castle diva

Monday musings

2010-08-23T15:24:00.005-04:00

The Divine Ms. P: So far today I've thrown up a fur ball, peed outside the box and hollered extra loud as the woman was drifting off to sleep. And every time she heads towards the kitchen I follow her and then meow as loudly as possible to let her know that I need more food. All that before 11 a.m.

Haven't decided what else I'll do, but with her feeling like doggy doo today there's no way she's going to put up a struggle.

Long time no post

2010-08-10T08:49:00.018-04:00

Ms. P: It's been quite the ride, but as the woman is fond of saying we're still breathing.

We started writing a post listing some of what's been happening, but it became long -- very long. Think War and Peace with a set of encyclopedia thrown in for dessert.

The weird thing is that she actually lives a boring life. The other day I got excited when she started hemming up her pants (I love playing with thread), but then she remembered she hadn't done her yoga and the pants have been lying on top of the dresser ever since. That was last week.

Yesterday the woman picked up a pair of knitting needles for the first time in over 20 years and started knitting just to see if she remembered how. Cinza was having a wonderful time batting at the wool, but there has been no knitting since last night.

We keep telling her to sit down in front of the computer and help us with our blog (it's not like we ask for much!), but she still gets tired easily. So things are a bit of a question mark as to whether we'll continue with it or maybe just visit every so often.

Purrs and hugs for all our friends and visitors. We've missed you all very much.

Twelve Step Tuesday -- Step Twelve

2009-04-21T09:16:00.002-04:00

Having had a spiritual awakening during a wild catnip binge, I realized that life was too short to be counting steps. (It's not like I have twelve toes to use for counting!) Instead, I decided to intensify my pursuit of instant gratification and because I'm such a generous spirit, I made it my mission to share the good news that hedonism is THE WAY to go.

Music Monday & update about us

2009-04-13T14:06:00.002-04:00

The Divine Ms. P: The woman is still unwell and dealing with a lot of stress. It's been going on for awhile and we don't know what to do. We're considering shutting down one or both blogs. Another option may be to do less posting and visiting and not comment as much as we used to.

Change of subject: here's a woman who has the heart and soul of a cat and I mean that in the bestest of ways.

From one diva to another: I respect you!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MmBuHagMLM&feature=related

We also love this version of the same song by The Blow Monkeys from Dirty Dancing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynM7bia4BkQ

Twelve Step Tuesday -- Step Eleven

2009-03-31T10:42:00.007-04:00

Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with the goddess as we understood her, praying only for divine intervention to squash the humans' efforts to get in the way of achieving our goals.

Manic Monday

2009-03-23T13:59:00.003-04:00

Ms. P: The woman is exhausted. So while she's dealing with health issues and trying to catch up with her to do list, we'll probably be posting and visiting less often for the next while, but we wanted you all to know that even though our presence is less visible, you're still in our hearts and thoughts because we treasure our friends.

Here's another flashback; this time it's done with a song.

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=dSUC_ldud8w

Happy Monday everyone!

Flashback Friday -- Ms. P's gratitude list

2009-03-20T12:16:00.008-04:00

Ms. P: I wrote this shortly after we moved in with The Woman and not long after Cinza's arrival two summers ago.

1) Thank you The Woman brought along her rattan chair. (Cause it'll have to do since little Ms. Troublemaker is hogging the bed. So small and yet so territorial.)

2) Thank you for the drawer underneath the bed in which she likes to hide. (I appreciate moments of peace and quiet and yes, that out of sight, out of mind thing works for me.)

3) Thank you that I now have four instead of two dining room chairs. (Someone of my stature deserves to have choices to suit her changing moods. Not that I'm moody. I prefer to say I have a rainbow of moods... a palette.)

4) Thank you that The Woman listens to something other than jazz! (So when do I finally get to hear her Aretha Franklin & Jacksoul CDs?)

5) Thank you for the change in food -- both wet and dry. (So what if it was intended for Ms. Pipsqueak. I am, after all, the Empress of all there ever was and all there will ever be. She'll never be more than a princess wannabe.)

6) Thank you for the new toys. (Yes, I can overlook that they were hers all along. But, what's hers is mine and what's mine is still mine.)

7) Thank you for those wonderful moments when I hear her being scolded for scratching my couch. (Where was the little floor duster raised? In a barn??)

8) Thank you for my new home and that I now see more of The Man. (But really now, boxes all over the place! Aristocat that I am, I only need two boxes for each room -- one for scratching and another one to lounge in.)

9) Thank you that we moved in with The Woman -- for the additional set of opposable thumbs. (Always good to have a back up when I'm hungry and now I have two people to cuddle with!)

10) Thank you for the little window in the living room. (The one that was all mine until the invasion of the squeaky, butt sniffing, pillow/bed hogging brat.)

11) Thank you that I now have the privilege of sharing my litter box. (What could possibly beat having to smell eau de latest offering of the little beast, whilst relieving myself? What's next? Pictures of her all over the bathroom?)

