Weekend Update

In addition to the new living room storage, Tulip keeps walking over all the wires behind the TV. 

I've had to reset my Blink cameras twice so far. 

The AT&T cordless phones are an endless fascination. She will not leave the handset in front of the TV (the master set) alone. I tried putting it in a plastic box, but that didn't work.

Once I finish writing this entry, I'm going to move the phone as high as I can. I've already removed the candle sconce I had on either side of the television. That's no guarantee that it'll fix the situation.

At the same time, I can hear her trying to open the tall cabinet where her food is stored. 

Clonk - Clonk - Clonk. 

Even though the doors are closed by wrapping the doorknobs with rubber bands, Tulip was able to start emptying the cabinet. It needs stronger elastics for a tighter fit.  That's my second job for the evening.

Tulip gains more freedom

Lately, I have been run ragged by chasing after Tulip's many kitchen explorations. So, I scaled back on the fencing on the kitchen counters. Now she happily investigates everything by being really a real Nosy Parker when I cook. (Note to self: look up the history of this phrase.)

The loose papers and folders were still unsafe, so I put them inside a pillowcase. She even gnawed on the pillowcase! A variety of goods placed in cloth totes were too easy for her to get into. Tulip found everything to be . . . a delicious challenge. 

Remember the cloth box that I replaced a few weeks ago? Its big lockable clear tote contains the two small sealed boxes of prescription meds and supplements. Naturally, Tulip pushed the whole kit and caboodle down to the floor. (Note to self: look up the definition for "caboodle.")

Since that horrific crash, Tulip has knocked three pictures and Nana's 19th century cowbell off the living room shelf. All are now stored in the medicine tote. Whenever I tell her to "knock it off," I do not mean it literally.

Now there are no knick-knacks for her paw-y paw-y whacks. (...give a dog a bone...)

For the longest time, I had kept Tulip's food in a plastic container sitting atop my tall kitchen table. Until this morning, I'd forgotten that she could jump so high. From today on, her food will be stored in the fridge. She is going to be Super Inquisitive every time I go near the refrigerator.

From left to right: a small blue holey box I inverted over a can of pencils, three vertical tubs replaced several cloth bins that Tulip helped rearrange the contents. Had to put a plastic sleeve over a cardboard Chewy box to keep my cat from gnawing the box.

This morning, I realized that Tulip now appreciates her newly-found jumping abilities because most things that WERE on the kitchen table were now on the floor. What I had to pick up; a tomato (1 of 2), a warranty card, an unopened box of a dental guard, and a pack of Scrabble Slam! cards. Haven't yet found the second tomato.

Oops! I bought stuff twice.

Some items I rarely use get put away in I-don't-know-where. The locations make sense to me at the time. That is, until I need to find it some days, months or years later. 

❓

For instance, I had a red stadium chair that I put in my car's trunk. When I traded in my new car for an even newer car, I was surprised not to see the red chair. I was extremely suspicious of the sales clerk; had she kept it for herself?

About a month ago, I bought myself a replacement (blue) stadium chair. Then a week or two later, I found the original chair had been stowed inside the recesses of my bedroom closet. 

Meanwhile, the new chair sits in my car trunk. So now what will I do with two stadium chairs that I probably will never use?

🪑  🪑

Then there was my pair of red-handled grass shears. I assumed (I know; never assume) that either a neighbor "borrowed" the new pair I bought OR I lost them in the mound of leaves I left sitting at my curb. At any rate, the clippers needed to be replaced. Since I had already bought a pair a few months ago from the local hardware store, that got me steamed. So I ordered a new set on Amazon; they should arrive  this week.

Today I found the newish pair I thought I had lost forever. Oops.

          🦔    This hedgehog sits in place of hedge clippers

ANYWAY...I count myself fortunate because I didn't start making accusations, despite my certainty that So-and-So did it. For whatever reason, I held my tongue (rare, indeed). At least I won't look like the jackass that I am. Whoops - the secret is out.

Duh!

For a descriptor of Merilee's Journal, see my November 15th post.

Today I was supposed to have a Zoom call with my doctor, but first, Tulip started lobbying for attention. Just like a little kid.

