Marcus BDay and Gotcha Taylor

It's time to do a little celebrating again, and as usual we are late posting on it.  Yesterday, Wednesday, November 6th was the big day.

Marcus celebrated his 6th birthday.

Taylor celebrated her 4th Gotcha Day with us.

Many thanks to Mom Ingrid, Pipo, Dalton, and Benji for the lovely graphic.  This is the largest it will post here, for some reason, but hopefully if you click on the graphic, it will enlarge in a new window.

We are thrilled Taylor is part of our family. She is such a quiet girl, although she did find her voice and started a screaming, howling riot when Jan took her and Micah for their rabies shot a month or two ago.  Sometimes we're not too sure about Marcus.  He hasn't slowed down or quieted down in the least.  They have totally opposite personalities.

This was a happy occasion, although overshadowed by sadness. You might not remember but Taylor spent the first five months of her life with Miss Teresa.  (Happy Marcus and Taylor Day)  Mr. Doug just happened to deliver Taylor here on Marcus' birthday.

Miss Teresa was family!  She and Mr. Doug were very close.  She died unexpectedly last Friday, November 1st.  She is very missed!

Micah's Belated Gotcha Birthday

Taylor:  Oh, Micah, we're so sorry you were overlooked on your special day Tuesday.

Marcus:  Yes, we are.  It's that Jan.  She keeps the special day calendar in a file drawer and forgets to mention such occasions when she sees them.

Percy:  I think that's because she forgets.  You know, she forgets what she read on the calendar, she forgets what day it is, she even manages to forget where she left the calendar.

Taylor:  Do you suppose we could find her a job where forgetting things would be an asset?  That way she could earn some money at something at which she excels.

Percy:  We are very grateful to Pipo. Dalton & Benji and Mom Ingrid.  They sent us this lovely graphic Tuesday.  In fact, for quite some time, these sweet bloggers have been making occasion graphics for many blogs!  (You can visit them at Meezer's Mews & Terrieristical Woofs )

Marcus:  They really gave Jan a scare when she opened their email and found she'd forgotten another important day.  We wanted to do a post immediately but Jan is not only forgetful, she's falling apart and we have to keep our eyes open in case she starts losing parts here and there.

Micah:  Well, I know Jan still can't sit at the computer very long and all our computer time is limited, so I'm just going to say thank you all for caring.  And for remembering.  It was a terrifying day when I was dumped and had to spend a night in the crumbling mill building by myself.  The next morning Jan brought me home where I was safe, so I forgive her for being forgetful.

Taylor:  Hey, Percy, I found a spring on the carpet.  Do you suppose this fell off of Jan? 

Percy:  I don't know.  Perhaps it belongs on her foot.

Marcus:  What?

Percy:  Maybe this is the missing spring in her step. 

Marcus:  Oh, right.  Let's try to screw it back in her foot after she goes to sleep tonight.

Percy Turns Fifteen

It is so hard to believe dear Percy turns 15 years old today.  He was so tiny when Merci rescued him.  I thought he was a bird.  He chirped for a time, so he was temporarily named Birdie.  If he had not persevered until I believed Merci was correct and that chirping in the bush was actually a kitten, he would never have been rescued.  Perseverance was the perfect name for him.  Percy for short.

Happy birthday, from all of us.  You are still the same sweet, persevering cat we've always known to you be.

We were quite worried about you when you kept falling off the air conditioning unit, landing on the floor below, and determinedly going right back to lay there until you fell off again.  It was such a relief when you finally realized there is now an old desk by a front window where you can enjoy watching people and traffic without getting hurt.  We love you and hope you will have a good day lounging on your desk window perch. 


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

Our last post was in January and it was a sad one.  I was sick with the flu and a high temperature the day Cyndi left for the bridge and for the last months have been having back and health problems.  I have no energy.  But Percy is the last of the original Funny Farmers and he deserves a celebration post.

Some sweet bloggers sent cards for Cyndi and have never been acknowledged.  We would like to do so now.

                                                          By Ann of Zoolatry.

                                               By Pipo, Dalton & mom Ingrid.

