Celebrating Dori on her Birthday

 

We at It's a Wonderpurr Life are celebrating our beautiful Dori today on her birthday.

Dori arrived in our Southaven, Mississippi yard at 3 months old on a cold winter night shortly before we left to drive up to Michigan for Christmas. At the time I thought it was just one stray, a black female with a bad eye. I told my fabulous pet sitter, Michelle, to feed her while I was away.

When I returned a week later, Annie the stray had brought her entire family - baby daddy Nikolas, two black panther sons and twin tabby girls. 

While the parents were sweet and tame, the kittens were WILD and scared the hekk out of me with their hissing and spitting. But I caught them all and kept them in an upstairs bedroom throughout the winter while I worked to simmer them down in order to be adopted.

Almost immediately I knew the one tabby girl had to be removed from the others. She was very sweet and never once tried to murder me with her mittens. She was so pretty with such a delicate feminine face. Ray started calling her his little peanut. Her twin was cute, but in a tomboy kind of way.

I put the family on Pet Finders, and right away there was interest in Dori. But when Ray found out his little peanut could be adopted, he said NO! To be honest I was relieved even though at the time we had around nine or ten ex-strays living with us. 

So Dori was officially adopted, and we also kept her daddy, Nikolas, who truly was the best daddy I've ever met. He loved his kittens and played with them all the time. I recall dragged a rug around the cat room for Nikolas to surf on, with the kittens jumping on to ride with him. To this day Nik is still a very sweet guy, and rooms with our FIV+ tabby Chevy. They were Garage Bandmates with Jesse until we moved to Florida and Jesse was kicked out of the band after losing his teeth to stomititis.

We cannot imagine our home without Dori. She has a sweet, spunky spirit, and greets every day with Joy. I especially cherish hearing her squeals of delight upon finding her precious Dolly Meow (who is constantly being lost under furniture or inside closets), or when she snuggles with me at night, waking me every now and then to pat my face and lick my cheek. Who needs REM sleep when you have the sweetest little girl reminding you that life is truly Wonderpurr, even with a dozen plus cats.

Happy Birthday, Dori! You are the true inspurration for It's a Wonderpurr Life.

Field Trip to Yates Cider Mill

 

Hi evfurrybuddy, it's me, Dori, President of the Ber Months Fan Club.

Today I invite yoo to join me on my first ever field trip to celebrate Everything Autumn. 

We're going to visit Yates Cider Mill in Rochester Hills, Michigan.

My momma and daddy grew up in Michigan with fond memories of elementary school field trips to Yates Cider Mill, now celebrating 160 years of being one of Michigan's most beloved places to spend a day in autumn.

So without further delay, click on the video below.

I hope yoo enjoyed my field trip and learned stuff yoo didn't know about how apple cider is made. If the links in the video aren't working and yoo want to learn more about the history of  Yates Cider Mill, please click the image below to go to their website. And while there yoo can also order apple cider and donuts to be shipped to yoo on the day yoo request.

Well, I'm exhausted and need a nap, so I'm going to say bye bye. If yoo would leave me a message to let me know if yoo enjoyed my field trip, it might help me create future field trips. Thank yoo so much for joining me. Now go off and make it a Wonderpurr day. 

Until Next Time...

Rabbit Receives Much-Needed Advice from Dr. Basil

 

Pals, Rabbit here. Yah, long time no meow, mostly cuz our momanager has allowed Dori to monopolize our family blog. Pffft! That's show biz, I guess. Anyway! I happened upon the homesite of the Bionic Basil B Team last week and saw Dr. Basil is back to giving advice.

Years ago my brother Herman consulted Dr. Basil on various topics, and was even fortunate to meet his momanager in purrson at the Blogpaws conference in Myrtle Beach. Good times, good memories. So when I was growling about feeling unappreciated, Herms recommended I unload my issues on Dr. Basil and see what resolutions he could come up with.

Boy, do I feel vindicated! Dr. Basil has a phenomenal background in understanding the feline psychic and as a result, he totally got me.

Please do yourself a favorite and click the image below, not only to read Basil's advice, but also to find our how you can get your problems resolved by the ultimate expurrrt in feline problems.

You won't regret it! Until ... well. Whenever cuz clearly everyone's darling Dori has full reign over this blog. Purrs, Rabbit.

Baking with Cats: Almond Joy Cookies

 

Dear Fwends, this is Dori. *wavy paws!* I hope yoo all are enjoying a nice AugtoBER and getting excited about the arrival of Fall where we bweak free from the leash of Summer and start to dwink lots of pumpkin spice lattes, and nom on pumpkin spice muffins and pumpkin spice Spam, and pumpkin spice ... Everything!

