the Paisley Cat

taking the plunge

2009-07-10T07:51:00.001-07:00

Ever since I was in elementary school, sewing and crafting things have been my raison d'etre. I've wanted my own craft business for many, many years. My problem was that with such a diverse range of interests & hobbies (papercrafting, scrapbooking, rubber stamping, sewing, needlepoint, crewel embroidery, rug-hooking, soapmaking, candlemaking, woodworking, knitting, restoring vintage hats & clothing... the list goes on & on!), I could never decide what I wanted to sell.

Over the years, friends and relatives have encouraged me many times to market my creations, but I was always afraid that crafting things would soon become a chore instead of a joy if I had to mass-produce. And so I remained just a girl who liked making things, mostly to give away to her friends & family. And there was nothing wrong with that!

But one day, I heard of a place online called Etsy, where creative people like me could sell their unique handiwork, and produce as much - or as little - as they wished. The lightbulb went on... and 1paisleycat.etsy.com was born.

For months, I labored to create my stock-in-trade: scrapbooking quoteblocks & holiday journaling spots, monogram alphabets, cardmaking medallions. These things, I reasoned, could be reproduced with relatively little effort on my part - simply insert a sheet of cardstock into the printer and click "Print"!

I also decided to try selling a few pieces of my handcrafted jewelry, some rubber stamps that are no longer favorites, and even a few items from my stash of vintage goodies, such as patterns and 1930s/40s hats & clothing (still to come!).

The funny thing was, I spent an entire Sunday afternoon uploading items, and I guess all that time at the computer left an imprint on my brain, because that night, I dreamed people were buying things. And weirdly {Twilight Zone music swells in background}, next morning, I found I'd sold 7 items! So I guess dreams really DO come true... at least some of the time! LOL

Memories of Ivan

2009-04-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

Ivan the Terrible
(so named by Brian, because of Ivan's Russian Blue appearance)

I'm not sure there are words that can express how much I loved Ivan, how completely special he was to me. How do you put down on paper the deepest perceptions of your heart and soul? How do you illustrate in sentences and paragraphs his devotion? His sweet, zany nature? His zest for life? Well, here goes...

He was my Mr. Squeak (because his voice was always a tiny little squeak of a meow), my Shadow (because he followed me everywhere and had to be in the midst of whatever I was doing), my sweet grey angel (because he had such a sweet temperament). I'd be sitting reading a book or watching tv, and next thing you know, there he would be, on my lap, snoozing peacefully. I never quite figured out how he managed to insinuate himself without my noticing, but he was very good at it! He faithfully slept next to me or between my feet every single night from the time I first brought him home to the night he died. He would cry pitifully when I went outside and he wasn't allowed to join me. A true little mama's boy, in the very best sense of the word. He just HAD to be wherever Mama was!

Ivan came to me through a friend of a friend, when he was about three months old. Those of us who love cats have a network whenever a stray is found and needs a home – and that was the case with Ivan. Dee found him wandering around her yard one Saturday night, and after checking with her neighbors (and no one claiming him), she sent a "home needed" email out to my friend Linda, who in turned forwarded it through the "network." I took one look at Hemi, as Dee called him (because his purr was outrageously loud), and fell immediately head over heels in love with his sweet little face and his gorgeous, soft grey coat. My sweet Hobbes-kitty had passed away shortly before, and my heart was open to take in another kitty. I'd always wanted a Russian Blue, too, after learning of their invariably sweet dispositions – so all this was factored into my decision to take him (although it was mostly that adorable little face!). I drove to Dee's house to meet him, and when I picked him up, he immediately began to purr and to fall asleep in the crook of my arm.

And so, he came home with me to meet all the other cats. I was hoping that he and Jack would become friends, since Jack was fairly young, too, and needed a playmate. Happily, they did play together quite a bit, once they got used to each other, and what amused me so much was that even though Jack was twice Ivan's size, Ivan never hesitated to throw himself on Jack and start a tussle. So, so funny! And even though Ivan was a very young, slender & small kitten, he became, in the eyes of the other cats, a holy terror (living up to his name!): he would not let any of them up on my bed when I was sitting there with him. Uh-uh, no WAY was he going to share Mama with those OTHER cats! Poor Freddy in particular was dismayed by this: Freddy had always been the Mama-snuggler, the pillow-sharer, who slept right up near my head, and he was VERY upset that this upstart newcomer had taken over HIS territory! But Ivan somehow managed, without ever actually growling, snarling, or hissing, to make the other cats leave the area. All it took was a few well-placed bats with a little grey paw...

Ivan brought more laughter into my life than any other cat I've ever had. Anything and everything that moved was a target for a pounce. He particularly loved "helping" me with folding the laundry: every item I tried to remove from the basket was a potential plaything and merited his full attention and a reaching claw. I could not get dressed in the morning without his assistance: he'd have to attack each piece of clothing as I tried to lift it off the bed to put it on. Frustrating for me, but so much fun for him!

