New Kitty Houseguest

Our two-legged house guests are all gone, but we have a new one who is fuzzy and has four, rather short, legs.

Cole is named for the third of Ryan's Pritchard cousins. He is about 10 weeks old, but is very tiny, so the sturdy boy name is meant to make him grow and thrive. He was brought to Mary and Rosemary just before Christmas when somebody found him near an adoption event they were holding. He was cold and starving. He spent his first couple of weeks at Rosemary's getting healthy, now he has come to us to get used to other cats. The Orange Prince and the Mafiosa are just the people to help with that (Oogie, Wondermouse, and Ed are less friendly). For now he is in the bathroom -- seems like a big space when you are as little as he is. He has an itty-bitty meow and a huuuuuge purr.

It will probably be about four weeks before he is old enough to be adopted. After that I expect he will find a home rather quickly. He is a lovely little guy!

Christmas

Christmas is over and it was lovely. Yes, I know, it is still December 25, but our Christmas ends after brunch on Christmas day. We have a soup supper on Christmas eve, gifts and brunch on the morning of the day -- then the young couples are off to our sons-in-law's families for their celebrations.

We had lovely gifts -- gift certificates to stores that I love, a fabulous box similar to one I had admired from Lesley, custom gift towels from my mom, and thoughtfully chosen remembrances from friends and relatives -- great food and a house sparkling with all of the Christmas decorations. We had visits from friends who joined us for a glass of wine and a nibble. This is the time of year we are sure to stock fancy beers, sparkling cider, and good wine and hope that people will drop by to help us enjoy them.

The best part of the holiday for Alex and I, however, is that our family is together. If your children and your extended family are close enough for you to see them often, please understand that you enjoy a blessing beyond words. Our siblings and my mother are in Nevada and Southern California. Our oldest daughter is across the country. We see them a couple of times a year at best. Luckily, Nancy and Ryan are now right here in Sacramento, and we do get to spend time with them often. Mom was here for Thanksgiving and Lesley and Tim were here for Christmas. These visits are very precious to us.

Les and Tim arrived Tuesday and we all met Nancy and Ryan for dinner at a favorite Mexican restaurant that evening. It is such a pleasure to have our four young people together. They are interesting, intelligent, and attractive. Alex and I enjoy their company and are very proud to be seen in public with our brood. We want to tell everyone "These are our kids! Look at them! Aren't they marvelous?" Even without the gifts and the music and the food and the decorations, Christmas would be my favorite time because we are all together. I'm not claiming everything is perfect -- we always have some logistics issues -- but it is good. Very good.

Christmas baking

The presents are bought, though not all wrapped. The lights, tree, and decorations are in place. We don't send Christmas cards -- just an Annual Report in January. Now it's time for the fun part -- making goodies.

I did rum balls and the first two batches of shortbread today. Tomorrow will be the rest of the shortbread and the Russian tea cakes. The day after a steamed pudding. Now the kitchen is warm and smells so good. It really is Christmas.

The Prince of Orange had an adventure last night. It is very cold -- freezing warnings on the 11 o'clock news -- and I went out through the garage to cover the azaleas. Apparently he snuck out as I came in, and he spent the night in a verrrry cold garage. I'm sure he thought he had found himself in Alaska. Alex was up first and heard a mournful cry from the door to the garage. Needless to say, Alex was very brave and saved our little pink nosed boy. Harry is quite grateful (Dads are such heroes) and hasn't tried to get out there once today.

He is just enjoying the cozy kitchen and the buttery smells.

Christmas trees

The tree is up and decorated! It takes me two days to put all of the ornaments on -- and then I will be rearranging them throughout the season. I always think that maybe one will catch the light better here, or fill in a gap here.

Anyway, the lighted tree with all of the old ornaments looks like magic in our dark living room. The outdoor lights were up first, and the smaller decorations, but it is the tree itself that makes everything look like Christmas for me. There are ornaments the children made in elementary school, and gifts from friends and co-workers, a pair of baby shoes both girls wore, and the lovely hand blown ornaments I have added to one by one through the years. There are two sets of ornaments made by Janice Bracewell, my third daughter, with all of our names. They are so pretty and hang in bunches, one on each side of the tree. There are the ornaments we have purchased as we travelled, holding memories of many places we visited. And there are the cat ornaments -- a whole herd of them marching down the front of the tree. Each needs to be savored before it is placed on what seems like the perfect spot on the tree -- until tomorrow, when I will decide it isn't and move it.

The tree transforms our living room. Maybe it is a symbol of this season. There is something about the holidays that makes everyone want to be Santa Claus.

Our friend Mary worked at a craft fair booth last weekend to benefit another county's animal shelter. They sold enough crafts, but what really surprised her was the number of people who simply made donations. She said they had never taken in so many. This is exactly what I have been seeing and hearing throughout this season. Go America! When things get tough we buckle down and help one another.

Christmas Shopping

I had the most fun Tuesday! I went shopping for our Christmas child. You can buy everything at Target a child could want -- such a great store.

I started in the children's department and bought the pants and shirts that were the only thing on the list her mother made. Four pants and five tops in mix and match colors should help a bit. I bought two pairs of jeans with fancy embroidery on the pockets, pink brushed pants, and a pair of navy bell bottoms. Some of the tops looked liked long-sleeved shirts under jumpers.

On to the toy department. With no idea of what this little girl likes, I went for the Fancy Nancy section and the ponies. Every little girl needs a tiara and a magic wand and I always loved horses, so she got a little pony and a stuffed horse that passed the cuddle test. None of these things was expensive.

I hope that the mother went to one of the many charities in Sacramento where toys are provided to get her something else for under the tree. However, I had just come from a lunch at the Stanford Settlement. Operation Cratchit provides toys and holiday food for 700 households. They require pre-application and a ticket to get in to the warehouse on the giveaway days. Many of the local charities use a central computer to be sure each family gets help from only one source. Sister Jeanne told us that they had to turn away families this year, as did the Salvation Army. Even if more toys are donated, there is only so much space to warehouse and display them for the parents to select the best fit for their child. In past years there were always toys to go around for distribution through several agencies. This year, there may not be. There are even more donations. People are being very generous. People who don't have much are trying to do something for those who have even less. This economic downturn seems to be bringing out the best in us. Maybe that is the point of it all.

Deck the Halls -- If you can afford it

It's Christmas. This is the one time of the year when I really really wish I had unlimited money. I would truly like to make everyone's wishes come true.

I belong to a women's service organization. We support several local charitable organizations with money garnered from our two annual fund-raisers. We also give our time, mostly to a group that helps homeless women get back on their feet by teaching some job skills. I have heard how many of these women reached their current position. For the first time, I now also personally know a homeless person. Our young friend, like so many of the homeless, is there because he made poor choices (that would be an understatement) in his life. I feel sorry for him and for others in his predicament, but they are mostly there because of opportunities squandered.

