Eccentric Cat Lady

When Buster and Rose went to live in their new home, Noodle the cat just didn't seem to know what to do with himself. When he lived with David and Staci, he had Charlie the Beagle to pester. And after he came to live here, he had first Barney the Cocker Spaniel, and after Barney went to Doggie Heaven, he had Buster and Rose.

Then in June of this past year, he found himself all alone all day long. I realize that cats spend a great deal of their lives asleep, but Noodle just didn't seem to like being alone. He adhered himself to me like Velcro from the time I came home from work in the evening until I left for work the next morning. He plunked himself between me and my computer monitor. He sat in the middle of every book I tried to read. I would find him sitting in the plastic box next to my sewing machine that held my quilt pieces while I was sewing. He fussed and yowled and carried on when I left for work in the morning until I couldn't hardly stand it. That boy knows how to work a guilt trip.

New toys didn't help. He would play for a short time and then back to my side he came. I left the TV or radio on for him during the day, trying to fool him into thinking someone was in the apartment with him, but he didn't like that either. I even tried catnip filled mice, hoping that some good kitty drugs might mellow him out. Nope. Not gonna happen. It was time for Noodle to have a buddy...besides me.

Now I didn't really want a kitten. I don't have the patience for litter box training. Nor do I want every surface in my apartment scratched or shredded with tiny little razor sharp claws. Kittens are cute, but they grow into cats who run up vet bills being neutered and declawed. Not good.

It was about that time that Duane mentioned to me that Kathy needed a home for her two cats. Duane and Kathy can't have pets at their apartment, and the cats weren't the best of friends with Kathy's daughter's dogs. As I inquired further about them, I found that both were female, both had been spayed, and one of them had been declawed. Those of you who know me well know what happened next.

Duane and Kathy brought Kiley to me first. She is a beautiful gray color with white sox. It was appropriate that she be the first to come live with me, as she has to be first in everything. Can't help it. Just the way she is. Has to be the first to eat when the food bowl is filled. Needs to be first in the newly cleaned litter box. You get the idea.

She was less than thrilled to come to her new home. She hid. First, behind the stove in the kitchen. Then she wedged herself between the wall and my bed. I have no idea how she managed that, as she weighed a good 20 pounds. Then came the day that I couldn't find her at all. She had disappeared, which is a really good trick for a cat her size in a small apartment. I emailed Duane and asked if he knew how it was possible to lose a 20 pound cat. He just laughed at me. I found her by accident the next day. I had given up looking for her, and sat down on the couch in my living room. Because of the animals, the couch is covered with an old comforter. It was when I sat down that I noticed this rather large lump on the couch, under the comforter. Yup. Kiley. She still goes to that spot now and then for her naps. She doesn't hide any more, but spends her time supervising me in whatever chores I am doing around the house. She is pretty good at it, too.

Kizzie arrived a week later. She has the most unusual markings of any cat I have ever seen. Her body is mainly a tortoise shell color, but she has one orange striped front leg and a stripe of orange on her nose, along with scattered white markings.

Kizzie didn't spend as much time hiding as did Kiley. I think that was probably because Kizzie outweighed Kiley by a good 4 or 5 pounds. There was no place large enough for her to hide, except beneath a chair or behind the couch. So when she tried to hide, she would end up with her head hidden in a corner and her massive body hanging out from her hiding spot. It was as though she figured if she couldn't see me, I probably couldn't see her. I let her hold onto that thought for a couple of days until she decided that she didn't want to play that game any more.

Kizzie is way too heavy to jump up any higher than the seat of a chair, so she spends time on the bedroom chair or on one of the kitchen chairs. The rest of the time she patrols at floor level, making sure that all is well within her world. There came the day when I couldn't find her, and after searching, discovered her napping in the dirty clothes basket behind the bathroom door. Why she loves this place to sleep, I have no idea, but she gets really testy when I do laundry and there is nothing soft and cushy in the basket for her to lay on.

So this is how I became the eccentric cat lady. Starla teases me that I will become one of those old women who has dozens of cats. You know the ones. They appear on the nightly news now and again. People shake their heads and wonder aloud how that nice old lady wound up crazy enough to have that many cats.

