She Wasn't Just a Cat - She Was An Institution

First off, I want to thank everyone who noticed and inquired about the deafening silence on this blog.  I been sick.  Seriously sick.  And for a long time.  At long last, after more then a decade, a diagnosis of chronic lyme disease was made.  I'm treating for that lyme now, and let me tell you, it's one of the hardest things I've ever had to work through.  When I first heard the diagnosis, my heart was so light.  I thought "do you really mean to tell me that over ten years of rheumatoid arthritis and a reconstructive surgery, weakness, exhaustion, brain fog, crazy dreams (the symptoms go on and on) have all been because of this?"  I was thrilled, excited, that we had a plan to treat the whole deal.  Then the next day I actually started the treatment.  I won't go into details, just suffice it to say that all of my symptoms are popping in and out in spades, and I'm deathly sick every day from the drugs.  This is part of the plan, so it's ok, but even so, it's really hard.  I am blessed to have found a doctor who specializes in integrative medicine, so I am armed with the supplements and other support so desperately needed to help get me through this.

So I'm working through the physical stuff, and also dealing with some mental stuff.  I told my family today I feel like someone who has been wrongly imprisoned for a number of years.  I have spent nearly 1/3 of my life sick with lyme disease.  Sure, I'm going to get my life back, and I'm really looking forward to that, but at the same time, I'm angrier than a wet hen.  Angry at the doctors who didn't treat me properly back in 1997 when that tick bit me, and again when I returned with arthritis symptoms a short while later, and all those slick rheumatologists who are basically sleeping with their pharmaceutical reps -- who knew I had had lyme disease but didn't want to pursue that route because they would lose their ill-gotten gain from keeping countless numbers of sufferers on medications they didn't need and would indeed harm them in the long run.

So anyway....deep breath...I am seriously ACHING for Spring here at the Haney Place.  We're starting lettuce in a tray (ok it's a kitty litter box, but it was never used for that) in an upstairs bedroom even though the ground outside is still covered with snow and ice.  And we're wading into the world of sprouted grain bread.  I promise a post with a recipe in the very near future.  I've already got a sourdough starter beginning to brew in the kitchen.  That's about all the cooking I can handle at this point.  Just 15 minutes or so on my feet leaves me all worn out at this point.

Now on to the object of my post.  In the midst of all the turmoil here lately, our cat died.  PooPoo.  I don't really know how old she was.  I only know I've had her for 19 years, and she was all grown up when I adopted her.  So let's just say she was 20-something.  She was a force to reckon with, that's for sure!  Her first family had had her mutilated declawed, all four paws.  So she was helpless, and she was mad as heck about it!  Then she was dumped in a shelter, until we adopted her.  I was desperately missing my cat Oscar who had recently deceased, and I wanted another lap cat.  Enter PooPoo.  Wow -- no lap cat here.  I honestly believe that if she had opposable thumbs, she would have been making obscene gestures at us several dozen times a day.  She TOLERATED us feeding her, other than that she shunned humans for the most part.  My oldest son, Jeffrey, used to be able to get her to do back flips on my bed by doing circles with a feathery toy bird on a stick.  That was pretty much the most fun we had with her.

The past year or so, she has been slowly declining, but never so much as the past few weeks.  Poor little thing had nothing left to her - her bones jutted out visibly, her mind was pretty much gone (she tried to eat the kitty litter) and she kept insisting on sitting up on a high shelf, and she kept falling off and hurting herself.  Two days ago, she began staggering as she walked.  I really couldn't bear to watch any longer, so we made the difficult decision to take her to the vet today, for that "last ride".  That tough old girl just lie quietly in a blanket in my arms the whole time.  I had a talk with her, and reminded her that she would be seeing Jesus before I would.  I asked her to put in a few good words for me.  Because she was what she was, and I believe she was exactly what she was created to be.  A creature of God, designed for His purpose.  He knew we needed her, and not another lap cat.  And hopefully, she needed us as well.  She's with God now, I firmly believe that.  Enjoy, PooPoo.  I hope you have all the Grilled Tuna Fancy Feast in Gravy you can hold!!!

So it's kind of a sick, sad time here at the Haney Place tonight, but we're looking toward Spring, and that's a fact.  And we know a secret about some very, very happy news that we'll post about later in the week, and that's a promise.

All is Calm, All is Bright

For those of you who are following our shy dog, Elsa, this post is an update.  Elsa is THRIVING.  She has grown by leaps and bounds.  She smiles, she plays, she pounces, she runs.  Today, I observed her playing a very aggressive game of tug over the rawhide toy with our other dog, Tuffy.  They yapped and growled at each other all evening, but it was all in good fun.  Tonight they are both worn out, and sharing a bed.  Silent night, indeed.

We DO Love Her

This sight greeted us upon our return from work today.  We DO love her, and actually celebrate the "naughtiness" as progress out of her "super shy" self.  At least today, it was her own bed and not our mattress, as it was a few days ago!!

