A ‘Hot Diggety Dog’ Hodgepodge

As I write this, I’m sitting here on a very hot and humid Georgia afternoon, very thankful for this distraction and for air conditioning!  I’m grateful to our hostess, Joyce, for hosting “The Hodgepodge” and I’m grateful to her for telling me how to revert back to the old blogging format!  Life is good, once again…

1. The Hodgepodge lands on National Dog Day this year (August 26th). Do you own a dog? Did you have a dog when you were growing up, or maybe some other kind of pet? Would you say you’re more of a dog person or a cat person? Neither is okay too : )

I don’t own any dogs anymore, but we had more than our fair share of dogs, during and after my stint of volunteering at our local animal shelter, back in 2004-2005.

 This was “Ethan” the first shelter puppy I adopted.  He survived parvo and led a long, happy life.

There were so many homeless animals, it was overwhelming to me!  I worked, tirelessly, for two years to find homes for as many dogs and cats as possible, including adopting five dogs and twenty-two cats of my own!  Needless to say, our pet food bill was quite large for a few years!  All of our dogs have since passed away (some were old dogs when we adopted them), as well as most of the cats.  However, we still have two of my original “shelter kitties”, both are almost 17 years old. 

Pictured above is “Kyle”, the oldest of our “shelter cats”  (photographed while sitting in a nest).

“Fat Susan” (photographed while waiting for her next meal at The Cat Cafe’). 

The above pictures were taken about 5 years ago.  These days, “Fat Susan” isn’t so fat anymore, although her appetite is still good.  “Kyle” now spends most days just sleeping on the porch swing.  I guess I don’t have to tell you that I’m more of a cat person than a dog person, do I?

2. Last time you felt ‘dog tired’?

Ed and I both had appointments with our dermatologist last Friday morning.  It takes almost three hours to drive there and back.  We also ate lunch, did some grocery shopping, and stopped by to visit friends for a while.  I was “dog tired” when we got home late last Friday afternoon!

3. It’s said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. When did you last prove this idiom true or prove it wrong?

I’m in the process of learning to use my new Moo Soo battery-powered stick vacuum, that I absolutely love!  It’s small and light, there’s no cord, and has only a tiny dirt cup/filter to deal with.

4. A favorite book, television show, or movie featuring a dog. Why did you love it?

The first book/movie that comes to mind is “Marley and Me”.  Both were funny and, of course, a little sad.  I loved how they covered Marley’s life, with her family, from beginning to end.  Our family’s version of “Marley” was a wild and crazy dalmation named “Lively Loveable Spotazz” who lived to be ten.  “Tazz”, as we called him, really lived up to his name!

Lively Lovable Spotazz in his later years

5. Last time you had reason to (literally or figuratively) exclaim ‘hot diggity dog’?

Last night, when we finally finished a 300 piece puzzle we’d been working on for over a week!  Oh, and did I mention there was missing piece?

6. Random: (long but worth the read)

The Story of “Flutterbee”

As I mentioned last week, we’ve had a flurry of bird activity in our yard, this year.  We’ve had a record number of cardinals, with many  trying to perfect the art of flying back in early June.  As a result, we had no less than three cardinals fly into the large “picture window” over my kitchen counter.  The second of these casualties flew into the window one night while we were eating supper.  Ed got up, went outside, and discovered a young female cardinal had knocked herself ‘out cold’ and was on the ground underneath our kitchen window.   

The bird remained unconscious for about 90 minutes.  Once the bird woke up, it became clear she was hurt badly.  Her wing and leg, on one side, were clearly broken.  We decided to place the bird inside of an old dog crate, and wrapped around the bottom of it in plastic mesh, so the bird couldn’t escape through the bars. I placed some food on the bottom of the crate, along with some water in a small jar lid.  We then placed the crate and bird in a closed section of our chicken coop, so it would be safe from our cats.  

For two days things looked grim.  The bird flapped and flopped wildly every time we came near her, but couldn’t do anything except scoot on her good side. She wasn’t able to sit up, so I doubted she was able to eat or drink.  Her feathers stayed wet from scooting through her drinking water, while going back and forth across the crate.  At one point, I told Ed he would be doing the bird a favor if he ended her misery.  Thankfully, he didn’t listen.

About this time, we decided to place a small, motion activated camera near the bird in the crate, in order to observe the bird from inside our house.  What we saw happen, next, was nothing short of a miracle.

