Manic Monday What's Up?

 Greetings OFF Family,
I took Utley down to the river for a good walk today. I'm trying to get more exercise in, because I want the weight to continue to drop. The weather was picture perfect for walking.  It's supposed to be nicer today, though with a chilly start.

I have been getting the dry heaves a lot lately.  I don't actually vomit, just feels like I would if I had food in my pouch.  I think I might want to schedule an appointment with my surgeon, or the gastro doc.

My daughter is still pregnant, and basically due any day now.  Her official due date is Friday.  She told me she needs me back there once the baby is born.  It is so nice that she needs me.  There was a time when I was rather undesirable to be around, and had I stayed that person, my daughter would not have let me in her children's lives.  God has changed me into a totally different person.

Today, I have an appointment with the pain specialist's nurse about my chronic back pain.  I also need to call my ENT doctor about getting back on prednisone till I see him on the 15th.  I will call his office on Tuesday to see if he has any cancellations.  I may still be needed in Michigan then.

I hope everyone has a blessed day.

Hugs,
Trish

Happy Monday, everyone!

  

Here I am wide awake again….I take my sleep when I can.Not complaining..it is what it is. *s* It seems that I have managed to get rid of my sinus infection...yayy!

  

When I got up this afternoon, I opened the blinds in our bedroom and looked across the yard to where Derek & Kathy live next door. I saw JB plowing the small side garden over there while Derek was rebuilding one of his power chain saws for cutting hardwood.   Downstairs I went and noted that Oreo had refiled a lot of Derek’s paperwork…I’m sure he will appreciate that when he comes over.

  

I took my cancer meds and supplements and schlept across the side yard to the other house and sat with Kathy on the picnic bench in the sunshine and chatted a bit so I got some good vitamin D, just have to be careful to not let sunlight on my radiated bits. *s*  We had tea and discussed fun ideas for our property...like emus or rebuilding the old apple orchard there or making bins of good soil (our’s is heavy clay which is great for grapes, beets and melons but little else) to grow potatoes & carrots which cannot be pulled out of the clay. We thought about miniature horses, goats and cheese…lol.

  

JB went for his usual walk down the side lane of our farm, along the tree border and across the both sides of the creek out back to cut fresh wild asparagus that grows there…it’s been a great Spring treat for many years for us.  We gave Kathy & Derek half of the huge bundle and headed home…they were headed to Kathy’s parents for supper.

  

Because of our experiences with feral cats and recently getting twenty of the feral cats that moved in on us over the years spayed and neutered, I see that the few local feral cat Spay/Neuter& Release groups need a lot of help. Althought we donated a healthy cheque and drive cats in carriers back & forth to the vet, I have decided to put on a special fund raiser. John is NOT amused. He says I’m taking on too much work again and being barely recuperating from cancer but the cats are suffering from bad health due to lack of vacinations and uncontrolled pregnancies. I promised to do this only if I can enough help.

  

So, mid to late August, I hope to hold WHISKER FEST! A family event in a park - education about helping innocent animals, entertainment, food venders, BBQ,  crafts, kids activities, Zumba, prizes, Farmers’ Market, car show and a Cat Adoptathon are in my plans.  All I need now are assistants. I have the park at a  great price and I'm just waiting to hear what dates the park is available. Once I get a  date, I am on my way!

  What have I done!? Nancy B

 Hi Nancy,
Good for you for putting together the event for the feral cats.  My neighborhood is full of them.  One of my neighbors trapped, spayed and neutered them.  She feeds them, and I am so happy she took steps to limit the population.  My daughter's yard is beseiged with them, and one hurt my grandson.  She called animal control, and got no help.  Not even a safe trap for her to set out.  Not good at all.

Glad you are feeling better, and enjoying the Spring sunshine. 

Hugs,
Trish

Nancy, this is a great idea. I would help if I lived closer. I need to find a cat shelter/rescue group here. I had Jeanine's group in Michigan, I found PAWS in Monroe (although I never got really active with them), so Ineed to find something here. Good for you for starting something.

We do earmark here.  We catch the feral cats, bring them to the shelter where volunteer vets and vets' staff give them medication for infections, if they are sick; they worm them; give them flea meds; and they spay or neuter them all but while they are under anesthesia, the vets cuts a tiny piece of their ears off so that they are ear marked--we can identify those cats spayed and neutered; when they recover from the surgery, we take them back to their neighborhood and turn them loose.   The doctors' say that even if we didn't return them to their neighborhood, others would take over, so it is best if the community cooperates and if everyone puts a little food out and water, they leave the birds alone.   In our neighborhood, we are on a feeding schedule: odd numbers put food out on odd days and even on even days.   We try to keep a signed schedule and those who don't want to participate don't have to.  We have found that the cats are being consistent and not increasing in population and they are staying healthy because we feed them and they are not pregnant or fighting to get to a female cat.  Every once in a while, someone will drop a cat off or one will show up and we can tell that it isn't our ferals, so we set a trap, catch it, take to the shelter and they scan it for ownership and we try to find its home…especially if it looks like it is a pet and not feral.  After a few days, it gets fixed, dosed, and once it recovers, we bring it back to our neighborhood.   It is amazing how cat friendly our neighbors have become, knowing the cats are leavig the birds alone and are not reproducing.   We call the program: EAR or Earmakred and Returned.   There are hundreds of us who make money for the organization and we all go to neighborhoods and small communitites and talk to people about the management versus elimination of feral cats.   In our neighborhood, we have about seven and we all look out for them.   

