Tag Archives: cats

If We Were Having Coffee…2/1/20: Cats and Head Colds

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Welcome!

If we were having coffee…you would probably say, “Who the heck are you!” Understandable since apparently I only post once every six months! The thing is, I just bought myself a cute little Chrombook and it will make posting so much easier than using my old Ipad which crashed on a regular basis. Hopefully I will be motivated to post more often now. So sit, have some hot french roast coffee and a chocolate chip muffin. I’ll fill you in on my week and you can tell be about yours.

If we were having coffee…I would tell you that my head is stuffy and the sky here in South Jersey is a soupy foggy mess. Fun Saturday, huh? It will be because, aside from going to see the new Star Wars movie with the D-Man later on today, my day is mine to do with what I choose.

I started out the morning by fighting with the cat over a bird feather. D-man found it on one of his walks and brought it home for the cats to sniff since neither ever gets to sniff and actual bird. Darby has become obsessed with it. She kept jumping on the kitchen counter (a big no-no) to get it off the windowsill over the sink. I took it down for her to sniff but she tried to eat it. I put it in the pocket of my robe but she pawed at my pocket attempting to stick her face in it! Finally, I put it inside a plastic jar and sat on the floor. She can still see it but not smell it so it seems to have lost it’s appeal.

Darby!

Cats are weird.

Speaking of weird cats, the other one, Dash, has skin issues. The vet said it’s like psoriasis only in felines. He’s developed a weird bare patch on his chin and, because he is all itchy, he has licked the back of one leg bare with his obsessive grooming. Now he is on steroids. Once a day we mix it with his food. Luckily he is not a finicky cat and will eat almost everything (whether it’s eatable or not.)

Dash!

Like I said, cats are weird.

If we were having coffee…we could talk about tomorrow’s Super Bowl and the party that we go to each year, but since the Philadelphia Eagles ended their season on such a disappointing note I’d rather not talk about our American football at all. 😦

Let’s instead talk about you. What’s been happening in your world? Do you have any weird cats in your house or other pets, perhaps? (Speaking of weird animals, did you read the recent article about the iguanas that were falling from the trees in Florida. Apparently the weather had gotten so cold that they were forced into a sort of frozen hybernation? Talk about weird! If you haven’t seen it you should Google “Frozen Igunas falling from trees” It’s very interesting)

Have you too been struggling with headcolds or allergies or other germ related illnesses? I work in an elementary school surrounded by little 8 year old Petri dishes so believe me, I understand germs! We have hand sanitizers in each classroom and the custodian spends part of each day disinfecting the door knobs and hand rails. I hope that you have escaped the worst of the germs and are enjoying this Saturday doing something fun.

Thanks so much for stopping by. With any luck, I’ll be serving coffee again next week. We’ll see how it goes. 🙂 If you can, please stop and visit the rest of the posts at our host site EcleticAllie.

If We Were Having Coffee…Fireworks, Films and Felines

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Morning friends!

If we were having coffee I would invite you inside the house for coffee and apple cider donuts because this…

definitely says it’s way too humid to sit on the porch! The soupy New Jersey air is actually attempting to infiltrate the house but we’re keeping it at bay thanks to the air conditioning. The cat’s kinda annoyed because she can’t keep a proper eye on the squirrels. I’m just happy I don’t need to leave the house. D-Man left an hour ago to mow his mom’s lawn before it got too bad but I’m hoping he’ll stay in after that.

If we were having coffee…I would tell you we went out with friends last night to see the film “Yesterday.” I quite enjoyed it. It certainly helps if you are a Beatles fan since so much of the movie centers around their music but, it was a sweet story anyway. Absolutely no CGI, explosions or aliens which was a nice change from most of the other films we usually go to see. (Which reminds me, “Spider-Man Far From Home” is definitely on next weekend to-do list!)

If we were having coffee…I would ask those of you here in the United States if you enjoyed any special Independence Day celebrations? We have a lot of traditions for that holiday.

Miss Dee and I always attend the town “Miss” pageant the evening before. The winner this year was a former student at the elementary school where I work so that always makes it fun. The newly crowned “Miss” then rides in the town Fourth of July parade the next morning. After the parade (which was a rather hot and humid event this year), we head to my father-in-law’s home for a BBQ.

My in-laws have a lovely house and a large yard in a very wooded area. We always make sure to cover ourselves in bug spray since they also have zillions of insects! My FIL ends the day by setting off fireworks, a tradition that has made me nervous since my children were wee. It makes me even more nervous now since Mr D is old enough to help light them!!! Happily we made it through another year with no casualties although one box fell on it’s side and started shooting out stars in random directions. That was exciting.

We usually end the night by attending our town fireworks. Traditionally, this is a nice way to end the day but this year Miss Dee and I were both wiped out. I suspect it was mostly because of the heat, so we decided to opt out. We both took long cold showers and then watched the first episode of Stranger Things 3! For us, this was every bit as exciting as the fireworks!

