Empty Nest

Before you go thinking I've pawned off my teenager; rest assured she's still here.

I am referring to the Bushtit nestlings. It hardly seems like a last weekend they were a loud & happy bunch as each parent would flit back and forth to and from the nest with beaks full of spiders, flies and tiny gnats to feed their nestlings. I only went out for an hour or two this morning and when I sat in front of the slider around 2pm; no longer did I hear them; I waited & read (Crow Planet) and realized after a hour or so; they must be fledged. *sniff* I missed it. I so had wanted to see those tiny feathered miracles leave the nest. I had rather hoped it would take a few days, you know... Try and fly, end up tail over beak on some nearby twig... but alas, it wasn't meant to be.

This Bushtit’s nest is a 9 inch long pendulous sack, made of spider webs and fuzz, grass, string and lichen. The nest is so snug, the adults need only spend 40% of daylight hours incubating the eggs. To learn more about the Bushtit, please visit BirdWeb.org. You can see the tiny dark whole that is the door. Over the last couple days when a parent would fly into the nest; you could see the sides get all wobbly & sticky outy where there was obviously a commotion going on of tiny gaping beaks and loud peeps! My camera phone's microphone was too lousy to capture it. But you could hear them from across the yard!


I wouldn't have ventured this close when the nestlings were still inside for fear of stressing the parents.

Nesting

There is some evidence of communal nesting by Bushtits, but it is limited to southeastern Arizona. Helpers at the nest are usually adult males. During nesting season, flocks break up, and pairs establish loose territories, although they appear to tolerate other Bushtits within their territories. Both members of the pair help build the nest. The nest is an impressive, woven, hanging basket with a hole high up on the side of the nest and a passageway to the nest chamber at the bottom. It can be up to a foot long, and is generally built of spider webs, moss, lichen, and other plant material. Inside, the nest is lined with plant down, fur, and feathers. If the pair is disturbed during the early stages of nest-building, they will abandon the nest and find a new location, sometimes finding a new mate as well. Both parents incubate the 4-10 eggs for 12-13 days, sometimes at the same time. Both brood the young and bring them food until shortly after they leave the nest at about 18 days. They generally raise two broods a year.

And from this cool blog: Bestiarum I got this darling shot of what a fledgling looks like

Note the diminutive size! Is that a daily 'squee' or what?

Well, all we can hope is that the pair return for possibly one more brood before nesting season is over in July. But I was truly inspired to be host to such a wonderful natural event.

For the Love of Ginger

My first two cats; Ginger & Taffy. I was 19 or 20. On my own in my first apartment in Arizona. I went to a woman's house who had put the add in the paper 'Free Morris cats'. (LOL Back when cat lovers knew who Morris was). When I arrived I was directed to the barn. The kitten I first picked had run out to me from under a tractor. She became 'Taffy' (she is the cat on the right in the grouped photos) and the one just above by herself. She was SO Orange and SO white. She is also pictured on my antique sewing machine below in the window light.

Then; as I didn't want to have one kitten who would be alone while I worked all day; I needed one more. This proved daunting considering the only other kitten available was hiding; way under the tractor; with the black widow spiders. (now y'all know I like those spiders but I don't want to be bitten thank-you-very-much! and technically they'd be well within their rights considering I was intruding on their home turf!) Anyhow...



The woman grabbed a broom & 'shooed' the poor wretched mewling thing out from under the tractor & before she could scramble back. One of the woman's kids grabbed her first by her tail and then by the scruff of her neck & thrust her at me. She was hissing; trembly and growly and she appeared to be covered in grease! It was love at first sight (for my part).

I took both cats and put them in my car. This was before I knew there was such a thing as a cat carrier. I had a VW van (my first car too) and it had a bed in the back with a giant quilt on it; they both burrowed under the quilt and stayed there till we got back to my tiny apartment where I had to fish them out amid screams (mine) & claws (theirs).

That marked the start of a relationship that lasted over the next 20 years. Almost instantly after getting them inside and finding my bed (which was a mattress on the floor) we all lived quite wonderfully from that night on. Both curled up as you see them from then on; usually against me somewhere.

So many memories of my beloved Gin. When I got her home that day I washed her so much her poor fur was almost coming off till I realized she wasn't supposed to be the same color as her sister! Taffy was the wayward wanderer; fearless; hang from the drapery rods kind of cat. Gin; on me; on my lap; in my hair at bedtime for the next 17 + years.


My beloved Ginger Girls. I miss them e.v.e.r.y. d.a.y. And I can't wait to see them again.

A note from Ms. Stella O'Houligan

This woman I live with is such computer hog. I must post this for all you sexie boy & girlie hep cats whose sites I visit and leave comments on. THIS is what I look like.


