Name three things - 2017

[Winchester]

This Monday morning came too quickly. I think I could have gone back to bed today. The good thing is that this is a four-day work week. I'm taking Friday off work because the piano guy is coming to start tuning my piano.

• Breakfast for the kids, 3.25 (very sweaty and long) miles on the treadmill, made the bed, grabbed my shower
• Drove Hannah this morning because she needed gas....stopped for gas on my way into work
• Groceries tonight
• Must scoop boxes as I didn't have time this morning

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

i might be making a pudding pie today, though that will depend on how i'm feeling later this afternoon. the cold, gusty wind 'did a number' on me (with the Raynaud's) yesterday. i'll be keeping the wood stove going, and relaxing today. maybe watch some tv. i may just take a nap this afternoon too.

 

[Winchester]

Amber stopped eating a couple days ago. Rick tried to check her mouth, but she's so skittish because of the vet that, while she'll flirt with him and get on his lap, if he tries to do anything to her, she's gone. I bought baby food, Fancy Feast, some FF appetizers, you name it, I bought it. She loved the FF appetizers last night (I warmed it up and chopped the chicken), but after not eating for a while, I think it was too rich for her and she promptly brought it back up. She won't even look at baby food. She's now decided she doesn't like beef stock....I thawed some chicken stock, she will lick at it, but it comes back up (I always skim my stock, so it's not the fat that made her sick). I bought some Meow Mix Irresistibles, I think it's called, soft cat treats (yes, I know, Meow Mix is a junk food. I'm desperate). I soaked them in some plain warm water this morning, chopped them, and added some Friskies pate to the mix; she scarfed it down and, as far as we know, it stayed down. I told Rick we'll buy whatever she'll eat for the rest of her natural born days, as long as she just eats!

• Breakfast for the kids, 3.25 miles on the treadmill, made the bed, grabbed my shower
• I may walk over to the library over lunch, but I also have to put some gas into Clarence and didn't have time to do it on my way to work this morning.
• A quick vacuum tonight

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

poor Miss Amber! i think you're doing just the right thing, giving her the foods she will eat! i did that with my little Snick (she absolutely refused to eat the kidney diet canned cat foods), and it really helped her to eat better. with the jar baby food, i found that sometimes i needed to use my finger and wipe a bit on the front arm/paw, and kitty will then lick it off. it's good to have some on hand, for cats that tend to have gastro upsets. sending that Miss Amber eats well, and starts feeling motivated to eat well.

it might be worth consulting your vet about this, via phone. older cats, especially those with medical issues, can sometimes experience a worsening of things after anesthesia/a dental/surgical procedure. your vet would know if there's anything to be concerned about.


today i've washed the dishes, scooped the litter boxes, made a couple liters of ginger ale (with the soda maker), made a loaf of bread in the bread machine, and have kept the wood stove going -- it's down in the 30's (F) tonight!

later today, i'll work on some budgeting and planning. i may watch a tv show or two after that, if i have time.

 

[AbbysMom]

I hope Amber feels better soon!

Today -

- hair cut and color
- take down Halloween decorations
- Make candy bark with the leftover Halloween candy of there is time.

 

[Winchester]

Thanks for your good thoughts. I called the vet yesterday; they just said to bring her down for a check-up. That is not going to work! She has some serious trust issues with us now as it is; there is no way she's going to let Rick pick her up at this point! She won't even touch baby food. She did eat a bit of breakfast this morning and I think she kept it down. Some kind of generic appetizer stuff from the store. I'm buying everything and anything. I feel so badly for her. She is such a skittish cat anyway and this has just knocked her. I keep telling her that it was for her own good and she will feel better but she needs to eat. And all she does is hiss at me.

