Happy Anniversary!!!

Today is our 1st Anniversary - I adopted my two girls, Lizzie and Ellie, from the Humane Society.

Happy Annivesary!!!

Whatever!

How was your weekend? By Lizzie

So how was your weekend? Mama spent Friday with other family and not us...which didn't make us too happy. Then on Saturday Mama spent the whole day with us, but she had a migraine and slept for a lot of the day...so we did too. Then Sunday she spent some more time with us. Then yesterday she spent the whole day with Aunty Dill and cousins Alyssa, Faith and Sarah. But she brought Aunty Dill over and she pet us...she liked me ...she said so! (That's cause you were all over her! - Ellie) (Was not - Lizzie) (Was too!!!-Ellie)...Oh be quiet!!!-Mama

Mama says she was feeding little birdies out of her hand...she should have brought one home and I would have fed out of her hand too...(Bad bad Lizzie!! - mama)

For pictures you have to go to mama's "my space.com" cause it takes forever to load just one picture here...

So what did you do for the four day weekend?

Whatever!

Where have all the bloggers gone?

So where have all the bloggers gone? There once was a time when I could daily stay in touch with Nadia, Helder, Dill, Linda...but now I can only read what Chelsea or Jake or Jessie have written. Cute but where are my cousins? Ellie and Lizzie appreciate having the freedom to write in this blog...but it still is mine. (Truth be told...I write their blog..they simply dictate what they want said...its too hard for them to type with their paws...or so they tell me..hmm).

So I challenge you former bloggers: push past the cobwebs, flex those fingers, reenergize those brain cells and WRITE A BLOG FOR PETE'S SAKE!!

I dare ya!!

Whatever!

Mama came home!

Mama came home! Although we loved having Aunty Carmen come up and play with us and pet us...we were happy that mama came home...of course we made sure we ignored her at first . Hummph she left us for a whole week after all! Then little by little she broke us down (well Ellie broke down first...wimp) and we were all over her in no time. She looked nice and tanned and very relaxed. We are very very happy our mama came home. She better never leave again.

Lizzie (with minor contribution from Ellie)

Meow!

What's happening? by Lizzie and Ellie

What's happening mama? Why are you throwing clothes into a suitcase? Have we been bad? Are you running away from home? Mama we love you...don't go! We don't understand why you would want to swim in saltwater...throw salt in the bathtub...you know we love coming in the bathroom when you are taking your bath. Sand...why on earth do you want to lie in the sand? Okay throw that in the bathtub too. Sun...what do you mean you want sun? We get sun all day long...and if you stay, you get to pet us all day long in the sun. Wouldn't that just be the best vacation you have ever had? No mama...don't go on the plane (says Lizzie).

What's a plane? (Ellie asks with her head sideways).

Baby that is a big bird that flys in the sky and takes people places (says mama).

Like the birds flying around here??...just let me at em...I'll take care of those birds or planes (says Ellie menncingly).

Mama please don't go...(Lizzie starts whinning).

Aunty Carmen is coming to take care of you girls... (says Mama hoping to distract her little ones).

Aunty Carmen?....Yipee....we love Aunty Carmen (Lizzie&Ellie in unison).

She gives us lots of treats (says Ellie).

You are such a porker (says Lizzie)

Am not! (says Ellie)

R too (says Lizzie)


MAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (both in unison).


(And they wonder why I want to go to Cuba for a week's vacation...sigh (says mama).

Whatever!

It's a snow day! Yipee! by Ellie

It's a snow day and mommy is taking a "float day"...I'm not sure what that means cause she is not "floating" around...she is walking on her two big paws like usual (beats me why humans walk with only two paws and not four like me...they are weird)...

Anyways, mommy called into work and took a snow day so that she can stay home and pet me all day long. Poor mommy has to go to work five days a week and misses spending all her time with me...oh and Lizzie too...sometimes....but I'm her favorite cause I'm so cute and I don't bite her like Lizzie does sometimes. I mean who could resist my sweet face...I'm obviously the counterpart (feline version) of my cousin Chelsea. I could be a supermodel too!...although I don't have a T-man...not sure what that is anyways.

Hope you like my picture of me watching my favorite show on tv...

