Life is Good

So, it’s finally my turn to write again. (Click here for my story). Things are going great for me. I’m feeling so much better, and I am still so happy to be back home. I’m eating very well, not only from our regular supply of dry food, but I get one-on-one feedings several times a day of my special canned food, too. I still have some symptoms, like a lot of sneezing, and though one of my eyes has healed and is almost back to normal, one continues to be affected. “He” and “She” picked up some new antibiotic ointment yesterday and they really hope it will make a difference with my eye. They continue to give me benadryl (per my doctor’s recommendation) for my sneezing and occasional sniffles and it seems to keep that at bay. All in all, I am doing very well. Pretty much back to my old self, picking up weight and growing back my coat where it was shaved. Life is good!

Speaking of the good life, we haven’t shared any sights from recent motorcycle rides in a while, so here are some photos to enjoy:

I have determined that life runs in cycles, the old “hills and valleys” theory. We may all be in different places – some are on hills and some are in valleys. Whenever you find yourself in a valley, it’s important to keep looking up, or you just might miss the hill. I’m glad to say that at this point we are on a hill, here at the House of 9 Lives, and we hope you are too.

Yeah, life sure is good.

Jazz
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How We Roll

Today ees zee first day of zee Fall. Zees ees a favorite time of zee year for a lot of people. Can you blame zem? Avround here, eet means a break from zee hot, humeed days of zee Summ-air, zee colleege football, and zee beautiful, turning leaves.

“He” and “She” took zee opportuity of zee cool-air temperatures to do a leettle firevood cutting yesterday. Zee vooded area on our prop-air-ty provides zem wiz ample firevood, and zey do not even have to cut down trees to get it. Usually, zee vind veel see to eet zhere are a couple of beeg leembs or trees zat go down. Zees ees where zey get zee firevood. No need to take down a healzy tree, when zee vood ees already zere for zee taking.

Vhile zey were out doing zis:

They Traded ”Hogs” for logs. 

To get zis:

Cozy Fires to Come

Ve were doing zis:

Cat Napping

Yeah, zis is how ve roll!

And, wiz zee change in zee weazer, He and She hope zis ees how zey vill get to roll more often!

A Couple of Shadowy Figures

Casanova
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Serendipity

We are dedicating this post to accidents. In television and movies, they will sometimes show you their out-takes. Well, “She” is a less than perfect photographer, and we’ve got the out-takes, or accidents, to prove it!

Before we get to the pics, though, we want to mention one other accident. He and She have two Nephews that ride motorcycles. One lives in New Mexico, and the other one lives in Alabama. On Tuesday evening, Bama Biker Nephew laid his bike down and is currently in the hospital recovering from a tear to his spleen and a cracked vertebra. Best wishes to Biker Nephew for a fast and full recovery!

Now, on to the bad pictures!

Reflections

Flirt is a Blur

Could you hold still, please?

Bad Lighting

So, you see most of the pictures on this blog that turn out well, are just happy accidents! I think they call that serendipity. Let’s hope all future bike rides involve only happy accidents!

Framed (not)

Flirt
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Hi Ho…

At the beginning of this month, “He” got a well-deserved promotion, and moved to another agency. I’m kind of sad about that because in his former job, he was on call almost all the time, and since I am basically nocturnal, I would keep him company when he would have to get up at 3:00 in the morning to work. I’ll miss that time with him, but “She” is so excited to be able to sleep through the night now!

It has been an easy transition, as the people He is working with are really nice, and He is in the same building as before, and continues to be in touch with the friends He left at his former job.  Also, it seems He has found himself in a Gnome Zone.

During his first week of work, He returned from lunch one day to find a Gnome had taken up residence at his desk. His name is Bittlebert, and he is going to keep vigil during the day to make sure things go well.

The Gnome Zone

Per Wikipedia, in modern fantasy games, Gnomes are depicted as little guys “displaying characteristics such as a cheery temperament, a high degree of intelligence coupled with curiosity and poor judgment, and an unusual talent when it comes to either using magic or inventing and building technology…” We don’t know much around here about fantasy games, modern, or otherwise, but it appears He has a lot in common with Gnomes. He has a talent with technology and a cheery temperament, and is intelligent and curious. I sure wouldn’t say his judgement is poor – He does live with nine cats!

It seems that Gnomes are also quite considerate little creatures. When they found out that She works close by and had no Gnome of her own, one was provided! He found the little fellow on his desk one day with instructions to be given to her. So, now She also has a little guy to watch out over her every day. Meet Gnorman:

Gnorman the Gnome

She was happy to have Gnorman come to her desk, and will always feel protected with him looking up at her adoringly.

What do you want to do today?

So, “Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to work” they go, and they have a couple of sweet little Gnomes to keep them company while they are there. I’m okay with that. As long as they know there’s no Gnome at home, and I’ll be the one to look up at them adoringly and keep them safe and happy. I’m as good as any Gnome, anyway. I’m intelligent, curious, cheerful, technologically gifted (I can open cabinet doors), but, like him, my judgement is sound. I knew which house to start hanging around, didn’t I?

