Yet Another Post About Leaves

The other day, Sharon & I were walking outside on a leaf-strewn path and we saw the biggest leaves ever. Look at them!

Since I knew that wouldn't do much for you, I had Leo model with one for you.

Kitties Looking In

Every day occurences: Leo pops his head in the window when he wants in and that strange little cat comes by the back slider. Happy Saturday!

Black and White Thinking

Leo looking good in Black and White

Calvin: Dad, how come old photographs are always black and white? Didn't they have color film back then?
Dad: Sure they did. In fact, those old photographs are in color. It's just the world was black and white then.
Calvin: Really?
Dad: Yep. The world didn't turn color until sometime in the 1930s, and it was pretty grainy color for a while, too.
Calvin: That's really weird.
Dad: Well, truth is stranger than fiction.
Calvin: But then why are old paintings in color?! If their world was black and white, wouldn't artists have painted it that way?
Dad: Not necessarily. A lot of great artists were insane.
Calvin: But... but how could they have painted in color anyway? Wouldn't their paints have been shades of gray back then?
Dad: Of course, but they turned colors like everything else did in the '30s.
Calvin: So why didn't old black and white photos turn color too?
Dad: Because they were color pictures of black and white, remember?
- Calvin & Hobbes

Leo Drama

Saturday Salute

Leo is alive and well

Just Checking In

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh," he whispered.

"Yes, Piglet?"

"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw, "I just wanted to be sure of you."

Leo Says

Happiness is having a scratch for every itch.

Leo Says

You wrote about the wrong kind of animal, Bridget.

Today, at the Family Institute, in the midst of pelting snow outside, we hosted Dan Seaborn of Winning at Home at a luncheon. He talked about the Necessary Nine from his new book. Ok, this is starting to sound like the e-newletter I do at work, but anyway, it was good. One of the things he said was to remember that your spouse is a treasure. He held up a treasure box and said that you should continue always to discover what is in there. As I was leaving, I felt treasured indeed when I walked out to the snow & ice-covered van and remembered how John had made sure I had a snow scraper in the morning.

Temporary Good-byes

Thursday afternoon, Maria left to work at a weekend retreat. She's been so excited to go, but Bridget was a bit sad and made a very dramatic good-bye scene. Leo stayed home with Bridget and even let Bridge take pictures of him. Woo-hoo!


Photo by Bridget

Leo Says

My master went meet her friend Annette at Panerra. She better watch it - there's a lot of snow. If she gets snowed in, who will fill my food dish? Oh wait, she never does that anyway.

A Gentle Spirit

Yesterday afternoon as Maria was quietly working on a painting, Leo was sitting there quietly watching her. The sun even came out for awhile and filtered through the window. I was happy to catch that in a photo.

Leo Says: Election Edition

"If you won't blog about me, then I will."


So yesterday, Edward shook hands with John McCain at the rally here in GR and then he came home and I made him shake my hand. That's all.

Meowy Christmas

I am Leo, King of the Jungle

Leo says

the problem with laptops...


is they leave no room for kitties.

Flash Back Friday 44

Baby Leo, 2000

The Origins of Leo, or Dumb Moments in My Life

http://xkcd.com

The other day when Edward & I were walking in front of Ford's Presidential Museum downtown, we saw a kitty on the banks of the Grand River. It was very cute, we started saying stupid things and it reminded us of this comic.

Last night, the girls were talking about how we ended up getting our kitty. As they recalled, Bridget was probably 4 years old and in pre-school. I took her to the pet store, and she said so wistfully, I wish I had a bunny. Who could resist?

I said, without thinking, How about a kitty? It seemed more exciting to me than a stinky bunny in a cage. So we ended up getting a free cat who was born in a barn. The girls wondered aloud how different our life would be without Leo, and they concluded that there would probably be less stupid moments.



Oh well, he has given us something to do together even if it is to be stupid.

Here's a Grody Thing

So my lovely children and I were around the house today when we were entertained by a mighty clunk. Alas, as Edward was eating his hot dogs at the table inside, a bird had flown toward him but was stopped by the sliding glass door. (Must be pretty clean?) So the bird flopped on to the deck, dead as a doorknob. I told Edward to get a shovel and scoop it in to the woods.

