Katt Tales

New Beginnings

2009-08-10T21:49:00.013-05:00

Seems like the time between blogs gets longer and longer! I've got legitimate excuses this time I think. Getting ready to move and between packing and purging, getting things ready at the new place two hours away, and getting this house ready to sell has been all consuming. Not everything's quite ready yet, but it's wonderful to have the luxury of not being in too much of a time crunch to move from one place to the other in one day or even one week! Right now it's getting things switched over to a new state, finding another job, getting water, elec., etc. turned on and most importantly, getting the cats' new digs finished.

Here's the new rescue set up, much bigger and better than the old one I have now (no leaky roof and uninsulated walls)! It's not totally finished yet, still got to put in shelves and ramps and their Little Tykes play equipment, but the guys are gonna love it and I can't wait to see them enjoying the extra space. Getting them there, not looking forward to.

I know the dogs are going to love moving too, lots more trees and land for them to run and explore! I'm hoping the openness and fresh air will be more accommodating to my creative ventures as well. And Marls, since you're never gonna see my house pics unless I post some here's a few to give you an idea. I'll post more once I get it decorated more to my liking.

View into the DR and kitchen.

The LR.

Master bath (that wall paper's gotta go!)

Time Flies

2009-05-18T00:02:00.008-05:00

I can't believe I've let so much time go by without a post! I've been doing stuff, just not taking the time to blog about it - bad me! Found a couple really cute pics of my dogs when they were youngsters.

The border collie mix is Boots (he came with that name, don't blame me) and the big doggie is Acadia (I did name her) who is half Rottie, half Catahoula and all baby. They are now 9 and 11 respectively. Time so flies!

Finally decided to try the video portion of my camera and tape some cute moments with my critters. I tried to get my talking cats, Sammy and Chance, to do their thing, but both of them clammed up when the camera came out. I guess they'll want to sign an agent before they'll talk on screen. Actors. So, this is my very first try, please ignore the erratic camera operator! LOL! This is Hannah, my oldest kitty at 12 and Weebee (another one I did not name), the rescued Cornish rex who decided she didn't want to be adopted and stayed here. She so does not like to be interrupted from her nap. LOL!

+++++++++++++++++

In sadder news, I had to have two of my FeLV+ kitties put down last week. I knew when I decided to have a sanctuary for the positive ones that I'd lose them way too early, but I'd rather give them a few good years if I can even if it hurts worse when the times does come. Actually they were both pretty old for a FeLV cat; Pretty Baby was about 12 or older; Jamie was also about 12. This is Pretty Baby (P.B.) in her prime. I don't have my scanner working so I couldn't post a pic of Jamie, but she was small, all black with a corkscrew ear from an old hematoma. Rest in peace my girls.

Busy Days

2009-04-08T21:42:00.002-05:00

Ok, I almost fell asleep waiting for these pictures to load, so, yeah, I'm tired. Been a bit busy at work and at home so I'm looking forward to the weekend!

We got in more wildlife yesterday, another squirrel, a turtle and these baby opossums. I should have never said aloud that I missed the little critters I took care of last year! They are cute, but a lot of work, oh, and did I mention messy! :)

Spent Monday taking pics of the adoptable kitties to go up on Petfinder while I was out in the enclosure. The gray tabby in this pic is Sundance (yep, he has a brother named Butch Cassidy). Don't know if you can see it that well, but he has a huge lump on the side of his neck that gave us a scare. At first the vet and I thought it was an abcess, but when antibiotics didn't do anything for it, she suspected the worse; lymphoma. But it's not, just swollen lymph nodes, thank goodness! He's still on clavamox, but it's a rare disorder (my cats naturally have the unusual stuff) so the treatment will either be nothing or start him on prednisone. He's still doing great, so at least that's a relief!

2009-04-02T22:42:00.004-05:00

Here's one of the baby squirrels of the season. One of my first blog posts was about the opossums I raised, so far this year we've only had squirrels and birds. This is one of Andrew's "kids", almost ready to be released.

Long Time, No Blog

2009-03-22T23:57:00.007-05:00

Nothing too exciting going on lately so I've gotten out of the mood. I did join Facebook so I've been playing with that instead of blogging. I've got a few old friends on there, but what's more exciting is finding new friends that share my interests (mainly animal rescue and writing).

I was in a panic Thursday, trying to find a home for a border collie dropped off at our clinic for euthanasia. It's always sad, but this dog was happy, hyper, healthy weight, very loving, her only problem was she had a mild case of megasophagus. Her elderly owner didn't know how to take care of her and thought no one would want a dog with health issues so he signed papers to have her put down. Being the animal lovers we are, a couple of us knew this dog had plenty of good years ahead of her started looking for someone to take her. With a little luck and a twist of fate we found a BC rescue who at first said 'no', but then called back willing to take her. Then we had to check with the owner to make sure it was all right with him (I know, sounds wonky, but vets have been sued over such issues), and he didn't get back with us until almost closing time so I was sweating it. Not sure what I'd have done if he'd said no.

