You usually do.

Quiet.  This is serious.  Besides, Mom told you to be nice.

What is it now?

Why are some humans and fur people afraid of Friday the 13th?

I’m not sure.  It has something to do with the number 13 and if it falls on a Friday it means bad luck.

That makes no sense!  Fridays are right before Saturdays and Saturdays are part of the weekend so all humans and fur people should be excited.

I agree with you.

So, let’s change how the humans think about Friday the 13th.

How?

Let’s tell them to think of 13 things they really like to do, see, read or eat and they can do them all on Friday the 13th.

That’s a wonderful idea.

Let’s start on our list to give them an idea.  First of all there’s treats.

Yes, I knew that was going to be mentioned.  How about naps?

Rolling in the grass.

Having Mom brush us.

Unwrapping a new toy.

Listening to the birds sing.

Purring.

Talking to an old friend.

Getting tummy rubs.

Chewing on fresh catnip.

Trying some new food.

Going for a ride.

Writing a blog.

We did it!  We came up with 13 things.  Now it’s time for our fur people and human readers to do the same.  We just have to make Friday the 13th fun for everyone!

About that first item on our list…………..where’s Mom?

We’ve been thinking about lots of things lately and now we want to take action.  Hemingway, you know more words than I do so please explain.

The weather finally got better and we don’t have temperatures in the 100′s so Shakespeare and I really enjoy being outside again.  Even Mom was outside doing some work in the yard and then later she was reading.

I noticed that you didn’t tell our readers that as soon as Mom put the blanket on the ground so she could lie down and read, you sprawled out right in the middle of it so she had very little room.

Why do you always change the subject?  You wanted me to explain what we’ve been thinking about.

Sorry.  I see something naughty and I have to mention it.  I think I’m supposed to be a reporter when I grow up.

Enough!!!  Yesterday we got to stay outside all day long.  It was fabulous.  We chased bugs.  We played with Champ the dog who lives next door.  We watched the birds.  We rolled in the grass and dirt.

Oh how we loved it all!  Here’s a picture of us just relaxing outside and not fighting.

Mom always tells us to play nice but sometimes we forget and we race around and knock things down.

This shows that we can be together and be nice.

Mom told us that because it’s the weekend, she doesn’t have to go to work and that’s why we got to be outside for so many hours.  She warned us this morning that tomorrow is the start of her work week and we won’t be able to be outside during the day so we better really enjoy it today.

We hate work weeks!

So, we want to get a law passed to make weekends five days long and work weeks only two days long.  I know Mom would be in favor of it ‘cuz she likes to be outside with us.

We just don’t know what the first step is to get this law passed.

We mentioned it to Mom and she just kind of laughed at us but told us we could give it a try so that’s what we’re going to do.

Who do we need to contact to get this law passed?

Do any of you, our very special readers, have any ideas?  Maybe a “Fur People Parade” to start things off……..

Maybe we could talk to the companies that make our treats and they could put messages on the treat bags.

How on earth do you always turn everything around to food????  I just don’t get it!!!!

Never mind………….Let’s just give our readers a chance to think and get back to us.  For now we better go out and lie under the trees and enjoy the sounds of summer.

Everybody outside………it’s still the weekend!

We’re not doing much celebrating because it’s too hot.  In fact, Hemingway got in trouble again this morning.

You are such a tattler!

Well, I heard Mom telling you to quit knocking things off the entertainment center, desk and end tables.

Mom wouldn’t pay attention to me.  She should have known I had to go outside.

I wanted to go out too, but I figured I should be good ‘cuz I knew Mom didn’t get much sleep and she was not in a very happy mood.

Well, I notice that you ran right out the door with me.

Sure……..why not?

Mom was out talking to one of her human neighbors and I came up to join in the conversation.  It’s so hot outside and I started panting.  The neighbor was amazed that I knew how to do that.

I’ve been doing it, too!  We’re both hot and we try to find cool places.  You try walking around with all this fur…..not to mention a gloriously fluffy tail.

My tail is big and fluffy, too.  Besides I get hotter ‘cuz my fur is black. 

Why did we start writing this blog today?

Oh, that’s right.  We wanted to wish everyone a safe and happy 4th of July.  You fur people stay away from the fireworks.  If the noise bothers you, tell your humans to take you downstairs to a safe place.

If you’re having really hot weather like we are, be sure to drink lots of water and stay out of the sunshine.

We have to go find some shade now and enjoy the breeze.

She said it’s too hot to do anything.

I know when we go outside I don’t like to spend all my time in the sunshine ‘cuz my fur gets too hot.