It’s a daily occurrence for assorted birds to fly in and out of our old chicken coop.  Many have learned how to slip through holes in the wire. They help themselves to left-over scratch feed, then fly back out the way they came in.  Several birds had been in and out of the coop while our injured bird fluttered and flopped, helplessly, but on this particular day, day #3,  we saw something different.  A pair of cardinals went into the chicken coop, slipped in between the bars of the top of the dog crate where the injured bird was, and actually proceeded to feed the injured bird! (her parents?)  We were shocked to say the least, and this incident proved to be the turning point for our injured guest!

After that day, the injured bird figured out how to eat the seed I provided in a lid.  She began to try to sit upright, although not on her feet.  Random birds continued to come and go in the chicken coop, but we never saw any birds attempt to feed her again.  As our bird guest slowly began to recover, I decided to give her a name.  Because of the way she flapped and fluttered about, I decided to name her “Flutterbee”.

About a week after “Flutterbee” flew into our kitchen window, a third cardinal hit the kitchen window with a sickening thud, during suppertime  Once again, Ed went out and found a bird knocked out cold!  This time Ed laid the bird on the bottom of “Flutterbee’s” crate/cage.  After a while, the bird woke up, and immediately figured out how to get out of the cage!  (Guess who was watching, and figured out how to escape the cage?)  We let the second  bird go free, but kept “Flutterbee” confined to the inside of the coop. This provided her with a large area to re-learn how to fly.

“Flutterbee” continued improving, daily.  I’d read that it takes a broken wing about 3 weeks to heal.  However, I’d also read that a broken bird’s leg takes much longer, and may never properly heal.  As we began to approach the 2 1/2 week mark, it became apparent that “Flutterbee’s” wing had healed because she was now flying back and forth across the coop, constantly.  We’d put perches in each of the four corners of the coop, and she became able to fly and land on a perch, at will.  She could sit on a perch [at night] to roost, too, even though still a bit wobbly. 

We knew the time was quickly approaching when we would need to let our “Flutterbee” go.  It took three attempts before we felt the timing was right to let our guest go back into the wild.  It took a bit of doing to get her out of the coop, but once she went, she flew across the yard, low, but without faltering.  She landed in a nearby bush.  I placed her little blue jar lid full of seeds under a nearby tree and watched.

For days, afterward, “Flutterbee” would come, every day, to eat seeds out of that little blue lid and drink water from the bowl beside it.  She was easy to spot, with her messed up tail and her sideways hop, both due to her recent injuries. Other birds soon grew wise, and took over “Flutterbee’s” feeding place.  I’d quickly make her another feeding place, and she’d always find it.  This went on for several weeks.  Ed and I were thrilled to be able to see our “Flutterbee” every day and watch her continued improvement. 

It’s been a couple of weeks since we’ve seen “Flutterbee”. (A lot of our birds have moved on)  The last time we saw her, she was still hopping a bit sideways, but her balance seemed to be getting better.  Her tail looked less frazzled, and  she could fly with no problems at all.  Wherever “Flutterbee” is, I hope she knows what a blessing she’s been to us!  She’s one of God’s little miracles from this crazy summer of 2020, and we were able to witness it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Neighborly Hodgepodge…

Unfortunately, I was sick last week, and had to miss participating in The Wednesday Hodgepodge.  It was the first Hodgepodge I’ve ever missed, and I was sad about that!   However,  I’m feeling better, this week, and I’m back!  As always, thank you to our wonderful hostess, Joyce, for everything she does.

Here are this week’s questions:

1. When was the last time you chatted with a neighbor? About what?

My closest neighbor happens to be my daughter, and we chat almost every day.  The last time we chatted was on Monday, and we talked  about VBS, an upcoming trip her family is taking, and a recent spend-the-night party our granddaughter attended.

2. River, lake, ocean, or waterfall…which one are you most like and why?

I’m going to say I’m most like the ocean.  I can’t help but think of the  “smooth sailing” and “choppy waters” I’ve encountered along life’s journey.  Besides, I love the ocean!

3. July 13 is National Delaware Day. Ever been to Delaware? Delaware is called ‘the first state’ because it was the first to declare independence from the British. What’s your state’s nickname and does that moniker make sense to you? If you were in charge, what nickname would you give your home state?

No, I’ve never been to Delaware.  I live in the state of Georgia, and it is known as “the peach state”.  Peaches are grown here, so the name makes perfect sense to me, and I wouldn’t change it.

4. What dish did you contribute to the last pot luck meal you attended? Do you have a go-to recipe for pot luck suppers?

Our church recently hosted a breakfast to honor veterans.  My contributions were: eggs, blueberry muffins, and cinnamon rolls.  I’m afraid I don’t have a “go-to” recipe for pot luck suppers.  I make and take whatever I’m in the mood to cook!

