too early because Dennis Kucinich was in our hotel and he was still yelling at 6am. A blogger we blogged next to said he was a Smurf on meth. (We aren't sure what that means, but Mosaic Lady laughed real loud when we told her that on the phone.)

We expected the convention to be more exciting and fast-paced but it's pretty much one big snooze so far. President Clinton will probably bring some drama to the mix tonight!

The foods are good and the litter boxes are fresh!!!!

Hoping for an Oprah sighting

2008-08-27T05:34:00.001-07:00

After parties are EXHAUSTING

2008-08-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

Don't worry. I will grab some shrimps and hams from the buffet and be re-energized for tonight!
And CREAM! I LOVE CREAM!
I want to be there in time to hear Dennis Kucinich.
I heard he is an ET!

PAW BUMP!

2008-08-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

We are still on EST

2008-08-25T16:46:00.001-07:00

We are going to need a lot of naps this week. All the exciting stuff will be happening at our normal bed time.
We liked living in Mountain Standard Time when we lived in CO.
Snow sucked.

20 minutes to opening gavel

2008-08-25T13:38:00.001-07:00

Mosaic Dawg is making new friends already.
(Mosaic Lady is making Ketel One Citroen and Diet Tonics already.)

Demo-cat Delegates Descend on Denver!

2008-08-25T05:35:00.001-07:00

Is it really breaking news when it's been breaking all week?

2008-08-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

No Kidding?

I do not answer my cell phone at 3am for anypersons.

Fire up the ark, Friday

2008-08-22T07:12:00.000-07:00

While I stay very well-hydrated (it's the slimming secret to my sleek body), sometimes too much water is not a good thing.
I am worried about all the furs down in Florida.
I hope they find high grounds and enough foods.

SEVEN?

2008-08-22T05:54:00.001-07:00

Pol Cats!

2008-08-20T06:55:00.000-07:00

It was my birthday and my gotchaday and all I got was this stupid post!

2008-08-09T14:29:00.000-07:00

So last Saturday, August 9th, was the one-year anniversary of my unceremonious arrival at Casa de Mosaic. It was also my honorary, best guess, two-year birthday. Here is what ML did for me:
.

.

.

.

.

A whole lot of nothing, Kitties.
I asked her to help me create a celebratory post last week. "I'm too busy prepping for my show this weekend." I asked her to help me Saturday night when she got home: "I'm too tired from being at my show all day" -- but I guilted her out to the max and she miraculously put in enough effort to upload the photos. I asked her yesterday to help me finish the post: "I am too tired from the weekend show." TODAY, ML? "Oh... yeah. I've sort of lost interest in your little post, Annie."

So it falls to me to celebrate my self. I thought I'd show you how ~~fat~~ far I've come in just one year with some before and after photos.

This is one of the very first shots of me looking wistful in my "holding bedroom" on the day I came.
Cute, huh?

ML took some really staged shots of me looking "well adjusted" for the Petfinder site because she swore she was NOT going to keep me.

Say what, ML?
This is my look of incredulity.
My ears and paws were bigger than the whole rest of 5.5 pound me back then.

Here is a photo of me at my rescuer's home right after she trapped me and got me spayed.

Check me out now! Big, black, bold and BEAUTIFUL.

This was my good side.

Even better now!

Last time ML weighed me I had doubled my weight to 11lbs. I think I've gained even more inches than pounds.

It's mostly muscle, though, as you can see.

Check out my stomach muscle! It bulges out onto the ground it is so developed.

I do a lot of sitting crunches to get my 12-pack abs sculpted just right.

Killer glutes!

No you d'int just call me a "burnt meatloaf", Sadie.

I may have a challenge in doubling my weight again to reach 22lbs by August 9, 2009. I heard Mosaic Lady say that she is about to buy me some weight management kibble. Of course, I could just eat twice as much. Problem solved!

Eugene Robinson Reads My Blog!

2008-08-05T09:28:00.000-07:00

Kitties, I watch Eugene Robinson on Keith O's show every night and love to hear him blah blah about the political craziness of the day. Well, apparently he is watching me, too!

In today's Washington Post column he used two of my words from my first New Words on Wednesday post! And he used them really close to each other in his column. He did an excellent job:

As the kerfuffle of the past week indicates, it's apparently even problematic for Obama to attempt to describe the Republican Party's obvious game plan of defining him as different, exotic and risky.

(deleted paragraph here.)

The second of the bombshell words that Obama didn't say -- but that Graham would like you to think that he said -- is an even bigger canard. He called me a racist has become a popular and convenient refuge of scoundrels.

I'm sort of surprised that he did not use feckless as there are many places I think it would have fit.

I'm going to invite him to be my guest blogger when I go on vacation.

Words on Wednesday 2

2008-07-30T12:08:00.000-07:00

OK, Kitties, put on your smarty pants! We are going to learn some important things about words today.
Here is a very special word: Palindrome. I learned it on Patrick Sullivan's blog during the Democratic primary nightmare. It means a word, verse, sentence or number that is the same both backwards and forwards. (I think it should also include the Zoolatry human's portrait of me above, too.)
Like ABBA, DOOD, POOP

So one night I was watching the blah blah cable potato heads and that thing they call the screen crawler said: DISTRACTION?
And I saw: NO IT CARTS ID

I was soooo proud, but did not know what id was. Here is the definition:

One of the three divisions of the psyche in psychoanalytic theory that is completely unconscious and is the source of psychic energy derived from instinctual needs and drives —

The other two are ego and superego. I wonder where the alter ego is?

OK, Kitties, now you know I spend a lot of time watching tee vee and there are a lot of stupid persons on tee vee. And they say a lot of stupid words, stupidly. Of course this list is nowhere close to all inclusive* but I have to start somewhere. Today I am going to share my top four words that are pronounced the most stupidest.

1) EX-specially
EGG-specially

The word is ES-pecially, Kitties. And it is pronounced like it looks. It has nothing at all to do with EGGS!

I ESpecially miss going outside alone because I love to climb trees.

2) VUN-erable
This one really hurts my furs when I hear it! And I hear it a lot!
VUL-nerable, Kitties! And it is said just like it looks.

