if I had a hammer, keeka and tthe monsters, the eye guy

There it was. Just as I opened my door to take a photo of the trees, the hammer I needed in my life as my other little hammer bit the dust. Thank you universe!

I went to the eye guy again, these tiny bright red berries were growing on the ground- gone unnoticed for years. Maybe therapy is effective! I can see things!

 

On the way home the sun was at such a perfect slant I stopped to admire the walkway- that is where the hammer appeared. 

Today the wind has blown nearly all of the leaves to where ever they go at this time of year. The wind , unusually strong, bounced my car sideways. Another visit to the eye guy this morning. 

There are three treatments in a week for three or four weeks and then nothing for about four months. This will go on for a couple of years they say or until it is proving ineffective. I came home and by chance, while looking at youtube videos, I happened upon "low vision" smart glasses. There are a variety - depending on one's needs there is an answer...AI becomes your friend . They are not cheap, mind you, but so worth it to see signs and faces and travel again. Fingers crossed that I may be  lucky. Speaking of travel-

Keeka - OMG that girl! Sent photos from Yogakarta and Bali.

 

See that way too large  wall of big blue backdrop with white dots? That is the whale shark and Keeka is stroking it. Stop it, Keeka, Stop that right now!! She is so tiny against that creature. Like a gnat.

Monkey on her lap , monkey in her hair. 

And then- the dragon- bloody hell! Cool but uncool! "Get the hell away from that thing!"

On she goes- living youth  . She can do all of the things and makes sure that she does. Anyway, she loves that part of the world - Indonesia is her jam.

The kitty, Miss Maybe, greets me every morning at the top of the stairs. So lovely, so welcoming. I pick her up and give her a massage and she tells me  "no", - "actually I want a tin of Fancy fest, thank you very much". We still have not heard from the human or the chip company, must be patient and wait....and wait, and wait some more. 

 I have been reading to her. I bought this book from Stella's library at the old lady's thrift shop. Stella is the captain of vintage books, has her own section- best section in the shop. 

Laura Lee Hope, author of the Bobbsey wins, was a gentle writer.  Mom read to me every night and my first choice was always the Bobbsey Twins. This book is indeed nostalgic- simple writing,  gives the reader the feels. Maybe seems to be enjoying the story, especially the parts about food and Bunny getting lost. 

Raining hard now, Atmospheric river is predicted to arrive tomorrow. I will stay in, probably , though the Scandinavian once a year fair is happening in the town north of here. Hate to miss it but I really have enough Norwegian/Swedish things in my world of stuff. Besides- having driven out to the eye guy across town three times this week and driven Maybe to vet and feed store, my tank is close to M-T. An empty tank is an insecure feeling.
 

 

schools and protests, Maybe the cat, voting finally bails us out

Across from the cat clinic, the historic 1908 school building is being demolished. There are two other schools closing as well. Children are running laps, getting pledges from parents , neighbors, and friends, to contribute money to help buy school needs. 

When we were in school , it was not fancy, We had the basics yet we still held fund raisers to keep the schools supplied with  paper and pencils. The PTA would organize a school fair held in the the gym. Two tables of cakes, a cake walk- like musical chairs, and you hoped like hell that the music stopped when you were beside Mary Engstrom's cake! She was our next door neighbor . Mary made the best cakes in town, every week she would "yoo-hoo"  through our back door , presenting a cake to my Mom. Living in such  high altitude , the challenge was to get cakes to behave, Mary's were light and moist and exquisite. I took 4-H  baking for a semester, learned how to make cakes and bread, but never was my baking  as good as Mary's.  

 There were vendors selling penny / nickle/ dime  items., trinkets made at home. There were games and prizes and a table of white elephants. Everyone was in  home made costume. Parents and children and a few teachers square danced in the center of the gym to the scratchy music of a fiddler and a guitar player, inmates from the state prison located just yards away from the school. 

Fund raisers involved everyone. Children running laps seems lazy on the part of the PTA and certainly less fun.  

Schools are crumbling, our high school kids , inspired by those in France, decided to walk out in protest of conditions. Nothing will come of the walk out . Taxes, school boards, shite priorities of how to spend tax payers money, has been on the ballot every time. Maybe it is time for a cake walk , a fete and folks who give a damn. 

