Hootenanny

St. Andrew's Day is a national holiday in Scotland, celebrated on November 30th. 

It's a day to celebrate Scottish culture, food, and music, and is also known as the Feast of Saint Andrew. 

Celebrations include storytelling events, street markets, and traditional music. 

In the town of St. Andrews, festivities can last a week and include pipe bands, ceilidhs, and street parties. 

The Scottish diaspora celebrates worldwide!

For today's Caturday post, here's Celestial Sweetie rocking her tam o' shanter:

Click on the image above to enjoy a jigsaw puzzle!

Let's Hop!

Technologically Challenged

Whelp...

My laptop had an error reading, advising a visit to the Genius Bar.

One walks into the store, feeling like a knuckle-dragging Troglodyte, while uniform-clad smarty-pants explain why I'm lucky that the darn thing didn't explode on my sorry self. 

Fortunately, my credit card did NOT melt, and now I have a sparkling new beastie...in Space Gray...to house my precious photo library.

In honor of the new gadget, here are some 'living in the computer age' memes and cartoons for your amusement.

Bounty

Ever So Thankful for:

Our feline overlords

Our cat-loving blogging friends and family

Our ability to own computers and have internet access

Roofs over our heads and blankets on our beds

Books to read, tea to drink, memes to laugh at

Happy Thanksgiving

Let's Hop!

New Cat Stuff

Purchases from Dark Star Bookstore and Lucky Cat MewSeum:

Greeting cards, and a postcard featuring Spooky the Bookstore Cat

A book that I've not seen anywhere else. 
My favorite kind of cat book...unique!

Cat magnets.
Will sneak them onto the 'fridge.

The crazy thing is: no new cat neck scarves!

Usually, I can be counted on to score one or two when out and about, but guess Ohio's cat scarf supply was low when I was roaming there.

Disclaimer: I purchased these items for my own use and amusement, and include the shops and their websites as a courtesy to my readers.  

I only post about items that I believe others will enjoy, and for no financial gain for myself.

Reception: Meh

Ahhh...there's nothing like coming home!

Where are my lovely Manny and Chili Bruce?

Zzzzz....

Hmm...underwhelming!

How 'bout Henry?

Good to see you, handsome!

"Don't come any closer!"

*sigh*

Actually, CB crawled into my lap to snooze, and Manny wedged himself between my calves on the ottoman to use me as a pillow.

Henry came out of his room to sit nearby, as I worked at my laptop.

I kinda think that he missed me!

Gorge, Cat, House

Finding cats while on vacation: the Ohio journey continued yesterday:

First, a trek around the Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve.

Then, a lovely visit with Spooky at Dark Star Bookstore, in Yellow Springs.

Spooky graciously allowed pets and chin scritches!

The last event of the day, besides the drive home, was a guided tour of The Westcott House in Springfield.

There are plenty more photos to share; didn't want to inundate y'all with my happy, snappy pics.

Am so pleased to have hit so many of my goals for this trip, besides the glorious company of my sister and her family, and just breathing in the new baby smell of my nephew and niece-in-law's month-old daughter.

Thank goodness this is a short week of work for me, as the office is closed Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday.

I need a bit of vacation after my vacation, knowwhatImean?

Works of Art

Finding cats while on vacation: the journey continues at The Cincinnati Art Museum:

Zen Cat: "Do You See Your Mind Now?"
Laura Jones, no date listed

Lion Funerary Monument
Circa 350 BCE: Attica/Greece

Plate with Seated Lioness
Circa 580 BCE: Corinth/Greece

Some non-feline gems:

Prelude in E Minor
2005: Richard Mayhew

White House Ruin, Canyon De Chelly National Monument in Arizona
1941: Ansel Adams

Sun on Prospect Street (Gloucester, Massachusetts)
1934: Edward Hopper

Don't forget the museum gift shop!

Cat stuff galore!
Won't mention how much $$$ I spent.

Lucky Cat MewSeaum

Lucky Cat MewSeum

Click on the image to enjoy a jigsaw puzzle.

Lucky Cat MewSeum in Cincinnati was a RIOT!

A few pics:

Hello Kitty! Maneki Neko

Have so many more photos; floor to ceiling maneki neko!

Was in cat heaven, folks.

Highly recommend y'all visit this terrific cat resource.

Let's Hop!

Bookstore Cat

Of course I found a cat while vacationing!

Below is Winnie, the cat mascot at Mulberry St. Books, in Lebanon, Ohio.

Winnie's fur was bunny-rabbit soft, but don't even think about picking her up!

After visiting with Winnie, and browsing books and book nerd t-shirts, we sorta infiltrated a book club meeting for The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead.

Just so you know, there is snow falling here in southern Ohio; my drive from Metro Detroit straight south on I-75 took me through a few flurries and bright sunshine, but the pavement was never wet or icy.

Just what will we come across next?

Round On The Ends

 Am on a short vacation to visit family in Ohio, and while packing I remembered how many wonderful things I've done on past visits to the state south of us.

Ohio and Michigan once fought a battle: The Toledo War.

The outcome: Michigan gave up Toledo, gained the Upper Peninsula

Here is a selection of photos of past good times had in Ohio:

Items found at the Feline Historical Museum
Alliance, Ohio in March, 2019

Me and Red
Ohio State Reformatory, used in the film "The Shawshank Redemption"
Mansfield, Ohio in July, 2015

Always finding cats!
Gallipolis, Ohio in July, 2012

Rhinoceros
Toledo Zoo, in October, 2019

National Museum of the US Air Force
Dayton, Ohio, in August 2010

Let's Hop!

Still Sad

On November 18, 2017, I attended a mystical arts event, and had my bones read.

No, not my skeleton!

'Bones' meaning a collection of objects, rocks, and items that the bone-reader had gathered to symbolize particular meanings.

I put my hands into a bowl to scoop up as many bones as I wanted, then dropped them onto the table.

The cat figurine, and only the cat figurine, jumped off the table to land on the floor.

I'd picked up the cat figurine from the floor and placed it on the table, down in the bottom right.

 Well, it didn't take a psychic or bone-reader to tell me what it meant.

At the time, our Chucky was failing.  

His heart meds had kept him going for years, but he was getting skinny and morose.

By November 20, 2017, seven years ago today, The Hubby and I agreed that it was time to help him leave this Earthly plane.

Did I receive a sign beforehand that Chuck was ready for his angels wings?

Letting go of our boy was difficult, and seven years on, my heart continues to ache.

Will love you forever, Chucky 💔

Celebrate The Dudes

 International Men's Day

"International Men’s Day started in Trinidad and Tobago in 1999, it was created by Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh to commemorate his father’s birthday.

The November 19, 2024 theme is:

Positive Male Role Models"

😻 Yay, men!  Gotta love 'em! 😻

And why not have a bit of goofy fun while celebrating them?

😹