Bye for now,
Ellie

I am not happy - by Lizzie

I am not happy...mommy is always laughing when Ellie or I do something silly. Like the other night...you see mommy likes to take bubble baths when she gets home. She says it relaxes her. Ellie and I like to play with the bubbles...I used to be afraid at first, but then I watched Ellie who isn't afraid of anything and she was having lots of fun. Sometimes she would fall in...silly girl. Well Monday night both Ellie and I were on the edge of the tub and mommy kept saying in Portuguese (we are bilingual you know) "tu vai cair" (you are going to fall). Well it's not the first time we walked around the tub...but wouldn't you know, I slipped and fell in. I was in shock...my bottom half was in the bubbly water. Mommy did try to help but putting her foot under my body, but I was in such shock I couldn't get out...so she finally lifted me out. When I came out, my tail was covered in bubbles...then it happened. The worst sound any self respecting feline dreads...that laugh. She laughed so hard she almost ran out of breath (serves her right)...I couldn't stand it any more and took off out of the bathroom. I didn't even come near her for at least half an hour....the indignity of laughing at me. Huff...see if she laughs again...at least I hope I don't fall in again that is.

Whatever!

Our sleeping arrangements

I was not a happy kitten last night...because of the colder days mommy puts her hands under the covers. That makes me very unhappy cause she can't pet me while I lie down beside her. I think mommy is being a tad selfish...I mean she does not need to sleep all night..she should be petting me. So just to show how ticked off I was, I went and slept in Lizzie's bed. She slept on the edge of mommy's bed and I slept in her bed...well if was only for a little while cause for part of the night Lizzie chased me (we jumped on mommy a couple of times...she wasn't too happy...heehee)....Lizzie even chased me up on top of the china cabinet but I showed her cause I'm really good at jumping (okay so I fell off the china cabinet yesterday and almost landed on mommy's head...and Lizzie wasn't even chasing me...). It was fun running around, moving all the little area rugs (drives mommy crazy). Well there wasn't much else to do since mommy took the magnets off the fridge and hide them (again)...so I had to find something else to drive her crazy.

Whatever...meow!
Ellie

Ellie has something to say

Lizzie says that mommy leaves her in charge when she goes to work...well I just want to show you what she does when mommy is gone...yes she sleeps. She curls up with her teddy bear and sleeps.

I, on the other hand, am left to guard the home. Yes, me, Ellie, has to guard all manners of scary creatures from the home...magnets on the fridge...oh they may look harmless, but in truth they are not. They stick...the clog up the fridge door. They are a danger and must be caught. As for the toilet paper and paper towel...well they aren't even recycled..need I say more. Yes little me has to protect our home.

That's it for now!
Ellie

Lizzie and Ellie taking over the blog

Hello all,
My name is Lizzie and my little sister's name is Ellie. Mommy said we could use her blog cause she doesn't have time to start a new one.

We received a rather distressing email from our cousins Jake and Jessie (they are dogs...poor things). They miss our mommy's blog entries. So she said we could write them insead...she might post now and then.

I am a three year old cat and Ellie is now 9 months. That's our picture (I'm brown and Ellie is grey and white) but mommy took that picture in the summer and Ellie is kind of bigger now. When mommy goes to work, I'm left in charge. That's cause Ellie is very silly. She just likes to play with her toys, look for pieces of paper (paper towel and toilet paper are the best she says) to shred and take the magnets from the fridge to play with (this drives mommy bonkers). We also like to jump high on the china cabinet, look out the window (see picture) and nap. Yes we definitely like to nap. Ellie also loves to eat. She always hogs up my treats. Mommy gives her a few and me a few...she comes and eats mine and then goes and eats her's. She's lucky I don't really care for them.

Anyways, now that most of you have fallen asleep bored to tears, I'll just sign off. You see us cats don't really care what you think. So there...

As mommy likes to say "Whatever"!

Licks and purrs,
Lizzie (oh alright you can sign it too Ellie).
Meow

August 4th, 2006 - One year ago - We miss her

Alcinda Teixeira Vespera-DeFreitas : May 13, 1939-August 4, 2005

It's hard to believe that a year has gone by since we lost someone who meant so much to us.

I say "we" and "us" because she just did not mean so much to my sister and I, but she also touched the lives and the hearts of others who loved her so much, which included her son-in-law, granddaughters, sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews and so many many more. Hundreds attended her memorial service last year.

