All Hail, Queen Lucy (Fur)!

Hello, fans, meet Lucy. This rotund ball of fluff is my mom's Exalted Pet. She was rescued following the loss of our family cat's, the infamous Charlie and Missy, who survived to a respectable 19 years young. This was a tough blow to all of us, especially my mom, but they crossed that Rainbow Bridge valiently, and they look after her every day. Lucy's prior place of residence was at CAT (Cat Adoption Team) in Oregon. She was in the Long Term ward for 8 long months, because of her age and a slight "anger management" issue. In fact, we lovingly dub her, "Lucy-fur". Her past has proven to be a tough one, but my mom saw all through that. And off she went to her forever home in all her cranky glory, unjudged, and unconditionally loved. At last, the shrew had been tamed.

No, Lucy is a wonderful cat, she's just very particular in her old age. She enjoys her routine, which also happens to coincide with her mommy's, and quiet time alone in the evenings. But, by no means, show her a brush. You will be very, very sorry.

I was running a little late with a birthday gift for my mom this year, since I was falling behind in Lucy's portrait a bit. It proved to be somewhat of a challenge, a mix of complexity and subject matter. I had to get her just right. When I channeled Lucy on this challenge, she did express to me that this is how she'd like to be immortalized as an Exalted Pet. I couldn't agree more. By the end of July, I was proud to unveil Lucy's masterpiece:

"Queen Lucy", Acrylic on canvas, 16x18, by Natalie Hirshman.

I know, I know, it is heavily inspired by a famous Elizabeth I painting, but hey, it's for my mom, give me a break. And, it has many unique qualities, such as this:

And this.

And, it's darn funny. I can hear you all chuckling right now, even if you don't know Lucy. For those of you who do, I know you're really falling out of your chair.

My mom says, "Lucy may still be a pill, but she's my pill". Let's all take a page from that book and consider rescue an old soul in need. I believe all souls need a chance and it's never too late to show them the meaning of love.

Enjoy your reign, Queen Lucy! We love you! xoxoxoxox