Jean Claude, the black Bombay and Roxie, the Japanese bobtail are no longer semi-permanent residents of my house. They reside full-time with CCL They joined my other family members and friends for a lovely Christmas Day feast which included roast beef, chicken and an awesome chocolate cake made from scratch by CCL. Later after all the guests left Roxie emerged from her spot behind the living room sofa, a sofa, I must add that used to be mine. Much, much later Jean Claude jumped from the top of the electric fireplace to the ground, knocking down candles and causing a small disturbance before retiring to his spot in the basement.
Tag Archives: love
That’s What Friends Are For
Jean Claude Relaxing
I am blessed in so many ways, with friends and family, and staff I enjoy. It’s easy to overlook those things with life challenges and people whose inner demons make it hard for them to relate or care. I think the trick is to focus on those who do care about themselves, so they care about others. Friends help you love you better. Roxie and Jean Claude of course have limitless love for me and CCL – because they know they are royalty.
Earthquake
Washington, DC and several other locales got a wakeup call yesterday in the form of an earthquake. There has been a lot of chaos in Washington lately over some major, and some very minor, things. I was out-of-town during the quake. CCL in another major city. The cats, Roxie and Jean Claude, at my house this week, had to fend for themselves. Still, when I arrived home, they seemed calm. For them the chaos and excitement was but a moment.
The Wikipedia description starts as follows “An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth’s crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time. Earthquakes are measured using observations from seismometers. The moment magnitude is the most common scale on which earthquakes larger than approximately 5 are reported for the entire globe.”
So the moment magnitude of an earthquake impacts structures and people’s lives within seconds. There are other things that cause such phenomena: a smile, that quick wink between friends, a touch from a loved one - all things done in a moment that leave a lasting and powerful impression. Also there’s love, the moment we feel it for a romantic partner, that first blissful peaceful moment in the morning – or the morning after.
What Is It You Want Anyway??
There is so much to be said about being clear about one’s goals. A lot of people really don’t know what they want and they rely on outside sources and other people to tell them what is best. Problem is sometimes other people, even loved ones operate or tell us what is good for us as it serves their best interests – and not ours. People, particularly those we love, often fear our need to change or to grow. Why?? It means change for them or as well and sometimes it also means the new and improved you can no longer fulfill their needs. There is nothing wrong with putting yourself first, showing yourself love and adoration. It can be the start to loving, giving and growing to your fullest capacity.
The Places You’ll Find Love
Roxie and Jean Claude are back at my house or their other residence. They seem a bit tuckered out but happy to be here. They understand whether here or at CCL’s they are loved.
And It’s Good for Me Because??
Roxie was sick for a time and had several prescriptions. I or CCL would give her the medication in her food or treats but the joke was on us as she always discovered the hidden pills and ate them anyway. Now she’s better and while the vet wants her to stay on medication for a bit longer, Roxie’s not having it. Drama queen that she is she no longer willingly take the pills without force and much drama and hollering. Here for pet lovers and pill givers everywhere are instructions on “How to Give A Pill to A Cat.”
| How to Give a Pill to a Cat
1. Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if 2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in 3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away. 4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear 5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. 6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and 7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. 8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head 9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink 1 beer 10. Retrieve cat from roof of neighbor’s shed. Get another pill. 11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on 12. Call fire department to retrieve the cat from tree across the 13. Tie the cat’s front paws to rear paws with twine and bind tightly 14. Consume remainder of Scotch. Get spouse to drive you to 15. Arrange for Humane Society to collect mutant cat and call local How to Give A Dog A Pill: |
Viola and The Chicken (A Tribute to My Grandma Me-Me)
Truth, we didn’t call my father’s mother Grandma or Grandmama. Her name was Viola but us grandkids called her” Me-Me” and her husband William H., ”Pop”. Me-Me was an amazing woman. She was very tall and beautiful. My daughter, Catz aka CCL, looks like her. Me-Me raised my dad and his siblings with a tough hand in a predominately white neighborhood in Steubenville , Ohio, an interesting neighborhood choice for an African-American family in the 1920s. You see, my great-grandfather owned three houses in the neighborhood and gave one to his oldest son my grandfather, ”Pop. ” Viola also desegregated a hotel in downtown Steubenville by staging a one-woman sit-in in the lobby at the local hotel which had refused (up until the sit-in) to let African-Americans enter through the front door. Me-Me could cook too. Thought about her today while making chicken which brings me to the story about her and a rather unique family pet.
