A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....11-05-03...Calpernia's Kitties..and more

Dutchess and Billie

[dutchess]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie,Mama_Bear; dansangel, dutchess, Aquamarine

How precious we "creatures"great and small are. We bring fun, laughter and comfort to you, our human family and friends. . .. and yes . . . aggravation too! We hope you enjoy meeting today's FinestFRPets and also hope you will allow us the honor of featuring your special furry (or not so furry) FRPet(s) on the Finest.

Cal's Kitties...and so much more....

Hello Finest Friends. Gizmo here. I've been enjoying much needed rest and relaxation but Aunt Billie said it's time for me to "get off my cute little behind" and get back to work introducing you all to some of our Finest FreeperPets. I have read lots of posts about ducklings'…lizards plus a menagerie of cats and no doubt birdcalls and cute graphics. Thought it was time to head on out east and see what really is going on in the home of Calpernia. Here you have it…Cal's Kitties…the "exclusive" interview (thanks for letting me borrow that Aunt Dansy)

Gizmo: Well here I am at Cal's house. She's already out of the house tending to her "human younguns". The first "critter" I see is SlimJim...sprawled out on the couch. Tough life!

Gizmo: Hello....HELLO!!!!!

SlimJim: Err...ah....hey Giz...I've been waiting for you!!!

Gizmo: (yeah right....) Ah hem....so Slim Jim…how did you end up here?

SlimJim: I showed up on mom and dad's doorstep in December of 1991. I had been in some kind of fight and needed medical attention. The vet said I was less than a year old at the time. They took me in and gave me the care that I needed. Soon after, Dad started rural medical medicine and his next placement was Immokalee FL. Mom stayed part time in NJ because her job offered benefits for the family. I stayed to and was the "man of the family" so to speak.

Gizmo: Hey I can relate. I'm the guy of the house when dad is gone too! So…then you lived in Florida?

SlimJim: Yes…next stop was Immokalee, FL which was very rural. One night on the back porch, a feral cat came up looking for food. They fed it. A few days later...Hurricane Andrew was coming. That cat now, named Rosy came back. She had a kitten (Speckles) in her mouth which she dropped on our porch and sat there calling like crazy to the woods. Dad went out in the thunder and lightening, rain and winds and found Red.

Gizmo: (to Red and Speckles) Wow…how scary for you all. Rosy really save your lives…

Speckles finds a home

Speckles: Yes she did…dropping me off on the porch and alerting dad to Red…still hidden in the woods.

Gizmo: So…what happened to Rosy???

Rosy and kittens

Red: Well…it turned out Rosy was pregnant. By now dad was assigned back to New Jersey and we all went with them. She had 4 kittens and found good homes for all of them.

Speckles: But…when the youngest, little Amanda, was born Rosy couldn't take her crying and would scratch her. We think she was just trying to find out what was wrong and try to help.

Red: Mom and Dad found a good home for Rosy with one of dad's colleagues.

Gizmo: Oh how bittersweet because it was Rosy who probably saved your lives.

Red and Speckles (in unison) Yup…Rosy was a good one and is in a good place now.

Gizmo: Okay…Now you live in North Carolina and there's Oscar. How did she end up here????

Amanda...now 8 and Oscar

Slim Jim: One day mom and Amanda were playing in the park. This was still back in New Jersey. Anyway…they found Oscar tied in a plastic bag in a garbage can. He is really a SHE but was named after Oscar of Sesame Street.

Gizmo: So…how's life now?

Red

Red: Well…just look at us. Does it get much better???

Slim Jim: Hey now…it does get mighty hectic at times…what with three younguns running around…mom bringing in a various assortment of NON feline creatures such as ducklings…birds…At various points mom has rescued a deer, an owl and I can't remember what else. Here's Douglas now age 6, with a deer they "saved"

Red: Right now in addition to us…other "non human" residents include an Eastern Box Turtle, 2 Bearded Dragons, 2 dogs, 4 Egyptian Spiny Mice, 4 Gerbils, PLUS 2 Brackish Fish Tanks, 1 Salt Water Fish Tank and 2 Tropical Fish Tanks.

Gizmo: …and a partridge in a pear tree…hehehe…okay never mind. But wow…what a menagerie! It's got to be crazy around feeding time!

Red: Well, it's a warm loving family, we couldn't ask for anything more and just glad they chose us to live with them.

Gizmo: Okay...I'm speaking for mom...but another reason...look at the face...the adorable face...Frankie...you are just TOO cute!!!

