Happy Birthday Bacon!

 Hey Bacon’s friends.  This is Bacon’s mom and dad here.  We are hi-jacking the little guy’s blog this afternoon for an important announcement.  Today is also our pig-son’s birthday.  Our baby Bacon turns the big 6 today!  Can you believe he was born on our anniversary?  Just one more little sign that his adoption was meant to be with us.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BACON!

Bacon has brought so much joy here at the Hotel Thompson.  When I tell you there is *never* a dull moment, that is certainly the truth.  Bacon is like the little child we never had.  He’s very smart – as you all know from him writing his blog here – cough cough.  It doesn’t matter what kind of day you’ve had, how much stress you encounter in the world – he is always here waiting for you with a snort and oink.  I’m not sure what me or Jim would do without Bacon and our other ‘children’: Houdini, Hemi and Mouse Girl in our lives. They bless us beyond our imagination.

So today, we raise our glass with you our friends to send out a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the best pig-son we could ever have.  And here’s to years and years of more happiness and adventures!  Help us out our friends in wishing Bacon the best of all birthdays!

Bacon – may all your dreams come true.  May you have more delights today than ever before.  We love you our boy!

And thanks to my bro across the pond – Phenny – for these awesome presents.  That card was almost as big as me!  I loved it.  Thanks bro ❤

 

Spotlight Thursday – Meet Shoko and Kali

Spotlight Thursday

Welcome my friends to SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY.  This is the time that I will introduce you to one of my fellow anipals so you can get to know them better.  Some of them, you may already know.  We hope that you enjoy this new series!

Now stay up with the conversation my friends.  The red is Shoko talking and the blue is Kali talking – Enjoy!

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Name:  My name is Shoko.  Shoko is Japanese for, “little one.”   Now wouldn’t mom and dad have eggos all over their faces if I was fat and lazy. MOL  I am a Seal Point Siamese.  My name is Kali.   Kali is Hawaiian for happiness.”  However, I can’t verify this latest translation is, “the one and only.”  Kali says this is so very true and accepts this definition as THEE true meaning of her.  We are the “Canadian Cats”.  

Age:  Excuse me  Kali its my turn to say how old I am.  I am 7 years old but will  be  8  this June.  I am a 13 years old and will be 14 big ones in May

Location:   ​We live in North Central British Columbia, Canada.

Web/Blog Page:  Canadian Cats

What were your first thoughts when you met your new parents?  You want to go first Kali.  You are the oldest and you know the saying, “age before beauty” MOL You are really weird Shoko but I’ll go first.  The very first time I met mom I thought she smelled so nice.  Just like warm laundry…the clean kind. hehe   I was trying to show off and let her see what a talented girl I was as I ran along the washer and dryer at my biological parents home.  Unfortunately I misjudged how far it was to the open washer and couldn’t stop before falling into the empty washer.  After all I was only 3 months old.  A mere wisp of myself now.  I yelled as loud as I could.  This lady picked me up and pointed me away from the empty washer and I fell in love immediately.  Your turn Shoko.  Oh you’re back – My experience wasn’t like Kali’s at all.  I was mellowing out in my cage at the SPCA.  I was trying to get comfy and eat some slop they gave me.  I was so hungry.  This peep came along and wanted to see me up close and personal.  Well, I was used to the downtown streets where we avoided peeps at all costs.  I was about 3 weeks old when mom took hold of me and looked me up and down.  I tell you I was not impressed with this no fur peep.  I immediately hissed at her to let her know she was dealing with no wimp here.  My mighty hiss wasn’t developed and came out more like a htttth.  I didn’t scare her a bit…shame, I tried so hard.  I hissed again and mom said, “I like a cat with spunk.”  Then she stuck me in a cardboard box and we left that cold place forever.

What was the defining moment when you knew you were in your forever home?  This is a toughie because Kali didn’t like me.  I guess it was when mom gave us some kibble and I’d never eaten that hard stuff before so I started playing floor hockey with it.  It was so cool to watch those kibble go sliding under the pantry door. Mom never got mad she just pulled them out.  Kali came in and showed me how to eat the kibble.  I was fascinated.  Right then I knew this would be the place for me.  When I got to my new home I was lost cause I was used to my biological mom and dad being with me until a big Siamese/Birman cat came in the room.  She walked over to me and started licking my head.  She cuddled and hugged me and I knew this was my forever home.

