I will Literally FIGHT to Photograph the Empire Builders!

Posted in Entertainment, Music and Dance by Marci

I am so proud of my husby, Christopher. As a member of the Oregon Army National Guard, he plays in the 234th Army Band throughout the year. But for two weeks every summer, he leaves with the army band on tour, playing free concerts for the public all over Oregon. He has been away for about ten days, but I was able to drive down to Salem to see the concert band (a.k.a. The Empire Builders) perform at the Historic Grand Theatre. Chris said that this was the best concert the army band has put on since he has been in the National Guard, so I wanted to make sure that I got to see it! Chris’ principle instrument is the oboe, but he’s just as good on saxophone, and he often plays percussion or other instruments (but he can play nearly any band instrument you throw at him).

The theme was “Heroes and Villains”, and they performed lots of popular songs, including pieces from Superman, Frozen, Les Miserables, and Godzilla (which featured a story-line slide show that played as the band told the story of how Godzilla attacked Las Vegas, which was ultimately saved by multiple Elvi armed with various types of weaponry).

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That was all great, but I was mostly excited about the show because this year, Chris has moved into a conducting position and I wanted to see him do what he does best! He loves conducting, and I think it has been really exciting for him to move into another position and take on new challenges.

My favorite piece of the show was The Padstow Lifeboat March…I’m a big fan of marches in general. This piece was unique to me, though, because I could really visualize the waves getting bigger and the wind picking up…the song really told a story, to me! And, it was entertaining as well – every time the fog-horn sounded, Chris emphasized the horns by doing something exaggerated (like in the picture above). The audience laughed a lot! Want to hear The Padstow Lifeboat March by Sir Malcolm Arnold? Click HERE and hit “Play Song”!

Well, you probably want to hear about this FIGHT that almost went down, huh? I was sitting in the balcony with a couple of friends, and I had my camera so that I could take some pictures of Chris as he conducted. About the third song in, I get this insistent tap on my shoulder and I turn around, and there’s this old lady who rudely commanded to me “DON’T DO THAT”. What??? It’s a free concert! There was absolutely no ban on photography! Further, my husband, who had been gone from his family for 10 days, did so in order to play free concerts for the public, for her!!! I gave her a death stare, and took a couple more pictures. I didn’t know exactly what was bothering her (I wasn’t using a flash), but I thought maybe it was the screen on my camera…but there were other people around me taking pictures with their iPhones, which also had screens. I tried taking some pictures without the screen on, just using the view-finder, but that didn’t work well, so I got up and took more pictures from the side of the balcony. The whole rest of the show I was stewing, thinking about all the things I was going to say to that lady if she pestered me again! Seriously, I really try to be kind and considerate to people, but it seems like there is always someone yelling at me and telling me what I can and can’t do. No wonder I don’t like being around crowds of strangers! Sheesh…well, she got up and left immediately after the show ended and didn’t say anything else to me. But I tell you what…things were about to get REAL in up in that balcony! If my roller derby experience has taught me anything, it’s taught me how to hit a bitch, so look out, and don’t tell ME not to take pictures!

I mean, seriously, if I didn’t take pictures, this post would be much less entertaining, right? 😉

13Jul2014

Meet Bandit: He wants to steal your heart!

Posted in Animals, Cats, Rights and Welfare by Marci

Bandit is looking for his forever home!

I haven’t written much about the volunteer work that I do, but since I’ve gotten to know the cats and people at Furry Friends, I’ve decided to let the cat out of the proverbial bag. Furry Friends is a no-kill non-profit cat rescue organization in Vancouver, WA, that houses and fosters cats that need to be adopted. I volunteer every Sunday morning, helping to clean up the “halfway house” and socializing with the cats. Some of the cats have been at the halfway house for a long time, but they are all looking for their forever homes. I’ve decided (and I hope with the blessing of Furry Friends) to occasionally highlight some of the current halfway house residents to help these sweet kitties find the human companions that they need and deserve.

With that, today’s lucky kitty is BANDIT! Bandit will run away with your heart if you let him, because this little tuxedo is a charmer. I chose to highlight Bandit because he is such a sweetie and he needs to be adopted by someone who loves to give and receive affection. A couple of things about Bandit: first, he has been in the halfway house since March of 2014. He is neutered, and was born in December of 2007, which makes him almost 7 years old. He does have a limp in his front left leg caused by arthritis, for which he is taking cosequin (a joint supplement). Here are a few PAWESOME things about Bandit:

Bandit is polydactyl and has bonus toes!

Bandit is POLYDACTYL! That means that he has bonus toes on all of his feet. Ernest Hemingway had so many polydactyl cats at his house (which are still there, btw) that sometimes polydactyl cats are known as Hemingway cats. They are also said to be good luck at sea! You can read more about the amazingness of polydactyl cats here.
Bandit was relinquished to Furry Friends because his former companion became ill and could no longer take care of him and his siblings. He has always been an indoor cat.
Bandit loves to snuggle in your lap! He will hop up in your lap and insta-purrrrrr, and especially loves to be scritched behind the ears.
Bandit loves to play, but really just wants a companion to give affection to, and who wants to return the attention. He’s super mellow and snuggly!