Here's what I look like when SHE thinks I should 'come in' when I've obviously just successfully managed to escape! YA RIGHT!


Here I am waiting for poor Ms. Scrappie to wander by so I can be hissy at her & show her my BIG tail & my TEEFS! Ya, she better RUN!

That's all for now; the sunlight just found me; finally some warmz...ZZZZZzzzzzzzzz

SAQA 1 Foot Square Donation for Auction

Celtic Pear for Peace

I am really in love with that color mustard! I drew the pear shape and then painted it in fabric medium and let it dry. Then on a sheet of paper I played with the calligraphy placing the words in the pear shape trying to get the dimensions right for the shapeliness of the pear. I then inked the design onto the fabric with my calligraphic pens. I used liquitex calligraphy inks.



The main word Siochian (can't put the fada's in this script) is Peace in Irish Gaelic. There is also Gra = Love; Neart = strength and Onoir = Honor. I then took my artist quill did the relief curlicues and tiny flowers and leaves. After that, it was off to the machine!



Machine quilted from the back in bright orange from a piece of tapestry fabric (I didn't get that photo yet) and then from from the front for all the other quilting of circles, lines, etc. I hope they can use it in auction!

no; I won't bore you with up-to-the-minute photos of this plant. Just took one that I really liked.

A Tale of Two (pair of) Shoes and a Prince

Once upon a time, there was a single young, beautiful, vibrant middle aged mother who lived with her teenage daughter & four superior beings cats. She worked very hard at her day job, her art and keeping their home neat and tidy. She had been struggling for many months with ongoing health issues and some days it was simply all she could do to make it home; get the dinner done; take a warm shower and curl up with a good book to relax. Sadly, that type of relaxation is not condusive to maintaining any sort of waistline unless you consider resembeling the Pilates ball an acceptable shape.

Oh, She tried to be kind to her big fat toucas her middle aged body by following yogi but was disillusioned to find out that instead of follwing a stretching program; she was mistakenly following the ramblings of a friendlier than average bear who was enamoured with picnic baskets.

She finally decided to make a concerted effort to clean up her act and clear off her treadmill and start using it again (as something other than a place to rest her feet while doing hand sewing work at the card table).

She remembered why she placed it in front of her windows to the backyard. She remembered planting things specifically with her viewing pleasure in mind from the height of the running pad. Watching the birds backlit from the sun with their wings laced with gold flitting to and from the loquat tree and bird feeder was something she could watch for hours with a smile on her face. And this year; a pair of bush tits had decided to think so much of her unwillingness to rip out a wandering vine beautiful landscaping they have made a lovely hanging nest in it.


These tiny imps of birds only measure 3 to 4 inches from the tip of their 1/4 inch beak to the end of their tiny tails. The are darling & travel the neighborhood in small groups leap frogging from plant to plant; tree to tree; to glean tiny insects and building materials. They are not quiet and their chirps sound more like tiny ray gun bursts and with each chirp the tail and wings snap. How adorable is this tiny ball of fluff? She has been head over heels in love for many weeks now.

Photo courtesy of Carl Schmidt

With the advent of Spring; it seemed to her the right time to get started on improving her overall health now that her chemical levels were, well, level. With renewed determination she vowed to start at the beginning doing what she really liked, just walking on her treadmill and losing herself in the meanderings of her mind while watching the bird tv in her yard. She told herself that she need only walk for 15 to 20 minutes per day to start but as she always knew; this reeled into at least an hour she found such enjoyment in it. "The trick" she told herself "is getting on to just do the 20 minutes first."

After a week or so of being on target and walking 3 miles each day; her legs were starting to give her some pings. Not because they were sore from lack of excersize (though there certainly was some of that) but as she thought; she probably needed new shoes. She'd been wearing the same pair for so long she'd lost track of how long she'd actually had them. They were pretty sad indeed.



It had been at least 4 years since she last was devout in her daily treadmill worship. But alas; our heroine (like so many others in the kingdom) were seriously suffering economic hardship and new shoes were not on any horizon. Then she remembered something: a Prince, who lived in a far off and dusty hot land was himself a fellow runner had mentioned one time to her that he and his friends donate their old shoes; owing to the fact that as many runners know; you only get about 3 months of serious running out of a new pair if you are running daily. So she had an idea and texted him about where this place might be that she could go and see if they might have a pair with some use left in them (until she herself got back up to speed) and she wouldn't have to ransom her firstborn. The Prince wrote back right away that the shoes were donated but as far as he knew they all went over seas. But he had 'contacts' and he would 'see what he could do'. He enquired as to what size she wore; width & so on. Later that evening she got a text saying that her shoes would be delivered in 2 to 9 days.

You can imagine her surprise when she wrote back how astonished she was that he could locate a used pair of shoes in her size & width on such short notice but he simply said he had gone online and bought her a brand new pair!

