It’s hard to believe that tomorrow we’ll be on our way to a new life.
We are happy that Amber’s new parents, Tim and Lisa, will come this afternoon for a visit. I’m sad that they live down the road from here and we just met them. They are a wonderful family, surrounding Amber with attention, good care, and lots of love. It will be nice to relax and get to know them better this afternoon. We have promised each other to text and email each other so we can keep up the new friendship (and kind of extended family).
My husband has a last haircut this morning. Michael Remillard of Tangles has taken care of us for years. We may find someone else who will do a decent job on our hair, but we’ve shared a friendship with Michael, and that is not replaceable.
Lots of details left, but we’re closing in on being able to leave tomorrow.
My husband is doing really well with the strict low carb. (Though he had started to eat some pretzels yesterday when I saw him. I snatched the bag out of his hand, admonished him, and threw that and another bag that had been in the pantry a long time into the trash. We then made a low carb snack for him. (He realized that he had just ‘thought’ about eating something, wasn’t really hungry, and felt guilty.) We took a walk around the house and out to the shop. Later on, HE announced he was taking a walk. I ‘graciously’ accompanied him. :0) We went around the house again and out to the shop, and then a bit farther, out to the old garden area. We’ll try to do that again today.
We’re finishing last-minute details. The three of us will work together to get my husband packed, organized about what he’ll wear on the trip, and our backpacks carefully packed tomorrow.
Yesterday was busy, exhausting, and very good. Amber’s adoptive parents were here, plus my good friend, Carla, buying more stuff. They came twice. They’ll be back again today. It really makes me happy that they are finding things they can use and take joy in.
Carla took Jet (aka Monster Cat) and all her stuff yesterday. That was the first time we had no pets in over 40 years. Even though it seemed really empty, I was so happy and relieved that the animals will be well cared for. This morning I ordered a women’s medical alert bracelet that says, “Pacemaker” that will be delivered on the 25th – HOPEFULLY in time for me to wear it on the trip.
Conde’ Nast Traveler
We are due to get our passports today! Then the real count down begins on getting ready for our trip. Our son will start work on routing our trip and getting tickets. Before, it was still abstract that we’ll be leaving, even though we’re giving away and selling lots of stuff and I’m preparing to shut down my Etsy site. Once the passports arrive and our son lets us know the date we’re leaving, it will all be REAL.
I found a phone app on speaking Thai. I really want to be able to be polite and respectful and try my best on pronunciation. I know our son will help us, but he picks up new languages pretty easily. (He speaks English, Mandarin and Thai). We will need lots of practice and guidance before the new words sink in.
pinkpolkadotcreations.com
HAPPY SPRING!!! I forgot it was the first day of Spring yesterday and so didn’t wish you a happy one. So sorry. Thailand essentially has several different summers each year – including wet summer, dry summer, smoky summer, and so it will be an adjustment to not celebrate spring and fall. I have to admit I won’t miss winter, but will take time to look at beautiful pictures of it each year. :0)
I have my blog on my phone now, though I’m still using my computer here. I found out I can write you a note, but I haven’t figured out how to add any images yet, so I may not be able to do that. I CAN read comments and reply, so I’ll try to send you messages on what is happening until our son has the time to get computers going for us. I hope you will bear with us.
We will have a super busy day today with our friends coming to buy more stuff, deliveries, etc. An amazing time for us, for sure.
I hope that your Friday is a wonderful one, with a great weekend to follow.
I am still among the land of the living and am finally feeling strong enough to try to get one blog post written this morning.
There are lots and lots of changes going on around here, due to the sudden events of the past 2 weeks or so. I appreciate your bearing with me on things I’m having to do differently as I adapt.
To summarize the events of February, my husband and I both were diagnosed with Flu A (husband flu plus pneumonia. Me flu plus bronchitis.) at our walk-in clinic on the 6th. The doc there strongly suggested I go to the ER due to low blood oxygen. We went home and I called a friend, who drove me to the ER. I was admitted there, transferred to the ICU, had two operations in three days due to my heart stopping beating, one for a temporary pace maker and the other for a permanent one. I was released on the 12th.
I asked our son to come home from across the world from us. He dropped everything and traveled 24 hours to get here. He has handled all the cooking, cleaning, medications, animals, taking care of us beautifully. I honestly don’t know what we would have done without him.
We are both improving very slowly. I am on oxygen, but am trying to wean myself off of it as I can.
Yesterday our new bed came and the fridge guy came to look at the ice maker in the new fridge. The bed will be fine, though we both need to do some adaptation. The tech ordered a part for the fridge, so that will be handled eventually, too.
The most impactful thing from all of this is that my husband and I have always planned carefully for future scenarios, not wanting to be caught flat footed. We honestly hadn’t thought about the fact that I could croak first. This has upended everything. We also never planned for both of us to be sick at the same time, and that upended anything that was left. I have to admit I am rocked down to my core on this one. I could handle being the survivor, but I seriously worry about my husband’s ability to function by himself.
This will take a lot of thinking and replanning, and possible scenarios we never even considered before.
Again, thank you for taking the time to read all of this. I hope to be able to get back to the regular blog posts starting tomorrow. I’m trying to give myself some slack, though, since I tend to give out at the slightest effort, and will need to work to build my stamina again.
Meanwhile you’ve been on my mind and I hope you’re doing well.
