Aby-a-Day – 31 Maj: “Expose yourself to as much randomness as possible” (Hipstamatic Monday)

Good news, everyone! Last Wednesday, I got my first Covid vaccination (#teampfizer)! However, it also kicked my butt for a few days; today is the first day my arm doesn’t feel like I was hit by a stick. So, here: have some random Hipstasnaps taken around the house. First we have Alfred and Izaak cuddled up next to Jacoby on my leg.

It’s interesting to see the pair-ups that occur amongst the cats. Dashiell and Alfred hang out together quite a bit.

So do Angel and Zak. Sometimes, it’s Angel’s choice…

…other times, not so much.

I wonder if I should be concerned about what Dash and Freddy are plotting…

Not quite sure what’s going on here. Moving on…

Lorelai looking at me hopefully. She always wants to go outside to run.

This was taken today. Zak was looking particularly smexy this afternoon.

Aby-a-Day – 18 Maj: Marlin’s back! (Cartoon Tuesday)

Yesterday, Iris sent NEMO club members a draft of the flyer for our first post-Covid in-person show. It’s only open to exhibitors, and masks will be required unless eating or drinking. When I saw it, I knew what I had to do.

So here is the new, improved, mask-wearing Marlin doing his BBQ thing.

Here’s how it looks on the flyer itself. Not bad, eh?

Aby-a-Day – 30 April: Spade and Archer (Photoshop Friday)

Well…I’m back. And yes, I actually did test positive for Covid-19. As did Björn and Kalle. My symptoms, oddly, were mainly stomach and intestinal, not lung-related. Not really what I was expecting at all. Of course, I really wasn’t expecting to get the virus at all, since I was following the rules my adopted country wouldn’t…but here we are. And I am pretty angry about it, too. Nobody wears a bloody mask in this country except me and I still get sodding Covid. Don’t get me started.

But, you know…this is a happy blog, about kitties and happy things, not anger at the way a nation has mishandling a worldwide pandemic…so…

Here is Dashiell in the office of Spade and Archer in San Francisco.

And here it is again, with a little extra noir added for good measure.

(PS: Covid-19 is no joke. Seriously, you don’t want to experience it.)

Aby-a-Day – 16 April: This wasn’t the way I wanted to go viral (Photoshop Friday)

So, since I posted last week, Björn is still in the hospital (he may get out tomorrow), and I have tested positive for Covid. Despite having asthma, my lungs and breathing are remarkably all right; my biggest reaction has been in my gut. Nausea, a metallic taste in my mouth, and zero appetite. Since the last time I weighed myself (the last time I weighed the cats), I have lost 5kg (11lbs). Hey, every cloud has a silver lining, right? Anyway, the other night at about 4am, I had this brilliant idea for a 1950’s-style weight-loss ad…it doesn’t include a cat, but it’s a pretty decent Photoshop if I do say so myself.

Aby-a-Day – 11 April: A sad anniversary and an update (Serious Sunday)

I haven’t posted since Thursday, because…Björn and I have been sick. Björn is actually in the hospital with Covid, and I have a wicked cough but no fever yet. It’s also the second anniversary of Jacoby’s death, so with all that going on I haven’t felt very inspired. Kalle and I will get tested for Covid on Tuesday, and hopefully Björn will be home soon. Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Aby-a-Day – 28 Mars: Our best virtual show yet – The Singa (Cat Show Sunday)

Yesterday I posted Lorelai’s and Dashiell’s results in the Garden State Cat Club Virtual Show. Today it’s Izaak’s turn. His best final was 5th Best in Sharon Roy’s ring.

This is what Sharon had to say about him starting at 3:54.

Zak was 8th Best Cat in Championnship in Vicki Nye’s ring. She also finalled both Rory (in this same ring) and Dash, so she liked all of our cats.

Vicki’s assessment of Zak starts at 4:11.

Zak also made 11th Best in my friend Lorraine Shelton’s ring.

She really liked him, too; see what she had to say starting at 2:53. With Dash making two finals, Zak three, and Rory four, this really was our best virtual show ever!