• Breakfast for the kids, 3.25 miles on the treadmill, made the bed, sorted laundry, grabbed a shower
• Trash night
• Laundry night

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

Went for our two mile walk this morning. A small bear crossed the road about a hundred yards ahead of us. We turned around and headed back where we came from. Currently working on balancing the bank statement, getting bank deposit ready and paying a few bills. Hope to get a nap today. Didn't sleep well, been awake since four this morning.

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

Went for our two mile walk this morning. A small bear crossed the road about a hundred yards ahead of us. We turned around and headed back where we came from. Currently working on balancing the bank statement, getting bank deposit ready and paying a few bills. Hope to get a nap today. Didn't sleep well, been awake since four this morning.

Walked two miles this morning. Saw the bear in the same place we did yesterday.
Go to the nursing home to sing and play music for the folks there.
Pick up a few things at the store.
Friends gave us some venison burger. We will grill that for our supper tonight. I am anxious to try it as hubby wants to shoot a deer and have the meat processed at the same place this burger came from. We have tried some of the link sausage too, grilled, and it is super good.
They also do cube steaks and grilling steaks. I have cleaned out and arranged my freezer so I have plenty of room. Just waiting for the deer. I don't hunt as I could never shoot anything, especially a deer. But I don't have a problem with putting the meat in the freezer, cooking it and eating it.

 

[Winchester]

Amber seems to be doing better again. We just feed her whatever we think she'll eat and hope it works.

blueyedgirl5946 we've seen several bears around here and have heard a few, too. One night, a couple years ago, I was out walking and one of the neighbor guys warned me about a mama with a cub hanging about. They loved the apple peelings we took up to the garden; one of our neighbors said she saw a big bear eating the peels. So evidently, they're still around.

• Breakfast for the kids, 3.25 miles on the treadmill, made the bed, grabbed my shower
• I have a load of sweats to wash; I did two loads last night and said the third could wait til tonight; I just didn't feel like it.
• Rick has promised me that he'd vacuum tonight and I'll dust the living room and kitchen. Wipe down kitchen and bathroom while that laundry is drying. Must scoop boxes, too.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Winchester , i'm so very glad to hear that your Miss Amber is doing better again! a few things that i keep on hand here that can help entice my cats to eat better are: Purina Forti-Flora (a crappy probiotic, but a great 'enticer' -- it's the animal digest in it that cats love. i sprinkle the powder over their canned food), cat treats (which i use either pieces or crumbled (like crushed with a mortar and pestle) to sprinkle over their canned cat food), dry cat food (again, either pieces or crushed with a mortar and pestle, and sprinkled over their canned cat food).

my little Snick loved this brand of canned cat food during her more advanced stage of CKD -- Petite Cuisine / Wet Food / Food / Cat i used to buy the variety packs of 3 ounce cans, 24 cans per box. after she crossed the Rainbow Bridge, i donated the remainder of that kind to the local shelter, in two batches. when i dropped off the second batch, a volunteer there told me that there was one senior girl there who loved it -- that made me so happy, to know that another senior cat was brought some happiness.



today i'll pay some bills, do just a bit more with my planning, and then move on to working with my budget for a while. that's all i have planned for later today. i may watch a movie or some tv shows too, if i find the time.

earlier, i washed the dishes, scooped the litter boxes, and got the wood stove going.

 

[Winchester]

Thank you. Amber ate regular pate this morning. I mixed it with warm water and the dregs from the cat food can. She scarfed it down! I'm hoping that she's on her way to eating well again. She let me touch her this morning, too, and she was all over Rick.

We caved yesterday and turned the heat on in the house when we got home from work. It was only in the high 50s in the house and that's ridiculous....warmer outside than inside. I can't take the cold and Rick was ready, too. We went from room to room, turned the thermostats to around 63. That will work....for now.

• Breakfast for the kids, 2 miles on the treadmill, scooped the boxes, made the bed
• Piano guy is coming between 8 and 8:30; he's thinking about 2-1/2 to 3 hours, so he should be out of here by noon or so.
• I'm thinking of doing a bit of clothes shopping this afternoon (I may just go to JCP online and look around). Rick was thinking about coming home at noon and taking some vacation time, since I'm at home. It depends on how busy they are at work.

