What A Week - A Wonderful Week

The hardships with health issues, troubled family issues, loss of loved ones and financial limitations the past three years have resulted in me living a very secluded life . And, that can mean changes in day to day life that you would never allow in "good times".  For quite some time, especially during the winter I only left the house to do the necessary activities like grocery shopping,  pick up the mail at the post office, medical appointments and making sure I had gasoline in the car .

 Not long ago I noticed that people that I know are older than me were offering to open doors for me.   I guess it was time for me to take notice of just how far I had slipped away from putting effort in how I was looking.  I knew I was  avoiding people with my head down when I saw someone that I knew .   Not a pretty picture !  No makeup, hair under a baseball cap,  posture bent forward from not wearing a bra to hold up larger than desired frontage and clothes bordering on inappropriate for outside wear .  Pretty pathetic !

As you may know I have been slowly trying to return to a life that is more fulfilled with activities and friends .  This past week I was able to see my long time acquaintance when I took Ivy to the Vet and we were treated great .   That was the beginning of my conscience effort of returning to the Mary of the past.

A couple days later it was a must that I go to the grocery store and run errands.  While at the dump disposing my household waste at the refuse transfer station a voice called out to me .  It was a woman who in the past has meant a lot to me especially by giving me emotional support when she observed me in need .  We had a wonderful chat and it was so good to see each other .

Thereafter, I was on my way to the Pet Feed Store to pick up food for Ivy.  And, I was approached by one of the restaurant owners from Downtown who I had a special connection with when My Special Man was alive.  He greeted me with a hug and inquired about me.  I never expected to see him at the Pet Store.

And shortly afterward I was greeted by a wonderful woman who had her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with her. In time past I had taken care of her dog and she also took care of my Cavalier.  She and her husband were neighbors of My Special Man.  She is in her 80's and her husband (former County District Attorney) is 94.  They, also have been very meaningful to me in past time.  We had a great visit and she and I are going to "go for lunch".     That was the second day I had worn makeup in three years !  Yes, the Mary of the past is resurfacing very quickly.

Needless to say, the week was filled with blessings.  Additionally, I have been able to work in my garden 2 to 3 hours for the last 3 days with no resulting back distress.  And, there is more !  Ivy is starting to really BLOSSOM.

How has this been for Transparency ?  I surprised myself !

I hope you had a Good Week and another one to follow.

Mary

Gold Star Award For Ivy

What a good girl she was at the Vet.  I could really she her progress since I picked her up 6 weeks ago to bring her to her furever home.

Since I can no longer lift heavy weight I fixed up a transport for her with a lightweight carrier fastened to a small hand cart.

I placed it on the passenger seat of the car with the handle lowered and carried her out and slipped her in the open end of the carrier.  She is good about letting me pick her up and carry her,  but she was very unhappy when I "pushed her" into the carrier.  After some loud meows she settled down for the ten minute drive to the Vet.  I easily rolled her into the exam room and she calmly came out and the technician picked her up and put her on the exam table.  She was quiet, calm and relaxed.  (That little stinker !!!)  The Vet was able to place her on the scale and she weighed in at 11 pounds, 1 ounce which is very good.  Her behavior was perfect except when a fluid sample was taken from her nose with a flexible needle shaped swab.  I would fuss, too !!

The eye drainage is the first problem of importance.  No mouth, throat or eye lesions which is good.  Samples of eye and nose fluid are going to be sent out for (PCR) which is polymerase chain reaction, a DNA based method of testing for specific region of DNA to diagnose pathogens.  Hopefully, that will be a guide for the most appropriate antibiotic choice. In the meantime, she gets Gentamicin antibiotic eye drops 2-3 times a day.  Oh, yesterday I was able to trim all of her hails!

Since her behavior was so perfect we did not address behavior disorders!  (I was afraid she was going to make a liar out of me!)  She calmly got in her carrier to leave.  It was so nice  to see the Vet that I have known for over 20 years.  He is an exceptional professional.

When we got home about 11AM she had something to eat and then disappeared into her little teepee and slept until 6PM.  This is just as she came out of the teepee and after a big yawn.

I think we have crossed over a big hurdle.  Hopefully, this good behavior wasn't just a dream of mine!

Hope your days are sunny and bright wherever you are.

Mary

The Weather Has Been Outstanding

Sweet Ivy continues to improve but still has some strange behaviors. I scheduled an appointment for her with the Vet for Wednesday.  She has not had very much veterinary care that I am aware of.  Along with her deafness it seems she may have a "strange, bizarre" disorder called Hyperesthesia .  The word actually means "abnormally increased sensitivity of the skin" .  It is also known as  rippling or rolling skin syndrome or twitch cat syndrome.  The skin ripples from the shoulders all the way down to the tail and sometimes up the tip of the tail. The movement has been clearly visible to me. Her behavior of trying to bite me seems to be always associated with touching her back or spine especially when petting her . She can be purring and enjoying being pet under her neck and suddenly growl and try to bite me. It usually occurs if I move my hand around her neck toward her back.  Most of the time she does not try to hurt me but it is more like a warning.  It's like she has "a no-touch zone".

