Foster Kittens

Oh my God, oh my God.. posting on this blog for the first time in over 2 years.

A lot has happened but it has all happened slowly, like a dripping faucet nobody has fixed for years.

But now -- something to write about!!!!!!!!  Yesterday we picked up two tiny foster kittens to keep until they re old enough for their forever homes.   I signed up to foster last week and didn't believe I would get a call so soon.  These two little guys are STRAYS -- can you believe it ??? -- at such a young age.  Mom probably dead somewhere.Fostering can get me my kitten fix with no permanence involved.

So this will be " The Kitten Diaries" with updates on how they're doing along the way.


Here I am holding Pip - smaller grey with short hair.

This is Squeak  in the little cat cubby

here they are in their bathroom playpen 

The Napa Shelter gave me everything I need for these guys -- food, kitten milk, little tray, food bowl, litter, nd even the little cardboard cubby they sleep in.   I provided some toys and a faux sheepskin mat for playing and sleeping if they don't want to sleep in the cubby. Today I bought them a stuffed kitten to snuggle and rassle with at IKEA. 

SO: KITTEN DAY ONE:   They did not fuss or mew coming home in the carrier.  I set up their living space and let them out, and they immediately began exploring.   Pip made a stab and playing with the jingle ball, but Squeak was more interested in exploring.  No crying.  They let me pick them up and crawled all over me --I feel like Gulliver every time I sit on the floor and they swarm all around, biting my toes and climbing over my legs.   When they had worn themselves out, they climbed into the cubby and fell asleep instantly in a heap. they were quiet all night long but clambered out this morning to greet me when I came in.  I had installed a night light as much to keep us from stepping on kittens in the middle of the night when we went to pee as for them.

This morning,  (KITTEN DAY TWO) they voraciously ate a half tin of kitten food mixed with kitten milk and then used the litter box (this was accompanied by a few mews).  Squeak was a little messy, and sat down on his poop, so I had to wash his tiny behind.   I also fixed a small amount of kibble moistened first by water (not interested) and then with a little bit of kitten milk (more interested).  This afternoon they got the rest of the tin of kitten food mixed with kitten milk, and studiously washed their faces when they were finished.  I tried some milk in a bottle, but they were more interested in chewing on the nipple than sucking it -- so no more bottles. They also played with the stuffed mouse for the first time.

They are such good little boys!!!! 

They are such good little boys !!!!!!!!

DAY THREE:  Very active this morning.  After having tracked litter and bits of poop all over the floor last night, cleaned the litter box .   Put out a shallow bowl of water for the first time and Pip stuck his nose in it, sneezed, then licked his lips.  Did that a few more times.  Removed the kibble dishes -- they are just not interested in that yet.   Brought in the feather toy and set up the small blue cat tree.  They explored the shower this morning for the first time, but their favorite toy is -- ME.  Thy climb all over me and nip my toes and fingers.  Don't stay still enough for cuddle, but they like to be petted.  waiting for first purrs. I go in and sit with them and play until they wear themselves out and climb into their little cubby for a nap.  Last night introduced them to Morgan --who hissed.  he is having none of it --and is spending time under the bed quilt in protest .

First purrs this afternoon from Squeak -- not long -- only a few seconds -- but melted my heart  .

DAY FOUR :   Eating well, playing, and  have decided to use the small blue cat tree for a sleeping cubby instead of their box.  Will take the box out in a couple of days.  Bathroom habits are improving, and not as much clinging poopettes, no tracking around, either.   Let them out into the bedroom (under supervision) and they wobbled around exploring a bit.

DAY FIVE:  We were pretty busy today with not a lot of time to spend with the munchkins, but Squeak especially will climb a leg even if it is an unclothed leg.  I look down and blood trickling down my shins, and my hands are covered with tiny puncture wounds.  Began mixing the kitty food with water instead of milk, to cut down on the sour smell, and added a little milk to the water dish, which made them much more interested in that.

DAY FIVE:  Ability to run and climb is improving by leaps and bounds.  Much more steady on their feet, and Squeak can climb up the bedclothes onto the bed when exploring in the bedroom.   I had them up on the bathroom counter while doling out the food, and they dived right in -- no gruel for these big boys!!!!!  Reverted the liquid dish to just water.  Decided to only give the kitten milk once a day, since it sours before they eat it all and they certainly don't need it in their food to make it more palatable.

I am amazed at the changes daily -- better balance, improved running and climbing ability, eating.   And nothing wrong with their litter box habits, either~!   They fill that baby up every day. 

Such good boys!!!!

DAY SIX; What I have learned from fostering kittens:

1. Never enter the kitten den without your kitten armor on.  This consists of long pants (preferably sweat pants) and a long sleeved shirt (nothing knit). 

2. The favorite toy of the kittens is YOU.

3. They will play and tussle adorably until you get the camera out.  Then all you will capture are butts and blurs.

4. They change so fast from one day to the next.  When I went in this morning to feed them, Pip was ON TOP of the cat tree and Squeak had fallen into the trash can after scaling the side.

5. You need to empty the litter tray every day.  Those little guys poop up a storm.

DAY SEVEN: One week in foster care and they have changed so much!!!  They now run (no more wobbling) eat canned food (without being watered down), drink milk and water from the bowl,  can climb up onto our bed from the floor, steal Morgan's food (Squeak) , purr like crazy when held (Squeak), climb the cat tree to the top (Pip), and have been introduced to Morgan (much hissing) and Chessie (wary sniffing and resigned acceptance).   So proud of my little boys~~~~~!!!!!

