Caturday Art

Hallo, Effurrybody!

We don't usually post on Caturday, because of the Sabbath. But since Shabbat ends so early during the winter months, there is still plenty of Caturday left, even though Shabbat is already over and so We are going to take the oppurrtunity to purrticipate, for the furry furrst time, in the Caturday Art blog hop hosted by Athena and her Human, Marie.

We still need to remind ourself how to do this, step-by-step.

First, here is Athena's Caturday Art logo:

And here is Our Artistic Creation! This is Moi, Queen Trixie, the Black Panfur, Empurress of Jerusalem, Israel and the Entire Middle East, Guardian of the Boudoir, Alpha-Kitty Extraordinaire!






In this picture, I am curled up trying to sleep but keeping an eye on Mummy and her Flashy Box. Can you see my beautiful, sharp white Fangs?

For this picture, Mummy, who is new to these online photo-editing thingies, used the LunaPic Beauty Tool and added a Picture Frame border. Quite simple really, as We are just beginners at this kind of photo editing.

We hope you like it. I certainly enjoyed getting to try out all kinds of filters and so on, before choosing this one.


Before We post the link to the Blog Hop, We wanted to wish you all Shavoua Tov - A Good Week.

And also, one other thing. We know a lot of you enjoyed reading about Flat Moo's Visit and all the places she went to see in Jerusalem, and We thought that you and your Humans might enjoy seeing some other places in Israel which Mummy sometimes writes about in her own, purrsonal blog. So here is a link to Mummy's blog.


And now, here are all the purrticipants in the Blog Hop:

Meet the Community Cats

Hallo again, Effurrybody!

We purromised, a while back, to keep you updated about the feral kitties Mummy feeds effurry evening and to introduce you to some more of them.
Mummy gives them all names now, you remember - although sometimes, She isn't quite sure which is which, because She only sees most of them after dark, when She goes down to feed them. 

There are a couple, however, who come bounding up to Mummy whenever She leaves the house, so Mummy knows them purrty well.

This is one of them. Mummy calls her Callie and She is a sweet, friendly little kitty girl.








This sweet boy, who comes rushing up the moment Mummy sets foot outside the house, and who often seems more interested in Mummy's company than in the food She brings, is called Mishmish (Hebrew for "apricot"). You can purrobably guess why (mol).

Mummy's other pictures didn't turn out so well, so She'll try and take some more this evening - if it isn't raining. It isn't easy to handle a camera when you are trying to hold an umbrella as well as a box full of kitty food. Last night, Mummy went down to feed the Homeless Kitties earlier than usual - which is just as well, because later on, it started pouring and there were thunder boomies all night long.  And now, We are in for three days of rain, Mummy says. 

We hate the thought of all the poor, homeless kitties being out in the rain and cold without shelter. Mummy checked all along Our Street and She says there are several places all along the street where the kitties can find at least some shelter, like covered garages and basements. But sometimes, kitties curl up under the engine covers of cars, to keep warm - which is furry dangerous for them. Please remember, before you start up your car, to check that no kitty has taken shelter there.

And those of you who live in the UK and are celebrating Guy Fawkes Night - please make sure there are no kitties or other anipals around when you set off your fireworks this evening and that all pets are safely indoors. In fact - it would be better not to set off any fireworks at all. Animals are terrified by them.  

That's all for now, kitties. Mummy isn't feeling well and wants to go and take a nap.

Be well and be safe.



Trixie, Caspurr and Shimshi

Farewell to Flat Moo

Greetings, Effurrybuddies!

They say all good things must come to an end, and it is true. Yesterday, We bade fur-well to Flat Moo, Joanie's Travelling Cow from the 15 and Meowing blog, who has been staying with Us here in Jerusalem for the past few weeks. We were furry sad to see her go, but She has lots of other places to visit on her World Tour and lots of other anipals to meet - and We mustn't be selfish.