But I think that three are plenty for me. They get along with a minimum of hissing and growling. There has been bloodshed only once when Kiley, for reasons known only to her, bit Kizzie on the butt. Every once in a while, it seems that they all have a burst of energy at the same time, and will run like mad from one end of the apartment to the other, and back again. Several times. Noodle is usually in the lead, with Kiley right on his tail. Kizzie gets into the game as well, waddling along behind as fast as she can.

So Noodle now has friends. He has company while I am at work, and he doesn't feel the need to attach himself to me when I get home. And they are company for me. I don't have to take them out for a walk when the temperature is below zero. They don't bark and annoy the neighbors. And most important, they make me laugh. Out loud, sometimes. I can live with being the eccentric cat lady for that reason alone.

http://www.4shared.com/file/81362640/e7546447/Eccentric_Cat_Lady.html

This is a Test. This is Only a Test.

I am expanding my horizons and trying new things. Isn't that what a person is supposed to do to stay young? Well, I seriously doubt that trying new things is equal to the Fountain of Youth, but it is fun for me to dabble in something before untried. Keeps the cobwebs of the mind from forming.

I see on many blogs that I read regularly that videos in one form or another are included. Usually it is You Tube, but I decided to try out some of the software that came with my computer. These should be playable on Windows Media Player, which comes with most computers. The titles are added with Windows Movie Maker which also came with my computer. If anyone wants a copy, I can probably email it to you.

Quite some time back David emailed me a video of Boston, and Jill did the same with a couple of videos of Zach. I used these to do this test, and if it works, not only will I be hounding you all for photos, I will add videos to my wish list. Be prepared!

Christmas Past

The "secret" surprises for my grandkids mentioned in the last post are finally finished. I was moaning and groaning to Jill just last week that I had my doubts that I would finish on time, and was afraid that I would have to take her suggestion to give them to the kids next year. But this morning I finished. Picture Mom doing a Happy Dance around the kitchen table. Or not. Kind of a scary thought.

While working on these surprises, I had lots of time to think, and my thoughts turned to Christmas Seasons past. My Mother was big on Christmas and tradition. Every available space was decorated for the holiday. She made cookies weeks ahead and froze them. I especially loved the Candy Cane Cookies that were made with twisted ropes of red and white dough and topped with crushed peppermint candy. Back when she could still use her hands, she was good at coming up with some new crafty idea for decorating. One year she made a wreath out of white feathers, adorned with small red shiny ornaments. Another year she used embroidery hoops, ribbon and shiny rope beads to fashion a "Kissing Ball" that held a sprig of mistletoe. Those that saw this liked it so much that she wound up making several for friends and family.

We always had a real Christmas tree decorated with ornaments that my parents had collected over the years, lights that were the old fashioned big bulbs that, when one burned out the whole string went dark, and as much tinsel as the tree would hold. Mom would put what looked like quilt batting around the bottom covering the tree stand, to look like snow. And Dad would always remark that the tree was the best one we ever had, no matter how sorry it might look.

I should have said that we almost always had a real tree. One year in the late 1950's, Dad came home with a "modern" Christmas tree. This thing was similar to the artificial trees that most of us have now, except that it was made of some sort of shiny silver material. Looked like an explosion in a tin foil factory. Dad loved it, but I believe we only used it that one year. Mom made him go get a real tree the following Christmas, and the silver tree was banished to the back of a closet before finding it's way to the dump.

My parent's two little girls started to pester them about three in the afternoon to have supper so we could open presents. To our chagrin, supper was at the regular hour of 6 PM. Mom had her tradition there as well. She made a big pot of chili for us and a pot of oyster stew for Dad. He loved oyster stew, but he only had it on Christmas Eve and maybe on New Years Eve. Life was such that the rest of the year meals were made that all would eat, as the wasting of food on children who would not touch the stuff was not to be, especially in times when money was tight. This was most of the time. So Dad would sit and enjoy his stew and eat slowly, savoring each bite, while we girls inhaled our meal and impatiently waited for Dad to finish his meal.

