A (Sports) Marker

My firm enthusiastically supports March Madness, which is pretty fun. I don't follow college basketball, but I'm content to get swept up in the trend for a few weeks every year. I use the techniques that C.S. taught me and submit multiple brackets -- hedging my bets, you might say. 

A few years back, the bracket I assigned to L.P. was the winner. I'm not sure everyone appreciated being bested by a cat! Someone's cat had won in an earlier year, though, so at least there was a precedent. This was the champion's photo that year. (He picked Baylor, by the way, and they won it all.)

So I just want to say that as of right now, the Gang of Three will win IF Houston goes all the way. They play the University of Florida tonight and there are many, many UF Gators among my colleagues, including my direct boss and our managing partner. Rooting against the Gators is not a popular option. But what can I say? These hooligans want to WIN.

Update to add: Houston did not win, which made everyone else very happy, and that makes the loss less painful. It was an exciting game and the UF Gators showed a lot of resilience. 

Never Mind!

When the fateful day arrived (yesterday), Miss Kitten did not wish to be caught, so I was not able to get her to the vet. Ugh. 

She is a wary one. I had been doing what I thought was enough to prepare for the catch and the carrier, but somehow she got wind of my plans and eluded me. We will try again next week! 

Cats. You gotta love them.

Kitten Wishes

 

This pretty girl is going in for her spay surgery tomorrow. She is the last of the Gang of Three kittens to be fixed and I am hoping she has an easy time of it. She's the most skittery one -- not eager to be handled, and when she does consent, it's very much on her own terms -- and I'm hoping this experience won't be a setback for her. 

Be that as it may, it needs to be done and I'm determined about that part.

Please send her some good thoughts! 

Starting the New Year Right

It's a little disorienting to have the new year arrive in the middle of the week, but I've made the best of it. 

The fireworks weren't too terribly loud, although they unexpectedly started at dusk, not at midnight. I coaxed Mr. Moo from his safe space (behind the washer) to a carrier and stowed him in the bathroom, so he could miss the worst of it. I had a DVD playing and the window shades drawn. If any of the cats seemed nervous, I deployed some Boom Treats (Temptations are the brand of choice, if you're interested), trying to give the noise a positive association. The Gang of Three (more on them later) were unphased; in fact, the first time I checked on them, they were sitting in the window, looking out to see what all the fuss was about. The Inside Guys seemed to think it was just another night, with extra treats. Miss Piecey disappeared to her safe space (location unknown) but was back bright and early for breakfast as usual. She's a resilient little girl.   

I'm so very lucky that my immediate neighbors don't go crazy with the pyrotechnics. Overall it wasn't such a bad night for me. Having it fall during the week may have helped.

(PSA: Others -- veterans and others with PTSD, wildlife, pets, and livestock -- suffer much more than I do from fireworks. There are also pollution and air quality to consider. Fireworks are imported from China -- who knows what is in them? I would prefer we didn't have them, or that they were replaced with drones or silent fireworks to satisfy our collective need for spectacle.)  

On New Year's Day, the barn where I ride has a tradition of a trail ride, lake swim, and potluck lunch. My Boy's other person did the riding and swimming, and I took photos and provided ground support from the chase vehicle. We had 14 horse-and-rider combinations and they all behaved very well, with only a small kerfuffle when we turned for home -- the horses definitely knew it! There was some prancing involved, but they quickly settled down again for the walk back.

Then we had a wonderful potluck lunch that included a baked potato bar, lucky black-eyed pea salad with a Greek twist, shrimp cocktail, meatballs, various chips, veggies, and dips, cookies, chocolate strawberries, and a hot apple cobbler. The weather was perfect and everyone's dogs got along and had a grand old time roughhousing. We know how to ride, we know how to eat, and we know how to socialize!   

Thursday it was back to my regular routine of work and a riding lesson. It was the first of the year for both, and the perfect way to set the tone for what's to come.  

Now that the holidays are behind me, I'm hoping I can do a bit of review for 2024 and make some plans for 2025. I'd like to do some traveling, be more effective at work, finish some projects around the house, and keep improving my riding and relationship with My Boy. I don't set concrete goals, but I do like to identify focus areas. It seems to help keep me out of the weeds and on the path. And that's where My Boy and I want to be!

My Boy says he would like to eat a lot more peppermints in 2025, so there's that, too.