Imagine having black fur!  It just soaks up all that heat.  That’s why I found a neat hiding place.  Don’t tell Mom but this is the perfect spot for watching birds.

I found my own spot as well.  I sure am glad that Mom planted all these flowers and things so we have some cool spots in the yard.

Maybe if Mom came out and found a spot in one of the gardens she would be happy.  Maybe she would be cooler.

Mom says that they have to get a new air something or other for the house. 

What is it and why do they need one?

She said that it blows around cool air and makes the house comfortable.  But the one they have now is broken so they have to replace it and it’s going to cost a lot of money.

Should we see if we can get jobs and help get some money so they can get the new air thing?

Might be a good idea.  Mom might not be as crabby if she could get cool.

Maybe we could find her a swimming pool online.

That’s a good idea.  Just so she doesn’t put us in it to keep her company.

Oh, she wouldn’t dare do that.  We would tell all of our human and fur people readers about it and she would be in REALLY BIG trouble!!!

Good thing we have all those friends out there.  Thanks everyone!

Shakespeare, you are such a tattletale  or is that tattletail?

Well, you were naughty and here’s proof!  Not only is he getting into the plant, but if you look at his fur you’ll see all sorts of dirt and bits of leaves on it.  He was rolling in the dirt and now his shiny black fur is all dirty!

Shakespeare, get away from the computer.  Mom told me I have this assignment and it doesn’t involve you.

That’s because I wasn’t naughty!

SCRAM!!!

Dear human and fur people readers, Mom told me I’m in “Time Out” and I have an assignment to write something about what it means to be naughty.  I didn’t think I was that bad, but Mom got kind of frustrated with me this morning.  If I ever want treats again, I have to write this “catsay”…..that’s the kitty version of a human essay.  So, here goes….

ON BEING NAUGHTY

I don’t know what gets into me at times.  I think the problem is that I’m a kitty who loves attention and I’m also a stubborn kitty.  If Mom had really been paying attention, she would have seen that when she first picked me up at the Animal Humane Society.  I didn’t want to go into the carrying box.  I wanted to ride free in the car so I could see where I was going.  But I guess I’m going back too far.  Mom always tells me not to jump up on her desk.  I don’t understand why she doesn’t want me up there.  I can see for miles and miles when I’m up there and it’s just kind of a neat place with all sorts of interesting papers, pencils and books.  I’m working on learning to stay off the desk but sometimes I still forget.  Then there’s the plants.  I just have to explore them.  They are so pretty and I love to smell the flowers.  I also love catnip.  Here’s another instance where I was naughty.  Mom was bringing in groceries from her car last night and she left the gate open a little.  I figured she wanted me to go out and get my own catnip since she was busy.  She told me I should learn to wait and she would get me some catnip when she had time.  Wait????  I don’t understand that!  Now we have arrived at this morning when I was evidently so bad that I needed what Mom called a “Time Out”.  At first I thought she meant I was going to spend some time outside.  That’s all I wanted anyway.  When she didn’t let me out, I had to start knocking things off the entertainment center to get her attention.  I also had to jump up in front of the monitor when she was using “our” computer.  After I knocked a few more things down on the floor, Mom said it was enough and that’s why I’m sitting here writing about being naughty.  Mom said I should learn something but I don’t know how much I’ve learned.  I think the problem lies with the humans.  They just don’t understand that kitties don’t like waiting for things and when they get something in their heads, there’s nothing humans can do.  However, if I want to go outside I suppose I should say that I learned that I shouldn’t be knocking things down, chasing my little brother, jumping on the desk, or sitting in front of the monitor.

Hemingway, are you about done?

Mom, is that good enough?  Can I go outside now?

We love rewards.

Shakespeare, we’re talking about blogawards.

We’re not talking about treats?

No, some of our really neat readers give us awards for being good kitties and sharing our thoughts with humans and fur people around the world.  For instance, we just received the “Very Inspiring Blogger” award.

We were nominated for this award by The Iceland Experience  and by Kofegeek so we want to send out a big THANK YOU to both of them for doing that.  Since we got two, we each get one and we don’t have to fight.  Mom says that’s a good thing!

You mean humans and fur people are actually reading about us?

Yes, and they are from all over the world.  We only go out in our back yard, but we know that the world is a very big place ‘cuz Mom has told us.

That’s so neat that we got nominated.  What happens next?

We’re supposed to nominate some other bloggers for the award.  So let’s get started:

Texas, A Cat in New York :  This is a neat fur person who was born in Paris and then moved to the USA with his owner.

