Dream Interpretation

Okay, I've been having dreams that I don't care for too much. They involve spiders. Not just the little creepy crawly kind...the kind that rang from being the size of your hand to the size of your face. I have had four of them over the past couple years...three of them have been this year. I am looking for interpretations of what these dreams could mean since I don't typically dream of spiders. If you would like to help me figure out what they mean then please let me know! I have my own ideas; but, another point of view would be very helpful. If you don't want to know or help then stop reading here.

I am going to list the dreams in order here:

Late 2002

Spider Dream 1

I am in my bedroom. The room is filled with cobwebs. So many that you cannot avoid being covered by a sheet of them with each step. I am in the middle of all the cobwebs. As I look around to find a way out I see numerous spiders…large spiders about the size of my head. The spiders are surrounding me and getting closer. I awaken at this point in fear.

Early 2008

Spider Dream 2

I am on a RV with some people from work on the way down to the coast. The only person I really remember being there is one of the ranch managers; but, I do not remember which one. I think Trey may be there too; but, I can't be sure. We reach a beach house (which is not the one my employer allows us to use) which is understood to be where we are staying. It is in disrepair and in major need of a cleaning. There are huge cobwebs hanging everywhere. It is a wooden structure which looks grey from weathering.

I walk down the hall of the structure behind the ranch manager. A very large black spider, with a body about 3-4 inches long, drops from the ceiling down onto the back of the person in front of me. We quickly knock it off and it runs up the wall behind some old wall slats that have no covering. It looks like a pair of black eyes staring through venetian blinds. It moves in motion with me, watching my every move. It does not seem aggressive towards me. It only watches.

Later I am walking back down the same hall. The spider appears in front of me on the floor. It scurries up to me and proceeds to bite through my tennis shoes onto the top of my toes. There is a lot of blood that flows; but, there is no pain at all. The ranch manager stomps on the spider killing it. I sit down and begin to take off my shoe and then my sock. There is no wound and there is no blood on my foot.

At this point I awaken.

Early 2008

Spider Dream 3

I am on a school bus heading for a theme park. There is only one person I know on the bus. There are hard black spider webs hanging from the top of the entrance to the bus…like the fake spider webs that are sold as Halloween decorations. Each is about the size of my hand with the fingers spread apart. I ask the bus driver about them. He says that the spiders are all dead and there is nothing to worry about.

One of the people on the bus, a very thin blond girl who looks to be in her early 20's, begins to feel ill and asks for the bus to stop. She passes out. The one person I know picks her up and carries her off of the bus and I follow. We can see the theme park in the distance but are not close enough to make it there. We find an area where we can lay the girl down; we appear to be in a cement drainage ditch (just a small one). The girl has two large puncture marks on her arm almost at the bend of her elbow. She is bleeding a bit and her breathing has stopped.

I go back onto the bus to see what I can find that could have caused the injury. What I find are fuzzy hard shells about three inches around in diameter. The bus driver tells me that those are the dead bodies of the spiders. As I look at the thing in my hand it begins to move and a spider starts to climb out of it. I instruct the driver to destroy any and all of these things that are still on the bus.

I run back outside to assist with the girl and find that there is a little medical clinic across the street. I run over and ask if we can get some assistance with the injured girl. I inform them that she has stopped breathing and has a large puncture wound that could possibly be from a spider. They tell me that they have no openings and that she will not be seen today. At that moment the girl is brought into the clinic and we are informed that she is dead. I then turn to the front desk attendant and inform them that they will now have to drop everything in order to care for the body and that had they given the time to attempt to help her that she might possibly still be alive.

I do not recall much more of the dream except that once the girl's body is placed into a body bag she begins to breathe again. It is at this point that I awaken.

9/11/08

Spider Dream 4

I am on a mat in an exercise room on a wooden floor in a deep warrior's stance stretching when, as I look through my feet to the floor behind me, I see a spider about half the size of the palm of my hand drop down from behind me. I do not believe it is descending from me; it is just behind me. It walks over to my foot and there is a web between the wall and my foot…but the web is not connected to my foot. There is, however, one single strand of silk from the spider that is attached to my foot. The spider climbs on its web and there gets stuck. Its legs pull in and out of the web looking like the tentacles of a squid when it darts through the water. The spider's legs do this type of motion forward and back through the web. I am not scared; but, I do want to get away without pulling the spider with me to keep from getting bitten. At the same time I also do not want to break my pose nor what's left of my concentration. It is only when transitioning to a new position that I attempt to shake the spider's silk free from my foot. I picture the spider being pulled out of the web and being slung from side to side as the silk will not break and I begin to panic. I do not know if this happens or not as I awake from the dream and am a bit anxious because I really do not like spiders at all.

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New fortune awaits on public transportation & the doggone broken nose times two!

