New Book by Cindy Adkins: Stella Finds a Home

Our friend and fellow author/artist/blogger, Cindy Adkins, has an adorable children's book just out titled "Stella Finds a Home."  Buster, Sam and Rudy are very happy that she has written a book about kitties and they give this book a big PAWS UP!!

Here is a brief introduction to this book:
This is a story for parents who enjoy reading to their children. There are no illustrations.

There is an endearing, homeless tuxedo cat named Stella who is longing to be adopted by a family. She wants a warm place to live with people who will love her. Stella is scared and lonely out on the street and wants more than anything to find a place to belong. Her best friend, Zack, is a Persian cat who lives a comfortable life with his own family in a nice neighborhood. He has a trick up his sleeve to make Stella's dream become a reality as the two of them work on a scheme to help secure her a new home. Join them on a quest that is filled with plenty of feline antics in this story that will warm the hearts of children 5-8. Length: Approx. 2400 words.

Many of my blog followers are also followers of Cindy - but for those who aren't - this book is not written by ME, but another Cindy Adkins! Yes, there are two of us!! And, we're not related (except as soul sisters!) Cindy is a very talented writer and has several ebooks available on Amazon.com. She has written books about blogging, mixed media art, as well as fiction novels for young adults and a paranormal romance. I hope you'll check out her books! To order "Stella Finds a Home" simply click on the link below and it will take you to it on Amazon.com. 

 Until next time,

Cindy

Linking to Pink Saturday on How Sweet the Sound

Foley China Teacup

Hello Everyone,
I haven't posted a teacup in quite a while, but my small collection grows slowly but surely. Today, I have a "new" cup to share with you - as in "new" to me, but it's actually quite old. This is a Foley China teacup and saucer in the Glengarry Thistle pattern. Pink flowers on a light blue background with gold trim. Very pretty!

It's my understanding that Foley China was produced by several different manufacturers in England. The backstamp on my cup says "Glengarry Thistle" Foley China, English Bone China, Made in England. This dates it to between 1930-1936.

I couldn't find an actual description of this pattern online, but the flowers look like clover. The antique shop where I found it had another one just like this. I may have to go back and get it! What do you think?

Have a wonderful week!

Until next time,

Cindy

Linking to the following Tea Parties and Blogs:

Tuesday Cuppa Tea at Antiques and Teacups

Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage

Teacup Tuesday at Martha's Favorites

Teacup Tuesday at Artful Affirmations

Teacup Thursday at Miss Spenser's Blog

A Return to Loveliness at A Delightsome Life

What's It Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Passion Parade Friday Link Soriee at Petites Passions

Virtual Summer Tea Party

Beverly at How Sweet the Sound is celebrating her 4th anniversary of hosting Pink Saturday, which was the very first "link party" I participated in ~ so this "pink tea party" is in honor of her! You're all invited, and to see lots of other pink posts, visit Beverly's blog HERE!  It's all about the pink!

I'm also happy to be participating in Tea in the Garden at Bernideen's Tea Time Blog. Her beautiful blog is all about decorating, gardening, cooking and tea parties! The weather is perfect, so please join us for tea in the garden HERE!  

Have a seat around the table...

Choose your teacup...

Help yourself to a sandwich...

....and a cranberry-almond scone.

Or, maybe you'd prefer an English scone with strawberry jam and clotted cream...

And, last, but not least, everyone goes home with a beautiful pink cupcake!

Thanks for coming to my virtual summer tea party! I'm also sharing this on the Passion Parade Friday Link Soiree over at Petities Passons HERE!

Until next time,

Cindy

All photos courtesy Google Images

Golden Gate Bridge 75th Anniversary

Hello Everyone,

May 27th marks the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge, so I'm reposting something that I wrote last August about some of my memories of this architectural wonder!

Today I've been thinking about the time my friend Jeannette and I took a day trip to San Francisco and walked across the 1.7-mile long Golden Gate Bridge. Here's a shot of the bridge from the Marin County/Sausalito side.

