I'll do the annoyances first.
Right now what annoys me the most is listening to Dick Cheney and his friends trying to justify torturing people. Next, is having to listen to the media on every news program go on for days and days about torturing people. There are a lot of important bills before Congress that we should be informed about, but all the media wants to do is to go over and over every new bit of scandalous information that keeps coming out of the newly declassified reports about CIA and military illegal abuse of detainees. Enough already! It is important and needs to be investigated, but not at the expense of getting all the other important legislation passed.
Another thing that gets me is when those pretty young news women who give us reports on terrible events and catastrophes keep smiling as they enumerate the numbers of dead people or those made homeless. It is so inappropriate!
What makes me happy is right beside me or under my feet all the time - the many lovely pussycats and five dogs that share this home with my daughter Jane and me. My beautiful 12-year-old yellow cat, Buddy has been outside in the brisk wind for two hours, but now wants to be here beside me. When I finish what I'm doing on this computer, he will automatically get up and follow me.
Another cat that makes me happy is Tiger Tom. I wrote about him two years ago when he first appeared at my trailer as a feral cat up at the horse camp on the reservation. It was winter and we had snow and rain and always a strong wind. That poor cat stayed up in the tree over my trailer looking terribly cold and miserable. Later he got so he would perch on the windowsill looking in at me and all my other cats who were warm and snug inside. I sweet-talked him, and put out a lot of canned food for him, and found a device I could heat in the microwave oven, and it would stay warm for 12 hours. I put it in a box under the trailer steps and he didn't hesitate to sleep on it.
Tommy finally gave up after about 6 months, and let me pick him up and bring him inside where he soon became one of the family. He must have had a loving home once, because no really feral cat I ever knew would become as tame as he is now. Ever since then he has never stopped showing how grateful he is, and trying to show me how much he loves me. The other cats, especially Buddy, get very annoyed at him for monopolizing my lap.
And right behind me now is Sasha, Jane's rambunctious one-year-old puppy. When my granddaughter Penny gave us this very soft and fluffy old sofa, Sasha claimed it as her own. Jane found a khaki colored king sized bedspread to protect the sofa, and Sasha lies there on her back with all four gangly feet stuck straight up in the air. She looks so comfortable that my big black Smokey Joe sometimes steals her spot first. When that happens, Sasha just jumps over him and lies up on the wide back of the sofa. I'm looking at two tiers of dogs on the sofa right now. I hope Penny never wants that sofa back!
The chickens on the back porch area make me happy too. They are so eager for the vegetable scraps I throw to them. I love to hear the rooster crow and the hens sort of sing in a cackly way as they and the five baby chicks scratch through the grass and weeds we cut for them. They keep us in eggs for breakfast, and custards, and for making chocolate eclairs. (It takes four eggs for a single recipe of chocolate eclairs.)
Something that makes me happy and sad at the same time is watching the Lawrence Welk show on PBS on Saturday nights. Years ago I couldn't stand that show - Welk was so corny! But my mother loved it, and so did all the old people at a high-rise building that my husband, Scotty, and I helped manage in downtown San Diego back in the 1980s, right after I retired from my government job. Now I never miss it because of the nostalgic pleasure I get from hearing those old songs from WWII years and back as far as the 1920s. Some of those songs my mother bought as sheet music to play on the piano in the 1930s. It makes me happy to remember how much she enjoyed that married couple, somebody with funny hair and Ralna, who sang together. And I, at my advanced years, have quite a crush on that tall trombone player, Bob Havens, although I've never seen him without his cheeks and eyes bulging out. I love it when he has a solo or is featured with the Hotsy-Totsy Boys.
But the show also makes me cry because so many programs shown were taped about 1968 when my son John was in Vietnam. That was the year of the Tet offensive and although John was not part of the fighting force, he was in a zone that was bombed almost every night, and everyone had to run out to bomb shelters. He was just beginning to show signs of schizophrenia when he joined the service, although his father and I, and the Air Force didn't know it. John was smart, but he kept having lapses in his sense of reality, and I can't imagine what he suffered in Vietnam. John was always a loner, a bully to his brother and sister and he didn't make friends easily either. His Vietnam experience was the beginning of the end for John. He didn't ask much out of life - he just wanted to be a truck driver, but that was not possible after his mental illness took over. After a lot of problems and anguish, he killed himself nine years after he came home from military service.
So the Lawrence Welk show is a mixed blessing of good and bad memories to me now. Besides that I can't stand that Irish tenor, Joe Feney, or the Champaign Lady who sang in a soprano voice the likes of which I used to make fun of when I was a kid.
Saturday nights on PBS also brings me four wonderful English comedies - Waiting for God, Keeping Up Appearances, As Time Goes By, and a ridiculous farce, Are You Being Served. I've seen them all several times, but I never get tired of them because they still make me laugh, and it is like visiting nice old friends.