I ride the bus to work for the first time ever and my mom gets her nose broken by her dog. I’m not saying that by my attempt to save money on gas that my mom has gotten a broken nose. No, that is Megan’s fault. Megan is not the dog’s name; it is the daughter of Heather is my mother’s friend. In case you do not already know, my mother broke her nose and her wrist a couple months ago. Again, I blame Megan because she was there…the fact that my mom tripped over the dog is beside the point. If my mom hadn’t looked behind her to fine Megan she would have seen her dog cross in front of her as she was walking and thus she would not have collided with her lanky but sturdy greyhound.

The most recent event occurred while, again, my mom was watching Megan. The dog was playing with a toy and ended up ripping it in half. My mom, the neat freak that she is, reached down to pick up the toy and when she was about to stand up the dog crossed her path and her jaw collided with my mother’s nose. Okay, so it really isn’t Megan’s fault; but, she is the only other constant in the story besides my mom and the dog. Since the dog lives with my mom and doesn’t cause a broken nose every day I have to say that Megan is responsible.

Now, as far as my bus ride having anything to do with this—you ask? It doesn’t, it just so happens that I took our city’s lovely public transportation system to work today in an effort to save gas money. So, if a bus pass is $25 and I usually fill up my car every week for at least $37 this will save me quite a bit of money. I should be able to make it the rest of the month on the $10 I put in yesterday (I don’t drive too much other than to work and the grocery store). So, just for this month I should be able to save $113 in theory. I have tried to get my husband to take the bus as well; but, he’s a spoiled little brat. He came up with every excuse under the sun to not take the bus. Some were legit because he doesn’t always know when he’ll be getting off and sometimes the busses don’t run that late. The others were because he didn’t want to stand in the rain (if it was raining) because his stop is further away than mine…which it really isn’t, I just refused to argue. Though I offered no rebuttal he continued giving me excuses. I don’t know the schedules, I don’t know what time I’m getting off work, I don’t know how late I’m going to work out, I don’t know…I don’t know…I don’t know…you don’t know…blah, blah, blah {make sure you read that with whiney condescending voice}. His final words were, “What?” I informed him that I hadn’t said anything. “We’ll, you’re looking at me.” Well, duh, man! I’m not rude; you were talking to me weren’t you???? I always try to look at someone when they are speaking to me. Apparently this is something new to him. Oh well, just for that, all the money I’ll save is going to go into an account just for me!

So, this morning was my first ride to work on the bus. I have ridden the bus maybe twice before—way back in high school. Once to the mall and once to a concert where I ended up missing the last bus because I got on the wrong transfer (the driver was nice enough to deliver a friend and myself to a stop where we could be collected by our parents). To say that I was a little concerned this morning would be an understatement. But, I faired well and made it to work earlier than I would have had I driven (because, you know, I would have left late after oversleeping again). I even had enough time this morning before my bus to fry some eggs. I was even so nice as to make enough to share with any other member of my household who might care for some. Once on the bus I only had one person speak to me; which, is a blessing. You know, being as blond and beautiful as I am I am always getting pestered by men. I always skip around downtown singing “I feel pretty, oh so pretty…” I sometimes even dance a bit to try and keep most people at a distance. Nobody wants to get kicked from a downtown dancing freak. And then I puke on the nearest person because the whole display totally sickens me. Okay, that’s not quite true; but, I am a natural honey-blond. And one guy did give me the “eye” as he was exiting the bus saying, “Goodbye.” We’ll see how the afternoon commute goes…

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Japanese Tea Gardens

It has been quite a while since the Japanese Tea Gardens have been open.  The last time I remember going there was when my daughter was 4 days old.  It had fallen into severe disrepair and until recently had nobody to look after it except the one gardener on staff by the city.  This garden is in an old cement quary and is not something that one person can keep up by himself.  Needless to say, the entire gardens have been less than presentable for the better part of the past 5 years.  Recently many volunteers have joined together to clean up this beautiful garden and today was its official re-opening!!!  I had to take my daughter out there to see it as there is no way she can remember 11 years ago.

Here are a couple pictures for you:

This is the pavillion view fromt the far side of the pond.

This is the inside view (looking somewhat up) in the pavillion.

This if the view from in front of the pavillion across half of the garden.  The tree with the purple flowers is a Japanese Orchid Tree.

This is my daughter in front of the waterfall at the back of the garden.

This is my daughter beside the Japanese Orchid Tree.

This is my daughter and me:)

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New News!!!! Sparklies

Some of you may know that I love to make jewelry (along with candles and bath & body items which can be found here).  If you have ever taken up this hobby then you know how expensive it can be.  You also know how much fun it can be to create something beautiful!  If you like sparklies then you also know that Swarovski Crystals are it when it comes to anything less than a gem stone.  Sparklies have a tendency to be a bit expensive if you want quality and something that truly sparkles.  You also want it to last.  Again, for anything less than a gem stone you want Swarovski Crystals.  If you have ever priced these beads (or finished jewelry) then you know that they do carry a price for their exceptional quality.  I always loved using these crystals in my jewelry; but, I couldn't afford it too often...until now.  A new company has emerged which allows people access to Swarovski jewelry without it costing an arm or a leg.  Touchstone Crystal is the company that has made this possible. 

