I'm sure this is a trick question! At the moment I don't think either is really fit for human habitation. The garden has been 80% neglected for the past almost 4 years. When we became the guardians of two of our grandchildren, and then moved their mother into the house as well....that's a long story with a very happy ending!...both the house and garden were moved way down on the list of things to worry about. There's also a 88 year old MIL living here. DD and grandkids moved into their own place in April. With all the flooding this spring, starting to get the garden back in shape was very much delayed...and the weeds have been having a wonderful life! At this time we are getting a new, bigger garden shed...therefore all the stuff from the old shed is everywhere covered with tarps. The grass is almost non-existant...which suits me just fine! I have lost many plants over the past few years and therefore have lots of bare places crying to be planted. At this time the front yard does not look to bad...it needs mowing and edging and I hope to get to that in the next day or so...as soon as I remember which tarp has the mower under it. I'm hoping to get reasonably caught up with the back yard garden sometime next summer...maybe. The house...With the exception of the basement living areas, is in really good shape right now. We were in the middle of a re-do when we had to re-do very quickly to accommodate the grandkids...now we're back to square one. I don't have a catch-all room, but our bedroom is frequently used as one and needless to say, the door is never open!!! And I do have other interests like mosaics, and crochet, and cross stitching, and T2T, and reading, and, and, and, that use up a bit of the time I could be devoting to getting both the house and yard in perfect condition. Not to mention spending quality time with DH...which is always at the top of my list of things to do! We have been married 43 years this month and still really do enjoy each other's company. My question is....is anyone every really totally caught up with both at the same time? Be Safe, Rach

Hi Jimmy's Girl: So glad to hear your cat's ok. Please don't let obnoxious losers - who have nothing better to do than hide behind their computer and be a negative a$$ - deter you from visiting this site. Best just to ignore that type of person. You'll find that the number of kind people here more than make up for that sad type of individual. I agree that vet bills are, at times, ridiculous. I've found that you really need to shop around. I have a vet 10 minutes from me, but I drive 45-60 mins across town to go to a vet that is much less expensive and also much more caring and knowledgeable. If you need to, try several different vets as various issues arise until you find one you like. To get some good referrals, check with some cat rescue organizations in your area. They will know. It's such a relief for me now to have such a good vet, and to know that if I have to take one of my cats there, it's not going to break the bank. Also, do some reading, either on here or get some books from the library, so that you know which symptoms are the most urgent. To scope out which books are the best, use the reviews posted on Amazon. And, yes, please get your kitty spayed. Not only just in case she gets out again, but for behavioral purposes overall. You don't want her going into heat. Plus, if she's not spayed, that is definitely a driving force for her wanting to get out. And, and this is my opinion, please don't declaw her. When I was young, I declawed my first set of cats w/o realizing what a horrible thing it was. If you decide that you need to declaw her, it's your decision, but do educate yourself first. I know that money's tight, but you may want to consider adopting another kitty to be a friend for the one you have - especially while she's young, so they will definitely get along. If you adopt one from the Humane Society, you most likely won't have to pay much, if anything, for the cat; and they will provide a coupon for free spaying. And, again, your kitty may not be so keen to get out if she has a friend to play with. Another good source for cat info is Cats Int'l - I've provided the link below. I hope this post hasn't come across as preachy - I guess I'm assuming that you are young and/or new to cat ownership. ;) Best of luck, and please don't hesitate to come back again for help if you need to. Betsy Here is a link that might be useful: Cats International

Thank you Cat Mom. Dee...I hope you find this comforting... The Journey 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 will 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 joys of puddles, and even the satisfaction of a good scratch behind the ears or on the belly. 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 bring ever changing wonders, each day an essence all its own, each day a gift from God. 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 flick 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 be not 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 trail 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 a while, and during these brief years they are generous enough to give us all 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 now wakes up stiff and lame, the muzzle gone to gray. Deep down we somehow always knew that 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. ''God speed, good friend,'' we say, until our journey comes full circle and our paths cross again. And bless their souls for sharing their lives with us...and adding so much to our very existence. Author Unknown.

http://www.thecatgallery.com/himalayan_cat_models_page_8.html I hope this works. I don't know how you guys put links on this forum. Anyway, you must see the picture that goes with the story below. It's hilarious. "My sister-in law is from Oklahoma and has a slight accent. She has cats and when she lived in the south she would take them to the groomers and have what is called a Line Cut. To her a line cut is when all of the fur hanging down below the cat's tummy is taken off (because it gets matted or snarled). When she moved to Chicago with my brother, one of the cats fur got all tangled up during the move so she took it in for a line cut. She was quite surprised when she heard the price as it was twice as much as it was down south. She confirmed with the groomer that he understood what a line cut was and he said "yes, I know what a LION cut is." It seems her accent came out sounding like LION not LINE and this is how her cat was returned to her. (see PHOTOS) She cried for a week...but not as much as the cat. It was November in Chicago and the cat needed all the fur it had." Gas in car to go to groomers.....$4.50 Cat car carrier.....$32.99 Grooming fee.....$80.00 Getting the look from one seriously ticked off cat.....Priceless!