Daphne

TUXIE ANGEL ART

Caturday Art

I made a deep dive into my photo archives for today’s Caturday Art photo. It was taken in July, 2008, four years prior to the existence of The Cat on My Head.

 

 

This is Daphne. She was cat #3 of our 19. I selected this photo, as I like how Daphne’s eyes look in the original, which is below.

As I do most weeks, I used the Painnt app and piZap to create the art. The Painnt effect is Burnin’ Love. After applying that, I changed the hue and used hard light in Color Composition.

Here’s the original photo of Daphne. She was sitting in my lap when the photo was taken. Daphne was 17 years old at the time. She passed away in my arms two years later at the age of 19.

Angel Daphne is hopping over to join the Caturday Art blog hop hosted by Athena Cat Goddess Wise Kitty. To join or find art by other bloggers, click on Athena’s badge.

Sunday Selfies Reminder

Your host for tomorrow has been determined. In fact, she has already snapped her selfie. It will be the elusive Giulietta. And it’s a darn cute photo, so I think you need to come by and see it. And while you are visiting, don’t forget to add your selfie to the blog hop. Kitties Blue are looking forward to seeing all our fabulous friends tomorrow.

 

ANGEL DAPHNE RETURNS FOR CATURDAY ART

Caturday Art

After featuring our angel Daphne in a poem on Thoroughly Poetic Thursday, I decided to use her photo for this week’s Caturday Art entry. If you missed, “Remembering Tuxie Cat, Daphne,” click on the post title to read the poem about her.

 

Angel Daphne

 

I have admired the art that has been created by others using the LunaPic Kandinsky art filter, so I decided to try it on Daphne’s photo. After applying that, I bumped up the saturation using Picasa, which I also used for the frame. The fiery inner border was added with piZap.

Here’s the original laser-eyed photo of Daphne.

 

Angel Daphne

 

This is our entry in Athena Cat Goddess Wise Kitty’s Caturday Art blog hop. To see other art and/or share some of your own, click on her badge.

 

Sunday Selfies Reminder

Here’s your early warning to get your selfie taken for tomorrow’s blog hop. We will be dedicating this week’s Sunday Selfies to the beautiful Ellie (Friends Furever) who received her wings a few days ago and has joined many family members and friends at the Rainbow Bridge. Mau will be here as your host to honor his sister-in-law. Ellie was Mau’s wife Allie’s sisfur.

If you haven’t visited her family to leave your condolences, click on the above link.

Until tomorrow…toodles!

 

REMEMBERING TUXIE CAT, DAPHNE

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

As we do every Thursday, we are joining Angel Sammy and Teddy at TwoSpoiledCats for their Thoroughly Poetic Thursday. This week our prompt letter is “D.” As we work our way through the alphabet for the third time, we have a choice of writing about one of the prompt words or doing our own thing. This week’s words are: Danger, Dandelion, Dark and Dinner. I could write a book about dastardly dandelions, but as we did last week, we have gone rogue. We’ve selected our own topic. This week’s poem is about our lovely, tuxie kitty, Daphne, who passed in 2010.

 

Dreaming of a Tuxie

 

Daphne was cat number three.
She was floofy as floofy could be.
I had dreamed of having a tuxedo cat,
And suddenly she appeared, just like that.
She was living in the engine of my car,
But she and her siblings never got far.
We discovered them before I went for a drive.
All were healthy and would survive.
From the first litter of a stray we called, “Mom”
We adopted Daphne with nary a qualm.
A huge neighborhood Maine Coon was her dad.
We suspect he was most likely a cad.
Her fursibs were adopted by neighbors and friends.
In loving homes, they all had good ends.
Daphne welcomed eight more cats to the family,
Living 19 years with the others usually amicably.
She passed quietly while resting in my lap.
She got her shimmery wings and never looked back.
But like all the cats who’ve become Kitties Blue,
We will carry in our hearts and remain ever true.

