Old Timers Moving On – & – an Apology

First, I want to let our blogger friend Strayer know that her tireless work is much appreciated. I’m sorry that no web browser I’ve tried will let me comment today. ~rolls eyes~ Be that way, Google…

So, anyway, my husband and I moved into our home in 1994. We bought a flat screen television that year, an expensive investment. Years ago we planned on buying a high definition unit when the old Sony died. But it’s hung on all these decades (!) and weighs more than we can now lift together.

Together deciding we would finally replace it, my husband did excellent research. He discovered a unit that fit our living space and even the old stand (!), whose own heavy components I assembled.

Before this new Samsung arrived we needed to clear space and contacted 1-800-JUNK. These crews don’t just haul things to a garbage dump, they donate/recycle everything possible; I’ve seen their work on shows about hoarders.

This super kind and competent duo gave a fair estimate, we agreed, and they quickly loaded up a broken treadmill, miscellaneous outdated electronic devices, plus the dinosaur television. This all happened a day earlier than expected, mere hours after our new TV was delivered.

Impressed by their service, my husband added a tip to the reasonable fee. And I made sure to leave a good review. Even our cat Dandelion was happy because the guys doted on her while the twins hid.

The way things worked out is awesome,
and "Titan AE" looks amazing...

Can you believe our receiver has since died? How lucky are we that the television has decent sound?

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Why Our Carpet Looks Awful

This house, built in 1978, has all original carpet as far as we know. My husband and I had one bathroom and the kitchen renovated years ago, plus new entryway flooring installed. Outside is another story altogether. Anyway, the following illustrates why we’ve left the carpet alone.

While I make grooming attempts, Terra and Polly wrestling gets the job done better. Check this out…

I must be clear that we’d rather have our silly kitties than a neat and tidy house. They are well behaved felines with only the expected issues.

Meanwhile, Dandelion is a long legged female with great strength. We think she never enjoyed a proper kittenhood before we took her in. By the way, my husband doesn’t know she’s shredded anything but cat furniture.

Look at those pink ear tips as she
surveys her efforts...

Do you prefer rugs and carpeting? If not, what is your favorite flooring material?

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How Old Are You, Exactly?

 

Three's Company

Upon returning from the grocery store this afternoon I was pleased to see Terra about a foot away from Dandelion on our bed. Several minutes later, Polly had joined her sister for a mutual grooming session. This development made us very happy.

Before I got up, Dani had settled on my side. We have the sweetest cats. And I can say the same about the three who lived here before passing away.

I like having my smart phone handy...

I took the next image a while back. This little unicorn tent sits on the guest bed. If Terra had a bushy tail like Polly’s I might assume there is just one cat in there.

I once feared the tent too small for a cat;
Obviously, I was wrong...

Can you see the second pair of kitty ears in the tent? Isn’t it funny that I sort of ‘photo bombed’ both of my own images?

A Strange Day

Our cat Dandelion woke me early this morning jumping on the bed seeking attention. After telling my husband, on his computer at the time, I returned to bed.

Ornery Terra later woke me by knocking my phone off the nightstand. To my shock, it was past 11:15! No wonder she wanted me up.

Discombobulated, I thought I might still be asleep and dreaming when my husband then told me about a derecho sweeping through the central United States. Unfortunately for those living in this weather pattern’s path, it’s very real and I wish them all the best.

On a lighter note, I opened a box just delivered. I turned around moments later and found the aforementioned kitty Dandelion sitting there.

Is that expression adorable or what?

Isn’t nature's force often either wondrous or terrible? On a different topic, did you know that the wonderful character actor Dabney Coleman passed away?

There’s a fabulous homage on the blog Shadow of a Doubt. By the way, I do not think the bubbles forming in the rain were caused by any chemicals but rather ideal conditions. It probably would not have happened had the guy who replaced our driveway done a better job years ago.

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One Wild Bird and Six Pet Kitty Names

Our kind friend Strayer expressed interest in video I took during my riverside walk. Here are two, in fact. ~grin~ The first shows a very determined crane on the hunt. I’m impressed by how still they can stand even near raging waters.

Then I must have gotten too close, which made me feel bad. At least I got to see its majestic flight.