DLC S Management :  This is a human who writes about all sorts of neat things.  Mom likes to read about Amsterdam and Shakespeare likes to read about food so they both find lots of interesting things on this blog.

Funkykarmamagic’s Blog : PlumaBlanca and Shakespeare think they are going to the Olympics.  Pluma’s human lives in New Mexico and runs the Funky Karma Incense and Tea Shop.

Brownponytail : She has a kitty who is always hungry, just like Shakespeare.  She also talks about all sorts of interesting things from food to fashion to travels.

Jimmiechew : Jimmie is a cat that looks like me (Hemingway) and is studying to be a model.  I think I’ll ask Mom if I can do that too.

Terriskitchenuk : She talks about food and we love food and so does Mom! She lives in England and has some interesting information that she shares.

Rantings of an Amateur Chef : Another blog about food.  Nothing wrong with that at all!  We love it!

Betweenfearandlove : Mom says this blogger is great because she understands how hard it can be to be a writer and she shares her struggles and triumphs.

2FlyAmerica :  This is a wonderful blog by a couple who built, flew and maintained an airplane.  Mom worked in the airline industry for many years (before she adopted us) and she loves airplanes.

Arignagardener : This is about a couple who live in Ireland and post beautiful garden pictures.  Mom said that’s too far for us to go visit but we like looking at the pictures, too.

What else do we have to do for this award?

Here’s the list:

1.Display the award logo somewhere on the blog.

2. Link back to the blog of the person who nominated you.

3. State seven things about yourself.

4. Nominate 15 other bloggers for the award and provide links to their blogs.

5. Notify those bloggers that they have been nominated and of the award’s requirements.

We just started blogging so we don’t know 15 bloggers.  I hope it doesn’t matter.  We’re still kind of young kitties and we like to play when the weather is nice so we don’t go exploring blogs on the computer as much.

I think it will be fine what we are doing but we do have to state seven things about ourselves.

1. We were both adopted from the Animal Humane Society.
2. We both love to play outside and don’t like it when winter comes.
3. We both love to open packages.
4. We both love to “work” on the computer….especially if Mom is there.
5. We both love getting treats.
6. We both love having our picture taken.
7. Our Mom says we’re both adorable!

Now can we go eat?

Just as soon as we let those bloggers know that we nominated them for an award.

Well get busy and let them know.  I’m hungry!

I don’t know why, but Mom keeps saying that she doesn’t want me in the same state when she’s trying to make her bed.  I just want to have fun and I love it when she’s tossing those sheets and blankets around.  I’ve discovered that there’s a big machine downstairs that puts water on everything and then Mom adds something to make the water all foamy.  She says that she’s adding  soap to make the clothes and things clean.  In the warmer months (and sometimes even in the colder ones) she likes to hang the stuff on some special lines  outside to dry.  Since I’m usually outside playing I can tell what’s going on and if I see her hanging sheets outside (those are the really big pieces of material), then I know I’m in for some fun as soon as they’re dry.  Mom tries to sneak things past me, but I always know.  Last week she thought she had finally discovered the trick.  She brought the sheets in but then she didn’t make the bed right away because she knew I was watching.  Later I was taking my nap on the couch and she figured I was sound asleep and wouldn’t notice anything.  WRONG!!!  I have cat ears and cat eyes and nothing gets past me.  She just got started making the bed and I jumped up right in the middle of everything.  It was so much fun.  Mom finally had to shut the door to keep me out so she could make the bed.  As soon as the opened the door again I ran in and jumped up on the bed just to make sure she had done everything correctly.  I love helping Mom, but helping is hard work so I need a nap.

Maybe we think too much.

I like that answer.

Why are you confused now?

Have you noticed that when Mom’s really busy or gone we just don’t seem to sit down at the computer as much and share things with our readers?

Maybe we’re picking up her vibes and we just don’t have time to sit still.  Last weekend Mom left us home with Uncle Bob while she went on a road trip.  I really missed her so I didn’t feel like sitting down at the computer and that meant no notes to our readers.

When Mom got home I was so excited that I couldn’t sit still long enough to write anything so I didn’t want to be at the computer.

This whole week Mom has been really busy so even she hasn’t been at the computer much.

I sure hope she saw our birthday greetings to her.  I felt bad that we couldn’t go shopping ‘cuz we can’t go out of the back yard and we don’t have any money.

I don’t think Mom cared about that ‘cuz we did what several of our readers suggested and we purred and purred for Mom and that made her happy.

I just thought of another reason why we don’t seem to be at the computer as much right now.

What?