Karin de Haas via Carmen Gloria Negrete Fuentes-Pinterest
I’m still smiling after looking at this. Karin is really on my wave-length, filling me with happiness, making it rise up and spill over.
First Cry
I finally got up to my art room yesterday and worked on my wood-burned squirrel. He’s coming along, but he’s difficult for me. I’m TRYING to give a suggestion of hair or fur. I’m not sure if it will be successful or not at this point, but I’m having a good time.
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I was going to make chili last night, but my husband requested I make beef stew, so I got the makings into the crock pot early. It turned out well, and was great comfort good for our really cold weather. It’s 19 degrees F. this morning, and the high is supposed to go above freezing this afternoon – the first time in several days. HOOORAAAAAY! Our driveway is clear, so we’re free to come and go now, but it’s really been frigid. Maybe if we all sign a petition, we can get spring early this year.
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Sustainable Baddie
My ‘clean-out-my-clothes-closet’ project expanded into an also ‘clean-out-my-bureau’ project. I finished the bureau yesterday and can see the light at the end of the tunnel on the closet clean-out finally. I think one or two days more and it’ll be under control.
This project was brought on by a real problem I was having finding things that fit. My closet was jammed with several different sizes, due to my fatness (and then some success in losing the lard) and I had just stuffed a few new things in as bought, rather than trying to make any sense of things. I was pulling out something that was still too small, something that was suddenly too large, or things that just looked bad before finding something reasonable for the day. Enough was finally enough, no matter how much I hated going through things, trying things on, etc., and finally gathered the motivation to GET THE JOB DONE. Being able to see the end of the project finally feels good.
My husband and I have our semi-annual teeth cleaning in Fort Smith Monday, and we will also take all the bags I have collected to the Veterans Thrift Shop and donate them. (This also gives me extra motivation to get up there and finish the job before Monday so the donation will be ready.)
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Mental Floss
I had to apologize to my sister-in-law this morning because the cold wave that started here several days ago got to North Carolina and dumped snow and ice and frigid temperatures on her. She has to walk her sweet dog in it, and both came home from the morning walk cold, with snow, ice, and the salt people had put down to prevent slips and falls all over their feet. Since we’re finally getting above freezing this afternoon, hopefully I can soon send her melting and warmer temperatures!
Hugging Day “was created by Kevin Zaborney, a Christian pastor, and occurs annually on January 21. The day was first celebrated in 1986, in Clio, Michigan. The holiday is also observed in many other countries. The idea of National Hug Day is to encourage everyone to hug family and friends more often.”
It’s my HUMBLE opinion that EVERY day should be hugging day.
Pepe Lepew and Penelope
My husband and I have made lots of decorations for our mailbox in the 37 years we’ve lived here. We use 4×8 sheet metal, cutting out the designs with our CNC set-up and a computer-guided torch. My husband makes the mounting bracket and welds it onto the piece. We use an overhead projector to transfer the key parts of the design, front and back, and then I paint the piece on both sides, using weather-resistant paint.
We change the decorations less often now, and we have basically stopped making them, but people stopping to tell us how much they enjoy them really makes our day!
This is one of my personal favorites. I smile each time I see it. I love Calvin & Hobbes.
So, I say, ‘the heck with January 21st annually.’ Hugs are one of the best things on our planet. A hug heals your soul, mends broken parts. Our son gives the very best hugs in the world. They actually make me cry. I hope that you spread YOUR hugs far and wide to all the people you care about – today, and EVERY day.
I hope you’re up to your eyeballs in love today – knee-deep in family and friends sharing a beautiful time and delicious food.
Reader’s Digest – THE Healthy
If you’ve read my blog for a while, you know that our son lives across the world from us. He chose his location very carefully and is very happy. He left us a message on the chat program this morning –
He said, “Happy Thanksgiving, guys. I’m very thankful for all the love and energy and patience and support you have given me and still give me.”It just doesn’t get nicer than that. :0)
We’re having a quiet celebration here, just my husband and me. I’ll cook a turkey breast. Otherwise we’ve pared things down to our favorites – the ones we look forward to all year – cranberry jelly and deviled eggs. We’ll have salad, too.
It’s the coolest day we’ve had in quite a while. The low was 29 and the high will only be 49. With the wind, it will seem quite chilly. BRRRRR!
I’m thankful for so many things –
because I’m losing some of my lard and keeping what’s left moving – my health is improving. I’m getting stronger, more flexible, and able to do what I need to do more easily.
My husband is still with me to share our lives. He just turned 81 and is definitely old and ornery. Stubborn and always right. Self-centered and set in his ways. He says that I am “mean as a snake.” We’ve loved each other for 63 years now. We’ve been married for 55. We have a good start now.
So far we can cover expenses, and that’s a big relief. I hope this continues.
Thankful to be close to our son in all but geography. We talk almost daily. I’m so proud of the man he is and how he’s living his life. My husband keeps telling him he wants ‘Rug Rats,’ but I think it would be good if he got married first, finding a good source for the love inside.
Thankful for two quirky pets – Amber, a 95-pound yellow lab, and Monster Cat (aka Jet), a black cat with a personality that grows daily. Both keep us on our toes while filling us with laughter and joy.
Thankful to be able to write this blog. Finding and sharing things I think are wonderful with you is a big part of my life. Feedback from people who take the time to read it makes my day. Thankful to be able to talk to YOU.
Thankful to be able to create stuff in my art room and post it in my Etsy shop. Even more thankful when someone likes something I’ve done and buys it. There is no greater compliment.