12) Thank you for the closet near the front door... that she hasn't discovered it yet. (Although I can't understand why the humans haven't set aside time to fix it up for me. Why should I have to settle for a crowded, teeny tiny piece of real estate, while she hogs my bed and pillows?)

13) Thank you that The Man had a week of normal working hours and periodically came home to visit during the day. (It upset my sleeping routine, my every routine... a kind of practise run before little Ms. ADD arrived.)

14) And most of all, thank you that my having to share my castle with the princess brat is only a temporary thing. (She is leaving, right?)

Cinza: Needless to say I'm still here because when the humans brought me home it was supposed to be forever.

Twelve Step Tuesday -- Step Ten

2009-03-17T11:48:00.005-04:00

Continued to take personal inventory and when the humans got in our way we promptly came up with new strategies to remind them as to who is in charge.

PS In yesterday's post I was going crazy for lettuce.

Training the help

2009-03-16T11:08:00.002-04:00

The Princess Cinza: Guess what I'm eating.

Finally Friday

2009-03-13T16:48:00.003-04:00

Ms. P: Here's a dog with a very active dream life. We hope the dog was okay after.

Have a great weekend!

Bizkit the Sleep Walking Dog

Hypnotism works

2009-03-12T13:14:00.003-04:00

The Divine Ms. P: Sometimes I'll sit next to the woman and stare while she's at her desk, and of course she is unable to resist the urge to look down at the floor and pick me up so I can watch her work on the computer.

I also hypnotize her to give me my furball remedy -- a treat I really enjoy. She thinks it's her idea to give it to me, but the truth is that I plant the idea in her human brain and then show up in the kitchen as she's reaching for the furball stuff.

Simple, elegant, with a minimum amount of effort.

Twelve Step Tuesday -- Step Nine

2009-03-10T10:42:00.011-04:00

Put on an award winning show about making heartfelt amends to all beings who got in the way, except when it would require too much effort and cause us to hurl.

International Women's Day

2009-03-08T12:48:00.006-04:00

The Divine Ms. P: We think every day should be women's day -- not just March 8th. Come to think of it every day should be a celebration of all kitties and other living beings, too. (Yes, including dogs.)

Enjoy the day and the rest of the weekend!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDQE4UMVhEQ

PS The woman hasn't been feeling well and we're hoping to be visiting our friends again soon.

PPS Zoolatry posted a beautiful image of Cinza today, along with other lovely kitties.

Fun Friday -- Ms. P likes to play

2009-03-06T12:54:00.003-05:00

The Divine Ms. P: I may be a senior kitty in my late teens, but I still like to have fun.

By the way, it's very unusual for anyone to be able to take photos of me whilst playing because I usually stop what I'm doing and walk off when they even just think about taking a photo.

It's not like I'm getting paid to pose.

A question

2009-03-05T10:08:00.005-05:00

Cinza: Do I look like I have ADD or OCD?

I prefer to say that I'm intense, thorough, multi-talented and that I zing to the sound of my own drummer.

Okay, so I'm a little bit quirky with three truckloads of idiosyncrasies. That just makes me interesting.

Silly humans.

Fifth Picture Meme

2009-03-04T08:13:00.013-05:00

We were tagged by our friends over at the Cat Street Boyz who by the way have a fun blog with great photos.

Here are the rules: Open a document or file folder, click on the fifth folder and then the fifth photo. Post the photo and describe it. Then tag five other bloggers.

Our humans like to go for walks with their cameras because they're both into street photography. This photo was taken last winter a few blocks away from our castle and was posted on the woman's blog seriously amused.

The woman loved the juxtaposition with the poster of this shirtless guy and all the snow, so she couldn't resist.

We don't want anyone to feel left out, so we're "tagging" anyone who would like to participate in the fun.

Twelve Step Tuesday -- Step Eight

2009-03-03T08:20:00.000-05:00

Made a list of all beings who got in the way of our treasured lettuce and resolved to use more efficient tactics.

Friendship Friday

2009-02-27T10:38:00.002-05:00

Ms. P: This is a wonderful story about the loving relationship between Tarra (an elephant) and Bella (who is a dog). We discovered this on http://possumlady.blogspot.com/.

Enjoy! And if afterwards you're overcome with the urge to hug someone, go for it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFz-FMj-9Ps

Oh, before I forget, Blogger was PMSing yesterday yet again. Not only did it prevent us from visiting other blogs, but it also wouldn't allow us to access our own blog!!! No amount of hissing, growling or whapping helped.

We also lost some of yesterday's comments. We're seriously considering moving our blog, but we don't know what's out there besides Blogger and our secretary isn't what you'd call a techno genius. Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!

10 truths about us

2009-02-26T11:22:00.015-05:00

Thank you to The Devil Dog for this award. We should have posted this ages ago, but it's the same old story about trying to find good help.

The "rules" for this award and meme are as follows: "When accepting this auspicious award, you must write a post bragging about it, including the name of the misguided soul who thinks you deserve such acclaim. Link back to said person so everyone knows who he or she is. Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design. Or, improvise by including ones who have no idea who you are because you don’t have 7 friends. Show the 7 random victims’ names and links and leave a harassing comment informing them that they were prized with “Honest Weblog.” Well, there’s no prize, but they can keep the nifty icon. List at least ten honest things about yourself. After, pass it on!"

