Simple Pleasures… Plain & Simple, in Black & White...& calico (7 of 29)

My atypical Super Bowl setup/& weekend infirmary
(my 4 legged nurse in napping on the job)

Super Bowl Sunday… being the avid football fan (not), Super Bowl has always meant a cornucopia of delectable gastronomic delights, festive beverages, and fun with friends.  Granted, I’m typically the one in front of the tv for the commercials… and definitely for the halftime show.  (You can find me refilling my beverage during game time.)

                                                                                                                                     

Still, the weekend cold that knocked me “out of the game” so to speak caused me to cancel Super Bowl plans with friends and stay home to further recuperate.  It was the right play to make… No need in exacerbating my cold or risking the health of good friends. It was a necessary "time out." 

Lying here watching the game (commercials)… it’s as if my 2 four-legged "housemates"  know I’m not feeling great.  They are both extra cuddly today.  Bella is even laying her head on my foot as I'm writing these thoughts. 

They make being alone…far less lonely, especially on days like today.  They are slightly spoiled…but “why not?”  Having doted on my 3 human children all their lives, I needed another place to invest my maternal energies. Granted, many if not most of my friends are “dog people.”  Whenever they come around, they typically agree that in many ways my 2 beautiful calicos are more like their canine counterparts than expected.  Unlike many cats, they are both very social…very playful and they are both extremely cuddly...and oftentimes HILARIOUS!

 

Lily at 6 weeks... in Kimmie's lap
(she's always had beautiful eyes - although they turned green
and are incredibly intense)

 

 Living alone for the first time in my life, it’s comforting to have Lily & Bella around.  When I get home, they meet me at the top of the stairs.  (They've learned to identify the sound of the garage door opening as a signal of my arrival.)  When I leave, they often jump up on the window sill to watch me back out of the driveway.  If I'm in the bath tub, Bella is sitting on the side of the tub.  If I'm getting ready for bed, they both jump to the foot of the bed and take their places.  They are great roommates, make little mess, and are fairly low maintenance. 

Miss Lily these days...with those gorgeous eyes!

There have probably never been two more cherished pets to walk the earth.  (God forbid the thought - they’ve never actually “walked the Earth”.)  The only times they’ve breathed outside air is while in a carrier in route to and from the vet.  They are almost 5 years old…and I am hopeful they will be with me for at least another 15 or more years. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Tiny Bella at 6 weeks - of course by the food bowl
(she now weighs in at 15 lbs.)

Today’s treasure for which I’m most grateful?  Lily and Bella.  Sisters since birth…and much loved by me, their adoptive mom since they were 6 weeks old.  (Incidentally, loving them as I do - has actually helped me to be an animal lover of all kinds... yes, I even have friends with dogs that are quite enjoyable to be around!)  

Bella sleeps more easily on her back than I do...
(ALL THE TIME!)

Lily sleeps with her eyes covered...often

My calico girls at 6 weeks - TINY ... and I had no idea how much I'd come to love them!