And now Daphne has brought her three surviving kittens to the house.

Save us.

Bunjie, Sterling and Sid still reside here.  Bunjie will meet with the Airedale again, maybe they’ll have a chance to get comfortable with each other this time.  I don’t know.  I hope so-the dog’s owner is certainly the sort of person with whom I’d gladly place a pet.  She’s responsible, caring, and all round good.  If the cat and dog work out that would be a lovely home for Bunjie.  It’s a big if, though-we don’t know if Bunjie would tolerate enough of the dog’s attention to make a peaceful co-existence.  The dog is delighted with Bunjie and thinks this is great fun.  I really like the dog, he’s entirely lovable.  But he is indeed excited about a cat and is vocal about it!  A prayer please, that somehow Bunjie has a home by Christmas.

I’d be pretty happy if Sid and Sterling could have their permanent homes by Christmas too.

Westie will be spayed on Thursday, 3 December.  She won’t be ear-tipped as I think she may make a good pet cat. She’s very sweet and loving and demands attention by blocking our path!

I need to get Daphne trapped and spayed.  Daph will be ear-tipped as I doubt she’d ever be a pet.  I’m very worried about her-she has had a squinty eye for nearly a week, and in the last few days developed a swelling on her cheek below the eye.  She’s eating well which is good, and I certainly feed her whenever she comes by.  But she’s also been caving in the shelter nearest the garage door, which worries me terribly as she never needed to be so close.  Her kits are nearby but not in the pan with her.  I can’t do anything but pray for this cat.  For a feral, she’s getting on, she’s three years old now.  I would love to see her recover from whatever this is and live comfortably.  I wish she’d just take shelter in the garage where she’s out of wind and rain and snow, it’s a little warmer than outdoors, and she’s protected from things that would do harm.

Now it’s Lollypop’s turn.  IF you can’t adopt one of my fosters please go to Lollypop and give one of their residents a place in heart and home.  This week’s Cat of the Week is Lisle, a lovely tortie.

LISLE

#8526709

Lisle is an 8-month-old female kitten who was brought to Lollypop Farm because her family was having personal problems that left them unable to keep her. She has a beautiful soft coat and a sweet, gentle disposition. Lisle gets along with children and other cats. She has lived with a dog, too. She came in with her sister Lydia and they would love to go home together! Lisle loves being petted and starts to purr right away!

Behold! A feast of avocado, yellow bell pepper, chicken breast, goldfish crackers, cucumbers and pomagranate seeds:

Here is my reaction to Mama’s thoughtful dinner:

Positive News for Alabama Real Estate Sales

The Alabama Association of Realtors released some encouraging news today.  October sales represent the first positive year-over-year (Oct 09 vs Oct 08) % change at 13.4% since July 2007 (37 months) which was 4.5%.  The last time the month of October saw a positive % in sales versus a prior (Oct) was in Oct. 2005 when it was 14.8%.

Click on this link to see the stats:  http://www.alabamarealtors.com/uploadedFiles/Multimedia/News_Releases/Homepage_Topics/AL%20Housing%20Statistics.pdf?n=1838

If you’d like more information on our market or on specific properties down here, feel free to email me at Terryl@FairhopeRealtyGroup.com; or call me at 251-990-8838. 

You can also visit my web-site and search the MLS on your own at www.FairhopeRealtyGroup.com.

I made bone shaped pillows to sell at the Dragonfly Marketplace. Of course, I had to pass them by my usual focus group. I think that Daphne at least is sure they are going to be a hit! We will see on the 2nd Sun. in Dec., the 13th, at the The Dragonfly Shops & Gardens in Old Towne Orange.

First off, a Thanksgiving news alert:  I don’t plan to post on Thursday, November 26 or Friday, November 27.  I’m headed off to visit my in-laws in Detroit, and they have these crazy ideas about people sitting in the same room and enjoying each others’ company.  :)

It’s been a quiet week as the US readies for the holiday.  

