Prepurring for Pessach with Shimshi: Caturday Art and Sunday Selfies

Greetings, Effurrybuddies!

It's Me again, the Mighty Shimshon (Shimshi for short). The Little Purrince, Fursst of My Name, a.k.a. The Baby Mancat, Master of the Queen's Mischiefs, and Captain-of-the-Guard. I am here to repurresent my Fellow J-Cats on this weekend's blog hops -  the Caturday Art blog hop, hosted by the Wise and Beautiful Athena and her HuMum, Marie, and the Sunday Selfies blog, hosted by the Deliciously and Predictably Unpredictable Kitties Blue and their HuMom, Janet.

This week, We welcomed the arrival of Mummy's brother, Uncle D. (to whom We graciously gave up Our Room). He has come for Pessach (Passover) and will be here the whole month (although he may go to stay with Mummy's sister Auntie N. at some stage).

We picked out a couple of selfies this week, which We artified in many different ways. Let's start off with the originals.

In this furrst picture, I was proving to Mummy that despite still being - how does She put it? Somewhat -well, Rotund - I can still touch My Toesies.

In the second selfie, We used the Wide frame angle on Mummy's meowbile phone, which made my ears look big and my arm furry long:

Then We found a couple of frames on PhotoFunia so Mummy could always keep these photos on her dressing-table:

I don't know about you, but purr-sonally, I feel these frames are more suited to autumn or winter, so I made Mummy take me over to LunaPic, where We artified the pawtraits in a much more Spring-like spirit. 

The furrst one, where I was demonstrating my toe-touching prowess, We artified with Dawn at 64%, with an Acid overlay at 16%:

The second one, which Mummy thought looked quite artful as it was, given the unusual angle, was given a touch-up with Courtisane at 59%, followed by K2 Art at 32%:

But it didn't end there. Mummy took Us back to PhotoFunia, where We created Greetings cards for Pessach:

I know they look like Easter eggs, but hardboiled eggs are also a traditional part of the Passover Seder, which will take place next Caturday night, April 12th.

Before Pessach, however, We have two other impawtant events to celebrate. This Tuesday, April 8th, Mummy will be celebrating her gazillionth Birthday. And on Furriday, April 11th, We will be celebrating Caspurr's Gotcha Day with a big picnic at 2pm Israel time, up in the Enchanted Forest. You know the drill - and are all invited. 

Here, now, are the blog hop badges:

        

Since next Sunday is Pessach, and Mummy stays away from the Computer on Shabbat and Holy Days, We will most likely not be here till the week after next - same Cat Time, same Cat Channel. 

To those of you who celebrate Pessach - Chag Sameach - חג שמח!

And to those of you who will be celebrating Easter in two weeks time - Happy Easter!

Whatever you celebrate - be well. Be safe. We love you all!

Stolen Hours: Caturday Art and Sunday Selfies

Greetings, Effurryone!

Sir Caspurr the Courageous here, the Caspicatious, Furrst of My Name, the Snuggle-Bug, Commander in-Chief of the Impurrial Forces, King of the Tigger-Tabbies!
But you knew that already, didn't you?
I'm sure you remembered that We do things in turn here, and that it's MY Turn to lead My Fellow J-Cats on this weekend's blog hops - the Caturday Art blog hop, hosted by the Wise and Beautiful Athena and her HuMum, Marie,  and the Sunday Selfies blog hop, hosted by the Delightful and Predictably Unpredictable Kitties Blue and their HuMom, Janet.

This past week has been a busy one (for Mummy, at any rate. We kitties have too much sense to go tiring Ourselves out with so much Activity!).

