Caturday Art in the Kitschy Kitchen

This summer, I created a series of doodles that, at least in my head, were set in various rooms of a quaint and quirky little house. In my mind, this house was the kind of place where a nice witch might live with her family of cats. Makes perfect sense, right? Anyway, I decided to recreate some of these doodles, but this time with the quaint little home's rooms decorated for autumn. In other words, there are pumpkins everywhere. See?

That is one busy doodle, isn't it? Can you even tell what's going on in that room? Probably not, because I can't even tell what's going on. Truth be told, I spent far longer on this doodle than I have on most of the other entries in my sketchbook. When I add that many little bits and bobs and pumpkin craziness to a doodle, it takes a relative eternity to color it all in. I enjoyed it, though, because creating anything related to autumn, and of course cats, always makes me happy.

That hectic pumpkin doodle up there is our contribution to Athena's Caturday Art Blog Hop.

Happy Caturday to all!

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Did you know?

Did you know that famed scientist and engineer Nikola Tesla had a childhood cat who helped spark his fascination with the concept of electricity? It is said that Tesla once wrote of how he petted his childhood cat, Macak, on a cold, dry winter day. When he petted his cat on that particular day, there was a resulting static shock that greatly intrigued young Tesla. At the time, Tesla did not know what had caused the spark of light and crackling jolt that occurred when his hand touched his cat, but he was determined to find out. It was his father who who told him that such a thing seemed like electricity, equating it to a storm hitting trees. It's been said that from that day on, thanks to his cat Macak, Nikola Tesla became invested in learning more about electricity.

Friendly Fill-Ins

We did it! We made it to Friday! That of course means it's time for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. In case you missed the fill-in statements yesterday, I'll share them again below. Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. I joined _________ in _________.

2. I wish I'd asked _________ about _________.

3. _________ had the biggest impact on who I am today.

4. _________ is the most beautiful place I have ever been.


My answers are below in bold.

1. I joined the cat blogging community in 2014.
(To be honest, I thought our first post on this blog was in 2015. I was an entire year off before I fact checked for this very fill-in. Shame on me. It would even seem that we made our first post on September 19, 2014, which would mean we're coming up on our blogoversary. To celebrate, I soon plan on going back and sort of cleaning up all of our old posts. Way back then, I somehow knew even less than I know now. I'm far from an expert these days, but I'd still like to make our old posts a little less novice and embarrassing.)

2. I wish I'd asked my great-grandfather about his life.
(My great-grandfather, my paternal grandmother's father, was a World War II veteran. He was at Normandy and drove a tank in the war. He was a firecracker with Irish roots, and I was blessed to know him for the first 10 years of my life. I regret, though, that my young self was never wise enough to ask him the questions that really mattered. I wish I could go back in time and ask him to help me connect better to his history and life experience.)

3. Rosie had the biggest impact on who I am today.
(All of my furbabies and angels have had a huge impact on my cat lady life. My calico angel Rosie, though, as most of you know, was with me from the time I was 4 until I was 26 years old. There was scarcely a milestone in my youth that she did not help me through. I cannot even begin to express how much of an inspiration she has been and always will be for me.)

4. Home is the most beautiful place I have ever been.
(As they say, home is where the heart is. It's also where my cats and pup are, and that seals the deal.)

Now it's your turn!

To add your link to the Friendly Fill-Ins Linky list, just click HERE!

You can also click on the badge below to add your link.

You are also welcome to complete the fill-ins in the comments below,

or in the comments on Ellen's blog, 15andmeowing.

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Are you ready for your Eddy fix? Eddy was jealous that Thimble got to show off her whiskers yesterday. So, today Eddy is showing off hers!

Happy Friday, friends!

