A Trim And A Hug

Nothing like a hug and a smooch after the pawdicure!

HALP!

Tryst

Spent some time with Sweetie and Patty O'Malley on the deck last night.  Sweetie sat off to the side, while Patty badgered me for petting and snuggles.  When I became engrossed in my phone, however, he decided to wander off for awhile.

Patty always gets between me and Sweetie...



...because he wants me all to himself!

That's when Sweetie got up, and started to headbunt my back, rub her body along mine, and push her sweet lil' face into my arms!  She allowed me to pet her and rub her tummy too. This went on for a long time, and I tried to catch images in the dusk...

Sweetie, rubbing on my back...

...with some tail action...

...wrapping it around my arm!

"Where's that Patty?"

"I love you, The Mommy!"

"I love you too, Sweetie!"

When Patty sauntered back up onto the deck, Sweetie easily broke away from me and jumped into her favorite box.  Patty was none the wiser, and I floated back inside on the wings of a Sweetie tryst!

WOW!

Get Happy!

"Get Happy"

Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler

Forget your troubles

Come on get happy

You better chase all you cares away

Shout hallelujah

Come on get happy

Get ready for the judgement day

The sun is shining

Come on get happy

The lord is waiting to take your hand

Shout hallelujah

Come on get happy

We're going to the promise land

We're heading across the river

Wash your sins away in the tide

It's all so peaceful on the other side

Forget your troubles

Come on get happy

You better chase all you cares away

Shout hallelujah

Come on get happy

Get ready for the judgement day....

....continues....

This song was famously sung and danced by Judy Garland, on a set that showed a beautiful sunset behind her. Yesterday was a melancholy day, but it's time to perk up and enjoy SPRING!

Cat MamaDaddy: "Patty O'Malley, I said PERK UP!"
Patty O'Malley: "Meh!"

Rememberances

Today is my father's birthday, that is, if he hadn't passed away in 2004.  There are days when I miss him so terribly, that I feel there is a hole in my chest.  And then other times, I think of love and fun, Sir Graves Ghastly movies on Saturday afternoons, and the World Series Winning Detroit Tigers of 1984, and I smile and know that Angel Dad is watching from heaven.  Happy Birthday, Puba!

Christmas 1973
Dad and Mom

"Rocket To The Moon!"

My father, with his first-born on his shoulders
(Dig that crazy tie!)

And an old friend left us last week for The Rainbow Bridge: Spit Spot. I posted about his recent 20th birthday here.  His family is very sad, yet have a houseful of rowdy kittens to lick away their tears.

Farewell, Angel Spit Spot

Random Photos Day

Budding tree at the office

Really cool mushroom/fungus
on a tree near my home

I love the curly tops on these grasses!

Grape hyacinth in our backyard

Patty O'Malley Roadblock

Sweetie's photo, with some Prisma additions

The Chuckster watches the open door behind me

 

Angel enjoying some luvin' from The Hubby

Book Review: Calico Joe

Calico Joe

By John Grisham

Published 2012

Doubleday

198 pages

I listened to this book on my phone, having downloaded it from my local library.  Of course, I didn't think it was about a calico cat, but I was hopeful.  John Grisham is a favorite author, having written "The Firm", "The Pelican Brief", and "The Client", just to name a few.  His books tend to translate well into Hollywood movies, with stars such as Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones, Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington, Matthew McConaughey, and Tom Cruise.  "Calico Joe" is about baseball, professional and little league, and how the game and it's players can take root in one's soul.  The story is mostly written by Paul, whose father is a failing starting pitcher for the New York Mets.  Then, in 1973, a phenomenal young player is pulled up from the minor leagues to play for the Chicago Cubs, and the baseball world is set on it's ear by Joe Castle and his record-breaking rookie season. When Warren Tracey, Paul's dad, and Joe finally meet in a game, every thing in their respective worlds change...drastically.  For Paul and his family, for Joe and his family...things are never the same again.

John Grisham can tell you a story in a way that sweeps you along, makes you sit up late into the night turning pages, or in my case, listening to the book while commuting, while out walking for exercise, and even while taking a bath!  The feel of "Calico Joe" can be compared to A Field Of Dreams movie, with it's ability to convince the reader that baseball is ethereal and ruthless, at the same time.   I guess that's a bit cat-like.

Neighborhood Cats

OOPS!  This is Anchor, and he's obviously
A DOG!  But, he and I greet each other
almost everyday...he barks, and I giggle.
I run back and forth, as he barks and runs along the fence with me.
I figure that he doesn't get any exercise; he never leaves that yard.

This is Shy Floofytail; her sister is Friendly Floofytail.
Long story short; they both spend a lot of time outside.
Since they look so much alike, I don't know which one
I am talking to, until either Friendly comes up to me with
a cute little meow, or Shy who stays at least five feet away.

This cat acted surprised that I stopped to say 'hello'!