We both love to be outside and Mom won’t let us bring the computer outside so if we have to choose between sitting at the computer or running around outside chasing butterflies and napping in the sun, guess which option we choose…….

No options as far as I can tell.  We will be outside every chance we get!

I hope our readers are having as much fun this summer as we are.  I hope Mom hurries home from work so we can go outside before it rains again.

I don’t know what we’re going to do.

Neither do I.

How can we get Mom a birthday present today if we can’t go out of the back yard?

I know she won’t let us do any shopping online.  She’s told us before that we aren’t allowed to do that.

She said we can’t have any of those plastic card things that humans call credit cards.

I know and that’s how they pay for things when they shop online so even if we could find something neat for Mom we wouldn’t be able to buy it.

I wonder if there’s anything in the back yard we could wrap up for her.  I know that one time I brought her a bird she wasn’t real happy so I won’t be doing that again.

What if we picked her some flowers?

That might work.  Except that you know both of us love to pull the flowers out of the vase so Mom doesn’t even keep flowers in the house now.

Maybe we could ask the human and fur readers what we can do.

Good idea!  Does anyone out there know what we can do special for Mom today since it’s her birthday?

For now we can tell Mom how much we love her and how much we hope she has a super special day.

Happy Birthday, Mom!  We’ll try to be extra good today just for you.

However, tomorrow all bets are off.

Shakespeare, that wasn’t very smart.  Now if anything happens tomorrow Mom will blame you.  Hey….on second thought that works for me.  I can be naughty and you’ll get blamed.

Not fair, Hemingway!  Mom……….if anything happens tomorrow it’s not my fault!

They sure are.  Now that we’ve had some weekends with nice weather, we’ve been outside “helping” Mom and she doesn’t know when to come in!

She’s been busy digging in the dirt and planting things and pulling other things out.  We check the new plants because if she plants catnip in the back yard, we want to know about it.

So far she’s only let it grow in the front yard, but I found some mint so we may have to resort to chewing on that.

I was helping Mom pull weeds.

That’s not the way she tells it.

Well, I was in a playful mood so if she was moving the plants around while pulling the weeds, then I had to grab her hand or the plants.  She kept going from garden to garden but I would follow her.

I was busy checking on the bird baths.  I wanted to make sure they had water in them.

Mom told you to leave the bird baths alone.

But look……..this picture proves I wasn’t being naughty. I was just guarding the bird bath to make sure nobody tipped it over.

Human and fur people readers, do not be fooled by this picture.  Just moments before, Shakespeare was standing on his tippy toes, peering into the bird bath.  And here’s another picture where he was contemplating tipping over the watering can.

You don’t have to tell them everything!  Remember, Mom reads this too.

Next weekend we’re going to get a chance to rest ‘cuz Mom is taking a road trip and she’s not bringing us along.  We’ll try to convince Uncle Bob to let us out, but he’s not as good about that as Mom is.

I think it’s more a case of him not listening to our whining!

Anyway, we’re both tired so we’re going to go take a nap now.  All that fresh air this weekend made us sleepy kitties.  We hope all of our readers had a wonderful weekend.

I’m packing my toys.

Why?

I want to take them with me.

Where?

Mom says I should go to London and race in the Olympics.

Oh for pete’s sake!  Do you ever know when a human is kidding?

You mean she wasn’t serious?

No.

Well, she told me I was super fast and I should enter the Olympics and win a prize.  By the way, what are the Olympics?

Those are games that humans compete in to win prizes.  They have some that are in the summer and they have some in the winter, but not every year.  This year they are in the summer and they are in London.

So they have races?

Yes.

I could win!  I could win a prize!  I could win many prizes!!  Do they have treats as prizes?

I bet you could win.  All they have to do is put food at the finish line and you’ll be there before the other runners have even started.

Very funny…………but true!  I just have a couple more questions.

What?

Could you help me open the drawer where Mom stores our treats so I can get some to pack with my toys?

You are so goofy.  What’s the other question?

Where’s London?  Remember, Mom only lets us go out in the back yard so I may have trouble finding London.

We sure are.  Who would have thought that Mom having three days off would wear us out so much.

I think we mostly got tired just watching her work in the yard.

She did this but it’s out in the front yard and we can’t go out there.  We told Mom to take a picture so we could share with our friends.

I was busy surveying some of the stuff she did in the back yard.  I think I look so pretty among these plants!

I was kind of wondering who this other kitty is.  I think I’m much more handsome than he is.  He just sits there and doesn’t say anything.  I sure hope he doesn’t eat any of our treats!

