Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Mid-February

With February being a short month. it's whirling by at record speed.  I'm amazed that the speed with which it passes and the fact that I stay on the go without accomplishing anything of consequence.  Maybe this is what retirement is about!!

The month began with the demise of another cat.....I'm now down to one!  Smokey, being almost 20 years old, was having more and more problems......but I was not wanting to let him go.  About two months ago he went to the vet and it was found that he had fluid collecting around his heart.  I didn't want to go to extreme measures so they set about making him as comfortable as possible.  I could tell his breathing was becoming more labored and on the night of Feb. 1 he had such a coughing spell that he was hassling and having trouble settling.  I knew I didn't want him to go through that again so the vet was called and they confirmed my assessment.  Even though he had a long, spoiled life, it was still difficult to do it......but I did.  I was with him as they put him to sleep and the only consolation was that he would no longer be in pain.  He really was a sweetie... So, what else has happened?  My yoga class was cancelled for a week, which provided the excuse to become a slug.  It has been so cold, and on some days so dark, that I've taken to doing the minimum ablutions in the morning, running to the kitchen for a cup of coffee.....and getting back into bed!!  How bad is that!  I do sit up and listen to the news, check emails, etc......but not enough to be redemptive.  It's really bad!

Speaking of cold.....tomorrow the HIGH is to be 36F!!!!!  That is 30 degrees below our normal temperature for this time of  year.  My first thoughts are of Georgie and Zorro, the feral cats.  I fed them tonight and it was windy and cold.  For the first time, Zorro looked like it was getting to him.  We have boxes for them, but I don't know that they have found them yet.  My hope is that their natural instincts will serve them well and they will get through this.  As an aside, as I was feeding them tonight, a lady drive by, turned around and gave me money for food for the kitties....then she turned around again and went into the Crescent.    It is so nice to know that people do care.....

As you know, I've become the reluctant leader-of-the-pack at Bloom.  After writing two letters  (signed by 12 other family members of residents at Bloom) to the powers that be, I received a call from the new COO.  He had read our letters and wanted to meet with us on his next visit......which is what we wanted all along.  So, I returned his call and we are scheduled to meet on the 24th.  Our major issue at the moment is that there are not enough RAs on the floor do all that needs to be done AND keep an eye on everyone, especially when issues develop......and things can develop very quickly!  So, this is one of those things that I've done as much as I can.....and I'm hoping it will come to a positive conclusion.

Well, you saw the aggressive turkey video.  Now, residents here have seen coyotes!!  The POA has called in Critter Management to take care of them.  First, let me say that it could very well be a dog!  Secondly, if it is a coyote......is there evidence of it having done anything??  Did anyone ever think that the coyote/large dog might actually take care of the turkey "problem"?  Believe me, when I got the email that they were contacting Critter Management to deal with the coyote, it was all I could do NOT to email the board and ask them to send Critter Mgmt to my house.....I'd seen a squirrel and was in fear for my life!!  If you don't want to see nature and wildlife,why are you in SC (or on this planet!)!!

As you can see, not a lot has been happening, but things will pick up soon!  Jan will be visiting next week and I'm really looking forward to it.  We plan to have a couple of days in Charleston and a night in Savannah, to say nothing of just catching up.  I'm hoping  the weather will be more cooperative, but we can't do a lot about that.  We will make the most of it and have a good time!  That's one reason for my writing now, before I get too far behind.  

I hope all is well with you and that 2015 is off to a good start!  Love to all.



Sunday, February 1, 2015

Super Bowl Sunday...and January is Gone!

January was a hectic month, which included my birthday (and those of many friends!).  And, yes, I did survive it and I'm trying to wrap my head around the fact that I'm within two years of turning 70!!  Well, that's still a couple of years away and a lot can happen in that time......no need to worry about it now!  I did have a very good birthday....the best part was hearing from friends and family, near and far.  It is always great to receive a card in the mail and I received quite a few.  Other friends called or emailed, and there is the marvel of Facebook, which kindly reminds us of special occasions like birthdays  Whatever the form, it was great to hear from everyone.  I appreciate those connections more and more as I age and it means a great deal to be remembered by friends.  Other than hearing from everyone, it was a fairly quiet day.  A friend and I went to see Selma, which was very good and well done.  I  seldom see movies in the theater so it was a nice treat.