So, a very Happy Thanksgiving.
“What we’re really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?” —Erma Bombeck
This art takes you into a whole different world. I just love it.
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Good morning! I hope you’re feeling sassy today. It’s 28 outside right now and we’re due for a 59 degree F. high for the day. We’re definitely turning the corner to the winter season now. I’m trying to get warm weather stuff OUT of my closet and cool weather things IN. It’s going slowly.
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I had a wonderful massage yesterday. I tried to see my friend Linda, who lives at the retirement place where I get my monthly massage, only to find out she was in the hospital with a blood clot! I contacted her daughter when I got home. The ER was its usual frustrating self, making them wait hours while Linda was in pain, finally doing some tests, giving her a blood thinner, and telling her to follow up with her family physician, which she’ll do today. Her daughter kept her from Friday, when this happened, until yesterday afternoon, when she took her back to the retirement place. The staff there is great, and will keep a close eye on her.
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LINDA’S CRAFTINESS – 2.5″ long dangle earrings with French ear wires and marshmallow cushion backs. These are very light weight. Use this LINK to see this pair and other dangle earrings. Stud/post and Clip-ons available, too. $10.00 a pair with Free Shipping at HandmadeHavenbyLinda on Etsy.
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ZIXNEXKOO
My husband ordered a roll-around table for a MIG welder, plus another welding table that has a lot of flexibility for his other welding projects. Both have come recently. I’ve been helping him, being a good “go-fer,” “holder,” second pair of hands, reader of manuals, etc. He finished putting the MIG welder table together a couple of days ago, after we put in about a million screws, give or take a few. I went out to see it yesterday, in all its glory, ready for his next MIG project.
Harbor Freight – (I don’t have a pic of the one my husband got, but this is the idea.)
Yesterday we received the fancier welding table. It is HEAVY! We got the dolly from our shop in order to get it from the garage where the delivery guy left it out to the shop. It took both of us to get the box onto the dolly. We rolled it across the yard and out to the shop, having some real trouble getting the wheels to go up and over the ‘lip’ of the shop doorway. We just left it there yesterday because my husband’s legs are hurting from his efforts the other day. I have encouraged him to go slowly trying to put it together. and I’ll make myself available to help. He’s like a kid at Christmas. The two tables are a combination Birthday/Christmas present.
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Kids Academy
I had fun in my art room part of yesterday afternoon and evening. Wrapping things up on a couple of orders, grinning like a nut while I work. :0)
We’re due for a perfect fall day here in Arkansas. It’s 49 right now, the high is supposed to be 69 this afternoon, and the sun is smiling. Just beautiful!
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LINDA’S CRAFTINESS- One-of-a-kind, hand-painted child’s apron. Size is 2-6 years. The apron is 19″ long and 12.5″ wide, not including neck loop or ties. Fun addition for the holidays, making kids feel festive as they help with the food. $14.99 with Free Shipping. Click on this link to see details on this and other aprons on HandmadeHavenbyLinda on Etsy.
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LEWIS MAILBOX DECORATIONS –
When we were going to drive our trash down yesterday, I suggested we change the mailbox decoration. I also had my gloves and hand pruners in the truck so I could cut down some baby mimosa ‘trees’ and some other tall weeds at the bottom of the driveway to neaten up a bit.
I’m trying to convince my husband that we should create a different method for storing the mailbox decorations in the shop. Right now each is on a hook suspended from a bar that runs overhead. This has worked well for years, but now it’s much harder for my husband to stand on a ladder and get the decorations down and back up again. So far, he won’t consider any changes, so I’m now trying to choose decorations that are smaller and lighter to make things easier for him.
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Integrated Children’s Therapy
I’m frustrated because the days are whizzing past my head and I struggle to get in HALF of what I would like to do. Either the time is too short, we have other priorities, or my energy poops out at the wrong time.
I’m trying to find a balance between chores, exercising, and doing something fun each day. That rarely happens, but it IS an ongoing goal. So far, doing exercises with my 3-pound weights between things I’m doing on the computer is working out well. I do several sessions each morning in between blog posts, email, research, etc. My afternoon yoga session gets lost in the shuffle a lot, so I’m trying to get into the habit of doing that after lunch and a rest. Hit and miss so far.
I’m enjoying making some new things for us to eat. My husband isn’t picky – saying I always cook good things – unless I try to serve him many veggies we should be eating. Then we get into problems. We’re compromising in a lot of areas. Last night we had shrimp chef salad that was good. Tonight I’m trying a new recipe for a ground beef casserole that is low carb. I’m substituting broccoli for the green beans called for. Hopefully, this recipe will be a keeper. If it is, I’ll give you a link to it. :0)
No big plans for the day, unless another tree has fallen on us. Enjoy yours.
My good friend, Cathy, sent this to me this morning. I had JUST come out from feeding the cat and cleaning up her area, so this was especially apt. I love it!
Monster Cat’s favorite toys are
the ‘mice’ with catnip in them that I got altogether on a card at Walmart for next to nothing months ago. They don’t seem to lose their allure.
a cloth ‘ball’ on a string not tied to anything
an empty box in the middle of the living room floor
She WILL get on the cat tower in the corner of the room, especially if I put one of the catnip mice on top. (She is drawn to the ball on a string that hangs from the top level.) I got her some ping pong balls, and though she bats them around for a bit, loses interest and just leaves them. Actual cat toys are a complete dud.