Not What He Had in Mind

 

Even wearing a spiffy tuxedo isn't much help when your tummy's upset. Dear Mr. Moo occasionally throws up a meal. It's not hairball-related and it's not normal. He seems to recover quickly, meaning it's not urgent, but I promised myself that the next time it happened, I would get him checked out. That day finally arrived.

As I explained to the vet, Mr. Moo came with the house when I bought it. He supervised a large swath of the neighborhood -- I would see him in other people's yards up and down the block -- but he soon began (resumed?) spending most of his time on my screened porch (when I left the door open for him). 

Unfortunately, his supervisory duties also included fighting with other cats. More than once that meant wounds and abscesses. It wasn't long before I decided to treat the problem instead of the results, and closed the door. He adapted very well to staying on the porch and using the litter box. 

I sit out there with him quite a bit and we keep an eye on the bird feeder together. He has a cozy house and a warming bed with a gel pad that I heat up in the microwave when the nights get chilly. He's learned that if he snuggles on my lap, I'm likely to rub his belly, which makes all things good in his world -- he purrs and kneads and drools -- and mine.

The biggest holdover from his roaming days is that he is extremely shy of strangers. Any visitors can maybe look at him through the kitchen window, but that's all. Given that shyness, a trip to the vet was not at all how he wanted to spend his day. He hated it even more than most cats do. But he was darling, even when frightened, and charmed everyone with his mustache!

The vet thinks he has acid reflux, so he will be getting fish oil to calm his tummy. He also has pretty bad teeth. A dental cleaning has been scheduled. I'm not crazy about the idea, but I recognize that it needs to be done. Then maybe his tummy will be happier, too.       

Cat Census

Since I'm returning after some long silences, I thought it would be fun to share some photos of the kids. And by kids, I mean cats!

Maggie is the matriarch now, all 7 pounds of her. She looks substantial, but it's mostly hair. She came to me in late 2012. I wrote about her here and how the serendipity was just too much! As I told my friend, "I think the universe has made me a kitten." And here we are. She is both sweet and spicy. She likes to be near you but not if you get grabby about it. I tell the folks at the vet clinic that she has a very strong sense of bodily autonomy, which seems to get the point across. Currently her favorite thing to do is sit on the back of my chair while I'm reading and rest one paw on my shoulder. That one point of contact is plenty for her, and it's very sweet when she reaches out that way. What a delightfully cozy way to spend an evening.   

It's fair to say that Clouseau adopted me in 2015. He was just a sweet youthful teencat when he started hanging around the house I was living in at the time. He was already neutered and his ear was tipped, so someone obviously thought he was going to be an outside cat. But that was NOT what he wanted. He is panicky about rain, lawn equipment, loud trucks, and strangers, so outside life was a very bad fit for him. I started by chasing him away and he would run a little and then look back at me with an expression that said, "Why are you being so mean to me?" That questioning face melted my resolve. Truly, he's the sweetest boy ever. He likes to be petted while he eats and he will happily sit on your lap while you're reading, especially in the wintertime. Indoor life suits him to a T. 

Mr. Moo came with the house when I bought it in 2018. I think he probably made the rounds of several families in the neighborhood, but he was occasionally getting wounds and abscesses from defending his territory from other cats, so now he lives on my screened porch full time. He doesn't seem to miss his walkabout days. Food, toys, pets, and playtime are generously and regularly delivered, and he has only to soak them in. He is extremely skittish around anyone else, but he loves me (being the bringer of "room service" definitely helps). And his favorite thing is to get a nice long belly rub. He's the first cat I've known for which the belly is not a trap, leading to playful scratches and bites. He will lean up against my ankles and then flop! he's on his back with his belly on full display, and a rub inevitably follows. I am well trained, apparently. Perhaps he chose me from the start as someone he could work with.

And then there's L.P. He is a pandemic baby I adopted in the summer of 2020. I wasn't even thinking about another cat, really, but I saw his little face on Facebook -- I'm not even sure how, it wasn't someone I knew posting about him -- and just knew he should be mine! I messaged back and forth with his finder, desperately trying to persuade her that this was the right home for him. Then I drove about 2 hours each way to pick him up. His finder told me she never received any messages about him after she posted, just mine -- and then a couple of days later she found many messages in her phone from people who wanted him! But I had already taken him in, and he has proved to be a joy. From a very rocky beginning, he's grown into 13 pounds of love and floof with a powerful happy energy. He may have used up a few of his lives as a kitten, but he's making the most of this one!