I am excited to have found this company and I have joined them as an independent consultant.  Now, I've done the Mary Kay thing and I didn't like it at all.  Though with Touchstone you still have to hold parties there is an added bonus...you actually get to teach all of the party goers how to make their own jewelry.  This makes for a fun, exciting, and different type of party.  When we say, "Let's make something beautiful" we mean it.  After one of these parties you will know all that is needed to make beautiful jewelry and you will have been taught the skills to be able to do so.  You can also leave the party with proof that you can create something beautiful! 

An added bonus with Touchstone Crystal is that each piece of jewelry comes in a kit.  You don't have to buy more supplies than you need and there is no waste!  Everything you need comes in one neatly organized pouch ready for you to assemble (you can also purchase them already assembled if you would rather not explore your creative side).  I would encourage you to find a local representative and book a party!  If you live in the San Antonio area (or surrounding area) then drop me a line and I will be more than happy to give you more information.

Come on and let's make something beautiful!  You can take a look at their current catalogue here.

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A Charlie Brown Chirstmas

My daughter has decided that she doesn't want to put up our big Christmas tree this year.  When I asked said child why this was her response was that she didn't want to have to put everything away.  I guess this is because she and my mom did most of the work last Christmas as I was still recovering from a hysterectomy gone bad that occurred the day after Christmas.  So, when I asked my child what she wanted to do for a tree she stated that she wanted a little tree...like a Charlie Brown tree.  Well, we, as a family (mainly just me) decided that the best way to handle this without having all of the needles of the small tree fall off and make (and making me sick) would be to get a Norfolk Pine...you know, one of the little potted scraggly looking pine trees. 

My husband and I had one a long time ago that was about 7 feet tall.  It was planted in a pot and sat on our front porch.  At the time we were living in an apartment on the second floor.  One day when afore mention spouse was leaving for Kung-Fu practice on Saturday morning he realized that some time during the night that our tree had been stolen.  This was a rather large tree and was exceedingly heavy.  There had to have been at least 4 people to cart the thing away.  Well, spousy-poo was a bit miffed and came back inside to tell be about the travesty.  I only mention this because when he opened the door our cockatiel, Waygo, lived up to his name and flew out the door never to be seen again...at least by us. 

Okay, back on topic.  The family has decided to get a Norfolk Pine for our tree this year.  This will be a tree that we can keep in a pot and take inside and out as we see fit.  And, if there is ever a desire to have a real tree or another Charlie Brown tree we'll already have it.  We picked up one today.  The poor little thing.  It really needs some love.  It is a bit scraggly; but, that just fits the bill for what was desired.  Here is a picture of our head decorator doing the honors.  The tree is seated upon a pedestal and is fully pictured here in its complete glory.  From this angle it looks like it is standing up straight.  The truth is, there is no way to do this.  If you get it straight on one side then all of the others are way out of whack.  It is really pathetic.  How cute is that?  Our very own Charlie Brown Tree for Christmas 2007.  One added benefit to this little tree is that the kitties can not climb it like they do the big one!  They may still run off with the little decorations; but, at least I won't find any kitties sleeping in its limbs.

Just so you know, my child does still want to decorate the outside of the house in our usual manner.  I guess this is because:  first of all, she wants to show off to her friends and second, she knows she won't be asked to put away the lights because she would only proceed to put them all in knots that would just enrage her mother.

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The 22 hour mark

Well, it would appear that my body does need some iodine supplementation.  Here is a picture @ 22 hours after application: 

There is no trace of any stain of iodine anywhere.  It is sorta hard to see because my skin reflects oddly in the light; but, I assure you there is no trace of any of the iodine left.  According to the article that I referenced earlier, this indicates there is a need for supplementation of iodine.  So, I'm going to go and pick some up from my N.A.E.T. office.  I'll let you know how my progress goes.  Just as an FYI, my daughter wanted to do the test as well and her mark was gone after 12 hours.  This concerns me because thyroid problems run in both sides of the family.  I have had her T4 and TSH levels tested in the past...but they showed as normal.  If she has any issues I want to make sure to catch them as early as possible.  This test may have given me just that information.  I'm going to discuss possibly getting her treatment as well for iodine (I don't know how different the dosages would be for a 10 year old).

