Took my daughter To Portland International Airport

I miss her already! My daughter came to visit for a couple of weeks and it was soooo nice to see her.  She lives in Scottsdale, AZ and I am trying to convince her that Portland would be wonderful :) 


Picking her UP from the airport was a hoot, lol. I spent a little time driving around the IKEA parking lot, trying to find my way back out to the airport  exit I missed. It's pretty big and there are lots of planes . . .don't know how I missed it . . . GPS doodads were created for people like me.

Anyway, it's a nice drive from Salem to Portland and it's a beautiful day, AND she's my favorite person on the planet, so . . .I feel glad to have all that. She's off now and I'm thinking of "I Miss You" designs for cards. This is a new one:

Thinking of You, Bird

The Cats are adjusting to Oregon

Well, the cats and I have been here in Oregon for a few weeks now and I think we are adjusting to all the green. They flop over on their backs in the front yard and roll back and forth on the grass, especially after it's just been mown--all the nice stubby grass feels good!

Albuquerque, our home for 15 years, is beautiful, but it is not green. In fact, flying over Albuquerque you notice how not green it is. What it is is many lovely shades of brown. And we didn't have a lawn, lawns are too thirsty for a dry environment, but we did have 2 acres for the cats to roam and a driveway with plenty of places to hide so they could jump out and startle you when you walked up from getting the mail. A favorite cat past time :)

New Mexico evening

I have a lot of images of New Mexico on my camera that I want to paint in the near future. I especially love the hills and the Sandias when they turn pink in the evening, all the sun and long shadows. For now though,
we are busy getting used to moisture in the air and rolling in the grass, hiding behind the blackberry bushes and working on new card designs for Greeting Card Universe.

Check out this cool fan page I found!

Check out this cool fan page I found!

Thanks to Emily for featuring one of my cat designs on her blog, Creative Artist's Blog! She features designs by other artists and today is all about cats :) 

Kathy's Needlework Canvases

If you love needlepoint , you should check out a fun store on Ebay: Kathy's Needlework Canvases:

"Kathy's Needleworks caters to the discriminating, adventurous needlepoint artisan. We are proud that some of the best contemporary artists around collaborate with us-- enabling us to offer beautiful works in folk and modern art on quality Zweigart needlepoint canvas."

Kathleen Mason runs the store (very nice woman!) and she has a wide variety of designs for needlepoint aficianados looking for something new. She has folk art, or cats and dogs,
several artists who sell on Ebay like Annie Lane, Jan Weiss, Lori Everett, Ryta, and Sandra Silberzweig. I have a page too :) She offers needlepoint designs that you won't find
anywhere else. And for me, having my art as a needlepoint design is new and fun!

There have to be some needlepoint-loving cat moms out there, so this one is for you :)

Salem Friends of Felines

I saw this wonderful window while I was driving the other day. In it was a kitty jungle gym and a beautiful cat laying contentedly on top, looking out at the passing traffic. I was on my way somewhere or would have stopped in, but on my list of must-dos! It's Salem Friends of Felines, a cat rescue and adoption organization with attached thrift store. They are a no-kill organization for cats in Salem, Oregon. Here is their website and info:

Our Mission Statement:
To help as many homeless cats and kittens as we can by placing them in loving permanent homes; to reduce feline over-population through education and our spay/neuter assistance program; and to bring more public awareness to the plight of homeless and unwanted cats.

They offer spay and neuter help through a voucher program. Call this number to get in touch with a volunteer:

503 362-5611

You can adopt cats and kittens from this location or at the Petsmart on Lancaster Dr. NE.

Pet Rescue and Adoption organizations work very hard and depend on volunteers to run. So, let's hear it for animal lovers and volunteers!

Greeting Card for Thanks Volunteers

My Friend, Amma the Nearly-Feral Cat

I have a cat friend named Amma who was found as a small kitten under our shed along with a very feral, spitting mother cat. They both eventually became tamer, but the "feral" will always be there. I'm glad. Feral in a cat means the cat belongs to itself, not us. I named her Amma for Amma, the hugging Saint. (I was reading her biography at the time and Amma, the cat, is very loving when she chooses to be around us.)

Amma is still skittish around us, but when she wants attention, she will come right up and rub rub rub, then head butt, all the while talking a blue streak. And this can go on for a good half hour. I try to make sure I give her that focus when she asks for it because when she has had enough, she's gone. She prefers to be outside when it isn't freezing.

Amma has blue eyes and short hair, looks like a Siamese, but is big and heavy like a Ragdoll. She's a beautiful girl. And she is the inspiration for several of my cat drawings, like the one below, that is a refrigerator magnet.

Amma is one example of what Alley Cat Allies and Coronadocats.org in Phoenix describe as cats who happily live outdoors, with a little help in the way of spaying or neutering, and vaccinating. When Amma wants human contact, she comes and asks for it, clearly, and when she wants a treat or a little cat food, she lets you know. Trying to pick her up to hug is like chasing mercury across the floor.

Here is a link to a great article on feral cat communities.