The food thing... Ivan was a true "foodie": every time I'd sit down with some food (didn't matter WHAT it was), there Ivan would be, waiting patiently for me to either share with him willingly, or for me to walk away so that he could snitch something (I tried valiantly to teach him the meaning of "no" but I don't think he wanted to learn; he was one stubborn little guy). The funniest instance of this was one evening when I had a few pieces of American cheese on a plate to eat with some crackers. Setting the plate on the table next to my bed, I proceeded to the bathroom before sitting down to enjoy my snack. Upon my return - only a minute or so later - I discovered Ivan up on the table, busily and efficiently chowing down as much cheese as he could stuff into his mouth, the little cheese thief! I laughed so hard I had tears coming down my face... and let him have his cheese. And he was one smart cookie: it didn't take him long to figure out that that big box in the kitchen held all sorts of tasty goodies, and you never knew what Mama was going to pull out and share! So thereafter, any time I'd open the refrigerator, there Ivan would be: waiting patiently for the cheese (or whatever) to appear. And I usually gave in and let him have a piece or two. Oh, yes, he also absolutely adored milk, too. I found this out one evening when, upon pouring myself a glass of the stuff, he squeaked and squeaked and squeaked at me until I figured out that he WANTED SOME! After setting some down for him, he proceeded to polish off the entire bowl at warp speed. (Unfortunately for Ivan, Jack likes milk, too – and every time it was set down, the two of them would get into a bit of a scuffle over who was going to drink first!)

The ambush thing... Linda gave me a sort of "cat house" with three hammocks inside, covered with netting, which I placed on the porch for Ivan. He adored scampering from level to level, poking his little paws out and trying to ambush not only the other cats, but me! A favorite time to get me was when I'd be cleaning the cat boxes. It was difficult to see him, grey as he was, lurking in the shadows on the topmost hammock. Then – suddenly – the CLAW would appear through one of the holes in the netting!

The tent thing... Another favorite in the ambush department was hiding out in the little kitty tents I'd sewn for Hobbes and Baba (which they never even used) and waiting patiently for one of the older cats to stroll by, unaware that they were about to have several pounds of frisky grey kitten leap out at them. It was hilarious to watch... Ivan hiding in the tent, peeking out a bit to see who was coming, and then... the POUNCE! He loved both the tents, and would dive into them and scramble around so energetically inside that the tent would often tip over and collapse on him. Of course then there would be those sparkling, mischievous golden eyes peeking out from the ruins... and Brian or I would patiently right the tent (with Ivan still inside) only to have him topple it again moments later. But the thing that always made me laugh the hardest was when I would pick up the tent to move it, and Ivan would try (almost always successfully) to jump inside – AS IT WAS MOVING! I wish I had gotten that on videotape. I kept saying I would have to do that, but I never did, and am now bitterly regretting my procrastination.

The bamboo thing... Then there was the incident with the bamboo. Linda had given me a fair-size "lucky bamboo" plant she no longer wanted. I brought it home and placed it on a stand in the living room. Ivan promptly decided that this was a tree he NEEDED to climb. I walked into the room only to see him charging across the sofa and jumping onto the plant, proceeding to chivvy up as far as he could go. Of course, I doubled over with laughter, especially when he kept repeating this run-&-jump move over and over. And when he finally figured out that there was only so much tree to climb, he began to eat the leaves instead! So, the bamboo plant ended up out on the patio...

The nursing thing... I suspect that this little fellow was taken away from his mother too soon. My reason for thinking this? On my bed was a purple shag pillow. Ivan took to nursing on it whenever he felt the need to soothe himself. He would walk over to the pillow, sniff around a bit, and select a spot. His long, lean little body would stretch out and relax as he closed his eyes, kneading with his front feet, his little pink tongue working... and it would always squeeze my heart a little to think of his being abandoned, and feel happy that he was able to find comfort in this way.

So many good memories for such a short, sweet life... I'm just so, so glad that whenever he wanted to cuddle with me, or needed attention, I was there for him. I always made a point of stopping whatever I was doing to spend time petting and caressing his sleek little grey self, because I knew that once he grew up, he wouldn't need me quite so much, so I'd better enjoy his attention & affection while I could. Had I known I would only be allowed to have him for a year, I would have spent much, much more time with him. I know I was impatient with him occasionally, when I would be trying to get something done (like folding the laundry or sweeping the floor; he loved to chase the Swiffer around!), but I'm happy to say that those times were very few, and usually only when I wasn't feeling well myself.

