A Cat Tail

I originally posted this store back in 2010.  I am reposting it today because this morning our cat Murphy passed away.  For 18 years Murphy let us pet him, feed him, scratch his ears, and spoil him rotten.  Murphy was a big part of our lives and he will be sorely missed.  Murphy was also a very special cat who always kept us entertained as you will see in the following story.

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2010

Hi! My name is Murphy!

Eric works in the construction field and wears big heavy boots that lace up past the ankles. In the evenings he usually leaves them under our kitchen table and sometimes Murphy likes to play with the laces. So it’s not unusual to find the boots knocked over or in disarray as they were one morning several years ago.

That fateful morning Eric put on the boots lacing them all the way up as usual, then stood up. Something felt a little odd about one boot. He sat down, untied the boot, took it off and straightened his sock - thinking that would fix the problem. He put the boot back on, laced it up and stood up. Darn! Something still felt a little odd.

This whole time - Murphy is just sitting there watching as though he was really interested in this strange human behavior.

Eric sat down again, took the boot off. This time he stood up and turned so the ceiling light was aimed down the boot. Then - YES - he did exactly what you know you shouldn’t do!!!! He stuck his hand in that big black hole while trying to see into the boot.

Here it is! Are you ready???? A mole, yes a mole (you know - one of those furry small rodents that tunnel through your yard) raced up his arm and took a flying leap off his shoulder onto the kitchen floor The race was on. This was exactly what Murphy had been waiting on.

It happened so fast - it took Eric a few minutes to figure out what had happened. And then he had to join the race. Eric won, disposed of the mole, took another shower and left for work.

It was just another day with Murphy.

Small Business Saturday

When you think of supporting small businesses, don’t forget about the real little guys like me and other local artisans who work from our homes and depend on the internet and other businesses to market our wares.

 

I am fortunate to have three local small business storefronts that carry my artwork and/or jewelry.

• Jack’s Java/ Jack Jones has carried my art prints for several years.
• Merison’s, which is primarily a furniture, appliance and electronics store has taken a unique approach to supporting local artisans by displaying their works as part of the home décor they sell. Most of the wall art, pottery, throws, quilts, rugs you see at Merison’s are made by local artists.
• T.F. Rice & Company, described as “An Eclectic Artistic Gathering,” carries a mix of art by regional artisans. Just about everything in the store is handmade by an artist (small business owner) who lives within a 50 mile radius of Paris Landing.

I also have an internet storefront on Imagekind (a USA business) which I have been using since 2009 for my art prints. These are the folks who print my artwork on archival papers or canvas, frame them and ship them anywhere in the world. Of course this also means that people around the world are looking at my pictures of a pretty little town called Paris, Tennessee and it’s neighbor - Paris Landing.

 

So, I guess my point is - Yes - please shop with small businesses - but try to shop local too or at least USA made. If everything you buy in that small business is made overseas …who are you really helping?

Fall Leaves

I've been so busy I almost missed taking a few Fall photos. 

 

Fall On North Poplar Street

 

 

Fall On Antioch Road

 

Two of my favorite places!