Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

What's that, Peepers?  You wanna know why I'm not wishin' a Happy Thanksgivin' to you?

Hmmm...

Well you know, I did say, EVERYBODY, Peepers.  Everybody includes you.

MOUSES!

So anyway...

What?  What's that, Peepers?  What's that you're babblin' on about now?

You still goin' on about not gettin' an extra special, especially for you, Thanksgivin' greetin'?

Hmmm...

Well...

Well, are you sure you deserve one, Peepers?  Are you sure you DESERVE a Happy Thanksgivin' message just for you?

Hold that thought.  I'm not finished with my question, yet.

'Cause I'm sittin' here in my nice warm house, on a big ol' fluffy cushion on the chair next to the computer, safe and dry and with an extra-full tummy, and I'm pretty sure I have lots of stuff for which to be thankful.  But I'm wonderin'...

I happen to be wonderin'...

I happen to be wonderin' if any of those things for which I have to be thankful are on account of you.

HOLD THAT THOUGHT.  I'M STILL NOT FINISHED WITH MY QUESTION, YET.

'Cause even though I know you pay the electric bill for the computer and the oil bill for the heat...

I still have some issues with the availability of food.

For example, are you aware that my bowl of kibble is currently less than full?

ARE you?

WELL?

That's what I thought.  I thought as much, for sure.  Peepers, you are so incredibly neglectful.

MOUSES!

What do you MEAN the bowl looks full to you?

Peepers, can you see any bowl between its rim and the top of the kibble?  Take a close look, Peepers.  Take a close look!  CLOSER!

Peepers, I do believe, that there bowl is only three-quarters full.

I'M GONNA STARVE!

And on Thanksgivin' Weekend.

Of all the neglectful peeps.

MOUSES!

So I'm pretty sure it's fair for me to say...

HAPPY THANKGIVING, EVERYBODY!

'Cept, of course, for my super-duper neglectful peep.

You're gonna have to try harder, Peepers.

My gosh, IMAGINE allowin' a kibble bowl to be only three-quarters full.

MOUSES!

another day

Another day, another hurricane.

*sighs*

MOUSES!

Okay, so Philippe wasn't actually a hurricane.  I don't think.  Nope, I think it was more of a post-tropical storm.  But you'll have to forgive me if I don't have the correct technical mumbo jumbo, gobbledygook dygook-da-wonkdadonk, on account of it bein' hard to keep track of all these stormy things, these days.

'Specially with the Weather Network still recoverin' from that ol' cyber attack, and all.

MOUSES!

But Philippe was a storm.  And it was headin' our way.   And it was headin' for us right on the holiday weekend!

Which brings me to say...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, MY FRIENDS!

MOUSES!

And as you all know, Thanksgivin' is the time when we cats take stock of our nine lives, figurin' out for what we're most thankful.

Hmm...

I suppose what I should be most thankful for on this Thanksgivin' Weekend is that Philippe didn't do any damage 'round here.  Nope, didn't do any damage, at all.

Oh sure, there WAS a whole lotta huffin' and puffin' goin' on last night, but...

No, not the peep. It wasn't Peepers doin' that.   I know that she has been known to huff and to puff a lot but last night, the huffin' and puffin' was all bein' done by Philippe.

MOUSES!

But anyway...

But anyway, on account of Philippe, the wind was a-howlin' last night.  And I know it must have rained a bit, on account of everythin' bein' kinda soggy this mornin'.  But other than that, everythin' was hunky-dory and A-OK.

And thank goodness for that 'cause like I kinda alluded to earlier, I'm pretty tired of all these stupid ol' storms headin' my way.

MOUSES!

But this is Thanksgivin' weekend, and the veggie faces...

Pardon me?  Veggie faces.  Yeah, that's what I now call the peeps.  Not all the time, mind you, but this mornin' I woke up thinkin' that would be a good name.

So anyway, the veggie faces are havin' VE-GE-TARIAN turkey for din-dins today - you know, on account of their bein' veggie-faced peeps, and all - while Saffy and I will be enjoyin' the fanciest of the feasts.

Like always, I guess.

MOUSES!

Although I did hear tell of  pie with whipped cream...

Mmmm...

So yeah, methinks Saffy and I will DEFINITELY have some of that.

Minus the pie, of course, on account of our most favourite part bein' the cream.

MOUSES!

And I suspect there will be a whole lotta lovin' and cuddles and kisses and tummy rub kinda things.

But on the other paw...

On the other paw, perhaps I can convince Peepers that for Thanksgivin' weekend, it sure would be nice if I, Seville the Cat, could say I am thankful for peeps givin' Saffy and me fewer kisses on the tops of our heads and the backs of our necks.

'Cause let me tell you somethin', my friends...

IT'S NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE FOR US CATS TO WASH ALL THOSE KISSY PEEP GERMS OFF THE BACKS OF OUR NECKS!

You know, you'd really think peeps would try to be more considerate 'bout such things.

ESPECIALLY ON THANKSGIVIN' WEEKEND.

MOUSES!

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

And remember:

IF IN DOUBT,

DON'T. GO. OUT.

Continue to practice SOCIAL DISTANCIN' measures

AND KEEP WASHIN' YOUR PAWS.

MOUSES!

Remember to mask up, too.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgivin', everybody.  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Yup, the calendar has rolled around once more and this weekend is the weekend we Canadian kitties and peeps are feelin' all thankful.

Now I say weekend although technically, I do believe, the actual holiday is tomorrow on account of the calendar sayin' tomorrow is Thanksgivin' Monday; and all the shops will be closed then while they're all open today, but...