No cat post would be complete without the mention of Barnie, who I found at a remote cabin in a national forest about an hour from here in late 2021. Someone must have dumped him there -- no way did he get lost on his own in that location! Poor little guy. He was terrified to be outside there and no wonder; we know from the wildlife camera and our own eyes and ears that there are coyotes and foxes and hawks and eagles, all of which might pose a danger under the proper circumstances. He was very shy at first but as soon as we fed him and managed to give him a pet, he was all over us, actually standing up on his hind legs to meet our stroking hands! I did not want to expand the cat family but I knew I couldn't leave him there, so home he came. I got great advice from a local rescue that has a rehoming program and found him a wonderful owner, a young man who very patiently answered 10 pages of questions and was instantly smitten at their first meeting. So smitten that when he started working in his office again, he got Barnie a kitten so he wouldn't be lonely. Now Barnie and Andy have it made with a doting cat dad. I still get regular bulletins about how they're doing. That's Barnie on the left. Aren't they cute together?

Good Grief, What a Week

It has taken me the weekend to process all that happened. Maybe this is that crashing wave I dreamed about.

I was ecstatic on Tuesday because I received the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine, authorized by my doctor's certificate of medical vulnerability. The FEMA site was superbly efficient, everyone was polite and helpful, and a sense of euphoria was in the air among those of us in line. About 8 hours later, the vaccine knocked me right down with body aches and chills, but I recovered after a few hours. 

I felt good on Wednesday because the painters came to my under-repair house and worked their magic. My walls are now a fresh cream color (same color as before) and my kitchen is a lovely yellow. My first attempt at yellow 2 years ago turned out to be too harsh and too dark. This yellow is much more successful. It's paler, more gold than mustard, but still packs plenty of oomph. And I do love a yellow kitchen. 

I was hopeful and then heartbroken on Thursday when I received a call from Animal Control. The officer said they had found Missy -- but she was badly injured and in very poor condition. I drove there immediately. He recommended euthanizing her; in fact, he practically insisted on it. Right or wrong, I didn't want her last moments to occur in that kennel setting, all loud noises and hard surfaces. Somehow I convinced him to let me take her for a second opinion, and I drove her to the nearest emergency vet, who confirmed that her injuries were too serious. It would have been torture to even try to repair them. 

They brought her to me wrapped in a blanket, and she was purring. We had some private minutes while I reminisced about all our years together. I don't know if she knew it was me, but she knew someone was there, and it was peaceful, and she was safe and loved at the last.

Missy in better times

Random Thoughts

So far, so good at the office. I'm a weird combination of vigilant and forgetful. Following the arrows and washing my hands and wearing a mask are all going well, and my coworkers are largely compliant. But I also think we definitely have "pandemic fatigue," myself included. Last week I had two different people sit down in my office for informal meetings -- and I only realized afterwards that even though they were sitting 6 feet away and masked, we exceeded the recommended 15 minutes of talking and laughing, both times. I'm tired of being suspicious of everything, including the air! Ugh.

Covid cases are skyrocketing again here, but Florida will never lock down again. There are still plenty of people who prefer to travel and socialize and drink in the bars as though the virus doesn't exist. The rest of us are just going to get through it, trusting our precautions and the luck of the draw: smart or lucky or a little of both.

Meanwhile, I didn't mean to buy a new water heater, but I did -- after the old one leaked all over the laundry room floor.

I also didn't mean to get another crown, but I did -- after my cereal became unexpectedly crunchy from a broken tooth. Dentistry has come a long way since the last crown I had! Instead of doing the mould thing, having a temporary put on, and then returning to have the permanent crown installed, and maybe it fits and maybe it doesn't, the dentist scanned my tooth with a computer wand, which created a 3D picture on the screen. Then a little block of porcelain is carved by a machine into a replica of the scanned image. That's the crown! I went from tooth to crown in under 120 minutes and $1500, but no pain and no complaints now that I'm on the other side of it. Thank goodness for modern technology and dental insurance.        

New kitten LP has settled in and is growing up boisterously. I still need to write about him and share his adorable photos. He's hardly recognizable now, going from skinny pitiful kitten to filled-out teencat in just a few short months.

Fall has finally arrived, with temps in the 50s at night and high 70s during the day. That's a welcome relief from summer's heat and humidity. My nostalgia for New Hampshire has peaked and passed, but I am still watching the webcam for the first real snow.