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that we acquired a new kitty this week. He was abandoned in front of an animal hospital where one of my son’s friends work. She told him that if they didn’t find a home they would have to take him to the shelter. We have been looking for a friend for Darby since we lost our sweet senior cat Chrissy earlier this year so we thought we’d give him a try. He’s all dark gray and quiet the charmer, always rubbing against you and purring, very dashing so we’ve took to calling him Dash. The vet said he seems to be about 3 years old and well cared for. He is currently living in the laundry room and we’ve been introducing him to Darby slowly. There’s been a bit of hissing but I think they’ll work it out in time. Stay tuned!

Miss Darby is still considering whether or not a new brother is a good idea?

Well, if we were having coffee, we would probably agree that Ive been monopolizing the conversation! Time for you to tell me what you’ve been up to. Let me refill you cup. Have you done any traveling? Seen any movies? Read any good books?

I’m so glad you stopped by. Don’t forget to visit our host Eclectic Ali, see what she’s been up to and visit the rest of the Coffee Share Gang.

If We Were Having Coffee…Prelude to Summer.

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If we were having coffee on this fine breezy morning in Southern New Jersey, I would probably start off with “Hey, remember me?!” It’s been a while since my last coffee post or any post of any kind.  Why return now, you might ask? Well I work in an elementary school and because that wonderful thing called “summer break” is almost upon us, I now find myself with more time to do fun stuff, like blog writing and blog reading.  I can’t wait to catch up with the many things that have been going on with you all!

So lets chat! What’s been up with you?

Seen any good movies lately? (went to see ENDGAME few weeks ago. LOVED IT!!! It needs an entire post of it’s own so stay tuned).

Read any good books? (Just finished “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens. Excellent read.  I highly recommend.)

Gone on any new adventures? (Hubby and I are in the midst of planning a trip to New Orleans to celebrate our 25th Wedding anniversary which was on May 21st. The trip will happen in November when the weather is more agreeable!)

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This cutie is enjoying having us around more too. She is such a social cat that I think she might be part dog!!!

How’s life been treating you and your family? Our family is doing well.  Mr D is wading his way through “adulting,” working in one of our neighborhood schools and taking classes towards getting his certification to teach special education. He was also best-man in his friend’s wedding a few weeks ago which was fun for all of us to see!

Miss Dee has bravely conquered her junior year of college and is enjoying her well earned break.  She has also started seeing an anxiety counselor which is really helping her get a hold of her stress levels. It is helping her focus on all the wonderful things about her like her creativity and compassion. Having all her friends back home for the summer really adds to her joy as well!

As for the D-Man and I, with the kids no longer being kids, we are enjoying more and more  time as a couple including a weekend at the beach and dinners at new resturants.  I think it’s shaping up to be a pretty good summer around here.  I hope the same holds true at your house.

I’m off to read some other Coffee Share Posts. Stop by and visit Eclectic Alie, see what she is up to and visit the rest of the Weekend Coffee Share.

 

If We Were Having Coffee…Homestretch to the Holidays

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Morning! Only time for a quick coffee break this Sunday. Two days left to get everything ready for the twenty some guests we are expecting on Christmas Day. The tree is up…

The D-Man and I picked it out in record time (20 minutes) during last weekends rain storm. It’s pretty little tree, if I do say so myself. The jury is still out on this one…

So far so good. We did tie the tree to the wall, just in case.

My day today is a whirlwind of last minute have-to-dos. Sorry, no time for coffee or cake today, but I do want to pass on a holiday wish to my blog buddies for a healthy, happy Holiday Season!

Merry Christmas, to my friends who celebrate, and a very joyous New Year to all!

(Don’t forget to stop by Eclectic Allie for more Coffee Share Posts)

If We Were Having Coffee….BRRRR!

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If we were having coffee today you would want it extra hot, extra large and with a side of thick socks! Here in the Northeastern U.S. we are in the middle of a record breaking cold front.  Anyone remember that movie “The Day After Tomorrow” with Jake Gyllenhaal?  Well, if New York Harbor freezes solid, I’m moving to Mexico.

Any-hoo, if we were having coffee, I would whisk you on in out of the frozen tundra and offer you a seat.  Santa brought me a new Keurig machine and the Elves threw in a few dozen coffee and hot chocolate pods so I’m confident we can find something to warm you up. I’ll be having a nice strong French roast served in the nifty Hollywood mug I got on vacation.  Sorry, you’ll have to use a less cool mug but I promise to fill it all the way to the top while you fill me in on your week.

So tell me, are you happy with 2018 so far?  Planning on watching the Golden Globes tonight? Read any good books or seen any good films? Going on an interesting vacation? Enjoying temperatures above freezing in your end of the world?