We also have a similar program for dogs but are usually able to place dogs…dogs do not do as well feral as cats.   Now if we could get the squirrels and beavers under control. LOL 

Our largest money making program so far has been to deliver rabie shots to the community.   The vets train us all on how to give the rabies shots and we get a ton of premeasured doses and the are labeled for various size dogs and we head out on Saturdays and the participants pay us ten bucks for the shot versus having to pay forty in the docs office and we go to them so they are not even having to get out.   In one Saturday and we do it twice a month, we can make four thosand dollars giving rabies shots to dogs and cats.   

Then we have bake sales, walk athons and the elementary school does ball bouncing and hulahooping…we get a ton of money projects.   The flower club actually does two projects for us:  One is they sell bulbs from their plants and they provide various floral arrangements for a small fee.  Both projects are great.  

Jeannie....thanks so much for all you do to help these poor little defenseless animals. The world is lucky to have good people like you in it!!

Love and hugs to you....connie d

Good mornin' ya'll.
Tri**** is wonderful to be needed when a new grandbaby is born. I remember my Momma coming out when mine were tiny. And I was there to help with most of mine.
Nancy!! So nice to see you here. Fresh asparagus sounds soooo yummy. A fund raiser. Most people would think car wash, or bake sale. But you, noooooooo, you do an entire event. You seem to have boundless energy and be passionate about your cause!! Good for you. But DO take it easy! I was very tired still for a couple months after my chemo and radiation, so rest when you feel the need.
Well, I leave in a hour to take the grandson back to the military academy in SC. He has about 3 weeks left there. He is still on the fence about going there for his senior year. My daughter told them he won't be back, and they really want him. He says she should register him anyway. You don't have to pay til July. But if he goes back his Dad will have to pay, since she won't have an extra $32K. Her ex will have it all and will certainly be able to afford it! His Dad is undecided, too. I think he will miss him since he will be alone in that big house!
OK, gotta run. I hear him in the shower. We will stop at McD's to get him breakfast. I have to go around behind him and pick up what he missed so he can pack it. I snuck in early this morning and got his clothes and washed and dried them. So the one set he brought with him is clean!! He must have brought 3 sets of unders, cause I washed some of those, too. But only 1pair of socks??
Everyone have a fantabulous day!!

Good morning Trish and everyone....

Trish..... I feel so bad that you are in so much pain all the time. I hope that you can get some relief soon. Please do find out what is causing you the dry heaves....that shouldn't be happening. It is wonderful that your daughter wants you there to help with the new arrival. That will be a treasured memory!

Nancy.....you are amazing!!! I am so proud of you!

Carolyn....I hope your Grandson can go back to the Academy...it sounds like he is doing well there.

I have CRS and can't remember who else I was going to comment too.....sorry....love you all!!

I was shopping on Friday and caught my arm on the corner of a metal display shelf. I have about a three inch cut on my arm. The only had a couple small alcohol swabs in their med kit. They bandaged it up with gauze. I have been cleaning it out with peroxide every day and putting ointment on it. It is getting more puffy and red. I decided to call my doctor today because I want her to check it out and give me a tetanus shot if needed. I see her tomorrow afternoon as she isn't in today. I am going to start wrapping myself in bubble wrap!!

This morning I balanced my sister and my checkbooks....mine always balances.....hers is a mess and I am trying to get it straightened out. That is the bookkeeper in me!! Did that for many years. My sister forgets to write things in the book or writes them twice or pays cash and writes that in.....it has been quite puzzling!!

I had a friend die last Wednesday. He was 52 years old. He was coughing up blood and wouldn't go to the doctor. His esophagus was in bad shape. He pretty much bled to death. A bunch of us are getting together this afternoon. His funeral is tomorrow.
We were with him last Monday and he was all exited about the camper he and his wife just bought. They were supposed to have left on a trip last Tuesday. They never got to use it once!

Enough babbling from me...have a great day everyone!!

Prayers for many in need.....special prayers for some.

Love and many hugs to all....connie d

 Connie,
I am so sorry about your friend.  That is horrible.  So young.  My brothers were 40 and 56 when they died 15 months apart of pulmonary emboli.  My mother really took both losses hard.  I hope you have some good memories of your friend, and are able to find some comfort in all of this.

Hugs,
Trish