Well, not entirely quiet.  The second Twilight flick,  New Moon, premiered.  Names spotted among those turning out for the festivities included designer Rachel Roy brought her 10 year old daughter Ava.  Rachel and husband Damon Dash also have a toddler called Tallulah Ruth.  (via Celebrity Baby Blog)  It’s interesting to see parents who embraced Ava ten years ago, when she was still on the rise, using Tallulah more recently.  Anyone else think that the once-outlandish name that had everyone abuzz when the Moore-Willis clan used it will go mainstream?  And if a search for “baby names Twilight” brought you here, check out this post: Not Just for Vampires Anymore.

In other celeb news, Tiffani Thiessen tells Extra that she and her husband aren’t considering “any freaky names.”  She doesn’t mention whether going through life as Tiffani-Amber colored her view.  We’ll have to wait and see.

On to some real life name-spotting:

• I just returned from Target.  I was buying toddler tights while another mom was trying to persuade her daughter to try on a coat, but the daughter?  Was fleeing to the just-steps-away toy department.  The name the mother was calling?  ”Miracle!  Miracle, come back here!”  Insert your own joke about it-taking-an-act-of-God to distract a 3 y.o. from the toy department here;
• Bewildertrix has spotted Leonidas George.  My baby brother swears Leonidas will be the name of his firstborn son, should that happy event ever come to pass.  She also uncovered an Elisabetta Ivy.  And a Zuma.  (No Gwen Stefani isn’t in New Zealand – he’s Zuma Louis, a non-celeb baby brother for Ava and Remi.)
• For Real Baby Names spotted Dafne.  It may be a valid foreign variant, but to me it is like Jorja/Georgia - this one just looks better as the more familiar Daphne. 

Now for two Language Lessons from that sage font of wisdom, Nancy:

• Hard G vs. Soft G – Sometimes they’re interchangeable – as in Jorja/Georgia – but other times, swapping a J for a G leads to confusion;
• Doubling consonants – Ditto doubling a consonant.  It’s another popular way to make a name “unique,” but it can also cause confusion.

Truly unusual names are always found at Nameberry, and this week’s posts were no exception.  Check out the Lost Boys’ Names of 1880.  Why aren’t more boys named Zeb?  Or Hardy?  Others – including titles like Squire and Commodore – are best left to history.  (I work with a man in his 50s named General.  I don’t get the impression that he thinks much about his name one way or the other.)  For a change, the girls’ list is almost less interesting – maybe because I wouldn’t raise an eyebrow if I met a 2 y.o. called Mahala or Texas. 

Let’s end on a controversial note: the shortcomings of the Baby Name Wizard.  I recently noticed a post on Swistle (a big BNW adherent) that troubled me.  Just a few days earlier, Nancy recounted a similar story on her blog.  

An expectant mother, mom to Sophia, wrote to Swistle about the name Allegra.  She and her husband loved the name Allegra.  Loved the way nicknames Allie and Sophie sounded together.  But she worried about the allergy medication association.

Swistle wrote: “I love the name Allegra—and every time I want to suggest it, I back away because of the allergy medicine. I’m ANGRY at the company that stole it.”

Swistle’s poll was evenly split: 52% no to Allegra; 48% yes.  But here’s the thing: Swistle’s framing of the question – “Is the name Allegra too associated with allergy medication to be used for a baby?” made it pretty clear that she thought Allegra was beyond consideration.  (Swistle is usually so judgment-free that I was really surprised by that.)

The mom herself recently wrote in:

“We ended up naming our daughter Lucy. I love her name, but I regret not being gutsy enough to go with Allegra. Personally, I’d encourage anyone considering the name to go for it. No matter what name you choose some people will like it and others will hate it.”

Lucy is a fine name.  I like it lots.  But how sad that much naming advice often tends to push parents to the middle, rather than embracing the names that we really love. 

I suspect the allergy medication reference is fleeting.  When the blogger at For Real Baby Names spotted a Dexy Adelaide, I mentioned the 80s pop hit “Come On, Eileen” – and sent ForReal running to Google.  Dexy, it appears, no longer means “one-hit wonder responsible for lodging the phrase too-rye-aye in my brain.”  And it hasn’t been that long.  It makes me think Allegra will be free of medication association by the time Allie hits the teenage years, if not sooner.