Anyway, all is well, the rescue LOVES this sweet girl and she's in foster care now, safe and happy.

Snow Days Pt. 2

2009-03-01T12:24:00.009-06:00

More snow fell during the night, but alas, the sun is melting a lot of it off today. The weird thing is that it was 70 degrees Friday and the snow hit the next day. Freaky, but that's Memphis weather.

Anyway, this isn't normal for us to get this much snow, which is why I'm compelled to take pics. Usually we get more ice than snow, so this was nice, especially since no power outage this time!

First Snow of 2009

2009-02-28T20:00:00.002-06:00

And it's still coming down. It'll probably all be gone by tomorrow, but it was pretty. Marls, you can stop sending this stuff my way, ok?

To Facebook or Not To Facebook...

2009-02-22T10:48:00.014-06:00

that is the question.

I've got friends who are devoted Facebook users, most of them young, socially active and just getting started in the game of life and developing relationships. Having a social network to post pics and gather friends is a must for them, but I thought I was way too old for that playground. I'm pretty well settled, not into weekend trips to the lake or partying until wee hours of the morning anymore. Yep, I'm a stay-at-home nester whose date plans involve renting a movie and ordering in.

Anyway, one of the vets at my office has discovered Facebook and is enthralled with it. She's more my age, married with kids and like me, she's settled. She said she likes it because she can connect with old friends, find out what they're up to now. So that got me to thinking about people I'd long ago lost touch with and wondering how their lives were going, etc. So yesterday, while spending a rainy and cold Saturday in my cozy old house, I decided to see if there was anyone I knew on Facebook. Surprisingly I found a lot! Some friends that I have now, some that I hadn't seen in 10 years or more. I had to sign up in order to search, so I was all ready to email these people and ask them to be my Facebook friend. Sounds lame, I'm aware of this. LOL!

But the more I got to searching and finding people, I started wondering if I should leave well enough alone? I mean, we haven't kept in contact so maybe we weren't such good buddies? Though my experiences with different jobs, co-workers/friends come and go all the time, people who were your best lunch pals and interoffice companions don't often translate into the real world. Without the unifying bond of work, a lot of times the conversation sags and you find there's not that much you really have in common. So I've learned to enjoy people at the time, knowing that not everyone is meant to stay in your lives forever. And the ones that are you don't really lose touch with.

Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked. While on my Facebook search I found people with kids I never knew they had; old boyfriends with their wives (and sometimes kids); people I used to work with who don't look at all the same and truthfully probably aren't the same as I remember them. I guess I'm debating on whether I should reconnect or if I should let our history together be just that (ok, no debate on the old boyfriends, I'm definitely not going there!) That maybe what I (and they) remember is much sweeter than what could be again and I shouldn't ruin the memory? Or am I overlooking the possibility that we might have a new set of commonalities to share now, life experiences that could forge a new bond? It wouldn't be the first time I've made friends via the internet and at least we'd have the advantage of some type of history beforehand.

I'll have to think on this a while and say thank you to whatever force kept me from sending 40 friend invitations last night during my searches! (and thanks Marls for the cute cartoon - perfect timing!)

Update!

2009-02-11T11:16:00.002-06:00

Sadie is doing great so far, she came through the surgery like a champ and seems to be feeling much, much better this morning. She's eating, head-butting and talking to me like she did before. It's amazing to me how they can go through so much (like having their guts cut open) and be perfectly fine less than 24 hours later. I'd be a whining baby for the rest of the week I know!

Thanks for the well-wishes, I really appreciated them!

Say a Prayer for Sadie

2009-02-09T15:41:00.006-06:00

Sadie is going in for surgery tomorrow. She has a bladder stone and has been uncomfortable and peeing blood for about six months. I know she's ready to be well again and I trust Dr. G, it's just I always get this nagging worry whenever any of them go under. I help prep animals for surgery all the time and even assisted and watched when my dog Cadia had her tumor removed in December. I'm not sure that I'll be nearly as calm with Sadie. Maybe I'm more protective of my cats cause they seem much more fragile because of their size. Sadie is really small and such a sweetie; my pretty orange girl. I'm thinking positive, that everything will go fine and she'll be up and feeling good in no time!

Keeping Busy

2009-02-09T15:31:00.010-06:00

It's been a gorgeous weekend here, the temps are in the high 60s to low 70s. Really beautiful for February. I spent yesterday and today outside, cleaning up the yard and rearranging the shed. The dogs and Skylar kept me company, but Boots worked harder than me. He got a new tennis ball which I realize is enabling his addiction. After about 20 minutes there is no trace of yellow left anywhere on it.

Cadia and Ethan definitely bored with the outside world and ready to go back inside to their comfy beds.

The sanctuary kitties love to watch me work.

Also took an old, scuffed up and stained up carrier and pimped their ride! The only plastic-safe spray paint I had was black and white. After I finished it cracked me up cuz it looks like a Storm Trooper helmet!