Here are some more pictures of Bandit that I took this morning. If you are in the Vancouver/Portland area and would like further information on meeting Bandit, please let me know, or contact Furry Friends! They would love to hear from you, and I’m sure Bandit would just love to meet you, too!

Update!!!

Bandit was adopted! On Sunday, August 24, Bandit went home with his new mom, Cynthia. He’ll have an older feline brother, Taz, and will be very loved. And the best part is that since Cynthia is my mother-in-law, I’ll get to see him occasionally! Win-win-win! Thanks, everyone, for your support and efforts to get this little guy his forever home!

Cynthia and Bandit

9Jul2014

I’ve been honored with the Wonderful Team Member Readership Award!

Posted in Awards, Blogging by Marci

Awww…I’m so fortunate to have such good friends in the blogosphere! One of my besties is a cat named Shrimp from Hairball Express, who has kindly nominated me for the Wonderful Team Member Readership Award! I love reading Shrimp’s perspective on putting up with – I mean, living with – the humans of the household, and of course, their offspring (Creatures). My cats, of course, can totally relate to some of Shrimp’s frustrations; for example, when I momentarily forget that they are the center of the universe and I accidentally put my own needs ahead of theirs (you just heard five simultaneous tail slaps, didn’t you?!). But I digress. Thanks so much, Shrimp, for nominating me for this award! I will put some high-grade catnip in the mail for you post haste, and I would nominate YOU for this award had you not nominated me first.

I was able to track down the origins of this award (well, one of the first nominees, at least). To quote the creator of this award: “As bloggers, we are also readers. That is a part of blogging as listening is a part of speaking.” This is a lesson I have learned during the past several months, particularly with the A to Z Blogging Challenge this past April. Blogging is what you put into it! If you are looking for conversation and interaction, start by reading someone’s blog. Blogging is very much a two-way street…writing and reading, reading and writing. That’s where the interactions, conversations, and ultimately, the relationships are built.

The original rules of accepting this award are as follows:

The Nominee of the Wonderful Team Member Readership Award shall display the logo on his/her post/page and/or sidebar.
The Nominee shall nominate 14 readers they appreciate over a period of 7 days (1 week) – this can be done at any rate during the week. It can be ALL on one day or a few on one day and a few on another day, etc.
The Nominee shall name his or her Wonderful Team Member Readership Award nominees on a post or on posts during the 7 day (1 week) period.
The Nominee shall make these rules, or amended rules keeping to the spirit of the Wonderful Team Member Readership Award, known to each reader s/he nominates.
The Nominee must finish this sentence and post: “A great reader is…”

My 14 Award Nominees* Are:

* I realize that not everyone does the blog award thing. Some people look at awards like chain letters that are more work and obligation than anything else. I am completely fine with that perspective, and understand it. However, I really appreciate the sentiment behind these awards, and I think it’s a great way to share other blogs and bloggers with your readers. Therefore, I’m nominating people that I feel deserve this award (whether you read my blog, and/or I read yours)…it is totally up to you whether or not you want to accept it and pass it on. I won’t be insulted if you don’t want to accept the award…I just want to recognize you as an important part of my blogging community! Also, I’ve previously nominated some of these people for the Liebster Award. If this applies to you, tough! I love you so much that I’ve nominated you again! ❤

Sammy D. at Bemuzin – sorry, Sammy – I’m gonna nominate you for this one for all the love you leave me on my blog!
Ava Quinn at Tongue In Cheek – ha! My last sentence in the paragraph above applies to YOU!
Misty from Dancing in the Weeds – you’re so amazing that you get another award!
Michelle Stanley – always sharing other people’s posts, you’re a great team reader!
Marie at Every Day is a Miracle – we met during the A to Z Challenge and your blog is fantastic!
Roxy and Tigerlino from Purrfect Kitties – always clever, cute, and supportive!
Laura Barbosa – I love her artwork, and she let me post one of her paintings here for Fine Art Felines Friday!
Stephanie Bird at Stephanie’s Studio – I also met Stephanie through the A to Z Challenge and have been blessed by her visits!
Jay from Running In My Head – who very kindly just nominated me for another award (working on it…)!
Michele from Angels Bark – I just love this blog, and the passion with which Michele advocates for animals.
Sheena from Not A Punk Rocker – I don’t know if she reads my blog, but I read hers. Love the 80’s references and honest writing!
Laurel from Alphabet Salad – Reading this blog makes me happy. I love her tangles – they are inspiring and creative!
All the critters at Cascadian Nomads – Again, I don’t know if they know my blog exists, but I love reading about their travels with pets, and how you can safely do the same!
Indywrites at Eloquent Articulation – I was mesmerized by her A to Z Challenge posts about women in India. Amazing.
Tammy at Diary of a Middle-Aged Misfit – Again, a more serious A to Z Challenge topic (WWII), but incredible writing.

And finally, all I need to do is finish this sentence:

A great reader is…someone who not only loses herself in what she is reading, but also finds herself as well. She relates something about herself to the words she consumes, and connects on a very personal level with the writer. In the words of Marcel Proust:

Every reader finds himself. The writer’s work is merely a kind of optical instrument that makes it possible for the reader to discern what, without this book, he would perhaps never have seen in himself.”