I have my favorite corner in the yard and here I am “hiding” in it.  Of course Mom and Shakespeare both know I love this spot so they always know where to find me.  Maybe I should look for a new secret spot.

I was just taking a nap and suddenly this plant caught my attention.  I had to ask Mom if it smelled.  She told me it was a wild rose and I should be careful.  But she also said I might be smelling some of the orange and chocolate mint that’s planted nearby.

So that was our long weekend with Mom.  We got to spend lots and lots of time outside and we’re pretty tired now.  I told Mom we would get this blog done as quickly as we could, but I’m having a little trouble…………

Shhhhh……….don’t tell Hemingway but I found a quiet corner and I’m sound asleep.  However, I wanted to make sure that we said a special thanks to all the service men and women who have risked their lives for our freedom. 

Don’t forget the service dogs.

Right…….I wonder if there are any service kitties?  We shouldn’t forget them.

Thanks to all who have given us the right to be ourselves and live free….even if we can only be in the back yard.

Why?  Did Mom run out of food for us?

No.  She would never allow that to happen.  I’m sad because I don’t think we’re going to get to go outside today.

Probably not.  I’m thinking Mom will say it’s too wet for us to be out there.

Well, I don’t like getting my feet wet anyway.

Neither do I!

Why is it raining so much?

I wonder if all the humans have turned on those sprinkler things that make their flowers and vegetables wet so they’ll grow.

Maybe all the birds are sad and they all started crying at once and the tears are falling down from the trees.

Or maybe the trees are sweating ‘cuz summer’s coming.

Do you think maybe all the dogs are outside splashing in their wading pools, sending all this rain up into the air so it’s falling on us?

I sure hope the rain stops soon so we can go outside.  Mom told me that she gets an extra day off from work this weekend so she’ll be home for three whole days!  I know she’s going to want to be outside and that means we can be outside, too.

Oh, it’s going to be a fun weekend!  Go away rain!

Or at least just rain at night so the plants don’t get thirsty.  I don’t like being thirsty so I know the plants don’t like it either.

Yes, I guess the plants do need water but I don’t need water falling on me.  I just want to lick it up out of my bowl.

Since the flowers and trees and other plants grow when they get rain and sunshine, does that mean we’ll grow if we go out in the rain and then out in the sunshine?

Maybe that’s why Mom is making us stay inside.  We’re already big enough!

I’ve been trying to figure out something.

What now?  I suppose you’ve been trying to figure out how you can get the mailman to deliver opened bags of treats to you.

No, that’s not it at all…………but that’s a really good idea!  I’ll work on that next.

So what’s your problem?

What makes wind?

Why?

Well, it was super windy today and I don’t like wind.

I know what you mean.  I saw things flying by the window and I knew it would be hard to stay on all four feet if I went outside.

So, what makes wind.  Mom has that big box in the house and when she turns it on that makes wind.  She says she likes to use that when it’s hot.  Do humans put a whole bunch of those things outside and turn them on high so it’s windy?

I was thinking that maybe all the fur kitties and fur doggies go outside and start wagging their tales really really fast and that makes wind.  I know our big fluffy tails could make lots of wind.

Or, do the birds all get together and start flapping their wings fast to make wind?

Maybe all the leaves on the trees decide to start moving around at the same time and that makes wind.

I’ve read on the internet about Chicago being called the Windy City.  Do you think Chicago gets so much wind that they send it to other places?

Or maybe all the cars start driving around  so fast that wind happens.

Well, I guess this is another thing that humans are going to have to explain to us fur people.  Now, let’s see how we can get the mailman to deliver opened bags of treats for us.

Shakespeare, I’ve explained to you before.  Mom wasn’t selling garages, she was selling things at a garage sale.

I don’t care if she was selling things, garages, or even dogs.  I don’t like it!

Why are you so mad?

Did you notice how nice it was Saturday?  It was a gorgeous day and where were we?  WE WERE INSIDE!

Oh, that’s what’s bugging you.  Well, I didn’t like the fact that we had to stay inside but you know Mom doesn’t let us go outside if she isn’t home.

Well, she should only be gone during the week.  On weekends she’s supposed to stay here and let us play outside.

That’s a good point!

She can sell garages during the week.

Well, even though I don’t think she had a choice, I think I’m beginning to see your point.  We need to unite the rest of the fur people and tell the humans what we want.

NO MORE SELLING GARAGES ON THE WEEKEND!!!

Shakespeare, the humans aren’t going to understand you.  You have to tell them that they can’t be selling things at Garage Sales on the weekend.

Fine!  What Hemingway said!!