Next on my To Do List: 

• Remove everything from the living room shelf since Tulip started emptying it.
• Maybe I'll even dust the shelf (even though it's too high for me to see).
• Purchase more plastic boxes to keep Tulip away from destroying what is now stored in cloth totes.

Book Published!

Amazon has just published my second novel, Merilee's Journey. While I still have yet to see the proof copy, you can place an order for it now.

Your honest review on Amazon is so important for independent authors like me and would be greatly appreciated. If you can't find it easily by title, search my name.

What's the book about? I'll cover that in my next post.

Cat Wind Chimes

Previously, I called these tchotchkes mobiles, for lack of the correct term. They are wind chimes. Three of them had been hanging from the blue shelf that's above what used to be my medicine box.

Here, the half-eaten cloth box has been replaced and three wind chimes removed . . .

. . . to join three more in my bedroom.

Unfortunately, you can see my dirty laundry. Oh well!

Tulip's Latest Project

The cloth "box" holding two bins of medicines was the most recent act of Tulip's destruction. In addition to her love for eating paper, she apparently loves eating cloth to get to the cardboard inside. Naturally, the box was upended, spilling bottles of medicines everywhere in the living room.

The solution, at least for now, was to buy a tall plastic bin to contain the smaller containers within. To get to my meds, I now have two plastic lids to open. Hope that will be enough to discourage Tulip.

Unfortunately, she still enjoys walking on top of my meds to reach three small cat mobiles. My next step, if needed, is to relocate the mobiles.

 

Nov. 16, 2024 11:52AM

This morning started a few hours after I decided to stay in bed.

The neighborhood woke up without me. My neighbor Francisco was whistling. The folks in trailer #3 were playing Spanish music that could be heard from blocks away. The din of shop vacs meant it was going to be a busy day for the car wash next door.

I felt my body curled in the fetal position. What is going on that I can't bear to leave the safety of my cocoon? For hours, most days of the week, I fail to convince myself to "get up already."

🛏

A look ahead

My second book, Merilee's Journey, will soon be available on Amazon. The novel is about a twelve-year old girl whose parents suddenly die in a car accident. Later that same day, her puppy is taken away by the authorities. With no living relatives to turn to, when her Godparents refuse to raise her, Merilee enters the foster system.

This resilient young lady finds music to suit various situations, cope with desperate times, and to uplift others around her. 

Tulip Keeps Trying

 

Trying WHAT, you might ask?

                                        Answer:  My patience. 

Tulip starts acting up (or out?) when I'm working on my laptop or talking on the phone. Either she pesters me by climbing on my cat-discouraging towers or she meows incessantly. Basically, she insists on being fed, right now this minute!

I finished off Tulip's wallpaper removal job and painted the peninsula a few weekends ago. Unfortunately, I used up all of the paint in the can. Two days after the paint job dried, Tulip took off a chip of paint. Well, it's a small defect - and still the only spot she's damaged - so far.

💩 💩 💩

I wrote a long essay today. One might call it a diatribe. It won't be published here.

 

Today's title sums up my feelings.

T-Shirt Slogan Ideas

After the next inauguration, I might go into the t-shirt and bumper sticker business. Try these mottos on for size:

• Our nation IS the swamp

• No longer a "land of the free and the home of the brave"

• A nation ruled by armed deplorables

• The end of democracy as we'd known it

• You won't know what we had til it's gone

• Putin won / the Ukraine and USA fall 

• Who's next on Trump's 💩 List?

• The former USA = Trumplandia

• Just call us Western Russia

• Protesters are subject to execution

• Should have been more careful about what I wished for 

Can you tell I'm bummed out by the election results?

Last Third of the Three-fer

 III. A Dark Turn

Not everything Donald Trump says is a lie. Among his most recent predictions:

• The start of World War III, most likely as a natural progression from the next Civil War that he's happily predicted.

• Economic collapse will undoubtedly occur if/when he retakes power.

• Well-established laws will be overturned. It's clear that our rights are quickly falling by the wayside.

• Scariest of all is that our Constitution will soon mean nothing; no more Rule of Law.