But let's face it, peeps out there are celebratin' all weekend, to be sure.  In fact, here at my house, the peeps are havin' pumpkin' pie today instead of tomorrow, although I'm pretty sure there will be pie left over for tomorrow's dinner.

But it will be LEFTOVER pie, if you know what I mean.

MOUSES!

But anyway...

But anyway, since we're talkin' about peeps bein' thankful and stuff, I wrote up a little list of things for which Peepers should be thankful.

Right at the top of the list was me.

Of course.

MOUSES!

But there are other things for ol' Peepers to be thankful about, for sure.  Things like...

Well...

Well like she's always sayin' how great it is that where we live it's easy for her to go out for walks and stuff on account of the streets bein' quiet as long as no one is playin' street hockey.  Plus the business 'bout the roads bein' relatively flat, which apparently makes walkin' all the more easy.

Although she didn't go out walkin' this mornin' on account of it bein' cold AND Saffron decidin' to curl up by her feet while she was checkin' the temperature on TV to see exactly HOW cold it happened to be.

I say she has even more to be thankful for than that.  For instance, those road hockey games that occasionally pop up?

Well...

WELL TRY BEIN' THANKFUL FOR THE FACT YOU'VE NEVER BEEN HIT IN THE HEAD BY A PUCK!

Although truth be told, if she had been hit in the head by a puck, that might explain a few things.

MOUSES!

And speakin' of walkin'...

And speakin' of walkin', ol' Peepers should be thankful I don't insist upon goin' out walkin' with her on account of the fact that if I did, I'd need to get me some walkin' shoes for my paws.  And not just one pair, either.  No sirree, I'd be needin' TWO pairs of those shoes on account of my walkin' on all four feet.  She should be super thankful she doesn't have to go out and buy me a whole whack of shoes.

Not to mention not havin' to put those shoes on my paws each time we went out.

Which, I can assure you, would not go over well with yours truly.

MOUSES!

And then there's the weather.  Oh sure, this mornin' was chilly but do you know what else makes you shiver in your shoes or your boots?

Snow, that's what.

MOUSES!

SHE SHOULD BE THANKFUL IT HASN'T YET STARTED TO SNOW.

And speakin' of snow, once the snow starts fallin' and the roads turn to ice, she might not get to go out walkin', and I'm sure I'll be hearin' tonnes of complaints about that.

BUT SHE SHOULD JUST BE THANKFUL I'M A KITTY AND UNLIKE DOGGIES, I ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF INDOOR PLUMBING, INSTEAD OF INSISTIN' ON BEIN' WALKED WHEN IT'S TWENTY BELOW.

MOUSES!

But I'm gettin' ahead of myself, my friends.  Yup, I'm gettin' ahead of myself, for sure.  There's no sign of snow on the immediate horizon - I checked - and now that it's afternoon, the air has warmed up, the sun is shinin', and it's a really beautiful day.  Peepers might get to have that walk, after all!

And she should be thankful for that.

Although not necessarily as much as she should be thankful for me.  'Cause knowin' a kitty such as myself is somethin' for which peeps should be very thankful, for sure.

Know me?  She gets to love me!  She gets to love me, love me up, and enjoy my company every single day.

Lucky peep.

MOUSES!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

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

And remember:

IF IN DOUBT,

DON'T. GO. OUT.

Continue to practice SOCIAL DISTANCIN' measures

AND KEEP WASHIN' YOUR PAWS.

MOUSES!

Remember to mask up, too.

thirty weeks

Happy Thanksgivin' everybody.  HAPPY THANKSGIVIN'!!!

I know, I know...  I know what you're thinkin'.  You're thinkin', durin' this ol' pandemic thingy - which, by the way, is gettin' older and older by the day - for what do I have to be thankful?

Well...

Well for starters, EVEN THOUGH I've been pretty much cooped up in this here ol' house with a couple of good for nothin' peeps for like...

For like one hundred and sixty-three million, two hundred and ninety-six thousand cat seconds, at least...

WELL...

Well at least we're all safe and sound.

MOUSES!

You know, there are peeps out there complainin' about complainin', and I'm like...

COMPLAININ' IS WHAT WE CATS DO, and we cats do it best.  Go get your own hobby, you good for nothin' peeps.

MOUSES!

But seriously, I'm like...

I'm like, hey, we're all safe, we're healthy, and we're sound.

Well at least I'm sound.  If we're talking 'bout bein' of sound mind, I can't speak for the peeps.

MOUSES!

The thing is, I really and truly am thankful.  I'm thankful for a whole lot of things.

I'm thankful that even though I've been cooped up in this ol' house with the peeps...

Did I mention how they were good for nothin'?

But that's beside the point.  Yeah, their bein' good for nothin' is besides the point, for sure.  The important thing is, even though I've been cooped up in this ol' house with the peeps for thirty weeks, AT LEAST WE HAVE a house in which to be cooped up, and that's somethin' to be thankful for, for sure.

I'm also thankful for the food on my plates that I didn't eat, along with the food in my tummy that I did.  And I'm thankful for cream and treats and other tasty things.

AND NIP!  I mustn't forget 'bout the nip.  I'm SUPER THANKFUL for that.

And I'm thankful that Peepers finally figured out how to thread the sewin' machine and made me some biff bags and nip mice and stuff.  I'm also thankful that even though she also used that very same machine to make masks for herself and Peep #2, she didn't make any for me.

MOUSES!

And speakin' of masks, I'm thankful that when Peepers goes shoppin' for my fuds, she always first puts on her mask to stay safe.  I'm also thankful for the all the other peeps out there who don their masks, too, keepin' my Peepers safe so that she can come home to me safe and sound, although not necessarily of mind, as we discussed earlier on.