I still cannot believe he's gone... Last week I noticed that he was not eating very much and not being his usual rambunctious self, so to the vet he went. He was dehydrated, with a fever, so was given subcutaneous fluids and started on antibiotics. Over the weekend he showed no improvement and ate very, very little – and drank even less – so on Monday I took him in again for more fluids. He was given an additional antibiotic as well, and was x-rayed to see if there was a blockage in his bowel. Tuesday, I thought perhaps there might be fur blocking him up, since he brought up a massive amount of it, and his elimination also contained a moderate amount. So I brought home some Laxatone, which he seemed to enjoy licking off his paws.

That certainly did the trick as far as helping any constipation, and he seemed better Wednesday even though he was becoming dehydrated anew. So I took him in to the vet again, where he was given fluids and blood was drawn for analysis. Back at home, he seemed almost his old self early in the evening, no longer lethargic and distant: following me around from room to room, getting on my lap for a short while as I watched a movie, rolling around on the porch, rubbing around my and Brian's ankles, and generally responding to being petted and loved on, which he had avoided earlier in the week.

I was ecstatic: my baby was getting better! My little Ivan was back! He even ate a bit of food and drank some milk...

But then... the horror came. About 11 p.m., as I sat in my room reading, Brian began yelling for me to come out to the living room. I could hear the fear in his voice, and when I got there, he was holding Ivan down – and Ivan was seizing violently. I frantically called Linda for advice (waking her and Bob up; I felt awful). She said to try to get him to lie down, talk softly to him, and let him know he would be alright. I tried to do that, but he was so agitated that he bit my finger (of course, he didn't realize what he was doing at that point). So I wrapped him in a towel and brought him in on my bed, talking soothingly to him all the time and trying to pet him to calm him down. He seemed to come around for a few minutes, but then the seizures began again. He couldn't walk, his legs were going out from under him and he kept falling over, rolling around, and his head began to arch back over his shoulders. His eyes were bulging, glassy, and uncomprehending. His tail was puffed out as if frightened or angry, and he began to drool and choke, making guttural breathing and gagging noises. I had Brian hold him while I dressed, and we quickly made our way to the emergency clinic.

They tried to give him Valium to stop the seizing, and it worked – for a few seconds. A second dose did nothing to help. So... I told them to please, please stop his suffering and euthanize him. When they asked whether I wanted to hold him while they administered the shot, I sadly shook my head and said that he wouldn't recognize me anyway at this point, he was too far gone. They brought his dear, limp little body in to me a few moments later... and we returned home.

Once we arrived, I cleaned him up (he'd lost control of his bowels, the poor dear baby), wrapped him in a clean towel, and brought him into my room. I wanted to have him near me one last night before I had to put him in the ground. I fell asleep with my arms around him, his dear little whiskers touching my cheek.

This morning, I found a box, placed his nursy-pillow inside, and laid him gently on top. I put in some of his favorite toys, as well: the red mousie, the grey fur mousie, and a couple of the pompoms he so loved to carry around and then drop into the food and water bowls (how I will miss that funny little quirk!). I traversed my garden and cut flowers from everything that was blooming to place in a green glass vase next to him. I will bury him next to TigTig, Rogie, Baba & Hobbes, out in the garden they all loved so much.

I wanted to write all my memories of him down so that I will NEVER forget the sweetest, dearest, best-behaved, most beloved kitten in all my life: Ivan the Terrible, Mr. Squeak, my cheese nommer, my little pookah.

Oh, Ivan, Ivan, my sweet little boy... what will I do without you? I miss you so... my heart is full, full of grief, tears, and longing to hear your little squeak and feel your soft silver paw brush my skin...

Marie Selby Gardens

2009-02-10T10:06:00.001-08:00

All these photos are of the exquisite orchids (and a few other flowers, too) to be found at Marie Selby Gardens, Sarasota, FL. Can you say, "gorgeous overload"?

Sarasota Jungle Gardens

2009-02-10T09:42:00.000-08:00

When I was a little girl, there were many "roadside attractions," as they were called, here in Florida. Most of them have fallen by the wayside, victim to diminishing tourist crowds and rising prices. A few remain, however, bastions of kitschy-ness among the wilderness of theme parks! Sarasota Jungle Gardens is one of them. I think it has survived because of its nature: it's not only a tourist attraction, but a place where rescued wildlife is nurtured. All the birds and animals that reside there were once abused, abandoned, or otherwise in need of assistance.

Chuck, having purchased a spanking-new digital camera, spent his vacation week traveling the highways and byways of old Florida: Webster flea market, Busch Gardens (twice!), Fantasy of Flight, Lowry Park (Tampa). He invited me along for a trip down Sarasota way, to see the Jungle Gardens (neither of us had ever been there, even though we both grew up here!) & re-acquaint ourselves with Marie Selby Gardens. These are MY shots from our Jungle Gardens experience!

Chuck at the Garden's entrance...

Yours truly, bustin' a gator... yeeeeeehaaa!

