THE END OF AN ERA

            A little more than 19 years ago my son who had just started living on his own, called me to tell me that he had found a kitten and would be keeping it.  She was a calico that he named Crash, because she seemed to be always crashing into walls when she was playing.

            When she was about 6 months old, while chasing a fly through the house, she pushed the screen out of the window and made it to the outside world.  She was missing for a few days when I came down to Woodhaven and joined the hunt for Crash.  It wasn’t hard to find her.  The garage behind our house had an extension where all the neighborhood strays always went in the afternoon to sun themselves.  I looked out the window and there was Crash on the garage extension.

            A year later another kitten was added to his family.  He was named, Burn (who I called Burnie).  Burnie just walked into the house and made himself at home.  This did not sit well with Crash, but she tolerated him.

            About a year and a half later, my son died in a construction accident.  Since my cat, Midnight, had died a month earlier, I inherited Crash and Burn.  They settled into their new home and when I moved to my new home, they complained continually through the 4 hour drive.  When I released them from their carriers, I vowed that the next time they left this house would be when they died.

            About 5 years ago Burnie started getting sick.  Through the skill of our vet he lived until 2 years ago when I had to make the decision to let him go.

            That left just Crash.  She didn’t mind being an only cat, in fact she really enjoyed it.  She never had to fight for a seat next to me on the couch, she would sleep next to my pillow every night. She didn’t have to share her food.   She was my buddy, my companion.  She seemed to sense whenever I had a problem or was feeling stressed.  Then she would be by my side.  One night, about 3 or 4 years ago, I had a nosebleed in the middle of the night.  It was severe, so I called 911.  All the while that EMS was here, Crash was right next to me.  It was comforting.

            About two weeks ago, at age 19+ she started retaining water and losing her appetite.  I took her to our vet and had a liter of fluid removed from her belly on Monday.  Since then she hasn’t eaten, or even tried to take some of my meals.

Yesterday I made the decision that, as much as I hated to do it, I had to let her go.  I just returned from the vet, where she died peacefully. I know I did the right thing, she had several medical problems and she was deaf, but I really wish I hadn’t had to make the decision.  I wish she would have just gone to sleep on her own, never to wake up again.

She will be cremated and I will take Crash and Burn’s.ashes and put them on my son’s grave so they will be together again.

Crash and Burn, you will be missed.

For the first time in 43 years, I will not have a cat in the house. It will be strange to not be woken up at 5:30 tomorrow morning by a cat asking for attention because, if the sun is up, I should be up.  I don’t know if I will get another cat or two, there are so many things to consider.

It's All About Choice

Let me start by saying that I am a very strict law and order woman. I don’t litter, I stop at stop signs, I don’t pass on the right, don’t park in handicap stops, even for a minute, etc.   I believe that rules and laws are necessary for an orderly life. 



I’m watching reports of small business owners defying local orders that they stay closed, while larger companies are open even though they offer the same product as the small business.  Why?



I would rather shop in a small store which is able, because of its size, to be kept clean.  Small store owners take pride in the appearance of their store and can often be seen wiping down surfaces and sweeping the floor.  How often do you see Costco or Walmart employees sweeping and wiping.  They also have fewer people coming and going, therefore less chance of being infected.



I was speaking with a friend recently.  She’s a waitress on unemployment, but can’t wait to get back to work.  Restaurants should be allowed to open for in-house dining.  I saw that a restaurant, I believe in Australia,  has installed plexiglass between tables.  That would be one way to make for safe dining.  There is a restaurant near me that opened about 2 months before the lockdown, I doubt they will survive this lockdown.  They barely had enough time to develop a reputation and clientele. 



Now back to my original reason for writing this.  I am cheering the owners who are defying governors’ orders to stay closed.  I admire their courage and hope that, if I saw my rights being threatened or taken away, I would have the courage to fight back.



I realize the virus is real and very dangerous, but I believe strongly that we should be given a choice.  We can choose whether or not we want to eat out or shop in a small local store or go to the local salon.  The small business owner also has a choice.  He can choose whether or not he wants to stay closed and wait for a vaccine for the virus, or he can reopen his business.



IT’S ALL ABOUT CHOICE.

The World is Upside Down

Here I am early this morning listening to the news, some of it good, some of it bad.