Thanks for reading!

Once again, I’m starting with my own fosters. I have three available. I can not continue to provide for these guys. Taking them to adoption events has been very difficult for me and hard on them. I bring them all back home with me afterward, too. Now I have to find another way. You’ve seen Bunj here before. The younger boys haven’t been properly blogged yet. Here’s my gang:

Firstly is my long-time foster, Bunjie. He’s a great little cat. Don’t let that elegant exterior fool you though, he’s a clown underneath the classy coat. Bunj loves to bound about from one end of the room to the other, punctuating his perambulations with wild leaps and effortless bouncing. He moves beautifully. He likes to noozle and purr but isn’t a sit-still sort of cat. He’ll check in for lovin’ then is off and running again. He is not a decorative cat-that is, he’s not one to sit tidy and look perfectly matched with the decor. He’s moving most of the time. He’s an entertaining chap.

He’s also dominant. I don’t recommend placing him with other cats. There will be no peace. He’s best as an only cat but not necessarily as an only pet. Bunjie is highly sociable and needs company. He has met with an older Airedale a few times.  the meetings went surprisingly well.   Bunjie isn’t a hisser nor growler.  He’s curious and playful, like a dog.

Bunjie is up-to-date on vaccinations and has been neutered. He’s six months age now, moving on to seven months. There is an adoption fee, this is set by Habitat for Cats who neutered him.

A woman made Bunjie’s acquaintance last Sunday at Petco Pittsford.  She quickly disqualified herself as a potential adopter, “because cats need to be outdoors”.  Throughout the meeting she stressed that the cat would be outdoors, despite my requirements that a cat goes outdoors ONLY on a harness and lead or if an enclosure is provided.  These people live almost on a street corner (good potential for auto strike), dogs roam loose in the neighbourhood (I’ve seen the results of that), there is a large cat roaming round (possibility of exposure to ringworm, FIV, FeLeuk, and injuries from fights), exposure to fleas and ticks (parasites), neighbours using pesticides, fertilisers, herbicides, rodenticides (poisoning).  Let’s not forget that cats let to roam can become pests, using neighbours’ gardens as toilets and chasing wildlife around.  In a chemical neighbourhood like hers, though, the wildlife is probably already gone or going, so that, at least, shouldn’t be of as much concern.  She didn’t care.  She wants an energetic cat (presumably to out-run the dangers and angry neighbours) as a plaything for her daughter.  Get the kid a toy.

====================================================================================
Next is Sterling. He’s a charming little blue boy. Nice blue tabby, very soft fur but I can’t decide if he’s going to be a shorthair or longhair like his mum, Westie. She’s just gorgeous-and he looks very much like her. He’s a friendly little fellow, curious, likes to check out anything going on anywhere around him. He romps and plays with anyone-his mum, his brother, a piece of rope, a flutter toy, people, bugs. They’re all good. He’s had his first vet check, has been wormed, and tested negative for FIV.

Last is Sid. I named him Obsidian but Sid sounds better. He’s a happy guy but wary of strangers. Sid hates adoption events! I can’t keep taking him just to get him all upset. I think he’ll turn out a quieter adult than will Sterling. Sid is a black tabby-you can just make out the markings in good light. He has a white patch on his chest. He’s hilariously cute and has a meow that makes you think he’s been abused and neglected. He certainly has NOT been abused nor neglected. He just decided to try it out and found that he received lots of sympathy and a little extra food when using the croaky mews. He’s wormed and tested negative for FIV.

