jessibud2 WILL read off her own shelves in 2020! - Chapter 5

This will likely be my final thread of the year. I wish I could say the same of the year itself. 2020, can we just hit the delete button?

My reading has not been great this year. I will be lucky to hit 75. Some years are full of great reads; this year, I haven't been as lucky. Just not as many standouts as I've had in other years. Let's blame it on 2020. I just didn't have the concentration and the pile of started-but-not-finished books is testament to that. And I seem to need lighter fare. Oh well....

RIP - Lexi - January (we think) 2000 - September 22, 2020 (that's 96 in people years)

She had a good run, my funny girl. Never meowed until my other cat, Mia, was gone, then she became really vocal and LOUD. Before that, she'd just open her mouth and lip-sync.

Up until this past Sunday, she was really doing well, all things considered. She had tumours on her chest (can cats have breast cancer? that's what it looked like to me), and thyroid issues but the vet was consistently amazed that her blood work kept coming back almost perfect. Lexi and I had our routines together, morning and night. We are both creatures of habit. And she was a real lap cat, a cuddler.

But yesterday, Monday, when I got out of bed, she just stayed there. I had my breakfast, and a shower and she had barely moved. She was suddenly weak and lethargic. She couldn't navigate the 2-step stepstools I have by the bed and her favourite chairs (she was also arthritic). She ate nothing all day and when the same thing happened today, that was my sign. It was time. I called the vet and she gave me, as requested, the last appointment of the day. And thankfully, she said she'd let me come in. Since covid, only the 4-leggeds have been allowed in. The rest of us wait in the car.

Lethargic though she was these last 2 days, she was feisty till the end, needing the vet AND a tech AND and an Elizabethan collar, just to get the IV into her. That's my girl. I miss her already.

I will get 2 more cats but just not yet. I need time to pull myself together first.


Lexi, when she was a sweet young thing, many moons ago.


Lexi (aka Sphinxy) in a sunbeam. In one of her previous lives, she was an Egyptian goddess.

I hate having an empty house.

About a month or so ago, I read The Journey That Saved Curious George and meant to give it a brief review, but forgot. It is subtitled The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H. A. Rey. It almost looks like a children's book but is in fact, a brief timeline history/bio of the creator of Curious George and his wife, as they fled the Nazis to make it to the United States (by way of France, and South America). And yes, they did a lot of their continental travelling by bicycle. It's a fascinating story, in and of itself, but it was interesting to see some elements of their lives that I recognize from the Curious George stories (the man in the yellow hat, the pipe, the bicycle). The book is a combination of archival material, actual photos, journal entries and maps. I really quite enjoyed it and if you were ever a Curious George fan at all, this book fleshes out the back story, giving the reader a glimpse into the true adventures of the writers that their little monkey could never imagine.

Forever Terry: A Legacy in Letters. This past September 1st, 2020, was the 40th anniversary of the date Terry Fox had to stop his Marathon of Hope. The date is etched in my memory because that was the very date I moved to Toronto. Forty years ago. Hard to imagine.

For anyone who isn't familiar with the name Terry Fox, he was a young man, only 22 years old, who had lost a leg to cancer 2 years before. He decided that he wanted to do something to help other kids (and people in general) who were suffering from cancer so he trained and trained and trained until he was strong enough to run. His mission was to run across Canada, collecting one dollar from every Canadian to donate to Cancer research. Somehow he knew that only through research would a cure be found. He lived in Port Coquitlam (where Meg lives!) and he flew to the east coast, dipping his artificial leg into the Atlantic Ocean, then began his run, hoping ultimately to dip it at the end, into the Pacific. He ran through big cities, small towns, along highways, in all kinds of weather, running, unbelievably, a marathon a day (26 miles). At the beginning, there wasn't much fanfare but as his cause became better known, people came out to greet and donate and by the time he reached Toronto, there were large crowds. His brother and best friend accompanied him, in a van, and he often had a police car escort along the highways. His unusual running gait, because of his wooden prosthesis, was iconic, as was the look of determination on his face as he ran through the pain. Sadly, tragically, just outside Thunder Bay, in northwestern Ontario, he had to stop. His cancer had returned and was in his lungs. He flew home for treatment and died a few months later. But his spirit, and his mission, never stopped and to this day, the Terry Fox Run to raise funds for cancer research continues, every Labour Day weekend in cities across Canada and the world. He is by far, the best hero Canada has ever had.

This book was edited by his brother Darrel, and is comprised of letters from a wide variety of people, some of whom knew Terry, met him, some famous, many not, and some of whom weren't even born until long after Terry had died. However, all were inspired by him, by what he accomplished and what he stood for. The idealistic, selfless young man who embodied values most of us can only strive for. It was a lovely read. (there were lots of great photos, too!)

I was hoping to add another review here but the pile of unfinished books seems to be growing so any further reviews will come later down in the thread, whenever that may be. Sigh...

The photos are just lovely. I love the sentiment in >2 jessibud2: about Sphinx being an Egyptian goddess in a previous life. Lexi is so sweet, too with such similar markings to Sphinx.

Sending my thoughts your way, Shelley. It's so tough losing a pet at the best of times, and these pandemic-times are particularly challenging already. Wishing you the best - 💝

I love the photos too. So sorry you’ve lost Lexi.

Sorry to hear Lexi has departed, but sounds like you shared much precious time Shelley. Thank you for sharing the photos, what a gorgeous furry friend.

Happy new thread, Shelley.

Sorry to hear about your loss. xx

Happy new thread, Shelley. I'm so sorry to hear about Lexi. This year will eventually be over. Let's hope that 2021 is much kinder.

Happy New Thread!

Adding my sympathy on the passing of Lexi, Shelley. What a long life she had! Nice photos of Lexi and Sphinx.

Happy new thread Shelley.

I'm so sorry about Lexi. I know you'll figure out the right time for 2 new kitties and realize it's not now.

2020, begone!

Thanks, Sandy, Jim, Caroline, Paul, Meg, Joe and Karen. By the way, Joe and Sandy, *Sphinx* is actually Lexi. She often slept in that pose and I often called her Sphinxy. :-)

Yes, Karen, I know and in fact, I don't think I will wait very long. I will call the Humane Society today or tomorrow and see if they are letting people in (thanks, again, covid). I think now is a good opportunity to do a good deep cleaning of the house, before I bring 2 more shedders in. Having no cats for the moment would work in my favour if I were to go visit my mum again now but the covid numbers both in Quebec and in Ontario are rising at an alarming rate and I don't know that I want to be travelling, or that the managers of where she lives will impose visitor restrictions again. We shall see.

I hope this will come through and be readable. Some lovely tributes to Ruth Bader Ginsburg:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/22/opinion/letters/ruth-bader-ginsburg-memories....

And embedded within this story is a video of today's memorial ceremony at the Supreme Court. It is 30 minutes long; her rabbi speaks at about the 15 minute mark, followed by words from Justice Roberts.

https://www.npr.org/sections/death-of-ruth-bader-ginsburg/2020/09/23/915707061/j...

The covid number's are rising here too, Shelley. It doesn't help that people are getting tired of social distancing and are getting lax about it.

So hard to lose a beautiful long-time companion who did not want to leave you!

Hi Shelley my dear, happy new thread but so sorry for your loss of Lexi. Like you are doing, we took our time after we lost Leo and prior to that we did the same when we lost Patch, the time was right to get a new Fur friend and it feels as if we have had Felix for a lot longer than 8 months.

Sending love and hugs from both of us dear friend.

P.S. Have you had your Nerve Conduction Test yet my dear?

Happy new thread, Shelley.

>1 jessibud2: So sorry for your loss, vale Lexi.

>15 kac522: - Thanks for that, Kathy. I started watching but then a friend brought over some dinner and we ate outside on the patio as it turned warm again today. I will watch the rest shortly.

>16 Familyhistorian: - Yes, Meg. It's going to be a looong winter, isn't it? Did your city do anything special for the 40th anniversary of Terry Fox's run? I reviewed the new book up there in >4 jessibud2:?

>17 m.belljackson: - Thanks, Marianne.

>18 johnsimpson: - Hi John. Thanks. My appointment for the nerve conduction test is next Monday.

>19 FAMeulstee: - Thanks, Anita.

Shelley, I am so very sorry for your loss. My heart goes out to you. Losing a pet is so VERY hard. Big hugs to you my friend.

>21 Whisper1: - Thank you, Linda. It's been a sad few days but I am ok now. It's good to see you back in the fold and I look forward to your posts.

I am so sorry Shelley about Lexi. She sounded like an amazing companion living to 96 human years. That is a lot of time together. Take care and you will know when the time is right to get some kittens. Thanks for posting the pictures. She was a beauty!

>24 mdoris: - Thanks, Mary. I brought her (and Mia) home from the Humane Society in 2003 so she had been with me for 17 years. I have been so lucky that all the cats I've had have lived long.

I spent a few hours today online, looking at cats for adoption at the Humane Society, the Cat Rescue organization, PetSmart Adoption, and a few other places, locally. PetSmart had a pair of littermates, which would be ideal for me, but they are kittens and I want to adopt older cats. I don't have the energy for babies any more! And of course, the adoption fee is considerably less at the Humane Society than elsewhere. The Humane Society has 2 that really appealed to me but one of them is diabetic and needs meds. I will try to get through on the phone tomorrow and see if that means meds as in pills or something or if it means daily injections. I cannot do injections. I once had to try the subcutaneous injections for my previous cat, Buddy, and I just could not do it. A friend came over every other day and did it for me. I won't be going down that road again, if I can avoid it.

There is another that I liked at another place but I am determined to bring in 2 at the same time to avoid the territorial issues. That might take some coordinating. Anyhow, we shall see. First, I have decided that I want to get my house professionally cleaned really well before bringing in more cats. And that will require some homework tomorrow. I have never had anyone clean my house and though I feel ambivalent about it, if it's done once, and well, I think I will feel better about it. I have no idea what such a service costs. I spent some time moving piles of books off the floor and downstairs into the basement (onto shelves). :-) No one would notice but me, of course....

I'm so sorry about Lexi, Shelley. Good luck with the search for new furry friends!

Shelley, you are like me. When Maggie died I was figuring out Loki the next day. Some people need time. I need a dog! So good luck with your investigations. Two at once sounds like a good idea. I can see the need to get an older cat, not a kitten. Good luck!

>26 katiekrug: - Thanks, Katie. I know how hard you looked until you found your pooch!

>27 mdoris: - I actually thought I'd need more time, Mary but I really hate the house without a pet. When my cat Buddy died, I was still teaching and had to wait till summer, when I knew I'd be home full time. That was 3 months. No way that is going to happen now. Covid complicates things a bit as the Humane Society isn't allowing people visits, only through online but you never know. I am getting antsy already.

Well, I did it. I spent half a hour filling out an application at The Humane Society for a 2-year old sweetie. Two years old is not considered a *kitten* in cats and that was the age of Mia when I got her. This one is named Lola but I will change her name if I am successful. Unfortunately, all is done virtually, thanks to covid, no in-person visits, and there is a 2-3 week wait until I hear back from them. But the application is in. I may saunter over to PetSmart later today to view their adoptees. Ideally I wanted to bring two in at the same time but I may not have that luxury this time. Fingers crossed that this goes through.