Sorry, I’ll stop harping on the crappy weather.  It’s just that I’m a summer girl at heart and all this ice and snow is seriously messing with my mood.  Good thing I wrote my “January To-Do List” last week.  It’s the only thing that’s been keeping me going.  Ive gotten a good start on it thanks to the weird week we’ve had work wise.  After being off for Christmas break, we had school on Tuesday and Wednesday and then were closed on Thursday and Friday due to the snow and ice.  Now, I could certainly get used to working two days then having a four day weekend but I don’t think we can managed the required 180 school days per year that way!

Well, my plan today is to start packing away my Christmas decorations so I suppose I should get started.   You’re lucky that we aren’t really having coffee because I might enlist your help.  Although, in this house we’ll be going from green and red decoration to green and silver thanks to all the Philadelphia Eagles signs and flags my hubby had spread all over the house!  I’m not complaining though because we’ve been devoted fans forever and have routed for the Eagles through out some pretty crappy seasons so the fact that they had such a great season and made the playoffs is a pretty big deal around here.  Plus, even if he is injured and will be unable to play, Miss Dee had a serious crush on Carson Wentz. 🙂

Before I get to work though,  I wanted to mention something very sad that happened while I was away from the blogosphere. This September we lost our handsome boy Jack. We rushed him to the emergency vet after he started having trouble breathing and a tumor was found growing next to his heart, pressing on it. We were fortunate to have had a chance to say goodbye and tell him how much we loved him before the doctor sent him off to sleep.  He was our friend for 13 years and all of us, including his sister Chrissy who now walks around meowing, in search of him, miss him terribly. Jack continues to be a presence all over my blog but in remembrance, I’d like to close this post with some of my favorite moments with him…

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I hope you have a great week!

Many thanks to “Eclectic Allie” for hosting the Weekend Coffee Share. Stop by and check out the rest of the posts.

If We Were Having Coffee…11/26/16

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If we were having coffee…I would start off by saying how much I have missed our chats! It has been a crazy couple of weeks around here and my posting and reading times have been limited. I hope that all is well in your part of the world and that my fellow Americans enjoyed their Thanksgiving celebrations on Thursday. We had a wonderful dinner with family and all ate way too much turkey and pie! There is much to be thankful for around here. This morning,  I am thankful that I can finally sit for a few minutes and enjoy a warm beverage and a friendly visit.

If we were having coffee…I would start off by introducing you to my mother-in-law, the amazing MJ. She’s bunking with us temporarily after a losing battle with a boxed Christmas tree in her basement resulted in a broken hip. Long story. As a result,  our list of “things to be thankful for” now includes the doctors who skillfully added three screws to her bone to help it heal, the talented therapist who aided her at rehab, helping her regain her strength, and the fact that we have an extra room where she can continue to heal, exercise and get back to her former energetic self. Mostly, though we are thankful that the injury wasn’t much, much worse and that her overall good health has enabled her to bounce back quicker than the doctors anticipated.

Miss Dee and MJ enjoying Thanksgiving.

Miss Dee and MJ enjoying Thanksgiving.

If we were having coffee…I would share that our sweet Jack has recently developed feline diabetes. He had been sleeping a lot and drinking a lot of water over the past few weeks. It turns out he’d been losing a bit of weight as well. He is a big cat (17lbs) so at first the weight loss wasn’t noticeable, but I was sure there something was up so off to the vet we went. Now the D-man and I are learning all about giving minuscule insulin shots with a teeny-tiny little syringe. Jack has been very cooperative and since we started the shots a few days ago he has been more active and vocal so we’re feeling quite optimistic. We also discovered that an added bonus to having MJ here is that, because she is an insulin dependent diabetic herself, she has been able togive us lots of helpful tips.

Our handsome Jack.

Our handsome Jack.

If we were having coffee…I might remind you that this was the final work week for the fourth grade teacher that I’ve been helping this year. She is anxious to welcome her new baby hopefully in the next week or so.  Her replacement, a nice young woman transferred over from the middle school, came in all last week to get acquainted with the students and familiarize herself with the classroom.  It will be an adjustment for all of us and I’m hoping that certain students don’t try to take advantage of the new teacher. Wish us luck.😊

If we were having coffee… I would share that a few Thursday’s ago we had the 100 year old oak tree removed from our back yard. It was an all day project involving a truck with a cherry picker parked on our lawn, a noisy wood chipper parked in our drive, branches swinging from roaps and a group of hardworking guys wielding chainsaws. Needless to say, it was a very crazy day. Personally, I think the guy in the cherry picker, swinging  the chainsaw around was a little nuts but maybe that’s what it takes to do that job!

My sad, bare backyard. ☹️

My sad, bare backyard. ☹️

I guess that covers the highlights of my last few weeks, so if we were having coffee I would turn the floor over to you. What have you been up to?

The Weekend Coffee Share I’d brought to you each week courtesy of Diana at Part Time Monster. Be sure to stop by  and check out the rest of the posts.