Almost caught up!

[vilakins]

I have posted my B7 cards (and two teleport bracelets). I was going to cut back on the number of cards this year to save the cost of overseas postage, but when I found some stamps left over from last year, and even a couple that were older, I decided to go ahead and send them all out. I just hope that some will arrive before the 25th or even 28th. [taps side of nose]

And now that's out of the way, I feel relieved and less burdened. I shall now feel able to get round to actually posting my latest Lynx instalment, and even maybe finish my Doctor Who scarf (one of them anyway) by the end of the year.

I just need to make up two cat cards with pictures. I send Patsy an annual one to tell her how Claudia is getting on; this one will cover two cats from her. I'm also going to send one to the woman who fostered Ashley, but just this year. She looks after so many, she probably won't remember me or Ashley next year.

Speaking of cats, the two kittens are getting on wonderfully! They chase each other round the house, play in the tunnel I bought them in the weekend, and are usually to be found together. It worked; I am so happy! They both have to go in next week for vaccinations, and for Jasmin to have her stitches out, and I'm going to have them micro-chipped. I must also get a tag engraved for Ashley before they venture outside next week.

Comments

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

Huzzah! I really had good feelings about the kittens bonding. I'm so glad. (Avon doesn't really think you're bad, it's just the only B7 Christmas Icon I have)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

But Avon! I've given you several happy endings! ;-) Avon as Bad Santa; perfect. Does he turn you into coal?

It makes me so happy watching them play. So far they don't actually snuggle; they come to me for that, or Claudia in Jasmin's case, but now I don't feel bad about going out since they have each other for company.

They'll be allowed outside next week, under supervision. Of course, when they suss the cat door, I'll have to put a magnet on their collars.

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

I imagine when Avon shoots you, you get carbonized. :^)

Two young cats will get into less mischief than one, I think. I hope.

Ok, here's a different Christmas Icon.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

That's just what I thought!

They do spend more time playing than climbing all over my more breakable ornaments.

Frank! I once gave a card to a colleague with the text "Season's Beatings". I draw a dominatrix on the front for him; he used to admit (or joke) that he was into SM. He loved it!

[kalinda001.livejournal.com]

Aw the two kitties are getting on wonderfully. I'm glad.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

All they need now is to realise that they can snuggle.

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

Yay for kitty harmony!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

It's so good to see! And it's lovely how quickly little Ashley settled in after having lived a hard life once. She's curled up on Greg's computer chair right now,and Jasmin's on the heatpad that we haven't yet had the heart to turn off. :-) Claudia was on my lap while I was knitting and is now in my warm spot.

[wolfma.livejournal.com]

That's great about the kitties!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Just the result I wanted: they're company for each other and Jasmin's not jumping on poor Claudia as much, though she still goes to her for cuddles.

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

Great! Your house is a Happy House, the Humans and the Cats sharing happily. A wonderful signal for beautiful Christmas!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It does make me happy! This time last week I was wondering if I was doing the right thing, with a new little Ashley, and Jasmin waiting to go for surgery, yet it's all worked as well as I could hope!

[azdak.livejournal.com]

Hooray for kittens playing together!

I followed your advice and bought Tashi a cat fly fishing rod for Nikolo - it's got leather strips on the end, just like you said, and Mephisto absolutely adores it. Yesterday he did a flying backwards somersault trying to catch it! Mowgli, being porkier, prefers to just watch (I think he gets his thrills when he goes into the garden, because he's very into climbing trees).

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Wow, you found one! I have never seen another one like mine, but so far five cats have loved it and it's still intact. Jasmin does airborne somersaults too, going after it. :-D She loves climbing trees too. but is confined to indoors till she gets her stitches out. I think she'd be stir-crazy by now if it wasn't for Ashley being here. Ashley used to live outside, in her hard former life, but I'm sure she'll enjoy our garden with Jasmin.

Nikolo? Is that Mephisto's first name?

[azdak.livejournal.com]

Nikolo?

Sorry - I thought you'd recognise this from your time in Germany. It's the 6th Dec, St Nicholas's Day. He leaves the children sweets and small presents in their shoes (although these days it's more like a large paper bag with a picture of his face on it, as you can't fit all the loot ina little shoe).