Some of the other behaviors that I have observed include waking from deep sleep and running very fast around the house.  A couple times it appeared as though she was hallucinating ! Believe me, a couple days ago she stopped in her tracks, looked at the ceiling and down and up again and down and then jumped into a closed door and seemed to do a somersault jumping very high and she seemed very frightened, scared and in a trance before she calmed down.

There are many symptoms of the disease, some very serious like chewing themselves until bloody.  Thankfully, she only has a few symptoms which I think will be manageable once I understand them.  There is no cure, just palliative treatment. We will wait and see what the Vet says.

Flowers are really starting to bloom in the garden.  This is an Anemone that was planted here before I moved in 25 years ago.

This is another Anemone in magenta planted next to the white one.  They have bloomed every year since I moved here.

The Iris are starting to bloom and I am so VERY EXCITED.  All the hard work last year of replanting them in healthy soil may have been worth it.  I have already counted 24 blossoms that are starting to bloom !

But, it saddens me that I have NOT been able to clean the weeds that are everywhere I look.

These photos were all taken around 7 PM this evening so the quality is not very good.

Ivy really likes her Catio.  She spends a lot of time outside from morning until it gets dark.  But, she takes her afternoon nap in HER living room chair.  I just thought about this.  She may feel safe and secure in the enclosed small space outside.

Oh, I do hope I will be able to provide a good home for Ivy.  She really seems like a gentle soul and usually starts purring when I touch her.

Until we meet again.

Mary

Wine Lover's Destination

That's what our little Main Street downtown (two blocks from me) is called by some people.  Yes, Wine Lover's Destination with over two dozen family-owned and operated boutique wine tasting rooms within three short blocks.  And, now we have another new wine tasting room, Broll Mountain vineyards .  Fresh and High End.

I am not opposed to new development and "progress" but I dislike seeing the interesting history/buildings of this Historic Gold Mining Town fade into the darkness.

This location of the Historic Ice Cream Shop, The Peppermint Stick has been replaced by the new wine tasting room !  So sad to replace an open and in business 1893 establishment with a 2018 wine tasting room that is skirted with wine tasting rooms on each side !

It is not long ago that Main Street was filled with fun and interesting boutiques, art galleries, little quaint restaurants, a few wine tasting rooms, and antique shops along with a few real life businesses like hair salons, florists, clothing stores, yarn shop and hardware store.

The walls were covered with memorabilia of photos, chachkies and lots of Mickey Mouse bric-a-brac. Old stuff, but fun !

I continue to love living in this little town.  And, I am so lucky that I have lived here long enough to remember "the good ol' days" before it became so commercialized and a tourist attraction .  And, for me, living in the Country certainly supersedes living in the Big City.  However, I have always cherished my life experiences of living in the Big City in the January of my life !  The seasons of my life are rolling right along !

How true ! As Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher said "Change is the only constant in life".

Until next time.

Mary

Go Ahead - You Can Call Me A CAT LADY

Trust me, it is only a temporary condition.  But, I sure am enjoying my little roommate !  We are having a wonderful Spring Day and I really had to try to do some outside work .  So, out I went.  However, I did not like leaving Ivy inside all day, mostly alone.

Recently I had been thinking about  jerry-rigging a Catio for Ivy using the existing pet door and a small portable metal kennel.  Both of these items are from use with my previous pets.

Do you know what a Catio is?  A Catio is a patio for your cat.  I think it is nice, especially if your cat is an Indoor Cat.  I guess we could say that a Catio is something we did not know that our cat needs !

(example from google images)

They can be made any way you want them to look.   Just use your imagination !

Look at Miss Ivy's new Catio !

All I had to do was to place my kennel in front of the pet door that is in my bedroom and goes out to a little porch.

This photo is when she first came to check it out.  I put a couple little cat treats in the kennel and sprayed a tad bit of catnip essential oil.

She seemed to like it and stayed out until I went into the house.




She was so comfortable that she started cleaning herself.   Thereafter, she enjoyed a little nap in the sunshine .

Even after I came into the house she would periodically go out and sit in the kennel.  She likes it.  What do  you think ?

I'm tired and it is late.  It was a productive day and I must get to bed !

Mary

My State Of Mind

Is Good, and I am so very grateful.  I am still in a phase of wonderment as to how my life has changed in such a good way as of late.  I truly feel as if I have received some miracles that I never could have imagined .  I don't know if this makes any sense but one way I can explain it is that "I just feel lighter".  It has been so many years since I have felt this way and it wasn't for a very long time in comparison to the many years since then.  I never thought that I did not deserve to live my life with less hardship and burden but I never thought that day would come even though I worked hard to maintain my optimism !  I have fallen down many times, but eventually got back up and forged forward.  Many, many years of psychotherapy and My Mind, Body, Spirit work has helped me in putting the past in the past where it belongs and rejoice in the moment . It is so hard to do, but each day I feel I am living with that protective umbrella .

