New Year's Eve

This has always been a time of human reflection and resolutions. That's cause beans are not as close to being good as we are. We always remember the nice things, and promise to be awesome every day.  What more could you ask?
Mama is going to a dinner tonight in our community room in the partment building.  I hope she saves some turkey for me! Or HAMMM!
Hope you all have a nice evening, this last of the year.  Remember all our friends, here and beyond and give thanks for all the good things in our lives.  Like having furever homes and loved ones all over the world on this internet thing.
I hope the neighbors don't have boomers tonight.
Stay safe if yours do.
love and peace,
brandi

Thought for the Day

When Christmas bells are swinging above the field of snow,

We heard sweet voices ringing from lands of long ago,

And etched on vacant places

Are half-forgotten faces

Of friends we used to cherish, and loves we used to know.

--Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1860 to 1919),

American Author and Poet

to remember our dear ones who have crossed over the Rainbow Bridge

Merry Christmas, All!

from our home to yours.

(hey the deers are Santa's so they are nice)

Have a safe and wonderful day.

love

brandi and Mom Carol

It's Here, It's Here, Chrissymouse Eve is Here!

'Twas the night before Chrissymouse

and all through the house

Not a creature was stirring

and we had no mice.

Sweet brandi was snuggled and tucked into bed

With visions of Sugar Plum Fairies dancing in her head

(and her Sugar Pie, of course).

We wish you all Sugar Plum Fairies tonight.

and visions of loved ones in and out of sight.

Meowy Chrissymouse to all,

and to all good night.

It's Almost Time

Now listen, young ones (and a lot of you are young to me cause I'm  a senior cat).  You need to practice for when Santy Claws comes.  On Chrissymouse Eve you need to curl up and sleep real hard, cause if you peek he won't leave you any presents. And you don't want to miss out on all the loot!

So today is the day to practice your curling up and looking cute and sleeping and making sure Santy Claws leaves your presents. 

See.  Practice makes purrrfect.

And NO PEEKING!

LOVE,

brandi

And Again

Yup. Snow storm. Mama cancelled her bean vet pointment for tomorrow. I am snuggling in, by, on, and around my blankie.  Not that it's that cold.  The temp is 21 F out. A lot warmer than it's been.  But it feels like the best thing to do on a snowy day, nap in, by, on and around cozy things.
It's almost here.  Santy Claws is coming! Chrissymouse!
And mama is staying home ALL WEEK.  And Chrissymouse Eve I think Traci is coming over!  And we're having Turkey Leg again. And pressies!!
I can't wait, can you?
Last night we listened to a pretty concert on the television. They had lots of  singing beans in long robes and a guy waving his arms at them, and lots of beans playing music. I kept looking at mama and trying to say that it was pretty, but she was watching the beans really hard.
The Sugar Plum Fairies are coming out to play at our home.  Any time now.
love,
brandi

Repeat Lesson

Yesterday's lesson was for all good kitties and other furries who decided they want to go out. It is worth repeating.  Furries, it is COLD out there (-3 degrees F here).  If you don't have a good warm coat of fur (like some woofies like Khyra) you will FREEZE.  Stay inside with your mommies and daddies. Seriously.  DO NOT GO OUT THERE. No matter how pretty it may look, snow is not good for most of us. Woofies need to go out sometimes, cause they don't use litter boxes like we sensible kitties do, but don't stay out there!
Thus endeth the lesson.
Again.
love,
brandi
And in the last few minutes it has gone DOWN a degree here. Not a good sign.

Today's Lesson

Just thinking about outside is scary! If you have cold outside your door, STAY INSIDE! Unless you are a woofie that has lots of furs and likes cold, that is. It's 3 degrees out. 3! Listen to your mommies and daddies. And me.  You DO NOT WANT TO GO OUT THERE!
Give thanks today for having a furrever home, and pray for those that don't.
The only thing good about today outside is that there are sunbeams. Cold ones!
love
brandi

Another Uh-oh.

 You can barely see me. This was taken last night.  Cause I knew what was coming:

Yes, that's right.  They said something about a blizzard.  And not the kind you eat. And this really is a picture of what's outside our window this morning! Although you can't tell, there are waves and waves of snow falling!

As to other news, mama said the movie was really good this week.  They showed a movie called Red. It had Bruce Willis in it, and it was very funny.

Mama gotted her hearing aids. Now on the lowest dial, the ringing of the phone makes her jump it is so loud. Imagine that.  Oh, and she says she can hear my purrs better!

Tracy didn't come over yesterday cause she hurted her back.  She said if she feels better she will come over today.  But I don't think she will.  It's way too nasty out there. When you look straight out the window, it's just white.

We have a really pretty Chrissymouse tree downstairs in the commons.  But it has lighted up DEER standing by it! I told mama to be careful if she wants to take a picture of it!