• I fear that Trump will become King. This country will fall to MAGA first, then to mob rule. A resurgence of hatred, long promulgated by Donald and his Puppet Masters. Our nation will fall like dominoes to three world leaders: Vladimir Putin, Xi Xi Ping and Kim Jong-un. They've been plotting our demise for years and Donald has done his part to pave their way forward.

• Whether we will suffer from a nuclear blast or just see a resurgence of KKK days, it's only a question of how long it will take for our nation to collapse into anarchy. It's already begun.

• Troops are poised in Asia to attack. Who will be struck first? Likely Ukraine, but North Korea has tested so many long-range missiles over the last few years. China and North Korea can overtake Japan, Hong Kong - even Hawaii. And MAGA can take care of the rest of our country. All of them are well-armed and up for the task.

• What old TV cartoons used to portray - TEOTWAWKI - the end of the world as we know it it - has a real chance of happening. Kamala Harris may win the election, but we've seen the lengths that the far right will go to put Trump's cabal in place. I don't want to be right (near or far right).

• The Supreme Court played its part in ushering Trump's path to victory. Will he serve even one day in jail? Extremely doubtful.

• Religion will become another cause of discontent. If you aren't a Christian, you will be among the new country’s enemies. Jews, Hindus, Muslims, atheists and so on, are among the first or second wave (after immigrants) of people to be targeted for concentration camps.

As much as I hate to say it, Trump wants to see a return to Hitler's Glory Days. Millions of people will worship Trump and do his bidding while his legion of detractors will systematically be put to death. Putin found the perfect patsy to accomplish this goal. Aligning with China and North Korea, what chance will the good people of America have to survive? Anyone labeled as ‘different’ is doomed to allow the MAGA cult to flourish.

Who else will be among Trump’s enemies? 

• LBGTQ+

• Anyone with a physical handicap

• Liz Cheney, Hillary Clinton, et al

• Democrats, Independents, Green Partiers

• Tree-huggers and environmentalists

• Same-sex relationships

• Atheists, Jews, etc.

• Blacks, Hispanics, Muslims, anyone not 100% white

• Anyone smarter than Trump (99% of our population).

I think without our Constitution, the country will be renamed for Trump in some form or fashion. Trumplandia? With the Donald in power, his children will become royalty. A Trump will rule until such time when someone on the far right notices what they've allowed to happen. You may start noticing Trump cronies falling out of grace, then falling out of windows, just as Putin's enemies have been doing for years.

Those of you who've known me for a while will say that I'm:

• gullible, 

• a pessimist, 

• an alarmist, 

• not connected to reality, and

• a Debbie Downer. 

All of the above might be accurate. Let's just hope that this time I'm not right.

I've written three pages nearly effortlessly. Some days, putting words together is a Herculean task. It makes me wonder, am I and others foolish for making plans for our lives beyond the parameters of this election? 

Who will call the shots then? Will we have a democracy anymore? By the time the MAGA cult has taken power, who will be left to rekindle the flame of freedom? Will there be anyone left to dissent? How long will the next chapter of history last? In other words, once we lose everything we once held dear, when (if ever) will we be free again?

An 11/3/24 Three-Fer

 I. Recent History

A year ago today (November 3, 2023), I almost died. I still haven’t fully healed from my car accident. But I’m alive and very happy to have survived.

II. Ancient (for me) History

I remember as a kid, the public put a lot of stock in Jeane Dixon’s predictions. Wikipedia refers to her as 'a famous psychic and astrologer.'

As a prolific producer of horoscopes, Mrs. Dixon scared the hell out of me and our neighbor’s kids when she warned the country about aliens landing on Earth. I can recall comparing notes with Wendy the next day. Neither of us had slept the night before. No news of an alien landing anywhere. 

Why had we succumbed to this nationwide fear? Or hoax? Of course, I was always gullible. How many

Americans had been hoodwinked by this charlatan? To this day, why does anyone still read their

horoscopes? Or put faith in Nostradamus? Or put their faith in faith?

III. A Dark Turn - read the next lengthy post

I had good intentions...

... of volunteering to be a poll observer. This would be the first election I'd be involved with.

Then I went to my dentist for a routine check-up. Everything changed.

During my very painful visit for a routine dental exam, Dr. C invited a gum specialist to view my gums. What I'd let bother me was continuing to use a different brand of toothpaste when it hurt. The entire left side of my mouth and my tongue were ulcerated. 

