Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Wishing You all a healthy 2024!

 I realize I may be a bit premature with New Year wishes but I wanted to make sure I got that done as I am tidying, laundering and swabbing the decks as it were. All of the trash has gone out, too. Groceries are due between 6 and 8 and I may have time for a cup of tea or brewed cacao, something a friend gave me for Chanukah earlier this month. The cacao brews much like coffee in a French press and is loaded with antioxidants. I received a sampler box as a gift and so far have enjoyed the double chocolate. I add stevia and milk as the cacao is unsweetened.

Thanks for your interest in Mercy. I've got to research some solution to the cord problem and will let you know what I find. In the meantime, I am enjoying a book entitled Milo's Eyes, a memoir by Lissa Bachner, whom I saw during an interview with Steve Hartman. Blogger Sandra from Minnesota would probably especially enjoy this reading recommendation. On the subject of Minnesota, Hartman did a piece on an school in Hopkins, in which children realized that several special needs classmates were being left out at recess due to a lack of accessible equipment, swings, etc. When they asked their teacher about this, her response was, "Do you know what that costs?"

They did not but that did not stop them from finding out, and undeterred by the astronomical amount. the kids launched a GoFundMe on social media, had bake sales, tapped local and corporate businesses and other community organizations and went door to door asking for funds until, not only was every cent raised and the playground improved, but an initiative was launched by these children to help other schools make their playgrounds accessible for all children. Our politicians, regardless of party, could learn a lot from these kids, I think.

On that note, I wish you all a good day!

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Not yet, not yet

 Wee girl is fine napping for short periods but after seeing her with the cord to my electric bed in her tiny teeth, I've decided to leave the bedroom off limits for now. Except for that, we've had lots of play and some nap time and I've gotten a back up battery and SD card for my phone, along with the vitamin E oil for the increasing number of wounds inflicted by climbing claws on my legs. lap and feet.

Cooking has been a simple affair. Salads, soups and pasta sauce. and a vegetable curry. I'll finish the last of the lot tomorrow and plan three more dishes for the remainder of the week. I've avoided the spate of Christmas movies in favor of the feel good pieces done by David Begnaud and Steve Hartman. both with CBS News. I hope trash collection resumes tomorrow as our dumpster is filled to overflowing and I cannot get my household trash in there and after four days, it is starting to stink. Apart from that, it has been peaceful other than fireworks neighbors felt the need to include in their festivities. Luckily, Mercy did not freak out. I hope all of you enjoyed your celebrations and thanks for the good wishes. 

Saturday, December 23, 2023

Friday, December 22, 2023

Everything is good...

 We were both up at 4 AM and after some breakfast and play time, had a welcome return to sleep. I got up first. took a look around and decided to clear out then clean and mop the bathroom, the kitchen and the play area while little girl was stashed in her carrier. All was accomplished, followed by a nice meal and more playtime for Mercy. She is proving adept at climbing and scales me and my wheelchair with abandon.

The phone is working well and I am reliably informed that an SD card is available for this model which will back up photos and contacts once I remake that list. My old Doro is no longer  sold. The friend from whom I got Mercy gave me the photos she had including some I had sent to her phone, so at least I have those and the ability to take new photos.

To all of you who celebrate, I wish you a happy Christmas and joyous 2024.  Thank you for reading here. There will be more to write about than kitten adventures!

Cheers!


Thursday, December 21, 2023

Beautiful

 It is gorgeous here today and quiet.  It is a good thing I got some groceries yesterday evening as now Amazon is so jammed and busy online grocery orders are not getting through. 

The wee girl amd I are having a light day. She has such a high metabolism that she does not sleep through the night and rarely naps and the minute she hears me she is ready to have me to play for about ten seconds until her attention wavers. She was given a second meal about an hour ago and I hear nothing behind the bathroom door. She has forsaken her sherpa house for one of the shelves nearest the door and bursts free the miment the door opens, meowing greetings. I awoke at four and fed her and slept until ten which is extremely late. Mercy is always happy to see me and it can take five minutes or more for me to even get into the room with her climbing on me, my chair or the counter.

I let her out to play in the front room after her feeding at 4 AM and again after I got up later. I hope she is napping.

How is your day going?

Wednesday, December 20, 2023

We tried, and failed

 Wee girl and I tried for the third time in a week to introduce her to my bedroom. The effort ended just as the previous had with her going for the cords to the modem and router, and once distracted, attempting to nibble the cord for my electric bed. I do not foresee her leaving the bathroom at night anytime soon which is a real drag for me when I need to use it.

She also has been caught three times now by the chair though I am vigilant. I am honestly at a loss because I adore her and would not hurt her for the world. We have been up since the call of nature got me up at 4 AM and I am ready to head for the bed. tired as can be.

