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Monday, October 24, 2022

DAY 1: 2022 CAT LOVERS HOP

 

                                     The 2022 Cat Lovers Hop starts TODAY......
                                         And you don't want to miss a thing!!!

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Handy List of 2022 Cat Lovers Hop Links
 
You are HERE ----> DAY 1: 2022 CAT LOVERS HOP

Upcoming Links for Daily Posts 
DAY 2: 2022 CAT LOVERS HOP (goes live Tues. Oct. 25) 
DAY 3: 2022 CAT LOVERS HOP (goes live Wed. Oct. 26) 
DAY 4: 2022 CAT LOVERS HOP (goes live Thurs. Oct. 27)
DAY 5: 2022 CAT LOVERS HOP (goes live Fri. Oct. 28) 
DAY 6: 2022 CAT LOVERS HOP (goes live Sat. Oct. 29)
WRAP UP POST:  2022 CAT LOVERS HOP (goes live Wed. Nov. 2)
 (Times for posts going live is just after Midnight ~12:05 am, Pacific Daylight Time..... or whenever I manage to get them up!!  lol...)


Welcome to Day 1 of the
2022 CAT LOVERS HOP!!!

 If you have a project to linkup, please SIGN IN HERE (required to be eligible for prizes) and then go to the Main Hop Page
(Please use #2022CatLoversHop on social media!!)
 Also, please check out my
2022 Cat Lovers Hop Guidelines and FAQs



Hi, Friends.....

Welcome, Everyone!!!  I am so glad you're here to join in the DAY 1 festivities of the 2022 Cat Lovers Hop!!  Each day I will be posting fun things to see and do and win!  

So how are you all doing?  You might remember that last year I got hit with Covid in September and missed that entire month for getting ready for Hop.  Thankfully a number of Hoppers came to my rescue and helped in a million different ways to make sure the Hop happened.  I remain so grateful for how they stepped up!! 

Happily, I didn't get sick this autumn but our crazy family always adds a wild card to my plans.  Our grandson just turned 2 yrs old and is a total joy and a total chaos and noise machine!!  Hahaha!!  Life with a toddler in the house is just way more than I remember it being when my kids were small.  It is with good reason that God in His infinite wisdom gives kids to young people!!  ❤

Fortunately several Hoppers contacted me this summer and fall and stepped up again to help relieve the stress and work involved in getting this Hop off the ground.  I will be introducing them each day but I want to say THANK YOU to Chris, Angela, Suzanne, Michele, Kitty, Becca, Mandy, Karen, and Carole for volunteering and encouraging me so much!! 

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If you are new to our Hops, you might wonder what these Daily Posts are all about.

Here's what to expect on these Daily Cat Hop Posts:
1.  Brief introduction to call attention to any important items that Hoppers should know about....corrections, special alerts, etc.
  So be sure to check each day's post!
2.  Featured Sponsors for that day with the awesome prizes they are offering.  My thanks to all these fabulous companies and individuals who provide photos and graphics....as well as very generous prizes!
You also will find Bonus Links to special Cat Hop blog events, sales, challenges, etc the sponsors are hosting during the week.  Sometimes I will feature a special Guest Designer from sponsor Design Teams or my Helpful Hoppers to showcase sponsor products. 
3.  Daily Games: 
I encourage ALL Hoppers to join in these special games by answering each day's icebreaker question or activity.  There are no specific prizes for this feature since we lost our dear Ike, but I hope everyone will participate in these fun activities.  This is one of the ways we get to know each other!!!

NOTE:  I realize these Daily Posts are looooooong.  I try to have them formatted in an easy to navigate "magazine article" style with dividers and text in different sizes and colors.  Sorry if it is difficult.  There is a lot of material to cover!!!  :)

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Just a reminder.....You must SIGN IN HERE to be eligible for prizes. Also, LINK UP ALL PROJECTS ON THE MAIN HOP PAGE by 11:55 pm Pacific, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022.  I have my 2022 CAT LOVERS HOP - Guidelines and FAQs in a handy tab just under my header at the top of each page.  All these links are at the top of each Hop post, too.  
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BRAND-NEW Cat Challenge!!!!

Before I mention our featured sponsors for the day, I would like to introduce a brand-new challenge blog that is going to be of interest to all of us Cat Lovers.

Many of you know the fabulous Cat Holt from her wonderful Dragonfly Creative Challenges.  Well, she has recently started TWO new challenge blogs.  (Does she EVER sleep????? lol...) Her Most Magical Time of the Year challenge focuses on 365 Days of Halloween and Christmas and more!  

The next one is launching with its first challenge TODAY and we Cat Hoppers have the opportunity to celebrate together with her.  

I am honored to introduce to you the Crazy for Cats Challenges.


Cat has dedicated her challenge blog in memory of our dear friend, Ike.  What a wonderful idea!!  We all are going to love participating in this challenge!!  And guess what.....you can start right now!  

Cat projects you make for this Hop can be entered in her opening challenge, too!!!  Here's the link:  Crazy For Cats - Challenge #1Congratulations, Cat, on your new Challenge blogs.  Hope to see everyone over there!!!

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Okay......on to the regular Day 1 festivities.......

My featured sponsors today are: 

Newton's Nook Designs, Kat Scrappiness, Lost Coast Designs, Darkroom Door, Fiki, Unity Stamp Co., Joy Clair, and Leigh SB Designs Art Stamps.

Let's get started with the introductions..... 

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 Newton's Nook Designs


Newton's Nook Designs is our first company for today.  Jen at Newton's Nook Designs has been a faithful encourager and sponsor all 8 years of our Hops!  Many thanks, Jen!!  You were instrumental in these Hops ever happening.