This lockdown is affecting people in many different ways.  Some are terrified, some accepting and others frightened of losing their constitutional  rights.

The rules don't make any sense.  The mayor of New York City won't open NYC beaches even though state beaches will be open.  What will stop NYers from heading to Long Island for some time at the beach.  All those beaches, both city and Long Island border the Atlantic Ocean, same water.

Residents of many states are still in lockdown, not allowed to do more than shop for food (which some probably cannot afford since their place of employment or business has been closed) while governors have decided that, for the safety of inmates, prisoners should be released into the general public.  Surprise, surprise, many have been rearrested.

Elective surgeries have been stopped.  At first, I didn't see anything wrong with that, since I didn't realize that biopsies and cancer surgeries are considered elective.  But, abortion is elective and that is allowed.  I don't understand that rationale  People can die if they don't have their cancer removed, but it is OK that an inconvenient or unwanted baby dies.

I went along with closing places of worship for Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday since they are the days that the churches are packed, standing room only.  But on a normal Sunday, most masses are not crowded and there could be 6 feet between attendees.

I've been hearing that there is a risk of more people dying, not from the virus, but from the isolation imposed.  In some states, you can buy liquor, but you can't go to a gym.  I guess it's OK to become an alcholic, but it's not OK to be physically fit.  There is fear of increases in suicide and child abuse, but at least they won't get the virus.

Initially, I agreed with our president that the decision to reopen should be left to the states since the situation in each state is different with density of population and size.  But now, many state and city leaders have become addicted to their power and and holding their citizens hostage because they love the power they have and don't want to give it up..

People across the country are realizing that they have done their job by flattening the curve by staying home and now they have to go back to work, school and church. They rightfully fear they are losing their constitutional rights.  It is NOW time to release the law-abiding citizens of our cities and states and reopen all businesses, parks, beaches, etc. and let common sense prevail and cover our faces, wash our hands carefully.  We can choose whether or not we want to go out and circulate.  Taking a motto from one segment of our society, "My body, my choice."

More frightening than the virus

I know I'm going to receive a lot of criticism for what I am about to say and that's OK.  I still have the freedom to speak my mind.  There is something more frightening than this virus in my opinion.

I've been watching how quickly we citizens have accepted the limits on our freedoms.  I've heard stories from small business stores that have shut down while the big box stores carrying some of the same products have been allowed to stay open.  Farmers are not able to sell their produce because restaurants and small groceries are closed.

Some state governors have put into effect regulations that make absolutely no sense.  In Michigan, if you live in one part of Michigan and have a summer home in another part, you cannot visit your summer home, but if you live in one of the neighboring states and have a summer home in Michigan, you are free to travel to that home.  You cannot go fishing, but you can take your kayak on the lake.  Unless you are on a large party boat, which I doubt they have on the lakes in Michigan, fishing is a solitary sport.  You don't want to be close to another fisherman, you don't want competition for your bait.

I watched an interview with a man in New Mexico who owns a small gun shop.  He also has a target range which was used by law enforcement to maintain their skills.  His shop was shut down, however, the local Walmart continues to have the ability to sell guns.

Our elected officials need to have a lesson in civics.  My own governor has said that he believes the Bill of Rights is above his pay grade.  Does he not know that the Bill of Rights is part of our Constitution which he swore to uphold and defend.

I have no problem with wearing a mask when I leave my home, even though it fogs up my glasses  There is an advantage of wearing a mask.  You only need to use eye makeup to look properly groomed.

Elective surgeries have been  cancelled.  Imagine if you discovered a lump or suspect you may have cancer, you would want to know immediately so you could start treatment.  Then, you hear from your doctor that the biopsy procedure is considered elective and has been postponed.  How many of you would be willing to wait to find out.  Wouldn't you want to know as soon as possible so you could start treatment.

I agree with our president that we must start reopening our country.  The price of this shutdown is too high.  There have been reports that  domestic abuse,  and suicides have increased.  If people would use common sense, we could go back to our normal lives.  Wear a mask, keep your distance from other people and stay home if you're not feeling well.  Naturally, there are areas, like New York City that do need more stringent rules.  There would have to be limits on the amount of people using the subways, or maybe the subways could be shut down.