I was prescribed "Magic Mouthwash," which I figured was some funny miraculous rinse. The compound prescription was pricey, too. $44 for my local pharmacist to mix five specific ingredients to measure out precisely. I shake the bottle and swish and spit three times a day. It's gone a long way to comfort the angry tissues in my mouth. The same dentist (#1) recommended a biopsy. He is ordering another night guard (retainer) for me because I've nearly broken through the plastic with my teeth grinding. 

By the end of the day, my cheek had ballooned into a distressing bulge, hard as a rock to the touch. It also hurts when it is touched.

Finally met with a dental surgeon (#2) who did not perform a biopsy. I was diagnosed as having a blocked salivary gland. That explains why I'm so puffy from my left cheek to my ear. That referral recommended an even more specialized specialist in Raleigh (an oral and maxillofacial surgeon). 

l now have an appointment to see Dentist #3 on December 30th. Although I hope the issue will be long gone by then. This whole thing stems from my not drinking enough water. It also may be the cause of my acid reflux and digestive issues. That's another story to be resolved, one way or another, in February 2025. Something to look forward to

Now you know as much as I...and why I had to beg off from fulfilling my plans to be an indoor poll observer. 

The best laid plans... of mice 🐭 🐭 and 👨🤵 men ...

And Then Again...

On top of the microwave is where I store my cappuccino mix, boxes of instant cocoa and hot cider drink mix, and two plastic containers of tea bags and Wyler's drink mixes, plus a skinny box containing Melita brand coffee filters.  

Unfortunately, I left the kitchen without remembering to put the wire basket in its place in front of the microwave. When I came back inside after gardening, I noticed bits of brown paper on the floor.

Wouldn't you know, Tulip got into the coffee filters! She gnawed three of them. 

That'll teach me! Which of us is teaching the other?

I told Tulip I was sorry today

Since yesterday, I'd been having trouble with my smart TV. And this wasn't the first time my curious cat walked behind the TV, disturbing all the wires.

The first time this happened, my friend Connie helped me out. As luck would have it, she was at my house this morning. I told her all the steps I took. Connie took a look and repeated the same steps (usually she fixes things I can't). The TV and Netflix still were not working. Every cord was in its place. 

Then, like lightning (🗲), another idea struck me. 

On a hunch, I called Spectrum to ask if there were any outages in my area.

Damn! That was the problem all along. Spectrum promised the internet and cable would be working again after 2:00pm.

~~ 🐱 ~~

So...

        Tulip, I owe you my sincerest apologies! 

                    I'm so sorry to have blamed you. 

                            You understand why, 

                                        right?

Snidely Whiplash, Part Two

Because my previous post took forever to load.

• Below is a fix I implemented when an open box of drink mixes kept on top of the microwave ended on the kitchen floor and beneath the fridge. I put the loose flavor packets in a knock-off Tupperware container. It took no time at all for that plastic bin to be knocked off as well. (A knocked-off knock-off container).

       I took this photo of the container: 

• Minutes later, I heard a CRASH. I hadn't closed the container top, more concerned about posting the photo above. See below.

So, Tulip, my dear, I haven't completely given up in my efforts to civilize you.

It's a darned good thing you're cute.

Curses! Foiled Again!

Wasn't that Snidely Whiplash's catchphrase?

As much as I hate to rain on Tulip's parade, I just had to:

• Invert a clear plastic bin over the two magazine racks. She kept climbing on the peninsula to chew on the paper.  Every day I'd find scraps of paper on the floor. The paper could be kleenex, unfiled bills, paper towels, etc. They're directly beneath the cat wind chime next to the silk flowers.  

• The white bin to the right is my stock of pill bottles. Couldn't leave them uncovered any more. (Do you wonder why?)

I'm not the most observant person

Roughly three weeks ago, I noticed the padlock to my outdoor shed was removed. I was perturbed that one of my neighbors didn't replace it. It's never locked - it just keeps the barn doors closed.

My weed whacker had recently been restrung. When I was about to trim my yard yesterday, it was nowhere to be found. This is a Kobalt battery-operated string trimmer. I keep the batteries for my lawn tools (blower, mower and the missing weed whacker) inside, so I wondered aloud what good it would do the thief, unless they had a Kobalt battery already.

