The Christmas Tree Hunt of 2012 (the much-delayed edition)

Despite the lack of posts, we didn’t miss our annual tradition of going out to get a real live christmas tree. We had been planning to go out to the tree farm on the Saturday, but delayed due to the dreadful weather, which once again included freezing rain.

But first – a very belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone who sees this! Or maybe it’s not late, but just super-early for next year? And of course there are still the orthodox christmas and new year… yes… that’s what I was aiming for!

We definitely did not regret our decision when a frosty and nearly-clear Sunday greeted us the next day. Possibly since we were so early, we didn’t see too many people on the way to the farm. It was a whole different story when we were leaving, of course!

Before selecting a tree, hubby had to play a round of “good idea, bad idea”. Take that, “running with scissors”!

NB: No hubbies or christmas trees were hurt in the making of this photograph.

We wandered up and down the rows a few times, leaving random articles of clothing or saws near certain trees to mark our favourites, before we settled on this beauty.

For those curious, yes, that tree does fit under our standard-sized ceilings. But just barely. As can be attested by a nice straight scrape in the ceiling popcorn from when it had to be tipped into the stand. Oops.

This year, we wandered into a different section of the farm from where we’ve previously gotten our trees, and were rewarded with a nice view as we crossed a little stream to get there. I think this is the least-frozen I’ve seen this stream in the couple of years we’ve been going to the same farm (the weather more than made up for that later, in the week surrounding Christmas).

 

All dressed up in its rightful place, we’re pretty happy with our tree this year.

Again, hubby convinced me to get a mini-tree for the entrance (a tradition we started last year), but unfortunately I don’t have a picture of it. But I’m coming to love this tradition, since this is the tree that greets you with its twinkling tinsel and lights as soon as you walk in the door.

And of course I had to insert a completely gratuitous picture the kitties to end the post with… but it counts because it was taken in from of the christmas tree… right?

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Noises

This is too cute not to share.

I was working from home today, and noticed that the computer sounded a little bit strange… like maybe it was struggling with something, and the hard drive was spinning on and off all the time.

When leaning down to investigate, I discovered that there was, indeed, nothing wrong with the computer. Instead, BB has wedged herself into the spot between the desk, wall, camera bag and computer (which is above and just in front of her in this picture) – it was her contented purr, rising and falling like a wave, that I had mistaken for a computer malfunction.

How cute is she?

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Spring is here!

This was the view out of our dining room window this morning.

Hmmm. Do you notice anything interesting?

Let me zoom in… how about now?

Oh yes, that’s right – that beautiful orange kitty sitting on our deck? Not one of ours. Then again, given that ours don’t actually get to go outside, I can’t decide whether I can be mad at that orange kitty over aggravating my own cats – after all, I figure that while he’s there, the squirrels and raccoons are not!

To make up for all the stress caused by a strange on “their” territory, both the kitties spent some time watching TV with me on the couch.

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A kitty interlude

Let me set the scene for you…

A quiet weekday evening, I’m puttering around in the kitchen, baking. Glancing over to the family room, I see one of the adorable furballs napping on the couch. As an aside, they’ve both taken to sleeping on *something*, instead of just furniture – blankets, pillows, even carelessly left magazines. I don’t think I’ll ever understand my kitties.

Glancing over a few minutes later, I see the (old, demoted to construction) standing lamp topple over in slow motion, passing a few feet away from the sleeping cat and landing with a big crash. [Perhaps I should pause here to mention that this is the world's scarediest kitty who is napping on the couch]

Over the next 15 seconds, I feel like I’m reliving one of the Tom&Jerry cartoons I used to love as a kid. BB shoots UP from her pillow, looks around wildly and leaps off the couch. Ignoring my cooing of “Shhhh, it’s ok”, she darts one way, is stopped by the pile of tools (why yes, the family room is a perfect spot to store tools while working on the laundry room, thank you for asking), and darts the other way, toward the kitchen. Seeing me stepping out from behind the counter, right in her path, she tries to make a 90-degree turn to just GET THE HELL OUT of there. Except that their bowls of food and water are right on the far side of that turn. And just like in the cartoons, I see the helplessly skidding cat, paws working futilely to dig into the slippery linoleum, slide right into the water dish.