Lately I am far more concerned about another group. These people are not quite homeless, but are holding on by their fingernails. They are people who, through no fault of their own, find themselves in very precarious positions. I had read about them in the newspaper, but the situation is getting closer and closer to home.

A young woman I know, mother of two, was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. It is operable and it appears (in a brain scan) not to be malignant. Nevertheless, she is currently walking with a cane and is housebound and unable to work. She is fortunate that her husband has insurance coverage and that she will receive some disability pay. Her hours had been cut the past few months and things were a little tight anyway. Her church is helping with food and a group of us have donated to an account at a business that will deliver meals to her home.

Our oldest daughter works each Saturday with underprivileged teens -- teaching them to take the SAT. One of her students is unable to complete the homework because she is working to help support her family. Her single mother has also had her hours cut and there really aren't other jobs out there for the mom. Another student has been having horrible headaches and tingling in her extremities. She is also poor and there are family issues. They, of course, have no health insurance. The sort of jobs poor people take almost never include health insurance. She is afraid to tell her parents how bad the situation is.

There were a couple of ornaments left on the giving tree in our younger daughter's office. I asked her to bring me one. The Christmas list is for a four year old girl who asked only for pants and shirts. Can you imagine? No toys, just clothing. (And, yes, there will also be toys.)

I keep reading about people who are embarrassed to be seeking help from our local food bank. They had always worked and supported their families. Now they are losing jobs. If we can help people who have a history of drug and alcohol abuse, can't we somehow find it in our hearts to help all of these people who did everything right? The saving grace in this awful time is that I hear about young people who are being very generous. Maybe our country is ready to pull together and stop the "me first" attitude that got us into this situation.

It's Christmas, and I really wish I could make it a Merry one for everyone.

Tests

It was a long day. Mine started out early this morning because I was to be at Loaves and Fishes to set up for a Women's Empowerment graduation at 8:30. Loaves and Fishes is Sacramento's largest source for services to the homeless and Women's Empowerment is a program that gets homeless women off the street and back into paying jobs. The 8:30 call meant dressing professionally and heading out by about 8:00.

I skipped out before the actual ceremony because I had to be home and ready to take Alex for his little procedure.

Since he had had neither food nor meds for over 24 hours the hands were shaking so hard he looked like he was playing air tambourine. Signatures simply weren't possible and all of the paperwork they were to do before the actual medical stuff were just tiny scribbles. We were very early, about 45 minutes before the appointed check-in time, and they didn't take him in until about 45 minutes after the scheduled time for the thing to start (not the same as the check-in time). The waiting room was full, mostly with people designated to take the patient home and be certain he doesn't do anything silly later in the day. Alex says he was advised not to sign legal documents for at least 24 hours. So much for my plan of tricking him into taking me out and buying a new sports car.

Over an hour and a half after he had been taken back, and after most of the other people had come out and most of the waiting attendants had left, it was just me and one other lady in the waiting room and we still hadn't heard. A couple of times during the wait a gentleman had come into the waiting room and asked for "whoever is with John Doe." He told them he needed a word and took them into another room. Yikes! I was waiting for the little man to come get me to tell me that my husband had so many polyps or whatever that he was going across the street to the hospital. Finally a sweet nurse named Angel came out to see me -- that alone was scary -- and to tell me what the hold-up was. Because of the fragility of Alex's veins combined with the tremor, they had a terrible time with the IV used for anesthesia. Finally the anesthesiologist herself had to insert it. At that time he was almost ready to go in and it would be about an hour.

She suggested I go get something to eat or drink, or whatever. Good suggestion, since by then I had read every copy of People magazine in the waiting room and neither Sports Illustrated nor Working Mother much interested me. I thought it unfair to eat when my poor starving husband couldn't, but I did go for a walk to kill time. When Alex finally did come out and was taken to the car in a wheelchair we had been there nearly five hours. He knew all about the nurses and had become quite the favorite with them.

We came straight home where he ate (mild food only for 24 hours, no dairy) a turkey sandwich, apple slices, and an entire can of chicken noodle soup. He has nothing scary going on and his colon is very healthy for a 70 year old man.

Now it is on to the next testing bout and next procedure. I strikes me that at our age we almost look forward to all of these doctor visits. They are the core of our social life and make up the background for much of our dinner conversation. We really need a cruise or something.

Turkey Day followed by White Coat Week

Thanksgiving was lovely -- "The best ever!" according to Alex. He always says that. We hadn't had the feast at our house for at least ten years. It is a time consuming meal, but not a hard one. The dishes are pre-planned. No fancy gourmet dishes for this feast day. The big bird, the mashed potatoes, candied yams, cranberry sauce, dressing (I serve a side dish, not a stuffing), simple veggies, and pumpkin pie. We also had great appetizers, pecan pie, and a lovely salad provided by our guests. There were eight of us around the table and everyone except Nancy and Ryan has known the others for over 45 years. Tom and Darlene Hall and her mother, Eva Nixon, came down from the foothills to join us.

There is something almost soothing about setting the table with the same good china we have used for special meals for 40 years. We even put the tiny bread plates on the table for this one, along with the fancy flatware and the best crystal and glasses. I had to wash the goblets and the thistle glasses because we so rarely use them they grow filmy in the cupboard. Using all of these things gives me a sense of continuity. I'm doing things the same way my parents, and grandparents, and even the greats did them. We so embrace new ways that it is nice for this very traditional day to step back into the past.



We really enjoyed having Mom here for the holiday and the days before and after. She asked us not to plan much because she tires easily, but she held out just fine on the days we did go out. December 1 a friend and I drug her out Christmas shopping with us and she was game for hours in a high-end mall. The shops there are fun.



She was back to San Diego just in time. Her son-in-law is prepping for one of those exams where they put a little camera into your body and check things out. This one is tomorrow and is just routine. It does mean, however, that he has had to fast for a day and drink some pretty toxic stuff this evening. He has a hand tremor -- made worse by the lack of food -- and is just putting his glass of yucky liquid on a table and drinking from a straw. The Wondermouse is quite disgusted with his lap. It is usually the more reliable of the two in our household, and this evening it keeps getting up and leaving the room. She gets dumped on the floor about every fifteen minutes.



There will probably be another camera procedure, exploring the renal arteries, within a month or so. He has a consult with the doctor's office December 16 "to establish whether or not he is eligible" for the angiogram. If he has it and if they find the expected blockage (indicated by an ultrasound) they will insert a stent to open an artery. We don't expect any action until January. I will update the situation as it changes.

Hair Today -- but not so much

It's over. The snarls, the tangles, the only being able to wear my hair pulled back into a severe pony tail or bun. Twenty minutes to just comb it after a shampoo. Wearing a baseball cap half the time -- well, I may still do that.