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Iodine

If you have never had a thyroid issue I'm sure you have really never considered your iodine levels.  I personally have gone from one extreme to the other.  Where I started out hyperthyroid I am now hypothyroid.  To me, in the beginning, this just resulted in suicidal thoughts and major depressive disorder.  Even a few years into therapy, after getting radioactive iodine to kill part of my thyroid, I still had some really ugly effects.  It wasn't until I switched from using Synthroid to Armour Thyroid.  Most thyroid medication is synthetic any only addressed T4 levels in your body.  Through treatment with many different medications I had learned that I responded better to T3 treatment though this did not get my TSH to the desired levels.  Upon doing some research on Armour I convinced my doctor to change my treatment to using only it.  Armour not only has T4 but also T3 and trace amounts of T2 and T1.  I have been on the same dosage for over two years (whereas before I was always getting increased about every 6 months). 

This change in medication, though, did not eliminate all of the problems.  You've read where I've joked about my weight.  The truth is, since being zapped 13 years ago I have been gaining weight at a rather high rate of speed.  Where I couldn't get above 115 I can now hardly get under 170.  Now, since getting off of the test medication I have dropped 8 pounds...but that is still a far cry from all that I have gained.  While I was at my N.A.E.T. appointment today I read an article they had in the office about Iodine Fulfillment Therapy.  Here I read that though I am getting treatment for hypothyroidism that I could still have an iodine deficiency.  Towards the end of the article (which can be read here if you didn't click the last link) there is a simple test for checking your iodine absorption rate.  Well, I'm doing the test.  I'm about 5 hours into it and it is looking like I'll be needing some iodine.  Here, look for yourself:

This picture is upon initial application...

the second picture is at the 5 hour mark...

It would appear that my skin is readily absorbing the iodine.  I'll keep you posted on the progress through the 24 hour mark.  Hey, if getting my iodine levels where they should be can possibly eliminate the need for medication, I am all for it!  I can get the iodine supplements from my chiropractor's office and start treatment as soon as tomorrow if the need is proven to exist.

Soap box word of caution

I just wanted to mention that (in regards to the previous post) tea tree oil is toxic to cats.  So if you use any products with this wonderful oil in it make sure to keep them out of reach of you lovely little feline friends.  Make sure you wash your hands well after handling tea tree oil before you pet fluffy.  And never use any type of soap with tea tree oil in it to wash your furry little friends of the kitty persuasion...not even actual cat soaps (which hopefully have already been removed from the market). 

And just so you know, Sweetie never came in contact with this oil. 

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Hello, did you miss me?

I haven't posted since the passing of Sweetie not because I've been that upset (though I was) but because I haven't had much extra time lately. My plumbing has been a bit of a nightmare in my house. I would go into detail; but, it's just not worth it. I have also had bronchitis which made my voice go into the realms of "the sexy voice" for quite some time. I didn't want to type for fear that I would send out the wrong vibe or something:) I am almost well and my voice is back to normal. I did have to get off the drug study I was on. I was testing a newer heavy duty strength version of Astelin. I was convinced that it was making me gain weight; but, nobody believed me. In order to get over the phlemies I had to take some medication that was not allowed by the study and therefore could not participate any longer. That has been almost two weeks now and I have lost 8 pounds. I truly do think it was the medication! I haven't done anything different except eat nearly a whole container of brownies at work this week. No, the brownies are not a usual thing for me. I have for the most part eliminated sugar from my diet. The brownies just attacked me and forced themselves down my throat. I did not enjoy it at all...nor did I cover them in butter and heat them slightly to make them ooey gooey and warm. No, not I! Well, maybe I did. At any rate, since I don't do it too often I decided it would just be a pre-thanksgiving treat.

Speaking of cutting out sugar; the reason I decided to severely limit it in my diet was due in part to the outbreaks of acne I had been having on my face, neck, chest and back. I have suffered from zits since puberty without any relief. I can safely say that I have finally found relief...and it wasn't too too difficult once I got the right combination of treatments. First of all, using Dr. Bronner's Tea Tree and Hemp soap. Second, starting pro-biotics (consuming Kefir and taking pro-biotic capsules). Third, using a couple moisturizers from Herbal Luxuries (HL). Forth, using a trusted o.t.c. zit cream. And lastly, improving my diet and limiting sugar. My face and skin, for the first time since I was about 10 has no acne! Not even an oil plug (which I had quite a few of since my face is just one big oil slick).

This is my routine for cleansing my face...in case you're interested...wash with Dr. Bronner's soap...dry face...apply thin layer of otc zit cream (with benzoyl peroxide)...after at least 5 minutes apply moisturizer (AM moisturizer is HL Aloe Manuka Gel, PM moisturizer is HL Anti-Acne Facial Massage Treatment Serum). And that's it. A couple times a week I will do an herbal steaming followed by an herbal mask and/or my homemade facial scrub (if you want the recipe, drop me a line). It did take a little while to get everything cleared out of my skin (the oil plugs don't like coming out on their own) but it was well worth it. The other areas of skin that had issues with acne have cleared up as well (I only do the above routine on my face). This leads me to believe that the acne itself was more of a candida derived infection as if I stop taking pro-biotics it does return with a vengeance. I have been on numerous treatments since high school for acne and this is the first that has ever worked. (FYI...I haven't gotten any dry skin from the zit cream when I use the moisturizers mentioned above.)