Stay warm efurryone!

love

brandi

5 hrs later. Still snowing.
total for the day, 16.5 inches
 cold sets in. brrrr

Sunbeams

The sun is out, and the sunbeams are here, and it is wonderfully... cold here. 8 degrees this morning!  I am thankful I have a furever home on days like this!
Mama has to go out in this cold weather tomorrow morning.  Brrrrrr.
Tonight is a resident meeting, so she will be gone most of the evening.
I am curling up and taking a nap. Or lebenty seven of them. Or more.
love
brandi

Wow

We had eight inches of snow! And now we have the ccccold.  Boy am I glad I have a nice warm home and blankies and mama to cuddle with!
We watched a couple of nice movies together today, and mama has been catching up on Eastenders.
Mama has to go out on Tuesday to the clinic again (three  busses) and it's going to be vverry ccccold. This is Minnesnowta, so she knows how to dress warm. She had to buy new boots for this winter, and she says they are very comfy and warm.  But I bet she stops off down in the lobby at the hot drink machine and comes up with some hot cocoa when she gets home late Tuesday afternoon!
Tracy was here yesterday, right before it started really snowing hard, and she went home before it got too bad.  Lucky she doesn't live too far away. One of mama's sisters called to say hi, yesterday, and said that the snow hadn't started at her house.  She lives farther north in Minnesota out in the country.  They get snowed in all the time.  I wonder how Molly is going to like walking in the snow this year.  Molly is their dachshund woofie. Wonder if they shovel just for her walkies? Or is she like Khyra, and loves the snow? Now Khyra would have lots of fun here! But Molly is a lot shorter.
Mama is reading a history of a baseball player named Hank Aaron which she is reading on the computer.  It's downloaded from our library, and it goes back on the computer when she's done reading it.  It is really a cool setup they have, borrowing books on line.  But I wish mama had a NookBook.  Then I could curl up on her lap when she's reading.  **sigh** Now she has to sit at the computer and read.
That's about all that's going on. The crock pot was out with nice smells, and the laundry is getting caught up.  Nothing much else.
Oh, one of the animal shelters south of here is closing down because they have run out of funding at the end of the year.  We heard on the news tonight that they had 35 doptions today, and any furry animals left at the end of the year would be placed in other shelters and foster homes. NOT PUT TO SLEEP!
Good news, right? Yea!
Nice thought to end this with,
love
brandi

Oh, Dear

Well, it has been cold here (13 degrees F or worse) and now there is a storm coming and more snow for the weekend. Mama wented to the doctor Wednesday in the cold and caught all her busses without waiting a long time in the cold air.  Yesterday there was a quick trip in the afternoon in case it's nasty today and this weekend, and it was Movie Night.  Mama camed back from Movie Night saying if she didn't have to be there to run stuff she would have left.  She said it was really too violent and bloody and they couldn't have been more gross if they had tried. They had more gorry ways to kill people than she thought possible.
So today we are staying at home being warm and cuddly, waiting for the storm later on today. No sunbeams like yesterday. Just gray.  Gray should be only for pretty kitties furs, not for the skies!
Have a cuddly day!
love,
brandi

Snow Day

Snow, snow, snow.  That's what today brings. And cold.
Check out the picture below with my fancy silver chenile blankie and you have an idea of my day today.

Yup, this kitty knows a good blankie when she sees one!

Warm and toasty and NOT watching the snow fall! Mama doesn't have to go out til tomorrow, so I can ask her for Denties  all day.

love,

brandi

Sunday Stuff

Mama says I'm snug as a bug in a rug. Mamas say stupid things, don't they.

It's not that cold today, but it is kinda nice in the blankie.

Have a great Sunday.

love

brandi

Happy Thanksgiving

Not here! My mommy gaved me turkey.

I am thankful for the turkey, my Sugar Pie, my mommy, and all of you.

Hope you have a very happy day of thanks.

love

brandi

Good News

Mama gotted a call from the clinic that someone had founded her cards! Hooray!!!
Now she doesn't have to pay all those green papers to replace them. But she has to take another cab ride there to get the cards. That is lots of green papers.  Since she is going back Tuesday for a pointment she asked if they would just hold them for her to pick up then.  They agreed. Which is nice, cause there is supposed to  be nasty weather today. Ice pellets falling from the sky! Boo!!! So now mama can stay home with  me today.
That's  all the good news. 
I think it was all your good wishes that did it.
Really. Thanks.
love
brandi

A Bad Day

Mommy is really upset tonight and I am being very quiet for her.  When she was at the bean vet today she lost her bus card, insurants card, and her driver's license.  It cost a lot to get home with a taxi. Now she has to replace her bus card (it had lots of money on it), her ID and insurance card.  And the weather is turning nasty and the drivers place and transit place are not open on Thanksgiving or the day after.  Mama has a special card for her bus rides that is plastic and she can put money on it and it will take the correct fare off.  Cool.  But now she has to wait until tomorrow to call and cancel it and transfer to another card (there's a fee), go to a drivers place and pay for another license.  Whew.  The insurants people were nice and they are sending another card in the mail, no charge. She said thank goodness I didn't have my library card with them, cause she already had to replace her card a few months ago, and there was a charge....
I am being extra special nice.
Wouldn't you?
love
brandi

Sunday Stuff

It's cold.  It's winter. It's cloudy. I intend to spend it like this:

Have a snuggly Sunday

brandi

Another Angel

Miss Patches of the Big Piney Woods has left us for the Rainbow Bridge.  Our hearts go out to those who are left behind at her house. Please go to the Big Piney Woods blog and leave a message for her mommy and daddy and her sister kitties.
Dear Patches,
Our eyes look up to the heavens and we bless the time we got to know and love you, and wish you well crossing the bridge, and send healing purrs to those dear ones you left behind.
The Big Piney Woods was one of the first blogs we read, when we started this blog journey. Purr softly and unceasingly for her family left behind.
purrs and hugs,
brandi

Sweet Tidings

Congratulations to our friends across the pond (the UK) on the engagement of your Prince William to his Kate. We love royal romance. And definitely royal weddings.... and this couple look charming together.
love
brandi

United in Silence

Uh oh

Winter camed!

love,

brandi 

Tuesday Stuff

Notice my delicate paw for Toesie Tuesday!

Yesterday mama left me in the afternoon and ran an errand down town. I took over the daybed (of course).  So I was all curled up napping when she camed home. She didn't come home with any treats or anything, so that was not fair. Mamas are supposed to bring stuff home for us!
Well, to be really fair, she didn't come home with anything for her, either. And tonight she has a resident council meeting to go to.  And tomorrow Kim is coming over.And Thursday is Movie Night.  Busy scheddule around here!
Next week mama has to go back to the clinic.  One thing is to talk to the diabetes nurse, who is really happy with mama. We think there is another adjustment in her insulin about to happen.  Like, less. Cross your paws!
Today is November 9 and it is now 55 degrees outside.  And only morning.  Mama said she about died of heat stroke yesterday, cause she had her warm fuzzy coat on and it was at least 60 degrees out in the afternoon. Last year at this time there was snow on the ground.
That's it for Tuesday stuff.
love to all, and a nose nudge to my sweetie,
brandi

Saturday Stuff

Well, here it is. Saturday. I haven't seen my friend Tracie this week.  Maybe next week. She had some toothie problems.
Mama got some bad news this week and some good.  The good news is that her A1C test (for diabetes) was very good. And she is proud of that.  She has worked very hard to do good with her diabetes and stay good. This test measures her blood glucose levels over a three month period. Don't know how, cause she only has to give blood to them once.  But it is good news.
The bad news maybe I shouldn't say, but I will anyway.  She needs hearing aids. Shhhhh.  Don't tell her I told.
Nobody was interested in coming to movie night this week, so mama camed back early and we had the evening together so I could make her feel better.
I don't think you've ever seen me on the new daybed cover, just on blankies. So here I am giving myself a proper pedicure:

Don't mind the black in the lower corner.  That's just mama's dress.
Have a happy Saturday with your beans!
love,
brandi

Pet Blogs United

This week I am featured on Pet Blogs United.  If you have come from there to see me, thank you for stopping and I hope you leave a comment so I can visit you. There is a special badge for me, but I can't seem to get it to work on here.  All I get is a photobucket name.  Whatever that is. But these lovely beans and furries are really nice.
Mama has been very busy this week, so sorry we haven't posted.  She is going to be gone all afternoon to go to the bean vet (already there last week and Tuesday!) and tomorrow night is also Movie Night, which she helps run in the Community Room.  This time the doctor is for her ears, which she says are buzzing.  She said the noise bugs her a lot, but she appreciates me cuddling and comforting her.
See you soon
love
brandi

ps.  Mama got sick of the three songs on here, so they are gone.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Monday Stuff

Monday. Rain. It's rained all weekend.  It's foggy and dark. Yuck. No sunbeams!
This might as well be wordless Wednesday, cause I'm just going to take elebenty-seven more naps!
I woke up mama in the middle of dark cause I tipped over my water dish, and I was dying of thirst and it just couldn't wait. I needed water really bad! Since they changed the toilets to water conservative, the water is too far down and I can't reach it. So that option was out. I needed my middle of the night lap of water to tide me over till breakfast. Really bad! So I crabbed at her till she got the message (beans can be slow in the middle of the dark). So now she's tired.  So take a nap! I am!
Beans should take more napssssssszzzzzzzz.
love
brandi

Saturday Stuff

Mama is better!  Thats part of my good news.  Tracie is coming Sunday! Another part of my good news.  And another picture:

My bed, my jacket. You lose!