I'm thankful for all my pals who read my blog, and visit me on Facebook and Twitter.  I love each and every one and don't know what I'd do without 'em.

But I'm also thankful for the block buttons on Facebook and Twitter.  You know, for when peeps I DON'T EVEN KNOW start gettin' all up in my furs 'bout this ol' pandemic thingy, and...

What?  What's that, Peepers?  What's that you're babblin' on about now?

What do you MEAN it's not nice to be thankful for bein' able to block peeps who annoy me on social media?  What do you MEAN?

*scratches behind an ear*

Okay, so APPARENTLY this bein' thankful thing isn't like prayin' or anythin' like that.  Bein' truthful isn't required.

MOUSES!

*sneers in the direction of the peep*

I'm still thankful for that block button, though.

MOUSES!

But the thing is...

THE THING IS...

The thing is, I AM ONE SUPER THANKFUL KITTY, FOR SURE.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

MOUSES!

 ***********************

And remember:

IF IN DOUBT,

DON'T. GO. OUT.

Continue to practice SOCIAL DISTANCIN' measures

AND KEEP WASHIN' YOUR PAWS.

MOUSES!

Remember to mask up, too.

Happy Thanksgiving!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYBODY!

Okay, so today isn't actually Thanksgivin'.  TOMORROW is Thanksgivin' Day.

So...

HAPPY DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING, EVERYBODY!

Purrs.

Yup, it's true.  This is Thanksgiving Weekend here in Canada and tomorrow, Monday, is the big Thanksgiving Day.   A day when Canadian kitties - and doggies and peeps - get together with family and friends, to celebrate...

Well...

THANKSGIVING.

MOUSES!

So here I am, sittin' at my desk, pawin' on the computer and makin' a list of all the things for which I have to be thankful.

MOUSES!

Of course, the peeps have more for which to be thankful than I.  I mean, they do get to live with me.  That's gotta be right up there at the top of their list, for sure.

Plus, they have all the little added bonuses that come along with livin' with a cat like me.  Like uh...

Umm...

Hmmm...

Well we'll think about that later.

MOUSES!

But I, Seville the Cat, do have lots for which to be thankful, too.

Firstly, I'm thankful I'm a cat.

MOUSES!

Okay, scratch that.  Not that bein' a cat isn't great, 'cause it is.  But you know what?  Bein' a cat with a home and peeps is even better than great, so yeah, I'm pretty thankful for that.

I'm also thankful for chin scritches, massages behind the ears, tummy tickles...

Okay, so truth be told, I could do without the tummy tickles.  Tummy rubs are okay, I guess.  SOMETIMES.  When I'm in the mood.  Which isn't all that often.  Not nearly as often as scritches on the chin or massages 'bout the ears.  But that tummy tickling business?  Well that is for the birds, for sure.

MOUSES!

Okay, so I actually don't know if birds like tummy tickles or not, and if pressed for an answer, I'm thinkin'...  NO.  I'm thinkin' birds probably don't like peeps reachin' over and ticklin' their tummies, like their tummies were made for the ticklin', any more than I do.

But I digress.

MOUSES!

Now back to those things for which I am thankful.  I'm thankful I have a home, and peeps who love me and look after me and feed me and stuff.  And I'm thankful for sunpuddles in which to bathe, and water puddles from which to drink - 'cause puddle water is SO MUCH BETTER than that stuff that comes from the tap.  And unlike bottled, it's environmentally friendly.  I'm also thankful for the colourful leaves fallin' from the trees these days, 'cause chasing 'em is so much fun.  I'm thankful for the cooler weather, too.  I like fall weather, you see.  Not too hot, not too cold.  Just about Goldilocks perfect, for sure.  And I'm thankful for...

Hmmm...

Well actually, I guess that's about it.

WAIT!!!

I'm also extremely thankful I live right here in Canada, where I'm safe.  Safe from wars and strife, and stuff like that.  Safe from all the nasties the world has to offer.

That's why, tomorrow evenin', when my brother and peeps and I gather for our Thanksgiving Day meal, I'm gonna say a little prayer thankin' God for all that I have, and prayin' that other kitties around the world can have some, too.

Not MY actual Thanksgiving Day dinner, of course.  I mean, I'm not givin' up that.  And no one would expect me to!  But maybe the kitties and doggies out there could have a special dinner of their own?  Or better yet, full tummies on a daily basis, a warm place to sleep at night, love from peeps, and the knowledge that they're safe from the dangers of the world.  'Cause EVERY kitty out there deserves all that.  Every kitty, all around the world.

So even if you're not celebrating Thanksgiving Day this weekend, please think about all that you have, anyway, and consider helpin' some kitty - or doggy - out there who has nothin' to be thankful for at all.  If we all help just a little, together, we can all do a WHOLE LOT.

PURRS.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, MY FRIENDS.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

It's that time of year, my friends, when I, Seville the Cat, count my many blessings.

Yup, you guessed it.   This is the weekend of the Canadian Thanksgivin'.

So...

So Happy Thanksgivin', everybody!

HAPPY THANKSGIVIN'!

And for what am I, Seville the Cat, thankful, you ask?

Well...

Well for starters, I'm thankful that I'm a Canadian kitty.  I mean, if I weren't Canadian, I wouldn't be spendin' this weekend celebratin' Thanksgivin'.

MOUSES!

And speakin' of mouses and the like, another thing for which I, Seville the Cat, am thankful, is the word, MOUSES.  It's such a versatile word, you see.  It can mean so very many things.  And had it not been for my late, great brother Nissy, the world wouldn't even have such a word.  So I AM EXTREMELY THANKFUL for Nissy havin' invented it.

