...happy new year !

the word "advent" comes to us from adventus...
Latin for "coming"...

today was the first Sunday in Advent...
a varying period of time...
that includes the 4 Sundays before Christmas...

if Christmas Day is a Sunday...
then the previous 4 Sundays are Advent I-IV...
if Christmas Eve is on a Sunday, it is Advent IV...
as Christmas Eve is always the last day of Advent...

for liturgical Christian...
it is a time of joyful anticipation...
of waiting and preparation...
& it is the beginning of the church year...

there are 3 main themes in Advent...

awaiting the arrival of Jesus as "God, among us"...
seeing Christ revealed to the world in word & spirit...
awaiting the return of Christ, when He comes in glory...

the season's character is of preparation & penance...
as some will prepare for baptism on Epiphany, January 6...

the liturgical color is violet, like Lent...
except for Advent III, Gaudete ["Let Us Rejoice"]...
when the color of vestments & alter clothes is a rose pink...

these colors are evident in the Advent wreath...



a tradition that came to us from Germany...
the evergreens represent hope & newness...
the circle shape represents the eternal power & love of God...
the candles, the light of God...



the first violet candle is lit on Advent I...
a second on Advent II...
the pink or rose "Gaudete" candle is lit on Advent III...
the last violet candle is lit on Advent IV...

some include a white "Christ" candle in the center...
it is lit on Christmas Eve...
to symbolize the "Light of Christ"...
come into our dark world...

here you see an English church's Advent Wreath...



right in the middle of the church...

for those who are Christians...
this is a time to look "inside"...
to take stock of our lives and relationships...
a time to set right that...
which may have fallen into disrepair...

to "trim our lamps"...
watching for the signs of His coming...

they aren't in the malls...
or on the 24/7 "holiday music stations"...
the signs are not on QVC or HSN...

you can't find them at WallyWorld...
or online...

you have to look deep inside yourself...
and to do that... first you must be very still...
and listen for that voice from within...
that is so easily drowned out by the world...

about this time last year...I did that...
and what I found was that God had gotten "downsized"...
by my lack of attention to Him and my focus on me...

as I entered a long and painful several months...
of renewed self-awareness...
I began to face my failure as a person...
accept His forgiveness and began to allow Him to run my life...

the more control I gave Him...the more peace I found...
and the more I began to become who He wanted me to be...

I'm still very much a work in progress...
but it's Advent again... and I continue to work...
work to overcome myself and the power of a selfish life...
for it is to those who overcome their mistakes and self...
that much will be given...he that overcomes shall rise...

and I hope...

...a bark anthology

in celebration of my 500th post...
I present to you a small sample of my "bark" collection...
which may be viewed in its' entirety very soon..
on Flickr...simbaface9's photostream...
or now as photo albums "bark" & "bark II"...
on my Facebook photos page...

the first 7 photos were taken...
using a Canon EOS Rebel XSi in full auto mode...
the rest were taken using a Canon SD 1000...
in Macro, DigiMac, Manual & Infinity modes...

enjoy, and thanks for coming...

...the fever's gonna get'cha

hi...my name is Catsinger... & I have "click-click fever"...



as fall moves into winter...and the morning "mist"...



shrouding the park & "lake"...



make my barely contained fever... burn...
like the sun through the fog...



Molly, on the other hand has different kind of fever...
she has "sniff-sniff fever"... and it's incurable...
the only treatment...long walks, especially in the park...



with LOTS of... uh... places to sniff...



so while I'm placating my addiction...



she's placating hers...



sometimes...one shot...leads to...



a zoom-in shot...which leads to...



a 12x's zoom shot... with an occasional lucky mistake...



I call this one,"Monet"... it's mostly reflection & blurred slightly...
and I LOVE it...



many leaves are on the ground now...



I love this vantage point... I've shot it in several lights now...
I just really like the shapes and textures from this spot...



I call this,"the Loch Legion Monster"[aka"Loggie"]



with less sun... I could get in closer to these sunflowers...
without their colors washing out...



I call this,"duck butt"... it is some kind of water fowl that dives...
I saw it in profile, so I know it's a water bird...
this was 12x's zoom...it went down...
I waited...

then Molly saw another dog and I had to give up on the shot...



it was all I could do to get her quieted down...
she also scared away some ducks I had seen...
circle and land on the lake ...
& was trying to get close enough in, to get a shot...

as well as an unusual bird...
looked a bit like a Chickadee...
but they are Eastern birds...

Molly scared it away with her barking too..

so we left the park...and headed home...

and just so the walk home wasn't a total withdrawal...



I've watched this iris bloom over several days...

...the eye of the beholder

it is said that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"...
so is humor...

on my latest sortie around the 'hood...
I saw some things from a different perspective...

this is like laying on your back and looking up at clouds...
finding a ducky or a bunny...sort of...

you have to use your "imagination"...
and be just a bit snarky...

giving new meaning to the phrase...
"do you see what I see ?"




I see a little guy, struggling to get out of the tree...



here I see a really surprised alien...

and here...?



"Toyo ta ho-oh"...
Brunnhilda lives !

what do you see ?

...winter's coming on...

I've been watching this worm devour this rosebud...
over several days now...
why didn't I save the rosebud when I first found the worm ?
it's so late in the season that the rose probably wouldn't bloom...
at least, not and "hold"... it's too cold & wet...



this worm is done chewing-up these blooms...
that we spotted as we walked the neighborhood today...



the one eating the rosebud is a caterpillar with spiky hairs...
who will probably spin himself into a cocoon soon...
emerging as a butterfly in the spring...

this one has already encased itself in a cocoon...
anyway...that's what I think it is..



I found this camellia shyly peeking out from behind the leaves...



and the buds on this redwood tree will become the seed cones...
that will grow into the spring, mature over the summer...
and open...spreading thousands of tiny seeds next fall...



there are very few leaves left on this liquid amber tree...
this one is hanging by the merest of threads...



this double red camellia is on a bush that got a good deal of sun this fall...
and most of it's blooms are on the ground already...
mine won't bloom until much later...



this shriveled-up Meyer lemon is left from the summer crop...
the tree is covered with the soon-to-be-ready winter crop...
as well as a couple of these mummified corpses...
of what could have been...



and finally, a creeper leaf...once green & lush...
then bright red, flaming for a bit...then fading...
now merely a dry husk, waiting for a good storm to wash it off...
crumbling into dust and back into the earth, from whence it came...

it's nearly winter...

the summer went out in a blaze of fall glory...
and it is now the time of darkness & cold...
and waiting... for the light...
Advent begins on Sunday...

post script... edited after I became unsure...
of just what was on the flowers...
in the 2nd picture...

...WHAT is it ?

when I looked at this picture...
and first wrote about it...
I thought it was a worm...
it looked like it in person...
and especially in this picture...

but sometimes...when the dog is wanting to move on...
and I'm looking at the camera display at a distance...
anything is possible...

when I saw it in the post, the worm looked funny...
so I put the shot with the clearest "worm"...
in Image Browser and made it 100x's bigger...
then cropped it...

and you get this...



so...you tell me...

is it a cocoon or some other form of chrysalis ?
is it a stick ? ...a piece of my quickly shredding brain... ?
part of a re-entering communications satellite... ?
or part of an alien spacecraft... ?

what the heck is it ?

inquiring, rapidly vaporizing minds...
WANT TO KNOW !

..."harvest home"

my front door... I don't put out pumpkins for fall anymore...
I got tired of watching them shrivel in the sun, then rot...
this I can store away and use again...
though I did buy these this year...
the ones that I had... had disintegrated...



this plant is still blooming...
the first frost should finish it off...


the birds have a bounty of berries...
these on a nandina plant, are a favorite...



this worm is done harvesting flower petals...



the sticky red fruit of the "mock orange"must be tasty...
because the birds flock to them...
[as well as an ant, if you look closely...]



I believe that this is "Oregon grape"...



even the newest growth will go dormant when faced with winter...



a single creeper berry...they taste sweet and "prune-y"...
[I was a little kid when I tasted them...]
that could be why the birds love them...

all is safely gathered in...

now... let the winter storms begin...

...triple dot [ellipsis] mania...

I can... at times... be SO perverse...
especially when I have the opportunity...
to give a hard time to my friend...Miz Minka...

recently...

OK...last night...

she was "complaining" about my "fondness for the ellipsis"...
[she has called me "the Queen of the three dots..."]
"What's wrong with ending a sentence with a period ?", she purred...
warming to the subject...and preparing to have some fun at my expense...
"writers should use commas, and then, a period, to end a sentence.
One shouldn't just use "dot-dot-dot" all the time."... etc...

momentarily stymied... I came back with the trés lame...

"Oh thank you, Mz German correctness..."
or something similarly snide & equally as ineffectual...
as she chortled with glee...at having made her point...
& quite totally zapping me...at the same time...

I quickly changed the subject...but she was so pleased with herself...
that I knew a speedy rebuttal was definitely in order...

never one to do something small...when I can do something BIG...
I wrote my previous post...with NO ellipsis...until the end...

not satisfied with that...

I decided to do this also...

an entire post on the ellipsis...



please join me...[hee...hee...]

on the dark side...



an ellipsis is properly used to signal the omission of part of a sentence...

OR...

to demonstrate a pause or trailing off of a thought...

is it overused... ?

oh, yeah...

especially by moi... ?

you bet'cha... !

the last few years I taught... I taught English...
and let me tell you...

the "grammar police" can not make up their minds...

I got so tired of students complaining...
about all the contradictions in the punctuation rules...
that when I no longer had to enforce them...or care...
I didn't...and...I...like...doing...this...

not because I can bug MM with it...
[that's just a side benefit...hee, hee...]
it's my way of telling all those indecisive...
anal... punctuation rule-making dictators...
to shove it...
where only a colonoscopy will find it...

meanwhile...back from the rant...

though generally 3 periods in a row...
ellipsis can be made in many shapes...
and of many objects...especially in art...



there...of course...is always someone...
who goes too far...






and I detest "smiley faces"...even this one...
[I have the right to be grumpy if I want to be...]


but the piéce de resistance of my Google search was this...



a new project for MM... our talented knitter...
this is actually called,"the ellipsis hat"...



just what we all need on those cold evenings...
when we find ourselves getting "chilled"...
while saying "good night" in the parking lot...

it would look especially lovely...
done in shades of purple...

hee... hee... hee... *snort*

How did I miss this ?

I had been thinking about adding a "copyright" notice to my blog for quite some time. I discussed the subject with my blogging mentor, MM, and decided to act on my idea.

After searching for a notice that I could add,"whole cloth", and not having any success, I copied MM's notice and set out to include it in my layout format.

I found the correct "gadget" format and began typing. All went well until I came to the place where I needed to insert the © symbol. I was stopped in my tracks. There was no © symbol on my keyboard.

Searching my rapidly vanishing brain cells for clues, I vaguely remembered some tips that I had received on alternative symbols from MM, so I began to press "alt" with keys on the top row of my keyboard. No luck. So I went down to the next row, pressing first,"alt" and then a "key". I was still unsuccessful, until I pressed the letter "g".

Suddenly, there it was ! The symbol © that I had searched for was available by pressing "alt", then the letter "g". What a concept !

Spurred on by the expansion of my "keyboard universe", I did a bit of research and discovered at age 60 what most of you already knew. Specifically, that there is a lot about my computer that I am not taking advantage of, due to my ignorance of all it's possibilities.

Much like my recent discoveries, (yesterday), of some of the basic features of my camera[s] that I had no idea existed.

Who knew ? Apparently, most everyone else, but that's OK, because now, I know too. It's a good thing that "you're never too old to learn". Now, if I can only remember these things the next time I need them.

[editor's note : MM, there is not ONE group of "triple dots" in this post until now...[hee, hee, hee...]

...a really nice Thanksgiving, 2.0

this morning, after putting gas in my car...
and gloating about the price drop...
I made my way, "over the river & through the woods..."
to the "sleepy village" home of Mr.& Mrs. Green Thumb...
where I was to celebrate Thanksgiving with them...
and several of Mr. Green Thumb's family members...



when I arrived, HRH, Minka was lurking in her castle...
and would soon "dissolve" as more people arrived...
into her "invisibility cloak" mode...
and hide in the computer hutch...

then Mr. GT arrived with his Mom & sister...
just before we sat down...
daughter "R" arrived...

so as we sat down to dinner...



out came the cameras, as Miz Minka & I...
took pictures of each other taking pictures of...
well... you get the idea...