Willie and Bianca should feel very VULnerable because they are in my workspace!

3) ValenTIMES.
This one really rankles me, Kitties. (Rankles is a good word!)

ValenTINES, Kitties!
It has nothing to do with time! (Don't be confused by the heart clock above.) Valentine is the name of several martyred saints of ancient Rome and you know they were not stupid so persons need to GET THIS RIGHT!

OK, this is not even a real word but I heard Chris Matthews say it a few weeks ago and I yelled at the tee vee: "You call yourself a WRITER?"

4) IRREGARDLESS

Ack, Kitties, ACK!
You can say Irrespective, or Regardless, but you can not say IRREGARDLESS.
Don't your furs just ache when you hear some person say that? Mine sure do.

I am going to open this box of gift cards REGARDLESS of who Mosaic Lady bought it for.
I am going to open this box of gift cards IRRESPECTIVE of who Mosaic Lady bought it for.

So there you go, Kitties. Get out there and help those stupid persons learn to say words correctly. If there is one thing I know, it is that stupid persons love it when you correct them!

*I belive Ax for Ask goes without mentioning, don't you, Kitties?

VERY IMPORTANT PETITION FOR YOU TO SIGN!!

2008-07-24T06:24:00.000-07:00

Ever since I heard about the Obamas' promise to their daughters that a dog would join the family, "win or (cough cough AS IF) lose"...I hoped they would rescue a dog instead of buying a dog!
As a matter of fact, the campaign was having a contest a few months ago in which 10 donors would be chosen to attend a private dinner with Sen. Obama where they could talk to him about their #1 concern. Mosaic Lady was hoping to win so she could bend his big ears about animal rights in the US, especially spay and neuter program importance.

Best Friends started a petition that has over 50,000 signatures and they say that Obama is aware of the growing support for this idea!
I have a gooooooood feeling about this, Kitties! Please go sign and tell everycat and everydog and everyperson you know!

(If anycats can figure out how to get one of their banners from myspace to work over here at blogger, please let me know! I am not so smart about those things and the banners do not click thru from here???)

New Words on Wednesday

2008-07-23T11:34:00.000-07:00

Kitties, as you have probably guessed, because I work out of my home (YAY YAY YAY!!!), I have the tee vee on A LOT. I also spend a LOT of times cruising the innernets. I don't even read books anymore! That is sad because I love words, and I love to learn new words.

I'm going to write down interesting words I hear on tee vee and read on the nets and then on Wednesdays I will look them up (on the nets, of course) and ~~learn~~ assimilate them by using them in a sentence and sharing them with you. We learn what we teach, Kitties.

Here are today's words. I like the sound of all of these. They are fun to say. Try it!...

Kerfuffle
Canard
Feckless

According to merriam-webster.com, kerfuffle means a disturbance or fuss.
She says that canard is a false or unfounded report or story, especially a fabricated report; a groundless rumor or belief.
Feckless means: weak, ineffective

Here are my ~~learning~~ assimilating sentences:

This morning Mosaic Lady caught me in what she thought was the start of a kerfuffle with Sadie on the back deck but her assumption turned out to be a feckless canard.

It would not be a canard to say that had our cat fence not been in our way last night, a serious kerfuffle would've gone down with a feckless baby bunny that was tormenting us for hours.

See if you can use those words in your comments, Kitties. And if you want to join me in my pursuit of higher learning and more better vocabulary, post some good words with me next Wednesday!

Annie the Articulate

Shear Moron - Mohawk Monday

2008-07-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

Kitties, Mosaic Lady Scissorhands has struck again.
Sadly, this time my furs were the victims of her lameitudedness.
I get a LOT of matts in my furs, especially in the summer. ML started cutting them out, a few at a time, "helping" me. She looked at me yesterday and decided I was all lopsided and funky looking, so she decided to even me out.

Nice work, huh?
Here is my left side...

and here's my right.
Even Steven!

The aerial view really shows the extraordinary talent Mosaic Lady has for layering, texturizing, and giving me that youthful, breezy, sassy, chunky-spikey look.
I don't know if she was going for a mohawk or a mullet because I always get those confused.

Those are not extensions, Kitties! Those are my (miraculously) intact tail furs.

Annie said I needed some "product" in my furs and told me to try ML's Christophe of Beverly Hills Texturizing Fiber Paste.

Tres trendy, non?
I don't think ML should be allowed to watch Shear Genius on BRAVO any more.
It inspires her to shear idiocy.

I would close my mouth and step away from the mohawk if I were you, Mosaic Dawg.
You do not want to get on my bad side(s) on my bad furs day.

************
When we went to the Cat Blogosphere page to post our link we saw the incredibly shocking and tragic news of Sher's death. We are all stunned and very saddened. We always imagined her to be so young and vital and vibrant.
There is just nothing at all to say at times like these.
Sundance and Upsie are probably very surprised to see her again so soon.

T13 - Some things I've been up to lately

2008-07-17T09:21:00.001-07:00

I'm pretty sure the placemat ate the laptop, Kitties, but I've been pretty busy since I last posted on our blog.
A lot of my time has been spent coaching the geriatrics in synchronized sleeping for the upcoming Olympics.

I spend a lot of time trapped in the back yard enclosure watching the green stuff grow.

I watch the yard art grow too, while keeping my other eye out for bunnies.

I still have that nasty glue sniffing addiction.

I'm just resting my eyes!
In addition to my role as Creative Director of All Things Geegaw, Mosaic ~~Lazy~~ Lady has dumped other jobs on me.
That is called "delegating up", Kitties.

Quality Assurance Inspector...

Photo Stylist...

Setting up all the photo shoots...

Tearing down all the photo shoots...

It's a wonder I ever get any rest at all, frankly.
Here I am, asleep at the bunny watching wheel in the back...

while this happens out front...

I've been busy, Kitties.
But not this busy!

It's too bad I'm not allowed to run free any more because this certainly looks like a very fun thing to whap!

Summer Solstice Saturday!

2008-06-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

I'll drink to that!!