Photo Tag

2009-01-22T20:46:00.005-06:00

I was tagged by T to post the fifth picture in the fifth folder of my pictures file. Whew! Anyway, here it is:

This is Skylar, one of my adult rescues and the only one that has free roaming rights to the backyard (everyone else is limited to the cat enclosure). She came to me declawed (yuck!), but that means she's not a real climber so she's safe inside the 8-foot wooden fence around our yard. She didn't get along with the other cats in the sanctuary so she was living in the 'airlock' (the entry way to get into the cat house) before I tried her out with the backyard and she loves it. She's my raking the leaves and cleaning up the dog poop helper and follows me like one of the canine pack. I believe she thinks she's a dog; a very superior and better looking dog. LOL! She gets a little upset when it's really cold or rainy and she has to be cooped up, but Skylar's a real sweetheart and has to have her cuddle time before going inside for the night.

New Hope

2009-01-20T20:09:00.005-06:00

"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America."

Snakes Alive!

2008-12-28T01:22:00.004-06:00

Well, he is so far.

I found this little guy (girl?) today while working on the yard. Normally I would have just picked him up to look and then sent him on his way. Except this one had an injury (bite wound or abscess) and since we were expecting bad weather tonight I brought him inside. I'll take him to my reptile-crazed friend at work tomorrow and see if she can fix him up until he's ready to go back into the wild. He's a little camera shy (it took about 15 shots to get a half decent one of him), but he's really sweet. He's probably confused, it's almost January and we've had 67-75 degree weather here in Memphis. Unusual, but not rare, we've learned to live with hot spells in the middle of January and snow in May on occasion. I do love the mild winters though!

PETA = Hypocrisy

2008-12-21T23:56:00.003-06:00

I always knew PETA was a radical, my-way-or-the-highway type of organization, but I had no idea of the hypocrisy. I guess pretending to have morals in order to gather $$$$$$$ is more important than the ETA in their name. I thought nothing else could shock me when it comes to cruelty. Check out the banner on the right.

Too Funny!

2008-12-10T21:40:00.001-06:00

I think this must be one of Libby's littermates. LOL! This is sooooooo her thought process.

Is There a Cure for This?

2008-12-06T20:05:00.005-06:00

Well, I don't really have writer's block, I just thought this LOL cat was adorable. Actually I have tons of ideas rebounding inside my thick skull, which is probably the problem. I have no idea which one I should isolate and try to make into something half-way readable. My real problem is that I have scraps of paper every freakin' where with story notes and almost full chapters written out that I can never seem to remember which notebook or drawer I stuck them in. I know, organization is my friend. I've found some notes and I'm getting ready to retype/edit them into a computer file so I won't have to worry about finding them again. I think tomorrow will be a good day for reorganizing my writing folders so at least I can find what I'm looking for. Sheesh. Sounds like another excuse NOT to write, eh? Wish I could blame my scatterbrainness (new word!) on the holidays or being blonde or something, but I'm guessing it's old age creeping up on me. Oh, wait, I've been this way since I was 15 so that's out too. Hmmm, maybe I should start a telethon for the incurably ditzy...now where did I put my notebook?

New Animal-Related Blog

2008-11-25T23:19:00.006-06:00

So I decided that I would start another blog. This one would be all animal, all the time! LOL! Actually it would be mostly for my cat adoptions/sanctuary, Rowdy's Rescues, but also for tips, advice, rants (sometimes), neat or informative articles and websites that I come across dealing with all types of animals.

I've been doing cat rescue for almost 20 years - I started as a mere babe though (wink). I want a place to share things I've learned about animals and maybe help others interested in rescue or just taking care of their own pet. I also hope I can learn a little bit too. It's called Rowdy Tales and I'll post the link here soon.

Oh, and the handsome namesake above is my first bonafided rescue and the love of my life. I had him almost 19 years and he's the reason I started taking in strays and the reason I still do.

Operation Christmas Child

2008-11-23T20:21:00.009-06:00

A co-worker's son's school was gathering shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child and I fixed one up for him to take. This is a great way to spread a little Christmas cheer without going into debt!

It sure was fun to gather up all the items, but it was a challenge to squeeze all the little treasures into that little shoebox! I'll probably do it again next year too. I meant to post this before the deadline, but just now got the pics downloaded.

The finished box - I still can't believe I got everything packed in there. LOL!

Love These!

2008-11-23T19:46:00.002-06:00

Love not only the cute kitty, but they're so true it's hysterical.

Rants and Rescue

2008-11-16T11:11:00.018-06:00

Been a while since I posted, just keeping busy at work and home, and even taking a little time indulging in my favorite pasttime of being a lazy slug. I know, bad me. Have been getting some things done though, went to visit my mom last weekend, been fixing up the cat house (snicker) for the coming cold weather, redecorating my office, talking to long-distance friends on the phone, etc. I've promised myself I'll write some tonight, maybe even finish a long ago started story that just won't end. LOL!