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Doodle of the Day: Flashback Friday

I'm all about the autumn doodles these days. After all, it's September, which means no matter what Mother Nature says, it's autumn. Obviously, I decided to pick one of my favorite autumn doodles from last September to share as our flashback today. I went with this one here:

I remember that doodle took me a relative eternity to scribble up last year. I tried to get the house and its little porch decor just right. Drawing a cat as small as the one in that doodle is also never an easy thing, especially since I use markers that don't have the smallest of tips. Finally, when all was said and done, I realized I had drawn the house all crooked and titled to one side. I kind of tried to fix it by altering the drawing's angle after scanning it, until I got to a point where I just figured, eh, good enough.

***

Did you know?

Did you know that a cat will more likely hiss out of defense rather than as a form of aggression? The sight and sound of a hissing cat can be intimidating, but it's most likely not the sign of an aggressive cat. Rather, a fearful or stressed cat might hiss in order to tell another cat or animal to keep their distance. If the opposing cat or other animal heeds the hiss and stays away, aggression could very likely be avoided. That's not to say a hissing cat won't become aggressive if they deem it necessary, but hissing in itself is likely not a direct sign of aggression. In fact, a hissing cat is likely the more vulnerable one in a confrontation.

Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

It's Thursday! That means you guys get to sit through one of my ridiculously long and loony rhymes again! It is, after all, the day of Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge.

Our host never leaves us stranded, but instead every week provides us with a photo prompt. This week's prompt is this interesting image here:

I won't lie, this image made me feel a little anxious. I find the thought of hitchhiking a tad bit scary for everyone involved. Perhaps that's why it took me a long time to brainstorm how to make a poem out of this, especially one without a storyline fit for a horror movie. The result was this here:

The Adventure to Autumn

Fiona had somewhere to be,

But she was faced with an obstacle unforeseen.

Her car chugged and left her stranded on the road.

The engine sounded like it might explode.

Fiona grabbed her bags and traveled by foot.

After all, her car had just completely gone kaput.

She still had a few hundred miles to go,

And she wondered if anyone would help make her travels less slow.

As she walked down the road with her bags over her shoulders,

Fiona admired the distant canyons and their impressive boulders.

She quite enjoyed this sort of scenery,

But she nonetheless still had somewhere else to be.

She walked and held her thumb out toward the road.

Fiona wished for a ride, but not to encroach.
After an hour, one car finally slowed upon approach.
It was an old blue car as hefty as a boat.

Behind the wheel sat a smiling old man.
He said, "I'd like to help you, if I can."
"Why, thank you," Fiona said. "I'm heading all the way east.
Is there a chance you're headed that way, please?"

The old man's smile widened and he waved her inside.
He said, "I'm headed east, if you're in need of a ride."
Fiona nodded and took a moment to think.
She indeed knew stranger danger was a real thing.
At the same time, she really did have somewhere to be.
She hopped in the car and took a seat.

The old man's car radio was playing jazz,
Which he turned down after a bit of time passed.
"If you don't mind my asking," he said, "what in the east do you seek?"
"Autumn," Fiona replied. "Autumn is in the east."

The old man looked out the window as he drove.
He asked, "Isn't that autumn right out there, though?"
Trees with orange leaves stood here, there, and everywhere.
Autumn filled every bit of the land and air.

Fiona nodded, smiled, and admired the sight.
She said, "Autumn out east, though, is completely different all right."
The old man shrugged and nodded at the same time.
"I guess I can't argue that," was his reply.

The drive continued for hours and more hours on end.
Fiona worried a trip this long wasn't what the old man did intend.
When Fiona spoke up and said this concern aloud,
The old man shushed her and said he was happy to drive beneath any clouds.

They drove through autumn in a great many village and town.
Fiona didn't think it was possible to look at such a sight with a frown.
She smiled the wider and wider as they neared her destination.
The old man asked her for the exact location.

She gave him the address and he drove the final mile.
The sight of the building brought forth Fiona's biggest smile.
It was built of red brick with a sign that made the sight even better.
On that sign above the door read the words, ANIMAL SHELTER.

"Thank you for the ride, good sir!" Fiona declared.
She flew from the car and into the autumn air.
"Will you be needing a ride back west?" the old man asked.
"I'll indeed be headed back that way next."