                                           By Alasandra, the Cats and the Dogs (atcad).

Thank you, ladies, for the lovely cards in memory of our dear Cyndi.  We apologize for being so long in sharing them. 

Cyndi Is 15

Taylor:  It's Cyndi's birthday.  Our sweet girl turns 15 years old today.  This is an important date for our furry matriarch and Jan forgot to read the calendar again.

Percy:  If it wasn't for Pipo, Dalton & their mom Ingrid, we would have a hard time doing a last minute post.  We thank them so much!  We do appreciate them taking the time to make the graphic, especially since they are trying to learn new software on a loaned computer after their computer was stolen.

Micah:  We really need to hire a secretary who can read a calendar.  And dispense more treats. 

Cyndi:  Thank you, guys, for remembering me at all.  I know how frustrating it can be when our secretary is old, forgetful, and has trouble putting on her shoes.  Perhaps we should cut her a little slack, though, since these past few years have been even more hazardous than usual for her.  Her last aborted flight was just two months ago when she flew through the air from behind Marcus' crate and landed in front of it.  She has barely been able to do anything since, but she does keep trying.

Marcus:  You do know that wasn't my fault, don't you!  I wasn't even near her when that happened.  You always point a paw at me when strange things happens.  By now you should know I'm always innocent. 

Taylor:  Of course you are.  We can all see that invisible halo over your head.  But this post is not about you.  It's about Cyndi and how thankful we are she has been with us for so long.

Percy:  So let's enjoy the day.  Even if we aren't prepared, perhaps Jan can find a few interesting tidbits around the house for us to party.

Marcus:  **mumbles** You guys better stay away from my Pup-peroni! 

Micah:  What did you say, Marcus?

Cyndi:  He said he would be honored if we share his Pup-peroni for the occasion.  Didn't you, Marcus? 

Marcus:  Uh... okay. I guess I did.

We are celebrating Cyndi today and joining Brian's Thankful Thursday blog hop.

Happy Marcus and Taylor Day

Percy:  What's this about today being special for Marcus and Taylor?  Isn't it special for the rest of us, too?

Cyndi:  Not exactly.  It wasn't planned, of course, but it worked out that Mr. Doug delivered Taylor here from Miss Teresa's on Marcus's assigned Birthday.

Micah:  Unless he's feeling selfish, he shouldn't mind if the rest of us assign today as our birthday too.  That way we can celebrate together and the rest of us can get more treats. 

Cyndi:  It doesn't quite work that way, but you have a good idea. 

Percy:  According to the calendar Jan always forgets to read, today is Marcus' 5th birthday and Taylor's 3rd Gotcha Day.

Micah:  I guess this means we are celebrating Happy Marcus and Taylor Day.

Marcus:  And as Now Angel Khyra always used to ask, Will there be khake?  (Khyra's spelling)

Taylor:  I haven't been here as long as the rest of you, but even I know not to expect Jan to remember the day, let alone to bake a cake.

Marcus: Jan left her purse on the kitchen table.  We could borrow a dollar or two and go buy a cake.

Taylor:  Great idea!

Cyndi:  And just which one of us is going to drive to the store to pick up one?

Marcus:  I will.  I'm the tallest.

Cyndi:  What does height have to do with driving?

Marcus:  I've heard it's illegal for a vehicle to go rolling down the highway with an invisible driver.

We want to thank Pipo & Dalton and their Petcretary Ingrid for the fun cards they sent for Marcus and Taylor.  Not only are we grateful for their kindness, but if they hadn't sent them - and sent them early - we'd most likely be doing a different post today.  (Have we mentioned more than 100 times that Jan forgets to read the calendar she marks up every year?)

We are participating in Happy Tuesday blog hop. Stop by Comedy Plus to see other posts or to join the fun.

Locked Door Motor Running

Marcus:  Hey, remember me in my new vehicle?   Locked room mysteries are popular in books and on television, so I thought we could do something different today and you can try to solve the locked car mystery.

Rusty:  I thought we were going to continue my problem with finding a new villa this late in the season.

