Happy Gotcha Day, Jazzy!!!

It is 6 yeers since mom bean went to the Wake County shelter and brot home a sisfur for me and Buddy. We weren't furry happy about it at first, and Jazzy REELY din't like us, but we've all gotten used to each ofur and we're a big happy fambly now.

All the Cats love Grampa

Our good Grampa is not feeling so good these days. He doesn't amember how to use his computer, or ride his bike, or drive his car. But he still amembers how to pet the kitties! Grampa has a warm, gentle spirit that even the most timid girlycats love.

Grampa and Grandma with Cuzzin Grady. They resskewed Grady 

when some bad beans dumped him by their house.

 Grampa has great big hands, but he is furry gentle wif them and all kitties love him. 

Here he is wif Buddy one Christmas when we all stayed wif him and Grandma.

And me (Finny) working in the workshop wif Grampa when I lived wif him and Grandma 

while Mom sold our house in Charlotte. Grampa always took me wif him to get the male efurry day 

and I efen got to help him make wooden stuffs in the workshop!

Tribute to John Paolillo

Project 2996 is all about honoring and celebrating the lives of those innocent people who were murdered on Sept. 11, 2001.

John Paolillo was a Battalion Chief with the NY Fire Dept. - killed in the collapse of the North Tower. But more importantly, John was a loving father, brother, son, uncle and a friend to all.

John lived next door to my sister Marjie in Glen Head, NY. I met John once or twice "over the fence" - saying hi, borrowing sugar, neighborhood get-togethers, that kind of thing. The main thing I remember about him is that he would always be out playing in the yard with his kids Jake and Ella anytime I visited. John was very devoted to his kids, his wife, his mom Elizabeth, brother Joe, sister Sheila and their families.

John was a great athlete who loved to run, bicycle and swim - he competed in triathlons on a regular basis and enjoyed sharing his training philosophy with others. He helped Marjie with her cycling when she was getting ready for the MS 150 Bike Tour and an amateur team triathlon that she took part in. Marjie said John didn't understand the kind of mental blocks that held her back from getting up a hill - he just charged on up, knowing he could do it! The first time Marjie went riding after John's death, she took on the toughest hill in town - and made it up for the first time ever -- because she knew that John was there with her, helping her up the hill with a strong hand on her back.

A few months after John's death, his brother Joe, Joe's wife Josephine, friends Gina and Bob, as well as Marjie and her husband Chip, came together with the idea to hold an event that would not only raise money for a scholarship fund at the local high school, but more importantly, honor John's love of life and athleticism.

The John Paolillo Scholarship Fund Memorial 5K race/fundraiser was held at the Glenwood Landing Fire Station. Hundreds of local friends and families, as well as firefighters from John's old stations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, ran or walked the route that included one tough hill, some beautiful scenery, the high school cheerleaders and athletic teams, water stops, and lots of fun.

The commemorative T-shirt from the event demands to know "Did you give it your all?", a question that echoes with John's friends and family. When I attended the 5K in 2003, Joe told the story of going running with John one time and feeling that he could have done better. "Did you give it your all? Did you try so hard you threw up after?" asked John. "Well, yeah," answered Joe. "That's all you can ask of yourself," said John.

More than anything, the Run for Heroes is a celebration that brings together a community and helps to remember a wonderful man who was always ready to help others before himself. John Paolillo was an honorable man who will never be forgotten, nor should the rest of the victims of that terrible day.

Call your family, your friends - all the people that you hold dear - and tell them you love them, spend some time with them and whatever you do, remember to always "Give it your all!"

Buddy's Thong

Hey do you guys all know there is more mostly black cats at The Creative Cat? We just met them today.

Anyway, one of them is name Bean and he wares a thong just like me! Member when Skeezy did his post on diffrunt kinds of underwares? I tolld him I din't like Tighty Whities OR Boxers! Now heer's anofur boy cat who wares a thong.

Keep spreding the word my brofur!

pikshers and a movie to cheer mom up

Jackie the Horsey Girl - Great news update!

Hey do you guys amember when our Jackie Bean the Horsey Girl got kicked in her hed by Chip the horse?

She went to sleep for 8 hole days and was furry furry sick. That was in the Summer of 2009. In January 2010, Jackie went off to collije and this week she is gradjooating!!! She studied furry hard efurry nite and day and weekend and she gotted reely good grades. We don't kno wat it means, but mombean sez it's reely reely good - 4.0!

So fank you all for yore purrs and woofs and purrayers bak then. We know they helped her get all better!

We're so proud of you, Jackie Bean!!!!

Lots of love,

Finny, Buddy, Princess Jazzy, Cavalli, Callie-woofie, Max the horse, Norman the horse, Zeta the pony and Ruffian the Barn Kitty

Fly free, Miss Sanjee

One of our oldest and dearest furiends from the Cat Blogosphere has run off to the Bridge.

Miss Sanjee, Queen of the House of the (Mostly) Black Cats, hasn't been feeling well lately. This morning, her good mom bean, Robyn and her favorite Grandma Cat, helped Miss Sanjee feel no more pain.

We join in the sending of purrs to the good beans, Sanjee's brofur Pepi and sisfurs Boni, Mini and Gree, and her boyfriend cat Miles Meezer.

Until we meet agane, Miss Sanjee!

Lots of love & hugs & purrs,

Finnegan, Buddy, Jazzy & Mom Nora

Some pictures