The Last Egg

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Jean Tuttle

The Last EggWhere is Miss Charlotte? Why, she’s just now waking up, but any minute is going to enter the scene and have her breakfast. She’s saved the most beautiful candy egg in her Easter basket for last, fantasizing all the while about what kind of tasty “mystery filling” it may hold. (Flavored cream? A marshmallow chick? Swedish fish? A chocolate mouse?) The bunny knows, and so do I, but we don’t want to spoil the surprise. (Stay tuned.)

Meanwhile, I hope all of you reading this have a wonderful day today—filled with only the nicest surprises!

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Welcome Home

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Jean Tuttle

Welcome HomeAnyone who knows cats probably saw this doodle coming a mile down the pike—i.e., Charlotte’s complete indifference to my return last night, after a week away.

I’m just kidding though (sort of). The whole “cold shoulder cliché” made for a better breakfast table doodle for Dad this morning, than if I’d drawn Charlotte running to the door purring, no?

The truth is somewhere in between: Charlotte did in fact get off her brocade throne (briefly) to say hello when I got in (to sniff my pockets for treats), before going back to her Easter basket booty.

Just for fun, here are a couple of snapshots of the real Charlotte on said throne that Dad took with his iPhone for me while I was away. As one of the household mice once observed, she kinda looks like an angel when she’s sleeping—don’t you think?

Sleeping Angel

Meanwhile, Blackie and Max seemed very glad to see me, and of course everyone was thrilled to have Little Mouse back in the bosom of the family, where she belongs. And we were both thrilled to be home. We had a wonderful time visiting Molly and Ranger in Wisconsin, but it’s true what they say: Home is where the cat is—or in this case, cats. (Or something like that.)

I hope you all had an excellent Easter Monday today—a holiday for many of us. Wishing everyone sweet dreams tonight and happy landings back at work tomorrow morning. G’night!

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Happy Easter!

Posted on April 8, 2012 by Jean Tuttle

Greetings from Illinois, where Little Mouse and I have just returned from a fun-filled week in Wisconsin, visiting with my dog-niece and -nephew, Molly and Ranger.

Dreaming of Easter

Here we all are, enjoying our last night of sweet dreams together on those swanky Parisian sheets I love (which in real life are blue), before Little Mouse, her dolly Cindy and I hit the road.

Thank you, Carol and Gary, for sharing your wonderful home, dogs, and flower garden with me—It’s always a treat to come up and spend some time. (And thank you, Dad, for tending to the felines while I’ve been away—I know they appreciate it, and so do I!)

I hope all of you out there have a wonderful day today, whether you are celebrating Easter, Passover, or its simply being an excellent day to eat some extra chocolate and take an extra nap. Have a great Sunday, everyone!

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Easter Bonnets

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Jean Tuttle

Little Mouse and my visit to Wisconsin is drawing to a close this weekend, so we’ve been saying a fond farewell to all our favorite places. This afternoon we not only went to the dog park and the Mousehouse, we also went back to the town’s small library, to revisit their local history exhibit, which this month showcased some wonderful old bonnets from the “era of the hat” (the late 1890s—1920s).

Despite the sign “not to touch” a kindly librarian let Molly, Ranger, and Little Mouse each try on one of the vintage hats, and wear it while we hung out and read.

Molly, Ranger and Little Mouse in Festive Spring Bonnets

While in “real life” the actual hats on display were all black, with an occasional pink flower—which made me wonder if they were really Easter bonnets, after all—we imagined them in an array of lovely spring colors.

Vintage Clip Art from The Graphics Fairy—Thanks in large part to inspiration from The Graphics Fairy, where I found this great image of hats (and the rug pattern, too, which I adapted from one of her wallpaper swatches). If you haven’t yet browsed through Karen’s extensive collection of scanned ephemera (and like that kind of thing as much as I do), you’re in for a real treat. Karen adds new images to her blog daily, often reflecting seasonal or holiday themes, so there is currently a lot of fun Victorian Easter imagery being posted to enjoy and also use in your own collages.

Meanwhile, I hope everyone out there has a wonderful day, full of your own fond, creative, and colorful adventures!

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Charlotte, Queen of Sheba

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Jean Tuttle

Little Mouse went to bed pretty early last night, only to be woken by a noise just after 11 PM. She and Ranger padded out to the front hallway to investigate and came back to bed swearing that she saw our girl Charlotte on the front steps, dressed in royal robes and jewels, bearing goodies.

Was it real, or was it just a dream?
Charlotte, Queen of Sheba

I suspect the latter—and not just because she said it was daylight out—but since earlier today, Little Mouse had been looking at some art books, and was quite taken by Edward Poynter’s 1890 painting, “The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon.” Who can blame her? It’s pretty wonderful.