(it's fuzzy warm on the inside)

 Have a  happy Saturday!

love brandi

Wednesday Wordy

Sorry we haven't been around.  Mama has been busy.  The new door DIDN'T arrive. Tracie was here last Friday (yea!) and we got caught up on stuff, and Monday I missed mama cause she had a pointment and errands to run. Yesterday was fine, but today mama doesn't feel well, and we are not spending a lot of time on here. Just enough to catch up on some blogging friends and that's about it.
We were going to upload a picture, but blogger maintenance has disabled image uploads for awhile today.
I am making mama stop now so I can continue nursie duties.
love,
brandi

Wednesday Wordy

Well, it is still warm and nice out.  They say we are going to have a long cold winter and this is nature's apology in advance.  Whatever.  We like this.
We gotted a knock on the door this morning, and it was a maintenance man.  It seems like there is MORE stuff to do in our partment!
They put a door frame between the living room and my room when they were doing the remodeling, but not a door. Next Monday they are going to put in the door.  They said sorry, there was a delay in the order, and the doors just arrived. Mama said never mind to me about the door.  It won't be closed.  That way I can come and go from my room to the living room and the kitchen and my food and water whenever I want to. She said a door is silly.
She is going to cook something called stuffed squash for dinner.  I wonder if kitties like squash? We'll see.  Tomorrow she has movie night, and she has chosen something called Men who Stare at Goats. Sounds kinda silly to me.  Why would men stare at goats? But then, she says it's a comedy, so I guess it's a silly comedy.
Silly beans. *sigh*  What we put up with.
Next Monday is also when she goes to her bean vet.
Friday we hope we see Traci again.  It has been a while since she has come over.
Yawn.... back to warm napsssszzzzzzz
brandi

Update: this kitty doesn't like stuffed squash.

Tuesday Stuff

Tuesday, October 12, and there is NO SNOW and it is 70 degrees and the windows are open and it is sunny.
Are we in Kansas any more?  Or, to be more exact, Minnesnowta (Minnesota)?
We'll definitely take advantage of this weather for as long as we can.

Paw of approval!

love,

brandi
ps. don't forget, Ash has a furrever home now! Winnie's Wishes are coming true!

Sunday Sunbeams

Another warm day!

Windows open in October!

love

brandi

10/10/10

pretty cool number, huh



We're Still Here

Mama hasn't let me blog for awhile.  Sorry.  She has been once again dealing with insurants and green paper problems, and was kinda upset and over stressed.  I spend a lot of time keeping her company, and even slept with her, which is something I don't really do much. But you know nursie duties!
Anyway, everything is settling down.
And we did do some visiting with other blogs even though I didn't get to blog.
Yesterday, beleive it or not, it was 87 degrees in the Twin Cities!  Wow! I think last year at this time it was probably snowing! Mama was out most of the afternoon, bussing to her doctor and taking herself out to an inexpensive fast food dinner, which is a real treat for her, something she doesn't do very much at all. And she didn't save me anything! Sheesh.
When we had a place near us, she used to bring stuff back for me.
Anyway, we are taking advantage of the warm weather!

Yesss!

love,
brandi

Live Strong!

In memory and honor 

 of Suki, who came before me

and my mama's mama

Tuesday Stuff is Tuff

Zumbro Falls, MN

Zumbro Falls, MN

Not good news.






Mama didn't go to her group yesterday cause she didn't feel well and we took nappies together yesterday.She's doing that noisy thing with her nose and tissue.
The rain has gone away for a while, but you might have heard there is a lot of flooding in this area.  We of course live in a nice high rise building, but the Mississippi River is not that far away.... Both of the Twin Cities are now having problems and a lot of the surrounding areas. Some small towns are wondering if they will even bother to rebuild at all. The pictures are of a small town named Zumbro Falls, so far one of the hardest hit.
 Mama was in a flood once when she was a little girl.  She had a woofie, then, and she remembers leaving her home by boat holding on to her woofie, her daddy rowing through her front yard. So she can empathize with the families that are undergoing  losing their homes and stuff.  It is scary and nasty, and the farmers....She said  her family saw hundreds of pigs and other farm animals floating down the river, dead.  Sorry to be so graphic.  But floods are BAD, furry ones and beans.  And lots of crops just rot in the fields cause of the mud when the waters go down.  Tractors can't get to them.  And homes aren't livable, sometimes, afterwards because of the smell and the mold and stuff.
They showed a farmer picking his pumpkins under water from a boat last night on tv and I bet some are wondering if they have to harvest their fall apples by boat. At least those are kinda ingenious ways of saving some crops. We hope they succeed.
So, yeah, Tuesday is Tuff. So say lots of purrayrs, kitties and woofies and beans. Lots of need for them.
love, and some sweet kisses for my Sugar Pie,
brandi

Sunny Sunday

This really is from last month.  But it IS sunny today, and mama didn't take any new pictures today.  We have been chasing the sunbeams all day and having a mellow sunny day.   Mama has been reading on the puter.  Did we tell you that you can magically download books from our central library in the city onto a computer or a Sony or a Nook book and then you return them with a click or after 21 days they disappear from your puter?  Mama said these downloaded books are so in demand that as soon as she finishes one she returns it so others can download it. Pretty cool.  Except she doesn't have a Nook book or a Sony book to carry around, so she can't "take it with her" (and no lap top, either).  So if she wants to read one, she has to sit at the desk and watch the puter screen.
Anyone have a spare Nook book??? Seriously. And the technology at the library doesn't include the Kindles, which just went down in price. We looked at all the accessories you need for a Nook. Whew!
Tomorrow she has decided to go back to her old women's group.  No, I don't mean all the women are old. I mean the group she went to a few years back when we lived in our old place on the other side of the downtown area. Only some of the members are old. That doesn't make it an old women's group. So she will be gone for a while. She would love to "take it with her" so she can read her book inbetween buses. *Sigh*
No Nook book. Ever until they cost way less including the accessories. Wouldn't a lap top be better? Then she could help me blog and look at all the nice kitties and woofies on line!  And we could snuggle on the daybed while she reads. And reads the bloggies to me.
*Sigh*
So today, we are being mellow.
Did I tell you Tracie was here on Friday?  She moved my litter box again, and mama had to move it back. But she is very nice to me in other ways, so I guess as long as mama moves the box back to where I like it when she leaves, it's okay.  Tracie was being silly with me and piling all sorts of bags on the bed and taking them away, so she was fun to play with.
But it is odd, even for a bean, I think. To move somecat's litter box where you don't live.
There was a video of a kitty on I Can Has Cheezeburger who brushes itself.  Bah! Not that special!  How do you think I brush myself??? Just because mama doesn't have a video camera someone else gets the fame!
love to all,
and nosekisses for my Sugar Pie,
brandi