Even greater still her amazement when they arrived by post and she put them on the first time. Ahhhh, pure bliss.



It's amazing what a new pair of shoes can do for you, even more amazing when they are athletic shoes. But nothing is so amazing as having a friend who appears so ordinary, so everyday but in reality is a everything a Prince should be. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Rich Owings for being that Prince!

Finally!

After 15 years of being in this house & trying at one time or another to grow these in my front planter (and failing miserably each time) the official 'bleeding heart fairies' have finally decided to grace me with their presence. I have no way of telling which of the myriad old leftover roots these are from but I am heartily glad to to see them!

I am surreptitiously watering them (this must be done without looking directly at them) and furtively slinging plant food (also without direct eye contact) as I wouldn't want them to think any of my efforts were on their behalf (as that would ensure their subsequent immediate death) so we'll see how big they get. It's an exciting time. All for one ennsey-weensey fragile plant that has always captured my heart; broken, bleeding or not.

Livin' the Life!

I come home from a hard day's work, need to run get out of my work clothes and into my workout clothes and on the way to the treadmill, THIS is what I see... *sigh* So hard not to just lay out right there with all those snugglyon particle emitters! Especially that pied in front who has her emitter on 'if you can make it past me you have a will of iron'...


Yes I made it past;, but only just. If it weren't for the fact that my er...backyard area has grown roughly to the size of Rhode Island, I would stop and lounge but alas, cellulite expulsion waits for no one.

A Victim was claimed later by a rain of particles that was emitted at such concentrated force the poor girl didn't stand a chance!

Happy Easter

Wordless Wednesday

On The Rebound

I need to share information that I have come by in a most alarming & very personal way.

Heart Attack Symptoms in Women and Rebound Migraines

Until Yesterday, I had never heard of any such thing. Let me back up to last Wednesday so it'll make more sense.

Wednesday evening, I'm standing in my kitchen making tea; as I wait for the microwave to go off; suddenly I break out in a cold sweat; feel my chest tighten and I can't breathe. In just a few seconds, I am left on my knees on the kitchen floor trying to catch my breath. A normal person would have probably immediately sought help. Not me, I stood up; took some slow deep breaths and tried to calm myself down. I think I'm just stressed out from work so the next day (Thursday)I ask for and am given the following week off.

Friday at work after I eat my lunch sandwich; I start to feel as if I had eaten an entire turkey dinner with all the trimmings & had gone back for seconds. I can't breathe. I am still worried about this symptom but again just attribute it to stress and calm myself with the knowledge that I have a whole week off coming to sleep in and relax. Friday night to work off some of my stress I walk on my treadmill for an hour. It seemed to help. I could breathe deeply without any pain or tightness in my chest.

Saturday morning; my daughter leaves for her birthday weekend with her dad to the desert to go dirt bike & atv riding. By that evening, I've cleaned my entire house, vacuumed, dusted; cleaned my bedroom; done all my laundry, cleaned the kitchen. I realize I've done all this because I'm really secretly afraid that if something happens & the paramedics have to come I want my house clean at least. How sick is that?

That evening I'm online reading about menopause & symptoms & start reading how even a woman at 47 with no other indicators other than high cholesterol can still have heart attacks and the symptoms for women are different than in men. Many of them are not what I would consider even worth bothering over if you took them one at a time. Until I started reading them & realized that in the last couple days I was in fact having many of them. But I persisted in telling myself I was fine. I would just keep my cell in my pocket just in case. I didn't want to tell my daughter even as she was enjoying her birthday in the desert & I didn't want to worry anyone.

On Sunday after she came home I let her know I hadn't been feeling well and I needed her not to play her music loud in her room in case I needed to call her. Then after we ate dinner; while sitting in my rocking chair; I had the same episode that I had had in the kitchen. Now I was really starting to worry. But it was late; I didn't want to drag either of us to the ER for what would end up being several hours of waiting & multiple tests, etc. only to be told I would have to see my Dr. for further tests & evaluation on Monday. I was mad too because this was MY VACATION & I was adamant that I wasn't going to spend it working myself up in a panic over what was probably nothing. I know how this sounds & if you are thinking 'denial' you would be absolutely correct. I was terrified inside but all the information I read about heart attacks was that you didn't keep feeling pain as a constant over days so in that I took what solace I could but first thing Monday morning, I went to see my Dr.

Before I could even blink they were taking my blood pressure & it was sky high! They ushered me to a room & hooked me right up to the EKG machine, they called and scheduled the appointment for the cardiologist where I was to go the minute I left their office, and they recommended a CT scan & neurologist consult for my migraines.

