I've been looking at petfinder.com pretty much daily since Saki died 4 years ago, to get my siamese fix and see what meezers were out there for adoption. This was the longest stretch I've ever lived without a meezer in my home. I didn't think Moo would be happy with a new addition, being a competitive kitty who did not like competing for attention, and she finally had more of my attention after Saki was gone. And I think it was the right decision and I'm glad I got to give Moo all the attention she wanted for her last 4 years and got to see more sides of her and that there was nothing between her and me loving her up at the end. Tuxie is fine with giving room.

Though Moo and Tuxie didn't seem close since Moo was done mothering him 13 years ago back when I thought they were inseparable, they became close again the first nervous month after the move to the house this summer and huddled together, so they could still take comfort in each other and their sense of family was definitely still there. Since Tuxie had never lived without Moo, I didn't want Tuxie to be alone long after she died. I needed a kitty who craved more attention than Tuxie, as well. I always told Tuxie I was going to get a young siamese kitty to drive him nuts when he'd be an aggressive jerk to his beloved Saki, so it was time for karma to take it's course.

After Moo died the beginning of December, I put in an application on a 2 year old tortie-point siamese who looked like Saki in form, though she had a lot more colors (oranges and blacks) and was described as "an aggressively affectionate bowling ball" in her ad, which would have been a good description of Saki, but someone got there first with their accepted application. Then I applied for 2 more tortie points: a 6 month old, and then a small kitten. I didn't plan on applying for kittens because kittens, and especially siamese kittens, usually place pretty easily, and I'm happy with a young cat up to 5 years, who don't get forever homes as easily, but I was getting desperate to get me a tortie point siamese by the third. I'd love to be able to take in senior cats as they're the most loving and cuddly and so in need, but I've been medicating cats for so long now, I really could use someone young and healthy for a stretch, if luck would grant it, time wise, and also expense wise--there's only so far my retirement will stretch, and my diabetic Tuxie is an expensive little boy to keep healthy. But each of these kitties was spoken for first.

Though getting a tortie point like Saki was my priority, I figured it would be best to get 2 cats and was thinking I would like to have a flame-point siamese as the second, as I've never lived with one of these red-headed beauties, and there had been a young flame-point who had been advertised for a long while on petfinder.com, which might not be a good sign, but she had a sweet face, and I had been considering her, so I put in an application.

( Read more... )

I am so sorry, but I am woefully behind on getting presents and cards sorted and out. Don't expect anything from me until January. Meh. And when the end of January comes, I will accept defeat for whatever didn't get done and turn toward trying to get things out for the next year end. Like every year.

I've wanted to be more of a presence here on my journal and posting pics, but life keeps feeling like a boat being rifted away from shore and I feel like I can't get anything done.

But I've gotten to do some fun things this year too I've wanted to tell ya'll about and haven't. Maybe I can do a year in review. What a year we've gotten through; on the macro level it has sucked rocks and spit them in our eyes. I am shaking less than this time last year, though--what new lows we've become accustomed to.

I'm starting working in a new department at work, and work and pressure is slowly revving up--both good and bad.

Nothing majorly bad has occurred so far this year for the cats and me, on the personal/health level, so I am grateful. And I am grateful for all of you being here, carrying on and reminding me I am not alone. <3



Great Blue Heron on Greenbelt Lake in October

Good riddance to 2016!!! *eyes 2017 suspiciously* 2017, behave yourself. We are ALL keeping an eye on you, every damned minute. 2017, you got no where to go but up. The bar is so very low. Surprise us pleasantly, ok?


As you can see Tuxie is really excited about New Years Eve. This is how we're partying here.

I wouldn't have gotten through 2016 without you my dear friends here. Thank you. <3 <3 <3

Happy New Year to you!!! May 2017 go easy on us all.

Happy Thanksgiving Day! I hope all who celebrate are having a good one. And to those who don't, OK, you can have a good day too. I'm so grateful to have all my friends here--I'm not sure how you all fit yourselves into my tiny macbook air, but I'm glad you did. <3


Another October pic I took by the lake.

I had a yummy T-Day meal with zlabya and her DH and her BF. I made my signature salad, and she made a yummy chicken, sweet potato casserole, and apple crisp. Excellent company to hang out with.

