What I Did On My Summer Vacation

Well, here it is September, and I didn't post all last month. This was partly due to an "upgrade" in technology that resulted in lack of internet access up at our cabin in the Adirondacks, where I ordinarily have lots of time to blog.

What happened is, we had been using Verizon's "MiFi" device to get internet access, which it accomplished fairly well, albeit somewhat slowly. Lo and behold, when July rolled around, I found I was due for an upgrade on the device, so I ordered a new MiFi that worked for not just 3G, but 4G, which we have in our area of New Jersey. I carefully asked the Verizon representative whether it would still work in non-3G areas, e.g., our cabin, and he assured me it would. So I ordered it and we took it up to the cabin and guess what? The old one worked MUCH better. The new one has only enough energy to pull in the New York Times on my Kindle, which is, of course, black-and-white, mostly text. When it comes to Blogger or Facebook, with all the graphics, forget about it. It just times out.

So we ordered a little antenna for it and an adaptor cord that connects to the MiFi. It improved access slightly, but still not enough. So we ordered a BIG antenna, which is supposed to work particularly on the 800 mhz wavelength that we have at the cabin. Guess what? It needed an adaptor to attach to the other adaptor that attaches to the MiFi. So we ordered that and it has arrived. I'm hoping that on our next trip we will be back to getting internet at the cabin and all will be well. We did manage to get down to the laundromat to do some laundry a couple of times and used their wifi, but that is not a long-term solution!

For anyone who wondered how we made out during Hurricane Irene (or I should say Tropical Storm Irene by the time it hit New Jersey), we were remarkably lucky. At home we just had a few downed branches and local flooding. Our basement remained blessedly dry and our power did not go out. Our friends in the next town did have water in their basement and lost power for 3 days. So we just got lucky. We were equally lucky up at our cabin, where the devastation that hit Vermont and farther up in the Adirondacks apparently skipped our area nearly entirely.

Anyway, now that I'm back here and it is the first week of school, I thought I would write the kind of essay teachers always used to make us write during the first week of school: "What I Did On My Summer Vacation." Since I am not trying to get into college, I don't have anything really impressive to tell you about, such as working in Guatemala or Somalia building homes or designing clean water systems for a village; or some kind of great internship at a prestigious company that would give me a leg up on the competition to get into an Ivy League school, as kids nowadays have to do. In fact, my summer was much more like what my summers were like in my youth when I used to read a lot, play Monopoly with my friends and hang out at the town pool. (None of which would have helped me get into college, but thankfully standards were lower then).

So. During August we basically relaxed a lot at the cabin on the weekends, went to Lake George for a dip, read a lot, and walked the dogs. The biggest summer events were attending the Washington County, NY Fair, and car shows. We actually went to two: the first was a general antique/custom car show held in Ticonderoga, NY, in their attractive town park by the waterfall where the waters of Lake George tumble into the LaChute River on their way to Lake Champlain. The other was held here in New Jersey at the Parsippany Hilton and was a Saab Owners Convention. We had never been to one, since they've usually been held in Minnesota or some other faraway place, but since it was right in New Jersey, how could we resist?

Here are some scenes from the Ticonderoga show:

A '57 Chevy I believe...not the classic with the "rocket launchers" in front; it's a lesser model but quite nice.
I liked this Jaguar...
Nice Mercury.
Great Corvette.
Chevy Nova. I think a friend of mine had this same model.
An Oldsmobile that is an ode to chrome.
T-Bird.
Another Nova.
A hot rod.
Two vintage Saabs at the Saab convention. The one on the right is similar to our '85 but is a few years older.
Another view....
Another Saab arriving at the show (we attended on its first day so not everyone was there yet).

Some oldies that are still goodies.

An old Saab station wagon!
Another vintage Saab. I don't know my years very well, it is probably early '70s.
A snazzy Saab Sonnet from the late '60s or so. They were the sporty Saab style.
That's me in the passenger seat, getting a ride in a '73 Sonnet. You can't tell but I'm wearing a Saab visor that I bought as a souvenir.
I also had a ride in this one. They were offering free rides in vintage Saabs as well as in some new ones. I still like the old ones best so didn't bother riding in the new ones.
This one and the next are both nice Sonnets, different years.

One last vintage beauty...

As for the County Fair, we went on a perfectly beautiful late August day and saw nearly all the sights. There were horses...
Dog agility contests...
Prizes for canned goods...
and arts and crafts...
We saw goats...
And sheep...

Roosters and chickens...
Some ducks...
and pigs...
and lots of cows. This one doesn't want to go where this little girl is trying to make it go!



And of course, lots of food and carnival rides!


Last, but certainly not least, we enjoyed the scenic beauty around us, and did some relaxing on our deck at the cabin!





I'll be back soon with, hopefully, a post that actually talks about issues...politics...the President...the Economy...or some other weighty combination of all of these. I am still in summer brain mode and have to confess I did not even watch the debate among the eight Republicans who want to be president. All but two make me want to run screaming or slit my wrists at the idea of them possibly winning. Romney and Huntsman are equally Republican but not quite as crazy. However, I have not really studied their beliefs or ideas, and that opinion may change radically once I do!

Hope you enjoyed your summer. I am already starting my Seasonal Affective Disorder a little early - must be all this rain. I can't believe it's September already. Where did this year go?

A Cat's Eye View

Baxter here. I bet you didn't realize it, but I can actually Type with my Back to the computer. Aren't I Talented?

