July 22, 2013

Today has been a grand day, even though it is a Monday!

It began, as it did yesteday, with my morning meditation and prayer session being  especially centering. Since my jaw pain was minimal and my leg pain and stability worse but tolerable, the day has been quite good.

The high point for me was watching and photographing the kittens. And, I even was able to catch, pick up, and cuddle one of them!

These baby furballs are very quick and difficult to capture -- even to photograph. Being around them is fun and enchanting. When the time comes in seven or eight weeks to give them away, I know I am not going to want to let the babies go. But I must. I can barely afford to provide good care for three cats much less six.

Please?

July 21, 2013

Today my morning meditation and prayer session was especially centering. I felt a serenity that I’ve not felt in a very long time. My jaw, which was screaming with pain when I woke, reduced itself to a murmur. I am thankful for this beginning of my day, which was better and more positive than I have experienced in recent days.

Alex and Sugar allowed me to complete my meditation and prayer section before they began begging for treats. Alex generally does not speak his request for treats, he either jumps on my desk are scratches my leg. Sugar often does vocalize the requests; however, she does not meow she chirps!

After breakfast I went looking for Little Girl, but LG was nowhere to be found. In other words, she and her kittens were not in the closet. I explored the bedroom and finally located the new nest in the narrow space between the bed and the wall. Perhaps LG feels her kittens no longer need to be isolated.

I found that our supply of Kitty treats and my supply of milk needed replenishing. I decided to go out while the temperature was still in the low 80s. My initial plan had been to drive to Walmart because the Kitty treats are much cheaper there and I have a Walmart gift card. However, I discovered that I have so little gasoline that I was forced to go to the nearby Kroger.

When I returned from shopping I saw Sugar and LG sitting in the windows, waiting for me? By the time I got to the door, all three kitty kids were there to greet me. Even before I could exchange the portable oxygen concentrator for the big one, LG was rubbing up against my leg; Sugar was circling me, chirping; and Alex was already sitting on my desk. Of course, each received a large helping of treats.

After lunch, as I walked past the bedroom, I notice the three kittens running, leaping, bounding, and basically playing on the bedroom floor. I went and picked up my camera, deciding to stay with the kittens and maybe shoot a few photographs. There play was so cute that I change plans and besides the photographs I also shot a short video. After editing and processing the video, I uploaded it to YouTube:

It now being well after midnight and not having completed tomorrow’s Nicks Bytes humor blog post, I shall now in this journal entry.

Peace, love, and justice to all.

Day Sixty-seven

Morning Mediation

I awakened feeling much, much better. After this morning's spiritual disciplines, I have set an agenda to:

• catch up on apartment cleaning
• establish a new budget for October to compensate for the cost of yesterday's emergency auto service
• care for the kitty kids

October is both Domestic Violence Awareness Month & Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  I plan to begin blog posts on both. 

Capstar, the anti-flea pills arrived in today's mail. I used these instructions to get Little Girl to swallow the anti-flea pill. It was surprisingly easy and I wasn't scratched.

I tempted Alex onto the desk with his favorite kitty cat treats and then attempted to pill him.  He  used his normal techniques to spit the pill out twice, draw blood from my hand, and general fight being medicated. However, he did finally swallow the pill. 

Alex being comforted after swallowing the pill.

Sugar not only spit the pill out but also escaped my grasp and is hiding somewhere. 

Score: ME 2 -- KITTY KIDS 1. 

I shall nab Sugar sooner of later and she will swallow the pill!

It's done! All three kitty kids have swallowed their pills. Little Girl, the big kitten, with whom I expected the most trouble, was easy. Alex, who has had pills before, knew what was going on and spit the pill out twice before I was fast enough to hold his mouth closed and massage his throat until he swallowed it. Sugar, the smallest, was the most difficult: she kept slipping out of my grasp and I had problems forcing her mouth open. Now it is all done and if the info that came with the pills is accurate, all of the damned fleas on the three of them are dead!

About an hour ago as I was taking garbage out to the car, I suddenly couldn't breath. It was as if not oxygen was coming through my portable oxygen machine. I could tell the machine was working but I couldn't get any air into my lungs. I left the garbage bags outside of the car and rush back into the apartment, fearing that I would pass out before I got to the regular oxygen compressor that, unlike the portable machine, pumps a continuous stream of oxygen. 