Friday Stuff

Don't ask why the camera made part of my footies yellow.  You know mama isn't good with the thing, anyway.  Just be happy she got the picture!  Remember, I hate my picture took. Or maybe it's because my mama isn't good at it. 
Anyway, mama wented out in the rain yesterday and made it home fairly dry.  Then she wented away again last night.  Something about having to help at Movie Night.  And The Untouchables.
Now why would anyone want anything to do with untouchables?  Why not stay home and scritchie and rubbie on your lovable kitty?
Well, anyway.  I hope Tracie makes it today.  She called on Wednesday.  Oh, yeah.  She said mama was a star.  She gotted her commentary posted in the local paper.  NOT the BIG city paper, just our local one.  She was hoping for the big one, but I think you gotta start small. Of course, when mama heard her commentary was posted, she forgot to ask about Tracie's car....and went out and gotted a copy of the newspaper instead.
So I hope she comes...
Have a good Friday, all,
and I have been remiss in mentioning my mancat boyfriendcat recently, but know I love him and I send sweet kisses to him efurry day. You all know him as Mr. Hendrix, official Cat Blogosphere Reporter and brofer to a little blurpy walking thing.  I know him as my Sugar Pie.
so, Sugar Pie, some extra special kisses,
brandi

Thursday stuff

Thank you Swimtaxi for your nice comment about the Modest Needs post being well written, and the nice compliment about mama having such a pretty cat. Blogger sends our comments to our email account and it decided to delete your comment, but after we remembered it.  But it became unpublishable by blogger.
Mama has to go out into the rainy weather this afternoon, so I am going to be all snuggly.
She just shared her lunch with me (chili for a chilly day). A little hot for my taste, but she left me plenty of water, and even a little cracker for me (okay, it fell in my foodie bowl).
Oh, Swimtaxi, by the way, thanks for dopting schnauzers. Mama's friend Robin is a schnauzer rescuer!  You sweeties are going into our blog list. Remus and Riley are just tooooo cute not to follow.
love,
brandi
ps. mama says happy fall efurry one.

I says kitties always fall right side up.  So it's always a happy fall, right?
Oh, AUTUMN. Oh, okay.  Happy AUTUMN efurry one.  Sheshh.

Wednesday is Wordless

And the Winner is.......NOT.
This title has been attempted by many spam accounts and the official title is being removed. We hope we have stopped them! Other parts of the blog have not been changed. We DO NOT ACCEPT ANONOMOUS COMMENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is the news from Modest Needs concerning the Refresh the Gulf Campaign.  Official results are tomorrow, but furries and beans, I don't think they bring good news for Modest Needs and the beans they tried to help. Keith is rather upbeat about it, and I am including his newsletter from today.  Mama and I appreciate your help in this soooo much. And since Modest Needs DID help US, we thank you for trying to help us give back to them and help a lot of other people. Remember them, if you have any spare change to help someone other than the many fin feather and furs that we try to help now.  Beans need help, too. Here is Keith's letter:

Good day, everyone! I hope this note finds you enjoying this last official day of summer and preparing for a wonderful fall season.