She had a field-trip in the Western Shomron region, two choir practices AND an O-purra! And She arrived more than half an hour late at the O-purra because of &@#$%! demonstrators who caused absolute havoc in the streets of Tel Aviv - so much so that while it took her only an hour by car from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, it took another hour and a half stuck in traffic jams to reach the O-purra House. That meant She couldn't get to her seat until the interval and had to watch the furrst half from the Balcony. However, it wasn't a total disaster, because so many people were late that the performance itself was delayed by 15 - 20 minutes and so at least Mummy didn't miss any of her favourite arias - and the moment she sat down and let the Mewsic wash over her, all her anger dissipated - well, most of it, anyway.

Of course, since the O-purra started late, it also finished later than expected, so Mummy didn't get back to Jerusalem till almost midnight. And then She had to feed Us. And then She was hungry too and it was almost 2 am before She actually got to bed. Which, when you come to think of it, was kind of convenient, because at 2 am that night, the clocks went forward and Israel moved to Daylight Savings Time. 
So - I suppose that means She went to bed at 3 am!!! 

So, for the furrst of My Selfies, here is a picture of Me, keeping a watchful eye open, because I knew they were going to steal an hour of Mummy's Beauty Sleep (Cod knows She needs it - MOL) and I wanted to catch the Thief for her. But I must have blinked, because they got away again. Why does that always happen?

We made a lovely, artsy-fartsy version of this, using LunaPic's new Skeletor effect at 35%, followed by Dreaming at 20%.

My next selfie shows off My Tummy. When I was a little kitty, the heart-shaped belly patch was much more clearly defined, but - We know it's there, don't We? And if you don't - you will just have to take My word for it!

We artified this picture with the Barcelona effect at 36%, to which We added the Soft Lighting filter.  As far as We recall, We have not used Barcelona before, although it has been around for quite a while.

Finally, Mummy and I sometimes enjoy a spot of "Pillow Talk" - usually at what Mummy calls an Uncodly Hour (MOL):

This final pawtrait was artified with a single filter - Acid at 34%:

All three pawtraits will be on display at the National Gallery until after Pessach (Passover) which starts on Caturday night, April 12th.

Speaking of Pessach, of course, Mummy's brother, Uncle D., will be coming to Israel to spend the holiday with Us. In fact, he is arriving the day after tomorrow!

In case you missed it, Mummy blogged last week about some of the books She has been reading over the past few months, including the one We won on Erin's giveaway, so don't forget to take a look.

Time to wrap things up now, so that Mummy can do her boring old Human things, like hanging up the laundry, and resting before Caterwauling Practice. Before We go, here are the Blog Hop Badges:

                

See you all next week, same Cat Time, same Cat Channel. Till then - be well. Be safe. We love you all.

Spring is in the Air: Caturday Art and Sunday Selfies

Greetings, Effurrybody!

Spring really does seem to be in the air! Furriday was officially the Furrst Day of Spring and although it was rainy, as was Caturday, today is fine and sunny and We are looking at sunshine and warm weather (up to 29 degrees Celsius) all week. That will make Mummy furry happy as She has another of her field-trips tomorrow. Speaking of Mummy's field-trips, she has a post up on her own bloggie about her last field-trip, at the beginning of the month, to the Golan Heights. Just as well they went when they did - and We aren't talking about the Weather...

Today, I, Queen Trixie, Furrst of My Name, Empurress of Jerusalem, Israel and the Entire Middle East, Queen of Hearts, the Panfur Princess, Guardian of the Boudoir and Alpha Kitty Extraordinaire, will be leading My Fellow J-Cats on this weekend's blog hops - the Caturday Art blog hop, hosted by the Wise and Beautiful Athena and her HuMum, Marie, and the Sunday Selfies blog hop, hosted by the Deliciously and Predictably Unpredictable Kitties Blue and their HuMom, Janet.

Out of countless pawssible pawtraits, We chose this one, where I was curled up next to Mummy on the sofa (Mummy had to edit it by cropping her big foot out of the picture - MOL):

We then artified it with LunaPic's Picasso effect at 35%:

But then We thought We would try something completely different. We went over to PhotoFunia and searched for a frame suitable for Spring. This is what We found - although, unfortunately, Mummy had to crop part of ME this time:

Mummy loves daffodils - they were her own Mummy's favourite flowers.

