MISS PEACH'S COZY COTTAGE

Welcome to the COZY COTTAGE. This is the furever home of the memory of Miss Peach, our 18 year old Devon Rex angel kitty. I am Miss Hunny Bunny, she asked me to pour you a cuppa catmint tea as you read our old fashion mewsings about this and that. Please come by often...one lump or two? Now our precious Hunny Bunny is also an angel cat...please let me be your hostess at the cozy cottage...my name is Miss Hope.



Remember...only in our tomorrows will we realize what we had in our yesterdays.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

THE MOUSEHOLE CAT


Today my beautiful friend STORM told me she was going to Mousehole in Cornwall. This is a very magical place on the English coast near Lands End. Her mommy is looking for a nice get away and if I do say so myself, this is the purrrrfect place. Here is what Stormie wrote about it: {{{My Meowmie has been looking for nice places for a short break sometime, and she has found a place in Cornwall (South West England) called....MOUSEHOLE! This MUST mean that we will be going with her! I can't imagine that she would even consider not taking us to such an idyllic sounding holiday destination! Can you?}}}

Miss Peach here again! Some of you may know the famouse book written about Mowzer and the Storm cat. It is a most enchanting tale and I recommend it very much. The movie is so charming you will watch it over and over. Here is a newspaper review I found. ~~~~~~~THE MOUSEHOLE CAT By Antonia Barber. Illustrated by Nicola Bayley. Unpaged. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
Inspired by an old Cornish legend, in "The Mousehole Cat" Antonia Barber concocts an original tale as delectable as any of the culinary specialties so lovingly described in her story.
When a tremendous winter storm personified as a Great Storm-Cat descends on Cornwall, the people of a tiny fishing village called Mousehole ("They say it in the Cornish way, 'Mowzel,' but you may say it as you choose") begin to starve because fishing boats cannot leave the harbor. On the day before Christmas Eve a fisherman named Tom decides to do something about it.
Tom makes his home with a black-and-white Cadillac of a cat named Mowzer. Mowzer has "her own pet, old Tom," well trained. He serves her perfect bowls of cream, keeps the house toasty warm and tickles her in just the right place behind her left ear. Even better, Tom catches fresh fish that he transforms into marvelous meals: a fish stew called morgy-broth; baked hake topped with golden mashed potatoes; cooked kedgeree with smoked ling; grilled fairmaids; fried launces; soused scad with vinegar and onions; and, best of all, star-gazy pie with prime pilchards in pastry.
Mowzer is so devoted to Tom that she accompanies him on his dangerous journey to the fishing grounds, "for he was only a man, she thought, and men were like mice in the paws of the Great Storm-Cat. Besides, she knew that if he did not come back, she would not much care to live in her cottage without him."
And without Mowzer, Tom would have perished. When the Storm-Cat screams in anger and lashes out at the boat, Mowzer senses his underlying loneliness and despair. She comforts him with the voice that has tamed a thousand tomcats, singing "like a siren, joining her call with the cry of the Great Storm-Cat." So it goes throughout the voyage. The Storm-Cat worries his prey; Mowzer soothes the storm with her song. When Tom turns back home toward Mousehole with his catch of fish, his companion inadvertently changes her tune to a purr, saving them both by lulling the Storm-Cat.
Ms. Barber, who writes for both children and adults and who, incidentally, has a cottage in the real Cornish village of Mousehole, writes naturally, without artifice or pretension. She combines alliteration and deft word choices with the grace of an oral storyteller, creating euphonious and precise sentences that are perfect for reading aloud.
And Nicola Bayley's illustrations add immeasurably to the book's success. Ms. Bayley, a well-known British illustrator, infuses them with the blues, the greens and the watery light of Cornwall. She frames each page of text, top and bottom, in long narrow borders, perfectly elongated rectangles filled with seaside images that serve as a visual metaphor for the protective arms of the Mousehole quay. Tom and Mowzer couldn't be more handsome. But Ms. Bayley saves her finest pictorial pyrotechnics for the Storm-Cat himself, who swirls and swoops through the pages in a model of feline grace, agility and passion.
Unlike many contemporary picture books, "The Mousehole Cat" has been designed with generous margins. When the story of Tom and Mowzer is spread across two laps, neither thumbs nor fingers will intrude upon the perfect symmetry of the page.
I've never tasted star-gazy pie. But I would wager that no matter how delicious, it can be no more satisfying than this book. ~~~~~~~

Stormie also awarded me this nice plaque for my sidebar. I am deeply honored by this gift from her. She is a brave inspiration to all of us sick kitties. She gives us hope to go on with dignaty (even if Bloggers spell checker is still not working:) I would like to pass the award on to MY Mickey and Gemini & Cheysuli and P B & J and Tybalt the Prince of cats for their inspiring dedication to blogging!

