Andrew the Barn Cat

This is Andrew the Cat. Yes another little Barn Cat found at the old barn behind the Inn. Now Andrew was not born at the barn, no he like all the other cats just happened to find his way there after a long walk from the home he once knew.







Andrew was born in a really nice little town far away fron here. He was a happy little cat, cute, playful and he came from a good family. Like so many other cats though, his family was split up after they started to grow. He was adopted by Sandy, a very kind little girl who had always wanted a cat of her own. So her parents went to their neighbours and picked Andrew from amongst his 6 brothers and sisters.






He was so afraid those first few days away from his mother. He cried and cried but they seemed to give him warm milk every time he did, which was not really that bad. They also gave hime a warm wooly blanket and some toys that looked like the mice his mother had told him about. Yes she had said he would grow up to be a hunter but he figured if they kept giving him milk, he would not bother with all of that mice stuff. And so he became quiet content in his new home and soon forgot about his lost family.






One day he went for a walk rather far from his home even though he knew he shouldn't but he was a cat and cats were curious. He found all kinds of things to explore in the neighbours back yard and then he went to another and then another. It was fun but soon he stared to get really afraid and he smelled something scary. He ran as fast as he could back to his house but when he got there, something was really wrong. There was no more house. It was just a big blaze of hot red flames. His family was gone and there was so much noise that he hid behind an old garage and watched in silence. In time everything got quiet again and so he waited for his family to come back. They never did and Andrew was forced to learn how to hunt for there was no one to give him warm mik and a safe place to sleep. He cried but no one bothered with him. He finally realised that he was alone in this big world and he would have to move again. He had lost another family.






After many weeks of travelling, he found himself in front of an old wooden barn. For some reason, it felt safe and he entered through an upper window. It smelled of hay and other cats. It smelled like what his mother had smelled like and soon he was fast asleep. Yes in time Andrew settled in with the many other barn cats and this is where he can be found waiting for someone to adopt him and give him a safe home once again.

Roses in October

Yes I know it has been awhile since I have invited you back to the Inn. Life here is busy and I am trying to get things in order. My Mom used to say that time waits for no one and over this past year I have come face to face with that reality. Things have to change ... or should I say that I have to change so that I make  time for the little things in life that we all  seem to take for granted and never take the time to enjoy until we feel an emptiness and suddenly look around and see what we are missing,  It is a choice that we all make on a daily basis.. always thinking that there will be a lot of time to stop and smell the roses. Well it is October and the roses are dying for yet another year and I feel that I never took the time to watch their gentle beauty growing in my garden. What a shame... next year for sure!

 There is an old quote that I always liked that said " God gave us memories so that we could have roses in December" Take the time to add as much as you can to those roses starting today. Yes I know we all have a zillion things to do today and maybe tomorrow we will have time .... yes tomorrow  maybe we will have time to catch up on those smiles that require our precious time.. tomorrow.....

Today I will tell you a story about one of the little Barn Cats  ..

Well well well.. another little kitten was found last night at the old barn. Erma the cat was out prowling around, doing what cats do best at night when she heard a car door shut. She watched closely from beneath the steps and seen a woman dressed in a dark coat, walk up towards the barn and leave behind a small basket covered in a wool blanket. She seemed to be in a hurry and walked back to her car nervously. Erma watched and waited and heard a faint meoowing sound. Shaking her head she went towards the basket knowing all too well what was inside. She had seen many others drop off cats throughout the years who never looked back.

 Ah yes this is just a silly little story to introduce you to yet another on of my wool cats and you will have to come back again to see who is next to join  us in the big old barn out behind the Inn.

 Untill then spread some kindness.. it will make a difference.

I got Nothing Done Today

Today was a busy day and  I seemed to not get really anything done. I went to the office to find that there were several issues that needed fixin and since I am boss, I had no choice but to deal with them. Then the carpenter for my sister's house came to see me to tell me that the 12 new windows that she ordered  to renovate the old house did not fit. Since she lives away in the city, I had to deal with it by going to the house and seeing for myself that a big costly mistake had been made. So I had to follow up and fight with the supplier to re-order them.  \Hopefully it will work out.