Well, it is Saturday again today. I am making carrots with honey to have with some leftover meatballs and fried potatoes followed by one of Jane's delicious brownies for dessert. And at 5 O'clock I'll watch Steve somebody's Europe, a weekly travel show, followed by Huel Hauser's Golden California where he visits beautiful parks and remote places around the state. Then it will be time for Lawrence Welk and the English comedies. And after that I can start another good book from the library and read until I drop off to sleep. That is enough to keep me happy for today.
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Comments: 25
But then again, the folks you see on TV are a really bad representation of people in general.
One of Jane's homemade brownies would be perfect right about now, we just finished dinner.
We have a feral cat that we found when he was about three weeks old. He's the best cat we ever had. (Sorry Missy,no offense, we love you just as much!)
Have a wonderful weekend with your fur family and Jane.
I'm in favor of a single warrior to represent each country. Let them duke it out and then the winner and loser armies should go home as they did in Greek and Biblical times.
I agree, my fur children have given me so much joy and only half the trouble of my skin children. LOL I've never had as many as you do but I've had and still have some very dear to my heart. Duchess, my second hand cat from my grand daughter, who replaced my 11 year relationship with Chloe, has proved to be a good companion and follows me from room to room just as yours do.
I love all those old British comedy shows, especially As Time Goes By. But I've never liked Lawrence Welk and I'm pretty sure I never will. However, my grandmother always said "never say never." Who knows what tomorrow brings.
This was a great read, as always from you. Have a good weekend.
Megan - I too, seem to understand dogs and cats a lot better than people, but cats do torture mice and lizards. They can't help it, it's born in them. People ought to know better.
Jackie - Right - those newscasters or thier bosses, don't seem to know when to change the subject. The torture isn't going to be decided very fast, and meanwhile a lot more immediate problems are being neglected.
Animaluvr - Thank you for your kind thoughts. The sadness never really goes away from the loss of one's children, even if they are adults when they die. I keep wondering what kind of a life
my son would have had if he hadn't been mentally ill.
My Riley had a lot of tooth problems, but after they were removed he is a whole new cat - fat and loving.
I always think of you when I am planning what I'm going to fix for a meal, and remember how kind you were to send that tasty banana bread.
Ruth - I can so relate to this. Oft times when I'd be down at home in Louisiana on Saturday nights, mama would say oh come look at this - and we'd enjoy seeing the Lawrence Welk cast of folks. Sometimes when I'd call, I'd ask mama if she watched her show - (I always called her on Sundays)...she'd say oh yes, but it was sooo old last night - mama danced with Lawrence Welk in Iowa years ago - she talked about it all the time.
She especially liked it when they sang Spanish songs on there. So, yes, I do love the Lawrence Welk show but only watch it down there on same old console TV - same old screen - in fact, I video'd a couple of shows but don't think I can post them on here...it was all fun.
Loved this article Ruth - love how your old Tom let you pick him up. Yes, poor guy must have had a good home once. I think the same about some of the ones I get - so shy at first but then follow you around like a dog and can't get enough of you petting their heads!
Enjoyable post, Ruth as all of yours are!!! Have a peace-filled Sunday. Salud
We also have a cat named Tiger Tom. We get all nostalgic about the Lawrence Welk show. I've watched Waiting For God about six times...the whole series, that is. One Foot in the Grave almost finishes me. I've laughed so hard my ribs ache.
I can't imagine how you coped with the death of your son John. I knew several Vietnam vets. They all came home with severe emotional problems. Two of them drank and drugged themselves to death. The others are still coping, but barely.
I have enjoyed reading every minute of your life.
I am so happy you are still well enough to enjoy reading. You give me hope. More please.
One thing I miss since I moved here is that I don't have my zydeco station anymore. I think I would love those people who live in the bayous - French from Canada and all mixed up with everyone else who has sought refuge in the bayous. It makes such a joyous mixture of cultures.
- I don't want to see you lose any of your cats - I have a friend in bayou land who lives on many acres that will take any stray cats - she feeds them and there are many outbuildings so mostly she gets the ones who are used to being outside. However, it's a long ways from where you are. Sounds like your old coyote dog only has a few days left so she may die in her sleep - both the boys got weak towards the end - it was difficult to clean up after them and I'm glad one died in his sleep and the other a sudden heart attack while eating. The hub could tell when he was carrying Charley that his heart was really beating fast - probably just from being picked up that way but we had to - they had so much pride about going in the house. Oh dear Ruth - I'm getting ready to take off for Nevada and then Louisiana - we'll think of something. You have such a positive nature - just like one of those pioneer women...you're a survivor. Ok let me know if I can help in any way - I'll do what I can. Salud
Six of my eight cats do go outside for a few hours each day, but they are all very much lap cats and have to have a big ration of petting several times a day. They are so dependent on me and watch me for clues as to what to do next. And when I'm sad several of them come up to me making a little noise like a question mark and rub against me. I have never before had cats so connected to me. They know I do my best to make them safe and happy - oh yes, and plenty of food available for them.