Mr. GT had roasted a 22 lb turkey...
I joked that it was the biggest one I'd seen...
since I stopped teaching jr. high...

there was a wonderful stuffing...
that included some of MM's homemade whole wheat bread...
and a secret ingredient that I'm NOT going to tell you...
but it was g-o-o-o-o-o-d...

we also feasted on roasted yams...
homemade mashed potatoes with garlic herb butter...
8 hour green beans, gravy, roasted Brussels sprouts...
roasted carrots, fennel, red onion & garlic..
there were 2 kinds of cranberries...
and Mr. GT's absolutely wonderful tabouli...

after we had finished stuffing ourselves...
daughter E arrived with her husband and new baby...
as well as another daughter, D...
they had already eaten elsewhere...
and were just "dropping by"...

if you're keeping score...
that's...Mr. GT's Mom & sister...
3 of his daughters, one son-in-law...
and the new grand-daughter...
Miz Minka, Minka[the cat]& me...

the grand-daughter was an instant hit...
as babies often are...



causing an attack of "click-click" fever...
which went on for some time...

finally, everyone started leaving...
on to the next stop...
work for some, home for others...



Mr. GT left to take his Mom & sister home...
MM & I traded pictures & visited until he returned...
we packed up the left-overs...
of which I was sent home with a generous sampling...[yum]

we visited some more...and soon...
I was on my way back to Mudville...
having spent a second really nice Thanksgiving...
with the Green Thumbs...

since I don't really have any family...
it was nice to spend the time...
with a multi-generational family...
on this family feast day...

so thanks to all the Green Thumb clan that I met today...
it was fun visiting with you...
and a special thanks to Miz Minka & Mr Green Thumb...
for including me...it was a memorable & happy day...

...another walk in the park...

they said that it would clear by 10 AM...
I don't think so...
since I'll be gone in the middle of the day today...
I wanted to take Molly for a long walk now...



and she, of course is always ready to go to the park..



dark & gloomy skies still can't keep the fall color from glowing...



not as misty as I've seen it...



but we have more low clouds than fog...



and the light breeze across the wet ground...



was chilling...and brought down a flurry of leaves...



it had been very still as we entered the park...
but now some people were coming to mark out...
their football field for their Turkey Day game...

and then, there were the dogs...



barking on the far side of the lake...
and then coming into Molly's "comfort zone"...



after calming her...
we went on our way...



across the lip of the bowl and down onto the street...

turning towards home, we would encounter a number...
of people with dogs [at least 5 big ones...]
headed towards the park...
so I'm thankful we went early...

Happy Thanksgiving to all...

...giving thanks for those who have gone on ahead

Thanksgiving...a time when we stop ...
and celebrate the bounty of our lives...
a final banquet of colors, abundance...
and all the fruits of this life...



glorious color that is in a way, a warning...
of the cold, death of winter...
that will soon have us in it's grip ...

for many... a time of celebration with loved ones...
for some...a time of grief and loss...
made all the harder because of the festiveness...
and emphasis on being with loved ones that abounds...

if you have lost loved ones...
are watching someone dear slip away...
or are in the moment of grief that death brings...
it is hard to be "thankful"...



we remember as if it were only yesterday...
the last time we saw them...
a passing smile after church...
a wave across the parking lot...
shared laughter at a joke in passing...

it was all so "normal"...
of course, we'd see them next week...
then... we'd hear that they were ill...
perhaps in the hospital...



but those moments happen for us all...
so we'd say a prayer for them...
and go on about our lives...
with hardly a thought...

until we heard...



they were gone...

a sudden episode...
a lingering illness taking it's ultimate toll...
a massive coronary...
whatever the reason... they were gone...

I believe, to a better place...
their reward as good and faithful servants...
and that I'll see them again...when I go there too...
as will we all...eventually...

this year... it's happened far more often...
than I have ever experienced before...
and taken several people who were a part...
of the fabric of my life...

people, I knew, saw every week and liked...

people, I now will never see again in this life...

and I will surely miss...



so this year, as I give thanks...
I will be especially thankful for lives shared with me...
by those who are no longer with us...
especially...

Alma, Darlene, Claudina...and now Dorothy...

may Almighty God welcome you into His presence in peace...
may all those who mourn your passing be comforted...
secure in the knowledge of your place with Jesus...
and looking forward to seeing you again...
when we too "go home" to be with Him...

"come, ye thankful people, come...
raise the song of harvest home...
all is safely gathered in...
e're the winter storms begin...

God our maker, doth provide...
for our wants to be supplied...
come, to God's own temple, come...
raise the song of harvest home..."
[Hymn, "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come"
hymn tune: St George's Windsor...
tune :G.J.Elvey, text:H.Alford]

...it was a chilly, rainy afternoon

so after doing the chores...
taking out the trash, putting out garbage cans...
cleaning cat boxes & hauling in wood...

well, most of them...haven't done the dishes yet...

I have the green beans in final "cook down" mode...
where I remove the lid...and let the liquid cook down...
concentrating the flavors...& making a sauce...



for a large batch, it can take several hours...
but it's worth it...

I also have camera batteries charging...



I have an extra of each...
& want to have fully charged batteries...
in both cameras for tomorrow...

but for now...



we're all in the LR...
half asleep in front of the fire...

well...most of us....



they touched noses, like boxers touch gloves...
and it was "on"...



what you don't see, because they were blurry...
are the shots where Lucyfur was swatting at Molly...



who deserved it, because she was "nosing" Lucyfur...



hoping for a rise & a play chase...
which didn't happen...
[no fool, Lucyfur...]
she has her warm spot just as she likes it...
all to herself & she's NOT leaving it...



Thomas is showing off his paws...







Sneaky has claimed the fuzzy red bed...


and Murphy is "out" for the afternoon...



I need to take Molly on a walk...
she didn't want to be out in the rain earlier...
but we need to go now, before it gets darker & wetter...

when we return, there's an NCIS marathon on TV...
a warm rocking chair...
and a big bowl of popcorn with my name on it...

sounds like a plan to me...

...preparing to give thanks

tomorrow...

I will be celebrating Thanksgiving...
at the home of Mr & Mrs Green Thumb & Minka...

I'm doing the veggies...
and there will be NO green bean "casseroles" on my watch...

I'm NOT "into" sweet potatoes with marshmallows either...
and, thankfully... neither are they...

they will be roasting the turkey...
making the stuffing, gravy & sweet potatoes
and there will be a mound of mashed potatoes...

yumm... I can't wait...

so after actually eating something this AM...



I got down to business and started the green beans...
[that I prepped yesterday...]
cooking with chopped garlic & onion, salt & pepper...
in some olive oil & chicken broth...



they will cook, "low & slow"...
in a heavy cast iron pot with the lid on...
becoming soft and delicious...
at one with the red onion and the garlic, which will poach...
rendering them both sweet and savory at the same time...



Mom...and Grandma, too...always used bacon...
and sometimes tomato in these beans...
I don't enjoy stewed bacon...
and can do without the tomato...

but the cracked pepper...
and the chicken broth [my addition...]
the onion... and the garlic [also mine...]
just HAVE to be there...



yesterday, I oven roasted some Brussel's sprouts...
at 400 for 40 mins...
with EV olive oil & Kosher salt...



likewise, sliced red onions & garlic...



as well as fennel & sweet young carrots...



which today are bagged and waiting in the 'fridge...


I also found myself with a bunch...
of fresh herbs that needed using...
before the frost would get them...
I like to use them fresh...
so it needed to be done soon...



so it was time for Scarborough Fair Garlic Herb Butter...
parsley, sage rosemary & thyme...as well as garlic & oregano...
all minced fine and mixed with a pound of softened butter...

I like organic, cultured, sweet cream butter...
mixed with about a cup of minced garlic[or less...]
a cup of minced flat leaf parsley...
and minced oregano, sage, rosemary & thyme to your taste...
I use about 1/4 C sage, TBSP thyme & oregano...
& about a tsp of rosemary...[the young mild leaves, no stems...]



it's good on a lot of things...
warm veggies, bread... as a rub on a roast...

so now... with the "fun" stuff done...

the chores begin...

sigh...

..out & about the neighborhood...

today being Molly's birthday...
I've planned a couple of walks...
hopefully, it won't rain on us...
since the clouds have come in...

but earlier... the sun was out...
and I took some SD 1000 shots...

a week or so ago, [November 14]...
Miz Minka had a post, "planes, trains & algebra headaches"...

the picture she had was of a cute, red, pedal airplane...
I remembered the cute, red pedal part...
but not that it was an airplane...
I misremembered it as a firetruck...

so when I saw this...



I not only took a picture...
but then told MM that one of my neighbors...
had the very toy she had put in her post...

ooooooops....

close...but NO cigar...

sorry about that...

it does make for interesting "yard art" though....


so with the "eating crow" part of this post completed...

on with the show... uh...walk...

...of wounds...scars & hiding in holes...

last year on November 25...this was my view of the world...

I was hiding...
from myself...
from the world I didn't fit in...
& from God...

or so I thought...
because He was about to change my life completely...
by reaching out to me, yet again...

I had turned my life over to Him before...and meant it...

but as the years passed...



things began to fall apart in my life...
because He wasn't the center of it...

I attempted to adapt to the world, as it pressed in on me...



but only succeeded in distorting who & what I was meant to be...
and productive change became almost impossible...


a change in direction was needed...



but I lacked the heart to try...
much that I had valued was gone...
and I was alone...



hiding in a hole...deep within myself...

I tried to fill-in the hole...
but the only things that grew there were a bad fit...



and didn't do much to fill the emptiness...
that was devouring me from within...

and when something did grow...



it was misshapen and unnatural...grotesque & toad-like...
only increasing the distance between me & everyone else...



life had hurt me...
leaving me shattered & broken...



some wounds...fresh & open...

others...



scarred over & festering from within...
"dry rot" of the soul...


but even there...deep down in that deep, dark hole...
the Light could shine...



and because of the Light....
even the grotesque scars could begin to heal...

and send forth new growth...
small & tentative...but a fresh start just the same...


I would like to thank God for those patient, kind & caring souls...
that he sent to look for me...and having found me...
they jumped in...and through His love, showed me the way out...

the past year has been a rocky road..& quite a learning experience...

yet here I stand... scarred & battered...
with a smile on my face, calm in my soul...
and Him...at the center of my life...

Praise the Lord !

now...what's next ?

...happy birthday Molly

when I adopted Molly on October 1, the consensus was...
that she was almost 2 years old...
everyone who had expertise agreed...
the vet, Miz Minka...so that was good enough for me...

but deciding on a birthday for her was a bit harder...
the obvious choice was my birthday, October 22...
but that was a bit soon, I thought...

the more I considered it...
the better I liked the idea...
of sharing my "spiritual" birthday with Molly...
since I consider her truly a gift from God...

so after consulting with Molly's God Mom, MM...
[that's what God-Parents's are for...to be consulted...
and give advice...& MM & Mr GT give good advice...]
we agreed that November 25 is now Molly's birthday...



so happy birthday, Molly...

now you're two... uh oh...
two...
the terrible two's...
sigh...

of course, in dog years, that's about 14...
ooops...that may be worse...

hummmmm...

well, I survived 20+ years of 14 year olds...

I guess I can survive another...

congratulations Molly...we're all glad you're here...

...between a "bright spot" & a "light place"

last year... during December, I wrote about "lights"...

LOTS of lights...specifically, Unkle Phil's...

my neighbor to the south whose seasonal light displays...
have illuminated my kitchen, thus eliminating the need for night lights...
and brought a huge annual smile to the shareholders of PG&E stock...

this year, I have new neighbors to the north...
as A's granddaughter + roommate moved in after A's passing in May...

and for Halloween... they had SUCH fun decorating...
that I was already mentally preparing myself for the ocular onslaught...
I just KNEW December would bring...
and I didn't have to wait until December... !

yesterday...they were out...
hanging decorations & lights...



the red pyrocanthus berries go nicely with the ornaments...
no lights here...yet....

the lights are here...



also some garland & other decorations...

they started slowly for Halloween...
and kept adding...

Unkle Phil, on the other hand, is more liturgically minded...

he holds back during most of Advent...
saving his best "work" for the 12 Days of Christmas...

if they both proceed according to their track records...
I'll be able to save a LOT on my electric bill...
getting by on ambient lighting after "dark"...

I'm thinking that it'll be a "light" Christmas this year...

let the reindeer games begin !

...at the water's edge

sometimes...you look away...across...
and see only reflections...



sometimes...you look close... and see small miracles...



a brave sunflower...turning it's face to the sun...
as the morning mists disappear with the coming of the light...



fungi...food for my eyes...



and some critter's belly...



still life, at water's edge...






ducks on the lake...see their wake ?



more still life, at water's edge...





fungi, up a tree...



much less likely to be "dinner"...

...of anniversaries, milestones & giving thanks

when I started this blog on August 28, 2007...
I had no web or blog experience...
no frame of reference to even understand the vocabulary...
or navigate the web site......

I had no knowledge or skills to upload pictures...
whether from Google Image search or my own pictures...
my camera at the time could not interface with my computer...
so it was a moot point anyway...

