Here shrift: free birthday stuff. Some of the stuff can be used during the month, if it helps.

My credit card account is now unfrozen. Small victories.

Happy birthday, shrift!!!

My cat is chipped. It was part of his adoption at the shelter. And, my city does free pet registrations for pets that are chipped. Unchipped pet are $10 to register.

Hm. Percy also came from the ASPCA, according to his former owners, but they didn't have his papers and didn't know if he was chipped or not. I think I'll take them both to a different vet and see if the new vet can find chips in them. No good having chips with old information on them. I haven't been totally satisfied with the old vet anyway. Leo's still having his litterbox problem and the vets at the old practice don't seem very concerned about it. Granted the cat is young and seems in good health otherwise, but this is an annoyance for me and surely uncomfortable for him.

Happy Birthday, shrift!

I'm not as sold on having cats chipped or otherwise identified in the same way as dogs, but I see them not so much getting lost as deciding they'd rather be elsewhere. Every cat my family has had since I've been around has been a stray that opted to hang out around our place in favor of its previous home. (We only start feeding a cat if we notice it looking underfed; healthy animals that might still have owners just get affection, and maybe a lined box if they show up when it's freezing outside.)

Happy Birthday Shrift. I hope the rest of the day is better.

I think my onerous task will be to finsh taking down the tree. I took all the ornaments off last night. But I have been avoiding taking off the lights and getting it outside. I really need to do it soon b/c Wednesday will be a tree pick up day.

This year's ornament death toll: 2. One was totally my fault, and the other I owe an assist to Clio--she sent the ornament tree tipping and I put down an old, fragile ornmaent quickly in order to catch the others from toppling. Just dropping it onto tissue that last inch or two was enough force for it to smash.

Oh, yeah, I totally should take down decorations. But they are love! And happened because of Buffistas! They make me happy to look at. Maybe a few more days. Did I post those pics here?

Paper ceiling ornaments

Charlie Brown tree (made from free cutoffs from the nursery and decorated with kiddo ornaments and Kat's lovelies.)

And while I'm at it, passive solar at work:

Sunroom w/ winter garden and bonus Seabiscuit

8 1/2 foot heirloom tomato plant. The one in the sunroom is this tall too, plus fell over and then started growing back up again.

Happy birthday, shrift!

In honor of your birthday I will attempt a new curry tonight.

Do it, bonny! Today's the day.

Liese, you are kicking onerous tasks all over the yard. Which is where the firewood and your cardio workout are hiding.

Gold Star for Liese.

Yay. And oops. Better haul firewood.

I have an entirely different gold star for you when you finish the firewood.