Ms. P: Ten honest things about us? No problem.

Cinza: Too bad we can't list 10 honest things about our humans because I've been keeping lots of notes!

Ms. P: (With a big sigh) Okay, back to the subject at hand, here's our list:

1) Cinza likes her greens -- plants (dead or alive) and romaine lettuce (she doesn't like iceberg or the red leafy stuff); so far she won't eat broccoli.

2) Ms. P enjoys her morning coffee straight out of the man's cup and can't understand why he isn't willing to share.

3) Cinza loves to dig in the litter box and manages to come up with a different design each time (even after the box has been freshly cleaned); she also scatters litter all over the floor.

4) Ms. P doesn't like to dig in the box and leaves her business for her staff to take care of (Cinza will run into the bathroom and cover up for Ms. P before the humans get a chance to clean).

5) Cinza won't respond to her name, but will respond to the smell of lettuce.

6) Ms. P will respond to her actual name (Patches).

7) While the humans are watching a DVD, Cinza will run into the room like her tail is on fire, open a drawer and then run out again.

8) Ms. P, on the other hand, likes to say hello to both humans before curling up on her special pillow and settling in for a nap beside them.

9) Cinza will continuously sleep for hours and hours during the morning and early afternoon.

10) Ms. P takes short naps and when she wakes up she'll say hello to the humans, inspect the castle and then find a new place to snooze.

We would like to give this award to everyone who comments on today's post, but only if you would like to participate.

A tail and three tomatoes

2009-02-25T10:58:00.021-05:00

The Divine Ms. P: The woman placed these tomatoes on the table so that they could become more ripe.

A few days later they were oven-dried and most of them were used for lentil pate. (Apparently, it's surprisingly edible; even the woman likes it and she's not a big lentils fan. I never sampled any so I wouldn't know.)

She likes to experiment, so the rest of the dried tomatoes (along with some pesto) were added the next time she made crackers.

She gave me one of the crackers and I enjoyed batting it around on the floor. The little mooch ate hers.

Twelve Step Tuesday -- Step Seven

2009-02-24T09:21:00.009-05:00

And then we came to Step Seven: "Humbly asked the black cat goddess to remove our shortcomings."

Since a) I don't do humble and b) I have no shortcomings, there was nothing for me to do, so I sat on top of the condo where I made eye contact with my female servant and hypnotized her into brushing me.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: we've been having difficulties leaving comments on blogs with word verification because the word isn't showing up.

Music Monday

2009-02-23T08:08:00.019-05:00

Cinza: While Roxy from The Devil Dog isn't a kitty, we're still sisters in all the ways that count.

I dedicate this song to my kindred spirit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YhTKiFEMAg&feature=related

By the way, I received this wonderful award from Fin at Housecat Confidential for Best Musical Screenplay -- The Interview (posted Friday, February 20th). What a lovely way to start the week. Thank you, Fin.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

The interview

2009-02-20T12:52:00.006-05:00

Fade in

INT. APARTMENT -- MORNING

Our beautiful grey heroine CINZA is lying on the floor in front of the balcony in a sunspot staring off into space. The warmth of the sun is making her sleepy and before long she gives in and closes her eyes.

The image fades.

DREAM SEQUENCE

INT. TV STUDIO -- AFTERNOON

OPRAH is seated on stage wearing a pink T-shirt with the face of a grey kitty and the words: "Cinza's number one fan!!!"

OPRAH (to the cameras and audience)
I'm very excited to introduce our guest -- the world renowned, no, make that the universally loved Cinza who comes all the way from Toronto, Canada.

OPRAH (to Cinza)
Cinza, I'm very honoured to have you here on my show.

We now see CINZA lying on a Boogie Mat on top of a red velvet cushion on a beautiful antique throne.

On the table next to her there's a bowl of filtered water, a second bowl filled with her favourite kitty treats, a pot of lush green cat grass, a salad dish filled with chopped romaine lettuce and a collection of colourful toys.

CINZA
Thank you Oprah. I'm delighted to be here.

OPRAH
We've been trying for a long time to get you to appear on my show. I want to pinch myself to make sure this isn't just a dream. Then again, if it is a dream, I never want to wake up. I want this moment to last forever.

CINZA
It's so hard to find time for everything. It seems the more famous I become, the busier I get.

Cinza licks one of her dainty silver paws.

OPRAH
So, Cinza, please tell us about your latest CD. Every time I hear it, it takes my breath away. You emote like no other. I can't believe how your CDs get better and better. How is that possible? How do you do it?

Cinza smiles modestly.

CINZA
I'm inspired by life, by the little moments we all take for granted and of course I thank the great black Cat Goddess for all that I am and all that I accomplish.

OPRAH
What was your inspiration for your new hit?

CINZA
Well, you see what happened was the man had placed a bowl of Bean and Pasta Soup on the table for the woman. I immediately jumped up on the table and marched over to the soup to make sure it was safe.