© Janet Buickerood Blue 07/05/207

 

Tuxie cat Daphne

 

You can read Sammy’s poem and find links to other poems by clicking on the badge below. And why not try to write a poem of your own next week. The prompt letter will be “E” and the suggested topics can be found at TwoSpoiledCats.

If you decide you would like your poem to rhyme, the following web-site might be of help: www.rhymezone.com.

 

 

Thankful Thursday

Each week we always participate in Brian’s Thankful Thursday blog hop. This week, I am thankful that my dream for a tuxie kitty came true…again and again and again. We are blessed to have three more beautiful tuxies in our lives. (If you count Lisbeth, who Dad Tom says is a cow kitty.)

To join the hop, click on Brian’s badge.

LOVE FOR RESCUE CATS

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

 

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If it is Thursday, it must be time for another poem. I am totally enjoying entering Sammy‘s Thoroughly Poetic Thursday each week. This week, our prompt letter is “R.”

FOR THE LOVE OF RESCUE CATS

 

Rescue kitties are the best,
Ears and paws above the rest.
Please remember not to shop.
When it comes to cats…please adopt.
Cats are waiting, confined to cages,
Young and old…all stages and ages.
They need your love and support
And a comfy home of any sort.
Apartment, house or palace,
Atlanta, New York or Dallas,
Wherever you live or roam,
You’ll find cats without a home.
Don’t forget to neuter and spay.
Let’s empty those shelters today
Making sure cats are loved and warm,
Protected from all sorts of harm.
They need help from all who care,
So please adopt one or a pair.
As rescue kitties are the best,
Ears and paws above the rest.

© Janet Buickerood Blue
October 12, 2016

All Kitties Blue, both past and present, are rescue cats in one way or another. Some just showed up on our porch. Others were adopted from friends or friends of friends who took in stray, pregnant cats. Daphne and her fursibs were discovered in the engine compartment of my car. Dad Tom and I saved Lily Olivia and her brothers from the street. Astrid and her brother Bobby were discovered on a roof as infants. Those are just a few of the ways our 17 cats joined the family of Kitties Blue.

Unfortunately, at this juncture, we are unable to add new members to our family. And we have a very special senior kitty who is longing for a home. After being surrendered to PAWS in Connecticut, from where she was originally adopted, Swizzle, our lovely, sponsored cat and honorary Kitty Blue has been waiting for a new home for over two years now.

 

rescue poem

 

Please share and help us find this beautiful lady a loving and forever home.

Thank you!

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TUXIE TUESDAY CHRISTMAS FLASHBACK WITH DAPHNE

This post was originally entitled “Christmas: Day 7,” and was published on December 21, 2012. It got exactly ZERO comments. It features cat #3, our long-haired tuxie, Daphne and an additional two paragraphs at the end. I apologize for the poor quality of the photos. They were taken before the days of digital photography and scanned.

 

Daphne feigns disinterest.

 

Daphne was another kitty crazy for Christmas. In her early years, I hung apple ornaments from the garland wound around the bannister. She could spend hours batting at and removing the apples so she could play with them on the hardwood floors. For a few years I would continually replace the apples after she removed them. And each year I would buy new apples as they inevitably cracked and lost their paint when they hit the floor. Eventually I gave up and threw them away as the whole process became exceedingly tedious.

 

Daphne caught in the act.

 

It has been at least two decades since I’ve hung apples from the garland, but every year as I am decorating the stairs, Tom asks me if I am going to attach the apples. I know he does this to tease me, but I also know he enjoyed the game between human and cat and would love to watch a whole new caboodle of cats doing just as Daphne once did.

 

Daphne waiting for her fan mail.

 

Daphne also enjoyed waiting for her holiday fan mail. She would take up residence in our Christmas mailbox, created by Tom’s sister, Bonnie, and wait to be swamped by her greetings of love and adoration. Of course, she wasn’t opposed to the fact that her nest was atop a nice warm radiator.

 

Daphne begins unwrapping gifts early while Steamer watches.