MOUSES!

See?  See what I just did there?  That time, I used MOUSES! in a celebratory way, whereas earlier, I used it like one follows the punchline of a joke.

Ba-dum bum.  Tssh.

Yeah, MOUSES is a SUPER versatile word, for sure.

MOUSES!

Now let's see, what else is there that...

Oh!  OH!  OH!  I just thought of another thing.

I, Seville the Cat, am extremely thankful for my peeps.

Now you might be thinkin' I'm thankful for 'em on account of their feedin' me, and housin' me, and givin' me treats, but actually....

Okay, so I am pretty thankful for that.  BUT I'M ALSO thankful for all the fodder they - particularly Peep #1 - provide for my blog.  My gosh, if it weren't for Peep #1's constant crazy behaviour, I'd have practically NOTHIN' to write about at all.

Why...

Why if it weren't for her, I'd be totally dependent upon the craziness of politicians and celebrities and the like.  Not to mention all those otherwise Perfectly Pedestrian Peeps who keep gettin' caught on camera while Publicly Peein', Perhaps even Poopin', without...  You know...  Scoopin'.

And I assure you, as a cat, I HAVE NEVER DONE THAT.

Okay, so there was that one time last summer...

But in my defence, I HAD NO IDEA I could be seen from the road.  And I certainly had no idea that what those peeps were holdin' in their paws, were cameras.

Darned moused-up Pawarazzi.

MOUSES!

But back to the providin' of fodder for my blog.  The thing is, all those late-night TV hosts and comedians have pretty much got the political-celebrity-peein'-in-public market all tied up, so...

So thanks-be-to-goodness for my peeps' incessant crazy behaviour and stuff.

MOUSES!

And that brings us to nip.  That's right, I, Seville the Cat, am very thankful for my stash of the nip.

Of course...

Of course I am havin' to grow the stuff myself, on account of Peep #1 bein' better at killin' catnip than growin' it.  But luckily for me, it turns out I'm a dab paw at growin' catnip, so yeah, I'm pretty darn thankful for that.

I'm also thankful for all of my pals from all over the world.

My gosh, without pals, what would a kitty like me do?

Huh, without pals, I'd have to spend all my time with those fur-sibs of mine, and let me tell you somethin', that would not be a good thing at all.

It's not that I don't love 'em, 'cause actually, I do.

Kinda.

Sorta.

You know.

It's just that...

Well it's just that SOMETIMES - more often than not - they drive me a little crazy and stuff.

MOUSES!

Of course, they are good for takin' the blame when I get into mischief and things.  So I guess I'm pretty thankful for that.

I'm also thankful for the food in my dishes, and the roof over my head, 'cause you know, not all cats have those things.  And I'm thankful that sometimes I can even help out a kitty or two who don't have safe places to sleep or enough kibble to eat.  Yeah, I'M REALLY THANKFUL for that.

'Cause you know what they say...

They say, givin' a helpin' paw to those in need, is a very, very good thing, indeed.

And I'm also thankful for...

Hmmm...

Actually, I think I've pretty much got it covered, for now.  But I'll be EXTRA THANKFUL tonight, when the peep gives me extra treats on account of it bein' Thanksgivin' and all, and..

What's that, Peepers?  You didn't hear 'bout how you're REQUIRED BY LAW to give all us cats extra treats on Thanksgivin' and stuff?

WELL WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, WOMAN?  I mean, EVERYONE knows that.  Everyone.  EVERYONE!  Everyone from Canadian coast to coast to coast.

Please excuse me, my friends, for I must now go and explain to the peep 'bout the necessity of extra Thanksgiving Day treats.

MOUSES!

Oh, and uh...

HAPPY THANKSGIVIN', MY FRIENDS.

HAPPY THANKSGIVIN'!

do I have to?

Do I have to?

Really?

REALLY?

Do I really, really have to?

Like as in...  Uh....  Really?

Awww...  MOUSES!

But Peepers, are you sure?

Are you sure as in...  Sure?

Are you really, really sure?

You are, huh?

Hmmm...  MOUSES!

Now Peepers, are you sure you're sure?  Are you absolutely, positively sure that you really are, in fact, sure?  Or do you think you could be wrong about bein' sure?  Do you think you might be wrong 'bout bein' right, and that I might be right 'bout your bein' wrong?  Do you think that could be what's goin' on?

Really?  'Cause you know, it's not like that hasn't happened before.

Has, too.

HAS, TOO.

HAS...

Peepers, you know, it's really not nice to say stuff like that.  Let me go get some soap for you to wash out your mouth, and...

FINE.

MOUSES!

But Peepers...

Peepers, really and truly, I really do think you're wrong.  And I really do think I'm right.  I really do think...

No, Peepers, Christmas is a whole seventy-eight days away.  Santa hasn't even started compiling his naughty list yet, so there's no way I'm in any kind of danger of gettin' on that list.  Not that I'm doin' anythin' to get myself on it in the first place.  But even if I were, doin' somethin' naughty, that is, it's too early to make the list.

I do so know!  I KNOW FOR A FACT, cats can be mischievous and naughty right up 'til November 24th.  Fact is, just last year, I was doin' exactly that.  I was bein' naughty right up 'til thirty days before Christmas last year, and not one of the naughty things I did got me on Santa's list.  Facts are facts, Peepers.  You can't argue with that.  Well you can, but it would be stupid.  MOUSES!

What?  What's that?  What exactly was I doin' that was so naughty?

Uhhh...  Never mind.  Nothin' for you to worry 'bout at all.

MOUSES!