WRAP UP: after having these delicious little furballs for one month and three days, it was time to take them back to the Shelter (June 9).    This was after having them weighed in on the First of June and finding them them big enough now to be fixed.  then to the clinic on Monday the 8th, and after making sure they were all healed and ready to go, returning them to the shelter on the 8th.  I admit I cried a little -- mostly because i knew they would be in a cage after having spent a whole month of their very young lives with a big exciting playground (our master suite).   Also the shelter lady said they would not be getting any more wet food -- just kibble, so I bought 5 cans of kitten food for them and turned that in along with the bag of kibble that had only been eaten a bit, their dish, remaining wet food, and their favorite toys  ( little red felt heart for Pip, fuzzy birdy for Squeak, and crinkle ball and mousie for them both).

The next two days I went to visit them, and on the second day found out that they are going to Marin County, which actually is having a shortage of adoptable kittens.   So I bid my farewells and cried a little again.

Then I told them I would foster again after we get back from our trip to Florida.

Green

Suddenly over the past couple of years "Green Living" has become hipster-chic and there is lots of excitement over reducing your carbon footprint.  Electric cars are making a comeback and more and more cities are outlawing plastic bags and turning junk filled vacant lots into community gardens.

For this old Hippie, it's like deja vue all over again.  Here's a room-by-room summary of all of the ways the "green living" to me is just living.





Kitchen

I have been taking my own bags to the grocery store since the 70's.  Yup.  The check out clerks used to exclaim over this and I even got a 5 cent per bag credit at many stores.  Now seems like everyone does it. But I also get plastic bags some times and use them to line my wastebaskets and corral scooped cat poop. Most of my bags are canvas and yes, I do wash them from time to time.  Those "microfiber" cheapies you get nowadays pretty much fall apart in the washer.

A big red plastic Folger's Coffee can corrals all the coffee grounds, egg shells, avocado pits, onion peeling and food from the fridge that has turned to green slime.  This gets emptied into the compost bins along with the dirty straw from cleaning out the chicken coop, dead flowers, and grass clippings. Since  I am a lazy composter, one bin has a trap door on the bottom where I can dig out the rich stuff for my garden as it changes into compost.

Stale or moldy bread, outer brown lettuce leaves, mushy fruit and tomatoes -- chicken ambrosia!!!!

Leftovers get recycled too.  Example:  A tri tip I grilled on Tuesday has also become steak fajitas, a southwest salad, and if the little wedge left  gets funky, it will become cat food.  Last night we ate out at Black Angus, and there is always too much food.  This morning I turned two partially eaten baked potatoes into breakfast by chopping them up, adding a little red and green pepper, and pouring four beaten eggs over the top in a skillet ---- yum!!!!!

When I do dishes (rarely since that is Rod's job), I fill up a big bowl or pot with soapy water and wash from that.  Everything gets piled in the drainer and then rinsed off.

Every can, bottle, and container is put into the recycling bin.  Most of the  "garbage" in my garbage can is non-recyclable packaging.  As a matter of fact, the blue recycling bins we put by the curb are filled up more than 3 times that of the garbage can (which holds mostly bags of kitty poop, packaging, and the one 10-gallon bag from our kitchen each week).

The plastic jars that hold nuts, candy, and biscotti that we buy at Costco also get reused to hold dry beans, raisins, croutons, and other foods that stay fresher in a covered jar than they do in their original (often flimsy) packaging.  Some of those jars also hold dry kitty kibble that we keep upstairs, on the front porch, and in the chicken yard to feed all of the critters.

And last but not least, many of my favorite kitchen things were purchased second hand -- cookie jars, serving bowls, sturdy metal utensils -- and my 1949 Wedgewood stove!!!!!!!!

Living Room and Dining Room

Again, much second hand furniture including a mission rocker I got for $10 in pieces, stripped, stained and made a new upholstered seat.  And the oak heart chair I got from Alice for trading a set of golf clubs.  And the 1890's American Oak secretary I have had since 1972.  

We keep a tyvek bag in the corner for paper and all of the newspapers, junk mail, and other paper go into it, along with an occasional aluminum soda can.   Then it gets emptied into the recycling.

My "best" china came from an antique store in Portland.  The dining set, buffet, and library table are all old.  When my cut flowers (from my garden mostly) die, the water in the vase goes into my plants.

When we turned the floors into oak hardwood, Rod took all of the pulled-out carpeting to use in the outdoor areas of the shop to protect the mechanics from wet, muddy, and dusty ground.

I have books!!!!!! But I also recycle books.  First to my mother in law who is the only person I know who is as avid a reader as I am, and then they go to the bookstore in Sonoma where I turn them in for credit for MORE books!!!!   I also pick up books at yard sales and the Friends of the Library sales.  And I do have a Kindle -- used mostly for  travelling so I can have more BOOKS!!!!   When I have books that are too beat up to exchange, they go into the many bins around town that collect them or sometimes I put them on Freecycle.  Freecycle.org is also a wonderful way to get rid of things that are still useful but not to me!!!!  It is an on-line community-based trading post where people can list what they have to offer as well as what they need, and are then matched up online.

Bathrooms                             

Toilet paper empty rolls go into the recycling.  Shampoo and lotion bottles (after turning them upside down to get every drop out) are recycled.  Worn out towels go to the Humane society  for the kitties. The clawfoot tub in our downstairs hall bathroom was found on Craigslist.  The tile in the master bath was found at a tile outlet for seconds and discontinued items.