 

[LTS3]

The usual laundry and supermarket. I thought about going to Target but I might go tomorrow. I need to drop a survery off at the management office and check to see if the property manager got my email about the discarded trash I found in ramdom common areas yesterday morning. This is not long after the property manager slipped a strongly worded letter under each unit door to re-inform residents of the trash policy, too

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

Winchester older cats can be more sensitive to cool/cold temperatures too. i always kept the house extra warm for my Snick , and was careful to prevent her from catching a chill from too cool or cold air. there were many days that i would have opened the windows for fresh air for myself for a bit, but didn't because it wasn't going to be warm enough for my girl.



well, i got everything done yesterday except working with my budget for a while. i just wasn't feeling well, and after getting the other things completed as well as dumping the wood stove's ash pan, and taking out the trash and recycling, i didn't have anything left in me to do any more.

today i scooped the litter boxes and got the wood stove going, no dishes washed yet. i may get those done early this afternoon -- there aren't many dirty dishes, and they're soaking in soapy water. i'd like to at least start working with my budget, move forward on that even just a little today. we'll see.....i'm still running a fever.

 

[LTS3]

I'm going to do a bit of shopping today. I need more sweaters for the winter. I haven't bought any in years and most are no longable wearable: overstretched cuffs, holes, some don't even fit anymore, etc. I'm going to Target first since they open early. The current flyer lists some sweaters on sale. Then I think I'll head across the street to the other mall where none of the stores open until lunch time (don't ask) just for the Ann Taylor Factory Store and Gap Outlet. On the way home I need to stop by the library to return something and pick up a book I put on hold.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

i washed the dishes, scooped the litter boxes, moved a jar of milk/several nanaimo bars/a jar of applesauce to the fridge to thaw, and have kept the wood stove going. later today, i'll continue working with my budget for a while. then i'll watch some tv shows or a movie.

 

[Winchester]

We bought a Biddeford electric blanket yesterday at Boscov's (I think Boscov's is more of a PA thing; I don't know if they're outside of PA). It was on sale and an OK buy, so we decided to get one. It's grey, so Tabby's fur won't show up too badly, but fur from all the cats will show up. It is what it is. I'm going to put it on the bed this morning when I strip the bed down and change the sheets. micknsnicks2mom the blanket will make Pepe happy; you're right about older cats really minding the cold; at this time of year, she's not happy unless the blanket is on the bed, on HIGH, and she's underneath it.

We also looked at mattress pads, but even with the thin wires, Rick was afraid that I'd feel them when I was lying in bed. He says the Princess and the Pea has nothing on me. I don't think I would like lying on something like that all night long either....I worry about how safe it is. So the blanket it was.

Rick is going to church this morning. His mom called to remind him that today is when they light candles for the dead. Rick's last aunt passed away this year and he's going to light the candle for her.

• Breakfast for the kids, emptied the dishwasher
• Change the bed sheets and make the bed
• Working on laundry as I type
• Must clip claws and clean ears
• While Rick is at church, I'm going to do a quick vacuum and Swiffer and a quick wipe-down in the kitchen and bath, so that when he comes home, he can veg on the couch and watch football this afternoon.
• I've started to practice the piano, about 30 minutes a day. It's.....interesting. I told @Mother Dragon that my hands are like my cats; they do not play well together.
• Manicure tonight and then Outlander at 8:00

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

We bought a Biddeford electric blanket yesterday at Boscov's (I think Boscov's is more of a PA thing; I don't know if they're outside of PA). It was on sale and an OK buy, so we decided to get one. It's grey, so Tabby's fur won't show up too badly, but fur from all the cats will show up. It is what it is. I'm going to put it on the bed this morning when I strip the bed down and change the sheets. micknsnicks2mom the blanket will make Pepe happy; you're right about older cats really minding the cold; at this time of year, she's not happy unless the blanket is on the bed, on HIGH, and she's underneath it.

