IT IS WHAT IT IS

                          MOM AND DAD IN 1945 - THE YEAR THEY WERE MARRIED   

                              MOM WITH MY SISTER, DAUGHTER, AND GRANDKIDS   

What a week this has been.  I feel as if I've been run over by a truck that stopped, backed up, and ran over me again. I don't think I've been this tired since we physically moved our belongings into this house in last summer's scorching heat. It's not just the physical activities of working on the former residence, herding cats, or trying to maintain order in this house that has me frazzled. It's also the emotional strain of knowing my mother can no longer live alone in her home and anticipating the decisions my sisters and I will need to make that are wearing on me. Tomorow I'll be traveling 2 hours north again to visit the physical rehabilitation center where my mother temporarily resides. A conference is being held to update my sisters and me on our mother's progress. I don't know exactly what to hope for - great progress and eminent release, or a little progress and more time to investigate senior living accomodations. It won't actually matter how much time we're given, the task of choosing our mother's future home will not be easy on any of us. I hope and pray our mother will understand this is not what we wanted, though it's now become necessary. For many years we hinted, urged, gently nudged, and at times, strongly suggested she choose a senior community for herself, but she would not hear of it. We didn't want our mother to be upset or mistrust us so my sisters and I decided we'd stop pushing her and let things play out as they would. And so they did. Our mother's fall was the crisis we knew would eventually come. The fall and subsequent complications (severe dehydration, extreme confusion, heart irregularities, and an infection) sent our mother into a downward spiral, the likes of which we'd not previously seen. In her clearer moments, our mother realizes she can no longer live alone. She doesn't often verbalize it to us, but did make this comment to one of my sisters: "I suppose you girls will have to find a place for me now".  How I wish that moment could have opened the door for a frank but gentle discussion, but in her next breath, she talked about going home. So, as my dear spouse often says, "It is what it is".

MY FUNNY VALENTINES

 BIGGER TIGGER HAS TAKEN UP RESIDENCE IN THE CAT HOUSE

 CASEY DISCOVERED HE CAN (SORT OF) FIT ON THE ROOF 

 .....AND IN THE SPACE CLOSEST TO THE CATNIP ON THE RUG  

 "MY BASKET" - HOLLY HAS STAKED HER CLAIM

 BLOOPER AND TIMMY INSPECT THE NEW CAT BED - A BABY BATHTUB

TIMMY AND BETSY  

To my dismay, Valentine's Day has flown past me and so has the better part of this week. There are so many things I wanted and needed to do, but I became sidetracked easily and my time seemed to go so quickly. This week brought an unexpected crisis. My 88 year old mother fell in her home and was hospitalized. She remains in the hospital as I type. My sisters and I are thankful she didn't break any bones, but we have run smack dab into the brick wall we knew lay ahead of us. Our mother, who has lived alone since our dad passed 40 years ago, simply cannot continue to do so. She has dementia and now needs more monitoring and physical help than we can provide. To be accurate and fair, I must admit that my sisters have shouldered most of the responsibility for Mom's care so she could stay in her home. I live two hours away and would feel better about the situation had I made more frequent visits to our mother. Warranted or not, guilt has set in for all us. We have some major decisions to make and they won't be easy ones, but it helps to know we're not alone. Many friends and relatives have dealt with these types of situations and more challenging ones. My distraction this week might be understandable. The sweet furry Valentines continue to be a source of joy and offer a needed respite from the reality that a long and difficult road lies ahead regarding my mother. When I'm with my furry companions I'm able to shut out the jumbled thoughts that hold my mind hostage and simply enjoy them and their antics. I remain very blessed.    

THREE-RING CIRCUS

Tonight as I was tucking in the cats, some of the furry ones put on a show for me. Each night I clean litter boxes one last time, make sure water bowls are full, check the heaters, give attention to all the cats who will allow it, then turn out the cat room lights. This night, the little clowns were not tired, but very wound up and ready for fun. Around here we call that the "cat crazies". I checked food bowls and found one almost empty and filled it. Big Tig, Kelly, and Roxie began to eat and soon Rusty joined them. He apparently wasn't happy sharing the bowl with others and took a step back from the bowl and just watched them for a bit. I stopped what I was doing and observed Rusty. I can usually tell when one of the cats is up to something. He reached a big furry paw over to the food bowl and pulled it completely away from the three and close to him, leaving the others standing there wondering what had happened. Rusty was oblivious to the icy stares he was receiving and started eating as if nothing had occured. Priceless.