It's been Awhile since I Graced this Blog with my Presence. It's certainly not My fault, though. My Humans keep going Away and Leaving Me here alone, and it puts Me in a Bad Mood and I don't feel like Blogging. But I thought it was About Time I put My Two Cents' worth in. So here I am.

First of All, this whole Debt Ceiling Debacle is just Ridiculous, in This Cat's Opinion. I have never seen such Folderol in my Life. Here President Obama is willing to give the GOP practically Everything they want, including Cuts to Medicare and Medicaid - much to the Dismay of his Supporters - with the small catch that they have to Agree to - horrors - some Revenue raising! And we're not talking about a Huge Tax Increase here. We're talking about getting rid of Loopholes, and Oil subsidies, and taxing things like Corporate Jets.

But no. The Republicans have all Signed some kind of Pledge not to raise Taxes NO MATTER WHAT, and they are Cutting Off their Noses to Spite their Face. I have never seen such Stubborn Humans in My life. They're Stubborner than a Cat being stuffed into a Cat Carrier to go to the Vet. (And believe Me, that's Stubborn. Getting Me into my Carrier is a two-human job!).

However, the guy who got them to sign the Pledge did leave some wiggle room for the GOP to let the Bush Tax Cuts expire and not have it "Count" as a Tax Increase. Perhaps that is the Way this can still be Solved and the GOP could Save Face. Time will Tell. (Seems to Me I remember another President who said "No new taxes! Read my lips!" and he raised Taxes, because he had to. And he didn't get Re-elected. So this might work out for Good in the End if the GOP loses some Seats in the House or Senate as a result of any Agreement!)

So, I am crossing my Paws and hoping for Some Kind of Resolution before the Debt Ceiling goes up and turns the Country into a Pawn Shop of some kind. I'm not quite Sure what would Happen but it isn't Good. They say a deal may be Imminent, but I'll Believe it when I see it.

Seems as if there isn't much else New to talk about these days. It's Hot. Very Hot. My Humans aren't even Outside on the Deck today, as they usually like to be in the Summer. I'm just as Glad, because that means they are Indoors with Me, which of course is a Better Place anyway. I'm hanging out in the Air Conditioning upstairs, and am Quite Comfortable. I think I heard my Humans talking about going to see the new Harry Potter movie later on. That may Cool them Down nicely.

So, with that, I will Sign Off, and wish you a Cool Weekend. Hang out in the A/C or in a pool, and keep your Catnip dry!

Summer Haiku Tuesday

After a whole week up at the cabin in cool springlike weather, coming back to New Jersey was a shock. It's mid-July. It's hot. It's humid. The only good thing is, there is a nice breeze. In fact, it was such a nice breeze yesterday, apparently, that two branches broke off and fell in my neighborhood - one on the sidewalk around the corner and one on our front porch steps!

The brinksmanship between President Obama and John Boehner slogs along. I think the President is playing it right for a change - actually holding out and saying that he won't accept any budget that doesn't include revenue, i.e., tax, increases. I just hope he doesn't fold at the last minute. At some point the Republicans will have to either give in and accept some tax increases, even if only in the form of closing loopholes, or else they will take the blame for the economic mess that would follow if the debt ceiling isn't raised.

But in the summer heat it's hard to get worked up about anything in politics. In the back of my heat-drugged mind I have questions: "If the government defaults on its debts, does that mean investments in treasury bills will tank?" "Do I have any investments that would be stable if this happened?" but I can't bring myself to think any further than that or bother to Google something to find out. Maybe I don't want to know. After all, what can I do about it anyway?

So, I decided today would be a good day for some haiku. As part of my resolution to get back to blogging, haiku is always a good way to get over any writer's block I may have! So....

Summer has arrived.
Cicadas are chattering
High in the treetops.

The dogs are panting
Diva's too hot to walk far
We sit on the deck.

The news is dismal
Haven't read the New York Times
Or the Star Ledger.

Budget talks drag on
Boehner meets with Obama
No progress is made.

My computer's on
My MiFi is blinking green
Where shall I go next?

Facebook is sluggish
The blog world is beckoning
Time to go explore.

I often wonder what we ever did without the internet? Can anyone remember? And don't say we read, because I still read. But I find the world has opened up and become so much more accessible since the advent of the internet. It would be very hard to go back to the past.

It's About Time...UPDATED with pictures!

Well, another month has sped by…and “the 4th of July crept up on little cat feet,” as Jean Shepherd paraphrased in his wonderful tale, The Legend of Ludlow Kissel.

I have to admit, I have become a Bad Blogger. Who would have thought that retiring would mean LESS writing of blogs instead of more? It’s just as the old adage says, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.” Or in this case, a working person. I’ve even been lazy about checking e-mail these days.

It hasn’t been all sloth and lethargy, though. I’ve been doing some writing for a local blog, covering events in my town, and perhaps I have been expending my writing energy that way, leaving none left for my own blog.

Plus, DH, his dad, my aunt and I all went to Cape Cod during the second week in June – followed by my coming down with a dreadful, energy-sapping, soul-sucking cold that actually took two weeks to go away. It included a consumptive cough, a head cold, and a temporary loss of the ability to taste things, which was certainly not a pleasant way to spend the middle of June. (Luckily that sense has returned, along with my appetite, something that is rarely out of commission under ordinary circumstances).

