Ugly Cats Continued

This poor little cross-eyed kitten appears to have a cleft palate. He could probably use a good hair stylist, too. It looks like he needs to wash his hands on a more regular basis also. And don't you want to pick him up and cuddle? I think he's a little sweetheart.

To see some other ugly cats, check my posts on September 18, 2006 and October 2, 2005.

National Geographic on "Remember This"

This month's National Geographic magazine has a captivating article on Memory. It relates the background of two individuals who demonstrate the extremes of memory; a gentleman who remembers nothing and a woman who remembers everything. It discusses the brain functions in remembering. The history of how memory has been dealt with different cultures over the years is discussed. It hashes over several other debates but I can't remember what.

Chair Follow-Up

I used the lead discovered in a magazine to do some research on my chairs. The internet is wonderful. The chairs are indeed reproductions from China's Ming Dynasty. They are still being made today and can be purchased in some stores around the world or on the internet. The photo above shows a chair exactly like mine, minus the cushions. Now I'm planning to purchase new cushions.

Identified Sitting Object

Last summer I was looking for smaller chairs to use in my tiny sitting room. At a nearby antique store I found a pair of the chairs that you see on the left. They were very unique---interesting curves and incredibly smooth wood. The dealer had purchased them at an auction and couldn't tell me anything about them. I couldn't resist the design, the wood, the workmanship, the unusual cushions and the medallion carved on the back slat. I brought them home without any idea of what they were.

Today as I was going through a magazine, I found a picture of a similar chair. It was identified as a Ming Dynasty reproduction and that is what I suspect I have. If any of you out there have any other information on these chairs, please let me know.