Memorial Day 2023

 

"We can never replace them. We can never repay them. But we can always remember. And today, that is what we are doing — we remember. Words cannot wipe away the tears or bring back those smiling faces. But if Americans just take the time to look into your eyes and tell you how much we thank you and how dearly we pray for you and how truly we love you, then hopefully you can find solace through your pain. And every time you see the sun rise over this blessed land please know your brave sons and daughters pushed away the night and delivered for us all that great and glorious dawn."

~ President Donald J. Trump, 5/29/17

'Scuse You. I Was Napping in the Sun. Geez! #SundaySelfie

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

Bookish #CaturdayArt

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!

1. This weekend, I plan to do as little as possible.

2. A cat never disappoints.

3. I once saw a cop shoot a raccoon in a parking lot. It was horrifying.

4.You'll never hear me say "I can't wait until summer."

Tongue To Tongue #PetPhotoFails

Meows from Mudpie!

Thank you for joining us for this month's edition of the Pet Photo Fails Blog Hop! Now that we've reached the end of May, the dreaded summer heat is right around the corner. In fact, temps next week are forecast to be in the high 80s.

Goodbye, cuddle weather! See you again in the fall :( 

My photo fail this month was taken on CatLadyBox day when Mommy gave me my Slithery Snake toy. He stuck his tongue out at me, which I found to be quite rude! My attempts at showing him who's boss ended up rather blurry...

Those are my bloopers...let's see yours! 

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Wordless Wednesday: Mine. All Mine.

 

She's Behind Me, Isn't She? #SundaySelfie

 

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

Happy 16th Gotcha Day, Angel Tara! #CaturdayArt

Meows from Mudpie!

Our Caturday Art project this week features Angel Tara, who was adopted 16 years ago today! She was Mommy's very first tortie, and all these years later I'm the lucky tortie in her life. Tara paved the way!

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. Dealing with the cable company always gives me a headache.

2. Ten years ago, I was preparing to say goodbye to Tara, who would be leaving for the Bridge in 6 weeks.

Mudpie's answers:

3. Frosty temps are the reason I haven't yet stopped cuddling with Mommy. We're lovin' it too!

4. I prefer Delectables Squeeze Ups, but I also don't mind Churu. Mommy says squeezies are a little cheaper so if we get those I can have more, but this week we got a digital coupon for a free package of Churu so we were all over that! 

Feline Friday: Garfield Gripes About Spring

Mommy here.

I've been crazy about Garfield my entire life, probably because I can so easily identify with him. He's passionate about pasta, hates Mondays and mornings, and loves coffee, Christmas, and mindless TV.

Earlier this spring there was a Garfield strip I loved so much I printed it out and hung it on the fridge. 

You have to admit he has a point here!  

Feline Friday is simple to join. All you have to do is:

Post a picture, drawing, cartoon or video of a cat (They may be silly or cute).

Wordy Wednesday: Mudpie the Aspiring Model

Meows from Mudpie!

Last Wednesday our VCR bit the dust. Mommy was bummed because we still have tons and tons of videotapes. She even recorded on it periodically because she refuses to pay more money to the cable company for DVR service. After seeing the crazy prices online for a replacement she figured she'd be stuck keeping an eye out at thrift stores.

Then Saturday morning she went to the estate sale of a neighbor who's 98 years old and just had to move to a nursing home. The first room she walked into was his living room, and there was a VCR still hooked up to his TV for only $15! Just days after ours died, it's like it was fate and she immediately bought it.

After bringing it home she laid it on the kitchen floor to change her shoes. I came over to check it out and since it was partly on my pizza box, I draped myself right across it! Mommy laughed and said I looked like a swimsuit model trying to get someone to buy a sports car.  

I wonder if I could earn extra money for squeezies doing this?

Hello, kind sir. Could I interest you in a used 1995 RCA VCR? 

I'm selling it to raise money for a very good cause.

Thank you so much for your purchase.

Don't forget your bill of sale!

Mommy hasn't hooked up the VCR yet because she first had to hook up a new cable box (an Xfinity-mandated "upgrade"). And we also don't have a remote for this VCR so we need to figure out a workaround for that issue, but at least she found one that we're fairly sure is in good shape. This neighbor had become a very good friend of my grandpa's too, so we were happy to bring something home that had belonged to him.

Mother's Day #CaturdayArt #SundaySelfie

Meows from Mudpie!

Since I'd like to have a little extra quality time with Mommy for Mother's Day, I asked her if we could do just one blog post this weekend, combining our Caturday Art project with my Mother's Day message/Sunday Selfie. It'll be our first Mother's Day without my grandma so it won't be an easy day for either of us. But we'll get through it...together.