PRIZE: Newton's Nook Designs is offering a $25 Gift Coupon to their online store.  




BONUS:  Jen has a special Cat Lovers Hop post planned for today  over on the Newton's Nook Designs blog. So be sure to hop over there and take a look.  Tell her thanks for sponsoring ALL EIGHT YEARS!!

GUEST DESIGNER:  Today we have an adorable card made by our own Helpful Hopper, Angela H over at Crafting with Jack, using Newton's Bootiful Night.

You can find out more about her card HERE.  Thank you so much for Guest Designing, Angela!! ❤  (You'll get to enjoy even more from Angela as you continue scrolling through today's featured sponsors!!)


Please take time to visit Newton's Nook Designs at these social media spots: Blog, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. Don't forget to Like, Follow, Share, and Comment with a big "THANK YOU for sponsoring the 2022 Cat Lovers Hop at Her Peaceful Garden!"

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Kat Scrappiness is joining us again this year as a returning sponsor.  Kat is really making a splash in the papercrafting world with her very talented Design Team and her wonderful products which include not only innovative stamps and dies, but also beautiful sprinkles and sequins for making spectacular shaker cards and tags! 
 
PRIZE:  Kat Scrappiness is generously donating a Cat-Themed Mystery Package to a lucky Hopper!!

BONUS:  The Kat Scrappiness team has a special Cat Lovers Hop Blog Post for us today. So check out their
Blog..and tell them THANKS for sponsoring our Hop while you are there!!  ❤
 
 
Please take time to visit Kat Scrappiness at these social media spots: Blog, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Don't forget to Like, Follow, Share, and Comment with a big "THANK YOU for sponsoring the 2022 Cat Lovers Hop at Her Peaceful Garden!"

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Lost Coast Designs

Here's another returning sponsor...Lost Coast Designs and sister company Carmen's Veranda.  They feature a wonderful and eclectic assortment of rubber stamps that are so much fun.

Our friend, Gail, Ionabunny (who wears so many hats in blogland that she must have her own millinery store!) ....has kindly arranged for Lost Coast Designs to sponsor.  (THANKS, Gail!!) 

PRIZE: Lost Coast Designs is offering  $10 worth of stamps from their online store to one lucky winner!!

 

BONUS:  Right now there is a 31 Days of Halloween Challenge going on at their shared challenge blog.  If you make a
Halloween Cat Lovers Hop project, you can enter it over there, too!  Your entry must have actual real stamping as the focal point.  Rules and Details for their challenges are HERE.

 

 


 

EXTRA BONUS:  Right now the regular twice-monthly challenge at Lost Coast Designs has a fun theme:  Cats and/or Dogs! 

If you are linking up a stamped project to our Cat Lovers Hop, you can also enter it over there at this challenge!





EXTRA EXTRA BONUS:  Gail has a special Cat Lovers Hop Blog Post today on the Lost Coast Designs challenge site.  Be sure to check it out!!   

GUEST DESIGNER:  I have another Helpful Hopper who is guest designing for us today.  Please welcome Suzanne H from Suzanne's Cards and Cross Stitch who is sharing a gorgeous card using Lost Coast Designs - Star Cat Silhouette.


You can take a look at Suzanne's brand-new blog and find out more about this card on her Blog Post HERE.  Thank you for Guest Designing, Suzanne!  ❤

Please take time to visit Lost Coast Designs at these social media spots: Blog, Facebook, Carmen's Veranda Facebook. Don't forget to Like, Follow, Share, and Comment with a big "THANK YOU for sponsoring the 2022 Cat Lovers Hop at Her Peaceful Garden!"
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Darkroom Door, a lovely Aussie company, is joining us as a returning sponsor again this year.  They have wonderful products and I am always impressed with their awesome designs.



PRIZE:
Darkroom Door is generously providing one of their fabulous Sitting Cat Eclectic Stamps to a lucky winner. 





NOTE: This Sitting Cat is my favorite of the Darkroom Door cat stamps.  Hahaha...it stiiiiiiiiiill happens to be the only cat in their catalog, but it is one of the BEST I have seen. I told them I will keep requesting it as a prize until all my Hoppers have had a chance to win it!  :)   They told me they keep meaning to design and release new cats but the last couple of years have had a lot of interruptions with suppliers.  When you visit to thank them for sponsoring, you might mention that we sure would love to see more cat stamps. ❤  
 
BONUS:  Rachel has a special Cat Lovers Hop Post for us today over on the Darkroom Door blog.  Hop on over to find it!  
Please take time to visit Darkroom Door at these social media spots: Blog, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. Don't forget to Like, Follow, Share, and Comment with a big "THANK YOU for sponsoring the 2022 Cat Lovers Hop at Her Peaceful Garden!....(and please release more cat stamps!)" :)
 
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Fiki at Bad Kitty's Craft Room

We'll be seeing our dear friend, Fiki, of Bad Kitty's Craft Room  throughout the week with her lovely cat projects. 
 
 
 
 
PRIZE: Fiki has a lovely DIY Handmade Stamp Set for a lucky winner!








BONUS: 
Don't forget that Fiki also runs the Show Us Your Pussycats Challenge that Ike started.  I am so grateful she is continuing it for Ike!!  ❤  You can enter any of your Cat Lovers Hop projects over there, too!  HERE is the link to the current challenge.  Let's make October her biggest month!!!  😸😸
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Please take time to visit Fiki at these social media spots: Blog, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Don't forget to Like, Follow, Share, and Comment with a big "THANK YOU for sponsoring the 2022 Cat Lovers Hop at Her Peaceful Garden!"
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Unity Stamp Company

Unity is a returning sponsor and a wonderful company.  I appreciate their focus on encouragement and support, especially for women....like us!!  

