And then there was Two...

A new kitty has joined our pride. So now...we have 2 kitties.
Meet CooPurr (A.K.A. "Gilligan" from Casa de los Gatos):



(Yes, he is a Very big kitty)














Having not heard back from SAFE on our application or the cats we were interested in, we went looking for them at the advertised Open adoption location. They couldn't be located.

We tried another Open Adoption site from a group we'd also seen on-line at Pet Finder - Casa de los Gatos. They had some lovely cats there. I was drawn to "Gilligan" the moment I saw him. The DH was amiable and we proceeded to adopt. We got pretty lucky. He's playful, charming, snuggly to both of us, even tempered, very soft and pet-able - an all-around nifty cat.
The story the adoption-lady heard was that Gilligan was owned by someone who had to go to jail for some reason. The room-mate kicked all the pets out.
When they found Gilligan, he was skin and bones.
He looks much better now...and we're changing his name to CooPurr (the sounds he makes most often).

He's been cloistered in the computer room for the last week 'cause he's had ear mites.
Don't panic - it's a semi-normal thing. Ear Mites are very cat-infectious and relatively easy for outside cats to pick up or share. They can be treated now with a one-dose application.
But no, we don't want BobCat to get them...
CooPurr was treated for them last Tuesday (first available appointment) and he was extremely good at the Vet and they were tickled to meet him.

He's been very lovey and charming all week. Perhaps is a trait of his breed (Russian Blue) but he has a Very dense coat and doesn't seem to shed much at all (we'll see what the spring brings...). He's a talker, but kind enough to pipe down at night so we can sleep. He kneeds A LOT and burrows into your armpit or side....














He was "sprung" yesterday to the delight and curiosity of all. He and BobCat had been sniffing at each other and chirping/talking under the Computer Room Door all week.
BobCat got "happy-feet" when CooPurr was loosed and wanted to play.
CooPurr wanted to explore. We think he's been used to sharing space with lots of cats so BobCat is just another roomie. BobCat seems to be interested in being friends.
So far so good.

On the Home-Front, the fireplace door we ordered came in and we went to pick it up yesterday. This is how the fireplace looked when we bought the house:


















Mind the bottom brass piece - it's not bolted down and will fall out, flinging ash and whatever into the living room at the least provocation.










This is what we installed yesterday:














(Sigh of relief) It looks SO much better and will reduce the amount of hot/cold air that blows up the chimney. Hmmm - I wonder if it will help keep the damper closed? It blows open when it's windy. (Yes, I was having a tough time getting a not-blurry picture. Not sure if the glass front of the fireplace door is confusing the camera or if it's the moving kitties in the foreground...)

On the Knitting-Front:


I'm about done with Jennifer's late Christmas gift:

















And I'm almost done with my Knit Dr. Bag homework for the next class:





(This picture shows the bag colors to be a little brighter than they actually are.)

AND I signed up to take a short class from a visiting Knitting Dignitary!
Amy R. Singer, author and Editor/Queen/Creator of the beyond-spiffy quarterly newsletter Knitty.Com, is coming to Tucson! Not being a lace junky (Ok, I'm lace-challenged...) I didn't go for the all-day "design your own lace shawl" class, though I bet it will be pretty cool. I signed up to take a class with Ms. Singer on her Tuscany Shawl. Woo Hoo!!
I got all head up and purchased some yummy Malabrigo Lace Yarn to do the shawl in...(the shop sponsoring the classes was recommending using 2 strands of lace-weight yarn in place of the sport-weight yarn suggested by the pattern). On the drive home, I realized I bought wool. Entirely nifty, soft, and lovely wool - but wool.
See, the Tuscany Shawl is from a book called "No Sheep for You". It features non-wool yarns/patterns...'cause Ms. Singer is allergic to wool.
Yep, in a class built on a pattern from a book to introduce folks to non-wool options, I bought wool to make the project with. (shaking head in disbelief...) Oy.
I need to go stash-dive to see if I have anything else to use in stead...else, more yarn shopping is in my future! (aside from the added cost, I'm not truly heart-broken...)