“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It Goes On.”
Robert Frost
Showing posts with label cat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cat. Show all posts

Friday, February 11, 2022

Valentine Poem

 



The Owl and the Pussy-Cat

- 1812-1888
 
 The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat:

They took some honey, and plenty of money
   Wrapped up in a five-pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
   And sang to a small guitar,
"O lovely Pussy, O Pussy, my love,
   What a beautiful Pussy you are,
            You are,
            You are!
   What a beautiful Pussy you are!"

Pussy said to the Owl, "You elegant fowl,
   How charmingly sweet you sing!
Oh! let us be married; too long we have tarried,
   But what shall we do for a ring?"
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the bong-tree grows;
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood,
   With a ring at the end of his nose,
            His nose,
            His nose,
   With a ring at the end of his nose.

"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
   Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will."
So they took it away, and were married next day
   By the turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince and slices of quince,
   Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
   They danced by the light of the moon,
            The moon,
            The moon,
   They danced by the light of the moon.*

 


 

Sunday, June 28, 2020

Summer Days

Spring has gone and summer days are here. The past few months have been filled with turmoil and sadness in this area but we all must make the best of things and move on. Here's a glimpse at the past flowers of spring in my garden.


Summer's here and the living is pretty much like the last several months but greener and warmer.  Stay home, be safe.  Go to grocery store, mask up, stay safe. Talk to friends on the phone, tell them to stay safe and well.  And repeat! My husband and I are asking each other, "What day is it?", way too often!


Guy in the Buttercups!

Of course everything about going to the store takes twice as long.  We both are taking all the precautions we can to stay healthy and o far we have not shown any symptoms.

We've been enjoying the garden and catching up on things we left undone from last year because of my husbands health issues.  His surgery for this spring was canceled and may not happen now until next year. Every day is a new day and we enjoy each one.  Guy loves to be outside in the warm weather and as you see below he thinks in is in the wilds of a meadow.  To keep him safe he always is on his harness and we keep a close eye on him.









I haven't been very active in my Etsy shop these days as going out to buy merchandise is not as simple as before. Sales are slow but I have been lucky enough to have a few.  The feedback from one customer was so sweet and sentimental, it makes it all worth it. Every time I read his comment I tear up a bit. Thank you Michael, you made my week!

Here's what Michael wrote regarding a purchase he made as a gift for his cousin....

"This light set was on my Grandmothers Christmas (tree) every year in the 1970's. My cousin Tim and I were obsessed with this light set. When our Grandmother passed in the 90's I inherited the light set. I always wished there were 2 so Tim could have one. I have been searching for a set for over 20 years that worked and was intact and only came close once. I was on Etsy looking for another gift and did a quick search for the lights and there they were. Finally found them. Tim loves them. I hope Grandma will see them on our trees this Christmas. The item was exactly as described and shipping was perfect."



Vintage Christmas Tree Light Covers Train Set by Radiant image 0


Vintage Christmas Tree Light Covers Train Set by Radiant image 2







Peace be with you friends and stay safe out there!
Diane and Guy Noir


Friday, September 22, 2017

Autumn Breeze

Well I'm trying to turn over a new leaf by posting more than once in a blue moon! I thought that fall would be a good time to try and get back into a rhythm again. Leaves are on my mind of course, because I'm already starting to see them fall from our trees. The other day it was raining and windy and the leaves were falling like crazy. And then things change. 

Zig-Zag Goldenrod and Phlox

The first day of Autumn and our temperatures are scorching! Almost 90 degrees and humid to boot! We've had an unusually warm September and and unusually cool August! It's like the months are switched around, it seems it's been like that all year. Nothing is dependable anymore, just a sign of our times I guess.

There have been terrible storms and other natural disasters across the nations. What have we done to deserve this? Well nothing, it just happens. If you're reading this on a tablet or your phone, you may not see the little message at the top of my blog, it reads....

“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life:
It goes on.” 


I've kept this quote up for several months as it seems to fit and it's a good reminder for me whenever I happen to show up on my own blog!



Wild plums


Other things of note:  plums, husbands and cats. 

The wild plums above were picked from our very own plum shrubs in our wild area of the yard next to the lake. Many had been harvested by the deer. They left us enough for a batch of wild plum jam. After it was cooked down, I ended up with about 2 pints of jam. It's pretty tart even with lots of sugar, but I thought of another way to use it that was delicious. Upside down Plum Cake. 

