First, let me apologize to all you cat lovers out there.  I’m not a member of your ranks.  Ok – I like cats, but I’m more of a dog person.  When I was in middle/high school, we always had a cat on the farm, and it was usually mine.  They were great – but they stayed outside.  We did feed them, but they existed primarily on barn mice.  And if they didn’t keep the mouse population under control, they were put on half rations of cat food.  So I never really experienced the cuddly house cat phenomenon.

And really – although cats are very low maintenance as far as care, they’re very high maintenance with their attitudes.  Dogs will slobber and love you no matter what as long as you scratch their bellies and feed them.  And they’ll eat almost everything.   They’re a lot like men.  Cats?  Cats are more like women!  Maybe that’s why I love dogs.  I grew up with boys, played with boys and gave birth to boys.  I understand men.

Years ago, we noticed that we had a cat who hung out at our house.  I always assumed it belonged to a neighbor and only came to our yard to use it as a litter box.  (I’ve always thought it was very unfair that dog owners can be fined for not “cleaning up” after their dogs, but cats can be as indiscriminate as they please.  Who’s with me on this one??)  I usually chased it away when I saw it, but it kept coming back.  My soft-hearted son named it “Hobo Cat,” because after 5 or 6 years, we realized it didn’t really have a home.

Several weeks ago, Hobo Cat was looking pretty bad.  Jon was very worried; HC had lost weight and was pretty nasty looking.  HC also has no home, no food except for what he can forage and it was raining so he was very wet.  Dear Jonny bought food for him and put it out every day.  He was so excited when the food was gone the next day.  (We didn’t remind him that we also have a family of rabbits, a multitude of squirrels and who knows what else living at our house.)  He put out more food each day for about a week.  The food was always gone, but we didn’t see Hobo Cat.  Rachel even said if he showed up and we could catch him, she’d take him.  (When Rachel & Jon get married, I see an Animal Rescue operation in their future.)  I was thrilled that HC would have a home and a place to — you know! — besides my yard, so I was ready to catch the creature if he ever turned up again.

I had given up on HC.  After all, he has been around since before Jon was born, I think, so I figured he had exceeded his life span.  This morning, as the guys were heading off to work, Mike stopped at the door.  “Jonny!!”  he half whispered.  “Is that Hobo Cat?”  Oh, everyone was so excited.  It sure looked like Hobo Cat, and he had filled out and was all fluffy.  Yes, we were happy – until I looked a little closer.  “Is he…??”  Yes, he was.  “He’s pooping in my flower bed!”  (Definitely Hobo Cat.)  I wanted to go chase him away but my softhearted two wouldn’t let me.  (Why couldn’t it have been Wesley who saw him??  Wesley may have let me chase him away.  But then who would have buried the – you know?  Surely not Wes.)

Hobo Cat finished what he had started, then walked to the front porch and over to the other flower bed.  Good grief.  Sometimes it’s best if I just don’t know what goes on.  If he keeps the mice away from the house, he can stay.  Otherwise – he’s off to Rachel’s to live with Pete & Repeat and the rest of her pet menagerie.

If I hadn’t been waiting for my UPS driver, I wouldn’t have been looking out the window so much today and may have missed seeing Hobo Cat.  Usually packages that ship 2-day air come earlier in the day.  I didn’t get this one until 7 p.m.  And there were a lot of fun things I wanted to play with today in that package – a Christmas set for workshops and a swap, some embellishments, my cookie press stamps, and two Simply Sent kits, among other things.

Click on photo to view larger image.

Stamp set:  Pines & Poinsettias*; Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, Crumb Cake stampin’ write markers; Paper:  Whisper White card stock; Other:  Stampin’ Dimensionals, Simply Sent Everyday Elegance  (*available in the 2011 Holiday Mini Catalog; all other products available in the 2011-12 Stampin’ Up!® Idea Book & Catalog)

This was so easy!  The I used the Everyday Elegance Simply Sent card and self-adhesive tag with my new Pines & Poinsettias stamp set.  It took longer to open the box than it did to make the card!  During October, if you purchase two Simply Sent card kits (p. 192, 193 of the Idea Book & Catalog), you get your choice of one of the three coordinating stamp sets (It’s Your Day, Everyday Wishes, You’re Cherished) free!  These card kits make great gifts with a couple Stampin’ Spots and the free stamps, or you can whip up a bunch and give a package of cards away (or have them on hand for last minute greetings!). I turned mine into a Christmas card, but it works for any occasion.

Click here or contact me to place your order.  But hurry – you only have a couple more weeks!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great week.