After a quick inspection I decided it was safe for human consumption, but not worthy of my more refined palate because it contained no meat or lettuce.

A few days later whilst napping, the music and lyrics came to me and I got the woman to write it all down. My new CD Cinza sings about life and love with my hit song "I sniffed the soup but it wasn't worth eating" is now available for the world's purchasing pleasure.

OPRAH
I noticed this album is different from all the others. Then again, each album is always different.

CINZA
It's my first time singing country and western; it's almost as much fun as singing the blues. Of course I still love doing disco, opera and rap, but I need to challenge myself to keep things fresh.

My next CD will be all about drumming and will include a remix of my first big hit "Whap it, whap it good!!"

OPRAH
You're so versatile, so creative. I'm awed by your talent; your CDs have always been one of my favourite things.

CINZA once again smiles modestly.

CINZA
I owe it all to the great Black Cat Goddess.

OPRAH
After we return from a commercial break we're in for a big treat. Cinza will sing her next big hit "So what if I like to build castles in my litter box." This song is also on her new CD and it's the world's first opportunity to hear it.

The image fades.

INT. APARTMENT -- MORNING

CINZA is lying in the same sunspot as before. She stretches and rolls over to her other side.

Fade out

~ inspired by Fin from Housecat Confidential -- a truly creative feline

Singing

2009-02-19T13:44:00.015-05:00

The Divine Ms. P: Oh no, the woman is singing.

Please stop, I have sensitive ears.

Babies are crying and milk is curdling three countries away. This is the most supreme act of cruelty to your two diva kitties and to the entire universe.

That's it you're grounded! No more youtube for the rest of this week!! If you really want R-E-S-P-E-C-T, you must stop singing and never, ever sing again.

Yeesh, sometimes she scares me.

Word Wednesday -- Guilt

2009-02-18T08:03:00.000-05:00

Cinza: After sharing the findings of my fourth step inventory, it was brought to my attention that the word "guilt" doesn't exist in my vocabulary.

Who needs guilt when you've got a winning combination of charm, determination and chutzpah?

Twelve Step Tuesday -- Step Six

2009-02-17T08:17:00.002-05:00

Were entirely ready to have the divine black cat goddess remove all defects of character -- if any could be found.

Music Monday

2009-02-16T10:12:00.006-05:00

The Divine Ms. P: It's Family Day where we live -- a much needed long weekend in February.

Hope you enjoy this 70s flashback.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFM9dqNASq4

Oh oh -- dying grass

2009-02-13T09:35:00.002-05:00

Cinza: The woman forgot to water our grass.

Never mind that we pretty much ignore it because that's irrelevant. The point is if we were plants, we'd be dead.

By the way, here's an amazing story about Max told by his person: http://kathompson.blogspot.com/. If you haven't already met him, he's quite the character and has his own blog http://psychokitty.blogspot.com/.

Thankful Thursday

2009-02-12T10:12:00.007-05:00

Ms. P and Cinza: We received our first award. A big thank you to Tristan and Crikey, Cliff & Olivia and Jasper McKitten-Cat for presenting us with this.

Here's the explanation:

"This blog invests and believes in PROXIMITY -- nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

We're not great at following rules (okay, so we're rebellious and allergic to numbers), but in the spirit of friendship we pass this award to the following (and yes, in all likelihood some of you probably already received this):

The Devil Dog
ZOOLATRY
Meezer Tails
Faz the Cat
Perfectly Parker
Everycat
Furkidsmom
Missy, KC, Bear
Siberian Cats, Mishka and Milakoshka - ( A Tail of Two Kitties + 1 )
Dughallmor Beagles
Aoise's world
the Cat Street Boyz
Artsy Catsy

Whapping Wednesday

2009-02-11T08:37:00.002-05:00

The Princess Cinza: Whilst being brushed (one of my most fave pastimes ever!), I got this sudden urge to jump on the table and whap this timer to the floor.

When the woman went over to inspect the timer she was surprised to discover that it was dead. (Duh! Of course it's dead because I KILLED it and it only took one mighty whap with my dainty little paw!)

It always made a nasty loud noise so I did us all a humongous favour and she should have thanked me, but she didn't. Oh well, all that matters is that I had fun.

At any rate, one down and three more timers to go, including the really, really nasty one implanted in the stove which goes on forever when the humans don't get their butts in gear fast enough to turn it off (which is all too often).

Twelve Step Tuesday -- Step Five

2009-02-10T08:33:00.005-05:00

Admitted to the black cat goddess, to our various selves and to another diva feline the exact nature of our miscalculations.

Manic Birthday Monday

2009-02-09T01:19:00.018-05:00

The Divine Ms. P: In honour of the woman's b'day I thought I'd indulge in a little fun. (Amazing how over night she turned a whole year older and she's moved onto a new decade, but being a lady I'm not going to make a big deal out of of this and embarrass her.)

Since the woman appreciates the reverently irreverent, I chose this just for her: Barbie Girl by Acqua:

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=lHZA3G3TRfw

She came across this whilst working on seriously amused and it's been playing in her head ever since. Now it will be forever implanted on her human brain. I like to call it the gift that keeps on giving...