I have always liked the idea that a smile can help ease the strains of life's challenges.  During the periods of difficult times that we all experience at one time or another, it can be so difficult to remember that the energy that we transmit from our body and spirit can influence those around us in how they respond to us, be it avoidance or engagement.  Go ahead, if you want to hide, walk with your head down and the corners of your mouth turned down.  It is a guarantee - if we want to feel invisible.  And, yes, that can be what we want some days when we must go out and we just aren't feeling up to dealing with the stress of the day.  But, that too will pass if we don't forget to let our light shine and don't lose our power to smile .

Don't ask me where all this philosophical stuff came from today .  It just kind of spilled out onto the computer screen .

Lest I forget, I received a wonderful telephone call yesterday from my Granddaughter.  It was so loving, pleasant and healthy . And, needless to say it was a huge surprise ! I count that as another little miracle !!!

Note - Miss Ivy is growing up emotionally more and more each day.  I guess I like calling her Miss Ivy !

Wishing you a Joyous Day and Much Happiness.

Mary

We Are Doing Very Well

My Kitty Kat and Me.

In ONE MONTH we have accomplished a lot !  Once I determined that Miss Ivy is deaf our progress really accelerated .  Every day I can notice significant improvement in her demeanor, comfort zone and happiness.  No, she is not smiling, yet !

What a difference in my approach in assisting her to feel safe, loved and happy.  I no longer feel any frustration when working with her --- just compassion .  The sun is shining brightly today following a night of rain and Ivy loves sitting on the window sill watching any outdoor activity or taking a little snooze !  These photos are from this morning while she was soaking up some sunshine . 

I certainly have bonded with her and she is a very gentle heart.  It seems as though every day she is trusting me more and more .  In general, she seems to be very healthy except for some drainage from her eyes.  I will take her to the Vet when she is a little more trusting while being held .   

I little stroll in the garden .  Lots of activity from nature !

 Wishing you a Wonderful Day .

Mary

My Detective (aka Curiosity) Has Surfaced Again

And, it is all about Ivy.  Yes, Sweet Ivy who seems to be at odds with the world she lives in has kindled my interest as to why her behavior is so puzzling to me !  Throughout my life, and that is quite a long time, I have had several cats and Ivy's behavior is far from what my experience has been with my cats.  After four weeks of interaction and observation of Ivy's body language and facial expressions or lack of, I know there is something missing from my understanding of her before she came into my world.  Something more than shyness is going on here. When evaluating my observations and searching for as much information as possible I believe I may have come upon the reason for some of her behavior.  And, here is a quote from one of the cat behaviorist that I have been reading.

"Deaf cats tend to have a normal quality of life; they cope by using their other senses to compensate for the hearing loss."

Yes, yes, yes.  Let me tell you some of my observations.

Never comes when I call her.
Startles when she doesn't see me approaching her.
Does not respond when I shake her jar of treats.
Sleeps a lot and if deep in sleep does not awaken easily.
Does not respond to squeaky toys.

However, she will respond to hand clapping or foot stamping if I am close enough so she can feel vibration.

Since I have become aware of her possible hearing loss, I have noticed that my approach to her has changed and she seems more comfortable and is interacting with me differently.  Just the fact that I don't think she hears me has a way of automatically changing how I interact with her.  It's all good.

There is so much more to blog about cat hearing loss and I will mention more in the near future. There are genetic causes, the myth of white cats with blue eyes are deaf, teaching sign language to cats and providing emotionally secure environments.

Have a Good Weekend.  Our heavy rains have slowed down somewhat.  I am waiting for the sun!

Mary

The Pineapple Express Has Arrived

It has been raining all night and this morning we have had a soft gentle rain with more expected throughout the day .

This week compared to last week I have been a lot more productive around the house .  Last week I was really lazy ?  It happens doesn't it .  Yesterday I did a couple hours in the garden pulling weeds and raking leaves .  Also, I worked in several rooms sorting "my possessions" and purging .  At least it is a start .   I am caught up with first of the month paperwork  and today I will finish my taxes and get that off through email.

And, look who is here .  She is a work in progress and may always be .  But, she is really sweet .

She spends a lot of time sleeping and that is OK .  She no longer spends any time hiding under the bed or in the other room and she seems to enjoy her cat condo/tree .  And, most importantly, she lets me pick her up and hold her for a while without resisting .   She eats and drinks well .

According to her bio, "she is litter box perfect" and that is very accurate .  Thank goodness !  I never thought I would blog about her Litter Genie Plus Cat Litter Disposal System but I think it is great for keeping everything nice and tidy .

It is a compact and convenient way to dispose of the cat's waste.  You just scoop and dump into the pail that has a built-in-odor barrier liner that you take to the trash every one to two weeks.  There is a holder for the scoop on the side. When you use the lever on the front, the waste falls to the bottom of the pail and then you close the lid to seal off any undesirable smells .  All, for less than $15 dollars !

I don't seem to have very much of interest to blog about but I will slowly continue and maybe that will change as the weather warms up and I am out and about more.  I feel so blessed to be relieved of the horrible left leg pain that I was experiencing.  And, I am very grateful to be able to afford Ivy and provide her love and care.

Until later.

Mary