A white peacock I made acquaintance with... he liked me only for my bread crumbs.

My favorite Florida bird - always has been. I love them for their deceptively ungainly appearance: they're graceful as swans in the air & when diving for fish.

Strangely hued flamingos...

A "rare bird": his parents were a hyacinth (sapphire blue) and a scarlet macaw. Isn't he gorgeous, though?

Don't you love the graceful loops a folded-up flamingo makes?

Basking in the warm sun. Love the reflections in the pond...

Our friend from before, performing in the bird show on his roller skates!

This one's for YOU, Terri: I finded da bukkit - alert the walri!

Birthday dance/10th Anniversary of Savoy South

2009-01-16T08:08:00.000-08:00

Well, it's certainly been awhile since I posted. But this is definitely newsworthy: Savoy South "Make-Believe" Ballroom celebrated its 10th anniversary this past Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009. I attended not only in anticipation of seeing old friends coming out for the event, but because I wanted a "birthday dance" since I didn't get to have one last year. Although it was a week late - that's because most of my swing-dance friends were away on the annual swing cruise last week – it was still fun. A birthday dance is when everyone gathers in a circle around the birthday person, and everyone dashes in to dance a few measures before someone else cuts in. I picked Johnny Boyd's "Last Word In" as my dance and thoroughly enjoyed all 4 minutes of it - think every last guy in the circle (and a couple of the girls, too) danced with me!

???

Lance
???

Kyle
???

???

Loren

Ed Norton
Glenn

Ed Wilson

Macal

Xander

Steve Thole

OLD FRIENDS!!!

Dianne & Glenn

Vivian & Bev
CJ Thole, Ed Norton, and Veda
Steve & Karen Thole

new scrap pages, part II (kittehs!)

2008-11-25T13:24:00.000-08:00

Tiggy, our Maine Coon, was a total catnip addict: he's push the other cats out of the way to get their shares as well as his own!

Tiggy coolin' things off... this was a favorite snoozing position of his!

My sweet Rogie... the best-behaved cat I've ever had. He'd actually wait to be invited up onto the bed for cuddling! He would lie with his front feet folded over like a bunny - thus his nickname "Bunny Boy."

Tiggy loved to curl up in hidey-holes. One evening, I lay back on the bed to read, and encountered a big lump: he's crawled into the pillowcase & turned around!

new scrap pages, part I

2008-11-25T13:11:00.000-08:00

Pages made with the fabulous October Kraft Girl Kit (see link at right side of page):

This page done with Basic Grey Mellow & Cosmo Cricket papers... title comes from the old Girl Scout song: "Make new friends, but keep the old: one is silver but the other's gold." Terri & I have been friends for almost 40 years now!

Layout of my mom and Aunt Peggy on a bus trip to Oregon... see the Coke bottle in my mom's hand in the large photo? I always thought she looks like she's doing an ad for Coke in this pic!

nommin' bamboo!

2008-11-12T06:14:00.000-08:00

Who knew bamboo tasted so good??? Ivan was running around the living room like a crazy thing, jumping on the bamboo as though he were climbing a tree, and chowing down on it in the process.

Since I knew this could only end badly, I had to relocate the plant outside to the patio!

Capt. Jack Sparrow vs. Ivan the Terrible: who will win?!!!!

2008-11-11T06:40:00.000-08:00

Jack & Ivan frequently get into tussles - and I'm never quite sure if they're just having fun or if they're really ticked at each other! Gotta give Ivan credit: he's half Jack's size but never hesitates a moment to jump right in!

what a difference a year makes!

2008-11-10T20:52:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I see my oncologist to get last week's PET scan results, and am keeping my fingers crossed that I'm still in remission after one year. If so, that bottle of Piper Heidsieck I've got chillin' is going to get cracked open! (Yeah, I definitely look better with eyebrows! LOL):

Update 11/12/08: Interestingly, my oncologist said the EXACT words of this post's title when he first walked in the room and saw me! How funny is that?

Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil

2008-09-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

... was the theme for the annual Gulfcoast Oncology Foundation dinner gala. I was invited to speak about my experience with cancer and how the Foundation helped me in so many ways this past year. The event took place at the gorgeous, historic Kapok Tree in Clearwater, and included not only dinner and dancing to a live band, but both silent and live auctions to benefit the Foundation. A former patient offered a $100,000 donation to the Foundation if they could match it by Dec. 31 of this year - and they did! We received the news that the goal had been met from Dr. Paonessa, the founder of the oncology group. The meal was scrumptious... a salad with balsamic vinaigrette/walnut/raspberry dressing, medallions of beef tenderloin with au gratin potatoes and green beans, jalapeno cornbread and white cheese biscuits, and desserts like tiny little eclairs, cannoli, and mini-cheesecakes. Dr. Paonessa provided a bottle of good champagne for each table (which, by the way, were simply stunning, as you can hopefully see in the pics). I made it through my talk without expiring from stagefright; many people came up to me afterwards and told me how much my story had touched them, so I guess I did a decent job. (Thank goodness!)

the tables were simply gorgeous...

as were the centerpieces...

they tinted the fountain's water blue to match the dinner's theme

Chuck & I out in the courtyard...

columns in the courtyard...

the waterfalls...

a quiet corner with lots of vines...

some of the amazing chandeliers...

the dining room from the balcony...

is it live... or is it Taintor?