This sweetie stayed far away from me in the garden,
but looked at me curiously as I snapped a photo and
made kissy noises.

My man Sly!
Sly runs up to me, and I dearly love petting that
long coat of his!  Isn't he gorgeous?

Sneakers, is Sly's brother.
Sneakers is shy, but I've earned his trust enough to have him
walk toward me and allow a head scritch sometimes.
This time, he posed for me on his perch, but would not come down.

Twixie
Lives a few doors down from Eastside Cats
This photo doesn't do justice to her beautiful coloring
nor to the fact that she is friendly as all get out!

Another nameless kitty, watching from an open window.

Surprise Prizes and Prezzies!

Eastside Cats has won a few prizes recently, and I am grateful for being chosen.  My apologies for taking too long to say THANK YOU!

Cat Chat With Caren And Cody sent me "The Eye of Nefertiti", by Maria Luisa Lang.  I promise a book review posting once I've read it; I love cats AND Egyptian history, so I am looking forward to it.  It all started years ago when King Tutankhamun's Treasures were displayed in Chicago, and I've remained an avid reader of anything about ancient Egypt.  They worshipped cats, you know!

 I won a velvet safety Coolcatcollar from The Island Cats, and asked for a luscious Rosewater Pink one for Angel. Then, I won a second collar from Cat Wisdom 101!  What are the odds of that?!?  The Hubby demanded Blueberry Blue one for Chucky to wear. Go to Coolcatcollars to see all of their great stuff.

The cat statue is waiving in good luck and fortune!

And I am adding this adorable maneki-neko, delivered all of the way from Japan.  My former boss was on business travels, and when he saw it, he thought of me!  I feel humbled by this; one always wants to do a good job, and to be remembered a year after he left for his new position, is really very sweet.

Thank you all!

Book Review: The Fur Person

The Fur Person
Author: May Sarton
Published: 1957
Norton & Company, Inc., publisher (hardcover)
106 pages

It's All About The Cats! mentioned that "The Fur Person" is a favorite book, and that it's re-read from time to time.  When I get a recommendation like that, I'm off to the library to check out a copy for myself.

And of course, I fell in love with The Fur Person himself, as he grows from a street-smart and highly-intelligent cat-about-town, to being a loved and pampered gentleman housecat. He chooses his two human ladies, whom he calls, "Gentle Voice" and "Brusque Voice", by the location of their house, and how well the gardens suit his needs. The Fur Person has rules that he lives by, and his personality is delightfully related by the author.

Trust me, you will pick up this book and read it through in one sitting, because the story pulls the reader along in a beguiling way, as The Fur Person overcomes obstacles while searching for his home. Even though written 60 years ago, there is nothing to make a modern cat-lover cringe, which cannot be said very often, as the ideas of pet-keeping have evolved so much since.

Do yourself a favor, and pick up a copy of "The Fur Person".  I know you'll be as delighted as I was!

Out and About

Angle and Chuck, wrestling as kittens

Hope that you all had a terrific weekend!  I love this photo of Angel and Chucky when they were wee babes.  I included it here just because!

My family gathered together twice over the weekend: to celebrate my mother's 85th birthday on Friday, and a holiday meal on Sunday afternoon.  I was presented with the news article pictured below, by my brother who found it in his local newspaper.  Read it and see if you can figure out what the heck happened...I surely cannot!

"Man say he was attacked by cats, robbed"

Now hanging at my office desk

My brother also gifted me with this purple cat on a string; he said it came in a cereal box!  I'm guessing that it's from "The Secret Life Of Pets" movie.   

Sorry, N!  You got cut off...Aunt Vicky
is still working on her cell phone photo-taking skills

Lucky for me, my niece helped me with my iPhone and Snapchat.  I can tell that I am going to have some fun with this!

Patty O'Malley

Sweetie

In addition, I've downloaded Instagram, and a Prisma app.  One can do all kinds of nifty things with photos!  Have my first audiobook from the library on my phone, and I listen to it in the car, and while out rambling around the neighborhood on walks (as if 30 minutes of walking every night will cancel out the HUGE amounts of calories I seem to be compelled to eat...(shrug)), and while in the bathtub! There is definitely a future for me and audiobooks (and ebooks, I'm sure), from the library.  Way cool!

As for Chucky, he's really up and down.  He is good one day, not so good the next.  We can tell when he's not feeling well, but we don't know when he's going to 'download', and it is NOT always in the litterbox.  Between hard poops and diarrhea, he's been drinking lots of water and not eating so much food.  My first inclination is to rush to the vet's office, but The Hubby has laid a restraining hand on my arm, telling me to slow down and give it a few days. If Chuck simply ate too much catgrass, then once it's through his system, he'll be okay. In fact, all of the cats stopped eating their usual meal portions in recent days.  Maybe it's due to the warmer temps?  One day at a time, one meal at a time.

Chucky napping, with one ear escaping the box