Aby-a-Day – 30 Juli: Memories of Logan and Alfred together (Friday Flashback)

Facebook reminded me yesterday of Logan and Alfred, my brothers from another mother.

I had kind of forgotten what scamps they were! They used to get into everything when they were kittens.

Like Logan “helping” me in the laundry room.

And he put himself in that drawer-basket himself.

I’m not sure who the instigator of this little foray to the top of the bookshelf.

It was probably Freddy, although Logan was no slouch when it came to getting up and down from high places. Much better than Izaak ever was.

Then one day, I went into the bathroom and found…Freddy in one of our storage baskets.

Still not sure how he managed to get up there without knocking off any of my Catzillas!

He definitely looks very proud of himself.

Aby-a-Day – 18 Juni: Five years ago today…(Friday Flashback)

Five years ago today, Jacoby, Angel and I landed in Stockholm.

We took IcelandAir, which requires pets to travel in crates in a special pet cargo hold. It’s actually really great, because they allow two pets of the same species in one carrier. When we changed planes in Reykjavik, I actually saw them being loaded on the new plane.

We had a LOT of luggage. That was fun on the train to Skövde.

But once we had it all stashed, it was a very comfortable ride. Jake was enjoying the view immensely.

And then…

…we were home.

Aby-a-Day – 14 Maj: How it started (Friday Flashback)

Since last Sunday was Mother’s Day, I thought I’d post this. I was always Daddy’s girl. Also a tomboy. Also hated dresses and pink. And dolls. That was Tabby, my version of a doll. They tried to give me dolls. I took their clothes off and put them on Tabby. This was 1969. You can see the look in my eyes…He’s taking the photo and I’m begging him through the lens to get me out of this and take me fishing or something.

This is where my love of Siamese, and by extension, purebreeds began. My dad’s sister had two: Bippie and her son Caesar. This is me napping with Caesar on my uncle’s lap. Also 1969.

This was my cat, Baby Puss, on Easter.

This is when I met Baby Puss in 1967. She is named after the Flintstones’ cat. We also had a black male cat named Bagheera. I was always an avid television watcher.

My mom was ALL ABOUT the matching outfits. This was for my aunt’s 25th anniversary up in Edmonton in 1971.

And, in case you’re wondering…this was my reaction when my dad tried to get a puppy.

Aby-a-Day – 19 Mars: Fourteen Years Ago (Friday Flashback)

I got an email from Shutterfly today reminding me of photos I uploaded 14 years ago this week.They were all of Gun-Hee.

Most of them were of Gun-Hee “watching” an NCAA basketball game.

He had just turned six months old that week, too.

It was so cute to watch him. On that TV screen, the basketball was about the size of a Superball.

He clearly knew where the ball was. You can see he’s looking at it in this photo.

Gun-Hee really wanted to catch that ball!

Aby-a-Day – 30 Oktober 2020: Jacoby’s diva scarf (Friday Fashion Flashback)

This week, Facebook reminded me of the time Jacoby modelled a scarf my ex brought back from a business trip to India.

And oh, how he wore it.

Jake was such an awesome model.

He just…got it.

Jake was just so…special. I don’t know how or why, but together, we could do anything. Some days I really miss him.

Aby-a-Day – 16 Oktober 2020: Logan and the refrigerator (Friday Flashback)

A memory of Logan came up in my Facebook feed today.

Logan was a lot more agile than Izaak is. This is Logan on a tiny ledge on the top of the door to the cabinet above our refrigerator.

Not to say he was 100% confident up there, but the fact that he got up there at all is huge.

I cannot imagine Izaak even thinking of trying to go up there, let alone actually doing it.

He even started to groom himself up there!

As similar as Singapuras seem to each other…they are definitely individuals!