Holiday menus are going to be different this year. Nothing else has been traditional, so why should that be? Meanwhile, the neighbors have their Christmas tree up already. They put it up right after Halloween. Normally I would be all, "Nooooo, it's too early!" but I can't say that I blame them for wanting to just get the year over with, already.

Strange times.

And Here We Are, Again

Or should I say: here we are still?

Nothing much has changed except  . . . wait, how did it get to be the end of August already? 

Seriously, I don't know where this year has gone, except that it has dripped away day by day, just like the others, but with less busy-ness and fewer milestones. I suppose soon it will be the holidays and 2021. Apparently time flies even when it seems to crawl.

I haven't had any push from my supervisors to return to the office. I confess I miss being part of the team in a "physically present" sense. The phone and email are nice and Zoom is very nice, but it's limited. What I hear from my closest coworkers is that everyone stays in their office with their door closed all day, every day, so I'm not sure there's much difference between office and home in terms of collegiality. I have also seen the periodic memos asking everyone to please abide by the social distancing rules of no talking in offices, please use the conference rooms and spray Lysol afterwards to clear the air, please follow the arrows when you walk around, etc. None of that encourages me to rush back.   

I had my annual review and it was nerve-wracking. I am definitely a person whose self-evaluation focuses on what I did not get done, rather than what I accomplished. Even so, the review was favorable and my paycheck will show that with a modest increase. And yes, I know I am damned lucky to have a solid job when so many are without work or security or both.

My city had a real live big deal tornado this past week. It wasn't close to my house, but seeing that damage on the other side of town means it was close enough! Many big oaks either fell over or had their canopies destroyed, leaving nothing but the shattered trunk standing. Underneath were houses, cars, and motor homes, some damaged beyond repair. Fortunately no one was killed. A few days later a freak wind gust in a thunderstorm flipped over a bunch of small planes at our municipal airport. So it's been a crazy summer. It looks like the two current hurricanes will miss us, but I'm not feeling very relaxed about our summer weather.

Photo credit: Harry Smith

This baby was a big bright spot, though: Meet L.P. I'll share his story soon. He deserves a post all to himself! 

Words for Wednesday: Waking

You can wake someone who is sleeping but you cannot wake someone who is pretending to be asleep.

--Peter Forbes, quoting activists opposing a dam on the Narmada River, India 

Life Goes On

It seems that this pandemic will be around for a significant period of time -- not that March to July isn't already significant! -- and another update seems appropriate.

Let's see, what's been happening?  

Like lots of folks across America, I watched Hamilton over the 4th of July weekend. It's truly amazing, a work of genius. No, it's not historically accurate on various levels, but damn, what a story and beautifully told in music that has been swirling around in my head since the first note sounded. I subscribed to Disney+ for a month in order to see it (best $7.00 I ever spent!) and have already watched it 4 times. There's always another layer to enjoy.

I also ordered the Chernow biography upon which the show is based and the book about the show, which includes its creative history and all the lyrics. Yeah, I'm a Hamilton geek now. No apologies.

A friend and I had promised each other that we would see it together, and Saturday night we did the next best thing, which is to stream it at our respective homes and phone and text each other numerous times while watching it. Such fun! 

Given all that, you may want to know: yes, I would still pay $200 a ticket to see it live, when that's possible again.

Which bring us to the pandemic. Sigh. Florida is doing a terrible job of managing this crisis, as are some other states. It's very discouraging. I've been doing my part to stay safe: Working from home. Not going anywhere to speak of. Wearing a mask when I do have to go out. Having groceries delivered. Trying to keep my spirits up, while worrying about my friends. I know many who are older or have health issues that predispose them to increased risk. And now my teacher friends are being told they have to do in-person teaching, starting in about 3 weeks. It just seems crazy, given the numbers and the risks.    

It's kind of hard to realize things have been like this since March, and apparently we wasted the shutdown and the hit to our economy from back then by opening too soon and too recklessly. That's sad. So much sacrifice, and yet here we are with new records for number of cases being set almost every day. 

I'm lucky and grateful to be working from home for a sympathetic employer. We are still extremely busy and that's a good thing. It hasn't been too hard for me emotionally to stay home. I have regular weekly phone calls with friends that help me stay connected. I've done some projects around the house. I've caught up on some paperwork. My daughter sent me an ice cream maker for my birthday and so far I've made nectarine ice cream and chocolate ice cream and pronounced both of them successful. 