An old habit from the 70's means that I never run the water while brushing my teeth.  And while waiting for the water in the shower to heat up, I capture the cold water in a bucket which I then use to water the plants on my upstairs balcony.

But one drought habit from the 70's that I do NOT keep -- I DO flush after every use!!!!  (I'm not THAT green!!!!).


Bedrooms

I will have to confess that after having the same (mostly antique) bedroom furniture for 20 years, I broke down a couple of years ago and got all new furniture from IKEA for the master bedroom.  And I do NOT regret it!!!!!  However I still have the walls decorated with all of my needlework cottage scenes from the 20's and 30's.   We also keep a recycling bag upstairs for paper and Morgan-food cans.  Most everything in my adjoining office is old -- the desk, desk chair, mission bench, lawyer's book case and revolving bookcase -- are second hand.  What magazines I do not keep get taken down to the Kaiser clinic for the waiting rooms.

The guest rooms are also furnished with antique and yardsale furniture, with one bedroom sporting a duvet cover I made for an old comforter with a matching window valance and a repainted  yard sale headboard and side tables.  The other bedroom has my grandmother's spool bed set and one of Uncle George's worn but beautiful oriental rugs and a patchwork quilt from the 30's.


Other stuff                                        



I drive a hybrid Nissan Altima.  I love my car (named Kermit).   I grow my own herbs in pots on the porch -- and a rosemary bush in the chicken yard.  All of my porch furniture is second hand -- wicker love seat, two rockers, coffee table and two side tables, plus a painted wrought iron table and chairs, and two cabinets which hold cat food & supplies and gardening stuff.

I have chickens and  vegetable garden -- three really cool raised beds made of indestructible cement block lines with old metal roof panels to keep out the gophers.   This year I am growing strawberries, eggplant, green and red bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and artichokes.

The chickens give us more eggs than we can eat not to mention the best soil conditioner ever!!!

I have several fruit trees -- peach (three peach trees), apple, plum and almond, plus an olive tree.  I wish I could figure out how to cure olives without using lye.   Last year I got a dehydrator (thanks Mary) so I can dry the apples and tomatoes that I don't eat right out of the garden or cook with.

I give old clothing to the Church Women United, who operate a free store for people referred to them from social services or church groups.

I almost always "trip chain" so that when I get in the car, it is to do several errands at the same time  -- bank, post office, pick up/drop off dry cleaning, grocery shopping, buying chicken food, etc.

None of these things take huge amounts of effort, although some take a little bit of pre planning.  I am basically a lazy old hippie who would rather sit on the porch with a crossword puzzle and a cat than pretty much anything else

My Retro Kitchen

 It has now been ten years since our kitchen remodel and I couldn't be happier with what we have.  I feel like I have recreated a kitchen that my Grandma would love and recognize and that fits the character of this 1940's farmhouse.

The first step in creating the kitchen was to knock out the back wall to extend it about 8 feet.  This happened  in conjunction with adding a partial attic and three dormers over the front porch.  Once the addition was framed in, the back wall was torn down and out came the old cabinets.  It was so much fun to go to Home Depot and get to design my cabinet layout on the computer.  Every square inch was utilized -- even the tiny gap between the fridge and cabinet has a pull out spice drawer built in.

 I have a bread drawer, deep pot drawers, a baking sheet drawer with vertical dividers, hidden pull out trash can drawer, pull out shelves for baking bowls and cake pans, slim top drawers for knives and kitchen "gruple", and the best of all is a pull out/swing up shelf holding my Kitchen Aide mixer hooked up and ready to go at a moment's notice.   Some of the cabinets have "bubbly" glass doors.  The middle island is composed of two stock shelving units back to back with a base cabinet that opens from either side.  The top is a butcher block we got at IKEA at a cost one third of what we would have paid elsewhere (I looked, believe me).  I found the red ceramic pulls and knobs on line.

But for all of the fun in choosing "off the shelf" cabinets, it was even more fun explaining to the contractor about the custom little touches I wanted to make it a truly "retro" kitchen -- like the scalloped cornice over the sink window, and the curved shelves in the corners .  I was lucky to find the "schoolhouse" type pendant lamps at a now-defunct home supply chain, and there are under-cabinet lights installed throughout the kitchen as well.

I also had a special shelf built along the side of the refrigerator to hold my collection of "Cattail" dinnerware that I have collected over the years, along with the pig ceramics that were my Grandmother's.  The cattail motif is repeated on some of the white subway tiles forming the backsplash.  I painted them myself and baked them in the oven.  My collection also includes cattail canisters, a complete dinnerware set,  and a cookie jar.

Here is another view into the kitchen where you can see the custom shelves on the left 

No farmhouse kitchen would be complete without a pantry and I have the greatest walk-in pantry ever. The bottom row of shelves include a "step back" built in so that nothing gets hidden and forgotten behind other things.  The curtained corner cubbies  below have lazy susan swing-out wire shelves, and the baskets hold bagged chips, onion, potatoes, teas, pudding & jello packets, and seasoning packets.  The right corner has a built in wine rack that will hold a dozen bottles, and there is a plug on the left side for our water cooler.  The top of the cabinet has red formica for ease of cleaning.  All of this was custom built to my specifications.  I made the curtains, mounted on swing-away rods, to match the valences I sewed for the kitchen from retro fabric I found on line.  I LOVE my pantry!!!!