Over the past few weeks, many of you have written to ask when / whether I planned to publish a 'final update' about the outcome of our participation in Pepsi's 'Refresh the Gulf' grant challenge. Honestly, I'd been waiting to send this update for two reasons.
First of all, as many of you noted, Pepsi's website was notoriously difficult to use, and I'm relatively certain that a number of you had problems actually registering your votes. We were hoping that Pepsi might find some way to take that into consideration when calculating the final vote tallies.
Secondly, as many of you suspected, Pepsi's 'Refresh the Gulf' competition was plagued by a very large number of - what's the nicest way to say this? - 'voting irregularities' that, if addressed by Pepsi, would've drastically altered the outcome of the competition in both the $50K and $250K grant categories.
Over the final two weeks of grant competition, we and multiple other organizations meticulously documented and reported these 'voting irregularities' to Pepsi. We did everything we could to urge Pepsi to take decisive action against the organizations who were working to alter the outcome of the grant competition by engaging in proxy voting, 'unsportsmanlike conduct,' and other types of behavior specifically prohibited by Pepsi's terms of use.
Unfortunately, despite multiple promises from the 'powers that be' at Pepsi that they were 'actively investigating' these issues, Pepsi ultimately opted to take no significant action. That was Pepsi's 'last word' on the issue, and in a grant competition of this type, the 'last word' of the corporate sponsor is law.
Thanks to these voting irregularities, I really don't know who actually won Pepsi's 'Refresh the Gulf' grant competition. In fact, nobody outside of Pepsi actually knows who *really* won their 'Refresh the Gulf' grants, as no one outside of Pepsi has access to the actual vote tallies, and Pepsi isn't sharing this information with anyone.
I can only tell you that, tomorrow, when Pepsi officially announces the recipients of their $250,000.00 'Refresh the Gulf' grants, one of the recipients will be a terrific organization that I genuinely respect and admire. The other grant will go to an organization who received a $250,000.00 'Refresh Everything' grant from Pepsi earlier this year, who achieved their standing in the 'Refresh the Gulf' campaign directly as a result of a proxy voting scheme in which they knowingly and actively participated, and that - if the persons in charge of that organization are to be believed - were actually invited by Pepsi to apply for a second grant during Pepsi's 'Refresh the Gulf' campaign.
After working your hearts out for a month, I know many of you were disappointed to learn that Modest Needs would not be receiving the $250,000.00 'Refresh the Gulf' grant. I was too - for about five minutes. And then, I started to consider all of the good that came out of our participation in this competition.
First and foremost, I'm proud of us - all of us - for the way we ran our grant campaign. We did everything strictly 'by the book.' We played by the rules, even when playing by the rules was hard. We didn't enter into partnerships that would've given us tens of thousands of additional votes by proxy - a practice specifically prohibited by Pepsi. And we didn't engage in the kinds of 'smear tactics' in which some other organizations unfortunately engaged throughout the grant competition.
To me, the reputation that Modest Needs has earned over the years is worth a heck of a lot more than a quarter million dollars. So even though we didn't win a $250,000.00 grant from Pepsi, we came away from this competition with our reputation for ethical behavior in tact. As far as I'm concerned, that's something we can be proud of. It's an unqualified 'win' for Modest Needs, and for those of you who support this work.
Secondly, our experience with Pepsi's 'Refresh the Gulf' campaign caused me - a lot of us, I think - to 're-think' the wisdom of participating in competitions of this type. Initially, like many of you, I figured there wasn't any harm in submitting a grant proposal to Pepsi. The worst thing that could happen would be that we simply wouldn't get the grant, right?

Wrong.

Now that we've actually participated in a grant competition of this type, we've learned that, in the immortal words of Han Solo, 'No reward is worth this!' I'm all for additional funding, but this competition took much more time to manage than we ever imagined. What's more, it required us to spend an entire month competing against our friends in the non-profit community and marketing Pepsi's products for them.
I think we can all agree that there are better, more effective ways to fundraise. So while I'm not sorry we entered this competition, I can promise you that having done this once, we'll never do it again. To avoid competitions of this type - that's important lesson we learned from participating in this competition, and you just can't underestimate the value of wisdom that comes from experience.
But best of all, participating in Pepsi's 'Refresh the Gulf' grant competition really brought the Modest Needs community together in ways I've haven't seen in a very long time. I can't tell you how much it meant to all of us at Modest Needs to see so many of you become 'activists' for Modest Needs, to hear from you as you were voting, and - beset of all - to read the very kind comments all of you left about our work on Pepsi's website. Those comments, in fact, meant more to all of us than I could probably express.
And as for the daily reminders we sent out during our month-long grant campaign (thank you for tolerating those, by the way)? Well, it turns out that they inspired some people to become new supporters of this work, brought former supporters of this work back to us, and encouraged some of you who already support Modest Needs regularly to do just a little more for those persons in need of our help during the month of August.
So, if nothing else, this grant competition had the result of pulling us together in pursuit of a common goal. And you know what? As a result, in the month of August - normally our slowest month of the year - we funded more requests for help than we were able to fund in June and July of 2010 combined. And that, my friends, is truly a 'win' for all of us.
We may not have received a $250,000.00 grant from Pepsi, but we did have the opportunity to show the world our true colors in the way we handled the grant competition. We learned some important lessons about the best uses of our limited time. And best of all, we came together for common good and helped a lot of people in the process.
That kind of team work, our solidarity, is worth a lot more than $250,000.00. It's the reason Modest Needs is so much more than 'just another charity.'
Again, thank you so very much for your support of our grant proposal in Pepsi's 'Refresh the Gulf' promotion, and, of course, for your support of Modest Needs. I look forward to hearing from many of you soon, but in the meantime, enjoy the first days of fall, and above all, be well.