Here’s the story: my father (Bob) and his four siblings (Vivian, Janet, Delores and Harvey) and my Uncle John (Pop’s younger brother who was the same age as my dad), well, ok you get the drift…lots of kids…and a pet chicken. The chicken would prod and cluck and perform about for the children. However, the chicken didn’t like Me-Me — to the point of even hissing or whisping at her. One day Me-Me went in the yard and the chicken pecked her – and then — it vanished. To this day the chicken’s actual fate remains a mystery. My aunt Vivian often said “I don’t know what happened to the pet chicken but I do know we had chicken stew for dinner that night.”
Help A (Four-legged) Friend
For you animal lovers:
The daughter of my good friend Ella, Andito, took her rescue minpin to the vet last Sunday for a routine test. The vet made an error and within minutes the dog bleed to death – so Andito wrote this poem. (Please note information about animal rescue programs follows)
Andito’s Poem
It’s been 72 hours
Our house no longer feels like a home
She is here
Dents in pillows, tiny footprints on the floor, a leash on a table
Our house no longer feels like a home
She is here
Dents in pillows, tiny footprints on the floor, a leash on a table
It’s been 72 hours
Since I’ve walked to the kitchen and she followed me anticipating a treat
Since she exploded in a flurry of motion when the doorbell rang
The food dish is empty and her water hasn’t been changed
It’s been 72 hours
Since someone woke us up to give them breakfast and then promptly returned to bed
Since she curled up with Mike for an afternoon nap or sat in my lap as I worked on the computer
It’s been more than 3 years since I first met her
She was the smallest, six pounds and less than a foot tall, including 2 inches of ears
In the flurry of activity with the other dogs she trotted around proud and aloof
She didn’t come to me, wag her tail, or bark
On the ride home she started snoring as she slept in my lap and I saw that one of her canine teeth protruded over her lip
She stole my heart with a snore and a snaggletooth
She was adorable, endlessly curious, hilarious, regal, adventurous, loving, patient, fearless, and charming. She was the boss and the baby, the queen and the court jester. Her name was Truffles, because she was a chocolate miniature pinscher. We didn’t choose that name, though it suited her just fine. Over time as her confidence grew and her personality evolved she, like any true friend, earned a number of nicknames, “Rooty Toot,” “L’il Bit,” “The Situation,” “Queen of Sheba,” “One Way,” “Kitty Paws,” and “Anubis.”
It’s been 72 hours
Since we had to say good bye to our dear friend
The little girl in me can’t stop crying
But, the woman in me thinks this is the right thing to do
I am sending this to you because you are a fellow animal lover, friend or colleague. We find so easily, in our four legged friends the qualities we so desperately seek in our human companions – unconditional love, loyalty, gratitude, acceptance, patience and companionship. Seriously, has your significant other ever greeted you the way your pet has or been as appreciative of a meal?
If you have a pet give them a hug or an extra treat, scratch behind their ears, take them for an extra long walk, buy them a new toy, forgive the next accident, and laugh at their hijinks for me.
One more thing, I know this is long but, please keep reading. While there is nothing more I can do for Truffles perhaps you can find it in your heart to help other animals?
You can make a donation to the miniature pinscher rescue at the address below, or online at http://www.minpinrescue.org/donations.html
IMPS, Inc.
P.O. Box 176
Pinellas Park, FL 33780
Please make checks payable to IMPS, and write Truffles in the memo
If you would like to improve the medical care for all of our four legged friends, please make a donation to the Ohio State University Veterinary Medical School, you can send donations online here, https://www.giveto.osu.edu/igive/OnlineGiving/category/veterinary_med.aspx?num=vet_med&coll=none, or mail to:
CVM Office of Development
127L VMAB
1900 Coffey Road
Columbus, OH 43212
Please make the check out to The Ohio State University Foundation, fund #313313 and reference the fund # and Truffles in the memo line.
They have a number of funds to choose from, including:
Veterinary Outreach Program Support in Partnership with Lifecare Alliance – Fund Number: 313313
This fund is used to support the veterinary medicine outreach program that is in partnership with Meals on Wheels/Lifecare Alliance. This program takes our students into areas where the elderly are in need of pet care but may not be able to come into the hospital, if they are unable to drive, have health issues, etc. There are several faculty and student who go out to these homes to perform routine check-ups, etc, or if needed, will transport the pet to the clinic to perform a surgery.