There is no bio or info on her but she looks sweet, from this one picture: https://www.torontohumanesociety.com/adopt-a-pet/cats/45540066

>29 jessibud2:

You are fortunate to be able to have friends to care for your kitties when you travel!

My daughter and I have no one nearby and so our 21 year old little black cat, Victoria,
will likely be our last pet.

She is perfect, though I also deeply miss the loyalty, love, long walks, greetings at the door, and beauty of all our dogs.

>30 m.belljackson: - Well, funny you should say that. The one friend who used to care for my cats is moving out of the city, on Monday. She lives down the street and also has 2 cats so it was always a reciprocal arrangement. I have another friend, an acquaintance, really, who sometimes helps me with the heavy work in the garden. She also pet-sits. But she lives a good half hour away. Still, it would cost me less to pay her than to board the cats at the vet. With new cats, though, boarding is an option I never wanted for Lexi as she was always incredibly stressed by going there.

Anyhow, one step at a time.

I love dogs, too, and had a sweet one, growing up. But I think I am just more of a cat person. Less labour intensive, too. Lazy me.

>29 jessibud2: She does look a sweetie, Shelley. My downstairs neighbour has a cat called Lola. I always want to burst into the Barry Manilow song...

>32 Caroline_McElwee: - LOL! Caroline, I was just saying to a friend earlier today that I can't hear the name Lola without hearing Barry Manilow! This cutie just doesn't look like a Lola. Too mellow. I already have 2 names picked out, one for a boy and one for a girl. I won't say them yet; I will have to see who I end up with and if the names suit them. I didn't make it to PetSmart today but will go tomorrow for sure.

I am sorry to hear about your cat but am glad that you are on the way to get another!

Shelley, so sorry about Lexi. There is something special, I think, about caring for cats who are old and have medical needs. But what a hole in your heart when they go.

Lola does look very sweet, and not at all like a Lola. More of a Betsy, I would say. We actually have had success introducing new cats to older cats in our household, as long as they are under three, so hopefully it will all work out for you that way. I know other people who have adopted litter mates, or two at once and not had it work; I think the kitties are just all individual and it's kind of luck when they do get along.

Fingers crossed for getting this new cat. Hope it works for you both! Keep us posted!

>I'm reading your thread to cheer myself up. In August I developed sudden onset tinnitus (LOUD) which has no cure and which I'll have for the rest of my life. I knew about Lexi and feel so sorry about your loss of her. It must be so sad to be at home with no cat at all now. You did make me laugh when you said that Lexi could lip-synch. I really needed a laugh. I don't want to talk any more about this Year From Hell so I'll just go on to read your new thread now. {{{Hugs)))

>29 jessibud2: I'm back! Lola looks just like my daughter-in-law's cat Sasha! You should definitely get her. Fingers crossed! :D

Happy new thread!

Sorry about your loss, Lexi was a real beauty.

And success in looking for a new cat! Adopting two seems like a good idea, a cat needs some company as well. And I do think younger cats can learn to get along. Can you ask how she gets along with other cats? Or are all cats kept alone (she does look a bit lonely in that photo).

Thank you, Cyrel, Rhonda and Ella. And hi, Mary and Madeline.

My previous 2 cats, Jessie and Buddy (of my LT name fame) were littermates. They were born under a friend's bed, 2 of a litter of 5, and he was eager for them to be adopted out. I took those 2 home at 5 weeks ( bit early, I know, but it worked out just fine) and they lived to 17 and 18, respectively. No issues with that. Mia and Lexi were unrelated and the people at the Humane Society were initially reluctant to have me adopt them together but I persisted and it took only one week for them to be sleeping and grooming each other. They were 2 and 3 years old at the time. I don't really have concerns about adopting 2 now but I would really like it to be at the same time. I am realizing, though, that Lola might not work out as I don't want to wait so long, and that's just for the interview. If I could get through to a human on the phone there, I might just beg a little. She looks just perfect. There was no info on her, though, as there was for a few of the other cats I saw on their web page. The info for others did say if they did well with other cats, dogs, or children, and what their personalities were like. It helps, knowing that sort of thing. I don't know why no one put any info there. She had been at the shelter for a only a week when I looked at the page so maybe it was too soon for them to know. Anyhow, I will head over to PetSmart later today and see if anyone is waiting for me there.

>37 SqueakyChu: - Madeline, I am so sorry about the tinnitus. I can't imagine. Have you tried pinching your nostril closed, while keeping your lips closed then *blowing*, to pop the ears? That sometimes helps me but my tinnitus isn't too bad or noticeable much, except at night when it's quiet.

I agree about this year being from HELL. The (only) good news is that it's closer to the end than the beginning.

Hang in there, my friend.

"Lola" looks a beauty. The way she's curled in a bare cage, though... would that just be for the photo? It's so stark.
I love the grey colouring, too. I hope it works out for you.

40. No. i'd be scared to try that. I don't want to do any more physical damage to myself! One thing that has helped twice so far is to lie down at night and try to concentrate on a book that can be read line by line without the need to remember anything. I've been doing that with To Be a Jew, a book my husband used as a reference prior to his conversion to Judaism. I don't know if it's the relaxation or something that stimulates a different portion of the brane, but it worked last night after about twelve straight hours of blasting tinnitus. Today it's just soft noise which is bearable. *sigh* We'll see what the future brings. I can only handle one minute at a time these days. I hope your future includes two cats! :D

>20 jessibud2: Hi Shelley, looks like Port Coquitlam had a virtual Home Town Run and special 40th anniversary swag to mark the occasion.

Good luck with the cat adoption. Fingers crossed that something works for you soon.

Sorry to hear about your cat. Good luck with the cat adoption. May the perfect cat for your home come along soon :)

>44 figsfromthistle: - Hi Anita, and Meg, thanks. It will happen, just not as fast as I want, I think.

A bit of a goose chase kind of day. I went to PetSmart but instead of the full cages, they only had the 2 littermates I was told about on the phone. They are too young for me, barely a year old. However, the lady there told me to try another PetSmart. They also only had kittens. She gave me the name of the Cat Rescue place where they get their cats for the adoption centre. I will call them Monday. I also stopped at Pet Valu, a smaller pet supply shop chain that also often has cats for adoption from a shelter. They had suspended this during covid but might be starting up soon. They also gave me a name and number to call.

Did some gardening while the weather is still good. Only another day or possibly 2 of this weather then the rain comes and a drop in temps. I got one potted plant into the ground and will do the other tomorrow. I had 3 but I discovered this afternoon that a squirrel had destroyed the third one. Dug up the pot and ripped and/or chewed the leaves. Damn rodents.

I watched an excellent documentary film on tv about Jane Goodall and am now going to read before I turn out the light.

>42 SqueakyChu: Sorry to but in on this, but I think I can explain a bit how this could work: when you focus your attention on something that bothers you, like the tinnitus sound, you unwantedly are telling your brain that it is important. Your brain than starts amping up the volume of that signal. Making it even more annoying. So doing the opposite, focussing on something different, distracting yourself, can really help.
I don't have tinnitus, but I am very sensitive to noises, and this explanation has made sense to me in the past.

>46 EllaTim: - There is something to this, to a degree. My tinnitus isn't too bothersome during the day when I am busy with other things and there is plenty of daily outside noise, but at night, when all around me is quiet, it seems to really ramp up to a loud droning or sometimes, a whistling. I guess there is nothing else to drown it out. But when it's loud, it's hard to distract myself from it so I can only imagine how awful that is, and how difficult it would be, for a situation like Madeline's, where it is constant and sudden.

>46 EllaTim: I was thinking that's how it works. Thanks for your input! It's almost like when the dental assistant taps on your arm while the dentist is doing the analgesia injection. Its hard to focus on two different sensations at the same time. I'm guessing the brain must be like that as well.

My biggest problem so far is that when it amps up to be louder than all other sounds, it becomes increasingly hard to focus on other things. Reading is especially hard these days. Sometimes I'm just reading paragraphs a day instead of chapters. I've always loved to read, and this inability to focus on books (for more than one reason) makes me so sad.

>47 jessibud2: My tinnitus is very weird. I can go all day with just soft sounds, or twelve hours straight with loud roaring, or only two hours in the evening with loud roaring. I never know when it will ramp up or down. It seems unrelated to anything! I guess as time goes by. I'll develop a way to deal with it. My audiologist also has it. She told me to think of it as a friend. I don't. I curse at it all the time!

On another note, sometimes it sounds like Niagara Falls (and I mean LOUD), and that reminds me of my trip to Canada...so it's not all bad. :D

Sure wish Lola would work out - it looks like she needs a Friend.

>48 SqueakyChu: It must be hard, when you can't read anymore, that is bad. I know that tinnitus has this element of psychology as I heard someone who also suffered from it badly talk about doing a psychological treatment for it, that really helped him. I hope you find some relief!

>47 jessibud2: I'm pretty sensitive to noises, and the last couple of years there has been an air-conditioning unit on the roof that was causing vibrations through the whole of the apartment. It was always worst at night, when I want to sleep. It's partly the relaxation and lack of distraction. I'm now completely addicted to those YouTube white noise, or sleep music tracks. They help me not to start listening to noises, they are muffling any sounds from the outside. But it isn't the same as having to deal with tinnitus.

>2 jessibud2: Sweet Lexi. I know you are heartbroken. And take your time on the next kittens. It took us about a year to want a new cat after we lost Abby; you'll know when it's time. ❤️

>48 SqueakyChu: - Mine, while nowhere as severe as yours is turning out to be, often always suddenly changes. I could be doing nothing in particular and I suddenly hear a *click* and it turns into a loud whistle or hum. Then it gradually diminishes (until the next time).

>49 m.belljackson: - I am going to call later today and see if they might be willing to allow me in or to speed things up. A friend of mine who lives 2 hours out of Toronto, sent me a link to the Humane Society in her area. It's much smaller than Toronto's, of course, but they have some cats for adoption and I saw 2 there who look great. And they are allowing visits, by appointment. The rub, though, is that I am not a good highway driver and I won't drive all the way there and back unless I can convince a local friend to come with me. Anyhow, I have a busy day ahead so while nothing might happen in my search today, I have a feeling that by the end of this week, I might be closer to *something*!

>51 EllaTim: - I have never tried anything like that, Ella, though I have heard of white noise machines. Someone once told me that one of the options on those machines was nature sounds and one of the sounds was water, like a gently running stream. I don't think that would work for me - I'd probably have to run to the bathroom if I listened to that all night!

>52 EBT1002: - Hi Ellen. Oh, I could never wait that long! The three months I had to wait before adopting Lexi and Mia, after my last cat died, was already painfully long. But I was still teaching back then (2003) and I wanted/needed to wait till summer break when I could be home full time. Lexi hasn't been gone a full week yet and I can't stand the empty, quiet house. I NEED cats! I am hoping to narrow the search this week. Covid is playing a big part in messing things up in this respect, too. Of course it is.

Happy Newish Thread, Shelley. Sorry to hear about Lexi. Sue still misses her cuddle buddy Riley and that was several months ago all ready. I hope you are doing well, my friend.

>54 msf59: - Hi Mark. Thanks. It's never easy, saying goodbye. Will you get another dog, do you think?

Well, after countless hours online, I have narrowed my list down to 2 shelters, 2 cats in each of them. I am not waiting up to 5 weeks for someone to get back to me about Lola, sadly. It breaks my heart but it ain't gonna happen.