I was "encouraged" to start the blog by Miz Minka...
and on Thanksgiving last year, which was November 22...
I spent a marvelous day, into the very late evening, with her & Mr GT...
and inbetween all the usual Turkey Day cooking & feasting...
some blog site "rehab" had been planned...



but so late was the evening, that Sitemeter didn't get installed...
until after midnight...making today my "Sitemeter" blogoversary...



at this point... I would like to thank ALL the people ...
who have come to my blog for whatever reason...

especially all of you...even in June [?]
who seek "trumpet notes for Silent Night"...

then there's that "don't worry, be happy[?] post Smiley face...
[the Vista one...? & I'm a MAC person...]
that I got from Google...

they want "notes" for that too...
[the song..."don't worry, be happy..."]
as well as any other post title that I borrowed from a song...

those 2 types of visitors must be easily HALF of my total visitors...

but along the way... I've also met some really nice folks...
read some really good things... seen some wonderful pictures...
laughed... cried... rejoiced...& mourned...

so with 1 year under my ample belt...
and 2444 visitors in the books...
I press onward...into this week of anniversaries...
[more on that, later...]

I'd like to thank all of you who have visited, commented & cared...
you are all appreciated ...
and I hope that you will continue to return here...

and I'd especially like to thank...
my blogging, photography & bread machine mentor...
[as well as dog rescuer & God-Mom, extraordinaire...]
for her patience, her skills, her tech [& general] savvy...
and most of all, her friendship...

thank you, Miz Minka !

this would not have happened without your considerable help...

...Mr Fluffy Tail is in the building !

routines... habits... the little rituals of our daily lives...
sometimes...you don't know just how special one is...
until it's gone... the sudden "going away"...
for whatever reason...leaves a gap nothing else can fill...

so you wait for the familiar footfall...
the well known & loved voice, announcing their arrival...
look in all the old familiar places for that face...
the one thing that will upon it's occurrence, restore order...



make the universe, "right" once again...
dissolve chaos... and set all things as they should be...

I am the Catsinger... because I sing to, and with, my kitties...
they each develop a "song" that is "just theirs"...
and when we sing it together for the last time...
I never sing it again...and part of me goes with them...



along with "their song"...they all have their "moments"...
a special time we share, Catsinger & cat...
some make their moments when I'm "writing"...
or reading... watching TV... trying to do housework...

Sneaky Pie perches behind me on my office chair...
"thumbing her nose" at Thomas...
Mattie considers my TV time, "his" time...
Gracie MUST NOT be ignored...upon peril to your life...

Mackie has ALWAYS come into the bathroom...
hopped up onto the tub...put his front paws on my knee...
batted his "baby greens" at me... cocked his head...
and waited to be called "Mr Fluffy Tail"...
while I run his fluffy tail through my circled thumb & forefinger...

[there's also a Mackie song... but that's just between us...]

since he's been sick...a couple of weeks now...
I've missed him doing that...
and he was so sick for a while...
I feared that I'd never get to have that "moment" again...

so it was especially sweet today...
when after taking Molly out, after I had returned from church...
and I was in the bathroom...in Mackie bounced...
hopped up on the tub, put his paws on my knee...
cocked his head to the side... and smiled at me...

I made the circle with my thumb & forefinger...
ran his tail through it...and called him, Mr Fluffy Tail...
then we sang the "Mackie song"...
and I petted him & told him how glad I was...
to still have him around...

then I gave him a big kiss on the forehead...
and he fluffed his tail, as a "thanks, Mom..."



it's SO good to have "Mr. Fluffy Tail"...

"in the building"... still...

God is so good... ALL the time...

..."click-click fever"

when I went "out" on my photo expedition...
I also took my SD 1000...

at first I tried to use the XSi in "manual"...
you haven't seen any of those picts...
because they were WAY over exposed...
a couple were..."eeeh"..
most were..."YUCK"...

but I didn't know that until I put them on my computer...
[I went out again to take the ones I posted...]

I also took these shots with the SD 1000...
most are either digi-mac [if extreme close-ups]...
just "macro" if close-up...
or "infinity"...if a scenic shot...

I really like this spider web...



I look forward to getting enough "chops" on the XSi...
to be able do these kinds of close-ups...



this is a "macro shot" of the same place...


I have dozens of shots of barks now...



I'm planning a whole retrospective on bark texture...
this...is just a teaser...

I consider myself very fortunate to live in a neighborhood...
that has so many old trees...with large, interesting trunks...
cool bark patterns and assorted scars and markings...


and of course, it's still "fall"...



and the combination of azure blue skies, fall foliage...
and the angle of the light...even at mid-day...
is absolutely breath-taking at times...

sometimes, though...the light is NOT your friend...



these berries got a tad "washed-out"...
but nothing a little "editing"...
of the "color saturation" & brightness couldn't cure...

they were red...now they're RED...
and that's a good thing...


at first...I thought..."why do they have a plastic flower on their hedge?"
then I saw that there were other blossoms not yet open...



I have NO idea what it is...
I've never seen anything like it before..
[help, Mr GT !...what is it ?]




while I was taking this picture...
I made the acquaintance of the nice guy...
who lives in the house I was standing in front of...



he had just taken a picture of those trees at their peak...
the day before and asked me about the XSi...
as he was in the "market" for a digital SLR...

we discussed the XTi on sale in Costco...
and how it compared to the XSi...
[about 12 points lower on CR's scale...
they have the XSi as a "best buy"...]

eventually, he went on about his day...
I went on my way...

"click-click fever" in full sway...

[it's an incurable disease...
the only treatment...? MORE pictures...]

...the first XSi picts

first XSi pictures...all "full auto"...
I'm not into this camera enough to do anything tricky yet...

I love the sunlight effect here...



and yes, Miz Minka... that is a worm...
"inching up the roses"...
"measuring the rose bud, perhaps ?"



actually, having lunch on the rosebud...
not the "inch worm" of your youth...



this rose bud has escaped that fate...



this rose is hosting some fauna...
can you spot it ?
probably the only one that wasn't trekking...
through my bedroom recently...









I almost had to get flat on my stomach for this shot...
almost... but NOT quite...



I attracted Mackie's attention while locking the door...
this is through a wavy [dirty] 80 year old window...



the grouping of roses in front of my LR window...





this rose was way up over my head...



I had to look through the viewfinder, "from a distance"...
I love the way they came out...
[especially if you click on them to enlarge them...]




fallen leaves...on bright green grass...
only in NorCal...



street scene...



worth the wait...









UnkelPhil's liquid amber tree is really "turning" now...



the south side is dark red...



the north side is still yellow...

I'm enjoying the leaves while I can...
one good storm...and they'll all be gone...

...so far, so good...

so as I devour the last of my wonderful multi grain toast...
[even better than the heel was...if that's possible...]
things are peacable in this place...
at the moment, anyway...

Mackie greeted me early, wanting food...
and came in again for the cat box[!]...
along with more food, when I finally got up.......

he's currently sleeping on the cat tree...
[after cuddling in my lap last night...
purring like a motor boat...]

I'll probably take him back in to be checked on Monday...
to see what the vet thinks...
he is moving easier every day...
so the weakness in his back legs may have been an injury...
that is now healing...

I just advised Miz Sneaky Pie that sneaking Molly's crunchies...
is NOT smart...
she took my remarks under advisement...
& moved on to HER food...

or she just decided she didn't like "dog" food after all...

moving Molly's batcave to a more isolated location...
has really cut down on the yipping & yelping noises...
that Molly uses to warn kitties away from her nest...

AND...there has been NO chasing...

when Molly's nest was in the middle of the walkway...
kitties would scoot through or around it...
giving her an "alert" to chase the quick moving kitties...
& causing some rough play situations...

she also would guard her bones, etc...
causing me a bit of worry, especially with Mackie when he was wobbly...

so ever since I moved her...
yesterday afternoon, acting on sound, God-mom advice...
things have really calmed down...

I have also been very strict about her barking...
I had been somewhat lax...
which let her think that she was the "pack leader"...
so I had to re-assert myself as the "boss"...

not in a mean way...but "tough love"...
just like with the jr high kids...
being firm, being consistent...
but being loving at the same time...
["hating the sin, NOT the sinner..."]

I want her to be a watch dog...
but she needs to understand...
that once I know about the intruder...
she can stop barking...

just now, as I was writing this...
she started "intruder alert" barking...
it's different, more urgent...
and she doesn't stop when I call her name...

so I got up & went in to see what it was...

I saw no one...

which means it was probably a cat or dog...
so I made her sit, I held her muzzle gently...
and told her it was OK... she could stop now...
she "argued" a bit...
but then, satisfied that she had done her job...
stopped all barking & muttering...
and went back to her nest...

she has been fine with a workman in the house...
but goes absolutely ballistic at the mere appearance...
of mail carriers, delivery persons & such...

so this step has been coming...
and now is the time...

she no longer goes totally nuts...
when she sees other dogs on walks...
but I have made her sit...lean into me...
bent down practically hugging her...
telling her it's OK...

sometimes, she still barks a bit...
especially if the other dog barks at her...
but then, it's a stern "NO"...
& a jerk or 2 on the lead...
until I have her "attention"...

this SOOO reminds me of teaching jr.high...

finishing this has been interrupted a couple of times...

UnklePhil got a FedEx delivery...
they parked in front of my house...

another cat alert[probably Piglet, parading about...]

as well as general lobbying for a walk...

I let her out in the back early this AM...
but now, the fog has lifted...
and she is dying to "get out there"...

so out we will go...

I'm taking my new camera...
with the "kit" lens...to take my first picts to post...
I loaded the software on last night...
but don't really know the camera yet...

so I'll stick my SD 1000 in my pocket too...
in case there are digimac opportunities...

poor Molly...lots of stops and...
"wait...give me a moment.. I almost have it..."
but that also means a longer walk...
probably to the park...her favorite sniffing place...

...in the dog house

ever since she's been here with me...
she's been here...



and since the rug runner was returned...
she loves to lay on it...

I have, however moved her nest...



so it's not in the way into the bathroom/office/bedroom...

this also gives her a good view of the porch from her nest...



and there's still a runner to lay on...

there are a couple of reasons for this...
I want her to alert me to people on the porch...
but she needs to stop barking when I tell her to stop...

and she has to NOT go nuts when someone leaves something on the porch...

in her zeal to protect...

she has managed to trash...

4 potted, previously thriving African violets...
destroyed a beautiful blooming orchid...
un-potted a couple of plants...
broken pots and scattered soil ALL over...

she has done this by jumping up on places she shouldn't go...
[where's that "blender counter alarm" when I need it ?]
and while she hasn't jumped into a grouping of plants...
she has bumped the table, knocking them off...
and literally knocked them down with her tail...

she also is beginning to play a bit too rough with the cats...

and would guard her nest when they tried to walk by...
barking, lunging... defending her turf...

so now, with it in a different location...
I hope that helps...



she is a good dog & the cats seem to really like her...
but she's been here long enough now...
to smooth off a few of the rough edges...
so that everyone who lives here is secure, feels safe...
& is comfortable...

so I have to step up...
& do the discipline for everyone's well being...

the kitties... Herself & me [who pays the bills...]

...a proper piece of toast

when I began my bread/toast journey...
which would lead me into the world of bread machines...
I was searching for a "proper piece of toast"...

I just had one...



looked like this...

tasted like heaven...

dense with all sorts of seeds and grains...
chewy & crisp at the same time...
warm with the butter melting & the bit of clover honey blending in...
[OK...it's Smart Balance Omega-3 spread...
no trans fats or bad fats...extra omega-3's...
and tastes like butter... really...]

I could taste the extra virgin olive oil I used instead of butter...
and the flax seeds I added... as well as the extra seeds/grains mix...
this is not a sweet loaf...
which is perfect with a bit of honey melting in with the "butter"...

this piece is my favorite "toast piece"...the heel...
[I like the "end " pieces of all baked goods...
extra crunchy... extra caramelization... yummm...]

there were 2 pieces of toast...a skinny half slice...
[I need to hone my slicing skills...]
and the heel...
[I ate the other heel last night, still warm...]

the skinny slice was also a good piece of toast...
the texture was perfect...crunchy & chewy...
with the melting "butter" & honey...

I have a bunch of other mixes to try...
as well as all the recipes in the books...
and I really want to try the recipe MM sent me...
but I do have things to do today...

a bit more choir music stuff...

I need to load my new camera software on my computer...
register my new camera & lenses...
and start "learning" it...

I also have wood to bring in...
a rug to vacuum [too many spilled plants...]
plants to water...
plants to plant...
some storage to work out...

& I'm going to go through my pantry, again...

paring down....

I guess I'd better get going...

...Mackie update, 5.0

this morning I found Mackie peeing in the corner by the front door...
since he'd always been so good to make it to the cat box...
I figure that he must have really had to go...
[the puddle was pretty good size...]

or since Molly had a pig's ear she was guarding in the batcave...
protecting her prize by yipping at any feline who came close...
he may have been deterred from going in to use the cat box...
by "danger dog" guarding her lair...

he did go around through the kitchen for his breakfast...
but he came in & ate well...

when Molly & I got back from our walk...
he was high up on the tree...