Friends in need Friday

2009-02-06T09:22:00.067-05:00

The Divine Ms. P: We haven't been blogging for long and yet we're amazed at all the wonderful bloggers we have met.

Today, instead of writing about us, we would like to direct you to kitties and their people in need of our purrs.
Poor Jake has cancer. He is a very sick kitty who could use our support -- same with his loved ones.

Please send lots of healing purrs to Rocky’s Mommie. She was in the hospital and is now recovering at home.

Moki and his family could also use more of our support. When your animal companion is ill (especially if it's long term), it can be financially, emotionally and physically draining. Only someone who has experienced this would have any clue because for people who aren't involved, it all too easily becomes old news as they move on with their lives. Moki's Mom Crystal has never taken the easy way out; she keeps on looking for answers so she can help her little sweetie. In our eyes, both Moki and Crystal are heroes.

And don't forget about the humans and their animal companions who have been effected by the recession or all the lost, homeless, sickly and abused animals we've not heard about who could do with some loving purrs sent their way.

Have a safe and happy weekend!

I'm not brazen

2009-02-05T09:24:00.013-05:00

The Princess Cinza: I'm underfed.

Just look at me! I'm wasting away!!

Hey, could the woman have chosen a more unflattering photo???

I'm not fat; I'm cute and cuddly with a big appetite for life.

Now will someone chase me so I can have a little fun?

Word Wednesday

2009-02-04T11:54:00.007-05:00

The Divine Ms. P: Brazen -- a word that aptly describes the little grey furball.
The woman caught Cinza in the midst of inhaling my special kidney diet food on the kitchen counter. (We're NOT allowed on the counter -- EVER.)

When the woman walked into the kitchen, Cinza casually looked up and then resumed her inhaling, even while the woman was scolding her and telling her to get down!

After the little imp was removed from the scene of the crime, the woman covered my dish with a plate and left the room.

Seconds later the woman's meditation session was interrupted by the sound of a loud crash. Sure enough Ms. Short and Sassy had pushed the plate and my dish off the counter.

Did Cinza then run and hide??? Of course not. She returned to the kitchen and began to inspect the floor area surrounding the dish and what was left of the plate for something to eat.

Twelve Step Tuesday -- Step Four

2009-02-03T09:05:00.005-05:00

Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves -- all of our different personalities and the lives lived so far (or as many as we could remember).

Monday smile -- Simon's Cat 'TV Dinner'

2009-02-02T09:43:00.002-05:00

The Divine Ms. P: I have to say, this one I didn't relate to at all. When my people finally settle down to relax and watch a movie or two (as they did on Saturday), I like to get comfy on my favourite pillow next to them and keep them company as I snooze.

Enjoy your day and your week!

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=s13dLaTIHSg&feature=channel

PS Thank you for everyone's support last week. It was a difficult time and your kind words helped a lot.

Purring for Moki

2009-01-30T11:24:00.007-05:00

Ms. P and Cinza: Moki has been through a lot and deserves our support. Same for his Mom Crystal!

http://savemoki.blogspot.com/

Remembering Bashert

2009-01-29T17:05:00.024-05:00

The Divine Ms. P: It was two years ago today that Bashert died.

He was a gentle, loving spirit who chose the woman when she felt she had nothing left to give. (He adopted her a few months after the last of her three kitties died; they had all gone to the Bridge during a difficult one and a half year period.)

Bashert was a street tom; the vet figured he was anywhere between two to four years old when he adopted her, but he looked a lot older because the poor guy was in rough shape. He was FIV+, missing part of his ear and fur along his back and had runny eyes and broken teeth. During their first three weeks of "bonding" she gave him ear drops, eye drops and pills.

The woman promised Bashert that she'd get him healthy again and then find him a loving home. One day while sitting on her bed a few feet away from him she decided that the time had come to consider his future options. While she was thinking about who would be a loving companion for him, Bashert got up and settled down in her lap. It was the first time he did that and she knew right then and there that he was meant to be in her life, hence the name Bashert which is the Yiddish word for "destiny."

The two became best friends and loved to hang out together. Bashert was a snuggle kitty who loved to play as much as he loved to cuddle. Every night he would sleep with her and on chilly mornings she'd wake up to find his head next to her on the pillow, while the rest of him was underneath the covers.

One night the woman had a dream about a sick kitty. The next day she took Bashert to the vet. The test results indicated that his kidneys were going and the vet gave him a month to a year. It was largely because of Bashert's health issues that she learned Reiki so she could help him, and when she heard about a local homoeopath who treated animals as well as people, he started receiving homoeopathic treatments along with the care of his regular vet.

Mr. B lived another two and a half years. Along the way he developed a tumour and a heart murmur, but right up until the week before he died he was a happy kitty who loved hanging out with his bestest pal.

The woman still has a big Bashert sized hole in her heart that no one can fill, but she will always be grateful that this special kitty chose to share his life with her.

