Sister Kit

My sister, Kit, died on Feb. 16, 2011 from terminal brain cancer. An odd named disease called Oliogoastrocytoma She was only 58 years , younger than me! I struggle with my grief and think of all the people who are also sad today and struggling with loss. I am thankful for my family and friends for their kindness.My friends who gave me encouragement, love, food and flowers and my family who hugged, prayed and cried. Thanks be to God. Oh yes --Tankene, Mr. Chub and Princess Sinatra were the best kittens!! Many loving purrs.

Furday Fights

Chubby and Tankene rolled and hissed until MaaMaa's carpet was covered with white hair. Who do you think who won? Purrs, Tankene

Bark and Hide Motel has unexpected guest

Guess who?

Hi i Furfriends.

 I just  received an urgent message from the Bark and Hide Hotel that Miz'  Skunk was visiting again. She has little ones tucked away in the nest but must still be  out for some night life. I hear that that doggone Raccoon was staying at Buggy House not far away- so look out tonight you may hear another ruckus at Sparklewood.

 We are  sending in my Ninja to set things right.

 Purrs, Tankene

Perching with Tankene

Sinatra looking sweet.this is me resting from the chase

       Dear Furr-Friends,   PaaPaa designed and built a high perch on a Madrone  tree that leans against the wall of my living room.The perch is high enough to oversee the whole room. The Princess Sinatra refuses to engage me in play so  I spy on  her, wait for any sign of movement and  pounce down and chase her into the kitchen.Ahh what fun I have living at Sparklewood.. Purrs, Tankene

Cherry Blossoms, Bird Calls and God

       Cherry blossoms fall silently like snowflakes then swirl when the breeze kicks up. I sit in warm sun and and smell bee honey. Rhododendrons spring open with pink and purple treasures. Distant birds sing haunting tunes, praising  Nature's pearls. Just reach up and grasp the sky! You may actually feel a wee  puff of  heaven. God's love drifts  down on all of creation today. Blessings, Love and Purrs, Tankene Ice Mist

A Cat's Meow

Meow my dear Friends,  The Academy Awards were on last night . I liked Meryl Street's classy  white and MaaMaa liked Kate Winslet's gown. Did you enjoy the outfits too?
      If you went to the Academy Awards -what would you wear? I would wear  my gorgeous white coat with a sassy sash made of black silk. I am posting an outfit Angel Sly wore for a Christmas party that was rather sparkly. He was handsome in silver wasn't he?
Meow. What would you wear? Purrs, Tankene

Special Blog Award

Thank you to my dear friend  Sunshine at  http://terragarden..blogspot.com/ for giving me a  Beautiful Blogger  Award.

       I have selected 7 deserving bloggers  to pass on this lovely award.

    samandy007.blogspot.com 

   adventureswithpemberley.blogspot.com

   housepanthers.blogspot.com

   countrywingsinphoenix.blogspot.com     wethreegingercats.blogspot.com,

   catwithagarden.blogspot.com 

   tobersadventures.blogspot.com Each award winner post the Beautiful Blogger Award on your blog, select 7 deserving bloggers and list them on your blog, and share 7 things about yourself.

  7 things about Tankene Ice Mist:   1. I am  descended from Viking cats,  2. Nickname: "Weggie", 3. Double-coated to stay warm during Norwegian winters, 4. Intelligent, playful and very loyal friend, 5. Pure white with a tiny lightening mark on the top of my head - MaaMaa says that is is why I sometimes time travel, 6. Norwegian mythology refers to two Norwegian Forest Cats that pulled Freya's sled; one pure white and one black, 7. Daddy's name is Mainelines  Shalu of Sangha who won Supreme Grand in his show career-- and My Mama's name is Sweeson's Amaryllis of Sangha.

ePurrs, Tankene Ice Mist

Special Prayer to all my Blog Friends

Saint Theresa's Prayer



May today there be peace within.


May you trust God that you are exactly where you


are meant to be.


May you not forget the infinite


possibilities that are born of faith.


May you use those gifts that you have received,


and pass on the love that has been given to you.


May you be content knowing you are a child of God.