5. What is your number one tip for a brand new parent?

Sleep while your baby sleeps!

Random:  A tree, an umbrella, and a couple of cats…

Many years ago, Ed’s mama gave me a mimosa tree.  I planted it so I could see it from inside the house, and I loved that tree!  The tree grew quickly, lived for a few years, then died, as mimosa trees are prone to do.  For a while, little mimosa trees kept springing up from the original tree, but, somehow, Ed always managed to mow them down with his lawnmower.  I suspect he did this “accidentally on purpose”.

A few weeks ago, while on our way to St. Simon’s Island [to celebrate our anniversary] I kept noticing the mimosa trees blooming all along the highway.  I told Ed I would like to find another mimosa tree to plant in our yard.  He didn’t say a word.

Three days later, on our actual 45th anniversary, I found ‘my mimosa’, on the way home from our traditional lunch at KFC!  I spotted a clump of wild mimosa trees growing beside a ditch, just off the main highway.  It’s a miracle I saw them, but I was a woman on a mission!

Now, it’s the wrong time of the year for transplanting trees, but I decided to take a chance anyway.  Three days later, at my request, Ed went back to the ditch, and dug up two of the smallest trees.  He put the smallest tree in a pot, then planted the larger tree in our yard, near the clothesline.  (We’re planning to move the clothesline.)

In an effort to save the mimosa from the hot summer sun, we placed an old beach umbrella over it, using a patio chair to anchor the umbrella.  This is what could be called “redneck ingenuity”!  At first, the tree dropped most of its leaves, and I began to worry, but eventually, the shedding stopped, and new leaves began to sprout.  At that point, we removed the umbrella and chair.

Here are a couple of interesting pictures:

The ‘anniversary tree’ – day two… Kyle, one of our kitties, seems to be enjoying the umbrella that’s shading the mimosa tree!

A few days later… “Baby” seems to like the shade of the umbrella, too.  At this point, only the top of the ‘anniversary tree’ remained!

I’m happy to report that both ‘anniversary trees’ are now doing well, and will be a beautiful reminder of our 45th anniversary, for as long as they [and we] live.

Thanks, Ed.  I really love my trees!  Just be careful with your lawnmower 🙂

Friday Fragments…

It’s been a long week, with cold weather, and lots of rain. I’ve been shut in the entire time, and, as a result, I have lots of fragments floating around in my head.  I’ll be linking them up with Mrs. 4-4-4-4 at Half-PastKissinTime.

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The week started off with a ‘bang’, when Ed,and many of his fellow co-workers, learned they’ll be getting a reduction in pay, beginning next week. On the bright side, some said “At least we still have our jobs.” This is true, at least for now.

One fellow co-worker had been off work for several days, caring for her ailing mother, then fighting a case of stomach flu, herself, only to return to work and discover her salary was being reduced.   Talk about a run of bad luck!

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Our youngest grandchild, Evan, was sick last weekend, and throughout the first part of the week. Without going into great details, let’s just say, he was requiring LOTS of diaper changes due to an upset tummy. He’s better now, thank goodness! Unfortunately, Evan’s dad is now sick with a cold and sore throat. Ed and I had planned a visit, this weekend, but I guess we’ll have to post-pone. It’s been three weeks since we’ve seen this family, and this Mimi is missing them a lot!

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I’ve posted here, a couple of times, about the local guy who escaped from jail, back in January, and has been on the run ever since. He’s been spotted in Texas, Alabama, and, now, back here, in Georgia. (I can’t begin to tell you how many vehicles this guy has stolen, among other things!) On Tuesday night, our little town was ‘a buzz’ with another manhunt, after the man was spotted in town.  The manhunt made the local news, but wasn’t successful.

Recently, some somebody thought it would be amusing to start a Facebook page, in support of this fugitive!  Strange, but true.  The page has caused quite a stir, and, once again, the story made the local news.  We’re living in some strange times, when people begin to root for the bad guy!  There’s even been some talk about printing t-shirts.  That’s just wrong on so many levels.

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Does anyone remember the saga of the cats living at my MIL’s house?  Well, ‘Trouble’ is still staying there, all alone, but ‘Jo Jo’ found his way to our house.  The third cat, known by our grandson as, ‘Stranger Cat’ is now living at our oldest son’s house.  Ed continues to go and feed ‘Trouble’ and ‘Stranger Cat’ daily, believe it or not.  He tried hard to tame ‘Stranger Cat’, without any success.  I suspect she’ll be delivering kittens in time for Easter, since she’s now ‘expecting’, thanks to a stray, red tom cat!