If you are interested in some good skin care products check out Herbal Luxuries and see all of the all natural items they offer!! I would not recommend something that I personally didn't trust to use myself. This stuff works! And I love it!

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Bitter Sweet End

I have such a brave daughter. She is kind and considerate. It really pained me to not be there with her when the expected end came for Sweetie. This child cared and loved Sweetie through ‘til her last breath. She faced this by herself with courage, strength and valor. She stayed by Sweetie’s side through every convulsion and trembled in anguish knowing that the end was near…knowing there was nothing that could be done but be there. I truly wish I could have been there not only for Sweetie; but, so that my daughter wouldn’t have to face the death of a family member alone. When the end came and the last breath was released my poor bereaved child couldn’t speak to tell me. She sent me a text message. It is so much easier to type than it is to talk during a time of tragedy and sorrow. She sent me a text asking what to do with her. I texted her back and then called once I had my composure about me. I asked her if she was alright…knowing that she couldn’t possibly be. She said she was. But then she broke down and admitted she wasn’t. So, I made a call to a good friend who went over and tended to Sweetie and got her ready for her burial. You know that you have a good friend when they go over to tend to your passed animal.

You may think, “hey, it’s just a cat…get over it”. But, you don’t know what this “just a cat” is to our family. I can’t even put it into words. When you have been entrusted with the care of another living creature it is an honor and a privilege. I never took it lightly and have loved her truly as a member of the family (as did our entire family).

Sweetie, you were a blessing to our household and family. I cherish every moment I was granted to spend with you. Be well and at peace in God’s hands and thank you for choosing our house to be your home.

Sweetie Kittie:

Born ?--joined our family July of 1998

Passed--3:33 PM Oct 2, 2007

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Sweet trials

Things have been a bit rough here of late. As you may have read earlier, my oldest kittie, Sweetie, has been very ill. Upon returning from vacation in mid-August we found her suffering from a respiratory infection. Here eyes were covered in mucus; she was sneezing and wheezing unable to breathe. On top of all of that she had completely lost her appetite. My once fat cat (we called her fluffy because she was very weight conscious and angered easily when she was referred to as being fat) began to drop weight like crazy. I began giving her breathing treatments with a facial steamer. To do this I would place Sweetie and the steamer in the cat-carrier and cover all of the opening with towels to keep the moist heat inside the carrier. After a few days of these treatments she began to breathe more easily and her wheezing began to disappear. She was still not eating though. We began force feeding her a pureed mixture of fresh calf liver, coconut oil, fish oil and a small amount of Kefir. After a couple days of this we noticed that she was picking at the hard food in the communal cat bowl. Since she was eating a bit on her own we stopped the force feeding. During this whole time she would hide out in windows or in my closet hiding and not moving too much. Once she started eating on her own she began walking through the house a bit.

You may wonder why I didn’t take her to the vet. Well, for one thing, from much research I had found out that most cats do not recover from respiratory infections. Sweetie has always hated taking medication and fights it tooth and nail. Then will spit it back up after you turn your back. Her hatred ran so deep that she would foam at the mouth and anally lactate. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like having to deal with that. Beyond that, I knew that there would be a lot of lab work involved and procedures that I couldn’t afford.

Like most animals, Sweetie hates the vet as well. She has just cause. When we first found her she had giardia (you know, what you get when you drink the water in Mexico) and had to go through a series of shots and things being stuck up into places where stuff should only exit the body. She was not a happy camper. But, she did get well and has enjoyed 10 years with us. 10 years where she was fat fluffy and happy. Knowing my kitty and the fact that what was ailing her would only get her on medication and treatments that wouldn’t solve the issue I felt I had to do all that I could to make her last days comfortable. She did begin to recover…until. Yes, the dreaded until.

The until came this past weekend when we had to begin force feeding her again as she was throwing up any food that she tried to eat. She has become increasingly weak. By Sunday she could hardly move. When she tried to walk her hind legs couldn’t keep up and she would end up falling over. By this time she had lost so much weight that even picking her up was painful to me. I could feel and hear her bones rubbing against one another. I hope to God that it didn’t hurt her too badly. Sunday and Monday we kept her in our bathroom with the heat lamp on to try to keep her warm and safe from the other cats in the house (which have actually been trying to keep watch over her). Her breathing has become really shallow and she can hardly hold up her head.