The kitchen also has a little eat-in nook with a reproduction formica and stainless kitchen table & chairs.  I have a collection of 40's tablecloths that rotate onto the table.  We eat every breakfast here, and many dinners, too.  I found the little art deco phone stand at a flea market in San Francisco for $20.  It's little drawer is perfect for holding pens and note pads, the the cupboard below stashes cans of Chessie's favorite cat food -- tuna!!!

The inspiration for the kitchen came from the 1949 Wedgewood stove that came with the house. The oven pilot light works, but the stovetop burners need to be lit with a match  -- hence the red matchbox on the upper right hand corner of the stove. The remodel gave me a chance to pull it out, take it apart, and steam clean 55 years worth of grease from the insides where I couldn't reach before.  As I write this, I am waiting to hear back from someone who has a FREE similar-vintage Wedgewood that I will cannibalize for parts -- my stove needs new knobs!!!

It has a griddle in the center, storage for pots & pans on the left, and a (non-working unfortunately) clock and built in timer.  The timer that I DO use was given to me by my mother who found it at a garage sale for a nickle.  And speaking of my mother, this kitchen also includes the jade green kitchen clock that was on the wall of the kitchen in Kenosha Wisconsin where I grew up!!!   When it began making grinding noises (after a 60+ year life) my husband searched online for parts and fixed it for me -- just like new again!!!!!

I'm not saying this was a cheap remodel -- the cabinets were pretty pricey -- but this remodel gives me the kitchen I have always dreamed of in the country farmhouse that I have always dreamed of.  Life is good.
                                                           

A Visit From Stefanie

As a result of Rodney' doing business overseas, we have enjoyed a huge number of perks, not the least of which has been acquiring a charming and fiercely loyal friend in Stefani, the wife of one of Rod's customers in Germany, Andreas Winterwerber  (called "Windy").

Although I did not blog about it, we had the privilege of being involved in their wedding in Las Vegas in March of 2011, which was a really fun "rockabilly" wedding complete with Elvis at the Graceland Chapel, a 1954 Cadillac Convertible wedding cake, and a post wedding lunch at Delmonico's Steakhouse followed by a presentation of the Cirque du Soleil's "Viva Elvis".

But I digress.

The star of this blog is Stefani, 33 years old, blonde, definitely Teutonic with rockabilly tattoos, a warm and outgoing personality, and a heart as big as the sun.  Stefani came on her own for a visit starting on January 21st and stayed with us until February 12th.  What a visit we had!   Thee weeks of non stop shipping, eating, visiting, spas and wonderful conversations.

                                                            Stefani and Bailey

The first day, we headed out locally to the AT&T store so Stef could get a correct sim card for her phone to enable calls both to & from Germany.  Then on to WalMart and the local Factory Outlet stores where Stefi stocked up on underwear and began to tackle the long list of requests from her co-workers back home.

The next day, after taking Bailey & Chessie to the vet for their "tune ups", we stopped in at Wild Cat  (local rockabilly clothing and ephemera emporium) and then went up to the Twin Pines Casino in Middletown.   Rod took care of some business in Lower Lake, while I played blackjack and Stefi played the Wheel of Fortune slot machine.  She ended up winning over $300 and treated us all to dinner!

On Thursday we drove to Vallejo to DD Discount (one of mine and Stefani's favorite cheapo clothing stores).  As she has done in the past, Stef zeroed in on SHOES and found a Betty Boop carryon tote to match her luggage.   That night, we had sausage and pepper sandwiches and chicken cheese soup for dinner.  Stefani wants the recipe for everything that I cook!

On Friday, after having experienced several frustrating and fruitless attempts to access the ATM card (in WINDY's NAME) that he had given her, we went to Bank of American and Stefami opened her very own ATM card in her own name.  She immediately got on the phone and told Windy how to deposit money into her account.

Then we went to Calistoga.  Just a day of wandering around poking into shops and having a late lunch at Bosko's (I had a Groupon!!! ).

                                                          Stefani Loves Calistoga!!!!

We also had a quick visit with Carol and Klaus in St. Helena.

Saturday was our day to go to Petaluma.  First we went to Tractor Supply and Stefani went crazy in the equine department buying all of the things that are so expensive in Germany for the horses (Mr. Mork, Laurenzo, and her mom's horse Johnny).  I bought cat food and "treats" for the chickens including dried meal worms and scratch.  Also a T-shirt for Stef: " Horses are God's way of apologizing for men"(!).  After Tractor Supply, we headed off the the Petaluma Outlets and more shopping.   By that time, I was hungry, so we headed out to 4th & Sea -- a little drive in dive where they have car shows in the summer.

 And also really good food.  Stefani loved her fish and chips (Windy will not eat fish -- dangerous, he says)

                                        And I had a really good pulled pork BBQ sandwich.

The next day was Sunday, and since Rod had FINALLY fixed my dryer, we spent this day just hanging out, doing laundry, cleaning the chicken coop, and relaxing.  I needed it because Stefani is so high energy, she just wears  this old lady OUT.

Monday was our day to go to Fairfield.  This meant a trip to K-Mart (I love KMart and this one is the closest to us) and the Solano Mall.  I got some black jeans (which I actually needed) and a fleece nightie. Then Stefani and I went out for lunch at Mimi's.  Another hit for Stefani!  That night we had Chinese chicken salad, egg flower soup, and Rod made his delicious chocolate mug cakes for dessert.

Tuesday we had lunch with Dee at Norman Rose and found out about the Kiwanis Crab Feed that coming Saturday.  Another activity Stefani will love!  We made a local trip to Ross and WalMart and picked up a pizza for supper.