PRIZE: I can always count on Unity to be helpful and generous.  This year they are donating FOUR $25 Gift Codes to their online store!!!   WOW!!!  I know the winners will love the great quality of the designs and the construction of their stamps, which they make themselves right on site!!  So cool!! (or maybe hot...)
 
BONUS:  Unity is celebrating Cats along with us today.  The lovely Gaylynn on Unity's DT is having a special post on her blog HERE....and I think there might be one on the Unity Blog, too. 


Please take time to visit Unity Stamp Co. at these social media spots: Blog, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. Don't forget to Like, Follow, Share, and Comment with a big "THANK YOU for sponsoring the 2022 Cat Lovers Hop at Her Peaceful Garden!"
 
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I am totally thrilled to welcome Joy Clair back on our roster of returning sponsors.  It's been several years and we have missed them!! 
They carry lovely products for crafters....including digital and clear acrylic stamp formats.


PRIZES:
#1 - Funny Times Digital stamp set 
#2 - Sweet Halloween Digital stamp set 
(2 winners!!)
I can't copy the images so you will have to follow the links to see what these fun prizes look like!  :)

BONUS:  The lovely folks at Joy Clair have a special Cat Lovers Hop Post today over at their blog HERE

Please take time to visit Joy Clair at these social media spots: Blog, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube. Don't forget to Like, Follow, Share, and Comment with a big "THANK YOU for sponsoring the 2022 Cat Lovers Hop at Her Peaceful Garden!"
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 Leigh SB Designs Art Stamps

 

Please say a welcoming Meow to returning sponsor Leigh SB Designs Art Stamps.  Leigh designs absolutely wonderful whimsical and quirky digital images.....and hosts Monthly Hops and  Challenges over at her blog....with prizes!

PRIZES: Leigh SB Designs Art Stamps is offering a whole smorgasbord of prizes....6 prizes in all!!   WOW!!!

 

 

 

TWO lucky winners will receive a $3.50 Gift Certificate to the LeighSBDesigns Digi Stamps & SVG Cutz store.





 

ONE Hopper will win the wonderful digital Cats Galore Collage and Senti Set.  Super-fun!!! 


 

 

 

ONE Hopper will receive the Kitty Geisha Doll & Senti Digital Stamp Set.  Super-cute!!

 

 

TWO physical prizes of Cat themed SVG Cutz sets cut from white mixed media cardstock.  Winners can pick either the Black Cats Silhouettes SVG Cutz set or the Skeleton Cat SVG Cutz set.

There are a ton of exciting things going on over at the LeighSBDesigns blog.  Check these out:

BONUS:  Leigh and Val will feature special Cat Lovers Hop Blog Posts all week so be sure to check them out HERE


EXTRA BONUS:
Leigh is celebrating her 12th Annual 31 Days of Halloween Blog Hop with a

challenge and great sponsors and prizes for her Hoppers linking up Halloween projects and for those who just want to hop around and comment! Details are HERE. If you make a Halloween project for our Cat Lovers Hop, be sure to enter in her fab challenge, also!!  

 EXTRA EXTRA BONUS:   

Leigh's Monthly Challenge theme going on right now is "Too Cute To Spook".  Read the rules and join in HEREIf your Cat Lovers Hop entry is Halloween-themed, you can enter in either this Monthly Challenge OR in her 31 Days of Halloween Blog Hop Challenge...not both.


 

 

EXTRA EXTRA BONUS:  Leigh also has all kinds of specials going on at her LeighSBDesigns Digi Stamps and SVG Cutz store.
1. Fall Sale:  Oct. 24 - Nov. 18.
2. Halloween special: going on through Oct. 31. 
3. Kitty Sale:  Oct. 24-29.
(All cat-themed Digi Stamps and SVG Cutz on sale for the duration of the Cat Lovers Hop and ends at Midnight Pacific Oct 29!)

 

GUEST DESIGNER:  And heeeeeeeere's Angela again!  This time, my Helpful Hopper, Angela H from Crafting with Jack, is using one of the prize sets Leigh is offering to a lucky Hopper:  Cats Galore Collage and Senti Set. Yay......you might win it!! 

You can read more details about her fun card HERE.  Thank you so much, Angela, for sharing your talents with us!!  ❤


Please take time to visit Leigh SB Designs Art Stamps at these social media spots: Blog, Store, Facebook Page, Facebook Group, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTubeDon't forget to Like, Follow, Share, and Comment with a big "THANK YOU for sponsoring the 2022 Cat Lovers Hop at Her Peaceful Garden!"

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DAILY GAME TIME!!!!!
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The Daily Game has been sponsored each year in the past by Ike's Art.  Sadly, our dear friend Ike is gone now, but we will continue the Games....although without a sponsor.  I know Ike would want this feature to continue!
NOTE:  Comments on The Daily Game posts will be included when I do the random draw comment prizes.  You might recall that half the prizes are drawn from projects linked up and half from comments here and on the linked up projects.  So the more you play in these games, the more chances you have to win a comment prize.  Yay!

COMMENT here on the Daily Games and on any or all projects that are linked up on the MAIN HOP POST by 11:59 pm Pacific Daylight Time, Wednesday Nov. 2, 2022 to be in the drawings for Comment Prizes!  Be sure to SIGN IN.....required to be eligible for prizes. 

 



DAY 1 GAME: Kitty Roll Call and In Memoriam :(

As usual, our Day 1 Game is Kitty Roll Call where we share with each other the names of each of the cats who call your home (or your back porch) their own....even if it is just a home away from home.  During Kitty Roll Call, you can tell us a little about your cats and you also may add to the roll call any that you have lost since last Cat Lovers Hop.  :( :( :(  Some of you might not have any kitties at home anymore, but please tell us about cats you have had in the past.