I can’t say nothing happened in the past month worth talking about – far from it. Of course, the most important event of all was the recent passage of the gay marriage bill by the New York State Legislature, and immediate signing thereof by Governor Andrew Cuomo, who had pushed so hard for the law to pass. The news of the law’s passage came late Friday night last weekend, when we were up at our cabin in the Adirondacks.

I was thrilled that this finally happened – especially in New York, which is so tied in with the gay rights movement, starting back in 1969 with the Stonewall Riots. It’s about time, New York! Now if only my home state of New Jersey would follow suit. Of course, our governor, Chris Christie, in his usual pleasant way, has said he’d veto any effort by the legislature to pass a gay marriage bill in his state. Remind me again how we ended up electing this guy? It certainly wasn’t a choice I made. I think I’ll start thinking of New York as my home state. It feels better.

It was inspirational to see Governor Cuomo go about his efforts to push through the bill. According to columnist Maureen Dowd, who recently interviewed the governor,

"The governor says he sold the marriage-equality bill as a matter of conscience and didn’t try to buy off any recalcitrant lawmakers with promises about roads or bridges.

He said Senator Roy McDonald, a Republican who grew up in public housing and represents a somewhat conservative district in the Albany area, told him that he wanted to vote for the bill because 'it’s the right thing. I believe my God is a God of love and acceptance.'"

The four Republicans who voted "yes" deserve a great deal of credit for bucking their party's line and doing the right thing.

New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg gets some credit as well, as he expended a lot of political clout on its behalf.

It’s too bad President Obama can’t get any further in his “evolving” viewpoint on the subject and come out strongly in favor of it. He still says it’s an issue best left to the states, and while there may be some political reasoning behind this, that wouldn’t stop him from at least saying honestly what he believes in. (Note to the President: “states’ rights” was the excuse given for ongoing segregation as well.) And now that 53% of Americans approve of gay marriage, the tide of popular opinion is starting to turn - not that people’s intrinsic rights as human beings should be decided by popular opinion in the first place.

It’s possible that leaving it to the states for awhile would still be a wise policy, until enough states passed gay marriage or civil union laws to reach a tipping point where the Supreme Court would be more likely to rule in favor of gay marriage.

But in the meantime, federal laws do not recognize those state-endorsed marriages, depriving spouses of federal pensions and social security benefits from their partners, and marital law in general will be a mess once people start moving around the country and try to get their marriages (or divorces) recognized in other states, as John Schwartz in the NY Times discussed in today’s paper.

And if the Administration is ostensibly no longer defending the Defense of Marriage Act, why doesn’t President Obama use his bully pulpit, as Cuomo did his, to try to get Congress to repeal it? I can only hope he is waiting till after the next election, when he no longer has to worry about being re-elected, before pushing for this. But if he wants to win that election, he’d do better by supporting his base, which includes many gay rights advocates, than kowtowing to a conservative populace that won’t vote for him anyway. Just once I'd like him to do something bold about this issue, which should be a matter of conscience for everyone, not a political calculation.

In other June news, Republican candidates continued to come out of the woodwork, but I am not paying much attention to them at this point. Wake me up next year when we have some idea of which way the wind is blowing. Right now the group includes rightwing ideologues like Michelle Bachman, perpetual candidates like Ron Paul and now Newt Gingrich; and a range of more mainstream candidates like Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty, who are stepping all over themselves trying to be more rightwing so the primary voters will vote for them.

Then there's the botched rape case against the former IMF director, Dominique Strauss-Kahn. At first it all seemed so simple: Aging lecherous Frenchman rapes innocent immigrant just trying to make a life for herself in the United States. Turns out she wasn't so innocent, had some unsettling ties to drug dealers, and had a history of lying to the government when seeking asylum a few years earlier. Her stories were inconsistent and her credibility damaged. So now Strauss-Kahn is leaving his house arrest and the case is in disarray. But the question remains: Just because she's a liar, do we know for sure he's not a rapist?

So, enough of all that...I will just concentrate on what we’ve been up to the past month. Our annual spring trip to the Cape was a big success. My aunt came with us this time and stayed in the cottage my mother always stayed in. She hadn’t been up to the Cape in about 15 years, so was happy to finally get back there. Her 18-year-old cat had just had to be put to sleep, and the trip helped get her mind off that. And, in fact, if she still had the cat, she might not have felt comfortable going away for a week, so it all worked out for the best in some ways. Amazingly, we had wonderful, warm, sunny, clear weather for 5 of the 7 days we were there, and even the other two days were just partly cloudy.

We did all the usual Cape things: went out for lobster, sat on the bay beach not far from our cottages, took a ride to Provincetown. We also spent a lot of time just relaxing on the serene grounds of the cottages, looking out at the pond.

I had a few gratifying chats with the lovely woman who is the owner of the cottages we stay at, a staunch Democrat who was a supporter of Barack Obama before I had even decided who to support in the primaries. Now she asked me, somewhat wistfully, "Do you think he can survive the haters? The Tea Partiers?" (We were there not long after the most recent kerfluffle about his birthplace.) I assured her I thought that wasn't going to be his problem, but that he should do more to support his own base. She agreed, saying she wasn't always happy with everything he's done, but continues to support him nevertheless. I think a lot of Democrats would agree with that sentiment. But I'm not sure about the indpendents, and there will his problem in 2012 if things don't improve.

Diva and Angel had a great time at the Cape also. Diva, as usual, loved her swimming sessions in the pond. We tried to get Angel to go in, but she apparently is not really a swimming-style of dog. She did go in up to her shoulders and at one point took off swimming toward a school of ducks (do ducks travel in schools? Herds? Bevies?). Her prey drive is stronger than her dislike of swimming, apparently.

