City

With all the tragic news out there, The Kitties are visiting Paris this week to spread some cheer. That is, as soon as they conquer the biggest cat climber they've ever seen....

L'amour, la paix, et la joie, Paris!

(Illustration Friday: November 20, 2015)

Animal

A happy cat can brighten any day.

(Illustration Friday: November 13, 2015)

Whimsical

These are The Kitties!

(Illustration Friday: November 6, 2015)

Bouquet

Typically, flowers don't last long at my sister's house.

(Illustration Friday: October 30, 2015)

Adventure

When Gordon isn't dreaming about his next adventure, he's on one...

(Illustration Friday: October 23, 2015)

Stuffed!

This is a true story.

(Illustration Friday: October 16, 2015)

Star

On sparkly nights, what do you see in the stars?

(Illustration Friday: October 9, 2015)

Ink

Norman and Mini got inked the other day. I thought it was okay as long as it's temporary; but Ashes prefers her coat just the way it is, thank you!

(Illustration Friday: October 2, 2015)

Prize

Lily is on the mend after a recent illness. To celebrate, I bought her a few gifts, including a large scratching post, a cozy bed, and a little plush catnip-filled turtle toy. She likes her new stuff – except for the turtle, which she continues to completely ignore.

But the real prize among all of these cat treats, of course, is the packaging. Who knew Lily could be so predictable?

(Illustration Friday: September 25, 2015)

Mermaid

When Comet first met Ashes in Cincinnati all those years ago, he was sure he had met her before. If his tale is true, it's no wonder that she's the best singer among all The Kitties. Aren't mermaids known for their bewitching voices? Mercats may be famous for other talents, but Ashes is not divulging any information on the topic. This is why the myths have lasted so long.

(Illustration Friday: September 18, 2015)

Old

Hi everyone,

This week's Illustration Friday topic is Villain. I'm skipping it because none of The Kitties are villainous no matter how hard they try. Instead, since I couldn't finish last week's topic (Old) in time, here it is.

In 1999, my dad gave me a pair of bookmarks that came with a commemorative scroll noting the following historical information:

"The two cats commemorated here are known by a variety of names around the world.  In Pakistan and Western Asia, they are known as Rhowaul and Bagthami; in China, as Ching Mao and Dzang Mao; and in most European countries, as Mme. Chratien and Gormtharp. In America, they are well known as Mother Kitty and Gordon. 

Their exact ages are unknown but both are certainly more than 200 years old. An event in 1993 – in which Mother Kitty supposedly gave birth to Gordon – has since been discounted as a ruse, though no formal charges were filed. Various historical documents refer to similarly staged contrivances, sometimes with Gordon giving birth to Mother Kitty. It is now generally accepted that these episodes are rooted simply in boredom.

Mother Kitty is best known for her writings for the cause of the Libertarians during the French Revolution, and Gordon for his humanitarian work in India during British colonial rule. The lifespan of most cats is 14 to 17 years. There have been many attempts to explain the remarkable longevity of these two, but they are all silly. 

Mother Kitty currently resides in Northeast Ohio in the U.S., where she continues her vehement campaign against further exploitation of the common people at the hands of Siamese cats. Gordon is a pastor in the Mormon church and lives with his eight wives in Provo, Utah."

I questioned the validity of these claims at the time, but I've since discovered that they are totally true! See the photographic evidence below.

I always knew these two were bound to be legendary.

Best,

House of Earth

Hi everyone,

House of Earth is a long-lost novel written by Woody Guthrie in 1947. While preparing to celebrate for the folk singer's 100th birthday, someone found the manuscript tucked away in a box. I don't know how Johnny Depp got involved, but he's magic like that sometimes. He and his friend author/historian Douglas Brinkley edited and got the book published through Johnny's new publishing imprint, called Infinitum Nihil, under a division of HarperCollins. While I intended to only flip through the book in person at my local Barnes & Noble, I got so excited seeing Johnny's name on the cover that I ended up buying it. (I also felt obligated since the person who helped me to find the book, which should have been out on display somewhere, dug it out of storage for me.)

House of Earth tells the story of Tike and Ella May, a poor couple living in a run-down wooden shack on a farm in the Texas Panhandle. Encouraged by a government pamphlet, Tike dreams about building an adobe home, one that would protect them from the elements of the Dust Bowl region, but this goal appears endlessly out of reach. Though they love the land they live on, they do not own it, and they are hindered by their status in life, big business, and inevitable changes that are beyond their control.

Even though I bought this book when it was first published in 2013, I just got up the courage to read it now. I'd seen the Ken Burns documentary about The Dust Bowl, and I didn't want to be further depressed by that subject. I'd seen Bound for Glory, the movie about Woody Guthrie, and I couldn't get excited about him either. (Aside from his most famous songs, I don't know much about Woody Guthrie. I told my friend a few weeks ago that I know him most for being Arlo Guthrie's dad.) It wasn't until I recently finished watching the Foo Fighters' series Sonic Highways, which featured the New York music scene and included interviews with one of Woody Guthrie's daughters about his life and influence there that I decided to open the book.