Human readers, it’s for your own good that you listen to the fur people.  We love your company and when you’re busy on weekends we don’t get to play and then we get cranky.

Trust us………you don’t want cranky fur people around.

What?

I think she’s getting another job.  Have you been eating too much food and she can’t afford it with just one job?

What on earth are you talking about?

I heard Mom say that she’s selling garages this weekend.  I wonder if she’s selling the garage here and I wonder if Uncle Bob knows.

Shakespeare, you can twist things around so much.

Well, explain it to me then.

Mom said she’s putting stuff in a garage sale that a friend is having.

So her friend is selling garages?

Nobody is selling garages.  A garage sale is where humans put stuff for sale they no longer want or need.  They usually put low prices on things so they can get rid of stuff.  I think most of them sell things at garage sales so they will have room for more stuff.

Mom isn’t putting any of our toys in this garage sale thing, is she?

No.  She knows we still play with our toys.

Is that a sticker I see on your tail?

Oh no!!!  Get it off!  It must have attached itself to my tail when I was walking around on the bed where Mom has stuff spread out for pricing.

Maybe I should leave it on.  It says one dollar and I’m sure Mom could buy some treats for me with that dollar.

Shakespeare, be nice or I might put a fifty cent sticker on your tail.

Well, that sure isn’t nice.  I don’t want anything stuck on my tail so I’m sorry I said that.  Come over here and I’ll get that sticker off.

Thank you.

I wonder if I’ll ever really understand what humans are doing.

Probably not.  I don’t think they even understand!

Since I’m the youngest I’m going to spend time at the computer first so I can get my special greetings sent to Mom.  I think it’s a great idea to celebrate mothers.  I don’t remember my real mother, but I am pretty sure  she didn’t look anything like the Mom who adopted me.  I know that my real mother had lots of fur like me and walked on all four feet and probably loved food as much as I do.  However, Mom chose me and adopted me and now she’s the only Mom I really know.  I may not always be good, but today I’ll try my best to behave.  I just want to say a big Thanks to all the Moms out there.  You are the greatest!

Mom, I know we had a rough day yesterday.  I still don’t know exactly what I did wrong.  This young bird just flew into my mouth and I brought him in the house to show you.  Shakespeare was running after me ‘cuz he wanted to see and I guess the two of us made too much noise.  Next thing I knew, you were trying to get me to open my mouth and then when I did Aunt Missy took the bird outside.  You kept telling me that I wasn’t supposed to do that but frankly, I don’t understand.  It just seemed so natural for me to chase something and catch it.  Mom was really glad that they got the bird away from me.  He did have an injury but he was still trying to fly and he was very active so they had hope for him.  Mom told me later that she went out to check the box where she had put him to protect him and he was gone.  I’m thinking he finally learned how to fly and got out of there ‘cuz Mom said there weren’t any feathers around.  I didn’t mean to hurt the bird.  I don’t know what came over me!  Am I supposed to be a hunter?  Is that what my real mother taught me?  I’m going to try real hard to listen to Mom and not do things like that again.  I will only chase laser lights from now on!  Thanks for trying to teach  me new things all the time, Mom.  I hope I can make you proud.

From the Mom:

I love you boys!  You are both so different and you provide endless entertainment and joy.  I know your real moms would be very proud of how you have turned out.  Thanks for coming into my life.

Well, Mom told us that God made each fur person and human to be special.  There’s only one Hemingway and only one Shakespeare.

But Mom told us we were named after famous human writers so that means there was another Hemingway and Shakespeare before.

Yes, but they weren’t exactly like us.  For one thing, they were humans.

What’s to stop humans from naming other fur people Hemingway and Shakespeare?

Nothing.  In fact, I am pretty sure there are some others out there but they aren’t exactly like us.  No other fur person has your exact coloring, your exact length of fur, your exact eye color and your exact quirks all rolled up in one.  You are unique and you are special.

So we’re all different?

Yes.

That explains why you are so stubborn and I’m not.

What do you mean?

Well, Mom lets me sleep in her bedroom ‘cuz I stay on the bed and I don’t jump up on her desk.  You keep  jumping up on her desk and then she makes you get out and she shuts the door.

There’s just something about that desk that intrigues me.  I just have to explore it.  I don’t know why I can’t stay away from it.  Now and then I can be good and then I get to sleep in Mom’s room too.

If you weren’t so stubborn you could stay in there all the time.  After all, it is a very comfortable bed.

Hey…..you’re not perfect!  You practically send things flying if someone’s in the kitchen.  Mom says you appear from nowhere and you’re faster than a bullet.  You figure if someone is in the kitchen that means they are getting food for you and you love food.