Percy:  No, we were going to continue MY apartment hunting.

Marcus:  We all love to tattle on Jan, so we have got to tell this story.  You guys can fight over who writes about what later.  We weren't even going to post today since yesterday we celebrated Micah's birthday/gotcha day.

Rusty:  Speaking of Micah, our friend Loulou sent us this to give to him.

Loulou:  Happy Birthday day to you, Happy Birthday TO YOUUUUUUUU. Happy BIRTHDAY dear MICAH, Happy Birthday to YOUUUUU.

Micah: Thank you, Loulou, and -

Marcus: Enough about you, Micah. Let's get back to tattling on Jan.

Percy:  So what did she do this time?

Marcus:  Jan is very independent and isn't particularly fond of some modern computer-related help.  She prefers to make her own choices, complaining she is perfectly capable of rolling her own windows up or down, or un/locking her own doors, etc. 

For many years she had to completely avoid air conditioning so she hasn't had working ac in any car she has owned.  Until this one.  And in order to keep the ac working, she thinks she needs to run it occasionally, either for part or all of the trip.

Rusty:  What did Jan do, break the ac?

Marcus:  No.  She went by Mr. Doug's to pick up a book, where he left it, in case he wouldn't be home.  She left the engine running, got out of the car, walked about three feet, grabbed the book bag, walked back to the car, and -  Oops, all the doors were locked. 

She was in the country and had no cell phone to call anyone.  Not that we have a locksmith here, and she doesn't have AAA any more. 

She carries a spare key in case she ever locks herself out but the spare key was in her purse on the passenger seat.  (Who would expect a vehicle to lock the doors when someone gets out and closes the door?)

Rusty:  Oh, no!  What did she do?

Marcus:  She did what anyone would do.  She broke in.

Percy:  She broke a window?

Marcus:  No, to break in doesn't mean she actually broke anything.  Like when Rusty said Micah "broke and entered" his summer villa (Intruder in the Villa) but Micah hadn't actually broken anything to get inside. 

Micah:  So how did Jan break into the car?

Marcus:  I thought we would offer this locked door motor running mystery to our readers and see if anyone can guess correctly.  All the clues are in this post.  We'll reveal the answer on Friday. 

Rusty:  You're going to tell us the answer, aren't you?. 

Marcus:  No.  You'll have to figure it out by yourself. 

Percy:  You aren't that good with mysteries, Marcus.  How did you figure out the solution?

Marcus:  I heard Jan on the phone telling Mr. Doug.

 We are participating in Happy Tuesday blog hop. Stop by Comedy Plus to see other posts or to join the fun.

Celebrating Micah

Cyndi:  As we've already posted, Jan has been having Scattered Brains lately, so it should come as no surprise she forgot to read the calendar again. Today is Micah's 6th Gotcha Day/(assigned) 8th Birthday.  We are so happy to have him as a sibling.

Percy:  Speak for yourselves.  Just because we're trying to tolerate each other doesn't mean we're happy about it.

Cyndi:  Of course you are.  You two just don't want to admit it.

Taylor:  Jan says we should have a quiet celebration so we don't disturb her nap.

Percy:  Oh, good, a chance to get even with Jan for waking me from a nap the other day.  Let's all sing.  At the top of our lungs.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy gotcha day to you,

Happy gotcha birthday, dear Micah.

Happy special day to you!

Cyndi:  **sniff, sniff**  Buddy always howled  the owoooohs like a hound.  None of us can sing like he could.

Taylor:  I thought Buddy was a hound.

Cyndi:  Yes, he was.  That's why he sang like one.

Micah:   Thank you.  That was great, guys.  I'm sure Jan heard every note. 

Taylor:  We would like to thank Pipo, Dalton and mom Ingrid for the lovely card they sent Micah.  It arrived just as Jan was about to shut down last night.  We don't post on Monday any more, so there was a debate and Jan lost.  She had to stay up and wait for us to post this, hence her need for a nap today.   

Cyndi:  Pipo and Dalton are so good about sending occasion cards to bloggers.  It's always such a treat to receive one.  This one arrived in the nick of time or poor Micah wouldn't have anything to celebrate today because we would be offline and oblivious to the occasion.

