Bye July & Special Gifts

Saying "bye" to July today. What a hot, dry summer month! Of course summer is supposed to be hot, but this was really too much, wasn't it? Or am I whining again about the weather?!

Kittens doing great! Growing, playing, purring (yep our shy little Pixie is purring now!) They have been with us for 10 days and have become the stars of the household. (don't tell that to the dogs, please).

Olympics? Haven't gotten much opportunity to watch. To be honest, I hate watching commercial tv, drives me nuts.

I wanted to show off my gifts I received from Sandy Sandy when I visited her in New Jersey last week. Been so enamored of kittens, I haven't had a chance to focus on other things.

This beautifully framed picture of a robin was beautifully painted by Sandy Sandy. Is it not exceptional? I absolutely love it and it is now one of my treasured possessions. To see more of Sandy's art, please click on this link . It will take you to Sandy's blog, and there you will find beautiful things and links to her other websites. (please click on photos for a better view)

Sandy also give me this artful, inspirational and informational book on Animal Spirits. She both wrote the text and painted the illustrations. It is called An Awakening to the Presence of Animal Spirits. As described  on the back of the book:  "....the author/illustrator has created a simplified guide book which will help anyone with an open mind become more aware of the very real yet somewhat hidden layers of the natural world." There are many entries that feature the "symbolic and spiritual attributes of some of our planet's most common and popular creatures."  This is truly a divine book representing much study and spiritual awareness on Sandy's part. Birds, animals, both wild and domesticated, marine life and more are shown. Knowing about these Animal Spirits will greatly enhance your life, both the mundane and  the spiritual.

Look at this Christmas Cactus. I promise, Sandy, I will do my best to keep it alive and well. I love it.

This little kitty cat is a marvelous creation of Sandy's husband, Jerry. He takes castaway scrap metal, nails, bolts, railway pikes, horseshoes, you name it, and fashions them into the most delighful works of whimsy. So creative! I adore this cat, and he now guards the front porch.

Such gifts from such generous, kind people!!

Thanks for stopping by today. Wednesday is a special day, Lughnasadh, a Wiccan sabbat. I will share about it tomorrow.  Stay cool.

Pixie (isn't she cute)

Wordless Wednesday--Kittens at Play

New Jersey Adventures

We are home safe and sound after a marvelous weekend. My husband and I met two of the kindest, most generous people on this planet. Sandy Sandy and her husband welcomed us into their beautiful home and treated us royally....great food, beautiful surroundings including wild turkeys, hundreds of hummingbirds, whimsical handcrafted artwork and spirit-filled paintings. They gave us a tour of their workshop and studio, horse barn, the nearby Pine Barrens and miles of cranberry bogs. We were gifted with fresh-picked Jersey white corn, tomatoes, a Christmas cactus, art, both painted and metalwork, and wonderful home-made blueberry waffles for Sunday breakfast.

Oh, and there were kittens as well. (click on any photo for a closer look)

Jersey Kids a-frolick

Tom Turkeys and their ladies

More than 30 deer visit Sandy's home daily, for corn, apples and bananas

Sandy's husband crafts dragons and all manner of things out of found scrap metals

Through the Pine Barrens into cranberry bogs

Hard to capture the many hummers on camera

Two great friends, Robin and Sandy

An amazing weekend! Fun and sweet. We came home with two adorable kittens! There has been a little change in who we brought home. You will have to visit my other blog, Purrrrsnickitty  to read about that.

Please visit Sandy's blog to see her art and read more about her journey through a spirited life and how she and her husband live with horses, cats, wild turkey, deer, raccoons, woodchucks and all manner of things of the natural world. Sandy Sandy Spirit Artist

The Weekend Is Upon Us

A very busy week is culminating with preparations today for our "big trip" to New Jersey.  You know, the trip where we meet a good blog friend and collect a couple of kittens!

Calico Sisters

Wishing everyone a happy and safe weekend.

Celebrate Oz Post is Here...Now

Apparently Blogger thinks it is still Wednesday. I published my Oz post at 12:20 am July 19th. Blogger says I slept in till 8:10 am Yesterday!   so...for my followers...please scroll down to see today's post, which is dated Wednesday July 18th.

Thank you very much!!!     Robin.

Celebrate Oz! *** Toto Speaks ***

Note: the lovely Oma Linda of the blog http://lindaomasoldebaggsnstuftshirts.blogspot.com/  is hosting her second annual Celebrate Oz blog party today. Click on the link to visit Linda's blog, and to see the list of other party participants. We are off to see the Wizard!

A few days after Dorothy and Toto returned home from their adventures in Oz, Norris Newshound, reporter from the newspaper, "Barker's Chronicle", (their motto: "News for Dogs, and you can pee on it after") sat and stayed with Toto to learn his thoughts concerning his trip to see the Wizard.

NN: Toto, you don't look any worse for wear after your big trip.

Toto: Thanks, Norris, I don't feel too badly, though I am a little hoarse.

NN: There was a lot of barking?

Toto: Oh, you betcha! Tornadoes, wicked witches, weird Munchkins. And those trees!

NN: What about the trees, Toto?

Toto: Man, they were wild. They threw apples. I tried fetching them, but there were just too many. So I just barked and lifted my leg. You know how a dog loves a tree.

NN: Hmm, yes, well. Tell us a bit about your companions.

Toto: Well, you know I love Dorothy to death, but she has strange taste in friends. I mean, that Scarecrow tasted awful. You can't really sink your teeth into straw, you know. And every time you'd turn around, that Tin Man was calling for his oil can. I got a little tired of the "Oil can what?" joke. I mean, woof!

NN: Were you afraid of the Lion?

Toto: Are you serious? I could take him down with three paws tied behind my back.

NN: I understand the Flying Monkeys were rather terrifying.

Toto: Not much fun being carried away by one of those monkeys.

NN: It was painful and scary?

Toto: Naw, they just had a gawd-awful smell. Woof! You know, I like me some good smells. The Wicked Witch actually didn't smell that bad. Kinda like lollipops.

NN: You don't mean.......?

Toto: Yep, that Munchkin Mayor told us there used to be a lot more representatives of the Lollipop Guild.

NN: So Toto, you were a hero, weren't you, since you were the one who discovered the Wizard imposter.

Toto: Oh, sure, I decided it was "Curtains" for that guy. What a maroon.

NN: Do you think you would like to return to Oz some time, Toto?

Toto: Yeah, I think so. You know, they have that Horse of a Different Color? I heard they also have a Dog of a Thousand Smells, and that she ain't fixed! Woof, woof!

NN: Good dog, Toto. And this concludes our interview. Thank you for sharing your story with us. Glad you returned safely.

Toto: Thanks, Norris. There's no place like home, unless there's big juicy steak at the neighbor's.

GiveAway Winner!

Papers with names on them
Swirling and Twirling
Who Wins the Book?
Well Let's Look and See

Pluck a Name
Unfold the Paper
Who Is It?







Hmmmmmmmm.........

Do Your Really Want to Know?


The Winner of the book "A Discovery Of Witches" by Deborah Harkness is...........



Scroll some more, why don't ya?



Tee-Hee..................

It's Debra, from the blog she who seeks

Congrats Debra!!!!! Thank you everyone who entered the giveaway! I appreciate your loyal readership!!