On her blog, Pam shared a cute game in which you try to describe a pet’s name without declaring it outright. I just had to join the fun. I’ll start with the three sweethearts we’ve lost over the last decade, listing each in order of their arrival into our hearts and home. Of course each is listed under my blog’s labels but I’ll put the answers below…

Our Earth’s moon in Latin
Actresses Meg and Jennifer
The wicked wife of Israeli King Ahab
The Earth, ‘firma’
Who wants a cracker?
A prolific yellow flowering weed

Do you think the bird recognized my predatory ocular orientation? And since cats are both predator and prey, why don’t they have a second set of eyes on the sides of their heads?

Here are the girls’ names:
Luna
Tilly
Jezebel
Terra
Polly
Dandelion


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A Very Silly Girl

 

My Year?

My dentist prognosticating 2024 as “my year” leaves me in doubt as to specifics. February hasn’t started off so great.

Dandelion decided to jump onto my side around midnight, January 31st. Slipping, she dug her claws into my right forearm. While painful, it didn’t give me much thought until later. I could have sworn she left a shed claw in my flesh.

After consulting my primary care physician via phone I visited a local urgent care facility. The nurse practitioner who treated my topical foot infection last spring retained his dry humor.

“Now, the fun begins,” he quipped upon entering the examination room. His magnified close inspection revealed no foreign object, much to my relief. I’m simply on a seven day antibiotic course.

As in May of 2023 he again said to avoid folk remedies like warm compresses followed by squeezing the wound site. I replied in agreement and how I declined my husband’s suggested ointment and bandage.

Acting impressed, he immediately asked if I had a medical background. Far from it, mere bad luck and being a klutz have taught me a lot over the years.

Did you know that antibiotics help push intruding objects out? Isn’t a good sense of humor important in most any upbeat workplace?

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The Sweet and the Tangy

I’m happy to report that Dandelion has not avoided me since she came out of hiding yesterday afternoon. I will not attempt peering into her ears for a few days. She really is a sweet kitty.

As for the tang in my title, I discovered an easy recipe on the inside of a Philadelphia cream cheese box for mini lemon-ginger cheesecakes. One ingredient I didn’t recognize is lemon curd.

These folks charge $12.95(US) per jar!

A quick search answered my question and uncovered a recipe for making instead of buying it. Believing homemade is best I also do not plan to purchase ginger snap cookies for the cheesecake bottom “crusts”.

I cooked up the curd yesterday and ate some in my morning yogurt, also homemade. lol Yum! I plan to freeze and vacuum seal most of the curd since my husband bought ingredients for banana chocolate whole wheat muffins.

He baked them in the 2000’s and I’d take some to my office. I still joke that the guys stampeding from the factory floor put me in danger; they were that popular a treat.

Funny enough, I’ll be freezing and sealing some upcoming muffins plus both my lemon juice and zest had been processed from fresh fruit, then frozen and sealed. It’s so rewarding being able to preserve bargain food purchases.

A key to using my FoodSaver is freezing the food stuffs first. Before learning this I ruined some packages via liquid breaking the seal in progress. So far nothing has gotten irredeemably freezer burned.

Besides meats, fruits, and vegetables, baked goods should be pre-frozen. I once crushed room temperature corn muffins. Hitting the seal button early would have prevented this. ~rolls eyes~ Thawed, my muffin pucks at least tasted fine.

Is it silly that I enjoy running my FoodSaver? Should we offer some of those banana chocolate muffins to neighbors?

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The Good, the Bad, and the Sweet

This morning our cat Dandelion delighted me by coming out of her comfort zone, joining me in an another room. It was so sweet seeing her enjoy a good scalp massage despite the mess her fur left on my clothing. While unrelated, a bag of store-bought cherries also made me happy.

I like how these cherries look like Valentine hearts...
I will ignore any remarks about the crevices ~grin~

Unfortunately I also noticed Dandelion’s terribly dirty inner ears and used an ear cleaning solution which she did not like one bit. While she didn’t run from me or struggle much, I should have left well enough alone after swabbing one ear instead of going for a second cotton ball. She bolted under the couch we’d shared earlier and hasn’t come out since.

At least treating her ears removed a fair amount of gunk; I can only hope she’ll forgive and forget. It’s always me that notices and treats these types of things. ~sigh~ As soon as my husband sits down to watch television he’ll no doubt have Dandelion on his lap in minutes.

As for my clothes, I used leftover sticky fly paper to clean my sweater. It worked quite well.

Finding the stuff reminded me how Terra somehow got a piece stuck to her underbelly as a kitten. I didn’t panic and she calmly let me cut her free. Ah, memories.

