NIGHT BANDIT

We were noticing that the cat food was disappearing rapidly out in the shed. When Ben went out at night, he was going CRAZY about "something out there". Then heard the cats hissing and yowling. Next, the 5 gallon container of cat food was methodically opened and dumped on the floor. The container, that takes me a crow-bar to open. . . So it seems that we have a night intruder coming in the lets-put-in-a-cat-door-so-Nephrikitty-has-easy-access-to-her-food-DOOR and using his little coony fingers to creat chaos. Didn't take much to attract him right into the trap.


But did he have an attitude!!

He definitely won't be harrassing the cats again.


I just can't picture Princess chumming up to him or his pals, either!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET 13

Can't let this day go by with out being thankful for life and health.

Yes, once again, I am celebrating my bone marrow birthday!!
13 years ago was day zero. My marrow had been wiped out with total body radiation and high dose chemo to eradicate malignant cancer cells. Day zero my purged ("cleansed") baby stem cells (which were collected earlier in the month after high dose chemo) were infused and then I just had to wait for them to stimulate my marrow to produce healthy cells. "Watch and wait" was more like "watch and worry"! A rather barbaric process to be honest, but was relieved somewhat by a morphine induced "drug haze" with just a touch of a button. Pictured here: Day 11 The first day I produced a very few new cells. I also had very few platelets, which explains the bruising.

I am glad it is all behind me!!

“Illness is the night side of life, a more onerous citizenship.Everyone who is born holds dual citizenship, in the kingdom of the well and in the kingdom of the sick. Although we all prefer to use the good passport, sooner or later each of use is obliged, at least for a spell, to identify ourselves as citizens of that other place.” --Susan Sontag--

The climb is never easy,
but the view is worth every step. . .

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul.
And sings the tune
Without the words,
and never stops at all.
--Emily Dickinson--

WINTER--MISERABLE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SUMMER---MISERABLE WITH LESS CLOTHES

These words were spoken by my spouse who gets "grouchy" when the weather does not suit him. . . .which living in the Central Valley with it's temperamental weather often puts him in a bad mood. He was So-Cal raised, Mr. Surfer boy, and evidently, back in the dark ages, the weather there was probably 70 year round.

I, on the other hand spent years in Michigan where snow was pretty much 6 months out of the year and summers were a sauna. Since I am an antique, this was before snow blowers and other snow removal conveniences and light-weight polartec. Schools NEVER had snow days, otherwise, we would never finish the school year. (Yeah, I had to walk a mile uphill both ways in about 10 layers of clothes.) What I am trying to say, I think the Calif Central Valley is just fine, even if instead of snow, we get a little fog or rain. It is by no means miserable for me.

This winter was very mild and dry, but there is always MARCH MADNESS! Which is very unpredictable.

This March has not disappointed.

As you know from my morning drive, I like to focus on the beauty of the local country and be mindful of those moments of "grace". The almond orchard on my road became a sea of blossoms and was alive with the buzzing of bees. Everywhere there is an intimation of renewal, of restoration and new life. The wind came along and then there was a blizzard of blossoms, leaving the ground looking like fresh fallen snow--pink snow!

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!

"Springtime is the land awakening.
The March winds are the morning yawn."

DON'T STOP LIVING IN THE RED. . . .

So one of my friends was traveling to Toronto and look who just happened to be traveling first class with him. This is Annie. She started her trip in LA and even with several stops, just sat quietly in her seat. She didn't even partake of the airline food. I just thought she was adorable. Wonder how often she has to get a dye job to keep that "look"! or get her roots retouched?