I will start.......

Here are my kitties:
1. Jetta - Jetta is my most senior cat, age 19. She is black with one adorable white whisker (which is currently shed out, but will grow back after a while). That whisker has only turned white as she became advanced in age and her black coat became flecked with white. For years, she used to travel the half-mile across coyote-filled pastures to our old house, but finally retired here during the 2017 Cat Hop...much to our relief!  Jetta is in remarkably good health for her age.  She is mostly deaf and doesn't see as well as she used to, but her daily thyroid meds, vitamins, and joint supplements keep her looking and feeling amazing well for as old as she is.  She is a round little muffin of a cat and is most definitely Queen of the Roost inside the house! 
2. Marshmallow - Marshy is the self-proclaimed King of Beasts of the outside cats. Quite a lofty title for this big soft clump of something sweet. This formerly timid, very simple soul with a long coat and magnificent tail has turned more irascible with the other cats in his advancing age of 16 years. Marshy has had some interesting disputes with our resident tom, Oreo. But they seem to have come to some understanding and Marshmallow is the Reigning Monarch.....with his best buddy, Alexander, as his Court Jester. They are still so adorable together!!
3. Mistopheles Started as a part-time tom who terrorized our kitties.  Then we caught him and neutered him which brought about the desired changes.  (Amazing what a difference not having "Naughty Boy Juice" circulating around in a cat's bloodstream accomplishes!!)  Now he is ours and only holds a somewhat weak vendetta against a couple of the other cats.  He's long-haired and solid black. He is so very sweet with us and so drooly when you pet him.....ick! :)  We don't know how old he is, but he is probably in his early teens.
4. Othello - (Our 2022 Cat Lovers Hop Badge Kitty) Ginormous part-Siamese solid black cat, age 12, that nearly suffocates you when he drapes himself across your neck for a nap. He's our 24 lb. affectionate curmudgeon.  He's our Oaf-Fellow!  Amazingly tolerant of our 2 yr old grandson, he's probably our best cat. 
5. Whiskers - Whisk-Whisk is a clownish Black and White Tuxedo kitty, the sister and littermate of Ophelia.....will soon turn 12.  She is a great huntress and has discovered a secret way of gaining entrance into the chicken yard (even when it is closed up at night) that none of us can figure out.  Fortunately, the raccoons have not discovered yet!  She goes in at night to help herself to any mice that are about.
6.  Ophelia - Our big boy cat with the girl name....long story that I have detailed several times in past Cat Hops. lol.... That whole thing is particularly embarrassing since my hubby is a veterinarian!! Ha! Ophelia is a littermate with Whiskers.  Nearly age 12, Ophelia is a big lazy neutered male whom we affectionately call "Oaf-elia" or Oaf-Cat. In the winter, he gets fat and becomes our "Loaf-elia" or Loaf-Cat. :)   He and the resident tom, Mr. Oreo, have shouting matches out in the yard.  I call them the "Oh-Boys!"  And Oh, Boy...do they get snarling at each other sometimes!!  We really need to have Vet Hubby neuter Mr. Oreo!!  Fortunately, they seem to be getting along better lately and I have hopes they will come to a peaceable understanding eventually.
7. Andromeda - Our sweet little Night Sky Kitten, age 10, with her unimaginably soft, solid black coat. She is outside only, and dearly loves, loves, loves to be petted whenever we step outside.  Such a sweet baby who diligently searches for any exposed skin on your neck or arm to lick when being held......infantile nursing instinct even though she is all grown up!!  lol...
8. Alexander - Started as a part-time tom but now is neutered and inseparable with his best buddy, Marshmallow. Alexander is still a little nervous about eyes looking at him, but will come over to me to be petted most anytime I call to him. Loves his tummy rubbed when I find him in a nest on the back porch. He's still too nervous to enjoy being held, so mostly I just pet him and don't try.  No need to get him spooked.  We don't know how old he is, but I am guessing somewhere around 8-10 years. 
 9. Brian - Beautiful classic brown tabby patterned male, age 8. Littermates with Caspian and Judith....very, very sweet.  Long and lean with tall ears and slanted eyes. 
10. Caspian - A gentleman kitty with a gentle personality. He is littermates with Brian and Judith.....so, also, age 8. 
11. Judith - Littermates with Brian and Caspian, so also age 8.  She is our very, very naughty wanderer. When the weather is decent, she shows up every 2 or  3 weeks (or even months!) for a day or two or three...then she is off again. A storm or cold weather will usually bring her home again...for a time.  Each summer she seems to stay home more often than she has in the past, so I am hopeful that this wandering will gradually occur less and less often.  We have several new neighbors who are doing construction in our neighborhood so I am hoping that gives us even more of a buffer zone against predators.  But there are still way too many coyotes around here for adventuring to be a good lifestyle choice for a kitty. :(  When she is home, she is my snuggle buddy.....sleeping beside me on my pillow at night.  ❤
12. Skippyjon - Age 6.  Siamese-X and still a character! Poor Skippy had too many transgressions in the house and now is outside only.  He's strong and athletic and loves to play rough and tumble with the other kitties. Not surprisingly, the others are not nearly as enthusiastic about the game as Skippy is!  His domain on the property is the area around the clothesline and greenhouse.  He loves to "help" hang out laundry!  lol... 
13. Lyman - I am very happy to report that Lyman who until last year was only an on-again-off-again visitor now lives here. We were so hoping he would stick around after vet hubby neutered him a couple of years ago. It took him awhile, but he definitely has decided to live here now. He is a gorgeous orange tabby in the prime of his life.....maybe 4 or 5 years old. He is very, very sweet and just loves getting to come in and nap with my daughter and grandson! I hope his original owners are not too sad to not have him anymore. We love him. In our area, it is not all that unusual for people to discover their "missing" cat is living with a different family not too far away. lol....
14. Mr. Oreo - Mr. Oreo is our current Resident Tom.....a relatively young (maybe 4 or 5 years) muscular black and white spotted guy...prob technically a tuxedo, although there is an awful lot of white.  (I keep asking Vet Hubby to neuter him but there are always too many other things on his list to get done!)  He is the one-eyed kitty who actually had been living at the old house we lived in 10 years ago, which is a half-mile over coyote territory.  Over a year ago, brand-new residents of that house happened to mention they were missing a one-eyed barn cat (one that had "come with the house") and we just so happened to have a one-eyed visitor.  They tried unsuccessfully to get him back home, but their own pet cats kept running him off.  He somehow ended up over here and has now definitely become ours.  He's nervous of everyone except me, but is warming up to the others somewhat.  He and Ophelia get into shouting matches, but for the most part he gets along with the other cats pretty well....so we are very glad that he is now part of our family and cat tribe. 
15. Lord Siegfried - (Visiting Tom) -Siegfried has been showing up around here off and on for several years.  He's an absolutely gorgeous long-haired tortiose-shell pattern.  Wild as anything, he is one that I can almost guarantee we will never get to touch. There are some epic battles between Lord Siegfried, Mr. Oreo, and Sir Roderick!  We have no idea how old he is, but he could be maybe 8 or 9 years old.
16. Sir Roderick - (Visiting Tom) - Roderick hangs around here a lot and looks for an opportunity when Mr. Oreo is not guarding the food to get a few bites.  The two of them are arch-enemies, along with Lord Siegfried.  Roderick is a beautiful strapping mackerel-striped brown tabby....maybe 3 or 4 years old.  Gorgeous cat.  I so wish he would tame up, but he very much keeps his distance. 
 

Last Hop I had 14 kitties on my roster, including 1 visitor.  With our two regular visitors this year, we are back at 16.....for now. 


Okay, now it is your turn!! 
Tell us about your kitties.  We all love to hear how each other's cats are doing from year to year!  After doing this Hop for 8 years, we have come to know and love many of each other's kitties and wonder how they are doing.  So please share with us!! 

Remember to
SIGN IN and then COMMENT here through Wed. Nov. 2, 2022, 11:59 pm Pacific Daylight Time to be eligible for Comment prizes. 

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Thank you for laboring through this long post, everyone.  And THANK YOU sooooooooooo much for being a part of the 2022 Cat Lovers Hop. Let the kitty fun BEGIN!!!

🖤
Janis

44 comments:

  1. I don't have any cats right now since we are renting and not able to have pets. My favorite cat was named Twitch. She was a crazy little cat who lived at my parents' house out in the barn. She acted like a little dragon, always hording things like corn cobs and other random things in her little corner in the barn. She was definitely the oddest cat I ever had. :)

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    1. Oh, that is so funny abt Twitch's little dragon hoard!! lol... Sounds like a most entertaining cat! <3

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  2. We rescue cats and kittens, and our current count is 20. We've lost a few and it's so heartbreaking. Rather than take up all your comment space (lol), you can read all about our insiders, outsiders and those we keep close in our hearts on my blog here: https://lovetoscrap2.com/cats-cats-and-more-cats/

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    1. When our sponsors are amazed that I have 16 cats, I enjoy astounding them further by telling them that one of our Hoppers has even more than I do!! lol.... (That's you!!)
      Thank you for all you do for those kitties!! I know it is a joy, but it's still difficult when you lose one. No matter how many you have, each one is so dearly loved. <3

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  4. Take two! I started a comment and it just was too long!
    What wonderful sponsors and challenges!! I'll be off to visit soon! Love the guest designers cards... wow Angela and Suzanne! And so much generosity! I loved reading about your kitties Janis - just beautiful!
    Here are my kitties:
    BLACKIE : was an ex-feral, re-educated and huge, a one person cat I feel so privileged to have shared my life with him. He passed at 18yrs in 2018 and my heart was never the same.
    COSMO: Before Blackie, he our beautiful bi-coloured ragdoll who loved my family so . He passed at 18yrs. Also broke our hearts.
    YASSI: (rescue) is now 4 1/2 yrs and always acts like the mommy cat in charge!
    MINNIE: (also rescue) My scaredy cat is 2 1/2yrs old now. She's just such a baby and very very needy!
    I've also put a more details version of each kitty on my blog :)

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    Replies
    1. Awwwww, Mandy....no comment is too long!! :)
      But I do love visiting your blog and reading your responses to our Daily Games and seeing the accompanying projects!! <3

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  5. Hooray for the Cat Lovers Hop! I currently have two cats: Maverick and Iceman. We lost our Goose 2 Christmas' ago. I have several cats over the years and each one holds a special place in our hearts.

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  6. A great post Janis. My little chihuahua is the nearest I have got to owning another cat. She sits on my lap! I love hearing about your cats. My DIL’s cat is called “Stinky “ because of her bad breath, which turned out to be caused by a rotten tooth and she is no longer stinky!

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  7. So happy to be joining in again this year!

    We have two cats, Thomas and Fussy. Both were adopted in 2010 just a few weeks apart from two different shelters. Both were around 8 weeks old. Thomas, the Orange Tabby was the first to be adopted so naturally he is the boss :) Fussy, our gray-ish (or brown-ish gray) long haired tabby was very timid when we first brought her home and it took several years for her to get comfortable around us and we'd only see her when it was time to eat, but now she is the one who spends the evenings in my lap and on some days she does show her bossy side towards Thomas too.