2008-09-05T11:02:00.000-07:00

For Terri's birthday, I decided to combine the look of an Ann Taintor card with a quote from Terri's grandmother... above is the finished card, below is the original photo. The martini glass, dress & hat are vintage 50s, the gloves were my mom's (from the 60s), and the hair is courtesy of the American Cancer Society wig donation program!

Brian's 31st birthday

2008-09-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

Hard for me to believe that my little boy has reached the ripe old age of 31. Seems like just a couple days ago, he was pulling his Radio Flyer red wagon around, playing with Legos, and bringing home paper Valentines for mom he'd made in school... since I was too sick from chemo to do much (check out those chicken legs of mine - I'd lost about 20 lbs!), we decided to have our celebration dinner later on when I felt better. But Brian did order a new desk chair as his gift from me... a nice, comfy leather one!

Terri

2008-09-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

My bff, Terri, and I have known each other for almost 40 years now. We met when a mutual friend, Diane, introduced us in our sophomore year of high school (1969). If I remember correctly, it was in the gym during P.E. class. We quickly became best friends - it was rather amazing how much we had in common - but the thing we shared most of all was a quirky, somewhat macabre of humor. In fact, over the remaining years of high school, we had so many private jokes that we compiled "The List": about a four-page, single-spaced record of all our catchwords and funny, made-up phrases. I couldn't begin to tell you all the jokes... some of the origins are lost in the mists of time. But whenever we talk or email each other, there is usually something from "The List" in the conversation!

The photo above was taken a little over a year ago, while I was in pain from the (unknown to me at the time) cancer growing out of my tailbone, thus the dark circles under my eyes. Terri was there for me then, as she has always been there for me, and, I devoutly hope, always will be. She truly is my best friend - forever - and the sister I never had... I love you, Cadillac! ~~Bulk

the cheese thief

2008-09-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

And then there was the incident of the cheese... a few nights ago, I was reading and eating a grilled cheese. Over half the sandwich was left when I got up to visit the bathroom. Two minutes later, I opened the bathroom door to the sight of Ivan, stretched across from the bed to my night table, nomming down the sandwich like there was no tomorrow! He'd already polished off about half of what was there - little semi-circular kitty bites showed where he'd been chowing down. So I let him have the rest... and he loved it! Crazy little guy!!

some scrappy friends

2008-09-05T08:31:00.000-07:00

The ladies in these photos are part of my monthly craft night group. We get together and each do whatever moves us: scrapping, rubber stamping, jewelry making, cards... Our hostess, Kristie, is one of the most gracious ladies I know. Kind, thoughtful, and easygoing, she always provides a welcoming atmosphere and a hug to all who enter her door. We each bring something to munch on (and calories don't count when you're at someone else's house, right?) and have a wonderful time!

the great word bubble project

2008-09-05T08:23:00.000-07:00

This idea came from one of my online scrapping friends (thanks, Candi!): make a "word balloon/bubble" and take pictures of your friends and family holding it up. Then apply captions at will! The first photo below is my son, Brian; the second is his long-time friend, Zac; and then two of my "furbabies": Fred (grey & white) & Kierra (brown patch). Haven't gotten to the other 3 cats yet - it's hard to catch them sitting still somewhere where I can prop up the "bubble". I'm sure my son & Zac thought I was crazy, but on the other hand, they should be used to that by now! LOL

Tagged!

2008-08-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

1. Who makes your favorite Pattern Paper? Basic Grey

2. What's the best glue, in your opinion? Magic Scraps' Scrappy Glue - can't live without it!

3. Do you use only Bazzill cardstock? no, I like the white-core cs since it looks so great when sanded

4. Do you like sketches? yes - I'd get lots less done if I didn't have sketches

5. Do you like American Crafts paper? yes!

6. What about Doodlebug? right up there with Basic Grey!

7. Is journaling important to you? depends, sometimes the pics tell the story so well that you don't need much journaling

8. Do you "swap"? have done some but not super-crazy about them

9. Tags: be honest, do you really like them, and more importantly, use them? love them but don't use as much as I used to

10. Do you feel fiber is for the "beginners"? not at all - I love the texture it adds

11. What are you favorite 3 manufactures? KI memories, Basic Grey and Chatterbox (the old Chatterbox)

12. Name your favorite embellishment? flowers/brads - it's a tie

13. Would you ever attach 3 eyelets or brad as an embellishment for your LO? sure

14. What do you think of Tinkering Ink? mostly too busy for me, although there is some I like

15. If you were choosen to be a lifetime design team member for only ONE company and would get their products free for life, but you could not use any other company's stuff... would you do it? no way - there are too many cool products out there to only use one company!

