May's #PetPhotoFails

Meows from Mudpie!

Another month has flown by and it's time once again for the Pet Photo Fails Blog Hop!

In this first picture Mommy was trying to help me take a selfie with a Conway photo bomb in the background. I wasn't having it...

This second picture would've been super cute if it wasn't so dark. Mommy picked up a box of chicken-flavored crackers at the dollar store one day. Sounds strange, but she says they're very tasty! I wanted to find out for myself, so late one night while she was snacking and I was on her lap I nonchalantly snuck my paw into the bag. This was a big deal for me because I *never* ask for people food! She broke a cracker up for me and it was actually quite good! Too bad this picture doesn't accurately depict how cute the moment was...

Hope my bloopers made you smile! Now let's see yours!

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WW: The Queen Surveys Her Domain

PS - we hope you'll join us on Friday for the Pet Photo Fails blog hop!

All Cats Go To Heaven #MewsicMovesMe

"We can never replace them. We can never repay them. But we can always remember. And today, that is what we are doing — we remember. Words cannot wipe away the tears or bring back those smiling faces. But if Americans just take the time to look into your eyes and tell you how much we thank you and how dearly we pray for you and how truly we love you, then hopefully you can find solace through your pain. And every time you see the sun rise over this blessed land please know your brave sons and daughters pushed away the night and delivered for us all that great and glorious dawn."

~ President Donald J. Trump, 5/29/17

I've been looking forward to this week's Mewsic Moves Me blog hop theme of songs about heaven or hell for a long time now because it gives me the opportunity to play my all-time favorite Conway song, I May Never Get to Heaven. 

Here's some trivia: This song was recorded by numerous artists, even Aretha Franklin, but ONLY Conway took it to #1...

One of my top 5 favorites from Conway's rock days...

Conway had a reputation for recording some of country music's sexiest songs. 

This one shows Loretta could turn up the sizzle too!

John Schneider may be best known as "Bo Duke" on The Dukes of Hazzard, but in my opinion he was also one of the greatest voices ever in country music...

A classic '80s country song I've always loved...

And in honor of Memorial Day...

We hope you enjoyed our choices this week!
Do you have a favorite?

Long Weekend Nap Interrupted #SundaySelfie

We're joining our friends at The Cat On My Head for the Sunday Selfies blog hop!

It Always Rains On Caturday

Visit more artsy kitties at Athena's Caturday Art blog hop!

And now our weekly answers for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by 15andmeowing and Four-Legged Furballs!

Mommy's answers:

1. I stay home on Memorial Day. I'm a total homebody and take any opportunity I can to not leave the house!

2. I try to avoid travelling on long holiday weekends.

Mudpie's answers:

3. If I had a catchphrase, it would be some days you're the mud, some days you're the pie.

4. Not much motivates me to work hard. I am a cat, after all!

Unboxing May's CatLadyBox

The theme of May's CatLadyBox was "Cat Mom's Day"...here's what was inside!

Featured Cat Lady Artist: The Dancing Cat Is there anything cuter than cats in pajamas? I think not.

Neon Cat Light: This is hanging over my bed next to my Pop Your Pup portrait of Mudpie. It looks beautiful!

Cat Mom T-Shirt: Wore this out on Mother's Day and already got a few compliments on it! The raspberry color is just gorgeous.

Band of Cats Cuff Bracelet: I love this bracelet so much but my wrist is so small it falls right off! I tried putting it up higher on my arm but I still can't get it to stay. Looking for suggestions on how else I could use/wear it?

Fluffy Heart & Crinkle Catnip Cupcake Toys: Feathers and anything that crinkles are Mudpie's favorite kinds of toys, so these were both a big hit with her!

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Book Review: Purrfect Alibi (The Mysteries of Max Book 9) by Nic Saint

When Marge Poole managed to get the world’s bestselling writer to come down to Hampton Cove for a reading at the local library, she never expected to become a prime suspect when the man is found murdered instead. Now it’s up to her daughter Odelia to track down the real killer, before the murder turns Marge into an outcast in the small town they call home. But when Odelia’s grandmother insists she join the hunt, things suddenly get a little… complicated.