Awww, Micah, have a happy, happy special day!  We love you.

  We are joining Awww Mondays at Comedy Plus.

Remembering Merci

As we posted previously, our sweet Merci died June 29, 2018 at age 17.  (Farewell Merci)

It was a pleasant surprise to recently receive an email from the blog Alasandra, the Cats and the Dogs (ATCAD) with this lovely graphic letting us know they would be doing a post remembering Merci on the 22nd.

We're grateful we aren't the only ones who remember Merci.  Thank you, ATCAD, for caring.  We're not sure what time they are posting, but we will be on our way over to visit them as soon as we can get online today.  We hope you will drop by there too.  Just click here.

It's hard to believe that there are only two of us Funny Farmers left (Cyndi and Percy) who remember the days when Socks, Sassy, Asta, Momo and many other blogging friends allowed us to participate in their adventures.  We had such fun!  Asta moved from New York to Budapest and now has a brother.  Socks, Momo, Sassy and so many others are now at the bridge with our other original siblings - Cotton, Crystal, Buddy, Cameron, Sam, and Jenny.

Our little red-headed sister will live forever in our hearts.

Update:  It's been a bit rough since Merci left and we temporarily forgot that today would have been Merci's 15th Gotcha Day and her assigned birthday.  

Sawing Branch As Percy Turns 14

Happy 14th Birthday, Percy!  You have come a long way since Merci rescued you as a tiny kitten.  You grew into a handsome, cuddly guy.  We all love you!   Well, perhaps not Micah, but in general, you are loved. 

Thank you, Pipo, Dalton & Petcretary for the birthday graphic! 


Marcus:  Since today is a special day, even though it's not Tuesday or Friday, we thought we would share some of why we haven't been around very much.  Jan is swamped with both indoor and outdoor work, and our computer has been spending a lot of time with a blank screen.  A really nice friend has been helping us get the grass cut, but there is so much more that has to be done.  And with all the rain we've been having, everything is growing faster than usual.

Rusty: Two years ago Jan, with a little help from Mr. Doug, sawed some branches on the tree outside the pen.  The branches were so long and the leaves so dense, no sun could reach the dog pen and all the grass died.  Now the branches have grown so much the side yard is in danger of dying too.  

Marcus:  So Sunday Jan decided to cut down one of two huge limbs reaching almost to the sidewalk.  She tackled the larger one.  She sawed and sawed and finally the limb came down.  But just before it did, a man who turned out to be a new neighbor was passing and asked if she needed any help.  When the branch falls, the saw on the pole causes Jan to lose balance and she has a hard time holding onto the pole, so she took him up on that last little bit.  The long branch crashed, taking out half a bush. 

Rusty:  Then came the really fun part!  The branch was waaaaaay too long to put out for pickup.  It had to be sawed into smaller parts.  Evidently it's actually harder to saw a branch on the ground than on a tree.  It was interesting to watch Jan sweat as she sawed away without getting anywhere. 

Marcus:  And then this nice man named Willie appeared  around the tall, leafy end of the tree asking if she needed help.  She started to say no, but the past couple of years have taught her she can't do what she used to force herself to do, so she accepted. (Willie said it is okay to post this picture of him working.)

Rusty:  Marcus and I laid on the steps and snoopervised.  That's hard work too.  As you can see, all they had to work with with a small saw and a saw on a pole. 

Marcus:  Then Willie piled the pieces by the curb while Jan raked up the loose leftovers.  Willie said, "The Lord must have led me this way today."  Jan is so thankful for that!  She could not have lifted or dragged those last two pieces of the branch. 

Rusty:  As much as she claims to hurt, it's good she was rescued and didn't have to saw that branch for pickup.

Marcus:  Speaking of pain, what's with Jan limping and moaning about the pain in her ankle being worse than the pain in her neck and shoulders.  I didn't see her standing on her head sawing with her feet, did you?

Rusty:  No, but I sure would have liked to.  There's another big branch she'd like to cut down. When she finds someone with an electric saw, we can snoopervise again.  But this time we won't blink!  