Cheers and have a good night!

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Tuesday

 It was cooking, laundry and errand day here and it began at 3 AM with an early breakfast for the wee one and me. This was followed by a hard play session with a wand toy which left Mercy panting. When she finally made her way to the shelter of our bathroom, I was able to get mail, dispose of trash, clean out the refridgerator, prepare spaghetti sauce, vegetable curry and aplit pea soup. My meals these days need to be filling and quick in order to raise a dervish cat.

When I needed a break, I sat on the loveseat. Mercy catapaulted into my chair, As I laid down, she took a tentative step onto the loveseat and licked my hand. I attempted a slow blink which is how grown cats "say" I love you. Mercy. however. swatted my fingers, and put her nose to mine, purring. Perhaps she really will be happy here...

Good night!



Monday, December 18, 2023

Consumer Cellular Verve Snap Phone Review

It is Monday and my contacts and photos are MIA

 The new VerveSnap isn't as user-friendly as my older flip phone. It arrived late Saturday afternoon rather than Thursday as I was promised by an earnest employee when I asked that it be overnighted on Wednesday. I am beginning to wonder whether the employees get bonuses for lying.

I was finally able to get the phone service restored yesterday after three hours on Facebook with another employee who actually appeared to know what they were doing, a rarity these days it seems. The company recently switched re-seller networks from T Mobile to AT and T while simultaneously changing from 4G to 5G. When I attempted to charge my 4G phone on Wedneday and it would not charge, I was told it was obsolete and I would need a new phone to continue service. I opted for the same type of phone and now have to somehow re-create my contacrs list. The photos are apparently history. Happy New Year from my cellular provider!

The wee girl and I are fine and stayed dry during a wet and windy weekend. 

Happy Monday and Cheers!

Friday, December 15, 2023

Oh Mercy!

 The pet stroller has a design flaw which allows smal. determined kittens to escape and I have seen this and the fact it involves no destruction of any kind. Fortunately, she decamped to the litter box in the bathroom so I merely shut the door and left her to it. As she had just eaten, she seems content for the moment.

The last couple of days have been hard. I accidently rolled the wrong way causing her fear but no obvious injury and so for a bit she was skittish but returned to full on play and climbing me and my chair with abandon. This rather unfortunately involves a new fascination with anything having an electrical cord so since I am not a fan of possible electrocution, it means relocating the laptop and any other chargers or devices to my bedroom and leaving that off limits. In practical terms. I can only write when she is confined and she is as fiendish about getting out of the bathroom as she is the stroller or her carrier.

My other kittens all had adult cats to guide and protect them while I was out working and there was no wheelchair in the mix then. I worry about so-called single kitten syndrome and whether this is the best placement for Mercy but having raised the issue I have been assured that she is active and happy and will get through this phase of development. I am unconvinced and would be inconsolible should anything happen to her.

I also miss the sweetness and relative ease of Lukas.

Thank you!

 A very sweet package and note came in the nail today! Thank You! The phone hasn't materialized. It has been quiet. The wee one spent the morning curled up in her fuzzy blanket fast asleep in her stroller, This allowed for some cooking and chores after waking at 4 AM and feesing her.

I hope the rest of the day is as easy. 

Happy Birthday wishes to Boud and her son. May they enjoy the day!

Cheers everyone!

Thursday, December 14, 2023

Long night, naps needed...

The wee girl and I had a long night, Naps are in order.

Happy day everyone!
 

Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Dead phone, no charge, what a total pain...

 So, I noticed the battery on my phone was low and attempted to charge it to no avail. I then called the service provider and after a laundry list quiz, the representative informed me the phone is out of date and I needed another. This is planned obsolesence at its finest...Another is on the way via mail and is a newer version of the one I've had for the last six years or so. I will need someone with another phone with me to activate it and since I cannot call anyone to arrange that, I cannot worry until the new phone is in hand. If you think this is a bit funny, it just goes to show how unnecessarily complicated humans make things. The fact that I am without a phone for the next few hours or perhaps longer should not concern me but it does.




Not feeling good

 Someone gifted me some sugar free dark and milk chocolates. Without checking the ingredients, I enjoyed a few. Within two hours, I was hostage to the bathroom and a severe case of the runs, stomach pain and general malaise. Apparently commercially made sugar free candies contain ingredients that can irritate the gastrointestinal tract. 

I don't feel much like eating though I did manage plain yogurt and fruit. I also managed a shower, cleaning and mopping the bathroom, taking out the trash and feeding the little diva, who is now resting on the freshly washed load of bathroom towels it took to clean up after me.

I am making some hot tea and sipping water. I have done all I can today.







Tuesday, December 12, 2023

Monday, December 11, 2023

Speaking of books...

