As we approach the 15th anniversary of Marcella The Cheesemonger website, another blast from the past:
Following the passing of our beloved Flash, a Norwegian Elkhound, The Man forbade anymore pets becoming a part of our family (that sure worked out for him). Despite his edict, I continued to put food out for the neighborhood strays and one day a gray and white cat wandered into our back yard. For several months he hung around but refused to become friendly; however, as tomcats do, he vigorously protected “his territory”. Finally, one day while eating, I decided to pet him. He immediately attacked me, biting my wrist. A tetanus shot was required and although I became wary, I continued to feed him. He began sleeping up against our garage door so I took a box and made him a bed of old towels and sheets. After a couple of nights of sleeping in his new bed, he walked into our back house, where I had my office, hopped up in a chair and took a nap. After that he became my best friend. The Man’s heart thawed and he named our new cat, Spaulding Gray.
Known for his snarky and take-no-prisoner comments, I compiled his more popular articles here.
Those of you who have been fans since 2008 and know who Spaulding Gray was but for those new to website, here is a reprint of a 2020 posting about Spaulding Gray:
Recently, a good friend asked me why my logo is a cat in a chef’s jacket holding a plate of cheese. We have known each other a few years and after the passing of my favorite Feline Foodie. She suggested I write about Spaulding Gray for those who haven’t been reading this blog since its inception in 2008 until SG’s passing in 2013.
Spaulding Gray was a real cat; a semi-feral male who showed up when The Man and I lived in Southern California. I have been a notorious feeder of the animals who live “homeless” in our neighborhoods. Over the past forty years some of my “homeless” friends included cats, squirrels, birds, opossums, raccoons, deer, wild boar (which sadly stopped the feeding of the deer) and the occasional fox (here in NE Georgia). Sometimes a stray dog also wanders through our yard.
At the time Spaulding showed up, we were petless. Our two stray cats, Mike Tyson and Biff, and our Norwegian Elkhound, Flash, had all passed away in the late 1990s. Those passings broke our hearts, particularly The Man, who swore he would never have another pet… he requested I not feed the strays… I didn’t listen…
Two “intact” tomcats showed up and decided to claim our backyard as their own. The Man named one “Spike” and I named the other “Spaulding Gray”, an homage to one of my favorite actors (spelled differently). For months, these two toms viciously fought to gain control of the yard. Spike was feral which put him at a disadvantage. Spaulding decided to become our friend and one day walked into the house, jumped up in a chair and went to sleep… taking ownership. (He might have thought twice had he known I would have him neutered… an action he constantly complained about in this blog.)
In 2008 when I became a fledgling cheesemonger at a local PNW grocery chain, Spaulding Gray and I decided a cheese blog was in our “future”. SG insisted he write the cheese reviews. His first review was Beecher’s No Woman, which was his favorite cheese, closely followed by the Cheddars of Tillamook. His love of Tillamook cheddars gained him the prestigious “Tillamook Fan of the Month” and a year’s worth of Tillamook Cheddar.
Spaulding Gray wrote this blog from its inception in 2008 until his passing in 2013. In his will, he passed the torch to me and with humility I now write the cheese reviews and continue to honor his life.
Spaulding lives on with his own icon on the above menu. Please check out and enjoy some of his more memorable postings.
In addition to being a member of the Internationale Guilde des Fromagers (Jura and Garde) and an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional, I am a Certified ServSafe Food Production Manager with certifications that also include ServSafe Certified Instructor and Proctor. I am available for cheese events, cheese program development, cheese training, food safety training and 3rd party food safety auditing. See my About Me and Resume pages for more details or call me at 360 921 9908 to discuss availability.
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