Formerly Feral Monday - Annie Squared

2008-06-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

(I wanted to post this on Formerly Feral Friday but when I heard on the tee vee that Tim Russert died that afternoon I was very sad and uninspired. My favorite part of Sunday morning is trying to spill Mosaic Lady's second cup of coffee on the laptop keyboard while she surfs the innernets and watches Meet The Press.)

Remember how young and skinny I looked in my very first photo shoot last August -- the day I came to Mosaic House as a "foster", Kitties?

I was all ears.
As you all know, the Zoolatry family has been caring for a stray black kitty and her three little babies for many weeks now. They updated their blog just today!

She is so pretty.
She looks just like me!
This is how I spent my life BM (Before Mosaic) too! Depending on a kind woman, and then another, to put out foods for me while I lived outside.

It was a very hard time because I had babies at a very young age too. I hope they are OK. Nopersons seem to know what happened to them but that they saw me with them under a trailer.

Don't be confused by the next photo! This is Annie II! Zoolatry Annie! She has golden eyes. Mine are green.
They named her after ME!!!

I think it is the power of visualization because the Zoolatry human has spent SO much time making her artwork using my gorgeous image that she manifested her own little pregnant Annie right onto her own front porch!

I hope Annie II is as funny as I am.
Come to think of it, my sense of humor was not very good when I was trying to live outside and take care of my babies.
Parenting in the wild is very challenging!

I hope Zoolatry Annie is as flexible, adaptable, smart and perfect as I am.

I might be misoverestimating the perfect part.

Makin' Sun Tea Sunday

2008-06-13T06:08:00.000-07:00

Tattle Tail Tuesday #8 - Omega 3

2008-06-10T11:32:00.001-07:00

I'm Mosaic Annie, and I did NOT approve these photos!

It's been way too long since I tattled, Kitties, and the backlog of material choices makes my mind reel. But let's start with the present.
The geriatrics seem incapable of doing their business in over-sized litter boxes. Willie can't get his poop in the box, and Bianca can't get her pee in the box. Consequently, Mosaic Lady has to wash at least a box a day and she keeps garbage liners all over the back porch floor to catch the disgusting bodily ickies. (No offense, Harold.)

You all know that ML is nothing if not lazy (if she cleaned her own litter box 1/10th as often as she cleans ours....just sayin'.) She finally got back online and renewed her quest for a better litter box with high walls. She came upon the Omega Paw Self Cleaning Rollaway. It's very boring so if you are interested you can google it or find it on eBay. The self cleaning promise is dubious, but she really wanted the enclosed part so that all the flying pee and poo would end up in there.

Here I am, immediately entering the very first box she put out. I promptly peed in it. ML was doing the happy, oh-so-pleased-with-herself dance, saying: "Oh Annie, you are so perfect, adaptable, and flexible!" (I might have misremembered the perfect part.)

And then I climbed right into the old box to poop. ML felt like the idiot she is.

She had forgotten that I poo standing up! Now, she never would've known this but for the fact that it has been over THREE WEEKS since I was allowed outside to roam free, where I prefer to have my toilet time, as Bast intended.
I am now confined to the back yard enclosure for life because some persons are so neurotic they can not seem to breathe when I am outside the cage. I am being punished and deprived of my rightful role because I am a scrappy and tenacious fighter who serves up many cans of whoop ass to interloper toms who mistakenly think they are entitled to my territory.
Mosaic Lady may be a misogynist.

Hey Mosaic Dawg!
How many steps did it take for Mosaic Lady to assemble the box in Four Easy Steps?

Take my best guess and multiply it by six?

Heh.

So here is the new potty palace as of today.
(Oh. I think I forgot to say that my Godmother underwrote the renovations. I think I forgot to tell her, too. Thanks Godmother!!)

While we're in the laundry room tattling and thanking my Godmother, you can also thank her for ML's newfound love of Ketel One Vodka Citroen with diet tonic and Perrier. And also for the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

She has nothing to do, however, with the 1.5 liters of cheap Chilean Rose.

All four of us have used the Omegas and so far nothing disgusting has escaped from the insides.
ML is feeling so accomplished in tackling this most harrowing project (that she dragged out for months, as is her style), that she is now applying her problem solving skill(lessness) to the raging War on Fleaism in our house and in our furs.

As my favorite blogger, Andrew Sullivan says:
Know Hope.

Wake me in November, Thursday

2008-06-05T09:18:00.001-07:00

Sí lo hicimos!!!

SSPF (Shameless Self Promotion Friday)

2008-05-29T12:36:00.001-07:00

Everycat knows that Skeezix is very creative, brilliant, talented and kyoooooot, but not everyperson knows that his Food Lady is very creative, brilliant, talented and kyooooooot.

Mosaic Lady asked the Food Lady if she would help her with a new web site way back in early November, and it made its debut on May 1. (I do not mean to imply that the Ladies are slow because they hauled tooshie once they officially began the design. It just took a while to germinate.)

If you haven't seen it yet, please make ML's day by GOING OVER THERE - CLICK RIGHT HERE so she can pretend that her traffic is way high. (It would also be very nice of you to let the Food Lady know what you think of her work!)

I think the slide show ROCKS!

ML has been very busy (with her OCD) getting everything she needs to do a bunch of shows between now and the end of the year. (Obviously she has not been busy helping us blog.) Here was her very first show two weekends ago.
My geegaw masterpieces were very, VERY popular, of course.

This one reminds me of someperson who shall remain ~~cough Mosaic Lady cough~~ nameless.

NO, it is NOT always Wine O'Clock just because you set the little watch hands at 5:00!

Do not believe my Godmother if she tries to tell you that the photo of ML and Mosaic Dawg on the new web page is TWENTY years old! It is not even half that! Barely.
Mosaic Dawg hardly looks any different at all.

Too much time on their hands, Thursday

2008-05-28T18:13:00.000-07:00

Mosaic Lady found this so inspiring (and a little CREEPY), that she commissioned this masterpiece from the Zoolatry human:

Happy (Approximate) 6th Birthday, Sadie!

2008-05-15T07:42:00.000-07:00

ROCK THE VOTE, NORTH CAROLINA!