I have to admit that I sometimes stay in my pjs until the end of the workday. Please don't tell anyone! 

The cardinals raised a whole passel of babies this year, and I've had the pleasure of watching them just out of the nest, barely able to fly, visiting the feeder and growing more confident and capable every day. There are about 10 babies, so it was a very good year!

The cats are happy and healthy inside, and as lazy as ever. The outdoor gentleman cat has become very friendly and is lobbying to come into the house. I doubt that will happen but he is a pleasure to have around outside. He occasionally sleep on top of my car and when I open the curtains in the morning, there he is, peeking in the window from the carport, right about eye level.

There is no summer league baseball for fans, unless you count being able to watch via live feed. It's not the same as being in the ballpark. Not that I'm complaining that they're taking no chances. (Well, maybe just a little bit.)

And so life goes on.

        

True to Form

We had an actual tornado warning today when rotation appeared among the thunderstorms passing over my city. Fortunately the damage was limited to a few tree limbs down and minor power interruptions.

When the warning came out, my 3 officemates reacted pretty much as expected.

Hid under the kitchen sink.

 Hid under a table among a bunch of pictures.

Didn't want to miss anything.

Ten Lessons from Staying Home

1. Nature is everywhere. I am lucky to have a semi-wild backyard that shows me something new every day. We don't have to buy a bunch of special equipment and travel to an exotic location to have "a nature experience." All we have to do is walk outside and look.

2. Relieved of busyness, families spend time together: walking the dog, riding bikes, throwing a baseball, jogging. I've seen people I've never seen before, who live right down the street.

3. The unthinkable can happen. I'm no prepper, but my environmental background has exposed me to some serious ideas and challenges. Like the burden we place on Mother Earth by the things we take for granted. Like the golden veneer of consumption and prosperity that masks a system with serious and fundamental flaws. Like the truth of food insecurity. It wasn't too long ago I asked someone, "What would you do for food if there was no Publix?" (Publix is a major grocery store where I live.) My companion looked at me like I had two heads, clearly considering the question too wacky to deserve an answer. I was really asking, but I was over the line even voicing such a thought. Now that grocery stores are stressed by circumstances and shelves are empty of key items, that question isn't as wacky anymore, huh?

4. Next day delivery was awesome. I'm not sure when it will happen again. Things I've ordered are 2 or 3 weeks out right now.

5. We could have been doing some pretty great things all along. In the past week, I have taken a yoga class, "walked" along the High Line in New York City, heard some wonderful concerts, had long video calls with several dear friends, and joined a reading group with a famous author -- all from the comfort of my living room. I've also cooked and eaten all my meals at home, strolled the yard every evening, and gotten some long-standing chores accomplished. In some ways, I've been busier than ever. I've been having more fun, too. 

6. Leadership takes courage. Sometime it's lacking. And sometimes it appears in unlikely places, from unlikely people.

7. Loquats are delicious. I tried them once, long ago, and they were unripe and inedible. I didn't know that, but I never tried again. However, given the abundance on my backyard tree and some extra time on my hands, I gave it another go -- resulting in a fruit-in-hand epiphany and a successful cobbler. They are more seed than fruit, but well worth the trouble. I will not forget this.

8. Being science-deficient can be fatal, not only to yourself but to others. I have a few friends who still believe this is all a big hoax or an overreaction. They have continued with their normal lives, complaining that "Everything's closed!" They are not convinced by the medical community's concern that if we are unable to "flatten the curve" and spread out the impact of this virus, the care system will be overwhelmed. That means rationed care. That means hard decisions. That means denying life-saving help to the patients who are deemed less worthy of saving. This is a hard truth. Facing it requires a basic understanding of math, and critical thinking, and a willingness to rely on qualified experts when the water gets too deep. I have done enough research to be convinced that "Better sorry than safe" is not a good choice here. Those who lack the ability to form their own opinions, based on their own research, are risking lots of lives, not just their own.   

9. The cats do nothing all day. And they do it very well.

10. I like staying home. I just wish it wasn't for this reason.

Stay safe and be well, everyone! Love and light to you all.

Re-Returning

(But from where? The ether, I suppose.)

Vacation was wonderful! But it knocked me out of any habits I might have acquired (good or bad) and put me behind on everything. I guess that's the story of my life and I wonder if it will ever change. Probably not, unless I develop some better habits!