Let this presence settle into your bones,


and allow your soul the freedom to sing,


dance, praise and love.


It is there for each and every one of us.

Purrs, Tankene Ice Mist

Why does Easter fall on different dates every year?

Furfriends, It is Lent now and MaaMaa is busy trying to clean out the cobwebs to prepare for Easter-- so here's a tidbit for you'all to chew on.

"Everyone knows the date for Easter is different every year. If you've ever wondered how it is determined, here is the answer. Use it to stump your friends! Easter Sunday is the first Sunday following the first full moon that follows the spring equinox. Spring begins on March 20/21.Check your calendar for the next full moon after that date. Easter is the next Sunday. So, this year, the first full moon occurs on March 29th (Monday), and thus the next Sunday, April 4, is Easter Sunday. That rule applies every year." This is from Father Anthony and  I thought it was worth noting-just in case you wondered!How do you spend the weeks leading up to Easter at  your house? Purrs, Tankene Ice Mist

MaaMaa's Dream Vacation

Hi Furfriends, have you ever wished to travel to an exotic country but lacked the resources? Last weekend MaaMaa & Popa imagined themseves in Italy for their 30th wedding anniversary. There were maps of Italy, Italian food, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra for music  and lots of candles.They called it their "'evening in the Piazza Ala Cinzano " Where would you go on an imaginary vacation? Purrs, Tankene Ice Mist

Spirits in the Ceiling

Hi Furfriends-I have dicovered that there are some spirits in MaaMaa's ceiling. I listen and my ears pick up a sound undetected by human ears. I pray it is not the annual termite infestation or worse some type of rodents. Do you think it could possibly be our angel Sly kitty whispering to me? I will keep investigating and let you know. This is a picture of me listening-----Purrs, Tankene

New Year's Feather Jump

Happy New Year to all my furfriends. MaaMaa was on a long,Winter's vacation and stayed home and played with me every day. My favorite new game is " Feather Jump" with a Raven feather. ( pix by Daniel Cardiff) Here's how we play. MaaMaa places the feather on the edge of the towel cupboard, just barely seeable from my angle four feet down on the floor. She says "jump" and I jump up and knock the feather down. We must have played this game at least ten times a morning. My special feather is a large, black Raven's feather MaaMaa found while hiking. Did you know that the Raven is one of the smartest of birds? What games did you play over the holidays? Purrs, Tankene

Strange Sounds

Furfriends,I haven't caught anymore spiders lately but I have heard something in the walls. I cock my head and listen every evening. I was watching the World Series Final Game and I heard a strange sound again. MaaMaa couldn't hear it but she asked me " Tankene, what do you hear?" How can I tell her when I don't know what is causing the odd noises? My pink ears with the lynx tips hear sounds beyond my parent's wildest dreams.I think I better curl under the quilt. I am scaring myself! Purrs, Tankene

Oct. 13 storm

I can't say I have ever heard a storm come roaring in so loud. There were the strangest whining winds, gusty and fierce. Rain pounded on the roof. Cracking branches falling to the earth. I felt quite concerned all day until MaaMaa finally came home from work. Our power was off and Papa made a wonderfully warm fire to keep us all content. There was over 11 inches of rain in 12 hours here in the mountains. My furfriends, Mr. Chub and Princess Nancy Sinatra seemed quite unfazed by the early Autumn storm.They slept through most of the excitement waking only when MaaMaa burst through the door, splashing all of us with raindrops flying off her coat every which way.. Papa took me out to feel the raindrops on my face and I jumped out of his arms and fell back into the warmth of our Sparklewood home. Purrs, Tankene

Tankene and Chub

My best friend is Mr. Chub and I wanted to tell you his story. Mr. Chub was formerly known as Robert Redford with an emphasis on the word Red. He's a stocky, orangy-red, ginger boy with a 3 inch short tail. Sparkling green eyes, a sweet spirit, and the willingness to play are qualities of this 13 year old cat that MaaMaa rescued from Project Purr. Like I told you at the beginning of my "tails" when I arrived Mr. Chub greeted me warmly and even said "hi.". He's watched over me from that first day and taught me how to be a "Big Boy." Now I try to engage him in some cat fights. Mr. Chub and I fight for to see sho is the boss here at Sparklewood. We put up our paws, stand on our hind legs and box each other. One of us will knock the other one off the chair, land on the floor and the winner will jump up on the place of honor, a rugged high seat made just for cats. What fun to see who gets the seat of honor! We never actually hurt each other so MaaMaa lets us play this cat boxing game.Do you have a best friend?Purrs, Tankene

