Home from the vet

Unbelievable!!!! I just spent nearly $100 on this cat!!! Am I upset? Yes!!!

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When I got home after spending time with Chris N. today, Joanne was still here, in her jammies. Jo told me Lynx and she just sat and moaned together all morning. I decided that something had to be done with the cat before it is too late---but how? At Great Hang Ups, Julia offered her mom's cat carrier for taking Lynx in for a check-up but they were going to a funeral today so would not be available for me to stop by and pick it up. Then I remembered my neighbor, Rose, has a small dog and must have to transport it one way or another. Sure enough, I got hold of her hubby and he delivered the carrier right to my door!

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The vet asked me if it was possible Lynx ate something she should not have, like yarn or string. I had wondered about this myself and all I came up with was Easter grass. She thought that grass would probably be too short and would break, so was not likely the problem. The vet took Lynx's temperature, which was slightly elevated, but not enough to be a "sick" problem. Regardless, the vet gave Lynx a shot for nausea and one with an antibiotic, plus a bottle of amox. to go! Can you just see me wrestling the cat to give her a dropperful of the pink stuff? I wonder if it works to pinch her nose shut so she swallows, like we did with Timmy!

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She also recommended giving Lynx some milk or yogurt or ice cream to lick on, in order for her to get some nourishment. I bought a small can of tuna on the way home, when I picked up Tylenol for Joanne, my other sick girlie, and Lynx is actually giving it a try right now. I only hope she will not cough that up on my bedroom carpet later. IF the medicine and other TLC do not do the trick, the vet said our next step would be blood work, x-rays, and probably surgery. I put my hand up and declared, "That will not happen!" and they nodded in assent. I had already told Joanne when I left with Lynx that she should not be surprised if I came back with an empty cat crate....They can just give her a nice shot and put her to sleep, rather than have her undergo surgery on her intestines to unwrap a string or yarn wound around in there. Nope, instead it would be "good night, Lynx!"

I have two sick girlies here....

My mom used to get the occasional phone call from Grandma Sickles, who lived within blocks of our school, when one of us girls would show up at her house, claiming illness. Grandma would get us situated on her studio sofa (now called a day bed), having us take our dresses off so as not to wrinkle them, cover with a blanket, and then place the call to Mom. "I have a sick girlie here...." and her voice would trail off, as Mom tried to guess which one it was today. More often than not it was me, who simply hated math class. I was not smart like my sister, Lori, when it came to many subjects, but smarter in ways that cannot be graded. So, anyway, Grandma would call Mom to report a sick girlie lying on her sofa in her petticoat, waiting for the illness to pass.

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I have two sick girlies here today: Joanne and Lynx. Joanne has complained of a sore throat since Monday, thinking she caught it from Christine, who is also sick. Christine is doing her finals for culinary school this week, managing to get a 98 on Monday although sick as a dog. Or sick as a cat, as Lynx continues with her malady, the medicine not really making much difference. Instead of her usual following me around the house or sitting right here in the room with me, I seek her out, finding her resting on the floor in front of the TV. This is so not Lynx.

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Justin called this a.m. from Miami to check in, and we discussed the sick kittie situation. Apparently he read my blog because he knew about her being plugged up. I told him I felt badly for Lynx but have a real problem considering spending much money on her. Perhaps a simple enima would take care of it, but somehow I would have to get her to vet and back again without a cat carrier. Does anyone have a pet carrier I can borrow? Does anyone want an impacted cat?

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Today my friend, Chris N. was coming over to paint with me but I have also been invited to a lecture at the Thrasher-Horne where Beth and Toni's art show is being featured. Chris is meeting over there as she has not seen their show yet. We are also planning to stop at Great Hang Ups once we are done at Thrasher-Horne for Chris to view that show. Martie is still busy with her grands and daughter-in-law who are visiting from England. The boys are named Logan and Moses---yes, Moses. This officially makes Martie Grandma of Moses!

Wedding Pictures (Forgive any repeats, please...)

