13 Photos of Sophie the Kitten!

13 Photos of Sophie the Kitten!

Hey, all! This week, I'm a little pressed for time, so I thought I'd present you with 13 photos of my newly-adopted furbaby, Sophie!

Here's a little background, first... I've wanted to adopt a kitty for some time, now. Since arriving in Italy, in fact. My husband slowly warmed up to the idea, and we agreed to choose a kitten or cat from the local shelter as soon as we returned from the States. Little did I realize that, as I was leaving for the US, the sister of a friend of my husband had discovered a kitten in a dumpster and was nursing it to health. The kitten was dubbed "Soffio" (Italian for "a puff of breath/wind"), as she had been almost literally a breath away from perishing.

Knowing that we were "in the market" for a kitten, we were sought out by this friend who put on the "hard sell" to my husband for most of the summer. He told me when he arrived in the States in August that we were being offered this kitten. We decided to "meet" the kitty when we got home. Our theory was that we wouldn't take in a kitten that didn't warm to us - we had to be "chosen", in the end.

September 1st, we arrived in Italy. September 2nd, we went to dinner with this friend, who continued to try to persuade us to take the kitten. We agreed to "meet" the kitten in our home on September 4th; she's been with us ever since.

And so, now, I present to you: Signorina Sophie Menozzi!

:)

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These pics are from Sophie's first evening with us - the "meeting" night. She took a shine to us immediately.


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By the end of the night, she was right at home, as you can see.


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Within a couple of days, she was exploring her new home with confidence.


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Sophie got lots of toys to play with - including Red Mousie, seen above...

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And a ball of yarn, seen unwound in the previous pic...

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A perfectly "Kitten" moment...

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And, finally, curled up and comfy on our bed. We've only had her for one month, but we're already in love - even though she' a pain in the tushie, sometimes... ;)

And speaking of instant love...



Just scroll down...















Keep going...













Yeah, it'll be worth it...

















See?

Gonzalo Canale - Italian Rugby player

13 Books I Bought This Summer

Howdy! I'm back! And I'm bringing you a list (to ease back into the Thursday Thirteen habit) of 13 Books I bought during my Summer holiday.

Here goes:

I didn't even make it out of Europe before I started buying books. In Heathrow's Terminal Four, I bought numbers one and two on the list.

1)

Because I've got nearly every other book Hornby's written so far, and this one had a certain charm, as well. Not as good as some of his other work (About a Boy and High Fidelity for example), but an entertaining and sweet read.

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I haven't read this one yet, but I'm really looking forward to it. It seems like a melancholy story, perfect for a grey Autumn afternoon.

When I arrived in the States, this book was waiting for me:

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The hubby had purchased this title for me, and I was able to start reading it as soon as I got over my jetlag. It's a beautiful, fanciful and satirical take on growing up in Northern Italy in the late sixties/early seventies. The most striking thing about it, aside from Stefano Benni's prose, would be the striking similarities in growing up in Italy and growing up in the rural areas of the United States. One line haunts me still: "...this is one of the first things that you will be asked to forget."

Once I got to the States, I hit good old McKay's Books in Knoxville. I didn't go completely insane this time (only $35.00, this time), but amongst the books I kept for myself were these titles:

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Because I adore John Irving, and my adoration has only grown over time.

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Which I haven't yet read, but it looks interesting.

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Tim Parks is a great writer, but I'm not sure how many folks have read his work. If you haven't, do give him a try, eh?

And, since we all need a little reminder to be aware of those around us, sometimes, I picked up this title on the cheap:

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I just love the raccoon with attitude, don't you? He's even holding a cell phone!

Another writer I read often - and consistently enjoy - popped up during this trip. I splurged and picked up two hardcovers - one at a bargain price, the other at full price.

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Certain Girls kinda broke my heart, though. No fair, Jennifer!

When we were in the airport waiting for a new flight after ours was cancelled, I came across this one. I thought it seemed interesting, as I loved Gone With the Wind and actually had slogged through Scarlett (forgive me, Ms. Mitchell!). This turned out to be an entertaining and surprisingly moving read. I loved seeing the story from another point of view, too.

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Of course, I picked up other titles, too - some of which I left behind in case my family might be interested, some bought specifically for members of my family to read. A few others I got for my own personal edification - Italian readers with exercises, and a translation of Dante's Divine Comedy, for example.

Do any of these tickle your fancy? Have you read any of these already, or are you thinking about reading them? Let me know!










No, I didn't forget. It feels good to get back in the swing of things, though...








Just keep scrolling, okay?

And now, doing double duty - as a book I bought, and as this week's eye candy:

I found this at a Border's books in St. Petersburg, FL. God bless 'em! And yes, it is even more revealing and beautiful inside! It was my "birthday present", with the hubby's permission. I love that man. My hubby, that is. ;)

Ciao for now, y'all!