Aby-a-Day – 27 Mars: Our best virtual show yet – The Abys (Cat Show Saturday)

I entered Dashiell, Lorelai and Izaak in the Garden State Cat Club Virtual Show a couple of weeks ago, and the finals were announced earlier this week. Today, we have the Abyssinian finals. Rory got the highest final: SECOND BEST in Kenny Currle’s ring!

You can see his assessment of Rory on YouTube starting at 5:06.

Rory got 10th Best in two other judges’ rings: Jeri Zottoli and Nicholas Pun.

You can see Jeri’s comments at 4:00.

Nicholas’ opinion is at 3:52.

Rory’s lowest final was 13th Best in Vicki Nye’s ring.

Here’s what Vicki had to say about Rory starting at 1:37.

They had a special class for cats who were never shown because of the pandemic called “A Star is Born.” Vicki gave him 4th Best in her ring.

This is was Vicki thought about Dash, starting at 5:56.

Dash was 7th Best in Gary Veach’s ring, just ahead of his nephew Max! Max also finalled in some of the rings that Dash didn’t.

You can watch Gary’s commentary on both Max and Dash here starting at 4:34. Tomorrow, we’ll see how Zak did in the show.

Aby-a-Day – 22 Mars: It’s kind of springy (Hipstamatic Monday)

Today it was a balmy 10°C (50°F), so I thought I would take the cats out. Lorelai was on a leash again, but I attached Alfred’s leash to hers, so it was twice as long.

I managed to get Dashiell to come out with us too. He’s gotten so little exposure to things: trains, buses, cat shows…and just being outside because of the pandemic. I do the best I can to get him outside, though.

Rory, of course, was eager to run down the hill, but the leash sort of put a damper on that plan.

Maybe next time I’ll attach a third leash so she can go farther.

Freddy came galloping down to join Rory.

Izaak came swaggering over, too.

Look at them. The Three Musketeers.

Dash did pretty well outside. At least, he had a happy tail.

Dash and Rory have a sort of bond, being the two youngest cats.

Freddy had an awesome time running around. At over 5 kg (11 lbs)…he needs to run a bit.

It’s nice to go outside with the cats. It’s kind of nice to go anywhere with them, to be honest.

Aby-a-Day – 6 Mars: Dashiell at a…sort of…cat show (Cat Show Saturday)

The little cat show at DjurMagazinet at the end of 2019 was the only show Dashiell got to go to before Coronavirus happened-

All in all, he managed it quite well, despite his usual skittishness. Of course, he wasn’t alone.

He had his little big sister, Lorelai, to keep him company.

And, of course, his personal therapy cat, Izaak.

It’s too bad, really…I think he would have done wonderfully at a FIFe show.

Aby-a-Day – 20 Februari: Special Viewing Unit (Swedish Saturday)

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has been on the air for 22 years, and I have been watching it since the very first episode. Since moving to Sweden, it’s been hard to keep up with the latest episodes, but I manage.

New episodes air Thursday nights at 9pm Eastern time, which is 3am here, so I watch my SVU every Friday morning (good lord, I sound like my mom). And I rarely watch it alone.

Björn snapped these photos of everyone watching the show with me. This is what our life in quarantine looks like. I can’t believe it’s been almost a year of this.

Aby-a-Day – 24 Januari: The good old days of 2019 (Singapura Cat Show Sunday)

Remember when, back in the day, we went to cat shows and didn’t know words like “social distancing”?

Sigh…

I do.

Especially in Sweden, the pariah of Scandinavia. We may never have a show again at the rate we’re going.

These photos are from a show in Västra Frölunda…15 September 2019. Back when the world was…normal.

This is judge Ad De Bruijn from Holland examining Izaak.

Zak really turned it on for the judge, too…but he didn’t get the NOM.

I don’t think I have shared one of these before, but this is Ad De Bruijn’s judging sheet for Zak (these sheets are the BEST thing about FIFe).

Aby-a-Day – 2 Jaunari: A little socially-distanced celebration (Swedish Saturday)

On New Year’s Eve, we had a little socially-distanced party in the afternoon.

It was pretty cold, around 2°C with a breeze, but being outside seemed prudent. Since Alfred has the most…insulation.., he got to come out with us. Johan, our upstairs neighbour, manned the grill.

Meanwhile, Freddy charmed Johan’s mother…

…and this little girl.

