spooky snoozes

It's that day again...

Laura did fantastic job on the carving this year!

The day (and night) for Oliver to be safe and secure...

happy Oliver = happy cat guy

stack of cats

We were moving stuff out of the house the other day and came back inside to see Theo and Nahum owning the end tables!  Silly boys!

inside time

Oliver's been loving some inside time lately.

 Happy sleeping kitties! Yah!

 

Theo's still not so sure about having Oliver as an inside companion.

Progress is slow but steady. Regardless of how Theo feels, I love having Oliver inside - and Oliver loves it too!

invasion

Each girl has their own fort.

You may remember, Rose's fort is the brown fleece blanket on the chair.

Willow claims the green fleece blanket on the couch. But what happens when Rose invades Willow's fort?

Hhhhmmmmrrrpphh!

An update on the move...

moving = stress
moving long distance = crazy stress
moving long distance + no income = nutzo stress

moving long distance + no income + plans falling through = f***ing overwhelming stress

A number of plans have fallen through in the moving process, which has caused significant stress. We had a private buyer lined up to buy the house, but deep into the process, they changed their minds. Then later it looked like Laura had landed an amazing job in Vermont only to find out later it was offered to someone else. It's been an intense emotional roller coaster, testing every ounce of faith and perseverance in me. I've been on the edge of overwhelming panic for more days than I want to admit, sometimes falling off into the deep pool of despair and anxiety. There have been many days when I just want to crawl in the fort with Willow and be done.

We are still working toward moving, but many details (exact location, timing, etc.) remain unknown still. Our house is ready to list on the market (which took an enormous about of work) but the problem is if we sell our house, we'll be homeless and unable to acquire new housing. Neither of us has jobs right now as we were expecting to have been moved by now. That means we don't qualify for another mortgage. I've looked all over for rental options in Vermont, but I've not found anyone willing to rent to someone with seven cats. Most say 0-2 cats. I've had a few people suggest maybe we could find homes for some of our cats, I don't see that as an option. I would rather not move than consider getting anywhere near that idea. It actually pisses me off when people suggest that. These cats are my family, not having children, they are like my kids. One doesn't suggest to a family with four children, maybe they should consider giving up a kid for adoption to increase the likelihood of finding a suitable house. Don't get me started...

Anyway, it's like a giant puzzle, where the pieces have to go in place in the right order. There is some good news in the midst of this. The housing market here is really booming, each month of delay results in a higher listing price on our house. And I have two job interviews lined up for next week! That means a quick trip to Vermont, but first I have to dig through all the boxes and find my interview clothes which were packed up a long time ago - sigh.

If anyone happens to know of someone in Vermont who might rent to us with seven cats, please let me know! I plan to check in with Sachie from My Cat Goma Blog (she lives in Vermont) to see if she has any ideas. I've emailed some shelters and rescue organizations, thinking if I can

Fall!

It's Fall - the perfect time for outside kitty pictures.

Ok guys, act like you like each other.

That's better!

Happy Fall!