I recently found a really cool rescue in my state (although a few hundred miles away) called A Place to Bark (see blog link at right). It's inspired me to get things in order so I can start my rescue efforts again full force. I still have cats for adoption, but I haven't fostered kittens in over a year and I miss that. I've probably placed or helped place over 100 cats/kittens in the last few years and while I love doing it, it does take its toll on not only my time, but on my emotional resources as well. It's mentally and physically draining when I already have my own house cats and an outdoor sanctuary with 24 cats either for adoption or in permanent residence because they're not adoptable. I still plan to file for my tax exemption status as soon as I can find someone to help with the paperwork (I'm totally lost when it comes to red tape!)

This time I want to focus on spay/neuter and PREVENTING all the puppies and kittens instead of trying to plug up the Titanic with a wad of Juicy Fruit, IYKWIM. I want to call all the 'free to good home' ads and be able to take their kittens/puppies to place on the condition that the momma gets spayed. It amazes me that in this day and time that people are still ignorant to the importance of fixing their pets. And since I work in a vet's office in Tennessee I sometimes see good-ole boys who inform us with a hauty voice that "No, I never neuter my dogs." Somebody call the village cuz they're missing another idiot.

Now, I have to stay calm despite what I'm screaming inside my head because calling them ignorant twits doesn't do any good, despite how wonderful it might make me feel. Not only for the sake of my job, but for the sake of the animal in this moron's hands. I'm sweet as pie and ask if they plan to breed him, if yes then I ask if he has homes for them already. Eventually I mention that there are tons of (insert Chow, Pitbull, Lab, etc.) at the local pound that he might like to foster and find good homes for too if he's that successful at placing them. If they say they aren't going to breed Buster, then I laugh and say something to the effect of 'wow, that must be frustrating for Buster, I take it he barks a LOT.'

The excuses are also frightening: 'it's not natural' (and killing thousands of unwanted animals a day is???); 'I don't want to deny them the joy of parenting' (are you seriously kidding me??? They don't care, honestly, they don't. And if you still want to believe it, then how do you rationalize taking away their babies at 8 weeks?); 'I wouldn't want anyone doing that (neutering) to me!'(Again, he doesn't care, and the dog/cat's nuts are not linked to yours. Empathy is fine, but in this case it's just stupid to equate your pet's testicles to your manhood); and my favorite, 'he/she is a purebred' (So? Try taking a look in the shelters and count the purebreds. It'll make your head spin how many people get a puppy and abandon it before it's a year old).

It also amazes me how many people swear they keep their intact animals inside, but correct me if I'm wrong, but the overpopulation problem isn't coming from the s/n pets. Seriously, I do try to get my point across without sounding condesending or judgemental. Sometimes that's all it takes for people to stop and think and every now and then the light bulb goes off and they finally get it.

Whew! Sorry, rant over for now. Now I definitely feel better. LOL! Oh, and the pics are some of the fosters that have come through my rescue. Adorable!

Thank You America!!!!!!!!!

2008-11-04T22:13:00.001-06:00

You have made me proud! Hot damn!

Waiting on History

2008-11-04T20:58:00.003-06:00

I'm sitting here on the edge of my seat, happily muching on chocolate tootsie pops, trying not to get too excited. It's looking good right now, but I'm not allowing myself to get giddy just yet. I suspect another 'hanging chad' type of snafu up the 'pubs sleeves since things don't seem to be going their way. I know, cynical much? LOL!

A friend sent me a cool article that sums up why I feel the way I do about the conservative far right. And from the people I know who are die-hardwon'tvoteforanyonebutarepublican, this fits them pretty darn well. http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20081031.html

Better Mood

2008-10-22T20:55:00.004-05:00

Not much time to blog, but things are much better since the last post. Thought I'd share a pic of another one of my crazy feline boys. This is Rockey (Sammy of a few posts back's brother) who is such a clown it's hard to be in a bad mood around him.

He is a remote control freak! You have to hide these things because he will not leave them alone. Just like a man.

'Empty space, must fill it' is Rockey's motto.

Pass the Ammo...

2008-10-16T23:05:00.017-05:00

Ok, it's been a bad day, well, mostly hectic day combined with not getting to go to lunch until 2:00 (being hungry really makes me cranky) and PMSing and being the only one in my area when the flood gates won't stop the oncoming waves. And it was rainy and cold to boot. So, you get the jest of my mood. (Note the squirrel. LOL)

I finally get on the computer tonight to chill out and what do I find in my email? Yet another of what seems to be a daily occurrence of political chain letters designed to scare, anger or inspire America's ignorant sheep to forgo the issues and support one candidate over the other due to rumor or out and out lies. And this isn't spam people, these emails are from folks I KNOW. Now I'm pretty darn sure everyone can guess that the current administrator and his band of evil doers aren't my favorite people. And the thought of another four to eight years of the same crap is what keeps me up at night.