Writing this was one of the most difficult challenges ever. How does one capture the essence of anyone, especially someone who had so much personality? One thing is for sure, Bashert will always remain alive in her heart. She's not joking when she says that she'd like to be more like him -- a generous, loving and open spirit who gave with all his heart and soul.

Healing power of purrs

2009-01-28T13:58:00.004-05:00

The Divine Ms. P: The woman is feeling sad. It's the fifth anniversary of her mother's death.

We weren't going to post today, but I've been doing my best to comfort her and it seems to be helping.

All day long I've been keeping a close watch on her. Right now I'm sitting on the woman's lap, purring and alternating between gazing lovingly at her and licking her hand as I dictate today's post.

Earlier while she was doing yoga, I would strike a pose whilst sending her healing purrs. She kept coming over to pet me and then I'd come up with a new pose and give her my best "you know you want me" look.

Anyway, the point of today's post is to remind everyone that love works wonders. If you're feeling down because you've got the January blahs, because you're missing someone or for any other reason, spread some love and open your heart to receive all the love coming your way.

It's hard work taking care of humans and now it's time for a kitty nap.

Twelve Step Tuesday -- Step Three

2009-01-27T10:47:00.001-05:00

Made a decision to turn our will and our nine lives over to the care of the great black cat goddess as we understood her.

Monday smile -- Feed the cat

2009-01-26T09:34:00.005-05:00

Ms. P: I tend to be more subtle in my approach, but even though I'm an older diva kitty, I'm always open to trying something new.

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=U_7FiTjS2hg

Cat grass -- paws up or down?

2009-01-23T15:25:00.009-05:00

The Divine Ms. P: Well, as you can see from the pictures we did some nibbling here and there.

But that was on the first day. We mostly ignore it; occasionally I'll throw up in the middle of the night and sure enough the servants will find some grass in the mess.

Just to see what would happen, the woman left some lettuce next to the pot of grass. Cinza went for the lettuce.

Later, lettuce was placed next to Cinza's evening meal. She went back and forth between the two!

Unfortunately, the woman can't find the photos, so there goes the evidence.

Cat grass

2009-01-22T12:57:00.001-05:00

The Divine Ms. P: Thanks to Whicky Wuudler for suggesting kitty grass for The Princess of Weird.

The fact that our woman didn't think of it all on her own is most perplexing given that she used to buy it for her previous felines.

And as for the man, well, I've been with him for nearly thirteen years. He thinks about bicycles, cameras and jazz -- cat grass is definitely not on his radar.

It's so hard to find good help.

Tomorrow: Cat grass -- paws up or down? We'll share our honest opinion.

Twelve Step Tuesday -- Step Two

2009-01-20T07:59:00.006-05:00

Came to believe that a power bigger than ourselves could get in the way of us inhaling all of the lettuce.

Monday smile -- this cat LOVES water

2009-01-19T16:25:00.004-05:00

The Divine Ms. P: The woman used to have a cat who would keep her company while she showered. He'd wait for her between the inner and outer shower curtains. Sometimes he would jump into the tub while the water was making its way down the drain.

Hope the following leaves you with a smile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iXHim3ToQ4&feature=related

Flashback Friday

2009-01-16T11:18:00.035-05:00

The Divine Ms. P: This was taken after we moved in with the woman a year and a half ago.

I don't much care for moves and to make things worse, repair guys were constantly coming and going.

I thought I'd found a nice safe spot away from all that nonsense and then the woman found me and had to take a picture.

Do I look happy?

Thankful Thursday

2009-01-15T10:45:00.005-05:00

Ms. P: We are sooo glad our heater is working, especially now that the tempera-ture has taken a drastic nosedive!!! Yesterday morning we started out with -21 C, but it felt more like -30 C with the wind.

It's so cold our servant can't open the bedroom window because it is covered with ice and the pipes are making loud banging sounds. (The man kept waking up to the banging. He figured Princess Bam Bam had found a closed cupboard and was sending messages to the mother ship only to find her snoozing next to him.)

We're lucky we're indoor kitties and send special purrs to all animals who don't have homes and hope that anyone with dogs takes special care when they're outside. Our woman gets upset when she sees a dog left outside in the snow while their person is in some store or coffee shop where it's nice and warm.

In other news: Big Paw Blog is looking for guest bloggers to write articles about pets. You can find them at http://www.bigpawblog.com/.

Caught in the act

2009-01-14T08:40:00.023-05:00

Step One:

We admitted we were powerless over lettuce -- that our lives had become unmanage-able.

It's time for an intervention

2009-01-13T09:36:00.009-05:00

The Divine Ms. P: It seems a certain little grey furball has been stealing lettuce again.

Other news: the woman has met her first goal for 2009 and her photo blog http://seriouslyamused.blogspot.com/ is up and running again since a few days ago.

Also, speaking of green veggies, we came across two more videos on Pugwash (aka the kitty who loves broccoli). Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVdcipZLrms&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IprLfkuAdJU&feature=related

Monday smile -- kitten loves broccoli

2009-01-12T17:49:00.006-05:00

The Divine Ms. P: The woman used to have a cat who loved broccoli. He would dive into the fridge and steal the stuff. Must be something about those black and white kitties...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIFNEddeZI4

Yeah for heat!!