What has been your biggest “Oh no, now I’ve done it” moment so far in your home?   My experiences have been so different from you Kali.  When I was at the SPCA I had been fostered to an Extended Care Facility for a short while.  I didn’t like it cause these older furless peeps wanted to touch me all the time and I would get angry cause I wasn’t used to peeps touching my furs.  They were probably jealous of all my fur and they had none.  In your dreams Shoko….get on with the story.  Anyway the facility gave me back to the SPCA as I was too rambunctious for the older peeps.  I would do so many strange things in mom’s house that I thought she would send me packin’ but she would just laugh and carry on like it was no big deal.  Pretty soon I got to thinking mom’s house was now my forever home. Geez, I don’t think I’ve ever felt that way Shoko.  I always felt accepted no matter what, I was here to stay.

 Who do you have wrapped around your paws more – mom or dad – and why?  ​Can I answer for both of us Kali? Kali nods and Shoks continues. Dad tends to be easy for the game of in/out and other games but mom can also be guilted into giving us treats and stuff. I would say they both can be easy touches but then again they can be tough as nails. 

 

 

 

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Hope you enjoyed meeting my friends Shoko and Kali – check back next week for another Spotlight edition!

 

Cow Kitty Space Travel?

  So mom was in the kitchen messing around the other day.  Something caught her attention in my magical backyard.  She went over to the window and then started oohing and aahhing like a crazy woman.  She went and grabbed her camera because she said she had to take pictures.

Of what me and dad kept asking her. She kept telling us, “I’ll tell you in a minute.  This is so cool!”  We kept at her though – what is so cool.  Please share your discovery.  It is *my* magical backyard and nothing and no one should be in it… except for maybe Journalist Rocky the Squirrel and perhaps my Bigfoot – but that’s stories for another day – snorts.

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Finally I put down my hoof and demanded begged for an answer – who or what was in my backyard.  That’s when she said two words – Cow Kitty.  What?!  Cow Kitty from Canada?  You know Cow Kitty that visits my friends Shoko and Kali from Canadian Cats.

How in the world could Cow Kitty get all the way down here in Georgia?  Was there a mysterious space travel?  Did Cow Kitty come via a space ship?  Oh my – look at the resemblance to Cow Kitty.  What do you think – how did Cow Kitty get here in MY magical backyard?  So weird.  I’m off to ponder this for a bit and think about space travel now.

 

Travels in the South

Hello sweet friends.  Today we are continuing our Travels in the South series with our great friends Bill and Jean who are the parents of Shoko and Kali from Canadian Cats.

The first week we posted, we posted of their arrival and eating at a local seafood restaurant.  You can read about that here.  The second week, we posted about a fantastic restaurant we all went to called Fogo de Chao.  You can read about that here.

This week, we are going to talk about a tour that we took of a place called Stately Oaks.  Stately Oaks is a historical Antebellum home located in Jonesboro, Georgia and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  It was originally constructed in 1839 by Mr. Whitmill Allen who sold his home to Robert McCord in 1858 and then moved to Tyler, Texas.

It is located in Jonesboro, Georgia.  Does that sound familiar to you?  Jonesboro is the very city where Scarlett O’Hara from Gone with the Wind had to pay the taxes on Tara. Even though Tara only existed in Margaret Mitchell’s imagination, she placed Tara in Clayton County where she had visited relatives who lived on a large plantation south of Jonesboro. Many of the stories she heard as a child are in the movie.

Now, Stately Oaks is open for tours and on this day (mom, Jean and Bill) decided to tour the home.  The down side of the tour was we could not pictures of the inside of the home which was a real bummer.  The start of the tour starts off on a CD and you listen to the history of the home while in the bottom level.  Then the tour moves you into the sitting room, the dining room and the entertainment room.  Then the tour moves to the upper levels of the home.

 There are some items to point out which is interesting to know.  Back during this time, tea was expensive and kept in a locked box with only the woman of the home having the key.  Sugar was kept in cones and was brown, not the normal white sugar we are more accustomed to today.

Also,  celery was a sign of money in the southern days.  There was actual celery jars – kind of like the one in this picture – that were put on dinner tables to show the status of wealth in the family.  Can you imagine that?  It makes you want to go out, buy some celery and put in a jar on your table doesn’t it?  Who knew this could be a sign of wealth… especially in today’s market at what $0.99 cents a bundle – LOL.

They also didn’t season meats when they cooked them.  They had little individual salt bowls at every table setting.  The mistress of the home would pass around the big cluster of salt and individuals would put some in their salt bowls to season their meats.  Brings new meaning to, “Can you pass me the salt”.

