Celebrate The Ink

July 17 is National Tattoo Day!

How 'bout a few sillies to celebrate?

My next tattoo appointment is August 21.

~~~

Hugs and purrs to all those being hit by uncontrollable weather issues: heat, rain and floods, smoke.

Take care, my friends.

Fang You Verra Much

Henry Health Update:

The veterinarian was pleased that Henry had gained a full pound!

She said that means his guts are absorbing nutrients.

We talked through all of his medicines, and are reducing the steroid dose, and adding a second antibiotic as his liver values were off.

ALT and AST are elevated.

These elevations could be the result of the steroid, so less may just be the ticket.

A follow-up visit in a month to make sure these tweaks are keeping him on track.

I can stop his daily appetite stimulant and anti-nausea meds, to use as needed.

He's eating, drinking water, and using the litter box.

Former feral, now lazy Henry!

Henry chewed apart three new catnip toys; this image only shows two, and the resulting piles of catnip.

Henry says, "Fear my teefs!"

The H Man has had three of the prescribed ten chemo treatments.

We are thankful that he's come this far from those 'won't eat, emergency vet' days.

Let's Hop!

Finding The Cool

It's time for a Walkin' and Readin' Wednesday!

Due to the high humidity and heat, I've been out really early (4:30 AMish), then again at sunset.

When it's still dark, or just getting dark, the scenery changes some:

Opossum, hiding under a parked car.

Friendly kitten with a nub for a tailio; have not seen this baby before.

Sunset clouds.

This cat travels; have seen it on different streets; not a human fan.

Interesting street light patterns on a tree.

📸

Recent audiobooks to recommend:

Lafayette in the Somewhat United States

Author: Sarah Vowell

Narrators: the author and many others

Audiobook published: October 20, 2015

Goodreads blurb:

"A humorous and insightful account of the Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette--the one Frenchman we could all agree on--and an insightful portrait of a nation's idealism and its reality."

My opinion:

This author brings out such fascinating bits of history that really brings her subjects to life, and rarely does any Revolution historian reveal that the French really won the war for us, but we never really paid back the gold that they loaned us.

Extra Factoid:

The Marquis de Lafayette is a direct ancestor of the current Belgian royal family through the maternal line; King Philippe of the Belgians is his fifth great-grandson.

A Deadly Inheritance

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Narrator: Veronica Hortiguela

Audiobook published: March 24, 2026

Goodreads blurb:

"After discovering she's an heiress to a billion-dollar corporation, seventeen-year-old Liliana finds herself at a new boarding school where she must navigate secret societies and a deadly competition. Not to mention two handsome boys."

My opinion:

Another crafty horror/mystery, when the main female character's life changes in a blink: rags to riches!  But, someone is trying to kill her.  I enjoyed this!

V for Vendetta

Author: Alan Moore

Audiobook published: January 14, 1990

Goodreads blurb:

"A powerful story about loss of freedom and individuality, V FOR VENDETTA takes place in a totalitarian England following a devastating war that changed the face of the planet. In a world without political freedom, personal freedom and precious little faith in anything comes a mysterious man in a white porcelain mask who fights political oppressors through terrorism and seemingly absurd acts. It's a gripping tale of the blurred lines between ideological good and evil."

My opinion:

Wow, just wow!  How did I NOT read this years ago?  Scarily prescient to today's political environment, at least here in The States.

More titles that I recommend:

The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by John U. Bacon

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

The Counting Game by Sinéad Nolan

📚

Scorched

July 14 is: Bastille Day (France):

🇫🇷 Vive le 14 juillet!” (“Long live the 14th of July!”) 🇫🇷

July 14 is :Be Nice to Bugs Day (USA):

Be Nice to Bugs Day encourages people to rethink their instinct to swat, squash, or spray the insects they encounter, and instead to recognise the vital role bugs play in keeping ecosystems healthy. 

It is a light-hearted observance with a serious conservation message at its heart.

🪲 🐞 🕷️ 🦗 🐝

Not much to comment on these two holidays, so how 'bout some whining about what I've found on social media:

🥵🥵🥵

🥵 THE HEAT 🥵
🥵🥵🥵

An Outlander TV show joke 😻

'Nuff said!

Excellent poem!

This is all in fun, folks!

😹

And THANK YOU

for the kind comments to yesterday's post here, about Celestial Paddy O'Malley's desire to be his own cat.

He was my ❤️ cat.

❤️❤️❤️

Unsuccessful Coaxing

It's PO'Monday!

Some images of some of my attempts to coax Celestial Paddy O'Malley inside over the years:

November 29, 2012

Front Door

August 14, 2013

Downstairs Back Door

December 6, 2015

Upstairs Back Door

March 9, 2016

Front Door, with Sweetie

September 25, 2016

Upper Back Door

February 6, 2017

Front Door

March 15, 2020

Front Door

We have two back doors: one off the kitchen downstairs, or on the first floor, and a second back door for upstairs, which was once a separate rental apartment.

This upper area is now considered Henryville, and the old two-story porch and deck for each floor, with stairway, was removed awhile ago when it got too old and musty.

The PO'M would only step in just so far, then leave, despite food, water, warmth, and my loving coaxing, at any of these doors!

Year after year after year.

It wasn't until July 24, 2021, when I opened the lower back door during a rainstorm, and reached out to pull him inside.

He lived in comfort until August 7, 2021, when he was unable to walk straight or breath properly, due to his lungs being completely filled, and he left us while in my arms, and my tears soaking his fur.

This isn't meant to be a Debbie Downer post; it's a celebration of how he lived his life; HIS WAY!

And how...for years...he told me how it was gonna be, yet I kept trying.

I loved that cat.

I love him now.

He was a huge part of my life; our lives.

WHAT A CAT!

❤️ 😻 💕 

In The Bag

July 12 is World Paper Bag Day!

However, paper bags are not as 'green' as we think: the manufacturing process uses a lot of water, fuel, and trees.

Plastic bags have the smaller manufacturing carbon footprint, but then as waste they are awful.

Learn more here: Paper, Plastic or Reusable?

Around Eastside Cats, the paper bag gets as much attention as any cardboard box by Da Boyz.

Here are a few photos:

Chili Bruce

It's anyone's guess!

Manny

We reuse everything, and recycle what can't be reused.

Chili Bruce would happily recycle all of his brofurs meals.

If I knew a scientist, I'd suggest finding a way to make cat litter box waste into something useful, with minimum energy and water needed.

Mom's Lap

James McNeill Whistler, born July 11, 1834, was an American painter based mostly in Europe, in the Modern art, Aestheticism, and Tonalism esthetic styles.

Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1 (1871), popularly known as Whistler's Mother, Musée d'Orsay, Paris, image found online

The iconic image is so renowned, that it is a part of our everyday life now:

"Whistler’s Mother and the Cat" by Sveta Petrova

"Whistler's Goddam Cat" by New Yorker cartoonist Kim Warp, image found online.

"Whistler's Mother" by artist Godfrey Escota, image found online.

Can't decide if she'd rather have had a cat or a baby dragon in her lap.

(Sometimes, a cat IS like a dragon...no?)

Am a fan of Whistler's work, and wish him a Happy Celestial Birthday.