To say that I am torn up on the inside is an understatement. I have cried many rivers for this beloved member of our family. I am crying one now and I’m sure there will be more to come even after she makes her final journey. The worst was when we were trying to clean her up because she cannot stand to get to the litter box. I placed her in the kitchen sink and she just slumped there like a sack of potatoes. She doesn’t like baths but has always tolerated them. Being a long haired kitty she would get one every so often when her hair got beyond her control. So, the kitty is in the sink just lying there looking at me with those pained eyes. My husband had to help me wash her belly as I had to hold her up with both hands. She cried at the touch of a hand on her stomach. I had to hold her under her arms and hold her rear up because she couldn’t take the weight of her hind quarters. I held her for hours in towels because it hurt too much to try and dry her.

Once she was cleaned up a bit I could tell that the end was truly in site. Her kidneys have begun to fail. Her skin was turning yellow as were the whites of here eyes. All I could do was stroke her and tell her how much I love her and what an honor it has been to have her in our home.

I eventually put her on a towel in the bathroom closet. I have no air vents in my bathroom so I knew it would stay warm with the door closed. I left her with food and water. I didn’t bother with a litter box as she wouldn’t be able to climb into it or even get to it for that matter.

This morning she was out of the closet and on the rug in front of the sink. When I put her water bowl in front of her she did drink a little. This is so hard to watch. Her head just bobbed trying to get the strength to hold it steady and take a couple laps of water. This wonderful cat, in her hay days, used to throw back what seemed like gallons of water. She would empty the water fountains every day. Now, she can barely get down three sips.

It killed me to leave for work today. And here I sit typing to get the day to pass. I don’t know what I will find when I get home. On the one hand, I want her suffering over. On the other hand, when my daughters gets home from school I don’t want her to have to face a lifeless Sweetie alone. I wish I could be in two places at once. Rather, just at home as I am no good anywhere else. I have never dealt well with death…especially when it is a helpless animal. I am overly sensitive when it comes to any living creature passing from life. The loss tears at my insides like a separate entity trying to get out. The sense of loss is so strong that I mourn for even those that I have never met or seen before. I know that Sweetie will be with her Maker playing with Squirt but there will be a void left here. Our family will have another member resting eternally under the tree in the front yard. This is not an easy thing for me, my husband or our animal loving daughter. Watching a loved one pass is one of the most painful things there is. The only comfort comes from knowing that she’ll be with Jesus soon and won’t ever have to worry about coughing up another hair ball.

So, let’s try to remember the good times now:

When we first got Sweetie and would give her a bath she would smell like talcum powder no matter what type of soap we used.

She knew how to turn on and off lights and would do so on command (when she felt like it).

She could change the answering machine message and did on one occasion.

She was almost toilet trained (until the Demon cat “Baby” messed that up). She would cover her movements with toilet paper in the toilet trap contraption and would even put the lid down when she was done.

Though Sweetie would never cover her leavings in the litter box, she would obsessively scratch any object that was within reach after leaving her litter offerings.

She could unscrew light bulbs and somehow keep them from breaking when the hit the floor.

She did not like Avery Johnson after he left the Spurs. On the day of his trade she found his poster on the dining room floor, scratched out the face and left a litter offering on it.

She liked to shred paper into the thinnest possible strips. She was obsessive about this!

She loved iguanas and would act pretty for them; rolling and doing tricks.

Sweetie liked feet. This cat truly had a foot fetish. She preferred feet to hands on her at any given time.

Sweetie would start licking and grooming herself if you so much as touched her anywhere on her body.

Sweetie didn’t like her feet touched.

Sweetie required two hands to pick up as she weighed almost 20 pounds. You could not pick her up by the scruff of the neck…you’d pull all of her skin off!

Sweetie didn’t like people. If somebody she didn’t know came into the house she would run and hide for days. If you were lucky enough to see Sweetie count yourself privileged…not many people did.

Sweetie would stay by my side when I was sick.

She would leave bruises all over my legs when she would walk on me in bed.

Sweetie didn’t say much except when she was stepped on or hungry. If you stepped on her you would hear a hiss. If she was hungry you would hear a light “mwahhf” type sound.

If you overslept on Saturday morning and missed her feeding she would run up from the foot of the bed and plant herself on your chest, staring at you until you got up to feed her (or you suffocated beneath her weight).

Sweetie did not like being covered with anything. Nor did she like having her picture taken.

She would groom Mali and Maja on occasion and even Squirt when she was with us.

We love our Big ol’ Fluffy. The Sweetie Kittie. The Fluff Butt. Our Sweetie forever. You walked into our hearts the day you ventured into our back yard and sat there while the cat birds dive-bombed you. You chose us to be your family. I hope we were able to make your life happy and comfortable. I hope you know you are loved without exception and will always live in our memories. Thank you for being in our lives. You truly helped me through some of the hardest days I have ever had to face.

Be well and rest in His peace forever.

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I'm gonna cry

I, for lack of want, haven't blogged in a while. I am completely torn up that nobody, not one of my two regular readers, even questioned me about it. You call yourselves friends? I am totally heartbroken and distraught. I don't know what to do. Ahhh, who am I trying to kid? You two know it doesn't bother me at all. I could really care less. Which does mean that I do care, just not that much:)

Oh, how I miss me....