There is a plus and minus for each of these shelters. I am not going to ask for a vote, because ultimately, I know I will have to make up my own mind, but if you are interested in having a peek, here's what I'm up against. For financial reasons, I decided not to look at any with medical problems.

Shelter #1 - These 2 are a bonded pair, and both are males, 5 years old, friendly and easy-going. Their names, Wally and Creamsicle, would obviously need to be changed:
https://etobicokehumanesociety.com/cats-for-adoption/ (4th row down, on the right. The pic of them together is adorable)

Shelter #2: https://www.northtorontocatrescue.com/adopt/rescue-pets/ Kody and Sabrina.
6th row down, on the right and 10th row down on the left. Both shy but that will change.
Both of these are 2 years old.

Sigh. Choices, choices, choices.....

>56 jessibud2: Kody and Sabrina have my vote. Kody is gorgeous, and I'm partial to black cats. I'm not a big fan of red/orange cats. Shy cats need a quiet loving home...as yours would be. Have I convinced you?! Youth is in their favor as well. Bring them home soon! :D

So sorry about Lexi, Shelley. It's so hard to lose our fur family members. I do like the boys.

>56 jessibud2: Choices, indeed.

I would find it difficult without physically visiting the cats, but I can understand how unworkable that must be in these pandemic times.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and the potential felines you've considered. best wishes for a good match.

Hi Shelley!

Good luck on the kitty front.

Well, I just submitted my application for Kody and Sabrina. Hopefully, I will hear something soon. I am most partial to tabbies and torties/calicos. But I am open to whatever. If this doesn't work out, I will apply for the next ones. I just really want my house not to be empty and quiet any more. Thanks for all your comments.

>61 jessibud2: Yay!

Oh, I sure hope your application is accepted!

>61 jessibud2: Good luck with your moggie adoptions Shelley.

Adding my wishes for good luck in adopting Kody and Sabrina, Shelley.

Sure hope the adoptions work and not sure if Canada has advanced past this consideration,
but, in Wisconsin, when we tried to adopt a cat in October 20 years ago,
we were told by Vet that both pet and Humane societies
frequently do not allow cat adoptions before Halloween.

>62 SqueakyChu:, >63 mdoris:, >64 Caroline_McElwee:, >65 jnwelch:, >67 m.belljackson: - Thanks, Madeline, Mary, Caroline, Joe and Marianne. I am expecting tonight to be my last night alone in the house and that tomorrow, I will have company. I plan to change their names, not that there is anything wrong with Kody or Sabrina, just that I like to choose my own names.

Marianne, I haven't heard that particular bit before but I can certainly understand why they might be wary. I would think they would look at the adopters, though, and not the calendar. One of the 2 I will be bringing home tomorrow is a black cat. I have never had a black cat before but though I have a friend who has always had black cats. This little one looks lovely and delicate. I hope they don't take too long to get over their shyness. Update tomorrow.

My reading has been down the tubes lately. Absolutely zero concentration. I am actually reading a good book right now, I just can't seem to read for more than 15 minutes at a shot. I hate when that happens but there is a lot going on here in my life at the moment (not just the cats!) so it's really no wonder. Hopefully, that too will change soon.

>68 jessibud2:

Well, that's really good adoption news!

20 years ago, Victoria was a little black cat that we applied to adopt at Pet Smart.

Hope today's U.S. politics has brought you some relief - here in Wisconsin,
many (hopefully a voting majority) are thrilled,
along with our Governor
who asked that he NOT come here,
that Saturday's planned virus spreading will NOT be taking place in Wisconsin.

I am glad you are pursuing another cat to bring to your home. When my sheltie Simon died ten years ago, Will and I sobbed and sobbed. He could not be in the room when the vet was putting Simon to sleep.

I wanted another sheltie right away, he argued that we would have to find someone to watch the dog when we traveled. Three months later, I found a wonderful breeder on line. We visited her. She had two liters of Shetland Sheep dogs. She was very careful regarding who she chose to obtain a puppy.
We visited three times. We could not pick the puppy, but she wisely gave us our Lilly. Based on the fact that Will was retired, and Lilly was quite a devilish puppy, we brought her home.

I've often thanked the breeder for her keen sense of matching us with Lilly.

Good luck, and I truly do know how hard it is to lose a pet.

>68 jessibud2: Exciting news going forward with your cat-adoption plans. I hope you are with moggie-company forthwith.

There are many jurisdictions in Canada that have the October restriction in place. Which adoption agencies use it depends (iiuc) on previous history. I've never adopted from the humane society, but our neighbour has done so and says there is simply foot-dragging for October adoptions in our local Cat-rescue organization. Presumably you would have been told upfront about any such delays.

>69 m.belljackson: My worry about this Coronavirus infection in #45 is that Biden might have caught. I could *not* understand why the masks were not mandatory. But then, from what I heard, the whole debate was a shambles. Why didn't they just suspend transmitting and turn off the mikes? Too permissive by far.

>69 m.belljackson: - I tried 3 different Humane Society locations and 2 different PetSmart locations. This one, where I am going tomorrow, is called the North Toronto Cat Rescue. They rescue cats from the streets or bad situations and nurture them back to health until they can be adopted and if not, they keep them. It's a no-kill shelter. They have a lot of cats and it stinks when you walk in (I was there once as I donated a bunch of things to them) but they do good work and I think I just got lucky this time.

>70 Whisper1: - I understand 100% what you and Will went through, Linda. I have gone through this with 4 cats and one dog. It's the price of loving. And I will do it again. I have to have animals in my life. Period.

>71 SandyAMcPherson: - Sandy, I just heard that Biden and his wife have tested negative. So, at least that. So much talk on the radio about this latest news. I won't lie, I was not unhappy. I generally don't wish ill on anyone, ever, but this man is evil, plain and simple and frankly, it couldn't happen to a more deserving guy. So, there, I've said it. But I am hearing a lot that people are either doubting that it's true or are scared about if he comes out of it unscathed, what his messaging will be going forward. He's nothing if not a master at distraction, being a con, and outright lying. Who the hell knows. It's a disaster, whichever way it turns out. And sadly, it matters.

2020 just keeps on giving.....

I just saw this, that the famous 80s show, Spitting Image is back on the air, although, sadly, only on the Britbox specialty channel. I LOVED that show back in the 80s.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/entertainment/news/trump-and-johnson-face-rubber-ridic...

I think they got t-Rump's mouth wrong, though. I think it would have been better to have it as the gaping fish-mouth that he usually sports. I wonder if the fingers open and close, as his do all the time (forming the sign language letters *d* and an open version of *f*, though I am quite sure he is unaware of that).

>68 jessibud2: Congratulations, Shelley! That is very exciting news. When we got our kitties in December, they were named Dreamsicle and Sherbet (ugh. Clever, but just ugh.) We changed them as soon as we could think of good names that all three of us liked.

Just this morning, from the slightly darker side: "Our thoughts and prayers go with the virus."

>74 karenmarie: - Hi Karen. The other pair that I nearly went with from a different shelter were named Creamsicle and Wally. One was black and the other was orange and white. I have never had either type of cat but if the ones I am bringing home today had not been available, I would have been happy with those two. They were sweet. But in the end, I am thrilled with these. I have always been drawn to tabbies and Kody is a silver tabby. My friend will be here shortly, we will have something to eat and leave after that.

>75 m.belljackson: - Marianne, I have not even turned on the radio today. I have been busy cat-proofing my house, trying to remove anything that might be too enticing to a 2-year old cat. I had become complacent with my old seniors, who were well past the *exploring* stage of life. As for your comment, well, *snerk*. I am trying hard to keep my nasty comments to myself. My mother always taught me that if I don't have anything nice to say, better to just not say anything. Very difficult these days, though......very difficult.....

>76 jessibud2:

To stay with your positive Mother, you might not want to open any recent sites by having-a-field-day cartoonists!

Looking forward to Cats in the New Forever Home photographs...

What a day. I came home with 2 cats but not the 2 I originally thought. The silver tabby, yes. But he is extremely shy and is currently hiding behind a cabinet in the living room. I do hope he comes out to eat soon. Or to at least use the litter box.

The black one was not really ready, far too skittish, wouldn't let you touch her. And she had been there nearly a year. See, this is why a photo on a website isn't really enough. I spent nearly 2 hours there, looking at various cats. Instead, I am now cat mom to a very affectionate male orange tabby with amber coloured eyes. Really pretty. His name is Henry but he may become Theo. As for silver Kody (aka Owen), I have to let him grow into a name. It will be an interesting night ahead...

Oh, and did I mention that Theo is actually a kitten? I doubted it at first, as he is rather large for a kitten, and very chill and calm. He is almost 2 so his kittenhood shouldn't last too much longer. Am I crazy? There was another gorgeous one, but she was far too *active* for me. Hard to turn away, though. But he has been exploring everything and the minute I sat down on the couch, he was all over me, purring, cuddling, rubbing his face against mine, kneading my chest. I think a mani-pedi appointment is in his immediate future, like maybe tonight or tomorrow. I will see if he lets me. He has nibbled at his food, in between exploring. I have to really watch the doors as he loves trying to escape. I have already made an apptmt with my vet for Tues. I hope she can microchip him then. I may postpone taking Owen as I may not be able to get him into the carrier. We shall see. Theo has already made himself at home on Lexi's chair next to me at the computer. Photos to follow at some point.

I had spent the morning cat-proofing by trying to remove things that may be too tempting. I can see I have barely scratched the surface. I have forgotten how vigilant I need to be with brand new cats. I wonder how I will sleep tonight - or more importantly, how they will And where.....

Edited to add that yes, I think I see how he is still a kitten. Extremely playful and energetic. Hard-to-type-on-the-computer energetic....

Theo sounds awesome! Orange tabbies are great. I bet Owen will settle in nicely, with a little time.

Shelley, I like your mom's approach and quite shocked at the ill wishes out there. Actually appalled.

Very best wishes with your 2 new family members. How exciting for you and it will be wonderful to read the stories as they unfold.

Meet the kids:

Owen, still wary. I hope he comes out soon:


Theo, wasting no time making himself right at home. I want to try to get a shot with his eyes open. He has amazing eyes:

>79 banjo123:, >80 mdoris: - Thanks Rhonda and Mary. He is exhausting me already. I think I am crazy to get a cat who is still a kitten. I swore I wouldn't, but I couldn't resist. He is Mr. Personality, that's for sure.

Shelley, they're gorgeous. You, Ellen, and I have all gotten orange tabbies recently.

Congrats on your new kitties! You'll have some fun days ahead--aii three of you getting acquainted with each other. Enjoy!!

They are GORGEOUS!!!

>81 jessibud2: Congratulations, Shelley, they both look great.
I hope Owen settles soon.

What beautiful new residents Shelley. I look forward to tails of too..

Congratulations Shelley, two beautiful cats. I am glad one of the two is already so much at home and so affectionate. But Owen is a beauty as well.

Thanks Karen, Madeline, Mary, Anita, Caroline, Ella. The good news is that I was able to sleep through the night without hearing a single crash anywhere. Theo slept next to me for a few minutes at a time, in between his prowling and exploring but did no damage so all is good. Owen wasn't in his 2 regular hiding places from yesterday but I found him on a chair seat, tucked under the dining table. He is at least using the litter box, but I can't tell if he is eating from his bowl or if it's Theo, double dipping. This may take awhile.