She was an amazing woman. People have asked what I mean by that. I mean she was real. She was not perfect. Yet despite her imperfections and ours, she loved us and we loved her. She was unselfish and giving. She was not two faced. She said what she meant...and she meant what she said. She was encouraging...she helped us to be strong woman, to try harder and to not give up. She loved life. She loved her family. She adored her granddaughters...her precious granddaughters. She may have been pint size, but she was a lioness at heart especially when it came to anyone trying to hurt her family.

She was loyal to her creater and heavenly father Jehovah till her last breath. Now she rests in his memory. Now she rests without pain till the day when she will hear Jesus' voice calling her out of her deep sleep.

I miss her so much. I miss her voice, her smile, her laugh. I miss her cute little feet with the brightly coloured short toes. I miss her hair - RED - even though it was now from a bottle and not the natural shade of her youth. I miss her bacalhau and milho...my favorite. I miss watching old movies with her and laughing. I miss her singing while she ironed. I miss the time we spent together in Florida. I miss our talks. I miss her smell.

I miss everything about her. I miss her yesterday, today and tomorrow.

I wait for the day when we are all together again...this time forever!

Pictures speak a thousand words...

I just wanted to share some pictures of Team Portugal 2006. Enjoy!



A very frustrated and angry Cristiano Ronaldo after being pulled out of the game Portugal vs Angola.



I've been saying the shorts were too long....much better Cristiano...

Do the hustle...do do do ...lalalala....the Portuguese hustle...

Oh man...need I say anything...wow!!!!!!!!!!!

...airconditioning.... ;-))))
Sigh.................

I'm sure I used antipersperant this morning...at least I think so....
Paddycake paddycake bakers man...

On your mark...get set....goooooooooooooooooo warpppppppppppppp speed...............

World Cup 2006 - Portugal 1 vs Angola 0

Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Team Portugal (right)



Portugal defeated Angola 1-0. They won their first game, but can't say it was the best playing I've seen. The best part of the game came at the overtime. That's when they really played. What's with this team? They need to stop being so overconfident...after all, they LOST bigtime to Greece at the 2004 Euro Cup IN Portugal. Ai carumba and Greece didn't even make it into the World Cup.

So Portugal needs to play 'futebol' and stop goofing around.



Opening today's game with Figo (left)- Ronaldo very unhappy being pulled off the game (centre)- Pauletta celebrating his goal (right).

My new little family

I adopted two felines today from the Toronto Humane Society. Lizzie is a brown and orange tabby( officially named Ms. Elizabeth Bennett-DeFreitas [Pride&Prejudice]) who is approximately 2 years old. The second is Ellie, an 8 week old grey and white tabby kitten (officially named Ms. Elinor Dashwood-DeFreitas [Sense&Sensibility]).

Check out my MSN Space for pictures...as it takes forever to post them here.

World Cup 2006

The excitement begins in a week. I am of course voting for Portugal and my Figo. I still think he's got the best legs and chest... I mean the best soccer bod...I mean...oh whatever!! Excuse me while I wipe up the drool....



At any rate, Portugal played a friendly game today against Luxemburg attended by 19,000. Portugal 3/Luxemburg 0.

Hopefully this is a prelude to their success in the World Cup this year.

The schedule for Portugal is as follows:

June 11th (Sunday) @ 3 pm - Portugal versus Angola
June 17th (Saturday) @ 9 am - Portugal versus Iran
June 21st (Wednesday) @ 10 am - Portugal versus Mexico


GO PORTUGAL GO!!! AND DON'T BE STUPID THIS TIME EH!

Missed me?? What's new?

Yes I know its been some time since I've posted an entry...I've been busy...I know bad excuse.

Since my last posting, I've had to put my companion Shamu to sleep. She would have been 19 years old this month. I knew her health was failing and she was meowing this meow I've never heard before as if asking me to take her out of pain. I called the vet and they let me come before it was officially open. She died peacefully in my arms...I still miss both Shamu and Taby who died almost two years ago.

I'm talking about pets. Not to be confused with the tremendous emptiness I feel having lost my mother last August. There is no comparison. It's just having a pet helps when you are going through loss. I wasn't sure if I wanted any more pets...but I need them and there are a lot of kittens out there that need a home.

So hopefully in a month's time I will have two more additions to the family. If all works out, a friend of a friend's kittens who are currently two weeks old will be ready to go to their new home (mine) in four weeks. I've never had two kittens at once and my best friend promises that it will certainly be an experience.