After a particularly unpleasant time after I washed it last night, I decided that it is enough. I have the ten inches (off my head and in an envelope at this point) and I'm ready to do this.

The stylist at Snips knew just what I was doing when I walked in with my ruler. She first wrapped my hair in a regular rubber band (not the trusty pony tail holder that has been may primary styling tool this past few months). She measured very carefully and used both clippers and a razor to cut the tail off. My hair is (was?) fine, but thick and dense and should make a good wig. It's also curly! I had forgotten how curly until all of the weight that had been pulling it down was gone.

Now I have hair that is nape length in back and just below my chin in front. It's sort of like the arrow cut popular in the mid-sixties. For those of you who have never grown long hair -- 10 inches is almost two years growth. My hair hasn't been this short for a long time. I feel like a free woman!

Note that there was a young man in the next chair who asked me (when he saw her cut off a pony tail) "Are you donating your hair to Locks of Love?" When I told him that I was he thought that was very cool. My hairdresser also has a friend who has had cancer and whose hair is just starting to grow back. She may do the same thing.

Turkey Storage -- Accomplished!

The wonderful new refrigerator arrived early this afternoon and seems to be living up to our expectations. The fridge portion is certainly big enough -- though some of my 10,000 essential condiments will have to go on a shelf instead of in the door because you lose a bit of space to the beverage keeper -- and will hold all of the leftovers from the feast come Thursday evening. The freezer is awesome! I actually did buy a turkey today and it takes up just part of one of the lower baskets. Time to join Costco! Now we have space to buy things in bulk.

In the picture you will note that the only item to be frozen is my little bottle of Limoncello. First things first. They told us to wait a couple of hours to put food in it and let it reach an initial cooler temperature.

Now we are ready for Thanksgiving. We have space for turkey, and smashed potatoes, and candied yams, and cranberry sauce, and stuffing. That's certainly a lot of carbs. Oh, well, nobody ever claimed that it was healthy to be thankful.

Turkey Storage -- Chapter Two

We had a busy day -- Alex had another ultrasound session this morning (fasting from midnight, etc) at 9:30. This one was more comprehensive and took over an hour. We didn't get to our favorite breakfast spot -- one starving husband and a moderately hungry wife -- until just about 11:10. Turns out breakfast is over at 11:00 and lunch doesn't start until 11:30. Alex had coffee and juice while we waited for regular service.

Fortified and ready for action, we finally headed for the appliance store just after 12:30. They had about 50 refrigerators to choose from -- mostly large, fancy, and stainless. We had our measurements ready -- under 34.5 inches wide and 69 inches tall. Many thanks to our neighbors, Henry and Carole Sepulveda, for the knowledge that we had to measure the height as well as the width. We had a choice between top freezer models (I didn't want that), one small side-by-side, a few bottom freezer (most were too tall), and a couple of French door models. The color I wanted -- bisque -- meant we would have to wait until Tuesday for delivery. If you are buying new appliances, according to our salesman, you should start "transitioning" to white, black, or stainless because everybody is phasing the beige colors out. Rats! Five years ago I very carefully picked out a color for the cabinets that perfectly matched my appliances. In the end we opted for a white French door model with lots of bells and whistles, at quite a bit more than I expected to spend. Had Alex not been with me I would probably have gotten something I wasn't crazy about, but that fit our budget. This is why we don't take our husbands shopping, ladies. We now own a refrigerator worthy of Rachel Ray, if not Martha Stewart. It will be delivered tomorrow.

As it turns out, the new fridge will certainly fit a turkey, and then some. The dishwasher is several years older than the fridge and we will expect to replace it and the range hood (that is only five years old) with white ones in the next year or so. The oven and range top are black and will stay that way. Hot things are a hot color?

I just hope we really like it and that it lasts more than six years. Now I have to start thinking about painting the kitchen cabinets -- or "transitioning" the surface. I'll post a picture of our new toy tomorrow.

Turkey Storage

We will be having a small group at our house for the feast this year, and even a small feast calls for a turkey. Today was to be my day. Yep. I will venture to the supermarket to buy a smallish bird. I hate grocery stores during Thanksgiving week and try to avoid them. Before buying a turkey, however, I had to make space in the freezer. I opened the door and .... WHAT?!? .... dripping. Melting ice cubes. Soft baggies of chicken stock and spaghetti sauce. Yicky frozen veggies. Oh, no!

I tried turning it to a lower temperature and waited an hour or two. Nope. By now we had water on the kitchen floor. It's only six years old and it has already had one repair call. It can't by dying now!

Checked the coils and -- while I certainly wouldn't want to live down there -- they weren't so bad that they would be the cause of the problem. It's not the setting and it's not the coils and the freezer is making noise, it just isn't freezing.

Tomorrow after Alex's ultra sound or scan or whatever they are doing, we will go buy a refrigerator. I hear Lowe's delivers the following day. Our old one is a Kenmore -- our new one will be something else. In the meantime I will build a moat of towels around the fridge for tonight.

Aaaaaaargh!

Celebrating 60 Years

We went to San Diego this last weekend to participate in a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the opening of Delta Sigma Phi Chapter at San Diego State. Mind you, the fraternity is not currently on campus, but 60 years is still occasion for a party. There were lots of guys from the 40s and 50s, very few from the 60s, and I have no idea beyond that. Those people are so young I can't tell their ages. The picture of Alex with one other person is Rich Badami, from my era. The rest are the 50s bunch. Alex was having issues with the camera so I was photographer for the evening or there would be more and better pictures available.

We spent the first night at my mom's house, and the next two at our favorite San Diego B&B, the Balboa Park Inn. Lunch both days in town was at Anthony's, with different friends. It was Pat Davis (my sorority sister) and Larry Ferguson (high school friend of Alex) on Friday and Rick and Jeanine Luke (down from LA for the dinner) on Saturday. They still do the best job of seafood and fish of anyone!

When we arrived at the harbor location on Saturday, the rally opposing Proposition 8 was just getting going across the street at the County offices. It was peaceful and colorful, with a construction paper rainbow thing like the cheering section routines at football games. I tried to get a picture (crowd shot), but it was far more attractive if you were there. There was a huge police presence, even a police boat in the harbor (to shoot water at them if they got out control?).

The evening function was very nice. To most of us attending "business casual" meant a coat and tie for the gentlemen and something you could wear to a wedding for the ladies. Even the younger group looked really spiffy. We have seen many of these people over the years, so we have aged together. No shocks or surprises. Most of us are in pretty good shape for our aged status. Dinner was quite good as banquet food goes (my chicken looked better than Alex and Jeannie's beef). The speakers kept it short. Mostly it was just a chance to visit with and catch up on old friends. It was officially a dinner dance. The first song the DJ played was something recent, and the party started breaking up immediately. As is quite often the case, the music was loud enough that it was difficult to carry on a conversation. One of our 50s guys requested something of an earlier vintage and a couple of people did dance. Maybe we are all just so old that we now go home and go to bed earlier. I'm not any older, of course, but perhaps everyone else is.