Half of Ten Centuries

Cyndi:  Well, here we are again trying to come up with a post at the last minute.  Must be the heat and humidity fogging our brains.

Micah:  My brain isn't fogging, it's snoring.

Cyndi:  I thought it is Jan's brain that's snoring. 

Micah:  Perhaps.  Or fogging.  Whichever. It doesn't take much to confuse her as to which day it is any more!

Cyndi:  No, but after last week with the internet problems, it's no wonder she has a foggy, snoring brain.

Micah:  Right.  Jan called our isp (internet service provider) on Monday about our wading through molasses internet speed.  It was so slow we published our Tuesday post Wednesday. ( Our Wednesday Tuesday Post ) We didn't know if they fixed it or not because on Tuesday the green high speed cord came apart and Jan had to call again. 

Cyndi:  At least we had some internet speed when she plugged in our old white phone cord.  But was it fixed on Wednesday as promised?  We had no way to tell until we got a new green cord.

Micah:  She was surprised when she got an automated call just after 5 pm on Friday telling her someone would be here the next morning between 8 am and noon.  "Press 1 if you are still having problems."  Jan almost followed instructions, but she missed the 1 and disconnected the call.

Cyndi:  She went into a panic and immediately called the company.  "Don't worry,:" she was told.  I see your appointment was changed from Monday to Saturday between 8 am and 7 pm."  (What Monday appointment?  And the phone robot had said between 8 am and noon.)

Micah:  Jan was reassured someone would show up the next morning.  She hung up, glanced out the window and there was a company tech approaching our porch.  "Is it Saturday already?" she asked.  "No, I finished early and your ticket was pulled."

Cyndi:  Two hours later we had a new green cord and our internet was bouncing along at the proper speed. 

Micah:  Jan thanked the nice tech for not showing up the following Monday (yesterday) so he could keep the Saturday appointment last Friday.

Cyndi:  And then she was thoroughly confused as to which day is which.  But it's all sorted out now because today is a familiar day.  It's her birthday.

Micah:  I forge. How old Jan is today?

Cyndi:  I'm not sure.  I think she's half of ten centuries. 

Micah:  Oh, she's not as old as I thought.  She still has a few good years left. 

Cyndi:  Did you get her anything special?

Micah:  I've been lying here thinking she'd probably love to have a fresh caught mouse, but I haven't ever seen a mouse here.

Cyndi:  Neither have I, but I've heard you can order anything on Amazon.

Rusty, Dr. Seuss and March Lost

Have a blessed Easter Sunday.

Cyndi: Wow! We've been missing a whole month! We were working on posts for early March when Win 10 suddenly decided to change settings and put our computer into permanent hibernation, so we're just going to combine the posts here. We're not actually back yet but hope to be soon.

Micah:  March 1st was Rusty's 14th birthday.  He's still a handsome guy and we're sure happy he is still with us.

Cyndi:  Happy belated birthday wishes from all of us, Rusty.

Rusty:  Thank you.  But have you seen my cake?  I can't find it.

Micah:  I haven't seen your cake but Jan's in the kitchen.  You should ask her - .

Rusty:  Thanks.  I'll go check.

Micah:  - if she left you any.

Marcus:

I promised to fill Sam's hats,

But I don't have his whacky knack.

I miss all these guys, 

so hats I will try,

But, Sam, I'm a quack in your hat.

March 2nd was the day we celebrate the birthday of Dr. Seuss, the author of those zany books for children.  Sam always loved any day he could wear a hat and was well-known for wearing either the wrong hat for the occasion or the wrong size.  He is dearly missed, as are the other five Funny Farmers in the graphic that have passed away over our blogging years.  (Sam, Buddy, Jenny, Cotton, Crystal & Cameron.)  We remember them with a smile on this zany day.

Percy: Our Kitty Loaf interview was scheduled for Friday, March 2nd. That was all set to self-publish so it ended up as our only March post.  If you haven't read it yet, stop by Mousebreath to meet Kitty Loaf Cats Arya and Django.

