When visiting a cat musem in Amsterdam this spring, the Kittenkabinet,  I took a picture of a statue by the artist Edouard Marcel Sandoz and decided to use this photo on my new business cards.  I didn't realize at the time how significant this artist was to me. Born in Switzerland like I was, he made his way to another country, France in his case, where he established himself as a prominent artist. He had a profound respect and understanding of animals and their form and I love both his realistic work as well as his Art Nouveau pieces.

His website has a great slideshow of his art where I discovered a nostalgic surprise: In Lausanne,  the town where  I grew up, the lakeside quarter known as Ouchy is home to one of my favorite statues.  Three donkeys drinking out of a  fountain. I migrated towards this as a kid (it was a guaranteed contact with equids!) and spent lots time petting them pretending they were alive.  Edouard was the artist! Turns out  his Foundation is in a town adjacent. Looks like I need a visit back home soon. Meanwhile, an aerial view my birthplace will have to suffice: 

What are you feeding your pet? No, what are you REALLY feeding your pet? There are lots of marketing words pet foods use to entice you to purchase their products. What do they mean? The nuance of labeling is tricky, so here's your first lesson in how to read pet food labels. (Click on kitty, I think he was too lazy to catch a real mouse: )