Remembering Tara...Two Years at the Bridge

Losing them wouldn't be so hard to take

If heaven wasn't so far away.

June 2015 CatLadyBox Review

I've been hesitant to jump on the subscription box bandwagon. I'm not a huge fan of surprises, so I haven't been crazy about the idea of paying for something upfront, having no idea what I was going to end up with.

That all changed when I heard about my friend Dorian Wagner's brilliant idea of a CatLadyBox. It's a surefire thing that I will love *anything* cat-related and I eagerly signed up. When an email arrived with my FedEx tracking number, I stalked it on a daily basis.

On Friday morning this happened:

Truffles was super excited too!

Check out the adorable artwork on the card created by Artist BZTAT. The back of the card contains info about all of the featured items in the box:

What was in the box? A super cute Living in the Meow Canvas Tote. Living in the Meow partners with organizations like the Cat Town Cafe to increase rescue adoptions through donations and merchandise sales. And, all of their products are made in the USA.

"Crazy Cat Lady" Hand-Stamped Aluminum Cuff created exclusively for CatLadyBox  by DesignsbyMarlayna. It's lightweight and easily adjustable (which is a really good thing because my wrist is super small and bracelets usually fall right off!)

"Black Cat" Artisan Perfume Mini Spritzer Bottle by Wylde Ivy. I am generally not a fan of perfume at all. Being around someone who wears too much irritates my allergies and gives me a headache. That being said, I *adore* the scent of Black Cat so much that I'm probably going to end up buying a full-size bottle. It's unique scent is simply spell-binding, just like a black cat!

Subscriptions cost $34.99 a month, but you can get an even better deal if you prepay for 3 or 6 months. Also available is the Crazy CatLadyBox, which includes a couple surprises for your kitty! (I'm a terrible cat mom and didn't order that one for Truffles, but in my defense she has some other packages coming soon!)

To say that I'm thrilled with my first CatLadyBox would be an understatement. I'm already counting down the days until the July box lands on my doorstep.

Disclosure: I'm not being compensated in any way for this review. I am a proud CatLadyBox subscriber!

Remembering Tara...Two Years Later #SundaySelfies

Two years ago, the long 4th of July weekend was spent showering Tara with all the love I could give her as we said our last goodbyes.

On Tuesday we'll be posting a special tribute on the actual anniversary of her passing, but we figured she should be the star of today's Sunday Selfies blog hop as well.

I still miss my beautiful girl so, so much.

Happy 239th Birthday, America!

Wow, you're lookin' good for your age!

Love, Truffles

Let's celebrate the American spirit this weekend by supporting a small business owner! Our friend Baby Patches from the Nip and Bones store is having a 4th of July Blowout Sale with select items up to 60% off! Her human has been struggling with some health issues, and as a result her online store is struggling. We certainly don't want Nip and Bones to have to close down, so a bunch of Baby Patches' kitty blogger friends are getting together to help spread the word.

Don't tell Mommy, but I have plans for later tonight with her credit card and iPad! After all, I have a Gotcha Day coming up next month, so won't she be happy to see that I've taken advantage of a pawsome sale to do my shopping? While I'm at it I think I'll pick out some things to put away for Secret Paws gifts...Christmas is right around the corner!

We're entering our July 4th image in Athena's Caturday Art blog hop.

The Kittens of Summer Star in Hallmark Channel's Paw Star Game

TAKE ME OUT TO THE PAW GAME!

THE KITTENS OF SUMMER TAKE TO THE DIAMOND FOR THE FIRST-EVER
‘PAW STAR GAME’
A HALLMARK CHANNEL ORIGINAL SPECIAL

Beth Stern Hosts the Baseball Special Along With
Play-By-Play Announcers John Sterling and Mary Carillo

Hallmark Channel announces its star players will also take the field for “Paw Star Game,” a Hallmark Channel Original Special World Premiere Sunday, July 12 at 6pm ET/PT, 5C. TV personality, author and animal advocate Beth Stern will host baseball’s newest tradition along with play-by-play announcers John Sterling, iconic radio voice of the New York Yankees, and award-winning reporter, sports analyst and commentator Mary Carillo. As the kittens take the field to swat balls and catch line drives, they will be cheered on by celebrities including Ed Asner, Maria Menounos, Mario Lopez, Al Roker, Heather McDonald, Tricia Helfer, Deidre Hall, Dawn Olivieri and Camren Bicondova.