Aby-a-Day – 16 September 2020: Wordless Wednesday (Today would have been Gun-Hee’s 14th birthday)

Aby-a-Day – 11 September 2020: Facebook memories of Logan and Jacoby (Friday Flashback)

This week Facebook has been inundating me with memories of Logan. The above screenshot is from 10 September 2017, Logan’s six month birthday. Except it isn’t; Logan’s birthday was 9 March. I am not sure why I posted that on the 10th (which is Björn’s birthday).

This, though…this was 8 September 2017. Logan wanted to sleep where Jacoby was…and in typical Singapura fashion, he got what he wanted.

Then, three years ago today, Jake wanted to sleep where Logan was, so this happened. I miss them.

Aby-a-Day – 14 Augusti 2020: It’s only been a year? (Friday Flashback)

This memory came up on Facebook today; on this day last year, Alfred opened the front door. Now, we have to keep it locked at all times, even if we’re just going to get the mail.

I know we call Freddy our “Extra Cat”, but he is a very special boy. Karin called him a “philosopher.”

He’s also wicked smart.

Sometimes he’s a little too smart. Yesterday, I woke up to a crash and found Freddy had opened the kitchen cabinet, dragged out two bags of cat treats, and spilled a box of fusilli all over the floor. Thanks a lot, Freddy.

Wonder what his next grand plan is?

Aby-a-Day – 31 Juli 2020: The day Jacoby came to stay (Friday Flashback)

Tomorrow will be the eleventh anniversary of the day Sherry brought us Jacoby

He basically walked in, said, “Okay, this is home?” and that was that. He was completely unfazed by Kylie, Tessie and Angel.

Typical Jake. Bulletproof from the start.

And, as a bonus, here are two videos my ex took that I never even watched before. Look at him go! Click on the images to view the videos in another tab on Flickr.

He really did just walk in and take over our apartment.

Aby-a-Day – 24 Juli 2020: The start of an amazing experience (Friday Flashback)

This memory came up in my Facebook feed today. Seven years ago today, I was contacted by Leslie and Sheila of the Westchester Feline Club because they wanted Jacoby to be the 2013 Westchester Feline Club Cat of the Year.

I have to admit, I really had no clue what a huge honour it was to be named Cat of the Year, but fortunately I’m a fast learner. Of course, seeing his face on the Jumbotron was a pretty big hint.

I was constantly talking to people, or doing something with Jake. Besides the Cat of the Year, Jake was also entered in the show (we only missed two rings, which is a bit of a miracle) and he participated as a model in the Fashion Show which was held both Saturday and Sunday. Jake is actually the first Cat of the Year to do all three things in the same show!

The show was good; Jake made a few finals. And the fashion show was fantastic. They originally wanted Jake to wear a Santa outfit…but when we saw how he rocked this turkey confection, everyone agreed that it was the costume for him! The person who made it even gave it to him afterwards, because he owned it so hard.

The list of previous Cats of the Year is impressive, indeed.

Jake was given an incredible rosette – the Scarlett Ribbon – with a photo of Scarlett, who was the very first Cat of the Year and the reason the award was created.

He was also given this certificate…

…and this poster. I was NOT prepared for all of it!

It was truly a once in a lifetime experience…but I didn’t realise that in July!

Aby-a-Day – 10 Juli 2020: A hot day in July (Friday Flashback)

Today this memory came up in my memories on Facebook. I wasn’t even on Facebook in 2005, but okay. But it reminded me of that apartment I had in Somerville. It wasn’t the best, but I loved it.

It was SO hot in that apartment in summer, though. The middle room was the coolest, because I had a window air conditioner…but it was still hot.

Tessie turned two a month and a half after we got Kylie. Kylie loved her and copied everything she did.

And here they are now, last week. They are still BFFs and have been for fifteen years. Tessie will be 17 next month. I do miss them, but they are so happy where they are.

Aby-a-Day – 7 Juli 2020: 12th Night in July (Cartoon Tuesday)

Back when I was active in the SCA, instead of Christmas cards, I made Twelfth Night cards, since this is the SCA’s “Chrstmas.”