I got his meds, pulled him down & gave him the dropperful...

I noticed that his tongue was "pinker" than yesterday...
a few days ago had been yellow, then a pale whit-ish pink...
today it was definitely pink...[he is anemic...]

AND... he actually swallowed the meds without gaaacking...

I had noticed that he hadn't been gaacking while eating either...
which means that if he had lesions in his mouth, they're healing...
and if the amoxicillin is doing that, they aren't the bad kind of lesions...
from a severe immune deficiency like Piglet's were...

it's a miracle...

except for the peeing in the corner...
everything has been positive lately...
he even came to be petted last night...
very normal for him...

thanks again to all of you kind-hearted people...
who have prayed for us...
and continue to do so...
his back legs are still weak...

but he seems "on the mend"...

God is good...ALL the time...

I'm going to go have some breakfast toast now...

...it's bread

the Zo sits...cooling after it's first loaf...



as does the bread...



a whole grain, multi-grain & seed mix bread...



I used dry milk[1/4 C +1 C water] & olive oil [rather than butter...]

the crust is crunchy, the crumb moist & chewy...
not at all sweet... it could stand to be just a bit sweeter...
but not bad for my first effort...

thanks to Miz Minka for her invaluable kelp...uhhh... help...
in getting my act together...
concerning all things bread machine related..

not only for all the practical advice & e-mail...
but for putting me on to this...



which I found "used, like new"...and came yesterday...
it is full of good advice & recipes I look forward to trying...

as well as the ones in here...



the instruction manual & recipe book that came with the Zo...

I'm off to slice and package half of my bread for the freezer...
[more good advice from MM...]
put the rest in the fridge & call it a night...
I'm really tired these last couple of days...

good night to all...

...just another afternoon in Mudville

just another afternoon in Mudville...
feeding the kitties then standing guard...
[that's Mackie on the blue & yellow bucket...
doesn't he look so much better ?]



and after waiting around for a couple of hours...
FedEx came...[they called at 7 AM...signature required...]
my other lenses, filters & equipment bag...
Molly's been patient...
so we'll walk soon...



I've unpacked & stored most of the baking supplies...
a bit more to do...but when we return from our walk...
I'm going to attempt to use my bread machine for the first time...

I'm going to use one of KAF's mixes that is formulated for the Zo...
[they use them in their test kitchens...]

my only concern with the mix...
is that everything is blended together...
[except the yeast...]
the Zo instruction book... the bread machine book I ordered...
and the helpful tips from MM, ALL said the same thing...
put the salt in the corner & the sugar under the yeast...

of course, in a mix...the sugar & salt are mixed in with the flour...
[yeast needs sugar to grow... salt will STOP yeast from growing...]
so I'm hoping for the best rise I can get...

I'm going to substitute dry milk for wet...
& use olive oil, instead of butter...
adding the oil to all the water...
[the total for the "water" & the milk...]
& the 1/4 C dry milk to the dry "mix"...
which goes on top of the liquid...
& making a well in the dry ingredients for the yeast

it's a multigrain mix with milled flax seeds...

I'm going to add a 1/4 C more & a handful of a seed mix...
I'll sprinkle sesame seeds on the top...

if it dies, Molly will like it...if it works...I'm off & baking..

I am out of bread, so I hope it works...



of course...I already knew that this would happen...


[heated pet bed...]

so I ordered another one for Molly...

she isn't cold at this point...
these guys are ALWAYS heat seekers...



here you see Molly's newest toys...except the fleece ball...
she was tossing it...I'm sure I'll find it soon...

and in the meantime...



my "twin sentinels"...Mackie & Molly...

ever vigilant for delivery persons or trespassers...

...dopey doggy blogging [aka Molly cuteness...]

regular readers know ALL about Molly's penchant for cat food...
when thwarted in her quest to snake an actual chunk of "the good stuff"...
she merely swipes the pans it's served on...
carrying them one by one in to "the batcave"...
to give a thorough "licking"...
in case a morsel of "the good stuff" remains...

the batcave is the area near her nest...
which she WILL protect from marauding felines...
in a playful way, of course... feinting...
yelping & yipping at any cat who dares come too close...

so to "distract" her...I've bought chew toys...
pig's ears...doggy chew treats and smoked bones...
the most recent one appeared to be part of a hoof...
she was most excited to get it...& took it to "tbc"...

a few moments later, I walked through the room and saw this...



I had seen her "rumple" her nest before...
a couple of times...
and thought it was just a frolic gone too far...

since she was NOT there...
I straightened it...
but as I shook out the red top bed...
something went "clunk" on the floor...

it was the latest bone...
totally unchewed on...
and chunks of the one before...
almost demolished...



then I "got it"... she had buried it for a later time...

I called...and out of the office she came...
licking cat food off of her chops & looking guilty as sin...
she had buried her bone...& done a flanking movement...
around through the kitchen & into the office...
and to the remaining cat food... which she had scarfed...

I showed her the bone...
which she then proceeded to chew on with great gusto...
as if to say, "oh, so this is where I left you..."
[cat food mania now sated...]



after realizing that I was dealing with not only a cat food junkie..
but also a bored, clever & devious dog...
I decided to try to give her more things to do...
besides stalk the cat food, that is...
[some of the kitties don't eat in the first wave...
so I must let some set for a while or the shy ones won't get fed...]

so today when I went to DP to get some more cat food...
[FF for the bedroom crowd & dry for everyone else...]
I also cruised the dog toys...

since she had demolished the playballs I found in the backyard...
I got a large yellow tennis-type ball, a red rubber geometric design ball...
a purple chew doll & a big fake fleece ball with a squeaker inside...



as you can see... the purple chew doll is her favorite...

before I got the camera on...
there were numerous mutterings & dogsong...
naturally, when the camera came on...
Molly stopped singing...



enjoy these moments of doggie cuteness...

...oh joy...I'm not a nerd...I'm a geek [isn't that like a dork?]

I remember taking this test sometime in the last year...
[I was a history/lit nerd then ...]
now...I'm officially a "geek"...
I don't know about the Uber Cool part...
I think in my case...
it's just the "spoonful of sugar" that makes the medicine go down...

...Mackie update, 4.0

today, I overslept...

I think that the combination of concern for Mackie...
along with several other things...
as well as the malingering "on again/off again" virus...
that hit me hard a week ago...
combined to make me "dead to the world"...
since about 9:30 last night...

so when I awoke this AM... saw the back yard filled with light...
heard the the doggy "discourse" from the LR/DR...
I knew it was late...and it was...almost 9AM...
[I generally wake up around 7:30...]

so I got up & got dressed...& greeted the critters...
eager to see how Mackie was...

he wasn't waiting with the milling herd...
that's not his style anyway...

so I called...and in he came, moving easily...

he came to a dish, stood waiting as I emptied cans...
and dug into his favorite...
he was still eating when Molly & I left for our walk...

when we returned...he was in the sun, snoozing...



I called to him, he, ever suspicious of impending meds...



did get up and look carefully to see if I was "armed" with his meds...


finally deciding that I had no "evil" agenda...

he decided to display his "cuteness" & melt my heart...



it's so good to see him feeling SOOO much better...



God is so good...ALL the time...

and thanks for your continued prayers...
'cause we may be out of the woods...
but we aren't home yet...

...Mackie update, 3.1.1

this morning after he came in for breakfast on his own [8:30]...
we left Mackie, on the cat tree, honing his cuteness "chops"...

throughout the day...I'd seen him asleep in the sun, on the tree...

this afternoon, as I was taking out trash, etc...
I came back in around 1:45...and he wasn't there...

so I looked in the office...
and there he was...bright eyed & busy tailed...
sitting on a bucket of kitty litter...

when he saw me coming, he started the "Mom...I'm starving routine..."
and I was so pleased to find & open a can of his favorite...



I put it down & he started right in...
I put the rest down and sat back, watching...
to make sure Molly didn't swipe any of it...

suddenly, I saw him do something that Piglet used to do...
when she had those lesions in her mouth...
he stepped back from the food...started working his jaws & tongue...
as if something icky or burn-y was in his mouth...
made a few "gaaack-ing" noises, just like Piglet did...
took a "moment" to gather "himself"...
then went back to eating...
[Piglet generally didn't...]

he makes the same noises & actions...
when I try to get the meds in him...
spitting, gaaacking...
drooling and nastiness...

the antibiotic for the bacterial infection...
associated with the lesions is pretty nasty...
and I don't want to give it to him if he has liver issues...
I know he has mouth issues...I didn't see lesions...
but they could be there anyway...

I'll make sure I let the vet know...

I want him to stabilize & get as close to normal as he can...
before I stress him out by going to the vet again...

and since lesions, if that's what he has...
are an immune system deficiency problem...
it might explain some of his weird blood panels...

I just know that my buddy is feeling better by the hour...
and showing it... !

God is SO good...ALL the time...

post script... it's just after 5 PM...
and Mackie "ambled" in again to have a few bites...
he's walking quite normally now...
rear end still seems a bit weak though...

it just gets better and better...

...Mackie update, 3.0

this is where I left Mackie last night...
medicated, watered, "fed" & very annoyed...
sitting as high up as he could get on the cat tree...
casting a wary, baleful eye in my direction...

so this AM, I looked for him...& didn't need to look far...

he was on the 2nd tier of the cat tree...

standing up & watching me...

I collected the cat food pans Molly had purloined,
from her "batcave"...put them on the floor...
turned around....and there was Mackie...
wanting "up" to the window...
he's walking better, but the back legs are still weak...
so I gave him a lift "up"...



I waded through the salivating felines to the cans of food...
trying to ignore the Molly "happy morning go out NOW" song & dance...
currently "playing" in most of the rest of the house[she moves fast...]
as I turned back to put out food... Mack was waiting by a plate !
I made sure I put his favorite "mixed grill" in front of him...
and there was NO hesitation or manners involved...he began eating...



and continued to do so as I put out the other food, threw away the cans...
went to contain the cavorting canine, collar her & left for our walk...



on our return, I saw him right off...
sitting in the sunny window, on the other cat tree...
having a good wash...



I am now "officially" optimistic...

this is a HUGE 180 turn-around miracle...
he was SO sick, & spiraling down, just 2 days ago...
I just knew he was dying...& I really think he was...

I know that all the prayers of all you who care...
have made such a difference for my sweet kitty...& for me...
thank you, so much...
we love & appreciate you all, very much...

such amazing grace...

I'm sure that this was a part of the plan all along...

God is so good...ALL the time...

here's some extra Mackie cuteness...
[these looks make me "putty in his paws" every time...]
but here, now...just for all of you...[taken this morning...]

enjoy...

...Mackie update, 2.3

Mackie is different today...
on one hand he seems stronger and less confused...
on the other, he feels thin today...

today he's eaten... when offered food...
and made a trek to the cat box...
he's also washed himself a number of times...
and the snowy white paws have emerged from the grimy ones...

after sleeping on the top level of a cat tree...
for most of the afternoon, anyway...
Mackie descended to the 2nd level, getting my attention..
so after giving Molly a bone to chew...
I fed the kitties and scooped out a tablespoonful for Mack...

I carried it in...offered it to him...
he sniffed it... then sniffed again...
and just like he had done twice earlier...
he began to eat...& ate almost all of it...

when he'd had enough...he retreated "up"...



hoping to avoid the meds...& water to follow...



once there...he washed himself...



and kept a close eye on me...



his senses were accurate...because I did grab him...
bringing him back down to give the meds & water...
which he tries to spit out...& then sits drooling...



as soon as he was composed again...up he went...



letting me know that he "was NOT pleased"...
and would I PLEASE.. now leave him alone for a while...



then he made himself as small as possible...

good night Mackie...sleep well & hang in there...
a lot of people are praying for you...
so do your part and let yourself get better...

God is good...ALL the time...

thanks again so much...
to all you kind-hearted souls...
who are praying for us...
we do appreciate it...

...almost done...

I've had quite enough of this lately...



but, now... I'm on my way to this...



finally...the placement of the crown... [a LOT of $$$ & angst later...]

this temp has been one of the more problematic ones I've had...
and there have been a lot of them over the years...

there has been a dull ache most of the time...
probably the exposed nerve...
they did have to give me 4 different shots before it got numb...
so I'm not sure if I want a shot today or not...
it's probably just one of those do it & get it over with moments...

I will be really glad to get rid if the temp...
since anything I eat gets caught under it...

flossing around a temp is always a risk...
so getting out the tiny bits that create pressure & more pain...
is not easy...

and if meat is involved... it's been a major undertaking...

so I'll be glad to have the crown glued on...

now, if I can manage to find my calm, tranquil place...
and stay there...
impervious to the anxiety attack that "basement cat" will throw at me...
all will be well...