Tick Tock Tankene

Guess who got in trouble this morning? I confess, I woke up when MaaMaa went upstairs to turn off the radio at 5:00 a.m. I thought it was time to get up but it was dark. MaaMaa and Mr. Chub fell back asleep but not me. I like to be helpful and beat the alarm clock's buzzing.I looked around the darkened room and decided everyone should wake up now. I scratched at the door, pushed books off the dresser and tried to dump MaaMaa's water glass. Boy let me tell you, that got her attention. I heard a loud "No" but that didn't stop the fun. I ran across her pillow all the while saying "Maaa". Another louder "No" and a pillow was thrown in my direction but I persisted and walked across the piano keys. making a bumpy melody. She gave up, looked at the clock, and rolled out of bed."Tankene you are a bad boy" says MaaMaa as she grumbled up the stairs. Tick tock goes the clock. How do you wake up your family? Purrs, Tankene

Room with a View

Sparklewood is my home but it is a forested haven for lots of other animal friends. Now since I live indoors, I wanted to tell you how I see all the animals. MaaMaa gathers me up in her arms and I stand on her shoulder and gaze out the big picture window.This room has quite a view. What do you think I see? I often spot BlackJack & Diamond (aka "The Gamblers"); our feral cats, the raccoon family, which consists of Flower and her three babies, many raucous Bluejays, quirky, longtailed, bushy squirrels, dainty hummingbirds, hawks and once in a while, Ms. Prissy, the Skunk. Thank heaven she only comes late in the evening! She can be a real stinker! MaaMaa calls me her big, snowy lion and I climb down her back, jump on the floor and say " Thank you MaaMaa." A room with a view just for you! Purrs, Tankene

Sunday Tricks

Whiteness means getting wet in a bath at least once a month. Sunday was the big day. Here's how they tricked me into the bath. First Papa took a warm bath and MaaMaa and I came in for what we call a cat chat.I said hello to my Papa and he said, "Hello Tankene " very kindly. Papa lifted me into the tub and held me firmly while MaaMaa squished the soap (organic of course) all over my fur, stirring up a frothy mess. Buckets of warm water cascaded down my body as they tried to get rid of all that soap. My paws and lynx tips are pure white and you can see my pink pads and pink ears. Now I am a glistening,sparkly snow lion ready to play with my furfriends, Mr. Chub and the Princess, Nancy Sinatra. First, I must chase my tail for awhile! Purrs, Tankene

Hide & Seek

Last night I taught MaaMaa a new and exciting game. She came upstairs to snitch some ice cream which is verboten for her tummy and tried to give me some. I took a tiny taste and scampered into the bedroom and hid behind the dictionary.I am quite a literate cat. MaaMaa called and I just quietly groomed my coat and stayed put. Finally she spied me, got down to my eye level and came in to grab me.I slowly revealed myself, slipped off and hid in the closet, trying to make my sparkling white coat blend into the brown rug. It was twilight so I thought this trick might work. MaaMaa couched down and pretended she was a big cat and grabbed me and gave me a kiss. Next time, I will hide on a pure, white rug. Do you think that might work? Purrs, Tankene

Our Weekend

I hate to say it but the boy, Blake, is getting better. Used to-- he'd come over for a visit and I'd hide under the bed. He'd chase me and go " Ahhh"-- laughing as I escaped his advances. Now he's five and he gathered all my peacock feathers and teased me into jumping up high. Oh the lad is something. MaaMaa played with him all day and forgot that I am the number one kitten around here. After Blake left, Maamaa and Papa told me that I was such a "Good Boy " and gave me lots of treats. Purrs, Tankene