Finally, We went back to LunaPic and artified this picture too - using the Landscape effect at 65%:

So, there you have it, Furriends and Admirers. Which one do you like best?

Okay, next, here are the blog hop badges:

        

Last, but by no means least, We want to remind you that (Great Cat in the Sky-willing) We will be back again next week - same Cat Time, same Cat Channel.

Till then, be well. Be safe, We love you all.

Is it Spring Yet? Caturday Art and Sunday Selfies with Shimshi

Greetings, Effurrybuddies!

It was furry hot over Shabbat - and getting hotter! We are looking at 27 - 28 degrees Celsius today, with even higher tempurratures tomorrow. But the Weather Guessers in Mummy's phone app say the tempurratures will plummet later on in the week, and next weekend will be chilly again. Ah, well - that's March for you!
At least We had lovely weather for Our Purr-im Pawty on Furriday, up in the Enchanted Forest! 

Now, it is My Turn to repurresent the J-Cats on this weekend's blog hops - the Caturday Art blog hop, hosted by the Wise and Beautiful Athena and her HuMum, Marie, and the Sunday Selfies blog hop, hosted by the Delightfully and Predictably Unpredictable Kitties Blue and their HuMom, Janet.

I, the Mighty Shimshon (Shimshi for short), Furrst of My Name, the Little Purrince, a.k.a. The Baby Mancat, Master of the Queen's Mischiefs and Captain of the Guard, have chosen three mewtiful selfies, all of which have been artified (though they need no embellishment) with filters from LunaPic (which also provided the frames).

In this furrst one, I am displaying some of the Wealth of My Domain. You may not know this, but I am a Box Tycoon. Here is some of My Extensive Propurrty:

That yellow one is so humongous, there would even be room inside it for Mummy, if only She would try it out! 

And here is the artsy-fartsy version, which uses the Smoke effect at 41%:

Mummy is so selfish, she keeps hogging the Computer - all day long! So I decided that the Tablet would be just right for me, as you can see:

What? What?  It's about the same size for Me as the large, flat-screen TV is for Mummy, wouldn't you say? Not too big at all. Just the Right Size, in fact!

Anyway, this picture was artified with the Fairy filter at 43%, followed by Beauty at 27%.

And now for a close-up:

This last one was artified with a nod to St. Patrick's Day, which We know many of you will be celebrating. We decorated the frame with a couple of shamrocks and used the Scribble and Garden filters at 50% each. Happy St. Patrick's Day - and may the Leprechauns guide you all to your pot of gold!

Next, here are the blog hop badges:

        

Before We go, We just want to remind you to take a look at Mummy's own blog later on in the week. She has made a good start on reporting her field-trip to the Golan Heights earlier this month, and it will probably go live tomorrow or the day after.

Well, that's all for now, See you again next week - same Cat Time, same Cat Channel. Till then - be well. Be safe. We love you all.

Twofurs for Purr-im: Caturday Art and Sunday Selfies

Greetings, Effurrybuddies!

Here We are again - ALL of Us, this time, because We want to wish effurrybody a Happy Purr-im for this coming Furr-iday. We weren't so co-operative in posing for an Ussie this week, so instead, We are bringing you a selection of Twofurs for this weekend's blog hops - the Caturday Art blog hop, hosted by the Wise and Beautiful Athena and her HuMum, Marie, and the Sunday Selfies blog hop, hosted by the Delightful and Predictably Unpredictable Kitties Blue and their HuMom, Janet.
That way, you still get to see all of Us.

Furrst of all, here are Trixie and Caspurr, in a special Purr-im - themed frame:

We artified this with a blend of LunaPic's Dark filter, at 58% and Fairy (also by LunaPic) at 27%.

And here is Trixie with Shimshi:

We went a bit wild with a really artsy-fartsy frame this time, so We only used a single filter for the Caturday Art - Mola, at 40%:

For Our third and final Two-fur, here are the brofurs, Caspurr and Shimshi. 