2008-05-05T17:17:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the Zoolatry human for making my yard sign!
I was going to hang it around my neck and make a fashion statement as well as a political statement at the polling place, but Mosaic Lady voted early two weeks ago, without me!

LOOK! Mosaic Lady is wetting her pants!!
She thinks this is her 10 seconds of primary election day fame.
(Do not click if you are easily offended by public professions of political preferences.)

First Friday in May Colorfest

2008-05-02T16:42:00.001-07:00

Getting ready to ROCK the VOTE in North Carolina, Kitties!

Hill is in H'ville (Hendersonville, 20 miles from me!), courting her old blue hair lady demographic, and Michelle Obama is up in Asheville (50 miles from me!) at a college, inspiring the young and hip demographic.
(I don't care who you are voting for -- well, I do, but this isn't supposed to be a political blog -- listen to Michelle speak extemporaneously for an hour and tell me she doesn't ROCK!)

Mosaic Lady would love to be up in Asheville but she hates the drive, big crowds, and waiting for anything or anyone.

(Do I have to mention that she is tragically un-hip, and un-young?
I thought not.)

Wordless Thursday ~ The Forbidden Room Behind the Closed (but slightly ajar!) Door

2008-04-24T06:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day!

2008-04-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

In honor of Earth Day, I am going to demonstrate some key conservation principles:

Recycle!
Packing cardboard makes for a very chic collar and a plastic bag is a fabulous bed sheet.

There is nothing like an egg carton pillow, Kitties!

Reuse!
Mosaic Dawg has gone green...

and I am reusing her kerchief instead of buying my own.
Hand-me-downs are OK, as long as you wash the item before wearing.

Share!
Space is limited.

(Part Two below, in case you don't know that. Blogger was nasty this morning.)

Earth Day Part Two

2008-04-22T09:37:00.000-07:00

Conserve electricity by sharing the heating pad...

Conserve energy by napping at work...
(This is NOT my design!)

Go solar!
Collect the suns in your furs whenever possible!

Green is Universal, Kitties!
I learned that on MSNBC this week.
(It is all I've learned on MSNBC.)

Conserving is important.
But so is luxurious decadence!

Everything in moderation, kitties.

Mosaic Lady is celebrating by going to the recycling place to dump off millions of plastic Tidy Cat containers and a lot of cardboard from all of her boxes. And then she will come home and drink wine and yell at MSNBC all night.

It's too bad the nice man who installed our enclosure recycled all of her wine bottles last month. If I showed you a photo of those, you would see how MUCH glass she recycles!

More Eye Candy, Monday!

2008-04-14T07:56:00.000-07:00

This is double eye candy! Me gazing into my latest geegaw mirror!
I LOVE how my new collar coordinates with the mirror.

Did I say I LOVE CHARTREUSE AND BLACK?
I hope that nice artist does not sue the Zoolatry human for copyright infringement.

Meet my new cousins! Or maybe Godbrothers?
My Godmother brought them all the way from Virginia to Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, yesterday!
Ralph is the blond, and Monty is the redhead. Monty is a week older, and they are both about four months old now.
They are Labradoodles!
I call them the LabDoods.

Here they are in the back seat of the car on their long ride home!
Mosaic Dawg will meet them when they come up here in May.
It's good she has a whole month to decide which one she wants to bite in the butt first.

I think my Godmother will not be taking too many afternoon naps for a long while.

Annie's Eye Candy Art Saturday

2008-04-12T07:31:00.000-07:00

Kitties, it has been a very colorful morning here!
I was surfing around this morning and my eyes were popping out. Here is what I have been feasting on:

Lookit these carved crayons I found on Andrew Sullivan's blog! You can see the artist, Pete Goldlust (nice name, Dude!), here.
I tried to buy a print but could not find one so I thought posting it on my blog against black would be a nice compromise. You know how fabulous bright colors look against (my) black (silky furs). Be sure to biggify for maximum eye popping experience!

And then I went to etsy to scroll through the Treasuries to see if Mosaic Lady was in any this morning and I found a Chartreuse and Black Treasury.
I LOVE CHARTREUSE AND BLACK TOGETHER!!
I found this and it sucked my breaths out...

So I went to the artist's store and found this print of her original. AND BOUGHT IT! Only $10! It is a 5x7 and I will make my own geegaw frame for it! Very exciting. (I took a long time convincing myself that I did not need to buy both. I wanted to!)

And then I went to my EBSQ etsy street team forum and was led to another treasury with this in it!

It is an 8x10 print of an original painting/collage called The Siamese Cat Fairy! I know a lot of kitties who might need this on their walls!
(You'd better hurry up because my Add To Cart paw is itching again. The only reason I resisted was because I wanted you to have first crack. YAO-LIN!)

I got so inspired and energized by all the great and colorful art that I ran outside and lodged myself in the very top of a very thick hemlock bush in my back yard. ML had to finally bribe me down with a bag of Temptations Greenies. I resisted for as long as I could, but kitties - GREENIES!!
I have lost my outside-the-enclosure privileges for the day.
It was sort of worth it.

(I can never spell ~~priveledges priveleges~~ right either. Maybe if I spent as much time studying words as I do shopping for art or abusing my outside priviledgeses.)

Tulip Tursday

2008-04-10T11:30:00.001-07:00

Tiptoeing through...

What a fabulous camouflage(*) for my Tom Surveillance Vigil.

Stop and smell the flowers, kitties, but watch out for bees.

(*)Can any of you spell camouflage without looking it up? I can not. Every time I look it up, I tell myself I will remember it for the next time I need it. And I do not.
I also did not know tiptoeing was all one word.
That is a lot of brain exercising for one day. I need a nap.
Or maybe a high protein snack. Or two.

Annie's Living Will Wednesday

2008-04-09T12:23:00.000-07:00

Last night, Sadie and I were sitting on the dining room table and I said to her: "I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle to keep me alive. That would be no quality of life at all. If that ever happens, just pull the plug."

So she got up...

unplugged the computer...

and threw out my wine.

She's such a bitch.

