What's new, pussy cat?
I’ve been wiling away the chilly winter days sleeping late, drinking lots of tea, and dreaming of sunshine. The cats don’t much care for winter either—they miss being able to hang out on the screened in porch, and they get cranky with each other. The dry air makes their fur crackle with static electricity, so petting them can be a shocking experience!
I’ve not been completely lazy though. I painted a snowy barn painting (above right) for a nice lady in Columbus, Indiana, which was fun to work on and turned out absolutely frosty. I got out my glass paints and created a whole line of wineglasses and matching carafes, plus some whimsical mugs and bowls with black cats on them. I’ve been putting together some new jewelry too, getting ready for upcoming shows. For Valentine’s Day I created some really cute heart shaped pins—very fun!
I’ve also been working on a grant application, a couple show applications, plans for my new studio/gallery space, and “helping” Eric with the new Website design. And then there are all those cats to take care of. And the dogs, chickens and ducks. And then there’s laundry and the dishes, and I really should vacuum…
My hand painted wineglasses and miniature paintings have been juried into the Brown County Craft Gallery, so I have a new venue for those items. The gallery is small, but packed with high quality handcrafted items made locally. There’s quite a range of items—textiles, pottery, jewelry, dolls, glassware, soap, etc.
So next time you’re in Nashville, stop in and check it out. Then have lunch at the Hob Nob, afterwards stroll down the block to the Village Green Building (smell the apple butter) and haul yourself upstairs to visit the Ferrer Gallery—there’s always something going on there. They will send you on your way—with a warm, fuzzy feeling that only truly friendly folks can impart—to Gallery by the Green to say hello to Charlotte and Joe. Nashville can be a bit of a tourist trap, but with a little effort some special places and people can be discovered.
January 16th, 2009
The Sleepy Cat Studio Website is currently getting a facelift and will soon appear fresh and fabulous! The Jewelry section will be expanded and a new category (Etc) will be created to cover hand-painted glassware, textile items, bookmarks…etc.
Our dear old cat 
No, I haven’t run out of cats for this category—are you wondering how many we have? Guess you’ll just have to stay tuned…
Milo is our last Spencer acquired cat. Like Pogo, he just came walking up one day- young, skinny and demanding (like a typical teenager). However, he was a lynx point Siamese and I assumed he must belong to someone. Who would dump such a gorgeous cat? So for a few days I ignored him, figuring he would go home. We checked the paper and called the vet to see if someone had reported him missing. Eventually I decided I couldn’t let him go hungry, and the rest is history.
Like many Siamese cats, Milo has a distinct personality and can be vocal at times. He is a bit of a mama’s boy, sleeping curled against my arm at night, and prefers to keep me in sight during the day. If I venture outside, say to fill the bird feeders or gather the eggs (did I mention we have chickens and ducks? No, there won’t be a Fowl of the Month entry, sorry) Milo sits in the window and meows for me to come back. Being such a beautiful cat, I’ve tried to paint him, but the texture of his fur and the mystery of his eyes are hard to recreate. He can be a bit of an ornery cat at times—as of this writing he is in “time out” for chasing Freddy (a huge orange cat who could squash Milo if only he didn’t have the heart of a cowardly lion).
Almost caught up for ’08. Pogo is the December Cat of the Month for 2008. Pogo is another Spencer cat, discovered as a kitten of around 14-16 weeks old. I heard his sad meows one day while I was out on the front porch and he gladly came running when I called. I brought him inside, carried him up stairs where Eric was reading on the bed. I plunked this madly purring bit of orange and white fur down next to him and said “Look what I found! Can I keep him?” Pogo was climbing and rubbing and purring all over Eric—he didn’t stand a chance.
Over time Pogo has become more reserved, in fact he does this shrinking thing sometimes when petted. He sees my hand as a limbo stick and goes belly to the ground to avoid contact. Other times I ask him if he’s been in the friendly juice, as he becomes the friendly Pogo of old and delights in human contact. Unlike 
Tigger is the November (of ’08) Cat of the Month. She came to us in Spencer, a half-grown, semi-wild tabby cat. She is still a little on the wild side, even after all these years. She despises the other cats and most humans. I think she wishes she and I were the only creatures living in our house, maybe on the planet—and is secretly plotting on how to make this come about.
Every once in a while when the door is open, she makes a lightening fast dash to the outdoors and quickly reverts to her feral cat persona. Any approach is met with hisses and deadly glares—we simply have to wait her out. Eventually, we begin a conversation of cajolling “here, kitty kitty” (on my part) and tentative meows (on her part) and slowly the trust is built up again and she’ll scoot through the door. Of course this involves holding back the other cats who naturally want to see what’s up—so I alternate between “Get back!” (sternly) and “Come on, Tigger!” ( encouragingly). When she finally comes in, we all breathe a sigh of relief and have a glass of wine, or cup of tea, depending on mood.