After the dishes were washed, dried and put away, our little family gathered in the living room around the tree. Dad would always get his Bible and read the story of Christ's birth to us. In later years, when we girls could read well, he would ask one of us to read the Christmas story. I always felt honored to be asked, as this was an important part of our Christmas tradition.

While I have been taking this journey back in time in my mind, it occurred to me that I couldn't recall many of the gifts I received at Christmas. A few were remembered, like a Cinderella wrist watch one year and ice skates another. In the photo below I am holding the last doll I ever received as a child. She was a "walking" doll, as I recall, and when you held her upright on the floor and moved her forward, she would move her legs to walk. I think this was my last doll because I just wasn't all that interested in dolls or playing house. That was more Libby's thing. I was more interested in playing softball or going ice skating or spending time reading.

http://www.4shared.com/file/76988665/c899a30b/Christmas_Past.html

I think that my inability to remember Christmas gifts I received as a child is not due to my fading memory that comes with age. I believe that it is because the presents weren't the important thing about Christmas. Our parents instilled in us that Christmas was about the birth of the Christ child, about the importance of family and about loving one another.

So the things I remember most are the smells of a ham and pies baking in the oven on Christmas Day, the decorating of a tree that was "the best one ever," of time spent with much loved relatives and the joy and laughter that always was present on Christmas Day with Ronnie and Em and their family. I remember Mom's passion for decorating the house, Dad's oyster stew and his "World Famous Peanut Brittle" that he made every year. There was always a Christmas program at church and we memorized a "piece" to recite during the program. Afterward we were rewarded for our performance with a small bag of Christmas candy for each child. These memories are better than any wrapped gift that money could buy, as I can take them out whenever I want to and look at them and remember a time of happiness and contentment.

Busted

I haven't abandoned this blog. I just have been very busy. Business at the dog grooming shop where I work is booming. It seems that family Christmas pictures include the family pets, and many of our clients want Fido looking good for the occasion, which means longer hours and fewer days off. I am not complaining, mind you. We thought because of the current economic situation that business would be slow, but that just hasn't happened. I am grateful for having a job that continues to be busy. We will require no government bailout. We are making it on our own just fine.

I also started a project that needs to be finished by Christmas. When I first began this project (which will remain secret until Christmas) I thought, "What a neat idea." Lately, my thoughts have been, "What was I thinking." But there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and I may actually finish on time. But this project leaves no time for blogging. It isn't the blog itself that takes time. It is preparing the photos, writing the stories and all of the other things needed for a blog entry that take so much time. There is light at the end of this tunnel as well. I shall have one wonderful, glorious week off after Christmas and will be able to do several entries then. I promise. I have a backlog of photos just waiting to be digitally scrapped and I am looking forward to having the time to play with them soon.

In the meantime, I received in my email box this wonderful photo of Jacob playing with his new found water toy. Of course, he was busted in the act, and the look on his face is priceless. I just couldn't resist sharing this with you.

http://www.4shared.com/file/76687479/7285a88c/Busted.html

Merry Christmas to you all.

Summer Remembered

Over the last couple of months I have received photos of my grandchildren, showing me some of the things they have done over the summer and into early fall. I so enjoy these photos, as through them I can see what is going on in their lives.

Chris and Nicki both played ball this summer. Nicki's softball team received a third place trophy in their tournament, and Chris's team won their championship. Way to go! Both of my oldest grandchildren are good athletes and enjoy various sports activities. They have fun playing, too, and that is the way it should be. I recall how much fun it was for me to play on my 4-H softball team. I wasn't very good at it, but it sure was fun, and I am glad that the kids have a good time.

There were a couple of "firsts" lately. Boston lost her first tooth. She called me to tell me all about it, and assured me that the tooth fairy did indeed pay her a visit. Jacob, who is growing by leaps and bounds, had his first big boy haircut. His dad reports that he didn't shed a single tear, but watched with fascination the whole process.

