Pets For Patriots Fundraiser (BUMPED!)

Update: I  originally posted this 6-26. I'm bumping it because the fund raiser starts today, and I'm asking the five of you who read this to donate in memory of Benny.

I will get busy spaming everyone a little later today to go to the site and donate!

I've been following Pets For Patriots for a while now, getting their daily email with updates and stories about pet (and veteran) rescues.

This was in today's mail:

So, I now have Bringing Loyalty Home page where you can, starting on July 11, make donations to the cause.  Check it out now, and contribute if you can.

Benny

I decided to let Benny go Saturday night. Here's the e-mail I sent to family and friends:

Hello,

I'm writing to tell you that I had to let Benny go last night. He had stopped walking about three weeks ago, and our regular vet suspected that a disc issue was the cause, and put him on crate rest. He seemed to be doing OK, until Thursday, when he would no longer eat. He emphatically refused scrambled eggs yesterday AM, and started to sound like he was having breathing difficulty yesterday afternoon.

I took him to the Animal Emergency Center, where they did a pretty comprehensive set of tests and x-rays. They called back to tell me that one of his vertebrae was most likely cancerous, which was causing the paralysis. In addition, his kidneys and pancreas were both outside of normal limits, possibly a side effect of the cancer, or 'just' old age.

There was no good prognosis, so I made the decision to let him go. I held him in my lap while the injections were administered. He slipped away peacefully.

I had two and a half years of being blessed with that little clown. For such a little guy, he had a tremendous heart.

He is missed. 

It has not been a good year for the critters here. I've lost Suzu, Baxter, and now Benny in about a year.

Grif and the cats are doing well.

Me, not so much.

Fathers' Day, 2017

I posted the first picture on Twitter last week, thinking it was Fathers' Day then. It is, as far as I know, the only picture of my dad with me:

I think we were getting ready for my baptism.

I want to introduce you to the man who was 'Dad' for me - Grampa George. At some point after the accident that took Dad, he and my Grandma moved to California to stay with us. I don't know for sure, but I suspect that Grandma's diagnosis of breast cancer may well have played a part in that choice too. I honestly do not know  what their motive truly were. All I know is that I am so grateful they were there.

Family photo, ca. 1954.  Grandma, me, mom, Gramps.

Rahe and Evah George, sometime in the 1930s.

Evah and Rafe, ca. 1954.

I have some flashes of recollection of train trips taken when I was three , four and five. One to see my Aunt Frances, so mom could get he to sign off on my adoption.

Two to Illinois, the second, in 1955, for Grandma's funeral. I can only speculate, but I have a suspicion that the trip in 1954 was to select and move some of Rafe and Evah's things (the china hutch I still have) to California.

Along with mom, Grandpa and Grandma George gave me a warm, strong and loving foundation on which to grow.

I miss them still.

Friday Garden, with Impending Doom!

Rain and sun have done wonders for the garden. Doom after the fold.

Establishing shot:

Strawberries:

Potatoes and peppers:

Potatoes and onions and garlic:

Blackberries:

Oregano:

Potatoes:

Potato flower:

Roses:

"Wildflowers":

Blackberry, again:

Impending Doom:

Quick Note...

I picked up the new glasses on Sunday. The scales fell from my eyes, and I could see!

I suspect most of the problem was with the totally scratched lenses.

And, I  have an appointment with the opthamologist in August, for a consult about possible surgery.

The right eye, BTW, is doing fine. Slight tweak to the old prescription, nothing as catastrophic (my word) with what's going on with the left. I was watching the laptop reboot, and I noticed that  the row of dots Mint displays were reasonably clear for both eyes, with glasses. Without, the dots looked more like a row of half daisies. Actually, a pretty cool little pattern.

If I can duplicate it, I'll try and sketch it.

Back Aches and Fuzziness...

...aka "Encroaching Decrepitude."

The back has become troublesome again, in a slightly different place since the surgery. Occasional sciatica, fairly constant ache. Discussed it w/ the doc, and we agreed that  a couple of pics were in order.

 Result? Some disk degeneration, nothing to do about it.

Eye exam Monday. Vision in left eye continues to deteriorate. (I refer to that as "crashing".) Going to see an opthamologist in a couple of months for a consult. Cause is most likely cataracts, but is it time for surgery? Everyone I know who has had it done is enthusiastically positive about their results.

Not really worried about the repair, but disheartened by the incontroveritble evidence of age and mortality.

The black Dog has even paid some visits, when I've not started the day with the appropriate medications. When I don't, and he visits, it takes a good chunk of the day from me before the meds kick in and he is persuaded to leave. I know how that sounds almost "victim-y". My training in practical Christian metaphysics informs me that "I am in control", but it seems not of the Dog.

I am getting 'pings' from the Universe lately, on seeking help, and on courage. I haven't gone looking for them, they have found me. Bob Owens' sudden and apparent suicide Monday has prompted posts on getting help or finding someone to talk with. Most interestingly, a co-worker recently shared the story of some of his troubles with me, and was supportive when I told him about my crashing eye.

Found at Madam Scherzo's

My own Introversion and the practical Christian metaphysics I have learned leave me hesitant to find and join a church. I occasionally noodle with the idea of showing up a the local Catholic establishment, hearing a Mass, and most importantly, listening to a sermon or two to get a sense if I could be comfortable talking with one of the priests. (That was one part of Lent that never happened. I also resumed drinking after about three weeks. I did stay off Twitter the whole time, so there's that.)

Since there's no neat denouement to this post, I guess it just stops, for now.

More, later.

May The Fourth Be With You

That pretty much covers it.

Also, today is officially World Password Day!