What lovely news I had yesterday! Longridge Review nominated “The Secret Kotex Club” for a Pushcart Prize! Thank you so much to the magazine and editor Elizabeth Gaucher for their support of my work. I am gobsmacked and verklempt and shocked.
The gardener and I had a lovely Thanksgiving day with daughter and her boyfriend. The cats were happy to see us all happy together. We started the day with a hearty breakfast and mimosas spiced up with Grand Marnier.
The gardener made rotisserie turkey on the grill outside (Arizona weather, you know), plus I bought a small spiral-cut ham. Then there were the sides. Both kids made dishes, and I made more. By the way, I don’t need to be afraid of gluten free stuffing (dressing for you southerners) because it turned out great. You would never have known it was free of gluten.
Now this coming weekend we are having a holiday party with all four kids and my DIL’s parents (as well as some other festivities).
To give you a smile for this week, here are my boys decked out in gift bowties a lady made them.
Felix has a halo because he is always a good boy.
Perry is not as good, but he sure is cute.
The scratches on his nose are caused by one of the girls. He annoys them, and they tell him to get lost (with their claws).
If you think Perry is cute, I will tell you that my friend is fostering another gray and white boy cat in Phoenix that is ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE and a cuddle bunny and of a perfect disposition! She can’t keep him much longer with her other cats (she has as many as I do). His name is Asher (I helped name him), and we desperately want him to go to the best possible home.
Here is his bio:
Asher was found abandoned on the streets. He is a real sweetheart, a darling cat who does not have a single mean cell in his body, he is truly a gentle giant. He will follow his person around the house like a puppy, wanting attention and company. He’s good with other nice cats, dogs, and people. He is 13 lbs of love, loud purrs, and he is a big kneader and talker too. His estimated age is between 2 and 3 years old. He is desperately looking for someone who will give him a warm, loving forever home and family and will never abandon him as his previous humans did. Even though he tested FIV +, his lifespan is no different than those cats who are FIV-, as long as he is fed good quality diet and kept healthy. Asher appears to be in excellent health now. His adoption fee is $50 and it includes neuter, microchip, FeLV (-)/FIV(+) test. It also includes a free wellness exam in a cat-friendly hospital with a veterinarian who is up-to-date on FIV and can offer professional advice and guidance regarding proper care for Asher. For most up-to-date information and to learn more about FIV visit this website: https://www.fivcatrescue.org With all inquiries about Asher please contact his foster at 6happypurrs@gmail.com or text at (480) 652-4852.
Make it a good week. My solution to minimize holiday stress is to plan like crazy with itineraries and lists and then relax and be flexible, using the written notes as guidelines to be used when necessary and ignored when possible.
Congratulations on the Pushcart nomination!
Thank you so much, Carol. Each step of the way in this writing stuff is exciting ;)!
How lovely that your writing continues to be recognized in a BIG way!! Also, your cats in bowties are handsome and patient. What nice furry paws they have.
Their paws are splendid! So are they, the little stinkers. Such cutie pies to have around. Thank you re the writing sentiment!
Congratulations 😀
Very, really very well deserved!
You know, I live on the opposite side of the ocean, but Asher is superb and I hope he will find a furever home soon 🤗😊
Ciao
Sid
Sid, thank you for noticing how superb Asher is! He is a really special cat! I think all cats are special, but he is even more special hahaha!
😻
Congratulations, Luanne! So well deserved!
I’m glad you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that the gluten-free stuffing was delicious.
I hope Asher finds a home. He is a cutie.
He is sooooooo sweet and cute. I hope he doesn’t have to go to a refuge somewhere, but if nobody steps up, he will have to eventually.
Awesome news…congratulations, Luanne!
Thank you so much, Jill!!!!
Again, congratulations on your nominations, Luanne! Loved the kitties in bowties…what a gallery!
Your Thanksgiving sounds lovely.
Ah, the boys are adorable, aren’t they?!
Thank you so much, Elaine. I hope your Thanksgiving was a good one.
Perry looks either terrified or in attack mode. Can’t decide which. Hugs for Asher! Hope he finds a great place.
LOL, he’s terrified! He flattens his ears like that when he’s super scared, like when I first had him. He didn’t know what was going on, but he was compliant with Mom’s wishes. He just was so scared about it.
Awww, what a sweetie!
Congratulations, Luanne!
Thanks so much, Bob!
I just read the article! OMG! I had the same experience minus the club meeting and I had nuns (the most non-sexual type of person ever) do the ‘splaining. I hope it’s different today. I had a sense of dread about it all. I also remember that the pad boxes were always wrapped in colorful paper and almost unmarked.
Now there is a story: a nun (especially the old fashioned nuns of our childhoods) explaining periods and their purpose LOL!!!
They had the young nun who taught 2nd grade talk to us. Otherwise it would have like our grandmother telling us!
hahahaha!
Many congratulations Luanne, it was a great piece! And I do hope Asher finds a loving home.
Thank you so much, Andrea, on both counts. I hope he doesn’t have to go to a last resort type place. We so need somebody to step up for him. I wish my friend or I could keep him, but it’s just not possible because of our current assortment of furbabies.
Congrats on the nomination, Luanne. I went over to read your Kotex piece and enjoyed it. (And then got stuck on the website for over an hour before remembering I’d wanted to comment here on your blog!)