Congratulations!

No crashes and occasional snuggle time from Theo aren't to be sneezed at. I kept our two newbies locked in the utility room at night with the kitty condo, food, water, and a box for 2 weeks or so until we could trust them out at night. Several weeks later I figured out that Zoe had been chewing on my plants. Fortunately no damage to her and the plants are now mostly in the Library.

Have fun today!

>91 karenmarie: - Other than the basement, I don't really have a room where I could isolate them, Karen. I will just have to watch them carefully. I continue to put things away as I realize that the less there is to appeal to Theo, the better. And OMG. I just looked carefully at his paperwork. He is not almost 2 years old. He is 9 MONTHS old!! EEK. I saw and read so many info sheets at the shelter yesterday, I clearly wasn't paying attention. Oh well. He's here to stay now. This is already HIS home, he's made that much clear.

I can't find Owen at the moment. He may be under my bed.

Did I mention that not only is Theo feeling at home, but he actually let me clip his nails on both front paws yesterday, and I did the back ones this morning. He's not even here 24 hours yet! I couldn't believe it! It took me months and years to get Lexi to that point! lol And yes, his claws are those very kitten-like razor sharp and thin ones. He's a kitten alright.

>90 torontoc: - Thanks, Cyrel. His energy will either kill me or keep me young

Poor Owen looks like he is Not Ready for change!

A full house is a happy house.

Happy new week ahead.

A wildly striped and lively happy KITTY and a reluctant, yet loving, beautiful CAT - you have A Full New Life!

They are both beautiful, Shelley!

>94 richardderus: - Thanks, Richard. Theo may be my new exercise regime. He is a bundle of energy and I am indeed chasing him a lot. But yes, the house is no longer quiet and empty and that was my goal. As for Owen, he will come around. I am trying to give him his space and lots of time. He's a cat. Things need to happen on his terms.

>95 m.belljackson:, >96 katiekrug: - Thanks, Marianne and Katie.

>81 jessibud2: Congrats! Quite cute they are! We had a stray cat arrive last year and it took three or so weeks till it did not run and hide. It takes time and depends on it's previous environment.

98 - Thanks, Anita. Well, the good news is that Owen came out about 15 minutes ago. He won't let me approach but he is out from under the bed and that's a start. I talked to him but didn't try to get close. The other good news is that of course, being the kitten that he is, Theo ran after him but there was no hissing or meowing or anything and Owen didn't go back into hiding. I take it all as a good sign and am now letting him explore as he gathers his courage and begins to trust us.

The bad news is that I seem to be having difficulty remembering to use the correct pronouns. I keep referring to them as *she* and *good girl*. They are both boys, but I have had only female cats since 2003. Old dog, new tricks, etc....

>99 jessibud2: I don't think Theo and Owen care about "she" and "good girl", just silly humans worry about that ;-)

>99 jessibud2: what >100 FAMeulstee: said

>100 FAMeulstee: - You are right, Anita. In fact, just to prove how silly humans are, I have always called my cats, when talking to them *puppy girl* or *puppy boy*. Because I had a dog growing up, long before I ever had cats, and it just felt natural.

:-)

>71 SandyAMcPherson: Sandy, the presidential debate was a fiasco. Trump interrupted incessantly, leading Biden to break his vow not to be brought down in the mud slinging.

To his credit, Biden looked at the camera, addressed his plans for the future, while trying to block out Trump. Finally, he grew so weary of the yelling, he said to Trump, "Will you shut up, Man!"

>99 jessibud2: Congratulations on your new pet! It seems as though he is gradually learning his environment. I am so delighted!

>104 Whisper1: - Thanks, Linda. I adopted 2 cats (see >81 jessibud2:) but Theo, the orange kitten, is the bold one. Owen is still very shy and hopefully, will emerge one of these days for good. I just have to let him decide when, on his terms.

Hi, Shelley. I hope you had a good weekend. I have started my annual junco watch. They should be arriving for the winter soon. You asked me up there, if we have any plans on getting a new dog. I do not want one but Sue would. I like the freedom, of going places and not having to worry about someone looking after the pooch. I prefer going over to my daughter's house, and enjoying her dogs and then coming home. Grins...

We had one cat, Magic, who was a puppy cat - if we were outside he'd run ahead of us, wait for us to catch up and run ahead again.

I'm glad to hear that Owen is getting more comfortable.

>81 jessibud2: Charming. Theo looks much like a cat we had some 40 years ago now...
The silver-tabby is beautiful. I hope it doesn't take too long before he feels less afraid.

Hi again Shelley.
I have been cruising other threads this afternoon and saw (https://www.librarything.com/topic/324306#7279545) that you have pigeon problems at the feeder.

We had large bird invasions at our platform feeder and switched to a round satellite feeder filled with oil sunflower seeds. The large birds like jays and magpies, can't cling on this style of feeder. Does restrict the type of bird at the feeder, but the ground feeders like Juncos and finches seem happy to glean whatever falls.

Some places call these globe feeders and sell a tubular feeder inside a wire globe (cage). The cage spaces are wide enough that the birds aren't intimidated to go in to the seeds. Anything bigger than a robin (thrush) can't fit. Would keep the squirrels out, too.

Hi Sandy,

I once had a tube feeder inside a round plastic cage. It worked for awhile for the birds but the small red squirrels just chewed through the plastic and that was that.

This is my feeder: https://www.urbannaturestore.ca/brome-squirrel-buster-classic/. I get a really lovely variety of visitors, from sparrows, red-breasted nuthatches, house finches, gold finches, chickadees, hairy and downy woodpeckers, and my trusty cardinal pair who are the first to arrive in the morning and last to visit at night. I also get the occasional blue jays and that's fine too, I love them. The gray and black squirrels, as well as the smaller red ones, and mourning doves usually take care of whatever little does end up on the ground.

I use sunflower hearts, which is the seed, no shells, little to no spillage.

I have no idea where the pigeons came from and although they are not known for their intelligence, they sure seem to remember my address. I am quite discouraged.

I actually took the feeder in a few hours ago because it was very windy here and the whole shebang, feeder and baffle, flew right off the hook. Of course, that little mishap dumped a big amount of seeds on the grass. I scooped up as much as I could but just heaved a big sigh and said, go at it.

>108 SandyAMcPherson: - Owen, my silver tabby, is getting braver. He is out and about now and they chase each other a lot, no hissing. He even sleeps on my bed but only during the day. He won't let me come close enough to touch him yet. But I have confidence it will happen hopefully sooner rather than later.

>110 jessibud2: Re Owen and shyness, you know EBT 1002, Ellen , right?

On her thread awhile back, she mentioned Carson, her new cat, being like that. Carson seemed to take months and months to acclimatise but is now as bonded as can be.
On Ellen's 8th thread, the toppers are so heart-warming, assuming you like the cat on your head and shoulders whilst reading in bed!

Re the plastic cage around the feeders, the ones I've seen had a sturdy wire to enclose the feeders. Maybe we can hope the pigeons lose interest over the winter.

>111 SandyAMcPherson: - LOL! I just posted a question to Ellen, asking how long Carson took to come out. She said he took 22 days! In that respect I am lucky with Owen as he emerged after 24 hours. But he still won't let me close enough to even touch him. That may take awhile and I have to let him do it on his own schedule. However, I can't get him microchipped until I can get him into the carrier. Oh well. As for my other one, Theo, he has made me his personal cat tree. He has been on my shoulders and head from day one. It's quite endearing. None of any other cats I've had has ever done that. Maybe it's a thing with ginger tabbies, who knows?

Do pigeons migrate? I hope so

Enjoying the cat chronicles here, Shelley! They sure do make life interesting, don't they?

Thanks, Roni. I will try to upload and post more pics tomorrow. For now, the tv calls.... (the debate)

New residents update:

Theo, of the amber eyes:

Owen, coming out of his shell, slowly but surely:

>115 jessibud2: Beautiful pix, even if friendliness not yet fully realised by Mr. Liquid Silver.

>115 jessibud2: Such sweeties. Glad Owen is slowly adapting. It will be worth your patience I'm sure Shelley. Theo looks like he is thinking 'OK, what next Mom'.

Thanks, Sandy and Caroline. Theo is ALWAYS thinking about what's next. He is endless energy. Until he flops down to snooze wherever he is. At this moment, I think he is trying to shred my shower curtain liner. It's a thick one so he has his work cut out for him.

For reasons we may never know, Owen had his trust taken away from him.

Theo is helping him to see what life can be like when you are fully loved and accepted!

>119 m.belljackson: - That's the goal, Marianne. We are working on it. It's only been 5 days since I brought them home, hard to believe!

Wow! Two cats. Double communication! All good wishes to acclimating them to their new ennviroment.

Great photos!

Congratulations on your gorgeous new furry pals Theo and Owen, Shelley. Wow, you were right about Theo's eyes. I suspect Owen gradually got convinced it's safe, and that you and Theo seemed to be having a good time. Thanks for the photos.

Way back when, one of our cats, Grace, hid under our clawfoot bathtub for days at the start. That was an impressive feat, as she was large, and there wasn't that much space. Unfortunately, we eventually found out that both my wife and daughter were allergic, and had to give them away. (The cats, I mean!). Up until a couple of years ago, our daughter insisted that they were still alive on the farm they went to, and wouldn't hear otherwise. I think they must've set a new feline longevity record.

Now she has a hypoallergenic dog, Indy.

Hi Shelley!

>115 jessibud2: and >120 jessibud2: Wonderful kitty pics. Owen will come around - at least he hangs out on the bed and lets Theo near him.

Try this with your new cats...
https://www.sciencealert.com/you-can-build-a-rapport-with-your-cat-by-blinking-r...

>121 Whisper1:, >122 torontoc:, >124 karenmarie: - Thanks, Linda Cyrel and Karen. Each day brings more fun. It may take awhile till Owen gets comfy enough to allow me to touch him. He will probably always be a nervous boy but if we can get to that point, however long it takes, I will be happy. He has definitely come a decent way in the one week he's been here. That's ok.

>123 jnwelch: - Glad you clarified that, Joe, about who you had to give away! LOL. I have a friend who also always has a hypoallergenic dog (and cat) because of allergies. The dogs she has are always standard poodles, and the cats, those hairless Rexes (which are the weirdest looking things EVER, if you ask me, but regardless, it allows her to have pets, which she loves).

>125 SqueakyChu: - Thanks for that article, Madeline. In fact, I have been doing this for years. Nice to have it confirmed!

Yesterday, I went to a pharmacy, looking to find one that had the flu shot. The vaccine arrived in town on Monday and apparently, by Wednesday, most places were out. I sure hope I can get the shot before I get the flu! Anyhow, the pharmacy has a section for magazines and books. You know I always take that route to the pharmacy counter or post office when I go in. And, not really looking for anything, there it was: the new book by Kamala Harris, The Truths We Hold. It was in paperback and 25% off the cover price so I bought it. I plan to start it this weekend but I also got notice (finally!) from the library that Hamnet is on its way to my branch. I'd been waiting for this one for some time.