Then I came home to find a sick cat who I hope will be alright. Then my sister called to say that my sick brother had not eaten at all today and was losing the use of his legs. He is only 62 years old and  has a form of Alzeimers which is slowly taking over all his mental and physical abilities. Rough stuff and all we can do is watch him slowly turn into a little old man tied to a bed. If only God would take him to heaven but that is not how life works.  Then my daughter calls and tells me a horror story  about the day camp  where she works.  A man got in and threatened her and called her all those names that send chills up your spine. He was a very sick disturbed man in his fifties and was filled with hate and anger. My daughter stood   between him and the little kids to protect them and slowly got them all out of his path.  She says everyone on  the campus  was aware that a disturbed person was on the loose and it was her that he tried to attack. My daughter said she remained calm and was grateful it was not any of the other student councillors who might have panicke and made the situation worst.  Okay so I am very thankful that everyone is safe but it certainly leaves me feeling sick and worried for my kid.  Dear Lord, please keep her safe out there amongst all the sick and deranged people. 

Then my sister call me and tells me that my ex partner is acting very strange. Her husband saw him today and said hello and he turned cold, gruntle and walked away with rage in his eyes.  He is filled with cold hatred  and at 47 has just got his ear pierced and now is travelling with a motor cycle crowd. WHAT? He just lost his young son to cancer  a few months agao and so I know he is suffering but he was such a kind and gentle man with a good head on his shoulders. He was respectable, hard working and considerate... I mean I loved him unbelievably until he began to side track and left me for someone else. I suffered through it  and forgave him but from never spoke to him again because of his choice. I always wished him well because that is what love is all about. To think of him as a cold hearted, miserable, turned away from society hateful man has left me very disturbed.

  No I did not get anything that I wanted done today, but I guess there are days like that and I will go to bed grateful for the goodness that I do have in my life and pray that the world will keep all those that I know, and love safe.|Time to pick up my knitting needles and retreat into the calming world of creativity.  Tomorrow will be another day.........

Just Never Enough Time

Another long weekend is over and a new week begins tomorrow morning. In fact the summer season begins as seasonal employees are back to work to get the tourist season in order.  The rush will start and it will  be an intense couple of months. How will I find the time to knit and make my little cats and mice to fill my Etsy shop. There is just never enough time to do the necessary things that it takes to run a house, let alone try and take some time to exercise, do some volunteer work, be there for family. The few minutes that I will find to create back here in my little craft room will be precious and I will enjoy this quiet time alone. 

I tried to explain it to my partner that it is a very necessary part of my life. To have to live without creating would not be really living, as crazy as that may sound. To not be able to use my imagination and play with colours and create would leave me empty. Therefore I will have to devise a plan to to get the housework done,  do my best at work despite the hectic pace and responsibility, eat well, exercise look after my animals,  look after my flowers and keep the lawn cut, breathe and find my time each day to do something that gives me complete joy.   Life is about finding these little bits of joy, where we are at peace with ourselves. No one else can make you happy.. you have to find it and fill up on it to be able to give out the best of yourself and in turn life will bring you  the good stuff of life. Well back to my knitting .. another pair of slippers to finish . ..so that I can start a new pair!

Knit Picks Wool Slippers for Everyone

Well I am knitting another pair of wool slippers tonight. This is my 35th pair this year.  On New Years Day I decided that one of my resolutions for the New Year would be that I would knit 100 pair in 2010. So I have 65 pair to go to make it happen. Crazy , well maybe yes, as it is a lot of work and expense. Real wool yarn is expensive but I love the felted effect. I also love all the colours and mixing them together to  create all the wonderful mixes.

I buy a lot of my yarn from Knit Picks as they have a great  choice of colours and sell it at a good price. I also like to buy locally from a yarn shop in the next town as I want to support the lady that is trying to earn a living. And of course when I go to the city, well I just have to buy yarn there as well cause I do not get to go often and I might need it.

It is quiet the piece of work having to buy all this yarn and I will not even talk about the expense. Thank God I have a job or else I could never afford to do this. I certainly do not tell anyone about the amount I spend but when I want a certain colour, there it is waiting to be turned into one of these wooly warmies.

And I suppose you  are wondering what I will do with all of these slippers? Well I would  like to sell them to buy more yarn of course.. or maybe save for my retirement fund which I do not have....it is going to take a lot of slippers.So back to work and finish off these ones. I had an order for three pair this morning so I had better hurry and get them done. I can only work at night as my day job keeps me very busy. 

If you have stopped by, I just want you to know that anyone who places an order for 5 pair of adult slippers can choose a 6th pair priced at $21.00 for free. Just mention that you found this out on my Blog and I will be happy to put your order together for you. Remember I have to knit and sell 100 pair this year.. yikes.... but what fun it is to play with all these colours!

You can find them in my Etsy shop http://maggiesraggedyinn.etsy.com/

 Remember kindness matters so please pass it on.....