In the reception hall, this table was decorated with the colors used for the wedding party. The photo, of course, is Kelly and Kevin.

The wedding ceremony is underway. Again, the blue hue is from the light coming in the windows and not using the flash.

This area is at floor height and was decorated with lighted candles. It looks like Europe to me!

After the service, Kelly and Kevin chatted with their guests at the reception in the church basement. Is she not lovely??

This is a shot of the church facade, perfectly creamy outside, not one spot of mildew to be seen.

An interior photo of the church chancel awaiting the start of the service. Notice the pipes for the organ which surround the altar area. The black wrought iron is quite dramatic, gothic-looking, and the tapestries add a sense of richness to this church.

Please visit my niece's blog: http://lisamellison.blogspot.com

I tried to do a cut and paste for Lisa's blogsite but it would not copy into the body of this posting, but would in the title box---so there it is! She has a wonderful video of Manny dancing to the New Kids on the Block, and he knows how to 'busta move'! She is finally done with the tax season rush, as well as tax season rash, as her chest lit up with hives clear up to her neck! She likes the extra money she earns but it is a rough way to go to April 15th!

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It is a big family day for me today.....first thing this morning, I received a text message from my niece, Alayna, in Manitowoc, reporting that the 70 degree temperatures are a thing of the past and snow was on the ground again when she got up. Ugh! Next, I read Lisa's posting and watched little Manny's dancing video, feeling all warm and sentimental because I miss him so much. Finally, I sent birthday greetings via facebook to my other nephew, Jamie, who is 24 years old tomorrow. He is special to me, used to be special to "us". I was Jill's birthing coach when he was born, and at 12 days old, Jamie was spending the night at our house, where he had his own room and such. We watched him when Jill was working or had Guard duty, several days a week, until we had our own baby in 1987. I thought it would be no problem to take care of two little ones, since Jamie was sooooo good---ha! What an eye-opening experience that turned out to be! Whew! We had our hands full, especially since I not only had responsibility for babies, I also had to work all day in the office which was in our basement. Funny, after we had Timmy, he had to come to work with his mama, too! The more things change, the more they stay the same!

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As soon as the Pet Store opened, I went to buy the treatment Joanne suggested for helping Lynx. It is called "Laxatone" which made me wonder exactly should I expect from this medicine....The tube says it aids in removing hair balls, which I thought was a coughing up problem, and not the other end. What do I know? I did not even know the pets lost their baby teeth and grew new ones! People like me do not deserve to have pets, but we get what we deserve!!! Joanne waited around the house until I got back and she applied the paste to Lynx's nose and front paws for her (Lynx) to lick off and hopefully feel better. Lynx does not like to be held so she sort of flew out of my arms as soon as she was done being treated, leaving me covered in cat hair! I may do it again later, and Joanne said once more tonight to see what happens.

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Connie, the keeper of our property here, gave an update on the man who died in the rented unit. It seems he left a note, guess that says enough. How tragic to end ones' life, especially when he was in the business of helping others not come to this point in their lives. One of the neighbors commented that it seems to always be the men who die here, and that they were living alone, basically, when they died. She also declared that she is going to paint the blood a lamb around her door frame to keep the angel of death away, but I told her (hey, she opened the door!!!) about being ready to go when the Lord comes for me. One must take every opportunity.........

One of my neighbors who is a Realtor sent postcards advertising a Unit she has listed in our building and I used it to help show where my Unit is located. The smaller blue canopy, near center, is two floors below my river room....just picture it.......See how the palm trees are just outside my doors? At the top of the left side you will see the Unit where the porch runs from front to back. These folks lost their porch ceiling in the wind storm last week Tuesday. Some of the porches are enclosed, like mine is, but some are still open. I like mine being glassed in for additional "living room" although the majority of my time is truly spent in the room by the two palm trees, to the left of the sliding glass doors.....come visit me!