“Launching ‘Paw Star Game’ is the next exciting extention of our kitten sports franchise that has already seen tremendous success with the network’s annual ‘Kitten Bowl,’” said Michelle Vicary, Executive Vice President of Programming and Publicity, Crown Media Family Networks. “We have extraordinary talent partaking in ‘Paw Star Game,’ lead by host Beth Stern, whose support of pet adoption and profound love for animals are unmatched, and announcers John Sterling and Mary Carillo who bring color commentary, humor and heart to the special.”

The 2015 Paw Stars include Derek Cheetah, Joe DiMeowgio, Don Cattingly, Mickey Meowntle, Siamese Sosa, Willie Strays, Wade Pawggs, Rod Purrew, Beau Catson, Bombaybe Ruth, “Bootless” Joe Catson, “Hairballin” Hank Purron, Lurk Kitson, Roberto Clawmente, Sandy Kocats, Darryl Pawberry, Button, Corey Clawber, Cuddles Cattingly, Purfessor Isaac Furrowitz, Buddy, Fluffy Frisky, Hunter Pounce, Jose Catseco, Paw Prints Fielder, Socks, Max, Oliver and many more! The teams set to compete are the Gold Crown Catamounts, North Shore Bengals, Mystery Meercats and Keepsake Cougars.

Hallmark Channel will also share weekly highlights of the kittens training and player profiles on CAT CENTER (http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/cat-center) hosted by John Sterling and Mary Carillo.

Book Review/Giveaway: Home with Henry by Anne Kaier

From the publisher: When copywriter Anne Kaier stops traffic to rescue a stray cat, neither she nor the cat knows what lies in store ... You'll lose yourself in this witty, true-life story of how Anne hopes a beguiling cat called Henry can help her as a single woman in the amped-up city. But first, how will she lure Henry out from under the bed-when not even her ten-year-old nephew can get him to stir?

I was so honored to be asked to be part of the blog tour for Anne Kaier's new book, Home with Henry. Just looking at the cover I knew it was going to be a very special book, and I was right.

This book is written in journal form as the author chronicles the first year of her life with Henry, as well as starting a new life herself in her very first home. Rejecting the old-fashioned notion that a woman should wait until she's married to buy a house and create a traditional life, they live on their own terms and build a rich and meaningful life together. It's a scary time for both human and cat, but with great patience and love they prove that home and family is what you make it.

Another star of this book is an aging calico, Lucille. In a couple difference passages Anne writes how she can't help but view Henry as a "spare". She knows she won't have Lucille forever and fears being alone when the dreaded time comes. As someone who has always had just one cat at a time, I've often wondered if the heartbreak of losing a pet is any duller when you have another there for comfort.

Watching Anne and Henry's bond deepen with each turn of the page was such a heartwarming experience, especially since many people don't believe a feral cat can be domesticated. It became obvious that Henry had found his forever home when the opportunity arose for him to escape over the walled garden in Anne's yard, and he chose to stay. What a beautiful moment.

If you're anything like me and believe that cats are synonymous with home, this little book will touch your heart and warm your soul.

Giveaway: Leave a comment by noon eastern on Wednesday, July 8th for your chance to win a paperback copy of Home with Henry. (US entries only, please.)

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About the author: Anne Kaier's essays and poetry have been published in venues such as The Gettysburg Review, Alaska Quarterly Review, The Kenyon Review, Referential and Beauty is a Verb: An Anthology of Poetry, Poetics, and Disability which is on the American Library Association Notable Books list for 2012.

Holding a Ph.D. from Harvard University, she teaches creative writing and literature at Arcadia University and Rosemont College. She serves on the Fulbright Creative Writing Student Screening Committee. Anne lives in Center City, Philadelphia.

Anne's blog tour will continue through July 9. Look for her tomorrow at The Conscious Cat.

Toon Time with Truffles: My New Wheels

Hey everybody, Truffles at the keyboard! It's a pretty well-established fact that we're NASCAR fanatics at my house, right? Well a couple months ago my new friend Callie at Pawsitively Pets ran a giveaway for an Imperial Cat Cardboard Racer Convertible, and I WON!

We were already huge fans of Imperial Cat products and their fun and stylish lines of Scratch ‘n Pads, Scratch ‘n Shapes, Cat ‘n Around, Snack ‘n Treat, and Neat ‘n Tidy products. They also re-purpose scraps from other Scratch ‘n Shapes products to create Scratch ‘n Bits, extremely affordable scratching pads that are available in three sizes and purr-fect for use in shelter cages, cat rooms or foster homes, for their Adopt-a-Cat Scratcher Donation Program.

These are the purr-fect scratchers for me because I am very much a horizontal scratcher, and Mommy gets a little upset with me when I start "doing my nails" on the living room rug!

Thank you again for the giveaway, Callie! I *love* my new wheels!