Little Black Kitty

There is a little black and white tuxedo kitty in my neighborhood. A few weeks ago I invited him in and he's been coming to my home 2-3 times each day for a bite to eat and some love of course since then. But his behavior is puzzling because he's lovable and friendly inside, but afraid of me outside.I can't pick him up or pet him, but I can open my door and let him in. Once in he's a lap cat, purrs loudly, pushes his head into my hand when I pet him and eats the cat food I give him. He prefers the canned, pate, or ground. He doesn't like the little cubes of "meat" and if I serve that he licks up the sauce and then walks away. As a matter of fact so do my other cats. I must remember that when I'm shopping for cat food. Unfortunately I have several cans of the cubed stuff. Perhaps if I mash it with a fork he'll give it a try. But it seems that I shall have to remember those preferences next time I shop for cat food. Oh yes I have named this little kitty Timothy Cat or TC for short. Does that mean I have to keep him? I'm afraid so, a name is pretty final. On another topic: I raked and bagged 9 big trash bags of leaves (of course, what else would I rake?), and I'm tired and a little achey . I took some naproxin, and it just now beginning to kick in. Maybe I'll be able to sleep tonight for a change. Tomorrow is Halloween so I hope everyone (even those who don't read my blog) has a safe and happy evening. I'm looking forward to all the little kids. And yes, I did buy candy - Twix - more cookie and less candy.

Once More

And it's back to FL to help my daughter during her last year in a masters program in social work.  I'm not really happy about this situation, but I've never been very
good at saying no.  This is a good thing for her, and sets an excellent example for her children about lifelong learning.  They know that education is life long, that it is good for us, that
it gives us a life worth living, gives us the tools we need to have a good life, be
good citizens, good parents.  If I had not lost my job and retired I would not be
able to do this for her, and part of me wishes I didn't have to do it.  I'm kind of
old to be dealing with 3 teens.  It scares me to tell you the truth.  My main
ammunition will be a stern "wait till your mother gets home"  in quotes because
it's a phrase from a tv sitcom or cartoon from tv in the past.  I'm hoping I won't need to do that
too often.  I just hope she doesn't make me cook.  I hate that.
I have an addendum to this entry. Recently my daughter and I had a pretty long phone call (lately that is unusual), and it seems she will not be starting school until Jan. of 2015 so I'm good for a year now. I am delighted, and perhaps when I do go to FL at that time it will be a permanent move - kitties and all.

Too Tired

July 6, 2012


Today I had an idea for a blog entry.  It had to do with defining "the good life" and thinking about what sort of advice one might give to relatives or off-spring about understanding what makes a good life, and how  one would  achieve this.  I want to remember this so I can write about it later, but right now I'm too tired. I have a busy 2 weeks coming up - family visiting, social gathering, and surgery pretty much in that order.  I hope I can address all of these issues.

Aug. 15, 2012

So my surgery is done, but I will be starting PT in a few weeks.  Not looking forward to that, but I have to if I want to get full mobility back and heal and experience less pain. So far there have been no complications.  It has been very warm - in the 90's for the last few weeks, cooling a little in the evening, but unpleasant, humid, and hot for the most part.  Which brings me to my topic i.e. The Good Life.  We all have a vision of what life might be like if we won the lottery or maybe most of us.  However, I've never thought of writing that dream down so maybe I'll do that now.  

First I'd have more money than I'd actually needed, nice home, maybe some house keeping help once or twice a week.  I'd have a good reliable auto not more than 2 years old and all paid for. In addition a second vehicle for recreation either a van or large suv  I'd have a savings account, with a good buffer, nice clothes,  and maybe a good job with a good salary and benefits.   That's sort of mundane, I know.  So what's more exciting - not sure.  I'd love to have AC and not be afraid to use it.  I'd love to have someone cook for me, but I'm not sure that's part of a "good life", but it might be nice.  But heat and AC are important and animals.  I want a house full with a nanny just for the animals so I can play and someone can clean the litter box, vacuum the rug, etc.  But if I had a dog I think I'd like to do the walking.  It would be good for both of us.  A yoga or exercise class and exercising 2-4 times a week would be good for me.  Then I'd like to write short stories about my cats and other animals and maybe a book.  I also want music in my house, CD's, radios, ipod, computers, and occ concerts away from home.  

Travel would be good, but I find it somewhat exhausting so maybe only one trip a year or every other year.  I'd also like to spend lots of fun time with my grandchildren.  I hope I live long enough to see what sort of life they each make for themselves.  Some good jewelry to leave to my grand kids and my daughter and something special to give my son-in-law or leave to him.  I might buy a car for Lily or give her my old one some time so she'd have one for school.   

