Interviews

• There is no one breed of Black Cat. 
• There are 22 cat breeds in the Cat Fanciers Association directory that list “black” as a color option.
• Many Black Cats have golden eyes, which is the result of their high melanin pigment content.  The contrast in eye color to coat make black cats mysterious and sometimes foreboding.
• The color black is associated with metaphysics and spiritual avenues.  A pair of gold eyes shining from a shroud of black fur is very intimidating to some.  Thus, some cultures associate black cats with unfavorable qualities and bad fortune.
• Black Cats can be boys or girls, but more are male than female.

Veterans Day celebrates the service of ALL US military veterans. Memorial Day honors those who died. V-Day coincides with Armistice Day & Remembrance Day, celebrated in other countries that mark the anniversary of the end of World War I (Great War). The fighting in WWI ceased with an armistice between Allied nations & Germany. It went into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. V-Day is always on November 11 no matter what day of the week the 11th falls on. Meowmuh's Grand-Uncle fought in WWI.

Marion Bright teaches a writing class/workshop in Pasadena, CA. The Cat Author's caretaker (also known as Meowmuh) is enrolled in the class. The 7/9/17 pictures of Gracee illustrate Gracee's careful (?) re-arrangement of the class handouts.  Ms. Bright has her Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Iowa Writer's Wrokshop.  Her fiction and non-fiction writing has appearred in DigBoston, Slushpile and Pine Magazines.  She's taught creative writing, literature and compostion at various universities and colleges.

Chewy has not compensated us or requested that we take these pictures to promote their services. These pics show US having fun doing what all felines do best -- investigating.  Chewy is an online service that Meowmuh found and likes. She says to be careful because the big box was REALLY big and REALLY heavy.

Saint Patrick's Day, March 17, honors Saint Patrick and celebrates ALL things Irish.  Saint Patrick is a Patron Saint of Ireland from the 5th Century.  He is considered the founder of Christianity in Ireland converting a society believing in more than one god. March 17 is the date of his death. Click on the title above to learn about: shamrocks, leprechauns, pots of gold and why we pinch someone not wearing green.

- Re the Shamrock:  Saint Patrick taught the Irish about the doctrine of the Holy Trinity via the Shamrock, a 3-leafed plant, to illustrate the teaching of 3 persons in one God:  the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 

Today's date commemorates the Women's March in Petrograd, Russia that started the Russian Revolution in 1917.  On February 28, 1908, 15,000 women marched in New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and the right to vote.  Similar marches were held all over Europe.  Today, women all over this planet will march in protest as well as to highlight the role that women play in the domestic and global economy.

...At the end of a particularly gloomy day, James climbed the steep steps to his apartment and noticed a ginger cat huddled on his neighbor’s doormat.  The cat studied him carefully.  The cat was still on the doormat the next day.  He discovered that the cat did not belong to his neighbor and that no one knew where he had come from...

In the United States, the average Valentine's Day spending has increased yearly (except for this year).  In 2010: $108 per person; 2013: $131 per person'; 2016:  $146.84 per person; and 2017:  $136.57.  TOTAL spending in the US this year for Valentines is predicted to reach $18.2 billion down from $19.7 billion in 2016.  Fortune Magazine stated that 80% of us want chocolate and candy; 25% also gave their valentine something for their pets.  So, four legged critters get to celebrate too!

YIN is the Black Side with the White Dot and YANG is the White Side with the Black Dot. Picture the sun moving over a mountain and valley. Yin is the shady, dark area; Yang is the sunny, brightly lit area.  As the sun moves across the sky, they gradually trade places revealing what was obscured and obscuring what was revealed. YIN is characterized as slow, soft, yielding, diffuse, cold, wet and passive; it is associated with water, earth, the moon, femininity and nighttime.  YANG, by contrast is fast, hard, solid, focused, hot, dry and active; it is associated with fire, sky, the sun, masculinity and daytime.

According to the book, For the Love of Cats:  -- A surprising 58% of Americans see their pet's veterinarian more often than they see their own physician. -- If away from home during the day, 82 percent of Americans think of their pet more than once. -- If marooned on an island and able to choose only one companion, 50% of Americans would pick a dog or cat over a human. -- In one study, when asked, "Who listens to you best?"  45% of respondents chose their pet, while only 30% chose their spouse or significant other.