Wednesday Whimsy: It's Been a Long Summer, but We're Back!

Lilybits--not large, but in
charge!

It’s been a long summer . . .

Well, Mom says it hasn’t been, because summer weather came so late and winter lasted so long. We were a bit busy. Okay, Mom says she was busy, but I have to keep an eye on her and Dad, when I’m not busy getting my beauty sleep. Sometimes I sleep with one eye open.

I only escaped once this summer and Mom’s friend caught me. I like to give Mom extra worry. She insists I can’t wander outside, because I am small and delicate and that a coyote would like to make lunch out of me, yadda, yadda, yadda. She still calls me “baby girl” and doesn’t realize I am a purr-fectly mature adult cat, who can be responsible for myself! At least as long as I’m fed three times a day, brushed and petted when I give permission.

Mom spent most of June on her laptop, when I should be her laptop, period! She wrote lots of words on her latest manuscript. Boooring! Her next project was learning how to make wire wrap jewelry. She quickly learned not to leave beads or other small components uncovered, because I like to roll them onto the floor. Hee hee!

Sea glass earrings!

As for going places, she got to meet my friend, Toby the monkey, when she went to meet his human, Patty Wysong, at the Belleville Strawberry Festival. She said Toby was sweet and charming. I decided to ignore her for a couple of days after that. Mom says she never takes me any place to meet monkeys or other creatures, because I don’t like being tethered in my harness or riding in the car. I’m thinking that’s her fault for not figuring out how to make them more pleasant experiences.

Patty Wysong and Toby

Speaking of going places, they do take me up north to the cottage they rent near Mackinaw City. First they sneak something that makes me feel really weird, and my paws look really big, into food I can’t resist. Then I go hide, because I know the harness is coming . . . and the car ride. However, when I was feeling a little less sedated, I was able to help Dad drive! He wouldn’t let me drive by myself, because I was still under the influence and he said something about needing a driver’s license. I thought those were only for humans.  

Lily helping Dad drive.

I did enjoy watching the birds at the lake, and the chipmunks, though they can be annoying. It also gives me an opportunity to hunt fresh dust bunnies under the beds and have new countertops to walk on without permission.

View from the cottage.

Mom plans on writing more blog posts this fall and is imploring me to do the same. We hope you’ll visit us again soon! 

Wednesday Whimsy - Monkeying Around with Toby

We’re monkeying around at Writing, Whimsy and Devotion this week! Meet Toby, Patty Wysong’s pet monkey! Patty is a writer and blog/web designer extraordinaire and always has something encouraging to share with fellow writers.

Hi, Toby! Thanks for joining me today on Wednesday Whimsy.

Thank you for inviting me! I was so excited when Mom told me! By the way, I love your name. Liiiiiily. Bits.

LilyBits. 

Sounds yummy. But I’ll be good. I promise.

I like my name too! Please tell us a little about yourself.

Me? I’m a white faced Capuchin monkey. I’m the baby of the family and live with my brothers and one of my sisters and Mom and Dad. But I can never get enough attention, not even being the baby. Playing volleyball is fun but my favoritest thing is giving Mom the slip and running down the hall and seeing how long I can stay loose. She always gets me, though, with that ol’ marshmallow trick. No matter how hard I try to resist, those marshmallows get me every time. I love marshmallows. And lollipops. And soda. And… Mom says I’m a junk food junkie. We make a good pair.

How long have you owned your humans?

Hmm. Must be a few years now. I don’t think their lives have been the same since I joined the family.

I hear you’re part of the entertainment industry. What do you do? Do you like to travel?

Oh, I looove traveling. See, that’s me. I get to ride in the front seat with Mom. I nap on her lap until we get to the good parts then I jump up and look out the windows. You should see those drive-through window workers when they see me. By the time we get to the pick-up window it’s full of people and I have so much fun. And I love it when we’re stuck in traffic, even if Dad doesn’t. There’s so many people to wave to, but Mom worries I’ll cause an accident so sometimes she makes me go in my pet carrier. I hate that.

At work I have to wear clothes. It’s not too bad, really.  My favorite outfit was that Santa suit Mom made me. It was nice and warm and I got lots of attention when I wore it.  My favorite part is watching the people. Did you know biker dudes giggle sometimes? They do! I really like them. Mom’s trying to teach me to be a big boy and take quarters and shake people’s hands.

Did you have to take lessons? Or were you a natural?

Well, I’m a natural at sitting for pictures with people, but Mom’s still teaching me to take quarters and shake hands with people. I had it down by Christmas but I tell ya, all those loud people wanting to grab my hand…sometimes it’s scary. But I’ll learn to be as good as Fonzie.

Who’s Fonzie?

Fonzie’s my big brother. He’s a monkey too and an ace at taking quarters and shaking hands withpeople. He’s so cool.

Everybody thinks monkeys like bananas best. What’s your favorite food?

Bananas? I only eat ‘em if I have to. But I love papaya and cantaloupe and sweet potatoes. My favoritest food is Mom’s homemade mac ‘n’cheese. It’s the bestest.

What’s the best way to train your human?

Toby texting.

Well, I know I’m supposed to, but I’m not gonna share my marshmallows, so I use kisses. It gets Mom every time.

What does Patty write?

Sappy romances. It’s so embarrassing.

How do you inspire Patty to write?

Mom tells me what she’s thinking about for a scene and I let her know if it’s any good. When I ignore her she knows her idea stinks. That happens a lot. If I snuggle, I like it, and if I bounce off the walls it’s because I thinks it’s a fantastic idea. But then Mom gets to playing with me and forgets the idea before she gets back to the computer. I try to remind her about it but she’s hopeless sometimes. I tell ya, we’d have a best seller if I could write all the good scenes she’s forgotten.

How can we best help our writing humans?

Learn to spell so they understand the things we text and type on their keyboards.

Do you ever get in trouble for helping “too much”? Or does your human have a sense of humor?

Yeah, Mom doesn’t like it when I poke at her keyboard and she hates it when I walk on the thing. She doesn’t know that I’m trying to write those scenes she’s forgotten. Thankfully I’m so cute that I don’t get in trouble for it and Mom can’t stay mad at me for too long. 

One more question, I’ve heard my human use the term “monkeyshines”. What does this mean? Do monkeys actually shine?

Toby with his mom, Patty.

Monkeyshines? Sounds like a lollipop to me!! And I looooove lollipops.

Thank you, Toby, for being on my blog today!

Thanks for having me, Lilybits. It was fun talking with you!

(Was I good? Mom said I could have a lollipop if I was good.)

Yeah, for a monkey you were really good. You didn’t bite or anything! You can come back any time!

Since Patty quit running from God's call on her life and surrendered her pen to Him, she's been happy. Life is never dull as she juggles being a wife, mom to a handful of kids and a couple of Capuchin monkeys, life on the road, and being a writer. As long as she's obeying God's leading, she figures that sanity is a novelty and not a necessity in the zoo she lives in. Patty clings to the promise that God will enable her to do what He asks of her, otherwise she would be living with the scaredy cats at the Funny Farm and not just occasionally visiting. You can find her blogging at www.PattyWysong.com and on Instagram, too, where she daily sneaks in a few sane moments. 

Feel free to take a moment to say "hi" to Toby and Patty

if you like in the comment section below!