...exploring digital macro

I haven't gotten my brain around my new camera yet...
so when I take Molly for a walk, I still grab the SD 1000...

after some tutoring...I figured out the macro...

today...as a happy "accident"...

I discovered digital macro...
a different menu setting from "macro"...
& an entirely different "ball of wax"...

I also discovered "infinity"...
but that's a different post...
I'm into macro right now...

enjoy...

...breaking Mackie news

when I got up this AM... I feared the worst...
especially when he wasn't where I'd left him...
so I looked for him...
and there he was..up on the tree...

he looked at bit more alert...
more "Mackie"...

before I went to bed last night...
I'd forced water down him...
only a few dropperfulls to cut the med taste...
& he was NOT pleased...
but now, he seems a bit more himself...

so I offered him a cat food can to lick...

and he licked it...!
[enthusiastically, I might add...]

so I offered a teaspoon of that food...
["mixed grill"...comes in the assortment I got at Cosco...
I don't always have it & the other 3 kinds hadn't tempted him...]

and he ate it...!!!
[...and hungrily...!]

THEN...

he started washing his paws...!
[almost the best sign yet...
he's always been so well groomed...]

more later... Molly has to go out...

but this was too good not to share right away...

this is only a ray of light...
but I sure needed one...

thanks so much to all of you who are praying for him & me...

we do so appreciate it...

God is good...ALL the time...


post script... couple of hours later... he ate another spoonful of food...
no encouragement needed... and so far it seems to be staying down...

...Mackie update, 2.2

after spending the balance of the afternoon here...
I went to Mackie, gathered him up...
tried to interest him in food & water, to no avail...
and finally just sat in my rocking chair with him...

holding him close...petting and talking to him...
trying to keep from dissolving into tears...
as they were edging out of my eyes and trickling down my cheeks...
I could tell that he was really into it...
he was almost purring & would snuggle in closer...
he's always been my cuddle buddy...

every morning, when I was in the bathroom...
he'd come in, hop up on the edge of the tub...
and talk to me with his head cocked just a bit to the side...
that was my cue to pet him...admire his fluffy tail...
the one black toe on his otherwise snowy white paws...
his bright green eyes & long silky fur...

it hasn't been a week yet since the last time he did that...



this guy is weak & confused...
not the literally, "bright eyed & bushy tailed" kitty...
the Mackie I knew up until last Thursday evening...

the Mackie who darted outside to frolic just last week...
only to be captured like a drunken sailor on shore leave...
rolling in his intoxicated bliss on the patio next to the catnip...

he's only just 10...& I was hoping for several more good years...

but God is good... ALL the time...
and my Mackie...as well as my heart are in His hands...



"Trust in the Lord with all your heart...
and lean not on your own understanding...
in all your ways, acknowledge Him...
and He will direct your paths..."
[Proverbs 3 : 5-6]

"the Lord giveth...the Lord taketh away...
blessed be the name of the Lord..."

...Mackie update, 2.1

Mackie did find the cat box today...
but almost fell off the cat tree getting there...
he was hanging by his front feet & I had to assist him...

he was tempted by cat food but didn't eat...
his gate is so unsteady...he doesn't walk straight...
he reminds me of someone who has had a stroke...
if he won't eat... he won't get better...

he hasn't had a drink either...
he'll get dehydrated again...
& then be right back where he started...

I really hate this helplessness...
my sweet happy buddy...
where are you, Mr Fluffytail ?

...Mackie update, 2.0

Mackie's home... but not at all "himself"...



he's weak & unsteady on his feet...
but since he ate Saturday...
and the catheter needed to come out...
he's been sent home to see how he does...

the vet sent along a box of Clavamox[amoxicillin]...
which Mackie did NOT want to take, spitting most of it out...
I opened a can of his favorite food...
he licked the gravy, but didn't actually eat any of it...



his ears were really yellow with the jaundice...
as you can see, they are not now...
but he doesn't feel good...
he feels normal to pick up...
but has NO energy and just wants to lay still...



he was here until Molly decided SHE wanted to be here...
so Mackie moved up onto the cat tree...
[there's a shelf just above & to the left of this shot...]
he seems to be able to get where he wants to go...
I found him in the window sill earlier...

we'll just have to see if he "perks up" at home...
he's only 10... & my buddy...

I hope he'll have more good years with us here...

...dippy dopey doggie blogging...

Molly has had a tough day or so...
as I began to get sick Friday night...
I was less inclined to take a long after dark stroll...
so she's had a couple of "backyard moments"...
between yesterday and this morning...

so when I got home from church today...
we went on a walk...while the cats were eating...
and then, on our return, I fed her part of her dinner...



all the cat food had been consumed by the cats [what a concept...]
so I left the plates on the floor...
& I went into my bedroom to rest a bit...
upon my reappearing a couple of hours later...

I found this...



not one dish... or two... but THREE cat food dishes...
had been brought one by one into the dog zone...[aka the Batcave...]
to be licked clean of all remaining traces of "fishy goodness"...
[salmon & tuna/whitefish flavors...]

it seems the "fishier" it is ...the more Herself likes it...
mind you...all the food was gone...
this was at best a clean plate "lick-down"...

after preserving the dastardly doggy doings for posterity...
I opened the box that had finally gotten here...
it must have been traveling by mule train...

it contained the heated dog bed I had purchased for Molly...
a good suggestion from the doggy Godmom, Miz Minka...
when Molly was sliding her bed over the floor grate...
MM had found one on a web site that was much less expensive...
than most of the ones I had found...

since it's not really cold right now...
I'll wait until it is again before plugging it in...

but the heated bed wasn't the only thing I got for her...



she now has a bright yellow, hooded rain slicker...



I probably could have gotten the next bigger size...
and may yet do that, even though it does fit her...

in my defense [I am NOT the kind of person who dresses up animals]...
she does have short hair...

when we walked in the rain before...

she got soaked...
she shivered...
smelled bad for a while...
& got everything in the house wet...

so at least now when we walk in the rain...
she won't be miserable...

...out of the boxes & into the instructions[argh]

after my breakfast with FFers today...
I came home with great purpose...
to unpack, assemble & read instructions...

but as the day progresses...I'm really feeling sick...
so I got only this far...



here's the Zo, open...



and a look inside the pan at the kneader paddles...



the instructional video...[VHS tape...NOT a DVD...]



and the instruction manual...



unpacking was a bit more complicated for this...



I had to charge & insert the battery pack...
insert the memory card [4G, no less !]
& mount the lens...

at this point...

I'm hoping a nap will chase the nausea/headache away...
I'm pretty sure it's NOT food poisoning...
I didn't feel great when I got up...
[maybe too many virtual Guinnesses ...]
and it's been downhill from there...

I can't miss church tomorrow...
and I need to be focused, not spacey...
for all the rehearsing involved...

fear not any of you choristers who read this...
I will be there...
if I'm still feeling lousy...I'll wear a mask...

...Mackie update, 1.2

I got myself to the vet's early[beating the Sat.AM rush...]
Mackie is doing better...but isn't eating yet...
[he IS kind of finicky...]
his ears are still yellow so to make sure...
that he has the best chance of recovery...
he's staying at the vet's & on the IV until Monday...

N, the tech who looked at him said he was a bit grumpy...
he must be feeling better then...
on Thursday evening he was out of it...
and on Friday morning, he thought he was going home...

so now he's in a cage...& pissed off...
but I'm going to be busy today & tomorrow...
I don't want to come home and find that he's crashed again...
every bit of IV he gets helps his liver get flushed...

so he's stable, improving slowly...
but still at the vet's, on the IV & not eating, yet...
[they are offering him a special diet...
which may be why he's not eating...yet...
if he gets hungry enough...he will...]

so he's in the best place for good care...

God is good...ALL the time...

...the "Zo" is in the building

so after fooling around on Facebook until I was yawning...
had a headache from laughing at the dumb stuff I was doing...
the dog was doing the "I gotta go out NOW 2-step"...
I pried myself away from the computer to take her out & go to bed...

it has been a l-o-n-g and stressful day...
and I'd had enough silliness and drama for a while...
the chiropractic adjustment requires me to sleep it off...
and I'm bleary-eyed...and all day...
I expected to see some form of delivery guy bring my "Zo"...

so as I opened the door at 11:45 to take Molly out...
what did I trip over ? ...the Zo...
parked right in front of my door...
that must have been what she was going mildly insane about...
around 9:30 or so...[a bit late for a delivery...]

I took Molly "out"...we came back...
I schlepped the box inside...



and opened it...



"tah-dah"...the "mighty Zo"...



some of it's attributes...



and more...even than this...

but I'm tired & going to bed...

at least it's here...

...Mackie update,1.1

I just talked to my vet...
he has Mackie on IV again...
and has done some blood work that now only shows jaundice...
[ie liver problems...]
and continuing the IV is the best course of treatment at this time...

he'll probably stay overnight...
but I'm to call back this afternoon to make sure...

after reviewing the xrays...
my vet doesn't think there is a tumor...
so his biggest issue is the liver...

once that's stabilized, he'll address the mouth...
but he said the most recent blood work he's done...
shows no infection problems...

only the jaundice...

an enzyme level that should be around 0.9...
is over 5.0...WAY too high...
but the IV should flush it out...
then we'll know what we're dealing with...

the good signs...

I haven't seen any vomiting or diarrhea from him...
he's NOT a voracious eater...
[a sure sign of liver problems...
especially if the cat is thin...]

Mackie's always been on the small side in stature...
but his long silky fur "fills him out"...
maybe 7 to 8 lbs...which is small for a neutered male...
and sort of a picky eater...

[I've always called he & Murph, my "mini Maine Coon cats"...]

there are several kitties who are ALWAYS hungry...
he's NOT one of them...

so at this point... things are looking better...
a whole LOT better than they did last night...

thanks for keeping Mackie in your prayers...
me too...

God IS good...ALL the time...

...IT'S HERE... part 2 [part of it anyway...]

when I got home from the EVC last night...
I found this big, heavy box on my porch...
[no...it wasn't opened...I did that inside...
with a great deal of "help" from Sneaky Pie...]



at first... I was disappointed that it wasn't the mighty "Zo"...
[as the KAF blogger calls it...]
so I left it to be unpacked today...

and this morning...as I got into it...
my enthusiasm began to ramp up...




here were the storage containers & proofing bucket...
that I would need...



as well as the obvious...



and the, "not-so-obvious"...
but extremely necessary to me, ingredients...

as well as...



more "staples"...



and basic necessities for bread making...
avec ou sans le machine...

[WHY ? ... am I speaking French all of a sudden...?...
je ne sais quoi...]


and then, this...



was "on sale"...

I can think of one [maybe 2 ?] person[s] who are happy to see this...

hummm... maybe... I should have bought more than one...
[what recipe makes only 12 mini cheesecakes at a time ?]
I DO have a "10% off your next order coupon..."
I'll have to think about that...

of course...I don't have a scone pan...
and I got this...



hummm...where did I put that coupon... ?

and finally... there are these...



they work for machines or by hand...
but I'm waiting for my "mighty Zo"...

these are the mixes I have MM...
wanta trade any for a recipe or two ?

[of course... I have more than one of each...
why would you even need to ask ? [wink, wink...]

post scipt...
MM if I understood your comment you want this...
if I am missing your point...clarify, s'il-vouz plas...

...IT'S HERE !... IT'S HERE !...pt.1

my "early-warning system"[Molly]...
went ballistic about an hour ago...

I limped to the door in time to see...
the FedEx guy beating a hasty retreat...
from the "extreme barking"...
that threatened to peel the paint off the door...

leaving at my door, a box...
just the right size to contain...



my new camera kit[Canon Rebel EOS XSi w/lens, battery & charger]...
the hard shell case, extra battery, flash...
and 4G memory card...

the other stuff...
2 lenses, lens bags, filters & equipment bag...
are still "out there"...
but they were in a different shipment...

so I'm looking forward to immersing my aging* brain...
in all things digital ...
& "capturing photographic coup" on my terms...
all around my little world, so look out, Mudville...

*since my last birthday...
I can't claim "middle aged"anymore...
unless I can live to be 120...
which has it's pros & cons...

but...
I just can't think of myself as a "senior"...not yet, anyway...


you can find a lengthy pre-launch review at...
www.digitaltechnews.com/.../canons-new-122.html
stupid Blogger won't let me link this site...

...Mackie update...

the alarm went off WAY too early...
but I needed to pick up Mackie by 7:30 AM...
and it's at least a 25 minute trip to the EVC...
during morning commute...? who knows...]

without the time to walk Molly...
I opened the back door to let her out in the back yard...

and out zipped Lucyfur...with Molly in close pursuit...

telling "basement cat" to return from whence he came...
I limped back to my bedroom, through hungry kitties...
mindful of time passing...
I got dressed as quickly as I could...
which was a real chore since I was very stiff...

the stress of the previous evening's activities...
had taken their toll...
and the thought of chasing a cavorting Lucyfur...
triggered ALL my stress points...
and my back was killing me...