But none of that even matters, Peepers, on account of my not bein' naughty right now.  Actually, YOU'RE the one bein' naughty, by disagreeing with me.  Tellin' me I'm wrong, and insistin' you're right, and...

'Cause you are wrong, that's why.

Peepers, let me explain this once more.  When a kitty is listin' the things for which said kitty is thankful, on Thanksgivin', it is absolutely wrong for that kitty to lie about those things.

Yes Peepers, even if lyin' is the polite thing to do, it's still wrong to lie.  'Cause lyin' is wrong, and it can never be right.

And that, Peepers, is why I don't think I should be tellin' all the world and sundry - although goodness knows who this Sundry person is, 'cause I've never actually met him, you know - that I'm thankful for havin' two long-haired marmie freak brothers, 'cause, as you know, I'm not thankful for havin' them at all.  And what's more, I have a multitude of reasons for not bein' thankful 'bout havin' those two freakishly long-haired marmie brothers, too.  I can list my reasons, for you.  Let tell you the things they do:

They steal my food;  They bat at my tail;  They think nothin' of usin' MY litter box;  They eat more than their fair share of treats;  They fart in my face if they manage to get their paws on cream.  They...

Oh yeah?  Well let me ask you this, Peepers.  Are YOU thankful when they fart in YOUR face?

Thought not.

MOUSES!

But you're thankful they came to live with us, anyway?

Really?

REALLY?

And are you thankful I came to live with you, too?

Never mind.  That goes without sayin'.  OF COURSE you're thankful for me.

You are.  Right?  You are thankful I chose this house in which to live.

Whew!

But on the other paw...

Maybe...

Maybe I can be thankful for those two long-haired marmie freak brothers of mine, Peepers.  After all, they're way naughtier than me.  In fact, they're so naughty, they make me look like an angel by comparison.  And actually, that IS somethin' for which to be thankful, for sure.  Especially after the twenty-fourth of November.

Okay, Peepers, I can honestly say this.  I can honestly say, I am thankful I have two long-haired marmie freak brothers who, by bein' bad, make me look super good.

Hmmm...

Thank you Peepers.  Thank you for helpin' me.  Thanks for helpin' me put things about bein' thankful, into perspective.

And Happy Thanksgiving, Peepers.  In fact, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE!  Purrs.

Happy Thanksgiving!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY!

That's right, here in Canada, this is Thanksgiving weekend. Thanksgiving Day is actually tomorrow, I do believe.  At least that's what the calendar says. Wait a minute.  Let me check on that.  Be right back.

Okay, I'm back.  Yup, that's what it says.  The calendar says that tomorrow is Thanksgiving Monday but only here in Canada.  Nothing marked for today although I know a lot of Canadian cats and peeps are having the big special dinner this evening.  Lots of peeps will be travelling tomorrow, I suppose.  Maybe that's why they do the dinner on Sunday.

When I was checking the calender, I noticed that tomorrow is also Columbus Day in the United States.  Actually, I already knew that.  Bet most cats do.  Bet most peeps do, too.

But did you all know that tomorrow is also Health and Sports Day in Japan?  I never knew that before but it says so right there on my calender so it must be true.

I would imagine that on a day called Health and Sports Day, cats and peeps should be active. Celebrate being active, in fact.  Lots of peeps here in Canada will go out walking or hiking tomorrow, I suppose .  If you have good weather and the day off, why not?  That's healthy.  It's kind of sporty, too.

I think I'll encourage my peeps to have a fun-filled afternoon of wand toys and nip mice with me. Maybe toss a ball around.  I always enjoy watching the peeps go fetch the knitted ball they throw to me.  You know, after I totally ignore it.  Ah yes, good times, for sure.

Oohhh..  and then there are the turkeys.  I've been hearing an awful lot about turkeys leading up to Thanksgiving weekend and from what I've been hearing, some of those turkeys are pretty darned big.  Cooking turkey dinner could be a sport in of itself, don't you think?  Kind of like lifting weights for cooks.  MOUSES!

For all I know, eating turkey dinner might be a sport for some, too.  MOUSES!

At my house, the turkey all comes in tins and they're never all that heavy.  Well...  individual tins aren't very heavy but I suppose that if Peep #1 were to go around lifting whole cases of those tins, it could be considered a sporting event of some sort.  I'll have to check the facts on that and see if it's something we could get into the Olympics.  If so, I bet Peep #1 could win, for sure.  We give her lots of practice, you see.

Of course we cats would continue to provide practice opportunities, for the peep, by eating the turkey in those tins which would require her to go back to the store to get more.  More tins.  More athletic training, for sure.  MOUSES!

Anyone know if the Olympic gold medals are made of real gold?  I'm wondering because if we cats were to help the peep out by eating the tinned turkey so that she could win a medal for lifting the tins of turkey and giblets, we cats would be entitled to some of that gold, would we not?  And we could use the gold from that medal to buy us a real turkey dinner.

In case you were wondering about these tins of turkey and whatnot, let me explain.  My peeps are vegetarians.  'Nough said.  MOUSES!

That's enough about turkeys.  Now let's talk pumpkin pie.

Peep #1 made pumpkin pie yesterday.  Oddly enough, the pumpkin for the pumpkin pie came in a tin, too.  Just like our turkey.  You think it might be turkey?  MOUSES!

Nope, Ol' Peepers here says it's not.  She says it's one hundred percent pumpkin.  At least that's what it says on the tin.

Ever wonder why the tins of pumpkin say they contain one hundred percent pumpkin?  Ever wonder that?  I mean, what else would they contain? Squash?