Warmest Personal Regards,

Dr. Keith P. Taylor
Chief Executive Officer
Modest Needs Foundation
http://www.modestneeds.org


'Small Change: A World of Difference'


(212) 463-7042
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You can make an instant, secure contribution of ANY size in 60 seconds or less by visiting https://www.modestneeds.org/donation/online
Remember, the work we do at Modest Needs is funded exclusively through the generosity of persons just like you. Without your support, this work would not be possible.
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We'll do everything we can to help you in your time of crisis.
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Modest Needs'  "badge" is always at the sidebar of our blog for several good reasons. It is an honest organization. They "play fair".  The money they raise goes to needy beans. And mama and I are proof that it works! That's something that we as an animal lover blogosphere can appreciate.  Somebody out there really caring to help.  And that somebody is a lot of somebodies just like us. And somebodies who are part of us. Please keep them in mind. 

Back to normal kitty business tomorrow. Thanks once again, all,
brandi

Meow like a Pirate Day

MEOWARRGH!

TOOT TOOT... I MEAN AVAST YE SWABS!

BRANDI

Friday Stuff

Friday! *happy dance*
Tracie's coming! *happy dance*
More Dentabites are coming (not from Tracie, just mom's groceries) *happy dance*
It's yucky and rainy out (more nappies).
*happy dance*
New batteries for the camera.
*happy----what???????
MOM.  I HATE PICTURES!
*grumble grumble*
definitely nap time! I'm hiding.
love,
brandi
poo. Tracie has car problems.  She can't make it. Now I really do have to hide, cause not even she will be around to save me from the *shudder* camera!

Got NIPPED

At least she didn't take a picture of me turning the bowl up over my head....

Well, what else do you do on a rainy day??

I'm so embarrassed, though.

I'm a Senior Ladycat, for Bast's sake!

Not a kitty niphead.

brandi

Life gets Tee-Jus, Don't it?

Listen to this old time song my mama found....

Hope it brings a smile. And a laugh. But. please, go down to the bottom of my blog FIRST and stop my pretty music playing. THEN listen.
If you ever get tired of my music, just do that and it won't play. And if anyone knows how I can have it lower or stop unless YOU want to hear it, please let me know. We have not figured that out.



love
brandi

Sunday Sunbeams

Yup. It is sunny beams on  my back today.  Sort of to make up for last night's indignity.  Mama said she was going to make my furs all floofy and pretty.  Sounded nice.  Then she gave me a *gasp* bath!
But she dried me and got the little hair dryer out and made me all floofy and pretty and then she gaved me my Denties.  Twice.
Now, after this nice picture I let her take---and update---her batteries in the camera wented dead.
Ahhh, revenge....

And to whoever camed up with this ( I forgotted), you are awesome!

brandi

Remembering

There are times Americans remember. Events of the World Wars, or the Korean War, or Vietnam, or the Gulf. Plenty of other wars in the history books and on world wide news. We have shootings, murders. The Holocaust. The day that JFK was shot, or Bobby Kennedy, or Martin Luther King.  Or a local police officer, or store owner, or even the kid down the street, or maybe your next door neighbor. Floods, storms. Devastation.  With people in our city, recently it was the Day the Bridge Collapsed.

And we cannot forget 9/11/2001, either.

None of them are less or more tragic. Whether we felt them as a family, a community, a country, a world. All of them are horrific. All of them are remembered. 

We will never forget. Never.

But will we ever learn? 

II
Two towers
2,996
loved ones
---

War, murder, natural and unnatural disaster should remind us that we all are each other's family.
Why is it kitties and woofies learned that a long time ago and many beans just don't??

MO CATS DAY!

NUFF SAID,
brandi

Wednesday Kitty Woes

THEY'RE AT IT AGAIN!

This time they are doing the kitchen floor of our across the hall neighbor.  Stinky! Stinky!

And since mama has ebooks downloaded from the library and she doesn't have an ebook to carry around or a laptop either, I guess that means we both are stuck here.  Mama has a fan on directed at the door, and we have to open a window today (it's in the fifties out, for pity's sake, mama! I KNOW the sun is shining in, but fifties???). 

SHE can drink hot drinks.  I bet she puts an ice cube in my water to be funny!

That's sarcasm, by the way, I am told.  She wouldn't do anything that nasty.

Er, mama, I have been a good girl lately, haven't I?????

Anyone care to donate a used working laptop or a Nook Book??????

Love,

brandi

Happy Labor Day!

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
This article is about the holiday in the United States.
Labor Day
Type: Federal Holiday (federal government, DC and U.S. Territories); and State Holiday (in all 50 U.S. States)
Date: first Monday in September
2010 date September 6
Celebrations: Parades, barbecues

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September (September 6 in 2010).
The first Labor Day in the United States was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City. It became a federal holiday in 1894, when, following the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the U.S. military and U.S. Marshals during the Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with the labor movement as a top political priority. Fearing further conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike. The September date was chosen as Cleveland was concerned that aligning an American labor holiday with existing international May Day celebrations would stir up negative emotions linked to the Haymarket Affair. All 50 U.S. states have made Labor Day a state holiday.
The form for the celebration of Labor Day was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday: A street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations," followed by a festival for the workers and their families. This became the pattern for Labor Day celebrations. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civil significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.
Traditionally, Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer. The holiday is often regarded as a day of rest and parties. Speeches or political demonstrations are more low-key than May 1 Labor Day celebrations in most countries, although events held by labor organizations often feature political themes and appearances by candidates for office, especially in election years. Forms of celebration include picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, water sports, and public art events. Families with school-age children take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer recess. Similarly, some teenagers and young adults view it as the last weekend for parties before returning to school, although school starting times now vary.
In U.S. sports, Labor Day marks the beginning of the NFL and college football seasons. NCAA teams usually play their first games the week before Labor Day, with the NFL traditionally playing their first game the Thursday following Labor Day. The Southern 500 NASCAR auto race was held that day from 1950 to 2004.
previous found on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Happy Labor Day, what ever you do!
This is me:

a catserole.