I went back to the tasks for the night and as I leaned over to clean a litter box, Casey jumped on my back and lay down. He rode there as I made the rounds. While Casey was reclining on my back, I heard some commotion and looked around in time to see Big Tig chasing Roxie around the room then up one of the barn beams. She went to the very top and looked down at Tig as if to say, "Catch me if you can", but I think she knew he couldn't. He's declawed and didn't attempt to climb the beam. Tig had already been neutered and declawed by the time I found him, so declawing wasn't my doing. Sometimes Tig can be a real grump, but tonight he was playing nicely with the other cats. When he couldn't reach Roxie, he started chasing one of the other girls who turned around and whapped him on the head, then found a bed and curled up for the night. The look on Tig's face was comical.

As if that wasn't enough entertainment for the evening, when I went to the smaller cat room I observed Baxter and Bailey standing on top of the set of shelves batting at something flying near the ceiling. All at once, they stopped batting and began concentrating on something one of them had knocked from its flight. There on the shelf was a poor little ladybug that I simply couldn't allow to be harmed by the cats. I liberated their prey and turned the little bug loose in the larger part of the barn where the boys could not catch her. I don't know how she'll fare in the cold, but at least she wasn't a night time snack for one of the cats.

I feel at peace having the furry ones tucked into their warm cat rooms and wonder what adventures tomorrow will bring.

CHEAP THRILLS

 BLOOPER - EXPLORING WHERE THE OTHER CATS HAD BEEN

 THEY CAN'T SEE ME NOW

 OOPS....THERE'S THAT CAMERA AGAIN

 TIMMY SEEMS MORE CONTENT NOW THAN I'VE EVER KNOWN HIM TO BE

 SWEET BAILEY TRYING TO CATCH A NAP

 BLOOPER SEES SOME BIRDS OUTSIDE

CASEY AND RUSTY - BIRD WATCHING - RUSTY DECIDED TO LEAVE JUST AS I SNAPPED THE PHOTO

The cats have many toys they love to play with, but the most fun seems to be derived from everyday things like dangling carpet strings or the opening strips torn from a brand new bag of cat food. One thing they all love is a cardboard box. Yesterday I gave them a big box to play in and they reacted as if I'd given them something made of catnip. They took turns jumping in and out of the box, sometimes landing on the cats who hadn't yet exited. There was no squabbling, just pure fun for them and entertainment for me. I took a few photos but wasn't able to catch all of them at play. They don't like the little sound my camera makes when I open the lens and they often run in the other direction when they hear it, but it's enough to know they had a good time with their big box. It warms my heart to know the cats are adjusting so well to their new environment and I'm actually making some progress with the feral kitties, especially Timmy. He now jumps onto one of the tables, lies in a kitty bed, and allows me to pet him for extended periods of time. That's new to him and to me, and I love it. He lets me know when he's had enough and I always honor his decision to jump down and move onto other things. All is good in Cat Land.

JUNIOR CAT WHISPERER

GRANDDAUGHTER AND CALICO ROXIE. ROXIE IS ONE OF
THE ELDER CATS NOW BUT SHE STILL PLAYS LIKE A KITTEN.

My daughter and her family were here for dinner last night. A couple years ago we began taking turns hosting family dinners, but all of us have experienced life changes and schedule adjustments, so our weekly family gatherings fell by the wayside. My daughter recently suggested we begin hosting our family dinners again and invited us to her home last week. This week it was my turn and I truly enjoyed having my family here. Glenn and I really missed spending time with them. After dinner, Granddaughter wanted to see the cats and since she's not allergic to them, we made the short trip to the barn to see them. They greeted her just as they always greet me. I think she likes cats as much as I do and they respond well to her. I told her she was a cat whisperer but I think she already knew it.

      GRANDDAUGHTER MET BAXTER FOR THE FIRST TIME. HE PURRED THE WHOLE TIME SHE WAS WITH HIM. SHE LOVED HIS BIG FLUFFY TAIL.

HOLLY SEEMED TO HAVE CLAIMED THE WAGON AS HER OWN

BETSY LOVED THE EXTRA ATTENTION SHOWN TO HER

I'M KING OF THE WORLD!!!