Lest you think that I am a callous youngster, let me say that I am in a higher risk group - I am considered "elderly", but I believe that with some common sense, we could reopen our country.  Every job is "essential", especially if it is your job.

If we can be made to stay home, close businesses and schools because of a virus, how easy would it be for some elected official to declare that it is necessary to stay home because the sun is too strong, it's too cold, etc.

Just use your common sense and you will be OK.

(Signed) The Mouse that Roared

Bad Day

This has started out as not a good day.

First, Crash decided at 4:00 am that she was thirsty and wanted a drink from the faucet and she expected me to get up and give it to her.  I managed to ignore her for about 2 hours.  Then I got  my revenge (sort of).  I got up and fed her, but couldn't understand why she was still meowing.  Then it dawned on me.  I had dreamed that I fed her.  Her meows had penetrated my sleep, so I fed her, but not really.

Now I was up and decided to check my mail.  Hmm.  My phone did not charge overnight, and my Fitbit didn't sync.

Not a good start for my day.  Time to shower and have breakfast.

Turned on the TV in the bedroom where I have a firestick.  For some reason, AT&T needed me to sign in again.  I hate signing in using the remote.  I'm a trained typist and don't enjoy the "hunt and pack" system, using only one thumb.  Oh well, typed in my user name, then the password, which was wrong.   Went to the office to check.  Only one letter off, should have been upper case.  Back to the bedroom.  Now, how to return to sign in screen.  That worked, but I couldn't correct the password and kept trying to sign in, instead of editing the password.  Now I'm locked out for a little while.

Maybe I should go back to bed, maybe I'm still sleeping and this has all been a dream?  Nah, it has all been real.  This is my life with a 19 year old, deaf, spoiled cat and electronics in the 21st century.

Traditions

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all

Well, the corned beef is on the stove and the soda bread is in the oven.  Making it brought me back to when I first got this recipe.   My son was 4 years old and in Nursery School.  On St. Patrick's Day in 1975 he came home with some soda bread and a recipe.  The bread was delicious and I saved the recipe and made it for many years.

I still make that same recipe, but today, I marveled at the patience of those two teachers with a room full of busy 4 and 5 year old boys and girls.  If I remember those teachers, Miss Judy and Miss Ruth, they probably would have let the children be hands on when making the bread.  Oh, the patience they must have had.  I thank them now, many, many years later.

Miss Judy and Miss Ruth, thank you for that delicious recipe and I can't wait until my bread is baked so I can have a piece with some butter and think of you.

The Ban on Plastic

I heard on the news today that this is the day that New York City bans stores from using plastic bags.  In my opinion, this is a big mistake.

First, I must say that I believe in recycling.  I have been recycling long before it was mandatory.  When I was younger, I would return cans and bottles for a deposit.  We saved our newspapers for our neighbor who would collect them and take them to a recycler and receive cash which he would then put into a savings account for his grandsons' college. The supermarkets used paper bags then and they were reused as garbage bags.  We even used them to make covers for our school books.  When we switched to plastic, I used them as small garbage bags or to cover shoes when I travelled.

Any pet owner will tell you that these plastic bags are necessary and not wasteful.  They are not one use plastic, they are used by dog owners on their daily walks.  I have a cat and use these plastic grocery bags when I clean the litter box daily.  They are NOT one use bags, however, when all cities ban these bags, I will have to buy bags that I will use only once to clean the litter box.  How is that good for the environment?

I have also heard of another use for these bags.  Many food pantries use them to distribute food to the needy.  These pantries rely on donations of food, money and plastic bags.  If the bags are banned, the food pantry will have to buy bags leaving less food available for those in need.

I hope city leaders will rethink their plans to ban these bags.

TAKE ME AWAY

            Wildfires, shootings, tornados, blizzards, politics.  The news had gotten so discouraging, I started watching the business channel, but the ups and downs of the market were making me seasick.  Even the comedy shows were anything but.  TV was not enjoyable.  I wanted to  get away from all that.  I checked, but there was no Calgon anywhere to be found.

            I needed to find some escapism entertainment.  I found the Hallmark Channel.  They usually show mild movies, even though the story line is always the same – girl breaks up with boyfriend and returns home, meets first love who broke her heart.  They renew their friendship while preparing for Christmas.  There’s always a snow scene and a Christmas tree with all the trimmings and other decorations.  Of course, there’s some misunderstanding, but everything works out and they live happily ever after.