 Maybe went to the cat clinic to get her chip registered. yes, she has a chip and a human somewhere. Her address in March was in Lynnwood, Seattle, 78 miles away. For three days I have tried to get in contact with the human. Phone calls got to automatic messages, email has gone unanswered. Maybe needs treatment and meds but nothing can be done until the owner responds and either comes to get her or relinquishes her .  

So, I brought her back home, gave her a second tin of Fancy Feast pate, and went out to find wormer and flea killer.  WOW, three worm pills, and two little squeezy things of flea killer cost $48.00.

Every time I go out I am slapped silly by prices. Aren't we all  sticker shocked? BUT, of course, the good news. People have come out of their trump era coma of fear and woe . He can waddle out of this life now, having awakened us all to how fragile democracy is,  relying of "laws" and congress, how easily  that trust and complacency can be demolished - fascist's agenda. How easily humans can be hypnotized  or cornered by terror.   No longer conservative/progressive - black and white politics. the orange thug and his pip squeaks have taught us all a hard , overdue, lesson. We are the clean up committee  and can never slack off again, politically correct, afraid of words, too  cautious to not "go low", respect for the disrespectful...that politeness must cease. Getting real will be difficult and we are all going to take it in the shorts, adjust to a different lifestyle- conserve, re-use, thrift, drive less, walk more, -Big business can not be allowed to dictate our survival . As for the house and senate ,change has to find spine and balls to take this on and not in a Schumer old- school -mamby pamby - follow the formula- way.  he has got to take a hike and a long nap. Geezers - get out, go to bed!Can't take our  lunch money,   can not dictate who wears a dress , who wears trousers,  and who is in charge of zygotes.  Grow the F up. 

House and senate now have opportunity to right the nation, amend the constitution . 

Break the law- be held accountable- simple. 

 

 

Weird feeling, cat take over, is the flag still there?

 

Jumped out of bed and into my car- drove slowly through fog and mist to get to the eye guy for another red light treatment. After I had done the  red light thing, the fog and mist had gone. Sunshine brightening the last of the parking lot trees. There is no warmth in the odd sun at this point. Color is dropping to the floor quickly. It is  a crispy, rusty   walk to the car.

I stopped at the farm & feed store to get cat food and a cat nip toy tuna , this is the label- taken beside/under a tooth pick and a sewing needle - I had to include the confusion I had this morning using what I thought was the toothpick. I used the needle by accident . Sight comes in handy and when it is not there , mistakes are made! Ow.

Anyway, Maybe loved the cat nip fish , for a while. She is perking up having spent the past two weeks asleep and dehydrated, hungry and unsure of what the hell is happening.  

Aren't we all. I have had a severe case of stomach butterflies this close to election, and realizing that it will not matter at all. Shenanigans are in the works. The orange  demented  lard bag is fingering a nuke for pleasure, we have known that he would. Especially since he is slipping hard into unpopularity even among his most faithful chocolate star kissers. 

Here we go.

I picked the last cucumber  , cleaned up after the last of the raccoons, well almost, apples and an egg for the new mother , Paul said that was OK...I hope that when I am huddled in a cave in the forest , due to trump and his love affair with destruction, they will remember me  and cuddle in for warmth. 

 

While at the feed store I was chatting with the clerk. she is getting a 12 week old kitten from her neighbor, the kitten is "free" ! So far she has spent over $400.00 getting ready for its arrival. No such thing as a free kitten. I can't tell if I am anxious about the raccoons, or the cat or the shitty dilemma of having  absolute insanity  nuking the world, but I will say I have not felt this sort of terror in my middle since the beginning of Covid. I want to sleep through it all, wake up once in a while, eat pumpkin bread, pee, and go back to sleep. Opium, That is what I want most right now.

Maybe is feeling it!

She is redecorating the house. We do her bidding. Gigantic Cost Co kitty litter, gigantic litter box. A bit of good smelling sprinkle, Arm and Hammer. Maybe ,if she stays, she will get a condo of her own and a few trees.  We will know more tomorrow. 

