Another Cold Snap

Just to make sure we're all paying attention, the Weather Gods have lowered the temperature from 86 degrees to 55. Oh goodie. Where do they think we are? Ohio?

The other night, the temperature went down to 46.... too cold in my book for me to let the cats sleep out on the screen-porch, so they slept in our bedroom. Because the big Christmas tree is up, and because Mickey Kitty is too much of a kitten to know that he shouldn't try to climb that tree, we kept the door closed. Mickey is a sweetheart, but that big tree is just too tempting for his little kitty-soul. Hopefully, he will be much better by next Christmas. He's not bothering any of the little table-top trees... he just can't resist the real one.

With the cold snap in mind, my husband and I went to Target yesterday to buy an electric blanket. Not for us. For the cats. (I shall give you all exactly 60 seconds to laugh at my foolishness.)

The way we figured it, we could hook up the electric blanket out on the porch for the cats, and when we have abnormally cool nights, they'd be nice and warm and toasty on their blanket. Such was the theory. It didn't happen that way.

I spent nearly an hour moving the wicker furniture around on the porch to create a little corner for the cats which would keep them out of the wind, and the electric blanket near enough to the electrical outlet. Into the outlet went the plug, and I arranged the blanket (a twin-size) in their cozy corner.

An hour and a half later, the only part of that blanket that was warm and toasty was the six inches of fabric around the electrical connection. I read the instructions to make sure I had done everything correctly, which I had. Doesn't exactly take a rocket scientist to figure out an electric blanket.

In the midst of all of that, my sister called from NY to see what I was doing. When I told her, she laughed at me. (For much more than 60 seconds.) While she was laughing, I was reading the little instruction booklet for the blanket. I got to the part where it said something like not using the blanket for people or children who couldn't operate the controls. I was reading that part out loud, and my sister said "And that would be the cats. Unless you can train them to lower the tempertaure if it gets too hot."

Oh well.... I thought it was a good idea. The blanket is going straight back to Target the next time we ride down that road. It doesn't work anyway, and I'm not going to exchange it for another, given the "fire hazard" warning in the booklet if a person with a disability cannot manage the control panel. My cats are smart, but they don't have the ability to stop a blanket from burning them or the porch. (And as my dear friend Frankie used to say--- "Let's not put that thought out into the universe.")


I've started to get the living room, dining room, and breakfast room ready for this weekend's Christmas party. I put the leaf in the dining room table, and I've opened up the drop-leaf table in the living room. Tomorrow, I will bring in the table from the porch and set that up in the living room as well. All three tables will have matching ivory tablecloths on them, with holiday centerpieces on each, and they will all look inviting and festive.

I remember when I first walked into this house when we were considering buying it... I thought the living room was too big. What on earth would we do with such a large living room? Silly me. If we didn't have this big living room, where would we put a ten-foot Christmas tree, and where would we host all these parties?