 Upside-down Plum Cake
It's basically the same recipe as you'd use for Pineapple Upside-down cake. What I did was spread about 1/2 cup of my wild plum jam onto the bottom of the pan. I then used about four store bought plums and arranged (dumped) them onto the top of the jam. I then sprinkled on about 1/2 cup of brown sugar and then dotted with a couple of tablespoons of butter. Then I spooned the batter over that. After it came out of the oven all you need is a bit of whipped cream or ice cream if you prefer!


Husband.... too much yard work and hauling trees branches and just doing too much gardening over the weekend brought on a bout of sciatica. He's already better but has a new understanding of what I've been through several times over the years. The pain can really be unbearable. I was there to help him through it and he's almost back to normal, well his normal, which is non-stop doing things!



Guy actually loves his cat carrier...

Cats... well poor Guy has not been feeling well. After 3 times to the vet, I finally think we have this under control. He has Feline Idiopathic Cystitis, also known as Pandora Syndrome. In short he is prone to urinary tract irritations. Not always bladder infection, but similar in feel and effect. So he has been an unhappy boy for awhile. Seems that diets high in dry food cause it to be worse. Mainly because cats don't drink enough water. I've always fed my cats both dry and wet cat food, so this was a shock to me.

Guy just happens to be more sensitive than our other cats were and therefore more prone to this condition. After a few tests, pain medication and new upgraded wet cat food he seems to be getting a bit better.

Guy trying to take a nap...


So it's been a busy couple of weeks. Let's hope the rest of Autumn is normal and easy breezy!

Thanks for taking a moment to read and comment on my blog. 
I'll try and visit yours soon. 
~~Diane~~

 

Monday, May 18, 2015

Monday, Monday So Good to Me

Cute things for you....


This cute graphic is from a box of note cards I picked up at a flea market last summer. The cards inside were sadly not the ones on the box, but still cute enough. However... I really bought them so I could get the box! These two are so adorable and they have names! On the side of the box they are officially called "Pup & Fluff".

 



Pup and Fluff!





Monday Monday
Monday, Monday, so good to me
Monday morning, it was all I hoped it would be
Oh, Monday morning, Monday morning couldn't guarantee
That Monday evening, you would still be here with me
Monday, Monday, can't trust that day
Monday, Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way
Oh, Monday morning, you gave me no warning of what was to be
Oh, Monday, Monday, how could you leave and not take me?
Every other day, every other day
Every other day of the week is fine, yeah
But whenever Monday comes
But whenever Monday comes
You can find me crying all of the time
Monday, Monday, so good to me
Monday morning, it was all I hoped it would be
But Monday morning, Monday morning couldn't guarantee
That Monday evening, you would still be here with me








We're having a very cold, wet and windy day today. I'll be staying 
inside and visiting your blogs and catching up with all of you. 

I hope these cute images helped to cheer you up on this Monday!  
Looking forward to a great week!

~~ Diane ~~
xxx


Saturday, July 26, 2014

Barefoot Days


Hello friends! I know I have been in and out of blog land for a few weeks now.  I am trying to find time to enjoy all of the beautiful joys of summer while I can.  In this part of the country our summers are fleeting and will be just a memory in a few short weeks!

I hope you took a moment to read the poem above, it is from my favorite vintage book Poems for Boys and Girls, illustrated by Lois Maloy.  I think the poem Barefoot Days above, sums up my thoughts about this full and lush season, even the roses, which are beyond beautiful, are adorned with bees!




I thought I would share a few garden pictures with you today. My daylilies are really starting to take off!  The one above is a favorite called Orchid Corsage.



This peachy-pink one is called Pink Monday. I am happy to report that this year our bees have been returning and I've even seen a few more honeybees mixed in with the dependable bumblebees!



If you look closely in the middle of the image, you will see a small bumblebee on this vervain plant.












The vervain (tall plants in back) and catmint (forground) are loving the abundant rain we've had.  The bees have been covering them for weeks now!







 Another of my favorite day-lilies called appropriately, Summer Wine!






This is another favorite (OK they are all my favorites), called Lemon Custard! I love the color and the frilly ruffled edges.




A blue clematis adorns a trellis next to the house. I've forgotten the name of this one.





This daylily is called Grape Ripples and has stunning dark purple blooms! Well that is the end of my garden tour, except for an update on my two year old cat, Guy Noir.





Guy has become afflicted with a condition I'm sure many of you who have dogs and cats have heard of. 

It is called
 Chipmunk Fever!





Symptoms may include: Inability to focus on anything other than chipmunks, severe agitation, yowling at the door to go outside, ears twirling in various directions while listening for chipmunks, unable to eat or sleep without thinking of chipmunks, thinking that any moving object is a chipmunk. Unable to sit still for photographs and of course.....
Dreaming of chipmunks....







Pleas share any anecdotes you have of your encounters with chipmunks in the comment section!! I would love to hear them.

