Goodnight Maila....

...............................................................

















...............................................................
It is with great sadness that we note the passing of Maila Nurmi, better known as Vampira. She died in her home , of natural causes , yesterday at the age of 86.

Maila was the first full on over the top Vampire Hostess to stalk the silver screen, back in the 1950's. Maila INVENTED full on over the top, living and loving it in a Haunted House Wehoooooo! Or perhaps, she was just the first one of us to know that creepy, dark , slinky , curvy and beautiful had as much of a place on television as anyone from Ozzie and Harriet to Leave it to Beaver ( the shows at the time ) or as any blonde fresh faced sitcom today.

Like many dark dreamers, Maila was inspired by Charles Addams cartoon Diva, Morticia. When I was growing up, there were kids who wanted to be one of the Brady Bunch , the Dukes of Hazzard or the Bionic Women. Then there were those of us who eagerly awaited re-runs of the Addams Family ( or the Munsters ) and dreamed of growing up and being Morticia , with a meat eating killer plant .

Long, long before Motricia and Cleopatra, there was Maila and her pet spider Rollo.

From her first preview episode ( Dig Me, Vampira ) and on through the next 52 shows, Maila, as Vampira introduced horror films, wandering through misty cobweb covered halls, making television history. She was Americas first Horror Show Hostess.
................................................................



















............................................................






























..........................................................
I was interviewed for a documentary called American Scary last year, ( as was Maila ) filled with a who's who of American Horror TV Hosting personalities, but Maila Nurmi was truly the Queen. We all owe her so much. She was the first, to have the same vision, of what beautiful could be..

Where ever there are bats, spiders, cobwebs, magic , strange sounds coming from the attic, or screams from the graveyard, where no one is ever dead for long, you will find Miala Nurmi. Even if you have never heard of her, or seen her work, you will know her.

And I will be there too , my darlinGs...Carrying on showing you how beautiful the night can be.

Miala, we will miss you.

And see you in our dreams.

Love, Malena

..........................................................


















...........................................................


Dave Alexander recently conducted an interview with Maila ( very likely her last ) for Rue Morgue. It will be published, along with a memorial, in their next issue.

On Bengals....

Ten Things You Need to Know About Owning a Bengal Kitty That the Internet Won't Tell You or a Short Introduction to What is Really in Store For You ( And Why it is Worth It )

1. Bengals ARE domestic cats. Yes, bred from the Asian Leopard Cat, but they are not classified as wild animals. That said, they are not Cute Little Kitties with Spots. They are LOT of cat. Kind of like Extreme Kitty. Superhero Kitty. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Or leap onto you.

2. www.softpaws.com is your friend.

3. Bengals are interactive creatures. There will be no " Hi Kitty , thanks for waiting so patiently for dinner, eat up and go lie by the fire in my lap while I pet you from time to time. " They will tell you, vocally , about their feelings on being made to wait for this dinner, what they think of said dinner, and it will take them 30 seconds to eat it, after which, they are ready for the evenings entertainment. This will generally involve stalking their prey.

4. If you do not have a LOT of toys to play with, WITH your Kitty, this will be you. ( They invented " Fetch" Dogs only stole the idea ) If you have a computer, get used to them running across it. These Kitties are constantly online and in contact with SOMETHING. They can also take DOWN a roll of toilet paper . They will save you from it. And tell you about it in detail. Vocally.

5. If you have lovely net curtains on your canopy bed, you will have new adventures in decorating and get some funny looks when people come over and see the shredded remains....They also love to creep under your covers. In the night. While you are sleeping. See # 2.

6. Bengals like to climb. ( Like say, French Doors, those lovely squares of glass separated by squares of wood?? Walk in the park. ) They can manage leaps of up to 8 feet. Remember tho, what goes UP , will come DOWN.

7. Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qit3ALTelOo . Watch this video. It will make you happy. It will make you smile. It will stay in your head, and you will send it to all your friends. One fact for you tho, the Kitty in this video is an Egyptian Mau . This is what was bred to an Asian Leopard Cat to create the Bengal. Enough said.

8. One question to ask is , Do you have the kind of friends who will mind, when they come to dinner, your Kitty leaping up to share the feast ? On the table. From your plate. And theirs. You can of course shut your Bengal in another room. Then your friends will wonder what the heck you have locked in there, as the door is pounded and shakes and screams ensue. This may cut down on your dinner parties. Which could be good or bad.

9. Get used to hearing strange crashes from the other room. Get used to saying " HOW IN THE HELL!!!!!!!! WHY????" Get used to getting no answer from them ( and they will answer you ) but " Well , it seemed like a good idea at the time, what the heck is your problem. Can we eat now? "

10. F3's? Don't do it. This tells you how far you are from the Leopard . F4 is your pet. At least 4 Kitty generations from WILD. Only people who are at home a LOT and know what they are doing have any business with an F3. Yes, we all have the nice fantasy of the Wild Creature who is our friend. They call it reality for a reason tho.

All this being said, and trust me when I tell you and this really IS a short introduction to the breed, they are as loving, sweet, intelligent , entertaining , loyal, playful, fun and wonderful as they are demons from the deepest darkest corner of doom. I adore them. They are not pets. They are family.

If you have the time and patience and understanding, they may be your breed. If you want a sweet easy Kitty, who will lie by your fire, and sit in your lap, your local shelter has LOTS. And they are beautiful. And they need homes.

If you decide , after reading everything you can find about these cats, that you want one, consider adopting one thru one of the MANY Bengal Rescue Associations . Too many, far too many , people acquire them, and find out they have WAY more Kitty than they bargained for, and these Kitties need homes.

Again, that being said.... .,

They will love you . Totally.

And you will love them.

Completely.

Love and Magic Kitties,
Lorraine

special guest blogger

Kitty Cat is guest-blogging as SuperQuiche is multi-tasking to the max today, and Malena is off fighting crime in the Uk? in Egpyt? We forget....


“I’m in heaven....heaven....”
Look at this breakfast Quiche made for me this morning.



Yes, that is avocado on top.
And so what that i promised to be on clean-up detail since she cooked, it was completely WORTH IT!

Spent the evening of arrival at an Irish Pub listening to her charm the crowd and then we made it back home, chatting away like ravens.
Then next day we goofed around and went antiquing @ our favorite local place (which was closed but let us in anyway as she could spot some serious customers a mile away, i suppose).
Now i don’t know if this is SOP but you'll have to ask my flame-haired tourguide---


(Just so you can see her amazing hair-color)
She ended up buying 2 chairs (one rocking, one stationary), one clawfoot piano stool, an entire set of British-themed antique dishes, one torture device, one glass (for me!) and the cherry on the cake? A beekeeper veil.

I bought a light-up, sea-blue green tinsel Christmas tree from the fifties & a glass owl & some playing cards and a set of perfect wine glasses. oh! mustn’t forget the Saltine cracker tin that i am double-excited about. My cherry on the cake? a copy of the film Alien with a full 3-D cover of the pod egg w/face-hugger coming out... Since the only thing i truly collect with any follow-through is lenticular 3-D items, i was/am on the moon.

Can this level of pleasure continue?
we will see.
now, back to the Batcave.