Last night, I peered out the door to see if the ferals had dispersed for the night. They stay near the house, I’ve put up several little places to get out of wind and rain and to burrow under where they’re concealed and warm. Two former hooded litter pans are sat right by the side entrance to our garage. I can peep out between the slats of the blinds and see if someone is inside the pans. Last night I saw a bit of fur moving about that looked-strange. I watched, it turned out to be a very fluffy kitten. Of course I opened the door immediately for a better look, startling the kitten into running off. Daphne sat at my feet looking mildly annoyed. I decided that she could have a third plate of dinner, and heaped it high so that the kitten, if it returned quickly, could have some food too. I peeked out a few more times before going to bed. Each time I spotted Daphne, standing guard outside the litter pan shelters. Sometimes I saw the kitten’s face in one of the pans. Grey with white markings. Very cute!

This morning I went out to feed the ferals their breakfast. A kitten blasted out of one pan, heading off to parts unknown. Phooey, I wanted to get a better look. Peering into the pan, there sat another grey kitten with white markings! As soon as I stood up, that one rocketed off too. Daphne remained to eat. Of course.

As soon as I can, I’ll get pictures. But I don’t know what to do with these kits! I can’t bring any more in. No one is adopting kittens. No one. I also can’t leave them to live out a short, ugly, feral life. I need to trap and spay Daphne, and her kits might be big enough for spay/neuter by now. But there is NO money for the spay/neuters, no matter how cheap they are (and they ARE cheap through Habitat for Cats, who even loan out the traps without charge). I’d love to tame the new little kits, but a pet spay is at least $75 (to avoid ear-tipping). That’s very inexpensive too. But I just don’t have it. Someone please say a prayer for us.

====================================================================================

Here is a beauty, she’s Lollypop’s Cat of the Week. She really needs a forever home! Cats don’t do well with constant upheaval, and Ki Ki has had enough. Read on:

KI KI

#8333639

Ki Ki is a 4-year-old female cat who is declawed in front. She was returned to Lollypop Farm by her adopters because of personal problems they were having that left them unable to care for her. Ki Ki was originally brought to the shelter by someone who was moving and could not take her along. Ki Ki is a friendly and talkative kitty. She’s a beautiful cat and loves to be around people. Ki Ki has been living in one of our catteries, a housing area for multiple cats, for a while now and she is doing well there. Come out and meet her today!

Please, give Ki Ki a place in your heart and home.

“To the One who remembered us in our low estate, His love endures forever” (Psalm 136:23).

I have a bad memory. I simply can’t remember things the way I used to. Oftentimes, I group things in threes to help me remember. Sometimes, it works. Other times, I still forget.

At church tonight, we sang, “So remember your people, remember your children, remember your promise, O God.” Then and there, I thanked God for remembering. When I was yet a sinner, when I was yet forgettable, God remembered me. I was helpless and could not on my own stand before a Holy God. I could do nothing to save myself or to earn His love.

Yet he remembered me. He saw my sinfulness, my need for a Savior. He sent Jesus – his one and only perfect Son – to die and bring me forever unto Him. God remembered me.

More than two thousand years later, God continues to remember me. His thoughts toward me outnumber the grains of sand (Psalm 139:17-18). He doesn’t forget me. Instead, he’s continually thinking about me. My pain, my sadness, my fear. He keeps me in His memory.

He is also moved to help me, just as He was moved to save me. When pain overpowers me, God remembers me with His strength. When sadness plagues me, God remembers me with His joy. When fear overwhelms me, God remembers me with His peace. God remembers me with love.

Sometimes, I don’t have much to offer. No strength. No joy. No peace. Other times, I myself want to forget. God still remembers. Sometimes, family and friends forget. No calls. No letters. No visits. But God still remembers. He continues thinking. He continues loving. He continues saving.

My low estate. My brokenness. My forgetfulness. Thank God, He still remembers.

Prayer: Father, thank you for remembering me on the cross, and thank you for remembering me in my pain. Help me not to forget that you always remember. Amen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Daphne is a thirty-something freelance writer and speaker who comforts others with the comfort she herself has received from God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). She is a leader in a Christ-centered recovery program and is daily learning to believe God through all of her physical, mental, and emotional challenges. Contact Daphne at daphne@daphnewrites.com.