GRANDDAUGHTER AND MANDY ARE BEST FRIENDS

CATNIP HIGH

While the latest arrivals in the cat barn were adjusting to their new surroundings, the other furry tails were enjoying a catnip frenzy. I place four scratching boxes in the floor and sprinkled catnip over each one. The cats were immediately interested and began to claim the boxes by lying on top of them. They scratched the boxes, rolled in the catnip, and even ate some of it. I think they were feeling pretty mellow by the time I bid them goodnight.

SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING CATS

My furry children are finally all here under one roof. The little feral family was the last group to be brought over to the new cat home in the barn. I left them for last because I wanted them to have some stress-free time (without the other cats around) and hoped the transition would be easier if they were relaxed when I picked them up and placed them in carriers. For the most part, that worked. Gracie and Annie seemed much less feral than they were a few months ago. They allowed me to pet them for longer than I'd expected. They even purred when I petted them and that was the progress I'd always hoped would come. That doesn't mean they'll accept affection tomorrow, but for now, I'm happy with the progress and I'm still willing to let them be who they are. The girls' brother, Timmy, did get a bit frightened when I needed to pick him up and put him into his carrier, but he did well on the ride over here and seemed happy to be reunited with his sisters.

I brought Gracie here last night. She cried when I took her into the cat room but the other cats, who are now old pros at navigating in their new areas, greeted her and soon she was out of the carrier and under the couch. That was fine since she felt safer there. Today she was out and about climbing on one of the cat condos. When I brought Annie over today, she also cried a bit but then we heard a little kitty voice echoing the cries, but in a softer tone. I took the cat carrier to the couch and opened the door. Annie cried and her sister, Gracie, answered each time. It only took a minute for Annie to decide she wanted to join her sister under the couch. They were there most of the afternoon but will come out when they're ready.

Tonight it was Timmy's turn. He was the last kitty left at the other house and I was not about to leave him there alone all night. He and his sisters had never been apart, except for the one night they were spayed and he was neutered. They are inseparable. Timmy was hesitant (which is putting it mildly) to go into the carrier but as strange as it might seem, he gave up the fight and went inside it right after I told him Annie and Gracie were fine and were waiting on him. I'm not sure cats understand much of what we say to them, but I'm convinced they do know when we're trying to help them. Once in the carrier, he seemed calm and didn't make a sound on the way here. After being taken to the cat area in the barn, he sat in the carrier for awhile until he heard Gracie calling to him. She somehow knew he'd arrived and since she has the softest voice of the three, I knew she was the one calling. I took Timmy to the couch as I'd done for Annie and both kitty girls "talked" to him and he answered them. He then left the carrier and joined them under the couch. They can stay tucked safely under the couch until they're ready to join the others. They'll come out to eat and use the litter box but it might take some time for them to adjust to their new home. That's ok. We have time. I'm just happy they're all here now.

COUCH KITTIES

The cat area in the barn is feeling more cozy now that we have a comfy couch in there - compliments of my generous kindred-cat-spirit, Chris. She bought a new couch and brought her old one here for the furry tails and me and we love it. Last night I found Baxter doing a headstand behind one of the pillows. His fuzzy little tush and tail were up in the air and that was all that could be seen of him. Of course, I didn't have the camera with me at that moment. Elliot was curled up in a ball with his head between his paws at the same time Baxter was headstanding. Tonight I found Bailey and Casey curled up together on the couch but by the time I had my camera ready, they had moved from that cute position. Blooper was sitting all by himself in the middle of the couch when I left to come back into the house. Before I tucked all the furry ones in for the night, I placed another basket bed in the room for them. They're always curious about anything new. Casey, Roxie, and Big Tig took turns investigating the new bed and Roxie finally curled up in it on her Tony the Tiger towel. I turned out the lights and bid them good night. I can't wait to see what they'll get into tomorrow.

