A basket-full of ?

 

Sharing with Sepia Saturday and Eileen's Saturday's Critters

Sepia Saturday starts with a basket-full of puppies.

How about a box-full of cats?

Or 

Some bewildered kittens who may have knocked out their mum. 

A couch-full of beagles - thanks to potter, Gary Edward Rith (former blogger) on Facebook now.

Baskets of cats being kept dry from the rain!

Shivering fawns warming friend kitten?

A pair of sheep - full of black and white cats!

Probably AI, but they do look cute! A log-full of otters?

Tiny house-full of children?

-in Berrien County,  Michigan in July of 1940 and shows a one bedroom home that was rented by a family of seven for $1.75 per week.

A cage-full of chickens -

Selling chickens in Weatherford, Texas.  (1939) Photo by Lee

How about a wagon-full of pioneers? 
- family with their covered wagon. Kansas, 1908 USA History site

And I finish with a car-full of cowgirls!

1918 photo of cowgirls advertising the 101 Ranch Wild West Show in Wichita Falls. On the far left is Prairie Rose

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

An article about how Black Mountain NC businesses want more customers, please!

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

Photo courtesy of FEMA

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will begin delivering emergency housing trailers to Buncombe County this week. (including Swannanoa, Asheville, and Black Mountain)

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

Today's quote:

Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.

ROBIN WALL KIMMERER

Mabon or Autumnal Equinox

 Happy  Mabon or Harvest Home. This equinox is also known as the first day of autumn. The equinox is on Sunday, September 22, 2024, at 08:44 A.M. EDT in the Northern Hemisphere

Wonderful tower of Moonlight Macarons for a business near St. Petersburg FL by Moonlitmacarons.com. Lucky are the local Floridians, since they don't ship long distances. My daughter-in-law, Barbara Baker creates these delicious treats.

Today's quote:

Personal note:  I had an interesting experience last week. From a position of getting out of breath when walking almost anywhere I needed to, I started telling friends that I wanted to start taking walks again. I even set a goal with my care coordinator, Rob (an official title for a Physician's Assistant who phone consults with me once a month regarding my medical issues [having more than 3 chronic diagnosis] from my general practitioner's office.) The goal wasn't set until after I'd had a nice coffee meeting with some friends, where we explored our experiences of our own pain threshold. I didn't know if mine was high or low exactly, but I seldom seem to have severe pains, just fatigue.

So I was  talking later with Rob,, and out of the blue said I wanted to set this goal to walk around our local lake (a half mile) without stopping, in three months. These kinds of goals delight the medical professionals, I know, because they are measurable and can have incremental objectives set in the time frame. (I use to write the same thing as a mental health counselor for records of my clients.) 

Anyway, at lunch, right after talking with Rob, my friend asked if I'd gotten my referral for pulmonary rehabilitation yet. I said no.

Then within an hour I had a call from Tanya, the pulmonary rehab. technician who I'd worked with several years ago. She had the referral from the pulmonologist. Apparently when I had emailed two weeks ago about my difficulties breathing, and asked if pulmonary rehab would be a good idea, it had trickled down to a referral after all.

But the timing was the miraculous (cosmic coincidence) part...set the goal, set a date, and then boom, here's a way to actually have allies to help me get there! Yes, the universe is supporting me going in this direction. Anyone else would phrase it differently, but that's the way I see it. And I felt so good about myself, I made brownies to take to the pot luck at the apartment complex the next day. Usually I have a lot of fatigue in the evening, and coughing, so can't accomplish much, but not that night! I was feeling so up about possibly getting to feel better, I actually felt better.

PS I might have some energies and positive attitude, but I still have a brain that isn't functioning correctly. The pot luck wasn't for another week! I hadn't looked at my calendar to check. So I shared brownies at the lunch program.

 

Old photos - One.

 I've now learned how my current phone photos download to the new computer and can open here, but I also have at least have around 5000 older photos that do download just fine! I'm discovering that learning new things and ironing out the kinks is a bit more psychologically daunting than just picking up the phone. I reach a saturation point, and decide to cope rather than continue chasing down the problem's solution.

This is my grand-kitten, Bandit! He is sweet as can be, but was already used to the name when he came to join the family, so they couldn't change it!

 

I frequently sat in "his chair" while visiting, and forgot that cats who own chairs leave a lot of fur deposited there. Of course you can guess where it was after I got back up!

 

Alice Kitty was a tiny thing when she moved into my grandson's room, where he already had two cats. But they have all become friends...though I think Alice is the more friendly of the gang.

 The two black ones are shy of visitors with cameras, so I didn't capture them on digital.  I do have a grand-cat in Colorado, who I don't think I have a photo of either.

 

Keptain and Muffin were the two I moved with when I retired from FL to western NC 14 years ago. They weren't related, and would share different areas with me as their central interest, but never had any interest in caring about each other.

Panther was the last cat that I cared for...and she was very sweet and opinionated. We never knew her age, but she lived with me for 6 years before having thyroid problems. I decided I could not have another cat in my life, partly because of how sad I was to loose Panther, and partly because my own health didn't do that well with any of the kinds of litter. Hard decisions based on determination to keep breathing.