On Wednesday, we had our spa day, starting off with a visit to Tom for a mani/pedi.  Tom was in rare form and showed us his toenails painted to honor the 49ers (in the Superbowl that coming Sunday).

                                                         Tom's Toenails!

                                                            Stefani gets Shellacked

                                                                  Tom and Cindy

                                                               Tom and Stefani
We also browsed through the Antique store across the street and I bought a cabinet that ended up on the front deck to hold cat food, cat blankets, cat dishes, and gardening stuff.

Then it was off to Calistoga to use the certificate I got for my retirement at the Lavender Hill Spa.
We got the "Girlfriend's Getaway" package that included a Jacuzzi bubble bath soak, salt scrub, 30 minute massage, and a facial.   Really, really great.  Sean gave me the BEST massage ever and I came away relaxed as can be.  When we got home, we grabbed Rod and all went out to Frida's Mexican Grille for dinner.

Thursday we went o the Outlet Mall in Vacaville, and Big Lots.  For dinner, I grilled a pork loin and served it with dijon cream sauce, rosemary roasted potatoes, green beans with bacon and almonds, and a salad with sliced apples and dried cranberries.   We had toll house brownies for dessert.

Friday I picked up our Crab Feed tickets, and our cabinet from the antique store.  Then Stefani and I rolled up our sleeves and made tamales!!!!  This was a first for Stefani and now she wants to make them in Germany  so I will have to find all of the ingredients and make sure they get put into the next container.  Luckily for us the pork had already been cooked and I just had to thaw it out, mix in the chilies, soak the corn husks, and make the masa.  We made tamales until we ran out of masa.   And of course, we had them for dinner along with chicken nachos.

On Saturday, we made a trip to Costco.  This is the big spender trip for Stefani and also for us.  So much to buy and stock up on.  And before we came home, a swing by 99 Cent only for produce.  And that night was the Crab Feed!

                                                             Dee Lindblad

                                                                    John Lindblad

                                                                    All Bibbed Out!!!!!

This was also a first for Stefani since, of course, there is no dungeness crab in Germany and they crabs that they do have are always eaten hot.  But we managed to stuff ourselves with salad, bread, rigatoni, and (of course) crab.  I shared the bottle of Loomis Air that I brought, but forgot to bring mayo and lemons!!!!  Next time I will not forget!

The next morning we got up early and went to the Alameda Point Flea Market,always held on the first Sunday of the month.  Stefani bought me a navy blue straw hat.  After the Flea market (I can't believe we didn't take any pictures), we drove across the Bay and had lunch at Mel's Diner on Geary Street in SF.  Then we dropped Stefani off in the Haight so she could have a shopping orgy at Bettie Page.  We drove around for awhile and then picked Stefani Up and went up to Twin Peaks.  I could not believe that in all of the years I've lived in the Bay Area, I had never been up to Twin Peaks!   What a view!!!!!!!!  Again, I can't seem to find any pictures!!!   We drove home across the Golden Gate and stopped so that Stefani could have a look around and I'm sure take some pictures (which I have not seen yet).

When we got home, I got busy making dinner since Ann and Ray joined us for cornish hens, baked potatoes, green beans, salad, and Costco apple pie for dessert.  Then we played a game of Mexican Train.

The following week we stayed pretty close to home and Stefani helped me clean house and plant some pansies in the yard.  We went up to the Setty's to see the 1954 Cadillac and Stefani took lots of photos for Windy.  One night, in honor of Windy, we had dinner at Black Bear Diner.

On Friday we left for our last big adventure of Stefani's visit -- the Dr. George Car Show in Palm Desert. We drove to Sacramento to pick up Peter & Mary & Peter's car then headed south with my Rambler and Peter's Rambler on the trailer behind the truck.

First sign of trouble:  Pelting torrents of rain outside of Fresno.  Scary blind, but it didn't last long, thank Goodness.  Then a stop in Fresno to look at a car for Windy.  Guy selling it was a jerk.  Back on the road and a stop for eats at an Appleby's in Fresno.  Then more bad news:  I-5 is closed just outside of Fresno so we have to take the Looooong way around through Tehachapi and on many 2 lane roads along with all of the truckers who also cannot use 1-5.  Traffic jams.  Then, crossing the Tehachapis,  thick fog (it is dark by now) that absolutely terrifies me.  There is LOTS of traffic, we are hauling a trailer with two cars, and it's impossible to see the (winding) road (through the mountains) except for the white line by the side of the road -- barely.  I spend the next half hour whimpering in terror with my eyes closed until we finally come out of the fog.  By the time we get to our hotel in Palm Desert, it is 11:00 pm and we are all frazzled.

Walking into the bathroom in the hotel, I am greeted by a huge puddle on the floor -- what is leaking?  Where did it come from?  the best we could do is get the night manager to sop it up and leave us with extra towels.   But the bed was comfortable and we slept like the dead.

The nest morning the guys took the cars to the show grounds and then came back and got us so we could have a leisurely breakfast.  The weather was nice (thank goodness) and we had a good spot for the cars.

                                             One of the Cadillacs at the Dr. George Show

                                                     Uncle DenDen  (old friend Dennis Guinaw)
                                                                at Dr. George Car Show

Cindy and her restored 1961 Rambler American at the Dr. George Car Show -- First Showing!!!!

                   Peter's Rambler at the Dr. George Car Show -- and he won a trophy, too!!!!!!