As We purr-omised, before she left, We took Moo to Tel Aviv for a day at the seaside. We went first to the Old Port, which was built in the 1930s to replace the Port of Jaffa, when the latter became too dangerous for Jews to use, because of the Arab riots. The port is no longer in use for maritime commerce but it was completely restored in the early years of this century, and now teems with restaurants and cafes. Well, what else could We do? We needed sustenance to give Us plenty of energy for the day's adventures (mol)!

Here We all are, #MooToo, at the port.









We strolled along the wooden deck which runs along the shore, until We met this kitty, who was on her way to her favourite eatery (she looks as if she needs feeding, don't you think?) and didn't really have time to stop and chat.

A little further along, We met another one of the locals, who didn't want to let go of the Fishie between her teeth to answer Our query, but pointed Us with a toss of her glossy black head in the direction of one of the jetties.

We eventually stumbled upon a long, stone wall jutting into the waves. From a distance, it looks like the deck of a half-submerged submarine, doesn't it (mol)?

We didn't think anyone but a sure-footed Feline would brave the wet, slippery stones, but there were fishermen there and Moo summoned up all her courage and posed for a photo with them.

The fishermen were quite surprised because, although they are used to kitties hoping for some fishy tidbits, they had neffur met a travelling cow before. Still, they were furry kind and shared their catch with Us.

By now, it was getting quite late, so We walked back along the wooden deck and down to the seashore, where We had some ice-cream and enjoyed the beautiful sunset.

Then it was time to head back home to Jerusalem, where We had a Fur-well Supper with Moo and helped her to pack.

This morning, We said Our goodbyes and waved her on her way. We shall miss her furry much - but We are somewhat comforted by the fact that Mummy remembered that She, too, has a travelling cow, Milka, who came from Switzerland as the representative of a Chocolate Manufacturer, and liked it so much in Israel that she decided to stay. Here she is, with Flat Moo:

We are looking forward to reading about Moo's adventures at her next port of call.

Bon voyage, Moo - or, as We say in Hebrew, Nessia Tova  (נסיעה טובה).

Flat Moo Comes To Town - Part 7

Hallo again, Effurrybody!

Here We are again - which is to say, Moi, Queen Trixie and My brofurs, Caspurr and Shimshi, and Our Special Guest, Joanie's Travelling Cow from the 15 and Meowing blog, Flat Moo.

Flat Moo has been with Us for several weeks now and her visit is drawing to a close. We will be furry sorry to see her go - but We were furry glad that she was able to spend the High Holy Days with Us and also to enjoy Sukkot (Tabernacles) here in Jerusalem. We were effur so glad to be able to welcome her to Our Sukkah:

Earlier this week, We took her to visit the Nachlaot neighbourhood, where there are lots of quaint little houses built around picturesque, interconnected  courtyards, each courtyard a mini-neighbourhood originally populated by a different Jewish community - Syrian Jews, Iraqi Jews, Sephardic and Ashkenazi, etc.  

Once one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Jerusalem, it has now become gentrified and the tiny one-room and two-room houses are gradually being replaced by extremely expensive houses which the local people cannot afford and which are being bought up by outsiders:

As you would expect, each of the courtyards of Nachlaot has its own resident cat population, and naturally, the local population treat them with the Respect to which We Felines are entitled, which includes feeding them furry well - as you can see from this picture:

In fact, this kitty was definitely a bit - well, chubby.

And we also made the acquaintance of this elegant panfur, in one of the courtyards:

There are many synagogues in Nachlaot, some of them tiny little enclaves in the middle of the famous Machane Yehuda market (which lies at the heart of Nachlaot and about which, more later), like this one, sandwiched between two shops: 

and some of them quite impressive, like the Hesed VeRahamim synagogue, seen below, where Moo and Caspurr posed for a picture outside its silver-covered doors, which have twelve panels depicting the Twelve Tribes of Israel:  







The Chubby Kitty whom We met earlier told Us that, as well as being fed by the humans who lived there, they could always find plenty to eat in the Machane Yehuda market, commonly known as HaShuk (THE Market).
I should explain that when Jerusalemites talk about going to "the market" - they mean Machane Yehuda, where now, in addition to all the food stalls, there are also more and more cafes and restaurants.  