One of the things we all fell in love with was the courting candle.  I think it would be a blast to have one of these today.  Jean bought one and trust me – mom is going back to get one as well.  You see how they are made in the picture?  The father could lower or high the amount of candle that would be burned during the courtship of their daughter.  Once the candle burned to that desired place, the man that was courting the young lady had to leave for the night.  What a concept huh?  Such an easy and simple method to watch over a courtship.  Of course, mom says she would use hers to show daddy actually how much time he had to be silly for a given amount of time.  That’s my mom – snorts!

Now let’s talk about the upstairs of the home.  The day that they went on the tour it was a little hot outside so you can imagine the inside of the home.  Mom started getting the vapors downstairs and had to sit out a bit for some of the tour.  Now, once mom was feeling a bit better, she ventured up the stairs as well.

 Stairs in southern homes are steep.  You see the average woman was around 4’11” and the average man was like around 5’7″ – not very tall for the likes of these days.  And the stairs go straight up it seems with not much railing.  Can you imagine as a woman in full attire (hoop skirt, bodice squeezing the heck out of you, tiny shoes, etc.) walking up stairs?  In fact, at the top of these stairs, there was usually a chaise or chair of some sort for the women.  Because believe it or not, sometimes they would pass out from the shear heat of exhaustion.  Well, that was almost like my mom.  She made it up the stairs, started having a hard time breathing and had to rush back downstairs and out of the door before she was hit with the vapors once again in a bad way.  Don’t ask.

One thing that mom did notice upstairs in a glassed case was mourning tear jar.  When the woman of the home was going through mourning, she would collect her tears in a jar.  Once it was full, she would then close the top for her mourning.  Forever, she would have the tears of her sorrow that she cried for her loved one.

Now the kitchen of this home had been redone more modern and we didn’t get to see any of that.  But then again, the kitchen of the home back in the day really wasn’t a ‘kitchen’.  It was more of a warming room.  You see food was prepared in a ‘shack’ behind the home.  This shack would host a fireplace, a table to prepare food and you can imagine the heat from the summer or the cold from the winter creeping in through the boards of the walls.  The food was then brought into the home to the warming kitchen and stayed there until the woman of the home motioned for it to be served at the dinner table.

So much wonderful history was learned this day about the ways of the south.  Can you imagine doing some of these things and living like this today?  I hope you join us next week my friends as we continue our series of Travels in the South.

 

Travels in the South

Hello my sweet friends.  Have I got a treat for you!  You’ve been told that we had guests this past week – and trust me – it was a LOT of fun for sure.  Just like sharing my Travels to Israel with you last month, now we will be doing an edition of Travels in the South with our friends.  Yep, nods head, mom/dad did that much with our friends.

Okay you are saying, “Fine pig, who visited then?”  Well, you have to wait no more.  Do you know Shoko and Kali from Canadian Cats?  Well their mom/dad (Jean and Bill) visited Atlanta and my mom/dad got to play with them – snorts with piggy laughter.  And I will tell you one thing my friends.  I’ve seen some of their pictures on the ‘cloud’.  All I have to say is OMP!  It was a hoot!

So they got here late Wednesday 2/17/2016.  My mom had a ‘friend’ pick them up special from the airport.  Snorts – you’ll have to read about that from Jean and Bill cause it was a special pick up indeed.  The friend brought Jean and Bill to mom’s office where mom gave them a quick tour of the facility before taking them to check in at their hotel.  Afterwards, mom went home and got dad so they could go out for dinner (one of many fun times).

They decided to go to a local restaurant called Red Lobster.  Knowing that Jean and Bill had been traveling all day, mom wanted to make sure they were well fed so they could get some sleep.

Jean and Bill both got Garlic Grilled Shrimp which were huge (you can see some in the picture).  Although, as a side dish Bill got Bourbon Pecan Sweet Potatoes – you know something of the south which we love here.

Jean got the side dish of Creamy Langostino Lobster Mashed Potatoes which also happens to be one of mom’s favorites.  They were delicious but we didn’t take a picture – can you imagine that?  It was creamy mashed potatoes topped with lobster pieces and mom said she thought she heard angels sing when they were delivered to the table cause they are that good – snorts.

One thing that mom/dad said that Jean and Bill *had* to try was lobster pizza as an appetizer.  And mom just happened to have a coupon for one – go mom.  Now, it is something that you have to wrap your mind around but once you do – OMP – they say it is wonderful… not that I would know because none of it has ever made its way to me.  Just sayin’.

It comes out on a thin crust and it’s hot from the oven.  You kind of have to give it a moment to set up before getting a slice.  If not, it just goo’s all over the place.  What did Bill and Jean think of the lobster pizza?

