Unboxing February's CatLadyBox

The theme of February's CatLadyBox was "Meowlentine's Day"...here's what was inside!

Featured Cat Lady Artist: Adrienne Gelardi

Kitty Cat Highball Glasses: I love the classic look of black and pink together so these are already being used in my kitchen!

Cat Eyeshadow Palettes: I wear eye shadow once in a blue moon, so for now these are just looking cute on my dresser. The palettes came in calico, black cat, Russian Blue, and ginger. I got calico and black cat which were a good fit for me...wish there had been a tortie though!

Kitty Cat Tweezers: Tweezers are always handy to have nearby, and anything looks better when it's cat-shaped!

Heart Wand Toy: Wand toy + feathers = Happy Mudpie

Catnip Donut Heart: Yummy looking enough to eat...purrfect for bopping around the house.

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Smokin' Hot Tortie...& Conway #MewsicMovesMe

In honor of National Battery Day, the Mewsic Moves Me blog hop is challenging us to choose songs using the keywords smoke, alarm, battery, and charge. It was brought to my attention that I didn't dedicate a Valentine post last week to my beloved Conway, so this one is for him!

One of the many, many, many, many, many things I love about Conway is his unbelievable range and versatility. He could sing absolutely anything. This first song was recorded for a radio show in 1972 and went commercially unreleased until just a couple years ago. It's as country as you can get...

By the late 70s he could see that country music was changing and he was either going to need to adjust to those changes or be left by the wayside like so many of his peers. Change he did and while he ruled the airwaves in the late 60s and all through the 70s with a traditional country sound, during the 80s he scored some of the biggest hits of his career with "countrified" covers of pop hits and music that reflected the crossover sounds of the decade. He was still racking up number one records in the early 90s and I have no doubt that would have continued had he not been taken from us.

Smoke from a Distant Fire clearly isn't a country song (it was originally recorded by the Sanford-Townsend Band) and it gave Conway the opportunity to go back to his early rock days. He might surprise you on this one!

Whether it was country, rock, blues, or gospel, people have said Conway could sing the phone book and make it sound good. (One of his nicknames was "the best friend a song ever had," after all.) Loretta Lynn once said he could probably even sing opera for all anyone knew!

Do you have a favorite artist who could seemingly "sing it all"?

Secret Spot Sunday Selfie

Meows from Mudpie!

Today I'm submitting my Sunday Selfie from a secret spot...one I'll tell you all about in a few days and how I came to find this fun new hideout! 

We're joining our friends at The Cat On My Head for the Sunday Selfies blog hop!

Caturday Art

Visit more artsy kitties at Athena's Caturday Art blog hop!

And now our weekly answers for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by 15andmeowing and Four-Legged Furballs!

Mommy's answers:

1. If it wasn’t for cats, coffee, and Conway, I would go crazy. My three C's to a happy life!

2. Email is my preferred method of communication. Followed by texting. Anything to avoid talking on the phone!

Mudpie's answers:

3. Take care of the cat's needs before your own.

4. You can’t buy love, but you can adopt it.

Flashback Friday: Remembering Sashi

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.

Wishing You a Purrfect Valentine's Day!!!

Book Review: The Cats Who Crossed Over from Paris (Inca Cat Series Book 1) by R.F. Kristi

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.