That is why these stupid emails piss me off so much. Do people believe this stuff without checking it out at all? I'm guessing that's what they're designed to do, to make people gasp and declare that they must be voting the "right" way since "the other guy" is such a (insert the most scary, reprehensible, unpatriotic tripe). You people ever heard of fact-checking something before you distribute it to "as many people as you can!"? Snopes is an easy and reliable source if you'd just take two minutes and check. But I guess the truth doesn't really matter when the main point is to win at all costs.

And yes, I'm talking about my far right friends and their friends. I'm sure there are the same types of emails sent by whackos on the left too, but I have yet to receive any of those. Guess my fellow believers either don't have the time or the inclination to send this kind of garbage. Which leads me to the funny thing about this, they're not sending it to me as a "bleeding heart liberal" (which is hysterical too considering I'm merely a left-leaning moderate). No, I think that up until recently I've disguised my true political leanings and so they're sending it to me thinking I'm one of 'them'. (shudder) They're not trying to change minds, just solidify their rationale, to prove to themselves that they're the only ones who are "right". At least I hope so.

So tonight they caught me in just the right frame of mind. G

I replied to my friend (former now probably if he gets his panties in a wad) and cc'd the rest of the 50 or so twits who are constantly the original forwarders or forwardees that he gets his news from and keyed them in on a little secret. It's called the truth and I'm sure it'll be a shock to their delicate and tiny brains. Even though I doubt it'll do a damn thing to their black and white tunnel vision, it sure made me feel better.

And How Was Your Day?

2008-10-16T22:33:00.002-05:00

Dogs, dogs and more dogs!

2008-10-13T22:56:00.010-05:00

Wow, it's been a while, or so it seems. I've just been too damn tired to even get on the computer much less write something. I went to the St. Jude Showcase of Dogs yesterday and had a great time. It's a three day event with flyball competitions, obedience, earthdog and police dog demonstrations and dogs and their people everywhere! You'd think that I'd be sick to death of dogs since I work with them all day and then come home to my own pack. I must really be an animal person (or just legally insane). I always run into friends either at the booths or bringing their own pooches for a day out. I was prepared, camera in hand ready to get pics of all the great dogs, but alas, I only got one pic before the batteries in my camera died.

Oh, well, I'll improvise with random pics just to make things interesting. LOL! Anyway, I do have connections with this Dachshund Rescue after finding a poor old red girl wandering in the middle of the street. It was one of those divine guidance things where I was looking for a certain house and got myself turned around and went the wrong way and saw this pup staggering around in front of my car. No way I could leave her there (it was pretty cold and dachshunds aren't a hardy, cold-weather breed by any means). Since I already have a house full of critters there was no way this fragile girl would make it around here without getting stepped on 20 times a day by my well-meaning canine oafs, I contacted this rescue. Since 'Isabelle' was fairly old and had some health issues, they sent her to a permanent "foster" home where she will live out the rest of her life. They're really a great group, so if you're in the market for a dachshund, they had several cuties for adoption (that I tried to get pics of!)

Instead, you'll have to settle for pics of one of my dogs and his new friend. Mine is the fat little border collie mix, his friend is a co-worker's dog.

More on the St. Jude showcase later.

Death of a Legend

2008-09-29T22:47:00.002-05:00

A great man and a great actor. I'm hankering to see Cat on A Hot Tin Roof, Butch and Sundance, Cool Hand Luke and The Sting now in his honor. This is the way I'll always want to remember him.

It's Friday!!!

2008-09-26T22:39:00.005-05:00

A face only a mother could love? Nah, I think he's pretty cute and such a sweet soul. There's an advantage to working at a vet's office when you're an animal nut like me. And we get all kinds of creatures that aren't the typical dogs and cats, like this fella. Actually he belongs to one of my co-workers who is a snake/reptile/etc. nut (that's her below with him hitching a ride).

Fall Blooms

2008-09-14T19:54:00.002-05:00

Finally my angel trumpet is starting to bloom! It's been so dry the last couple of summers that the poor thing barely puts out a couple of flowers at a time. Hopefully it'll grow like it's supposed to next summer and I can show you how gorgeous it can really be.

Republican Hypocrisy - Duh!

2008-09-13T10:23:00.005-05:00

Surviving the Blahs

2008-09-11T22:23:00.005-05:00

Been feeling kinda wrung out lately, got a case of the blahs and I'm super tired. Not sure what the cause is, or if there is one really, just life slamming me hard against the pavement...again. Anyway, I go online to post something and I find the blog of note and it's a literary agent's blog, (a pretty cute LA at that). So I'm reading over his blog and getting more excited about writing and getting published and he's got this whole list of great articles and tips and I'm hoping karma has intervened at the right moment, as she often tends to do, and sent me a sign of hope. I know, melodramatic much? LOL

I've got a three day weekend coming up and plan to immerse myself in his teachings and hopefully not get too overwhelmed or tired and actually do something with the info that is useful.

RIP Patrick

2008-09-04T22:08:00.005-05:00

I'll miss you big boy!