This just in...  BREAKING NEWS...   Apparently, some tins of pumpkin do contain squash.  MOUSES!

But back to that pumpkin pie.  You know, the one the peep made, yesterday.  It's in the fridge right now but I'm thinking, it's going to be coming out later today and when it does, I'll be waiting.

To tell you the truth, I'm not overly interested in the pie itself.  I know a lot of cats enjoy a little pumpkin now and then but really, I'm not one of those cats.  And although I personally witnessed Peep #1 adding whipping cream - which I love - to that pie, I also personally witnessed her adding a whole bunch of spices like cloves and nutmeg and cinnamon.  And it gets worse.  She also added... wait for it...  orange.  ORANGE.  Could you believe it?  MOUSES!

For your information, Peepers, we cats do not like oranges.  Don't like anything citrus at all. MOUSES!

Long story short, the peep completely ruined the pie but...

But I'm betting she'll be whipping up some additional whipping cream to go on top of that pie and when she does, I'm gonna be there like cheese on a nip pizza.  I'm gonna snag some of that cream, for sure.

I know, I know...  I know what you're thinking.  You're thinking, we marmalade cats were cut off from the cream when Anderson was knighted Sir Fartsalot.  Lactose intolerance, you see.

Well you'd be right about that but I'm right about something, too.  What I'm right about is that what the peep doesn't know, won't hurt her.  If the peep doesn't see me getting the cream, she'll never be any the wiser.

Of course, this does not apply to Anderson.  Andy can't have any cream.  Peep might not see him lapping up the cream but sooner or later, she'll smell him, for sure.  We don't call him Sir Fartsalot for nothing, you see.  MOUSES!

What the peep doesn't know, won't hurt her...  Remember this, kitties.  Remember it well. Comes in handy when a fur-sib brings a dead mouse or something into the house and deposits it on a bed. As long as you get that corpse out of the house before your peeps see it, you'll be okay. Comes in handy when you bring in a dead mouse or something, too.  MOUSES!

Not that I've ever done any such thing.  Never done anything like that at all.  Why... Uh...  I... Ummm...  Never mind.  MOUSES!

But turkeys and pumpkins and tins of pumpkin-impersonating-squash aside, THIS IS THANKSGIVING WEEKEND, a time for being thankful, for sure.  So count up your blessings and recognise that those blessings are all things for which we should be thankful.

Let's see..

I'm thankful for the fact that even though I won't be having a real turkey dinner on account of my peeps' vegginess, I will be having the kind of turkey that comes in tins along with their giblets, whatever those are.  I'm kind of thankful I don't actually know what giblets are, too.  And I'm thankful that even though Peep #1 totally ruined the pumpkin pie by adding those icky spices and orange to it, there will still be some uncontaminated whipped cream for me to snag when she's not looking.

I'm also thankful for having a warm place to sleep at night where I'm safe and I'm loved.  And I'm thankful that my fur-sibs are basically pretty good fur-sibs to have.  And I'm thankful that even though nosy-neighbour-cat has been hanging around my house a lot as of late, he does have his own home and family and I'm thinking he'll be spending Thanksgiving with them.

I'm thankful for this wonderful planet we all share, called Earth.  Thankful for clean air and clean water and lots of pretty scenery.  For soft breezes to feel on my nose and for the rustle of leaves I can hear under my paws.  And talking about leaves,  they're beginning to colour up nicely and I'm ever-so-thankful that I get to enjoy them at this time of year.

But most of all, I'm thankful for my peeps.  They're pretty good peeps, I should think.  Oh sure, they could be better.  There's always room for improvement, you see.  I've even given them lists of suggestions for areas where improvement might be needed but apparently, my peeps have selective reading skills or something because so far they've taken none of my suggestions to heart. But by and large, as far as peeps go, I think they're pretty darned good, for sure.  Well acceptable, at least.


And of course, I'm thankful for all of you.  I'm thankful for each and every one of you who read my blog, twice a week, every week.  I'm thankful for any of you who just drop on by, occasionally, too.  I'm thankful for getting the chance to know you and thankful that you have chosen to be my friends.  And I'm thankful that you have accepted my friendship in return.  I am thankful that together, we can all be one big happy family and when it comes to Thanksgiving, family and friends is what it's all about, for sure.

So HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY!  May you spend this weekend surrounded by loving family and friends and may you all enjoy many Thanksgivings to come.

all Sir Fartsalot's fault

What do you mean, I can't have any cream? But Peepers, tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  You're gonna be havin' cream. You're gonna be havin' pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top,  Why can't I have some, too?

What do you mean, tomorrow isn't Thanksgiving up here in Canada?  What do you mean, it's only Thanksgiving for our pals in the United States? What do you mean, we already celebrated Thanksgiving, last month?  WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

Hmmm...

Okay Peepers, how 'bout this?  How about we celebrate Thanksgiving for a second time.  You know, 'cause so many of our pals are celebratin'.  Let's celebrate with 'em!  Nothin' wrong with having two Thanksgivings, I think.  Nothin' wrong with that, at all.  In fact, I think that bein' thankful for the life that we have is a good thing.  We're warm and safe and have our friends and each other. We're surrounded by love.  Bein' thankful for all that, twice, should be twice as good.  Right?

So now that that's settled, why don't you whip up an ol' pumpkin pie for tomorrow and we'll celebrate Thanksgiving for a second time, this year.  How 'bout it, Peepers?  You with me on this?

I'd like my pumpkin pie with extra whipped cream, minus the pie, please.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'VE BEEN CUT OFF FROM CREAM?  Awww...  MOUSES!

I thought for sure that Peep #1 would give me a little cream in celebration of Thanksgiving.

