Cats on Tuesday ~ Buster Lost & Found!

Hello friends,
Rudy here. Our Mom has been so bad lately - she not let us post for our special day, Cats on Tuesday, for long time. I had to get real bossy with her to get on computer because I has to tell you what Buster did!  When warm weather is outside, Buster go outside every day for little while and sit on swing on patio, or sometimes he sit on old chair in garage.

See...this is Buster on swing.

Well, one day Mom let Buster out and when she went to get him...she couldn't find him! She waited and waited and waited. No Buster. At first she not worried, because sometimes we go in field in back of house to look for juicy little mousies. But, many hours pass and still Buster not come home. Mom start to remember one other time when Buster got lost and was gone for whole month! She go outside and call his name, "Buster...Busssterrr!" Just like that. She call animal prison to see if anyone bring in a kitty look like Buster. They say no. Then our human Aunt come over and I hear Mom ask if she drive her over neighborhood to look for him. She say, "it's so hot outside today, I'm afraid he'll be overcome by the heat." So they leave. Pretty soon, they come back and Aunt goes home. Mom sit in chair looking all depressed like. Well, friends, you'll never guess what happened.  Lots of hours go by...and just when Mom start to go look for Buster again, he come walking up on patio!! He be gone like 11 or 12 hours!!

Mom is happy and scoop him up. Buster come inside and eat and drink water and then he go to sleep in chair. He not tell anyone where he been all day. I ask him...Mom ask him...even Sam ask him...but he not telling anyone!

Mom say he grounded now for scaring her! MOL!

That is update for now, everyone. If you like to read about kitties, be sure to visit Gattina's blog, My Cats and Funny Stories, which can be found HERE.

 

Until next time,

Rudy

 

An Unexpected Gift

Imagine my surprise when I recently opened my mailbox and found a package from my good friend, Cindy Adkins (this is another Cindy Adkins. We have the same name and are friends. She lives in New Orleans and I live in Ohio!) She made this altered tin for me called Stay A While - isn't it beautiful? Thank you, Cindy, for your thoughtfulness! It certainly made me smile!

Cindy is an amazing artist and bestselling author. Right now she has a great tutorial on how to make your own mixed media journal on her blog, Cindy Adkins' Whimsical Musings, which can be found by clicking HERE. This is a picture of a journal she made (her photo from her blog.)

Cindy is also featuring these Remembrance necklaces, for sale on her blog HERE. I love these!

Photo belongs to Cindy Adkins' Whimsical Musings

I'm sure you'll enjoy a visit to her blog - she has all sorts of interesting and beautiful things there - including links to her free seminars, how to purchase her ebooks, free graphics for you to download and use for your own art, and much more! Just click HERE to visit the home page for Cindy Adkins Whimsical Musings and enjoy!

 Until next time,

 Cindy

A Pink & Yellow Birthday Celebration

Happy Birthday to Beverly at How Sweet the Sound! Beverly's link party, Pink Saturday, was the very first link party I joined after I started my blog. I had no idea what a link party even was until I visited her blog! Wow, have I learned a lot since then!  Beverly is having a special birthday this weekend, and her favorite colors are pink and yellow, so this post is dedicated to her. I hope you enjoy looking at these incredible pink and yellow confections! I love all of them ~ it's hard to pick a favorite. Have a good weekend, everyone!

All photos courtesy Google Images

Linking to Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound

Ode to Rain!

Rain, rain, don't go away...but please do come back another day!

It's raining in northwest Ohio! It poured earlier, coming down in big bucketfulls (is that a word?) running out of the storm gutters and splashing out of the birdbath, making little rivers and streams in and around my garden. I sat on my (covered) patio, smiling. Okay...I've always considered myself a "fair weather" person. Give me a sunny day and my spirits would automatically soar. I didn't realize how much I like rain - until we were without it. Like much of the U.S., it's been so hot and dry here this summer. I can't remember the temperature ever soaring over the century mark this many days or going this long without rain. So, it was a very welcome relief. I think I heard the poor, brown, crunchy grass going "ahhhh!" I guess I do like a rainy day now and then!