I will say that she plays and entertains herself more than any cat we’ve ever had. We sit and watch and laugh at her as she ‘stalks her prey’ of the ball on the end of the string, crouching down behind the corner of the box, then springing out to pounce on the ball. She then carries it in her mouth and jumps into the box. A few seconds later, she SPRINGS up out of the box and the game begins again.
Her favorite thing at the moment is sitting out on the screened back porch watching some rabbits who have been moving around out there in the evenings. I don’t know if she could actually catch them. They certainly keep her attention.
This is similar to what is on the end of the long folding arm of the machine the man is driving that is clearing the power lines in the right-of-way to the east of our house. They simply showed up and started making noise when my husband was trying to take a morning nap in his recliner. Amber’s barking and the noise finally got him up.
He took Amber and the truck to go find out what was happening. It turned out that there was a man driving a humongous piece of equipment with a cab that moved to all angles, with a long folding ‘arm’ on the front with a spinning blade to saw off anything that could encroach on the power lines. They sawed off a bunch of stuff, particularly off a humongous trying-to-die tree on the edge of what we laughingly call the ‘civilized’ part of our land.
They stopped when they saw me standing out there watching them. I complimented the man operating the spinning blade. Another man will be trying to mow the right of way, though it’s really rocky and will be a nightmare to mow. They said they tried to do it every 7 years, but they’ve only been here once before, and we’ve lived here over 35 years now.
They said a bucket truck will be here within 48 hours with a huge chipper thingie on it to grind up what they cut down and haul it off. I asked if they could take a few minutes and go all the way across the back of the yard for us with the spinning blade. Sadly, they couldn’t. :0/
We paid a guy to clear quite a bit of the back as a fire brake several years ago. He did a great job, but the stuff started growing up immediately, trying to go back to the way it was and we can’t afford to keep doing it.
Just cutting out the top of the tree on the one side made a huge difference in the amount of sun coming in on the back porch.
My husband drove out to the shop when he came back so he could fill up a low tire on the truck. He decided to mow one spot in the yard that needed it, and now has the mower still running in the shop to use up the rest of the gas in it so he can store it for the winter.
Things are quiet around here right now, but now my husband is awake and fussing at his phone… :0)
This is how she looks right now, sprawled out on the shelves beside my computer set up. She nods off now and then, looking extremely comfortable. I tried to pet her a few minutes ago and she bit me. She doesn’t bite HARD, but she did break my skin this time, so I’m continuing to try to break her of this.
Our paper towel roll is her newest handiwork. She found it in the pantry recently and apparently batted it all over the place after pulling it down from the shelf. My husband was going to throw it out, but I told him that although it LOOKS a bit odd, it should still work fine to wipe up spills. Maybe it also adds character to our kitchen?
I’m not having to try to catch her to put her into her bathroom anymore. I merely walk toward her bathroom. She either follows me right away, passes me in order to ‘herd’ me in there, or she come running when she hears a bit of her food hit the bowl. I can then step out and close the door without the cat latch. I have modified her food so I can do this each time I go in there and not overfeed her :0)
She is now joining me on my recliner several times a day. She jumps up, walks up my front and looks at me. I pet her, and then she turns around and plops down beside my feet.
She still either ignores my husband or is hostile. We don’t know what her background was before we adopted her, so we have no idea why. He is also relentless in his actions, refusing to adapt to what she does, so this may be a long slog.
Monster Cat and Amber (97 pound yellow lab) are getting along fine. I just make sure the cat isn’t out anywhere when Amber is eating. So, we’re making progress of a sort. Her weirdness fits right in with ours, so it’s an interesting mix.
I’ve been having a blast wood-burning and painting wood slices for Christmas ornaments.
They’re 3.25″ in diameter and .5″ thick. They have a red and white attached string for hanging on the tree.
On the back, they have places for personalization – one line for the year and a second for a first name to create a keepsake.
The wood-burning is done first. Then the several steps in painting. After one is ordered, I’ll personalize it and then protect it with several layers of polyurethane spray.
Each is a one-of-a-kind design. My parents gave my brother and me a Christmas ornament that was personalized each year, letting us add it to our tree. When we were grown, they presented us with a box of ‘OUR’ ornaments as a housewarming present, to decorate our tree and start a new tradition.
We are saving our son’s box, since he lives halfway across the world and travels light. When he joins us for the holiday, though, we decorate the tree together, reminiscing about Christmases past as we take out each of his decorations.
My friend, Cathy, has been reading about my efforts to get Monster Cat to be at least a bit more cooperative. One of my ‘training tools’ is a small cosmetic bottle of water that I can spray to TRY to get her to –
stop chewing a cord
get her face out of my drink
get off the kitchen counter
stop trying to pull my husband’s throw off his chair
As much as I gripe about my husband, threatening to throw him into a huge hole in the back yard from time to time, there is a sweet side that comes out from time to time, showing me the man I married.
This was just delivered today. He’ll go get the mail soon. :0)
BREAD BASKET: Monster Cat (aka Jet) just jumped into her bread basket that lives on the counter beside my computer. She jumps in, sharpens her claws a bit on the bottom, then walks over to play with, or try to chew on, my headphones cord, then walks over my keyboard, then back again, pausing in case I want to pet her before she returns to the basket.