Meanwhile, Odelia’s cats have some issues of their own to contend with. Like the fact that Dooley has become convinced that the apocalypse is about to happen any day now, or that Brutus has been acting very strange lately. And then there’s the fact that Max and his friends have been tasked by Odelia to lend aid and support in her murder investigation. Soon they’re ferreting out clues, interviewing witnesses and discovering some surprises of their own.

It's impossible to believe, but I swear this series gets more enjoyable and the feline characters more adorable with each new book. For example. in Purrfect Alibi alone, tough guy Brutus believes he's dying because of red spots on his chest and needs to be baptized, Max starts to think his owner's boyfriend is actually Jesus, and Dooley thinks the world will soon be coming to an end thanks to the Discovery Channel documentaries he's been watching. Oh, and let's not forget there's the murder of a famous author too, but for me that takes a back seat to the cats' crazy antics that left me giggling from beginning to end. I adored the introduction of a new kitty character as well, Big Mac, who plays a huge role in solving the mystery.

Summer reading season is upon us and this is a series that's best read from book 1 in order to follow the character development and mini soap opera among the cats. Download the entire Mysteries of Max series and treat yourself to one of the most adorable cat cozies available today. Purrsonally, I want to take little Dooley home with me. If you have read any of the Mysteries of Max books, I would love to know who your favorite kitty character is!

This post contains affiliate links.

WW: Mine. All Mine. (Part 2)

(Her paws just kill me!!!)

May Retro Country Rewind #MewsicMovesMe

Last month we premiered our new mewsic feature "Retro Country Rewind," a look back at favorite songs that hit #1 during that month from 30, 35, 40 plus years ago. We were so happy that you guys seemed to enjoy it! Let's take a look at May!

40 Years Ago - 1979, Don't Take It Away, Conway Twitty

After 15 years of recording strictly traditional country, Conway could see that country music was changing. In 1979 he started producing himself, taking on a more modern sound and sexier image. He stunned people with the changes he made but it paid off big time. Don't Take It Away was the first of three #1 records from his amazing Cross Winds album. Songs like this are the reason he was called the "king of country soul."

(I love this performance so much that I have a poster on my closet door with an image from it.)

45 Years Ago - 1974, Country Bumpkin, Cal Smith

One of my all-time favorite country songs. Conway & Loretta recorded it as a duet, but Cal Smith's version is the chart topper most widely known.

50 Years Ago - 1969, Mama's Hungry Eyes, Merle Haggard



30 Years Ago - 1989, If I Had You, Alabama

I had the opportunity to meet Alabama backstage at a concert in 1991. This is one of my favorite songs of theirs.



Let us know if you have a favorite this month!

Mudpie's Bunny Friend #SundaySelfies

Meows from Mudpie!

My new little friend didn't feel like taking a selfie but I wanted to introduce you to him/her today anyways. Over the past couple weeks Mommy and I have seen him in our front yard, back yard, even playing in the street late one night! (Mommy had a minor coronary watching that one.) 

We're a bit concerned about what's going to happen once the vegetable garden goes in the ground, but I sure do enjoy watching the little critter!

What do you think I should name him?

We're joining our friends at The Cat On My Head for the Sunday Selfies blog hop!

And now our weekly answers (all answered by Mommy this week) for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by 15andmeowing and Four-Legged Furballs!

1. Christmas (followed closely by Halloween) is my favorite time of the year.

2. My favorite character on Big Bang Theory is Soft Kitty. Is that even a character? I've never watched the show.

3. I could set a world record for online shopping. On a daily basis I ask myself how the world existed before Amazon and Ebay came along.

4. Adopting Truffles and Mudpie before meeting them in person is the craziest thing I've ever done. I don't recommend that anyone adopt a cat this way but it has worked for me! (Both were in out of the area shelters, I saw their pictures online and just *knew* they belonged with me.)

Wear Orange for Crockett #CaturdayArt

Meows from Mudpie!

Today we're blending our Caturday Art project with the Wear Orange for Crockett blog hop on what would've been his 5th Gotcha Day.

We also can't let the day pass without mentioning the passing of Grumpy Cat. To say we were shocked and devastated when we heard the news yesterday would be an understatement. Tardar Sauce was such an amazing spokescat for special needs kitties, and she will be desperately missed. 

What a sad week this has been...

Fun Feline Finds: Cats & Pizza

Meows from Mudpie!