We all enjoyed the market. Here I am, outside one of the shops:

And then Our Official Photographer (aka Mummy) found a Sweet Shop:   






If you look carefully, you can just about see Me in the lower right-hand corner.


Shimshi, of course, hit the jackpot:

Unfortunately, the one thing that did not appear to be for sale in the Shuk was grass, so, as Moo was now beginning to feel rather hungry, We decided to head back home.

Before Moo leaves, We want to take her to the seaside at Tel Aviv, so watch out for next week's blog. We hope the weather will hold. On Shemini Atzeret, which immediately follows Sukkot, the Humans start to pray for rain. It is officially autumn. But so far, you would neffur guess that (mol). So We are hopeful that We will be able to enjoy a fun day with Moo at the beach, before We have to say goodbye to her.

Have a lovely weekend, Effurryone!
And Moooooooo from Our Guest!

Sunday (Sukkot) Selfies

Hallo again, Effurrybuddies!

Yes, it's ME again, Shimshi the Little Purrince!

This is our THIRD Sunday Selfie post. We think We are starting to get the hang of things now, although Mummy still has to re-read the instructions effurrytime!

Anyway, this time, it is MY Turn to post a Sunday Selfie.

So - furrst of all, here is the Cat on my Head Badge, because they are hosting the Sunday Selfies:

And here is my selfie. As you can see, I was awaiting a furry impawtant phone call when this was taken:

Now, before We paste in the link to the blog hop, We want to remind you all that Sukkot starts this evening and you are all invited to our sukkah up in the Enchanted Forest, where, of course, We will be having a festive meal this evening, at about 7 pm, Israel time.

Okay. We hope Mummy hasn't We haven't forgotten anything (mol)!

So, here is the blog hop linky.

Chag Sameach, effurryone!

Flat Moo Comes To Town - Part 6

Hallo again, Effurrybuddies!

It is I - the Mighty Shimshon a.k.a. the Little Purrince (Shimshi for short), Captain of the Guard and Master of the Queen's Mischiefs. How are you all? Did you have a good time over Rosh Hashana? Are you ready for Yom Kippaw, which starts at sunset today?

We have lots to tell you - because, as you know, We have a furry special guest - Joanie's travelling cow from the 15 and Meowing blog. If you have been following our last few posts, you will remember that Flat Moo is on a world tour and that she has been here in Jerusalem for several weeks already. Moo expressed a wish to stay for the High Holy Days, which made Us furry happy - and, in fact, We have purr-suaded her to stay for Sukkot also, not that she needed much purr-suading (mol).

We have been showing Flat Moo all around Jerusalem, which, although it is quite small when compared to other capital cities, such as London and Paris, has a lot of furry impawtant places to see.  But besides the well-known sites which all the tourists visit, there are some beautiful spots which not even many local people know about, unless they happen to be right under their noses. One such place is the Railtrack Park in the south of Jerusalem, just a short drive from where We live.  It follows the route of the old railway track from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv and is furry popular with joggers, cyclists and so on.

Along part of the route, one can find examples of urban art - such as mosaics representing the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

Here, for example, Moo and Caspurr  are admiring one representing the Tribe of Naftali:

  

Naftali is represented as a hind or a doe, because in the Bible, his father, Jacob says:  "Naftali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words."

I, Shimshi, posed with Moo beside a depiction of the symbol of the Tribe of Simeon - a city wall and gate. This is supposed to represent the city wall and gate of Shechem, which Simeon and his brother Levi destroyed in their attack on the city. I chose it because the name Simeon in Hebrew is Shimon, which sounds furry much like My own full name, Shimshon: 

Caspurr remarked that many of the houses along this street have walled gardens with arched gateways like the one in the mosaic. He, himself, was born in one of those gardens which line the former rail track, although he doesn't remember it furry well. He was only a few weeks old when Mummy gotcha-ed him, and that was more than five years ago. 

Trixie's favourite was the depiction of the Lion of Judah - because We are related to lions. They are also felines (mol).  In fact, We will show you some more lions later on...  