Then my Dr. & I started talking about my headaches (because I had one right then too). I told her I was getting them more frequently lately, it seemed that we had our big rains & for a week I was taking a pill (100mg imitrex) per day, sometimes I'd take two a day. Then after 4 months of no menses cycle, I have one and that triggered a doosey of a migraine just last week, so I was back taking a least a pill a day. She asked me about the timing, we looked at a calendar together, in the 3 weeks prior to my visit that day I had taken over 1800.00mg of imitrex. She went to consult another Dr. in the office & came back 100% certain that I had in fact been having 'rebound' migraines from the meds themselves. AND, the side effects from that much sumatriptan in your system is guess what? yup, same as a heart attack & in some cases can even CAUSE you to have a heart attack. So now they were worried that I may have had one and the cardiologist was waiting for me to arrive for the stress test that would tell them if there was any damage to my heart. Needless to say, after arriving at his office my blood pressure was through the roof still because first I got lost finding his office and now I'm having to fill out forms that say things like, 'In the event of an emergency who do we contact for....' So I'm in his office filling out 19 forms & trembling with fear and I am alone. That morning I had told my daughter I was just going to the Dr.'s to get 'checked out' to make sure I'm fine. All the sudden it's SO SERIOUS and I'm thinking to myself this can't be happening. I mean sure, I'm fat & don't exercise like I should but I'm not obese, I don't have high blood pressure, no one in my immediate family has heart disease.

So I do my test and I will tell you that watching the ultrasound of my heart working and watching the red blood flow & then the blue blood was the cooooolest thing to see! I was then instructed to take all the stickie things off, get dressed & meet the Dr. back in his office. Turns out my heart is perfectly fine. There were no signs of damage from the medication and other than a gentle reminder that I need to get my cholesterol under control with medication & diet, he doesn't want to see me again until next year. *Why is it at this time I had the inner urge to say something like, "Look, I know I'm like 20 lbs up but dang! for like 5 years before this I was a size six & walked 3miles everyday, doesn't that count for something???"* sad isn't it?

What my Dr. explained to me about the migraine meds is this... When you feel a migraine coming on, take one pill; if your migraine persists, you may take one more. After that your migraine should be gone. If not, DO NOT continue to take more meds. At that point that medication isn't working for you & you need to try a different one. It doesn't tell you any of that on the insert or on the box! She said migraine medication should only be used once or possibly twice PER MONTH. That would have been 200mg in my case. But I was floating 1800.00mg in just a couple weeks!

The ironic part of all this is that while I'm waiting for my body to detox itself, I still am having low grade migraines (caused by the medication in my system) and because she doesn't want me taking any more migraine meds just yet, I have a script for Vicodin. And I don't just have one or two pills, the script was for 45! I'm trusting that I won't need anymore after today. I've been sleeping in, taking naps, taking it easy since yesterday's chaos and feel a bit better. So know I know, and I want you to know too. Be careful. We all matter!

Time

Time not only flies; it hops the Concord & take off to the Outer Limits!

My daughter is seventeen today.

I can't hardly articulate how I feel about this. I remember being seventeen like it was only last week (unless I try to stay kneeling down for a bit). I have fond memories of living in the only house we ever had (we only had it for the 4 years I was in High School)and having a "Princess House" party when all they sold was crystal. Later, I remember being invited to a "Queens Way" party & buying my first negligee (it was dark burgundy & by today's standard would be considered a ultra-conservative prom dress!)

This morning, while cleaning I found a photo album under my bed from 1990. My beloved grandpa Hurt was alive, my dad was alive; my cousin Mary Ellen was alive. My fiancee hadn't been hit on his motorcycle & left in a coma for 6 months only to awaken & be left with no memory of our time or promises to each other. I was all of 26, smooth skinned. My hair was a little over an inch long and not dyed, white or flat ironed. I didn't own a sewing machine. I had an apartment, two cats & lived alone. I didn't watch TV even then; I learned calligraphy, silk flower arranging and listened to 'the wave' on the stereo. I kept a 30 gal. freshwater fish tank my Grandfather gave me.

I've worked at my day job with the same company for just over 22 years. Ellen & I have been in this house for the last 15 of those.

I am most grateful that Ellen has never had to move once (in her childhood) let alone several times a year. She's never had to get all new friends; always be the 'new kid' at yet another school or fall sleep in a back booth at one of the nightclubs where her mother worked. True, she never got to dress up for special gigs but neither did she have to teach herself to overcome her fear and politely say 'no thank you' to men twice her age when they asked her to slow dance. She never had to wonder why their embraces were so tight or to try and smile anyway so her mother would think she was having a good time. She never had to wash the car the next morning cleaning all the 'sick' off the drivers side door because her mother was so drunk but kept driving anyway. I am thankful she doesn't know what it's like to be 11 and have the police show up at your door wanting to know where your parents are. Or the combination of excitement and shame you feel when you are told your grandparents will be driving all the way from L.A. to pick you up and you must go home with them. Or what it's like to run from your apartment screaming in panic for help from anybody when the grease in the pan you were trying to make popcorn in catches fire. I value the childhood I had, even if it only let me shape my future by contrast.