Why am I writing all this, because I think my desires are moderate and my dreams aren't a millionaire's life, but just a comfortable one.  I'd also like to be able to donate large sums to charities especially animal charities although there are so many needy causes from helping the elderly to college students to homeless kids and adults and veterans or kids in foster care.   If you give a dollar to 100 charities will it be of any use or is it better to give  $100 to just one charity or maybe $50 to 2 of them?  I don't know, but if I had millions I'd still have to decide which to support and which to ignore.  Or maybe I could rotate through several each year.  I can see where being wealthy or even just comfortable can force some difficult choices on one unless one gives it all away and is no longer wealthy.  I'd also like to do some volunteer work with animals or infants in the NICU of a hospital.  

So even being wealthy or comfortable wouldn't remove the difficult decisions I would have to make. In fact it might make it harder because I haven't even yet considered what I would do about relatives who are having problems since I do have several of them too.  Still if I won the lottery for a million or more I wouldn't
decline my winnings.

In the final analysis I believe that "the good life" means having friends, having
enough money to educate your children or at least help with the tuition, pay my
bills, buy things I need, live in a decent apartment or house, own a reliable car and have a substantial savings account.  Yes money is important as well as necessary. It would be frosting on the cake if I had a good job that I also liked and paid decent wages too allowing me to save part of it each week.  I guess part of it would include a child or 2 maybe.  I'll have to think about that one.  Adoption??
 

Chipmonk CPR

This story is a few years old, but since I haven't used it here before I thought some
might find it interesting and amazing.  That's what I thought about it as I was
writing this.

Today I went outside to feed the birds and squirrels, but the minute I opened the door my red tabby cat Seamus ran out the door like a streak of lightening.   I didn't run immediately because he doesn't leave the yard usually when this happens.  He just stalks things.  I grabbed my cup of peanuts for the squirrels and headed out to retrieve my little  boy. When I looked at him I realized he had something live in his mouth.   When I got close enough to grab him I realized it was a chipmunk..  I tried to pry open his mouth and was successful after a few seconds.  He growled a warning to me to back off, but I never really listen to that kind of threat.  He just wants to scare me.  So I continued to pry his little mouth open and finally the little chipmunk fell out, landed on the ground and lay very still.  I thought he was dead.  I picked him up and held him and cradled  him in my hand while I inspected him.  He wasn't breathing.  He had a small hole on his right lower abdomen with only a spot of blood  and his left front paw (looked more like a little hand) was bloodied.  I looked at him for several seconds wondering what to do.  Then with one finger I pressed on his chest and a gulp of air came out.  I pressed 2 more times and the same thing happened each time.  Then he started to breathe  a little on his own.  I stroked him gently and walked to the bird bath with him in my hand and put a tiny drop of water on the side of  his mouth.  He quickly  moved his mouth and swallowed.   I gave him another and watched him.  He licked his lips and seemed to regain consciousness.  He started to squirm a little as I continued to touch him gently with one finger.  Then suddenly he moved very quickly and jumped right out of my hand and ran off (to the bushes in front of the shed).  I didn't get a chance to check out his bloody paw.  I put some food under the bushes for him and a little water nearby.  When he ran he didn't appear to limp.  It seems unbelievable  and amazing that I could resuscitate a chipmunk.  I know as you read this you might think I'm crazy, but I thought it was amazing!  Imagine CPR to  a tiny little chipmunk.   I do hope he survives.  And  that bad boy Seamus is grounded till it snows.  

After that little incident I did some research on the life styles of chipmunks and learned that they only live for about 3 years, they mate for life and hibernate in underground borrows  during the winter.  They usually have about 3 litters in a lifetime. Moms nurse the babies during the winter and feed on the stored food. They keep their dens very clean with separate quarters for sleeping, eating  and elimination all underground.   I have found that they show up around 4:30pm as they gather 

food and carry it to the dens. This year I've only seen one a few times.  I just  think they are sooo cute.  I hope I see some in the spring.

Countdown to Halloween

Halloween will soon be here,  and I have yet to buy candy to hand out to the kids.
I'm not a dentist or hygienist, but I am concerned about poor dental of our
children.  I love sweets of almost any kind except hard candies, but in a pinch
I'll eat a few if I'm desperate. The last few days I've been on a cookie binge and
I really need to stop.  I will when the cookies are all gone.   I do brush my teeth
several times during the day when I'm home.  I should have done it when I was
working, but I never had enough time with a half hour lunch and a long wait in    the cafeteria line.