Well I think it was a winner from looking at this picture.  What do you think?

And don’t worry – Jean found something else that she had never tried before – Lobster Bisque.  Jean and daddy had a bowl and there were pieces of Langostino lobster in the soup as well.

Daddy said that he had never seen so much lobster in the bowl before. Maybe that was because mom/dad had their favorite waitress Lexus waiting on them?  Who knows – it was delicious!

Now join us next week to find out what everyone did the next day of their visit – you definitely don’t want to miss it!

 

Anipal Appreciation Day

Welcome my friends to blogville’s first annual Anipal Appreciation Day.  Me and my Cousin Sammy have collaborated together to initiate this day every year on February 15th.  What better time to get together and share the love than the month of February.

Rules for Anipal Appreciation Day:

1. Post your Anipal Appreciation Day blog on FEBRUARY 15, 2016.
2. Title your blog Anipal Appreciation Day.
3. Put the badge below on your blog post for the day.
4. Give shout outs not only in the posting of your blog but throughout the day with the comments you may get.  There is no set number of shout out’s you are required to do – let your heart lead you.  We are *not* leaving anyone out.  If you don’t make the post on a blog, be sure to check messages and comments throughout the day that people and anipals might leave.
5. If you can, link back your shout outs in your blogs for them to find.
6. HAVE FUN!  This is the most important rule – have FUN and share the LOVE!

Cousin Sammy – I’ve known him for years now.  He is a great guy – a bestest friend and always willing to lend a helping paw.  He goes out of his way to make you feel loved and welcomed even though at times I know he doesn’t feel well.  And you know what?  He gets that from his humans.  And technically, he and I *may* be related somewhere down the road with his parents and my parents being second, third or fourth cousins or something.

Brother Easy – Dude!  He is funny, he is kind, he is a hoot and he has the hardest job keeping his staff in line with their own antics.  And you know what?  Any time you need something, he is always there for you with a helping paw.

Felix – Now we all know the regular guys from Fozzie’s world – Dinnermintz, Doc, Forrest, Marbles, Cleo, Jacque, Pickles and Oscar (Did I miss anyone?)  Do you know Felix?  I mean all of this clan hold a special place in our hearts here at the Hotel Thompson but Felix especially.  Why? Because Felix gave up some wool and Fozzie gave it to another person that is special in our hearts – Auntie Sharon.  Auntie Sharon then spun that beautiful wool and made Fozzie, herself and my mom a scarf to keep their necks warm in the cooler weather.  In fact, my mom calls her scarf Felix.  Cool huh?  You gotta love this bunch from down under ❤

Shoko and Kali – WOWZER!  These are the coolest cats I’ve met in Canada.  You know what is even more cool – if that’s possible?  My mom/dad have met their mom/dad in real life.  Yep nods head.  They have and they had a BLAST together. Talk about laughing until your tummy hurts.  They are all a cool bunch!

Reilly and Denny – They are an awesome duo that live in a wonderful place full of beaches, sand and the sun.  They are beyond creative in finding their adventures from trails, their backyard (minus the snakes please) to roaming the beaches looking for trinkets to keep.  I would love to hang out with these and have fun running and exploring.

Cupcake – I’ll let everyone in on a secret with something about Cupcake.  The little pooch here – Houdini – has a *thang* for Cupcake.  He loves her.  He pulls her blog up and watches her picture for hours dreaming about running, playing and watching the movie Lady and the Tramp together.  Shakes piggy head.  He has it bad.

Dante – You talk about big things coming in little sizes – this is that.  Dante is what maybe 6 pounds (kind of like Houdini) and has the biggest heart.  He is always inspiring us to be nicer – to do more – to smile and give love.  And in this day and time, we need all of the love we can share.  Right?

Little Binky – Smiling and shaking my head.  I love Little Binky and his granny.  I watch him in his backyard looking around and playing around his new house.

Sam – Did you know that Sam is part of a therapy team with his mom?  He brings smiles to patients in a hospital and hospice care.  I’m telling you my friends, Sam brings a smile to my face just reading his blog and his adventures.  He’s a friend that is always giving and giving.

Of course, the list can go on and on and on for days.  These are just ‘some’ of the people that have touched our lives here at the Hotel Thompson.  It is in no way – ALL.  In fact, throughout the day, I’m sure I will be adding more and more here and there and in the comments.  We love you ALL here in blogville.  And believe it or not, YOU have touched our lives here.  You bring smiles to our faces, you touch us when we are down, you make us laugh/snort.  We talk about you to our friends – which is hilarious to here.  Yes, YOU are a HUGE part of our lives.  Each and everyone – from being listed to those that maybe we don’t even talk to but every couple of days.  YOU inspire us.  YOU hold a special place in our heart.  We grieve with you.  We laugh with you.  We joke with you.  YOU ARE FAMILY MY FRIENDS.