Not that they could do much about it, I filed a police report. They're going to review other thefts in the area, see if there's a pattern. Naturally, they'll contact local pawn shops. That's likely where the trimmer will have ended up.

So I suppose I need to go to Lowe's for a replacement. Bummer.

🎕

Today's Tune is 'SOUR GRAPES'

We're getting an inordinate amount of rain. The ground is saturated. Time to get the hip boots out. ☔ 

I'll attempt to update a few videos of you-know-who. The rain hasn't dampened her spirits at all (chief benefit of being an indoor feline). My efforts at Tulip-proofing haven't been overly successful.

Today's gripe is that my laptop is acting wonky today. Especially Chrome. Something changed...I can use emails from my phone, but not from my laptop. Weird!

ANYWAY...

==>    I was trying to attach a video, but it was too big to attach. 

==>    Guess I have to take a REELS class. 

Better luck next time?

Get out the vote!

You may see me at an early voting precinct in Johnston County starting next month. I just finished my online training as an indoor poll observer.  On most days, I'll work the afternoon shift. 

GET OUT THE VOTE!

Bottle Babies

Do you remember toddler shaming? If you sucked your thumbs beyond toddlerhood, you were called a baby. Little kids risked being called a baby if they still drank milk, water or juice from a bottle or sippy cup. Does either situation strike a chord? 