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My heart is heavy, today, for a cousin and her family.  My cousin’s spouse has been fighting a three-year battle for his life, and the battle is nearly over.  They’re an older couple, one of the rare ones who married and stayed married for the long haul.  Fifty-plus years. Where you saw one, you saw the other, and one name was rarely spoken without the other.  I know my cousin will be lost without her ‘other half’.

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Last, but not least, I just have to share a piece of our oldest granddaughter’s school work.  She’s a home-schooled first grader, and we are so proud of how much she has learned, this year!  Madison, recently, began learning creative writing, and she seems to have a real talent for it.  She’s, also, mastered the lost art of cursive writing, and I’m so happy about this!   Madison’s assignment was to write a story about Abraham Lincoln, and here is what she wrote, from things she’d learned in class:

Many public schools no longer teach cursive writing, and I find this unacceptable!  My heart sank, this week, when I saw a high schooler, on the news, printing his essay for the SAT…

On that note, I’ll just say, Have a great weekend 🙂

How About A Little Hodgepodge?

It’s Wednesday again, and, today, that means two things.  Number one, it means I finally have an appointment to have my mammogram done.  Number two, it means it’s time to join in with The Hodgepodge.  I like number two the best, so let’s hop right to it, shall we?  As always, thanks to our gracious hostess, Joyce, for hosting.  You can join in The Hodgepodge by clicking Joyce’s button at the top of this post.  Here are this week’s questions:

1. What lesson has failure taught you?

Failure has taught me that I am not, nor will I ever be, perfect.  It also taught me that my plans are not always God’s plans! Last, but not least, that if given the chance, I shouldn’t be afraid to “dust off my pants” and try again whenever I fail.

2. What decision are you glad you made?

I’m glad I made the decision to become engaged and married to Ed!  I spent my last two years of high school, engaged and sitting home alone, while Ed served his tour of duty overseas.  Many well-meaning people tried to tell me I was “wasting the best years of my life” by being engaged so young.  They were wrong!  The best years of my life were yet to come, and I wouldn’t change a single thing!

3. I’ve been a little bit surprised to see fully lit and decorated Christmas trees popping up for the past several weeks in friend’s Instagram feeds. So tell the truth-is your tree up and decorated, and if so when did that happen? If not, when will you be decking the halls?

No, I do not have any of my Christmas tree(s) up yet, but I do have my year ’round tree decorated for Thanksgiving!  It’s covered in pilgrims, turkeys, and pumpkins of all kinds.  I do not believe in decorating for Christmas until after Thanksgiving, so I’ll begin decorating for Christmas the weekend following Thanksgiving.  First things first!

4. Solitaire-Poker-Rummy-Hearts-Go Fish-Old Maid…which game of cards would you most like to join?

I still enjoy playing ‘Go Fish’ with my granddaughter, occasionally, and I’m also still a fan of ‘Old Maid’!

5. This question comes to you courtesy of a Facebook friend, who once upon a time had a blog…When you’re feeling stressed do you snack a lot or are you more the ‘can’t eat’ type?

I can’t eat when I’m feeling stressed.  My stomach feels queasy and my throat seems to close up.

6. Have you ever reviewed a product or service on line? Was your review favorable or less than favorable?

Yes, I’ve frequently been asked to leave reviews for various products, that I’ve purchased on line.  I’m always honest, and fortunately, most of my reviews have been favorable.  I would like to do a review of my new washing machine, but the jury’s still out on that one, so I’ll wait a bit longer!

7. What was the best conversation you had yesterday?

As usual, it was a conversation with my daughter.  She and I can talk about anything and everything–and we usually do!

Random: Update to ‘Trouble and the Man With the Can”

It’s been a year since anyone has lived at my mother-in-law’s house.  The saga of the cats living at the empty residence continues..

The feral mother cat disappeared, never to be seen again, as well as one of her kittens.  The other two kittens are alive and doing well.  Then, of course, there’s ‘Trouble’, who continues to live up to her name…  Ed, the man with the can, continues to feed these misplaced cats daily.  Here’s the latest news:

After staying at our son’s house for well over a week, ‘Trouble’, the cat, has, once again, moved back to Ed’s mom’s house!  I don’t know what that cat is thinking!  Currently, one gray kitten, who’s still pretty wild, is at our son’s house, the other gray kitten, ‘Jo Jo’, is at our house, and ‘Trouble’ is back living alone at my in-law’s empty house.  This breaks my heart.  It’s like she’s waiting for someone to come back home…

On a happier note, ‘Jo Jo’, the former feral kitten, is doing great!  Somehow, ‘Jo Jo’ found his way to our house one day, and has made it his permanent home!  It took me about two months to tame him.  ‘Jo Jo’ follows me everywhere, and not only will he now let me pick him up–he demands it!  That cat just can’t get enough attention!  He loves to be rubbed and talked to, and, just like his cousin, ‘Trouble’, ‘Jo Jo’ drools on me when I rub him and talk to him!   ‘Jo Jo’ often sits outside the kitchen window and meows for my attention.