Please note the sweaters, socks and other personal items she retrieved from the dirty laundry to comfort and amuse herself with. 

Baby

That's her name, at least right now.  Her name is Baby, and she has a home.  For tonight.

Let me explain.  Steve and I went to my friend's house early in the day (Linda Brown -- she knows who she is!!!)  We went there with our little cultivator to help Linda till up her front yard, which had previously been yucked up by grubs.

So there we were, me and Linda, supervising Big Steve while he cultivated her front yard.  And then the suggestion was made that some peat moss would be a very good thing.  Linda Brown indicated that she believed she had some in her (rarely frequented) garage.

So we went out the the aforementioned garage.  And the mournful cry, the feeble meow, that desperate cry for help welcomed our peat moss seeking ears.  My first thought was OMG.

Linda's brother (deathly allergic to cats) came out and urged us on "Get that stuff out of the way!!!" as we made our way to the little thing - an orange marmalade tabby now known as "Baby".  She had been trapped for some time -- long enough to be horribly dehydrated and starving to death.

The long story -- several phone calls to local vets, rescue groups -- finally we got a real person at the end of the phone.  I can't say enough for these dear people.  They thanked me for bringing Baby in - all I could think of was THANK YOU FOR BEING AWESOME HUMANS WHO ACTUALLY CARE!!!  I don't know, but lately I have had the feeling that the majority of people are out for what they can get. Here is their website:  http://all-creatures.org/ak/index.html  They are the best people you will ever meet.  Or SUPPORT!!!

The plain and simple fact is that there are still plenty of people out for what they can GIVE!!!

I wish I had a picture, but I'm pretty sure my tears of fear, worry, and ultimately gratitude would have clouded it.  I'm pretty sure most of my excessive tears were for the beauty of these selfless people -- the knowledge that GOOD is strong and present -- despite how it seems in my everyday life.  All I know is, these people are awesome.  If you are in the neighborhood for a pet, please go see these wonderful people.  If not, please go there and make some small contribution.  In Baby's name.

Cooking Class at the Haney Place

We took a somewhat drippy, soggy walk after dinner tonight.  It's not horribly cold out, but we all got wet and a tiny bit chilled.  We returned home to a warm and inviting kitchen, smelling wonderfully of oregano, among other things.  After a thorough toweling by big Steve (Elsa loved it but HAD to behave as if it really freaked her out) we are settled in for the evening.  And it's not quite 8 pm!!!

Tonight's evening meal was gluten free pizza, Stiva and I being all alone in the place and all.  I was surprised at not having any pizza sauce in the pantry, once having made and instilled in the pan the (Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour) gluten-free crust.  Once I started making the light marinara, can I tell you that there was immediately a classroom in the kitchen.

Sooooooooooooooooo....if you would like our recipe for gluten free pizza, you are welcome to consult my students:

It's REALLY Spring!!!

I think my batteries died in my camera -- I'm so tech unsavvy that I'm not even sure if that's the problem.  At any rate, it REALLY is Spring, and for that I am so thankful!

Here is the fresh oregano, which replanted itself from last year.  It's all ready to use in the kitchen, in fact, the more I use, the more that will grow...there is already fresh thyme as well, and we used that this week in the black eyed pea jambalaya, but the camera died before I could shoot that...

Here are the peas coming up about Stiva's lovely framework.  There will be fresh peas still in the shell for salads, and later, peas for freezing for the winter.

Here are the lilacs, purple and white.  Again, I just wish we had smell-o-vision!

And most importantly, here is Stiva retilling part of the garden to get ready for everything else.  And there is little Elsa, literally having the **** scared out of her (if you want to come over and see for yourself, that little tiny tiller literally scared the **** out of Elsa, but I digress...

Waiting for Something Good to Happen

If a picture paints a thousand words, this one paints a thousand hopeful words.  Little shy Elsa wears this look more often than not these days -- ears forward, hearing a sound and believing something very good to be connected with it. 

The B**** Bit Me!!!!!

Trying to fix the wrongness of an elderley cat who is dropping her winter coat and can't effectively groom herself, as well as helping her (and the household) to be healthier in general, I cleaned out her cat basket.  And removed the blanket of matted hair from her catnip filled basket mat.  It was incredible.  It took me 15 minutes to hand pick the matts of hair off before I put the whole mess into the washer -- for a long incredible wash cycle.  She was in that wicker basket, as always, when I tried to put her nice clean matt back in.  I know you won't appreciate this if you have a cat with claws, but PooPoo has no claws!!!  She latched on with her blessed teeth and wouldn't let go!!!  I'm sure the others in the household heard me shrieking "YOU BIT ME, YOU B****!!!"  Not ladylike, in any way.  Just the shock and awe of a middle aged woman whose companion had totally dug her fangs into my flesh and would NOT let go!!!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....It's a good thing I love her!!!