 

We only had five cats when Daphne was a youngster, and we were still erecting the tree in the foyer. I also managed to wrap gifts prior to Christmas Eve giving kitties access to lots of ribbons and bows. In the photo above, Daphne begins unwrapping gifts early while Cat #2, Steamer, watches.

The current passel of pusses are so deprived. It’s a good thing they don’t have any idea of what went on in the early days at The House of Blue Cats!

 

RAINBOW BRIDGE REMEMBRANCE DAY WITH OUR ANGELS

RainbowBridge-Web

 

Zee & Zoey’s Cat Chronicles have created a very special day, Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, to honor and remember “those cherished pets we have lost but not forgotten.”

Whether your beloved pet had fur or fins, scales or feathers, they had a special place in your heart of hearts.

Today we are honoring and remembering the nine angel kitties in our family as well as our honorary kitty angel, Nylablue.

 

Angel Skooter

Skooter

Angel Steamer

Steamer

 

Angel Daphne

Daphne

Angel Thelma

Thelma

 

Angel Louise

Louise

Angel Chloe

Chloe

 

Angel Twinkle

Twinkle

Angel Madison

Madison

 

Angel MacKenzie

MacKenzie

Honorary Sisfur Angel Nylablue

Nylablue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To learn more about them, you can visit our The Felines page.

We’d also like to remember and honor the two woofies who came before any of us, Smack and Poppy.

Please consider taking part in this first annual event. The hope is it will be the first of many to come. You are encouraged to post on your blog, your Facebook page, or any other social media of your choice in memory of your angel anipals.

This event is hosted by Purr Prints of the Heart. Although this was a day originally created in honor of  Zee and Zoey’s Mr. Jazz, it will now honor all those who have crossed their Rainbow Bridge.

Today, we are sending purrs and prayers to all the families and friends with angels who have crossed that Bridge.

Purrs and paw-pats, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

FRIDAY FLASHBACK INTRODUCES SOME OF OUR ANGELS

Just realized this hadn’t published when it was supposed to at midnight. Oops!

With our third blogoversary merely days away, I decided to participate in Flashback Friday and share one of our early posts with you. It received one comment from a personal friend, so I am relatively sure none of our current followers have seen it.

The post was originally published on September 1, 2012, and was entitled, “Naming Your Cat.” I have modified it slightly from a grammatical stand-point, but the content is unchanged. The post explains how several of our angels came by their names, so I believe you should find it interesting.

The asterisks in the post relate to a notes I have added at the end of today’s post.

NAMING YOUR CAT

Once you name a cat, it is no longer a stray. It is a member of your household. Friends have claimed they are feeding a cat that has been hanging around but haven’t named it. They just call it Cat or Kitty or some other generic moniker. Hey…that’s a name! My friend Tammy, who my Tom calls the pusher (she always calls me when she hears of cats that need homes) continues to have strays appear at her house. One of those, called Yellow Cat by her husband, Tom, was dropping by and they were feeding him. Tammy stated emphatically they were not claiming him or giving him a name. My Tom pointed out that Yellow Cat is a name. He’s now been around for a couple of years.

Poet T.S. Eliot (1888 – 1965) had advice about naming cats long before we started to care for cats, but we have our own list of “DOs” with regard to this: Number 1 on the list: Do give all your cats fancy names so when you’re outside screaming for them at the top of your lungs, your neighbors will think you’re classy. 

We haven’t used any of the imaginative and whimsical names, like Munkustrap, Bombalurina, or Jellylorum, Eliot suggested in “The Naming of Cats,” first published with other cat poems in 1939. To our minds, however, we have improved at this ritual as the years have progressed.

angelsNew to this important task with our first and second cats, our inexperience is evident. After days of debate with kitty #1, the best we could do was Skooter—a typical pet’s name or kid’s nickname. (He was not named after the Muppet, Scooter.) We made our guy’s name a little different by using a “K” instead of a “C” in the spelling. But, still, it was not unusual or imaginative. Scooter ranks very high on the list of popular cat names.

