Sunday Selfies: Week #500
Hi Friends,
I am here as your host today for a special post. The reason being is that it is Saint Patrick’s Day, and my name is Cooper Murphy. One cannot get more Irish than that.
It is also a special Sunday as this is the 500th Sunday Selfies blog hop.
But mainly I am here as this a tribute post to our dear friend, Jean Neilson, and I have a special connection to her. Her kitty, Tyebe, is my girl friend.
I do apologize for my eyes being closed. I was, of course, dreaming about Tyebe.
Jean Neilson – 1950 to 2024
Bill, Jean’s amazing husband of more than 50 years, telephoned my mom last Sunday to tell her Jean had passed away. He also sent Tyebe’s selfie and asked Mom to add it to our Sunday Selfies hop. He also asked Mom not to share the information of Jean’s passing, as he was not ready to do that. Unfortunately, as Bill put it, someone “let the cat of the bag,” when the information appeared on the Cat Blogosphere. Trust me, it was not my mom!
In the past week, Bill and my mom have been communicating regularly. He shared an article written about he and Jean on their 50th wedding anniversary and said she could share it here. The article has the most precious photo of the two of them. This is the link: Jean & Bill – 50th Anniversary.
Bill also sent this photo to use here. It is the same one he selected for Jean’s obituary, which you can find here.
Our History
My mom first got to know Jean in 2014 before I became a Kitties Blue. That’s when her kitties, Kali and Shoko, began joining our Sunday Selfies blog hop. Then Shoko joined Cat Scouts and got to know my brother, Mau. In 2017, my sisfur, Lily Olivia, joined the Crotchety Cougars Club, a group Kali started for lady kitties who were 15 years old and older.
I followed Mau into Cat Scouts, and then Shoko’s new kitten sisfur, Tyebe, joined Cat Scouts. And it was love at first sight for me. Jean let us attend the 2019 Super Bowl party and Valentine’s Day party at Cat Scouts as friends, and eventually allowed me to ask Tyebe to become my girl friend.
During this time, Jean and my mom were becoming friends. They both liked the Beach Boys and were disappointed when they each saw Bob Dylan in concert. Jean came to my mom with computer- and linking-related issues and my mom went to Jean with questions regarding Sawyer’s seizures.
My mom is one who saves special e-mails, and there are so many regarding dates between Tyebe and me and Tyebe’s wardrobe.
When Jean had her stroke in May, 2022, and developed aphasia, we (as well as so many of you reading this) lost a good friend, whose wit, sense of humor and friendship were so treasured.
Jean’s last blog post was on April 14, 2023. Bill posted a brief message the following month letting everyone know that Jean would not be blogging but that the blog would remain available. You can still find it at The Canadian Cats. Rereading some of the posts is a delightful way to reconnect with Jean, Shoko, Tyebe and Angels Kali and Bud. But be prepared to shed some tears for the loss of a very special lady!
Bill will be having one or more Celebrations of Life to remember Jean later in the spring.
A Final Share
I think it would be okay with Tyebe and her dad if I share this with you. It’s from a Sunday Selfies post on February 26, 2022, especially with this being our 500th Selfie post.
Gee, Coop and his family have had Selfie Sunday for a very long time. It’s practically an institution. We must thank the whole family for being such sports and hosting the Sunday Selfies.
This is my selfie. The button to the camera is in the bag. I just felt around for it and voila! So I pressed my paw on it as hard as I could. How do you like it?
Personally, I love it! Isn’t Tyebe gorgeous? I think you can see why I fell in love with her!
Thank you for joining us today.
Purrs and paw-pats, Cooper Murphy (with special whisker kisses for Tyebe)
Hopping Time
Cooper Murphy, the other Kitties Blue and I really hope you will join us today for the 500th week of our hop. It is a pretty monumental accomplishment, and you do not want to miss out. If you get the opportunity, ask a few of your friends to hop along with us. As always, the hop remains open through Thursday.
Enjoy an easy Sunday!
My condolences to all who knew and loved Ms. Jean.
An Irish ginger cat is the purrfect representative for St. Patrick’s Day, I do hope yours was fabulous.
Too cute!!! Happy St. Catrick’s Day from Mudpie! We’ve had way too many sad losses lately.
Happy St. Paddy’s Day and Happy Selfie Sunday anniversary!!! You wear the green very well. We are very sorry about the loss of your friend. She sounds like a wonderful human.
Woos – Lightning, Misty, and Timber
What a beautiful Selfie, Cooper Murphy and of you too, Tyebe. We think you both are purroud of each other💚That’s a most wonderful tribute to your furriend. We were reading about Bill’s and Jean’s 50th wedding day and that made us smile too. It must be so hard for him and Shoko and Tyebe now. Soft Pawkisses for effurryone who misses her and Double pawkisses for all of you sweet KittiesBlue🐾😽🍀
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all of you too. I hope it’s a good one!