I opened the back door...
in came Molly...
since I cleverly hadn't fed the kitties yet...
I could go chase down Lucyfur...
without knowing... that Molly was scarfing cat food...

I looked for Lucyfur... & finally spotted her...
I got agonizingly close & grabbed for her...
but stiffness & soreness thwarted my efforts...
and she edged away...just out of reach...

saying several prayers...

binding "bc"[I really like that name for the enemy...]
and claiming a quick capture of the rambling Lucyfur...
I proceeded to flank her position...
trapping her in the small fenced area behind the garage...

with me blocking her only escape...
she came right to me... and I picked her up...
[thank you, Jesus...]
I carried her to the back door & went in...

[if you know my back door area...
and the "tight squeeze" it is...
you know that using this entrance, in & of itself...
took a dexterity that I could NOT have accomplished a year ago...]

leaving hungry critters behind...

I got in my car and headed north east...
across town to the EVC...

the silvery full moon still hung clearly in the west...

last night as I drove to the EVC...
I had watched it rise in the east...full and golden...
a resplendent harvest moon...

now... in the east, the rising sun was a bright red-orange disk...
burning through the heavy morning mist...
that is a harbinger of the winter fogs to come...
by the time I would see it again...
it was blazing in the clear blue sky...
setting the tops of trees ablaze in their fall glory...

I got to the EVC...and got a nice surprise...

Mackie was feeling much better...

AND... they refunded me $65.00 on my debit card... !

the doctor went over the xrays with me...

the tumor is quite large & has some calcification...
[it's been there a while...]

she said that any surgery would be very invasive & difficult...
not to mention that I'd have to take him to UCDavi$...
that it would cost thousands of dollars...
& besides being very hard on Mackie, it would also be "risky"...

the best news... he was feeling [and looked...] much better...

he had responded very well to the IV fluids...
and starting the antibiotics...
though it was too soon to see the effects of them...
was also a good thing...

he has "mouth problems"...
that pulling teeth...and antibiotics, can fix...
& as long as his liver/kidney function remains good...
and all the blood panels show that there is not a problem there...
he may recover his basic wellness...[not counting the tumor...]

it's mainly his mouth...and the tumor...

as long as the tumor doesn't get too big or metastasize...
and if we can stabilize his mouth...
so his immune system, liver & kidneys aren't being compromised...
he may have some time...

I'm waiting for a call from my vet...
after he has a chance to look at the tests & xrays...
they left the IV catheter in, so as soon as the vet OKs it...
they will restart the IV...which washes out his system...
making him feel better...

he is anemic... the liver may be destroying red blood cells ...
because of the tumor...
and the antibiotics for his mouth...
will help his immune system go back to a more normal state...

I'm praying that it will be in God's will..
for my sweet buddy to be with us for a few more years...
but I'm also content for His will to be done...

the EVC doctors both commented on how sweet Mackie is...
and they seemed very encouraged...
that he was so much better this morning...

taking him there was the right thing to do last night...
I shudder to think what state he might have been in today...
without the IV to rehydrate & flush out his system...
he might have been in full hepatic & renal failure by now...
and then, not only would he have suffered...he would be gone...

God is good... all the time...


[Murphy..."laying down the law" to Mackie in August...]

many thanks to all of you who have been keeping us...
both Mackie & me... in your prayers...
it makes a big difference I can really feel...

more updates...as they happen...

...Mackie in peril

I was getting ready to have dinner...
in front of the TV tonight...

as I was opening the doors...
I noticed Mackie, who was lying on the top...
had wet paws, front & back...

I investigated, since he always keeps them snowy white...
and saw that his tummy was wet too...
smelled like urine...and it was...

I called my vet, but he was gone for the day...

they made a suggestion or two...
since it was an hour before the Emergency Vet Clinic would open...

I stashed Mac in a carrier...
laid my dinner aside and drove off in search of a vet still open...

after striking out, I headed for the EVC...

I got there about 5:40 PM...
the doctor wasn't there yet...
and due to traffic problems[and a huge full moon...]
she wouldn't arrive for a while...

the good news...we were first....

after the doctor saw him...she suggested a blood panel...

the results were inconclusive...

obvious potential problems were ruled out by the results...
she said that further tests were necessary...
perhaps even a biopsy...

she suggested x-rays as the best, non-invasive method...
of answering the questions raised by the blood work...

I left him there...to receive IV fluids & antibiotics...
and have to pick him up at 7 AM & take him to my vet...

I had been home about 45 minutes when the doctor called...
he has a good sized tumor in his chest, under his heart...
it may be benign, but surgery is the only treatment...
and its location makes surgery NOT a good option...

before I left... I paid $831.06 for his treatment...
and the tests my vet would have run anyway...
[they just would have cost a lot less...]
this is all so sudden...

just this weekend, he got out & led me a merry chase...
twice...before being caught when he stopped...
to roll in the catnip...
and now I realize he didn't come to say ,"hi" this AM...

he's shown no signs of distress...



here he is smiling at the camera...
& "deviling" his sister Murphy just this August...

and here's a picture I took on 11/05/08...



Mr. Mackie Greeneyes...

it doesn't look good at this point...
and though it will break my heart...
he may have to be put to sleep tomorrow...

I appreciate the prayers I know have already been said...
and ask that any of you who might be so inclined...
will say a word or two to "your higher power"...
for Mackie... a very sweet kitty who is pretty sick...
for his kitty & dog family... who love him...
and for me, his mom...

who knows that God has everything under control...
and that He is good... all the time...

...my new toy, #2 [aka, you still only live once...]

I love bread...
truth be told... I love most carbs...
but especially... bread...

crusty, dense, chewy, yeasty breads...
with "tooth"...

multigrain... with lots of seeds of all kinds...

hot...with butter or homemade garlic-herb butter...

sopping up soup or some other luscious drippy thing...

grilled or toasted...dripping with fruity olive oil...
or gooey melted cheese fondue...

I don't care... I love them all...

and about a year ago...
my local market started baking, "in house"...
a seeded, multigrain sandwich loaf...
I loved it...

it was great toasted or in a sandwich...

I got addicted...and then, "poof"...
it was gone... discontinued...

and I have been forced to resort to...



really not too bad, when compared with the other choices...
it has seeds on the crust... a requirement for me...
it toasts up pretty good & does OK as a sandwich...

but it's still "commercial"...
both the flavor & texture are reminiscent...
of the "mass produced"product that it is...
when what I had...and want again is this...



an artisan style crumb, crust & taste in a sandwich loaf...



and then there are the other specialty loaves...



the dense, chewy artisan style mulitgrain loaves I crave...



and sour doughs... redolent with aroma & tang...


so I'm taking the situation into my own hands...

armed with these...



and this...



new toy #2...

a Zojirushi Bakery Supreme Bread Machine...

this one keeps winning top ratings from test kitchens...
and King Arthur Flour uses them exclusively...
[I've wanted one for a while now...]

that's where I got this...on sale, free shipping...
they also sell whole grain/ multi grain bread machine mixes...

this one bakes a 1 to 2 lb horizontal loaf...
it excels in mixing & kneading yeast doughs...
[it has 2 kneading blades...]
the dough can be baked in the machine or removed...
and baked in the artisan fashion, on a stone...
or on a sheet...

or in a plain old loaf pan...

it has an "up to 13 hours" delay setting for baking...
it can keep sour dough starter warm for 2 hours...
it will signal you when to add-in seeds or fruit...
it has 9 baking modes & can produce 3 different crusts...

the 3 cycles : kneading, rising & baking...
are all fully programmable

in short...it has my name on it...

when I retired...
I planned to learn to bake bread...
but things being as they are...
I realized that doing it totally by hand...
was NOT going to happen...

besides...to clear the space I needed...
for kneading & proofing & rolling, etc...
would invite even MORE kitties on the counter...
[perhaps even a dog...]

and since I probably already ingest...
10xs the healthy limit of cat hair...
I figured I'd be hacking up hairballs soon...
and that's NOT a good thing...

so I'm excited...
about being able to finally search out my "inner baker"...
["cook", that I am...]
besides...then I'll finally...
be able to have a decent piece of toast again...
[when you don't eat a lot...you want it all to be quality...
and to taste good...]

because you only live once...

...my new toy, #1 [aka you only live once...]

I have always loved taking pictures...

starting with Mom's "box" camera...
then, to my "Brownie" days...
& on to the "Instamatic"...
culminating with my manual Nikon SLR...

I like capturing the moment...
an emotion... a transitory image...

playing with light & shadow...
shapes, textures... and colors...

I bought a Fujifilm digital SLR camera a couple of years ago...
and loved using it... but couldn't download the images...
the 9 mega pixal system they use requires a USB II cord...
I could get one installed on my cpu, but it's a giant pain...
it worked fine to download on a PC without the USB II...
but it won't work on my Mac...

so I got a Canon S1000 w/7.1 mp point-&-shoot...
which has worked just fine...
especially for blogging...
but now the focusing & control bug has bit me...

I crave "macro"...
the detail I got from my old Nikon...
even from the Fujifilm 6000 to an extent...
and the control...

after doing some research...
I came to some conclusions...

I really like taking the pictures I "see"...
in startling clarity & detail...
and it's just NOT possible...
with the lesser equipment...

& the Fujifilm, though "nice"... is not working for me...
because I can't download the images to my computer...

the articles I read [Consumer Reports] suggest...
buying a good quality versatile basic camera...
and spending your money on a couple of good lenses...

ie... don't spend big bucks on the body...
spend the most on the lenses you want...
most basic digital SLRs come with a "kit" lens...
even the most advanced ones have a do-all kit lens...
so buy the best basic body...and better lenses...
that meet your tastes & needs...

as one photographer put it...
"you'll never be sorry you spent $1000.00 for a lens...
but you'll be sorry real soon if you spend $1000.00 for a camera..."

so with that in mind... I scoured CR's ratings...
it didn't take long... 2 Canons were in the list...
[I like their software & they have an excellent reliability rating...]

both the Rebel EOS SXi & SXt...
were on the list of best basic digital SLRs...
& both did NOT require a USB II interface... so I read on...

the SXi was a 12 mega pixal model with rave reviews...
the 2nd highest rating in it's class by 1 point[basic digital SLRs]
and listed as a CR "Best Buy" at the MSRP of $700/800.00...
the other Rebel was a lesser quality camera [10 mp]...
a significantly lower rating...& for too much $$...

the XSi had a rating of "excellent" for image quality...
dynamic range & ease of use...
it's versatility & viewfinder were rated "good"...
and it has an effective ISP of 800 with best quality...

it also shoots at a blazing speed of 3.5 frames per second...
[unusual for a basic SLR...]
and will shoot bursts of 20 seconds without stopping...

my decision to buy the Canon Rebel EOS XSi made...
I went shopping...


and at the same place I got my Fujifilm 6000...
I found a good price... significantly below the MSRP...

they also don't charge shipping OR sales tax[I love the Internet...]



they also had a deal on a good zoom lens [$100.00 off ! ]



as well as what I craved... a good "Macro" lens...
there was one for twice what this cost...
but this will be just fine for now...



I used to love using filters...so I got a set...
the UV one will be especially useful...



and since this kind of camera does not come with a built-in flash...
this inexpensive one will work just fine...



I consider the hard shell case necessary protection...



and the 2 lens storage bags will fit into...



the equipment bag that can hold 2 SLRs and several lenses...
as well as assorted other stuff...

I can't wait for it all to arrive...

at a time in my life when I've been actively de-cluttering...
you might wonder if I'm just gathering "stuff" again...
I consider it "stuff"...only if I don't use it & love using it...
I don't think that will be a problem here...

maybe God will give me a way to make some $$ taking pictures...
that would be really cool...

...an early morning walk

I like the light that comes in at angles...



and they both abound in an early fall morning...



the changing leaves become bits of stained glass...



refracting the light until a storm shatters & scatters them...



leaving once shady bowers populated...
with the skeletal remains of the summer...



and the parts of the kaleidoscope reshuffle themselves...
turning to brown on the ground...



before the chill wind of winter sweeps them away...

the morning mists gather...



soon to be marshaled as a damp, murky fog...

densely shrouding the land through it's winter slumber...



awaiting the coming of the light...

..."magooshans"

sycamore trees...
the streets of my neighborhood in Mudville...
are lined with them...

and now...the leaves are turning yellow...



then crackly brown...and falling to earth...

we had several on the ranch... big ones...
that provided me with hours of companionship...
growing up pretty much alone...out in the country...

my brother didn't count...
he was almost 4 years younger...
and liked other stuff...

we'd play sports stuff for a while...
but he always had to win...
and would cheat if he had to...
or sulk if he lost...



I had imaginary friends when I was really young...
before my brother was born...
I'd make up stories involving them...
have long conversations with them...