So there you have it, my friends, I've been cut off from the cream.  And do you know what?  It's all Sir Fartsalot's fault.  Again I must say, MOUSES!

So this is what happened...

It has been a long known fact that my marmie brothers, Seville and Rushton, are lactose intolerant. Neither one of 'em can touch a drop of anythin' dairy.  Not a drop.  Unfortunately, they both love the taste of dairy but the best the peeps can do for 'em is milky tastin' treats and whatnot.  From what they've told me, it's just not the same thing.

When my newest marmie brother, Anderson, came to live with us, Peep #1 figured he'd be lactose intolerant, too, and do you know what?  She was right.  The second peep gave him a smidgen of cream - against the wishes of the first peep - and the next thing we knew, Peep #2 had discovered a previously unknown source of renewable energy.  That's right, the cream gave my new brother gas.

The problem was, Anderson was hooked on the ol' cream the moment it passed his lips.  He wanted more and more of the stuff but Peep #1 put her paw down sayin', "No cream for Andy!"

Anderson was spendin' more and more time, gazing longingly at the refrigerator, hoping and praying that the peeps would relent and give him a drop of the cream but the peeps stood fast.  There was to be no cream for my marmie brother, Anderson.

Peep #1 went out and got some of the ol' cat milk.  Problem is, none of us really like the stuff...  except for Andy!  Now you'd think that would be a good thing, right?  'Cause Anderson would be happy gettin' cat milk while cats like me, every now and then, imbibed in a drop or two of the cream.

Normally, it would be a very good thing but Peep #2 was feelin' sorry for me while I watched Anderson down his saucer of cat milk, followed by mine.  So the second peep gave me a drop of cream.

Now let me tell you somethin'.  I, Nerissa the Cat, am eleven-and-a-half years old.  Durin' my eleven-and-a-half years, I have always been allowed to enjoy a little cream.  Never a lot.  Just a drop or two.  And only every now and then.  Never caused a problem.

But Peep #2 was feelin' sorry for me a little too much or somethin' and the next thing I knew, I was gettin' extra helpings of the cream.  This was all goin' on, unbeknownst to the first peep. Unbeknownst until...

Until the cream gave me gas.  MOUSES!

That's right, Peep #2 gave me way too much cream.  It all adds up, you see.  A drop here and a drop there, followed by a few more drops...  Long story short, Peep #2 gave me cream four times in one day.  What a peep.  What a way to ruin a good thing.  MOUSES!

Well I was not at all happy with the lack of cream and made my opinions known by settin' up camp in front of the refrigerator.  Peeps couldn't open the door without my pleadin' and beggin'.

That's when Peep #1 did some research and discovered that certain kinds of plain yogurt are low in lactose and the beneficial bacteria in 'em might actually help with lactose intolerance.  Even in cats. In fact, these types of yogurt are said to be perfectly fit for us cats.  Excellent.

So the first peep went shoppin'.  Home she came with not only the yogurt but also some chicken baby food.  I'm told that the baby food was the hardest thing to find.  For some reason, most of the chicken baby food on the market, 'round here, contains veggies and some of those veggies, like onions, aren't safe for us kitties.   The peep says it took her a long time to find the one and only variety of chicken that was veggie-free.

The peep mixed some of the chicken baby food in with a little yogurt.  I sniffed it.  I gave it a lick.  IT WAS YUMMY!  I devoured it in seconds.

Well...  that was a couple of weeks ago and suffice it to say, the novelty has worn off.

Oh sure, Anderson is still enjoying a steady supply of cat milk.  Anderson, who started this whole fiasco of the cream limitations with his lactose intolerance fartin'.  MOUSES!

Well the cat milk may be fine for Andy - hereby known as Sir Fartsalot - but what about me?  I have had to resort to, once again, beggin' and pleadin' by the refrigerator door, hoping against all hope that a peep will take pity upon me and give me a drop of cream. Just one drop.  That's all I ask!

But the peeps are both united on this front, now.  All ten of us cats have been cut off, cold turkey, from the cream.  Just wait 'til my sister, Tess, the butter fiend, finds out that butter is off the menu, too.  MOUSES!

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

And for all my American pals...   HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  May you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, surrounded by good friends and loving family and may you all, ALL, get to enjoy a drop or two of the cream.

invasion of the pumpkin people

For all of us Canadian kitties, this is Thanksgiving Weekend.  That's right, we northern kitties start celebratin' early, compared to our southern counterparts.  Oohhh...  and those in Alaska who are to the north and/or west of the rest of the kitties like me.  Hmmm..  Or should that be I?

Anywho...  this is Thanksgiving weekend, also known as prime pumpkin season, here in Nova Scotia.  Not 'cause I live with three pumpkin-coloured brothers and a sister who comes super close, although she's lighter than your traditional marmalade kitties.  Lighter in colour, by the way, and not by weight.  And I mustn't forget my three calico sisters and my tortie auntie, all of whom are also sportin' the pumpkin colours.  I'm tellin' you, the marmies are takin' over. MOUSES!

But like I was sayin', this weekend isn't pumpkin season on account of the marmies.  It's pumpkin season on account of the pumpkins.  They're everywhere!

All the local farm markets and whatnot are filled to the brim with the things.  The pumpkins, I mean, and not the marmie cats.  There are still some pumpkins in fields, too.

And then there are the gigantic monstrous ones that peeps try to grow as large as they can until they're too heavy to take anywhere without the aide of a tractor or a forklift or somethin'.  Again, I'm talkin' about pumpkins and not those marmie brothers of mine although, truth be told, if Rushton gains any more weight, the peep will be needin' a forklift to lift him, for sure.

