Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Wahoo! Wednesday


Or, maybe it's WootWoot! Wednesday. That's shaving cream on grass, from last week's band initiation, in case anyone's interested. The tradition is that after the freshman are coated in shaving cream and everyone's hosed down, the seniors write their names in shaving cream on the opposite hill. I love the name-writing tradition. No, nobody is named Woot Woot, as far as I know.

So, ready for some Wahoos? We had a couple of very un-wahooey weeks, but I think we're getting back up to speed, here, adjusting to being a one-cat house. Miss Spooky has made it clear that she is very pleased to be an Only Cat and is still going out of her way to show just how cute she is.

1. Wahoo for the sweet fur friend who changed her routine to keep me company when I came home with an empty pet carrier. They are so sensitive to emotion, I'm telling you. Here she is, working on her beauty routine:

2. Wahoo for those crazy teenagers. I keep flipping through the photos of band kids at their initiation and it's just such a huge upper. I can't look at this and not smile:

or this:



3. Wahoo for the tiny anole lizard hatchlings in our overgrown kitchen garden. They're providing endless hours of entertainment, as our breakfast nook window looks right out over the little garden. That little metal garden fence is only about 1/4" thick, by the way.

4. Wahoo for great memories of the smartest, most lovable cat I've ever had the joy of sharing a home with in my life, little Miss Sunshine:

5. Wahoo for tissues. I don't know what I'd have done without all those handy boxes of tissues, last week - maybe gone through a good-sized load of towels.


6. Wahoo for funny husbands. Remember all that rain? Weeks and weeks of rain and a foot of grass? Guess what happens when the grass gets high? The husband mows over the garden hose. Okay, so a few plants tragically died while waiting for the Man of the House to replace the garden hose, but when he did, he actually bought a nicer one. So, next time he mows over the hose . . . okay, we'll just hope we never have to go there.



7. Wahoo for you. All of you. I can't thank all of you enough for the heartfelt messages, last week. I'm so lucky to have met all you book-loving bloggy folks!!


Happy Wednesday, Bloggy People!!!!

Love,
Bookfool

31 comments:

  1. Those pictures of the kids are great :) Just puts a smile on your face. I miss those high school days! They really are some of the best days of your life. I always thought people were nuts when they told me that back then.

    I'm in love with these tiny lizards. I think they're taking over...it's a tiny lizard conspiracy. It's amazing that I've never noticed them before, but I see them every day now. They're adorable!

    Miss sunshine sure was a beauty. I really do think that animals have a very keen sense of the emotions of others around them. They can be so comforting at times. Sounds like your little black cat is stepping up to the plate and being a gem of a pet!

    I've run over my fair share of hoses with the lawn mower. 3 to be exact. 1 was out of sheer laziness. I didn't feel like moving it and figured I could "maneuver around it" and move it on the next pass back...didn't work out so well...

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  2. Your pictures are fabulous as always! Glad you're starting to feel back on track. :)

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  3. Wahoo! for you, too! I love your blog and especially the wahoo! posts. I'm so glad that we have been able to become friends this way. So I guess that's a wahoo! for blogger.

    p.s. great pictures!

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  4. Anonymous5:37 AM

    I loved the shaving cream pictures! How did a tradition like that get started in the first place?

    We used to have 3 cats. The youngest, Won Ton, was very shy and kept to himself a lot. After we lost the first two cats, Wonnie's character changed completely. He became more outgoing and much friendlier and loving. It's like he realized that he had to take over for the other 2 cats. cats are so intelligent.

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  5. Fantabulous wahooing! I have to say, I've never been a big lizard fan (they creep me out from up close), but that one is SO CUTE. I might not even be creeped out by them any more if you keep posting pics like that!

    :)

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  6. I'm so glad you're starting to feel better. I cried for days with each of my boys. And you're right; they know when something is wrong. They can be so sensitive.

    God I miss band camp days. Those were the best!! (Yes, I was a band geek and proud of it! LOL)

    Cute lizard!! I wish I had a kitchen garden!

    My hubby ran over a plastic bag in the yard last night. Now I have tiny pieces of plastic all over the front yard. Yay.

    Wahoo for you! I'm just thankful you're feeling better. I know how hard it can hit when one looses a pet.

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  7. This was one of the best posts ever. You are a lucky person to have such a wonderful family - furry and otherwise!

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  8. What a great post! Those shaving cream pics definitely bring back memories of my high school's band 'hazing'. Although, we did quite a bit more that probably is no longer allowed!

    Awww, Sunshine, I'm sure it must be a hard time right now. But you always have the memories and beautiful photos.