~~~

For Caturday, hope no one minds that I've got a cute pic of Henry...again...that I've artified with Prisma's  Jellyfish filter.

Click on the image above to enjoy a jigsaw puzzle.

Let's Hop!

You've Gotta Be Kitten Me

July 10 is National Kitten Day!

A few items to make you smile on this most impawtant of days!

I'd take 'em all!

😻😻😻😻😻

TGIF, folks!

HB T.Hanks!

 Tom Hanks: actor and activist.

Born July 9, 1956.

Am a fan, and appreciate that he takes on difficult roles.

Haven't seen all of his films, but the ones that I will rewatch again are:

A League of Their Own (1992)
The Road to Perdition (2002)
Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Sully (2016)

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)

I also recommend his collection of typewriter short stories: Uncommon Type, published in 2017.

Right now in theaters in the U.S. and maybe elsewhere, is Toy Story 5, with Tom voicing Sheriff Woody, and comedian Tim Allen (who grew up in Metro Detroit like me*) as Buzz Lightyear.

In honor of Tom Hanks' birthday, here are a few photos and memes for your entertainment:

Chili Bruce wearing a Sheriff Woody hat.

Don't go anywhere with Tom Hanks! 😹

Disclaimer:

 Weird, I know, but I am NOT a fan of the Disney empire, and mention the Toy Story franchise of films, and merchandise only due to Tom Hanks' involvement, and is not intended to sell anything.

Tom Hanks Trivia:

President Abraham Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks, is a direct relative.

Tom and Abraham are third cousins, four times removed.

🎩

*Yeah, let's face it, I may technically be an adult, but retirement is allowing me to enjoy life like a young'un again, so 'grown up' isn't a term that I'd use for myself.

😹😹😹

Let's Hop!

Miss Growlypants Gone for 4 Years Now

 We lost our Sweetie on July 8, 2024.

She first appeared in the yard, escorted by feral cat Hobo, in 2009.

We TNR'd her in 2010, and she remained human-shy for years.

When Celestial Paddy O'Malley arrived in 2011, and he became friendly, Sweetie slowly picked up on allowing pets and brushies.

When COVID hit in March, 2020, we trapped Sweetie to bring her inside after over 10 years in our yard.

Amazingly, she took to being a pampered housecat in days; the video of her kicking the catnip toy was filmed soon after she'd come inside.

She still had a pretty good-sized wild streak, but the fourish years we had with her sleeping with her humans, allowing smoochies, and vet visits are happy memories.

Sweetie had developed mammary tumors, and the prognosis was pretty meh whether she had the surgery or not, so we chose to let her just live as comfortably as possible.

Sweetie was a wonderful cat, and we hope that Henry has found the inside life is pretty darn good too, just as she did.

❤️ Purrs to you, Celestial Sweetie! ❤️

Dark Brown

July 7 is World Chocolate Day!

And we were owned by Chocolate, nicknamed Chucky for over 13 years.

As a kitten, and as brand-new cat pawrents, we thought his fur was a deep, dark brown, hence his name.

As he grew, we realized that he was a black cat, with light tabby markings, that one could only see in certain light.

January, 2005

Tabby!

September, 2009

Chuck on the Pink/Blue chair; it didn't have the pink throw blanket yet.

October, 2013

Celestial Chuck had a jabot AND a belly patch of white fur.

We loved our Chuck, and despite his heart and intestinal woes, he left loving and lasting impressions on us.

Eastside Cats will endeavor to always have a gato negro, as Manny and Chili Bruce will attest to, in memory of Chucky Chocolate.

So, celebrate World Chocolate Day with a dark chocolate-colored kitty cat!

❤️ 🐈‍⬛ ❤️ 🐈‍⬛ ❤️