Away for the Weekend

We are away, tomorrow morning, for two days in San Diego and two days driving the Central Valley. The occasion is the celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the opening of the Delta Sig Chapter at San Diego State. Alex wasn't there for the start, but he joined the fraternity less than 10 years into its history on our campus. We are very much looking forward to seeing old friends. At our time of life that means geezers as well as people we have known for decades.

There is something about being with other people who are in their sixties and seventies that makes me feel less dowdy and worn. We have almost all become comfortably frumpy. We do have one friend whose wife is still very striking. She is tall and thin and chic and actually makes grey hair look good. Twenty years ago the other wives would have been green with envy. Now we don't mind so much.

The week after we arrive home is the countdown to Thanksgiving and I expect to be busy. I still haven't decided if I want to cook a whole turkey for just five of us, but I will probably decide to buy that instead of the breast or "roast" my friends advise. There is something about the way the whole bird looks on a platter. I'm thankful that I can afford to buy a turkey. I priced them today and they really are expensive. We have not been at home for the holiday in years and I simply hadn't realized. I'm sure there will be families that can't manage such an expenditure this year. We will just have turkey casserole and turkey soup until poor Alex hollers "ENOUGH!"

Alex has one more test next week (another scan of some kind), then the meeting soon with his doctor to let us know how far the situation has gone and what needs to be done. We had been told to expect an angioplasty and a stent and I think it will be on the renal artery. It seems to me that once we reach a certain age they should simply replace the bulk of our circulatory systems with vinyl. He had also been scheduled for a colonoscopy next week -- cancelled because the doctor had a family emergency. I'm glad. One major white coat visit a week is quite adequate.

Buying American

I helped at a craft fair yesterday. I'm not really much of a craft fair person, but the Friends of the Sac City Shelter Animals had a booth and I contributed a few things (jewelry, which didn't sell) and spent the day helping out at the booth.

The event was at the Elks and has been popular in past years. Yesterday the turnout was dismal. We recouped the cost of our tables because I had sold $25 of jewelry in advance and we had lots of $1 items. Because there were so few customers -- at any given time there were more vendors and members of the sponsoring organization than shoppers -- I got to go look at other tables and visit with the craftspeople/artists who were selling. Or not selling. Everybody took home most of what they brought. I talked to one lady I happen to know who was selling very high quality beadwork. She uses pearls, cubic zirconia beads, and real stone. She has experience and does beautiful work. She was offering her items at about what the materials cost and selling almost nothing. I saw nearly life-size lighted snowmen (very cute) for $15 and hand-quilted tote bags for $8. We had some nice knit scarfs for $10. We had 24 and sold only 8. Again, not selling. Our biggest sellers were candy and dog biscuits.

While wandering around I did buy a couple of things at other booths to add to Christmas gifts. Also a hand painted scarf for a young freind who recently got her PhD (I had been looking for a little something to say "congrats") at a booth where the woman was also selling quite nice oil paintings.

We all want to find things that were made in the USA. I'm realizing that one of the best places to do so is at local craft fairs. Like Farmers Markets, this is sustainable commerce and nothing is manufactured in sweat shops. You actually get to purchase your small gift or personal treat from the person who made it. All this at prices that are about as good as WalMart. I will make a practice of checking out craft fairs in the future.

Bodega Bay

My Soroptimist Tea Diva gang had our annual retreat last weekend. We rented a three bedroom house at Bodega Bay -- gorgeous place for a weekend getaway. The pictures are Penny and Cynthia sitting on the floor to work on the puzzle and Joanne and Barbara relaxing on the couch with Penny in the foreground. I hadn't realized how much time Penny spent sitting on the floor.

Unlike our usual outing sites, this isn't a shopping trip for the ladies. Bodega Bay, in fact, has almost no shopping. We watched movies, took a couple of hikes, put together a puzzle, made souvenir bracelets, and laughed and talked and ate. Just being together is great. We liked the house and the area so well that we plan to return next year (we had been gypsies, moving to a new place every year).

One of our good friends and her husband retired to Bodega Bay a few years ago and Linda served as our guide. She and her husband sold a remarkable house here in Sacramento and are nearly finished with an equally remarkable house in the hills above the bay. From the back of their new home they will have a panoramic view of the ocean and a wild coastal canyon. Her company (as well as her husband, David's) is probably one of the reasons we decided to make BB our annual place to go.

One hike was along a path to the top of Bodega Head. The climb up was fine, but going down was another case for me. On the way up we noticed that there sometimes seemed to be a double path, with the eastern (inner) half about six inches lower than the outer half. We wondered what caused that. I have a bit of vertigo (really a fear of precipices, but I don't know what to call that). Sometimes the path was right at the edge of a fairly steep drop. To get past those places on the way I just looked at my feet and hung on to the bushes at the side of the path -- and walked in that inner portion of the path. I'm apparently not the only person whose mind says "This is perfectly safe, silly" and whose gut says "You are going to trip over your toenails and roll all the way down the side of this hill and be dashed to death on the rocks or drown in the Pacific Ocean. Help!" The view from the top was worth it and I would certainly go up again.

A Tale of Seven Kitties

We are about to lose our youngest foster. Amani is going to spend a week at Pets to Go (only a week, caging her isn't the best thing) and will probably be off to Marin if she is not adopted during that week. When she arrived at our house she was skinny and hostile to the other cats, although she tolerated people quite nicely. Now she fits in perfectly well, has grown a round little tummy, and is a very affectionate wee girl. No more hissing and growling. She puts her paws up on my leg, asking to be picked up much the way very small children do. We will miss her so much and hope that she finds a great home, with at least one person who absolutely adores her.

Another short-term foster came into the house this evening. She was on the execution cart at the shelter but was rescued by Mary and Rosemary. She looks like a white cat wearing a black mask and cape and they are calling her Zorro. She is quite poufy, and we are hoping she meets the needs of one of the ladies in Nancy's office. If not, she is also scheduled to be off to Marin in a week. Luckily, a week isn't enough time to bond with and get so attached to a cat, so I won't cry for this one.

This was the special holiday for the Black Prince and he even got his very own Halloween card from way back east. We told him that he was extra special and the day celebrated him. He told us that it would be more appropriate to give him tuna than to be passing out Tootsie Rolls and spider rings to a bunch of kids. Pass out goody bags we did, however. Did you all get a bunch of Ninjas this year? Alex actually knew what they were. I thought they were Rangemen, but I guess Stephanie Plum isn't appropriate bedtime reading for children.