BIG TEST: This is ‘the big test,’ a trial to see if I will AGAIN give her a spritz from the cosmetic bottle of water on the counter on my right. She does – I do – rinse, repeat.
REACHING OUT: Yesterday she did something she hasn’t done before. She jumps up on my recliner whenever I’m in it, saying ‘hello’ quickly and then settles beside my left leg to sleep until I get up, dumping her on the floor in the process. Yesterday, she said, ‘hello,’ went to the foot rest, but instead of settling, she turned and walked up my body, settling on my stomach! This is a first. She only stayed a minute or two, but she ‘allowed me to pet her’ -without biting me – and THEN went down to her regular spot, settling beside my leg.
BOX GAME: We’re playing a game with the open box we now keep in the living room for her. I’m moving it each day to see what she does. Yesterday it was on the couch. There was no hesitation. She jumped up into the box and settled for a bit. When I put it on the hearth later, she jumped right into it. She seems to enjoy the movement of her ‘toy.’ When it’s in the middle of the room, she gets in and crouches down, hoping you’ll forget she’s there. When any of us pass by (including our dog, Amber) she leaps out, acting like she’s attacking. At first I was a bit worried how Amber would react, but she just looked at me with a pained expression as she continued to go to get a drink of water. We’re all adapting to live with Monster Cat, who shows a new side of her burgeoning personality on almost a daily basis.
CATNIP ON CAT TOWER: I keep 2 catnip ‘mice’ on the top part of the cat tower in the corner of the living room. The tower also has a ball on a string hanging from one of the top levels and another toward the bottom, each swaying in the air a bit to attract her attention. She doesn’t play on the tower often, but it’s quite the show when she does, Olympic-style hanging from one level to reach and play tether ball with one of the hanging balls, while managing not to fall on her head. She reaches the top, finds the two catnip mice, and the race begins, with her batting the mice from level to level til they all finally reach the floor.
PING PONG BALL BATTING: I find a ball in a corner somewhere and take it where I can let it bounce on the floor. Wherever she is, Monster Cat comes bounding to catch or bat the ball. She recognizes the sound now and LOVES to chase it. Woe betide anyone who gets in her way in this game. She has no interest in playing or sharing with anyone else. That ball belongs to HER!
CRAZY CAT: We’re quietly reading, watching TV, or napping in the living room. Suddenly, ‘Crazy Cat’ appears, running at full speed across the living room, stopping on a dime, turning and running the other way as fast as she can, eyes wild, leaping, pouncing, jumping on the furniture, bouncing off the walls. We just look at her in amazement. Yesterday she landed beside Amber’s large bed next to the Entertainment Center. She just stopped. She looked at Amber. Motionless. Then she jumped at Amber. My heart was in my throat. Amber jumped up, then calmly went into the office, leaving the bed for Monster Cat, who calmly walked across it and plopped down in the exact middle, regally surveying her domain…
Monster Cat (aka Jet) loves the two cardboard boxes we plopped in the middle of the living room floor. She walks by, gets distracted – stopping mid-stride to leap into the inside box. Or, like in the pic above, she’ll crouch down or under one side of the box, alert for any ‘prey’ in the area, waiting to pounce. (If you look carefully, the black below the box lid on the front is Jet, with the tip of the white part of her paw showing.)
I apologize for my feet in these pics. I had my phone in my lap, trying to catch some pics of her. Each time I would get into position, she would notice me and stop what she was doing. All of these were taken as fast as I could, trying to capture the action, catching mostly my feet…
Round and round the box, alert for real or imagined adversaries – Jet skulks around the boxes.
The black to the left side of the boxes is Jet, stretched up, looking into the boxes.
And she’s IN! The only thing ‘out’ is the end of her tail. (I tried to get pics of her looking out of the boxes, only her eyes lighting up, but couldn’t get them.)
And she’s OUT again, rolling around on the floor.
Yesterday she was so full of vinegar she then went to the tower in the corner, playing volleyball one handed while dangling from various angles on the flat parts.
She finally jumped up beside my feet on my chair, one of her favorite spots now, to take a well-earned nap.
I have to stay out of office supply stores. Also, stores that sell baskets or boxes. Also, food – particularly salty, greasy things and chocolate. And now I’ve found a new addiction – watching military homecoming videos on YouTube.
BoredPanda.com
Yesterday, when my to-do list had filled up the page and was spilling over you could have found me glued to my computer, headphones on, tears in my eyes, watching reunions of military people and their families. They are so touching, and I’m so sorry that they have to go through the separation, but happy for them when they are reunited. They cry. I cry. And then I find and watch another.
I guess I watch them because they are happy endings in our country. Real people having good things happen. A thing that is sorely needed right now. Love spilling out over the top, enveloping all in the area, plus felt vicariously by people needing holes filled.
Just what I needed – another addiction to add to my list. :0)
Yesterday I smiled as I told you about Jet’s (aka Monster Cat’s) playing with a catnip mouse and a cardboard box in the middle of the living room.
Jet gave us quite a show yesterday evening as she ‘re-discovered’ the cat tower in the corner of the room.
It started with her leaping on the tower all of a sudden to play with the ball hanging from one of the top levels. She batted the ball as if it were a tether ball and gave us quite a show as she hung from the tower, toppled off, then leaped up again, attacking it from all angles, even finding a catnip mouse up on the highest level. We both stopped what we were doing to appreciate the show.
I’m happy that her personality is showing more and more. I think it shows she feels more confident now and is fearlessly exploring all areas.