I didn't do this...but I felt like it.

Update: It rained again later in the evening, and this time, I did go out and stand in it. I lifted my face to feel the drops and it was joyous!

Until next time,

Cindy

All pictures courtesy Google Images

Linking to Seasonal Sundays on The Tablescaper

The Art of Gary and Kathwren Jenkins

I wish I could paint beautiful roses. I first discovered the art of Gary and Kathwren Jenkins when I worked at PBS (KVIE-Sacramento) in the 1990s. Gary and Kathwren are both artists and hosts of the PBS television series, "The Beauty of Oil Painting." The couple live and work from their studio in Carson City, Nevada, and they also share their talent through art classes, instructional videos and books. From the mid to late 90s, I studied their style of oil painting and tried, tried and tried to paint roses. I was never able to quite capture their style and my roses ended up looking like big blobs of paint on a canvas (I'm not joking!) My backgrounds were good and my leaves weren't bad, either. But, the roses? *sigh*  I gave up. I sold my Jenkins books and videos. I do so love their work, though. Maybe I should try again. I'd give (almost) anything to be able to paint a rose even half as good as these! The following are a few examples of Gary Jenkins' roses.

Gary Jenkins is known as one of the finest floral painters in America. The Jenkins' website can be found HERE. Check your local PBS listings for their television series.

Kathwren and Gary Jenkins

Until next time,

Cindy

Linking to:

Passion Parade Friday Link Soiree

 Pink Saturday on How Sweet the Sound

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

Daily Smile - Sunflowers!

Hello everyone,
I don't know about you, but sunflowers always make me smile! These are located in a field on Route 68, just outside the town of Yellow Springs, Ohio (in the southwestern part of the state.) I hope you enjoy looking at this field of gold!

 

Until next time,

Cindy

Linking to Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

Photos courtesy: Wikipedia Images and Yellow Springs OH facebook page

The Art Miles Mural Project

I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday! About a week ago, our town was host to a Peace Fair that featured The Art Miles Mural Project. It was a very enjoyable way to spend the afternoon ~ especially as this was before the heat wave hit us, and the weather was perfect. The Art Miles Mural Project is a twelve-year movement that combines the efforts of children and adults worldwide to promote global peace and harmony through mural art. To date, over 4,000 murals have been created in villages, towns and cities around the world. Some are "traveling murals," which is what was on display here. There were other arts and crafts for sale at the event, music from the '60s filled the air, and lots of tie dye was on hand, too - all a reminder of "the peace and love generation!" It just felt really good to be part of a day dedicated totally to peace and harmony. The following are some of the murals on display. The only problem ~ they didn't have them marked as to what country they're from.

The photos (above and below) are part of the mural that was created by our town's Middle School students. (I couldn't get the whole thing in one shot.)

 

Tie Dye!

If you'd like to learn more about the Art Miles Mural Project, you can visit their website HERE.

Until next time,

Cindy

Linking to the following blogs:

Potpourri Friday at 2805

Passion Parade Friday Link Soiree at Petite's Passions

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

Outdoor Wednesday at The Southern Daydreamer

...And the Winners Are

Thanks to everyone who entered my anniversary giveaway! I wish I had a gift for each of you, but after a random drawing, my FEO (Feline Executive Officer) Buster Brown is ready to announce the winners!

And the winners are...

Jen @ Creating With the Js - the colorful BIRD

Christine @ Christine's Blog - the garden BOOK

Donna @ Conghaile Cottage - the TEACUP

Congratulations, Jen, Christine and Donna! Please email me your address so I can mail your gifts!

Wishing all my U.S. friends a happy and safe Fourth of July holiday!

Until next time,

Cindy