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The shocking truth about Kefir!!!!

Public service announcement:

I found out some interesting information about Kefir that anybody who consumes it should know. I found this out by personal experience and wanted to make sure that this occurrence is made public so that the next time it happens I will know you will know what is occurring. This is truly a shocking experience that will undoubtedly catch any Kefir drinker unaware.

First, let me set the scene: I am at work getting ready to drink my Kefir smoothie for a snack before lunch. I go to the break room to obtain afore mentioned Kefir from its container in the refrigerator. I proceed to shake it up to get all of the elements thoroughly mixed and re-blended (it has been a couple hours since its original making). The newly re-blended Kefir is then transferred to a Styrofoam cup for quick and easy consumption (some regard is given to the environment but then quickly pushed to the side). The container that the smoothie was originally in is then cleaned and dried so that there is no “funky” smell later on as I am not going to put the empty container back into the fridge to keep it cool and stink-free. I am now free to bring my treat back to my desk and enjoy a little pick-me-up. While I am walking down the hall back to my work station it happened. I was shocked and stunned at the same time. I think that what has just happened may have happened before but I’m not sure…it could be déjà vu. Anyway, the event that I am talking about is the fact that the foam on the top of my smoothie just shocked my upper lip. Kefir can conduct electricity apparently! I don’t know if it was holding the static electricity build up or if I am to blame as we do have carpeting in our office. Just the same, thought, I was shocked…literally! Since the déjà vu thing I have decided to actually document the incident for future reference. You know, in case it happens again. That way I will know that it really did happen before and I won’t be racking my brain wondering if the “shock” triggered a repressed memory or is unlocking a secret portal in my brain to an alternate level of consciousness.

Second, let’s look at what happened and try to come to a conclusion as to why, how and what caused it to happen. Okay…Kefir shock is the issue (not the shock your body goes into during a toxic cleansing but an actual electrical shock). The Kefir smoothie was contained in a plastic lidded container in the refrigerator. The Kefir smoothie was shaken up in the plastic container before being transferred to a Styrofoam cup. Both the plastic container and Styrofoam cup are known to hold static charges on their surfaces. So, did the charge come from the cup or the original container…or even me (from scuffing my feet across the carpet)? But, better yet, why was it held in the foam of the Kefir? Were there maybe a lot of minerals of the metal persuasion in my smoothie? Does milk foam naturally carry a charge? Does pineapple juice carry a charge along with its natural bite?

So many questions. Questions I am not going to answer. At least not right now. If you have any answers or insight, please, let me know. Otherwise, please be very careful when you consume a Kefir smoothie. You probably will want to avoid doing this while pumping gas, around the use of pure oxygen (or any natural gas for that matter) or anywhere where there is a chance that combustion may occur from the slightest of sparks.

This concludes my public service announcement. Thank you.

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Back from the coast

I am currently of the mind that I am a hurricane repellant or something.  It rained all of five whole minutes while my family and I were at the coast.  We awoke twice to rainbows (pictured here).  I was really hoping for a little rain; but, noooooooo!  That all hit at my house at home!  And then went up to find my family in Ohio to tell them that I had scared it off and it was seeking its revenge on them.  There weren't many waves to speak of at the beach in Port Aransas.  The picture in the previous post is what everything still looked like.

At any rate, I was glad to get home to my little kitties.  When we left it had completely slipped my mind to say goodbye to them before I walked out the door...so, I felt a bit guilty the entire time I was gone.  I even had dreams about my little love, his sister, Sweetie and Nos.  Speaking of my kitties, please keep Sweetie in your prayers.  She isn't eating like she used to and has lost a lot of weight.  She seems to be having some allergy issues (which happens because she is always getting into something that doesn't agree with her).  Hopefully she'll get better soon.  She is still the "big fluffy" but you can actually feel her backbone.  We can't really get her to eat much (we've even tried sardines without much success). 

Oh, typing of sardines reminds me, my Mexican had to go to the store to purchase the afore mentioned sardines for Sweetie.  He knows I am trying to eliminate soy not only from our diets but also from our animal's.  He said it took him quite a while to fine a tin that didn't contain soy.  The one he ended up getting had the lovely little fish packed in olive oil.  I would think that fish oil would be the oil of choice for packaging fish in...wouldn't you?

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Texas waves to be compared to...um...Texas waves

This is a picture of this time last year of the wanna-be waves at Port Aransas, Texas (Aug 2006). The year before there were no waves at all to speak of. It was like walking into a wading pool. The only good thing about the no waves was that you could clearly see anything that was in the water so you didn't have to worry about stepping on crabs. Since there is a bit of a squabble going on at sea I would suspect that the waves would be a bit larger this year. I will at least give a picture of that if there isn't anything else picture worthy this time around.