2009-01-09T15:57:00.012-05:00

Ms. P: Everything is working again as of an hour ago.

A big thank you to all our blogosphere friends for their support.

The man and woman are thinking of celebrating tonight with Vietnamese takeout. Me? I think I'll go for a before dinner nap.

By the way, thank you to Zoolatry for this picture. Don't I look divine?

The gerbil is back in Mom's head

2009-01-08T14:10:00.004-05:00

Cinza: The woman is in a hissy mood.

The heater is still not working and she's tired of staying home all day waiting for repair people to show up, especially on sunny days.

The super and someone else came by on Tuesday and they changed the thermostat. After while tinkering with the heater, there was a mini explosion, so again no more heat.

The next day the electrician came by and said the guy from the day before installed the wrong thermostat. The electrician also has to replace various parts because of the damage done by the explosion, but he didn't have the parts he needed because his usual van is in for repairs, so he said he'd likely be back by the end of the week. In other words, still no heat.

Today no one came; the woman kept herself busy working on making some of her New Year's goals come true. She's so determined to make changes she's been too busy to write down her goals.

Meanwhile, she's really tired and barely functioning because we never let the people sleep through the night. They've tried all kinds of things and nothing is working.

For awhile when we started our wake up routine at 4 a.m., the man would get up and sleep on the couch so the woman could sleep. (She has a problem falling back to sleep, while he doesn't.)

He noticed that once he was on the couch, we'd settle down. He spent the next several weeks sleeping on the couch so everyone could catch up on their sleep and they were happy because we were less active during the night.

The last two weeks they've been trying to "normalize" things with both of them sleeping in the bedroom, and we were back to the usual: purring and kneading away on their pillows, scratching on boxes and furniture in the bedroom, meowing and fighting over who gets to sleep on our favourite pillow. (The people put out two pillows for us, but we both want the same one.)

Last night they gave up trying to normalize things. The man is back to sleeping on the couch and the woman is having problems sleeping through the night again. We suspect the gerbil is back in her head, but she claims it's because she's used to us waking her up throughout the night.

They're both frustrated and don't know what to do.

Heater still not working

2009-01-06T13:19:00.005-05:00

The Princess Cinza: Today and tomorrow people are supposed to be inspecting our heating system.

The super has admitted he doesn't know why it's PMSing, and so far everything the electrician has done for the last two winters has worked temporarily.

Our castle is absolutely balmy... if you're a polar bear wearing a parka. Fortunately, considering it's January in Toronto, it's a relatively mild day at -7 C, so things could be a lot worse. (We're still relying on the little portable heater to warm things up.)

As you can see, we're snoozing on the sleeping bag the servants are using -- in addition to the comforter and blankets.

We haven't been more cuddly than usual and we haven't been burrowing under the covers (something we'll do when we want to hide from visitors or when we want to cozy up to our servants). We're doing just fine thanks to our diva fur coats.

The Woman is finding different ways to use the oven(s) as much as possible. The other night she heated up leftover homemade falafel and made chips out of a mixture of potato peels, garlic, onions, olives and spices in the big oven, while in the toaster oven she broiled sliced bagels on which she spread coconut oil and a kazillion different herbs.

It's sunny outside and instead of waiting around for repair people to show up, the woman would rather be out and about before it starts to cloud over and snow later this afternoon, but, staying home is giving her a chance to catch up on a few things.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that the city is doing emergency repair work today, so we're without water between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

But, this too shall pass and one day this will all be a memory.

Frigid Friday

2009-01-02T09:10:00.020-05:00

The Divine Ms. P: I call this my Kitty Cocooning in Her Condo pose.

Today the goal around here is to stay warm.

Let me backtrack a bit. Ever since we moved into this apartment 1 1/2 years ago, we've had heating issues, as in the heater would stop working (even after several visits from the super and the electrician.)

The last few days it's been unusually warm in here, too hot actually, and then the newest plot twist happened in our little soap.

On New Year's Day it smelled weird in here and the smoke detector kept going off even though Mom and Dad kept opening all the windows. The super came to our place several times and the last time he came our little castle was filled with smoke. Dad stayed with us to talk to the super, but Mom had to leave because her asthma was sneaking up and was ready to attack.

The heating system in our place has been shut off and the temporary little heater the super loaned us wasn't working during the night. Mom woke up with one of her "sore throat specials," but fortunately, Dad got the little heater to work this morning before he left for work.

It's finally starting to warm up in here and we're hoping by early next week this will all be a memory.

Happy New Year!!!

2008-12-31T14:47:00.002-05:00

We wish everyone a Happy New Year, filled with peace, love, joy and laughter, happy surprises and many opportunities to make a positive difference -- in other words, everything that makes life worth living.

Ms. P, Cinza and Mom

Toesies

2008-12-30T10:55:00.010-05:00

The Divine Ms. P: A lady knows when to show them and when to fold them.