See, that’s something I can’t help.  I try to stay out of the kitchen but it’s just too tempting.  So I guess the kitchen is my “desk”.

So now do you understand how we’re all different?

Yes, I want food and you want to explore.

Before long she pulled into a parking lot and turned the engine off.  Then she picked me up (not an easy task) and started to carry me into this building.  Wait a minute!!!!  I know that building!   That’s where the doctor man lives so this can’t be a good thing.  I tried to remain calm and hoped that if I shut my eyes nobody would see me.

This is my “I’m not happy” look.  Mom said she hasn’t seen this look before.  Well, she’s seen it now and she better pay attention!

I thought if I hid in the corner nobody would find me.

I got the scale figured out.  I discovered if I put one foot off the scale I wouldn’t weigh as much.  Stupid humans figured out what I was doing!

This is a picture of me and the doc.  He’s really a good guy in spite of the fact that he told me I had to start working out on a treadmill.  He did keep telling me that I was handsome and he thought I was really neat.  I guess I’ll have to listen to what he says and try to lose a little weight.  I’m just a little over 19 pounds but he says that is too much.  Mom said she would make me chase the laser light more often.

Here I am at the end of my visit.  I was wondering if those treats were for me but the people at the doctor’s office said those were treats for dogs.  Well, maybe they would let me bring some home for my friend Champ who lives next door.  He’s a dog.  They also said that I should be the clinic mascot  ’cuz I was so calm.  I didn’t care if other fur people came in to see the docs.  I was all done and I knew I would be going home.  The only problem was that Mom and the other people were talking about me getting a job to pay for seeing the doctor man.  Well, if Mom didn’t take me to see him then she wouldn’t have to worry about paying him.  I guess it’s all her fault.

I’m going to take a nap now.  Maybe I should have Mom get the laser light out first so I can get some exercise.  No……I think I’ll take a nap first.

.

That was a mean thing she did.

You all know how excited we get when Mom gets home from work.

The first thing we want to do is run outside.

She’s finally caught on to that so she holds the door as we scramble between her legs and dash out into the fresh air.

It’s our favorite time of day and we hate it when she’s late.

Tonight she was a little late and she didn’t call us and tell us she was going to be late so we were already a little upset.

As soon as she opened the door Shakespeare went running outside and I was close behind him.

Once we got outside we noticed something was wrong.

We turned around and Mom was at the door smiling.

Actually, I think she was laughing.  We ran outside so fast that we didn’t notice the deck was wet.  Suddenly there were these wet drops falling on us and we didn’t like it.

Luckily Mom let us in right away but she should have known we wouldn’t like the rain.

Oh, I think she knew and she tried to warn us but we didn’t listen.

You’re right.  Maybe instead of being mad at Mom we should be mad at the weather humans. 

That’s right.  They’re the ones who let this rain come.  If they hadn’t talked about it maybe the rain wouldn’t have followed the sounds of their voices and it would have gone somewhere else.

Weather humans please note….don’t talk about rain until it’s dark.  Quit spoiling our fun time outside!

What brought that on now?

Well, last night Mom was looking for me and I wasn’t even hiding or anything.  She stood there calling my name and kept asking you where I was.  Finally I had to make a little meow sound and she looked down and there I was.  I had been lying by her feet the entire time but she kept looking off into space and didn’t even see me.

Hahahahaha….I thought it was kind of funny when she was doing that.  I don’t know why she didn’t just look down.  You were there the whole time and you didn’t move.  Mom gave us a good laugh.

At least she laughed at herself, too.

She told me about a funny thing that happened with her old cat Mischief.  We never got to meet him but he was with her for almost 19 years.  After he went over the Rainbow Bridge, she adopted us.

He must have been quite a kitty since she had to get two of us to make up for him.

I guess so.  Anyway, one time she was looking for him all over the house and couldn’t find him.  She was afraid he might have gotten outside and she went out and looked all over and called his name but she couldn’t find him.  Finally she got the flashlight and started looking under furniture in his favorite places.  She was on the floor looking under the couch and she felt something by her and quickly turned around.  There was Mischief looking under the couch with her.  He thought maybe she was looking for something special and he wanted to know what it was.  She had a really good laugh over that and was so relieved to know he was safe.

Oh, that story just makes me want to roll around the floor meowing.  It’s so funny.  Mom is obviously quite a character.  It’s great to have fun times like that.

We’ve got to figure out something special to pull on Mom so she’ll always have that memory about us.

Oh, I don’t think she’ll have any trouble remembering us!

