Saturday, December 26, 2009

Oh, Christmas Tree



Originally the tinsel was spread more or less evenly on and around the Christmas tree. Then a pretty little tortoise kitty with the unlikely name of Link, who loves to eat tinsel, came to visit. Not good for kitties. She could jump on the table whose corner shows in the bottom right of the picture and nibble away. So we denuded that side of the tree and piled it all on the other side. Most likely she is capable of jumping to the mantel on that side but it's crammed with decorations.

Link, Rosebud the Chihuahua and Monkey the current 'twenty pound kitten' in residence have also been learning the basics of co-existence. After a few days the sound of hissing and barking was not the automatic response at sight of one of the others. Perhaps Peace on Earth is not a pipe dream for humans either.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Jingle Bells and snow


This time of year I always keep car and home radios tuned to WTFM 98.5 because they play continuous Christmas music, many long series of songs without interruption. Evidently this is economically profitable since they do not seem to lack for sponsors. A perennial favorite seems to be Jingle Bells, as it has been since I was a child. Whenever I hear it I'm reminded of one of the two room schools I attended. The school went to 7th grade and I must have been in 4th or 5th which was included in the older student room. When school resumed in January after Christmas break one year, the student body assembled in the primary grade room and the teachers asked us what song we wanted to sing. Many kids called out Jingle Bells. "But it's after Christmas," teacher said. "We don't care, Jingle Bells," we insisted. And so we did, 30-35 rural Georgia children belting out the lyrics describing a sleigh ride over snow covered fields. Snow was a sight half or more of the group had never seen and as of that time, I was in that number. Nowadays it seems as though every winter my sister-in-law is posting a picture like the one above of snow at their house in midwestern Georgia. Hmmmm, does global warming cause snow in Georgia?




Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Cats and contractors

Monkey the cat does not suffer strangers gladly. This was the last of the various hiding places he resorted to while the contractor installed new doors a few days ago. He'll enjoy the full view storm door next summer as will Rosebud, the Chihuahua.

Friday, December 4, 2009

For some reason I love this picture, have had it saved on my computer for a long time.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Rain

Last day of July. Rain. I was just thinking as we ate breakfast and listened to the heavy downpour how thankfully different this summer has been from the last five years or so. Plenty of rain, lovely bright green trees, bushes, grass everywhere instead of tired, dusty semi-green. Wells and ponds must be full by now. Haven't watched the local weather recently, but we should be well into a surplus instead of adding digits to a double digit drought. Guess our farmers will be helping farmers in other areas with needed hay for livestock this winter instead of being on the receiving end. Good deal. And good for the folks who make a living mowing and landscaping. Their business suffered during the drought, I'm sure.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

20 lb. kitten

When my grandson came to live with us late last fall, he brought along his cat, Monkey. A pretty gray striped tabby with some noticeable marking showing he has Siamese somewhere in his lineage. He was standoffish with me at first, would run when I wanted to pet him, never mind pick him up. And we have a loud-mouthed Chihuahua who wasn't about to give ground to a cat, even a cat bigger than her. She'd run at Monkey to let him know who was boss and he would run to my grandson's room.

Fast forward a few months, Monkey hangs around my office, loves to lie on my desk whenever there's room among all the papers and flotsam. If there's not room on the desk, he finds an empty box or something else of mine to lie on. At some point, if I'm working at the computer for a while, he'll get out of the box and come to my chair, meowing. If I don't pick him up immediately he'll paw at me to get my attention. Both arms are required for me to pick him up as he's about two feet long and heavy. Ever try to type while holding a 20 pound purring kitten on your shoulder?

Thursday, June 11, 2009

I'm being followed!

Hey, I've got a follower! Welcome, Corey. Been meaning to call you. Hope you had a good birthday. You and another young woman I know are movin' right along, kid. Call me sometime.

Between caring for Nick and trying to finish up a couple of projects related to writing, I don't have time to get out much, but I can talk on the phone.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Respect


Seems hardly anyone nowadays knows the meaning of respect. Rodney Dangerfield didn't know the half of it.


Friday, April 24, 2009

Memory trigger

I walked our chihuahua, Rosebud, through the dewy grass on this beautiful April morning. A cold drop of dew touched the top of my foot triggering a flood of memory. My sister, Doris, and I followed Daddy and the sledge, what we called the sled-like conveyance pulled by Maud, the mule, to our back cotton fields. Sometimes Daddy let us ride on the sledge, which he used to haul the mule-drawn plow to the fields, probably after we were out of sight of the house and Mother. The sledge was just a few wide slabs nailed together with a couple of two by four runners on the bottom. Mules don't hurry, so Maud didn't drag it very fast over the rough ground, but if we'd fallen off we could have been injured. Lost a foot or hand if those digits had been caught between the sledge and the ground. We weren't real keen on going to the field to chop cotton or hoe corn, but it had to be done if we wanted to eat. Doris died almost two years ago and unexpected tears welled in my eyes as I realized only she could have shared that sixty-year ago memory with me. One of the sadder aspects of growing old, and maybe one of the reasons elder folks dwell on their memories. If they don't those days will be gone as though they never existed. If I have no memories, what am I? Just a speck of dust passing through the cosmos.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Whew, done it


Finally got http://www.ramblinscribe.com/ website coordinated with this blog. Working in like, 15 minute or so increments of time. In between getting husband recovering from stroke out of and into bed, checking his blood sugar, preparing three meals a day, washing dishes and doing laundry, answering his calls for help in changing audio book disks, driving grandson to work and back, and answering phone and door to physical and occupational therapists and bath nurse. Makes me tired just talking about it. I think I'll go lie down.