(I did not write this but I wish I had! Does it remind you of some persons you know?
Just sayin'.)

Too many bedfellows Tuesday

2008-04-08T09:18:00.001-07:00

Saturday Photo Hunt HIGH

2008-03-29T09:19:00.001-07:00

The Photo Hunt theme today is HIGH.

Here is my Godmother yesterday afternoon after her Target excursion with ML.
She reeks of Shopping High.

I wonder if I can get a Contact High?

That didn't work so well. I will have to find My Own High.

Are You High, Mosaic Lady?
What is the hold up on my cocktail?

mmmmmmm....I love my Wine O'Clock High!

Uh oh. I got Too High.
Maybe if I put my head between my knees.

Nothing guarantees a headache like a Red Wine High.

The backyard trees suddenly looked very High to me from the ground.
Everything got dark and I started to dream...

Oh no. This is no dream.
THIS IS A NIGHTMARE!

I AM NEVER GETTING HIGH AGAIN.

T13-Thirteen Reasons Why Yesterday ROCKED!

2008-03-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

1) I got to see my Godmother for the first time since Christmas! I showed her my newest geegaw masterpieces and those in progress. She was understandably wowed.

2) She took Mosaic Lady shopping in the afternoon.

3) When they got home, the cat ~~cage~~ life saving play yard was finished!!!

4) I immediately assumed my lounging position in the new reclining chaise. (Don't worry. I made ML take the foam stuff off of the legs and I made sure that she used dull scissors.)

5) I told Mosaic Dawg that there would be NO peeing or pooping in MY geegaw goddess garden. (She must not have heard me about the peeing part.)

6) ML told the nice man who constructed it for us not to worry about cutting the twist ties. I think I can chew them off with a little persistence.

7) I am pretty sure I can also escape by tunneling down under the mesh.

8) Sadie can try to hide from me...

9) but she can not run!

10) The shoppers went to PetSmart and got me a NEW collar! It is very pink and very shiny. My Godmother picked it out because it was "so me". It has a lot of geegaws on it.

11) Here I am, enjoying the early evening in my yard. I never get to be outside this late in the day!

12) This extends my Terrible Tom Surveillance time. Do not make the mistake of thinking that flimsy mesh will keep me from him if he shows his ugly cojones around here again.

13) The shoppers went to Michael's and got swirly gigs and girly wigs and pinwheel flower stakes! And, I got a new rain-proof trackball toy for my playground.

14) Bonus Reason - Why Tomorrow is Going to ROCK:

The shoppers are going to TARGET!

Annie's Easter Parade

2008-03-23T07:53:00.001-07:00

To Mr. Spitzer, Thursday

2008-03-13T08:56:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. Spitzer:

You might be smarter than I, and you might know more words than I, but I do not think you are using "remorse" correctly when you say that the "remorse" you feel will always be with you.

I think "remorse" might be the correct word for something you have done once, impulsively and suddenly, or maybe for something you have done a couple, or a few times, over a short period of time in your life.

I do not think "remorse" is the correct word for something you have done many times for many years and many, many cat naps.
I think that falls into the: "I am not sorry for what I have done but I am sorry that I got caught" file.

For example:
When I say to ML: "I am very remorseful that I just picked on Sadie" she says to me: "No, Annie, you do not feel 'remorse'. You are just sorry that you got caught."
I hope this helps you, Mr. Spitzer.

Sincerely,
Annie Mosaic Cat

What's up with that, FedEx? Wednesday

2008-03-12T12:41:00.001-07:00

I have been waiting for the delivery of the air for my air gun for many, many naps!
Today I learned that Fed Ex can not find Mosaic House! Whassup with that? ML has gotten forty-five bazillion deliveries here so far.
It is a conspiracy designed to thwart my War on Tomerism.
I did not expect my War on Tomerism to take so long and cost so much, frankly.

Fortunately, there are geegaws to be pawed through and more frames and mirrors to design.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh!
I got too close to the Welbond glue again.

Take That, Terrible Tom Tuesday

2008-03-11T05:39:00.000-07:00

Hi Kitties,
Thank you for all of your helpful purrs during my convalescence and for asking about me. I am 100% better now.

My neck wounds have healed and my furs are growing back fast.

The whole terrible tom episode was quite traumatic, but things could've been worse for sure.
I hate him.

Mosaic Dawg says I have oldtimer's disease or selective memory. I want to go outside but she refuses to move out of my way.
Our cat ~~prison cage~~ life-saving play enclosure has been ordered and should arrive in a few days. ML needs to find someone smart and handy to help her put it up. That should be worth a tattle or two for Annie.

Our godmother is giving the enclosure to ML for her 50th birthday. We are very lucky to have her looking out for us all the time. It's a good thing she won ML at auction on eBay.
You kitties should put your persons up for auction on eBay! You might get a godmother of your own.
Use Buy It Now. That will get you one faster!

Mirror Mirror Monday

2008-03-10T06:13:00.000-07:00

Willie has a Mancat Monday ready to post but blogger is being rude and won't let him load multiple photos at one time. He has been trying since yesterday!
I am far too busy sorting through my geegaws to load them one-at-a-time for him.
Maybe later.
(Thanks, Zoolatry! I look fabulous! I am the fairest of them all for sure.)

Sadie's Specious Solution, Sunday

2008-03-09T07:28:00.000-07:00

We love words almost as much as we love geegaws, Kitties. I heard a talking potato head say specious on Meet the Press. That is a fun word!

Here is my solution to a territorial dispute situation:
Mosaic Lady stole MY (UCSB college years) couch.
Bianca took possession of ML's right shoulder.

Willie invaded Annie's spot on the old, dilapidated couch.

Annie seized MY spot on the dining room table with her so-called "Art Consultant" job.
If you look into her eyes, you can get a sense of her soul.
Putinesqueish!
I don't know if that is a word, really, but say it out loud. Fun!

So I claimed Mosaic Dawg's so-called bed.

Win Win Win!

Unless you are Mosaic Dawg.

Photo Hunters: Different

2008-03-08T05:44:00.000-08:00

I have never participated in the Saturday Photo Hunt, so I hope I am doing this right. How hard can it be? Hunt for photos, right?