She is sleeping on Dennis's head at the moment and he is letting her. His head is always warm- like a steam vent. Comfy on a chilly evening. 

Ok then, I guess I will drink warm Horlicks and go to bed because I can't stand this - whatever feeling. Being weird.

Maybe is being pretty.

 
 

Thrift, raccoon police, shite humans, and tappioca on the deck.

Out and about to get special cat food for Maybe, the cat. Dennis reckons that she has diabetes as all of the symptoms seem real. I went out to get zero carb high protein canned wet food. It is agreeing with her. Stopped in quickly to check out pet stuff at the thrift store but came away with nothing, just photos of the thrifty usual. 

Maybe is acting more like a cat, curiously inspecting everything and tossing things from counter to floor. Dennis has made up a story in his head that the cat was tossed because the humans couldn't handle diabetes and the expense of animal care. Maybe...

I am glad she is safe and warm. Vet requested a fresh poo  to come along with the cat for the appointment. In case there are  no fresh poos to be found on that day, Dennis has put one in the refrigerator on top of the eggs so don't help yourself to what may look like fudge. It is not.

In other human news today- the fence /spy camera neighbor woman called the racoon police. Paul, a very nice man, came to the door to inform me that a compliant had been made and asked sheepishly, if I have been feeding the wildlife.  He informed me also that that was against state law. "Oh, Ok", I said. Paul was very sweet and apologetic,"sorry to bother" , he asked if the neighbor had contacted me or had a conversation with me. "no, not ever",  I said. He looked at her house and shook his head and rolled his eyes. I asked if apples were OK and he said yes, anything from nature is OK. 

 At first I thought he had come for the cat. I was so glad that he had not.  

And then this little synopsis on my Iphone showed up as though it heard and knew what to do . Freaky! How did it know?

 As if by magic the raccoons realized. This morning there were only two that slept by the door. An end of an era. A sadness has befallen my raccoon heart. Stumpy is on his own , the new babies will not be privy to granny Human's love.  I am so sad.

 

 

Keeka, our intrepid adventurer, is deep in the jungle eating grubs  (claimed to be delicious) and staying with a family that has taken her in.

Keeka is  5'4", her friend in matching skirt is mouse sized.

Her trip continues and who knows, she may get sidetracked altogether and become a forest dweller setting  wild boar traps and learning how to sharpen and dip poison spears. That child- astonishing. Her youth is being spent remarkably well.

Today will be the last sunny day for a while , says weather AI. Beautiful for  Halloweeners to go out to score their years supply of junk candy.  A break in what has been a fairly wet week.  I feel the slump approaching, especially after  raccoon police  shut down  the raccoon cafe, established in 1994. Bloody damned humans.

I took a Halloween basket over to our little family, pumpkin bread, pumpkin biscotti, lolly pops ,chocolate,  and 3" pumpkin pies. Flora Jane decided to dress up as a mermaid kitten and had all of her hats plus a crown on her head, wearing a silk "gown" with  a trailing blanket tail .

A Grey Garden's aesthetic.   Emmett was just a straight forward cat, ribbon tied on his wrist.  There is a reason for grannies to sit in rocking chairs and stare out into space,  mumbling incoherently . We have flat out run dry of any fuel to keep up with small firecrackers who seem to have eaten meth sandwiches for lunch. 

Two days ago we had a tapioca morning . Left over flowers were startled but held on. 

 The last sleeping raccoon has gone from the deck. Disappointed . But there is a fabulous cat on the counter batting things around and finding out about how entertaining gravity can be. I hope that she is not chipped. I hope that she is not ill, I hope that she is not sensitive to my bummer mood. She deserves better.

 Fresca sent a halloween card for the orphans and inside was a pocket tube map from 1954. How simple it was back then  compared to now!

Busy AF!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Granny race to the finish.

Time to put  feeder out  . Flowers have run out of juice. Dennis feeds the birds, hummingbirds being his favorite. Peg has not been on the deck for over a week and a half. Could be that  her luck has run its course. Stumpy comes to the window, I open the door and he steps in about four inches, looks at me and waves his stumpy arm. He is brave, and bold.  
 

