This and That ...

Greetings, my friends! Not too much happening here except the usual same old. I have been doing a bit of re-arranging however ... adding a few finishing touches to my scrapbooking albums, putting up wall shelves to make room for my books, etc.

Speaking of books, I have been doing quite a bit of reading as of late. I will go for weeks, even months sometimes, without reading and then all of the sudden I decided I really want to get to reading those many books which I had bought and never had the chance to really sit down and read.

This week, I have already read two of the six or so books that I have been wanting to begin reading ...

"North By Northwestern" by Captain Sig Hansen and "Relapse" written by Jake Anderson. Both books were written by real life cast members from the Discovery Channel's  long-running reality TV show, "Deadliest Catch" about the truly dangerous job of Alaskan crab fisherman in the treacherous Bering Sea.

Hubby and I absolutely love this series. In fact, last year when we found out that "An Evening with Sig & Friends" from the boat the Northwestern was coming to our area we immediately purchased tickets for our anniversary in September to go see them speak. We even had our pic taken with the guys and they also signed autographs for the fans after the show.

Posing for a pic with Jake Anderson, Edgar Hansen, me, hubby, and Sig Hansen

 

Next, I am planning to read two more books this week ~ "Time Bandit" written by Johnathan & Andy Hillstrand, and the book, "Phil Harris: Captain Phil Harris: The Legendary Crab Fisherman, Our Hero, Our Dad" authored by Phil's sons Josh & Jake Harris.

 

Oh yes, and as for our little "B-Boy" Leo, he is still driving us all crazy with his hyperactivity and constant aggressive playfulness, but we are doing the best we can with "damage control"  in regards to our other (and quite older) fur babies.  

 

 

Have a Blessed Sunday everyone!  ;)

Some new items for Spring

Greetings everyone! With this year's winter that just simply seems to be lasting forever, I very much needed a pick me up. So, I decided to begin decorating my home for Ostara a little early. Last Saturday, my sister Robin and I went shopping for some new spring decorations. One of the places we went to was the local Yankee Candle store ...

 Bunny Candle Lid

Spring Tart Burner

Bunny Taper Candle holder

Girl Scout Thin Mint scented candle

And, of course, we simply can't go shopping without making a stop at the Barnes & Noble book store. I could resist buying these two books ...

"Celtic Lore & Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess" by Stephanie Woodfield

"The Secret Language of Cats" by Heather Dunphy

Here are a couple of decorations which I put out so far ...

So keep warm everyone and THINK SPRING!!!

The Best of Both Worlds?

For as long as I can remember, cats and women have been pretty much synonymous. But, the truth is that with cats being the most popular pets in America, atleast half of those cat guardians are men.

Yup, according to an article in the latest issue of "Cat Fancy" Magazine written by published writer and Grammy-nominated musician Rick Allen, not only do men love cats too, but there are also a few benefits to having a male partner, friend or spouse who shares their life with cats. For example, men who love and adore cats are known to be "generally nicer guys" and have "higher IQ's." After all, if distinguished and well-respected men of history such as Albert Einstein could be devoted to his cat "Tiger" and Winston Churchill his beloved cat "Jock," then surely there must be something to this!

"I simply can't resist a cat, particularly a purring one. They are the cleanest, cunningest, and most intelligent things I know." ~ Mark Twain

Some new cat books ...

While shopping for a book on Norweigian Forrest cats for my hubby over the holidays, I happened to come across a few new really cool books ...

The first two are more or less coffee table books, but the book on multi-cat families sounds very educational since we currently have four house kitties who can make life ... well to say the very least  ... uh  interesting!

I thought that the humorous yet surprisingly touching book, "Dump him and Marry the Cat," was a must after I read the dedication page ... "Scooter" is my little boy Midnight's nickname! LOL!

Catlore and some great books!

As a fellow cat enthusiast, I am always on the prowl for new and fascinating things (or at least to learn about things I never knew before)!  Cat folklore, superstitions and proverbs intrigue me and so I thought that I might share some of the interesting cat info which I have found with you all.

Here are just a few:

* If a cat continually looks out the window on any given day, rain is on the way

* Some cats can predict earthquakes (there is actually some proven truth to this one!)

* Cats are believed to be able to see human auras

*A cat sleeping with their four paws tucked underneath their body means bad weather is coming

* If a cat sits with their back to the fire, this foretold a cold spell

* If a cat sneezes once, it means there will be rain. If they sneeze three times, the family will catch a cold

* Early Americans believed that if a cat washed her face in front of several people, the first person she looked at would be the first to get married

* Tortoiseshell cats were believed to be able to see into the future and could also give this gift to a lucky child in the household

* When the pupil of a cat's eye gets big (broadens), it is a sign of rain

* The Pennsylvania Dutch used to place a cat in the empty cradle of a newlywed couple and the cat was supposed to grant their wish for children

* In England, it was believed that if a black cat lived in your house, the young lass would have numerous suitors

* It was onced believed that fur and blood drawn from various parts of a cat's body would cure all ailments

* In Tell-Basta (which was at one time the Egyptian city of Bubastis), a graveyard holding 300,000 mummified holy cats was discovered. A few were sent to museums.

