MacKenzie

FILL-INS FEATURE ANGELS MADISON & MACKENZIE

Friendly Fill-Ins:Week #122

Friday is the day we join Ellen (15 And Meowing) and Lorianne (Four-Legged Furballs) for fill-ins. It’s an opportunity for participants to share a bit about themselves as well as learn about their fellow bloggers. Ellen and Lorianne each select two sentences to be completed and post them on their blogs on Thursday.

This is a blog hop. To join, click on the fill-ins badge.

I have filled in the sentences using teal italics.

1. Being a cat parent is challenging but I’d never give it up.

2. If cat poop were worth money, then I would be rich.

3. I am proud of Mau and Cooper Murphy being Cat Scouts.

4. If I could time travel, I would visit the year 2001. That is the year Madison and MacKenzie came to live with us, and I really miss these boys and BFFs. You can read more about them on our “The Felines” page by clicking on the tab at the top of this page. (I hope you don’t mind that I have shared this photo previously.)

 

Fill-Ins: Madison & MacKenzie

 

I also am joining the Feline Friday blog hop at Comedy Plus.

 

TIGGER AND ANOTHER GINGER TABBY

Friendly-Fill-Ins: Week #109

We’re back again to tell you a bit more about ourselves with the Friendly Fill-Ins. Kitties Blue asked me to complete all the fill-ins this time around. All my completions are in teal italics.

The Friendly Fill-ins currently are being hosted by Ellen (15 And Meowing) and Lorianne (Four-Legged Furballs). On Thursday you can find the sentences to complete on each of their blogs. On Friday the blog hop takes place at Four-Legged Furballs. To go there now, click on the badge at the left.

MacKenzie (2001) & Tigger - Friendly Fill-Ins

MacKenzie (2001) & Tigger

1. My favorite Disney character is Tigger; though, he was not created by Disney but A.A. Milne. I also like Snow White, as one of our nephews called me Aunt Snowy when he was young. (I have a Tigger tattoo, which you can see in a very bad photo here. I’m sharing a photo of our previous ginger tabby, MacKenzie, as a kitten, with a Tigger stuffie.) 

 

2. If I could stay any age for life, I would choose to be age 60. When I turned 60, Dad Tom was already retired. Being retired is great, and 60 is still young enough to travel and do lots of other fun things.

 
3. Knowing what Dad Tom is going to say before he says it is my secret talent. (He can do the same thing with me, though. That’s what happens when you’ve been married 45 years.)

 
4. Life is like a great adventure with surprises around each corner. 

We’ll be back tomorrow to join Athena’s Caturday Art blog hop.

 

BLUE ANGELS IN ART

Caturday Art

I have gone back in time for the photo I used as the basis for today’s art. It features our Blue angels, Madison (front) and MacKenzie (back). The photo was taken on December 11, 2009. Both boys passed away in 2011. To read more about these kitties, click on “The Felines” tab at the top of the page.

 

Blue angels in art

 

I absolutely loved these man-cats, and they totally loved each other. Finding them snuggled together was not unusual.

basis for blue angels in art

Original Photo

Again this week, I used the Painnt app. I like it, as once you have decided on and applied an effect, it can be manipulated in dozens of ways by various percentages. I created my art with the Desigual effect and made changes to the color, color composition and detail. The plain blue border was added with Picasa and the flower accents with piZap.

The arty photo is my submission for Athena Cat Goddess Wise Kitty’s Caturday Art blog hop. This is a great hop, giving you the opportunity to use your imagination and creativity. It’s also a great way to save a “bad” photo.

If you’d like to join the hop or just view the art, click on Athena’s badge.

Sunday Selfies Reminder

Time to straighten your furs and get out your best smile. We’ll be hopping tomorrow with a special guest host. Kitties Blue are doing the happy dance as none of them will be called upon. Looking forward to seeing all our old friends and maybe some new ones as well.

 

 

 

 

 

NAP ATTACK: THEN AND NOW

Doozy of a Snoozy

All cats are good nappers. We see it everyday. We know it. When I ran across this old photo a few days ago, I knew I had to share it and compare it to a more recent one.

 

MacKenzie nap

 

This is not Cooper Murphy but MacKenzie, our former ginger tabby. That bed in front of the window was his favorite place to snooze. If awake, he could spy on the dogs and kitties that lived next door at the time. Mac got his wings in 2011. He had inoperable stomach cancer.

Fast forward to 2017 to another ginger tabby, who also enjoys a good nap.

 

Cooper Murphy nap

 

Cooper Murphy is not too particular about where he naps, just as long as it is somewhere on the catio during the day. At night he usually passes out on one of the ham-micks. Tonight he happens to be sprawled on his back on our bed—asleep and snoring!

Though MacKenzie enjoyed many of the things Cooper does, we did not have a catio when he was alive. Like Lily Olivia, Mauricio and Misty May, he was allowed outside during daylight hours. However, he was a momma’s boy through and through and never was too far from my side. If I worked in the garden, he was right there to help. If I was cooking, he was “tied to my apron strings.” He spent his last six months snuggled next to me in the recliner as I recuperated after breaking my leg.

On the other paw, Cooper mostly is a solitary guy, who does his own thing. I suspect that this difference comes from the fact that MacKenzie bonded with us when he was a kitten, and Cooper Murphy did not join the family until he was about 15 months old.

Cat guardians know that all cats are good nappers, but that each has his own unique purrsonality. In my opinion, that is what makes every kitty special!

Purrfect Pouch Giveaway Winners

We are delighted to announce that the winners of the Purrfect Pouch are our friends Marty and Ralphie from Marty the Manx. This really is a terrific product, and the kitties and I wish we had an entire pile of them to giveaway. If you didn’t win, but would like a Purrfect Pouch, you can purchase a set of two (in aqua or black) for $29.95 from their website.

Screen Shot 2016-09-18 at 11.12.00 PM

 

POEM FOR ANGEL MADISON

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

 

We are joining Sammy (onespoiledcat) again this week by writing another poem. Our challenge this week was to write a poem using the prompt letter “M.” With two angel cats and two current cats with names beginning with the letter “M,” I had several kitties I could choose to write about. I selected angel Madison. I recently wrote about him for Friendly Fill-Ins. If you missed that post, you can read it here.

Instead of sharing another photo of Madison, I have selected to share this portrait painted by Lou Belcher (Before You Write).

 

Madison

 

For Madison
A Poem from the Heart

 

Madison wandered the neighborhood for many months.
He would stop here often to have some lunch,
But he was shy and did not want to be touched.

We’d taken in stray cats through the years,
And the ones we couldn’t keep left me in tears
As they were all enchanting little dears.

Madison came back to our house day after day
And began living on our porch, no longer really a stray,
But he continued to shun my approaches and keep me at bay.

I swore I would not invite him to join the clan;
Though, I found myself becoming quite a fan
Of this most handsome, white-furred, blue-eyed man.

After six months I broke down and asked him inside,
As he was just such a sweet and well-mannered guy.
I realized I’d be stupid to let this opportunity pass by.

He and MacKenzie became the very best of friends,
And Louise he was always quick to snuggle and defend.
He was loved and cherished by all until his very end.

Madison became an angel at less than 12 years old.
It broke my heart as his frail body became cold,
And I realized he’d no longer be here for me to hold.

Madison returned once to the garden for a visit,
And I wished that I could have given him a kiss
To let him know just how much he was missed.

I knew he was there to let me know he was okay
And that the two of us would meet again some day
To love each other forever, snuggle and even play.

Madison truly was a special cat, and it did break my heart when he died 13 days after being diagnosed with lymphoma. Madison was not quite 12 years old, and he had been with us for just ten years.

One of the things we enjoyed was sitting together on a bench in the garden. So, I was not surprised when he visited me while I was working in one of the flowerbeds. I caught him approaching out of the corner of my left eye. The visit only lasted a few seconds, but it brought me such peace. I think of that day and my special Kitty, Madison, often.

FRIENDLY FILL-INS EVOKE MEMORIES

Week #17

FriendlyFillIns

 

Once again, I am participating in Annie’s (McGuffy’s Reader) and Ellen’s (15 And Meowing) Friendly Fill-ins. This is a blog hop, and you can add your link on Annie’s blog. My fill-ins are in teal italics.

1. My favorite way to exercise is cycling or swimming.

2. Something I learned last week was about a cool web-site for lovers of all things cat: iheartcats.comSo what makes this site different from others, you ask? For every item purchased a certain number of daily meals are provided to shelters across the U.S. through a partnership with Rescue Bank®. As stated on the  iheartcats website: “Rescue Bank® supports freight-paid deliveries to smaller, less visible non-profits that have limited access to resources. They operate on the national food bank model, accepting food donations from many manufacturers, distributors or retailers.”

