We're joining our friends at The Cat on My Head for the Sunday Selfies blog hop!
Sunday, May 7, 2017
Saturday, May 6, 2017
Pretty in Purple #CaturdayArt
Meows from Mudpie!
Today for my Caturday Art project I chose a blurry, crooked picture Mommy took of me last weekend, applied the Purple Dawn effect in Lunapic, then popped on a frame.
Don't you love it when photos destined for the recycle bin can be repurposed into a work of 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 McGuffy's Reader!
1. I still have a landline. I prefer using it over my cell phone too!
2. My most treasured piece of jewelry is my Cherished Paws gemstone bracelet honoring my tortie girls.
3. This year, I have learned the value of choosing your battles. I've become much more outspoken in some aspects of my life while deciding to keep my mouth shut in others.
4. I would like to take some blogging and pet-related e-courses before this year is over.
Friday, May 5, 2017
Cinco De Mudpie
Meows from Mudpie!
Mommy and I are each doing our own thang this Cinco de Mayo, me with this little funny, and now Mommy is going to play food blogger for a bit as she shares the "recipe" for her easy peasy taco salad. Let's hope she doesn't embarrass herself too much!
For the bottom layer, tear a flour tortilla into pieces, lightly spray with olive oil and toast until crispy.
Add chopped salad mixed with your favorite salsa, then canned chili (or homemade if you're so inclined), followed by shredded cheese. I also sometimes top the salad with chickpeas, sour cream, more salsa, even crushed up tortilla chips!
No muss, no fuss...and quite yummy!
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Catitions Privacy Screens Now On Indiegogo!
Back in March we told you about an exciting new product created by Thumbs Pets called Catitions Privacy Screens, a pawsome way to keep unsightly areas of your home concealed using a stylish, cat-themed room divider. We're excited to announce that the Indiegogo campaign was launched on Monday and will be running through the month of May. Not only can you pre-order your very own privacy partitions, you can also claim fun perks such as artistic cat postcards and posters, a donation to your favorite non-profit cat rescue, and really cool mini-Catitions coasters.
Thumbs Pets is running an ad for Catitions on our sidebar this month and would really appreciate your support of the campaign!
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Adventures in Microblogging
Meows from Mudpie!
Are you following us on Instagram? Mommy and I are spending more and more time there lately and enjoying it so much for two main reasons...loads of cat pictures and NO politics!!!
Some of the pictures we're posting are the same as here on our blog, but we've started to do some microblogging over there too. For instance, I decided to do my Chewy Influencer post there this month, and Mommy has been whipping out her iPad mini and snapping pictures of cute cat-related items she finds when she's out shopping. (She's finally discovered that taking pictures of things takes up less room than buying everything!)
I reminded Mommy that some of our blog readers might not be on Instagram, and we certainly don't want anyone missing out on any Mudpie, so here's what we've been up to!
We'll post these recaps every now and then but if you are on Instagram, check meowt!!!
Are you following us on Instagram? Mommy and I are spending more and more time there lately and enjoying it so much for two main reasons...loads of cat pictures and NO politics!!!
Some of the pictures we're posting are the same as here on our blog, but we've started to do some microblogging over there too. For instance, I decided to do my Chewy Influencer post there this month, and Mommy has been whipping out her iPad mini and snapping pictures of cute cat-related items she finds when she's out shopping. (She's finally discovered that taking pictures of things takes up less room than buying everything!)
I reminded Mommy that some of our blog readers might not be on Instagram, and we certainly don't want anyone missing out on any Mudpie, so here's what we've been up to!
We'll post these recaps every now and then but if you are on Instagram, check meowt!!!
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
A Kiss is Just a Kiss…A Guest Post by Giacomo Giammatteo
As promised, as part of the Whiskers & Bear blog tour we're excited to present this guest post by author Giacomo Giammatteo....
A Kiss is Just a Kiss…
Or so states the line from “As Time Goes By,” the song made immortal when Dooley Wilson sang it for Ingrid Bergman in the movie Casablanca.
While a kiss might be “just a kiss,” most of the time, there are “special” kisses. I’ll bet you remember your first kiss and maybe a few others. Some kisses are so special you’ll never forget them.
When you’re writing about a kiss, you can’t just describe it and have it mean anything. No matter how great you are at describing a kiss, it has to mean something to the characters if you want it to have meaning for the readers. In other words, if a kiss is to have impact, it has to have a story.