I am a Parent. It is my job To Be There. I am so glad I Showed Up!

It's so interesting that the best part of my life started in 1993 when Ellen was placed in my arms. I am reminded how sparkly and full of glitter glue those first years were! Celebrating all the holidays with a vengeance! Swimming lessons, Soccer, Gymnastics. Girl Scouts. I am grateful for the innocence my daughter has (which is not the same as naivete); for the stability I have been able to provide and I am unendingly blissed out that I still get to be here & watch her every day and see who she is becoming & how her life is turning out. As we used to say 'What a rush!'

I've always told her, it's been my Honor and Privilege to be her mom.

You Rock!

We got this award from 'The Furry Kids'

And the picture was sooooo cool we are sending it out all our cat lovin buddies!

Disco No Furno & Mommy Coco & all those adorable babies!!!

Isabella & Angel (& Sadie too!)

NoFurato Diary of a Naked Cat. (Who is currently the Winner of the Sleep Warrior award!

We Three Ginger Cats!

Marie @ ZQuilts!

And last but not least; our lovely Mancats Raymond & Busby ; when last we spotted the intrepid Raymond he was mouchin' off with Busby's felted; nipped mousie! The Drama has yet to unfold!

From LOL Cats. This kitty needs one of my quilts!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Jenga is doing just fine & loves to lounge in the sun even if I'm washing the windows. For the full effect; click the picture. Just drink in those lovely eyes!

Best Quote Ever

"The problem with communication is the illusion that it has occured"
--George Bernard Shaw

Sunday Morning

Dis my kitty...

Ms. Stella O'Houligan. She is 14. After she spent the morning chasing Scrappie, following me in the backyard & noshing on her special food she took a last look outside & saw clouds, and wind and decided it was a day best left for napping. So we are all in; warm; cozy; quiet. I'm busy sewing and Ms. Stella was kind enough not to move when I took, the umpteenth picture of my beloved, this morning.

I didn't think she would mind considering she was fast asleep; as I neared her I could hear her purring which tells me she knows I'm there but she didn't flinch. Just sort of cracked one of her luminescent green orbs and kept right on dozing. Ahhh, it's good to the be the Queen isn't it Ms. Stel? xo

Fun Blog to View

It's called "My Parents Were Awesome" and it has great photos like this one (my favorite so far~aren't they just the cutest!) If you get the chance; check it out here.

Just looking at markers of the era's like clothing; colors; hairstyles is totally awesome!

Our Recovering Patient

It's Sunday morning. Miss Jenga woke me bright and early to tell me she had an important date & as she'd all ready missed Friday & Saturday she WASN'T going to miss today too! "GET UP! Take this conflabdulated thing off me so I can go meet Ra! He's out there waiting!" At this she even gave me some kitty muffins on my arm to hurry things along.

As her penthouse is high, I was skeptical about letting her jump & climb up there in her 'tender' condition but I can assure you; SHE had no problem at all and once there, immedately sat down to take a leisurely bath all round with those giant velvet paws and purred so loudly I could hear her from across the room. I mention her paws alot; they are milk chocolate on top but when she opens them they are semi webbed and all dark chocolate underneath. Yummy!

All of you who donated can feel secure in knowing that you helped out in the most 'pawsome' way possible & this little lady (*& me too) are purrrrrrever grateful! Her stones are gone; she's able to urinate finally which for her I'm sure was pure bliss! And she now has special food *Prescription diet c/d* that's really no more expensive than the regular premium cat food she was on. She will have a check up in a week.

As some of you asked; our cat Ms. Stella O'Houligan had the same problem the same day! I had to take them both in to the vets which was quite fun~NOT! Ms. Stella gets really carsick with fluids leaking from both ends no matter how short the distance & she is so loud that you'd think she was being skinned alive in that carrier!

Neither Ms. Stella nor Miss Jenga really like either other that much so keeping them in the same examining room apart from each other was tricky but luckily they were so occupied with where they were they didn't have much time for aggressive behaviour.

Stella ended up having crystals (which is different from stones) and hers were aided along by a shot (something they give horses & dogs to reduce inflammation in the bladder) and her diet food changed immediately to the canned c/d (something I can't get Jenga to eat at all!) She came home with pain meds as did Jenga that day, it was rather fun going from room to room dosing narcotics and watching each of them get all relaxed & trip out on these stupid tiny moths we seem to have been inundated by! *we've since found the moths source & wiped them out* The reason I couldn't foot the remainder for Jenga myself was that Stell's bill was nearly $400 and that sort of wiped out our 'Emergency Cat Funds' savings.

