Blue Monday: Blog Drawings & A Blog Break

Good Morning! Today is Blue Monday at my good friend Sally's blog, Smiling Sally, and I just recently returned from a trip out of state. Many thanks to those of you who emailed or posted to see if I had failed to follow the bread crumb trail back to my blog. I also want to thank you for your lovely birthday wishes. Your kindness and warmth truly made it an extra special day for me. :-)

Today, I'd like to share a tiny bit of blue with you.

Can you guess what this is...



I'll give you another hint. It's something that Professor Debbie of Confessions of a Plate Addict won in my Followers Drawing, and no it's not the border of a plate (Debbie, don't read any further or you will destroy your surprise!)...





Still can't guess...






Okay, let's call in Inspector Clouseau who will take all the pieces of the puzzle and make them fit...








And put them up on a pedestal...



To reveal something whose flesh and blood counterpart lives with Professor Debbie...



He even bears a tiny bit of a resemblance...



To Debbie's very own Baby Kitty...



But wait...



What's that I spy...



I see two sets of eyes...



For just as Professor Debbie has multiple live cats, she now has a pair of these Staffordshire style kitties which also remind me a bit of the Quimper that Debbie loves. I've dubbed these two The Aristocats (in honor of the fact that Debbie is a French teacher and avowed Francophile)...




And while they look old, they were deliberately crazed (crazed as in crackled, not loony)...



They lived at my house for a very long time, but when I was spying on Debbie's blog (I like to spy on the winners and see if there's something they really like), I noticed that she had spotted and admired similar figurines in a shopping excursion. So I decided these needed to go live with her at the Cat House in Atlanta. ;-)



So, Debbie I hope you enjoy them as much as we did over the last fifteen years because I know they will enjoy living with you. This one even has a little grin on his face because he's Georgia-bound and is slated to arrive today...



He and his friend will be arriving with a third gift, a gift that was selected especially for Baby Kitty before I even knew he celebrated a birthday on July 23. Here are the pieces of that gift...










And a photograph (nabbed from Debbie's blog) of Baby Kitty licking his favorite snack... catnip!



Debbie, I hope you all enjoy everything! :-)

And for those of you who haven't already entered, I am having an Older Than Dirt Birthday Giveaway for a gift based on the person who wins. If you win, I will spy on your blog and pick a surprise gift based on what I think you'll like. If you'd like to enter and haven't, please do so by clicking here and signing up on that post. Drawings for the Older Than Dirt Giveaway and the Shiny Object Giveaway (which is closed) will take place within a month.

In the mean time, I am taking an extended blogging break due to household (work taking place in both our residence and retreat) and family commitments (my MIL's milestone birthday I'm helping with), and I will check in with you from time to time.

Here's wishing you a very Happy Blue Monday! Thank you for visiting, and I look forward to visiting you in return! Please join Sally and the other participants by clicking here. It's always fun to see all the blue that's posted.

Warmly,


Mrs. Magpie (Sheila)

P.S. (8-11-09) If you'd like to see Baby Kitty's reactions to the gifts, click here. It's a hoot!