Suzie's Musings: 01/01/2010

Morning Folks. As some of you know, Ed had surgery on his left shoulder on Thursday. And thanks for all the good wishes you sent. His Orthopod said that his shoulder was a "mess" but that he was able to repair it. So, it's good news that it has been repaired, although he is hurting right now. And he has about 6 weeks in a sling and 6 months before he'll have things back to nearly normal. PT starts on Monday. But at least he will be able to get back to golfing before the season is over.

So, Ed is healing and doing really well, but needs my help even showering. It is amazing how we depend on both of our hands for so much. And, he isn't allowed to move the arm away from his body. He is all strapped in, but has to be reminded to keep his arm close to his side. He can move his lower arm toward the front, but isn't allowed to move it to the left. He was never meant to be a patient and I was never meant to be a nurse. He doesn't like me telling him what to do and I don't like him not following nurse's orders. I have told some of you that all he wanted after he got home from the hospital was coffee ice cream. I thought he was confused and was thinking that he'd had his tonsils out, but that didn't turn out to be the case. He just wanted coffee ice cream and figured I would get him whatever he wanted because he was so miserable. So, I can usually get him to cooperate if I promise him coffee ice cream!
Ed took care of me while I recuperated from the appendectomy and then that nasty root canal I had a couple of weeks ago. Oh, Ed and I haven't been having too much fun, until last night!

We had been talking about getting a dog for a long time. Although, I really am a cat person, I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn't have a cat again, because Ed is allergic to some and I don't know about having a cat box in the trailer. So, we agreed to get a cat-sized dog. I think maybe Ed's drugs are a little stronger than I thought they were because we went to the animal shelter last night to look at the puppies and came home with a cat! Ed, not me, fell in love with this sweet little 7 month old black and tan tabby. She is not an unusually beautiful cat, but has a sweet face and it was her personality that Ed really fell in love with. (As it turns out, Ed uses the same criteria whether he is choosing a cat or a wife, thank goodness!)

A ball of tin foil is currently her favorite toy. She flies around the place, galloping at full tilt, stopping short of the foil ball so she can slide on the hard wood floors.

She is so affectionate, not stand-offish or aloof, like most cats I have owned. I never minded that trait, but it's nice to have one with a different take on her humans. This one really craves attention and follows us around everywhere. The funny thing is that she is very similar to a cat we had for 18 years, named April, who was not fond of people at all. She could be a nasty little spitfire, but she was cute and we did love her.

She clings to me like a baby orangutan and it's hard to get her picture because if I get down to her level, she comes over and rubs on the camera trying to get to my face.

I was able to get this shot quickly, before she came over to me and rubbed her face on the camera. I guess she wanted me to get...

...a close up!

Ed and his little friend watched a movie together and enjoyed each other's company last night.

They both took a little catnap. I think she made him feel better and forget his shoulder for a while.

She treats both of us like she has known us forever and can't stand it if we go off in two different directions, because she isn't sure who to follow. She didn't spend any time hiding under things or being scared at all. She slept with us last night and never left our sides, which is why I am so exhausted. Evidently, she is an early riser...like 4 AM! I was in a sound sleep and she came up to my pillow and rubbed her face against my cheek. Just when I thought she was about to settle down, she'd get up, turn around and try to get Ed's attention. When she failed to do that, she'd start all over again. So, finally about 5:00, I gave up and she and I got up and let Ed sleep. I made a pot of coffee.

Of course she is sound asleep at my feet right now as I struggle to stay awake while I am writing.

5:00 AM and she is ready to play. That's my sock trying to get her far enough away from me to get a picture.

After the sun came up about 7, I opened the dining room curtains and revealed the bird feeders which were full of all kinds of birds. She sat there for almost an hour without moving. Our window goes almost down to the floor, so she kept trying to hide under the window sill so they wouldn't see her. It was very funny. She was a shelter cat for several months and I think she feels like she's at Disneyworld!

She sat and watched, and watched and...

...watched some more.

We have to install a cat door so she can go out to the garage where I want to put her litter box. She is having a grand old time broadcasting litter all over the laundry room, which is the entry into the house from the garage. I think she's so happy to have her own bathroom after having to share in that shelter, it's like she's saying "whoopie" and just having a ball!
And, I may have to remove the table cloths I have on our tables. She has already put snags in both of them. And I have to get rid of the poinsettias this afternoon. She is way too interested in them and I know those can make her sick. And, Monday, we have to get her to the vet to be checked out. Then, well, who knows?

Ah, parenthood. I had almost forgotten what it was like!

Oh, and one more thing...We are thinking of calling her Maggie May, after two of our Great Grandmothers, and because she has an M on her forehead. But, we haven't totally decided yet. We would love some suggestions! We'll let you know what we end up choosing for her name as soon as we make up our minds.

Have a great day. I am going to go take a nap while the baby is still sleeping!

Love,

Suz

Morning Folks. It's Epiphany, January 6. I deliberately left the candles in the windows, a few poinsettias here and there and the tree still remains until tomorrow, when hopefully, I will get to work returning the rest of the decorations to their bins in the basement.

Ed and I put away everything else yesterday. It took us about 3 hours working non-stop. I am so glad he was there to help. It's like doing a giant jigsaw puzzle to get things back in the bins the way they were before we took them out. And, there are always a few new things for which we need to find room.

Gone are all 78 Santas and the little village, the snowmen and the reindeer all wrapped in paper and stashed away until next year. But, it's worth all the work. The house looked really pretty and I will miss the bright and cheery and, yes, merry, atmosphere that the lights and all the Santas and friends all created.

So, now begins that period between Christmas and the end of winter, that sort of boring non-season when nothing too exciting happens except for a couple of lesser holidays when car dealers use George Washington to sell cars and Whitman's samplers and heartshaped boxes of chocolates finally foil any New Years Resolutuons that might actually still be around in mid-February. There is that certain ennui that settles in right after MLK Day and continues on through that somber Lenten season we Christians "enjoy" right up until Easter when we finally waken with the coming of spring.

Until then, I have decided that the little tree I have on the front stoop, covered in white sparkling lights and pine cones and berries will remain on display. And, as we begin to drag ourselves into January and beyond, the lights on the little Christmas tree on our stoop will brighten the bleak midwinter night just a little bit.