*Tonight is our usual dinner and Bible study group, with the plans to meet at Cracker Barrel this time. One of us is hungry for meatloaf again, her last time having it was Friday, leftovers from Mimi's! I hope we get more of our group together tonight, as the past few times have been fewer and fewer. One lady does not drive at night but lives wwaayy out in Middleburg by the "old" Smokey's, so if her "driver" is not coming, she can't either. Calls have been made to all involved and we can only hope they make it.

My day yesterday was full of exercise---yes, exercise---in futility! The afternoon was spent attempting to change a mess of my banking stuff from one to the other. I am changing to the credit union and must unschedule my pre-authorized deductions from the bank and get them set up with the new account. Oh, easier said than done! One place has me writing me a letter and sending a voided blank check in order to make the change. Another place I had to talk to Appleton, WI, with new information with additional paperwork required because, for some reason, my former spouses' name appears as being on the account, which he does not, and they need a formality performed to remove the name. This was set up back in 1996 when Timmy was born, and so much has happened since then! My health insurance will only make the changes via e-mail so I am awaiting a reply from someone there to switch it over or risk having a lapse in coverage. Yikes!

My, that sun feels so delicious on my arm and cheek! I will be tanned on a least one side of my body anyway. A group of us were wondering how much longer before the pools are warm enough to swim in, at least for adults to swim in, as kids do not seem as sensitive to the icy water temp. But, the sun certainly helps make it seem warmer, and we count the days until we have successive days in the 80's to bring that water temp up to "user friendly"!

Monday coming to a close

Oh, my tummy is quite full and happy after a lovely dinner at home, yes, at home! Joanne called me around 6:00 to see if I had made any plans for supper and I told her I was defrosting a container of chili from the freezer. I had no where to be tonight. I asked her why she wanted to know and she said, "Well, I was thinking some Chinese might be good...." Say no more! I hit the STOP button on the 'wave quick as a wink and called in our order. Joanne wanted to treat me and I allowed it, with Joanne and the delivery man arriving on the porch at the same moment. He climbed the steps while she rode the elevator, and it was a tie as to who got there first!

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The sweet and sour chicken with fried rice was marvelous, a real treat since it has been ages since Justin and I had Ming Moon delivered here. My order also included cheese wontons so barely any of the meal portion was eaten, but will taste good another day. The blessing of these type of meals is that they can feed me for a couple days. Joanne complained of a sore throat this a.m., as does Christine, so Jo was here yet when I got home from Bible study and Longhorn. Another to-go box added to the fridge! She was still wearing her pj's but decided to go into work in the afternoon, as she had much going on.

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When I got home from lunch, I saw a police car parked at our lobby. My neighbor, Tommy, was walking the dog and teased me that I should not go upstairs because the cops were waiting to arrest me! And I was just telling someone at the art show how I never had to worry about my hobbies and things I do, because I would never be arrested for doing them! And now they are at my door again....Joanne said that she thought she heard police walkie talkies outside the door for some time now, so I went back to downstairs to check it out. Connie, our maintenance lady, and Tommy were talking and I asked what was going on. Hesitantly at first, Tommy said that one of the renters in the building, on my floor, was found dead in his unit. Yikes!

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Sadly, I do not know the man, could not pick him out of a line up if asked, and as Tommy said, they must not suspect foul play or we would have been interviewed already. Apparently the tenant was a psychiatrist at the hospital or some where, but I never made his acquaintance. They said he kept a low profile and so do I, which is why I never met him. Tommy made the remark that we had better move out of this place because we have lost four people from The Palace in a year's time: the builder who killed himself lived here only two weeks prior to his death; the elderly neighbor at the end of my promenade who died in September; Billy, who died in January; and now this man. It is sort of creepy when you think about it! I informed the two of them that I was ready to go when the Lord called me home, that I had oil in my lamp, and Connie assured me she was ready, too. Maybe tomorrow we will hear some more comprehensive information as to what happened with him, etc.