16. Should all pages be started on cardstock? no, I've done lots starting with pp

17. How many different pattern papers are the right choice for pages to have balance? however many I can fit on the page without it looking stupid

18. What bugs you about other peoples' work the most? when people get into a rut - using the same theme/paper/embellies on every page

19. What's the best advice you would give another scrapper? only buy stuff for one lo at a time - instead of just buying whatever you think you MIGHT use!

20. What makes the perfect page, in your honest opinion? one that follows the basic design principles: keep it simple; balance, repetition, white space...

a new family member

2008-08-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

Five cats: that seems to be the magic number at my house. When Hobbes was killed, I didn't particularly want to get another cat, I was so heartbroken. But... a couple of weeks ago, I received an email via my friend Linda, who was forwarding a request from another friend of hers to help find a home for a kitten who had appeared out of nowhere in their yard. None of their neighbors claimed it, and no one knew where it had come from. The photos attached to the email showed an adorable little fellow, completely grey but for faint tabby striping, and olive green eyes. I took one look and fell in love!

I asked Brian to name him, and since the kitten so closely resembled a Russian Blue, "Ivan the Terrible" came to live at my house. Ivan is so energetic that it wears me out just watching him. But he loves to cuddle up close to mama, too - and I am definitely mama! Every time I have a glass of milk, he mews pitifully until I share some with him.

a new hobby?!?!

2008-08-22T11:32:00.001-07:00

see more pwn and owned pictures

100 years

2008-06-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

For Louisa's "about me" challenge... journaling is the lyrics from "100 Years" by Five for Fighting. The song has special meaning to me - at 15, I lost my mother; at 22, I was a new mother myself; at 33, I was married for the second time; at 45, it was the new millenium! I hope I make it to 67... let alone 99.

it ain't easy being Queen!

2008-05-21T07:52:00.001-07:00

My kitty, Baba, shortly before she passed away from kidney problems at the ripe old age of 18. She had a wonderful life, although I have to say she sure was a stinker sometimes! She was always queen of the house, what with her huge feet (polydactyl) and superior attitude - and the other cats avoided crossing her path whenever they could!

the old bag herself

2008-05-20T10:59:00.000-07:00

Took this last Friday night by holding the camera out in front of me. Not the best way to do a portrait, as I found out! I will be so glad when my hair grows out more, I really don't like it like this (gray and curly). Yuk. But at least I HAVE hair, which is sure better than being bald!

Spring has Sprung!

2008-05-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

spring is here in central Florida - I can tell, because my avocado tree has now completed its annual shedding of leaves (weird, most trees do this in the fall, right?), and they're heaped deeply under its spreading boughs. As I contemplated the cleanup work ahead of me, I glanced up at the tree and noticed that it appeared to be beaded - every little branch was loaded with miniature fruit! So I snapped a few photos to capture the abundance of nature. I've never seen the tree this prolific before...

Doesn't it look as though the branches have beads attached to their ends?

Leetle baby avocadoes! Awww!!!

Me, So Far

2008-05-16T12:41:00.001-07:00

Me, So Far
Originally uploaded by one_scrappy_kat

A page I created for Brigid's "use a magazine ad" challenge. This paper is just the coolest; I had to use the whole sheet at once! Funny part is, I was in one of the lss last weekend and almost bought a piece of it, then, on second look, I realized it was coming in my Scarlet Lime kit!

reading: one of my FUNdamental pleasures

2008-04-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

Lying awake last night, thoughts whirling around in my brain like a hamster on a wheel, I started thinking about all the wonderful books I read as a child. So many of them profoundly influenced the way I look at life, not to mention how my sense of humor developed. I've been an avid reader as far back as I can remember, devouring every printed word that comes my way. These days, I look for books that are thick - the thicker the better - so they will last me more than one night's reading!

The one that comes to mind first - probably because it had the biggest influence of all - is The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster, with wonderful illustrations by Jules Feiffer. It's the story of a bored little boy named Milo who receives the tollbooth as a gift (we never do find out who it's from), and proceeds to set it up just for something to do. He drives his toy car past the booth and is suddenly transported to a completely unfamiliar landscape, populated by weird and wonderful beings such as Tock (a "watch"dog who becomes his traveling companion), the Spelling Bee (who spells most of the words he speaks), Rhyme & Reason (twin sisters, princesses, banished to the Castle in the Sky), the Mathematician (who punctuates most of his conversation with comments such as "By the 13,456,345 hairs on my head..."), King Azaz (that's A-to-Z: he rules over letters), and Chroma (the maestro who conducts all the color in the world). Milo crosses the Sea of Knowledge and dares the Mountains of Ignorance to save the two princesses... and in the process, learns far more than he ever bargained for and becomes interested in learning even more. I learned far more than I ever bargained for, too! To this day, I still re-read the book now and then, just to re-acquaint myself with the beloved characters. I learned so many valuable life lessons from the book. One of the best was/is "It's all in how you look at things. From here, that looks like a bucket of water. But to an ant, it's a vast ocean, while to an elephant, it's just a cool drink." How profound is that to a child?!