    Thanks so much for hosting and many thanks to all the wonderful sponsors!

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    Replies
    1. Fussy is so lucky to have a home where she could blossom at her own pace. <3

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  8. The only kitties in my life right now are my sister's two rescues: Nugget (she was found 2 years ago as a kitty in the parking lot of Chic-Fil-A) and another kitty found in a parking lot they named Henry (after our childhood cat) even though she's a girl. We also call her Henrietta so she doesn't get confused as to her gender. HAHA She is so sweet while Nugget is pretty elusive. Loving the wonderful cards!

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    1. LOL....it's amazing how common it is to have the "wrong" names for boy or girl cats!
      Nugget is such a fun name for one found at Chic-Fil-A!! <3

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  9. I have two cats - they were intended to be barn cats, but they have never spent a day outside. Fat (not Flat) Stanley (or Stan Lee as my husband calls him) and his brother Velcro.... they provide endless entertainment.

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    1. Ha! I know how those intentions can get derailed!!!
      Many, many cats ago, my hubby said if we got any more kitties he would insist they get potty-trained instead of using a litterbox.
      ......
      ......
      Did I mention that was many cats ago?
      .....
      .....
      I am still waiting for any of them to be potty-trained! Ha. <3

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  10. Thank you to these amazing sponsors - I will be visiting each one to say thank you! Special thank you to Newton's Nook for 8 years of generous support! Angela's card is adorable! Squeeal, and so is Suzanne's card! So cuuuuute! I love kitties!

    I enjoyed reading about your kitties, Janis. Wow, Jetta is 19! Othello weighs 24 lb? Now that's a big kitty! I thought our 17-lb Honeydew was big! LOL on Ophelia's name! Good for Lyman on settling in! Interesting to read about your two new visitors! And I always get a kick out of Brian's name since I have a Brian too but he's not a kitty! Thank you for sharing all about your kitties, Janis!

    As for my kitties, I only have one now. Honeydew is 18 years old, with diabetes and hyperthryoidism. He eats a special food for his thyroid and gets twice-daily insulin shots. He loves catnip, Laxatone, and watching the Hummingbird Spot channel on YouTube. He loves to be brushed and cuddled, lots and lots of cuddles! He comes to me for cuddles in the morning and to Brian in the evenings. Honeydew gets around slowly these days but we are so blessed that he's still with us!

    We lost our precious Kiwi (Honeydew's littermate) in 2020. He was such a good kitty and loved to be brushed and cuddled, but only on his terms. He was an aloof boy at times, but such a sweetie. He was a one-woman cat but was slowly warming up to Brian after many years. He occupies a big place in our hearts, and we miss him so much.

    We lost our dear girl Snowie in 2021. She was white with blue eyes and pink everything else, so pink and girly! She was small but mighty and ruled the other kitties with ease. A precious girl that was curious about everything we were doing. She loved to be brushed and cuddled, and we miss her so much, a very special girl.

    Last week on October 18 was the anniversary of my precious kitty Muffin's passing. He was 18 years old and has been gone for 18 years. I can't believe it's been that long because he's still so deeply entrenched in my heart. He was my first kitty and was my constant companion, always on my lap or sleeping on my shoulder at night. I had a cry-fest last week and looked through his photo album. Still miss him so much, even after 18 years.

    Photos of all of my kitties are always on my blog sidebar as constant inspiration.

    Now I need to head out for a while but when I get back I will be doing some happy hopping!

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    1. These dear elderly kitties are so very precious and loved. I realize that Jetta's health could take a nose-dive at any time and we could lose her quickly.....so I too treasure each day as a gift.

      And I too know those pangs of sadness over dear kitties who have long passed. I still shed a tear when missing our dear Amy that we lost in 1989 at age 8. Her littermate Cindy lived to be almost 20....so I really grieve over the years that could have been. We still consider Amy one of our best cats ever....so intelligent and sweet.

      Sending gentle hugs to you and sweet Honeydew. <3

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  11. We have had two kitties. Noel was the first in 1975. She was a Christmas present from my husband. YEars later we found an orange cat under our deck. Our home became Pumpkin's home.

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  12. I have six cats now (Minnina, Biancone, Rosso, Brigante, Minè and Dory), but until recently I had more, because I was dealing daily with a colony of stray cats that had found refuge in an old abandoned yard. Then came the bulldozers to demolish the construction site, to build a supermarket, and it was a moment of great fear for their safety. I had to quickly find a solution and luckily I was able to find everyone a new accommodation at other cat ladies. I’m very happy about that, they are safe and happy now!

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    1. Oh, Alice....how horrifying to think of the colony losing their home!! Thank you so much for caring for them and finding them new places. You are an angel. <3

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  13. I have no cats for the first time in 60+ years - we lost 16 year old Spartacus last month to lung cancer. We don't plan on having any more kitties now that we are retired, so that we can travel more easily. I do have four grand-kitties: Hamburger, Pickles, Arista and Ariel. In memoriam: Joe Cool, Tarzan, Tigger, Abby, Smokey, Bandit, Pandora, Apollo, Toby, Spartacus.

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    1. Oh, Laurie....I am so sorry about Spartacus. I know he will live on in all the wonderful memories you have of his years with you. Bless you for loving him and caring for him during his illness. I know it can be difficult. Sending hugs. <3

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  14. First of all, thank you to all of the generous sponsors and to Janis for coordinating this hop. I don't have cats but my daughter does. My project today was inspired by her sweet kitty, my grand-kitty. :) What a great post to start off the fun hop.