We really went overboard with the artification this time, with a double frame and the Watercolour effect at 45%:

You know, it's a mitzva (religious obligation) to get drunk at Purr-im, and looking at this week's Art, Mummy thinks maybe We had all had a bit too much in pre-purration(mol).

All the art and frames are from LunaPic.

Here are the blog hop badges which Mummy We nearly forgot:

        

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In other News - last week, Mummy posted a description of her field-trip to Ashkelon and Beit Guvrin on her own bloggie.  She met lots of nice kitties there, so if you haven't read it yet, do go and have a look.

The day before publishing that article (which She actually started writing the previous week), She had yet another field-trip, this time to the Golan Heights in the North, but of course, She hasn't had time to write about that one yet. She hopes to do so (or at least, start doing so), later this week.

She also went to the O-purra, where She saw a new, original, Israeli O-purra called Theodor, about the great Zionist visionary, Theodor Herzl.

This week, Mummy doesn't have much going on and even tonight's Caterwauling Purr-actice is cancelled because the Music Director/Conductor is sick. Mummy says her life seems to have a pattern - one week absolutely choco-a-block full, the next - dead quiet. That's when She manages to find some time for reading. Of course, as far as We are concerned, the more time She spends at home and the less She goes gallivanting about, the better!

Now, before We go, We would like to wish all those who are celebrating it, a Happy Purr-im. We will be having Our Fancy-Dress Purr-im Pawty, to which you are all invited, on Friday afternoon at 2pm Israel time, up in the Enchanted Forest. Indeed, where else would We have it?! The Co-ordinates have been sent, as usual, to your Transportation Devices. Remember, it's a costume pawty. And the weather forecast says it will be sunny, with tempurratures in the mid-20s Celsius.

Till then - be well. Be safe. We love you all.

Happy Purim - פורים שמח - Purim Sameach!

Was There Snow? Where Did It Go? Caturday Art and Sunday Selfies with Caspurr

Hallo again, Effurryone!

Here I am once more, Sir Caspurr the Courageous, the Caspicatious, Furrst of My Name, the Snuggle Bug, Commander-in-Chief of the Impurrial Forces, King of the Tigger-Tabbies. It falls to Me, today, to lead My Fellow J-Cats on this weekend's blog hops - the Caturday Art blog hop, hosted by the Wise and Beautiful Athena and her HuMum, Marie,  and the Sunday Selfies blog hop, hosted by the Delightfully and Predictably Unpredictable Kitties Blue and their HuMom, Janet.

We picked out two selfies, and each one has been given a couple of artified versions, courtesy of LunaPic.

Furrst of all, Mummy could not resist sharing my raspy little pink tongue with you all:

We artified this with a filter We haven't used much before - Woodsey, set to 63%:

We liked it so much, We decided to leave it at that and not add an overlay in another filter.  

Then, We did another version, again using a single filter - Courtisane, at 67%:

There was another picture which, although it might technically count as a Photo Fail, because the camera was facing the sunlight and that caused distortions, We liked because of the way those very distortions threw what looks like a halo of light around My Face:

That made the photo seem like a Prime Candidate for Artification, of which We made two. The furrst one used (appropriately enough) Sunshine at 63%, lightly washed with Delaunay, set to 25%:

The second one used Escher at 53%, overlaid with Nouveau at 30%:

Another reason We liked this second pawtrait is that, because of the camera angle, it makes Me look slimmer and my legs, longer.

Which is your favourite? Let Us know in the Comments section below.

And now to the Question you must all be dying to ask - what about the Snow we were purromised last week?

.

.

.

Didn't happen.

At least, Mummy met a couple of people who claimed to have seen some snowflakes, mingled with Sky-water.  And Mummy's sister sent her a Whatsapp message early last Monday morning, saying (and We quote):

"I took out my super-powerful magnifying glass and managed to see a snow-flake just before it hit the ground and melted."