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  9. Chris,

    They were so cute, those band kids. I was standing there taking loads of pictures, at one point, and when I turned to the side there was a dad standing nearby with this huge, cheesy grin on his face. It really was fun to watch. I loved my high school years, too - not just on reflection. I knew I was having fun. LOL

    Lizard conspiracy . . . funny! They are definitely cute. And, this is the first year I've ever seen them, too. I think they like that garden because I haven't weeded - lots of great hiding places and things to climb on.

    Thank you; I always thought Sunshine had a sweet face. She was usually my comfort cat, but Spooky has stepped right in. She's being a little angel.

    Oh, no, you've run over 3 hoses!!! I think my husband wants to know you, so he can look better. ;)

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  10. Nat,

    Thank you and thank you. It's nice to be able to look at a photo of Sunshine and just say to myself, "She was a great kitty," instead of "Bwwaaaah!!"

    Nik,

    Why, thank you, aren't you a sweetie pie! :) I love your blog and I'm glad we've met, too! Your anecdotes always make me smile. I had no idea blogging would be such a great way to meet like-minded souls, did you? Definitely a wahoo for Blogger.

    Lynne,

    I have no idea!!! Shaving cream has been around for a long time, so who knows when it started. They have such a great time.

    I agree completely - cats are so much smarter than most people give them credit for and they're sensitive and emotional creatures. That's really cool about your Won Ton!!!

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  11. Andi,

    I'll just keep posting the cutest little lizard pics I can manage. I'm going to turn you into a lizard lover, yet. LOL Those little tiny hatchlings are so adorable, I think you'd be charmed if you saw them in real life.

    Heather,

    Me, too. I seriously went through so much Kleenex that we had to grab some at the store. It was getting to be a desperate situation! It must have been twice as hard losing two.

    Shhh! I was a band geek, too. It was pretty fun. I didn't admit that.

    I think I should call it the herb and lizard garden. Our veggies almost all keeled on us. The tomatoes are in some sort of weird stasis - they're not growing at all - just . . . hanging there. So strange!

    Oh, plastic pieces. Such fun!

    Thanks, it's nice to have the worst over with. I had to really pep talk myself a lot to get to the point that I could look at photos and say, "Okay, think of the good. Think only of the good," and then actually succeed at it. The first few days, I'd just see a photo or walk past one of her favorite spots (or reach for two bowls instead of one) and have a total meltdown. Self pep-talks can be very helpful. LOL

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  12. Bridget,

    Thank you! You're right; I'm lucky. Or, maybe blessed. :)

    Nyssaneala,

    I don't think we did any hazing at my school, but I grew up in kind of an uptight place. We had a senior tradition of decorating the exterior of the school (with toilet paper, shaving cream, and sometimes interesting things like rusted car bodies painted with slogans) but the year I graduated they said, "If you do this, you'll be arrested." Sure enough, they arrested some kids for vandalism. What a huge disappointment!!!

    Sunshine was such a little buddy that I'll miss her for a long, long time. Memories and photos help. I just try not to let myself think *too* long. I'll still crumble if I think too hard. The worst is over, though. It was really hard letting her go; she went downhill so fast.

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  13. Anonymous10:46 AM

    I can't even imagine not having our two cats around. I'm so glad your remaining furry friend has been so good to you!

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  14. Heather,

    I'm threatening her with kittens, today. It's kind of annoying when the one cat is not in a friendly mood!

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  15. Great pictures and a great post. I'm still smiling...

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  16. Jenclair,

    Thanks. I'm always happy to know I've given anyone reason to smile. :)

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  17. I'll echo everyone's sentiments here. Those are great pictures, as always. I love the little lizard. Very cute! And nice pics of the kitties. Miss Spooky may turn out to be quite a lovie now that she's queen of the castle. Or not. ;) Be gentle with yourself about Miss Sunshine. It took me well over a year to even talk about our Sidney-the-Dog without getting choked up. Now we both mention him with love and fond memories. You'll get there. Hugs to you, dear friend.

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  18. Anonymous4:12 PM

    Miss Spooky is just adorable. Cute kids! Shaving cream traditions. Jeepers.

    Sunshine was loved hugely so she's missed hugely. {hugs}

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  19. I can pretty much echo the rest of the crowd. Your pictures are great, as always. I love the one of the kids being hosed off. It did make me smile.

    And animals have an sort of empathy that we, as limited humans, don't. I truly believe that. My dog knows when I'm in the dumps and she makes sure to be around me a lot more.

