From Wicked Winter Weather to Germinating Seeds, with a Sick Cat in Between

Greetings from the Great White North! Actually, we're about an hour or so south of Canada, but it certainly feels like the deep freeze. On Saturday, there was a reprieve where we reached 20 degrees and saw the sun for a bit, but it's back down to single digits during the day and nights below zero for the rest of the week.

I'm just grateful that we won't have as much snow as this past week. Of course, if it keeps up, I should have a nice butt by spring because it's clenched tight every time I head into town! Uffda. Some days, I slid sideways while parked at a stop sign. I'm over it. Of course, Mother Nature probably has a different agenda, so we'll deal with it whether we like it or not.

Appreciating the Green

Even with the snow and cold, I'm chomping at the bit to have something growing. The basil I planted a week and a half ago germinated yesterday, which is a surprise because some seeds were as old as 2011. (So don't assume that just because the seed is old, it is no longer viable.) The peppers still have not come to life, but they aren't unusual.

I ordered more flower seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds because I couldn't help myself. They had a beautiful Japanese dandelion I had to try, along with Moringa, a powerful, nutritious plant. There is also a Richmond Green Apple cucumber and several new-to-me flower varieties.

Wake Up Call

Once in a while, we all can use a kick in the hind end. For me, Janisse Ray laid it out on a page of her book, Craft & Current: A Manual for Magical Writing, about the heart and soul of writing. This is what she wrote:

I answered "yes" to many of those questions, which made me realize that I need to reconfigure my habits.

Of course, this is just a snippet of her wisdom, and I highly recommend that anyone with a passion for writing in any form read Craft & Current and check out her profound writings on Trackless Wild and/or The Rhizosphere.

Workout Update

Hitting the gym has gone fairly well over the past couple of weeks, and I'm pleased that I inched up to 457 pounds for eight deep reps on the leg press machine. My goal by the summer is 500 pounds, so I'm on track.

Today, we got into the gym before the big game (not that we watch anyway), and I focused on legs and core. For the single leg press, I was pleased to do 105 pounds for eight reps on each leg, which, when you add the carriage, totals 172 pounds. Last year, right around this time, I tried that machine for the first time and loaded 25 pounds on it, thinking it should be light. But I couldn't move it and it humbled me. Slowly, I added weight, and three 45-pound plates will be the standard before long.

Along this line, I tackled the hack squat machine. (Of course, I had to have my son, John, lower it from the tallest height because I am not an Amazonian princess!) It's 105 pounds unloaded and kicks my butt for eight reps. Once again, there is no weight on it now, and it's humbling, but that will change. Not without whining, but it will change. That's what I love about lifting. You can see the progress. It might be slow, but it happens with consistency.

It Was Our Anniversary…Of Course, We Were in the ER

The running joke for over a decade has been how we seem to be at the hospital during our anniversary. When John was born, we came home on that day. Other years, one or both boys have been sick, and one time, I was there with an angry gallbladder.

This year, we weren't looking too bad. Granted, Grant had the flu or some other virus last week, and Sam followed, but it was nothing serious. Then Sid, the black cat we found in the culvert in our neighborhood a year ago, was yowling and hissing if you looked at him. He was obviously in pain. After my experience with dogs and horses, I immediately went to dark places, such as a twisted gut or obstruction.

Fortunately, when I called our veterinarian, she was in the office and told us to bring him in to see her. After a brief examination, she knew what was happening: triphosphate crystals. She squeezed out a few drops of urine and looked at the sample underneath the microscope to confirm her hypothesis. An x-ray showed an enlarged bladder blocked by these sharp and painful crystals.

She gave him meds to relax him and tried to express more urine but with little success. Because she didn't have a situation where she could keep him overnight, she thought it best if we went to a local emergency hospital. I knew it would be expensive to walk in on Saturday morning, but long story short, I was blown away by the cost of treatment and the difference in care.

At one point, the front desk gal said, "Are you willing to be responsible for this financial burden?" I told her she really needed to spin that differently. She just blinked at me.

Sid did much better Saturday night, even though he was dripping bloody urine. But he was friendly and happy, a stark contrast to the morning. Once again, our vet wanted to see him this (Sunday) morning and called me as soon as she was done wrapping up errands.

I took Sid to her closed office, where she took another sample, this time it had far less blood than even earlier in the day, and gave him an anti-inflammatory to make life more comfortable for him. We aim to push fluids and ensure he eats only his new prescription cat food. The chunky monkey also needs to lose some weight. After our experience at the corporate vet clinic, I appreciate our vet beyond words.

I look forward to the upcoming week, but just hope everyone stays healthy and out of the doctor’s office!