However, I can’t help wishing it wasn’t a dream, as that spinach and matzoh pie would have been awfully nice to have for breakfast!

Sending best wishes your way today as we ease into Good Friday, Passover, and the Easter holiday weekend. (—And Charlotte, if you’re reading this, looking forward to getting home to Illinois and seeing you real soon!)

 

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Home on The Range

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Jean Tuttle

Today was a little cooler, but nonetheless a great day for another excursion to the DP. This time, Ranger did the honors of playing pony to Little Mouse, and she felt right at home, riding him around the open fields. As an extra bonus, they ran into an affable gray cat, atop his mount, Winston.

Riding the Range

Winston, who was very gentle—and only a year old, according to his humans—smelled very, very nice to Ranger.

Molly in Her BonnetMolly came along, too, of course. And even though it wasn’t Sunday, she wore one of her pretty bonnets.(Rehearsing, I suspect, for Easter, coming up in just a few days.)

I hope all of you out there reading this had a wonderful day on Wednesday and are looking forward to a terrific Thursday!

Note: I was very tempted to call this entry, “At Home on the Ranger,” but in the end, editorial restraint prevailed. (Aren’t you glad?)

Also, many thanks to The Graphics Fairy, my favorite vintage clip art resource, for the base of Molly’s hat, and Little Mouse’s parasol.

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Grazing in the Grass

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Jean Tuttle

On our morning walk around Oak Springs Circle earlier today it became apparent that the grass in my sister’s front lawn was high—really high—compared to everyone else’s. Sure, we could call a lawn service to come mow it, but wouldn’t it be more fun to host a free, all-day, salad bar buffet, and invite all the neighbors?

Grazing in the Grass

Four hours, 7 goats, 3 cats, and 2 ducks later, the front yard was sporting a stylish new crew cut, and Little Mouse and Ranger had made some new friends. (Molly, a natural born herder, started hyperventilating at the mere thought of other animals milling about the front yard, and excused herself to go lie down inside.)

I hope everyone reading this had as productive and fun a Tuesday as we did here, and is looking forward to an even better Wednesday. See you then!

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Bathing Beauty

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Jean Tuttle

Little Mouse and I have been having a really wonderful time up here in Wisconsin, visiting with my sister’s dogs. But I have to admit, after several days away from Blackie, Max, and Charlotte, we are both feeling a little “cat deprived.”
Cat Taking a Bath

So imagine our delight when we came across this friendly orange cat, bathing in a window, on one of our walks around the neighborhood. This is the very first kitty either one of us has seen in days!

Hopefully, we’ll see some more cats in our dreams tonight.

Pleasant dreams to all of you on a Monday night, and see you all on here again tomorrow!

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Sunday in the Park with Dogs

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Jean Tuttle

Today was beautiful and balmy, a perfect day to head over to “the DP”—as I’ve been told households with dogs sometimes refer to the dog park (so as not to get their canine residents too jazzed up before the car is loaded and ready to go).

Molly and Little Mouse at the Dog ParkWhile a lot of the other dogs (including Ranger) like to dress casually on the weekend, Molly always wears her Sunday best, topped off with an amusing hat. She kindly added a small saddle on her belt today, so she could take Little Mouse for a ride. Doesn’t that look like fun?

We’re hoping for another sunny day tomorrow, so we can go back.

Sweet dreams on a Sunday night, and have a very pleasant Monday, everyone!

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Mecca for Mice

Posted on March 31, 2012 by Jean Tuttle

Mousehouse CheesehouseYes, the Mousehouse Cheesehaus is a real place, and was our very first stop when we arrived in Wisconsin yesterday. Can you believe that this fabulous cheese emporium is only a stone’s throw from my sister’s place? What wonderful good fortune! —Since Little Mouse and I will be staying at my sister’s for a whole week, visiting with my dog niece and nephew, Molly and Ranger.

Just imagine being a young mouse, walking into the Mousehouse for the very first time, and seeing all those perfect little packages of cheese curds, mouse-shaped novelty cheeses, cheese dips, and big honking blocks of  Swiss, Havarti, and Cheddar. Pretty darn thrilling!

Little Mouse Enters the Cheese Store

The Mousehouse also sells cheese hats, and does mail order—just in case you or another cheese lover you know wants to wear something a little different to this year’s Easter parade.

More on our trip to Wisconsin (AKA Cheese Heaven) tomorrow. Meanwhile, sweet dreams on a late Saturday night, and best wishes for a sunny Sunday morning!

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