Never ever ate that, swear on my furkids lives

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Please, no posts about declawing. I would never do that!! I have brand new furniture and right now it is covered with sheets, blankets and the like, delivered yesterday, living room full of leather at that (along with new dining room, 10 new chairs that have cloth seats). I tried the scratching posts, I tried the bad smelling stuff they sell at the pet stores, I tried the water bottle (that is effective as long as in the same room), but I want to know who has tried the cat nails and if they work. I want to enjoy the beauty of my furniture and I love my kids! I would never damage those indoor babies but I want to look at my furniture also. Are the nails hard to put on. HELP!!

THE JOURNEY

by Crystal Ward Kent

When you bring a pet into your life, you begin a journey � a journey that will bring you more love and devotion than you have ever known, yet also test your strength and courage.

If you allow, the journey will teach you many things, about life, about yourself, and most of all, about love. You will come away changed forever, for one soul cannot touch another without leaving its mark.

Along the way, you will learn much about savoring life�s simple pleasures � jumping in leaves, snoozing in the sun, the joy of puddles, and even the satisfaction of a good scratch behind the ears.

If you spend much time outside, you will be taught how to truly experience every element, for no rock, leaf or log will go unexamined, no rustling bush will be overlooked, and even the very air will be inhaled, pondered, and noted as being full of valuable information. Your pace may be slower � except when heading home to the food dish � but you will become a better naturalist, having been taught by an expert in the field.

Too many times we hike on automatic pilot, our goal being to complete the trail rather than enjoy the journey. We miss the details � the colorful mushrooms on the rotting log, the honeycomb in the old maple snag, the hawk feather caught on a twig. Once we walk as a dog does, we discover a whole new world. We stop; we browse the landscape; we kick over leaves, peek in tree holes, look up, down, all around. And we learn what any dog knows: that nature has created a marvelously complex world that is full of surprises, that each cycle of the seasons brings ever-changing wonders, each day an essence all its own.

Even from indoors you will find yourself more attuned to the world around you. You will find yourself watching summer insects collecting on a screen (How bizarre they are! How many kinds there are!), or noting the flicker and flash of fireflies through the dark. You will stop to observe the swirling dance of windblown leaves, or sniff the air after a rain. It does not matter that there is no objective in this; the point is in the doing, in not letting life�s most important details slip by.

You will find yourself doing silly things that your pet-less friends might not understand: spending thirty minutes in the grocery aisle looking for the cat food brand your feline must have, buying dog birthday treats, or driving around the block an extra time because your pet enjoys the ride. You will roll in the snow, wrestle with chewie toys, bounce little rubber balls till your eyes cross, and even run around the house trailing your bathrobe tie � with a cat in hot pursuit � all in the name of love.

Your house will become muddier and hairier. You will wear less dark clothing and buy more lint rollers. You may find dog biscuits in your pocket or purse, and feel the need to explain that an old plastic shopping bag adorns your living room rug because your cat loves the crinkly sound.

You will learn the true measure of love � the steadfast, undying kind that says, �It doesn�t matter where we are or what we do, or how life treats us as long as we are together.� Respect this always. It is the most precious gift any living soul can give another. You will not find it often among the human race.

And you will learn humility. The look in my dog�s eyes often made me feel ashamed. Such joy and love at my presence. She saw not some flawed human who could be cross and stubborn, moody or rude, but only her wonderful companion. Or maybe she saw those things and dismissed them as mere human foibles, not worth considering, and so chose to love me anyway.

If you pay attention and learn well, when the journey is done, you will not be just a better person, but the person your pet always knew you to be � the one they were proud to call beloved friend.

I must caution you that this journey is not without pain. Like all paths of true love, the pain is part of loving. For as surely as the sun sets, one day your dear animal companion will follow a path you cannot yet go down. And you will have to find the strength and love to let them go. A pet�s time on earth is far too short � especially for those that love them. We borrow them, really, just for awhile, and during those brief years they are generous enough to give us all of their love � every inch of their spirit and heart, until one day there is nothing left.

The cat that only yesterday was a kitten is all too soon old and frail and sleeping in the sun. The young pup of boundless energy wakes up stiff and lame, the muzzle now gray. Deep down we somehow always knew this journey would end. We knew that if we gave our hearts they would be broken. But give them we must for it is all they ask in return. When the time comes, and the road curves ahead to a place we cannot see, we give one final gift and let them run on ahead � young and whole once more.