 I just learned that a favorite Florida writer and former crime reporter, Tim Dorsey, passed away on November 26th. While perhaps not as well known as Carl Hiassen or Dave Berry, Dorsey's novels, spanning from 1999 to 2023. contain characters and issues related to the crazy, sometimes zany. which comprises Florida life and politics. I will be re-reading them. beginning with Florida Roadkill, in the new year. As someone with Florida pioneers on both sides of my family tree, I have long struggled to understand why anyone would settle here. especially now. I never wanted to come here and now it appears I may be stuck, but that is a story for another day, or perhaps never.

Cheers!




A Chilly Evening

 Mercy has a bit of a drfiant streak. She discovered the cords to the blinds and that if she climbed on the chair she could bat them around with abandon. When I intervened, distracting her with other toys or saying no, she went straight back to them. I've put her in the bathroom for a bit alone/ I'll see if she gets the messege. When acting as a Mama would. distraction is key as is walking away and withdrawing attention. I unfortunately had to tape the cords to the wall and that seema to have done the trick for the moment.

She is easily spooked by outside noises such as the landscaper's lawn mowers.

She ate an early breakfast and was calm in her carrier as I dumped the trash and did other chores. After a snack of kibble and water, Little Miss is resting. Tough morning for an itty bitty kitty.

After an early dinner and getting groceries in, Mercy is playing football in the front room while I am watching Finding Your Roots. It is in the fifties here now and expected to drop.




Sunday, December 10, 2023

The wee whirlwind

 

Mercy is enjoying her new Hanukkah surprise of a brand new tunnel from our friend Irma...

Mercy has also kearned to climb up my leg and will sit in my chair when I am in the bathroom...

I was so tired that we went to bed at 6 PM, got up at 1 AM and then returned to sleep until 6 AM. 

Cheers and happt Sunday!

Friday, December 8, 2023

My best reads of the year...

 Horse by Geraldine Brooks

The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

The Other Family Doctor by Karen Fine, DVM

Goodbye Friend by Gary Kowalski


All were available from the public library, either online via Kindle or in other formats, including audiobooks. I own the last two on Kindle. I also enjoyed the Canadian Joanne Kilbourne series recommended by blogger Wisewebwoman. This is a long series and my library system did not have all of them so I purchased a few on Kindle.

I'm currently reading:

Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead and Wandering Through Life: A Memoir by Donna Leon. Her Commissario Brunetti series is a favorite.

What about you?





Thursday, December 7, 2023

Thursday

 The wee girl and I were up by 7:30 AM. It is fifty here right now and the heat is on for a bit. We have breakfasted. and she has been a dervish, chasing balls and following me around. I'm very wary of that because my chair could hurt her if I wasn't paying attention. She is currently resting in the dinette chair, hidden by the table which seems to be a favorite spot. Today maeks her first week with me. She spent a large portion of the afternoon yesterday asleep in my lap, so apparently she feels more at home.

If any readers want to share about the five best books they've read over 2023. please feel free to do that in your comments. I'll be posting mine tomorrow.

Cheers!



Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Tuesday

 The wee girl is starting to get a bit sassy and brassy. I caught her with a certain glint in her eye as she tried and failed to grab my pant leg and climb into my lap. She's still too little to manage it but the day will come. She was tired and a bit cranky today and spent some time napping. I was not as fortunate which is why this post will be a short one. We had some good lap time and she was a dervish at play until she had no more energy. There were no mews of protest when I put her in the bathroom for the night with kibble, fresh water and a ball she loves. I've not heard a peep and I suspect she's curled up in her tent bed dreaming of her toys.

I still miss Lukas everyday and wish things had been different for him. Since he's been gone, the grief comes in waves at odd times. Loss is loss, whether human or furry. I wish more people understood that.

On another subject, what has been a favorite book this year and why? I can come up with about five. How about you?

Cheers!


Monday, December 4, 2023

Happy Monday


 We've been up for hours. The wee girl is now back in the bathroom while I dump the trash and attempt a nap!  Happy day, everyone.

Friday, December 1, 2023

Meet Mercy


 

Thanksgiving : Behind the scenes

 A friend posted to social media a photo of a tiny stray kitten she found sleeping in her garage. Having been a vet nurse and with temperatures cooling, she brought the calico inside, keeping it away from her adult cats until it could be checked for contagious Felv and FIV, feline leukemia and feline AIDS. This took several days as the minimum weight at which a cat can be tested is two pounds and the little girl needed to eat a bit to get there. On Wednesday of this week, she met that goal and was seen by a vet at her local Planned Pethood, given her first de-wormer and checked for both. Results were negative,

My friend arrived with her last evening. She two pounds of pure energy. So far, she has escaped a latched pet stroller twice and gone missing for over and hour in my apartment. I am sure this is why my vet suggested a senior when Lukas neede s home.