Today is National Pizza Party Day, and while pizza might not be fun for cats (unless there's a taste of cheese or sausage involved), it's Mommy's very favorite food. Since we know how much she loves shopping for cat stuff I pawed over to Amazon to look for cat items with a pizza theme for both humans and their kitties.

Hopefully you'll find something that makes you happy...or hungry! MOL

Easyology Cat Toys Interactive Pizza: The ONLY Cat Toy Served in a Pizza Box

Cat Paw Pizza Cutter

Pusheen Pizza Cat Teaser Toy

Pizza Cat Throw Pillow

Sleeveless Summer Dress

GUND Pusheen Snackables Pizza Cat Plush

All I Need Is My Cat And Pizza Shirt

Do you have a favorite item? Or a favorite pizza topping? Mommy is all about pepperoni and 'shrooms.

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A Raspberry for Crockett

The loss of any precious cat is heartbreaking, and as members of the cat blogosphere we're sadly saying goodbye to one of our own on a regular basis. It would be nearly impossible to pay proper tribute to each and every one but today we feel compelled to single one out.

Late Monday night Mudpie and I were cuddling in bed getting ready to turn out the light when I checked in with Facebook one last time. What I found shocked me. Crockett, one of the stars of the Lone Star Cats blog, had unexpectedly rushed off to the Rainbow Bridge, the victim of a tragic accident. He was only 5 years old.

Photo: Lone Star Cats

As my thoughts turned to his sweet mama Kimberley and the fur family he left behind, memories of the night I lost Truffles rushed back. She passed away due to a sudden illness, not an accident, but to anyone who has lost a beloved pet in the blink of an eye the shock is unforgettable and always ready to resurface.

Times like these are reminders of how fragile life is, not to mention how unfair it can be at times, and that we should never take a single moment with those we love for granted because we never know when it will be the last.

Mudpie is blowing a raspberry in your honor today, Crockett. 

We'll miss your sweet little face so much.

Putting My Paw Down #MewsicMovesMe

Meows from Mudpie!

The theme of this week's Mewsic Moves Me blog hop is songs with body parts in the title. I'm going to let Mommy take over in a minute, but I wanted to let you know that I had to put my paw down on this one. It's no secret that Mommy's beloved Conway was known for some pretty steamy songs, so I made sure to remind her that we needed to keep the songs PG-rated at the very most. I'm not a huge fan of her music so let me know in the comments how she did.

The dance floor is all yours, Mommy!

Thanks, Mudpie! PG-13 might be the best I can do with Conway...

Slow Hand is such a classic. I've always thought this particular performance was so interesting because one of the things everyone who knew Conway said about him was that he was a true southern gentleman, so I have a feeling filming this must've been quite uncomfortable for him. (As frequently as he was on Hee Haw he always refused to do skits with the "Hee Haw Honeys.") At this point he was finally doing more TV appearances than he had in the early years so the show was probably his record company's idea, and he actually went on to do Solid Gold many times.

Lots of body parts flying around in this video!

#1 hit from 1975...

And I chose these two songs about eyes just because I love them both...

Do you think I followed Mudpie's instructions?

Mother's Day #CaturdayArt #SundaySelfie

Meows from Mudpie!

Since I'd like to have a little extra quality time with Mommy for Mother's Day, I asked her if we could do just one blog post this weekend, combining our Caturday Art project with my Mother's Day message/Sunday Selfie.

Happy Mother's Day to all the pawsome cat moms out there!!!

And now our weekly answers for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by 15andmeowing and Four-Legged Furballs!

Mudpie's answers:

1. 2015 was a very good year. It was the year I got 'dopted!

2. There is nothing quite like finding a forever home.

Mommy's answers:

3. If I had a talk show, I would want to interview Conway, of course! (The prompt didn't say the person had to be alive!) Not only would I keep him talking because I'm as in love with his speaking voice as I am his singing voice, I always found his TV and radio interviews compelling because he was so well spoken and knowledgeable about life in general.

4. There is nothing I wouldn't do for Mudpie.

Feline Friday Flashback Flick

Meows from Mudpie!

Mommy's job has been over the top crazy the past couple weeks and our blogging time has severely suffered because of it. When she told me we might have to skip a second post this week I suggested we join the Feline Friendly blog hop hosted by Comedy Plus.