The machine helped and I took doses from the Foradil Aerolizer, and the Proventic and  Combivent aerosols. Then I coughed up a hell of a lot of mucus, which I believe was somehow blocking my air passage. 

I am OK now, although I was terrified for several minutes. Not being able to breath does that to one. 

I am also exhausted and plan to retire in the not too distant future. 

The kitty kids seem to have forgiven me for forcing the pills into them. Sugar and Little Girl have begged treats, which I gave them. Then I visited Alex, who is again hiding out in the bathtub. 

Day Thirty-three

For over 25 years my morning routine including contemplated and being reminiscent of how this text has been true in my life:

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name, you are mine.

when you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

And through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

and the flame shall not consume you. 

For I am the LORD your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your savior.

~ Isaiah 43: 1b—3a

When I have been in deep depression or experiencing great anxiety or feeling unworthy, I have forgotten to include this text in my morning routine.  

My new caregiver, although doing an first-rate job, made a major blunder today: she left the door open and Sugar escaped outside. I hope she comes home when she is hungry. 

Earlier today Sugar got her paws on a roll of paper towels:

Later, Little Girl joined Sugar in her play:

One must look closed to see Sugar in the above photo: Little Girl has her wrapped in parts of the paper towel.

From a quick glance at the news, it appears that powerful winds in Louisiana have upstaged bags of hot air in Florida.

Day Twenty

One of my favorite Native American parables

My life is now 100% weird. When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. ~ Hunter S. Thompson

An Ancient Christian Legend: When the Son of God was nailed to the cross and died, he went straight down to hell and set free all the sinners there in torment. The Devil wept and wailed for he thought he would get no more sinners for hell. Then God said to him, “Do not weep, for I shall send you all those who are self-righteous in their condemnation of sinners. And hell will fill up again until I return.”

In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: Not necessarily to Win, but mainly to keep from Losing Completely. ~ Hunter S. Thompson.

I'm rereading Jack Kerouac's The Dharma Bums. I'm wondering what my life would have been like had I read it when I was twenty instead of after I was married with a child.

I hope it is true that a man can die and yet not only live in others but give them life, and not only life, but that great consciousness of life.~ Jack Kerouac

Day Seven

Yesterday's adventure wore me out. The drive in extreme heat without air conditioning overheated not only me but my portable oxygen compressor. I had no oxygen the last 20 or so miles of the trip. So, I have been recovering today with sleep and occasionally awakening to watch the Olympics. 

Sugar had escaped yesterday morning  when Timmi, my new caregiver, left the front door open. Alex and I went out on the patio in the wee hours of this morning. I called her and Alex left the patio and returned with Sugar following him. However,  she wouldn't enter the apartment. Finally, I cornered her in a corner of the patio and snatched her up by the nap of her neck. She must have had quite an adventure today because Sugar has been sleeping all day, too. 

There is a thunderstorm new (4:30 PM). We need the rain and I'm hoping it cools things off enough so I can make a run to the grocery.

This evening, while awaiting something of interest (not talking heads) in the TV coverage of the Olympic Games, I have been rereading The Gospel of Thomas. I find in these 114 saying of Jesus insight into the spiritual dimension of Christianity that I believe in lacking in the canonical New Testament.  For example,

#29

            If the flesh exists because of the spirit, it is a miracle; but if the spirit exists because of the body, it is a miracle or miracles. I marvel at how such great wealth  established itself amid this poverty,

#62

            I tell my mysteries to those who are worthy of my mysteries. Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

#63

            There was a rich man who had considerable wealth. He said, “I will use my money to sew and reap and plant and fill my warehouses with fruit so that I will lack nothing.” Such we his intentions, but that night he died. Whoever has ears, let him hear.

#67

            He who knows all but fails to know himself lacks everything.

#95

            If you have money, do not lend it at interest but give it to those from whom you will not receive it back.

#113

            His disciples said to him, “When will the kingdom come?”

            He said, “It will not come when  it is expected. They will say, ‘look here,’ or ’Look there.’ Rather the kingdom of the father is spread out on the earth and people do not see it.”

 

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