Here are pictures of Diva and Angel, close up. In the second one you can see Diva is getting impatient with picture-taking and revving up her "demand bark." This picture definitely shows the difference in their personalities!



And a nice portrait of Angel lying in the grass near the deck of the cottage.


My aunt reading with Diva sprawled in front of her.

The ducks in the pond were very bold; one mama duck kept trying to come up to our cottage when we were sitting outside, followed by her babies. She kept coming even as both dogs went nuts barking at her. We kept having to get up and shoo her away. Someone who was previously in that cottage must have been feeding her!

DH’s dad had a good time too – he always does. We went twice to his favorite restaurant, and he ate lobster in all forms at every meal, including baked stuffed, steamed, in the form of a lobster salad roll, and more.

We had a low-key Father’s Day; just had Dad up for a pancake breakfast out on the deck. By that time my cold had improved enough that I was functional and able to be a hostess! Here's a portrait of DH and his dad and Dad's "grandchildren."


Now comes the real “cabin season.” We are finally getting warmer weather, after a long, cool, rainy spring. Even as recently as last weekend the weather was so cool at night up at the cabin that a fire in the woodstove was needed at least once a day to take the chill off.

Now it’s finally warmer, so we’re using the outdoor firepit out on the deck for our fires in the evening. But even still, the weather is unpredictable - yesterday, clear blue skies and sunny; today, thunderstorms, clouds and rain. But even then it is peaceful and beautiful at the cabin, and better than being in the hustle and bustle of suburban New Jersey. The dogs both love it here and like to lounge around on the deck and relax, looking out at the woods and occasional wildlife. Angel, who is so over-reactive to every human-generated noise at home, is calm here. Nature doesn’t trigger her alarm.

We’ve planted a miniature raised garden here at the cabin, using bricks that were left lying around by the previous owner. Our crops include basil, rosemary, and oregano. We just extended this little garden and will now plant some beans to see if we can get a small crop of string beans. Plus we bought two patio tomato plants that we’re hoping will survive our absences long enough to yield some home grown tomatoes. Surprisingly, nothing seems to be eating our herb garden. It will be interesting to see if string beans are another matter.

Tomorrow is the 4th of July, and I don’t know whether we will participate in any local festivities or not. Before we came up to the cabin we went with friends to the annual county display of fireworks in our local park, so we had our fix already. Up here, a couple of years ago before we had our own cabin, we stayed over in Schroon Lake and sat outside and watched their annual 4th of July parade go by, and later sat on the beach at the lake being eaten by mosquitoes and watched the fireworks there. But that’s kind of far away. So tomorrow may be another quiet day here…but that’s fine with me!

Angel by the pond - she is enjoying the country life.


Hope everyone has a happy, safe and fun Fourth! I'm posting this without pictures but will update tomorrow - when the sluggish internet connection here might be better - with pictures of the dogs and more!

What Happened to April?

This is a first for me: an entire month went by without a blog post. I hope it isn't the beginning of a trend. Much as I love Facebook and other social media, I also love the interaction of the blogging world, where ideas can be more fleshed out and thoroughly discussed.

That said, I guess I didn't have enough energy in April to flesh out or thoroughly discuss any issues. Maybe it was the weather. April came, and after the long, cold winter, I was so happy it was spring again. But it wasn't. Day after day went by, with the weather as cold and nasty as it was in March, and no leaves showing up on the trees for what seemed like forever. Finally by mid-month, leaves and flowering trees started to appear. We went up to the cabin, expecting to hear the spring peepers, but it looked like the dead of winter there, and there wasn't a peeper to be heard peeping. Last year it was definitely warmer in April, even in the Adirondacks. We stayed in a lot and stoked the woodstove with logs!

We had intended to go back up to the cabin two weekends ago, but DH's dad got sick and ended up in the hospital for a week. Thankfully, he's OK, but we spent a lot of time driving back and forth to see him and visit my mother-in-law in the nursing home since Dad couldn't go. He's back to his old self, so we are hoping, fingers crossed, to go up to the cabin this weekend. I hope the spring peepers are still peeping.

I made it through Mother's Day, the first one without my own mother; we visited DH's mom and then had my aunt over for dinner. It was low-key but pleasant.

In the meantime, over the past month or two, I've gotten involved in "crossposting" shelter dogs, especially those from the NYC Animal Care & Control centers, where our Diva originally was rescued from by the Animal Farm Foundation. I started a separate Facebook page for the purpose.

Prior to getting involved in this form of animal rescue, I had no idea there was this national, even international, network of people posting dogs and cats on Facebook to share the plight of shelter pets in danger of being put down. Apparently it must work, because you never know when the picture or description of one particular dog (or cat) will touch the heart of someone else, and spur them to save the animal. Of course, it is also heartbreaking to know how many don't make it out. But at least I feel as if I'm making a small contribution to saving as many as possible.

So...I missed commenting on a lot of important events in the past 6 weeks. Of course, the biggest one was the killing of Osama Bin Laden. (Since it's old news by now and everybody and their brother knows about it, no need to link to a news article to refer to it!).

I was, frankly, somewhat surprised at the amount of celebration his death set off in this country. I felt more of a feeling of grim satisfaction. I didn't feel like popping champagn corks or rushing into New York City to be at ground zero. But I was also proud that President Obama was able to direct this accomplishment so efficiently and with such secrecy.