The rest of these pages are of various things the kids did over the summer. They look like they are having so much fun. I believe that the summer months should be enjoyed as much as possible, especially if you are a kid. Some of my fondest memories of when I was a child are of the things my family did on warm summer days. There were picnics, camping by a lake, fishing day trips and just enjoying the outdoors when we lived on the farm. Summers are for kids, and I am glad to see that my grandchildren make the most of them.

http://www.4shared.com/file/68552327/384a5aa5/Summer_Remembered.html

Family Picnic

Those of you who regularly read this blog are aware that I often bemoan the fact that life has changed considerably since my youth. Yes, I am one of those who long for the more simple life of "the good old days." I don't necessarily wish to wash clothes in a tin tub with a washboard, or cook a mastodon for dinner over an open fire, but I really do miss the pleasures of a less frantic lifestyle.

Well, this summer, my children brought back one of the things that I was missing. The family picnic by the lake. We got together in late June, feeling a need to be together as a family after Mike's death. As I watched my grandchildren swim and play in the sand, I couldn't help but think of how Mike would have enjoyed that day. He always loved time spent with the kids and grandkids.

We met again on a beautiful sunny, breezy Saturday afternoon in late August. After several emails back and forth, it was decided who would bring what. We had burgers on the grill, potato and fruit salads, veggies, brownies, and a cooler full of sodas and water for all. Food fit for a king. And it always seems to taste better in the outdoors near the water.

The day was made even more special with the arrival of Kelly and Jackie. They drove down from Bemidji just for the day. Kelly had told me some time ago that he would love to get together with all of my kids, as it had been a long time since he had seen them, so I let him know about our picnic. It was so good to be able to spend time with him and Jackie. The fact that they would drive that distance just to spend an afternoon with us is amazing to me. They brought with them some family photos that we all enjoyed looking at. Some were of Emily's wedding. She has grown into a beautiful young woman.

The adults talked, laughed and remembered times past. We got caught up on what everyone had been doing lately. Jackie had met Jeri when she and Kelly came to see me in June, but she had not met the rest of my family. I teased that she was a brave woman to voluntarily come into the middle of this crew! She is such a sweet lady and she makes my brother happy. I just love her to pieces.

The kids went swimming, dug holes and built things in the sand, and brought us a giant grasshopper to look at. They fed a family of ducks who were waddling along the beach, looking for a handout. They did cartwheels and handstands, showing off their gymnastic abilities. They are so very busy.

I used to think that it would be so nice to have the energy of my grandkids. I don't think that way anymore. I have reached the age of understanding that if I had their energy, chances are real good that I would just hurt myself. So now I settle for watching them and enjoying them.

http://www.4shared.com/file/67781153/224766a8/Family_Picnic_2.html

Late in the day, Kelly and Jackie had to leave for their long trip back home. I wonder if they know just how much it meant to me to have them share the day with us. Since the deaths of our parents, my brother and I tend to value our time together more than we have. I have always enjoyed spending time with Kelly, but I find that our time together now makes my heart glad.

I am so pleased that my children want to take the time to do things like a family picnic. I understand how busy their lives are, what with jobs and children and other obligations. I think that they understand how much these times mean to me. We have discovered in the last year just how important family is to us all, and I treasure these times. The fact that a family picnic takes me back to simple pleasures in simpler times is just a bonus.

This last picture is of a picnic by the lake over 50 years ago. Often in the summertime, my family would go to the park at Big Kandy Lake for a Sunday afternoon picnic with Ronnie and Em. On this occasion, Ronnie's sister, Margene and her parents, Myrtle and Lawrence Lindblad were there. Margene is at the far left, next to Em and Ronnie, and Lawrence is sitting next to Dad.

http://www.4shared.com/file/67476309/2572725b/Family_Picnic.html

At those family picnics, we brought sandwiches to eat, along with Mom's potato salad and deviled eggs, and Em's delicious crisp home canned dill pickles. There usually were tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden, and someone nearly always brought a big watermelon. There was always a big jug of lemonade with slices of real lemon floating in it.

The kids would play tag or hide and seek among the large trees at the park, and would go swimming, while the adults talked and laughed. I remember that whenever we were with Ronnie and Em, there was always laughter. Lots of laughter.

Thank you, my children, for giving me a day like those days I so fondly remember from my childhood.