So again I say, THANK YOU!! to all who donated. Each one of you that has provided me with an address will receive a special tree ornament this year that I'm making (18 of them so far) and for those larger donations; I'm making your art starting today and those will be going out over the next couple weeks.

It's been my honor to take care of this special girl and watch her come through this with all her big giant purrs intact. She requested I not embarass her by photographing her bare tummy parts so here you have her.

Thanksgiving week indeed!!

Update S.O.S.

I am truly speechless!

GREAT NEWS!!! Jenga's Surgery is scheduled for this Friday! From my blog post yesterday and the power of the web via Tweets, re-tweets & Facebook Jenga has received $259.00!!! That coupled with the generous donation from her prior owner of $400.00 puts us nearly there!

I can't thank all you of enough for the generosity of your hearts & pocketbooks! You truly all will have done something remarkable for our little girl & I KNOW she'll be so happy after her surgery (well, not the part with the 'cone of shame') to be able to stretch out on the bed & play chase in the house again and be all chirpy!

Thank you again for everything!!!

Next week I shall be compiling the list of things I get to make & send out. I'll be emailing those of you that donated but didn't leave your physical address to receive your art!

Meeeyaow! Tonight we rest..

S.O.S

A quick update on the kittens first! We gave them to MeoowzResQ here in Orange County who rehomes kittens & they have all found loving homes as of this writing!

Now for more serious news and an artful proposition...

Our foster cat Jenga had to have a toe removed which involved many return trips to the vet for bandage changes, etc... This travelling didn't agree with her at all and she has developed stones in her bladder. They are too large for her to pass them so she will need surgery.

The surgery needs to take place as soon as possible as right now she's urinating blood and I can tell this causes her great pain even with the pain medication I give her every 8 hours.

The surgery will cost $723.00 to $782.00. Bengal Rescue said they couldn't pay all of that as their resources are tapped in aiding 45 cats from a Lancaster cattery. I contacted her previous owner and she has graciously volunteered to pay $400.00. I'd like to raise some additional funds to help save this cat's life.

HERE'S THE DEAL I'M MAKING...

First! Any and all donations no matter how small will be heartfully accepted! Every penny counts!

So for donations from $1.00 to $5.00 You will get the satisfaction of knowing you helped save a life and a personal thank you note from Jenga.

For donations of $6.00 - $12.00 you will receive one pack of my hand made(5x7)cards *see here

For donations of $20.00 you will receive an 8x10 frameable art quilt in any colors you choose!

For donations of $30.00 or more you will receive an 10x12 frameable art quilt in any colors you choose!

For donations of $40.00 you will receive on of my Catnip quilts suitable for your own feline or as a gift! *see here

100% of your donations goes to Bengal Rescue for Jenga's Surgery. Please use my Paypal account and make sure you put 'Jenga' in there. Or just email me privately at corvus93@sbcglobal.net.

Thank you so much for reading & helping out if you can. And even if you can't donate; thank you for keeping Jenga in your hearts!

This just in! Pictures of my little Catnip Quilts complete with cats! Thanks Sharla!

One more cos it's Halloween

to hear the purring; sound must be loud

MY Sunbeams!

took me awhile to figure out they were playing with the sunmbeam on the floor. Sorry for the vert. format; can't figure out how to change it. If anyone knows; do post! Thanks!

Saturday Morning

NOW you can see why I'm not sewing. The action is non-stop and adorable. Makes me laugh. When I move to another room to do something they immediately stop and follow me. Our Tribe is TOO large! I don't want to take them to the shelter... If you know of anyone who might like a kitten; let me know. Thanks!

FREE KITTENS!!! REALLY! PLEASE HELP!

Latest 'LOLCat' from my friend Deb! Soooo cute!


We have taken in 3 adorable kittens who need forever homes. Unlike our Foster Jenga, these kittens are FREE! We had originally placed two of them but sadly those arrangements didn't work out. Now we are back to three; two boys & a girl. I have three cats & one foster all ready & can't keep any of them. If you would like one or know of anyone who might; I'm happy to make transportation arrangements to get them where they need to be.


GIRL

BOY

BOY










This girl is simply beautiful!


Everybody wants to be a dog! NOT!

Mr. Aspen comes for a visit!

We were so excited to learn that Mr. Aspen could come for a two week visit! I had forgotten how much I loved having a talking cat!



Right now we have a full house! Mr. Aspen has his comfy carpeted garage; Jenga has my room; our three houligans Ms. Stella, Miss Jack & Scrappie have the sewing room, living room & kitchen; and the three tiny kittens have El's bathroom until they find permanent homes. They are quite adorable & I'll post some vid this weekend of them. I missed having tiny kittens but I'm over it now :) LOL! COME! Take one HOME! PLEASE!!!!