My Boys

2008-08-31T22:26:00.005-05:00

Finally got a decent digital camera so I've been taking pics trying to figure it all out. Still got to experiment, but this is the best I could do before reading instructions.

This is Scotty, my youngest at almost 3. He is adorably cute and loves to cuddle when he's sleepy; otherwise he's busy terrorizing, uh, playing with the other kids and flying through the house at warp speed leaving a trail of hissing and screaming in his wake. He also likes to hiss and growl for no apparent reason, but it's all bluff. His alias is "Angel Boy". Note the tuft of fur in his right claw from some seemingly innocent victim. LOL

This is Samson, aka Sammy. He's a real momma's boy and if he wants your attention or any sandwich you happen to be holding, he is not above reaching out with his body-builder paw and taking it by force. He is a pest extraordinaire and is known for talking. Not just meows, but he actually says my sister's name (Carolyn) even though he's calling me (when I have the nerve to walk out of his sight), and has also been heard saying "Help me" when he's in the cat carrier. People have chuckled when I tell them, then become believers when they actually hear (and see) him enunciate the words. I believe "creeped out" has been the main comment. Doesn't bother me as long as he doesn't start nagging.

This is my first Angel Boy, Chance. His name should have been Lazarous cuz he was dead when my SO found him as a six-week old baby. SO thought he was dead when he found him in a sleet storm, lying frozen in a puddle of water December 2001 at his dad's farm. He took him inside, planning to bury him later and after a few minutes in the warm house he felt him barely move. So two hours later when he came home with this tiny bundle in his shirt, Chance was wide awake and acting like a normal kitten. He had severely frostbitten back feet that when they healed were a good inch or two shorter than they should be, but otherwise he is hearty and totally adorable. I would say normal, but none of my critters are normal. He also talks, and talks, and talks, but his words are all kitty language, no human words like Sam. At least not yet.

I'm Just Sayin'...

2008-08-31T21:50:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I've been told the link I provided is dead, so I'll just reprint the article instead. Now maybe my comments might make sense. LOL!

"Republican officials said yesterday that they are considering delaying the start of the GOP convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul because of Tropical Storm Gustav."

Is it karma when ‘Voodoo Christians’ pray up the wrong storm?
By The Seminal
(originally published at MWC News

Lord have mercy.

What have we done? That’s what Voodoo Christians must be asking themselves. It’s one thing to pray up a storm. It’s quite another to make God’s dart hit the bulls-eye.
In case you missed it, Focus on the Family’s self-appointed prophet-jester, Stuart Shepard, released a video on or about Aug. 8, urging Christians to pray for “rain of biblical proportions” in order to drown out Barack Obama’s climactic acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

I’m not saying the Lord had other plans.

But as I write this, Tropical Storm Gustav is bearing down on New Orleans, or somewhere close. It could hit Houston or Panama City, Florida. Meanwhile, dozens of counties in that land of hanging chads have been declared disaster areas, thanks to floods which drenched the entire state last week. Seems smiting folks with rain and winds “of biblical proportions” is not an exact, um… science.

Meanwhile…
That hoary old medicine show known as the Republican National Convention is moving toward its rendezvous in the aptly dubbed Twin Cities, where those “twins” of bad policy, George W. Bush and John McCain will spin the truth faster than you can say “Brownie, you’re doin’ a heckuva job.”

Lots of folks are invoking Katrina and Rita, twin ballerinas that spun through New Orleans and Houston, respectively, starting with Katrina almost exactly three years ago as this is written.

Democrats are basking in the afterglow of a stupendous and sunny convention—one that surely set a new standard for conventions to come. Packed stadium, sunshine, good music, Stevie Wonder and people dancing.

Amazing unity is on display among Democrats, with both Clintons, Al Gore, Joe Biden, Michelle Obama, Ted Kennedy and others basking in praise for speeches delivered like manna from heaven.

Or was that red meat they served up? Whatever it was, the media’s feasting on it. Few Democratic stalwarts pulled their punches in Denver. (At last! An answered prayer). Nearly all the speakers lit into the sad and destructive Bush legacy, giving pundits choice phrases to chew on, such as this one from Obama: “You know John McCain likes to say he will follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell, but he won’t even follow him to the cave where he lives.”

As for Shepard, liberal stalwart Keith Olbermann named him the “Worst Person in the World” for his Voodoo Christian video and enough sensible Christians–you know, the kind who follow Jesus’ actual teachings–protested so that the video was taken from the Focus on the Family website. Still, it’s widely available at YouTube.com.

From this distance, it all has the makings of a perfect storm for a Grand Old Party that’s living up to its nickname–at least the middle part.

It’s certainly old.

Even the addition of youthful Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin can’t disguise that. Her stated position against saving polar bears and other critters paints her as a just another dinosaur living off the land in the party of the carbon-filled and species-declining past.

It’s all so crazy that people who believe in Voodoo Christianity–you know, Shepard, Focus on the Family, Pat Robertson and their ilk–must be having serious bouts of cognitive dissonance just now.