A close-up look at the walkway on the bridge.

Designed by Irving Morrow, he is also credited with choosing the bridge's trademark bright orange, a color now known as International Orange. I love the bridge's Art Deco style. At 746 feet above the ocean, it's difficult to describe just how large this bridge is without actually seeing it. Walking across it is an exhilarating experience!

After our walk across the bridge, Jeannette and I headed to Stinson Beach, which is reached via the winding, steep, narrow Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway.) In some areas, the mountains hug one side of the roadway, as cliffs drop off on the other side into the Pacific Ocean.

The road to Stinson Beach

Stinson Beach is a tiny village approximately 20 miles north of San Francisco. It's fairly secluded and has 3.5 miles of beach for walking, kite flying, sunning, and beachcombing. I found a huge piece of gnarled, weathered-grey driftwood that I fell in love with - so, of course, we dragged it back to her truck, laughing all the way! I displayed the driftwood in my home for years - until I moved to Ohio and couldn't figure out a way to ship it! Fun memories!

The village of Stinson Beach

Happy 75th Anniversary Golden Gate Bridge, on May 27, 2012! Thanks for the memories!

Until next time,

Cindy

Linking this to Seasonal Sundays on The Tablescaper

All photos courtesy Google Images

Abandoned Houses

I love old, abandoned houses. When I went to my 12 year-old grandnephew's baseball game last week in a nieghboring village, this house was just behind the ball field. Notice the gazebo in the back! I have no idea how old this house is, but I like to picture women in long dresses, sipping tea in the gazebo, surrounded by a garden filled with antique roses.

This log house is on the same plot, across from the house in the picture above. There were a few other buildings on the land, too, in much worse shape than these. My niece's husband knows the owner and said they all used to be part of what was called "Valentine Village." Interesting...

I can picture a swing hanging from that big branch of this huge, old tree! What stories do the walls of these old places hold? These homes are quite a contrast to the pretty cottages in my previous post - but I love them all!

Until next time,

Cindy

Linking to Outdoor Wednesday on The Southern Daydreamer

Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard

Hello Everyone,
While researching Martha's Vineyard for my work, I discovered the village of Oak Bluffs. I don't know about you, but I'd never heard of it before. Oak Bluffs is a village of about 4,000 residents on the island, home to the  Martha’s Vineyard Methodist Camp Meeting Association (a religious summer revival.) There are hundreds of these colorfully painted and decorated Victorian “gingerbread” cottages there. Oak Bluffs has the most perfectly preserved collection of Carpenter Gothic-style architecture in the world. Aren't these cottages charming? Looks like a storybook village to me! Another place to put on my "list of places I want to visit!"

Have you been to Martha's Vineyard and/or Oak Bluffs? I've been to Massachusetts once, eons ago, but didn't make it to Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket Island. There are so many beautiful places in our country to explore if one has the time and money! Happy weekend!

Until next time,

Cindy

All photos courtesy Wikipedia and Google Images

Linking : Pink Saturday on How Sweet the Sound
            Seasonal Sundays on The Tablescaper
                              Outdoor Wednesday on The Southern Daydreamer

Fire and Ice: A Paranormal Romance

Billy Alfonso is a young shrimper from Louisiana. His girlfriend, Jessie, was swept away in the Gulf of Mexico during a squall four years ago, or so he believes. Her body was never found. No matter what he does, he cannot erase her from his memory. Is she still out there alive somewhere? The beautiful Sarah appears from Texas. She knows more about Jessie than Billy can imagine and claims that the insights about the young woman come through her dreams. Should he believe the long-legged beauty or not? Soon, Billy and Sarah are catapulted into a world of intrigue that has them toggling between bayou country and the French Quarter to find the answers. The entire time, it is as if Fate is directing their steps.