I've said yes to teaching again this semester and the Tuesday/Thursday schedule keeps me hopping. Added to my regular 30-ours-a-week job, it's been a struggle to balance everything. The manager of the book store took a two-month vacation herself, and I shared coverage duties with another volunteer -- to add to the schedule. So . . . It's been a busy late-summer.

Now, what's the upside?

Home improvements peaked this spring and then lagged, but in a burst of my usual fall energy I unpacked the last of the boxes in the living room and hung pictures throughout the house. The living room and master bedroom are settled now. The bath is mostly settled while I await the arrival of a shockingly expensive but irresistible new shower curtain that will change the look completely. The kitchen and guest room still need some work, as do the porch, the shed, and the yard. But it's all good and I'm enjoying the process.

(Well, I should say I'm mostly enjoying the process. I had a falling out with the lawn guy who mows all the yards in this part of town. Before I went on vacation I planted some large, native firebush shrubs that a friend had given me. I thought something so mature and so obvious (and surrounded by freshly turned dirt) would be unmistakably intentional, but the lawn guy thought . . . well, who knows what he thought? He tore them out and I returned from vacation to find them missing. I was heartbroken and angry -- not only for the loss of the plants (they were about 3 feet tall and blooming like crazy) but for their sentimental value. Considering my mental state, I left a very reasonable message on his answering machine. I definitely said, "I'm very upset about this" but I didn't shout or anything. In response, he left me a note saying he didn't want to mow my lawn anymore. Well, okay then. I'm now in search of a lawn guy with a clue about native plants and customer service.)

The cats are much happier in the new place. They have multiple views from multiple windows, and I've contrived to arrange the furniture so they have lounging places where they can watch the street and the birds. That's a big plus.

I'm getting more exercise than in the past year or so. That's definitely a plus.

I've cut WAY back on my Facebook time and I like it. It's certainly helped me find a few more hours that can be used in better ways. Thanks to a recent cool snap, "better ways" includes reading on the porch with a cup of coffee.

Hurricane Michael zoomed by to the west and gave us just a breezy day with a few rain showers. We were very lucky. Seeing the destruction in the Florida panhandle confirms my decision to avoid living on the coast and to evacuate if a big one comes this way. Even so, everyone here is still keeping a wary eye on the weather right now. 

Kayak Guy and I are still spending quite a bit of time together and having fun adventuring. Maybe it's just the daily life that taxes us? What an interesting thought.

I'm turning the corner on some of my reading challenges and think I might actually finish a few this year. That would be huge!

Here's to keeping this fall energy thing going as long as I can. Maybe it will help me write all those reviews that I'm backed up on . . . .

Returning

Yoo hoo, remember me? It's been ages since I wrote anything and this promises to be one whirlwind of a catch-up, just to get things started again.

I have NOT abandoned the reading challenges and will update everything back to current status as soon as I am able to. Please don't give up on me despite my admin laxity!

Okay, so what have I been up to? Well . . . .

First and foremost I have to blurt out that Kayak Guy and I got a divorce. That relationship began with some of the most incredible experiences of my life, for which I will always be grateful. We had so many fun adventures together! But I'm sorry to say that the nitty-gritty reality of blending two full and independent lives ultimately was too much for us. We're striving to stay friends, but I'm not sure yet whether we'll succeed. It's especially difficult to make the transition because we have many interests and many dear friends in common. That process goes on.

On a happier note, I bought a house! It deserves a post of its own (and perhaps many more as the fixing-up goes on) but for now I will say that navigating the paperwork was like having another full-time job. Whew! I hope I never ever have to go through that again! It was worth every scan and fax and records search, because now I'm happily more-or-less settled into my own little 1963 charmer, surrounded by nearly a quarter of an acre of sunny Florida yard. My head spins daily with plans for indoors and out. Such an exciting time! The cats are much happier here, too, with plenty of room to spread out on every available windowsill.

I'm still working and teaching, with a new adjunct gig starting next month. I've been seeing my share of baseball games. I have some travel plans in the offing. I'm putting my health back together with more exercise and more time outdoors.  Mother Nature continues to renew me whenever I need her the most. I'm feeling that I've weathered this stormy period and can see calmer waters ahead now.

And life is what it always is, delightful and challenging and changeable, all wrapped into one.