It was fun showing off my  (almost completed) restored Rambler American and talking to people about the car -- a close replica of the car I had all through high school.  I got to wear my swanky beaded car sweater, too.  Peter had a ball telling people about his car as well, and Stefani took lots of pictures, particularly of old fire trucks, to show to Windy.

                                                  And Rod got a well deserved rest.

After the car show, we all went out with Dennis and Carol to their favorite Mexican restaurant.  Me, I was not so impressed -- noisy, expensive and the food was really only so so.  But at least we all got to hang out together for a while and visit.

The nest day, we headed back, and the drive back was not NEARLY as traumatic. Good thing, too since that voyage to Palm Desert has soured me on road trips for a good long time.

The next day, Stefani went one more time to Tom for s good shellacking (he NAILS), and we had a leisurely lunch at Angele.  One more stop at Home Depot and Walmart for last minute shopping, and Stefi came home to pack all of her presents into two big plastic bins to go with the next container.  

On Tuesday the 12th, we said goodbye to Stefani at SFO and we all were crying.  It was an exhausting, exhilarating, fun and delightful visit.
                                           

Lazy, Crazy, Depressed or Indifferent?

I have not kept up with this blog in the longest time.  Every time I think about I first of all feel guilty because it's been too long, then depressed because I don't think I have anything to say, then pissed at myself because I am so lazy,  and finally I just (mentally) throw up my hands and say "who gives a crap?"

But today I seem to be motivated and I hope after months of ennui and slogging about in fuzzy depressing thoughts mixed with an energy so low that for several weeks I was taking a nap every day from being so exhausted doing nothing.  I actually began cleaning out my pantry today -- got one entire shelf done.  Three more to do.  This is a daunting task!

I have umpteen half-finished projects lying around too:  the inventory of Uncle George's antique and collectible menus, the picture book of our Christmas Paris trip, three paintings, tons of cat toys and kitty beds not made, a garden and yard that desperately need attention after an abnormally dry winter, plus some projects that I have been thinking bout like painting and re-flooring the foyer and entry to our bedroom suite, and painting the cabinets in the foyer.

So I am hoping this little spurt of optimism and creativity last at least a little while longer. I am doing all sorts of tricks and games with myself to keep going:  I will keep cleaning the pantry for the length of this CD (and turning up the volume on "Red Dirt Girl" as high as I can), and after I have cleaned out the chicken coop I can have two pieces of that weak-in-the-knees good dark chocolate with dried cherries and almonds.

Or after I finish this blog I can take a nap.

The Coombsville Cats

We are cat people.  I personally have had cats almost all of my life, except for the first year of college when we couldn't have pets our "approved" apartments.  But since Rod and I have been together, it seems we just accumulate cats.  We have nine now, along with one reluctant cat and two "porch cats".  Here are their stories.

When we moved here to Coombsville Road, we had two cats -- Tobey (the wonder cat and the best all around cat EVER) and Sophie (who I got from my friend Barbara shortly after I moved to Napa).  Then we got Dixie, a tabby point Himalayan, and Christmas of '96, when Rod wanted a Harley for Christmas,  he got a black and white tuxedo kitten named Harley.   All of those first cats are gone now, beginning with Dixie, and ending with Harley only 3 years ago.  Rodney still misses Harley (I do too) and I still miss Tobey who had cancer of the mouth and died in 2002.  When I had my Jaguar,  our license plate read "R5CATS" in honor of the 4 cats + the Jag.
                                                               HARLEY BEAR

When Tobey passed, that's when I think our cat fancy turned to cat obsession, starting with two cats to replace one lost -- Mamie, a tuxedo and Ike, a burmese-looking semi feral that we had to trap.  Gradually, more cats were added either on purpose, or because they just showed up here -- our "porch cats" that we have fed, loved, and taken to the vet when needed.  So here are the current Cats of Coombsville Road:

MAMIE:  Currently the oldest Coombsville cat, at about 10 years old, she is now Rod's office cat (one of two).  Mamie is a little fatty short hair tuxedo who likes to sit on Rod's lap when he is working at the computer.  She is a talker, and a lazy one! Here she is on the wicker settee on the porch of Rod's shop.

IKE:  We trapped Ike when he was a tiny kitten in the yard of a friend of Rod's mom and dad.  He was a feral kitty who lived under our sofa until he got too big to do so, then moved to BEHIND the sofa.  When he was old enough to be fixed,  (and all of our cats are, by the way), Rod called me at work to tell me that he had gotten Ike to the vet and was now going to the Emergency Room.  When I got home, I found the sofa upended, and the bed in Amy's room completely torn apart.  And Rod covered with bloody scratches from fingers to elbows.  That was the first and only time IKE has been to the vet.  He slipped out of the house one day while we were preparing for a weekend trip, and we thought he was gone for good.  But then about 3 weeks later we spotted him peeking out from under the deck.  He has stayed around all this time and he has a bed on the front deck.   He has always been our most shy, most timid cat, and will only allow petting if we are feeding him and he is really hungry.  Ike's been around as long as Mamie -- 10 years or so.                          
                                                                     
                                                                    MR. IKE

Next in succession is SAM.  We got Sam and his brother TJ after Tobey passed away (2002), but unfortunately TJ got his tail caught in something and damaged the nerves at the base of his spine, which meant he couldn't pee or poop on his own.  We had to put him down at only 3 years of age.  But his brother Sam has stayed around, and became a porch cat instead of an indoor cat when new kitten Daisy came along.  Sam is a big fat Teddy Bear who will bully the other cats if they get in his way.  But He LOVES to be petted and have his tummy rubbed. Anyone on the porch will get a visit from Sam.   When I am reading the paper at the table, he will plop down right in the middle of the comics for a tickle under the chin or a satisfying tummy rub.  The way he sometimes splays out with his back feet straight out in front of him has earned him the nickname "Porno Cat".