Isn’t it funny how playing the mean role translates to raising both pets and young kids? Wouldn’t it be nice if either comprehended loving good intentions?

If you want to see how gross my hairy black sweater looked after petting Dani, keep scrolling down…

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So Much Fun, Many Blessings, & One Reply

Well, first off I discovered that Strayer photographed a scene not unlike what I saw during a recent park excursion. Finding random connections with good people makes me happy.

A sidewalk to nowhere, for now?

This bizarre little park, located under both an automotive and train track bridge at either end, is obviously under construction. This time my smart phone didn’t lead me there. Rather, planning to revisit a nature preserve discovered early December I spotted its entrance while passing over the car bridge.

Pam from Through the Eyes of My Scattered Brain wondered if our white kitty Dandelion has blue eyes and might be deaf. Funny enough, she has pale blue peepers yet exhibits normal hearing ability. In fact I considered naming her Frankie. ~grin~ Her fur has gray smudges atop her head and at the end of her tale. That and the fact her eyes reflect pink makes me think she is leucistic, reducing her pigmentation.

Changing from my usual posts about nature and kitties I have to share the silly Sunday my husband and I shared. He has been experimenting with new software on very old hardware such as turning an old two-sided ‘flippy’ DVD of “Goodfellas” into a streaming video file so we don’t have to turn the disk over partway through the film.

Testing his results went from a brief viewing to me requesting we watch the entire flick. Then we turned to a program called “Ugly Americans” on that old hard drive. We laughed so much.

Can you believe our 1989 bond over dark humor is still going strong? Like us, does your sense of humor clash with most loved ones?

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A Queen on Her Heated Bed & Two Princesses in a Cozy Tent

The day before our cat Tilly passed away a pet heating pad arrived for her. I’m happy to have seen Jezebel enjoy the warmth until she passed away. Now it’s Dandelion’s turn.

I still cannot get over how pink she is under that white fur...

And this adorable unicorn tent is seeing more use. Terra is inside as I type but here’s a slightly older image of her with sister Polly.

 

These two have super pale skin beneath their black fur...

Aren’t animal coat varieties fascinating? Do you know some mammals (such as Dalmation dogs, leopards, and tigers) wear their fur pattern like a tattoo?

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The Dumb, the Fun, and the Cute

Somehow I managed to post the title “Two Clarifications” after believing it deleted. Back-dated to November 1st it got buried in my timeline. ~sigh~ Twice addressing the same issue about my interaction with the lifeguard is embarrassing but I don’t really consider myself dumb, just technologically challenged. My subject tag stating the contrary is all in good fun.

In other news, my husband discovered wall plugs, a power strip, and even light bulbs that are controllable via smart phone. Now when I’ve been outside or away from home I can tell if his oxygen concentrator is on. If it’s on I know he’s napping and enter quiet as possible.

Electrical outlet controls are obviously limited to on/off but the bulbs are fun. They allow us to change intensity as well as color (!) which means we can set mood lighting for a creepy movie. Anyone who knows me in the slightest can probably guess that I sometimes enjoy messing with him from afar. Don’t judge; he does the same to me on occasion.

A Blurry Dandelion glows in the black light setting...

More cuteness comes in the form of Terra spending time near my desk on the newly purchased cat tree. She’s a bit tough to photograph being in near constant motion.

She is one of my best friends...

Precious Polly is more of a lounger. Seeing her toes dangle off a different piece of cat furniture inspired me to take photos.

She does not let me trim her claws but I do make sure her
ill-formed ‘Polly Wogs’ look healthy...

Isn’t it fortunate that Polly only uses her murder mittens for good? And had you seen a glow-in-the dark kitty before?

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Kitty Nicknames

The sweet kitty lover over at the Eastside Cats blog shared this post regarding nicknames. I commented about hearing somewhere that the more nicknames a pet has collected the more love the animal receives.

I don’t know if that’s true but like the theory. The idea popped into my mind to share all our kitties’ aliases, whether gone but not forgotten or living here today.

Then I realized the list would soon become a tedious read and I don’t want to bore anyone. Heh… So, I’ll share the latest our Dandelion earned.

I have resisted all temptation to neaten my novice, ragged job...
She obviously does not care that her fur looks lopsided...

