Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper

My friend Angi insisted I borrow this book. I've had it for quite some time because I felt like it was too soon to read after Jersey died. If you've read enough pet stories you know how they always end, right?!

I chose this book for my TBR Challenge so I could force myself to finally read it and return it. She loaned it to me on October 14, 2009 after all. I'm so pleased that I did finally take her advice and read it because it's a real feel-good story.

Gwen rescues Homer as a kitten from a vet who's removed his eyes after the people who originally owned him were going to put him to sleep because he had an eye disease. It is amazing to read how easily he navigates through life and incredible to read all of the super-cool things he can do in spite of/because of his blindness.

There's also a chapter about September 11th. Gwen was living a few blocks from the World Trade Center when it happened. Reading about how she couldn't get back to her cats after the crisis is gut-wrenching.

If you like animal stories check it out!

I also noticed that I accidentally went from reading a story about a blind man named Homer straight to a story about a blind cat named Homer. Weird.

And here's a gratuitous Jersey cat picture, taken by my fabulous sister-in-law:

We still miss you Jersey!

Happy 4th of July!

Photos from 4th of Julys past

2010:


2008:


2007:

Autumn Colors Week: yellow

Yellow is my chance to share this advertisement which makes me think of my Jersey Cat. He loved shoes. He loved sleeping on them, attacking them, and rubbing his face on them. If he was feeling especially frisky he would even bite a shoe.

His favorite shoes were my American Flag Converse. When we lived in the trailer he would go into the closet and from all the Converse and other assorted shoes on the shelves would pull down one or both of those specific shoes to sleep on. What a silly cat!

I still miss him, especially when I wear those shoes.

you're missed

sophisticat

Jersey enjoys fine art and long naps on the beach.

Craftiness and Cattiness

I did this layout for a challenge on the New Zealand Dare Blog. Their dare? To scrapbook the "weird + strange." Just so happens these pictures of my kooky cats were next in my pile to scrap. The journaling says: So this moth landed on our ceiling and the cats started freaking out -- meowing as if possessed by Satan, and Oedipus tried to climb up the wall! My old dresser was in the living room since we were giving it to Stacy, so I put the cats on top to see what they'd do. Jersey stared, but Oedipus tried & failed the vertical attack!

Did you hear Diddy's video blog by the way? "John McCain is bugging the fuck out! Sara Palin?!" I heard that on the radio the day after I finished the title and I thought Diddy and I must be connected somehow with our Buggin Out-themed-works.

Anyway I started to clean up and put away these Insect stickers, and I've been reading Somerset a lot so...I've been dying to put wings on something!!!

I liked it more because it covers up those hot pink semi-distracting family pictures in the back. I really wanted to leave those portraits in though because I can see old pictures we used to have hanging up of our nieces and nephews.

Also my New Year's Resolution was to use up my stash as well as I could, so I've been trying to incorporate some of my "unstylish" things and "make it work!" I like finally putting the old stuff to use! I took great pleasure in using my newish polka-dot stamp though. I searched for it forever.

Then today I was thinking about it. I think that picture of Oedipus is too cool to cover up, so I took his wings off, leaving Jersey's on. I like to pretend Jersey is dreaming of flying.

I got an email today from my sister-in-law. Corey's gramma knitted this sweater for their hairless cat Buffy:
I am surrounded by craftiness.