13 years ago today I lost a part of my heart when Sashi left for the Bridge. She was my first little girl, the first cat in my life that came from a shelter, and the first cat I adopted on my own as an adult.
She had been given up by her family at 9 years old. I was told many people thought she was beautiful but passed her by because of her age. Week after week I went past her cage at the PetSmart adoption center until I finally realized she was waiting for me. We were blessed to have 8 wonderful years together. Her passing in 2006 tore my heart into a million pieces. She was the first cat that was truly mine, and I felt like I had lost a child as she slipped away beside me on the couch after a lengthy illness.
Every now and then I spend a little time going through my collection of non-digitized photos. They bring back so many memories of those that came before.
That box was her favorite napping spot. I still have it.
Unlike my other ladycats, Sashi enjoyed playing dress up. She would let me put anything on her.
Her favorite treat was canned whipped cream. On birthdays we put a candle in it.
And nothing made her happier than a nice, warm blankie.
I have no doubt that Sashi was the first kitty waiting at the Bridge when Tara and Truffles arrived, and that they have a daily catnip klatch! I hope they all know how much they're still remembered and loved.
Inca, a Siberian puss, tells the story about her furry family – her brother Fromage, who is addicted to cheese and considers himself a cheese monger, and her sister, Cara, a gorgeous but timid Siamese. Inca, an avid fan of Dr. House, considers herself the leader of the troupe and responsible for the well-being of the family. They own, according to Inca, Missy, a young humanoid who has a well-established cheese shop in Paris. The story revolves around how Missy decides to move to London with her co-partners, Jacques and Genevieve, to run their new cheese shop and café. Can Fromage leave his pal, Charlotte, behind? Soon after arriving in London, the three cats accompany Missy to their neighbor’s house where they meet Monk, a blue Russian cat and Terrance, a golden retriever owned by their famous neighbor, a detective named Solo, living in the same compound in Kensington.
Things start to get interesting when Monk tries to help their neighbor, Polo, a sad little Pekinese whose mistress, a formerly well-known opera singer who is pining for her lost husband, has her valuable diamond necklace stolen. Can Inca and her family assist Monk and Terrance to recover the diamond necklace and resolve Polo’s problems?
As I've found myself struggling to find my reading mojo once again, I also can't help but miss my cat mysteries, so I went in search of something a little less taxing on my brain and this series fits the bill just purrfectly.
The story revolves around three cats, Inca, Cara, and Fromage, and their human, Missy, and as we meet them they're preparing to move from Paris to London so Missy and her partners can open a second cheese shop with Fromage as the mascot. Fromage's hamster friend Charlotte also tags along, and upon settling into their new home their furry neighbors involve them in a puzzling mystery! This is right up Inca's alley as her favorite TV show is about a detective, and she aims to become the feline version of the program's main character.
The Inca Cat series may be billed as a series for children, but cat-loving adults are sure to find it just as enjoyable and adorable as I did. Each cat has their own personality and at different times during the story each one had their turn as my "favorite"! In the end I just loved them all and look forward to spending more time with them in the other 7 books in the series.
(And the 2014 Sprint Cup Champion's car at that...just sayin'.)
It's no secret that Mommy is serious about her NASCAR. The Daytona 500 is next Sunday and she is ecstatic.
Since she always calls my zoomies the "running of the Mudpie 500" I decided to start hosting an annual giveaway to celebrate this national holiday in our house and to make it fun for me and my friends too!
Like last year we're giving away a $15 PetSmart gift card so my pals of all species can purr-ticipate!
For a chance to win, simply leave a comment predicting the winning driver by midnight eastern on Sunday, February 17th. Don't forget to leave your email address too!
In the event that more than one of you pick the winning driver, we will draw a name from a hat. If no one picks the winning driver, we will move on to second place, etc., until a winner is chosen. Last year we had to go all the way to the 7th place driver to get a winner!
Here are your driver choices: (click to enlarge)
Here's the thing about the Daytona 500: it's a total crap shoot so you don't need to know a thing about racing in order to predict a winner. It's known as a "restrictor plate race" which limits speed and increases safety, to provide an equal level of competition. The cars all run in crazy scary packs and winning is more a matter of luck than anything.
Back in 2007 our driver Kevin Harvick won the race. My grandpa's boss at the time stood to win $1,000 if Mark Martin won, and Martin was leading until the last turn of the last lap when Kevin came from 7th place to win by fractions of a second. It was a thrilling finish, but grandpa never told his boss that Kevin was our driver! Check it out:
Good luck, have fun, and may the best man Kevin Harvick win!!!