A side note coincidence to the Kamala Harris item is that in this week's New York Times, there is a newsletter I subscribe to called the *Canada Letter*. The columnist is the Canadian correspondent for the paper and this week, he writes about Harris's 3 years she, her sister and mother spent in Montreal. Kamala went to high school there. I knew this but it was interesting to have a closer peek into that time of her life:

https://www.nytimes.com/section/world/canada?campaign_id=50&emc=edit_cnda_20...

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/05/world/canada/kamala-harris-montreal.html

What great articles regarding Kamala Harris. I thought that while both she and Pence did not directly answer questions, her spunky personality shone through. She has a lot of self confidence.

Good luck finding a place where you can obtain the flu shot.

Lucky you, lucky Owen and Theo. They are gorgeous and you must be having lots of fun with them.

I got a flu shot this week at my local Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacy.I registered online and I was notified when the pharmacy got the flu vaccines delivered- I went when the store opened at 8.

>130 torontoc: - I also registered online got my code and when I called to see if I needed to make an appointment they told me they were all out. I called several Shoppers in the area and all were out. If 7 days passes I will need to register again. I have always gone to the local walk-in clinic in previous years but I am not sure I am comfortable with that now. If I can't get it at Shoppers though, I may go that route. I just want to get the shot!

One of my friend's doctor called and said that she was doing a " drive by" flu shot clinic. I think that Shoppers will get more vaccine- my brother got his on Tuesday night- when I checked online- every store was out but they did get more a day later. I went at 8 am when the store opened.

>132 torontoc: - One pharmacist told me yesterday to call on Monday (yes, they are open but for shorter hours) and to expect to wait. No problem, I'll have a book with me to read!

>129 mdoris: - Hi, Mary. I missed you up there. How is Loki doing, by the way? Haven't seen an update on your thread, unless I missed it.

All clinics are still open for business as usual here save for social distancing rules. Malaysia has a good system of 24 hour private clinics which attend to the basics very well and at a reasonable price.

Have a lovely weekend, Shelley.

Oh and by the way Happy Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving, Shelley!

I'm getting my flu shot tomorrow, IF they have the 65-and-older vaccine available. If not, I'll keep checking with them until they do. I'd get it at the pharmacy, but my Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Plan and our local pharmacy aren't working together. If I got it there, I'd pay the $100+. At my doctor's office, it's free to me.

Good luck getting the flu shot ASAP.

>137 karenmarie: - Good luck, Karen. Here, the flu shot is free but right now, demand seems to be exceeding supply. I will keep trying, though.

Just went through an hour of thunder up and down the stairs and through the house, as the *boys* have their high energy time. But it tired them out and both are now sleeping. I am a bit nervous about leaving to go to dinner at a friend's tomorrow. For the first few days, I didn't leave the house. Then I started going out for short periods trying to increase the time each day, and choosing different times of day. I am invited for an early dinner tomorrow. We will be only the three of us, each of us living alone, so it should be fine. We three friends have a sort of tradition of getting together for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We all used to teach together and only one is still teaching. Two of us have no family in the city so it's nice to have this tradition.

It's a bright sunny day here so I will be heading out for a walk soon.

Happy Thanksgiving, Shelley!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday, Shelley.

Hi Shelley my dear, Happy Thanksgiving dear friend.

Beautiful cats! and happy thanksgiving.

Thanks, Katie, Ella, Richard, John and Rhonda.

Such handsome additions to your home, Shelley. Enjoy your dinner get together and Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

SOS! Is anyone here on yahoo? If so, are you having log in issues today? Since last night, when I first saw their *update* announcement, I have had problems. All my passwords that had been saved are gone and I am required to log in each and every time. I also used to toggle between my 2 yahoo accounts. Now, I can't. They send a so-called key code to one account that is supposed to allow me to access the other one but the code is not being accepted. I tried 3 times, different codes each time, none accepted.

There is no such thing as a help desk at yahoo. They have a set script and if your question doesn't fit the script, you are out of luck. I learned that many years ago. However, out of frustration right now, I tried again. I tried the live chat. I explained what was happening. 4 times, I got the exact same reply which was not an answer. I could sign up for a live help but to do that, I have to pay. That is ludicrous.

I hate yahoo when this happens. Thankfully, it hasn't happened a lot over the years but when it does there is nothing to be done. The thought of ditching yahoo and migrating to another email is more than I can contemplate right now. I'd lose so many files and pictures stored in my email.

The one saving grace is that I can access the one account from my cell phone and this account I use most of the time seems to be the one I can get into (at this moment, anyhow.)

Just wondered if anyone else was experiencing this.

I just checked my yahoo.ca account and I had no problem signing in. ( I use it for all the stores that request my email- so this is my secondary one)

Well, 20 minutes on the phone with my computer guy and all is fixed and running as it should. I swear, if he ever leaves the planet, I am screwed.

He had to go into settings and reset some stuff. I think it had something to do with some updates we did the other day, and not necessarily yahoo alone. Already more than I understand. I think he takes pity on my ignorance.

:-)

I just finished a book that had been on my shelf for at least 20 years, maybe longer. It has a funny title but it's really a fascinating look at growing up deaf. What's That Pig Outdoors by Henry Kisor, is a memoir by a man who became deaf as a result of meningitis, at age 3 (a cousin of mine's son also went deaf from this disease but much younger, at 18 months). Henry grew up being taught speech only (no sign language) by an amazing woman who I had to google as there is very little known about her, as far as I can tell. He also had a gift for lip reading. I will link to this article I found, rather than recreate a review of my own. The article is from 1990, the same year the book was published. I will say that I was amused by his descriptions (remember the year!) of how the *new* technologies were helping him to connect to the broader world, though he really did manage remarkably well, given the circumstances. He was a book editor and columnist for a Chicago newspaper and later went on to write more books of his own. He writes very well and this was a delightful book to read, a real insight into deafness from the inside, as well as a reflection of the times.

https://people.com/archive/whats-that-pig-outdoors-a-journalist-explores-the-hum...

Last night, I started the Kamala Harris book. Can't wait to sit down and really dive in.

I am not usually awake at this time In fact, I was awake at 3:30 a.m. No insomnia, just the inevitable happened. A crash in the night. Lots of dirt on the floor and a broken plant, but miraculously, the ceramic pot it was in did not break. Let's just say, I'm awake now.... Later today will bring a big re-think and likely re-organization of plant placement around the house. Young cats are very different than senior cats, that's for sure.

It's been years since I had a young cat in the house but I don't remember having to get up in the middle of the night due to crashes or shenanigans but then, there was always a dog to keep them occupied. One thing I do remember doing was placing chicken wire in large plant pots so there would be no digging or other surprises left there.

Good luck catching up on your sleep, Shelley.

Hi Shelley my dear, i just love the photos of Owen and Theo, they are so cute and it would seem a little mischievious, lol. Felix is 17 months old and being a Tuxedo Cat he is into everything, we have never had a Cat who has climbed everywhere and Karen is worried about the Christmas Tree. For all their antics they are wonderful companions and i wouldn't be with out one.

Sending love and hugs dear friend.

>152 jessibud2: Oops. Yup, some work to do protecting those plants and pots from a juvenile. Glad the boys seem to be making friends slowly.

I am stopping by to see how Owen and Theo are adjusting. And, of course you as well.

>153 Familyhistorian: - Well, it's been years since I've had to deal with this, too, Meg. I guess I am surprised it took a week for this to happen. They are certainly stoking my creative juices as I try to keep a step ahead of them and come up with ways to secure things or rearrange things a bit to avoid disasters...

>154 johnsimpson: - Hi, John. The climbing is what is doing me in so far. Eventually, they will outgrow this. I just hope I live long enough to witness it! ;-)

>155 Caroline_McElwee: - Owen actually came to smell my hands, twice, today. But once I move a muscle, he's off. Still, that's progress. I am off to bed now because I just woke up from dozing on the sofa....might as well be in bed.

>156 Whisper1: - I did a lot of gardening today, putting three plants into the ground from the pots they were in all summer. Even if I had slept all night last night, this would have tired me out. So off I go, and hope that they will let me sleep right through. It's true, they are so cute, it's hard to stay annoyed. They are just doing their jobs, as cats. Serves me right for getting a kitten. What was I thinking?! I really am too old for babies, but... ;-)

Is it just my computer or is the whole font thing here on Talk suddenly different?

I have been having a lot of computer issues over the last couple of days - passwords not being saved at all despite clicking to save them - so that I have to log in with user name and password every single time, to very single site I visit. Because I am the only one on my computer, I never usually log out anywhere but this issue is driving me crazy. I spent some time on the phone with my computer guy and we thought he nailed it and all was fine, until the next day, when it started all over again.

And now this. Not that a different font layout is necessarily bad, it's just different and odd. Maybe if I wasn't having these other computer problems, I'd be ok with it. I just feel like the computer gremlins have come for me.

>158 jessibud2: No indeed, no gremlins involved. It's just the new design being rolled out.

Advance warning would've been nice, but at least it's not just you!

Thanks, Richard. Good to know it's not just me. I do wonder why the change, though. It's not as if there was a problem (that I know of) with the way it was....

>158 jessibud2: Not just you. It's different for me as well. It will take me a little time to get used to it thought. It seems to take up more space....

Hi Shelley!! It's been a while since I've visited. Sorry. RL and all that. So glad you have your new kitties home with you! They both look beautiful and how nice that Theo is already a cuddler. Wishing you much happiness with both of them. : ) And I'm glad you fixed your Yahoo issues. ; )

>158 jessibud2: There was an explanation somewhere that this is a new design better suited to mobile phones. I like the clearer colours and would love to be able to read LT on my mobile phone a bit easier than now.

>157 jessibud2: Your story about your cats made me smile. A warning: our old cat loved to climb and kept on doing it in spite of his advanced age. He just had trouble getting down again;-)

>161 figsfromthistle: - Yes, I suppose I will get used to it, Anita. Especially since there is no choice! ;-)

>162 Berly: - Hi Kim. I had a bit of a panic this afternoon. I couldn't find Theo anywhere. I spent over an hour looking in every possible place he could be. He didn't respond to my voice calling him, didn't respond even to my pouring some crunchy food into his bowl (I was so sure that would do it!). It was after that that I got worried. About an hour and ten minutes or so after I started looking, suddenly there he was, standing innocently in the kitchen. I still have no idea where he might have been. I was quite certain he hadn't got out but still. Naughty boy!

>163 EllaTim: - Oh, I had missed that announcement, Ella. I don't even attempt to read LT on my phone. Far too small for me to actually read anything other than email or texts. I am not a big phone person to begin with. I don't read on any other device, either. Whatever. If this change makes it easier for phone users, then I guess that makes sense and explains it somewhat.

As far as cats jumping, my last 2 cats, Mia and Lexi definitely slowed down as they got older. Lexi was never a jumper, even as a young cat. I think she was too fat, personally, and then she developed arthritis as she aged and needed to use the little step stools I had just to get onto and off the bed and chairs. Mia was a very agile jumper when she was young but never really did any damage or got into places she shouldn't have. They spoiled me and I guess that's why these two are keeping me on my toes!

>164 jessibud2:

Top of the refrigerator...?

>165 m.belljackson: - Nope. Checked there. :-) He's a sneaky one

>164 jessibud2:, >165 m.belljackson: Bell the cat perhaps?!

>164 jessibud2: In the washing machine?

Hi Shelley!