How do you?

Say goodbye forever, to your best friend?
How do you say goodbye to that face? Those wobbly eyeballs? That TAIL?

She was a rescue kitten...


She was so beloved in our home she had her own colloquialisms, she became a verb.


She had many names. The one we gave her:'Coco'. After we got to know her she became all of; but not limited to the following: Cocoyouresocute; Lemur butt; Ghostcat & Transporter Kitty (owing to the fact that she could disappear in the house and after much thorough searching on our part, would reappear mystically, sleepy eyed as if to say 'What? I've been here the whole time.') We knew differently of course, there was a magic door somewhere in the house, & when it would get really hot; we figured she was somewhere on a black sandy beach in her white fur & gorgeous sea blue eyes suckin' down a daiquiri under a cute umbrella.


But I digress; *sigh*

Coco bonded instantly with Ellen. They could be seen anywhere in the house together at all times. Sick or well, asleep or awake; eating or not; together always. Coco became Ellen's favorite muse for the camera & trust me when I tell you, Coco wouldn't have had it any other way. In fact; if you started talking sweetly to any of our other cats; Coco would insinuate herself immediately on the scene because she knew; all such worshipping was meant only for her.


After we created a lovely backyard full of plants & flowers to attract birds, butterflies & such, we made the decision to convert our cats from outdoor to indoor. The only times they were allowed outdoors was with me; for an hour or so in the afternoons & early Sunday mornings in the backyard. They much loved this time. As Ellen's star model; she became our 'Thank You' card.



The night of September 5th, 2009 was a gorgeous full moon. Ellen took her camera we went outside to photograph it. Two of our cats joined us; one was Coco. Upon coming back into the house; I thought El had Coco, El thought I had Coco, she put her camera away; we chatted a bit, then went to bed.

After my Sunday morning walk, I returned home; Coco neither came out from the garage to meet me (& do her morning stretch/flop in front of me) so I figured she was in El's room. I checked there; nope. Strange.

I got my coffee; opened the back door and went out; sat with the other girls & wondered where the heck that ghost cat had transported to this time. After watering the back yard; brought everyone back in & then I went to the front yard to water. It was then that I noticed a small patch of white fur on a low coarse brick barrier near the garage. I picked it up; not thinking. El got up came to the front door; I told her Coco was missing, it was strange; El said 'Transporter kitty'. And we laughed.

I went to the side of the house to turn the water off. There is a long stretch down the side of the house where the tall cypress tress grow shading everything. Nothing grows on that side as a result and sometimes trash blows there from the winds. Something caught my eye. Even from a distance I could see trouble... small white tufts of fur. And it was then my heart started trembling. I walked back there in & picked up the few tufts. There was nothing else, no sign of struggle, no blood, nothing... Just the fur. With my heart hammering in my chest, I walked to Ellen's window and asked her if it looked like Coco's fur to her (I was hoping beyond all hope that it was some other cat's fur owing to a fight or something) Ellen opened her screen & took it from me; I heard her say "it looks like it" and by the time I had turned around, she had thrown it back out the window. Ellen's action took me so by surprise that for a moment I was intensely angry with her I audibly gasped. Then the realization came to me, another component of my grief not yet known...

The loss to Ellen was so large, that when perceived by her tender young heart it became something to be avoided at all costs; she immediately went into denial out of self preservation. When I understood that, it was more devastating to me than the tragedy of Coco's disappearance.

I would have to watch my beloved daughter, endure the heart rending anguish of losing her best friend.

This was all 6 days ago now. Every.day.I.have.broken.down.crying. I'm not trying to be dramatic; but honest. Body shaking sobs. I have not wanted to eat; have not cleaned house, have not much conversed. And for the first couple days, didn't even talk about it with El, fearing she wasn't ready. I didn't want to push her. If she still had hope of Coco's return, I would have to let her come to the realization herself. I didn't go to work on the 8th, nor did Ellen go to school. I could tell that morning when I went to wake her that she had cried in the night; her face & eyes all puffy. I simply kissed her head; (she leaned into me) and I said; don't worry, go back to sleep then.