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I do know it's the 6th of December (my name day!) but I didn't know the term Nikolo as I didn't know any children there.

[azdak.livejournal.com]

Come to think of it, I don't even know if the Germans actually use the name Nikolo, or if it's just an Austrian thing.

You've caught me in the middle of reading Part 3 of Lynx. It's a weird feeling when I spot bits I remember from Pico, because now they've got a context I read them differently, but with an overlay of how I read them the first time. We've just arrived on Mars, with the plants that might take your hand off.

Back to reading!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Wow, someone's reading it! I'll probably have that feeling of recognition and strangeness with yours too, when I read it. I wonder if I ought to cross-post to picowrimo. It is after all rather a saga, and I think most of the B7 fans there are on my flist. Eh, WTH.

I googled "nikolo geschenke" and got mostly Austrian hits, so maybe it is indeed an Austrian word or custom. :-)

[azdak.livejournal.com]

I think you should cross-post to Pico. Some of the non-B7 fans who took part might be interested in reading it. Besides, it'll set a good example! I want to read Kerravonsen's Dr Who crossover when she finishes it, and if she doesn't post a link, I don't suppose I'll ever hear about it.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Done!

[jthijsen.livejournal.com]

It's also a Dutch custom, only we celebrate it a day earlier and it's called Sinterklaas. The shoes get filled from the day Sinterklaas officially arrives in the Netherlands (it's a big TV thing) and on the day itself we all get presents. Also, chocolate letters (yum).

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Lovely! Do people use their normal shoes though, or have special (clean) ones?

Are chocolate letters like chocolate coins, foil-wrapped A B C etc?

[jthijsen.livejournal.com]

Yup, just our normal shoes. The pressies and goodies tend to be packaged, anyway. Chocolate letters are any size from three to fifteen centimeters, usually packaged in cardboard boxes, although the smallest ones are only available from confectionery stores and are sold by weight. The biggest ones can also have extra chocolate curls and nuts on top. For the packaged ones, the custom is to give everyone the first letter of their given name, but if a big company wants to give all of its employees a letter, they'll usually give everyone the first letter of the company name.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

What a lovely custom!

[zoefruitcake.livejournal.com]

oh I am glad they are getting on well together :0)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

They make me so happy that they like each other, and they're so funny in their tunnel.

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

It sounds like you made a good choice in Ashley. I bet Vic and Claudia are glad Ashley is there too, they are not getting plagued by Jasmin as much.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

True! And she's a dear little girl anyway, just as sweet and loved as Jasmin.

[jthijsen.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, lovely kitty. I wish I'd bought a play tunnel when my two were still younger. I suppose I could still get one, but I'm not sure they'd work up an interest now. I think I'll just try it. Especially if you post a picture of them playing in yours...

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

You must have some younger ones. They play for years; mine always have.

I'd like to get a picture of them, but they move so fast. All I get are blurred kittens. Next time they play. I'll have to see how I do. The play tunnel is German, FWIW.

[crycraven.livejournal.com]

*hugs you*
My bracelet is coming! YAYAYAYAYYAYAYAYAAAYYY!

I am glad the kittens are happy - (have you seen how many eggs I have now? Jealousy is a terrible thing - *grin*)

I have taken to wearing my Who scarf round town, even though it's tassel-less at the moment. I have many an admiring glance.

Either that, or they think I'm crazy. I can't decide...

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I need to see pictures!

[crycraven.livejournal.com]

My camera is dead and I can't find the battery charger - I've looked everywhere! But I'm home next week and can upload from there. x

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

That's happened to me a couple of times!

[merrymaia.livejournal.com]

Speaking of cats, the two kittens are getting on wonderfully! They chase each other round the house, play in the tunnel I bought them in the weekend, and are usually to be found together.

Yay!!!


(How are Claudia and Vic adjusting to Ashley's presence?)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Vic sat and stared at her for a while, shrugged, and got on the couch. He doesn't mind any of the cats, but he keeps himself to himself.

Claudia was not impressed. She growls a bit at Ashley if she gets too close, but she did with Jasmin too, and she likes her now. I found them together in her bed today. :-)