Many of you know fellow blogger, Cindy Adkins of "Whimsical Musings" and may be familiar with her wonderful spiritual books. But, did you know she's also a bestselling fiction author? Fire and Ice is her latest ebook, available from Amazon.com (to order, click on the Amazon.com icon below.) I'm reading it and it's wonderful! I can't wait to see how it ends! I'm so happy for Cindy as she embarks on this new direction of her writing and career! If you're looking for a good book to read this summer at the beach...in the garden...on the front porch with a tall glass of lemonade...I highly recommend Fire and Ice: A Paranormal Romance! If you don't have a Kindle, you can download the book to your computer. Cindy has all the details on her blog, which can be found HERE. Happy Summer Reading, everyone! 

Until next time,

Cindy

Cats on Tuesday ~ Buster's Life Lesson #2

Hello friends, Buster here.
I already shared with you my first life lesson I learned when first came to live with Mom and two brothers, and that is "if you ever lose your way, watch for open door and make new life." You can read about that HERE. Now I am ready to share life lesson number two, but first I have story to tell you.

TRUE STORY OF ME - BUSTER

After I live with Mom and Rudy and Sam for about 4 years, something bad happen to me. Mom let me go outside to sleep on patio swing one day. Only, this day I decide to go exploring. Before I know it, I lose my way again and don't know where the heck I am. I walk up and down sidewalks looking for my house, but I don't see it. I don't see Mom. I don't see Rudy or Sam. I start to panic and feel like I going to throw up a hairball! Pretty soon, someone pick me up. I relax, thinking, "oh, this person going to take me home to Mom." Nooooo! That NOT what happen, friends! Instead, they take me to cat prison!! They put me in a tiny room with bars and no windows!! All I had was room to lay down and a potty box. Twice a day, lady comes in and gives me food and water and says "oh, you sweet little thing!" Stuff like that. This go on for days and days. I thought this might be where I going to spend the rest of my life, but I had hope in my heart I would see Mom again.

While this going on, Mom was having a big cry every day because she couldn't find me! She put my picture on a piece of paper that say LOST CAT and put in everyone's mailbox. She even call the cat prison and ask if they find me, but they tell her "we're sorry but he isn't here." This go on for THREE weeks until finally woman at cat prison look at paper where Mom call in...then she come in and look at me...scratch her head...and say "maybe..." They call Mom and she come to look at me and as soon as she sees me, she start crying and say "It's him, it's him!"  I purr real loud, I so happy to see Mom! So, soon I was back home...biting Sam and Rudy's ears and playing with fake mousies...

...and eating good food again. I like to eat on stairs, so I even train Mom to feed me there! MOL!

So friends, moral of this story is: when you find yourself trapped, don't ever give up hope of loved one finding you and setting you free.

Until next time,

Buster

P.S. Mom try to put something around my neck that have my name and phone number on it. But, I am bad and everytime I take it off until finally she give up on that idea. Instead, I just stick close to home now. No more exploring.

Linking to: Cats on Tuesday on My Cats and Funny Stories

Cats in Windows

My blogging friend, Myric, of Petites Passions, is launching her new link party "Passion Parade Friday Link Soiree."  The idea is to post about something you're passionate about and link it to her blog. As most of my followers know, I'm passionate about several things; art, books, tea, nature, travel...and cats! So, this Friday, I'm sharing photos of my cats (those furry critters just can't get enough of seeing themselves online!) I invite everyone to visit Myric's blog, if you aren't already a follower of hers, and join in the fun. She's also hosting a giveaway!

Rudy and Sam watching the rain, day before yesterday

Rainy day musings...

In the meantime, Sam retreated for a snooze. A nice day for a nap...but then, everyday is a good day to nap for a cat!

And here is our English kitty friend, Dolly. I introduced Dolly to you in an earlier post, which can be found HERE. 

Here are a few more photos of cats in windows that I found on Google Images from a website called Great-Pictures-Of-Cats.com.

                                                     Photo by Raindog

                                               Photo by Mr. Beck

                                           Photo by Photo Knight

I think every window should have a cat!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Until next time,

Cindy

Linking to: Passion Parade Friday Link Soiree