I have posted a few of these drawings back in 2015, but I just found another card I sent to Björn in 1993. I had totally forgotten that I drew this! The joke was that Harri, my Siamese, was more popular than we were…so he got all the Twelfth Night gifts.

Like most of my old SCA cartoons, it wasn’t exactly an exaggeration…

The original card was red ink on forest green cardstock. I did a lot of cartoons on…interesting…colour combinations, and I don’t have any black and white copies. Thank goodness for Photoshop!

Aby-a-Day – 3 Juli 2020: I miss cat shows (Friday Flashback)

These are photos from when Lorelai got a NOM at the very first show she was entered in.

We had Izaak at this point, but he hadn’t gotten his SVERAK registration yet, so he couldn’t be entered. This was the only show she went to alone.

The photos of Rory trying to nom her NOM ribbon are among my favourite photos of her.

We haven’t been able to go to a cat show since last November (thank you, global pandemic), and I really miss it. I think the cats do, too.

Aby-a-Day – 1 Juli 2020: Wordless Wednesday (Canada day, down Canada way)

Aby-a-Day – 5 Juni 2020: Has it been four years already? (Friday Flashback)

As you probably remember, four years ago this month, Jacoby, Angel and I moved to Sweden.

The movers came on 31 May. Angel was remarkably chill.

The movers coming in and packing everything up didn’t faze her one bit.

Jake, of course, was very helpful.

Tessie wanted to keep the scratching posts.

But mostly, the Abys just napped whilst the movers worked.

I was quite impressed watching the movers watching the movers wrap up the big cat tree.

A week and a half later, it was our turn to go.

We travelled to Sweden on IcelandAir, which requires all animals to travel in a designated animal area in the cargo hold due to Iceland’s quarantine laws. I was lucky enough to see Angel and Jake’s carrier transferring to our plane during the layover.

We arrived in Sweden just fine.

And we made it home to our apartment in Skövde. And here we are, four years later, living our happily ever after.

Well…except we no longer have Jake…but still.

Aby-a-Day – 29 Maj 2020: The Frankentree (Fashion Friday Flashback)

This morning, Facebook reminded me of the creation of the Frankentree that we keep on the balcony.

Angel loves sunning herself on there.

But then, she liked it before it was upgraded.

Alfred and Jacoby were also ond of the Frankentree…

…although it was a bit awkward when Freddy tried to nap in the cubby.

Logan loved the Frankentree.

But Angel and Lorelai continue to be the biggest fans of the Frankentree.

Although Angel doesn’t seem to enjoy sharing it with anyone.

Aby-a-Day – 22 Maj 2020: Facebook has all the memories! It has the best memories! (Fashion Friday Flashback)

Yesterday, Facebook reminded me of the time we got bored at a cat show and put some of the hair I had groomed off Jacoby and put it on his head.

After I did that, we noticed that the pile of hair on Jake’s bore a striking resemblance to a certain American president.

Especially from the side.

Jake was always such a good sport…

…and he really could rock anything he wore, too. I miss that.

Aby-a-Day – 15 Maj 2020: Gun-Hee and his tail (Photoshop Friday Flashback)

Gun-Hee loved chasing his tail. I posted a video of him chasing it in 2007, and then, a few months later, I posted a
“non-video” version of him chasing his tail.

Later, I took my three favourite shots…

…separated them from their background…

…and made a sort of action-collage of the three.

I was so proud of this at the time, I even put it on a T-shirt…but looking at the original PSD file…YIKES! Those edges are so bad! I guess I have learned a thing or two in 13 years.

Aby-a-Day – 8 Maj 2020: *Tips hat* M’leggie (Photoshop Friday Flashback)

10 years ago today, I posted this photo of Jacoby’s amusing leggie pose.

But what I never posted was a Picasso-inspired artistic version of this photo. So, here it is.