Happy Thanksgiving

 To all who celebrate:

May you be well. safe and filled with gratitude.

Holiday cheer or overwhelm?

 Mercy got some early gifts from a Secret Santa and a new patch of kitty real estate from me. Her single cube cat house which she sits on in front of a window for some sun and a good view of the birds, anoles and squirrels, was looking a bit worn and saggy. I got her the same but in two stories and designed for larger cats.

Unfortunately, she appears apprehensive and is refusing treats, even from her dinner bowl. She sniffs and goes inside the house but comes out and seems to prefer her baby toys and things she has had as a kitten. Catnip holds no allure. Neither do the Temptations sent all the way from her Colorado friends, Bruce and Odin and their Cat dad. In fact, I held one out to her in my palm and she licked all of my fingers but left the treat alone. In all my years with cats, I've never had any refuse Temptations. 

Time will tell, but she is an anxious girl and for all I've done to give her a comfortable life, this breaks my heart. For now, she has taken refuge in my bed and is chirping in her sleep.

As for me, I completed some needed paperwork for a small pension and have a couple of cards to send out. The new modem and router are working fine and the old equipment is packed for either drop off or shipping. The day was cool, clear and pleasant and I'm hoping for more of the same this week.

Have a good night...

Gotcha x 2

 Mercy will celebrate two "gotcha" days soon, the first first being Thanksgiving when as a wee kitten she was found alone in  friends' garage. The second is one week later when as a two pound girl named Mercy, she came to live with me. She will have special treats and a new cat tree when it comes.

In the meantime, the promised rain has been scant and the temperatures have only dropped a couple of degrees. Very underwhelming as I was hoping to enjoy some veggie chili on a cool day. I'm still working on the financial changes to occur after the holiday and reviewing Medicare policies. Will that even continue to exist as we know it? I'm skeptical.

The book I've been reading is stretching on a bit, and no it isn't Dickens, but a modern day genealogy mystery. Have you ever gotten to the middle and simply wished the author would get on with it? Some of the characters are irritating which does not help.

Another irritation is aging technology, including two computers and a modem, all of which need replacement as they are no longer supported. Additionally, I need to purchase some spare parts for this chair before the year is out and prices go up. 

I've done about all the holiday preparation I can except for cards. If anyone would like one, kindly let me know. Your address will not be published.

Cheers...

Did you know...

 I love word puzzles and came up with answers to one provided by Boud at the blog Field and Fen. Prine is an English dialectical word for a migratory bird known as the Bar-tailed Godwit. This bird can fly 7000 miles without stopping. More information on this nearly threatened bird can be found at BBC Wildlife here.

Wishing you all a good day and my thanks to Boud for the opportunity to learn something new today, Happy Sunday.

This and That...

 I have been trying to get finances, medical insurance and other matters resolved and it has been a lot of "hurry up and wait." Mercy. meanwhile, has been a ball of energy, getting me up around 4 AM to eat, play and clean up. By mid morning, I am ready for a nap, as is she. The problem with that is I cannot sleep at that point if I want to get anything done in the world of business or at home. Doing laundry, dealing with recyclables and trash, the mail and any bills require a certain level of alertness. Cooking, meal planning and other activities also necessitate a non-fatigued state, so I have resumed my childhood bedtime of 8 PM and taken the advice of Mel Robbins which is, "If you want eight hours of sleep, spend nine hours in bed." So far, that seems to be working as far as getting to sleep. I generally require 9 to 10 hours optimally and have read that both children and adults with my disability can have problems with sleep which my lovely Mercy's  early morning antics don't help.

Otherwise, I'm wanting to have some fun in the kitchen on a budget. Frankly, I'm worried about what's to come in 2025 and in the years beyond. I've attempted to connect with some like-minded folk in a group on social media as yet to no avail. Perhaps I've failed their litmus test. If so, that will be a first for me. Lately, I've enjoyed a genealogical mystery, some Quaker history, and a memoir written by a forensic pathologist. My own genealogy has unearthed two murdered women from different eras. One an ancestor, the other a recent relative. One will have a trial, the other had multiple lynching and a massacre. It will take a bit to process this.

Happy weekend...

Thinking of them

My mother and her husband buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
 

Deflated and Sad but not Surprised...

 The headline says it all at the moment. Do as you can to move forward. Last time I was surprised. this time I am alarmed.