How It Begins

Me: Go away, little stray kitten. I am already over my quota.

Also me: Aw, you look hungry. Here, have some crunchies. 

End of the Year Giveway

Know someone who likes cats? And/or classic photography? And/or clever writing filled with gentle humor and a retro vibe?

I have two copies of this book and want to pass one of them along to someone who will enjoy it as much as I have. Please comment if you're interested in this gently used copy. If there's more than one person interested, I'll do the random selection thing next week and mail it out promptly for enjoyment in 2017.

Note that the author is a "tough-minded sportswriter," per reviewer Kevin Killian, but cannot resist the charms of a savvy feline. That tells you what you need to know, in a nutshell.

If you need additional help with your decision, here's what the reviews say, courtesy of Amazon.

Happy New Year to all!

May 2017 be a year to remember--in a good way. 

Less is Plenty

I gave up having a full-size Christmas tree years ago, when my then-husband and I grew tired of having to tie it to the wall to keep our young cats from toppling it. The cats loved sleeping underneath it among the presents and occasionally rambling into the boughs, but it was just too much effort and worry. Once we made the non-traditional choice, it was a big relief and the world did not come to an end.

Then-husband has moved on, as have I, and the kitties lived out their lives in love and safety as the years rolled on. I confess to "tree envy" now and again, and even succumbed to using an artificial tree for a few years. But now I'm back to a tabletop tree and happy with that choice. (Shout-out to Connie over at Connie Cooks and Contemplates for her small-tree solidarity.)

My Christmas decorations are down to two boxes of my very favorite things, with Kayak Guy's favorite things added to the mix. I spread everything out on the entry buffet, with votive candles to take up the bare spots, and work the small presents in. Larger presents pile on the floor nearby. It creates a festive holiday display -- on a manageable scale.

The tabletop tree, peeking around the gifts 

NOEL candle holders from Kayak Guy's childhood

My ornaments from Russia, plus a few others

On the front door, some classic yarn
kitsch made by Kayak Guy's dad

Of course, things could be different next year. One never knows.

At a public library in Sulęcin, Poland, shared on Facebook

Posted on Facebook by Jonathan W. Pote

Crazy Days

Well, this week certainly turned out to be one for the record books.

After my volunteer time at the library, I came home with only 2 books, which is an incredible demonstration of restraint for me.

The gregarious and affectionate Clouseau got his annual shots and felt very pitiful for the next day and a half. It was so sad to see him moping around. But it was good in a way, because it reminded me how dear he is and how much I love him -- something that's easy to become complacent about, even with those we love the most. Fortunately he's now back to his usual charming self.

We had friends in town but my back was hurting something fierce and radiating around to the front of my chest. Normally I'm rather stoic, but it's been going on for a while and reached some kind of a peak that made me wonder if I could be having another heart attack. (In case you don't know, women's heart attack symptoms can be very different from men's elephant-on-the-chest symptoms, so it pays to be cautious.) So after a delicious Thai dinner Kayak Guy and our friends dropped me at the Emergency Room. Better safe than sorry, right?

I can promise you that when you show up with a history and complain of chest pain, the ER staff gets very focused, very quickly. An EKG and some lab work later and they confirmed I was not having a repeat episode, so we're looking at back pain and the usual treatments of moderate activity, heating pads, etc. And I was home in 2 hours, after promising to see my cardiologist the next day. She was concerned but also thinking back pain, so it's all good. Hooray for tests that can give real answers to important questions!

With the "all clear" safely in hand, we went kayaking. (Kayaking doesn't bother my back at all. Go figure.) The wild sunflowers bloom extravagantly along the shores of Lake Jesup this time of year, and we hoped to paddle among them as we did last year. Unfortunately, the water levels did not allow that, so we were forced to look from afar.

Too deep to walk, too bushy to paddle. Sunflowers in the distance. 

You can't get there from here.

Near the parking lot, a clump taller than my head.

Narrow-leaf Swamp Sunflower, a Florida native.

A thunderstorm that passed just south of us made for some exciting wind and water on the way home, but all's well that ends well. It makes a better story when you have a little drama to go along with your adventure.

After the week I've had, you can be sure I'm giving Friday the kind of side-eye that says, "All right, come on, but no funny business, okay?"

A Perfect Storm

I enjoyed finding this powerful confluence of black cat and ladder at my local bookstore. Ink is a charmingly languid docent of the fiction section.