Gizmo: And okay...one more cute picture...gosh...these kids are cute! (and the ducks have found a great home at the local zoo)

Gizmo: So that's it folks….Cal's kitties in their own words. Hope you enjoyed the interview. I will say things at Calpernia's are as busy and hectic as one might imagine. Between kids, school, extra curricular activities I'm amazed that Cal has the time to post all her wonderful graphics and links. But she does…and I'm exhausted just watching her. So…I'm heading home to my favorite spot. And…until next week that's this week. This is Gizmo signing off!

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 11-03-03...Military Monday 11-04-03...South Dakota "Great Faces, Great Places"

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me a FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

Click on the photo to view the album. To
submit your photo, please contact danangel or .45man at danbh59@yahoo.com
and include Freeper Photo Album in subject line.

[The Thin Man]

Hi MEG. is that 33 your birth year?

Shhhhh..!..Who am I kidding?Lady X and I talk about rationing in WW2.We had a huge Victory garden.We are depression babies!

1933!

Let's see....... subtract 1933 from 2003. Oh, I can't count that high, better get out the high-powered calculator to figure this one out. LOL!

[WVNan]

Never heard of Hershey Bar until I was grown. I lived in the poverty-stricken deep South until WWII. We lived in a share-cropper's shanty that had no screens and the animals wandered in and out of the house. Went barefoot from April til Nov. Seeing an automobile was a rare thing. My Mom would dispatch hawks with one shot from a rifle. We "toted" water up to the house from a spring 100 yards from the house. The outhouse had no pit. It had to be cleaned out from behind and spread on the fields. Wood stove for cooking, limestone fireplace for heat. Cracks in the weatherboarding so snow blew onto the bed covers. The bedbugs were our nightly companions. Need I continue? WWII was a godsend to us. Dad and Mom were assigned to work in the war plants in Huntsville, Ala. and we moved. A real house with heat, water and bathroom. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

[MEG33]

Ha!Wouldn't want to strain your brain with the astronomical numbers, slender one!

[WVNan]

Hey TM! Does this mean I won't end up talking to myself?

[WVNan]

Incidentally Mr Man, I'm proud of every year. They are badges of courage for having survived them up to this point. 70 years in Dec. It's been quite a journey. I really do need to write that book.

[WVNan]

Oh, did I say nighty night MEG? Nighty night. God bless.

[MEG33]

My grandmother lived on a farm and I hated the outhouse!Loved the creek,though.You had a much rougher time than I did and we were hit hard by the depression.

My Dad just picked himself up,adjusted,worked where he could and finally we were out of the woods by the time the war was over.I am small town,very small town and have lived in the city all my adult life.

[WVNan]

I've lived mostly in town since the war. My grandparents on both sides remained on the farms and I spent summers with them. I love the country life. The depression was especially hard in the deep South. To make matters worse for us was that my father was a school teacher and they didn't make squat during the depression. We had to live off the land. One of my earliest memories is picking cotton.

[The Thin Man]

Incidentally Mr Man, I'm proud of every year. They are badges of courage for having survived them up to this point. 70 years in Dec. It's been quite a journey. I really do need to write that book.
 

You should! I was just reading with great interest your post about growing up in the "poverty-stricken deep south".

[MEG33]

I remember my parents talking about the teachers being paid in scrip?It was like an IOU,I believe.The grocer let people charge.A friend and I used to play store with the stacks of old unpaid tickets.We had chickens,a cow,and a large garden,so we ate well.My Dad was good with his hands so things were kept in good repair.A time that was most difficult for my parents was just dandy for me!

[WVNan]

I'm falling asleep on my keyboard. Night all.

[Calpernia]

Thank you all for a wonderful and fun thread today! My children enjoyed seeing it too. Dutchess, I hope you saw Amanda posted to you.

Goodnight to the Finest!

[Billie]

Nan, so sorry I didn't get back last night - hope you didn't lose your voice from all that shouting. :)

Morning! Thanks again, Dutchess and Cal, for bringing Giz and the Pets back!

Hi, Meg. Hi, TMan - I see you both at the end of the thread so hello - come on over to Thursday. :)

Got a Penny? John's Got Two! :)

[Aquamarine]

Alison Krauss introduces him in this song, and says he's originally from Warren Ohio. I have Alison's "LIVE" CD (with two disc's) and it's fantastic! Once again you'll have to click on the link then scroll down to the song. Monkey Let The Hogs Out

BTW....Sorry about the eagle, I should have put it in my storage.