OK, the theme today is different.
Here are two photos I recently received of me during my short stay with the woman who fed me, trapped me, got me spayed and shot (er, vaccinated?), and then brought me to Casa de ~~Mosaic~~ Geegaw last August:

Back then, my main job was to stay alive and get enough to eat.
Here I am, six months later, performing my very important Geegaw Receiving job.
I love the weightless white stuff!
But I am no longer weightless.
I look very different.

I don't remember how old I am, exactly, because when I lived outside no person was keeping track of my birthday, but I do think I am older now, and much bigger!

Formerly Feral, Now Art Director, Friday

2008-03-07T08:28:00.000-08:00

Kitties, I learned a new word: geegaw. It is a variant of gewgaw and means a showy trifle - a bauble or trinket. Some of you might call them chotzkes like I used to.
It's a very funny word that describes Mosaic Lady's new obsession - making stuff with vintage jewelry!
Of course, I act as Art Director and Creative Consultant. I wanted to show off some of my recent masterpieces.

After I choose my geegaws, I sniff the glue to be sure it is fresh.

Sometimes I over-sniff the glue.

Luckily, I'd already laid out my vision for this frame before passing out.

I keep my distance from the glue next time.

Voila! A purple mirror.
For this large photo frame, I did some quality control on the lazy susan.

I sign off on the design layout...

and then I OK the final product.

Here is this week's creation - a mirror. Do you love the periwinkle blue? Be sure to biggify any of these to see the individual geegaws.

I like this new fetish of GL's a lot because we can do it inside at any time of day with any kind of weathers.
She lets me unpack the boxes of geegaws when they come in the mail. This is a safety precaution because she still makes herself bleed every day trying to open them with scissors. And she lets me wear the necklaces.
Geegaws are way more fun to whap off the tables than china shards, and because there is no grouting, I do not get toxic dusts in my silky furs.

After my part-time job is done, I return to my full-time life's mission - yard vigilante. My air gun needs air, apparently. No one told me I needed CO2 things to power my new gun!
I wish ~~Mosaic~~ Geegaw Lady and ~~Mosaic~~ Geegaw Dawg were more helpful in the War On Tomerism.

Cats Who Cube, Tuesday

2008-03-04T09:33:00.000-08:00

THANKS, ZOOLATRY HUMAN!

My Trusty Deputy, Monday

2008-03-03T09:09:00.000-08:00

Si Se Puede!

Annie Got Her Gun

2008-03-01T10:22:00.000-08:00

Warning: This post not for the faint of heart!

It turns out that February sucked more than a little, Kitties.
There was my disasterous fall in my circus stunt gone wrong; my twice-infected toe; and ML's 50th wake.
And then there was Willie's near-wake.

There is a very evil and ferocious black tom cat who has been terrorizing us. He lives down the road in a junk yard heap of dilapidation. His "caretakers" feed him, but will not neuter him. (ML tried that.) He is under the delusion that my yards are his yards. He has been around ever since the Mosaics moved into this house, but he only started really coming around very frequently in the late afternoons right after I moved in.
Black on black violence, Kitties!
His head is as fat as his balls.
He is fearless and cunning, and lies in wait for us. I maintain a near-constant vigil from my many window seats. It is exhausting.

Two weeks ago he threw down with Willie, mere feets from Willie's own front porch. By the time ML got to Willie, this is what Willie looked like (He looked worse. This was after the fur doctor cleaned him up):

I will spare you the gory details of the minutes and hours following but will say that many stinky bodily excretions were covering Willie and ML as she yanked him out from under the front deck and raced him to the fur doctor's. It is hard to say who was closer to fainting from the adrenaline surge, ML or Willie.
He was in much pain and could not walk for a couple of days, and then could only walk with his back legs going in a different direction from his front legs. Today he seems back to his (very) old self, and can even trot at his geriatric pace in a straight line. Sort of.

You all know that stress and anger do not nurture the blogging muse. We have all been pretty unmotivated when it comes to our posts. Plus, I have been very busy for those few rare moments in the morning when I do get to go outside, replacing his eau de toilet all over my yards and doors with my own signature scent.
He is really pissing me off, Kitties.
ML got a trap from Animal Control the next morning and watched Tom walk around it two days in a row to spray the back of my shed that she placed it in. We caught an irritated possum on the second night.
And then I had an idea.
I got a gun. An air gun that shoots pellets. I think ~~Militant~~ Mosaic Lady is going to let me shoot Tom bin Laden.

Smells like Tom spirit!

The bummer of all this is that just when we thought ML was going to get us a new COUCH for her birthday, now she is probably going to get us THIS. I'm sure you know how that thrills me.
She keeps telling me it's because she loves me so much and that it will protect the geriatrics who just like to sit on the back benches, mostly, to catch the suns in their furs.

And then there is that summer snake fetish of Sadie's.

It will go here, 100 feet of it, to enclose the deck and pretty much all of the grass that you can see. I will be furious, of course, and will take my frustration out on Sadie, of course, and ML will be forced to let me roam the yards freely, of course, and then she will continue to spend the rest of her (very limited) days obsessing over my whereabouts and my safety, of course.

I'm loaded for Tom, Kitties!

No country for Old Toms!
There will be blood!

Mosaic Hangover Monday

2008-02-18T12:25:00.000-08:00

Kitties, my furs hurt.

It was a rockin' 2nd Annual 49th Birthday weekend. (My godmother called it that and ML is sticking with it.)
We gave ML what she wanted the most: we vacuumed the whole house. (We did not dust or give Mosaic Dawg a bath because...well...we exhausted ourselves sucking up so many feet of furs.)
And then she rearranged the ancient, dilapidated couches in hopes that "some of us" would move over to the other part of the room and leave her alone on Sadie's couch.
There is such a thing as false hope, Mr. Obama. Geriatrics don't like change.

There was no shortage of wine...

and no shortage of candy, Ben & Jerry's, or carrot cake.