>152 jessibud2: After I noticed that my Christmas cactus was all chewed up, I moved every plant except plants in stands to the Library, which is now closed off to the kitties. Our gingers gallop through the house, too.

>157 jessibud2: Glad to read that Owen is at least sniffing your hands. That’s good progress.

>160 jessibud2: I think they were changing things so that LT was friendlier to cell phone and other device users. I agree with RD in >159 richardderus: that advance notice would have been nice. And I will never use LT for more than checking my catalog on my cell phone.

>164 jessibud2: My mom and dad had a cat that would hide out under the bed but tucked up in the ripped lining of the box spring. I’m not saying that you have a ripped lining in your box spring, just that kitties love finding hidey places that we don’t normally think of. *smile*

>167 SandyAMcPherson: - I don't like to have collars on the cats when they are indoor cats. I tried Mia's collar on Theo and of course he tried to get it off. Somehow, he managed to hook it over his bottom teeth and that scared me. I am so glad that I was there and watching for a reaction. So, no bells, no collars for these guys.

>168 Berly: - Nope, that's at least one place I know they won't get to. The laundry room is in the basement and the basement door is tightly closed. They don't know there is a basement down there! ;) I plan to keep it that way.

>169 karenmarie: - I am learning the hard way, Karen. I have a TON of house plants in my house. One by one, they will either disappear into other rooms or something. So far, except for that one in the living room, they haven't touched any of the others. Fingers crossed but I am watching very closely.

I can't read a thing on LT on my phone. I find the text far too tiny. Anyhow, dinosaur that I am, I basically use my phone as a....PHONE! I do text and I can access one email on it but I am just a laptop user, period.

I had my handyman over the other day to ask him to come up with a solution to the under the bed thing. I suggested just nailing a piece of particle board or something to the underside and he suggested the kind of board that has holes in it (sort of like a peg board, I guess) so that the mattress can still breathe. He took measurements and hopefully, will be back next week to get that done. I actually have those under-the-bed storage boxes that slide on wheels. Lexi was fat so those boxes were just the thing to prevent her from hiding there. But Theo and Owen seem to be made of rubber or springs and somehow, they both manage to get under there. Luckily, Owen is still sleeping on his chair under the dining table at night and Theo sleeps either on the bed beside me or somewhere downstairs so there hasn't been too much under the bed activity.

I am currently juggling 3 books. I started and am really enjoying the new one by Kamala Harris, The Truths We Hold. She is a force! The other book I am reading is called The Library Tree about 2 Canadian women who started a library (and built more) in Ghana. It's also good so far. Then, finally! I just picked up Hamnet and Judith from the library the other day and I need to get started on that one. Probably this afternoon.

Hi Shelley! Hope your pegboard solution is successful. The problem could get very troublesome.

Happy Saturday, Shelley. This is lovely Northern Cardinal from one of my recent birding jaunts. I am glad I can see and hear them year round. I hope you are enjoying the weekend and getting plenty of reading in.

Hi Shelley. I've finally come over to meet Theo and Owen. They are adorable cats!!!
It seems that your patience is paying off with Owen. As was said above, he has some reason (which we'll never know of) to be slow to trust. Carson has done the disappear thing a couple times too. One time I finally found him in my open walk-in closet, on a thigh high shelf, all the way in the back nestled among some old running shirts. But the panic until we found him was not fun. His more usual habit is to become a "lump" on the bed; he likes to burrow under the covers.

Like you, my concentration for reading has been dicey of late. I am enjoying Shuggie Bain so far.

>172 richardderus: - Yes, Richard, it sure could. I am, by nature, a problem-solver and so is my handyman. For now, it's just a matter of keeping a step ahead of the critters, ;-)

>173 msf59: - Hi Mark. I love those cardinals. I have a Mr. & Mrs. who arrive daily at dawn, and again at dusk. Faithfully.

>174 EBT1002: - Hi Ellen. I just spent some time online and then, phoning some local pet stores, to see who carries Feliway products. I will pick some up tomorrow. Hopefully, and with any luck, it will help with Owen's confidence and Theo's *boisterousness* (I hesitate to call it aggression because he is a kitten). But so far in the last couple of days, I have heard some unpleasant *vocalizations* when he chases Owen and I'd like to try to curb that behaviour sooner rather than later, if I can. The Feliway isn't cheap but if it works, then it's worth it. It comes as a plug-in diffuser and you can get refills (the refills supposedly last a month). That said, Owen let me pat him twice today, as I placed his food bowl down on his mat. Progress...in baby steps.

>175 jessibud2: I may be out of line in remarking that a diffuser product like Feliway could affect humans. How would we know, when the product's ingredients are neither listed, nor safety data supplied, especially if there were long-term exposures? Is it approved by Health Canada?

I did read that the Feliway mimics compounds that cats leave behind after rubbing furniture and clothing of the people they sit beside or rub against. But that's different than chemicals diffused into the air, with unregulated concentrations that are released into different environments like air flow and temperature.

Just saying... because a long time ago I had a terrible experience with those anti-bug products.
These so-called deterrents diffused a substance to get rid of flies and mosquitoes that get into your home despite screens. Turned out to be a very nasty insecticide that slowly evaporated into the air from the strips. Except people were absorbing it through their lungs and getting sick after a time.
Kind of like those Nil-odour deodorisers ~ the evaporated product affected the nerve endings in your nose so you can't smell anything and think your cabbage cooking odours are gone.
I hope you'll take care, Shelley to ask specifically what are the safety data for humans breathing in volatile chemicals. If they don't know... I'd be wondering if Health Canada had ever even investigated exposure effects.

Do forgive me if I've inappropriately commented on your choice to cope with the cats' behaviours. I'd be so sad if you (and the cats) were adversely affected.

>176 SandyAMcPherson: - No worries, Sandy, and thank you. In fact, I will phone the vet in the morning and see what she has to say. I will ask about testing and studies re humans. I wonder if cbc tv's Marketplace ever did any investigating of these products. I wonder if they'd be interested in doing so. I may check that out, too. Their investigations into most other things are usually excellent and very thorough.

>177 jessibud2: Excellent ideas! Especially CBC Marketplace because that type of exposure (if Health Canada hasn't investigated in-home diffusers that alter pet behaviour), will perhaps create some public pressure to look into the safety.

There are probably hundreds of thousands of cat owners. If Feliway can make a business of this product, then it behooves the public health sector to be aware of such broad use. And more importantly that political pressure could arise if the products are not certified like the other items for human use (sunscreen, lotions, make-up etc.)

I'm glad you're looking into the Feliway. It is speedy but we were just saying today that maybe we need to start using it again. I think it helps.

I will admit it, and I know I am probably in a very small minority, but Halloween has never been a favourite holiday for me. That said, I still just love some of the cakes at Cake Wrecks for this year's version. I think my faves are the RIP 2020 Plans (at least, the sentiment), and the gorgeously creative one immediately following it:

http://www.cakewrecks.com/home/2020/10/18/cats-bats-amp-cakes-that-bite-back

You started this thread, Shelley, by predicting it would be your last of the year. Averaging 7 posts a day this month would lead me to the prediction that even your next thread won't be your last this year!

Enjoy what is left of your Sunday. xx

Hi Shelley. I imagine it is difficult to adjust to having a youngster in the house.

3 a.m. in the morning and the cat is making trouble with plants...What a spunkster.

>182 Whisper1: I think Shelley is very intrepid, taking on 2 youngsters!
Not for me, I'm currently in the "Fewer challenges" mindset at this time.

Likely you have done this, but kittens can find fallen leaves, etc., to chew
so good to double check the plants - we got surprised by both Marigold and Kalanchoe.
(?sp)

And now for something completely different: a little break from books, cats, politics, stress, etc.

4 minutes of pure fun and joy, very needed right now:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Pwe-pA6TaZk?rel=0

You're welcome

>185 jessibud2: A very good break, Shelley, and wonderful to see people all together and enjoying themselves. Sometimes it's hard to remember what that feels like.

Beautiful!

>185 jessibud2: Fun!

>185 jessibud2: Fun indeed Shelley.

Hmmm. Has anyone else tried to use the ticker to update numbers since the new LT design change? I just tried and even after refreshing my page, it isn't updating. Even the look of the ticker factory page looks different to me. Oh well.....

>185 jessibud2: that was FABULOUS! i loved it! Thank you.

>190 jessibud2: Hi Shelley, I also have had some reconfiguring difficulties with the ticker counter website.
Here's what I did ~
I deleted my previous bookmarked link to it and looked for it again from my browser search. I found that the whole website is redesigned.
Try this, https://www.tickerfactory.com/ without going through whatever bookmark you had before.
I like this new layout because I can see what each design choice is without having to try clicking through a set of anonymous numbers for the bar and the counter.

On the older design, I never figured out how to arrange the counter to update without reconfiguring it from scratch, so I have no idea whether you can have an auto-increase arrangement.
I hope this helps. You wanted the ticker to update and I didn't help with that.

>190 jessibud2: Yes you are right about the ticker. Now you have to enter your pin first and then select edit/update data and press save.

>192 SandyAMcPherson: - Sandy, I never had a bookmark for it, per se. I always just clicked on the ticker as it appears on the top of my thread. My pin was automatic in a drop-down menu and then I clicked add, added 1 or 2 or however many books I had read since the last time, and save, Then, if it didn't automatically update on my thread, I just refreshed my thread page and it worked. I am not sure I understand your instructions but I will try them tomorrow and see what happens. Thanks. At least it's not just me.

>193 figsfromthistle: - That's what I did this afternoon and it didn't work for me. Even after I refreshed the page. If I can't figure it out, I am not going to stress myself. Technology always gives me fits and this past week, I am having more than enough issues with my computer no longer saving any passwords to any sites I visit regularly, even LT, even my own emails, despite clicking on the little box that asks me if I want the browser to save the passwords. My computer guy though it was maybe a microsoft update problem, so he uninstalled it, and reinstalled the newest most updated version. It continued to happen. I kept having to log in with user name and password every single time I visited any of my regular sites. I tried to switch to google chrome and it seemed that was the charm, until I shut down and powered off last night. This morning, back to the same nonsense of nothing saved. It's very aggravating but I see no way around it except to just accept this as the new normal. Even if I didn't shut down, but just disconnected from the internet for a few hours, I had to do the whole log in crap again when I came back to the computer. I made myself a crib sheet note of my user names and passwords (because who the heck remembers them when they are saved and automatically stored on the computer? Not me!).

I love technology but I also hate it sometimes.

>186 Familyhistorian:, >187 torontoc:, >188 banjo123:, >189 Caroline_McElwee:, >191 mdoris: - Fun, wasn't it? :-)

>185 jessibud2: What colorful fun! This is so vibrant and happy! Thanks for posting this.

>185 jessibud2: That was fun, Shelley! Thanks for posting.

Thank goodness my Hot Docs is online. I am still getting to see a good number of excellent documentaries. This afternoon, for example, I watched the HBO doc about the cartoons (and cartoonists) from the New Yorker magazine, called Very Semi-Serious (scroll twice to the right to see the trailer).

I read Mankoff's book last year or so and loved that this film dovetailed so nicely. I do also own a few other New Yorker anthologies.