Bruno was out with us, too, and Freddy was extra friendly with him. It was nice to spend time with other people…even if it was really cold and only for an hour or so.

Aby-a-Day – 31 December 2020: 2020 hindsight (Thursday Things)

So. 2020 is almost over. And what a year it’s been.

Think about it…one year ago today, would you ever have dreamed of even one of the things that happened? Let alone ALL of them! From the pandemic, to the fires in California, to the rioting and unrest in the cities, to the hurricanes, to the antics of the American “president,” to the absolutely bizarre events following the election…Just because I live in Sweden doesn’t mean that I am not affected by what happens back in the States. I just hope things get better in 2021, with a new President and a Covid vaccine.

2021 cannot be worse than this year, can it? Let’s hear it for 2020 hindsight!

Aby-a-Day – 24 December 2020: Från oss alla till er alla, en riktigt god Jul! (Thursday Things)

Well…it’s been a memorable year, that’s for sure.

I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a year that so globally interesting.

But enough of that…time to watch Kalle Anka and eat and drink too much. Happy Christmas and God Jul.

Aby-a-Day – 22 December 2020: Catty Christmas cards (Not Really Cartoon Tuesday)

Okay. Now, I know these aren’t cartoons. But I have been working on colouring Dashiell Hamilton every day. I want to get the green of his suit just right, and it’s taking a lot longer than I thought…and I haven’t even started on colouring Dash himself! I am trying to do as much as I can in Procreate…but yesterday I got a new Paperlike screen protector, and let me tell you, it is a game changer! It really feels like I’m drawing on real paper, and it is so much better than drawing on glass. Even though it’s digital, it still feels organic. I’ve also ordered a set of Pen Tips, which should also improve the drawing experience. While Paperlike and Pen Tips ship worldwide, they are based in Germany and the Netherlands respectfully, so I don’t have to pay any import taxes!

Since Dash-Ham isn’t finished enough to post an update, I’m sharing some Christmas cards I’ve received. The above card arrived today from my Sverak club AbSolut Kattklubb. That is one lovely blue Somali.

This card came a couple of days ago from my friend Donna in Massachussetts. I think these Birmans are adorable. At least, I think they’re Birmans…hard to tell when you can’t see their feet!

This cute little Siamese postcard came today, also from Donna. I love that she keeps sending me postcards…it’s nice to have physical notes from friends sometimes, especially during a pandemic.

Aby-a-Day – 3 December 2020: Things we saw along the way (Travel Thursday)

Because of the pandemic and me being in a high-risk group, I haven’t travelled much at all this year. This trip to Stockholm was the first one I’ve taken anywhere since we took Lorelai to meet Io back in July. It was nice to see new and different things again!

There had been some snowfall, and at a rest stop, I saw these lovely frosted leaves.

On the road at dusk (around 15:00), there was this incredible moonrise.

Considering I took these photos through the windows of a moving car, I think they turned out rather well.

On Saturday, we went into Stockholm city to do some shopping. We passed by the Royal Palace, already decorated for Jul. I love the concrete lions guarding the entrance.

As luck would have it, whilst I was taking that first photo, the Royal Guard happened to pass by!

I took this one on the way back when we stopped at an ICA to get a snack. It was closed, but if we hadn’t stopped I wouldn’t have gotten to see the historic Åsgården.

Still, out of all the things we saw last weekend…this was definitely the best!

Aby-a-Day – 22 November 2020: Remember when we travelled? (Cat Show Sunday)

Today Björn posted a memory from this day last year, with the comment, “It’s a year since the last cat show we attended, and when we could travel like so many times before. How things can change in a year…”

This was the train to the ferry to a Turku, Finland, where Izaak and Lorelai earned their International Champion titles. We haven’t been to a show since then. A whole year without a cat show…hard to believe. And I haven’t been anywhere at all since July! Because of my asthma I stay in as much as possible, especially since the health officials in Sweden are still saying masks don’t help against the coronavirus…especially on public transportation.

“We don’t see that we are at a point where we might recommend general use of face masks on public transport,” Karin Tegmark Wisell, head of the Public Health Agency in Stockholm, told reporters on Thursday. “Face masks shouldn’t be used as an excuse not to keep a distance.” That’s a direct quote. Yeeeeaaahhhh…I’m not going anywhere by train for a while.