But this is not just a shopping site. They also offer health and training advice, DIY projects and inspirational stories.

3. I am sentimental about the kitties I have loved and lost. I think about all of them often and remember their quirks and foibles. Thelma was the first cat on my head, and she would chew on my hair. The hair on the crown of my head ended up being about two inches long.

Thelma loved the water left over after I steamed broccoli.

Madison was a fanatic for the juice from green olives from the deli.

Chloe would always put a front paw on whatever plate or dish from which she was eating to keep it from escaping. And she was a member of the clean plate club!

 

Memories of Chloe

Chloe

 

Madison and MacKenzie joined our household at just about the same time, and they were the best of friends. I loved watching them together. You can read an entire post about them here.

 

memories of Mac and Madison

Mac (top), Madison (bottom)

 

These are just a few of the memories that always make me smile and miss these angels all the more.

4. Some people may find it surprising to know that I was a dog person until we adopted our first cat, Skooter, in the mid-eighties. I adopted a cock-a-poo puppy (Smack) when I was a sophomore in college, and Tom and I adopted what was supposed to be a cock-a-poo puppy (Poppy) shortly before we were married. They both lived into their late teens. (Sorry I have no photos on this computer to share with you. I will scan some and share in another post.)

We will see you right back here tomorrow for Caturday Art.

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

FLASHBACK FRIDAY WITH MACKENZIE

Mom is exhausted! She add Dad served 267 take-out meals yesterday at the local Rescue Mission where 600 sit-down meals were served.

 

Flashback

And y’all thought that Mom only wears cat ears.

 

So we agreed to having a Flashback Friday and allow her to repost this Wordless Wednesday photo from This is Not a Partridge, originally posted on December 19, 2012.

 

MacKenzie flashback

 

This is our angel brofur, MacKenzie, as a kitten. It is Mom’s all-time favorite Christmas photo. It is from 2001. Mac was quite proficient at climbing the Christmas tree when he was little. Little MacKenzie, however, turned into Big Mac and by the following year his Christmas tree climbing had come to an end. He could not haul his large rear end up into the branches. That made our humans quite happy!

Hope you all had a spectacular Christmas and that Santa brought you everything your hearts’ desired. Mom took pity on us, and we finally were allowed to open our Secret Paws gifts on Christmas Eve. Pawsome…simply pawsome! We’ll report about those and our other purresents on Monday.

Ho, ho, ho, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

AUTUMN CATURDAY ART WITH ANGEL MACKENZIE

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I first featured angel MacKenzie in a Caturday Art post back in May. It being Fall and Mac being the color of an Autumn leaf, I thought it would be nice to share him with you again today.
Mac Autumn

MacKenzie was only ten when he developed and passed from an inoperable abdominal tumor. He was his mama’s boy and followed me around as if attached my a short, invisible string. Seeing him here brings back so many happy memories.

MacKenzie Autumn Caturday ArtTo create the above art, I started with this over-lit, outdoor photo of Mac when he was still a youngster. Most changes were made using Picasa. After cropping the photo, I used: 1) I’m Feeling Lucky; 2) Warmify; 3) Ortonish and 4) Posterize (retaining most of the detail). The final step was the addition of the yellowed papyrus paper effect from AdornPic.

We are participating in Athena and Marie’s Caturday Art Blog Hop. To join in or view the other submissions, click on the badge to the left.

 

Please don’t forget to join us tomorrow for our Sunday Selfies Blog Hop. We will be featuring Fiona. All anipals and humans are welcome to participate.

And finally for an opportunity to win a copy of the book Purr Therapy by Kathy McCoy, Phd, click on the link below to yesterday’s post and leave a comment.

 

CATURDAY ART WITH ANGEL MACKENZIE

 

MAC

I went a little crazy creating today’s art for Athena’s Caturday Art blog hop. All the changes to the photo were made using Picasa, which is the program I use for my everyday photo editing. I started by inverting the colors (which gave me the lavenders and blues), and then I applied several other filters as well as the border.

The original photo, which you can see below, is one of my favorite photos of our sweet Mac. I always teased that MacKenzie was tied to my apron strings as he followed be everywhere. And he never meowed. He made a baaing noise like an itty-bitty lamb.

macoriginal-001

The original photo was taken in September 2011. Mac passed away from inoperable cancer a little more than a month later.

To participate in the Caturday Art Blog hop or view the other submissions, click on the badge.