Friday morning my husband told how she woke him at 2am just like clockwork. It made me think of the creepy, dark and dystopian film “A Clockwork Orange” released in 1971.

Without hesitation, I called Dani “Clockwork Pink” and my guy cracked up. Her pink skin really is showing through since dear Strayer recommended a pet grooming tool.

Do you or have you in past had any nickname(s)? Isn’t it rather sweet that some coworkers back in the nineties called me Flower Child?

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Good News – & – Pretty in Pink

Returning to the local YMCA for another round of resistance training, I carried in all the required financial assistance forms. The gal who encouraged me (S) was busy while another nice woman who usually works in the daycare center said she’d give it to S for review and would probably call early next week.

Imagine my surprise; I presumed the application would sit in limbo until some faceless committee declined it. Better still, S called to my sweaty, exiting self. She had done the math already and my membership for the next year will be almost half the current monthly rate.

On another financial note, I tend to overspend at auctions benefitting a good cause. It’s a recurring theme. ~rolls eyes~ For Winnie’s Wish List (discovered thanks to the Eastside Cats blog), an adorable, unicorn print pet tent was too cute to pass up. Terra and Polly never gave it more than a sniff. I almost offered the tent to some other animal lover, then we adopted Dandelion this summer and one day Dani did this...

I really do want her body fur shaved again;
besides being adorably pink that way,
her fur is close to matting.

Alas, she only stayed settled until
I got up from the sofa...

Can you believe my good fortune? Would you have expected such quick resolution, even from a not-for-profit organization?

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My Very Strange, Wonderfully Uplifting Day

I recently, once again, considered cancelling my YMCA membership. One month’s fee would almost pay to have kitty Dandelion groomed again, which she kind of needs. Silly me, while telling my husband I thought my eyes were watering but it turns out they were leaking tears.

Lifting weights and swimming year round really do boost my mood. Since he, bless him, said he wouldn’t urge me either way, I decided to go work out. At the front desk I found the sweet woman who’s worked there since I joined years ago.

She asked how I was, I said, “Great!” Then I told her my consideration, adding, “But I’m going to swallow my pride and ask if you have financial assistance paperwork.”

“No!” she blurted, “I mean yes! But don’t feel bad about it. We want you here. So don’t feel anything about asking for assistance.”

I brought the form home and my husband spent time filling out the financial details. He’s such a peach sometimes.

From there I passed a cute table sitting out for either salvage or garbage pickup. Driving half a block away, I turned around realizing it would free up my card table for a use other than supporting my haunted dollhouse. Huffing and puffing, I could not blow the house down get that table into my sedan. Meanwhile, a middle-aged man pulled over to ask directions.

I didn’t recognize the street name but, while searching on my smart phone map feature, told him my problem. He got out of his car, inspected the rather heavy item, suggested perhaps unscrewing the legs, then moved it back onto the lawn for me. In thanks, I drove him to where I thought he wanted to go. As it turned out, he’d taken a wrong turn. Solving his issue felt good.

And I drove home thinking I might ask my neighbor across the street for help. He owns a pickup truck and has utilized my husband’s computer skills more times than I can recall. The man kindly and cheerfully helped before heading to his workplace. I gave him a quick hug.

Have you ever shed a few tears without realizing it? Or is that just about the oddest thing to do?

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Life’s Ups and Downs – the Silly & the Serious

Once again, my husband and I shopped where that giant inflatable dragon is sold and a lady told me to watch for it to be discounted (!), perhaps after Halloween or even earlier. I’m guessing they’re not selling because so many folks struggle financially these days, which makes me sad. However, my childhood chum living across the state and I enjoyed a nice conversation, during which she said they have an inflatable dragon and would give it to me as incentive to visit. I should go because, unfortunately, her mother’s health is in steep decline while her father has his own issues.

Heartbreak and chaos are everywhere you look these days, it seems, so we need to seek any positivity. I found some just this afternoon. Dandelion jumped off my napping husband’s lap wanting some canned food. As expected, Polly wandered in and received a tiny plateful. What happened next amazed and delighted me.

Not surprising, my fluffy black cat finished first and strode toward her pale furred elder. Uh, oh, I thought. But they sniffed one another, all but touching noses (!), and Polly just sat down a short distance away. Dandelion did slink away a few inches. However, she resumed eating when I moved her plate over. The site made me very happy. When he woke, my husband heard the news and could hardly believe it.