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you,” (Psalm 143:8a NIV)

I turned over in bed. My eyes struggled to open after a sound night’s sleep. Was it time to wake up? The light shining through my window said so. I lay still, staring through the sheer canopy up at the ceiling. Then I heard them. Birds. Chirping. Singing. Minutes at a time. I closed my eyes as a smile escaped my lips.

I lay there several minutes absorbing their charming sounds. God knew I had been on medical leave from work for more than two months and that I myself was growing concerned. About my health. About my job. About my finances. But on this morning, I allowed myself to float away with the captivating songs of the messengers outside my window.

In the middle of their songs, God brought to my memory word of his unfailing love: “Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!” (Luke 12:24). What a sweet reminder! He would care for me today. I didn’t need to worry. Not about my health. Not about my job. Not about my finances. Nothing. He would provide for me – just as He does for those charming birds. Every day.

As I lay there, birds calling their mates, I too called on my beloved Savior. On this morning, I would trust Him. Whatever my circumstance, I knew He would not leave me (Psalm 37:25). I too would praise Him for providing. For caring. For bending down from heaven to comfort, to strengthen, to love.

Night would come again, but morning would surely follow. Whether with singing birds or another messenger altogether, God undoubtedly would bring in the morning … word of His unfailing love.

Prayer: Father, thank you for reminding me that your love never fails. Thank you for providing for me. Help me to trust you today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Daphne is a thirty-something freelance writer and speaker who comforts others with the comfort she herself has received from God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). She is a leader in a Christ-centered recovery program and is daily learning to believe God through all of her physical, mental, and emotional challenges. Contact Daphne at daphne@daphnewrites.com.

August, Edward, Dominic, Henry, Julian, George, Broderick, Dashiell, Quinn, Rowan, Atticus, Barnaby, Benedict, Cato, Darwin, Emerson, Fergus, Harvey, Lucian, Lewis, Malachy, Micah, Maxwell, Oakley, Orlando, Phineas, Rupert, Rex, Sullivan, Solomon, Steven, Willoughby, Winston & West.

Carmen, Daisy, Aurelia, Daphne, Delphi, Eurielle, Flora, Geneva, Hazel, Hermione, Ivy, Linnea, Maddalen, Mirabelle, Nola, Olympia, Olive, Polly, Romilly, Ramona, Rosemary, Sally, Simona, Ursula, Valentina, Violet, Clara, Eulalie, Seraphia, Seraphina, Silvana, Adele, Amabel & Leora.

Yes, we live in California, but this weekend we are visiting our Sisters, OR family. We checked the forecast and it is 35 degrees! How will a California girl like me survive? With a coat like this, well, once I get used to it…

Please disregard the runny nose, I have the sniffles tossed in with an ear infection. This is where you say, “AAWWWWWW”…

More fun from the BYD & Friends show.

First, a Pat update – Just got a text from him on the set of One Tree Hill – looks like he’s an extra in a scene today – fun stuff! Pat, drink one up with Daphne for us! She was great as the princess in Spaceballs..

Daphne and someone who isn't Pat on a set.

but I digress…

Peyote Man – I’m trying to remember how we came up with the superhero who communed with the elk spirit by communing with the Peyote spirit. We probably had some Necco wafers and thought it would be funny to do a skit around them as psilocybin. I also liked the Evil doctor’s name being very drab as ‘Sheldon’.

Jungle Combat has Mark at his smarmy yet boyish best, and  Bill, Tom, and Renee as ‘Betsy Sue’. Any NYC fans of WPIX will recognize the ‘pix, pix, pix’ shout out – the way kids shot for the TV-PIXX game. Enjoy.

click to fullview

• Watercolour, acrylic and coloured pencil on paper.

So I finally got around to finishing her. Failed attempt at going 100% traditional. I think Photoshop has forever spoiled me because no matter what I did, I couldn’t get the effects I wanted using watercolour anymore and had to resort to blocking out the background in bronze acrylic paint to cover up the mistakes.

I had originally overlaid textures to it to jazz it up, but it was starting to look messy to me, so I went back to the pre-Photoshop scan. Oh well. Lesson learned. Next time, smaller paper and no painting when tired.