I have to say it probably would have been more "moral" on our part if we had captured him and tried him in our system of justice. But in all honesty, I can see what a mess that would have been. Look at the trouble President Obama had, just trying to try some of the Guantanamo suspects in a regular court. I realize that making things simpler is no reason to kill the man outright, but on the other hand, his death is certainly nothing I'm losing sleep over. He was evil, and he's dead, and I'm glad.

The other issue, of course, is this: Is it right to barge in on another sovereign country and kill someone who is living there (apparently with that country's blessing)? Again, probably not. But since Pakistan had to have known he was there, and didn't do anything about it themselves, I can't blame our government for taking matters into their own hands. And now that we know from the evidence captured at Bin Laden's compound that Bin Laden was continuing to actively encourage and direct terror attacks, it seems that this was the right thing to do.

As for the President's decision not to release pictures of Bin Laden to the public after his death, I agree with that. It would serve no purpose except to further satisfy our citizens' feelings of vengeance. Identification would not have been the reason to release the pictures, since, let's face it, when someone is shot in the head, they aren't very recognizable. In addition, people have not seen the man's face for a number of years, so how could they be sure, just from a picture, that this was Bin Laden? The DNA testing that was done should suffice. Sometimes people just have to actually trust their government.

The other reason not to release the pictures is, as President Obama said, we do not want to incite even more desire for revenge among Bin Laden's followers. We know he's dead. They know he's dead. No need to be carrying his head around on a pike, figuratively speaking.

On a lighter note, I've been enjoying the antics of the various possible contenders for the GOP presidential nomination. First there is Donald Trump, who made a kerfluffle over the long-standing debate (among those with few brain cells) over whether or not President Obama was born in this country, finally prompting the President to say, figuratively, "Oh, all right, for heaven's sakes, if you'll just shut up about this, here is my LONG-form birth certificate."

Of course, there will always be conspiracy theorists to deny the authenticity of any paperwork whatsoever that he may release, so I don't know how much good it did. But at least it shut Trump up on the subject, prompting him to then start claiming the President didn't do well at Columbia and Harvard. (Personally, I have no doubt this president is very intelligent, and I'm sure his grades were just fine. But I don't need to know what they were.) Luckily, Prince William married Kate Middleton, and Bin Laden got killed shortly after this whole incident, and the media were totally on to the next big thing. The Donald's further claims have gone unpublicized for the most part.

So, The Donald has been quiet for a week or two; in the meantime, Newt Gingrich has reared his ugly head. Or well-coiffed white head, if you prefer. Either way, his beliefs are darned ugly, so I feel justified in that description nevertheless. The Newark Star Ledger had a good editorial about Newt and his reactionary beliefs and outrageous statements, pointing out how far from the mainstream this man is, in his own words. Among the Newtonian statements quoted were:

"Bilingual education is teaching 'the language of the ghetto,' Gingrich said in a speech to the National Federation of Republican Women in March 2007.

'Females have biological problems staying in a ditch for 30 days because they get infections, and they don’t have upper body strength,' Gingrich said in 1995, while teaching a history course at Georgia’s Reinhardt College. Males 'are biologically driven to go out and hunt giraffes.

'There is a gay and secular fascism in this country that wants to impose its will on the rest of us,' Gingrich said of those who protested California’s Proposition 8 banning gay marriage, on a Nov. 2008 edition of Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor.

Gingrich wrote that it is time to 'profile for terrorists' and to 'actively discriminate based on suspicious terrorist information' in a Dec. 2009 op-ed for Human Events.

Gingrich told a crowd of evangelical churchgoers in San Antonio: 'If we do not decisively win the struggle over the nature of America, by the time (my grandchildren) are my age, they will be in a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists and with no understanding of what it once meant to be an American.'"

And those are just a few of the quotes in the editorial. You can see the rest at the link. There are even more out there if anyone has the stomach to go look for them all. It is hard to imagine that Gingrich has the type of "family values" background that will appeal to the majority of right-wing conservatives, given his three wives and history of adultery. But his latest, and so far, last, wife, could be considered a plus for him these days. He converted to Catholicism and professes to be a changed man.

I think it's important to remember, adultery and multiple marriages aside, that Gingrich is not even close to being a moderate or normally conservative Republican. His viewpoints are far right and not appealing to the independents who will probably decide the next election.

I think the Austin Lounge Lizards do the best explanation of why Newt is not a good candidate. Enjoy:


Speaking of Catholicism, I was pleased to note in the New York Times that a group of over 75 Catholic professors wrote a letter to GOP Speaker John Boehner prior to his scheduled commencement address this Saturday at the Catholic University of America in Washington. The letter pointedly chastised him, saying the proposed Republican budget "will hurt the poor, the elderly and the vulnerable," per the Times. Specifically, it stated:

"'Mr. Speaker, your voting record is at variance from one of the church’s most ancient moral teachings,' the letter says. 'From the apostles to the present, the magisterium of the church has insisted that those in power are morally obliged to preference the needs of the poor. Your record in support of legislation to address the desperate needs of the poor is among the worst in Congress. This fundamental concern should have great urgency for Catholic policy makers. Yet, even now, you work in opposition to it.'"

Kudos to them for pointing out what is obvious to me and most other liberals: The Republican Party policies do not reflect "what Jesus would do." I've never understood why so many evangelical Christians support the GOP, for that reason. Glad to see these Catholic professors standing up for what is truly "Christian."

