Yay, Mercy!

 She finally ate breakfast midmorning, played and did sightseeing from her perch in the front room, ran around as my sidekick, napped, had her tea and pooped. She's also taken kitty probiotic, same method as yesterday, less fuss, and some hydration. Very happy household this evening.

Thanks for reading. Cheers!

Little Miss Fearful: At It Again

 Mercy decided to be annoyed this evening and refused her probiotic, I decided to put it on her fur and toes so she could lick it off, I did not care one jot about her annoyance, only that she cleaned herself and got at least some of the strains into her system. She has also refused her nightly lickable puree. A reader here mentioned fountains and faucets as drinking sources. She ignored both fountains I purchased, and though intrigued by running faucets, avoids getting close enough to drink despite encouragement. Baby food is next on my agenda. She is currently a study in petulance on our front room loveseat.

Enjoy your evening!

She did it!

 Mercy's lab results are normal. She has no parasites or bugs that can affect appetite or defecation. The vet listened, asked a couple of questions and then urged patience and persistence because all of Mercy's responses are fear-based and stem from her earliest days as small kitten alone. The vet said she might offer Mercy medication for anxiety but at this stage, just introducing things gradually is the best course. She is frightened of  the unfamiliar, so I'll go at her pace and praise her for any milestone, hoping that she understands that there is no danger lurking in our home. She is behaving normally and affectionately. The issue is getting her going at a better rate and keeping her hydrated so she can go. The Forti-flora probiotic that she refused mixed in food is acceptable on my finger as I found out this evening. Mercy often licks my hand and fingers as a sign of grooming or affection, so I tried a bit of the fine grain and after three dips, it vanished sans drama or any refusal. She got praise and a treat that she investigated thoroughly before crunching happily. She also used the box and is carefully observing my typing. I'm not sure if it is going to last, but I'll take this as a good result.

A very kind reader suggested baby food as another possibility for added hydration and the vet concurred, so thanks for sharing that tip and your experience. I'll be giving it a try.

Have a good night.

Little Miss Merciless

 Mercy's trip to the vet did not result in an enema. Having done the deed at the eleventh hour, a baggy accompanied her to the appointment for a lab to look at and a chat to the vet for findings on Monday. Given a probiotic mixed into kibble or her loved likable, Mercy flatly rejected both. Given a meaty broth and kibble mix, Mercy declined the needed hydration entirely in one  sniff. A friend offered a packet of probiotic treats. No ma'am. Not for my Mercy. Fearful of anything novel in her environment, Mercy may have a future of backing up and enema or kidney problem from lack of hydration. I hope the vet ha$ a rabbit in her hat on Monday morning.

Anyone have a coat?

 It is officially freezing as I compose this at seven in the morning. It has been a long night, mostly because Mercy has been up and deprived me of sleep. She is scheduled to visit her vet today as she is overdo for a poop and has been a bit off her feed. Constipation in cats can be a medical emergency if it continues for more than a couple of days because they can stop eating and that causes the liver to quit, leading to bye bye kitty. I feed Mercy kibble because she does  not abide canned food and though she enjoys a lickable puree as an added aid to hydration, it is not intended as a meal replacement. My search for an acceptable broth or topper for cats continues ass does my fervent desire to avoid chronic kidney disease. That happens because cat do not drink enough, hence the need for hydration aids. The vet is to call after her exam. 

Happy Saturday!

Southern Ice Storm or Snow Storm Possible...

37 Degrees at 1 PM

 And cloudy...More rain on the horizon, according to the weather widget! Stay warm!

Winter storm leaves winter wonderland in Florida

Cold...

 It is 40 and dropping. I had a contactless delivery just after six and it rained, pelting my thermal shirt and the back of my chair. I turned on the heating, hoping to warm. There are cold spots in this flat, especially around the gapping front door. This morning it was dinner for breakfast as I had cod, pasta and  assorted vegetables needing to be used up. Garlic and herb sauce dressed the fish while all else accompanied the cod. I have not been hungry at all since, just swilling warm drinks.

Soup is still the order of the day. Split pea, lentil and vegetable all being made.

Mercy is nestled in three blankets and I will shortly do the same. 

Stay warm!

Rare Winter Storm System About to Hit...

In Remembrance

 

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Happy Birthday, Reverend King

Photo taken from http://www.civilrightspictures.com/ on January 18, 2009, by the owner of this blog. This photo is used for illustrative purposes only. It will not be sold or used for profit in any way. The website from which this photo was taken allows this photo to be used free of charge for educational purposes on personal and educational websites and in personal e-mails.

The writing on this blog is the work of its owner and should not be used without permission.