On another note, the woman I talked to this morning was a store representative soliciting flu vaccinations. Since they’re offering a five dollar digital store credit to every recipient, I urged my husband to go for it. Ten dollars is ten dollars. And next week, a Hill Air maintenance guy will be coming for our autumn HVAC inspection. I’m crossing my fingers that I get another $300 (USD) Kroger grocery gift card for leaving reviews.

As I type, I’m enjoying a gorgeous day under my shade tree. A delivery driver pulled up at the next door neighbor’s house and surprised me by walking over with my latest online Amazon purchase.

I look forward to playing with these...

I ordered this and another holiday light set yesterday. These leaves are a set of four, one of which will go on my outdoor wreath in place of my silk sunflower blossoms. It’s nice they are battery powered except I can’t put them on an electrical outlet timer.

If it looks cute during daytime should I leave them on? And ooh, do you think these oversized leaves would look fun in my haunted dollhouse?

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Videos!

I have two videos to share. One is of Dandelion, who slinks around looking for Terra and/or Polly, then relaxes for play or just showing her cuteness. ~grin~ By the way, I’ve started pulling out the vacuum cleaner whenever anyone goes after Dani, who couldn’t care less.

While disrupting the contentious dynamic is my current goal, getting the other two used to the noisy ‘beast’ would be a perk, as is cleaner flooring. Heh… Please, any cat lovers let me know if you think this is a bad idea.

 

The other video is of my neighbor, a kind young lady who braved my barbed wire sans gloves (!) without wounding herself. I was appreciative and relieved. Now my scrap wood ‘demon’ can be completed for display.

Do you think Dandelion has leucism with those pink eye reflections? And isn’t my neighbor a dear?

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Surprises All Around

First I must say thanks for all the helpful and kind responses on our kitty going outside the litter box. I was going to post detailed replies but changed my mind. It’s enough to state that I’m keeping all the advice in mind and have high hopes for resolution.

As for surprises, my husband recently suggested I take Dandelion outside on a harness. I in turn confessed what happened when she and I tried going outdoors. Both rather stunned by our conversation, we agreed it’s not worth risking again.

And this morning he startled me by asking, “When are you going to pick up your dragon?”

You see, we revisited the store selling the huge inflatable. Standing in the checkout line, I surprised myself by stating it would be mine. He didn’t reply. I asked if he’d heard me. He confirmed he had but offered no comment.

Later I reconsidered. We don’t live on a busy street and trick or treat is no longer popular here, not to mention the fact I’ve considered downsizing, of all things. Thus bringing home a giant seasonal yard decoration makes no sense. Since I soon forgot the matter, his question startled me and my answer astounded him.

It would have been cool...

“I’m willing to spend the money,” he furthered. “Is there anything else you want?”

I told him no. As he’s lamented dozens of times, it’s been an expensive year. But wait… Typing this reminded me I have been wanting to visit the zoo, a far less expensive proposition.

Wasn’t his offer kind? And isn’t a fun day trip a better expenditure?

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A Decent Retort & First World Concerns

Not long ago I purchased an apron. When our friend Phoenix visited I modeled it for him.

He asked, “Who are you and what have you done with my friend?”

“I ate her,” I replied.

On a different note, I’ve been going outside during my husband’s daily afternoon naps if the weather is good. Sometimes I use his hospital assigned walker (which, again, he no longer needs!) as a laptop stand. Other days, I roam around or just enjoy the view. Let me know if you think it’s wrong, but sometimes I pet fuzzy bumblebees. Here is video evidence.

As for our household, things are not all peaceful. To my dismay, Dandelion has been urinating and even defecating on the carpet just off the stone kitchen flooring.

My guy knows about the former. When he heard her pawing at the couch late Monday afternoon he asked me to check. That’s when I saw her little brown ‘gifts’. He asked if I found any wetness and I replied in the negative while surreptitiously cleaning up. I’d already placed a box with some litter where she peed. Now there is an old folded towel where she pooped. ~sigh~ While I dislike the idea of litter and whatnot all over our kitchen floor, this situation is nigh untenable. Any and all recommendations are appreciated. This kitty isn’t going anywhere. ~grin~ And I’m sure my husband would agree. I just don’t want him stressed.

No stress here for Dandelion...

Polly just hanging out...

Terra enjoying other kitty furniture...

Have you been following the horrible events in the Mediterranean? How can I complain with all the misery around this world?

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