Different Kinds of Kisses
- Peck on the cheek
- Reluctant kiss
- Stolen kiss
- Sloppy kiss
- French kiss
- Passionate kiss
- Goodbye kiss
- A kiss hello
- A good-morning kiss
- A good-night kiss
- An I-want-you kiss
- An after-the-fact kiss.
Gone With The Wind, when Rhett Butler proposed to Scarlett and kissed her while Atlanta burned in the background.
Pretty Woman, when, after proclaiming throughout the movie that she doesn’t kiss clients, Julia Roberts’ white knight finally came to get her and they kissed.
From Here to Eternity, when Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr shocked the movie-going audiences with their passionate kiss on the beach.
Casablanca, when Bogart reunited with Ingrid Bergman in his upstairs apartment.
The Princess Bride. Who can ever forget the “kiss to end all kisses.”
I was writing a scene the other night that had a kiss in it. I got to thinking about the different kinds of kisses and realized the one I was writing had no meaning. Then I thought of a story to get my point across. Of course the story was from one of the animals on our sanctuary. In order to appreciate it, though, you’ll have to get to know my dog...
Whiskers
I’ll start off the story by telling you flat out—if Whiskers were a human, she’d be a hermit. To call Whiskers independent would be a gross understatement. Aloof wouldn’t come close. Anti-social would be closer to the truth.
We have an animal sanctuary with forty plus animals, and twelve of them are dogs. Whiskers won’t sleep or eat with any of them. Dogs are pack animals; they’re supposed to want to live together. Not Whiskers.
We first met Whiskers when she was two months old. She was living in a drainage ditch under a little bridge. I used to joke that she was like the troll from the children’s story, Three Billy Goats Gruff.
For about a year or so she lived by herself on the street. One day she got hit by a car and couldn’t walk. We took her in and tended to her. For a month my son carried her outside every day to let her go to the bathroom. He took care of her until she was able to manage by herself again. She stayed with us after that, but it was on her terms.
Whiskers’ Rules
- She wouldn’t drink from inside the house
- Wouldn’t sleep with other dogs
- Wouldn’t sleep inside at night
- Wouldn’t live with other dogs
- Wouldn’t eat with other dogs
- Wouldn’t stay in the fenced area
In return for our generosity, Whiskers appointed herself guardian of our property, about 15 acres. Every night for the past ten years, she has stayed outside, through heat, rain, cold…it didn’t matter. She has fought with, and driven off, stray dogs; chased deer; fought coyotes; and even held her ground against wild pigs, though she stopped short of fighting them.
A Crippling Event
A few months ago, while I was writing, I heard a noise outside. When I looked, I found Whiskers dragging herself toward the house. Her back legs weren't working; she was crippled. I carried her in, and the next day we took her to the vet. He didn’t give us much hope. We kept her in the clinic for two weeks, but she still couldn’t walk. We decided to take her home.
For three more weeks we gave her pills and carried her out every day. There had been slight improvement, but not much. She still couldn’t walk ten feet without falling down. We decided we’d give it another few weeks.
Disappearance
The next morning around 6:30, I fed Dennis, our wild boar, fed the horse, gave Whiskers her anti-inflammatory pill and took her outside, then went to the kitchen to make coffee. When I finished my coffee I went back outside to get her—she was gone!
I looked everywhere and couldn’t find her, so I got my wife and we both looked. Then we got the tractor and drove around the property—through the woods, around the pond… She was nowhere! I got that sick feeling in my gut. Something was wrong.
We started at square one. This time I walked every inch of the property, calling her name the whole time. After almost an hour, as I was making my way around the pond for the second time, I heard a whimper. I looked but couldn’t see her. I called her name, and again I heard a tiny whimper. It was coming from the pond!
Rescue
As you can see from the picture, the pond has been invaded by giant salvinia, a species of plant from South America that takes over in a matter of weeks. It is damn near impossible to get rid of.
When I got to the edge of the pond, all I could see was her nose, and, when she bobbed her head, a bit of her mouth. She went under just as I got there. I jumped in and briefly went under, all the time I worried that the giant salvinia might be much more than an invasive plant species. Images from Aliens which I had watched a few nights before came to mind. Suddenly the salvinia seemed to have “hands” or at least “grippers.”
I grabbed hold of Whiskers and tried getting to the shore. My headset fell off and submerged. My iPhone, always in my shirt pocket, went down for the third time, and I prayed that it was not the metaphorical “third time” like in the movies. All the while, Whiskers struggled to stay afloat in my arms, and I struggled to stay on my feet, as the bottom of the pond puts the definition of slippery to shame.