I smiled at the your club… my own experiences were pretty much the reverse of yours in that I hated everything about menstruation including the pads, etc. and my mum had taught me about it before mine started, so I didn’t have the romanticized idea of any of it, unfortunately. I wish I’d had that…maybe it would have helped in some way.
I hope Asher finds a good home. Poor little cat. x
Hmm, I wish I was a fly on your shoulder when your mum was telling you because something tells me it was kind of scary! That is such a fun magazine, I think, since all the stories are about childhood!
Thank you about Asher. Yes, he is SO deserving of a loving home. Such a loving cat.
Oh we, Siddy, Orlando and I, would take Asher in a minute if there wasn’t half a world between us! He sounds like our kind of fellow! We’ve had an HIV+ before who lived a long and scrap happy life before passing on a few years back. Love the bowties on your boys. Felix does look like a little furry angel – and Perry looks like he’s about to take that camera out! 😀 Congrats on the story Luanne, well deserved! And the gluten free stuffing!
And the thing with Asher is that in a household with regular house cats, there is no danger at all to the other cats. And he will no doubt live a long and healthy life if he’s well taken care of. The only way other cats can even get FIV+ is through a deep bite. Most household cats, even if they have arguments or dislike each other, do not have serious fights that cause deep bites.
Oops, I hit send before I finished haha. I finish a thought and boom my mind is spent. Perry actually wasn’t angry, per se, but terrified by that bowtie and Mom’s insistence that he wear it. But he was compliant and a good little boy. His ears perked up the minute I took it off. Thank you so much, dear!
Congratulations, Luanne! Truly well deserved! So glad you had a fun Thanksgiving. Asher is adorable. Good thing I don’t live in Phoenix 😉
Ugh, I wish you lived here for lots of reasons, and Asher is only one of them!!!
Thank you so much, Marie! So happy for you, too!
Aw, you are so sweet!
Good news all the way around!
Jennie, thank you so much!
You’re welcome, Luanne!
Luanne, huge congratulations on the nomination and what an interesting literary project/journal! Ahh… your cat photos are adorable although my namesake Perry has the same panicked look I have when my son starts discussing his physics! Asher is cute beyond words and hopefully will find a new home soon!
Hah, your namesake Perry! He was absolutely panicked! He couldn’t figure out why Mama was being so dumb and mean! Thanks you re Asher (fingers crossed!) and the nom!
Oh Luanne, that was SO CHEERFUL! I really did need to see cats in bowties today 😀 Perry gave me a good chuckle! Gosh they’re cute. Asher looks verrrry cuddly, I hope he gets a human soon.
Congratulations on your prize, I am not shocked at all, but tis good to be humble 😉
Perry was so underwhelmed with Mama at that point, but he was still a good boy.
I so hope Asher can get his own human. If not he will have to go live at a refuge type place that will let him live there for his whole life. Neither of us can take on another cat right now.
I’m crossing my fingers!
A Pushcart nomination?! That’s fantastic! The kitties are just getting ready for the party with their bow ties.
Haha, yes, they are! Thanks, Susanne!
Wow – the Pushcart Prize – I am equally gobsmacked with you and for you!
Congratulations, my friend!
And btw, I love the boys in the bowties…a belated Happy Thanksgiving to you all…
Thank you!!!! Woot! The boys are so adorable. It’s a good thing she didn’t make bow ties for the girls because it would not have been a pretty picture. I’m almost sure Tiger and Sloopy Anne would have taken me out!
Congratulations on the Pushcart Nomination!
Thank you so much, Paul!
Congratulations and good luck
Thank you so much, Derrick! The story won’t win, but the nomination is a real pat on the back!
Such cute kitties. I would love to be able to take them all in. I’ve got four rescues now that I am entirely in love with. Congrats on the nomination! That is such an honor.
Ah, aren’t cats just the best?! And rescues the bestest best! Thank you so much, Cheryl. Your support means the world to me!
Congrats on your Pushcart nomination, Luanne! So excited for you and love that it is this piece that received the nod. xo
Thank you so much for being my reader for the piece, Rudri! It helped so much! Can’t wait to see you! Did we pick out a date yet? I’m so inundated right now I can’t remember if we decided on one or not.
Beautiful photos of the cats. I love those bowties! Your holiday season sounds delightful, and the good news about the nomination is the topper! What happy news. Congratulations dear friend! Sending love to you all.
Ah, thank you so much, sweetie! I hope I get to see you before too long!!!! xo
Me too!!!
Congratulations on the nomination, Luanne! Your poor Perry looks like my husband does if he has been asked to do something he doesn’t want to do and doesn’t dare say so!
Hahahaha. That is so funny–about your husband! Yes, I agree! He has that “husband” look!
Hehe!
Good news all around and congratulations. I’m making an early resolution to get more posts read in the new year. I see you everywhere and keep wanting to drop by. I will be back sooner than later. 😉
Thank you so much! Oh, that sounds good! I know you are busy now with making things for Christmas!
Running out of daylight. Must crack that whip. ;))
Hahaha!
Very belated congrats on your winning the Pushcart Prize!!! And kisses to your adorable bowtie boys – please give ’em belated hugses from Ellie! <3