On that note, I will close, and get this blog post up so people won't think I've disappeared off the face of the earth. I hope everyone is doing well and I will be by to visit your blogs now that I'm back from my unintended hiautus!

A Cat's Eye View

Baxter here. I am finally ready to Blog again after a Long Absence. As you Know, my Humans have procured a New Dog, and I am Not Happy About It.

Because the New Dog, Angel (Ceiling Cat knows why they picked THAT Name for her), is Bad With Cats, I, Baxter, have to Suffer. I am confined to the Second Floor so the New Dog doesn't chase me down and possibly Do Damage to Me. Of course, I have my Own Room, complete with All My Toys and my Scratching Post Perch thing, my Box and everything I need. And I can go into the other Rooms on that Floor, including the Bedroom where my Humans and That Dog, the one they call Diva, sleep. So I do get Some Attention.

But I'd like to continue to come Downstairs and sit with the Humans when That Dog is sleeping, as I did Before. But until the New Dog gets used to Me, I guess I'll have to put up with the Situation. She has come to my gate when I was in my Room and looked at Me. Once I gave a Mighty Hiss and Growl and she seemed Intimidated. But the next time she just Barked at Me.

So. Here I am, finally ready to Blog about Current Events. But the Current Events have been So Horrendous in the past Few Weeks that I don't know where to Begin. I'm going to Skip the most Tragic events such as the Terrible Events in Japan. So, that leaves Me with...Libya.

OK, so like the other Countries where the people are Revolting (well, the PEOPLE aren't revolting, they are staging a Revolt), Libya has its own Revolt going too. Unfortunately the Human, if You can call him that, Qaddafhi or Gadhafi or whatever Crazy Spelling you want to Use for him, threatened to Kill all the people who are Protesting. So our Country, in its Infinite Wisdom, has decided to Get Involved. We didn't Get Involved with any of the Other Revolts, but who am I, a Mere Cat, to Question the Government?

From what I understand, Other Countries asked us to Get Involved. And it is a Coalition Force, acting on a UN Resolution. Sounds Vaguely Familiar to me. What was that war called? Korea? Oh, wait, it was a "Police Action." Wonder what they will call This after the Fact? Jon Stewart had a few ideas:

The Daily Show - Define and Conquer Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Turd Sandwich, Anyone?

Personally, as a Cat, I find it Foolish to Get Involved in what is basically a Civil War. If I am going along, Minding my Own Business, and see a big Catfight happening on the Other Side of the Street, you can bet I am not going to Get Involved. I certainly don't want to get in the Middle of it; it's a Good Way to Lose an Ear, or worse!

Of course, President Obama has said he's Not Getting Us Involved. He's just Protecting Civilians. He didn't seem to care that Much about Protecting Civilians in some of the Other Countries where Revolts are happening. Maybe we just Like their Dictators better.

At any rate, I hope this Ends Soon and we don't have another Big Mess on our hands. In the meantime, could the Pundits and Congresspeople ever think about the Economy once in awhile instead of Arguing over Every Last Thing that President Obama has ever supported or done? As My Favorite Human, Jon Stewart, noted, in the Eyes of the GOP, President Obama can't do Anything Right.

The Daily Show - America at Not-War Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

By the Way, my Female Human and her Friends were in the Live Audience at the show just Above. It was their Second Time there, and they are going to see Stephen Colbert next month. As a Cat, I would not be Allowed In, which makes me feel Discriminated Against. They also don't let Kids Under 18 in. I guess it's because All Those Words that get beeped on the TV show are said Quite Clearly in the studio. But Come On, what Teenager doesn't Already Know those Words?

Well, that's About It from MY end Today. Oh, before I go, How do you Like the New Format? My Female Human suggested that I Make Some Changes in honor of Spring, to perhaps encourage it to Show Up. So far, she tells Me, all these Sunny Days I observe from my Window, are still Very Cold and Windy. Let's hope that Changes Soon.

In the Meantime, keep hitting the Catnip and hope we are not Now Involved in Yet Another Costly War in an Unfriendly Country.

"Slip-Sliding Away"

I don't know what it is about this winter that seems so endless. Maybe it's because I'm not working, and unlike last year, I am not keeping busy taking care of my mother. Last year, although I noticed the winter was cold, I didn't care because I was indoors doing things for Mom anyway. And then it seemed to get much warmer much quicker in April, right after she came home from the nursing home, and we were able to be outside.

This year is different. Even though it is arguably almost the middle of March, the weather is cold, dreary and windy. Yes, it was above freezing today, but so dreary and cold it didn't matter. The other day there was ice on the deck again after the warm rain had ended and the cold front blew in.

So, I've been hibernating more than usual this winter. Whole days go by and I don't go outside the house except to walk the dogs. Now that there are two, at least that forces me to go outside twice since I don't walk them simultaneously.

I find I have let things slide...maybe I'm slip-sliding away, as Paul Simon would say. "The nearer your destination, the more you're slip-sliding away."

Well, I don't know if I'm anywhere near any kind of destination, but I do feel as if things are slipping. For instance, unless I have somewhere to go - I admit this publicly - I usually skip wearing a bra altogether. I mean, why bother? It's cold out, I wear fleece sweaters, no one can tell, and it's comfortable.

I also seldom take my shower until about 4:30 in the afternoon - again, depending on whether there's somewhere I have to go. Why bother? All I have to do is walk the dogs and sit by the computer.