angelsOur second cat had an unusual name for a girl: Steamer. She was named after the brother of storyteller Ernest Randolph “Doc” McConnell (1928-2008): Cecil “Steamer” McConnell. We’d heard McConnell at a storytelling weekend at Mountain Lake, Pembroke, VA, and were delighted by a tale about Steamer and a Vienna (pronounced Vy-ee-nuh) Sausage tree. But this was yet another nickname.

angelsBy the time we got to our third cat, Daphne, we had decided human names were more sophisticated, developed our “DO” list and have not deviated from this system except when naming Twinkle. (However, I would like to have a Sparkle* someday, but probably will refrain as long as our neighbors have Sparky.) Daphne, according to Greek mythology, was a nymph pursued by the Olympian God, Apollo. Daphne prayed for help and was turned into a laurel. Though Daphne came into our lives in 1991, we did not know about the story of the laurel until 1994 when we visited Greece.

angelsUntil I began this post and re-read “The Naming of Cats” I hadn’t realized that we had used a derivative of one of Eliot’s “fancier” names. Chloë is another name for Demeter, the Greek Goddess of the Harvest. Chloë’s a very popular name on many pet naming web-sites as well. It’s the fifth most popular female cat name at cuteness.com and one of those listed at petrix.com along with Lily, Madison and MacKenzie. Dog lovers also must be partial to this name. The dog living across the street from us is a Chloë.

angels

We showed great restraint when it came to our cat Madison. He hung out on the back deck for more than six months before we invited him in the house. And he did not get his name until he had become a permanent member of the household! Madison is not an unusual name. Human girls have been acquiring this name at an increasing rate during the past several years. Our Madison, however, was a male, and his name fit him purrfectly. With his white fur and blue eyes most visitors thought he was a female. It really didn’t bother him as he was secure in his masculinity.

For information on how some of our other kids came by their names, please read THE FELINES page.

Involving your children in the selection of a new kitty or in the naming process is always a good idea. But be prepared to live with their selections. Our previous neighbors’ large, female, tuxedo cat was named Jim!

I have lists of potential cat names for future felines that might come into our lives. At the top of all lists are the names Audrey and Jeanmarie. These ladies are both previous veterinarians to our kitties. Audrey was instrumental in saving Lily’s life, which you will be able to read about in a future post.* Both vets came to the house for annual check-ups and vaccinations and also picked up and dropped off various kitties when they needed care that required an office visit. We think naming a couple of our pusses for them would be the supreme compliment.

If you truly are at a loss for a cat name and decide to Google “Cat Names,” you will find 73 pages of web-sites with various lists and suggestions for names. Numerous books also can be found with lists of names. But be adventurous and use your imagination. We have found that it takes about four months for the average cat (and, of course, none are) to learn its name, so we felt secure in renaming three of our kitties: MacKenzie originally known as Cyrus, Lisbeth formerly Cary and Astrid (Tabitha). Madison also most likely had another name. He was about two years old when he adopted us and so well-mannered that he must have been someone else’s pet at one time.

But no matter what you name your puss, as long as something good awaits (treats, stinky goodness), she’ll come when you call…eventually.

* This post was written prior to our meeting Sparkle or her blog.

* This post has never been written. I’m putting it on my To Do List.

 

THROWBACK THURSDAY: DAPHNE DOES CHRISTMAS

This post originally appeared on December 21, 2012, and was entitled “Christmas: Day 7.” As I received exactly ZERO comments, I expect it’s a pretty good bet that none of you have ever seen it. It features kitten Daphne (1991-2010), the third cat to join our family.

Daphne feigns disinterest.

Daphne feigns disinterest.

Daphne was another kitty crazy for Christmas. In her early years, I hung apple ornaments from the garland wound around the bannister. She could spend hours batting at and removing the apples so she could play with them on the hardwood floors. For a few years I would continually replace the apples after she removed them. And each year I would buy new apples as they inevitably cracked and lost their paint when they hit the floor. Eventually I gave up and threw them away (or so I thought *) as the whole process became exceedingly tedious.

Daphne caught in the act.

Daphne caught in the act.