One thing I DON’T like is her biting – with and without warning. I’ll be petting her when she has jumped up on the arm of my chair and she’ll suddenly nip me. Most of the time the bite is kind of like a ‘love bite,’ but I don’t want to encourage it. I am using my cosmetic misting bottle, trying to spray her just as she bites, in order to discourage this behavior. Hopefully, she’ll get the message and stop.
Meanwhile, she is causing lots of grins and laughs around here. My husband’s reaction after the show was, “Whatever we paid for the tower, it was worth every penny.”
Jet (aka “Monster Cat”) is showing us more and more of her personality as she settles into her new lifestyle as a member of our family.
She still startles a lot; in fact, it’s funny that she’ll go from what looks like a deep sleep beside my foot on the recliner to sitting straight up, neck stretched, eyes wide, as she tries to figure out what is ‘attacking her.’ To my knowledge, she hasn’t found anything at all in the time she’s been with us, but she continues to be vigilant.
We found out that she LOVES empty boxes. We put the one in the middle of the living room and she jumps in and out of it daily, stretching her head up to peer out the top, eyes wide.
Yesterday afternoon she jumped out of the box and crouched down beside the box, partially under one flap. She waited, holding her breath. Her backside came up and her eyes widened. She started moving her weight from one front foot to the other, soundlessly. She got very still – then POUNCED – landing on a tiny catnip mouse a couple of feet from the box. She rolled with it in her arms, flipping it with her paws and rolling again. Then dashed back to hide behind the box.
She repeated this at LEAST 5 times before finally tiring of the game. My husband and I were laughing out loud watching her. Quite a show.
My husband was given the best gift ever yesterday by our son.
Our son lives across the world from us – having created a life where he can live on his own terms, happy as a clam. We use a chat program almost every day plus a conference call program when we are all up and functional at the same time of the day, so we stay close.
I check the chat program every morning to see if he’s left any messages, pictures, or questions for us.
Yesterday morning I found this – “Dad, I have a luxurious life now because you were so patient in making me strong.”
I’m still tearing up this morning. What a beautiful thing for our son to FEEL, and to SAY to his dad. We really won the lottery on sons.
It’s my mom’s birthday today. My main memories are of her sitting in her chair in the living room, one small dog sitting in the chair on each side of her, and a big board propped up so that she could work on the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle, plus the Cryptoquote in the paper. She usually finished both.
Her dad didn’t think she should go to college, but allowed her one year at the community college in Nevada, Missouri. She graduated one credit short (physical education) of a degree from the two-year college program in that one year she was allowed. Most people thought she was highly educated, due to her vocabulary (a product of reading voraciously and the crossword puzzles :0) ). It was funny that I could tell how angry she was by the words she used – in that they got longer and longer the angrier she got. She could stand on her feet and cut you off at the knees verbally. She did this at city meetings in Tulsa OK, when she was upset.
She had a delightfully silly side, ‘speaking’ for various dogs in a high, delicate, babyish voice, insisting that you react to what ‘the dog said.’ Thankfully, you only had to react – she didn’t require that YOU speak in a high voice to the dog…
I’ll never forget her bailing us out financially when our son was going to a private school in Tulsa which had a big tuition. My husband was working in Tulsa that year so that our son could attend the school. He and our son were living with my in-laws.
After we signed the contract at the school, my father-in-law decided he didn’t want them to live there and insisted they leave. My husband found an apartment, but we couldn’t afford to pay for both the apartment there, our home here, AND the tuition, even with both of us working full time.
My mom called and I tried to just talk to her as if nothing was wrong. It didn’t work. I told her what the problem was, and that we were trying to figure out what we could do. My mom said, “Stop worrying. I will pay the tuition for the school.” I hadn’t cried when telling her about it, but I cried buckets when she said that. My husband did, too, when I told him. He had been feeling like a failure, trying to be strong for our son while we tried to figure things out.
She’s been gone a long time now, but I FEEL her sometimes, usually when I’m sticking my neck out, trying something completely new that scares me. She encourages me to try to be the best person I can be. Quite a woman. I miss her so much.
It’s going on two months since we adopted Jet from the Fort Smith Animal Haven. We were heartbroken when we lost Abby, our cat of around 13 years and were delighted when we found this beauty was ready to be adopted. Our lives are now forever changed.
We don’t know what Jet’s life was like before we adopted her, except that she had a litter of kittens in the past, and was spayed by the adoption facility vets. She was really shy and was going to have to adapt not only to my husband and me, but also our 95 pound yellow lab, Amber.
I set her up in the half bath beyond our utility room, with food, water, her kitty litter box, a bed, etc. Now we have a door latch that allows her to go in and out at will, but doesn’t allow Amber to go in. This has been wonderful. We also got a loud bell for her collar so she can’t hide from us unless she remains motionless for a long period of time – something that is almost impossible for her.
We put her in the bathroom with the door shut when either we are eating or Amber is, to avoid any problems. She and Amber have now reached a stage of disdainful detente, mostly allowing each other to live and let live. They will probably never pal around or be affectionate with each other, but this is enough.
She can be quite affectionate and companionable, but has a quirky, weird side where she almost bounces off the walls at times for seemingly no reason. You can also pet her and suddenly she bites you or scratches you. She does give clues, though, and I am learning to pay attention and modify my behavior. My husband – the bull in the china shop – not so much.