But Mummy herself didn't see a single snowflake. Nothing. Rien. Nada. Nichts.

It was very cold, though, with the tempurratures dropping below zero at night, so that the water froze in the pipes and some of the solar boilers on the roof burst. That didn't happen to Us, however, because Mummy heeded the water company's advice and left a warm-water tap dripping all night long. If you do that, the water can't freeze because it's moving. Of course the water bill is a little higher, but by not nearly as much as it would cost to have to replace the pipes or the boiler.

And today is bright and sunny and considerably warmer than last week, which is Good News, because Mummy has another one of her field-trips tomorrow, up in the Golan Heights in the North.

Before signing off, We would like to wish effurrybody A Happy Dr. Seuss Day. 
This isn't really a thing here, although, growing up in an English-speaking country, off course Mummy read the Cat in the Hat books when She was a child. But if You, Our Furriends, celebrate it, then We hope you have a Great Time. Mummy did actually look for some Dr. Seuss clipart for the Caturday Art, but, to her utter Surprise and Consternation, couldn't find any - which She (and We) found rather odd.

Now, here are the blog hop badges:

        

We will try to visit as many of you as We can today (before Mummy lies down for her Sunday afternoon pre-Caterwauling Club nap) and those We don't get to today, look for Us later in the Week.

At all events, We will see you all (Great-Cat-in-the-Sky willing) next week - same Cat Time, same Cat Channel. Meanwhile, be well. Be safe. We love you all.

Where Is The Snow? - Caturday Art and Sunday Selfies

Hallo there, Effurryone!

This week, We were furry Co-operative and posed nicely in front of the radiator together, so for this weekend's blog hops - the Caturday Art blog hop hosted by the Wise and Beautiful Athena and her HuMum, Marie, and the Sunday Selfies blog hop, hosted by the Deliciously and Predictably Unpredictable Kitties Blue and their HuMom, Janet - We are bringing you an Ussie!

You are purrobably asking yourselves what is that object on the floor in front of Us. Well, it's Mummy's Old Mattress. She bought a new one, out of Meowmory Foam. But She needs help getting the old spring mattress down the stairs and outside for the garbage collectors, so She is waiting for our Cleaning Lady, Ms. M., to come and help her. Meanwhile, as She is not so inclined to go out for her Daily Walk because of the weather, She has been using it as an exercise mat. And, of course, We kitties also like having another soft, bouncy surface to play on.

(The Truth is, it's also hard for her to say goodbye to an Object which has served her faithfully for over 35 years. Uncle D. says She has a Tendency to anthropomorphise Inanimate Objects -whateffur that may mean.)

We made three different artifications of this picture, all using the amazing filters and effects available from LunaPic. This furrst one uses Grey at 59% with just a hint of colour from Nouveau at 22%:

Next, We have this colourful piece, using one filter only - Candy at 43%:

And finally, in tribute to the predicted weather conditions, this one, in which We combined Sketch4 at 62% with Frost at 35% - and then added a Snowfall animation, for good measure:

To be quite honest, howeffur, We suspect that this animation is all the snow We are going to see. The weather forecast keeps changing and the likelihood of there actually being any snow in Jerusalem seems to be be receding with effurry hour. Having said that, Mummy just checked the weather forecast and now (contrary to what they said two hours ago), We are being told to expect snow showers around 7 to 8 am tomorrow (Monday) morning. Well - We'll believe it when We see it. What We can say with certainty is that it's furry, furry Cold - 5 degrees Celsius, with a Real Feel of just 1 degree, thanks to the Wind Chill Effect.

What it must be like for the remaining Israeli hostages still being held in the Hamas Terror Tunnels below ground in Gaza - the ones who are still alive - We dare not even try to imagine.

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Before We go, here are the blog hop badges:

        

We will see you all again next week, same Cat Time, same Cat Channel. Meanwhile - be well. Be safe. We love you all.