But back to Halloween and my dental concerns.  I'd like to find something that
the kids would like but wouldn't damage their teeth.  Once I gave note pads, but
that didn't work out well for the toddlers, and another time I gave pens which I
found on my lawn the next day.  Fruit is good, but sometimes parents are reluctant
to let the kids have it because of incidents  of people using the fruit to harm
the kids (using needles or poison in them).  Small toys might be OK for the very
young, but for the teens and  "inbetweens" that might be expensive and hard to
figure out what would be good.  So it's back to M&M's or Hershey squares.

I don't like Halloween, but I love to see the kids in costumes esp. the toddlers and the ones that aren't so shy.  Maybe someday I'll think of a solution to my dilemma.
I'd welcome some suggestions.  In the mean time I wish everyone a happy and
safe Halloween.  Kiss your kids.

Taxes, kitties and more.

Still behind in my taxes, but a new kitty has been hanging around my yard and in my house.  He's provided hours of distraction.  I've also been working in my yard trimming trees (the areas that I can reach of course) because they are growing through the fence.  I look at it as exercise of a sort.  I've been pulling weeds, and dumping all the stuff over the fence (it's an unpopulated area between my house and the school next door.  My neighbor uses it the same way. No garbage of course, just weeds and branches that I cut. I used to hate that sort of work, but now I find it a pleasant distraction from things like vacuuming, cooking and laundry or taxes.  Of course they all have to be done eventually so it's really like a game of chess or checkers.  One move here, 2 moves there. One task done, one waiting.  Retiring and getting older doesn't really change one's
responsibilities.  There are still plenty of things that need to be done, but I can delay and juggle a little more than when I was working full time at the hospital. I also have more distractions: cats, magazines, computer time, books,  walks, music fest in town, writing group, and senior day on Wednesday at one of the local restaurants (we get a discount for being old) and my blog of course. That part is OK, but the patronizing smiles could be eliminated. And as I finish this entry my taxes are completed and mailed off to the gov.  No refund for me this year instead a big check, 2 really one for the state and one for the feds were sent. No senior discount that I could find.

New kitty complications

If you read this blog, you know that I love kitties, cats, and felines of all species - domestic, small, big, wild, exotic, fluffy, slinky - all of them and am drawn to the homeless even more so.  I have 3 of my own or is it that the three of them are sharing me? Could be.  They do run me. Recently I have been visited by a little tuxedo cat (discussed in a previous entry).  He feels tiny compared to my group (all 12-16 lbs) has long hair, but not fluffy or thick - kind of sleek.  The problem is that he visits me twice a day for food, flea treatments, cuddles and naps, but he won't stay.  He gets along well with my group and loves lap time with me.  When he decides to sleep in my house he likes my pillow and wraps his paws around my head.  I think he likes the contact.  When he first comes in he runs around meowing and I catch him and comb him for fleas and ticks.  I do have some Hartz topical flea stuff that seems to work for the ticks too.  It is supposed to last for a month, but it's more like 3 weeks.

I'm planning to visit my daughter who happens to live in FL (I'm in CT) and stay for close to a year to help out  with my 3 grandchildren (plus a managerie of animals)while she finishes her masters in social work.  So- moving my group will be difficult enough without trying to plan for one more.  Still I worry about him when he's outside at night, and I offer him food and a place to stay, and he does come inside sometimes.  But I wish I knew if he had a family because he needs to be neutered, have shots etc. Also he doesn't actually know what a litter box is used for. He is   a little unpredictable, ocasionally  swiping at me for some unknown reason.  I think he spends his time away from my house in the woods because he usually has around 6-10 ticks and sticky things we used to call devil's teeth when I was kid, stuck to his fur, but I don't know the real name.  He is cute and seems to be winning my heart.  I don't really need this.  I've been trying to follow him sometimes to see
if he goes to a home, but he loses me after 20 minutes. One smart kitty it seems.
To be continued.

10/27/2013

The new kitty now named Timothy Cat or TC for short has resisted moving into my house, but he still visits and takes long naps and purrs very loudly.  He's another one that doesn't like me on the computer.  When he came in tonight he tried to eat but had to jump in my lap after about 2 bites.  He seems to love being loved even more than food.  Right now he just came inside and had a few bites, many pets interrupting my writing then eating then back to my lap (causing me to put the computer down quickly before he punctures the screen). He has his few minutes of petting, scratching, brushing and then goes back to the food for a few minutes.  He is a little character, but he's stealing my heart. The problem is I shouldn't have another kitty.  I'll be moving in a year or 2 and traveling with kitties -4 of them is no easy task when it's more than 1500 miles.  I'm losing sleep over this trying to
figure out the easiest way to do this.  Any idea?