Our Blog - Page 115 of 224 - Ruffing’s | The Little House of Cats

Posted on May 12, 2010January 9, 2019 by Elizabeth Ruffing

At work on our Ruffing’s site

This is Hyacinth the Blue Persian cat, an original, one-of-a-kind folk art doll figurine by Max Bailey. She’s in Kitty College, studying human psychology. I hear she’s got it down pat. Hyacinth is one of the many dolls getting their photos redone on our Ruffing’s site. You can read all about Hyacinth and her theories on human behavior here. I’ve been spending most of my time giving our doll photos makeovers, and organizing our blog posts on Blogspot, before I give our web site an overhaul. Below are some of the art doll figurines that are getting their photos redone.

Redoing the site is a lot of work, but I’m excited about what the end result will be. I feel like it’s going to be good, even if it takes me some time. I want it to be a site that really puts our art front and center.

Everything is still currently where it was on the Ruffing’s site. I just have a copy of the blog on Blogspot, where I’m cleaning it up and reorganizing it before I import it. Then it will be time to redirect the old pages to the new. This feels like a marathon, but I think it’s got a lot of promise.

I’m also still taking my computer classes at the Apple store. One of my Apple trainers submitted the Ruffing’s site to Apple, for possible inclusion in their “Best of One to One” showcase of web sites by people being trained in their One to One program, which was really nice of him. I have to say, they’ve all been so nice and helpful there, and I couldn’t be doing all the things I’m doing now on that old computer. I’m moving right along now, by leaps and bounds. I have an enormous amount of work to do, but I feel like I’m getting where I need to go now.

I don’t know how long it will take me to get the Ruffing’s site all fixed up, probably months, but in the end, I think it’s going to have been worth it. I am a little worried now though, that the people at Apple will come over right in the middle of things being in disarray, but I’m doing my best to get it organized as much as possible before the switch. There will be some bumps in the road, for sure, but I feel like I’m becoming a better navigator every day 🙂

Be sure to join us on Facebook for updates too!

Posted on May 9, 2010January 9, 2019 by Elizabeth Ruffing

Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Mother’s Day! Here are my aunt (left), my grandma (center), and my mom (right). I’ve never seen a photo where I look this much like my grandma. I just saw this photo today, on a CD my aunt made up. I don’t remember having seen it before. I was startled by the resemblance. I look a lot like both of my parents, but never really thought I resembled my grandma. She was always a redhead, with blue eyes, whereas my eyes are green, and my mom’s are brown.

My grandma just turned 95 in April. Her memory is scant, and she had a health scare coinciding with her birthday. She seems to be okay now, thank goodness.

My mom and I went out to get Mother’s Day flowers to plant in pots and hanging baskets, a tradition from way back. My aunt would always take my grandma on their trip for flowers, and I’d take my mom. There are lots of petunias out there now, waiting for me to get some potting soil.

I think I’m super lucky to have such a nice mom, and dad. They’ve both always been there for me. My grandparents were there with help when needed too, and my aunt and uncle have been as well. Lots of love to my family. I’m very thankful for them. I hope all the moms everywhere had a happy day today.

Posted on May 6, 2010January 9, 2019 by Elizabeth Ruffing

Out of the nest

I knew today would be their big day when I saw them all standing on the edge of their nest before bedtime last night.

I got up very early to make sure no kitties were napping on the porch. At first, I thought I was wrong about flight day, because all the babies were still half asleep in their nest.

But, once breakfast began, they sprang right out.

Except for one. One wanted to stay.

I watched this one take his (her?) first flight. She sat peeping on the branch for a long time,

thinking it over,

thinking it looked like a long way down,

and then going for it!

She made it!

So proud of herself. Or himself.

Their little crests on their heads weren’t visible until they were about to fly. I don’t know if it was fear, or excitement, or even bravado that made their crests arch up, but just before leaping, up they came, like the full-grown cardinals, a sign of growing up.

Posted on May 4, 2010January 9, 2019 by Elizabeth Ruffing

Birds and blueberries are growing

The baby cardinals are getting bigger…and louder. They are developing some feathers now, and their eyes are open. It’s getting harder for all four to fit in the nest.

They’re all in there, but it’s hard to see them all at once. They have to sit or climb on each other. The only time I’ve seen all their heads at once is when their mom and dad arrive with food. Then all their beaks pop straight up in the air.

My blueberry bushes are forming blueberries! I never knew that the blueberries develop from the cup parts that held the flowers, and the little outermost points of the cup curl in to become the centers of the blueberries.

The Mexican primroses are back too. We accidentally pulled them out one year, before they bloomed, thinking they were weeds. So, we planted new ones last year. They’re blooming in profusion now.

I’ve been working on our Ruffing’s blog. I wish all my work were more noticeable, because that would feel more rewarding, but I’m trying to take care of as much as possible before I put it up on our web site. I’m redoing lots of older doll photos, and I’m fixing up the old blog posts. I’ve got my working draft temporarily over on Blogger at a Blogspot address. I’ll import it to our site once it’s better organized, and then I’ll just redirect everything. It’s going to be a big job, but I’m working on it.