Could it be Gustav hit the wrong convention? Could it be God intended to dump on the GOP?

Republican officials and the media are taking Gustav so seriously that the Washington Post, in its Aug. 29 edition reported the following:

“Republican officials said yesterday that they are considering delaying the start of the GOP convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul because of Tropical Storm Gustav, which is on track to hit the Gulf Coast, and possibly New Orleans, as a full-force hurricane early next week.

“The threat is serious enough that White House officials are also debating whether President Bush should cancel his scheduled convention appearance on Monday, the first day of the convention, according to administration officials and others familiar with the discussion.

“For Bush and Republican presidential candidate John McCain, Gustav threatens to provide an untimely reminder of Hurricane Katrina. A new major storm along the Gulf Coast would renew memories of one of the low points of the Bush administration, while pulling public attention away from McCain’s formal coronation as the GOP presidential nominee.”

OK, folks, three quick caveats.

The notion of a storm bearing down on the Gulf Coast this week is funny only if you’re far away. So if you have an urge to pray for something, how about a prayer that nobody drowns due to Gulf storms?

Let’s get real. I don’t believe God stirred up Katrina in order to smite gays, just as he never spun out Rita to smite Texas oil companies, so please eschew Voodoo Christianity. I will never believe the weather is a purveyor of Divine Justice.

As a purveyor of poetic justice, however, it manifestly holds possibilities.

Don Williams a contributing editor at MWC is a widely published columnist, short story writer, and the founding editor and publisher of New Millennium Writings, an annual literary anthology…

Clutter and Critters

2008-08-25T21:31:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I was told today that I NEVER update this blog so nah, nah, nah, you're so wrong. I've been busy lately, trying to get rid of stuff in the attic, in the living room, every darn where. It's not like I haven't had a garage sale and unloaded an obscene amount of junk, I mean, valuable possessions I no longer had use for. I swear, I have no idea where all of this crap, uh, treasured items come from. Anyway, gave a bunch of stuff away Sunday so I'm feeling a little lighter already.

Also been dealing with a sick kitty. Poor Patrick isn't doing well and it tears me up everytime I have to deal with one of my gang being sick, especially if the odds are it's not going to turn out well. I've done cat rescue for years and losing one is never easy. With some of the ones I have in my outdoor sanctuary I knew early on that they were FeLV positive and that the day would come when they were too sick to have any kind of quality of life. I lost five cats within a two month span a few years ago (three were leuk. cats, one a rescued sickly kitten, the other a nearly 17 year old I'd had since she was a wee baby). It's always hard. And Patrick is a special boy. He was abandoned at a shelter and nearly grieved himself to death before and for a while after we took him out. He definitely had been someone's pet, he was neutered, declawed and quite a lover boy. We have no idea if his owner died or if he was just a burden that his family refused to deal with anymore, either way he didn't understand any of it. It took a while for him to stop moping and decide life was pretty good around here, with food o'plenty, a sunny enclosure to nap or chase bugs and a few humans to wrap around his not-so little paws. Say a little prayer for my big boy that he has some more time to savor the things he loves.

Getting Things Done - or at Least Started

2008-08-14T22:05:00.006-05:00

Been having a computer problem all day but I think I've fixed it. Not sure how, but something along the way must have worked because I can actually get online now! Go me!

Finally painted my office too! No, my work didn't quite look like the picture here, but the amount of splatter on my clothes and the floor were close. Once I get past the procrastination of actually gathering everything needed I really enjoy the process of seeing the new color go up, and even have fun doing the precision work of cutting in. What I do hate is the prep work - the cleaning, the taking down pictures, moving furniture around and especially the covering everything so I don't fling paint everywhere. I'm pretty good about the first three things; (btw, had a good friend once that painted her living room and when I helped her move discovered she'd painted AROUND all the decorations on the wall!) I do make sure I paint every surface, even behind things that won't get seen cuz I'm kinda anal that way. I used to be worse, much, much worse, so I'm doing well for a recovering perfectionist.

I've figured out that there is no such thing as perfection and I'm learning to live with striving for excellence instead. And with an old Midtown house it would be an anomaly to find an entirely straight or smooth wall (I know, I've looked) so it's much more mentally soothing to just embrace the imperfections, call it "character" and get on with my life. I'll post pics of my improved office as soon as I get my new camera and figure out how to use it. But I will admit the paint job isn't too shabby, not too shabby at all. It's a step in the right direction anyway and it's a lot more pleasant to be up there now with the walls a buttery yellow instead of the depressing swamp green (what HAD I been thinking??) Or maybe it's just the lingering paint fumes that have me so giddy.

A Pet's 10 Commandments

2008-08-07T09:43:00.010-05:00

A Pet's 10 Commandments

1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.
2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.
3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.
4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainments, but I have only you.
5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.
6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.
7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to.
8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.
9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.
10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.