Coming from the eye jab place, blinded by  the  intense  investigative lights and deep into- the- soul photos,  drops, goo  and jab- After three + hours I come out into the world of wonky visuals. The leaves are the only thing I see, They are so bright.  My eyes need to calm  before I drive all the way home. I go to Target, a place I have not been in  at least, ten years. Of course it has changed quite a lot. I buy  parchment paper. Halloween bags of chocolate  $16.00 each, gets a big NOPE from me. I wander until my eyes equalized somewhat for the drive home. 

The windshield- Not helpful.

 

 I've not yet taken the cat in to be checked. I do not see any emergency in doing so and don't want to freak her out getting her into a carrier , into the car and over to be prodded by the vet. She is very happy at the moment. A little angel of a cat. Her eyes change in different lighting  modified by  color of mat she parks herself on.  Talent! 

I really could not ask for a better cat in this world! She is the dreamiest. Cat magic!

While sitting in the waiting area of the Retina Specialist's  , I very nearly passed out from lack of air. I am pretty sure there is an air purifier humming along but the air is foul. Too many hygiene challenged old folks slumped in chairs or hovering over walkers. Dang- I have arrived! How we fall apart and leave this existence is , I suppose, curious. No one chooses to go bit by bit. 

A race to the finish-
 

A fallen granny, a boost from the hand of god, a few more steps....

Faster than a speeding slug! Look  at her GO!
 

 

eye in a tea cup, Amy in Italy, kitty in a pouch.

                                          -  inside my tea cup-

 

When Judy Dench was interviewed recently, she was asked how aging has changed  her. "terrible, everything is terrible", she replied, and then went on to list the many things  limiting her life and capabilities. Losing her eyesight has been the worst. I agree . Losing vision, having depended on it all of one's life ,is an unpleasant adjustment. I would rather stay home than go out into the world just because I feel more sure of what I am looking at. That is a shite choice and it is a tricky choice. I think that I am doing just fine- but when I  go out in the big world and realize that I can not see as well as I see at home. I am fooled.  

Amy is in Italy, She sent this picture  from  a flea market. Famed model for Lover's eye portrait. 

"Lover's eye", a painted portrait of the eye of your beloved, carried as a token of luck, love  and protection,   trending  in the eighteenth century. It took off like wild fire- eyes all over the place, sometimes with a lock of hair behind it. Charming and creepy, and , I reckon, ineffective since everyone died anyway, loved or not.   

Amy and David bought a house, three actually, joining them to create one magnificent property in the  Italian alps, perfect for skiing and  hiking. There is much work to be done. They have a head start. Part of it had  been renovated.

They spend  five weeks at a time  working on the house, come home , gather some  money, and fly back - three times a year.  They reckon it will take about five years at this pace. It is a huge project, in the meantime, while not putting the houses together,  they travel - France for the week end- great stepping stone to Europe.  Many flea markets and antique shops - where Amy finds furnishings for the house. 
 

Shall we pop in for a sweet treat? My lord! What is this?

I have not  taken the cat in to be checked- Might do that next week,  I have posted her all over the place, including the Humane society. 

I bought a carrier- do you think I may have misjudged dimensions?

I have been putting Temptations in the carrier -  uncertainty  about it  more trustworthy? Will it work. Not at this point. Cat is not yet 100% onboard with the confines of staying in the house. "For your safety, Darling." , I do understand  though, I feel same same. What will be her name? Not sure, she feels like a "May Bee" because maybe she is our cat and maybe she isn't. 

It is becoming less likely that I will ever go back to London. I do keep in touch. I keep up with the "news". One gigantic stupid expensive venture of turning Oxford street into exclusively pedestrian is  so dumb. A soft "opening" of the concept takes place this week end to see if it might work before  zillions of pounds are invested in the transformation.  . Traffic is going to be insane in Marlebone, which is quiet and narrow. Traffic will be nightmarish. Traveling beneath the Christmas lights on the top of the bus no longer possible. Getting to Selfridges from Regents street out of the rain , on a bus- Nope. Leave it the way it is, I say. Curb traffic somehow on Oxford  but do not close it! 

Dumb move.

-leaving you with the cutest Italian pooch- looks like a painting.