Wool Barn Cat

 Just finished another knitted barn cat. It is funny how these little guys seem to become so real after I finish them.  This little fellow was knit from a beautiful wool that I had bought on a trip to Halifax and I just knew that it would knit up into a  cuddly little "Barn Cat"

This is Baby Cat who decided to check out my new order of books that I got from Amazon. Looks like he found them boring but I know he loves the box!!!!

Also wanted to let you know that the two stray cats that I had found in the month of January are doing fine.  I had them both operated on and so there will be no more babies.  We have grown to love them and our family now consists of 4 cats and one little Rosie dog who we had  saved from being put to sleep.  The thing is I live in a little house and these critters mean that we had to buy a new vacuum cleaner that is much more efficient. It also means that we do much more laundry and the food bill has went up. The litter box is a three times a day chore and although they go in and out through out the day when we are home, we make sure that they are in at night. Yes they have found a good home and yes they are a lot of work....... but they have brought us many reasons to smile and enjoy the little things in life.  Nothing makes me happier than to go  outside have have them all follow me around the yard.


 Life is simple! Okay back to my knitting...... who knows what this one will look like!!!

A Cat called Henry

 I have just finished knitting 3 more barn cats and they are all sitting on my desk, here in my craft room.

 To make them seem just a little more real, I have decided to tell a story about each of them and so tonight I will introduce you to Henry.

 Now Henry was born  to a mother cat named Sarah. She was only a  year old when she gave birth to a litter of 5  kittens. Henry was  the only male and was a  rather ugly little fellow. The human fussed over Sarah and  seemed to feel sorry for her as she was so young and helpless with this her first experience at having so many mouths to feed.  She kept her warm  in a cardboard box filled with a soft blanket and little by little the young mother cat regained her strength. The kittens  grew  as well and entertained their human owner.

Sarah was a good mother and lovingly protected her babies.   The weeks passed by quickly and Henry showed signs of being rather  slow and afraid to move away  from his mother. One day as they were all nestled in close to their Mom, a stranger came to the house. She smiled and gently picked up Annie his sister and  cuddled her. He never seen Annie again and he missed her. He knew his Mom did as well  because  she went from room to room looking for her crying.  Only a few days later, another lady came to the house with her  two daughters. The little girls laughed and hugged each of the kittens including Henry, but Bess and  Laura never came back. They had been taken by the children. Again  Henry watched his Mom travel throughout the house  crying for her babies. She never did find them and Henry and Sue  snuggled even closer to their Mom, sharing their loss.

One day their owner took sick and  was taken away. She never returned and the house became very silent.  Another stranger came over to feed them and  they  watched as she sat and cried  in the big blue chair night after night. In time Henry, his sister and Mom were put into a cage and taken to a place called a shelter. He never seen his Mom and Sue ever again.   Henry was lonely and missed his Mom. He was scared and the metal cages made him shiver and  hiss  when humans approached him.   Time passed and Henry grew used to the isolation of loneliness.  He seen other cats brought in and then see them leave in the arms of loving owners.. but no  one ever looked at him. No one ever wanted to pick him up and in time he  lost his will to live. His became sick and  gave up eating. He no longer moved around in his cage . He  slept and dreamed of his Mom  and running and playing with his sisters.  It was only then that his tail twitched.

The caretakers had been watching him and he heard them say that  there was no hope for him. No one wanted him and now he was sick. They took him out of his cage and took him into another room and laid him on a table. Thinking that he was not aware what was happening,  they  walked away and shut the door intending to let the vet give him a lethal shot to put him out of his misery.

   As Henry lay there, he felt a cool breeze.  He slowly lifted his head  and felt  a whiff of  freedom. A  window was open and he knew that he had to use the last of his strength and go toward those unfamiliar sounds and smells.


Henry found his way to the old barn out behind Maggie's Raggedy Inn.  His instinct  kicked in and gave him the necessary courage and skills to fight his way back to health.  He learned to catch flies and  finally caught a small mouse which helped him develop his hunting skills.  Over the next two weeks, he travelled to the outskirts of  the city to find himself   in front of  that old barn.  Here he found other cats like him who had taken up living in the many corners of the isolated  old grey building.  Here he found hope and friendship. He shared an upstairs window with Tess, a wise old  cat who told him about life and how to make it in the big world. He shared his story and she purred with understanding, just like his mother had done. At night he lay close beside her and listened to wind blow through the old rafters. He gradually let go of his fears and knew that his  life ahead would soon be filled with the  possibility of maybe one day finding a home with humans who would love him as they had loved him and  his family a long time ago.