In addition to sending ML a greeting a day for a whole week that included tons of great birthday photoshop art starring US, Zoolatry Human sent a photo of yesterday's graphic and THIS FRAME.
I would say something about someone's thighs and this frame, but I'm sure I do not have to.
We can not wait to show you what our Godmother got US for ML's birthday, but it will take a while to arrive.

Thank you for so many lovely comments and wishes and good thoughts on our blog.
It was a very nice weekend. Oddly enough, ML is far more chipper and excited and relaxed about her rite of passage than we ever believed her capable of.
That might change when the wine buzz and sugar high wear off.

The first day of the rest of her lazy life!

2008-02-17T07:11:00.000-08:00

Almost FIFTY Friday

2008-02-15T10:15:00.000-08:00

Here is our 50th birthday party planning committee, hard at work making sure this is Mosaic Lady's BEST BIRTHDAY EVER.

She will probably have that glass of wine surgically attached to her lips for the next 72 hours to help her through the trauma of it all.
I will notify you when her "Intervention" episode is going to air.

It's very embarrassing when she tries to convince me that the man on tee vee is her husband.
I hope he can come to the intervention.

(Pee Ess: There was a very good photo of Mosaic Dawg sleeping in her bed and Sadie sleeping on her couch during our meeting, but I refused to post it. The dawg furs on the carpet were even more humiliating than when she makes me call her: "Mrs. Brian Williams".)

The portrait of me is here, Thursday!

2008-02-14T17:57:00.000-08:00

There is just no such thing as too many photos of me, Kitties.
The Zoolatry Human obviously agrees.

You might recall that all the Mosaic Furs pooled allowances to buy this portrait of me on eBay for ML's upcoming BIG birthday.
The artist obviously has kitties because I can smell them.

I think she captured my gorgeous face perfectly, and of course, pink is my color.

I wish I had a pink nose, but the eyes, ears and chin are perfect.

My collar came off after three hours but I am still not allowed outside! It has been 48 hours and I am DYING here.
But the morning is still young.
You might wonder if Mosaic Lady tries to chill her wine over the heating vent. Surprisingly, she does not. The carafe is to prevent me from having fun. I love to pull them up and look down inside. Once I got half of my body down before she caught me!
If I got all the way in I could tunnel out of this prison to get outside.

Speaking of my body, I got weighed at the fur doctor's. 9.5 pounds!!
I was 5.5 pounds when I came here in August. I have nearly doubled my weight in six months!
Just like Mosaic Lady.

Maybe if I chew on the electrical cord she will let me go outside.

I think my good friends, Beau Beau & Angie, hit the nail on the head in their comment on yesterday's post:

We finks in da overall scheme of da yoonaverse yoo must be lookin for some action and yoo got it by gettin' Annie. What yoo finks?

I'm still quite sure Sadie is responsible for all of my so-called "accidents" lately.
I think I will surprise her with a Happy Valentine's Day greeting while she is eating. Or using the litter box.

What goes around comes around, Wednesday

2008-02-12T17:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, Kitties, when some good things come to an end,
some new good things come to a start.

Apparently Annie hurt her toe in her balance beam mishap ten days ago and it split open and got infected. She was supposed to wear her collar for SEVEN to TEN days, but ML already let her take it off after three hours!
(Annie can take it off herself, and it does not stop her toe licking anyway. Why bother, ML figures? LAZY sucker that she is.)

Here she is putting her open wound in the dirtiest place in the house.
Does your dining room floor have more germs than your litter box?

(Annie says to biggify this photo so you can see all of the dawg furs on the hall carpet. She's not too hurt to tattle!)

Annie will be house confined for SEVEN days.
Or seven hours, depending upon how fast she wears ML down with her maniacal ways.

Wistful Wednesday

2008-02-06T06:12:00.001-08:00

When Annie Bananie was away, Sadie Badie would play.

Even after she came home, I got to use the cubes because she was still and sleepy.

Ten minutes ago she jumped off the coffee table and pounced on me.

All good things must come to an end.

Pooper Scooper Tuesday!

2008-02-05T06:55:00.000-08:00

Hi Kitties,
I am home now. Thank you for all the nice notes and purrs.
I should post a long-overdue Tattle Tail Tuesday, but tattling takes too much energy right now. Mostly I'm sleeping. And limping around a bit. But I am not confined to a prison! Just confined to the house 'till I have full use of my leg again.
I don't even mind home confinement.
I hope the fur doctor did not remove any of my spunk and sass while I was sedated.

(Zoolatry made this for ML, but I like it for me! Do I remind you of Kathy Bates?)

My spa weekend away from the Mosaic Home showed me how really good I have it here. I was not a big lap cat before, but ever since coming home, I like to sleep on Mosaic Lady's chest or belly. Odd. Very odd. And I'm not so interested in tormenting Sadie.
Disturbing. Very disturbing.

All of us Mosaic Furs pooled our allowances and bought this on eBay last night for ML's upcoming Big Birthday. I thought it was appropriate, mostly because it is a painting of me. But also because my angels were protecting me when I fell, and also to remind ML that Walter the Fur Angel sent me to her:

Black Cat Angel

Make yourself familiar with the angels and behold them frequently in spirit;
for without being seen, they are present with you.

St. Francis De Sales

(This is written around the edge)

Here is a link to the artist's eBay store. She does very cute paintings of kitties, bunnies, sheep, cows...

For everyperson lucky enough to be in a voting state, VOTE. And make the right choice! (ML has to wait till MAY, I think!)

Si Se Puede!

So much for my promising career with Cirque de Kitteh, Sunday

2008-02-03T14:34:00.000-08:00

Kitties, there has been a little mishap in the House of Mosaics.
I have taken a fall from (lack of) grace.

Many of you know that I love to climb up onto tall things.
I like to get high.
Here I am just last week demonstrating my balance beam routine.

Nearer to thee, o' fishey!

It's important to look straight ahead to keep my balance while practicing the more difficult components.

I traverse the beam effortlessly.