Happy Mother's Day to all the pawsome cat moms out there!!!

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

1. I’ve got a yen for pizza. I had leftover pizza for dinner tonight too but could still eat more.

2. I would gladly trade spring and summer for fall and winter.

3. It seems like only yesterday that my family was complete.

4. If you offered me one more day with mom, I would wish for the day to never end.

Feline Flashback Friday: Sunbathing Beauty with Tortitude

From May 2016...

Feline Friday is simple to join. All you have to do is:

Post a picture, drawing, cartoon or video of a cat (They may be silly or cute).

Unboxing April's CatLadyBox

   The theme of April's CatLadyBox was Feral & Fabulous...here's what was inside!

Featured Cat Lady Artist: Elina Parhomenko

Feral & Fabulous Tee:

I think this is the most beautiful shirt CatLadyBox has ever done. 

The color, the cat illustration. It's eye popping.

Hisses Get Kisses Box Sign:

I have so many different cat signs but I've never seen this saying before. Very cute!

Peeking Cats Canvas Bin:

These canvas bins are so practical and stylish. 

This is my favorite one yet with ear-tipped kitties peeking out of the colorful leaves. 

For now it's holding odds and ends in the dining room so I can see it on a regular basis.

Slithery Snake & Bashful Bandit Raccoon Catnip Toys:

I have super cute pictures of Mudpie and the snake toy (touching tongues) that I'm saving for this month's bloopers.

The little raccoon made me smile. It's like our visitors from a couple months ago are taunting me! 

Not a subscriber yet? Visit CatLadyBox today!

Interested in purchasing individual items from past boxes? You can do that too!

Disclosure: I receive a discount on my CatLadyBox subscription as a thank you for my monthly review. Regardless of compensation received, we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers.

Because I'm the Boss, That's Why #SundaySelfie

Meows from Mudpie!

Does anyone recognize my pizza box? Two years ago on National Pizza Party Day Mommy gave it to me as a joke to take pictures for a blog post, and it still resides on our kitchen floor. I still sit on it every single day when I'm in the kitchen, either looking out the door or snoopervising Mommy while she's cooking.

Whenever we have company she picks it up. I guess she's embarrassed by it. Granted, it's flat as a pancake and stained, but I love it, and it's staying put. Because I'm the Boss, that's why! 

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

Coronation Day #Caturday Art

Meows from Mudpie!

Who else is getting up at the butt crack of dawn today to watch the Coronation? We are, and while Mommy can't wait to see such a grand, historic event, she's also not a morning person. She says she'll only get up at such an ungodly hour to witness something that hasn't happened in 70 years!

The Kentucky Derby is later today too. Lots of fun stuff going on for once! I'm glad Mommy will be spending lots of time on the couch so we can cuddle.

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...

1. A period of peace and quiet would make my life easier.

2. My May to-do list includes negotiating a new Xfinity contract and getting the car inspected.

3. If my morning starts with Mudpie cuddles, I can face the day.

4. Ending my day with Mudpie cuddles makes me calmer. Do you sense a theme? I live for Mudpie cuddles these days.

Feline Flashback Friday: Cinco de Mayo Edition

Meows from Mudpie, and Happy Cinco de Mayo!

We have a couple festive flashbacks for you today, starting with this little funny I put together several years ago. It still makes Mommy chuckle. 

And in this second photo I was caught in the act of sneaking a lick of the frozen burrito Mommy had thawing on the kitchen shelf.

Mommy says she would've done just fine living in the Old West because she LOVES beans in any form! 

Feline Friday is simple to join. All you have to do is:

Post a picture, drawing, cartoon or video of a cat (They may be silly or cute).

WW: More Playing, Less Picture Taking, Mommy!

 

Tone Down the Cuteness, Mudpie! #SundaySelfie

 

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...

1. I wish my town (city) had a Cracker Barrel, Dairy Queen, Hobby Lobby. Honestly, this list could be a mile long. There are so many major chains my area doesn't have.

2. So far, this year has been a nightmare I keep hoping I'll wake up from.

3. The world is a little too peopley for my liking.

4. Even if I complain a lot, I really appreciate my life.

At the Vet #PetPhotoFails

Meows from Mudpie!

Thank you for joining us for this month's edition of the Pet Photo Fails Blog Hop! We've been enjoying some beautiful spring weather here, with highs in the 50s and 60s. Warm enough to enjoy some window whiffies, yet cool enough for nighttime snuggles too. It only it could stay this way instead of the hots that will soon be arriving!