DISCONNECTED AND DISTRACTED

The days since Christmas and New Year's Day have passed quickly but they've not been without some frustration. Our internet connection was down for three days and I was having withdrawal. It didn't help that Glenn and I had both been sick and neither of us was very patient when it came to feeling better. He's back at work today and I'm finally feeling well enough to do laundry, pay bills, and take down Christmas decorations. It was fine to have left out the decorations since I actually appreciated the excuse to extend the holiday season. One thing that makes this recovery time easier is the fact I only have a few steps to travel outside to the barn in order to care for my cats. They're doing remarkably well and seem to be thriving in their new environment. Apparently the cats are more adaptable than I am, though I will admit this house fits us well and we're happy in our new place too. Over the weekend I ventured to the local drug store to pick up more cough medicine and Advil and noticed a parking lot full of cars at the Butter Street Barn, a quaintly painted yellow building filled to the brim with antiques, hand-crafted goods, and all sorts of vintage accessories. I've known about this wonderful place for years and used to shop there from time to time. For some reason I simply fell out of the habit of going there. The shop is a local fixture and the owner offers hometown hospitality. There was a "barn burning" sale in progress and I felt drawn to the event. The shop is just a stone's throw from the small grocery store where I do the weekly shopping. Maybe I'd been put off by the new (and somewhat inconvenient) entrance or the limited weekend-only hours, I'm not sure, but I know the barn was calling my name on Saturday. I was amazed at how the shop had changed for the better since I'd last been there. The owner told me which vendors offered sales and said she would work with me on prices for anything I might want. That was music to my ears and I shopped for over an hour. I'd been thinking about adding some inexpensive framed art or photos to the walls of the cat barn in order to cozy up the place so I had a good reason to browse, as if I needed one. The cats won't care about decorated walls, of course, but I'd like their new home to be a pleasant and fun area to visit. As my friend, Deanna, reminded me over the weekend, the cat barn is my substitute cabin for now and it's probably natural to want to do a little decorating in there. I was fortunate to not only find a few cat-related pieces at the Butter Street Barn, but also a few primitive items and one darling handmade old-quilt bear at a price I could not resist. I've made such bears myself but this one called to me and asked me to take her home. She's now sitting in the parlor on a small antique chair and looks at home there. I went back to the shop on Sunday with the hope of purchasing a quilt bear to display in the sunroom, but the shop was closed. I'll have to wait a whole week to go there again but maybe that will give my wallet time to recover. I must be feeling better since I'm ready to get busy decorating the cat rooms. It's always good to have something to anticipate and enjoy.

WHEN KITTIES ARE HAPPY, MAMA IS HAPPY

It was so good to spend time with my furry ones today. Getting them here took a long time though. Our first goal was to have the barn ready for them before we actually moved into the house. Then Glenn changed his mind (without telling me) and decided we needed to paint and put down flooring inside the house before we worked on the cat area. I'm very grateful he installed wood flooring in the kitchen, guest room, hallways, and bathrooms, but that set us back quite a bit when it came to relocating the cats and made it necessary for me to make twice-daily trips to the former residence to care for them. We kept setting dates for them to be brought here, but we also kept missing those dates. We began this move in mid-July and by New Year's Day, we finally had a few cats here. During this journey we encountered many obstacles, but I don't need to list them. I'm simply happy to have a warm safe place for the cats and to be able to have my whole family come and visit again. My new goal is to keep moving forward and not dwell on all the frustrating things we've experienced. I didn't expect this to be an easy move, and it hasn't been, but we love this house and it's definitely our home now. The cats seem to have adjusted quickly to their new home and I'm able to spend much more time with them. Today I remembered to take my camera to the barn but after two photos, my batteries died. What had begun as a rainy day, turned into a snowy, windy one, so I didn't run back into the house for batteries. After playing with and caring for the cats, I went to Dollar General for a few household items. It's closer than the grocery store, and smaller, so I can get in and out quickly. Since I hadn't done any post-Christmas shopping, I browsed the clearance aisle and found a wonderful set of 5 stacked boxes. The largest one had previously been priced at $5, the next size was $3.50, the next, $3, and the two smallest ones were $2 and $1. I was pleasantly surprised when I learned they were included in the store's 70% off sale. I bought all 5 boxes for $4.35 (not including tax). They'll be perfect for my quaint little sewing room. I'll make vintage-looking labels for them and have great storage for buttons, spools, and notions. I also found some cute cat toys marked 70% off, so the furry ones received new catnip mice and jingle balls tonight. They were so sweet and acted like anxious little children while they waited for me to open the packages. Overall it was a good day for the cats and for me.