Leaving her room, I felt a tiny pressure release in my pain, not screaming teapot release, but rather a slow, drip, drip, drip release that I would later recognize as a small step toward healing of my own shattered heart. Knowing that on some level, Ellen was facing it. My brave, strong, amazing daughter, on her own, without me prompting, was facing a horrible life truth. *sigh*

What I haven't told you dear readers; (and bless you if you're still reading this) is that the fault of Coco's death is mine. Even back in the archives of this blog; I wrote a post about an early morning sighting IN MY OWN BACKYARD of a beautiful Coyote. And I did not heed it's warning. Even as we locked the cats in at night; in our daily routine; my vigilance slipped. Just enough to let that tiny 4 year old life slip through it. She was not in that night; I did not make sure. My daughters heartbreak falls at my feet. Along with my own heart there shattered in tiny pieces, hers mingles there too and the whispers of the pieces as they rustle together like dried autumn leaves say to me 'guilty'. And I am.

WE are the caretakers of our animals. WE must be ever watchful for them. Just as we are over our children. And I failed; and EPIC fail. It cost someone her life; and it cost someone else so very dear to me, her heart and I accept responsibility for that.

As for me; there is a time of day that I cannot yet go into the backyard. Each time I think of it I feel myself breaking apart. The time when I would come home from work, kick of my shoes; walk barefoot on the grass, and water things. She would be there; in the area I don't mow so it's long & tall grass that she could hide in, stalk my feet from, and ambush the other cats. I know I'll look for that tail, or that face in the grass, I won't find it anymore; and my heart will squeeze tight because I know, she's just gone.



Coco, we love you with all our hearts and all our feelers. We send big purrs to you and hope you can feel the vibrations of love.

And, I'm so very, very sorry to have lost you. Please forgive me beautiful girl.

Crepes?

The French, in their infinite wisdom, created the humble crepe. A lovely, light, flat, airy pancake. I am not a 'foodie' I do not watch 'Top Chef' or 'Reality Chef' or any other programme about food or it's preparation. If I'm hungry; I eat what's available, and move on.

For a short time; I lived with my biological father & step-mom, when I moved out they gave me a vacuum & a crepe maker. Very wise! The crepe maker wasn't anything fancy; it was slightly dome shaped and you made your batter, put it in the 'lid' portion that stayed on the counter, dipped the pan into it for a second, then flipped the pan over, waited for the light to go on and peel off your crepe. Voila! as the French say, a perfectly round, flat, thin as paper; crepe. Yum! I prefer to eat my crepes plain (that is opposed to having them stuffed with anything). Well, that gift was given to a little over 20 years ago now. I still have it; still use it.

Tonight, it decided it adored my crepe batter so much it wasn't going to let them go. NOT. EVEN. ONE.

Ever notice how you can have something for so long, it's never given you a lick of trouble (where does that phrase come from?) & the minute said item starts 'acting up' you don't calmly tell yourself "Oh my, I guess it's just time for the poor thing to die. I'll have to get a new one, it lasted soooo long." NO! You stand there sweating, angry, frustrated & thinking, what a "hunk a junk!' I can't believe this P.O.S. is doing this to me! curse.curse.curse.

Ugh... this day was frustrating enough, now, in the overbearing heat; I used my last three eggs (this means if it goes badly, I can't even have French toast) to create a little comfort food and alas, the crepe gods are laughing! son-of-a... Well, being the true red head I am, I was not ready to give up nor toss in my whatever-they-call-that-white-French-cooking-hat-thingy, so I took a deep cleansing breath, and thought. I'd seen others use a regular pan for this sort of thing but they usually had some sort of flat 'spreader' utensil to evenly spread the batter. Who cares! I'm an artist, 'Ces't la Vie'! So I took out my beautiful stainless steel Cuisinart pan. It has a wide flat bottom. It's so bottom heavy it almost feels like cast iron! That pan was a gift from my step-dad & his wife a couple years ago for Christmas when they secret-Santa'd me & El with a check that left both of us stunned & teary!

Back to cooking: I dabbed a tiny bit of butter on it & spooned some batter in and I waited.

No bubbling up, must mean I have to flip it on my own... *sigh* I took a deep breath, slid my long cake spatula underneath, all the way around, then lifted slightly & flipped! The top batter wasn't quite done so there were many splatters, but the bottom was a nice golden brown. Figuring I was on the right track, I made several more. When all done; put butter on them & the last of the maple syrup (I mean really, I wasn't going to have French toast if this didn't work so it didn't matter). I closed my eyes & tasted...

They tasted the same. The rich buttery goodness, sweet spongy consistency and slight tang on the finish (owing to the dash of lemon zest you put in). They were thicker, more like three or four pieces of paper as opposed to one, they weren't perfectly round at all, though some were quite artistic in their rendition of themselves I welcomed them all, in all their 'carnations'.

This is how I enjoy my crepes: butter & light maple syrup. If you like crepes stuffed with every manner of sea roach known to roam the bottom of the ocean, that's your business. I like 'em the way my other step-mom used to make 'em. French pancakes indeed. Strangely, I feel comforted. Now off for a walk. Because as the French also know; if you play... you'd better pay and NO calorie goes unpunished!