 

Happy Birthday Sweet Friend!

  Today is a very special day for a very special lady in our lives – Jean, the mom of Shoko and Kali of the Canadian Cats.  This picture was taken early last year when my mom/dad got to meet Jean and her husband Bill in Alabama.  Talk about a wonderful time that was!  My mom/dad still talk about that trip!

Today we want to wish Jean a very Happy Birthday – may all your dreams come true!  We wish you all of your love! ❤

Please my friends join us today for this wonderful birthday greeting.

 

Guess Who Came Home?!

Bashful, Chip, Willow and Sky!

I have missed my boys, Bashful and Chip, so very much for the last couple of weeks.  Thank goodness Chip didn’t have any accidents and both behaved themselves while they were visiting our friends Kali and Sholo – the Canadian Cats – in Canada.  They came home a couple of days ago in a box that mom got from the mailbox.  We could hear the party going on in the box and we were all trying our best to open the box.  With mom’s arthritis and dad’s vision problems, we called in back-up in the forms of myself and Houdini.  Eventually, the box was opened. Bashful and Chip jumped out and started talking and giving rockhugs. Then, Willow and Sky were persuaded out of the box.

All of the rock clan were lined up to meet them with hellos and hugs. Everyone was so excited.  They were hungry and thirsty so mom fixed them some Rock Candy and water.  While they ate and drunk, they told us about their adventures in Canada.  Willow and Sky opened up about their lives and what they wanted to do with their future.  Mom explained that Atlanta was not too far away from the Hotel Thompson and there were so many schools for herbalists there that she would look into for Sky’s further training.  Willow and Chip started yawning by this time so I thought it was safe to tuck the little tykes into bed – because you know here in the south, “There’s always tomorrow”.

While mom/dad put the rocks to bed, I looked at the rest of the contents in the box reading a card from Shoko, Kali and their humans.  What a fun time they had!

Look at all of these goodies they sent back home – bandannas, purr thing toys, a card holder, postcards on how to mail a moose (awesome!!) and a bear bell.  Let me tell you my friends Kali and Shoko –

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!  

I’ve been looking for a bell that was big enough yet sturdy enough to put on my friendly Bigfoot in my backyard.  He has been sneaking around in my backyard at night after everyone goes to bed.  He’s been scaring the pee-pee out of me for sure!

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So here we go my friends.  Where in the world will Bashful end up next?  Any guesses?

 

Blog Hi-Jack from Mom and Dad

Hey Bacon’s friends.  This is Bacon’s mom and dad here.  We are hi-jacking the little guy’s blog this afternoon for an important announcement.  Today is also our pig-son’s birthday.  Our baby Bacon turns the big 4 today!  Can you believe he was born on our anniversary?  Just one more little sign that his adoption was meant to be with us.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BACON!

Bacon has brought so much joy here at the Hotel Thompson.  When I tell you there is *never* a dull moment, that is certainly the truth.  Bacon is like the little child we never had.  He’s very smart – as you all know from him writing his blog here – cough cough.  It doesn’t matter what kind of day you’ve had, how much stress you encounter in the world – he is always here waiting for you with a snort and oink.  I’m not sure what me or Jim would do without Bacon and our other ‘children’: Houdini, Hemi and Mouse Girl in our lives. They bless us beyond our imagination.

So today, we raise our glass with you our friends to send out a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the best pig-son we could ever have.  And here’s to years and years of more happiness and adventures!  Help us out our friends in wishing Bacon the best of all birthdays!

Bacon – may all your dreams come true.  May you have more delights today than ever before.  We shall celebrate tonight with your favorite birthday ‘cake’… a piggy plate full of your favorites – apples, bananas, strawberries, watermelon and grapes.

We love you our boy!

And friends – Thank you so very much for the birthday wishes to Bacon.  Kali and Shoko – LOVED your card!  So beautiful and sweet.

 

May I Have Your Attention Please

Today is a very special day.  Today happens to be Shoko and Kali’s dad’s birthday from The Canadian Cats.

We here at the Hotel Thompson would like to wish Bill the BIGGEST happy birthday greetings all the way down here from the south –

Please be sure to visit the Shoko and Kali sometime today to wish their dad a Happy Birthday as well my friends.