Fall Is In The Air

Smokey modeling the new cold weather shrug.

Summer has come and gone and fall is finally in the air. The temperatures have dropped and long sleeves are finally appropriate again. While seasons aren't the same in FL as they are else where, its differently clear that changes are in the air. Smokey is getting in his fluffy coat, which comes in handy with the breezy weather. It seems the cold front blew in with the passing of hurricane Sandy, which now is heading north, and I wish everyone up that way the best safety. Make sure you keep your pets indoors, and leave plenty of food and water for them if you have to leave your home. For some safety tips click here. Let's also not forget that Halloween is also coming up on Wed, which is also a time to remember to keep your pets, especially anyone with black cats, safe! Here are some safety tips from the ASPCA.

While I've been busy working on cleaning out the house with my mom, Smokey has also been busy. Its not hard to find him hard at work... sleeping. He's got it all covered, anything that can be slept on, he will be on it. Be it a couch, chair, bed, person... His favorite place is in the middle of everything. But what cat doesn't like to lend a hand by laying in the middle of whatever you happen to be working on? His best talent with sleeping is his ability to look as cute as he possibly can. Which makes work even harder to get done with an adorable cat in front of you, rolling about and purring.

In my time away from cleaning, I've been trying to get some drawing in. Sadly to say I have only completed one Smokey inspired drawing, which is totally weak. Its meant to be a a cover all picture. You know, for any accession. Its not much, but its something. I'm also trying to work on a Chanukah card to send out to my Jewish friends this holiday season. As well as finally finishing the Thanksgiving Card I started so long ago. Not sure that it will happen, but I can hope, right? I still have several weeks.

Until then, Happy Halloween everyone!

Keep Up!

Life is good for Smokey. His health is doing awesome, he's even lost 5lbs! Which is great news for his Diabetes. He thinks he's a kitten again, and is getting into everything. Which, isn't the best, but some how he makes it cute. When he's not out and about, he spends his time napping on my bed.

Its good to have him around, because while it might look like he's sleeping, he's also helping me brainstorm ideas for now things to work on. As the greeting cards were starting to wear me down, I've decided to put them on the back burner for a little while. Smokey has suggested I perhaps do some work to help raise money and awareness for animal charities. Such as the Humane Society, ASPCA, and other local, smaller animal rescue agencies.  I'm happy to hear any ideas, or if anyone has a non-profit they'd like help getting the word out about, please let me know. We're happy to help!

Some of these things will be going a completely new direction, such as my new business card:

Smokey likes the way he looks in silhouette. So right now I'm leaning towards this for possible stickers, bumper sticker, car magnets, etc. He really wants me to start with an awareness ribbon for feline diabetes. I have that one in the works now. We make them for ourselves, we should have them for our furry family members too. Everything else is still a work in progress, hopefully I'll be able to get some work up soon.

Right now I'm applying to go back to college for Psychology. Maybe I'll go into pet psychology. People aren't the only ones with problems.

As a final word, I wanted to share a story about Smokey's friend (my aunt's cat), Pepe. He's just recently taken to eating bread, and lots of it! Now while I always knew Smokey enjoys a table scrap now and then, I'd never heard of cats going after bread. At least not to the extent of ripping open bags, getting on counters, etc. So I looked into it and apparently its a much more common thing than you might think.

Here are a few threads about it: Bread Eatting, Where's My Bread?, International