I will be taking a few weeks off from blog land to enjoy the summer and take care of some projects, but if I have time I will stop in and visit.  I will be trying to organize my disaster of an office and get all sorts of goodies photographed and ready to list in my Etsy shop.
And remember this summer to go out early in the morning, barefoot where the ferns grow curly, to feel the cool grass between your toes!!

~~Diane~~




Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Finally Spring

I now can say that spring has finally arrived in full force.  It has been very slow getting here. Many of you have been posting your blooming flowers and trees and I have been impatiently waiting here for something to happen.  Well I can finally report we have leaves emerging from the trees and plums and cherries blooming.

Monday we had 2 inches of rain, but the rest of the week should be sunny and warm.





The hearts on the Bleeding Heart plants are just starting to bloom!



We've had weeks of cold miserable weather... I was so happy to see the sun shine through the leaves of these Blood Root plants.







The leaves are just opening now, almost three weeks behind the norm.



I found a cute book last year that also has a spring theme, so it works perfectly with today's post.  The book is titled Pussy Willow. It is a charming book about a fuzzy little kitty named Pussy Willow. This is a Little Golden Book written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Leonard Weisgard. Western Publishing Company 1979 edition. It has darling illustrations throughout!



Pussy Willow goes on an adventure and 
makes many friends along the way.








 When the pussywillow buds disappear, Pussy Willow the 
kitten goes searching for them.




 He looks everywhere for the pussywillows, 
and makes some unlikely friends!








Pussy Willow is available for purchase here.

Pussy Willow reminds me of my very own fuzzy kitten, Guy Noir, who actually had his second birthday last month. Oh they grow up so fast!  Speaking of kitties, both Guy and Dot are very thrilled to be able to go outside with me and enjoy some of our wonderful sunshine.

We will be busy with house-guests for the next couple of weeks, but I will try to get around to your blogs in between some of my chores.

Take care everyone.  I'll try to stop in soon!

~~ Diane ~~


Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Goodbye Sweet Friend



 Ginny last year in the garden.


It is with great sadness that I share the news that my beloved cat Ginny has passed away. She was sixteen years old and led a wonderful and long kitty life.

She was a sweet, gentle girl.  Her best friend was another cat named Cocoa, whom she dearly loved. Cocoa passed away about four years ago. They were the best of friends and were inseparable. The past years have been met with declining health and illness, and one by one the joys of life slipped away.

With the help of my veterinarian, we sent her on her final journey and her suffering has ended. She will always hold a special place in my heart and will be greatly missed.

The one comfort I have is that in the spring, her ashes will be buried in the wild part of our garden next to her beloved friend Cocoa. Together, forever.




 Ginny at one year old.




Ginny and Cocoa watching TV.




Ginny washing Cocoa's ears.



Ginny keeping watch and Cocoa napping.... Cocoa in pure bliss!




Cocoa Boy and Ginny Girl
True Kitty Love
Together Forever



I'm taking a bit of time off from blogging.  
I will see you all in a week or so. 
~~ Diane ~~



Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Cats in Hats

While researching on the net for information on some cute kitten prints I picked up a while back at an estate sale, I came across the blog post about something we are all familiar with.  We may not be familiar with the actual name for this phenomenon, so I thought I would share a bit about this not-so-new style of art and photography.




Cats Wearing Hats - available in my Etsy store CraveCute now!


It's called anthropomorphism, or in simpler terms, animals dressed or acting like people.  I found this fabulous blog post about the history of this strange but utterly cute art form. We owe much of this fun form of art to illustrator Louis Wain (1860-1939) and photographer Harry Frees (1879-1953).




Louis Wain



Apparently these type of pictures gained popularity when an American photographer named Harry Whittier Frees began using his own pets and the neighbors to created some silly and adorable pictures of cats and other animals which were used in postcards and children's books.




Harry W. Frees



The story goes that Frees was celebrating a birthday dinner with friends and there was a paper hat involved.  Each member of the dinner party took turns wearing the paper hat as it was passed around the table. When it got to the cat, the hat was placed on his head and he sat dutifully while Frees grabbed his camera and started taking pictures. The silly cat photo has been with us ever since!


One of my all time favorite books from my childhood came to mind when I started writing this post.  I had to go digging through my bookcase and I found it.  The book is called Captain Kitty, written by Godfrey Lynn and illustrated by Elizabeth Webbe.





Captain Kitty looking sharp in his nautical attire.









Captain Kitty with his adorable family!







Queen Kitty looks quite regal in her pearls!







As Captain Kitty said, "We've really had a lovely time.  Alas, it's time to go!"

See you next time! ~~ Diane