Taylor:  A month is a long time, Percy.  Do you suppose anyone remembers us?

Percy:  Jan can't remember remember Diddly Squat any more but hopefully some of our readers have a better memory than she does..


We are joining the Pet Parade hosted by Rascal and Rocco and co-hosted by Bionic Basil and Barking from the Bayou.

Merry Christmas 2017

We hope all who celebrate have a fun family and friends Christmas, but please don't forget the reason for the season.

 

Cyndi turned 14 Thursday and Pipo, Angel Minko, Dalton and Mr. Jack Freckles sent Cyndi this lovely card.  Thank you, Mom Ingrid, for helping them.

Jan has been sick the past few days.  The good part of that is she can't yell at Marcus since she has laryngitis.  (You won't believe this, but Marcus is being good.)  The bad part is poor blind, almost deaf  Merci can't hear Jan calling her to meals.  It's been interesting around here.  And noisy.  If Jan isn't sneezing, she's coughing.  We hope you all stay healthy for your celebration.

Cyndi Turns 14

Click pic to read captions.

Our adorable calico Cyndi turns 14 years old today.  She has come a long way from the tiny, stray kitten with the massive amount of fur living in Mr. Doug's engine hiding from Tippy, his dog.  Her long fur was twice as thick as she was wide. (It was early February and the weather was freezing.)

She is not as spry as she used to be, but she still purrs at the drop of a hat and is just as feisty.  We are thankful she is still with us to celebrate.

Merci:  What are you doing on top of the old computer, Rusty?  The party is down here.

Rusty:  Cyndi wants to know who ate her cake and I'm staying up here on the bookcase until she finds the culprit.

Merci:  She knows it wasn't you.  You're too polite to steal someone's birthday cake.  And we know it wasn't Marcus because he would have eaten the whole cake.

Rusty:  Then who ate it?

Merci:  You see how neatly that last piece has been sliced?  I suspect there is only one here who could do that.

Rusty:  Who would that be?

Merci:  Jan.

 Rusty:  Are you going to tell Cyndi?

Merci:  No, she'll figure it out when Jan brings a knife to divide the last slice between the rest of us.

Rusty:  Whew, what a relief!

Merci:  So, are you coming down now?

Rusty:  No, I like it up here.  Jan can deliver my crumbs to the top of the big bookcase after she finishes apologizing to Cyndi.

Marcus:  By the way, last week I was thankful for My New White Ball.  I hate to tattle on her, but I think Jan ate it.  I haven't seen it since and I've looked everywhere!  Under, over, in, behind ...

Jan:  You have that backwards.  I think YOU ate it!  And I am the one who looked under, over, in and behind everything in the house without success.   I think you need to pay for your next new ball yourself.

Marcus:  Okay.  Can you loan me a couple hundred dollars?
                                                                 

We're joining the Thankful Thursday blog hop at Brian's Home.

Celebrating Marcus and Taylor

Cyndi:  Oh, Marcus and Taylor, we're so sorry we're late getting your Birthday and Gotcha days post up. 

Micah:  It's all Jan's fault again, isn't it!

Cyndi:  Yes, it is.  She can't remember what she's doing or where she put anything..  That means we get less time on the computer and more time helping her find her glasses so she can read what's on the screen.

Micah:  Well, let's get this party started.  Marcus and Taylor, we're so glad you two were born or gotcha'd ...

Cyndi:  Wait, I don't think you mean born or gotcha'd.  One has to be born first, then gotcha'd.

Micah:  Oh, right.  We're so glad you were born, Marcus, and you, Taylor, were born and gotcha'd. 

Cyndi:  Wouldn't it have been easier to say, Happy 4th Birthday, Marcus, and Happy 1st Gotcha Day, Taylor?

Micah:  Yes, it would have been easier but everybody says that.  I wanted to be different.  

Merci:  Since that has been resolved, you might want to apologize to Jan.  You know she wouldn't misplace her reading glasses as often if you cats didn't keep hiding them on her. 

Cyndi:  Okay, once, maybe twice, I covered them with my tail so she couldn't see them.  But we're late today because she's been spending too much time lately playing a game.

