I love to read cozy mysteries with cats in them, and found the first two books in a new-to-me series recently.
And these weren't from a thrift store, but given to me new last fall as a gift. I finally was able to put them out in the yard last week. They are nearly the size of actual cats!
Ringo: Mom bought this feather wand toy on clearance (whatever that means) after Christmas. I really like it and will play with her whenever she gets it out.
We are also sad for our friends at 15 and meowing. They had to say goodbye to their Emmy. I'm sure they'd appreciate a kind word.
I was delighted to fine two new-to-me cat pins in a thrift store recently. I really like the one that spells "cat."
I also received a belated Christmas gift from a coworker. She and I often talk about thrifting and she also loves going to antique stores. She found this Christmas 45 vinyl record and thought I would like it. Cats have been used forever to sell pretty much everything! There's no date on the album.
The Tooth Fairy sent a package for Sadie this week. Ringo decided to hog all of the toys for now.
The Tooth Fairy also included a little gift for me, a Christmas cat pin! I'm so excited because I don't have this one. Thank you!
The first item was a gift from our friend Susan: A cat pin!
I also found two cat puzzles recently.
We are sad that our friend, Mr. PO'M, crossed the bridge due to cancer. He had recently been brought indoors and we were excited for him and his family.
Please leave them a comment. I know they will appreciate it.
Last weekend, while we were shopping at a Ross store, I found the cutest cat cactus mug. I bought it, but when I got home and was unloading it from the car, the bag fell and the mug broke. I was bummed. It broke into too many pieces to even try re-gluing and using for something else.
Not only was it the last mug they had, but at a store like Ross, they likely won't get any more in stock.
I took a photo before I put the pieces in the trash. I sent a photo to a friend of mine who shops at random stores, because, why not?
Imagine my surprise when I got a text just a few days later from this friend. He had stopped at an antique mall to look at kitchen items. On a shelf was the same mug!
He delivered it the next day. What a great surprise! I enjoyed coffee from it this morning.
These pins were both recent gifts from friends. The Christmas pin was actually new in the package, so it's not a thrifty find.
I got both a Christmas and Valentine's Day pin.
In an interesting coincidence, I have similar pins to these, that are still different.
Last summer, the Tooth Fairy visited Sadie after her dental because she lost two teeth. Inside the package was a small crocheted toy that had a round plastic inside.
That toy has become a favorite, always moving around the house, even into the basement.
Then I stepped on it, oops!
We reached out to the Tooth Fairy and asked how it was made. . . and she sent us more (plus a couple of extra toys)! Yeah!
Ringo was very interested in these toys.
Thank you so much! We're going to love these!
Our friends at Colehaus Cats have a long series they call Things on Cats. They put things (mostly toys) on their cats' heads and photograph them. Sadie isn't usually that cooperative, but one day. . .
September 10, 2020, was a difficult day. I had called our vet's office midday to schedule Benny's euthanasia appointment and was feeling low. A few hours later, a friend's ex-wife messaged me to say that he had died. I couldn't believe it.
I had known Tom for 20-something years (he was a former coworker). Sadly, he has little family was estranged from his father. I talked to his father about six weeks later, and he told me he that he wasn't going to have a service or obituary for Tom. He was cremated and that was all.
Tom loved cats, and he was always very generous at various fundraisers at work. I asked a few coworkers if they would contribute to buying a memorial brick at a local shelter (where we adopted Ringo).
Before I knew it, I had more than $1000 in donations! I reached out to the shelter and asked if there were any cat-related projects they needed funding for. The coordinator said that they would like to buy some Feliway, projectors, and enrichment toys for the cats that were in the "back rooms." The ones that aren't up for adoption yet.
I loved the idea. I got an email yesterday with photos and a video that I'll share here of all the items installed. They were able to buy THREE projectors, one for each of their back rooms, plus toys, herb blends, Feliway, some heated beds, and more.
I won't lie. Seeing that email and photos made me start to cry. Tom would have loved it so much. So many kitties will be soothed by these gifts.
Rest in peace, Tom.
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| Feliway to calm the kitties. |
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| An enrichment toy that sticks to the glass side of the cubby the kitty is in. |
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| Another enrichment toy |
The projector in action. She said this is the cats' favorite video. <3
Today I have both a gifty and a thrifty item! The first item is something our friend Amy surprised us with recently. It's a "Great Greetings" card maker set for kids. On a google search, it dates from around 1978-1982.
Do any of you remember Fashion Plates? This is a similar design, in that you put embossed plastic plants into a holder, put a piece of paper over the top, and rub with a crayon to make a design.
This is actually a gifty Thursday, as this pin was a Christmas present from our friend, Susan. It's a vintage kitty pin! The bell actually tinkles!