She is gaining confidence, exploring and showing more and more of her personality. She wants to drink my drinks on my table beside my chair in the living room or the office. My coffee cups are usually on a warmer, so she sniffs, but doesn’t go farther. My cold drinks, however, are a problem. I have some heavy coasters, and I’ve been putting one on top of the glass to keep her from sampling. A couple of days ago, we had an altercation where the glass was bobbled, causing a spill.
My husband made a wonderful glass holder for his table tray, since he was dumping a drink on a regular basis. It is made completely of metal, fashioned on his lathe. It’s a thing of beauty and he hasn’t dumped a drink since he has been using it, though I have to remind him to USE it occasionally.
Here it is. He’s going to make another one for me. It’s quite a laborious process. He promised me he will only work on it first thing in the morning and will quit and come back into the house when it starts getting too warm in the shop. This is the third day. So far, he’s keeping his promise. I told him I don’t care if it takes him all summer to finish it, praising him for coming in when he should.
I have a rolled-up newspaper to defend myself when Jet decides to bite me after leaping up into my lap. I start to pet her. Sometimes it goes well. Other times she bites me. She is getting the idea that biting results in a loud noise and quiet tap if she does this, so that’s good. My SIL suggested a squirt bottle of water might also be useful, so I now have that sitting on the table beside me and will keep it with me when I move to the living room. “Armed and dangerous….” :0)
Jet is rapidly changing from a shy, quiet cat to a demanding, meowing, intensely curious, quirky one. It’s really interesting, but challenging.
She discovered a bag of cat food sitting on the floor in the pantry. She ate a hole in the bag and ate quite a bit of food before we discovered it. Now the food is in a plastic bucket with a lid. She goes into the pantry several times daily to see if the cat food bag has magically reappeared.
I got some shoes a couple of days ago (I ordered purple sneakers with the wide toe box and ‘barefoot’ feel like the ones I discovered recently.) When the box hit the floor, Jet immediately jumped into it. She looked out, big-eyed and full of mischief. She jumped in and out, rolled it over and over, danced around it. We have decided that is one of her toys now, and will let it live there until she tires of it. :0)
The old folks around here are adapting pretty well to Monster Cat, and life is full.
Jet is feeling more and more at home. She is an extremely curious, active, and determined cat. We may be creating a monster…
I was trying to work on some new greeting cards here at the computer yesterday. Jet decided she wanted to “play” with the cards, the tubes of paint, the feathers, my hands…. I was almost relieved when she decided that whatever she saw in the window was more interesting – until things started falling off the sill.
I had a tall glass of ice water on the table beside my chair a couple of days ago. She has expressed interest in my coffee cup, but has never actually bothered it. Not so with the ice water. I found her with her whole head inside the top of the glass licking an ice cube. Now I have gathered up some heavy coasters I am putting on the top of the glasses.
The cat door latch is one of the best inventions known to man – in my humble opinion. Jet is very happy to be able to go in and out of her bathroom at will – except when anyone is eating, when her door is actually shut for her protection. She seems to be catching on to the pattern now, though, complains less, knowing that as soon as we’re finished, I’ll use the latch again. Best of all, I don’t have to be on guard to keep Amber from going in there and eating her food – and other things. :0(
I got a little card full of small felt mice with catnip. Jet is a FIEND for these. I now have one in her bathroom, and one at the top of the cat tower in the corner of the room. She routinely goes up the tower to play with the mouse.
Jet follows me around quite a bit, and has started sitting with me in my chair. She doesn’t actually sit in my lap, but sits on the arm of the chair or the fold-out stool portion close beside my foot. She is starting to respond and come to me when I bend over and pat my legs.
Another wonderful thing is a loud bell we hung on her collar. It’s really loud, helping me find her if I need to put her in the bathroom quickly for any reason, or at night at bedtime. My husband – who insists he doesn’t have a hearing problem – doesn’t hear it at all… :0)
Jet has gotten so comfortable, curiously exploring every available surface, that I now have to put her in her bathroom with the door closed when I’m trying to get meals together. She knows I’ll let her out soon, so she doesn’t mind the interruption in her travels.
Jet likes the old woven bread basket I put on the countertop beside my computer. She jumps up on me, walks over my keyboard, and either settles down to sleep in the basket, or goes the other way to simply sprawl in the corner between my part of the L-shaped office counter or my husband’s.
Jet, and Amber, our 95 pound yellow lab are not babies. We adopted Jet recently. The only thing we know about her is that she is about 14 months old and had a litter of kittens. Amber is now 7 years old.
So they each have a history and have taken the better part of a month to achieve disdainful detente in the house. They can both be in the same room now without hissing or spitting (unless Jet is startled for some reason). I even found them yesterday both sleeping in the doorway on the tiles by the back door to the porch! I tried to get a picture, but Jet tends to jump up and follow me around, so I need to learn to sneak around a bit.
The cat door latch has saved my sanity. This ingenious piece of heavy plastic goes over the door knob on one end and has a screw-in metal piece in the selected hole on the other end, allowing Jet to go in and out freely, giving her access to her food, water, and kitty litter (plus a safe space if needed) while keeping Amber out. This is working really well. I still close the door completely any time Amber – or we – are eating, and at night.