House of Earth is a good, quick read. I'm not going to lie: my favorite part of this book is its introduction, not only because Johnny Depp helped to write it, but because it taught me more about the author, his life, and the context in which House of Earth was written. It also highlights and explains passages and plot points, which helped me understand the history and reasons behind them. What I like best about the novel itself is the writing. The story is a slice of life about proud people in unfortunate circumstances. The characters are fully developed and realized right down to the way they talk. House of Earth reminded me of Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God (see my review here) because it captures a specific pocket of time and people so accurately. At times, I could tell the book was written by a songwriter; some of the passages were poetic, set with their own rhythm. I also loved that the book included artwork by Woody Guthrie on the cover and throughout its pages, fully immersing readers into Woody Guthrie's world. While House of Earth is more of an introduction for me to Woody Guthrie's artistry, fans will welcome it as an authentic piece of his vast body of work.

Best,

Work

Every day, Tyrone does important work.

(Illustration Friday: August 28, 2015)

People

Lily is afraid of this week's Illustration Friday topic. I'm still trying to calm her down.

(Illustration Friday: August 22, 2015)

Heart

Here are the hearts of Melissa's Kitties: Tyrone, Lily, Simon, Gordon, The Mother Kitty, Comet, Ashes, Norman, Mini, and B.J.

(Illustration Friday: August 14, 2015)

Pointy

Lily is an easily stressed kitty. In the worst instances, everything about her gets pointy.

(Illustration Friday: August 7, 2015)

Grow

Mini dreams of being big, if only she could find the potion Alice drank.

(Illustration Friday: July 31, 2015)

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride

Hi everyone,

When my sister saw Cary Elwes's memoir, As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride, on display as soon as she stepped into Barnes & Noble, she snatched it up for me for Christmas. I finished this book in about a week's time because The Princess Bride is one of my all-time favorite movies. After I finished it, I watched my 20th Anniversary Buttercup Edition of The Princess Bride on DVD. Now, I'm searching for my old beat-up copy of the original book by William Goldman to read it again.

I had no idea that The Princess Bride was not a huge hit when it first came out in 1987, but that's the kind of thing you'll learn in this memoir. I was waiting for this movie. It was Robin Wright's first starring role in a feature film, and she was one of my favorite actresses on the soap opera "Santa Barbara," which was very important to me at the time. (I knew she was bound for greatness well before "House of Cards.") So, I saw this movie in the theater at Carnation Mall in Alliance, Ohio. I loved it so much that I walked down the hall to Waldenbooks afterward and bought the novel on which the film is based. I loved that too! (Written by request for his daughters, William Goldman's original novel is even his own favorite. You'll get a taste of it from the film because he also wrote the screenplay.)

If you haven't seen The Princess Bride, it's a wonderful movie that is suitable for the whole family. It starts as a storybook fairytale being told to a sick grandson (Fred Savage). Poor farm boy Westley (Cary Elwes) loves Buttercup (Robin Wright) and leaves their home in Florin to seek his fortune so that they can be married. Soon after, though, Buttercup hears that Westley had been captured and killed by pirates. Five years later, Florin's Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon) chooses Buttercup as his bride. But, before the wedding, she's kidnapped by a Sicilian (Wallace Shawn) and his helpers,  who intend to start a war with neighboring country Guilder. I'd explain more of this adventure, but there is too much. The grandfather (Peter Falk) offers a good list of what's involved: "Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles!"

Directed by Rob Reiner, The Princess Bride has a fantastic cast, including not-yet-mentioned Christopher Guest, Mandy Patinkin, Mel Smith, Peter Cook, and Andre the Giant, with a great cameo by Billy Crystal and Carol Kane. Not just a fairytale adventure, it's also a perfect mix of satire, drama, and comedy with so many classic lines and memorable moments. It will never go out of style, and I'm sure that anyone at any age would find it heartwarming and entertaining.

In this book, Cary Elwes (who I still refer to as Westley) recounts his experience in making The Princess Bride with great detail and fondness. You get a sense of the fate and camaraderie that, after several other attempts over the years, finally brought this film to be in 1987. You'll read similar reflections from other cast and crew members, all of whom felt lucky to be involved – even though, worried about his performance, Wallace Shawn (Vizzini) assumed he'd be fired at any second. (Can you believe it? Inconceivable!) Speaking of casting, they considered Arnold Schwartzenegger to portray Fezzik. (Can you imagine?) Even more shocking, Sting was contacted about playing Prince Humperdinck! (What are the odds of this being a fun fact for me to discover?) Want to learn more, read this joyful tale about the making of a classic film based on a classic novel. You'll want to experience it all again.

Best,

Nature

All kitties take care of things in their own time.

(Illustration Friday: July 24, 2015)

Treasure

Hi everyone,

Maybe I watched too many cartoons as a kid, but Daffy Duck's reaction to finding treasure was the first thing that popped into my head for this one.

I only remembered this scene and not the name of the cartoon. Who knew that all I'd have to do to find it is Google "Daffy Duck It's mine! Mine!" I'm not sure if that makes Google amazing, scary, or just funny. I guess I'm not the only one who has this permanently stamped into memory.

Animation Movies 2014 by AnimationTV: Ali Baba Bunny: http://dai.ly/x2ax4ic
Cartoon image and short ©Warner Brothers Pictures (1957), Merrie Melodies series

Here's what I came up with in the end, along with a craving to find and watch more Warner Brothers cartoons....

(Illustration Friday: July 17, 2015)

That's what Google is really for, right?