4Jul2014

Fine Art Felines Friday: Electric Cat by Louis Wain

Posted in Animals, Art, Cats, Entertainment by Marci

An Electric Cat painted by Louis Wain.

Happy Independence Day! I chose today’s painting by Louis Wain because it almost looks like this cat is erupting into fireworks, which is appropriate for my current blogging soundtrack (hint: it’s just before sunset and people in my neighborhood are getting amped up on beer and whiskey and are ready to light things on fire and watch them explode already!). I could not find a title or a date for this piece, but that’s not too surprising, since Wain painted a lot of cat pictures like this in his later years, many of which were untitled and undated. But let me back up.

I can’t believe, that as a person who loves cats and who loves art, and even more loves art featuring cats, I’d never heard of Louis Wain. Seriously. Just do an image google for “Louis Wain cats” and you’ll see what I mean – what a prolific painter! He was born all the way back in 1860 in London, and led an unusual life, it seems to me. He was the oldest of six children; none of his five sisters were ever married, but lived with their mother; all except for the youngest sister, who was declared insane and was admitted to an asylum. Strangely enough, Wain, who had a cleft lip, did not attend regular school as a child, but achieved modest success as a free-lance artist with his illustrations of animals and the English countryside. At the age of 23, he married Emily, who succumbed to breast cancer a mere 3 years into their marriage. However, it was during her time of sickness that Emily and Louis rescued a black and white kitten that they named Peter, who did much to comfort Emily while she was ill. Louis produced many sketches and paintings of Peter, who changed the course of his art for the rest of Louis’ life.

While Louis’ early work was more realistic, Louis’ intermediate works were anthropomorphized versions of cats, wearing the latest fashions, having parties, and doing other things that humans might do. During this time, Louis was actively involved with several animal charities such as the Governing Council of Our Dumb Friends League, the Society for the Protection of Cats, and the Anti-Vivisection Society. He was also active in the National Cat Club, acting as President and Chairman of the committee at times. You gotta love a man who loves cats this much, right???

Sadly, during his later years, Louis was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was institutionalized until someone publicized his plight (he was quite a popular artist for his time, although poorly managed his money). His new doctor diagnosed him instead with Asperger’s Syndrome, a type of autism, and Louis was moved to a hospital that had a garden and colony of cats, which Louis enjoyed for the last 15 years of his life. It was during this time that his paintings became more abstract, using bright colors and complex patterns. Louis died on July 4, 1939, making today the 75th anniversary of his death (seriously, I did not plan this).

H.G. Wells (who wrote The War of the Worlds and many other works of science fiction) said of Louis Wain:

He has made the cat his own. He invented a cat style, a cat society, a whole cat world. English cats that do not look and live like Louis Wain cats are ashamed of themselves.”

1Jul2014

If you missed the AcroCats, YOU MISSED OUT!!!

Posted in Animals, Cats, Entertainment, Humor, Non-cats by Marci

I just don’t know how to describe the amazing talents of the AcroCats. It…it was as if a big jar of awesome spilled all over a sparkly purple stage filled with incredible cats. It was…it was perfectly imperfect, because after all, we were watching cats performing, and they are CATS. It was incredibly surprising because…because the show did not devolve into a chaotic pandemonium of cats fleeing into the audience and causing a massive storm of attacks on ankles and allergic outbreaks…no no no! These cats, THESE cats, were simply mindblowing.

And not just cats, but a chicken (named Cluck Norris), groundhog and three rats all BROUGHT IT! All the animals were clicker-trained using positive reinforcement, which led me to two conclusions: 1) HOLY SHIT YOU CAN TRAIN CATS, and 2) WHY DO MY CATS SUCK SO MUCH??? Seriously. They don’t do anything except know when to come running when I open up a can of anything. The AcroCats performed all sorts of tricks, leaping through hoops, jumping obstacles, BOWLING, running around in a non-random order, and jeeze – they even ran INTO their individual crates when a whistle sounded. My cats, on the other hand, sleep, eat, dirty their litter boxes at an alarming rate, and require a front-end loader to get them into their travel crates. The AcroCats and Rock Cats: play actual musical instruments, recognize visual commands, and don’t necessarily seek to cause panic and alarm (except for Tuna, who possibly has plans for world domination, but I’m not sure). My cats: play with the horizontal blinds in our bedroom at 2 in the morning, decide that demons are chasing them in the wee hours of the night, and are plotting a biological attack on the world starting with me by weakening my immune system to the point of giving me crippling allergies to these sneaky, plotting kitties. I’M ON TO YOU, THOUGH!!! I will not succumb to your evil plotting!

Anyway…how about some pictures of the show? It was magical, and I hope that you get the opportunity to see them some day. Go to www.CircusCats.com to learn more, and see if the AcroCats and Rock Cats are coming to a theater near you!!! Grab yo’ cat ears and yo’ cat leggings and yo’ cat shirts and see these amazing kitties…it’s totally worth it!!!