When I was a baby in the early 1950s, my parents were eager to wean me off the bottle. Our next door neighbors couldn’t seem to separate their youngest child from her sippy cup.

~~~

Ask yourself: Am I a water bottle reuser or a water bottle waster?

Those days of yore have seen a 180° reversal. A lot of households buy their water by the case. It’s one cause of plastic waste that’s done irreparable harm to the oceans and wildlife.

I will, on occasion, purchase a single bottle of water, but I reuse it many times over. Then I toss it in the recycling bin.

Whatever happened to drinking tap water by the – gasp! – glass? Unless your city water is known to be contaminated, I implore you to use tap water at home. Before you leave the house, fill a reusable bottle with your tap- or flavored-water.

There’s no need to buy an expensive name brand reusable bottle. Simple, low-cost bottles are available just about everywhere; just be sure it’s BPA-free. This is how we can help preserve our environment and save money while doing it. 

Think about how you drink. Wean yourself away from the habit of buying water by the case. Drink like an environmentally conscious adult. No one will shame you for it.

TP cat-proofing

In response to Tulip's love of paper, specifically unrolling, then eating toilet paper, I made these adjustments for storing rolls of it.

Guest bathroom: Useable roll sits atop the commode, covered by guest towels. Extra rolls are stored under the sink. So far, so good. 

Final Cat-Proofed Kitchen Counter

I may have come up with the best solution to keep Tulip off the kitchen countertops. This is BEFORE: my last DYI cat-proofing job. You can see a car shade, pizza boxes, and a USPS mailing envelope. What is not shown (underneath and behind all of the aforementioned) are dozens of plastic clamshell cake containers, small boxes and plastic bottles.

This AFTER pic features plastic cat-safe spiked mats. At least it looks neater. 

Pop quiz: Can you tell what I eat most evenings? 

But she's innocent!

Since yesterday, I have looked high and low for my prescription glasses. Maybe the recliner ate them - it wouldn't be the first pair my furniture ate. 

Imagine if you will, an old overweight white lady crouching below the elevated foot rests, trying to see whatever (besides dust bunnies) lays in the dark chasm beneath my seats. As long as you're imaging that, I will add that I protected my bony kneecaps by kneeling on a cushy cat bed.

I wasn't sure if there was nothing, or my neck's limited mobility kept me from seeing the glasses (the first pair I lost in November, or this pair in particular). I asked Tulip for just a hint as to where my glasses might be. She did not answer me. 🐈

Then I checked my bedroom for the third time; I even turned a light on! Well, hush my mouth! The glasses had fallen upside-down on the floor. Since the wire frames are colored blue-green, they blended in perfectly with the carpet.

Therefore, I take back all my suspicions that "my cat did it." 

Sorry, Tulip.

Rainy Days

 8/1/24 10:37pm

This has been a wasted day. I never got out of my jammies. Didn't go outside to collect my mail.

It would have been helpful if I went to "Telling Our Stories," but I went back to bed almost as soon as I woke up.

All I did was watch Netflix and play games on my phone.

8/9/24 3:52pm

Although Hurricane Debby was downgraded to a tropical storm, I've been hunkered down since Wednesday. It's sunny now, but the grass is too wet to mow.

The busiest part of any day is keeping Tulip from doing damage. Loose papers, electric cords really get her attention. Ah! Now she is resting in a sun spot, so I can relax too.

Haven't really been writing steadily. I'm trying to write an alien Ghost story. In my new book, I may have invented too many words and symbols. And I haven't added a good amount of clicks. I'm working on the end of the story. 

The main character confesses, "I might have been famous on Earth for having been kidnapped by aliens. With the Earth-lift, nobody from Earth is around who won't think alien space abduction is weird."

The Further Adventures with Tulip

Tulip keeps discovering new ways to entertain herself. We now fight for a place at the bathroom sink. Sometimes she fills up the whole sink with her body, looks at me encouragingly to turn the tap on. Whether I'm washing my hands or brushing my teeth, she always joins me. She doesn't seem to mind the fact that she gets wet. 

There's a wooden lateral file cabinet in the living room where Tulip's food and water bowls sit. A few months ago, Tulip started standing in her water bowl. Naturally, the dirt on her feet would fall to the bottom. Is that why she's so determined? She starts slapping the water, just like a toddler splashes water in a bathtub. Next, she daintily shakes off her wet paws, then leans over the front of the wooden filing cabinet to lap up the water that spilled down the front of the furniture and onto the floor.

There's a table nearby, just a short hop away where Tulip can look out the window for any bird action. Luckily, the table is topped by glass. There are so many puddy-paws-tracks added to her perch.

😸

Then there are times I can't find her. Tulip rarely visits the western side of the house, where my office, spare bedroom and bathroom are. Maybe I should say I don't use those rooms very often. When I vacuumed last week, I discovered all the toilet paper had found its way onto the floor. Rather than put a new roll out as a replacement, I set a fresh roll on top of the toilet, but wrapped it within two hand towels. That was a few days ago. I need to see if my "fix" was successful.

So, there are times when the cat's nowhere to be found. She always has access to the kitchen and living room, but she doesn't respond to my calls. The main bathroom and bedroom doors are usually closed. Where could Tulip be? I discovered her new haunt: she crawls under the back of the living room's double recliner. If I didn't see her head poke out one day, it would still remain her little secret.

😺

Sittin' in Selma and Smithfield - Any Questions?