The other thing is, the bunion on my right foot has become so painful that almost no shoes are comfortable. So I've been walking the dogs wearing my rubber-soled bedslippers. They're so comfortable. Who's going to see me anyway?

I asked DH the other day, "Honey, I've been wearing these (pointing to my feet) out in public. No one can tell they're bedslippers, can they?" DH: "Um, yeah. They can." Oh well.

I was walking Angel yesterday wearing said bedslippers, jeans (at least it wasn't sweats) and a bright red fleece sweater. I mean, bright orangey red. This look was topped off with a neon pink down jacket that I'd gotten on closeout from Lands End last winter. In addition, since I hadn't had my shower yet, my hair looked like an epileptic spider had walked through it in the midst of a grand mal seizure.

Unexpectedly, I saw someone approaching in the distance, and I saw she was heading in my direction. She was nicely dressed in a color-coordinated jogging suit and sneakers, apparently taking her afternoon's exercise. She did not meet my eyes as our paths crossed, although I smiled and said "hi," as I went by. Miffed, I thought, "How unfriendly." Then I looked down at myself and realized what I looked like, and couldn't blame her.

We have a weird guy in our neighborhood who wanders around at all hours of the day holding an umbrella up over his head (it doesn't matter if it's rainy, sunny, cloudy, or fair). He also usually has his shirt off and is carrying it over one arm. In addition, he frequently has on shorts, even if it is winter. He holds his hand to his ear and is talking at all times, as if to aliens. (No, he does not have Bluetooth.) I suddenly realized the unfriendly jogger might have thought I'm similar to this guy, and felt she should steer clear of me.

This made me think of the Madwoman of Chaillot. Maybe that's who I looked like. I didn't even know who the Madwoman of Chaillot was, just that it was a play that my parents were involved in as part of their little theater group back when I was a kid. Maybe my mother was in the play, I don't remember. But it sounded good.

I started thinking, maybe she was a character I could identify with during this miserable long winter of existence that seems to have no end. I've always had a tendency to narrate my own life as if I were in a novel. I started thinking thusly:

"Wandering aimlessly like the Madwoman of Chaillot through the streets of Bloomfield, Mauigirl felt the winter could not be any longer if it tried."

The only problem is, I had no frackin' idea who the Madwoman of Chaillot was and what made her mad, and I thought I should look it up. So when I got home, I went directly to the Google.

As it turns out, the play, The Madwoman of Chaillot, has a lot to teach us today, despite being written by some French guy back in 1943. From Wikipedia, here is a brief plot summary:

"The play is set in the Cafe de l'Alma in the Chaillot district of Paris. It is said that Molière, Racine, and La Fontaine used to frequent this cafe. But these days a group of corrupt corporate executives are meeting. They include the Prospector, the President, and the Baron, and they are planning to dig up Paris to get at the oil which they believe lies beneath its streets.

Their nefarious plans come to the attention of Countess Aurelia, the benignly eccentric madwoman of the title. She is an aging idealist who sees the world as happy and beautiful. But, advised by her associate, the Ragpicker, who is a bit more worldly than the Countess, she soon comes to realize that the world might well be ruined by these evil men—men who seek only wealth and power. These people have taken over Paris. 'They run everything, they corrupt everything,' says the Ragpicker. Already things have gotten so bad that the pigeons do not bother to fly anymore. One of the businessmen says in all seriousness, 'What would you rather have in your backyard: an almond tree or an oil well?'

Aurelia resolves to fight back and rescue humanity from the scheming and corrupt developers. She enlists the help her fellow outcasts, the Street Singer, The Ragpicker, The Sewer Man, The Flower Girl, The Sergeant, and various other oddballs and dreamers. These include her fellow madwomen: the acidic Constance, the girlish Gabrielle, and the ethereal Josephine. In a tea party every bit as mad as a scene from 'Alice in Wonderland,' they put the 'wreckers of the world's joy' on trial, and in the end condemn them to banishment—or perhaps, death.

One by one the greedy businessmen are lured by the smell of oil to a bottomless pit from which they will never (presumably) return. Peace, love, and joy return to the world. Even the earthbound Pigeons are flying again."

Wow, who knew The Madwoman of Chaillot was such a contemporary play with such contemporary, pertinent themes? Ah, well, I guess it's as the other Frenchman said, "Plus ca change, plus c'est le meme chose." (The more things change, the more they remain the same).

I guess I could do worse than being the Madwoman of Chaillot. At least she had an optimistic attitude - which is hard to come by these days. Plus Katharine Hepburn played her in the movie. How can I go wrong?

Farewell to Little Cat -- And, Hello to a New Dog

Sorry for not being around for awhile. I have some sad news - Little Cat (Zoe) started going downhill over the past few weeks, and about four days ago she lost interest in her food. So we took her to the vet on Thursday and they gave her IV fluids and nourishment, but it didn't help this time. She was just fading away. So we took her home and let her be in her own little bed. She spent a quiet day yesterday and slipped away a little after 7:30 p.m. last night. I'm glad she went so peacefully. She looked as if she was just asleep.

The vet had her down as 15 years old, but we've long thought she was older than that. My mother had gotten her at a shelter so her real age wasn't actually known at the time she adopted her. We knew when we got her after my mom died that she wouldn't be with us for that long. I'm just glad she had so many good times up at the cabin with us and that her last months were so pleasant.