Taby was 8 weeks old when we adopted her in 1983. Shamu was 3 months old when she came along to our door...Taby was already 4 years old. It was a bit of a fur flying start, but eventually they worked out their roles and Taby became the mom and Shamu her baby. Taby could be seen continously licking and grooming Shamu, who was unfortunately dripping with saliva and trying unsuccessfully to get away from Taby's grooming efforts. I remember them chasing each other around the house, the headlocks, the pounding paws, the surrender, and then cuddling up to sleep together (despite the numerous other chairs available). We were, after all, family. Now I am ready to add to my family again. I don't know if they will live as long as Taby (21) or Shamu (almost 19), but for however long we are together, I know there will never be a dull moment.

(Picture: Tabytha - brown tabby//Shamu - black and white)

I will of course keep you posted.

Whatever!

Dan Brown and The Da Vinci Code

It seems that everyone is coming out of the woodwork to try to get their 50 cents...claiming that Dan Brown had stolen the plot for the Da Vinci Code. This book based on the theory that Jesus married Mary Magdalene, that they had a child and that the blood line survives. I don't believe this to be true...but I admit I enjoyed the book tremendously. I am waiting impatiently for the movie to be released (Tom Hanks) this May...unless this is taken to court. Hopefully not.

Computers

I'll be darned if I'm going to let February go by without posting something in this blog.

First of all, let me say that a little someone is turning 8 years old today. Wow eight years have gone by since she came into the world with both her hands in a fist and red hair that forever linked her to her maternal grandmother. Ironically her name links her to both her grandmothers: Alcinda and Alice. Love you Alyssa.

Now about my topic today: computers. I'm a confessed computer geek. I drooled over my bosses new computer this week. His crashed last week and he purchased a new one for the office with the thin monitors (for his office..not mine). Nothing can make me drool as much ....except for Dr. McDreemee....no not my boss..definitely not him...no I'm talking about Patrick Dempsey on Grey's Anatomy (love that show)...or Gabriel Byrne or Pierce Brosnan....(I obviously have an obsessions with blue eyed, dark haired Irish men....reminds me of the Irish doctor who I used to work with...who just happens to now be practising in Seattle...)...oh yeah back to the topic...computers.

It's amazing what computers can do and how they've simplified my life. Does anyone remember typing and having to white out typos on documents...and then if there were too much white out you had to retype the letter...and inevitably ended up making other typos which again was remedied by white out...sheesh!

Oh yeah...computers...now one can scan photos and keep it cyberspace. I think this great. If you keep it on different (and may I add FREE) programs, it's a back up if ever your house burns down and you lose all your pictures&negatives (I was thinking of those poor people in the Katrina incident that lost all the pictures to mold etc...)..of course the computer would be dead too...but alas...you've backed up your photos in cyberspace.

What about downloading all your CDs onto your computer and using it as a player...yes you could purchase an Ipod or mp3 player...but I like having it there on my computer, and playing it on shuffle...one minute I'm listening to Mariza and the next to Michael Bolton or Robert Michael (guitar) or Nina Simone (jazz). Lovely!

Anyways, now you have my blog entry for February. March and spring here we come!!

To You From Me

To You from Me

By Keith Haring

You!

It lasted only a little while, but it was great, really great.

You changed so quick and now…I don’t know if I should listen to them.

What they say I don’t want to believe. If you never liked me, then those days are nothing…

A dull Sunday made bright. A Monday evening, having you with me.

A Tuesday afternoon, morning and night.

Every day is the day I thought of you. It was too good to last though.

I guess I really knew…there’ll never be another you!

What is love! Who knows….surely not I, I was only broken by it!

It was a real unforgettable experience…the lip tightening,

Trying to say something, something to make you come back,

Then, it’s over, for us at least!

I could ask other girls, but I guess I always knew…

There’ll never be another you!

I have often asked myself…the reason for sadness in a world

Where tears are only a lullaby, but, really, who are we?

Ours was a strange and wonderful relation, you’re wonderful and that’s strange for me!

Well I guess I always knew…there’ll never be another you!

Who are you? You are love, you are happiness, you are humor, you are neat, right-on, and everything else!

You are life, love and …just plain beautiful!

But then, who am I?

I guess I’m not good enough for you.

I mean, I guess, I always knew…there’ll never be another you!

Hey, you, you’re wonderful!!

Now all my dreams are wishes, but none come true,

Because I always knew!

There’ll never be another you!

Me

A favorite quote

"Love all, trust a few. Do wrong to none." William Shakespeare