Love,

brandi

There are days....

hmmm. Oh, that's right. It's Sunday.
brandi

Saturday Stuff and a Plea for Help for a Woofie!

Oh, hey.  Tracie was here yesterday!  She is sooo sweet. But for some odd reason she moves my litterbox every time she is here. Mama moves it back to where it belongs every time Tracie leaves.
People were wearing jackets yesterday cause it wasn't even 70 degrees here.  I really loved my daybed yesterday. Nice and warm.  Including the green plaid. Sigh. Mama, where's the pink blankie? Or even the yellow one?  Or the grey throw that matches me? Where? I want them.  Get them out of the closet!

Mama has been on a real writing kick the last couple of days.  Letters to the Governor, to one of the major twin cities papers, a major twin cities television station, and also the local community paper (although that was on something purely local, not really political). Yesterday she felt a little drained until Tracie camed over.  Or maybe it was the Peppermint Mocha international coffee she had two cups of. Tee Hee.

~Now for the woofie story~

Mama has also been on FaceBook, which is not usual for her, but that was because she has been tracking a lost dog to see if anyone has sighted her. 
The last episode of Last Chance Highway told about a rescued dog named Hope.  She was cleaned up and sent from the south to be adopted in NY City. She slipped her collar and was found again in upstate NY.  Once again adopted, she slipped her collar again and no one has seen her since.
Keep your eyes open for this lovely dog if you live in the area.  She needs another chance!!!

Hope

(and her facebook page which has more pictures. Yes she is white, not yellow like some of the pics)

Mama leaked from her eyes when she heard what Hope's life has been like, and now Hope is alone again. Please help if you can. Contact if sighted: helpfindhope at gmail dot com

love,

brandi

Friday Stuff

Kinda grey day starting out.  Oh, well. I think Tracie is coming over later (yea!). Slow morning so far (of course, kitty mornings, heck, days are usually slow for us seniors). Pepsi Refresh decided it wasn't going to announce the winners of the Gulf Refresh Project until September 22, so stay tuned there.  Mama wroted a commentary about all the crap going on in our state thanks to the governor and submitted it to one of the local papers.  She also gave it to one of her favorite reporters at one of the TV stations as an FYI (For  Your  Information). There has been a lot of complaints against him from all over the political, professional, and just plain citizen spectrum of the state. It's not just mama and it's not just because of her health care. It's several important things the governor is screwing up. All he wants is to be President.  Please, please, if he runs, know how badly he screwed up this state, and don't let him near the presidency of all the states!!
Mama is threatening the M word.  As in Move.  As in out of this state. As in maybe out of this country.  I told you don't get on her bad side!!
Enough politics for one day.  This is a kitty blog.  So, as I was saying, kinda grey day, and I think Tracie is coming over later. And you deserve a picture of me, I guess. 

Did you get that this plaid theme is running rampant on my day bed? Actually I like it, cause it feels warm, just like my regular blankies. I just prefer the pink one for it's color.

love and ((((hugs))))

brandi

World's Bravest Kitty!!!

Update=Sort of Wordy Wednesday

Well, mama filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Their websites are sooo cool that after she filed her complaint she called the BBB and complimented them on the ease of their website and the fast deliverance to the correct BBB in another state and the ease of the whole process. She also is going to go to her bank and file an affidavit of fraud. They have been as nice as they could be, too.
Why is it those places are easier to deal with than the government????
Anyway, the meeting last night was not the correct meeting for mama to go to, it was for the officers of the resident council.  But she stayed and listened and said it was run much better than the regular meetings--no crappy comments from the audience.  The disputes they had were few, and settled agreeably within a few minutes. Nice group of officers!!!  She ended up volunteering to help run Movie Nights in the Community Room.
Oh, the one bad thing from last night--she and another lady gotted stuck in one of the elevators for a short while. Not something anybean or kitty wants to do! I hate all elevators!
Oh, yes, another bad thing.  She gotted angry at the governor cause he hates the Obama insurance laws so much that he is ordering our state not to take any Federal monies to help the programs in this state. She actually emailed him asking him if he thought beans dying because they couldn't afford medical insurance, medical care and medicines was funny.
He also is forcing a lot of schools to go to four day weeks because of cut funding, by the way, and mama said that he was ruining too many people's futures. Education and health shouldn't be dismissed so cavalierly.
I told you not to mess with my mama!!
oh, yes, the nice bug man camed today. Hoooray.
love,
brandi
come back tomorrow for a special video!!