Mee-yow Cooper Murphy lookin mitey fine there!
An what a lovelee foto of Miss Jean who wee miss so-o much!
Tyebe iss beeuteefull. Wee send our Sinseer Sympaffiess to Mistur Bill an Tyebe an Shoko…
May Miss jean’ss memory bee fore a blessin/
Concatss Couzinss Blue fore reechin 500 Sunday Selfie postss!!! Amazin!
An THANX fore due-inn that LINKY thing fore us Aunty Janet!
What a ruff week fore efurryone it seemss!
~~~head rubss~~~BellaDharma~~~ an {{hugss}} BellaSita Mum
Beautiful tribute to a very special lady, thanks for sharing some pieces of your friendship with Jean. Purrs and hugs
Cooper Murphy you have an excellent St Patty’s day selfie. It’s a wonderful tribute to Jean here. It’s heartwarming to know that we in the blogosphere are connected and compassionate and caring about one another as well as for the cats. It’s great to feel the love by reading the story. Hugs and much love to all for Bill and all who knew Jean. And Happy St. Patty’s Day to you. May blessings abound to you all. xoxo
An epic tribute to an epically epic lady, who will be missed by many, especially us!
A great Selfie and a lovely tribute to a good friend. We loved Jean and her kitties and are so sad that she is gone.
The Florida Furkids with love and whisker kisses to Sawyer from Noelle
Thanks for the post Cooper Murphy. You look extremely handsome. And thanks for the selfie of Tyebe. We miss the Canadian Cats.
Thank you for sharing this info. It was neat to read the article of being married for 50 years and how they met …that brought me a smile. Blessings to Bill, Shoko and Tyebe.
A very special post, and occasion, and I think Jean would be most honoured by the tribute. Being remembered for the good and fun we have spent with those around us, even when we move on, is quite a legacy. Multiplied exponentially by the web, that is a huge legacy of good.
A delightful selfie, and suited to your tribute, Cooper Murphy.
Such a beautiful tribute to a wonderful woman. I am thankful that I knew her although we never got to meet in person, we had skyped and had many emails. Very pretty selfie from Tyebe and a handsome one from Cooper. Congrats on 500 hops. XO
We are sad about Miss Jean. We always enjoyed reading about Tyebe and Shoko’s adventures. We send Ccmforting purrs and hugs for Mr. Bill during this very sad time.
We are all very sad about the loss of Jean. Jean was a special lady and had that special way of bringing smiles with her where ever she went. We will forever miss that bright spot in the blogging world.
Beautiful tribute. Condolences both to Jean’s family and to you too! She was one of the first bloggers to speak to us and always warm and welcoming, especially when we were brand new! Thanks for your selfie and congratulations to you for hanging in there with the hop for 10 years. O mi Catness Goodness…
That’s a lovely selfie, Cooper Murphy.
Yes, We, too, are furry sad about Jean.
Sweet remembrance post for Jean…..she was one of a kind and we had many wonderful times with her at Scouts and with her blog. She was an amazing lady who devoted herself not just to Bill and the cats but to so many others through her work at senior centers. She’s missed by everyone. Tyebe is a gorgeous cat and Cooper is lucky to have her as his long distance “girl” ! Happy St. Patrick’s Day to everyone.
Hugs, Pam and Teddy
That is a beautiful tribute to Jean, and a lovely newspaper article celebrating their 50th anniversary. She will be sadly missed.
Nice selfie of you, Cooper Murphy. We’ve been so sad here to learn of the loss of Jean … Reading this history and tribute has been meaningful … I’m going to keep this link so I can go back to read her blog. Wishing peace and comfort to Bill and to all those who loved Jean.
Moved to tears by your post. I always visited on Sundays and felt so sad when she retired from the blog. I am so glad we have such wonderful friends through our blogs though.
Cooper Murpy you look very fine.
Moved to tears by your post. I always visited on Sundays and felt so sd when she retired from the blog. I am so glad we have uch wonderful friends through our blogs.
What a great selfie, Cooper Murphy! Orange and Green go so well together!
Hopefully Tyebe will see it later today.
What a sweet love story of Jean and Bill when they got to their 50 years anniversary.
Jean will for sure be missed by so many, not the least being Bill. We add our sympathy and love for him.
Cooper Murphy, that is a super handsome St. Patrick’s Day selfie, and we know Tyebe will love it. We were so sorry to hear of Jean’s passing. She was such a kind person and a friend to so many. That 50th wedding anniversary story made me smile — what a wonderful couple she and Bill were. Jean will most certainly be missed, and remembered forever. Hugs and purrs to Bill and to all who knew and loved her.