Perhaps the second most influential book I read as a child was Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time. Boy, did that ever open my eyes to some new concepts! Tesseracts! Angels! Dragons! People who are really stars (the kind in the sky)! I read as many other of her books as I could lay my hands on (once I find an author I love, I tend to do that). And now, after all these years, I find there are still a couple of her books I haven't yet read. Library, here I come!

Another book that changed my thinking was It's Like this, Cat by Emily Cheney Neville. I chose it from my elementary school library when I was about 9 because I saw it had won the Newbery award. It's a very sweet story, but also has a good amount of serious reality to it. Since I've loved cats all my life, the book was perfect for me. It's the story of a young boy growing up in New York City and the cat he decides to give a home to. The book opened my eyes to the way other children live (in a huge city as opposed to the small town where I grew up) and gave me a different perspective on so many ideas...

I could go on and on about all the books I loved as a child, but this blog would be longer than Methuselah's beard! So I will suffice by making a list of titles I loved, and still love:

Elizabeth Enright: Thimble Summer, The Melendys, The Four-Story Mistake, Spiderweb for Two (my absolute favorite of hers!), Then There Were Five, Gone-Away Lake, Return to Gone-Away.

Madeleine L'Engle: A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door (mitochondria! farandolae!), A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters, An Acceptable Time, Meet the Austins, The Moon by Night, The Young Unicorns, The Arm of the Starfish.

Gladys Malvern: Tamar, Saul's Daughter, Behold Your Queen! (the story of Esther)

J.R.R. Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion

C.S. Lewis: The Chronicles of Narnia. If you have ever read this series, you will never forget them! Of course the most famous is The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, but the other books in the series are equally wonderful!

Scott O'Dell: Island of the Blue Dolphins. Oh, how I love this story! It taught me about independence, faith and ingenuity...

Maxine Shore: The Captive Princess. A marvelous story based on the true life of a princess of Britain, Gwladys Ruffyd, whose family was captured & enslaved by the Romans, but who were eventually made citizens of Rome. Gwladys's name is changed to Claudia Ruffina - the first Christian princess of Britain, and she marries a handsome Roman captain whose parents are the very same Pricilla and Aquilla found in the Bible's New Testament.

Hugh Lofting: I was given one of the series for Christmas when I was 6, promptly fell in love with all things Dr. Dolittle, and am proud to say that I own and have read them all: The Story of Dr. Dolittle, Dr. Dolittle's Circus, Dr. Dolittle's Caravan, Dr. Dolittle's Post Office, Dr. Dolittle in the Moon, Dr. Dolittle and the Green Canary, Dr. Dolittle's Garden, Dr. Dolittle's Puddleby Adventure, The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle.

that man of mine

2008-04-15T07:26:00.000-07:00

We met swing dancing. My friend Bev came over to me and said, "See that guy over there? He wants to ask you to dance, but he's afraid to because he's just learning and he thinks you're too good a dancer to dance with him." Me being me, I then walked over, introduced myself, and asked him to dance. The rest is history... we have been together for almost six years now, and loving every minute of it! The pic was taken 3/06 at the annual Heritage Village WWII Re-enactment, where our swing dance group "performs" (i.e. we just dance) at the gazebo, dressed in vintage 40s outfits. Chuck & I have actually had our picture in the paper a couple of years, just because we dressed up so authentically! Heritage Village is an open-air museum here in Largo, FL, where historic old buildings, some dating back to the 1800s, have been transported from all over the state to preserve them for the future. There's a church, school, railroad depot, general store, and many more. It's such a cool museum!

what's come over me?!

2008-04-15T06:28:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what's come over me lately: I've actually been scrapping almost every night! Used to be, I only got around to working on pages on weekends... and even then, there always seemed to be some chore around the house or yard that needed doing instead. I have to assume that my joining a message board/critique group at Scrapbook.com has inspired me, or should I say that the wonderful ladies in that group have inspired me?!