Everybody else stayed fairly calm and quiet for the celebration. They don't mind this one so much. It's July Four that they really dislike. Independence Day is simply too noisy for cats. Carm and the Wondermouse both hid in the small appliance cupboard for a while, but I think that was just because we got a spot of thunder. Or maybe because the George Foreman grill always smells a little bit like Salmon.

I'm off to Bodega Bay for a long weekend tomorrow morning. To that end I bought a platter of "premium" cookies at Bel Air, baked an apple pie, and pulled a couple of bottles of wine out of the rack. There won't be any cats there. How will I survive?

Who really needs to work out

Well, I did work out today, but I also got in at least that requisite 10,000 steps, and mostly up and down stairs. That should count for a four mile hike in addition to the workout.

Nancy and Ryan's apartment is almost empty. I have one more load to take tomorrow morning and Ryan will need to take the television, his camp chair, and his Wii. He has a little pied a terre set up in the old apartment. I left some beer in the fridge and a carton of what I presume is Chinese food. I thought he was just escaping from Nancy and Elph, but apparently the cable installation guy doesn't come to the house until Monday so he goes back to the apartment to watch television. That works. They did sleep in the house last night, but the bed is a mattress on the floor. Furniture will be fully assembled this weekend. They will have plenty of time to do so because they have to turn in the apartment key Friday -- no television for two days.

The house is full of boxes and they are stacked nearly to the ceiling in one of the "staging" rooms. I used to love moving. No matter how well I labeled boxes the ones I needed the most were always at the bottom of the stack. You just have to upack and get things stowed as quickly as possible. The interior pictures at the top of the page are the family room, entry hall, and stairway landing. (The extra picture has nothing to do with the house, it is Carmela relaxing atop the boxes that hold our creamation urns -- we still really don't know where to put them.)

Nancy and Ryan's neighbors all seem friendly and pleasant. Well, almost all. Everyone we talk to warns us about their neighbor to the right. She is going to be the interesting neighbor.

I wore my Flamingo pants to workout, lunch, and moving today. Everywhere I go I get complements on them. They are Target summer PJ bottoms that Lesley sent me and they make the best crop pants. Everyone should have Flamingo pants. Next summer I'm going to buy the pink pants with cats on them and perhaps some with rubber duckies. A nice thing about being old (in addition to Senior prices and free flu shots) is that you can get away with wearing whatever makes you happy. A little eccentricity really improves a girl's attitude.

The end of this tunnel -- on to the next

The move is almost complete and life is about to return to what passes for normal at our house. Nancy and Ryan have most of their stuff out of the apartment and in their house (above) -- unpacking and figuring out where to put it all is up to them. I have been a serious failure in the communication and exercise portions of my life the past couple of weeks. I have been keeping up with my Curves (thank goodness for those 30-minute workouts!) but have either walked an abbreviated route or failed to walk completely. That's too bad, because fall has hit the trees in our greenbelt and they look like somebody has been painting them. Walking is more fun this time of year. I've also not been E-mailing, except when necessary, and have a written note that is very overdue.

Today I'm over to the apartment to pack up as much as I can of the stuff that is left to take it over to the house. Ryan will need to get the big stuff out sometime today because the cleaning service comes tomorrow afternoon. Then all that is left is to move furniture back into place in our house (we moved some things to make room for the stuff that belonged to the kids).

We had friends from San Diego come for dinner Monday evening. Usually that would be occassion for fancy cooking and getting the house clean -- not so much this time. We had chicken with wine and mushrooms in the crock pot and brownies from a mix for dessert. I won't even comment on the state of the house. The conversation, however, was great and the drinking wine -- a Pinot Grigio from a winery just upriver from where they were staying in their RV -- was fine. It is always nice to see them, and this time it was a welcome break.

Friday morning Alex has an ultra sound to determine whether he needs to have a procedure on the artery affecting his kidneys. I didn't go to the doctor with him and I don't completely understand. Apparently renal function is declining, not unusual in diabetics, and they may need to do an angio-something on that artery. I am off to Bodega Bay with a bunch of Soroptimist girlfriends for the weekend on Saturday morning -- a long-planned and welcome yearly retreat. Pictures the first of the week and an update on Alex's situation when we get the results.

Next weekend is the Elks craft fair and the Friends of the Sac City Animal Shelter has a booth. I'm donating jewelry and working the booth all day. Come by and start your Christmas shopping if you are in Sacramento.

I will try to remember to take the camera with me today and will post some interior house pictures this evening.

If you live in California where it has been unseasonably warm, you will be glad to hear that Les and Tim got their first snow yesterday. Left and right coasts really are opposite!

Nocturnal

I have come the the conclusion, lately, that my cats must have taught me to be nocturnal. Although I was up by about 8:00 this morning and basically worked all day, I'm wide awake at 2:00 a.m. I'm not sure what is going on, but this has happened several times the past week. Maybe I just need the peace I find when I have the house pretty much to myself.

Friday was the Library Dinner. Dinner was only $30 per person. Not much for a fund raiser, so we shouldn't have expected much of the food. Nevertheless, it was really awful. Alex had the overcooked beef, frozen corn, and salad that was mostly iceberg lettuce with a cucumber slice and unripe tomato wedge. I had the bone-in overcooked chicken with the same sides. The potatoes were pretty good. Our table had a Janet Evanovich theme and we went as Stephanie's parents. I wore my hair down (automatic big hair), lots of makeup, an apron, and carried an iron and a pint of booze. Nobody got it. Too subtle, I guess. Everybody said they liked my hair down, and here I was thinking it looked really New Jersey.

Library dinners this close to election day are interesting. Everybody comes to troll for votes. You have to be careful about who you seat together. It's almost like arranging tables at a wedding where both sets of parents are divorced. Since our mayoral race is a hot contest other local politicos have come out in support of one candidate or another. The current mayor arrived late and stayed for the festivities, the contender was there at the beginning of the function only. However the two school board members (supporting the contender), State Assemblyman and Senator (Mayor), member of the County Board (Mayor), and two City Councilmen (one each) needed to be sorted out. There's bad blood in River City these days.

Yesterday Nancy and I ran errands and window shopped. I was going to just tag along and not buy anything myself. There was a purse in Coldwater Creek I had been admiring at a serious markdown and ........

Today was Farmer's Market in the morning -- all of the peaches and plums and nectarines are gone and it's on to apples and pears and persimmons. Beans and tomatoes are also on their last legs and it's nearly root vegetable time. Later in the day I joined Ryan's mom at the kids' apartment and we packed the master bedroom and the living room. All is now ready for the movers to come on Tuesday. We started out with very organized boxes, but by the end Jessica said she was tempted to simply label them "Surprise!" The next step, unpacking and sorting out everything, is up to them. They have everything they will need for the next few days and they can spend the weekend unpacking.