We also looked at mattress pads, but even with the thin wires, Rick was afraid that I'd feel them when I was lying in bed. He says the Princess and the Pea has nothing on me. I don't think I would like lying on something like that all night long either....I worry about how safe it is. So the blanket it was.

<snip>

awww, your cats will love it!!!

Biddeford!!! that's the brand of heated mattress pad i have! Biddeford is an excellent brand, very good quality and long-lived items. a rubber-bristled brush should grab the cat hair off of the electric blanket for you. i use one on all sorts of everything around our home to remove kitty hair.



i'm adding making a couple liters of soda, and making more freeze dried chicken treats crumbles to my 'to do' list for today.

 

[maggie101]

We stayed up until around 1:30 or so, watched three movies: The Secret Life of Pets, Star Trek Beyond, and Jason Bourne. Rick fell asleep during the last part of Pets and I fell asleep about five minutes into Jason Bourne. I remember Rick awakening me for our NY kiss, but that was pretty much it. We were disappointed that we weren't able to watch The Martian. OnDemand didn't have it and neither did Amazon. We couldn't find it on the Fire Stick.

Ms. Pepe and Amber didn't care that we were up late last night; they started in right around 5:00 this morning, but Rick and I stayed in bed and let them meow to their hearts' content until 5:30 when we got up and gave everybody breakfast.

• Breakfast for the kids, emptied the dishwasher, 3.5 miles on the treadmill.
• Going to scoop boxes in a few minutes.
• Must go over to my sister's later on this morning and check on the fur-clan there, give them breakfast and scoop boxes. And cuddle and play with The Harley. We tired him out yesterday, playing with a Da Bird-like toy. He was leaping and jumping for quite a while and he finally said, "OK, that's enough, Auntie Pam!" and plopped down in front of the dishwasher, where I could finally get a decent picture of him. (There's a place in my heart for little black boys and The Harley is such a little sweetie. I'd bring him home in a heartbeat. I keep telling my sister that if The Harley ever disappears, she should not worry and she shouldn't come to our house looking for him.
  

  Harley.jpg

  • Winchester
  • Jan 1, 2017
  • Work on a grocery list; we both have off work tomorrow (Monday) for the New Year holiday, so we'll probably grab a few groceries at some point during the day.
  And I don't have much else planned for today, other than making dinner. Rick is going to be watching football this afternoon and into tonight. I have a few new e-books from the library and will spend the afternoon lounging around.

Caughed,sneezed, blew my nose. Pretty much it besides feeding cats and me sorta

 

[Winchester]

We are pleased with the Biddeford electric blanket. It seems to be a heavier material and the knit seems to hold its shape much better than the fleecy material on that Sunbeam blanket. It has dual controls and each control has its own plug-in to the foot of the blanket and then plugs in separately to the wall recep. Ten heat settings and, at 6, I turned it off sometime during the night because I was roasting. Muffin was under the blanket, wrapped up in my arms and I think she purred all night. Ms. Pepe and Tabby came to bed and immediately ducked under the blanket; I heard them purring, too. And you can always tell when a cat is warm; instead of being curled up in a ball, she starts to stretch....and that's what Pepe and Tabby both did. I'm thinking they were pleased, too. Mollipop does not like being under the covers and she does not like being too warm. She started out between Rick and me, but eventually went up to my pillow and sacked out there for the rest of the night. Miss Amber was under the covers, cuddled up next to Rick. I think the cats have given the blanket their Purr of Approval!

• Breakfast for the kids, 3.5 miles on the treadmill, made the bed, grabbed my shower
• Had to mail some stuff off on my way into work this morning
• Groceries and Target (I think we are returning the Oster toaster oven)
• Must scoop boxes tonight

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

Laundry, laundry, laundry.