Micah:  What game is that?

Merci:  I think Cyndi means "Musical Dog Crates".

Micah:  That sounds like a dumb game.  There aren't any cats in it?

Merci:  No, we cats don't get to participate.  Just Jan, Marcus and our temporary guest. 

Cyndi:  Should we tell our friends about our weekend guest who will be staying longer?

Merci:  No, that's another post.  

Micah:  Stay tuned and don't change the channel.

Happy Gotcha Birthday Micah

We are so out of touch with everything these past 5, almost 6 weeks, we forgot today is Micah's 5th Gotcha Day and 6 or 7th /assigned Birthday.  We remember him coming to live here as ML, the dear lady who used to run the Cat Blogosphere was preparing to move across country with her cats.  (We still miss her. as do many of you, and hope she is doing well.)

Happy Gotcha Birthday,Micah.  Is there a particular present you would like for your special day?

Micah:  You mean I can have anything I want?

Yes.

Micah: I'll pack his bags and a tuna sandwich if Percy will move out!

Sorry, not that.

Micah:  Then can I rub my tummy and wish Percy elsewhere?

No.  Percy was here first.  How about if you two call a truce and enjoy your day?

Micah:  Can I have an extra piece of chicken and birthday cake if I let him stay and don't push him off the desk?

Yes.

Micah:  Okay, then Percy can stay.  For now.

Micah:  Hey, Pipo and Mr. Jack Freckles (and their mom) made me a birthday card.  Thank you!

(Alasandra the Cats and the Dogs left a comment on our last post today or Micah's day would have gone unnoticed.)

Merci Turns 16

A special Saturday birthday post for our lovely Merci.  She was adopted on this date from the local shelter in 2003, possibly age 2 at the time, so Jan made this her official birthday.  That would make her about 16.. 

This is a more recent photo of her, probably within the last year.  She is showing her age even more today.

Merci:  Thank you for this lovely card Pipo, Mr Jack Freckles and Mom Ingrid.)

Merci:  And thank you Alasandra the Cats and Dogs.

What pretty cards.  I can't wait to open the presents you guys got me.  There are presents, aren't there!

Rusty:  Um ... I don't see any. Doe anyone know if we bought Merci a present?

Taylor:  Actually, we didn't have any money to buy her anything.

Micah:  I thought we were going to steal .. er, borrow some from Jan's purse.

Marcus:  We shook it and all that fell out were three pennies.  Amazon didn't have anything on sale for three cents.

Rusty:  But there's cake.  Surely there's cake. Noooo?  Cyndi is shaking her head.  Cyndi, weren't you in charge of baking Merci a cake?

Cyndi:   I was but when I tried to get eggs out of the refrigerator yesterday, a pineapple fell on my head and Jan yelled at me to stop bruising the fruit. What about the bruise on my head?  My ears were ringing for hours. 

Micah:  It seems we've failed to make your birthday a happy one, Merci.  We're sorry.

Buddy:  If I were you, Merci, I would refuse to turn another year older until Jan gets on the ball and gets you something worth celebrating!  After all, you only turn 16 once.

Merci:  It's okay, guys. You tried.  I don't really need anything except my family and you're all here. Except Jan.  Where is she?

Buddy:  I think that was Jan that just yelled "ow".  I wonder what happened?

Percy:  *cranes his neck to see into the kitchen*  I think the pineapple that attacked Cyndi yesterday just fell out of the refrigerator onto Jan's bare foot.

As long as we're posting on Saturday, we would like to join Athena's Caturday Art blog hop.  The first picture is a sketch.  Unfortunately, we don't remember what we used for the second.

See Ya Thursday

Merci:  Excuse my back but I don't have the energy to get up and turn around.  This heat and humidity has been a bit much for us old fogies.  And it didn't help that Jan spent yesterday trimming bushes and cleaning up the mess.  It was exhausting just to watch!!!!

Hopefully, Jan will behave herself and stop working in the yard so we can recover.  We didn't get a post up yesterday and we're going to take a couple more days off.  We plan to be back Thursday.