I was always very verbal...
almost from the moment I learned to talk...
Mom said that it was a constant dialog...
[I hear you LOL, MM...& I don't blame you...]

when I moved on from imaginary friends...
I "taught" my stuffed animals...
or the birds in the trees...

my brother didn't want to be taught...
that may have been the beginning of the gap...
that still lies between us...

as I was a child of the 50's...
and a fan of Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy...
and every other cowboy on TV...
having a set of small cowboys with horses...
[think "army men"...but with 10 gallon hats & horses...]
gave my active imagination a direction...

and soon, I was spending all my time "playing"...
out behind the barn with the toy cowboys...
I made houses & barns...with beds & used lawn cuttings for hay...
but soon I began to be limited in my scenarios...

until one fall day, I looked down and saw this...



a ball from the huge sycamore tree behind the barn...



had fallen and was losing it's seeds..
and as they fell off.. it left a fuzzy ball...



when I picked it up, I noticed...
that some of the fuzz had been pulled off...
and what was left looked sort of like a person...
[come on...I was a little kid...]



there were tons of them...
and I also discovered that the fuzz or "hair"...
could be removed strategically...
creating a Mohawk or a beard...

suddenly...my world expanded...
I had lots of potential new characters for my stories...
I created an entire culture...a tribe...
I showed my brother...
who was occasionally interested in my kind of "play"...

he, being quite young at the time named them "Magooshans"...

we had a neighbor whose name was Mahdajian...

my brother had heard Dad mention his name as having the ranch...
back up, behind the barn... but he couldn't say his name...
so my "tribe" of indigenous sycamore natives...
"out behind the barn"...
became Magooshans from them on...



for years...

I would sit out behind the barn...
mostly by myself..making up stories...
resolving conflict...making families...
having control of the situation...
feeling a part of something...
that I had no where else...

they were expendable...
they could be washed away by the irrigation waters...
burned in a fire..blown away by the wind...
but there were always more...
waiting for the next story...

as I walk Molly along the fall streets today...
50 years later...I see the fallen sycamore balls...
the furry centers surrounded by the seeds...

and suddenly...I'm 9 or 10 again...
by myself...
out behind the barn...
playing with the Magooshans...

if I close my eyes...I can smell the raisins curing...
a faint whiff of "winery"in the air...
wood smoke from the workers camp fire...
the few who have stayed to box the raisins...

it's getting dark...
the north wind is chill & smells of rain...
there's also a whiff of sage...
as the wind picks up rattling the big dry leaves overhead...
sending a shower of them down on my head...

I put my cowboys, horses & Magooshans to bed...
shiver with the chill and go around the barn...
as the gloom of evening is settling in fast...
the kitchen windows glow with a yellow light...

Dad's in from the fields...
and is getting cleaned up for dinner...
Mom's bustling about fixing it...
my brother's sitting at the table coloring...

I pause, just out of the warming circle of light...
watching...wondering why I don't seem to fit here...
why with all that is warm & comforting in front of me...
I feel so lonely...so unwanted...
wanting something I can't describe...
so much that it hurts...

but the wind is cold...and I'm hungry...
so I go inside...
knowing that something is missing...
just not knowing what...
and trying not to think about it...

and 50 years later...

I still haven't a clue...but I remember that feeling...

...the "runnsies"

before you say, "ewwww..."
it's not THAT kind of "runs-ies"



MM used that term to describe the crazed burst of energy...
the wild running to & fro...the readiness to play...
she saw Molly do, after she & Mr GT rescued her...
when they took her to the country house...
& released her in the dog run...

an apt description...because that's what they do...
dash about in circles for the sheer joy of running...

I've seen cats do pretty much the same thing...
[generally followed by a sickening crash...]

we were in the back yard after her walk...

I was taking pictures when I heard it begin...
before I could set up the video...
and locate the "star"...
she'd made 2 circles of the yard...
[the first shot is a "still" of a movie frame...]

BTW...I now have a nasty sore bruise on my left hand...
where Molly got me AND the ball...
you'll hear me holler... then see all further "interaction"...
in the form of kicking... I learn fast...



enjoy the "runnsies"...

...making lentil soup

the chill in the air has me thinking soup...
and lentil soup with kielbasa & kale is one of my favorites...
so today, I'm making it for the first time since last spring...

I've often made it for "large gatherings"[15-25]...
so cutting down the recipe to about 4 quarts can be tricky...
but I'm going to give it a shot...it does keep well...
and will thicken into a "stew"...
which you can thin with more broth or water...
if you want...



I take my 6 quart stock pot...[looks just like this...]
put it on the front burner, set to medium...



& add extra virgin olive oil to cover bottom...
[about 1/4" all over...] and let it heat up...

then I peel & dice 1 big yellow onion...



testing the heat by adding a few pieces first...
if they "fry", turn down the heat...
you want a sweat w/a bit of color...
nothing too dark...



while the onion is cooking, I wash, trim & slice...
6 or 7 skinny young carrots[you don't need to peel the young ones...]
the whole bunch if they are really thin...
put into pot, stir...



then I wash and thinly chop most of a young head of celery...
starting at the top... always using the leaves & heart leaves...
[I look for celery with a lot of leaves...
that's where the flavor is...]
add to pot & stir...

now is a time to add salt & pepper to the veggies...



I use between 6 - 15 cloves of garlic...
[depends on the size & age of the garlic...
and on the requests of any diners...

I use one of these...



to mince it fine and add it on top of the other veggies...
stirring it in...
keep an eye on it...DON'T LET IT BURN...



I like Hillshire Farms Lite Polska Kielbasa...
not the Turkey, the Lite...
almost the same calories/fat...
BIG taste difference...
the Regular is too greasy for this soup...

I use a pound...
cut either in rounds, for a stew...
or smaller chunks for a soup...

after cutting, it goes into the pot...
stir and let heat up...

if you put the sausage in before the veggies...
and let it "fry"...it gives a more meaty taste to the soup...



now is the time to add the lentils...
I use 1 bag[16 oz] for soup...
1.5 to 2 bags for stew...
stir to mix with the veggies...



I like the taste of this chicken broth...
it comes in quart & pint containers...
I use between 2 & 3 quarts, depending on the volume of veggies...
most of the time, it's 2.5 qts for soup...
3 qts[with the extra lentils] for stew...
pour in & stir, mixing well...

turn up heat to speed up reaching the simmer point...



I wash & rough chop a head of kale...
leaving out any stems or woody veins...
and fold into the soup...

now for the seasonings...



I like fresh thyme...
I'll use 6-8 sprigs...
mixing in the entire sprig, stem & all...
to be fished out later when the leaves fall off...
I've never used dried thyme leaves...
about 1 TBSP, if you can't get fresh...



dry bay leaves [Turkish are best] are better than fresh...
California Bay Laurels have a more pungent eucalyptus taste...
to me anyway... and fresh bay leaves will be those...

I use 3-5 depending on size & potency[aroma...]
these must also be removed before serving...



to me, dark greens[ie kale]...
always taste better with freshly grated nutmeg...
about 1/2 tspn... use the can, if you must...

and nutmeg loves...



Harvey's Bristol Creme Sherry...[or any premium sherry...]
between 1/4 to 2/3 C to your taste...
the alcohol will cook off...
but the nutty flavor will mingle with the nutmeg...
and there will be a party in your mouth...

cover, turn to lowest heat...
and leave to simmer for about 1 hour...

after about an hour, stir....
the veggies should be softening...
& the lentils cooked...
cover and leave on lowest heat...
for another 40mins to an hour....

lift lid... by now, the lentils should be breaking up...

if it seems too thick, add liquid[water or broth...]
to desired thickness...stir...
taste...

add salt & pepper to taste...



I think fresh ground sea salt[or Kosher] & pepper are best...

serve with a warm crusty loaf of multigrain artisan style bread...



a green salad would make this more balanced...
but this soup & bread are a meal all by themselves...

and the soup gets better over the next couple of days...

enjoy... I know I will...

a very necessary postscript...

after the thyme leaves have fallen off the stems...
remove the stems...
and the bay leaves...

definitly...NOT "good eats"...
[Alton Brown would probably not mind this "borrowing" of his tag line...]

...more cat [?] toys from Germany !

my kitties are really lucky...

besides all the toys I buy for them...
[there are buckets full...]

they know Miz Minka...
whose "nom de blog"... comes from her cat, Minka...
who is, perhaps, the most finicky cat on earth...
[or at least in the general environs of Mudville...]

this finickiness has worked out well for my little herd...

because when "L'il Sis" in Germany is so kind to send toys to Minka...
which Minka won't deign to be interested in...
they get passed on over to me & the gang...

the treat ball was just being rattled around yesterday...
[of course, the culprit was Molly...
but I digress...]

so today, after church...
when MM handed me a nice zippered bag...
and told me that they were toys Minka wouldn't play with...
I was pretty sure that someone at my house...
would enjoy them a great deal...



the biggest toy is a glove with long fingers...
since they like anything "interactive"...
I'm sure that this will be a hit...



I have several who go bonkers for cat nip...



anything that rolls & makes noise[there's a bell inside...]



this is a batting toy...on an elastic string...



then there's the rhinestone/patent leather collar...
[uhh...I don't think so... if I put that on any of them...
I'd be found days later, with "massive pointy tooth trauma"...
& severe lacerations...]

which is probably why it got passed on...
there was a grooming brush...
Minka likes it...
& that's not a problem... I have plenty of brushes...



trolling for felines... I rolled the jingle toy...
instantly capturing the interest of Thomas...
who batted it for a while...

until...

I tossed the catnip mouse...
which bounced off the table...
and landed on the floor where Molly jumped on it...
picked it up...& brought it to her bed...
where she proceeded to bat it like a cat would...



I waited with baited breath to see if she would roll on it...
but she didn't...



so I put on the glove... and got her attention...



since the glove goes on your right hand...
I was taking pictures left handed...
and she kept jumping up to get it...
blurring all the action shots...

I'll have to "effort" a video soon...

my theory is that Molly is part German shepherd...
and these are German cat toys...
so she is just naturally attracted to them...

anyway, that's my story...& I'm sticking to it...

so as I bid you good evening, here in cat/dog land...

Molly is still treasuring the catnip mouse...
Thomas is finally eating the last of the cat food...
[Molly sneaked in and slurped some...]

and it's now time for my dinner...
but first...
the critters & I would like to thank Minka...
for being finicky and allowing my herd...
to have the cool cat [?] toys from Germany...

also Miz Minka & Mr Greenthumb for thinking of us...

and last, but not least, L'il Sis in Bremen...
for being such a nice "auntie" and sending the toys to Minka...

thanks to you all, & to all... a good night !

...defiling the Inner Sanctum

when I walked in the door after church...
accompanied by dogsong & frolic...
I instantly knew that decorum had been breached...

besides the red cat food dish that was laying on the floor...
licked clean within an inch of it's life...
there was also a yellow one, in a similar condition...
as well as a FF can pull top...

following the debris trail into the hall...
my fears were realized...



the bedroom had been successfully stormed...

Fluff was keeping a low profile in her farthest nest....
Charlie was in her usual corner nest...
Mattie was on the bed...
Creamer was looking for any remaining food...
and there were cans...
swiped from the trash by a clever canine...
licked clean & strewn about the floor...

*sigh*

so I picked up the dishes...
returned the yellow one to the bedroom...
picked up and threw away, again... the cat food cans...

fed the little bounders...
and took Molly on a quick walk around the block...

currently...

Thomas is haunting me...he's not pleased with the "old food"...
[it was opened this AM...
but stuck "away" when they didn't finish it...]

Molly has her eye on it...and is lobbying,hard...
if I throw it out, I'll have to take it outside...
& I don't want her eating "old" catfood...

I've been trying to send a text message to MM...
she sent me one this AM that I didn't get...
& I'm trying to figure out why...
the phone was on...& I had "bars"...

I got one once before from one of the FFers...
but I didn't get this one...

so I decided, after reading the manual...
to send her one...

I followed the instructions...
typed in her name, as she is in my contacts list...
and "sent it"...

then... in a minute or so, I got back a notice...

that I needed to use the 10 digit number...
or the "accepted" short number...

huh ?

NOT covered by my manual...
[I have a Sprint Treo 755...]

I did what they told me to...
since MM's number was in my phone...
I typed in her first name...
and it filled in the rest...

I think...

*sigh*

there was also an "alert"...
that the message was "pending"...

I am either a dork...

or just way behind the times...

if I was still teaching...I'd know how to do this...
some kid would have shown me how by now...
or made fun of me until I got someone else "young" to show me how...

now I know how the dinosaurs felt...