In the meantime, we have decided to keep Angel, the pit bull who showed up at our house three weeks ago on a freezing cold night. She was probably used for breeding, as she had obviously recently had puppies. She was also emaciated, very smelly, and had very long toenails, as if she was never walked. After she had a bath we took her to the vet and she got her shots. She's completely housebroken, and sweet as can be. Her only flaw is she goes nuts when she sees cats and small dogs. But we hope training will help. Angel is gaining weight every week and is looking really good now.

Unfortunately, we also realized that she has an itchy skin condition which the vet and I think must be mange. The vet didn't find any mites when she did a skin scraping, but sometimes they don't show up. So we're treating her for mange. Luckily it isn't necessary to do horrible things like dip the dog in insecticide as they did in the old days. The vet gave her a shot of Ivermectin, which must be repeated in two weeks, and we have to shampoo her with a medicated shampoo once a week. It's always something! Sometimes I feel as if I live at the vet's office!

Luckily she and Diva get along well, amazingly enough. I thought Diva wouldn't put up with another dog, especially a female, but she is being surprisingly tolerant. We can even have them in the same room and they get along well. So we are keeping her. She is the most affectionate dog; all she wants to do is sit next to you and cuddle. She walks well on the leash, is great in the car, and just lives to please you. How anyone could have mistreated her like that is beyond me.

Here are her latest pictures. We gave her a toy and she was beside herself. She'd apparently never had one before.


This one is actually from about a week ago but I love the way she cocks her head (which is why it is a little blurry as we captured her doing it!).


So, that's the news from our household. I'll be back again soon and may actually write something of substance now that things are calming down around here. Hope to be visiting your blogs more too!

A Cat's Eye View

Baxter here. I'm finally Back. Sorry to have been Out of Touch, but I had a Health Issue over New Year's Weekend. My Humans went away to that Cabin place with Little Cat and That Dog, and left me here to fend for Myself as usual. But I didn't feel Good.

When they returned, I hid under the Bed and wouldn't come out. Finally I did come out and then stayed All Night by my Litter Box, just lying there, and refused to Eat. My Female Human then stuck me in that Zippered-Up Bag they put me in to Travel in, and dragged me to that place they call "The Vet." I was Not Pleased; especially when they shaved some Fur off my chest and stuck me with a Needle. Most uncomfortable. It turned out I had Something called Anemia and they didn't know why, plus I'd lost 3 pounds; I was down to a svelte 19 pounds.

So my Humans started giving me some Pills that made me Hungry and I started gobbling down Wet Cat Food, something I don't usually like to do; I've always been a Dry Food Type of Cat. But I figured why not - Little Cat has been getting All the Attention. Now it's My Turn. I started being Finicky and only eating Fishy Tasting Stuff. (I'll sneak Dry Food once in awhile when I'm sure the Humans aren't watching though). I'm off the Appetite Pills and doing Fine.

They still don't know what was wrong but I'm back to my Old Self and am feeling Quite Perky. Losing a little Weight didn't hurt me any; I have started Running up and down the Stairs again in the Middle of the Night as I used to do when I was Younger. My Human says she'll take me back for a Check-Up in a month or two and make sure my Anemia is gone. But since I'm acting Healthy she isn't as worried now.

However, something Else has happened since then. My Humans seem to have found Another Dog. Mind you, I haven't gone anywhere near It. But I've seen It from my safe perch on the Bed in the Spare Room.

From what I understand, The Other Dog appeared out of the Dark on Thursday Night and seemed lost, so the Humans took It in. Apparently It's a Girl because my Humans say she recently had Puppies. She was Very Skinny, had Really Long Nails and could hardly walk on them Properly, and smelled Very Bad. They gave her a Bath and took her to the Vet. Now she's getting ear drops for an Ear Infection, but is Very Healthy otherwise. I heard my Female Human saying something about her having had Shots and that she will be Spayed in a month, whatever THAT is.

My Personal Dog, the one I usually complain about, is Unhappy. I think she's Jealous of the New Dog. If she's Not Happy the Humans will have to find Another Home for the New Dog. I think they call her Angel. I don't really know why, because, as a Cat, I can vouch for the fact that NO Dog is an Angel. Far from it. But that's what they call her.

So, the Household has been Disrupted ever since the New Year. Little Cat and I are eating lots of Wet Food and there are Dishes of food lying around All Over, the New Dog is kept in the Kitchen to keep her Separate from the Old Dog. The Old Dog can't get out in the Yard through the Kitchen so My Humans have to walk her more than Ever. (That she's probably Happy about). The New Dog gets Jealous if the Humans pay attention to the Old Dog, and Vice Versa. It's a Real Circus around here.

Just thought I should check in and let you know What's Happening around the Maui Household. There has been Lots of News I haven't been able to keep up on, but either my Human or I will be back soon with some Updates. Oh, and here is a Picture of The New Dog. Anyone want to Adopt her so this Place can get back to Normal?

Haiku Tuesday

I just spent about an hour trying to find a suitable cartoon or other illustration of how totally dreary the weather is today. However, I couldn't decide on any one thing and finally gave up. It was fun trying though.

In the meantime I'll provide a few February-themed haiku to tide myself over till the next time I actually get up enough energy to write something.

Freezing rain today
Drizzling on the grayish snow
February's here.

Huge mounds of old snow
Obscure everyone's driveways
Driving is risky.

Snow looks so pretty
Right after the snowfall ends
Then it gets dirty.

I'm tired of winter
Spring is still so far away
Days are creeping by.

Sooner or later
Even this much snow will melt
Hard to imagine.

People in Egypt
Having a revolution
Too cold for that here.