So, on Friday, Mosaic Lady received her Christmas present from my Godmother: a NEW BED! The delivery men left around 5pm and I decided I wanted to come inside as soon as they left.
I went into the laundry room.
The next thing I remember is Mosaic Dawg barking her maniac head off when she heard a VERY LOUD CRASH.
And then ML came into the laundry room to get her new sheets out of the dryer.
And then she saw me laying on the floor, on a rag, on my side.
She told me to come into the bedroom and annoy the heck out of her as she tried to make the new bed, but I was not feeling much like moving.
I hurt my hind leg very badly.

I will not bore you with the blow-by-blow that followed Friday night and all day Saturday (which I spent at the fur doctor's. I am still there this morning! I did not even get to sleep on the new bed!)
The last she heard, I was "resting fairly comfortably" (ALLEGEDLY) in my tiny cage at the fur prison, high on pain meds and anti-inflammatories.

Here is what I have learned so far during my ordeal:
1) Mosaic Lady has OCD. (This is not new but bears repeating.)
2) The washer and dryer do not make a good safety net when I am trying to get high.
3) The best place in the house to hide at 4am is in the middle of my long tunnel. ML searched the entire house 93 times, and even checked the tunnel, but she only checked the ends.
4) ML can sit by the phone, willing it to ring, for seven and one quarter hours before she loses (the rest of) her mind. Within minutes of stepping out the door to walk Mosaic Dawg, the phone will finally ring. This has happened two days in a row now. My fur doctor is psychic and likes to play with ML's feeble head.
5) A traumatic injury to your thigh muscle is a much better thing to have than a fracture or a dislocated hip, albeit just as painful.

6) My dismount needs work.

(Please remember when commenting: I am the Alpha Kitty in this house. Sadie's secret fantasies had nothing to do with this. She does not have that kind of power over me.
Does she?)

7) I have just learned that I will be sleeping in the tiny prison cage again tonight. Even though I am doing very well and putting weight on the bruised muscle now, I do not think my fur doctor wants to deal with ML on his Sabbath. Who can blame him, Kitties?

Typical Thursday

2008-01-31T09:34:00.000-08:00

Leave me alone.

Tell her to leave me alone.

ANNIE! LEAVE SADIE ALONE!!

Who?

Wacky Nicknames Wednesday

2008-01-30T15:09:00.000-08:00

Our adorable orange friend, Kellie, tagged all of us for the name meme.
How did we get our names?
Which nicknames do we like?
Which nicknames do we wish Mosaic Lady would stop calling us?

Because we all want to play and don't want to bore you to tears, most of us got our names because:
1) ML likes old-fashioned human names that end in "ie" (Willie, Sadie, Annie).
2) ML likes to name us after dead relatives (Walter, Leah, Annie).
Bianca came named. Her rescue mom is Italian and pronounces her name very differently!

Sadie Badie! (and I have a stocking from Victor that proves this!)
Badester (that is my street cred name.)
Dookster (short for Dookster Pookster Little Fookster. Zero cred anywhere name.)
ML needs to stop calling me Meatloaf.
Now.

Yanca Banca
Kitty Girl
I get nervous when she calls me: Damn Cat!! (Usually after I have peed on Leah's bed.)

Willie Billie
Mister Big Boy
I have no bad names. I am very good.
(I don't think it counts as a name when she says: God damnit, Willie -- I am not letting you out that door again only to have to get up in five seconds to let you back in!)

Annie Bananie
Nannie
Nannie Bananie
Nanners
Nanners Bananers
Those are almost tolerable, as embarrassing as they are, but I do not want to be called Tubbo.
That was Walter's nickname and even though I am Walter's Walk In... still.

Leah Beah
Herzabeah
Mostly lately she calls me:
Leah! Quiet!
F'in Dog!
I am not overly fond of those.

(This is my new buffet bar! It is a few inches too tall for me. I can only nibble at the edges of my food and can't reach the middle or bottom of my bowl. ML shipped it down to South Carolina so it could be sawed shorter for me. You did not think she was going to own a saw, based on what you know about her issues with scissors and knives??)

SomeDoggie Tagged Mosaic Dawg, Sunday!

2008-01-27T15:12:00.000-08:00

Diamond Doggie, who lives with Perfect Parker and the other adorable kitties, tagged Mosaic Dawg for her very first meme. She was beside herself and had a very hard time narrowing her list down to only 3, as you will see.
This meme was created by the charming cats at http://www.petspics.blogspot.com/.

What three things would you do that you have never done before, if you knew you wouldn't get caught, get in trouble, or suffer any consequences?

1) I would bite my Godbrother, Zeke, in the butt.
Many times.

And he knows this about me.
See the fear in his eyes?

I bit him once the night we first met, Christmas of 2006, at his home in North Carolina.
Here we are at his new home in South Carolina celebrating Christmas of 2007.
I don't know why Mosaic Lady does not trust me to walk behind Zeke.
I did not bite him once this year.
Of course, it all depends on what the meaning of "bite" is.

2) I would sleep on all of the couches and on Mosaic Lady's bed any dang time I want. The cats sure do, and you can see that Willie thinks my bed is his, too. I am not allowed to be aggressive toward the cats, so my arthritic body suffers in silence on the hard, cold floor.
I am not allowed to get up on furniture or beds. This is grossly unjust.
Mosaic Lady does not approve of dogs on furniture.
This is grossly insane.

3) I would eat a Whole Container of my very favorite treats EVER!
Well, on second thought, I don't really enjoy pooping in the house in the middle of the night, so maybe I would eat only the bonus 33% Free?
They have 30% less fat than beef sticks, so it would be like I didn't eat any, right?
Oh wait... that doesn't qualify for this meme, then, does it?

3 - Revised - Part A.) I would ATTACK anycat that got near my food bowl or my treats or my bed.
Many times.
And they would know it and live in fear of me.

3 - Revised - Part B.) I would phone Direct TV and insist that they block Animal Planet and National Geographic and any other channel that airs The Dog Whisperer. Mosaic Lady watches that a lot and then she gets very full of her calm, assertive Self and goes all Alpha on me.

I know this meme has made the rounds a few times and that kitties in these houses have already played, so if they are not too tired, I tag CoCo the Weiner Dog over at Jimmy Joe's Pad, and also, my secret crush, Titus, of Furry Kids fame.