Almost 2009

... with best wishes for the New Year! 

(This is Tiger, my cat niece, who is a dear! )

Morning

I tiptoed down the dark staircase
early this morning to get
ready for my trip to Connecticut. As I flipped
on the light, there was Polly looking so
comfy on the couch.

Polly's Basket

Tonight Polly was sitting beside me on the
couch when she caught sight of Brody watching
her from the stairs. She immediately jumped up
and scurried over to one of her baskets where
she feels safe from that big orange cat!

A Birthday Greeting from the Furry Ones

Happy Birthday Grandfather Ben
with love from your grand-cats!

xo from Polly

xo from Brody

xo from Ellie May

Cats and Birds

After a sprig of catnip, Polly dreams...
perhaps of birds.

A chickadee waited as I shoveled around the
bird feeders late this afternoon.

At the beach, the gull could ignore
the message on the sign.

Winter Solstice

Happy Winter Solstice! May you all be warm
content and comfy.

Ellie May resting with my childhood cat, "Green Eyes".

Polly enjoys rubs from D.

Brody snuggles with a new catnip mouse.

How to Keep Warm in an Ice Storm

Polly, Ellie May and Brody found themselves

in a house and studio that was becoming
colder and colder when the power went out
during an Ice Storm on Friday and Saturday, the
12th and 13th of December. As the temperatures
outside plunged into the teens and low 20's,
they made the best of a cold situation.
Here's their advice.

Curl up in a cozy basket.

Wear many layers of warm clothing.

Surround yourself in an especially soft warm blanket.

When the power returns, get as close
as possible to the heat source.
In this case, Ellie May advises sitting
right on the heater!

Where Are The Cats?

Everyday our cats, Polly, Ellie May and Brody,
never cease to amaze me!
Here is just a small sampling of
places they sit and sleep.

Polly

Ellie May

Brody

Tiddles Too aka Ginger the Cat

quiltcat had a post about cats and books which reminded

me of Ginger aka Tiddles Too, a calico cat with a double
identity in the seacoast town of Kennebunkport in the late 1980's.

The Kennebunk Book Port was a
popular bookshop above a Candle Shop
in Kennebunkport run by Jack and Shirley.
Their welcome sign on the door read as
'ice cream, children, bare feet, long hair, no hair,
cats, dogs and small dragons are welcomed here
anytime.'

They loved cats and over the years there was a
succession of cats adopted from the shelter or strays
that called the Book Port home.
Georgie was a beautiful long haired cat who was adopted
and Jack thought she would love a companion so off he
went to the shelter returning with Ginger who had a bad
reputation for not getting along with others.
Georgie and Ginger became best buddies.


"Georgie" on the steps of the
Book Port's loft.

Ginger on the flowered deck of the
Kennebunk Book Port.

When Georgie suddenly passed away,
Ginger was terribly sad so Jack introduced
another Shelter cat to the Book Port.
Ginger was out at the time of the arrival of the
kitten and was horrified when she returned to find
a strange cat in her domain. She exited
not to return for a long time. There were sitings
of her at the Post Office, and Hotels and other
spots in Dock Square. Occasionally she would
appear at the Book Port for something to eat and
then disappear.

The South Congregational Church
was near the Post Office in Kennebunkport.
It seems that Ginger found the comfort she needed
at the church. The Reverend named her Tiddles Too
(after a famous Church cat in England)
and she became a part of the congregation,
regularly attending services and weddings.
Jack's curiosity was peaked when he got a
newsletter from the Church with an article and
photo of their Church Cat named Tiddles Too.
My how she resembled Ginger!

There are many amazing stories out there.
Cats have a way of adding so much to one's life, a neighborhood
or community. I have more stories about such things, do you?