Fiona was really quite glad to hear him speak those words.
At present, she had no other way to head back homeward.
With but a few more words the old man happily said he'd be waiting outside.
Fiona was beyond grateful to know she'd still have a ride.

She ran to the brick building and did what she came east to do.
She was happier than happy, let us tell you.
Back outside, indeed the old man waited in his car.
It would seem he truly didn't mind a journey that far.

Fiona skipped to the car on two happy feet.
She peered in the window and said, "I have someone for you to meet."
In her arms she lifted a cat with fur of brown and black.
The old man smiled and laughed, "Would you look at that!"
"This is Autumn," Fiona said. "She's my new cat."

***

It's now, of course, time for Thimble and her Thankfuls. Thimble had to think on what she was going to share for Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop today. She finally decided, though, and can you guess what she settled on?

Those whiskers! Those big ears and eyes and nose aren't too bad either. But, today it's all about the whiskers.

Without those whiskers, Thimble would feel lost. Many cats would feel lost without their whiskers. They're just such handy things to have attached to your face!

It's not just whiskers we're grateful for today, though. We're also so thankful for all of you!

***

We of course now have for you the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. Ellen of 15andmeowing is the mastermind behind the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. I joined _________ in _________.

2. I wish I'd asked _________ about _________.

3. _________ had the biggest impact on who I am today.

4. _________ is the most beautiful place I have ever been.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

***

Did you know?

Did you know that the whiskers of a cat, or other mammal, are also known as vibrissae? In Latin, vibrissae most literally translates to "nostril hairs". A cat's whiskers are, after all, much like the hairs you find in human nostrils. That fact aside, though, vibrissae also stems from the Latin word vibrare, which essentially means "to vibrate". This also makes sense, since a cat's whiskers send vibrations to the nerve endings in their follicles when they touch something. Hopefully you were looking for a Latin lesson today, because that's what we had to offer.

Woof Woof Wednesday

Astrid is wishing you all lots of window whiffies on this Wednesday!

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Doodle of the Day

If I'm remembering correctly, this is the last doodle I scribbled up in honor of my angels Rosie and Sammy's birthday, which was on September 1.

Some of you might remember that my angel Rosie was still with me when pup Astrid joined the family. They lived together for roughly 2 years. Rosie also met Evan, as well as Thimble and her brothers. Rosie was actually far more tolerant of Astrid than she was of any of the other cats we brought in. She would often allow pup Astrid to walk right up to her, but if she caught sight of Evan or Thimble across the room, she would scream, chase those kitties, corner them, and slap them silly.

Rosie's brother Sammy, the other kitty portrayed in the doodle above, never met Astrid. He passed away at the young of 5, unfortunately, back in 1999. He did, however, know my childhood pups, Banjo and Shellie.

***

Did you know?

Did you know that cats drink water at a rate of roughly 4 laps of their tongue per second? Cats dip only the tip of their tongue in the water and create a relatively controlled stream up into their mouth. Dogs, on the other hand, plunge a far larger portion of their tongue into the water and scoop it up into their mouth in that manner. Perhaps that's why dogs create a far bigger mess at the water bowl than cats do.

Tonks Tuesday

Eddy is not the only kitty around here who gives me a run for my money during photo shoots. Just the other day, Tonks was so cutely looking at me from the cat tree by the back door. I tried to quickly and discreetly grab my camera, but Tonks nevertheless promptly made sure to give me a photo like this:

I'm not saying this little lady's profile isn't adorable, but just half a second before this, her actual adorable face had been facing me. Tonks is not a fan of the camera, and getting a photo of her face is no small feat.

In case you were wondering, Tonks is sitting next to a fish aquarium in these photos. The side of the aquarium is reflecting the great outdoors, in case you weren't sure what you were looking at here. Sometimes, Tonks chases the reflections of squirrels and birds she sees in the aquarium's glass. That actually might have been what she was doing in these photos, unless she really was just giving the camera and myself a hard time. It's a toss-up.