Back to work Monday

2008-12-29T09:32:00.025-05:00

The Princess Cinza: Dad is back to work after his four-day holiday weekend. That means we get Mom all to ourselves and we're hoping we'll have time to visit our friends on the blogosphere although Mom keeps talking about making lists and all the stuff she has to do.

What could possibly be more important than hanging out with us? Or napping?? (Mom seriously could do with a nap or two because we like to remind her of our divine presence during the night when she's trying to sleep.)

This picture is of a street menorah Mom took a few days ago and below you can see our menorah from last night.

Two surprises Sunday

2008-12-28T09:58:00.025-05:00

The Divine Ms. P: Well colour me shocked -- in a good way.

I like the first meal of the day to be served nice and early, which is why I usually start my gentle morning wake up call between 4 and 4:30 a.m. (There's a reason why my humans feel like zombies all the time.)

Yesterday was day three of the Man's four-day holiday weekend. I was feeling generous and allowed him to sleep in a bit.

At 5 a.m. he woke up all on his own, got up and headed straight for the kitchen. At first I didn't bother leaving the bed because I've learned to keep my expectations to a minimum, but a few minutes later when I heard the right kitchen sounds I left my warm, comfy spot on my pillow and seconds later I was eating breakfast.

Mid-afternoon (again without any prompting), the woman got up in the midst of watching "Malice Aforethought" and fed us.

Perhaps my years of patient training are FINALLY starting to pay off!!! Then again, Christmas is over, so maybe it's a Hanukkah miracle. Or, it could be just a weird fluke because of the way the stars and planets were lined up. In any event, it was a good day.

Mostly cocooning Saturday

2008-12-27T12:51:00.029-05:00

The Divine Ms. P: It's grey, wet and slushy outside -- perfect for a day indoors. We're going to watch films. As you can see I'm ready. The two remotes and the Man's glasses are sitting next to me on the night stand; all that's missing is the chips and dip and two sets of opposable thumbs.

I'm on my favourite pillow (before The Princess of Weird hogs it). I like the way the fabric shows off my divine furs.

Cinza: ZZZzzz...

Just chillin'

2008-12-26T16:13:00.013-05:00

The Divine Ms. P: The man says the woman doesn't know how to relax.

See, this is how it's done.

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-25T11:32:00.022-05:00

Ms. P and Cinza: We have much to be grateful for, including this lovely gift from Zoolatry. (It's one of Mom's fave photos of us, so it means a lot to her.)

Being as we're two rescue kitties, we're fortunate to have a warm, comfy home with two people to torture and boss around (oops, to love and share our diva presence with), especially at this time of year when it can get very cold and so many animals are abandoned for one reason or another.

We wish a speedy and miraculous recovery for all the sick animals and people out there. We also purr for peace, healing and loving homes for the ones who have been abandoned and abused. And for everyone who lives with or works with animals (especially ones who are ill or have special needs), we purr that you will have the resources to always do your best even with the economy doing weird fish flops.

Cinza: Hey, enough of the mushy stuff, time for a game of cat and mouse. You can be the cat and...

Ms. P: Was everyone in your family weird or was it just you?

Ms. P doesn't wait for a response and walks away in search of a quiet place to snooze.

Weird Wednesday

2008-12-24T10:31:00.043-05:00

Cinza: Everyone around here thinks I'm strange because I like to be chased. (At first my people thought I was skittish and might have been abused.)

Ms. P thinks my kitty mom forgot to have that important talk with me, you know the one where she'd explain that I'm a cat and I do the chasing, not vice versa.

But hey, I get a little bit of exercise and when I've had enough, I jump up onto the bed or on top of the kitty condo and wait to be petted (preferably petted with one hand, whilst being brushed with the other).

As long as I get what I want, I'm happy and all is right with my weird little world.

Two giggles Tuesday

2008-12-23T10:05:00.017-05:00

Cinza: Sometimes when the litter box is clean I like to amuse myself by creating sand castles.

The other day I did it twice. Both times Mom went through the litter assuming I had done something. Both times she found nothing.

She mumbled something about me trying to gaslight her. I don't know what that means, but if it involves having fun, then count me in.

Happy latke season!!

2008-12-22T10:37:00.009-05:00

Our slaves tried to get us to pose, but we refused after hearing there will be no sour cream or yogurt this year. We've heard rumours about mock sour cream made of tofu and the usual homemade apple sauce. Ick, that's not real food.

In a few days it will be Christmas, and we're hoping the almighty black cat goddess will intervene on our behalf and something edible (and therefore worth stealing) will be served.

We're not holding our breaths because blue is not a natural colour for kitties.

Ms. P and Cinza

Another victory for the divas

2008-12-21T09:52:00.006-05:00

No more sharing Mom's blog, we now have our own. It's ours, ALL OURS to do as we deem fit. Look out world because there's no telling what little furball we'll be sharing!!

Seriously amused will once again be Mom's blog and will be up and going in the new year. It will probably be mostly filled with her photos and incoherent, insomnia induced mumblings.

Ms. P and Cinza