* A kitten born in May will be a witches cat

Pretty wild stuff, huh?  I also wanted to share these two books with you which I had read many years ago and, to this day, I refuse to part with them  ~ both were written by the renowned author Desmond Morris ...

These are both really great books and I would highly recommend them to any cat lover! Have a great weekend everyone!!

"It's Like This, Cat"

As a child, my favorite book was (without a doubt),  a children's novel called "It's Like This, Cat" written by Emily Cheney Neville. In fact, I loved the book so much that I decided to write my English class book report on it. Got a B+ actually. I remember because, believe it or not, I still  have the original paper which I had written back in my 4th grade year ~ LOL!

Looking back, even then, I was fascinated with cats. To be honest, I was rasied around nothing but dogs as my mom would never, at least back then, allow me to have a cat in the house. Funny thing is that as time went by, she, too, grew to love cats as well. Go figure.

This story revolves around a young man named Dave Mitchell who lives in New York and, in spite of his father's urging him to get a dog because "they are educational," decides to befriend a stray cat whom he simply names "Cat."  His close friend Kate, also known as "Aunt Kate" or "Crazy Kate," also lived with a few strays which she had taken into her home. He also finds friendship with two older boys named Nick and Tom, and two young girls ~ both witches (humm, cats and witches ~ coincidence?)

In short, this book deals with many different situations which one must face as a child growing up. In Dave's case, his mother's serious medical problems, his "grouchy" old father, his eccentric friend Kate, his friend having to move away from him, as well as the subject of death. 

I loved this story growing up and, oddly enough, it has still stayed with me somehow after all of these many years. Strange how that happens, eh?

"Cat Daddy" by Jackson Galaxy: Book Review

I laughed. I cried. I related. Jackson Galaxy's new book, "Cat Daddy: What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean," is a heart-touching biography about his early life of drug, alcohol and food addiction, career in working and caring for animals, and his first foster cat named Benny whom he took in while working at an animal shelter in Boulder, Colorado.  While working late one night, Benny's heartless owner dropped him off with a shattered pelvis after he was hit by a car. What started out as a foster care situation turned into a lifetime of trials and tribulations.

Jackson takes you on an amazing journey through his fascinating life working with cats. A Cat Behaviorist, he has devoted his entire life to their service ~ dedicated to saving them while educating the humans who inhabit their world. 

I found it extremely easy to put myself in Jackson's shoes as he tells his true and sometimes heart-breaking story. Although this book is primarily about his life with Benny, it also has a lot of very helpful hints about living with and taking care of your best friend.

This is an excellent book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone! Let's just say that I loved it so much that I managed to read the entire thing in only three days!

 

At last!

Horray! I am so excited! Today, I finally bought the long-awaited book written by Cat Behaviorist and host of the Animal Planet series, "My Cat From Hell," Jackson Galaxy titled "Cat Daddy."

I ran into "Barnes & Noble" over my lunch hour and made the mistake of beginning to read it instead of waiting until I got home. Now, I can't keep my nose out of it!  So far, it is off to a great start! 

I can't wait to finish it so that I can write my book review! ;)

"My Cat From Hell"

Has anyone ever seen the Animal Planet series, "My Cat From Hell" hosted by Jackson Galaxy? Jackson is "a musician by night and a Cat Behaviorist by day."

I can't help but to love this show! Not only do I find it educational as far as cat behavior is concerned, but I think it is so fascinating how Jackson is able to "re-adjust" the cat guardian's behavior and attitude as well in cases where it is the "human" behaviour which is causing a majority of the cat bahavioral issues in the household.

Not to say, that is, that my kitty cats behavior is purrfect all of the time. but some of the cat problems I have seen this guy deal with is completely beyond anything I had ever imagined as a cat owner/mom.

The thing I love the most about this show; however, is how beautifully Jackson handles both the cats and their people. It is so wonderful to hear about all the success stories of people who loved their animals so much that they would do anything to keep them rather than give them up.

"My Cat From Hell" deals with the extreme cases where cat owners have reached the point where they have tried everything and Jackson was their last hope! Not only is Jackson extremely knowledgable about cats, but he is very educated when it comes to various cat breeds as well. The genuine love and affection he has for these cats is heart-warming and it shows.  I can't help but to share in his joy while watching him.

Jackson Galaxy has written a book called, "Cat Daddy" and I can not wait to read it after which I will write a book review for this blog.  Have a fantastic day everyone!!!

Book Review: "Your Magickal Cat" by Gerina Dunwich

One of my absolute favorite cat books simply has to be, "Your Magickal Cat" by Gerina Dunwich. This awesome tribute to felines covers everything from the cats origins, history and their place in Egyptian culture, mythology, amazing true stories & cat literature, spells,  poetry, cat astrology, and much, much more!

In my opinion, it is the ultimate cat lovers book! Here is a wonderful little poem from this book that I would like to share with you titled, "The Purring Priestess" and it is also written by Gerina Dunwich ~

Resplendent in her manner and form,

She prowls the temple of the night

Of old gods and mysterious ways,

Her velvet footsteps sing.

(taken from "Priestess and Pentacle")