American Cats

The U.S. #2372-75 1988 22¢ Cats postage stamps were part of the “American Cats” series issued by the U.S. Postal Service. These stamps were released on May 1, 1988, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Each of the four stamps showed a different popular cat breed: the Exotic Shorthair, Maine Coon, Manx, and Siamese. The stamps celebrated the beauty and variety of cats, which are some of America’s favorite pets. Designed by artist Nancy Stahl, the stamps were colorful and realistic, showing the cats in natural poses that showed off their personalities.

Collectors loved these stamps because they highlighted the special qualities of each breed. For example, the Maine Coon is known for its long fur and friendly nature, while the Siamese cat is famous for its blue eyes and chatty personality. The Manx is easy to recognize because it has no tail, and the Exotic Shorthair looks like a Persian cat but with shorter fur. These stamps helped show the diversity of cats and reminded people how much joy cats bring into our homes.

National Cat Lovers Month is celebrated every December. It’s a special time for people who love cats to show their furry friends extra attention and care. Cats have been our companions for thousands of years and are known for their playful, curious, and independent personalities. During this month, cat owners might buy new toys, share cute photos, or donate to animal shelters. It’s also a great time to learn more about how to keep cats healthy and happy through good food, regular vet visits, and lots of love.

Many animal organizations use National Cat Lovers Month to help more cats find homes. Shelters often hold adoption events and share stories about cats waiting for families. People who already have cats can celebrate by spending more time with them or teaching them fun tricks. Whether you have one cat or many, this month reminds everyone how special cats are and how much joy they bring into our lives.

References:
Cat stamps from the author's collection.
Mystic Stamp Company. “U.S. #2372-75 1988 22¢ Cats.” https://www.mysticstamp.com/Products/United-States/2372-75/USA/
Linn’s Stamp News. “1988 22¢ Cats Stamps.” https://www.linns.com/
National Today. “National Cat Lovers Month – December.” https://nationaltoday.com/national-cat-lovers-month /
Cat Fanciers’ Association. “Celebrating Cats All Year Long.” https://cfa.org/

Euros, Utility Pole, Yard work, and a sick cat

Sunday was a nice, quiet day. Lots of relaxation and movie watching while knitting.

On Monday, we went to the bank and ordered Euros for our trip. I was afraid the power company was going to show up to replace the rotten utility pole, but they never did appear.

Tuesday morning at 8am, the power company arrived in 3 huge trucks. They had a remote-controlled machine with tank treads on it. This machine picked up the utility pole and took it to the backyard. While it was in the yard, they attached the hardware to it before they raised it. The machine picked up the pole and moved it over the fence to put it in the hole on the other side. This machine also held the bucket so the guy could get up the pole and attach the wires. It took about 7 hours, but we were only without power for about 2 hours. All day, we sat in the yard and watched them work on the pole, which was very interesting.

On Wednesday, we went grocery shopping, which we had put off for the past 2 days. I’m so glad we only went to Aldi's, Walmart, and Gala Fresh (the meat market). In the afternoon, we worked in the yard. We cleared out the back of the back yard patio and moved the bushes in front of the screen room to the back. Then we spread out the “Moses in the bulrushes” and the amaryllis bulbs in the front flower bed.

I went shopping with Donna on Thursday, and she stopped at the bank so I could pick up the euros that we ordered. While Don took an afternoon nap, Donna gave me more “Moses in the bulrushes” to spread in the front flower bed. Little Bear was not her usual self, and we were worried about this little cat.

On Friday morning, Don noticed the front flower bed and thought all the plants had doubled in size on their own. At first, I let him believe it, but I was laughing so hard that he knew something was up. He was relieved to know that we added more plants. Then we trimmed palm trees, and Donna helped us drag yard waste to the street. Little Bear, the cat, is not doing well. She isn’t eating or drinking water, and Donna thinks she may have eaten a lizard. I hope she doesn’t die.

On Saturday, I attended a knitting class on Zoom at 10:00 a.m. However, we then had to attend the Postcard Club, so I took the class on my phone while we drove to the meeting. I was able to finish my class out in the parking lot before joining the rest of the postcard enthusiasts.

As soon as it got light out, I went looking for Little Bear, and I found her curled up behind my potted plants. I wasn’t sure she was alive, and I shone my flashlight on her. Thankfully, she moved her head. A little while later, she came to the screen door and wanted inside. I was able to get her to eat a little dry food. Then Donna came by with some canned cat food for her, and she ate a lot of the food. When we got back in the afternoon, she was asleep under our swing, and I brought her some water, but she wouldn’t drink anything. Before long, she came to the screen door and wanted inside. I was able to get her to eat a little dry food, but then Donna brought her more of the canned food, and she ate a lot. She even started to clean herself, which she hadn’t had the energy to do in days. I’m glad to see she is feeling better.

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Return to FL

We left South Carolina at 4:45 am Friday, 10/17/25, and arrived in FL by 3 pm. We stopped about 3 times for the rest area and ate lunch at McDonald's. We took down the hurricane shutters, and Bob and Donna helped us raise the living room and bedroom awning. When we arrived, the AC was not working, and I texted Lucas (neighbor who works on our HVAC system) to see if he could put us on his list for Monday. He said he was able to come right over, so he found a broken wire on the condenser (maybe from the lawn company?) and had to add refrigerant to the unit. Now it works beautifully!

On Saturday, we went grocery shopping, and in the evening, we went to the car show. Donna and Bob had entered their trucks in the show, and Donna won a trophy for the best decorated.

On Sunday, I dusted and vacuumed. Don cut the candlestick bush that had overgrown. We put out the patio furniture and put away the hurricane shutters. Then Don moved the hose reel next to the laundry room door, and it is much easier to use the hose now.

Monday, we trimmed the bushes under the bedroom window and the Golden Dewdrop bush in the front yard. I’m glad we finished before it got too hot. We went to Home Depot and I bought 2 plants: a milkweed and an impatiens.

Tuesday morning, I went shopping with Donna.. We went to Rorabecks (I bought a beautiful tomato plant and a lantana flower). For lunch, Don and I went to Flanigans because we had a 20% off coupon for our meal. It was good to see our server, Jeff, again.

Wednesday morning, I did a load of laundry before Don woke up. After breakfast, we went to the beach. It was a beautiful morning, and there was hardly anyone there at 9:30. We got in the water for about an hour, and we were the only ones in the water the whole time.

On Thursday, one of Donna’s new kittens came to visit us. It was a little orange and white kitten that I call Nosey because it seemed very curious. We sat on the swing, and he explored the back patio. And when we moved to the front screened room, he followed us there. He spent the morning in our screened room, and I asked Donna where I should take him when I went in for lunch, so she came and got him. A few minutes later, he wandered back to our door, and I let him in. He spent the rest of the afternoon taking a nap in the screened room. A guy knocked on our window, who said he was a contractor with the electric company. He needed access to our backyard because they are going to replace a utility pole in the back corner behind our shed. They can reach it from the other street, even though it is on the other side of our fence. We stressed that they better not tear up our yard or our irrigation system, and he said they wouldn’t. It should happen within the next 3 weeks.

Today is Friday, and I’m sitting on the front porch enjoying this beautiful breeze. They say it will get cold next week, but I’m not sure what they consider cold.

Original photos by Pat Hensley