But I'm eating hot dogs. (Hot dog in mouth, Bird in hand, ick)
But you're a boy.
So.
Okay. Bridget, you like dead stuff, you do it.
Mom, Im a girl.
Let's get Leo. He'll eat it. He'll eat anything. Leo!


Looking Smug with His Dead Bird

Catting Around

Leo, the Cat

It isn't such a slow day here. Maria is off to the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals, Edward has a McJob interview, and Bridget is running the mile in a track meet in near 90 degrees. I just wanted to do kitty pix anyway.

Slanted Kitty

Leo, May 2007

This is for Leo Fans

Contemplating his life

Flash Back Friday 15

Spring 2000, this is in honor of Leo who will be 7 years old tomorrow - that's 51 kitty years!

DST Lag

I am suffering from daylight savings time lag today. I yawned all the way to work!!! It's really bad this year since it happens 3 weeks earlier than usual. I know: If that is all I have to suffer from, I must have it pretty good.

So, since I have to make up for this hour that evaporated, I am going to post ""stupid" kitty pix today:






Leo pawing at goldfish in a baggy

Kitty Showdown

So I'm back after my one day sabbatical. Last night, we were visited by this little wild green-eyed kitty who just sat there for over an hour watching us through his wild green eyes.




Leo made a a lot of those deep growls like this: "mmmrrrrrooooowwwwwww."


But the wild, green-eyed kitty stayed.


Leo was mad, but we kept reminding him that he was the indoor kitty here. So in other words, get over it.

Stir Crazy

So, it's probably time for some cat pictures. This has been a very cold winter, and because of that, Leo hasn't been able to stay outside very long. Just this morning, he woke us up meowing at 4:30am. John got up twice to let him out and each time he just looked outside to see if the snow had somehow disappeared overnight. Five minutes later, he meowed and I got up to let him out. But the snow was still there. Five minutes later, John got up and tossed him out.


He loves to be right there in the morning when we are trying to get ready.


This is the ledge 10 feet above the ground where he likes to chase his tail.


It's always exciting to watch the water swirl down.


He loves how Maria's notebook matches his eyes....


...he just wishes Maria would pay more attention to him than Church History.

Egyptian Dreams

The Sphinx


Maria doing homework in front of the Sphinx

In one of my recurring dreams, the semester in history class is almost over and I haven't done any of the reading yet. I am getting a sense of dread over this. A friend who I used to work with has this same dream. Maria often dreams that I forgot to pick her up. I can only imagine the meaning behind these dreams.

My Cat is Funny

When I am going about my business at home, sometimes I will see a kitty head pop up in the window. Leo is looking for someone to go open the door for him. Yesterday, I went to get my camera instead.


When I finally did open the door, he looked at me like I was a poor excuse for the lady of the house.


Then he proceeded to sit smugly on the bench while I photographed him.

Here is a slideshow I made of him.

Bordering on Animal Cruelty?

I wouldn't go as far as calling it cruelty, but the other day when Leo wanted in, I had to go get my camera first.

Snow

Sunday, the snow began to come down thick and it is supposed to snow like this all week. It is so quiet and peaceful coming down, now stop me before I go on and on about the snowflakes like I did with the leaves. It is pretty though and I love photo ops.

The girls went sledding and they tried to include Leo, but he got all weird about it and ran away.

Tree

A few years ago, we dropped our annual tradition of going out to chop down a Christmas tree and replaced it with an artificial tree. We had another tradition where one of our kids would put the star on the tree on a rotating basis. This year was the end of that tradition as we see them in the picture above trying to get Leo to do it.



When Leo did not cooperate, Edward & Bridget had their own ceremony complete with "loo loo loo loo loo loo loo loo" to the tune of Hark, the Herald Angels Sing taken from A Charlie Brown Christmas.



Leo was happy when it was done since he loves to perch himself under the tree. Even with a bow on his head he thinks he is the master of everything.