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Lynx seems to have some sort of malady, too, lately. She has been spewing forth some frothy whitish/green spit-up, not hairballs. Joanne wondered if perhaps Lynx was plugged up (I never would have thought of that!) so I checked her cat box for evidence. Sure 'nuff, there were no tootsie rolls in it, and her food was scarcely touched. Joanne knows of a product to help cats with their digestive problems so I am going to go spend good money on a paste for cats tomorrow! Spending money on pets---indeed!

Let me try this again.....

..........at least I can write! I began my posting yesterday with that declaration, but never expounded upon it. In speaking with folks at the art show at Great Hang Ups Sunday, some were sad that I did not enter a piece in the show this time. I told some how I entered three times and was juried in three times, so did not wish to ruin my track record. Others I told how intimidated I am with the work of others and the singing I heard on Thursday at Mozart's Requiem making me not want to sing any longer....Boy, that opened a flood gate of encouragement! What a great place for me to be when I am picking on myself! The book Michael let me borrow yesterday came along at just the right time, although I do not know if he read the blog about my plans to quit everything or not. As I told those, when they offered counsel and advice, at least I can write!

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One man, Bob, from whom I have taken classes, was most encouraging and even admitted to feeling intimidated by the art work he saw at the show. Some of the pieces were 3-D, including a dog made from parts of a garden hose nozzle, a hammer head, a big spring, and magnets. Won the first prize in that category, too! The collage pieces are quite interesting, as several collages were in this show, and many more in the show at the Thrasher-Horne. I have two months to get back over there to better enjoy the art work, as it was so mobbed on Friday night that it was difficult to take in each piece. My former spouses' attorney was there, too, so I made the tour a bit more quickly than I would have otherwise. I know, it is only business, and while she used to love me, which she declared one night at scrapbooking, I do not need that kind of love, you know? The skin crawling does not suit me!

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Last night I enjoyed some time on the sundeck with the "shelf sitters", an informal gathering of folks from the building who enjoy some wine and a light snack before going in for dinner, or out, as the case might be. There used to be an unspoken "rule" about not staying out later than 8:30 or folks would forget to eat dinner but it was going on 9:00 before we broke up. Jessica brought out brownies which make a fine dinner if you ask me!

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While I enjoyed my time with my neighbors, I was also saddened to hear that more units in the building are now for sale, as folks, for whatever reason, are trying to sell their condos. One single man has health problems and might want to move closer to his daughter. Another man, a newly wed older man, is selling because the market has clobbered him so hard. Another newly wed couple wants to start a family and fear that The Palace is not the suitable, safe environment for an infant or toddler, the railings and such are not within limits established for cribs and such. I had the same concern when first moving here that Memrie or Sarah would try to fit through the railing on my balcony, and easily could have if we had not watched like hawks! My sister has a family with little children living above her in a rented house and is constantly annoyed by the noise they make overhead. I can only imagine what sort of racket would emanate from above with Big Wheels and noisy toys being banged on the floor. Even though they are substantial floors between the units, sound still finds it way to other homes, and can be bothersome. I am sad to think about my neighbors/friends moving away, and am also concerned about what their pricing will do to those who are remaining for the time being....

Winding down on Sunday

Sunday afternoon finds me enjoying some down time in the family room, feet up with soda at my side. 'Tis good to be all settled in after so busy a weekend. Worship was wonderful, the sermon about being champions for the Lord, with Pastor using the Nike swoosh as his object lesson. I have a photo taken in Ephesus with the swoosh carved into rock, after the goddess of victory.

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My feet and legs and back were weary after my greeting today, first at church and then at Great Hang Ups for the art show. Not complaining, mind you, simply remarking how it feels good to not be standing for a bit. The art show was fabulous, of course, and the gallery was just packed shoulder to shoulder with artists, their families and friends, and great food! Dee so very nicely stocked up on Diet Cokes, private stock, she called it, for me. I just love her, she is the greatest!