Feline Friday is simple to join. All you have to do is:

Post a picture, drawing, cartoon or video of a cat (They may be silly or cute).

We noticed it was 3 years ago this week that Mommy first captured my darling little voice on video, something she got completely by accident while helping me take a selfie. She turned on the video function of the iPad, and chatty little tortie that I am, I meowed right on cue! It's a short clip of video she will cherish forever, and something our newer friends may not have seen before. It's kind of ridiculous how cute I am.

Make sure your sound is turned up and enjoy!

Sock Singletons Help Shelter Animals On #LostSockMemorialDay

Meows from Mudpie!

We first bloggeed about this "holiday" a few years ago and it was a very popular post. Since we have new readers since then we thought it might be a good time to share again.

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According to the National Day Calendar, May 9 is National Lock Sock Memorial Day. It's a day to clean out and repurpose all the sock "singletons" - the ones where their mates have been lost to the unknown.

But don't throw them away...your local shelter can use them and they can also be turned into fun craft projects! Here's a round-up of some of our favorite ideas:

Turn Socks Into Cozy Kitteh Sweaters

Make a rice sock as a supplemental heat source for animals recovering from spay/neuter surgery

Baby booties can be used to keep paws warm while animals are under anesthesia and recovering

Make Catnip Kickers for shelter cat enrichment

Make a Sock Hat For Preemies using just the toe of an infant sock

Operation Happy Sock is an all-volunteer, nonprofit project that takes unwanted socks and turns them into catnip toys for homeless cats in animal shelters. Downloadable instructions for this fun project can be found here. Learn how to have a Happy Sock Production Party in your own community too!

Can you think of any other cat-related projects that can be done with socks?

Wordless Wednesday: Mine. All Mine. (Part 1)

Remembering Keith Whitley, 30 Years Later #MewsicMovesMe

Thursday will be the 30 year anniversary of the day the country music family lost singer Keith Whitley at only 33 from alcohol poisoning. I remember the moment I heard the news on the radio almost as clearly as the devastating Saturday morning Conway's death was announced.

There's a long list of country music stars who have died tragically and untimely due to accidents, but deaths caused by alcohol and drugs aren't nearly as common in the country community as in the rock genre. Had he lived I firmly believe he would've gone on to become one of country's all-time greats. He's considered a legend today even though his career was cut way too short.

It's a freebie week in the Mewsic Moves Me blog hop and we're remembering Keith with two all-time favorites...

A Hard Act to Follow was the title track of Keith's 1984 debut album. Ironically, Conway recorded the song the same year for his By Heart album. (Yes, I can find a way to sneak him into any music post.)

I would be interested to hear your preferred version of the song. I think you probably know mine - everyone takes a back seat to Conway with me!

If Keith Whitley is a "new to you" artist, I hope you've enjoyed our choices and tribute today.

Another Window Whiffie #SundaySelfie

We're joining our friends at The Cat on My Head for the Sunday Selfies blog hop!

And now our weekly answers for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by 15andmeowing and Four-Legged Furballs...

Mommy's answers:

1. 13 years ago, I was working at the same job as I am now. Next week I celebrate my 20th anniversary with this company!

2. By this time next year, I hope to say my loved ones are all happy and healthy.

Mudpie's answers:

3. One word that describes me is tortilicious.

4. If my life were a book or movie, it would be in the musical genre. Mommy made me say that but I have a feeling I would create a different soundtrack than she would.

Run for the Roses #CaturdayArt

Meows from Mudpie, and Happy Derby Day!

Do you plan to watch the Kentucky Derby today? We will be even though Mommy watches horse races with one eye closed. She says NASCAR is her sport of choice because when the drivers crash they aren't destroyed like the poor horses are when they fall. She loves the Triple Crown races though - they're really all she watches - and she still can't believe after fearing she'd never witness a Triple Crown in her lifetime that it has happened twice in the last four years! More than anything we just pray for a safe race each year. The horses' lives are more important than any trophy.

For my Caturday Art project this week I decided to wrap myself in a garland of roses just like the winning horse will receive. I may never run in the Kentucky Derby - I'm too old at this point anyway - but I bet I would be fast enough to give those horses a run for their money!

Visit more artsy kitties at Athena's Caturday Art blog hop!

Do you watch the Triple Crown races?