Speaking of health, a small post script. I now have another symptom of my elderly cardiovascular system...swelling of my ankles that starts as I sit and work on computer. Which is my main activity these days. Dr. gave me diuretic pills, which will just take fluid from my system. I also find sitting with feet elevated, and having laptop in my lap helps. I guess the inner bits of my system are falling apart a little at a time. Getting old ain't for sissies!

Today's quote:

 Collective heroism also requires widening the circle that defines who matters to you and whose joys and sorrows you share.

ELIZABETH SVOBODA

My grand-cats, Bandit and Alice, among others...

Funny, they don't know each other. But when I sat down to pet each of them, they felt perfectly at home, and Bandit even showed me his belly on first meeting him! Pretty radical acceptance!

They live in different households, yet they may be destined to meet someday...

Marty put up his artificial tree, even fluffed it so it was more natural looking, but then a few minutes later it had a "cat level complete with cat." He didn't do any more! And it stayed vertical throughout the holidays.

Since I did no decorating in my home this year, I wasn't disturbed at all.

Alice was happy to pose for me...making sure I caught her beautiful eyes! She has two other kitties that live with her, but they were more shy.

My animal spirits

This is hitting me upside the head - this morning's dream first (which I'll give a few details later).
But in chronological order, then I've seen several blogs, which I chose at a whim to look at, and the messages all kept saying, your wild self...the animals are calling you to acknowledge that you also are animal. That you are sister to animals.

Then this wonderful video of the silkies...and the music, the story, and actually swimming with the seals of Ireland.  I cried.

I don't know where this is leading.  There's a call to be out in the wild (which I subscribe to with awareness of my "abilities")  There is also a "klunk" kind of ah ha...I have purpose here. These strong emotions draw me to do something special.  Is it art? Maybe.  Is it inner growth? Maybe.  Is it anything that makes sense? Just about like silkies do.

So the dream is triggered by my connection to my cats, who've been pets, who've all gone before me, having their deaths as my responsibility, having their care for many years of my life, and having the joy of their sweet warm furry bodies cuddled with mine.

I suddenly hear them thumping down on the floor in the next room - about once a day. (Of course my scientific mind says it's the neighbors) Then I feel the bed have a creak as one jumps up to be near me.  And I have ghosts of them out of the corner of my eyes all the time, just disappearing around a corner, or walking by somehow.  And today I kept having one sitting by a door patiently wanting me to open it.  Never to go "out" because that wasn't part of their lives.  But those awful doors were closed and little claws and paws just couldn't get them into the next room...where something wonderful awaited.  Curiosity.  Ah. Such a shared emotion.  Patience, sometimes also shared.

What is the meaning?
To help those waiting to go through doors...the barriers of our lives.
At least that was my ah ha this morning.
And to open the doors.  It's simple. But sometimes so scary for me.  I don't think the cat was afraid.  She always just waited patiently and then knew (with a mew or two) that her servant would comply.

Meet Diamond, Sable and Sabrina.

 Meet Sabrina, the 3-legged wonder cat!

She has trained her owner, (minion number one) to adore her as of course she deserves.

 Sable, her brother from another mother, loves little Sabrina, and is shown here going out to the garage to get dinner.

 The new dog in the house...Diamond.  She's just shy around strangers, but eventually let me pet her.  And she's very gentle for such a big dog (part Shepherd.)

 You can tell Sable is used to being on the kitchen table.

Martha even plays hide-seek with him.  He's very friendly.

 Well, if you say so Mum, I'll just lie here and look beautiful for you.

 Uh, how long do you want me to stay here looking beautiful?

 This is getting pretty boring.

 Is there something more interesting over there?

I'll give you to the count of 10.

Must get the kinks out of my back..

OK, I'm done with this episode of cuteness! 

And I can notice his dark brown hair in this light, thus his name!

Back in college?

Dream as the new year arrives...
I share a room with 2 other women in a dorm.  (Note, I only tried rooming with others in college for a few months, didn't work out.)
We have a big area with 3 desks and 3 beds, and some shelving.  My shelves have pottery on them.  There's also a stool with a potted philodendron sitting on it.  All the walls are bright white.  We are really crowded together.
I decide we must be ready for a fire drill (who knows why!) and convince my invisible roommates that we can do our own fire drill before everyone else, and then be prepared. (Must be the girl scout coming out in me!)
So they say, "when it's warm enough outside we'll do it."
And then we do, carrying a few of our precious possessions outside as if there really were a fire about to eat everything else.

I awake having been shoo-ing off the cats for the last half hour...one of whom has found sitting on my shoulder is the best way to get my attention. 

Meaning of dream?  I know many changes are coming, and that I need preparation for this year.  My conscious self has been thinking along these lines.  I do wonder who these other 2 women might be who are influencing me (beyond cat disturbances).  I think I will look in meditation for guides...whether angels or ancestors.  I sure could use the help!

Over the river and...modern days

I know she's taking that box and going away...

 I'm sleeping until I can sit on her while she tries to sleep tonight!

Sweet little plane out of Asheville

Yes, only 2 seats to a side!

Flight was fun as I met a nice gentleman on his way (with family) to visit Germany (including Paris & Vienna)...but he won't get to be with my family over Christmas. 

I started something, Jeff was soon taking photos of his family across the aisle from us!

More tomorrow on the second leg of my trip and the small blessing I received (big for me!)