Our previous sweet cat, Abby, liked to be outdoors. She was very happy with a cat cube on top of the woodpile in the garage for sleeping. We fed her out there, too, plus had a water dish. We have a cat door in the overhead garage door, so she could go in and out of the garage as she wished. We let her in the house and she stayed with us inside as long as she wanted, but was ready to go out at night and much of the day. My husband would like us to ease Jet into this, as well. I’m happy with things as they are. Since I’m the one doing all the extra work on this, I’m HOPING that I can be the one doing the deciding…
Jet initially was really unhappy when I turned on the hair dryer in her bathroom several days ago. Today she actually came in and started rubbing against my legs as I used the dryer. She is definitely adapting. :0)
I love this. I laughed out loud when I saw it. I’ve been – and am STILL – worried that Amber will react to Jet’s hiss or spit or swipe and it’ll all be over. The biggest area of contention will remain food. Amber is quite serious about her food, OR getting bites of the good stuff from my husband. I have reminded him several times now that they NEED to be separate during times they – or we – are eating. That includes keeping Jet’s bathroom door closed all the time to keep Amber out of there.
They passed each other in the office this morning when my husband came downstairs. Jet’s back went up and she got very still and big-eyed. Amber was her usual boisterous self, leaping around to greet my husband, not watching where she steps, her tail hitting furniture and whatever else is in the path – the typical bull in a china shop. I tried to act like nothing was happening – though I was holding my breath. Jet managed to pass Amber and go into the living room. Amber followed, but not to confront Jet. Things are definitely getting better.
I am also reminding my husband to watch where he is walking. Jet will try to make each of us fall on our heads, or hurt ourselves trying NOT to step on, or fall on – her. We both need to pay attention, and make SURE she is not in the area when we are going out the garage door or coming back in. For two old folks who kind of drift through things at times, this is a big ASK.
I’m trying to teach myself to pay attention when I go to the kitchen and Jet is right with me. It turns out that she is trying to lead me to her bathroom, where food, water, and kitty litter box await. I did pay attention this morning, and followed her to the door, opened it for her, and watched as she hesitantly walked in. When she was in, I quietly shut the door. I set an alarm to remember to let her out again. We HAVE to keep the door shut so Amber doesn’t eat her food – or the used kitty litter – to be graphic….
Amber is our 7-year-old yellow lab. She is very set in her ways, but got along with our cat, Abby, until Abby died about 6 weeks ago. Now she is having to try to get used to our new cat, Jet, who is about a year and 2 months old, whom we rescued via the Fort Smith Animal Haven a little over a week ago now.
Jet
Since Jet isn’t a baby, and, in fact had a litter of kittens before she was found by the Animal Haven, she is very set in HER ways, as well, making for an interesting and quite laborious ‘introduction’ period. Jet’s area is in the bathroom off the utility room, and has all of her stuff in there, except for toys and the cat tower we got and built for her.
My wonderful friend/cousin-in-law Murray suggested we might put Amber on her leash and sit with her quietly, giving her treats and lots of love while we allow Jet to roam freely, to help them get used to each other. My husband did this yesterday afternoon, to good effect. THEN, because he’s hard-headed, he decided to let Amber off her leash after only one session of this. This occurred with no altercation, thank goodness, except for me lighting into HIM for not letting me know what was going on, plus his leaving Jet’s door open, giving Amber access to Jet’s food again.
This morning Jet was already out when I came downstairs. Amber was outside. I got Jet’s area cleaned up and finished morning chores, then put Jet in my chair in the living room and carefully let Amber in, first behind the gate, and then into the living room with Jet. All has gone well.
A few minutes ago, Amber came into the office to say, “Hi.” Jet was sprawled out on the shelves I use as a computer desk. She stood up and hissed. I petted Amber, kissed her head, and told her, “Place.” Happily, Amber went toward the living room where her bed (place) is.
We may be reaching a beginning detente. I cross my fingers as I say this, because a hiss or too-quick movement might result in bad things, but so far, things are good.
My next project is reminding my husband 1) to NOT let Jet out when he goes out of the house or lets Amber out, and 2) to keep the animals separated when their food or ours is involved.
“If two or more people or groups are at loggerheads, they disagree very strongly with each other.” – Collins (This also applies to dogs and cats who are difficult to reason with. )
Even though our situation improves a bit each day, we may not live long enough for our dog, Amber, and our new cat, Jet, to reach detente. Added to this is Jet is stupid. I try very hard to have the dog gate between her and Amber, but she is now slithering under the gate to be in the same area as the dog. She will then ‘startle,’ hiss, and I’m afraid of what happens then.
So I’m on alert – on duty – all day long, unless the dog is out or the cat is in her bathroom.
Example – Just now, Amber was barking, wanting to come in. Jet was in the office with us. My husband reached down to pick her up so she would be under control while I let Amber in. She startled, biting and scratching my husband. We’re okay for the moment, but the tension is pretty thick.
Another anniversary – with pretty accurate drawing of our house and the repair of their driveway needed after a series of storms.
“Celebration” of the new buffet my parents got for the dining area. The two ‘spiders’ are Hal and MaryEllen.
I played my guitar and sang for a gathering at my high school in Tulsa the year before I graduated. I earned some money while in college in a group called “Student Entertainers” at Oklahoma State University, plus a local eatery close to the college. I came home for the summer and sang at a local place in Tulsa a few times, so the sweet Thomsons gave me support with this great drawing.
Finally, Mother’s Day.
Two kind, very creative people who managed to use their art ability in the commercial marketplace while quietly doing the art they loved privately. It was a joy to know them.
creativeartworksblog 