...hummmm

remember this ?



there were 2 good reasons I was pretty sure that Molly's bed...
would stay off of the furnace grate...
one... she now loves laying on the rug...
[when she's not rolling around in her snuggy nest...]
& two... it was "sticking" to the rug...
and I thought, not able to be "slid over"so easily...
when doggy body surfing on the bed...

it would appear that I was wrong...



as I found this ...just moments ago...
it's moved about 18" to the right from the last time I looked at it...

since it also hasn't moved at all forward...
she has to be either pushing from the left...
or pulling from the right...

this all sounds too political...
my headache's returning...

so I'm going to bed...

and so it goes...*sigh*...

...Mollytime, all the time

yesterday... after a lengthy ramble around 1PM...
I took Molly out again around 5:30 PM...

*nothing*

and then around 9-ish...

again...nothing...

both times...she was pestering me to go "out"...
and when we got out of the door...
she would stare intently towards the south...

neither time did she "alert" or bark...
either inside or outside...
and once out...lost all interest in whatever it was...

and didn't seem to need to "go"...

so after the later one...
I put another piece of wood on the fire...
bid the assorted felines...
& canine, who was now in her snuggy nest...
play-growling & chewing her toy...
a good evening... turned out the lights...
& being exhausted, I went to bed...

yesterday...I had re-positioned Herself's bed...
in a slightly different spot...



farther from the grate, but also, with part on the rug...
I was hoping that it would be harder for Herself to move...
if it was "anchored" on the edge of the rug...
and, apparently, I was right...

so this morning, I filmed the pre-walk "song & dance"...
her bed hadn't moved...[good news...]
however, a cat food plate had...
[it's such a pain to play "treasure hunt" ...
every time I want to feed them before we walk...
so they can eat unbothered by doggy stares...
while we're out...]



notice the "panning"...I'm SOOO subtle...

...enjoy

...WHEW !

this morning...around 8:30...
I did what I had been told to do...
I called in to the Dr's office for my results...

my routine colonoscopy had resulted in the discovery...
and subsequent removal of a "peanut sized polyp"...
the Dr had told me it didn't look cancerous...
but I've learned to be apprehensive...
whenever the word biopsy, is used re moi...
[having a malignant melanoma will do that to you...]

the nurse took my number and told me that the Dr came in later...
and that they would call me...
with the biopsy[there's that word again...]results...
later in the morning...

I sought my calm center... found Him...
and continued on with furniture moving 101...

finally, around 12:45 PM...
with Molly pestering me for her midday ramble...
I called the Dr again...& got the machine...
"office closed for lunch until 1 PM..."

so I hung up...centered my calm...
assured God that I knew He had everything under control...
and I would hear from the Dr in His time frame...

then... the phone rang...

it was the Dr's office...

she said that the Dr said that my results were normal...
the polyp was benign [a lovely word...]
and that I would need to have another one in 3 years...
[routine if they find anything...]

WHEW !

what a relief !

I thanked God, picked up my camera, called Molly...
and we went out into a very bright & shiny world...
for a nice long ramble through the neighborhood...

I really enjoyed taking these pictures...
I hope you all can feel the life affirming power in nature ...
as you walk with us, around our "neck of the woods"...

enjoy...

















































God is good...all the time...

..."mental stimulation"[aka,never a dull moment..]

the last time I had lunch with the FFers...
there was a litany of people we knew...
who had either retired...
then dropped dead of a massive heart attack...
or who hadn't made it to retirement...

then they both looked at me, [Dar & Deb]...
and said..."that better not happen to you, etc..."

after reminding them...
that though they were still toiling...
I was into my 4th year of retirement...
and getting healthier every day...

after much discussion...
we decided that besides the obvious "elephant in the room"...
[horrible, spirit killing stress & unrelenting pressure...]
the problem was that those who retired & died "soon"...
[within a year...]
couldn't cope with the lack of stimulation...
"outside" the school site/district....

I don't seem to have that problem...

I have a herd of demanding felines...
& a smart, inventive canine to keep me, "stimulated"...
[ie...now, how... do I deal with THIS mess ?...]

case in point...

today, my area rugs that I sent out to be cleaned on August 4...
[after Robbie was gone... along with his "bathroom problems"...]
were being delivered back to me...

I had planned to leave them with Coit, for the bath redo period...
[which hasn't happened yet...]
and then re-wax the floors before bringing them back...
after the foot traffic & debris removal...
[the "best laid plans...etc"]

so when I saw the Coit guy drive up this AM...
before I was ready for him...of course...
I knew Molly would need to be in the now safely fenced backyard...
so I took her out and around back...



she barked a bit, but not much...
when I put her in the yard...
I told her NOT to chase the Piglet...
who wasn't visible to me, but I knew she was there...



locked the gate...& went back to the front...
hearing pitiful whining from "Devil's Island"...
[Miz DramaQueen could just get over it...]

the Coit guy brought in the 5 rugs...
2 2'x 10'runners,2 5'x 8'area rugs...
and a 2'x 3' door mat rug...
all the same pattern/colors...
now cleaned, sanitized, deodorized...
rolled and wrapped in plastic...

I had been told...
that since I gave them my credit card info...
when the rugs were picked up...
that they were paid for...

not exactly...

after some discussion...
and a call to the office...
I wrote a check for $644.00...

[the card info was just a "bond"...
and all charges are "COD"...]

after he left...I went around back to get Molly...

I began to realize that it was too quiet....
[no more pitiful whining...]

and I soon saw why...

when I opened the gate...she wasn't right there...

I called...

and she appeared...



coming out of my bedroom window...

and down the ramp...

the cat screen door is 8" x 10"...
[bottom right in this picture...I measured it...]

she barely fit...[it's not broken... I checked...]

[so...FFers...fear not...
I have plenty of "mental stimulation"...]

the "drama" portion of our morning complete...
we went back inside...

where I had to finish sweeping debris...
[shredded cardboard, bales o' cat hair, dead leaves & dirt...]
and then move & reorganize the boxes...
containing my bathroom which are stored in the DR...



[the rolled rug stashed here goes where all the pile o' bathroom is...]

then I began laying the rugs...
which also involves moving furniture...
[as well as Gracie...]
and "relocating Molly" every time I turned around...

first I laid down the runner to the nook...



I didn't get it on my camera...

but Miz Sneaky Pie had a marvelous time...
running up & down it... rolling on it...
scritching it...and generally going "cat"...

I was beginning to wonder if they soaked it in catnip...
she's currently playing "Queen of the Mountain"...
at the top of the rearranged "pile o'bathroom"...



then I put down the doormat rug...



and moved on to the LR...

where a lot of furniture had to be moved...
a bunch of times...
I finally wrestled the 5'x 8' rug into position...
and began adjusting the furniture...



which involved finally moving the sofa onto the edge of the rug...
and positioning the coffee table...



of course, nothing's easy with Gracie in the way...



when moving the sofa to clean...
I had found Molly's lost chew bone...
which kept her out of the way...



after laying the 2nd runner...
and repositioning the furniture, yet again...

I was sweating... & sore ... & tired...



I also repositioned Herself's nest...
farther away from the furnace grate...
in preparation for the new heated bed I ordered...
[we'll see just how long it stays there...
although the runner will make it harder for her to scoot it over...]

but as you can plainly see...
she now prefers the runner...

never a dull moment...

...location, location, location...

it's rather subtle...

it didn't start until a few days ago...
just before Halloween...
when the chill & rain...
necessitated the regular furnace usage...

I have floor vents[aka grates...]
it's the old fashioned notion...
that since warm air rises...
it makes sense to bring heat in low...
and let it rise on its' own...

I just have to keep the grates uncovered...
relatively clean...[there used to be screens...]
so that the heat/AC has an unobstructed flow...

Molly's bed landed close to a grate...
cause that's where the floor space was...
due to most of my new bathroom ...
being stored in boxes in the LR/DR area...

then it got chilly...
and the battle was joined...

every morning...and now, several times throughout the day...



I walk past... and find this...

Molly's bed covering the grate...
creating a very snug place for her...
and a "chill zone" for the rest of us...

so... I move it back...
[often retrieving purloined cat dishes at the same time...]



and allowing the warm air to "rise again"...

but the next time I walk past...



it's baaaaack !

covering the grate, yet again...



mindful of her sin... Molly endures "admonishment"...


and with the morose, but stoic bearing of a great martyr...
simply waits for me to leave...



and slowly... but inexorably...
her bed begins its' ooze back over the grate...
to warmth & doggy Nirvana...

and I thought cats were sneaky...

...more adventures in macro,1.2 [flora]

more exploring...
in the back yard...
camera at hand...
sun just peeking in...

looking for...
a moment...
an angle...
just the right light...

junctaposition of elements...
contrasts of being...


deep & shallow...
rough & smooth...
angular & rounded...

the chords of life...
in all their inversions...

the resolution of life into death...
the cycle moves on...
as we celebrate the harvest...
and mourn the passing of the light...

an Evensong for summer...
a nunc dimittis for the fall...

the advent season for the coming winter...

...the secret life of ferns

I have always adored ferns...

of every kind and description...

the textural interplay of delicate fronds...
with woody stems...

deceptive strength, beautiful in construct...

the variegation in depths of green within one plant...

ruffled by the breeze...
illuminated by the sunlight...
dissolving into...and out of shadows...

the deep, damp aroma of life & earth...

I would fill my rooms with them...
if the felines didn't consider them...
a multiple use item...
[salad bar, entertainment...
& restroom facilities...
when dumped over on to the floor...]

so mine remain outside...

where they are safe from bored kitties...

and where they can flourish...

these pictures are especially for my friend...
and fellow "shrubbery enthusiast"...
Mr Greenthumb...[Mrs GT, too...]

enjoy...

...more adventures in macro, 1.1 [aka "cats"]

it's been a cozy evening...
a snuggy fire...
an NCIS marathon on TV...
me in my rocking chair, surrounded by camera manuals...
and sleeping kitties...

well, except for Sneaks, who's on the prowl...
and Gracie, who knows a lap when she sees one...

I finally figured out how to turn that pesky flash, off...
I had the rapid shoot until I did something & lost it again...

but I found the "kids & pets" mode...
which lets me turn off the flash...
set the ISO on HI, & leave it there...
and set the macro, on...

allowing me to take 262 shots...
[mostly blurry ones of Sneaky's butt...]
to net these 15, not in MM's class...
but not bad for a beginner...
[or maybe it's just dumb luck...
and the old "blind squirrel in the forest" routine...]

anyway...

the herd... at home on a chilly evening...

[I've numbered them...leave your choice captions...
in the comments box...
mine are in the 3rd comment...]


#1


#2



#3


#4


#5


#6


#7


#8



#9


#10


#11


#12



#13


#14


#15

...adventures in macro [et al...] images 1.0

I've always loved taking pictures...
I've never formally studied any aspect of photography...
so I just do what pleases me...

since I've come to blogging...
I've discovered some photographers...
whose art always takes my breath away...
and on different levels...for different reasons...

it's been a while since I've seen any of MM or MrGT's skyscapes...
but they have always inspired me...
Mrs GT[aka Miz Minka] also does amazing things...
with a simple digital camera and that hardest essence of all to capture...
the cat...and it's many moods...

I am absolutely in awe of Paula's nature studies...
I would love to have the equipment & skill...
not to mention the eye, she has for the smallest bits...
of God's creation...

armed with deeper insight and some very helpful tips from MM...
I went "macro shooting" today...
[I know...some images were not in macro mode...
so, bite me... I like them anyway...]

enjoy...

[BTW:all tips and helpful comments appreciated...
ie "you suck"... NOT helpful...
and just plain mean...]

...the catbird seat [aka Mom's back ! ]

the catbird seat...



a highly coveted spot for feline slumber...
until about a month ago...when Molly arrived...
and made it her catbird seat...

the first time I saw her there...
I was picking up the mail, looked up...
and saw her sitting in the cat nest...
wiggling all over with anticipation...

the cats have deserted it ever since...
[it's more the fireside type of weather now anyway...]

so I've seen this sight often...
[whenever I've been gone in the car for a bit...]
but this time... I took my camera...

the second part of the video...
finds a rotten dog, flaunting a purloined cat food dish...
[it was empty...but still lick able...]

& BTW... she has moved her nest on top of a floor furnace grate...
I move it off....she moves it back on...
it has become routine...
like retrieving the cat food plates from her nest...

and the feint at Lucyfur is "play"...
I've seen it dozens of times now...
if the feline in question stands their ground...
it'll be "game on"...

but that hasn't really happened much yet...
and though Sneaky Pie is "close"...
she still retreats to lurk on the back of my chair...




enjoy...

..."Serenity Prayer"

this is the first election I can remember...
[and I've been voting for almost 40 years...]
where I was literally afraid of either side winning...

I've had my "partisan" moments...
but this... isn't that...

I've been tired of it... the lies & the rhetoric...
and felt powerless about it, for months ...
and now that it's over...the fear has intensified...
robbing me of my calm center...
with a dread of the future, for us all...

seeking to restore my peace, I turned to God...
He took me to these words...
I'm sharing them here with all of you...

those of you, who like me...
have had more than enough...
and just want your peace back...