�Godspeed, good friend,� we say, until our journey comes full circle and our paths cross again.

I can have such a potty mouth sometimes...I swear, sometimes I sound like a sailor!

Anyway, back on subject here...I did ask my brother and sister in law about that and they told me she had been on the pill since she was 13!! Again, rendered me just about speechless except for the F bomb, which was all I could really manage. No apparent worries of STDs or just plain 'ol self-esteem and self-respect.

They (the parents) completely lost my respect years ago. At least the youngest out of the 3 has a chance. She sees how messed up the whole situation is and knows the key to success isn't what's in her pants. She's just staying low, staying on the honor roll, and has her sites set on pre-Vet, which is oh so totally too cool for school. She's the only one of the 3 that ever liked hanging out with me, so I take that as a HUGE compliment....either that or she really is "not right."

Minimal Bounce Bra. These are kinda active chicks though who ride horses and stuff, so they need the milkers to not hit them in the face when doing the crazy things that they do on the backs of horses. They appear to come in front zip and pull-over styles. I'll put the link below to one of the places I know that sells them.

I was at Walmart the other day and this mother and her teen age son walked by me I could hear her say "well I ain't taking no more S$$T off them the A$$H##&s !How can people talk like that with their children!

catalog. You would not believe the kind of stuff they have in there now! I was impressed, shocked, thrilled, all at the same time. Now they have "packages" that members could buy and here were your 3 choices. You tell me which you'd choose, okay? Remember, this is just for fun because obviously none of us are millionaires (or at least I don't think we are :)

1. The Tony Bennett package which includes: Round trip tickets for 4 to London, VIP passes, meet Tony, autographs, 5 star hotel, gold VIP seats, food. Price: 44,000.

2. The Super Bowl package: Round trip tickets for 4 to Miami, tickets to the game, party with Dan Marino, 4 signed autographed jerseys, limo rides, 750.00 per person for spending money, 8:00 tee time at NFL golf game with an NFL player (OMG, how many husbands would be in awe of this??), 5-star hotel, amazing seats to the game, PLUS - 57 inch plasma t.v., surround sound for your home, camcorder, digital camera. Price: 77,000

3. The New Cessna Mustang (BEAUTIFUL), personal jet: Price: 2,400,000 (or something like that). To the person purchasing this: You must wire transfer 275,000 upon agreeing to buy it. This is MY choice, especially since I have a son who lives 4 states away.......

But, how much does a personal pilot cost? How much does it cost to "store" your plane?

Ahh, the lifestyle of the rich...How nice would it be to get your hubby the NFL package for Christmas???? It just doesn't compare to a tie, does it? Sigh..................

We just moved to the country, but when we lived in town, she jumped the fence I don't know how many times. When she wants in the house, it's not enough to simply scratch on the door, she has to jump six feet in the air and basically throw herself into the door.

I just get so frustrated. I was at friends house who has a golden retriever and they have a little bell hanging from their back doorknob and when their dog wants out, he simple rings the bell and same thing on the outside of the door too. I was incredulous. How did they get their dog to do that?!?!?!

right now she is on a cruise, and I can't hardly stand it! She and I are best friends. I absolutely LOVE her. We are very much alike in our thinking . . . most of the time. Even when we don't agree, we still manage to talk about things and agree to disagree. I know I have a real treasure in her. In my book, MILs can be wonderful. I know that isn't the case for everyone, but I know it is very, very possible.

I took the bus and T (subway in Boston) to high school and college, as did most kids. Try parking in Harvard Square, or anywhere in Boston for that matter.

When I moved out west to continue college in a city that did not have great public transport, I lived on campus for the first year without a car. After that I bought one for $1000, and insured it for $35/mo (this was in 1993).

My mom does not even have a DL, and did not have the money to pay my tuition, let alone get me a car for school, yet somehow we made it. Kids don't NEED cars in high school. There is always the big yellow bus if you live somewhere there is not public transportation. I was shocked to see how many high school kids were driving around in new SUVs and sports cars like Mustangs where I used to live in the South.