Kosmo
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Music to my Ears

“He” and “She” have a wedding anniversary this weekend, Sunday, September 14th. They will have been married for twenty-four years. That seems like a really long time to me! But, they say the time has flown by.

They were looking at the list of traditional gifts for anniversaries, and while there is no gift for a twenty-fourth anniversary on the traditional list, the modern gift for this year is a musical instrument. Since she only took violin lessons for a few months, a few years ago, and he recently gave away his guitar, there isn’t much in that category they could think of they would like to have. Nothing musical at all comes to mind. They don’t care for live concerts too much, and they have all the stereos and MP3 players and such that they need. They thought about maybe going somewhere musical, like Nashville, which wouldn’t be too far, but they really don’t like to be away from home overnight too much. Well, maybe they’ll just settle down for a nice romantic candlelit night and munch on Bugles and Fiddle (Faddle). That has a musical ring to it, doesn’t it?

You can bet next year their anniversary won’t be any problem. The minute He found out it would be their Silver anniversary, he immediately knew what to get. Chrome for the bike! Ah, romance!

Alley
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She’s Come Unglued

It might be strange to you that a cat is writing about something like ladies’ makeup, but that’s how it is around here at The House of 9 Lives. We share in their lives, much as they share in ours. They appreciate the beauty of napping in a sunbeam, while we like to help them work on the computer.

When it comes to makeup, “She” doesn’t wear a lot of it on a regular basis, and lateley, she is completely disenchanted with mascara. No matter what brand she wears, or how expensive it is, she winds up with raccoon eyes at the end of the day. No matter how smudgeproof or waterproof the claims are, it just doesn’t work for her. She finally decided it was better to have none on at all than to walk around with it smudged all underneath her eyes, so she hasn’t been wearing it.

Recently, she decided she would give false eyelashes a try. She fumbled with them for a while and finally got them positioned right on her eyelids. She actually thought they looked pretty good. Not overly fake-looking, and He even said they looked good. She just knew this was going to be the cure for mascara-smudged eyes. Unfortunately, while they were at breakfast, she realized the lashes were loosening. So, to avoid any major embarrasment (which would have made a good post for me), She removed them.

She tried again on Monday, to wear them to work. They stayed on this time for almost two hours, but she had to take them off about the time she got there, as one of them was just barely hanging on. When She got home yesterday afternoon, She had other things to do, so She just put them up on the shelf in the bathroom. When He went into the bathroom this morning, this is what greeted him:

Coming Unglued

I think that towel is winking at him!!

Blossom
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Table with a View

Our readers may wonder just how many posts we can write about eating. Well, it is a favorite subject for most of us, here at The House of 9 Lives! And, while we are on the subject, we would be remiss if we didn’t tell you Jazz is continuing to eat well – things are almost back to normal for him. This time however, we want to write about a place that “He” and “She” like to go to eat. It is the Green Valley Market and Cafe, located in Eclectic, Alabama on Highway 229 at Kudzu Korner Village.

Green Valley Market and Cafe offers Fine Meats and Wine, Gourmet Foods and Casseroles, Deli Sandwiches and Salads, as well as Custom Bakery Items and Catering. He and She have eaten there several times and have never been disappointed. Their menu is varied and the ingredients are fresh and tasty. Their specialty sandwiches include a traditional New Orleans Muffaletta, a Cuban Panini, and Yellowfin Tuna Salad. They also offer a “Create Your Own Deli Sandwich” option with your choice of meat, cheese and bread. There are several Salad selections to choose from, as well as Soups and great Side Dishes.

As if all this weren’t enough, they offer to go items including fully cooked casseroles in two sizes to feed either 2-3, or 6-8 people. Casseroles available include Almond Chicken, Jambalaya, Eggplant Parmesan, Beef Stroganoff, Meat and Three Cheese Lasagna, and more! Frozen side dishes are also available in two sizes of 3-4, or 8-10 servings. Choose from Squash Casserole, Creamed Spinach, or,  Sweet Potato Casserole, just to name a few. Salads are also available. Another item you have to try, if you haven’t already, is the Tomato Pie. She has made a tomato pie for years that is pretty darn good, but the pies at Green Valley are settled into a delicious homemade crust that She is unwilling to attempt!

Another offering by Green Valley is Fresh Cut Meats. Steaks, Chops, Applewood Bacon, and Stuffed Chicken Breasts are some of the many items available.

Now you know the nice people at Green Valley wouldn’t leave you hanging after a fine meal, either! They offer many desserts; Cakes, Cookies, Pies and Cupcakes by individual servings, or whole, or by the dozen!

Great food is always a good reason to dine out, but you won’t be disappointed with the atmosphere at Green Valley, either! This quaint building is situated in a quiet rural area overlooking the sweetest little lilly-pad inhabited pond. Tables and chairs on the back porch make for a great outdoor dining experience. Inside, there is quite a variety of gift and gourmet food items. And, you won’t find a nicer group of people at any other eating establishment.

If you find yourself in the Lake Martin area, be sure to stop by Green Valley Market and Cafe for a great meal and a very pleasant experience. Who knows, you might even do a little shopping while you are there! Be sure to tell them you heard about them from The House of 9 Lives!

Boomer
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