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  15. We have a weekend place at the Lake of the Ozarks.
    Tommy adopted us as his home whenever we were
    there. As soon as we arrived, he'd show up and
    stay around us. He got beat up a couple times and
    we took him to the vet. As a wild cat, he lived hard.
    He would sit on my lap and loved the attention.
    One weekend we went down and Tommy never
    arrived. I guess he used up his 9 lives. Have
    a stuffed cat that looks so much like him. I keep
    it on my bed as a reminder of a sweet cat.
    txmlhl(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. That is a sweet story about your weekend kitty, Tommy. Alas the hard life takes it toll. Thank you for giving him love and care! <3

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  16. I'm still 'owned' by the same three feline fur babies as last year, and they are (oldest to youngest) Honey, 11 years (often called Honeybear), Molly, 8 years, and Queenie, who says she too much of a lady to reveal her age but she's somewhere between 2 and 4 (lol.) Honey and Molly are the cuddly ones, insisting on being within touching distance regardless of where I am or what I'm doing. Queenie is cuddly only on her own terms and never, ever, EVER wants to be picked up. She crawls into my lap or cuddles next to me in bed (usually when the nights get cold), and she follows me from room to room, talks a lot, and scolds when she wants something if I'm distracted or preoccupied. But she is very much her own person (if cats can be persons.) All 3 are indoor cats only and my purpose in their lives is to feed them, entertain them, make sure the litter boxes are cleaned, and turn on the radio for them if I'm leaving the house for any extended period of time (i.e 10 minutes or more!)

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    1. Oh, Queenie....what a lovable diva you are!!! Ha.
      That's hilarious that they like the radio on. :)
      We all can relate to being treated as mere "staff" for the elites....AKA resident cats!! <3

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  17. I still have all 8 cats - Sylvester, Max, Bud, Junior, Lilly, Em (EmmyLou), Mew and Sasha. Out of all of them, Lilly is the least cuddliest - she doesn't like women, but will happily sleep next to my male roomies LOL. All eight are indoor only, Sasha has been escaping lately, but I have found if we don't "chase" her, leave her outside and go in the house she comes home within 30 minuets. Mew is my baby as she is the last kitten I got (all the others were adult (at least a year old and rescued from our fabulous shelter, the Dumb Friends League) and she will be the LAST kitten I get! She is a beautiful, skittish, loving black cat - my first - and will sit on my desk and stare at me until I talk to her and love her up. Max is the Orange Tornado - he will fly on a table and knock everything off and then look at you like you did something wrong. All of them run around the house, love to play with each other, love sitting in the window and the sun. Bud & Sylvester still squabble, but Feliway is a blessing :) I am SO happy to be back & to see all my friends, old & new XOXOXO

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    1. LOL at the "Orange Tornado". Very happy to hear you still have all 8 of your kitties.
      So glad you are back, Christi! <3

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  18. It is difficult when a cat vanishes and you are left just not knowing what happened. I like your son's way of explaining Nele's disappearance. Very sweet. <3

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  19. Love the cards, and a huge thank you to all the wonderful sponsors! I have Coco, a Sealpoint Siamese. She rules the house here and reminds us of that fact often! She's an indoor-only kitty and we have had her since 2013. She had a little surgery a few months ago to have a cyst removed, and she's been doing fine. I tried to get her to wear the cone of shame, but the first night she removed it and parked it at the front door. That was her statement about that! I had several nights of very little sleep keeping a close watch over her, but for the most part she was very well behaved about left the stitches alone. We were all very happy when she was healed up and was able to have the stitches removed, and I was able to have a much better night's sleep!

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  20. We have been 15 months without a kitty, since our beloved black cat, Casey passed away. We decided not to get any more kittens for the time being as we are now retired and love to travel, both at home and abroad, whenever we can. It's a hard price to pay as there is nothing quite like a home with cats and a cosy evening snuggling up with fur babies.
    My kitty cats, especially Casey and Indie, are kept alive in our memories through little stories that my hubby wrote about them, although it is true that they often make me cry as well as smile. Previous, just-as-loved, kitties include Holly and her kittens, Patch and Poppy all tuxedo kitties. Poppy passed away, aged 5 from heart problems, while Holly and Patch lived to be 19 and 18 years old respectively. And then from my younger days, when I lived with my parents, there was Suzy, a fluffy black and white diva, and Cindy, a really sweet tabby cat. Cats really are THE BEST! xx

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  21. So happy for new cat challenge!
    Thank you Cat!
    these sponsors are amazing!
    Angela made so nice card! I love Newtons Nook!
    Suzzanes card is so cute!
    I'm happy I could also give something to a fellow cat lover.
    Angela made awesome card! Love that sentiment!
    So happy to meet your cats!
    I have 4 cats and one more cat that came and stayed,but he is not my cat :D
    I call him Batman :D you will see later on my blog why :D
    Coffee- she is a queen cat.
    She is like a little baby who always needs to be with me.
    Coffee is the only cat that we bought,she is siamese
    Other cats were saved.
    Speedy is saved from shelter. she is a bit chunky :D
    Mini is a cat that just showed up in our yard and stay.
    He is a little sick,but nobody knows what is wrong with him.
    I think he had a stroke.
    and Marlene aka Pixie. My daughter found her.
    Some bad man threw the poor kitty from the car and my daughter saw it and brought the kitty home.
    and Batman cat. he is big cat who I give food and then he came and stayed. He is now my cat LOL
    But dont tell Mario :D