            These movies are just what I need for this stressful time.  Unfortunately, there is one drawback.  I want to put my Christmas tree up and start decorating, but I have to wait until after Thanksgiving to do that.

A Shocking Surprise

Tonight I got a shocking surprise.  It wasn't a good or bad surprise, but I was shocked.

A little backstory.  For about the last week and a half, I've been trying to eat healthfully.  For me, that meant no sweets, no fried foods, no wine and smaller portions.  And now I do feel better, more energetic.  I guess I was super good today because after dinner I was still hungry.  I needed a small snack.

I went to my secret stash of cookies in the pantry and checked the calorie counts and there was my surprise.  I had some lemon Oreos, some sugar wafers and Mallomars.  Here're the calorie counts - lemon Oreos have 150 calories in two cookies.  The sugar wafers have 110 calories in three small (about 1/2 inch by about three inches)  and the Mallomars have 120 calories in two cookies.

Who would have thought that those yummy chocolate covered marshmallows and cookie have fewer calories than a lemon cream filled sandwich cookie.  After all those marshmallows are covered in chocolate.  I took two and they were soooo good.

Hypocrisy

Well, I see that the climate change alarmists are at it again.

Recently, Google sponsored a global warming summit in Italy.  It was well attended by the rich and famous.  These "concerned" people arrived in their private jets and yachts.  They claim that private jets are necessary for security purposes.

Their 114 private jets must have put hundreds of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.  I'm sure their super yachts didn't do much good for the waters surrounding Sicily.

I just did a quick Google search on global warming or climate change conferences and found that there are meetings planned for this year in October in Amsterdam and Bangkok and another in December in Kuala Lampur.  More chances to use those private jets and travel in luxury.

I wonder is these attendees are more concerned about our planet, or if they just want an excuse for a party with their other jet-setting friends.

If they are truly concerned about our planet, they would consider jet-pooling the way we normal people are encouraged to car-pool when we commute.  Have they not heard about tele-conferencing?  Many large companies use this method for meetings instead of having employees fly from several offices to one office for a meeting.

Instead, the rich and famous want us to give up our water bottles and plastic straws so they can continue to enjoy fitting around the world in their private jets and super yachts so they can warn us that we only have 10 years to save our world.

Sometimes the old way is the best way.

For several weeks I have not been able to stream shows on my Firestick on my Smart TV.  Several times I would turn on the TV and switch to the streaming source, but it didn't work.  I guess since it's a "smart tv", I expected it would fix itself.

This morning,  I decided to tackle it myself.  I did a self diagnosis, checked the internet connection, made sure everything was plugged in and turned on.  I tried everything.  Fortunately, I resisted the temptation to return to factory settings.

Then I had a brainstorm.  Check the batteries in the remote, especially since I have had the Firestick for almost two years.  It was very hard to open, but I managed to do it without breaking anything.  That was a wonderful idea.  I changed the batteries (fortunately I had some on hand) and it worked.

In this wonderful electronic age, who knew the fix would be as easy as changing the batteries.

Books, Books, Books

Today I decided that it was a good day to tackle my office.  It's legendary, not because it is so beautifully decorated or organized, but because it is, to the outsider, disorganized and cluttered.  I found that it was getting difficult to walk around because I had two snack tables set up and two chairs at my desk.

Why do I need two chairs you ask.  Simple.  Crash has again decided that my comfortable desk chair is perfect for a nap.  When I want to work on my computer, I have to sit on a dining room chair because I have a very spoiled 18 year old cat who runs my house.

Today, she meowed until I sat on the couch so she could sit next to me.  I gave her enough time to fall into a deep sleep and then went into the office.

After I cleared the two tables and removed one and folded the other, I went after the bookcase.  I had hoped to find some books that I could donate.  Instead, I found many, many books that I bought intending to read.  Some were novels, others, books from places I visited, or hope to visit.

I did manage to organize two shelves of the bookcase, but in the process produced a pile of about a dozen books that I want to read.  Every time I saw a book, I thought, "I've been meaning to read that." and then added it to the pile.  I also found my copy of 1984 which I want to reread.  I think I first read that when I started work, right after high school.