Aby-a-Day – 7 November 2020: Paws Across the Sea Results! (Cat Show Saturday)

Two weeks ago, I posted about entering the Paws Across the Sea joint Region 1/Region 9 CFA virtual show. Well, the results were announced last weekend! As expected, Lorelai didn’t make any finals (there were three blue female Abys in Championship), but we did have a bit of luck…each of the other cats made one final each.

Izaak was 15th Best Cat in Championship in Iris Zinck’s virtual ring. He also made a final as 15th Best in the Nemo show.

You can hear Iris’ comments on Zak here (starting at 0:55).

Dashiell was 4th Best Cat in Premiership in Suki Lee’s virtual ring. In the Nemo show, he was 6th Best Cat in Premiership in one ring, so that’s a good sign for when we finally get to go back to real cat shows.

You can hear Suki’s comments on Dash here (starting at 7:12).

Perhaps the most gratifying final, though, was Angel’s HHP final in Gary Veach’s virtual ring. She was 12th Best! This is only her second show…and her first final.

You can hear Gary’s comments on Angel here (starting at 3:06).

I really do miss going to cat shows…we haven’t been to one for an entire year, since last November, if you can believe it. But at least we have virtual shows to keep us going.

Aby-a-Day – 2 November 2020: Some random trips to the vet (Medical Monday)

Going through some photos I haven’t edited yet, I found a few trips we took to the vet late last year and earlier this year. First we have a trip Dashiell and I took to see a vet in Göteborg.

This was only Dash’s second train trip.

He really seemed to like looking out the window.

But unlike the other cats, he was happiest sitting in his carrier with the top open. Which makes sense; Dash and that carrier have been through a lot together!

He wasn’t terribly keen on leaving it when we got to the vet’s office, either.

While we had plenty of room on the ride to Göteborg, on the way back the only car that allowed pets was jam-packed and I had to hold Dash in his carrier on my lap in a cramped, non-table chair. This is because people without pets rudely take up space in the only space we’re allowed to have animals in. Pets don’t even get an entire car; usually it’s only a section of one car. Those people can sit anywhere. It just infuriates me.

Looks like it made Dash a little salty, too.

A couple of weeks later, Alfred needed to go in to be checked over. I think this was the very first time Freddy had one of his breathing attacks.

Of course, just like when you take your car into the shop, he was perfectly fine when we were actually at the vet.

Last but not least, Lorelai and I went for a quick check up back in January. You remember January…before we knew about Covid-19? Good times.

We borrowed Dash’s carrier for the trip.

Rory was her usual perky self.

She had to explore and examine everything.

Of course, the top shelf with the plant was a bit extra.

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That’s better, busy girl. Examine the radiator.

Rory didn’t like the fact that I wouldn’t let her out of the carrier while we were waiting between buses. Guess Dash isn’t the only one who can get a little salty.

Aby-a-Day – 25 Oktober 2020: Paws Across the Sea (Cat Show Sunday)

Remember the artwork I did for a Region 1/Region 9 virtual CFA show? Well, entries are closing today!

I entered Izaak and Lorelai in Championship…even though they aren’t registered in CFA, as long as they are registered in any organisation, they’re eligible to be shown.

I know I use these photos from Örebro a lot, but they are just so wonderful. It’s going to be interesting; whilst Zak is the only Singapura entered (so far), there are three Championship blue Aby girls entered!

Dashiell is entered in Premiership. I wish I had more professional shots of him, but at least we have the photos from the ferry! Although, had I known virtual shows would become a thing, I would have taken his collar off.

Entries were $10 USD each, but the fourth entry was free, so I went ahead and entered Angel as a HHP. The cats will all be examined by CFA judges, just like a real show, and there will be top ten finals. But there is also a Spectators’ Choice element, and people can vote for their favourite cats. To vote for any of our cats, click on their photograph and their gallery page will open in a new window. Votes cost $1 USD each, and you can purchase multiple votes for each at one time, but can only make one transaction per cat per day. Funds raised will go to support both regions. For more information, go to the show’s home page.