My photo fails this time around were taken last month during my two vet visits for my ears. The first one is blurry, the second one is just awkward. I was being super cute rubbing my head against my carrier, but it just looks really weird.

Those are my bloopers...let's see yours! 

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Wordless Wednesday: Paws Off the Remote

 

Mudpie Interviews...Percival & Jasper from Ruth J. Hartman's Mobile Cat Groomer Mystery Series

The life of a cat groomer isn’t just pampering purring felines, it's murder.

Mobile Cat Groomer Molly Stewart loves her job. Until she finds the dead body of one of her pet parents stabbed with a garden implement in his back yard. When Molly’s uncle Russ becomes the prime suspect in the murder and the sheriff won’t consider anyone else, Molly claws through obstacles as she prowls for clues.

With help from handsome veterinarian Hank Chenowith and Molly’s two cats, Percival and Jasper, will Molly succeed in proving her uncle’s innocence before the real murderer pounces on her?

Brushed Up On Murder introduces readers to cat groomer Molly Stewart, who divides her time between her very own salon and a mobile grooming van. She's built a successful business in the small town of Whitewater Valley with a steady stream of customers, so it comes as a complete shock when she brings one of her furry clients home, only to find their owner dead in the garden. Molly becomes the new owner of now orphaned Jasper, and has her hands full trying to get her own cat Percival to accept his new brother, but that's nothing compared to the detective work she's forced to take on when her beloved uncle becomes the main suspect.

I look forward to spending more time with this fun cast of characters, and especially watching Molly's relationship with hunky vet Hank evolve!

Mudpie was very excited to have the opportunity to interview Percival & Jasper, the feline stars of this series. We hope you enjoy learning more about them!

Welcome, Percival & Jasper! Thank you so much for chatting with me today. Could you start by telling us a little about yourselves and how you each came to live with Molly? 

Hi, this is Percival! Molly has been my human for a long time now. We're so close, she even takes me to work with her!
And I'm Jasper! Molly rescued me from a bad situation where I might have ended up in a pet shelter. I'm so much happier with her!

What's a typical day like for you? 

Percival again. Sometimes, Molly sees clients - other cats whose humans bring them to her to be brushed and bathed. And other times she has a mobile grooming van where she goes to the humans' houses and sees the kitties there. I like those best since I get to go along for the ride!

Since your human is a mobile cat groomer, do you like it when she fusses with your fur or do you prefer taking care of those things yourselves? 

It's Jasper again. Before I came to live with Molly, my other human took me to see her so she could groom me, so I love it! She always makes me look so handsome. :)

In Brushed Up On Murder, the first book in the Mobile Cat Groomer mystery series, you two don't exactly see to eye. Are you getting along? 

Percival here. Jasper and I did have a rough start when Molly first brought him home. Even though I see lots of other cats at Molly's work it was the first time she'd ever brought one into our house. But Molly, with advice from her friend, Hank, helps us!

Do you lend a paw in helping Molly solve the mystery?

Percival again. Yes! Since she takes me to work with her, I got to be in on finding clues and checking out possible suspects. It was fun! And when Molly figured out who the killer was, Jasper helped too!

What are some of your favorite things to do when you're not sleuthing? (Toys, treats, nap spots...)

Jasper again. I love naps. And treats. And catnip! Molly used some catnip for Percival and me when she was trying to get us to be friends. It smelled awesome!

Can you give us any clues as to what's next for you? 

Percival again. Jasper and I are still so excited that we helped solve a murder! Along with Molly, we're ready to pounce on the next one that comes along!

******************************************************************

About the Author:
Ruth J. Hartman spends her days herding cats and her nights spinning mysterious tales. She, her husband, and their cats love to spend time curled up in their recliners watching old Cary Grant movies. Well, the cats sit in the people’s recliners. Not that the cats couldn’t get their own furniture. They just choose to shed on someone else’s.

Ruth, a left-handed, cat-herding, farmhouse-dwelling writer uses her sense of humor as she writes tales of lovable, klutzy women who seem to find trouble without even trying.

Ruth’s husband and best friend, Garry, reads her manuscripts, rolls his eyes at her weird story ideas, and loves her despite her insistence all of her books have at least one cat in them. See updates about her cozy mysteries at Ruthjhartman.com.

Author Links:

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ruth.j.hartman

Website https://www.ruthjhartman.com

Twitter https://twitter.com/ruthjhartman

GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3312900.Ruth_J_Hartman

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