To top it off, I must tell you, I’m not a water person. I have no fish in my ancestry. Not anywhere. I grew up in the city, and while we had a public pool a few blocks from the house, I think it costs a dime to get in. Dimes were better spent on cigarettes in those days.
So there I was, slipping my way toward the very-steep bank, and struggling to keep Whisker’s head above water. Oh, and I wondered aloud, with more than a few curse words, why I ever wanted to live in the country.
I managed to get Whiskers to the side of the bank and push her up on it, but she kept sliding back. The floor of the pond had a steep slope and I couldn’t keep balanced. I finally found a foothold on a branch from a tree. I gave Whiskers one big push, stabilized my position, and managed to crawl out onto the ground next to her. While I lay there on the bank with Whiskers, I leaned in close and said, “You damn crazy dog. You almost killed us both.”
She let out a small whimper, and then she did something she has never done. Not once in the ten years I’ve had her—she reached up and kissed me.
That might not seem like much for you people reading this. It’s not much for any dog. But for Whiskers—it’s a lot.
Whiskers Has Never Kissed Anyone.
- Not my son, when he carried her outside every day for a month after she was hit by a car.
- Not my wife, when she spent days tending to Whiskers after a copperhead bit her and her face swelled until she looked as if she had a grapefruit attached to it.
- Whiskers has never kissed my grandkids, my niece, or me. No one! Ever.
The Bottom Line
If I told someone, “I got a kiss from my dog Whiskers today,” it wouldn’t mean much. But if they knew Whiskers, and what it took to get a kiss from her, it would carry a lot more weight.
So the next time you’re writing a scene with a kiss, think about Whiskers, and make that kiss magical.
PS. Now that I know what it takes to get a kiss from Whiskers…I hope I never get another.
Monday, May 1, 2017
Book Review/Giveaway: Whiskers & Bear by Giacomo Giammatteo
Whiskers and Bear
by Giacomo Giammatteo
on Tour May 1 – 14, 2017
Whiskers and Bear were two of the best dogs in the world. They didn’t always listen or even try to listen, but they were loyal to a fault, and they were the best of friends. They hunted all of their food, and they protected our animal sanctuary with no regard for their own safety.
A PLEA FOR HELP…
Out of all the books I’ve written (almost thirty), this one is closest to my heart. For twenty-four years, my wife and I have run an animal sanctuary, providing homes for dogs, cats, pigs, horses, and even a wild boar. I don’t know how many animals we’ve had through the years in total, but at one time, we had as many as fifty-five.
I don’t often ask for help, but this is important. We have run this sanctuary for twenty-four years using our own money—no donations to speak of. The feed bill alone was more than a thousand dollars per month. And there are plenty of other bills, vets, fencing, shelter, medical supplies, and more.
In early 2015, I had two heart attacks followed by two strokes. The result was that it left me disabled. Now it is difficult to continue paying for everything.
I wrote this book in the hopes that it would sell enough to help with the funds, as all sales go to the animals. And I mean that—every penny goes to help support them—nothing for anyone else.
Book Details
Genre: Non-Fiction, Animals
Published by: Inferno Publishing Company
Publication Date: April 2017
Number of Pages: 150
Purchase Links:
Read an excerpt:
Another Grave
I climbed up onto the tractor, a Kubota 4630, with a six-foot bucket on the front. It was a powerful machine, and we’d put it through the hoops more than a few times. What I mean is that my wife Mikki and I had dug a lot of graves.
I tied an old cloth diaper around my forehead and draped the end of it over the top of my bald head. There wasn’t much better than a cotton cloth for keeping sweat out of your eyes, or the sun from burning your head. I turned the key and revved the engine. After letting it idle a moment, I lifted the bucket and drove toward the south side of the property where Mikki was waiting for me. She’d already gotten a few blankets and a clean sheet. For this one, she’d brought a pillow, too.
I reached up and wiped my eyes. I was getting damn tired of burying things.
An old white pickup crept down the gravel driveway, coming to a stop near the fence.
A neighbor leaned out and hollered. “What’s goin’ on?”
I wished he’d have kept going.
“Nothin’,” I said, but not loud enough for him to hear.
The door opened, and he stepped out and walked over to the fence, using his right hand to shield his eyes from the sun as he peered over the top rail.
“What are you doin’?”