, I was a small child when Martin Luther King was assassinated. I remember nightly images of this man on both the Spanish and English television channels available where we lived. While much of the English news was censored, the Spanish newscasts often featured information on his activities.

The first recollection I have of the word "pacifist" is in connection with Reverend King and protests for both Civil Rights and an end to the war in Vietnam. Residing in a community dominated by both military and government employees, the questions asked of my parents and teachers were often met with cautious responses.

"What is a pacifist?," was one of the first. The initial response, "Why are you asking?" then led to a series of even more provocative inquiries on my part that culminated in the simplistic reply, "A pacifist is someone who does not believe in violence."

When I pointed out that killing people only resulted in more people getting killed and asked why both sides could not just stop and talk with each other, my exasperated mother conceded the point that talking was indeed a better solution than shooting or dropping bombs.

 

Her frustration reached new heights when I observed that it was wrong to put Mr. King in jail just for standing up for people who could not stand up for themselves, then wondering aloud why everyone did not have the same rights, despite differences in their houses, the color of their skin or where they were from. She knew I was right, but offered no satisfactory answers as to why the rest of the world did not see things my way.

I knew by age nine that discrimination, cruelty and ignorance existed, for I had experienced them in my school and neighborhood, and so had my mother. I was growing up female in a world full of sexism, disabled in a school in which well-meaning teachers and neighbors, and even some doctors, were often ignorant.

Despite having the things many of my neighbors and their children had, I was also growing up in a Third World Nation, in which many neighborhoods overflowed with poverty. I also grew up around people from throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America as well as the United States and Mexico, and grew to love many of the wonderful foods, customs and cultural experiences that sprang from this exposure.

That this environment, coupled with personal experiences, also gave me a first-hand look at the differences in the way people are perceived and treated is no surprise. Indeed, the desire for fairness, equity and dignity for everyone, something rarely discussed by my conservative family and at odds with the deep Quaker roots of one great great grandmother I have since discovered.

 

Today is painful because the ideals espoused by Dr. King are those our country trumpets to the rest of the globe while we inaugurate someone antithetical to them. I cannot help but think that while the inroads made by King and others are in danger, his greatest gifts may be a model of resistance and the knowledge that these ideals are attainable and worth sacrifice.

Thanks for calling Humana Medicare Today...

So began my second conversation regarding a never-received insurance card from Humana Medicare. The card, originally mailed in November, has never arrived. The first request for another card from me to a Humana representative, happened January 3 and as of today, nothing has arrived. According to Daniel, a heavily accented gentleman on the other end of today's request, a special ticket in another department has been created to make the sending a priority and the card should appear in five to seven days. I'll believe it once the card is in my hot little hand...

The post office is probably the culprit. Unless tracking is used, the mail may not get to its desired destination, and that costs. 

Rain is expected here today, Herself is napping and I am doing chores and making veggie chili and split pea soup. The first is a melange of tomatoes, carrots, kale, butternut squash and green beans combined in chili and assorted seasonings. The latter is just green split peas, potatoes and carrots in a stock.

It is Monday. Have a good one.

Clip art courtesy of iStock,

This is the Coldest Outbreak of the Winter...Coming

   Bundle Up!

Oh Mercy!

 She is due for a nail trim and preventative for flea, tick and heartworm. Accordingly. her devoted pet sitter came over only to have Mercy hide, then bolt behind the bathroom vanity. A re-try is scheduled for Thursday. A frost advisory has been issued and temperatures hover around 40 and expected to drop a bit more before sunrise. This place is drafty with noticeably more coolness in the bedroom, so herself has been sleeping in the front room. I hope some day she'll sleep with me. but so far, she has not, preferring her stroller and blankets or the loveseat overlooked by a vent that warms that room if the heating is on.

Cheers from the chilly South!  

15 Months Old...

 Mercy enjoyed some salmon, play time and lap time to mark the the day...

Happy Sunday!

January 1 :

       

The New Year begins with a steaming plate of what is commonly called Hoppin' John. Black-eyed peas, rice and greens, to which I add fresh sliced tomato and salt and pepper. The peas, reputed in the South to bring good fortune, are an old tradition of African, Caribbean, French and Carolinas origins. Often cooked with onion and bacon, black-eyed peas, also known as cow peas, symbolize coins. Greens symbolize money, corn bread symbolizes gold and tomatoes, health.

While none of us know what awaits us in any year, starting out with a hot meal of black-eyed peas (which are actually a bean high in soluble fiber and protein) and rice is both filling and a reminder that no matter how humble our food, it is sustenance for which to be grateful. 

 

I wish all of my readers a wonderful year ahead along with my thanks for your continued interest and comments.

Cheers and Salud!