Percy:  Wait, don't hit publish yet, Merci.  I want to thank Pipo, Mr. Jack Freckles and their Petcretary for the lovely card they made for my birthday Sunday.

What do you think we should do with our time off, Merci?

Merci:  Zzzzzzzz.

Percy Turns 13

Buddy:  ♬ Happy birthday to you.
                  Happy birthday to you.
                  Happy birthday, dear what's your name.

Rusty:  Stop!  There is no "what's your name" here, dear or otherwise!  Why are you singing that?

Buddy:  Because Cyndi told me to get in here right away and lead the singing, but she forgot to tell me whose birthday it is.

Rusty:  Percy's.  It's Percy's birthday.

Buddy:  Okay.

            ♬  Happy birthday, dear Percival.

Rusty:  No, no, no!  His name is not Percival.  It's Perseverance.  Everyone knows him as Percy, though.

Buddy:  One more time!
         
             ♬  Happy birthday, dear Persevering Percy.
                  Happy birthday to you.   Aa-ooooh, urp urp!

Rusty:  *sigh*  Why can't you ever sing without howling, Buddy?

Buddy:  It's in the genes.  And, Percy, our sweet friends over at ATCAD (Alasandra the cats and dogs) sent you this lovely card. 

Percy:  Hey, thank you guys.  I appreciate the song.  I think.  And I love the card from ATCAD.  I thought we don't post on the weekend any more, though.

Rusty:  It's a special occasion.  How many times do you get to turn 13?

Percy:   I'm a cat.  We have 9 lives.  So, I'm guessing - nine?

The Chicken Bribe

Buddy:  Seriously, Jan, you went out for Mexican and this is what we get to eat?  No doggy bag?

Merci:  Not even a shred of chicken from the chimichanga?

Jan:  How do you know I had a chicken chimichanga at a Mexican restaurant?

Buddy:  Oh, come on!  You downloaded the evidence from your camera when you came home.  You're wearing the restaurant's birthday sombrero in the photos with your friends. (Not sure they'd want their pictures posted.)

Merci:  And a chimichanga is your favorite Mexican meal.  I hope you had better manners than you had last time and didn't eat another meal by mistake.  (Quite An Impression)

Jan:  Okay, if you have to know, the meal was delicious, the company was superb and there wasn't a bite of chicken left to bring you.

Merci:  There never is.

Buddy:  I bet our friend Loulou's mama would share her chicken.

Jan:  Speaking of Loulou, it was such fun yesterday to find Loulou wrote a post titled Happy Jan Day.  And with a birthday cake!

Buddy:  Did you notice there were no candles?  She must have been afraid she'd burn down the blog if she added candles.

Merci:  Yes, 314 candles on a cake would be a bit much.  But Loulou is so level-headed, she would probably just use one candle for each century.

Jan:  I'm standing right here.  I can hear what you're saying.  Do you have to keep telling everybody I'm 314 years old?

Merci:  Are you going to bring us some chicken next time you eat Mexican?

Jan:  How about if I cook you some chicken today?

Buddy:  Then we'll tell everyone the truth.  You're only .... mmmmff mmmmff.


Thank you, Loulou, for the surprise post yesterday.  And thanks to all who left a FB or JFF birthday comment.   

The Standoff

Micah:  You're on my desk!

Percy:  You mean you're on my desk!

Micah:  You need to leave. 

Percy:  No, you need to leave.

Micah:  But I was here first.

Percy:  If you were here first, why am I lying down?

Micah:  You're older and you collapse faster.

Percy:  I'm not old!

Micah:  You're going to be 13 in two weeks.  That's old!

Percy:  13 is not old.  Ask Jan.  She's turning 314 today!

Micah:  314?  Perhaps we both should move in case she collapses over the desk.

Percy:  Okay.  You move first.

Micah:  No, you move first.

Percy:  I'm not moving until you do.

Micah:  I'm not moving until you do.

Percy:  I guess we'd both better hope Jan doesn't collapse on the desk.  There isn't enough room.

Micah:  There will be when you move.