Slideshow can be enlarged by clicking icon on right side (4 arrows pointing out)

January and the New Year started off well. My former neighbors always have an afternoon open house on NY's day. I hemmed and hawed about going but finally decided to walk over, a total of about 3.5 miles. It was a lovely, brisk day and that turned out to be an enjoyable thing to do.  I have continued to walk occasionally, but not enough to consider it a routine.

Early in the month I began de-cluttering and have been fairly consistent with doing "something" toward that end on most days.  I've even tackled my closets and am just doing one section or task at a time (without being overwhelmed by the thought of having to do it all at once!).  This approach is working better than I expected so I hope to stick with it up the job is done.  The only problem with this method is that by the time I get it all done, it will be time to start all over again!

Also on the home front, we have lost one of our kitties....Blackie.  She was the black one who liked to eat in the back of my car.  We don't know what happened, she just stopped showing up about two weeks ago.  In all likelihood, she probably got run over by a car....we just don't know.

You know how I always post photos of the turkeys passing through my yard.....well, it didn't take long for someone to complain.  I've never seen more than 30 at a time and they always just seem to be walking along, pecking for food.  Suddenly there were stories of 100's, attacking people, pooping in yards (well, yes......that's what turkeys do!).  It even made headlines in the Island Packet.  The fumiest thing they do is stop traffic, which I think is a riot.  Obviously, other's do not share my sense of humor!


 Well, the POA called in the Dept of Natural Resources, who was going to relocate them.  Then, they found that the turkeys have intermingled with other turkeys and was not of pure lineage, so they couldn't relocate them.  Now, they are culling the flock/rafter, having determined the appropriate number per acre (by human standards).  All of that kerfuffling allowed time for a counter-group (pro-turkeys) to form....and you can guess where my allegiance fell!!  While I'm fairly certain the turkeys will outsmart them, they have taken retreat and I don't see them as often, which is too bad.

A new session of OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) classes has begun and I've already attended one.  It was at our local Olive the Above shop that sells olive oils and balsamic vinegars.  The owner is very excited about her products and it was quite informative.  It was also interesting to sample many of the oils and vinegars.  She presented some, but we then got the opportunity to sample others of interest.  At the end, they served a salad assortment on which we could taste wares of interest.  That was followed by a little dish of ice cream, who which was drizzled a tasty balsamic (I forgot which one!). It really was fun and informative, motivating me to be more adventurous in my cooking.  I cam away with a butter flavored oil and a fig balsamic.....yum!

My neighbor, Ana, and I have gotten together again for Zentangle.  This time we only completed one project each because the first hour was show-and-tell.  Even so, it was lots of fun and we've schedule regular meetings. We both started with the same string/pattern, but you can see that the results are very individual.  It's fun to do, especially for those of us with  no art background of any kind.  There is definitely room for improvement but it isn't so daunting that I don't feel I'll ever get it.  So,along with all the other things I'm doing, I'm also trying to make time for practicing this between our get-togethers!
Ana's                                                          Mine
Within the last few days, I watched a special on CNN on the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.  I've not been there and the aerial views of the buildings, the sheer size of it, was daunting.  It brought to mind a workshop I went to not long after I moved to San Diego.  The speakers were a Jewish lady who had been in several camps (her married name was Waterford) and a man you had been in the Hitler Youth movement.  They had made these presentations often and were very comfortable with each other.  I remember it to this day because there was just so much to take in and digest in some way.  She spoke about the various things people did to get through the horror, with her saving grace being to maintain her hygiene.... trying to have enough water to bathe 

Today is Super Bowl Sunday and I've spoken to Jan to wish her team, the Seattle Seahawks, well.  I remember poo-pooing the whole thing last year and then it turned out to be a great game.  This year I'm keeping my mouth shut!!