Breast Cancer Quilts

I went to Sutter Cancer Center today with two friends and we had a WONDERFUL time. What?!? The quilt display is on because this is Breast Cancer Month. You can see pictures of them at http://suttermedicalcenter.org/quiltauction/samples.cfm?page=1&start=141&show=140 but the snaps don't do them justice. They are all really amazing. The woman who chairs the event spent quite a bit of time talking to us and we learned that they sell for anywhere from $25-5500. Even those that are sold for the higher prices are a bargain. All proceeds go to cancer patients. Hours of work, tons of talent, and a good bit of creative thought goes into each quilt. They are donated by individual quilters and quilting groups. One of the nicest large quilts (and one of 50 to be featured in the live auction) was made by Jessica McCarroll, Ryan's mom. It already has a couple of bids, but the price will go up at the live auction on November 1. The number is 262 (or something close to that) if you go to the website. It is called Christmas Wreath.

I bid on a small quilt -- number 1156 -- to toss over the back of our living room sofa. Jessica made us a Christmas quilt last year and it warmed up our living room so much that I didn't take it down until July -- when holly and poinsettias began to pass eccentricity. The new quilt won't add quite the warmth, but it is very pretty and will look nice on the sofa.

My quilt-watching buds were a couple of Curves friends. Dorothy is the lady who made Nancy's chemo fleece, and she is a quilter herself. She made a great guide for Nadine and I, explaining the technique used in each fabric masterpiece. Nadine is a saint. She is 80 and cares for her husband, who has Alzheimer's. She has a woman who comes in for a few hours three times a week. Today she could be out until 2:00, so we had lunch at Cafe Bernardo after the quilts.

Please note that you should all eat out more. CB, usually swamped at lunch time, was nearly empty today. You can easily see that I was doing a public service by having lunch with my friends.

I'm an old codger now

Yesterday I had my Welcome to Medicare physical. I was eligible for it in July, but hadn't had time to go in. Good news all round. My hearing and EKG were perfect. Eyesight 20/30 without glasses and 20/15 with. Blood pressure 120/75. Weight on the high side and she recommended that I take off that ubiquitous 20-25 pounds extra (everyone's doctor seems to tell them that unless they are quite slender -- same amount if you weigh 150 or 250 pounds) but she wasn't terribly worried because I am in generally good health. Although I'm in good shape right now it would be a practical thing to consider installing grab bars in the bathtub and shower before I really need them. Isn't it funny that we have all of those numbers we didn't worry about 30 years ago that now mean so much to us? It's like getting grades. If you have the right numbers you get to move on to the next decade. My doctor is a feminine version of Doogie Howser and I really like her. She is young enough to relate to old people.

This morning we made our "end of life" arrangements. Everything is all set and we even have our cremation urns just waiting. Right now they are stacked on the table in the family room. Carmela was perching on them this evening. Nice little mini caskets ready for ashes when the time comes. We have to figure out where to keep them. Mine will have to wait a while since my Welcome physical indicates I should get through at least one more decade. I'm presuming Alex's will also have many years to gather dust on the top shelf of the closet or wherever. Maybe we should put them on the coffee table. I don't know if using them for storage of remote control devices or other stuff means we can't use them later for ashes, but they are attractive and a handy size.

Anyway, old people think about these things. Old people should think about these things. Keeps us from thinking we should run for President.

Driving Through Land Park

We had the car serviced today, and flushed. They flush the fluids in the brakes and the transmission -- I think it's the transmission. They charge $200 more for the flushing than for simply oil changing, tire rotating, and whatever else they do every 3,000 miles or so. Sometimes I wish they could flush me. Just get all of the bad stuff out of my body and replace it with good new oils and bloods and whatever other fluids I have in me. I'm sure that I have the human equivalent of more than the 40 something thousand miles my car now has on the speedometer.

On the way to Downtown Ford we drive along Land Park Drive. Campaign season is in full swing on Land Park Drive. There are signs for our mayoral candidates -- pretty evenly distributed, and I think that election will be a close one. Lots more Obama/Biden signs than McCain/Palin -- a good sign, I think. Some homes also have Yes or No on Proposition 8 (Gay marriage). The Yes signs are all accompanied by McCain/Palin signs and the No by Obama/Biden. Our Pocket neighborhood also seems to have lots of Obama signs (we all got ours pre-Biden). I'm sure there are McCain signs out there too, but I haven't seen them. In the North part of Sacramento they have been having a problem with lawn signs being stolen or vandalized. Not so much down here. We are a mellow group. We say our piece, but don't really mind if you disagree. We also tend to be on the liberal side. We know we are right and don't care if you are too silly to realize it.

After dropping off the car we had breakfast at Tower Cafe, a favorite neighborhood hangout. They open at 8:00 and we usually get there about the time they open. Alex always has the half-order of French toast and I have a half of Blueberry Cornmeal pancakes. We split a side of fresh fruit, he has coffee and (here is the variety that makes our routine) I have a cup of a different tea each time. This morning it was Caribbean Rum. Our favorite waitress stood and visited with us. Not too many people there before 9:00 -- mostly old codgers like us who live reasonably close. Kelly says she really likes to work the breakfast lunch shift because everyone is so laid back. No hassles, no rush. I guess that's why we don't have to worry about our campaign signs here. Just don't mess with our French toast or pancakes.

Metuchen and Highland park

Fall was just arriving while we were in New jersey, much like it is in Northern California. We spent one lovely day just putzing around in two small towns -- Highland Park and Metuchen. The photo at left was taken outside a small Italian deli on the main drag in Metuchen. We were hungry -- and I was especially hungry for fresh food -- good veggies and not so many carbs. We found this place called Fresco where Alex had a good sandwich and I had the most amazing antipasto salad. Lovely sausages, fresh cheese, and heavenly raw veggies. I was taking Alex's picture when the owner saw me and offered to take a snap of both of us. The day was crisp and breezy, the street quiet, and the three tables outside the deli perfect for a latish lunch. We saw a lot of people -- obviously locals -- going in and out to pick up what they needed for that night's dinner.

The trees were starting to turn and you would see bursts of color accessorizing a grove still wearing its summer green. This was a very laid back day, just what two weary folks from California needed.

We had seen an Obama sticker (one of Lesley's neighbors) in Yiddish and Alex had hoped to find one for a friend of his in California. We tried the Judaeca stores in Highland Park (a largely Orthodox Jewish town) with no luck. He lives in LA and can probably find one in the Fairfax neighborhood if he wants one. Now that we are home we are hearing about people stealing lawn signs -- a big fuss is being made about it in some neighborhoods here. I can see why, they are charging for lawn signs at the Farmer's Market. In the past they were always free if you were willing to let them put one up. My Obama sign is in a front widow. Since our across the street neighbor has hers outside, I'm sure ours in is in no danger. Just a couple more weeks and all of this madness is over.