Ed sold his little silver Neon to our daughter, a while back, and that move thoroughly confused these cats!  For a while, the cats continued to greet the little silver car, thinking Ed was bringing food for them.  They’ve since learned that food now comes in my little black PT Cruiser or in grandpa’s old truck, which now belongs to Ed.

Ed continues to take food the ‘misplaced’ cats food daily…

“Jo Jo” The Cat…

“Jo Jo” and “the girls”

It’s time to write an update to my previous post entitled “Trouble and the Man With the Can”.  It’s a continuing, and ever-changing saga, so I’ve waited a while to update.

When I last wrote, “Trouble”, the cat, was living at my son’s house, along with one of the feral gray kittens.  The mother of the kittens had disappeared.  The second feral gray kitten had found its way to our house.  This scenario lasted for three or four days, then all of the cats went back to my mother-in-law’s house for a while!

Since that time, Trouble and one gray kitten continue to migrate between my mother-in-law’s empty house and my son’s house. We’re never sure where we’ll find them when it’s feeding time!  Trouble is always happy to see us, no matter whose house she’s at.  That feral kitten remains nearly as wild as ever.  We can’t get close enough for a thorough look, but Ed and I suspect this kitten is a female.  The other day, the feral kitten actually ran toward Ed’s car, which told us she was happy to see him, and recognizes him as “the man with the can”!

The second feral gray kitten ended up coming back to our house to live permanently.  I guess you could say he’s the smarter of the three cats!  When I finally was able to get close enough, I discovered the kitten is a male, so I began calling him “Smokey Joe”, because of his gray color.  Somehow, the name never stuck, and I eventually shortened his name to “Jo Jo”.  It wasn’t long before “Jo Jo” figured out his name.

Every day I spent time talking to “Jo Jo”.  He remained skittish, but, in time, began to come a little closer.  At first, “Jo Jo” made sure he stayed well out of my reach.  Any attempts at touching him would send him shooting off in the opposite direction!  It was very frustrating, but I’ve been down this road before (with my cat, Bobs), and knew I’d have to be patient.  (If you have some time, you can read the three parts of Bobs’ story HERE, HERE, and HERE.  It’s quite a story!)

Soon, I noticed “Jo Jo” paying close attention as I would rub the other outside cats.  Every time I’d talk to “Jo Jo”, at least three other cats would appear, begging to be rubbed!  I’d stroke the other cats, and gently talk to them (and “Jo Jo”) in a calming voice.

One day, I decided to try to touch “Jo Jo” while he was eating his food.  He nearly jumped out of his skin the first time I tried it, but every day or two, I’d try again, very slowly, and very gently.  I don’t know which one of us was happier when the day came, and I was able to give”Jo Jo” his first ‘official’ back rub!

These days, “Jo Jo” has become quite the pest!  He’s always under my feet whenever I’m outside.  He enjoys his daily back rubs, and will even roll over and let me rub his chest and tummy, too!  I haven’t been able to pick him up, yet, but I’m working on it!

“Jo Jo” and “Bobs” have become good friends, and I frequently see them hanging out together in the yard.  I often tell “Bobs” that “Jo Jo” is the kitten she was never able to have.  (Well, she technically had some kittens, just wasn’t able to raise them.)  Bobs does seem to watch over Jo Jo, at times.  Believe it or not, both cats seem to enjoy hanging out with each other around the chicken coop!  Jo Jo is fascinated with “the girls”.

“Trouble” sitting on the hood of my MIL’s car

“Trouble” seems to spend most of her days at my MIL’s house, and is always thrilled when somebody stops by to spend a little time with her.  For now, my MIL’s house continues to sit, empty.  I can’t help but wonder what the future will bring–for the house, and for “Trouble”, the cat.  I’ll keep you posted on this continuing saga.

It’s Monday Again!

The weekend went by so fast, I barely had time to blink!  I’m guessing that I’m not the only one who’s feeling that way, this morning, either.  I’m sure my husband, Ed, would agree.  However, since it’s Monday again, that means it’s time to join up with “The Monday Quiz” over Heather’s blog.  Here are Heather and Wayne’s questions, along with my answers:

1. It’s Customer Service week – do you think customer service is getting better or worse now than it was five years ago?  Without a doubt, customer service is worse!  I believe good customer service representatives are a dying breed.