                                                            SAM - 'SAMARAMA'

I got DAISY when I went to the Benicia Peddler's Fair looking for antiques, but instead came home with this cross eyed little tabby point Himalayan that was a twin for our cat Dixie who had dies a couple of years before.  The shelter had named her "Sybil" because they said she had a split personality.  Loving and purring one minute and turning into a slasher the next.  Well, I couldn't believe that this tiny fluffball could be so evil, so she came home with me.  But, alas, the predictions turned out to be true.   You can pet her and she will love it until she doesn't any more.   Daisy has long fluffy fur but does not like to be brushed, so keeping her groomed is a constant struggle.  Recently, she had a hematoma on her ear that was fixed by the Vet, so now she has a "cauliflower ear".  Goofy as she is, we love our Daisy. 

Next in succession is CHLOE.  Rod's Dad and Mom live up on Atlas Peak Road, and a feral cat showed up and had kittens under their gazebo.  Mom was a small calico, and the kittens were a mix of colors, but one kitten was an adorable seal point Himalayan.  As we were trapping the cats to get them fixed for TNR (trap, neuter, release), we got Chloe on her own.  When I brought her back from the vet, I put her in the back bedroom with her own food, water, and kitty box, and opened the carrier door.  I petted her and talked to her -- she was still groggy from the anesthesia.  When Rod got home later that day, we went in to say hi and let her out of the carrier.   Fully recovered from the anesthesia, she exploded out of that carrier and clawed Rod so bad she lost a claw!!!! We were terrified that she had ripped out her stitches, but it seemed not so.  Although she came out at night to eat and use the litter box, for the next three months or so, she hid under the bed and would not come out when we went in there.  Every day, Rod went in and laid on his stomach at the edge of the bed and talked to her and offered treats. We finally opened the bedroom door and she came out, only to streak up to the attic, which has been her home ever since.   Although she has gotten bolder over the past four years in her forays around the house, and loves the other cats (wanting to play with them), the only human who can capture her heart is Rod.  And she is completely shameless with him -- rubbing all over him, Looking at him with adoring eyes, climbing up his leg.  But even Rod can't brush her -- even with the "Love Glove" he bought especially for Chloe.  So the cat hair in the house is prodigious since Chloe never goes outdoors.  Rod is truly "the Cat Whisperer" (with a T shirt to proclaim it) beause he can make any cat, even the wild and feral Chloe, butter in his hands. 

CHLOE 

Then comes Bailey.  Still looking for a cat with Tobey's charm and sweet disposition, we found Bailey on Craigslist and drove all the way to Alameda to BUY him (yes, the only cat we have actually bought -- not counting adoption fees from a rescue organization).  He was just a tiny kitten when we brought him home five years ago.  

                                                                    BABY BAILEY

Bailey is quite the character.  He loves to sleep on top of the kitchen cabinets where it is nice and warm 

And when he comes to greet you, he throws himself down on the ground and rolls all around. He is a good hunter, and last year he brought me a mole for my birthday that was as big around as my hand, with teeth as long as my little fingernail.  He will sit by a haystack all day waiting for the mice to come out.  That's usually where he is when Rod goes out to round up the cats for the night.  When he was about a year old, he scared the hell out of us when he fell off of  "his " chair and couldn't stand up.  His eyes were jerking back and forth and he began to howl.  Since it was after 9 pm, we rushed him off the the vet clinic in Cordelia (a 20 minute drive) and they ran all kinds of tests. They couldn't find anything.  The next day he spent another day with our vet for more tests -- nothing.  He finally came out of it and BOY was he glad to see us!  We never did figure out just what had happened to cause that seizure of such long duration.  For some time after, Bailey was a little clumsy and would sometimes miss when he jumped up onto something.  The seizures have never happened again. 

Another favorite spot of Bailey's is on Rod's knee in the evening when we watch TV.  Check the expression. 

Before we got Morgan, Bailey would love to come upstairs and sleep with us, and snuggle in bed with me, "making biscuits" in my armpit at 6 am.  But since we have had Morgan, he has only been upstairs a few times.  I miss my snuggles with Bay. maybe once he gets used to Morgan, and Morgan is not such a kitten, he will come back!

Then there is our former foster cat, Chessie.  Mourning the death from lymphoma of our adopted 14 year old Himalayan cat, Kiko, Rodney swore to me -- "NO MORE CATS!!!"   So who called me in to his office to look at something he found on Craigslist while looking at -- you guessed it -- CATS but Rod?   Here was this adorable Maine Coon who needed a temporary home while his owner went to Haiti to help build an run a school. Her brother, who had first told her he would keep the cat, decided at the alst minute that he couldn't do it.  We would only have him for a year, maybe two, and then could give him back.  Rod thought this might be the perfect solution (ha ha ha).   Better yet, he was in Concord, where I worked.  So I told Rod I would go check him out and if he was a nice cat, I would bring him home.  When I got to Jaimie's townhouse, almost everything was packed except for a futon in the middle of the room.  There on top was Chessie, looking like a little lion.  He had a sweet disposition, so I bundled him into his carrier, loaded up his food, dishes, and litterbox, and came on back to Napa.  Chessie was at home immediately.