New Jersey -- The Garden State

I must get Alex to start taking pictures with my camera. You can't download 35mm pictures to a blog or my Plaxo site. He takes tons of pictures of everything -- our official family photographer.

The trip to New Jersey was wonderful and restful. We just did simple things -- sitting in Lesley and Tim's living room which looks like a display room at Ikea -- modern and minimalist (Tim) with Lesley's special touch that gives it just a hint of Architectural Digest. Spending an afternoon at a farm near Princeton -- that's Elliot on the tractor with Les and Tim (second from top) and his parents (bottom) where there happened to be an alpaca display for the day (obvious) -- they were soooo cute. Ian said he was taking one home to the UK. One day in Highland Park and Metuchen (more about that in another post) and an additional day back in Princeton. We were both tired and needed to relax, so no trips into Manhattan this time. The top picture is our hotel room which had a bit of a Walt Disney feel to the furniture.

I worked out twice at the Curves at Highland Park -- very exotic decor. Purple and lime green with lots of leopard print and bamboo and tropical stuff. Grace, who I presume is the owner, wears a tiara.

The trip home was uneventful, but long. Sad news, Sharon died peacefully about noon yesterday. I find myself angry at her for leaving me, and feeling a bit weepy today. Normal reactions to grief, I believe.

Home From New Joisey

We had a lovely visit with Lesley and Tim as well as their friends Ian and Sulima Mairs and son Eliott, who were on holiday from Manchester, England. More about the trip when I get some pictures downloaded. We arrived home last night after an uneventful flight. Nancy met us at the airport and we stopped for dinner at Tower Cafe.

I went to the "main" phone to check for the message light and ...... no phone in the cradle. Checked the annex phone on the end table by Alex's recliner and ..... no phone in the cradle. I found one under the drapes by the slider and Alex found the other under the couch. There were also books pushed off shelves and toys strewn all over the family room. An empty Kleenex box was by the door. Not unusual. The phones, however, are a new trick. We think they knocked them out of the cradles, grabbed them by the little antennas, and simply turned them into cat toys. Maybe they were trying to call to tell us they missed us -- or maybe just calling out for an anchovy pizza.

Everyone was glad to have us home (six days seems like forever when you are a cat). Beatrice kept us awake for a while purring and licking our noses. We would just about doze off and lllllick, purrr, nuzzle. I think every time we leave she assumes we have been adopted and are never coming back.

The weather turned coolish while we were gone and I am wearing long sleeves today. Guess it's about time to switch to fall/winter clothes. Today is laundry and grocery day, so it's a good time to start the change. I just don't put the tee shirts and things I wear during the summer back into my closet.

Back to my chores, neglected for over a week now. More about the trip tomorrow.

We All Need Health Care

When I decided to blog I meant to keep everything light and humorous. I hoped to polish my writing skills and my sense of irony and to count my blessings. The blog seems to have taken a negative turn. Today's post, however negative, is something that needs to be said.

I'm flying to Vegas tonight. Not to gamble or see shows. My sister lives there and it is only about two hours from St. George Utah. My childhood best friend lives in a suburb of St. George. We are going to visit her. (I will be back tomorrow night because we are leaving on vacation Friday morning.)

Sharon was downsized from her job at age 58. She wasn't old enough to retire but was too old to to interest prospective employers. She lived on her savings as long as she could and finally took minimum-wage part-time jobs. She sold her home in Mission Viejo and moved to Washington, Utah, where housing was much cheaper. She found that jobs were scarce there. Eventually she got a job in the State run liquor store. It was also part time and she had no health insurance. She had just over the limit to qualify for free care, but not enough to pay monthly premiums unless she stopped eating or something. She qualifies for Medicare February 1, 2009. Unfortunately, she couldn't hold out until then.

Last fall her back started bothering her (it wan't work-related, unfortunately) and she eventually quit even her part-time job. She tried a chiropractor, but refused to go to a doctor because "I can't afford it". Her pain got worse and worse. She cancelled a planned trip to visit us this summer.

Last week her friendly neighbor noticed that she hadn't seen Sharon in a couple of days. When her phone wasn't answered, Gina went to the house to check on her. She found the garage door open, car door open, and purse and one shoe in the car. After receiving no reponse to her knock, she called the police. When they threatened to break down the door, Sharon did open it. She was skeletal, jaundiced, and obviously could barely stand. Despite her objections, paramedics were called and she was taken to that hospital she can't afford.

She has pancreatitus, hepititis, infection throughout her body, and they aren't sure what else. She is in an ICU unit, stable but still very ill, with a feeding tube, drains in her body, and under heavy sedation. She has no immediate family and the doctors won't give information to Gina, to me, or to her cousin in California without patient consent -- and she is in no condition to give that consent.

If we had national health care, she would have gone to the doctor a year ago. He probably would have put her on antibiotics and changed her diet and drinking habits. Granted that she could have done part of that on her own, most of us don't change bad habits unless somebody makes us.

She wasn't in the position of having to choose between health care and the food/housing option because she was lazy, a welfare mom, an illegal alien, or any of the other types we think of as being in that position. She was an older lady who had worked hard and done moderately well most of her life. She was willing to take a job beneath her dignity to survive. She had better education, training, and job skills than many people in our age group. Most any of us could find ourselves in her position. In the current economy, even those of us who thought we planned well for our golden years could have problems. We need a better safety net.

The Future of the Press in America

Perhaps it's just the future of the press on the coasts.

I attended a conference for business women today. (No I haven't become a business woman. I'm perfectly happy being a useless and purposeless little old lady, thankyouverymuch. I volunteered to help out a friend and her daughter, business women both.) The conference featured motivational speakers who told me how to improve my customer base (more cats?), maximize my profitability, and improve my attitude (which could certainly use an upgrade). One of the speakers told us how to get more publicity.

According to her, in a decade or so both print and broadcast journalism will be dead. We will be getting all our information from the wordwide web -- and we are moving in that direction as I write. Readers are far more interested in hearing about celebrities than traditional news events. I was dismayed to hear that. Despite the fact that our Sacramento Bee had diminished in size recently, I remain a faithful reader. I also watch Channel three local news and NBC National news most evenings. I do check Yahoo news two or three times a day to see if anything I really care about has happened (and it usually has not) but I depend on the Incredible Shrinking Bee and KCRA's charming reporters to keep me abreast of what is happening in my own town. Without those sources how would I know that the Basketball-Player-Who-Would be Mayor is under Federal sanction for for a little hanky panky with the fed's funds or that our seemingingly incompetent head of the City/County Library System finally resigned.