Recently my momma got into the mood to bake some cookies, and she wanted to try making Almond Joy Cookies because Almond Joy is one of her favorite candy bars. Daddy prefers Mounds Bars, but that's not the point. The point is, Momma chose a day to bake these cookies when Daddy was finally out of the house after three weeks of not golfing due to storms and high heat. After yoo see this video, I'm sure yoo can see why she chose a day when Daddy was not home, because Daddy and Wabbit are almost one and the same in purrsonality.

Anyway, we have been hunkered down trying to get through this summer because the heat is making my momma crabby, and also she's trying to help Wabbit write his Tell All book. Gosh. I hope there's no unseamly gossip about me in it. I would have to sue.

If yoo are interested in making the cookies in the video, I have included it below. And ... maybe lock up yoor kittehs if yoo do decide to make them. Sticky coconut and kitteh fur do not go well together, even with a Pumpkin Spice Latte. 

Almond Joy Cookies

1 - 14 oz bag sweetened coconut flakes

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

2/3 cup chopped lightly salted almonds I used Blue Diamond Low Sodium Lightly Salted - light blue bag

1 - 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

Instructions
• Preheat the oven to 325F.
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Note
• Parchment paper is critical for these cookies to turn out right. Silicone mats, waxed paper, etc. will yield a slightly different result.
• In a large bowl combine coconut, chocolate chips, almonds, and sweetened condensed milk.
• Stir until combined.
• Scoop out dough with a cookie scoop onto prepared baking sheet.
• Moisten the tips of your fingers with water and shape into discs. Pat the tops flat.
• Bake cookies for 12 to 14 minutes or until tips of coconut are just starting to turn golden brown.
• Let cool on baking sheet.
• Store in airtight container.

Until Next Time...

Official Invitation to August to Join the 'BER Months

Dear August,

This is Dori, *wavy paws*. I know this is short notice, but I would like yoo to formally join the ’BER Months by changing yoor name to AugtoBER.

Here are my reasons why this would be a good move for yoo.

There are no major federal holidays celebwated during the month of August. Other than Homemade Pie Day on the 1st, and Inpurrnational Cat Day on the 8th… and maybe Wurld Honeybee Day on the 19th because they are in danger of being extincted, along with International Homeless Animals Day which hurts my heart to think of animals being homeless, August isn’t a month where hoomons get an official day off along with an excuse to overeat and dwink wine and be silly.

Balloons to Heaven Day on the 6th is a very bad idea, August. Them rubber floaty things end up in lakes and oceans and eff up aquatic life. Apologies for saying a bad wurd but, I’m vewy serious.

Cwackers Over the Keyboard Day on the 28th is just plain silly. And National Dan Day on the 31st leaves me with so many questions: Who is Dan? Where does he live? What did he do that was special enough to get a day named after him? And are all hoomons named Dan being celebwated on that day, or only just one guy named Dan? Also, what about kittehs and doggos named Dan? Are they getting celebwated too? Thinking about this hurts my bwain, August.

Now, here are my reasons why yoo should change yoor name to AugtoBER.

The ‘BER Months start in SeptemBER where children go back to school. They get new clothes and new school supplies and start talking about what costume they will wear on Halloween and what kind of pie they like best for Thanksgiving and what they want Santa Claus to bwing them for Christmas.

August, if yoo join the ‘BER Months, yoo will usurp the usual excitement related to SeptemBER by being the first to get everyone excited with anticipation for the change that’s coming from hot and sweaty weather to cooler temperatures where leaves change to pwetty colors and noms become delicious and cweative like sugar cookies made to look like slices of punkin pie.

The ‘BER Months typically get hoomons thinking about Christmas, so they get out their notebooks and start planning lists on what to buy, and what to bake, and what photos will be on their Christmas card or what family achievements they will brag about in their Holiday newsletter. 

If yoo joined the ‘BER Months, August, maybe we could finally get yoo a legitimate National Holiday called Get Excited for HollowThanksMas where everyone spends that day planning costumes, what pie they will serve after turkey noms, and sorting out who belongs on the Nice List as opposed to the Naughty List.

Anyway, AugtoBER -- I’m calling yoo AugtoBER to let yoo try it on and see how it fits – I realize this is last minute, but I sincerely hope yoo will abandon yoor hot, sweaty, no-nothing existence among the summer months, and come join the Fun Months. Come be a ‘BER and I promise yoo will have no regrets.

Sincerely, Dori, President of the ‘BER Months Fan Club