RIP Jake

 My neighbors have 2 dogs Jake the Irish Setter and Wyatt the Beagle.  Jake has  been failing for a while now and during the night he decided to cross the Rainbow Bridge.  I take care of them when they are gone or out for the day cos you know dogs need to use the yard for the bathroom not the litter box like my cats.  Jake was a sweetheart, he would see me in the yard start barking and come bounding over and at times almost knock me down, he was basically bigger than I am.  I loved that dog, and will miss him a lot.  He was almost 16 which is old for a dog and I knew him for 14 of those years.  RIP Jakie and I will see you some day.  (I wish I had a picture of him but realize I do not).

I got his Christmas picture

More Outifts

 So plans are under to start building the frame of my house.  I wish I could see it but i have a feeling my model will send me messages as she gets a look at things.  She said there are boxes of items for each room around the house and bags of fabric, yarn, etc for creating something for me.  I think the plan is to have it done by end of this year.

Meanwhile here are some pics of my lastest outfits.

Feeling a little Frenchie with my beret.  My dress and beret and shrug all have a bit of glittery yarn in them.

This is my Christmas outfit which I did not get to wear because the weather was so awful my dresser did not get to work that week.  Oh well next year.

My New Year's Eve outfit, yes the hat is from the gala which I did not go to. 

Groucho Marx

 Groucho would have been 19 next March.  She was a feral and Bucky's aunt and Smudgey's half sister.  She was the sweetest girl and the minute I sat down she was on my lap.  Did not want to be picked up and carried but she would sit on my lap 24/7.  She had lost quite a bit of weight down to 4 pounds and yet acted like she was starving but lately she was not eating much, she had no teeth, and was not drinking as much water.  She had constipation issues and the ER vet said her muscles just could not get it all pushed out.  The past week she was very restless, pacing around the main level, circle after circle.  Sunday night she would not settle down, finally I laid down on the couch and she got on my chest and went to sleep.  Tuesday morning when I got home from an appointment I could not find her and finally found her hiding, I know what that means, and I scooped her up to the vet. It was time.  She was my second longest next to Garfield who was almost 21.  It is so quiet in the house even though BigBoy is very talkative but still when you had 3 one morning and now you have one, it is so quiet.  He is crying and wandering and looking for her and his is very clingy which is not like him at all.  So for now it is just one cat and I would kind of like it to stay that way.  Those of you with multiple pets know how much time it takes.  I know he has pancreas issues and his numbers bounce all over the place but he is mine as long as I can keep him.

It sucks to lose a pet when you have them for so long.  She is my 8th cat to be in the pet cemetery.  I am sure one day someone may dig up my back yard and wonder what the heck I was doing.

So for now God and my dad will take care of her til I can go home and be will all my kitties.  RIP Groucho Marx, mommy loves you and I miss you and so does your brother.

Lost and Found

 I was at the vet today with Groucho who crossed the Rainbow Bridge. While there I showed a picture to the receptionist of Chuffles, the little gray tom I found and one of the vet techs said hey that is my friends cat.  Sure enough Oliver came from a home about 10 miles away.  It seems he may have got out in the garage and up into her car and when his human mom was in my neighborhood he got out.  So he is home and I am sad and happy for them. 

Tough to go from 3 to 1 cat all in one day and losing Smudgey 2 weeks ago.  So for now I am down to one pet and it has been 40 years since I have just had one.

Almost Christmas

 I wore this outfit last year as I only had a few and it is kind of my ugly Christmas sweater.  Anyway it is cold and of course since I live in the warehouse it is even colder, so I am all bundled up with a week from Christmas.  I hear I am getting a very pretty outfit next week for Christmas.  Hope everyone is ready for the big day.

Chuffles

 Meet Chuffles.  I knew the minute he entered the house he was probably not going to leave cos I think my purpose in life is to take care of the stray cats that come in my yard.  He chuffles when he snuggles and boy does he like to snuggle. He is very lovable and a chunker.  He does not like can food, gonna have to work on that and needs to go on a diet.  His legs are short and while his face looks somewhat fox like he looks like a munchkin breed.  I know someone can still claim him as I have posted him on a couple lost pet websites.  But if no one does well he is mine.  Now to get him acclimated in the house with the other two. I have never had 2 toms at the same time before. Wish me luck.

Is There a Sign on My Roof?

 Smudgey will have been gone 2 weeks tomorrow.  I know Groucho's days are probably numbered. So I was just going to settle for having BigBoy for as long as I can as I know he has health issues.  Well I was looking out the dining room window and saw a cat in the cul de sac, close to my curb, there were lots of cars as the neighbor was having a party.  I thought it was the neighbor cat who often eats at my house cos they are awful pet parents, so I put a can of food out.  She always comes running when I do but this cat did not. OH that is not the neighbor cat, he started crying loud like he was scared to death.  Oh crap, I went and he let me pick him up so I carried him to the front porch and put him down thinking he belonged in the neighborhood and was just out so I thought he would eat and go home. Nope as soon as I opened the door in he ran and finally hid under the couch.  Now what do I do, I got a not so good picture and posted it in the HOA webpage and the lost pet page in hopes someone had lost their cat.  He did eat a bit ago and my two are hiding not knowing what is going on.  