Take a moment today to thank God for your pets. Enjoy and take good care of them. Life would be a much duller, less joyful experience without God's critters. We do not have to wait for Heaven to be surrounded by hope, love, and joyfulness. It is here on earth and has four legs!

Foster babies above, and April, one of my brood.

Night of the Living Cicada

2008-08-05T22:15:00.010-05:00

Normally I'm not creeped out by bugs (roaches and stingy insects aside) and I've even come to like the alien-looking little cicadas that torment my cats by hanging on the screen door. If I'm outside and the little critter's within reach, I'll grab it (cuz I so love the "screamers") and then let it on its way. This usually entails about 60 seconds of screeching, fluttering, dive-bombing and body-slamming against anything in its path (including me). National Geographic style entertainment for the easily amused city-folk (me again).

So Sunday night I see one stuck on the door and my cats are gathered 'round like they've discovered the Holy Grail. I fight my way through the crowd and outside and grab the little fellow (nope, no screamer, which I'll be thankful for later) and let him loose so the cats can get their jollies watching him go nuts. After he pops me in the head about 5 times I decide I have discovered the rare kamikazee cicada and I'd better seek cover before he took me with him.

After getting successfully inside, teeth brushed, alarm on, I slide onto the cool sheets and flip off the tv. Ah, finally a chance to close my eyes, and...oh, crap! I sit up, brushing away the foreign thing clinging to my hair; a whoosh of wings and leaping cat bodies converge around me and I jumped up, flipped on the light, clawing at my hair to make sure IT wasn't still there. The crazy cicada had made his point. I didn't scream. Honest. Of course, had this particular little insect been the screeching kind you might have been sending flower arrangements and having to think of something nice to say about me.

So, after cracking up laughing at my "near-fatal" encounter, I found the terrified creature (clinging to the edge of my bed) before the cats did and released him back outside. I made sure he was buzzing the porch light before I could rest easy. Apparently the little prankster had been riding in my hair like an E.T. barrette until I plopped my big ole head on top of him (now who's laughing you bug-eyed freak?)

Only me.

Music or No Music?

2008-08-03T01:34:00.001-05:00

Trying out the playlist thingy, just have one song cuz I figured any more than that is obnoxious. Time will tell if I leave it up or get annoyed with it myself.

My Favorite Pundit

2008-07-31T21:13:00.000-05:00

http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?videoId=177958

I love a guy that makes me laugh despite the discouraging subject matter. I know, I've gotten lazy and decided to rely on others to amuse. LOL!

Tiggers are wonderful things

2008-07-29T22:45:00.000-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo

Rainy Sundays and excuses

2008-07-27T14:49:00.000-05:00

Everything's quiet for a change, and the rain is actually taking the edge off the suffocating heat that takes over every summer and doesn't stop until November. I should be upstairs, fixing up my office that I've been piddling at for two months now. I'm hoping that once I get the walls painted and the bookshelves up and my files organized that I'll feel settled enough to start writing again. I have no clue why I procrastinate and find everything else that needs doing (including naps) instead of what I used to call my passion, my burning desire.

I still love writing, playing with words and rhythms, creating characters and plots and letting them show me the way. And truth is once I get going and find myself in "the zone" not much else compares to that inner feeling of accomplishment and fulfilment. Then why don't I do it more often? Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe my mind is too muddled with everyday things that would get neglected if I sat upstairs for three hours (I'm indespensible excuse); maybe I'm too tired to think (most overused excuse); or maybe I'm not sure I'm any good at it and therefore wasting my time (I'm not worthy excuse).

So I'm on a quest to find a way to squash those excuses, make my muse get off her lazy behind and stop taking the Justification Highway to nowhere. I've had this inner desire too long for it to be just another of my "kicks," so I need to stop whining about it and start doing something about it.

Advice is always welcome, or if you just want to give me a swift kick in the backside to get me going, that's ok too. Off to set up the bookcase and get those writing books out of the attic...anyone know a motiviating color to paint the office?

Killer Opossums!

2008-07-24T15:02:00.000-05:00

So, not really. I work at a vet's that rehabs wildlife so I got to raise a litter of opossum joeys. This is them after 4-5 weeks in our care (there are 10 of the little critters and they all survived) right before being taken to their new home in the wild. I'll miss you guys! LOL!

In the Beginning

2008-07-24T14:33:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I've joined the blogging age. Not sure how this'll work out cuz for years I tried to keep a journal (a grown-up way to say friggin' diary) and it only lasts a week, maybe two. Usually during a break-up or when I was going away to college or some life-altering event like that. This time I think it's just for me to be able to get some of the random crap, uh, thoughts out of my head. Maybe it's cuz I'm getting older and more forgetful and this way I can pretend to have a memory.

Anyway, I realize I'm mainly talking to myself except for the friends I'll invite and the occassional stranger that stumbles onto my ramblings. I figure that if anyone accidentally finds this blog it'll be fate and that maybe something I've gone through or ranted about will help them out. If not, then at least it's a catharsis of some sort for me.