2. October 1st is also World Vegetarian Day – have you ever spent time as a Vegetarian? Do you have regular meatless meals?  No, I haven’t spent any time as a vegetarian.  I’m not a huge meat-eater, but I do like some meat with every meal.

3. What reality show would you like to be a part of?  I think I’d like to be a part of “Big Brother”.  The contestants always have plenty of snack foods in the house (yum!), they do a lot of sitting around, and even when they do have a competition, it’s usually a fun one.

4. Are you planning to watch the Baseball post-season?  Who will win the World Series?  No, I don’t have any plans to watch post-season baseball.  I’ve never been much of a baseball fan, so I have no idea who will win the World Series.

My question:

5. Do you find it harder to wake up in the mornings, now that fall has arrived?  (It is for me!)

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The Weekend Wrap Up:

What a busy weekend it was!  I think Ed was happy to go back to work, today, so he could rest 🙂

On Friday evening, we began our weekend with a family meal.  The hospital, where Ed works, baked a ham and provided it for our family, as an expression of sympathy for the loss of Ed’s mom.  (We were able to choose when we wanted to receive our ham, and we decided to wait a few days.)  Our oldest son and his family, and our daughter and her family joined us for supper.  Everybody cooked a side dish or two, to go along with the ham, and we enjoyed our “Friday Feast”.  We had fun, but missed those who were not there to join us. (Brad and Jennifer, and Ed’s mom, of course)  During the meal, I commented that Ed’s mom would have loved some of the baked beans and potato salad, which happened to be two of her favorite dishes.

After supper, Ed asked our son-in-law to help him move some furniture from his mom’s house to ours.  They moved a dresser and a chest-of-drawers into our already crowded house.  Thank goodness for the pool room, which frequently serves as our ‘catch-all’ room.  By late Friday evening, the pool room was full!  It was Sunday afternoon before we moved an old vanity and chest-of-drawers back into Ed’s mom’s house. (We basically swapped furniture.)

In the midst of swapping furniture, over the weekend, Ed and I tackled the job of washing down the outside of our house on Saturday morning.  What a job that turned out to be!  We washed the house two-thirds of the way around, as well as washing the back porch, but didn’t get a chance to finish the back of the house.  Maybe next weekend?

Ed and I could have probably finished washing the house, but Saturday was also a good day for planting, so we decided to get our fall garden planted!  We planted some turnip greens, mustard greens, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and collards!  If they make, some of these vegetables will be for us, but most will for ‘our girls’ aka, the chickens!  ‘My girls’ love to eat green, leafy vegetables, and it’s too expensive to buy them from the grocery store!  My girls are spoiled, but they keep the eggs coming!  Last egg count?  Over 1700 in just fourteen months!

During the rest of the weekend, Ed also found time to mow some grass, on his new lawn mower, as well as do a little shopping with me!  We have a birthday celebration to prepare for.  Our daughter is turning another year older tomorrow!  It’s hard to believe it’s already been 35 years since the birth of our first child…  How different life was for us back then!

Anyway, Ed actually mowed grass until dark on Saturday night–then came inside and worked  swapping out furniture until 10 p.m.?  (It took quite a while to move all of the clothes and junk!)  We finally to bed, shortly after 11, but were back up at 5 a.m. on Sunday!

The last event of the weekend involved Ed retrieving one of our deceased cats out from under our daughter’s house! The cat who passed away was none other than ‘the garden cat’, Mr. Big, who’d been sick for a while.  (It had been four days since I’d last seen ‘Mr. Big’, so we knew he was dead somewhere.) After, retrieving the body, Ed thought it only fitting that we bury ‘Mr. Big’ in a spot over-looking the garden, so that’s what he did.  We’ll sure miss our gardening buddy, especially come next spring.  RIP, Mr. Big.

Mr. Big, resting in our spring garden

Coolin’ Off With The Hodgepodge…

Thank goodness, this week has turned out to be a lot calmer than last week!  No heavy machinery in the yard, and no more trees being cut, only a lot of yard work to be done.  Ed and I are working on it daily, but boy is it hot outside!  At the moment, I’m sitting under the air conditioning, participating in “The Hodgepodge”. That’s a lot more fun than doing yard work!  Thanks to hostess, Joyce, for the excuse to cool off 🙂  Here are this week’s questions:

1. Share one way you think the world has changed for the better since you were a kid?

Modern technology has made life much easier, and machines now do most of the work.  It would be tough to go back to the technology of the 50’s and 60’s!

