Tenino the cat lived on an Italian farm. He longed to visit exciting cities that Italy offered.
He started on his great adventure. As he traveled between cities, he crossed countrysides with vineyards, sunflower fields, and pasturelands. In each city, he met a new feline friend.
Tenino started in Sorrento where he ate his first ocean fish dinner. On to Assisi where he admired the basilica. Outside Venice, he rode in a water taxi. In Venice he watched people riding on gondolas.
Spectacular Renaissance architecture and artworks in Florence dazzled him. The Leaning Tower of Pisa amazed him. When he became homesick for the farm, the stables in Siena--known for its horse races--comforted him.
The last, long part of his journey led Tenino to Rome. There he found the cats he'd longed to discover. He knew he was home.
Robbins, Cathy: - When the love of animals-especially cats-came together with a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Italy, the up-and-coming author got the inspiration to write a book that incorporated everything. That was exactly what happened to Cathy Robbins while she was still teaching school in North Carolina. Although she was a physical-education teacher in elementary schools, she integrated reading into her lessons. Thus her interest in writing a fun, informative children's picture book evolved. Cathy-or "the Cat," as she was sometimes called in close circles-was born Catherine in High Point, North Carolina. At an early age, she became interested in dance. She took lessons and studied at area dance studios and with different choreographers. Her first dance teacher was fellow Paws and Claws Publishing author Cindy Hollingsworth at the Ray Hollingsworth Dance Academies. Cathy's desire to dance blossomed, and she decided to pursue dance in college. She graduated from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro with a BS degree in physical education and a major in dance. Her most-memorable accomplishment onstage was playing Dorothy at the Land of Oz on Beech Mountain in North Carolina during the summer of 1974. Even though Cathy loves "the dance," life's circumstances steered her more in the direction of a career in fitness, wellness, and sports. She worked with the YMCA's and YWCA's in High Point, North Carolina, and in Columbus, Ohio, for years before she went into teaching. To this day, Cathy still lives in High Point with her husband Gary on a farm with lots of critters. It was because of her daughter Reagan that the farm came to be. Reagan fell in love with horses and became an avid and accomplished equestrian. At first, they leased a horse so Reagan could learn to be responsible before she earned the money to help purchase her first steed. The first horse she owned was named Traviler. He became a member of their family, as did seven other horses over the years. Cathy has retired from teaching and thoroughly enjoys doing yoga, playing Sudoku, and traveling, just as she did 20 years ago when she traveled all over Italy. She also likes antiquing, the whole time searching for teapots and vintage hankies. However, the majority of her days on the farm are spent keeping up the grounds and caring for all their animals. Cathy has always relished giving dinner parties and having afternoon teas using fine china and silver. But it is putting on her "grubbies" to bush-hog, weed-eat, and muck barn stalls that really puts a smile on her face and love in her heart. Then she enjoys sharing fun times with family and friends after the work is done.