So now I have a stack of books to read and probably another dozen on the Kindle.  Looks like I'm going to be very busy reading this summer.

Oh, I did find two books that I'm ready to donate.

Today is the 75th Anniversary of D-Day.  I've been watching some of the newsreel footage of that day and it reminded me of my trip six years ago to Normandy.  It was truly a trip I will never forget.

We visited Omaha Beach and I saw the cliffs those young me had to climb and the bunkers from where the German soldiers fired on them,  It was an enlightening and sobering experience to be in the actual place that I had read so much about and to see what they faced on that day.

We also visited the cemetery.  Again, seeing all those Crosses and Stars of David and realizing all the young lives that were lost that day and the days following.

I came away from that trip with a greater appreciation for the veterans of that war and all wars.  And I thank those who were wounded and died on that day.

On a lighter note, I bought a mug commemorating D-Day and will say a silent prayer of thanks today while I have my coffee.

Geographical Exploration

I recently returned from my latest geographical exploration.  This time I spent two weeks in Northern Italy with 15 or my neighbors and friends.  We started in Milan and then drove around the small towns in the area.  It was a wonderful trip and we had a wonderful trip leader.  Our plan, at one point, was to take a ferry from our hotel on Lake Como to an island in the center of the lake.  Unfortunately, the lake had other ideas that day and was very "angry"

so our leader went to Plan B.  He found a bus to take all 15 of us to a museum built upon and devoted to Roman ruins.

I find it amazing that these buildings have survived so long.

One of the selling points of this trip for me was a train through the Alps to Switzerland.  I am fascinated by the Alps.  Guess I'm a mountain person, I couldn't care less if I never saw a beach again.

Pretty much the rest of the trip was spent with views of these magnificent mountains.  We visited a farm that is almost completely self reliant.  They have mountain goats, deer, apples, olives, sheep.  The wife of the farmer uses the wool from the sheep to make slippers, purses, etc.  They have a restaurant high in the mountains where we had lunch.  The food was delicious.

Of course, one cannot visit Italy without tasting the wine.  The wine was wonderful.  I could not decide which I preferred - red or white, or even bubbly - Prosecco.  It was all so good.

Before I went on this trip, I was ready to cut back on my travels, especially to Europe so I could concentrate on road trips here in the States.  I'm still planning on a couple of road trips this summer, but I'm wondering where I can travel to next year.  Maybe a river cruise in French wine country.  Yeah that sounds good.

 

What is This World Coming To?

I just read an article from Houston Public Media which is a service of the University of Houston and am dumbfounded.  It seems that the District Attorney of Dallas, Texas is proposing that his office will not prosecute some lower-level crimes.  Sounds good, doesn't it?

In his opinion, it is not wrong to steal essential items that a poor person cannot afford.  His limit for this is $750.  That means, a person could steal more than a week's worth of food from the supermarket or small "Mom and Pop" grocery store and walk away without prosecution.  It sounds very helpful for the poor person, but what about the store owner who works more than 8 hours a day, only to lose money to someone who just thinks it is his right to take whatever he wants as long as it is less than $750.  How long will that store stay in business serving the community?  How does that help the honest, hardworking members of that community when they have to travel distances to PURCHASE their food?  Is that fair?

Wouldn't it be wiser to improve education and the community to encourage businesses, large and small, to move to those communities.  The DA's opinion is that prosecuting poor people for stealing essential items wastes taxpayer money because they don't come out of prison any more financially stable than they were before they stole.

It would make more sense to teach prisoners a trade and how to handle money.  It would also be sensible to provide rehabilitation for addicts so that when they are released, they are truly able to become respected members of society.

A Rededication

Today I took a trip to my old neighborhood for the re-dedication of a triangle in honor of a Chaplain who was killed during WWII on Okinawa.

He was a local boy and attended the same elementary school as I.  I always heard a lot about him.  Shortly after the war ended, the city dedicated this triangle to his memory.  I remember attending that ceremony.  Over the years, that event was forgotten and the triangle was considered by the city to be a Greenspace.  Most of the young people living in the area had no knowledge of the history of this triangle.  That is until a local historian learned about it.  He decided to find out more about Rev. Lawrence Lynch.