Anyway, monthly scrap night is this coming Saturday - I've got to get organized or else I will get nothing done! So... last night I got in my scrap room and started going through photos and the papers & embellies I'd set aside for them, and boy, did it get me inspired! I've got enough ideas to last through the next 6 months! LOL

This is how the craft night came about: several years ago, I joined the "scrapbooking club" at a local craft store (Crafts & Stuff) and met all the lovely ladies I now scrap once a month with. We had such fun at the club: trying new techniques, doing weekly challenges, swaps, and even a crop or two. Eventually, the fellow (yes, a male scrapper!) who hosted the club left the store for another job. But before he left, both he and the manager asked me to take over the club, as well as work at the store part-time as their "scrapbooking person." I was really honored! My layouts would be featured on boards above corresponding products, and I received a 25% discount (oh, boy, did I stock up - not to mention getting first pick of new merchandise coming in!). But, eventually, we disbanded the club due to some friction between several members and the new manager, and we decided to meet at one member's house on a monthly basis. We even had a weekend-long crop there last year for National Scrapbooking Day - the layout at page top is from that.

cats & more cats

2008-04-11T07:32:00.000-07:00

I have loved cats all my life. No idea why, but I have a suspicion that maybe I was one in a former life! LOL

Currently, I have 5 kittehs, all of whom were rescued. Hobbes is the old lady of the bunch, at 13 years. She's a calico I found at the place where I work out - someone had dumped her and the attendants at the gym had been feeding her. Here she is, lying on my bed with Fred & Indy:

Next are Indiana Jones (so named for his love of digging in the litterbox) and Frederick von Katt (Freddy), who are brothers born of a homeless mom (although she's not anymore) & raised to adoptable age by my friend Kristeen, who found the family. Indy is a black & white "tuxedo" cat, Freddy is his double, just grey & white.

Kierra, my brown patch girl, came from Friends of Strays, our local no-kill shelter. I walked in and said, "Show me the kitties who've been here the longest!" She had been there since kittenhood! So glad I brought her home, she is the most loving little thing. Here she is...

Last, but certainly not least, is Captain Jack Sparrow, so named for his love of attacking anything that moves (mostly the other cats, who really get tired of it) and generally making trouble. He was found perched in a tree near a vet's office, and my friend Linda, who used to work there, emailed me to ask if I'd like to have him. Silly question! There is apparently something a bit wrong with his voice, as he never meows, but sort of chirps like a bird! Here are a couple of layouts I did of him for the same challenge:

it's over (but it's not!)

2008-04-10T12:19:00.000-07:00

I'm so over feeling crummy, and all the anxiety/nausea every morning. I guess it's part of weaning myself off the pain meds I've been prescribed, but it still stinks. Every darn morning!!! I wish I could just go to sleep and wake up feeling like my old self again. But I don't know if I ever will feel like I used to - cancer and chemotherapy change everything.

I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma last August, after a harrowing battle with pain that had lasted from the previous September, when I fell while hiking up in South Carolina's Table Rock State Park. I fell right on my tailbone. Literally saw stars after my feet shot out from under me. The pain subsided enough to complete the weekend, but a few weeks later, it reared its ugly head again, and I went to the doctor for x-rays to make sure nothing was cracked or broken. No damage was found, pain med was prescribed, and it was assumed I had a bone bruise. (The photo is from beautiful Falls Park in Greenville, SC, taken the day before I fell.)

Months went by with the pain lessening not a bit. Finally I asked for an MRI, which proved inconclusive. I was admitted to the hospital on June 1, 2007, and a biopsy was performed. It came back with a diagnosis of sarcoma, which, as my oncologist told me, is fatal in a very short time. He wished to have a second biopsy, though, because the first diagnosis was not really conclusive. I'm so happy he insisted! The second biopsy was done around August 22, and while performing this surgery, the surgeon also gave me a hysterectomy and an ileostomy (oh goody), "just to get the organs out of the way." Ha! But... at least the diagnosis was correct this time.

I began chemotherapy the day after coming home from the hospital, after being in there for over 6 weeks. My leg muscles had atrophied somewhat - my legs looked like chicken bones - and I was so weak that I had to crawl around my home on hands and knees, pulling myself up to use a walker. After 18 weeks of chemo (1 treatment every 3 weeks), I thought I was done with the horrible nausea that it had brought to me. Week after week, it was a struggle just to get enough food in me to survive. I lost about 20 pounds, which I could ill afford, being slender to begin with. But no, the nausea persisted...

Now I know that it is most likely being caused by the gradual weaning off the medications I have been taking. I will be so glad when all the drugs are out of my poor ol' body... have several weeks to go for that, but I am so looking forward to feeling better in the mornings.

in the beginning...

2008-04-09T16:03:00.000-07:00

... there was a woman who loved art, design, and crafting things with paper and rubber stamps. That would be me.

If you're wondering why I named this blog "The Paisley Cat," it's because I love the cats of Laurel Burch, and even though I've never seen one of hers with a paisley design incorporated into it, I always think of her cats as being paisley, weirdly enough!