Thursday has been especially busy. I went to the Write-In held at the Old North Food Hall in Selma until it was time to head to the Harrison Center for Aging. Left at 3:00, headed for the Old Fashioned Ice Cream shop. Yummy!

Now I'm sitting at a desk in Smithfield's Library. Found a typo in the portion of my book that I forwarded to my critique group. I fixed it first and copied two chapters for their review.

Still have to find an agent for Merilee's Travels. I admit I've done no searching yet.

I'm asking for ideas for the book title I'm writing now. It's science fiction called Alien Ghost Hunter. That describes it, but it sounds more like a subtitle.

Camp NaNoWriMo

This July writers across the country are participating in a month-long write-in. We had one last November but I had a major car accident on 11/3. I was released from rehab the Monday after Thanksgiving. I had rehab at home for a number of weeks, then had outpatient therapy. 

Believe it or not, I'm still in recovery; the trauma to my right breast has yet to disappear. My boob should be aglow from all the mammograms and sonograms I've been getting! 

As a kid, I was well-known for my dimples. Now my thighs have dimples (due to age and/or fat) and the affected breast is dimpled. Not cute. 

CRASH!

Every day it seems Tulip finds something else to send crashing to the floor. It's usually some piece of the "Wall" I erect on the stovetop to discourage Tulip's constant explorations. Today the heavy wooden block of kitchen knives made Tulip's meddling known. 

Recently, my cat's been enamoured by water. She stands IN her water bowl. Tulip accompanies me to the bathroom to jump on the sink when the tap water flows. Or she will walk half-way into the shower with me to lap up the soapy water. 

Whenever I flush the toilet, Tulip runs to the bowl. I have to be quick in closing the lid before she can sample the swirling water. 

Tulip Today

You may be sick of reading about my wundercat, Tulip. Well, my life is pretty simple. 

Today in Entertainment News, Tulip raced around the living room, leapt over chairs, speed-walked in front of the TV...as if she was a parkour artist...all in an effort to capture an errant fly. 

It's been quiet for the last half hour, she must have caught her prey.

It's June...

 ...and what do I have to show for it?

Precious little, actually.

Writing comes to me in spurts. The dribs and drabs don't even add up to one blog post.

Depression has raised its ugly head the past few weeks. Therefore, fewer posts. You can find me in my recliner, playing games on my cell phone. If only the apps would stop their incessant advertising!

I've become more and more sedentary. 

• Watch a lot of Netflix movies. 
• I indulge in my sweet tooth's desire for tres leches cake. 
• I haven't gone to a movie theater in a while. They haven't shown anything worth the price of a ticket lately.

I listen to the drone of a neighbor's lawn mower; it's the sound of summer. I haven't seen any cicadas yet. 

Mowed the front lawn last week. The backyard has sporadic clumps of grass; I'll skip mowing for now. I haven't weed whacked in a month since I can't take the spool off to replace the spool of line.

Crabgrass and centipede grass keep appearing in the gravel driveway. I've been experimenting with white vinegar. I have to buy more vinegar to pour on new weeds.

Tulip's Trials

It seems that every day, fewer things are accessible to Tulip. The poor thing!

Miss Busybody is forever finding unexpected playthings.

My bathroom door remains shut unless I'm taking a shower. Tulip gets three-quarters of the way in while the water's running. Protected, of course, by the shower curtain.

Tulip uses a pellet-type of kitty litter. She plays with the stray pieces that fall to the floor. That includes putting the pellets in her mouth. (There's no accounting for taste). Now I wonder if she's been pulling them OUT of the litter box. I wouldn't put it past her.

Every morning I find scraps of paper on the floor. Normally, I keep a few paper towels near my recliner. Maybe Tulip got into that, or possibly the toilet paper roll in the guest bathroom.

Today I pulled a hot frying pan off the stove; my intent was not to put it in the sink until the pan cooled. Well, Tulip followed her breakfast with my breakfast. Mmm - scrambled eggs! 

On Sunday, I received a lovely bouquet of cut flowers from a neighbor. Strangely, Tulip sniffed but did not bite them. The vase smelled nasty a week later. Maybe she was onto something.

Tulip used to use a kitten-sized water dish. Twice last week the water bowl was pushed over the counter-height table edge. And, yeah, water was in it both times. In its place, I swapped an extra large dog bowl used for long weekends I'm away. This bowl features a rubber lip on the bottom, so hopefully, it will stay put. We'll have to see if this solution lasts.

At a street fair a few years back, a vet gave me a small plastic measuring cup. Stupidly, I left it on the kitchen counter. I heard it being batted to the floor. No big deal, right? Wrong! Tulip bit so many holes in it, it leaked like a sieve. I ended up trashing the thing.

My laptop sits on a rolling table in the living room. Anything movable (pen, paper, etc.) is toyed with. Tulip treats my digital mouse as the real thing. The same holds true for any electronics chargers left within her reach. Nothing is spared her inquisitiveness.

My girl's profile is quite long when she reaches up for things beyond her reach. She has a penchant for knocking lampshades off-kilter. Tulip likes to gnaw on the shade's rickrack bottom. Should I remove the shades or hide the lights themselves? Or is it time to replace the house's three brass lamps with a less-appealing-to-cats style? 

My pizza-making regime has totally changed because You-Know-Who taste-tests them. 

• While I wait for the oven to warm, I no longer leave the (uncooked) pizza pan on the counter. Now the pan goes straight into the fridge until the oven reaches 400℉. 

• Since I regularly eat half a pizza, I kept the uneaten half on the stove to cool. No can do; now it's immediately refrigerated. Tulip strikes whether the pizza's hot or cold.

So that's been this week's observation.