One day I saw a post on Facebook about Father Lynch giving some background.  I added what I knew about him, including that there was a book written about him, called Father Cyclone.  Today, thanks to the efforts of Mr. Wendell, that triangle was rededicated to Father Lynch.  There were all the local politicians there, along with veterans groups and even a niece of Father Lynch.

It was a wonderful day; it felt like we had gone back in time, a time when we all came together to honor a hero regardless of political affiliation.

When all the speeches were over and the new street sign unveiled, we all went to the oldest bar in Queens for a good old Irish lunch - corned beef and cabbage.

I'm so glad I went.

Cooking

I enjoy cooking and baking.  I am a better baker than cook because I like to follow a recipe step by step.  I don't seem to have the imagination to improvise and create my own dish.  The most daring thing I did recently was quarter small potatoes, add some olive and salt and bake them.  They are delicious this way and I'm eating more potatoes than ever.  I've always felt they were too much work - you have to peel them, cut them up, boil them, then mash them.  Definitely too much work.

The other day I was looking at my cookbook collection and realized that many of the books are getting dusty and that I'm getting bored with the same way of preparing my meals.  I took that as a challenge.  I am going to try one new recipe a week.

I don't know what this week's dish will be.  I do have a head of cauliflower in the refrigerator and the other day I noticed that my local supermarket has started carrying Tillamook Cheese.  Since my son gave me a copy of The Tillamook Cheese Cookbook, I can now make something from that book using the recommended cheese without substitutes.

I probably won't make anything until the end of the week since I have to do a little research to see what I have on hand.

I will report on my success or failure.

Sad Times for America

I've been following the news lately.  There is so much going on that I don't know where to begin.  I am most distressed by the current trend allowing late-term abortions.

At first, I was just embarrassed by my former home state, New York, when they celebrated, yes celebrated, the passage of an abortion law that would allow the female who was pregnant to abort, or kill, the child up to delivery.  Then, I heard the governor of Virginia say that his bill would allow a child to be born, made comfortable while the female discussed with her doctor whether or not the child should live before any care was given.

That was bad enough, then this week members of congress, including several 2020 hopefuls, voted  "no" on a bill that would require that medical assistance be given to a child that survived a botched abortion.

All of these instances are infanticide, there is no other word for it.  I have heard several people on the TV lately who have survived abortions because medical personnel had the sense to provide care for those children.

My question is, Who's next?  Can a parent decide when a child is six months old that because their mental health may be at stake if they are forced to raise this child, this child should be "aborted"?  Or, can the government decide that a person's medicare expenses are too high, that person should be eliminated.  Where will it end?

I know it has been hard to remember one policeman who has been killed on duty, there have been so many lately, but today I'm going to say something about Ronil Singh.  He was killed on Christmas, 2018.  He left a wife and five month old son.  He was a legal immigrant from Fiji whose life dream was to be a police officer.  He was murdered when he stopped a suspected drunk driver.

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation was started to memorialize Stephen Siller a New York City firefighter who, on 9/11 even though his shift had just ended in Brooklyn raced with 60 pounds of gear strapped to his back through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the World Trade Center when he heard that a plane had crashed into Tower 2.  He joined the first responders trying to do what he could to help, but unfortunately he lost his life that day.

This foundation has helped many  families of first responders and members of the services who have died leaving young children.  Today, Frank Siller presented a paid mortgage to the brother of Ronil Singh.  He also gave Mr. Singh a check for the child's college education.  Mr. Singh expressed his gratitude and that of his sister-in-law to all those who have contributed to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.  He also said that his family had signed on to donate $11.00/month to the Foundation as gratitude and to help some other family.

What a wonderful example of gratitude and spirit of giving back to the community.

Life

Tonight, since it's almost time to dismantle the tree and put all the decoration away I decided it was time I sat down and relaxed by the tree.

I turned the tv off, dimmed the lights and sat down by the tree.  It was too quiet so I asked Alexa to play Montovani.  I sat there enjoying a glass of chardonnay, my favorite music and some chocolate and realized that life indeed is good. But me being me, I couldn't sit still for very long.

Naturally, it could be better - I could be a few pounds lighter, I could have my family closer, but all things considered, my life is great.  I have my health, a nice house (although I would love to win the HGTV dream home), good friends and a wonderful family. I reconnected with old friends and made new ones.

Can it get any better?