 

 

 

 

It has been at least two decades since I’ve hung apples from the garland, but every year as I am decorating the stairs, Tom asks me if I am going to attach the apples. I know he does this to tease me, but I also know he enjoyed the game between human and cat and would love to watch a whole new caboodle of cats doing just as Daphne once had.

Daphne also enjoyed waiting for her holiday fan mail. She would take up residence in our Christmas mailbox, created by Tom’s sister, Bonnie, and wait to be swamped by her greetings of love and adoration. Of course, she wasn’t opposed to the fact that her nest was atop a nice warm radiator.

Daphne waiting for her fan mail.

Daphne waiting for her fan mail.

Daphne begins unwrapping gifts early while Steamer watches.

Daphne begins unwrapping gifts early while Steamer watches.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meowy Christmas!

 

* 2014 Addendum: Just last week I found a box of those apples in the backroom of the basement when I was looking for another long-lost decoration. I didn’t tell Tom as I don’t want to be pestered to hang them!

Link to<br /><br /><br />               CatStuff

TUXIE TUMMY TUESDAY

1-SCAN0037Once upon a time I wished for a black and white cat. It wasn’t until years later that I found out these felines are called tuxedo cats.

Unlike most wishes that never come true, this one did. Suddenly kittens appeared in our drive way. However, when we approached them, they disappeared. After some investigation, we discovered an entire litter of kittens in the engine compartment of my car. Eventually we were able to extract all four of these babies and temporarily transfer them to the bed of Tom’s truck. All were black and white, and one had long hair. One of the kittens was adopted by a neighbor, another by a friend of a friend and another by the grandparents of a friend.

1-SCAN0035That long-haired kitty became Daphne and joined our other two kitties, Skooter and Steamer. As you can see she grew into a luxuriously floofy cat. She spent her entire life with us from 1991 until she went to the Bridge in 2010.

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I offer this as a little background information to go with these photos. Daphne’s story and that of additional litters that followed will be covered at another time.

 

CHRISTMAS: DAY 7

Crazy for Christmas Cat

Christmas Crazy Cat: Tuxedo cat sitting on stairs beneath a Christmas garland hung with faux apples.

Daphne feigns disinterest.

Daphne was the third cat to join our household, and she was crazy for Christmas. When she was a youngster, I hung apple ornaments from the garland wound around the bannister. She would spend hours batting at and removing the apples so she could play with them on the hardwood floors. For a few years, I would continually replace the apples after she removed them. And each year I would buy new apples, as they inevitably cracked and lost their paint when they hit the floor. Eventually, I gave up and threw them away as the whole process became exceedingly tedious.

Christmas Crazy Cat: Tuxedo cat stands on hind legs on stairs batting at a faux red apple hung from Christmas garland.

Daphne caught in the act.

 

It has been at least two decades since I have hung apples from the garland, but every year as I am decorating the stairs, Dad Tom asks me if I am going to attach the apples. I know he does this to tease me, but I also know he enjoyed the game between human and cat and would love to watch a whole new caboodle of cats doing just as Daphne once had.

Daphne also enjoyed waiting for her holiday fan mail. She would take up residence in our Christmas mailbox, created by Tom’s sister, Bonnie, and wait to be swamped by her greetings of love and adoration. Of course, she wasn’t opposed to the fact that her nest was atop a nice warm radiator.

 

Christmas Crazy Cat: Tuxedo cat sitting in a painted letter box adorned with a giant panda.

Daphne waiting for her fan mail.

 

Christmas Crazy Cat: Tuxedo cat under a Christmas tree tangled in red ribbon with a brown tabby cat looking on.

Daphne begins unwrapping gifts early while Steamer watches.

 

Update: 12/10/2023: For the past few years I have been hanging small stuffed angel bears from the garland. A few are removed by Kitties Blue each year, but so far none in 2023. And we still use that same letter box. You can see it behind one of our Christmas trees in the post, “The Adventures of Periwinkle & Stinky: Part CCXIV.”

🎄 MEOWY CHRISTMAS 🎄