Mom……….I think I smell rain!  Is there a storm coming?

Shakespeare!  What are you doing outside?  There’s a storm coming!  You should get in the house right away.

But we always get to go outside when Mom gets home from work.

We don’t get to go outside when there are storms.

I don’t like storms.  I don’t like all that wind.

I don’t either.  Sometimes it’s even hard to stay on the ground ‘cuz it’s so windy.  I wonder if humans feel that way too.

I also don’t like when it makes all that booming noise.  Why do the weather people let that happen?

They just try to predict the weather.  They don’t create the weather.

Oh.  I guess I was confused.  Well, if we can’t go outside because of the storm, maybe Mom will give us treats.  Let’s go ask her.

What are you talking about? 

The dirt that’s outside.

You mean the dirt that you track in the house?

I don’t always do that….besides, you track in dirt, too.

I do not.  I don’t like to get my feet dirty so I’m very careful.  But why are you thinking about dirt?

Well, you know how Mom has been playing around in the dirt outside lately?  She keeps pulling things out of the dirt and then she gets some kind of tool and messes up the dirt.

Oh, I was trying to help her the other night.  She was digging a hole and then she went over and started digging out this thing she called a plant.  I was real fascinated to I tried to help her but she just laughed at me.  Then she took that green thing that she dug up and she put it in the other hole.

Why do humans dig holes in the dirt and put things in them?  I know why dogs do that.  I’ve watched Champ and Axel and if they have a bone or something that they want to hide, they dig a hole in the dirt and put it in and cover it up. I was thinking maybe Mom was trying to hide those things she calls plants.

Sometimes I dig in the dirt, but for an entirely different reason and I ALWAYS cover it up.

Don’t get gross.  I’m trying to have a serious conversation here.  I got on the computer today while you were sleeping and started reading about dirt and humans and why they like to play in it.

Did you learn anything?

Well, you know how the internet is, I got way too much information and not on the subject I was really thinking about.  However, I finally discovered something.

What?

Humans like to dig in the dirt and plant seeds and things.  You know all those pretty colors that are showing up in the yards now?

Yes.  Where did they come from?

Humans planted seeds and bulbs and now that it’s getting warm again, the plants are growing and there are flowers blooming.

Cool.  If I plant a light bulb will a lamp grow?

I don’t think so but then I don’t understand all the human things yet.  I’m still a young kitty.

I’m so glad we have these discussions so I can learn things.  I never thought a discussion about dirt would be this much fun.

This is “The Mom” and I want to let you all know that Hemingway and Shakespeare got to play outside today even though the sun didn’t shine like it was supposed to. I still might take a nap, but the boys got to play so they’re happy.

By reading what they’ve been blogging about lately, you might get the idea they are neglected, underfed, bored and ignored.  Believe me, they are none of those things!  They are very typical two-year-old kitties who think the world was created for them.  Please don’t believe all their complaints.  They are both the lights of my life and anyone who is fortunate enough to have fur people in their lives, knows exactly what I mean.

Thanks to all the human and fur people readers who are following the antics of my boys.  It’s so wonderful to find other fur-people lovers all over the world.

Yes, we have several specific spots throughout the house that are favorite napping spots for each of us.

Maybe we fur people should let the humans know why we nap.

Why do we want to let out our secrets?

Well, I wanted to play today and Mom wanted to nap so I got a little upset.  I think it’s because she doesn’t understand the nap routine,  so I want to let her and the other humans know what’s going on in our kitty heads..

Ok.  You like to talk so go ahead.  I’ll go see if there’s any food.

We know Mom has to go to work during the week so we use those days for catching up on our sleep by taking naps.  By the time Friday night arrives we’re all “powered-up” and ready to go.  Just ask Mom!

She says we’re always “powered-up”…..especially lately.

Anyway, by the time the weekend arrives, we know Mom doesn’t have to go to work so she should be ready to play with us all day long and most of that time should be spent outside.  It’s only fair.  She gets to go outside every day of the week.  Sure, she says she’s going to work, but do we really know that’s what she’s doing?

Well, if she wasn’t going to work, then she wouldn’t be able to afford to buy us cat food and treats.

Good point.  Still, when the weekend comes, she’s away from work so she should want to play with us.  What did she do today?   SHE TOOK A NAP!!!  It’s our day to play and she took a nap!!!!

Well, she said we couldn’t go outside ‘cuz it was cold and rainy.

She could have played inside with us……but she took a nap!!!  Don’t humans know that naps are for week days?  Weekends are for playing with us fur people…..preferably outside.

I bet they know now!