Auditing the Vote

If you missed the news, Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate for US President started raising funds yesterday to audit and recount the votes in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Best comment ever reported as seen on twitter by ambree40: lanyard @lanyardigan 8h8 hours ago: Please, God: like Gollum, let Jill Stein have a totally unforeseen and critical purpose. :-D

I contributed yesterday and watching it grow has been so exciting--they're up to $4.3 million and counting. Go here if you want to contribute or just watch the donations flood in.

A decade back I was following the voting integrity push, belonged to Common Cause, and presented a paper to Congresspeople involved in the movement. When I canvassed for John Kerry down in Florida on election weekend, I listened to poll workers who saw voting machines flip their votes from Kerry to Bush.

We've made great strides in creating a paper trail in many districts in this country to check these problems, but paper backup ballots don't do any good if you never audit and take a look at them. It's just a gigantic green flag to hackers, Russian gov't connected or from anywhere, if they know we're not verifying the optical scanners by checking some of the paper ballots. We should be auditing a sampling of ballots in every state before we announce the count, and we should get used to not having instant gratification and wait a week or 3 before announcing a winner, as grueling as it would have felt to do that this year.

So, without getting my hopes too high that they will find something that will overturn the horrid results of this election (but seeing that Trump has a pattern of doing the things he accuses others of and Bannon is involved with data-mining operations, how could we not check this out), the recount here is just a needed thing to ensure the integrity of the vote. As long as we're having elections close enough that one side wins the electors and the other side the popular vote, vote audits should be made an automatic procedure through legislation. We're doing a good thing here, whatever the outcome of the recount.

My trick'r'treating involved going to vote today, which was very satisfying to have done early. Here's hoping to get the treat and not the trick next week.

Those of you who have walked around Greenbelt Lake will remember that there is a house whose backyard is along the path where they put out lots of toys and decorations. They go all out for Halloween and have lots of interactive displays that move, light up, and have sound tracks that are triggered when you pass near them.


At dusk, many of the displays light up. The giant cat here has green light up eyes and the figure on the tombstone has red eyes.

( Read more... )

A happy time of lasting light to you all, if you celebrate Chanukah or not.





( Saki Chanuka pics below )

Happy New Year, my friends!!!



Today, I started the new year off right and went on a day hike with an lgbt hiking group from Riverbend Park, VA down to Great Falls on the Potomac River, pictured above. So beautiful. It was 5 or 6 miles and my knee is feeling it, but it was a beautiful day for it. I've been wanting to go on a hike with this group for a while, but they're usually longer and more challenging than I can yet handle. This was about my limit for now. There was a slight ocean scent on the breeze off the river--I never made it to the beach last year, so that was a very welcome scent.

Last night, I went over to synecdochic and sarah's party. We watched a vid of Into the Woods with Bernadette Peters, ate the wonderful foods, including buttery choco chip cookies they made, I met the famous Ginnycat,, and had a really wonderful time, but left before midnight, because I was up at 5:30 am.

So I've been more social this new year's than I've been in many months. I'm very glad I got out last night and today. This has been fun. Much cleaning, chores, and finishing of getting cards out the next 3 days. Of course, there will be walks, a swim, much cat hugging, and perhaps another BoFA viewing, if I can fit it in. Then the first day of my new job on Monday.

I am surrounded by snoring cats, and the sleep waves are heavy in the air . . .

Happy Last Day of Chanuka with some chobbits!

I'm off work for the next 5 days--wheee!!!

Happy Solstice, Merry Xmas, Joyous Kwaanza, and Happy New Year, or, as Ny says, Happy Everything!!!

Also posted at http://lavendertook.dreamwidth.org/170771.html with comments

Happy Birthday, Bilbo, Frodo, and Bingo! And cake to all who love them!

Also posted at http://lavendertook.dreamwidth.org/167462.html with comments

Ye best not forget what day tis is, mateys . . .



. . . or ye be walking the plank in wooden undershorts like this pair yonder . . .

ADDENDUM:

Then you'll be having an intimate understanding of the true origins of the most hallowed saying, "Shiver me timbers," as the most wise grey_wonderer reminds us.