I have an additional concern that only half of the people who live in our household actually use the internet. Without the newspaper and television, half of our household would have no idea of what is going on in the world. I actually know several people who are younger than I am who simply "don't do computers". Perhaps that's a good thing. Who needs those out-of-touch folks anyway. Maybe by the 2020 election the Republicans will dare to go one better than NRA Barbie and Sun City Ken with a ticket featuring Brad Pitt and Brittney Spears.

The Black Prince Has an Adventure

Edward, Earl of the Family Room, Master of the Royal Garden, faced the enemy with great courage today. He was forced into a carrier and taken to see Doctor Elliott, where he was punctured twice with the little swords the doctor hides in his folder, and mooshed and squooshed quite thoroughly. The doctor declared him handsome, healthy, and very brave. He only meowed once. Coming home, he shared tales of the adventure with his brother and sisters and the little guest (Amani is back for a week). He was encouraged that all shots are the three year variety and his next two visits to the enemy's lair will be purely social -- probably accompanied by tuna water and cat treats. He spent the afternoon sleeping on the sofa and recovering from his terrible experience.

Forty Years

We celebrated our fortieth wedding anniversary on Saturday. For seven years we spent our anniversay weekend moving our children to dorms or apartments on college campuses. Those years are long past, and it's just the old folks now. This year we went to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants -- and I have finally decided that I'm old.

First, I dress inappropriately. Alex wore freshly pressed khakis and a polo shirt. I wore longish gaucho pants with a matching top, a little jacket that goes with it, heels and panty hose. Other than one woman in a feather boa, the other diners seemed to be attired in their formal jeans and tee shirts. This isn't a casual restaurant. While not the priciest in town, it is a linen napkin establishment and dinner for two (including tax and tip) runs $80-100. We are also going to a rather special evening event in a month or so and have been informed that the dress is "business casual". Does that mean I'm supposed to wear twill pants and a tee shirt to that? I don't have to put on pantyhose and pumps anymore, but -- just once in a while -- it's nice to wear something pretty and feminine. I understand, now, the ladies in senior citizens clubs who get all gussied up for the annual holiday lunch.

Second, I have become a less important person. Actually, I have been noticing this for some time. I often get waited on after younger people in stores (even if I was there first) or simply ignored. The restaurant was less than half full while we were there. A young couple came in about ten minutes after we did and were seated at the next table. They had their drinks first, and their food first. Our waiter -- no spring chicken himself -- even forgot one of the dishes we ordered. We probably looked liked we didn't have somewhere important to go after. At our age, however, he should have assumed that we need to get home for our early bedtimes. I was reminded of Ruth Riechle's book where she found that going to a restaurant disguised as an older woman resulted in inferior service.

Third, I can't carry on a conversation when there is background music in a restaurant. Despite the fact that the room wasn't full, people were talking over the guitar player. We had to speak loudly to be heard, and simply ate mostly in silence. We can talk at home, I suppose.

Nancy and a friend were over yesterday and Karen commented that it seems to her that "older" people in their forties and fifties get the best service. I suppose it's all a matter of perspective. Forties and fifties seems young to me these days. Do we cease to exist once past our fifties? When does that happen? 60? 65? 72? Maybe at our age we should just stay home, or confine our fine dining experiences to Marie Callendar's and Denny's.

Alex felt that the evening was wonderful. The food was good and the ambience terrific. I'm feeling that I'm not looking forward to going back there. The food was fine and the candlelight certainly hides my wrinkles and sagging chin. Despite that, I'd rather eat somewhere else next time we have a special occasion. I don't like feeling that my best days are past, and I don't like feeling less important than a group of twenty-somethings in jeans. If white napkin restaurants don't make me feel special, I'd just as soon stick to casual dining. The food isn't that much better when you pay twice as much for it.

A Tale of Two Kitties

We have recently had two young, female foster cats. Both are about 8 months old, and both were found in very unfortunate circumstances.

Amani (top) had been dumped on the street and was pregnant. She was tame, so somebody had "owned" her at one time. We suppose they were fundamentalists who didn't believe in birth control but thought it was acceptable to toss a pregnant lady out on the street. She was starving when a kind person found her and called our dear Mary. Mary collected her and took her to the vet for an abortion (no pro-lifer is our Mary) and sterilization. She is a fierce little thing. Her name -- Peace in Swahili -- is certainly a misnomer. She growls when she plays and runs around like a wild woman. She also loves hard, wanting to rub her face against you and be as close as she can. She has yet to find a home, but somebody who needs lots of love will come along soon.

Isabella (bottom) is a very quiet little thing. She is a beautiful cat. She was discovered, on a 100 degree day, taped up in a box in an empty lot near the pound. She survived, but we are wondering if the experience may have affected her more than we immediately thought. She may be a little slow. She is also very affectionate, curls up and naps on or near us, and is a gorgeous torti dilute. Nancy is very taken with her and has been trying to justify adopting her as a pal for Elphie.

The bottom line -- neuter your pets unless you plan to breed them. Never dump an animal. Cats and dogs are people with four feet and fur -- only nicer.

Testing

This is just a test to see if I know how to add a new chapter.

Starting Point

This is definitely a learning experience. I keep eliminating what I have written and having to start over again. Technology 101 for the elderly and challenged. Maybe also something new to keep my mind alive.

My very first blog. Wow! Will I really have anything to say, anything to share? I'm not truly sure. Since my life doesn't follow maps and directions, I don't quite know where this is going. I will simply be talking about my home, friends, family, pets, and interests. If I'm lucky I may connect with other ladies of a certain age. In any case, I'm hoping it will give my friends and family a chance to catch up with me at their leisure. I'm also hoping it will get me back into the habit of writing, of putting my thoughts to screen, if not actually to paper.

Alex and I are planning to attend a celebration of the 60th anniversary of his fraternity chapter at San Diego State. The November event will be at the Holiday Inn On The Bay in San Diego. There is a website where you can make dinner reservations, hotel reservations and whatever. One little problem. The hotel link on the website takes you to Holiday Inn Bayside -- several blocks from the hotel where the event will take place. We called and E-mailed to tell them that the link is incorrect. "No, no." they replied "Holiday Inn Bayside and On the Bay are the same thing." We answered that they are not, and if they will check the address for the hotel the link takes you to, they will find that it is several miles from the event hotel. (We called the event hotel to make sure that it was, in fact, the correct one and that there are two hotels with similar names.) As far as we can tell, they think we are senile old geezers (true) and we don't know what we are talking about (we do, for a change). We figure they won't make the changes, and half of the out-of-town attendees will be staying 41 blocks from the dinner. In a case like this is it wrong to say "We tolja so?"