14 comments:

Dragonheart, Merlin, Devi, and Chloe said...

Thank you for the wonderful review, Miss Peach. Congratulations on your award. It is very well deserved. You have passed it along to some wonderful cats.

Isis said...

Congratulations Miss Peach! You certainly deserve the award :) That story sounds wonderful, just the sort of bedtime story for good ickle kittens! ;) I have a whole big book of short cat stories and poems to read to them when they get here, and it's so few days now I can count it on the toe pads of my paws! :)

Purrs,
Isis

Tybalt said...

Oh, Miss Peach . . . that sounds like such a wonderful book! I am going to get my mommy to find it for me. Also, thank you SO much for the award! I am ever so honored that a wonderful kitty such as yourself thinks so much of me. I am purring away like mad! Congratulations on getting the award yourself . . . you deserve it! <3

Mickey's Musings said...

Good Morning Sunshine!!!!!!!!!!
What a great story you have brought to us today. It makes me want to visit Storm and Castle that much more when they get their place in Mousehole all ready!
Tea with you sounds delightful!! I will be over soon :) We did see the 'red' moon last night and it was magical.
Congratulations on your award and Thank you for passing it along to me.
Purrs your Moonshine <3

Ramses said...

I thought a Mousehole was where a cat shoved it's food?! ;) If so mine could do with a little more filling! ;) Yes I know about the dangers of comfort eating cause My Marie's not around so much these days...

Purrs,
Ramses

PB 'n J said...

Dear Miss Peach, Thank you so much for the award - but without cats like you to inspire us it would be much more difficult (which is why you got the award in the first place)!

We're going to make mommy go get that book as soon as possible - we bought your last recommendation "The Cat That Wouldn't Come In" for our bean cousins and they just loved it!

L. Alida said...

That book sounds wonderful! Even though my daughter is almost 17 I still enjoy looking at children's books. There is something so magical about them that takes you out of your everyday grownup worries. Congratulations on you award Miss Peach. :) I know you hold a special place in my heart! Have a wonderful Thursday with Mommy and Lapdaddy.
Love and purrs,
Lorianna

Gemini and Ichiro said...

Why thank you for the award Miss Peach! That is lovely. I also loved hearing more about Mousehole!

Diamond Emerald-Eyes said...

That sounds like a wonderful book. Fisherman used to take their cats out with them often, as it was believed the cats would see them back safe in case of a storm. This story comes from that bit of mythology. I will have to look for it.

Concatulations on your award!

Unknown said...

Miss Peach, I love your new sleeping bag. Your Mum is so creative!

michico*Adan*Lego-小芥*阿丹*樂高 said...

Dearest Miss Peach,

I read this review very detaily, I love this very special cat. Me and Michico haven't known this story before, but I believe Michico will find this story book next time when she to the book store~! This is a fabulous touching story. Thanks for introducing to me!
Especially this is a black-white cat story!! Wonderful~!!!

Have a wonderful weekend to you, Miss Peach~!

Sincerely yours
Purr,
Adan

Motor Home Cats said...

That was a great review. Mom said she will have to see about getting the book. Congratulations on your award. It is deserved.

Tiki, Tavi, Cody and Camie

Isis said...

Ooh cool I've got my own countdown! This will save me having to remember which paw I'm counting on next! ;)

Thank you for the tea and scone that was very yummy! :) You know how much I love yoghurt... Mummy's making a seafood nibbly plater for all here with a yoghurt dressing and some nasty green stuff she calls salad - I'm not going to eat any of that, but the rest of it had better be ready to come my way! ;)

You are the bestest Lady in Waiting ever, Miss Peach! I hope you had a wonderful nap on your vest... :)

Purrs,
Isis
PS: The kittens are kicking good and hard at times!

The Furry Fighter said...

oh my that Storm Cat sounds a bit terrifying! Ise not like that at all, Ise a nice Storm Cat! :)

Thank you for sharing this book and tale of Mousehole, it makes us want to go even more now!

Thank you for saying such sweet things about me too *purrs*
xxx