I need to decide what to do do I keep him if no one claims him? or do I take him to a shelter?  

Eve and Mary

 

Take a few minutes to really look at this picture, bringing together of two very well-known women of the Bible - Eve and Mary. Seeing them together doesn't make sense, they aren't even mentioned in the same BOOK of the Bible. Or are they?

Not by name, at least.

First let's look at Eve - the despair on her face. It's the face of the knowledge of sin and shame. The forbidden fruit, still in the clutches of her hand. The serpent, still with his tight grip coiled around her leg - the same evil that holds so many of us captive today. And her hand outstretched....

To Mary.

Sweet Mary, obedient Mary. Could you imagine being a teenager and being told that you would give birth to the Messiah? See the compassion on her face as she gently comforts the ashamed Eve. And that serpent that once held Eve and mankind captive? Just like Genesis 3 prophesied, the baby she is carrying will crush the head of the serpent. All because of the One thing that she and Eve have in common.

The Babe in Mary's womb.

The Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

Jesus.

Eve and Mary... two women you wouldn't think to talk about in the same sentence, yet two women whose stories were woven together from the very beginning. From the fall to glory, let us not forget this Christmas that we are celebrating the beginning of redemption from the fall in the garden so many years ago. The King has come, and salvation is here.

"Oh death, where is your sting? Oh hell, where is your victory?"

This beautiful piece is from From Blacktop to Dirt Road

Plan B

 So my dresser was going to get started on the next phase of my house, however she can no longer find those boxes so instead of a camper she is going to make me a house out of plastic canvas based on the camper plans.  Everyone needs a Winter project, right.  So she is off making lists of rooms, what goes in each room, etc.  I can hear her brain sizzling with ideas.  She thinks she will turn my apartment into a she shed which she was gonna build anyway, so a few changes and that will be done. And oh I need my Jeep first.

Stay tuned.

RIP Smudgey

 Smudgey was doing the squat and pee thing I know what that means,she had thrown up quite a bit and I could tell we needed to head to the ER vet.  What I did not know is she would not be coming home to live with me any more.  I know she had been a feral at least 10 years, been inside almost 2 years and the vet thought she was around 15 which is a long time for a feral.  I fed her when she was outside, loved her and gave her shelter.  At her annual review earlier in the year her kidney numbers looked a bit off so we changed her diet, etc.  A month ago she was doing the squat and pee and her numbers were up a bit.  Well tonight her kidney numbers were off the chart.  

I know she was not long for this earth as her coat was getting matted and dry, she had trouble walking and figured her time was coming, I did not expect it today.  The vet said we could do fluids and meds and on and on or I could let her go.  Her days were getting shorter and shorter.  I opted to let her go because I did not want to stress her out anymore than she was and really what would be her quality of life.

She pretty much spent all day upstairs on my bed and only came down when she was hungry.  However the past 2 weeks she spent most of her time parked on my chair right beside me. Did she know?  Did she decide she needed to spend as much time with me as she could, she always slept with me.  She would have to have her head rubbed for about 20 minutes before she settled down on her blanket and then she would be awake at 3am for another snuggle and if I was not up by 5 she was insistent.  

She was the sweetest girl and I had no idea when she came in how much of a snuggler she was.  She was my last feral I brought in.  

I loved her when she was outside and worried about her and was overjoyed when she finally came in.  

I know my dad and God are watching over her for me.

I love you Smudgey and I will see you again some day.

I May Never Be A Lap Cat

 

I may never be a lap cat,

or one who comes when called.

I may resist the hand that tries to touch

and some may think I’m flawed.

I may prefer my freedom

to your warm and cozy house

I may reject a bowl of finest foods

for the chance to catch a mouse.

But the box you put out for me,

Feels safe and warm and dry.

And I raise my eyes to thank you

when I see you walking by.

I eat the food you give me

I listen to your voice

I may never be a lap cat

but thank you for offering me the choice.

One day I’ll see the winter,

one day I’ll feel the rain,

I may grow old not knowing

there is freedom from this pain

I know you’ve tried to help me

and although my days will end

I may never be a lap cat

but I know you are my friend

(Melanie Nordberg)

(Artwork Molly Devlin)

59 Years

 59 years ago I was in 3rd grade. We were making tea towels for our mothers for Christmas. I had just stamped mine with a potato painted red. I remember the teacher was called out of the room and we kept working. She came back crying. She told us to put our name on our tea towel with a pencil and leave everything and go home. When I got home my dad was home (being a federal employee) they were sent home. He sat me down and explained that the President had been killed. I did not really understand what all that meant but we did not go back to school until the next week. When we did go back we immediately went to the auditorium and the Principal explained what happened. My mom never used her tea towel and I have it now. RIP JFK.

 

 

I Sing Because I'm Happy

 3 years ago today I interned my dad.  His favorite song was His Eye is on the Sparrow.  We sang this Sunday I totally lost it.  I love this version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7Pk5YMkEcg