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  22. I am so thrilled to be joining in this fabulous and fun hop again this year. Thank you to all the wonderful sponsors, and thank you, Janis, for all your efforts.
    Kitties have a special place in my heart.
    I adopted two darling kitties in 2018 (Dorian and Jasper) so that means that they are four years old already.
    My younger son has two truly sweet and darling brother and sister kitties (Apollo and Artemis) who are seven years old. They are incredibly friendly and affectionate. He lives 5 hours away from me so I don't see his kitties but he does send me photos frequently.
    My older son has three kitties now but lost his beloved kitty( Elric) in March of this year. He was 18.5 years old. He decided to adopt two kitties in August so that his other kitty, Loki, would not be lonely after losing his brother. He adopted Coram (who is 2.5 years old) and Claws ( who is 11 months old). I visit him every week so I get to see his kitties. What a joy!
    I would love to adopt another kitty but, if something were to happen to me, my older son would have to take my two kitties since he lives 35 minutes away from me. That would mean he would have five kitties!!! LOL Hugs xx

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  23. We still have all of our indoor cats plus the outdoor cats which have
    "adopted" us. :) The last few days two additional young black cats
    have been visiting. We keep a bowl of cat food on our side porch and
    they have discovered it. We'll have to name them and let them adopt us too I guess.

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  24. Our house is empty right now.
    Perky and Patience were 2 brothers that we received from a girl I had worked with. They were both rescues from a warehouse and were only 3 weeks old when we got them. We didn't even know what to feed them at first. Perky chose me and Patience chose my husband. We loved them both very much. Perky was EXTREMELY intelligent and always getting into trouble. LOL! Patience not so much, but he was the protector. He always looked out for Perky and for us. He always guarded the stairs and our doorway. Patience even scared my mom's dog when we went to visit. The dog wasn't allowed to cross over the path of the door without Patience giving him a warning. LOL! Sadly Perky passed away during the night at 12.5 years old. Patience went on to live another 5 years after that and I think he was meant to as we never knew how much Patience loved to play too until Perky was gone. Patience would always walk away when Perky would come into the room to play.

    We met "Boo" when we went to the vet's office to pick up Patience's ashes. We have had all of our cats cremated and I keep their little urns on the bookshelf close to me in my craft room along with their pictures. People might think I'm crazy, but I still say good morning and good night every day to them and give their little urns a kiss.
    Boo was also a rescue that no one had wanted. She was an extremely abused cat and had been passed around vets offices for 3 years between 3 different cities. For me it was love at first site and as fate would have it, she chose me and after several events and convincing my husband that she belonged with us, found her forever home. She was 6.5 years old. The bond that we had was unexplainable and she became a loveable, huggable babe. She never let me out of her site and would wait at the door and cry if I wasn't home on time. My husband would try to console her, but he wanted me. Unfortunately, after 8 years, we lost our last fur baby "Boo" on my birthday in the year of 2017. To me it still feels like yesterday. All of cats were jet black, so in all of my creations I try to always colour the cats black like my babes were.

    My husband and I have decided that we want to travel over the next 10 years and therefore, we don't think it would be fair to bring a pet into our home at this time. Plus, to be honest, I'm not sure that I could go through the loss of a pet again. It's just too hard.

    Thank you so much for all of your hard work putting on these Cat Lovers blog hopes every year. I look so forward to them. Take care!

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  25. We don't have any cats since
    we moved to Arizona. Now
    we have Road Runners and
    Quail. So enjoy your fun hop
    every year.
    Carla from Arizona

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  26. My cat is Emmie, she is five years old now. We got her as a rescue cat when she was about 9 weeks old. The caption up the top where the cat is waking up her owner tickled my fancy. She used to do that all the time but now she just quietly comes into me of a night when I finally get to sleep and snuggles up next to me and we sleep for ages together. She makes me sleep too long sometimes. I hope she will keep doing this but I have a feeling it might be only while my husband is in hospital. It's been 2.5 weeks now. I don't know if she is comforting me, or telling me she wants the bed but she doesn't sleep on his side. She snuggles on the other side of me but never falls off, we just sleep and wake up and then go back to sleep, sleep, sleep. I am going to take it as comforting.

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  27. My daughter adopted a black male cat age 1 last yr, she named Bartleby "Bee' for short.
    Melissa
    "Sunshine HoneyBee"

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  28. My previous Pets Cats were all given Chinese names associated with Beans. Today I do not have any pets at home.

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  29. I am currently without a cat, but my last furry companion was Whisper. My little black cat that loved to climb everything and play in boxes. She enjoyed cat-napping by the window and love sleeping on my lap with a throw blanket. She was just a wonderful cat and is missed daily.

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  30. We have six cats, 3 in and 3 out, a few years ago we had 23, sounds crazy right, but we live in the country and I swear we have a sign on the barn that says 'drop your cats here'. We finally found homes for all and kept 3 outside kitties, Violet, Red and Fade, Fade has a heated house for the winter and Violet and Red have my hubby,s man cave that is heated and they have free run in, we put them in every night and shut the doggie door because coyote's are pretty prevalent here. We lost a kitty to cancer last year Soot, she was the most intelligent cat I have ever owned, I miss her personality terribly! We have 3 other house cats, two are 15, Tessie and Chloe and Freckles that is 6, wouldn't trade them for anything!!

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  31. We still have our cat Sabre. She is getting older but still gets along really well. We have stray cats that come and go.

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  32. What a great post to start off the hop.
    Thank you, Janis for this hop and to all of the generous sponsors.
    I don't have cats but my grandma does. she is a sweet and elegant kitty and we love her:)

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THANK YOU so much for taking the time to leave a comment. Your kind words encourage me so very much!!!

Have a lovely day!
<3
Janis