He was two years old -- the same age as Bailey and came when we called him.  He was desperate to explore the grewat outdoors and climbed the big old silk tree by the deck with aplomb.  Although he was happy to eat dry kibble, he loves tuna, but ONLY if it is FRESH out of the can (no day old tuna for Chessie).  A year went by and Jaimie came for a visit.  We raised $300 to help her pay for the extra baggage she took back to Haiti with medicines, toys, books and clothes for the children.  Chessie found his favorite spot on top of the oak secretary in the dining room.  And we loved the weay he did the "Chessie Stretch" with his back legs straight our behind and his front legs pulling forward, not to mention the head bumps that we got when we would reach down to pet him -- head and body rising up on hind legs to meet the palm of any friendly hand around.

                                                        CHESSIE IN THE SILK TREE

                                               CHESSIE IN HIS FAVORITE SPOT

When we heard Jaimie was back in the area for her second visit a year later, Rod said "she's NOT getting Chessie back!".  But before we could tell her, she said to us -- "You obviously love him very much, and I don't know when I will be back, so I think it is best if you keep him".  We were OVERJOYED.   So Chessie foster cat became Chessie our very own forever cat.

MONSTER showed up one day out in the back yard, slinking around the old cars. A black and white medium hair guy with a pink nose, he was a  young cat -- maybe a year old if that, and although he was friendly to people, he caused havoc with the other cats, chasing Bailey, Chessie, and Daisy and the fights resulted in huge tufts of cat hair all over the yard.  I told Rod that we would not be able to keep this monster of a cat unless he could get along with everybody.   Rod took him off to the vet to be neutered and for shots, and within two weeks, Monster had turned into a different cat.  None of the other cats can play like this one --  he chases a ball with unbridled enthusiasm and just wants to RUN from happiness. But the other cats still don't trust him, and there are occasional mix ups (even though Monster really only wants a little rough house play).   Monster and Mamie love each other and sleep together in Rod's lap or in a bed in the office.  He comes into the house from time to time as well.

                                             MONSTER STILL A LITTLE BEAT UP

                                                LOS DOS AMIGOS IN THE OFFICE

Finally, there is Morgan, our latest addition.  When Stefi and Windy were here in November, Stefi wanted to get presents for the cats, and a new collar for Monster (he has lost four collars with name tags since we have had him), so we went to Petco -- big mistake.  They have stacks of cages there with the cats from Whiskers. Tails, and Ferals, which does adoptions on Saturdays.  We looked at all the cats and they were all wonderful but this one little Tonkinese who looked so much like Bailey caught my attention.  So I called Rod and asked -- "please, please???"   Of course the answer was, "what's one more cat?".  But I could not get ahold of anyone from Whiskers, Tails and Ferals, so I went home empty handed.  

The next day, Rod, Windy, and Stefi went to a Swap Meet in Turlock.  I hate (car) swap meets, so I stayed home.  But later that morning, I went back down to Petco, and the little Tonkinese kitten was still there. A couple of hours later and $125 poorer, I left with Morgan, who did not make a peep all the way back to the house. 

                                                              BABY MORGAN

Morgan was a scared little guy, and he hid inside the cubby of our new Ikea headboard.  Three or four times a day Rod or I would haul him out (risking a swipe of the claws) to cuddle him and sing to him.  After the first couple of days, he did climb into bed with us at night and allow himself to be petted while he burrowed into my neck. Then he would pounce on our feet and bite our toes.  He felt safe as long as it was dark.  He was maybe 3 months old.  We left for Paris in mid December, leaving all of the cats in the care of Kristen, Dennis Forbyn's daughter.  When we got back, I could not believe how much Morgan had grown in only 2 weeks!  Plus, one of Kristen's friends had managed to lure him out of hiding with treats and gotten him to play with a string toy.  

Morgan is now 8 months old, and has yet to go outside.  He is still skittery and does not like loud noises or surprises, and does NOT like to be picked up.  But he runs into the room when he hears us coming and talks like crazy.  He no longer hides, and has made friends with Chloe, and the will chase each other all over the attic for hours. He also will fling himself down on the ground, roll over, and stretch himself out as long as he can for a good pet and a belly rub.  At night, he still comes to sleep with us, usually right between us for the best warm spot.  He is our organic alarm clock, waking us up every morning by biting our toes. 

                                                   CHLOE AND MORGAN PLAYING 

                                                       MORGAN IN THE WINDOW

We do "have" three more cats - Rocky (named for his racoon-like ringed tail) and Casper (named after the friendly ghost because of his pale coloring), our "porch cats" who show up to eat and then may not be seen for days, and Ringo, the cat I got from my friend Vicki for Tony's kids about four years ago because hey always loved to play with ours when they came over.  I went all the way to Oakville to get that cat, and paid for his first shots and to have him neutered.  About three months later, Tony asked if we could keep Ringo because "our landlord does not allow cats".  Of course, this made me furious, because nobody had bothered to check about this before I got the cat and spent all that money.  So Tony feeds Ringo, and Ringo stays out by the shop and is kind of wild.
                                                      CASPER THE PORCH CAT

This story does not include all of the past cats -- Kiko, Neko, Annie (although I did blog about this old cat), Sophie, and two other porch cats -- Smokey and Marble.   Along with Tobey, Dixie, TJ and Harley, they  are buried at the edge of the yard, with headstones  and lots of fond memories.

Although we spend a fortune on cat food and sometimes vet bills, these guys make us happy, they make us laugh, and we love  them all.