2. How ’bout one way it’s changed for the worse?

Morals and family values have declined terribly.  Even the family, itself, has declined since the 50’s and 60’s.  Single parenting was rare back in those days.

3. Starlight, starfish, starling, Starbucks…your favorite ‘star’?

I’ve always sort of liked starfish, but starlight is great, too.

4. Name a song that’s overplayed, but you love it anyway.

It’s been a while since I listened to the radio for any length of time, so nothing is coming to mind.  On second thought, I’ve heard an awful lot of Tim McGraw’s song,  “Highway Don’t Care” on GAC tv.

5. When did you last have home made ice cream? Your latest favorite flavor?

I don’t really care for home made ice cream, so it’s been years since I’ve had any.  I don’t have a favorite flavor of home made ice cream, but anything chocolate is always my ‘go-to’.

6. What do you think is the best way to inspire or motivate people?

Lead by example, and give lots of encouragement and compliments, less criticism.

7. When was the last time you were without power?

Several weeks ago, during a storm, our power went out while I was cooking supper!  We were without power for several hours, and it wasn’t much fun.  The power crew had to return a few weeks later, to replace a fuse on the transformer, but I wasn’t home when they cut the power.

Another update on ‘Trouble and the Man With the Can’

Ed continues to feed the abandoned cats at his mom’s house each day, but there have been some more changes.  “Trouble”, the cat,  has left our son’s house, and moved back to Ed’s mom’s house.  The feral mama cat has completely disappeared.  We haven’t seen her in well over a week.  One of the three gray kittens disappeared, as well.  Another one of the kittens goes back and forth between our son’s house and Ed’s mom’s house.  The third kitten?  It’s made its way down to our house!  It showed up here over the weekend, and has been here ever since.  I guess it followed ‘the man with the can’ home!  The kitten is still wild, and won’t let us touch it, but has apparently found a new home.  I sure hope it turns out to be a male!

Trouble And The Man With The Can…

For as long as I can remember, Ed’s parents have had cats at their house.  Like most farmers, Ed’s daddy kept cats around to help with the problem of mice.  My father-in-law always seemed to enjoy having cats around.  My mother-in-law–not so much!  In her older years, she fussed a lot about the cats getting under her feet, and was always afraid they’d make her fall.  Now that I’m growing older, with cats under my feet, I’m beginning to better understand her fears.

It’s a funny thing, cats never seem to last long at Ed’s parents house.  Their house is close to a busy highway, which has claimed more than its share of victims, but their house is also close to some wooded areas, which serve as homes for wild coyotes and other creatures.  Occasionally, a cat will live  a long and prosperous life there.  “Trouble”, the cat, has been one of those exceptions.

I actually adopted “Trouble” from my in-laws, many years ago, and brought her to live at our house.  We thought ‘she’ was a ‘he’ when we got her–hence, her name! After living with us for several years, “Trouble” decided to leave home because she didn’t like all the new animals I kept bringing home from the shelter.  For a while, she stayed with one neighbor or another, then “Trouble” actually moved  back to my in-laws house!  “Trouble” used to hitch a ride home with me when I’d visit there, but she would always end up going back to my in-laws house.

Our son, Brad, lived with his “Mema” during her final few years of living at home.  When Trouble moved in, she joined a couple of feral cats who were already living there.  Brad would occasionally let “Trouble” inside of the house to keep him company, and the two became buddies.

Time passed.  Ed’s mom moved to the assisted living home, and Brad got married and eventually moved away.  Brad considered taking “Trouble” with him when he moved, but decided she may not adapt well to the move since she’s so old.  Besides, “Trouble” and his new bride weren’t exactly the best of friends ever since “Trouble” went to the bathroom on Jennifer’s pajama bottoms!

By the time Brad moved, only two cats were left at my MIL’s house–“Trouble” and one feral cat.  Everyone said not to feed them, then they would relocate, but I just couldn’t stand to do it.  I began putting some dry food in a feeder, every other day, but  soon every wild thing within a mile began coming over to eat out of the feeder–including some skunks!

These days,  Ed stops by every day, after work, to check the mail and feed the cats, but only as much as they will eat immediately.  Sometimes I’ll join him for the feeding trip on the weekends. Recently I was surprised to discover that the feral cat now recognizes Ed’s car, and runs up to meet him when he arrives!  She’ll even let him pet her, occasionally.