    I like the way Dean Koontz says it - dogs (or animals in general as I believe) are much closer to God than people because they have simpler souls. I think it's that simpler soul that allows them to give such amazing, unconditional love. I know I'd be lost without it.

    cjh

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  20. Les,

    Thank you. I'd never have expected to use a word like this to describe lizards but, honestly, they're precious! So tiny! So cute! I wouldn't want to try to cuddle one, but they're great to photograph and watch.

    Miss Spooky is moody! Today, I had to drag her in and plunk her on the bed three times before she finally gave up and stayed. Crazy cat. But, she's really a gentle, sweet-tempered feline. We've always known we lucked out when it came to pets, getting passive angels instead of the clawing devil type. I'll miss Sunshine for a long, long time but self-pep talks have helped. I don't melt into a puddle, now, thank goodness (although, yes, I do choke up a bit). Really amazing how they worm their way into our hearts, isn't it?

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  21. Carrie,

    Miss Spooky says, "Thank you." She's been a little fusspot, today - maybe the heat's getting to her. The humidity has been particularly brutal; she's been on the floor instead of her usual window perch, most of the day.

    Yeah. Shaving cream. It's cute but I'm really glad I didn't have to go through that kind of "tradition"!

    That's a great way to put it - loved hugely, missed hugely. Thanks. You're so right. And, thank you for the hugs. :)

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  22. CJ,

    Thank you. Those hosing-off photos are my favorites. I have one with a bunch of hands reaching up toward the water that I just love, but after 4 failed attempts to upload that one I gave up.

    Yep, that's it - empathy. Great word. Pets are very empathic, I agree. Maybe that's why my Spooky's being a little snippy, today - I don't need her as desperately. I really do think the heat is getting on her nerves, though, so she just wants to flop on the floor.

    Oh, yes, I totally agree with Dean. We went without pets for about 10 years and now I can't imagine living without that unconditional love they have to offer. There's just nothing to compare to the blind devotion of a fur friend, is there?

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  23. What a nice post! I always enjoy your photos, and the whole post just captured a slice of your life. Thanks for sharing it all.

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  24. I love the tiny anole lizards you are posting for us, though I've never seen a real one. Maybe I simply haven't been observant enough?

    By the way, I awarded you with a thoughtful blogger award on my Words from a Wordsmith page ... please drop by when you get a chance, and pick it up. May you long continue to blog thoughtfully ... and keep those photos coming!

    ~~~ Bonnie

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  25. Robin,

    Thank you. I had a lot of fun with this post. After last week, I was keeping my eyes peeled for things to celebrate. :)

    Bonnie,

    I've never seen those tiny little hatchlings before this year, and I'm sure they've been around. This year, I was looking. I knew there were two grown lizards hanging around the garden - one displaying and the other batting her eyes (so to speak). And, then, I just happened to look out, one day, and there was a baby on one of my strawberry leaves. His whole body (not including the tail) wasn't even as long as the leaf!! I've been watching for them, ever since. You have to be willing to sit and wait in the right place, you know?

    Oh, thank you. I'll hop over and look at that post, momentarily! How sweet. :)

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  26. LOL kids are crazy. You know you are getting older when things like that just don't seem like fun anymore.

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  27. Myutopia,

    So true on both counts!!

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  28. What lovely pictures of your kitties, and the shot of the lizard was quite fabulous too. You're a great photographer.

    Little Miss Sunshine certainly does look like a sweetheart. My thoughts are with you.

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  29. I meant to post on your Sunshine post, but missed the boat. I'm so sorry she is gone. She looks like she was a gorgeous cat.
    Really lovely pictures all round here!

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  30. What a great Wahoo post this week, Nancy! That little lizard is so cute! And the kids sure looked like they were having fun.

    We've gone through a number of garden hoses, I'm afraid. Luckily hubby never thought to buy a more expensive hose. He always goes for the cheapest ones.

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  31. Tristi,

    Thank you. I have such fun taking photos of the critters. :)

    And, thanks, yes . . . little Sunshine was a sweetie, very affectionate. I keep thinking someday I'll write a post about her, but then things come up. Maybe I'll have a bit more time when school starts (that's wishful thinking).

    LC,

    You're posting now; that's more than enough! :) Sunshine was really pretty; I always thought she had a lovely face. And, thank you.

    Wendy,

    The lizards are just so darn cute - tiny, tiny little creatures, so you have to know where to watch for them. The kids had a terrific time. It was so fun to watch them.

    We really kind of need tough hoses because there's so much that can snag them (we get a lot of falling limbs, for example) and they tend to wear out quickly. So, I'm thrilled about the better hose. He's never run over one, before, so I'm hoping it will last!

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