Other upcoming docs I have signed up for (some free for members, others, just at member prices), include docs about Oliver Sacks, Jimmy Carter, Herb Alpert and one called Requiem for the American Dream. And the second of the 3-part talk series, America Votes part 2 is next Tuesday. Part one featured discussion with David Frum and Ben Rhodes. Part 3 will happen in the days after the election.

>194 jessibud2: You may not have noticed, but if your browser is now set to "private browsing mode", all the log ins and saved passwords are removed unless you leave that specific tab open when you do log in.

I noticed this awhile ago with Safari, that if I closed the tab (but didn't log out), the private mode doesn't save the history. I wonder if it is an effort to make computers more secure from hackers?

One thing that's different between your set up and the way I manage my computer is that I *never* click the remember / save passwords option. But I used to be able to go back to a tab and still open the website as long as I hadn't closed the browser.

I am truly not very techie, so maybe Laura or other more literate people can chime in here?

>199 jessibud2: Recently, I joined Hulu. In many ways, I like it better that Net flixs. I read a lot of books about Chernobyl. There was an excellent movie regarding this. The details, except for a few things I didn't come across in my readings, were spot on.

>200 SandyAMcPherson: - I will give my computer guy a call one of these days soon. Just need to give him a break from me for a bit, lol. I also wondered if this was something that is meant to enhance security but if it was, shouldn't I have been made aware of it? I find it rather creepy that it feels as if forces outside my computer are controlling *security*. If I don't close the browser, I can mostly go between tabs but sometimes, if I leave the browser open and just go downstairs for awhile, when I get back, I have to go through the whole log in rigmarole all over again. I still get the drop down box, inviting me to save passwords, and I still click it, though I have to wonder why I bother since they clearly are not being saved. And because I power my computer right off at night, every morning, ti begins again. Very VERY annoying.

Judy (ffortsa) suggested something I had never heard of and I will be asking my computer guy about this. It's called a password manager. I'll see what he says.

Meantime, my little crib sheet of user names and passwords for every site I visit regularly is now on a sticky note right next to the computer and I am using it so often, I practically know them all by heart anyhow

Such a third world problem , I know. But still...

I have no idea if my browser is set to private browsing mode. No idea what that even is. Another thing to add to the list of things to ask.... ;-) Thanks

>201 Whisper1: - Sorry I missed you up there, Linda. I don't subscribe to any of those *extras*, Linda. I am not usually a big tv watcher so never felt the urge to pay more for those extra channels. Hot Docs here in Toronto is a movie theatre dedicated 100% to showing documentary films. They also do series such as speaker series, author series, and something called *Curious Minds* which are 6-week special topic series. I've enrolled in several over the years. Since covid, it's been a bit of a learning curve (for everyone) but they have done a great job of transitioning to online streaming of films and series. One doesn't have to be a member to purchase tickets to see films (not before covid or after) but for those who want more, there are 3 tiers of memberships, and the price of films is reduced a bit with each tier, as is the cost of series. As well, there are perks. I have always subscribed as a middle level member and films cost $6 for me. Prior to covid, membership also included 5 free films per year (my choice) plus 5 free popcorns. I am quite happy to forfeit the popcorn now, just to be able to enjoy watching films on my computer from the safety and comfort of my home. And I get to watch whenever I want to. I feel very lucky to live in this city, for many reasons, but this is one of the big ones.

>203 jessibud2: Shelly, Hot Dogs sounds like a great avenue to pursue watching documentaries. Will watched a lot of tv. I read. He was upstairs, while I read downstairs. We would communicate by saying "How is it up there!," Then, he would reply and ask me how I was doing downstairs.

I miss him a lot, and miss the small things we did together...the every day type of thing that occurs when you know each other so well.

----------------------------------------------

For those who love the comics and sensibilities of Grant Snider, who wrote I Will Judge You By Your Bookshelf, I have discovered some of his other books, via his website. I borrowed 3 of them from the library (2 are children's books) and I wanted to share his ideas here: http://www.incidentalcomics.com/. Keep scrolling for more cartoons. The larger of the 3 books, The Shape of Ideas, is one I am really enjoying.

I also had no idea that he is, in addition to being a cartoonist, also an orthdontist!

In my mind, I often mix up Grant Snider and Tom Gauld. Their styles are similar and I like the way their minds work.

I'm a little late to the fun, but I loved the video in >185 jessibud2:, Shelley, and I love that guy Matt. I'm pretty sure he's done others of these. He sure makes people happy wherever he goes. I added a link to your thread on mine for it.

I need to get that Grant Snider bookshelf book. Yes, I always think of Tom Gauld when I see GS's stuff.

Hmmm. I just tried to edit in the correct touchstone for Grant Snider's book, called The Shape of Ideas, as I wrote in the previous post, >205 jessibud2:, but it didn't work. Instead, it copied that post into this spot. So I tried in this post to click *others* when the touchstone shows a wrong link, on the right, and again, all it does is give me the list but when I click the correct one, it takes me to the page for that book, it doesn't correct a wrong touchstone in my post. Is this just another glitch in the revamp of LT? Seems if the right touchstone comes up first try, it's ok but I can't seem to fix an incorrect one.

Sigh...

>206 jnwelch: - Hi, Joe!

HI Shelley, Me too! I just posted a new book recently finished and the touchstones didn't work at all. How are your kittens?

Well, here's a weird computer update. Since I first mentioned it, and until last night, none of my passwords were being saved on my computer. I literally had to log in, with user name and password, every single time I did anything on the computer, in spite of clicking the *save password* drop-down every time. It certainly did try my patience, but because this is technology and this is me, I decided it wasn't worth the stress. I made myself a little crib note of all the passwords and user names I have for the sites I go to regularly and taped it to the desk next to me and figured, this is 2020 and this is my new normal. No use fighting it, right?

Well, I always power my computer right off at night. Last night, there was a update and shut down message so that's what I did. Updates have always been a feature of my computer, from time to time. This morning, voila, like magic, all my passwords are there, saved. even after I left the house and came back (before today, if I left the computer for even half an hour, I would have to do the whole log-in thing, every time). Anyhow, who am I to question? I should knock wood, say ptui, ptui or whatever other superstitious thing needs to be done to ward off the gremlins for next time.

We are the Ship by Kadir Nelson. This author/illustrator first came onto my radar from a tv profile, possibly on 60 Minutes, or CBS Sunday Morning. He is an enormous talent. His illustrations have been not only in books but also in large murals. His style is very photographic, reminds me a bit of the style of Norman Rockwell, but his focus is African American and historic.

This book looks like it is a children's book but in truth, it isn't, necessarily. It is a large sized hardcover (I got it from the library). The text tells the story of the history of the Negro Leagues in baseball from its inception up to the time of Jackie Robinson's breaking that colour barrier into the major leagues, and is told as if from the perspective of one who was a player. I am a big baseball fan so this topic interests me anyhow, but I am truly blown away by his illustrations. They are stunningly beautiful, very emotional and lovingly rendered. I still haven't figured out how to get photos from books into my thread. I can only do that when the photos are on my computer but if I can, I will edit some in. Kadir Nelson has won many prizes and awards for his art and I can certainly see why. I think I will look for more work by him.

What jumped out at me, as I read, even though none of it is new to me, is just how the more things change, the more things stay the same, especially when it comes to racial discrimination. Big sigh... Humans just never learn.

For further interest, here is his website. Nelson is pretty easy on the eyes, too, just sayin'...;-)

https://www.kadirnelson.com/about

>209 jessibud2: Srsly...don't stress! The password manager in your browser just kicked in. Say "hallelujah" and bring the jubilee!

*smooch*

>211 richardderus: - Judy (ffortsa) mentioned a password manager to me, Richard. I was going to call my computer guy about this but I just forgot. I guess the big test will be to see if all is still well tomorrow! ;-)

>212 jessibud2: Glad your passwords are saved again, Shelley. I use a separate password manager as well. Save all passwords, encrypted, in a separate place. Makes backup easy, and prevents accidents. (But my brother, who was a IT guy, uses a paper list as well)

Technology - great when it works but when they change things, look out. The ticker changes happening the same time with the LT changes were a bit much but then my laptop told me that my Windows 10 was expiring (really) and got me to download another version *sigh*. I'm just hoping everything will settle down for a while.

I hope you're having a good week, Shelley.

>213 EllaTim:, >214 Familyhistorian: - Well, both yesterday morning and this morning, I had to go through the whole log in crap again, with all the regular sites. But at least it seems to be a one-time thing, as later in the day yesterday, even after being away from the computer for hours, the passwords stuck and I didn't have to keep doing it. Oh well. My crib notes will be a permanent fixture next to the computer, for the foreseeable future.... ;-)

My ticker still isn't working but that's the least of my concerns.

I believe I do have the new version, Meg. That was one of the things my computer guy did last week in the hope of that being the fix I needed for the password fiasco. Apparently, not.

I am not even American and this infuriates me. Why didn't this film come out BEFORE people started voting??!

Totally Under Control

Scroll down for the blurb, and twice to the right for the trailer.

Eau de Bookstore, anyone?

http://email.powells.com/public/viewmessage/html/41474/79mwxsrx5ydxehk5w23zwamom...

:-)

😂 “biblichor”. I need a scratch-n-sniff of that!

>218 drneutron: - No kidding! Clever, isn't it?

Happy Halloween to my American friends:

>217 jessibud2: A few years back my bro brought me a book scented room fragrancer, and it did smell of old books Shelley.

>220 jessibud2: Ha. I have everything crossed.

Somehow, I missed the beginning of your new thread. Happy new thread!

I am sorry to hear about Lexi. Sounds like she had a beautiful long life :)

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

By the way, I did not mean that Feliway is speedy. I meant that it's spendy.
Sheesh.

>210 jessibud2: Definitely going to check that one out!

>210 jessibud2: He is indeed easy on the eyes and because we subscribe to The New Yorker, I have seen some of his work (but had not paid attention to the artist's name). I love it.

>221 Caroline_McElwee: - I have never heard of that, Caroline. So clever, and the perfect gift for a book lover, right?

>222 figsfromthistle: - Hi, Anita. Thank you, re Lexi. She did indeed have a good, long life. I miss her terribly, especially as I adjust to the newbies. Theo is full of beans and is wearing me out. I tell him every day that he is lucky he is so adorable and loveable because that is saving his hide. Owen is getting braver every day but is still skittish and not yet ready to let me pick him up, though he does let me pat him for longer periods of time (than 3 seconds; it's all relative, lol)

>223 EBT1002: - Spendy, yes and I am not really convinced it's working. Theo is still terrorizing Owen though Owen is holding his own, most of the time. It doesn't help that Theo, the almost 10-month old baby, is larger than Owen, the 2-yr old. I will wait for the 30 days when the refill is supposed to be replaced and will decide then if I want to spend the money for another refill.

>224 EBT1002: - You can see more of his work on that website link, and then click on his gallery. I really love art that is photographic in nature. Like Rockwell, or Canada's Robert Bateman, for example. I think that takes a special level of talent and can't really be taught. I think you either have it or you don't. Nelson sure does. Pure magic.

>217 jessibud2: "Biblichor"
LOLOL

Happy Monday to Friday.

>220 jessibud2: Not cute, but definitely timely and right. One more day. I sure hope the orange pumpkin in the white house gets tossed out.

I think you might approve of my latest review, Shelley.