Tonks and all of us here wish you a terrific Tuesday!

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Doodles of the Day: Flashback Tuesday

Lately, we've been sharing doodles inspired by my angel Rosie and her angel brother Sammy, in no small part because their birthday was September 1. I figured my flashback for today should fit this theme as well. I'm sharing two doodles today, one I created for Rosie and one I created for Sammy. I scribbled these up last year for their birthday series of doodles, and though these two doodles were created separately, the idea was for them to create a sort of full scene image. 

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Did you know?

Did you know that the first known pet cat lived approximately 9,500 years ago? It was long believed that the Egyptians were the first to have domesticated and revered cats as companions. In 2004, however, a 9,500-year-old grave of cat was found in Cyprus. This means that pet cats were likely around 4,000 years before the Egyptians were honoring and creating art of their beloved cats.

Labor Day Lazing

In the United States, today is Labor Day. As the name suggests, this is a day to honor the labor force. It is a public holiday, which means this here human is happily enjoying a day off of work. Mancat Evan is just as happy that I'm home, because he's my shadow and my buddy and will be spending his day more or less attached to my hip. I don't mind that one bit. Let's face it, for the most part, Evan and I will be vegging out on the couch, enjoying cuddles and window whiffies.

To all of our US friends, we're wishing you a relaxing Labor Day! To all of our friends outside of the US, we hope your Monday is magnificent!

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Doodle of the Day

We're still sharing doodles from our series in honor of my angels Rosie and Sammy, since their birthday was yesterday. Of course, these doodles are inspired by these two angels as well as the wonderful season of autumn.

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Did you know?

Did you know that more than one cat in history has served as a town's mayor? For roughly 20 years, from 1997 to 2017, a cat named Stubbs served as mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska. He was first elected as a write-in in 1997, and maintained his mayoral position after multiple uncontested elections. Omena, Michigan is another town with a furry mayor. For the past decade, Omena and its roughly 280-person population has had an animal serving as mayor. The most recent election had all animal candidates, including 2 cats, 13 dogs, a goat, a chicken, and a peacock. The winner and therefore new mayor was calico cat Sweet Tart. Do you think these towns are onto something?

A Rainbow Bridge Birthday Bash

Today's selfie is a flashback one, but a fun one.

Thimble's here to tell you that we're having us a birthday bash today. Whose birthday bash? It's angels Rosie and Sammy's birthday bash!

That there is a photo from the olden days. On the left is Rosie sitting with my sister, and on the right is Sammy sitting with me. I am indeed wearing an eye patch, in case you had or hadnd't noticed, thanks to a childhood eye condition. I remember feeling insecure about that eye patch, but I never minded wearing it around Rosie and Sammy, because they never judged.

My angels Rosie and Sammy were born on September 1, 1993. My family adopted them when I was just 4 years old. Sammy only lived to 5 years of age, sadly, due to an undetected heart condition. Rosie, however, lived to the wonderful age of 21.

Though I wish my angels Rosie and Sammy could have lived forever and that they were still here with me, I won't feel sad today. I'll feel happy that these two angels filled my childhood, and my adulthood, with more joy than I can ever begin to express.

Happy birthday, my sweet angels! I love you forever!

In case you were wondering, we do know for a fact that Rosie and Sammy's birthday was September 1. That's not a guess, but an actual known birth date. I always loved that that was their birthday. Autumn is my favorite season, I start celebrating it on September 1. Rosie and Sammy have always been my autumn angels.

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Did you know?

Did you know that the oldest recorded age for a cat is 38? A cat named Creme Puff was born on August 3, 1967, and she lived until August 6, 2005. Her owner was Jake Perry, who had another cat named Granpa. Granpa was said to  have been born in 1964 and to have passed away in 1998 at the age of 34. It has been pondered whether the diet of Perry's cats had anything to do with their longevity, as it is said he fed them turkey bacon, eggs, asparagus, broccoli, and even coffee with heavy cream.