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Tropical Storm Erin?

Well, it seems that the Texas coast knows that I and my family are headed there way tomorrow and have made arrangements to make sure we get wet--whether it is by the likes of the nasty gulf coast water or by the precipitation that will be falling over it. Hum…at least once I get out of the “beach” water I can quickly get all of the sand and salt washed off!

Note to self: leave aluminum beach chairs at home…use only plastic things outside.

I totally love the rain; so, this will only cause mild dampening upon the ground and will utterly bring no ill effects regarding vacation! My family may think otherwise. Oh, well; they'll get over it.

If presented with the opportunity I will take some pics so that the three of you who read this can see how deadly a rain storm in already water saturated Texas can be. Oh, and a first hand account of the terrors of a tropical storm (if it even completes its formation into one).

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I look like a cherry tomato

I just had to post this because it seems funny to me. You have to understand, this is just one of those thing regarding the way I think. I have always been one who is critical of my looks and appearance. You know, bad hair days, bad face days and all of that. Well, it was about two years ago that I decided I needed to get back into good health and a good shape rather than round and expanding. So, I looked at some pictures I took of myself to chart my progress in August of 2005. No, I will not show these pictures right now nor will I take a more recent one than the one that is on my profile (which is only about a month old). Once I reach my goal I may show the before and after. Just as a little background, since I started this weight loss endeavor I have gained at least 16 pounds. Yuck!

At any rate, I have decided to take up my pursuit of better health and a desirable shape again. I had been working on the internal for a while and actually made some good progress this weekend in that arena. I began experiencing what is called The Herxheimer's Reaction. This is when all of the toxins in your cells, liver and other organs begin purging all of the bacteria that is dying that have been living there for so long. This happens because all of the bad bacteria begin to die off and flood the blood with toxins that need to be removed from the body. The really fun part of this reaction is the way it feels. It is nearly flu like and not altogether lovely. I was mostly tired and headachy. I also suffered from heat flashes and cold chills. This made it rather hard to sleep too. Despite these icky feelings I can already feel myself improving! I have quite a bit more energy and that is always a plus for somebody who has only wanted to sleep for the past 20 years.

The worst part of the "reaction" is that my face is as red as a cherry tomato. Everybody who has seen me today is certain that I got a sunburn. I know the worst of the cleansing is over...hopefully the facial showing will not continue for too much longer. I'm going to the coast later this week. I don't need a real sunburn on top of my cherry-ness!

As a side not, I started on the external change-up this weekend too. I am joining a new gym which is less than half of what I used to pay for that "high-end" one that I went to for so long. Since I have been working out in the morning I can actually feel my body's metabolism kick up as I really feel when I need food and certain substances rather than just a growling tummy. It has really lifted my already high mood in only two days.

So, stay posted. I'll let you know if my face gets back to it's pasty porcelain color and when I'm able to fit comfortably back into my regular non-fat clothes:) When the latter occurs I will show forth my beauty in almost all of its glory (Ha!)...as long as it's not a bad face day, bad hair day, not too humid, my eyes are bright and green, the mud puppy stays away and that I'm not too covered with kitty hair. For those of you who don't know me too well, I am not capable of true conceit (I may convince a few that I am) and I am one of my own worst critics. I love making fun of myself, it helps me deal with what I see as my imperfections (which are great in number to my eyes).

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My Little Love...again

I just had to post this picture of Maja...if you've already seen it then just don't look:)

He was sitting in my bedroom window watching the rain trickle down the glass. Isn't he beautiful?

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Mouth Sounds Re-visited

I think I may have found a way to make the mouth sounds from my neighbor's popping gum go away! I found today that when I heard her start popping all I had to do was get out my cell phone and put it on record mode. I wanted her to hear how loud she is. Well, wouldn't you know it? She stopped! I wonder if she has a camera over here watching me or something. I am going to have to remember this tactic for next week to see if it really works. If it doesn't, then I will post the recording here for all to hear!

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Sourdough Spice Cake

Last night I made my Mexican a sourdough spice cake for his birthday. Well, I actually had to start the day before and let the starter (which is already over a month old! yeah, he is SDS2 is doing so well) ferment some of the ingredients and then make it last night. It turned out wonderful! It's about as close to made from scratch as you can get as I did use my own hand made butter and I even ground my own nutmeg and cloves. I didn't have any fresh ginger or cinnamon so pre-ground got used for those.

Just as a side note, if you grind your own cloves (this does not apply to nutmeg where you use a hand grater) make sure the container that they are being ground in is not plastic. I found out the hard way last night that clove oil is really hard to get off of plastic and even alters the texture and appearance of the plastic. I don't yet have a grain mill; so, I had to use my food processor for the job. It did okay...but, now I really want a grain mill! It smelled so good in my kitchen and the fresh spices really stood out in the cake.

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