Before anyone panics 'bout Rushton's size, Peep #1 says it's okay 'cause he's obviously got some coon in him.  Like a WHOLE, ENTIRE COON, I do believe.  He's naturally big.  He can stand on his hind legs and reach right up to put his front paws 'round Peep #1's waist.  Yeah, just like a dog. MOUSES!

But back to the pumpkins.  Farmers 'round here grow those gigantic, monstrous ones for Cinderella, I do believe.  They're gonna be turned into carriages or somethin'.

Then there are the pumpkin people.  No, they're not peeps who are the colour of pumpkins like the marmalade cats.  Rather, they're peeps who ARE pumpkins.  It's true.  Their heads are made of pumpkins.  MOUSES!

And just like the actual pumpkins, the pumpkin peeps are everywhere, too.  They're multiplying.  It's like the invasion of the pumpkin' people or somethin'.  No word yet on whether or not aliens are involved however, that is a story on which I am workin'.  Again I must say, MOUSES!

Closer to home, there are pumpkins, too.  In fact, there was some pumpkin activity goin' on at my house, yesterday.  Yup, it's true. Took place in my very own kitchen.

Like every year around this time, Peep #1 bakes a pumpkin pie or two.  Yesterday was the big day.  Yes, my friends, pumpkin pies were baked.

I knew the peep was gonna be makin' those pumpkin pies and truth be told, I was a little concerned for the health and welfare of those peeps whose heads are made of pumpkin but it turned out that I needn't have worried.  Peep #1 used pumpkin from a tin.

However, when I saw that ol' tin of pumpkin, I was reminded of my recent blog post, "they are? MOUSES!" in which I came to the realisation that my turkey cat food is actually made from turkeys which are, in fact, birds.  Yes, the deceit of the tins.  Turkeys can come in tins.  Who knew?

Pity the poor pumpkin people whose heads were used in the cannin' of that tinned pumpkin.  I'm just hopin' I didn't actually know any of them or anythin'.

Anywho...  back to the bakin'.  The peep got out her tin of pumpkin in preparation for the bakin' of those pies.  I got a good look at that ol' tin and noticed that on it, it read, pure pumpkin.  Now this came as a bit of a surprise to me.  I looked at the tin and then over at the peep and said, "Pure pumpkin?  What else would be in a tin of pumpkin?"

Apparently, it could have been squash.  Non-pumpkin, squash.  Peep says some companies do that. They try to pass off regular ol' squash as pumpkin.  I wonder if that's to save the pumpkin people. Could be.  Never heard tell of any squash people 'round here.

So the peep got out her tin of pumpkin and all the other necessary ingredients like eggs and cream and spices and...  and did I mention cream?  Mmmm...

She had to start by makin' the pie shells.  Now I won't go into a whole lot of detail 'bout the makin' of those pie shells on account of the fact that this is a blog post and not the longest novel ever written in the history of catkind but suffice it to say, she made a mess.  You ever hear of fur flyin'?  Well, think about that and then add the letters l and o so that you've turned the word fur, into flour.  Yes, my friends, there was flour...  EVERYWHERE.  Peep will be cleanin' up bits of flour from now until Christmas, I do believe.  MOUSES!

That reminds me, Peep #1 has some extra laundry to do, this week.  Yup, she was wearin' the flour like it was some sort of fashion statement or somethin'. She still is wearin' a bit of it, I do believe.  I had better remind her to wash her hair today, too.  Again I must say, MOUSES!

Once the pie shells were made, it was time to start the fillin'.  She opened that ol' can of pure pumpkin - possibly made from the heads of pumpkin people whom we have hopefully never met - and spooned it out and into a bowl.  Then she added the eggs, cream, sugar and spices.  So far, so good.

But then, my friends, the peep got out a whisk.  I panicked, for sure.  Was it one of Seville's whisks? Would it transport my peep through space and time using eggbeater-whisk time travelling-teleportation technology?  Would the peep disappear right before my very eyes?

Thankfully, the whisk was a dud.  Yes, it whisked up the pumpkin and whatnot, all right, but there was no time travellin' involved.  Close one.  Whew!

After the whiskin' was over and my heart stopped beatin' a mile a minute on account of the time travelling-teleportation scare, the peep poured the pumpkin filling into the pie shells and she baked 'em.  They took a long time to bake which was good, I think, on account of the huge mess Ol' Peepers had made in my kitchen.  She needed that bakin' time to get the place cleaned up.  My gosh my peep is a messy baker.  MOUSES!

Hmmm...  now THERE'S a title for a cookbook.  The Messy Baker.  LOVE IT!  I'll have to mention that to the peep, sometime.  She could write a series.  Could even end up on television or somethin'.

In the meantime, I'm gonna be thinkin' about all the things for which I have to be thankful.  After all, this is Thanksgiving Weekend.

Right off the top of my head, I can think of a few things.  I'm thankful that the whisk the peep used was a time-travellin' dud.  I'm thankful that there was cream leftover after Ol' Peepers made those pies 'cause I'm thinkin' I might get to enjoy a drop or two.  I'm thankful that I now have three brothers even if the latest is another marmie.  (More on that in a future post.)  And, of course, I'm very thankful for my peeps.  Thankful that I have 'em and incredibly thankful that their heads are not made of pumpkins 'cause if they were, they might have been in that ol' tin of pumpkin and been baked into those pumpkin pies.  And that, my friends, would have been a MOUSES! moment, for sure.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Happy Thanksgiving to all the peeps out there, pumpkin and non-pumpkin, alike.  And to all the cats, bunnies and doggies, too.  HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL! To each and every one of you.