A while back, the feral cat managed to get herself pregnant.  Now Ed’s feeding five cats instead of two!  We had to start buying  canned food, in addition to dry food, so the kittens would be able to eat, too.  It never ends.   I can’t help but wonder how long it will be before those cats recognize Ed’s car and run out to greet the man with the can, too!

The other day Ed said to me, “I don’t know why we’re doing this.  We’ll feed these cats, then they’ll breed.  Soon we’ll have a whole passel of cats!”  My reply was, “Yes, but they’ll help keep down the rats!”  (It’s what Ed’s dad would’ve said.)

I can see the future now.  One of these days we’ll put a sign out in front of my MIL’s house.  It will read: HOUSE FOR SALE – Includes a passel of free cats…to help control the mice population!

A Beautiful Monday…

It’s been a few days since I’ve been on-line.  I’ve been spending some time catching up on a few things around the house because I’m more than a little behind on housework!  My energy level has been sorely lacking since I deleted sugar and carbohydrates from my diet.  I feel like a car running on empty! I’m giving myself permission to take more blogging breaks in 2013, so forgive me if I disappear from time to time.  There are times when blogging feels more like a job than a hobby.  Every time I get to that point, I’m taking a break!

This past weekend was absolutely gorgeous, so Ed and I spent all day Saturday outside.  Our temps reached near eighty degrees, and I actually opened up the windows and let the fresh breeze blow all through the house!  We raked some leaves and burned them, too.  I wish we had more days like this weekend…  Soon “old man winter” will be showing himself again, and we’ll be housebound.  In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy the final few days of our spring-like weather!

I’m  behind on blogging about what’s been happening around here, but I’ll eventually get caught up.  Today, I’m going to participate in Heather’s Monday meme.  I always enjoy her meme!  Here are today’s questions:

1. What is your favorite animal?

Well, if you know me,  then you know this question is a “no brainer”.  Cats, of course!  I’ve owned cats for as long as I can remember.  I currently have about a dozen outside cats. ( At one point, we had twenty-one!)  No,  I’m not a crazy cat lady, I just have a big, soft heart when it comes to animals–especially cats.  I rescued most of our cats from the local animal shelter.  We live in a secluded area, out in the country, so it’s a good place for cats.  There’s Drake, Big Red, Fat Susan, Mr. Bigelsworth, Charlie, MAC, Kitty Bee, Sara Callie Girl, Hootie, Kyle, Smut, Suzie, and Bobs.  Wow, that’s thirteen, not twelve!  No problems with mice here–and all of my kitties have been spayed or neutered.
2. What is your favorite quote?

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”  Philippians 4:13  (This verse has gotten me though some tough times in my life, and will continue to do so.)

3. What is the one trait that you have that definitely comes from one of your parents?

My teeth!  They look exactly like my daddy’s, and have a mind all their own.

4. If you had a choice between going to a tropical island or a ski resort which would you choose and why?

This is another “no brainer” question for me.  I’d go to a tropical island any day, ’cause I love the beach!  Place me in a lawn chair, in the sand, beside the surf, and I’m one happy lady!  This warm, sunny weather makes me long for the beach…

5.  What’s the weather like where you live?

*As I was getting ready to wrap up this post last night(about 9 o’clock), the phone rang.  Our son, Brad, was on the other end of the line.  He asked for Ed, so I was pretty sure something was wrong.  I was right.  It turned out that  Brad and Jennifer had become stranded in a little town about 30 miles away.  They’d been to Atlanta (to see the Falcons play-off game).  They were returning home when Brad ran over an old piece of  truck tire in the road, puncturing the oil pan of his car.

Ed and I hopped in the car and drove to where Brad and Jennifer were.  We brought them to our house, visiting with them during the ride.  An hour later the couple left, headed for their home, and driving Ed’s mom’s car.  It was great to see them, even under those  terrible circumstances.  Ed’s mom’s car has finicky headlights–sometimes the lights will go off without warning.  I hope there were no mishaps in the next couple of days…

Happy Monday!

Six Word Saturday…September 11

 

My six words for today are:

What  is  this  crazy  cat  doing???

 

I opened the door to go outside the other day, and this is what I saw…”Kitty Bee” was sprawled out on the front porch–in all of her glory!  She looked like she was posing for a magazine centerfold.  Believe it or not, I went back inside,  got the camera,  took two photographs, and she never moved a muscle.  That cat was chillin’.

Speaking of chillin’–that’s what I am doing this weekend.  My husband and I are on our last beach get-away of the year.  We have invited my brother and his wife to join us for the weekend.   Good company and good times in a beautiful condo located  on the beach.  Gotta’ love it!

Thanks to Cate at http://www.showmyface.com for hosting SWS.