Undeterred by this bath, she finally makes it out in the kitchen. This is about the point where husband comes in (remember, only 15 seconds after the crash) – to find me pretty much on the floor, doubled up in laughter, pointing between the fallen lamp and the direction the cat disappeared in, trying to get in a breath between the tears and the laughter, unable to articulate what had happened.

/End scene

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Knitting

Remember how I’ve said before that sometimes the kitties fight over who gets to lie on my lap? Well, they’re at it again!

I can’t remember who was there first this time, although usually it’s Shakey trying to wedge himself in when BB is already on my lap.

They’re both pretty good craft companions. If they’re in a playful mood, they will swat at the yarn periodically, but usually quiet down if I turn around the yarn/them in such a way that they can’t see the yarn. With respect to crafts, BB is also hilarious because she’s terrified of absolutely everything – and yet when I’m sewing, she’ll inevitably come and curl up on my lap, despite a big loud machine clattering away less than 2 feet from her head.

What was I working on, you may wonder? A scarf for Dan’s niece! In all the madness before Christmas, I forgot to take a picture – but this was the inspiration. Now, I’m working on another scarf – for myself this time, and using the awesome new circulars from the Addi Click set I got for my birthday.

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Box reloaded

Not content with the previous record, Shakey decided that this time he’d go for FOUR boxes. Not sure this is a fair count of four, though, since not all of them are technically full boxes.

We were rounding up the random boxes on the main floor before a party we recently had (yes, I’m aware we moved 6 months ago, thanks for pointing it out) and stacked them all near the door. Next thing we know, this guy took over the stack. As if he knew we were planning on getting rid of these, he zealously jumped in and curled up in it anytime we were anywhere around it.

Eventually, Dan found a moment when the cat was occupied, and snuck the boxes out. What’s a poor cat to do when faced with losing his favourite perch? Why, find a new one, of course. A much more cushy and luxurious one, to boot.

I kid you now, he now sleeps on top of the bag of reusable canvas shopping bags, with his head stuffed halfway inside. Is the world such a scary place, Shakey?

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Yarn!

Today I was reminded of something that every cat-owning knitter should know.

You can’t leave balls of yarn lying around. The kitties may consider them an early Christmas present.

Luckily, this was the extent of the damage – unlike when I was maybe 9 or 10, and I woke up one morning to find my room (which included a table and a few chairs) strung up in a web made from a few hundred meters of yarn. Over and under and around… in places, you had to watch where you were stepping in order not to get tripped up by the web. That cat must have had fun playing with the ball of yarn, because it took forever to unravel that web (no way was I cutting all that yarn!)

Here is one of the guilty parties guarding the other ball of yarn they had gotten their paws on.

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A closed-door policy

Those who own cats may be familiar with this phenomenon – when you hear a noise in the middle of the night, think “Oh, that must be the cats”… and then realise that both the cats are sleeping soundly on the bed with you. Uh oh.

Which is why when hubby goes away, more often than not I impose a closed-door policy. The kitties are locked out of the bedroom before I go to sleep, and if I do hear a noise at night, I can still confidently claim that “It’s probably the cats”.

[Someone was grumpy when I woke her up with my picture-taking]

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Box: take 2

Not satisfied with his previous claim to fame, Shakey decided to take it up a notch by hiding in a box inside of another box the other day.

Whoa. Tell me your mind is not blown by this development.

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Kitties!

What have our own kitties been up to?

Not much. With the onset of cold weather, they’re also starting to nest. Sometimes, this involves aggressive grooming. He held her down for a good 5 minutes, licking her whole back and head.

Other times, they feel the need to burrow into things. Like packing materials. Oh Shakey, you kill me.

And of course, BB has a unique talent for getting under covers when she’s cold (or scared, but that’s a different story). Many times we’ve been unable to find our kitty, only to spot a lump under the blankets on the bed… Here, she got under that blanket all by herself. No forceful cuddling necessary. And yes, I know that couch is hideous… I’ll be working on slip covers… at some point…

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