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Julia's hubby, Michael, nicely delivered some extremely colorful flags that he uses at times in his color guard routines. Oh, they were splendid, and I would adore having such a flag outside my doors, as they graced Julia's today at the shop. Michael also brought me a great book, knowing I will appreciate it, and no-stop/no-start type of book about stimulating inspiration and creativity. I am not sure if he read my blog or was simply intuitive, but he felt I would certainly enjoy the time spent with this book. Cannot wait to crack it open! My bed already looks like a library with my Grandma book, splashes of joy, and the paperwork from the LES Committee strewn about, plus several days worth of mail! Add one more small book, no matter!

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Dee is offering some classes including digital photography, drawing, and art critiquing, as some others are offering drawing or after-school art classes for little ones. I signed up for drawing and digital classes, not sure how they will work out. Melissa, a fellow Art Guild member as well as Club Continental member informed me that the two of us are going to sit poolside this summer and do some type of drawing, using a term with which I am not familiar. She said not to worry, she would show me what she was talking about. I say, "Great, let's do!" Her sons enjoy the pool and I often see her on weekends in summer. I look forward to it!

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In the basin I hear a boat struggling to start its engine. They must have been fishing to have been so quiet until now. While at the gallery, some were standing along the sidewalk where there was shoulder room. I popped outside for a bit to chat and we heard a rather ugly sound come into the parking lot. Apparently a man pulling a boat on a trailer, suffered a flat tire on 220 and just pulled in to remedy the situation. He had several young boys with him and I am sure they were going to be quite disappointed if they could not go on. I stepped back into the store and did not see what happened with the flat tire. Hopefully the daddy did not disappoint his boys!

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The snacks were ample at the art show but I only tried two almond cookies, as I prefer to talk rather than eat at these events. I know, strange! So, presently, I am a tad hungry, having eaten two mini-burgers leftover from last night's supper at Steak 'n Shake. The Rosses were shopping at Home Depot and when they were done, we met at S 'n S for dinner, as Jen had a hankering for a shake. She only recently discovered their shakes and is totally taken with them. As Jen says, they are cheaper than Maggie Moo's! I had the tiny hamburgers, which come three to an order, bringing two of them home, since I ate one there plus my shoe string fries. It was prom night so we saw several limos cruising the parking lots of the area restaurants. How funny it seemed to have a limo roll through the Steak 'n Shake parking lot!

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The wedding on Saturday was simply lovely, the bride as gorgeous as her mother, as I have already noted on the picture page. Kathy surprised me by showing up for worship today in the most beautiful dress, her "Thailand dress", as she called it. She had to get up at 3:30 a.m. to get her auntie packed up and out to the airport in time for her early morning flight to Mississippi, and did not expect to be able to make it to church, but did! Anyway, back to the wedding: Justin came with me and was not quite as taken with the church as I thought he would be, and I had not even talked it up. He had a nice chat with Brian's daughters, both college girls. We also spoke with a young couple sitting near us who had relatives in Green Bay. The wife said her parents' company used to service ice machines and she could recognize the brand of ice machine simply by looking at the cubes! What a gift she had back then!

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Once the bride and groom cut the cake and the best man doing the toast which made a tear drop down my cheek, Justin had to leave for church at Victory. Afterwards they were having a "20-Something" gathering and I rejoice that he wanted to make sure he got there for this event as well. Some former members who have moved to Morton Grove were passing through town and going to meet with Hoyers last night, so I do not know if Justin was going to see Duane, Becca, and family or not. The last time might have been when they were here for Brent's wedding a couple years ago. I hope he had a great time regardless if the Vances made it.

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It is time for me to do something else right now or I will fall asleep here. My bed, as I mentioned, is piled full as is my desk, as usual so I may just venture in there to make some sense of it. At the gallery, when hugging Dee good-bye, she complimented me on my perfume, saying I smelled good. This young man artist, new to the group, came up and asked if he could smell me, too, so naturally I leaned in for the sniff. He liked my perfume, too, and then asked me to sniff him. I told him he smelled like cigarettes, hey, he asked! We all chuckled and then he pretended to sniff his armpit. One lady saved the day by suggesting we all know what THAT smell is like, and it is nothing like my perfume!