I could see there was no getting away from it. I muttered my answer a few times so my voice wouldn’t crack when I yelled.
“Diggin’ a grave,” I hollered back.
“A grave? Which one died?”
Which one? That’s what it had come to for most of the neighbors and relatives and friends. Which one died. As if it didn’t matter. As if having forty-five animals made it easier to deal with when one of them died.
He came in through the side gate and headed in my direction. He walked slowly, which gave me time to compose myself. It’s never easy to bury a friend, but this one…this one was special.
Mikki walked over to me. “He’s just trying to help.”
I nodded.
I don’t need his help, I thought, but the fact of the matter was I could probably use it.
It hadn’t rained in weeks, and the damn Texas ground was as hard as concrete. Even if the tractor did cut through, it could only go so deep; we’d have hand work to do at the bottom.
Our neighbor was about twenty feet away. He took off his hat and swiped at his forehead. It was a scorcher today and had been for a month or so.
“Who was it?” he asked.
I couldn’t say, but I managed to gesture toward Mikki. She lifted the corner of the blanket so he could see.
“Oh shit!” he said. “I’m sorry.”
“Thanks,” I said.
He unbuttoned his shirt and grabbed a shovel I had leaning against a small oak tree. “Might as well get this done.”
I nodded again. He was right, of course, but I was in no hurry to put another friend in the ground. I cranked the engine up a little higher, shoved the tractor into low gear, and positioned the bucket for the first scoop of dirt. The bucket hit the ground with a metallic thud. It didn’t do much more than break the surface.
“Whew!” the neighbor said. “Going to be a long day.”
“That’s for sure.”
“How long have they been with you?” he asked.
They. I thought about what he said. I would have laughed if not for the circumstances. Everyone referred to the two of them as one. They or them. Bear and Whiskers. Whiskers and Bear. It was a cold day in July if anyone mentioned one without the other.
I handed him my bottle of water; he looked thirsty.
“They’ve been with us a long time. A damn long time.”
***
Excerpt from Whiskers and Bear by Giacomo Giammatteo. Copyright © 2017 by Giacomo Giammatteo. Reproduced with permission from Giacomo Giammatteo. All rights reserved.
This sweet book is the first installment of stories taking place at an animal sanctuary owned by the author and his wife. It begins with chapter is titled "Another Grave," so as with pretty much all animal tales we know how the story ends. When a neighbor asks, "Which one died?" the response is...
Which one? That's what it had come to for most of the neighbors, and relatives, and friends. Which one died? As if it didn't matter. As if having 45 animals made it easier to deal with when one of them died.From there readers are taken back 12 years to when the sanctuary property is purchased, and Giacomo and Mikki's first meeting with a dog named Bear. Bear lives in the nearby woods, owns the street they live on, and isn't afraid to let everyone know it. In order to safely pass the couple agrees to pay a "biscuit toll" and before long a lifelong friendship is born. Bear takes it upon himself to protect them from anything he deems to be a threat, from coyotes to wild boars to FedEx and UPS delivery truck drivers. When a puppy named Whiskers arrives in the neighborhood and ends up being abandoned by her owners, Bear adopts her as his own and they become an inseparable team. The adventures they share made me laugh, cry, and marvel at the loyalty Whiskers and Bear felt towards each other and their humans right up until their last days together.
All proceeds earned through the sales of this book are going right back to the sanctuary, and at the end of the story are pictures of all the other furry residents. I look forward to reading the adventures of the other animals at the sanctuary, and am very honored that tomorrow author Giacomo Giammatteo will be joining us with a guest post as he shares a special memory of life with dear Whiskers.
Giacomo Giammatteo is the author of gritty crime dramas about murder, mystery, and family. He also writes non-fiction books including the No Mistakes Careers series.
When Giacomo isn’t writing, he’s helping his wife take care of the animals on their sanctuary. At last count they had 45 animals—11 dogs, a horse, 6 cats, and 26 pigs.
Oh, and one crazy—and very large—wild boar, who takes walks with Giacomo every day and happens to also be his best buddy.
Visit Giacomo on his Website, Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads pages!
Tour Host Participants:
Giveaway:
This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Providence Book Promotions for Giacomo Giammatteo. There will be 3 winners of 1 eBook copy of Whiskers and Bear by Giacomo Giammatteo. The giveaway begins on April 29th and runs through May 16th, 2017. This giveaway is for US residents only. Void where prohibited by law.a Rafflecopter giveaway
Get More Great Reads at Providence Book Promotions!
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