My heart goes out to my American friends and family. I could not bring myself to watch at all last night since I knew nothing would be gained by that. I allowed myself one newscast this morning and after hearing trumpty-dumpty proclaim *victory* (far too early), the writing was on the wall, for me. He is ignorant of law, and recognizes no law that doesn't favour him. How they are not wrapping him in a straight jacket and carting him off to somewhere far away, is beyond comprehension. It is beyond disappointing that so many Americans have fallen so low, that so many believe and support this charlatan, that this can happen. I would say that they deserve him, but what of the rest of the sane Americans? You all certainly deserve better than this.

I wish I had something constructive to offer, but at this point, I can only wish you all strength, and love.

>230 jessibud2: ~ As not-American, I probably shouldn't say anything ~ however...
My feeling is that it's what he symbolizes to them that matters, not what he actually does or doesn't do.

>231 SandyAMcPherson: - I agree, Sandy, but he symbolizes all that is corrupt and that is what is scary. He has the POWER to do what he wants, regardless of whether it's right or wrong, or good for anyone but himself. And he surrounds himself with weak and ignorant people who do not hold him to account. And if anyone dares to, he fires them.

Sweet Thursday, Shelley. I woke up to 5 dark-eyed juncos, at my feeders this morning. This is not my photo but I will try to take a few.

>220 jessibud2: I love it. I hope we can wrap up these election results soon. I need to lower these stress levels.

How are those mischievous kitties doing Shelley? Must be time for a photo or two...

>233 msf59: - Thanks for the junco, Mark. I made the painful decision to stop putting out my feeder for the foreseeable future. When I saw 10 pigeons lined up on the edge of my roof, looking down, I felt I had no choice. I cannot have the numbers of those things increasing constantly, as they had been. Hopefully by spring, they will have given up on me. I hate not being able to feed the little ones in winter but I also don't want to get to the point of too many pigeons and the possibility of my condo corp forbidding me to have a feeder altogether. It makes me sad and makes me angry. Damn.

Hope you are feeling better.

>234 Caroline_McElwee: - Hi Caroline. Our weather - here in November! - has suddenly turned almost summer-like and will stay that way until next Monday, so I have to take advantage and get out for a walk. I will post some more photos later on, thanks for asking. And yes, mischievous is definitely a word around here these days, though *naughty* would also work....;-)

Just dropping in to say hi!

The weather has changed! We had 5cm of snow on Sunday and now, spring like weather. I am also taking advantage of it. BBQ everyday and getting yard work done that I didn't do when it was rainy and cold. Enjoy the rest of the week :)

>236 figsfromthistle: - Here, too, Anita! It's almost like summer! I had my snow tires put on on Monday, after we, too had snow on Sunday. Today I went for a walk without a jacket, just a light sweater. It is said to last until the middle of next week, then November will be back. No complaints here! We hit 20C yesterday!! Have a good rest of the week and weekend, you too.

>237 jessibud2: Snow! Is that very early for you, or normal? We just had rain, and wind and more rain. But now a couple of days of sun. Tomorrow we're going to do a walk in some forest, enjoy the autumn colours, look for mushrooms.

I watched the same parts of the election, and Trump speech as you did. Pretty awful. Hope it will all turn out well, in the end.

>235 jessibud2: What about putting up a suet feeder this winter.

Hi Shelley. Guess what? I'm reading a book. Colson Whitehead. Good stuff

The temps here in eastern PA are pretty warm for this time of the year. I'm hopeful my wife and I can have a socially distanced, masked coffee and biscuits meetup on Son the Elder's front porch. I must deliver a bookcase for the Grand Claire, who'll be coming home Nov. 20, the fall semester finished.

>238 EllaTim: - Hi Ella. Snow here can happen any time from October to Dec, and it has, some years. As a kid, we always hoped there would be no snow on Halloween (Oct. 31) though there sometimes is, but as a kid, I ALWAYS wanted snow for my birthday (end of Nov.) and sometimes there wasn't. What is really unusual, though, is this type of warm weather in November. We do get Indian summer, a lovely warmup after the first cool weather of autumn but I don't think this is Indian summer. It is really warm and these temperatures will last till next week. It's rather lovely and I am trying to take advantage while it lasts. Because it won't last long!

>239 SqueakyChu: - Madeline, if I tell you our squirrels have their PhD in feeder raiding, you will have to believe me. Over the years, I have tried all types of suet feeders, even securing them closed with wire. Each and every time, those damned rodents defeated me. True, the woodpeckers loved the suet but not nearly as much as the squirrels. They probably sit up in the branches, watching me try to outsmart them, and just shake their heads in pity.

>241 jessibud2: - Hi, Bill. I'm reading a book, too. What would be even better, though, is if I could actually FINISH one. Or two, or three. I had hoped to finish my current book tonight so I could return it to the library tomorrow but I may only finish it tomorrow. It is already 2 days overdue, believe it or not, a first for me. I was going to return it then request it again because I couldn't renew it (too many waiting for it). My friend called me such a good citizen. Then I decided that since books returned to the library are quarantined for 2 weeks before being reshelved, and all overdue fines are currently suspended, maybe I just won't be a good citizen this time and just read it till I'm finished. And that's what I am doing.

Whatever.;-p

A friend of mine is making a collage of kitty pics for me from a bunch of photos I sent her last night because I don't know how to do that. But in the meantime, I will post just 2 here, as a public service good deed, a distraction from *current events* outside my own house. You're welcome:

Theo, the boy in the bag, and Owen, under the chair but in the light:





The good news is that they are both now sleeping in my bedroom (even Owen). The bad news is that they are both now sleeping in my bedroom. Under the damn bed. I only know this because I was startled awake yesterday by a loud sneeze from beneath. Oh, and the snoring...

Yes. my dog used to sleep under my bed- if he had a doggy nightmare- I heard about it!

Mini update time.

Hamnet and Judith by Maggie O'Farrell. This book got so much love and hype here on LT so I was very eager to dig in, once my turn came at the library. I will admit that the first half of the book, maybe the first third, didn't grab me as much as I had hoped it would. I found the jumping around in time a bit jagged and sometimes had a hard time remembering who was who. It also annoyed me a tad that Hamnet's father remained unnamed throughout the book. But by the half way point, it seemed to turn a corner for me and I was much more involved.

Here is a link to a terrific interview with the author. I actually listened to this interview when it first aired, back in early September, and loved it. I listened to it again tonight and now I want to read her memoir, I Am, I Am, I Am.

Interview with Maggie O'Farrell

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Drawing on the Walls - A Story of Keith Haring by Matthew Burgess and Josh Cochran (no touchstones, apparently). This is a large format children's picture book that is also a biography of Keith Haring. I did not realize his full back story so it was lovely to see and read about how he came to art and how he achieved success in his all too short life. I am happy that he knew success wile he lived, and that it wasn't all posthumous. I do love his iconic images.

Hi Shelley my dear, i hope that you are having a good start to the weekend and send love and hugs to you and the kitties from both of us and Felix, dear friend.

>244 jessibud2: Very cute.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Hi Shelley!

>244 jessibud2: Kitty sneezes and snoring are adorable AND irritating. Glad that Owen is more sociable. Very cute pics.

>244 jessibud2: adorable!

>242 jessibud2: Actually, you're right. I remember that once a squirrel actually stole a filled suet feeder. I saw the squirrel running away with it and never found that suet holder again!

I am back in the land of the connected. Yesterday morning, my modem died. I had to go return the dead one and get a new one. My server, Rogers, does not send technicians into houses during covid. So I had to wait for my trusty computer guy to come over this morning and hook everything back up for me, reset whatever had to be reset, etc. I wonder what people who do not have a tech savvy friend are supposed to do, wait until the end of covid to be reconnected with the world? I had no phone, no internet and no tv yesterday. I could live without tv, but phone and internet (to my mind) are essential services, especially if one lives alone, and in this time of already being so isolated. I would have worn a mask and waited in another room, if a technician would have come over. I understand their need to keep their staff safe but I would think that going to a house is safer than working in a supermarket, for example. Anyhow, all is good now, so there is that.

I heard the good news about the election on the radio when I was in my car driving to my friend's house yesterday afternoon. We drove down to the Beach and walked for over 2 hours. It was such a glorious day, almost 20C ! There were a ton of people playing volleyball, many in swimsuits! Lots of people out and walking, biking, strolling, lots of dog-walking. At the end of our 2 hour trek, we sat down and treated ourselves to gelato! I will try to get some pics up later on. Right now, I am heading out again. This summer-like weather will only last a few more days. Wednesday, November is expected to return, so I have to make the most of it.

Congrats, Americans! (I only hope the damage a vengeful sore loser will do his final 2 months can be minimal)

So sad to hear that Alex Trebek died this morning. I know is shouldn't be a shock, but it is. I wonder how Jeopardy will deal with the show, tomorrow. Rest in peace, Alex. I do feel heartbroken.

I wonder how many pre-taped shows are left. And who will replace Alex. My own guess is that it will be Ken Jennings.

>247 johnsimpson:, >248 figsfromthistle:, >249 karenmarie:, >250 banjo123: - Hi, John, Anita, Karen, Rhonda. Kitties are doing their things. Exhausting me, if I am honest.

>251 SqueakyChu: - Yep, Madeline. I knew when I was beat, and I waved the white flag.

>253 jessibud2: Ken Jennings would make sense as a Trebek Mk II but he is no Alex Trebek.

Vale good sir.

>253 jessibud2: I heard tonight on ABC News that Trebek taped his last show 10 days ago, and there are enough episodes until the end of the year.

There's a special on ABC tonight (that's the network that carries Jeopardy! here) about Trebek; perhaps you can pick it up on youtube later.

And in Chicago we're sharing the great weather until mid-week as well!

>255 richardderus: - No one will ever be Alex Trebek, Richard. I like Ken Jennings and I think he'd be good but I always thought he was a bit too restless to stick with just one role for any length of time. He is still young and looks like he has a lot of energy. I read one of the books he wrote, Maphead, and enjoyed it but he was a bit all over the place in it. Anyhow, we shall see.

A friend of mine also told me earlier that there are enough taped Jeopardy shows to carry through to Christmas. It is going to feel a bit eerie, I think, though, to be watching them knowing that he has died. Damn. So sad.

>256 kac522: - Hi Kathy. I did not know about that special. I do hope I can find it online somehow. I half hoped that 60 Minutes would do a segment on him tonight but they didn't. They did, however, have a great piece on Ken Burns, the documentary filmmaker. I love that man. It has been a personal project of mine for the last year or two, to watch as many of his films as my library can obtain for me. So far, I am up to number 19. There a few more that I really want to see that are not in my library's system. I have asked if they can order them but during covid, customer requests are on hold.

Its a good thing you have a techy person to help, Shelley. When I called Telus re my TV they booked an appointment for me and, although I received a voice mail saying that the tech wouldn't come in but would give me instructions on what to do, the tech actually came in and set things up for me. Telus also supplies my internet.

I was sorry to see the news about Alex Trebek. On one of the clips on the news tonight there was one where they asked him who he thought would be the next Jeopardy host and he answered that he thought it would be a woman. That would be different.

Apropos to what I mentioned to Kathy in >257 jessibud2:, here is a link to the excellent interview last night on 60 Minutes, with filmmaker Ken Burns:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ken-burns-60-minutes-2020-11-08/