Judah's symbol is a lion, because in the Bible, it says: "Judah is a lion's whelp...he couched as a lion..."

We like the Bible. Mummy reads Us a chapter effurry day!

After a long walk in the Railtrack Park, We thought Moo might like to see Emeq Refaim Street, hub of the German Colony, so called because in the late 19th century, many Germans belonging to the sect known as the Templers, settled there and built beautiful European-style mansions. The British kicked them out when World War Two began, as they made no secret of their support for the Nazis. But their beautiful houses remained and are amongst the most expensive in Jerusalem. Moo could not resist a peak in some of their lovely gardens - especially as she was feeling rather hungry by now, and the grass lawns, although not so lush at the end of the long, hot, dry summer as they might have been, were still too much of a temptation.

Of course, that was rather naughty of her - but there was nobody around from whom she could ask purr-mission, and they surely won't miss a few blades of grass...

From the German Colony, We went on to Mishkenot Sha'ananim and Yemin Moshe, the first Jewish neighbourhoods to be built outside the Old City walls in modern times. Yemin Moshe is named for Sir Meowses (Moshe) Montefiore, a British-Jewish philanthropist (isn't that a big word, kitties?) who donated a great deal of money to build these new Jewish neighbourhoods. He also built a windmill there, which can still be seen today and beside which, Moo was anxious to have her photo taken:

Next to the windmill is a replica of the carriage Sir Meowses used on his travels in the Land of Israel. The original was destroyed in a fire in 1986.  

According to a song made popular by the singer Yehoram Gaon, there are people who swear that on dark, windy nights, they have seen Montefiore standing by the carriage...   

What's that, Mummy?

Oh, okay! I will tell them.

Kitties, Mummy says that is puff-fectly true and that one evening, she herself thinks she saw Sir Meowses standing by his carriage...   

Between Mishkenot Sha'ananim and the main road is a park, and in the park, there is a fountain, called the Lions' Fountain. I told you We would be seeing more lions, didn't I? It was there that Moo and I posed for our last photo shot of the day, before heading home.   

  

   

  

That's all for now, dear furriends. We would like to wish you all Gmar Chatima Tova and, for those of you for whom it is relevant, We wish you well over the Fast.

Sunday (Rosh Hashana) Selfies

Hallo again, Effurryone!

Caspurr the Courageous here, King of the Tigger-Tabbies, and Commander-in-Chief of the Impurrial Forces.

We are going to participate - for only the second time - in the Sunday Selfies Blog Hop hosted by The Cat On My Head.

  Since we are still fairly new to this whole blog hopping business, and Our Human still doesn't have a clue what She is doing We are still on a learning curve, this will probably take Her Us an hour to do what effuryone else manages to do in ten minutes, but We are sure that eventually, Purractice will make Purrfect.

Trixie was the fursst of Us to attempt a Blog Hop a few weeks ago, so, it is now My Turn.


And here I am - as Large as Life and Twice as Natural (mol).

I am not one to blow my own shofar trumpet but be honest - did you effur see such a Handsome Mancat as myself?


Now, as I said, technically it is My Turn today to star in the Blog Hop. However, since Rosh Hashana (the Jewish Mew Year) starts tonight, my fursibs, Trixie and Shimshi also wanted to get in on the picture, as it were and wish you all Shana Tova - A Happy Mew Year.
So here is a picture of all three of Us - and of Flat Moo, who is visiting Us, as part of her World Tour (see purrevious Posts), relaxing on the sofa so as to be well-rested for tonight's Rosh Hashana Feast (to which, of course, all Our Furriends are invited, as usual) which will be at 8 pm Israel time, up at (where else?) the Enchanted Forest.







Have a wonderful Mew Year, Shana Tova!
May it be a Year full of Love, Fun, Mischiefs, plenty of Fancy Feasties and Catnip too! May it be a year in which effurry homeless kitty finds someone to care for them, a year in which effurry shelter kitty finds his or her furever home!

Love to you all.


Trixie, Caspurr, Shimshi, Mummy Shimona and #MooToo.



And here is the blog hop: