Human and Feline stuff

The photo here is my bold Prisoner, who wandered all the way up to my bedroom on Tuesday while Ember was at day care.  Doesn't he look comfy?

December 2nd was the final day of the trial for termination of parental rights of the biological parents of my foster grandson.  I have not gone to any of these proceedings, mind you.  My son was one of the witnesses on the final day.

It was an interesting experience, although a difficult one to live through for those most closely involved.  My DIL was a mess.  She has bonded so deeply with this child!  

They were sequestered from the trial because  DS was to testify.  They did get updates from the lawyer for the state, who made the motion to terminate.  My DIL's mom sat in the gallery for the whole thing and took copious notes that she was not allowed to share until the trial was over, also due to that sequestration.

Now it's in the phase of waiting for the judge to issue the court order(s).  Meanwhile, "the kids" (as I call my son and his wife) are not discussing any of what went on in court in front of FGC, to protect him from the emotional whiplash that comes from such things.  After the judge issues court orders, they will begin to talk to him about the future and next steps.  

Expectation is that they will continue to have him with them while things proceed but best case it will be a year before they can adopt him "for reals".  They will have more decision-making authority during that year, since the plan will be for permanency.  It is my hope that the orders will come, and the next year will be one of hopeful waiting and expectation, full of bonding and the continued building of trust!  I am so proud of this couple, taking on a child with the challenges that come of childhood trauma, and doing a fine job of it.  I will look to their guidance for when I can share clear photos showing his adorable face.

From the rear, me, FGC and DS at the dog park May 2024.  Imagine the child about six or seven inches taller now!  He's been with them for over a year now with only a couple or three-week interruption.  

Other human news, I have an eye appointment next week to see about the laser procedure to take out the scarring that has formed around one lens since the last cataract surgery.  My older sis has agreed to drive me for this appointment which I assume is just the assessment for suitability.

Sad human news:  said older sister messaged me with a photo of the obituary notice of a dear friend from my childhood.  This gal and I had been Brownie Scouts together, 65 years ago or so.  Her mom and my mom had been leaders in our scout troops, or cookie chairwomen, depending on the year.  They took a candy making class together.  In that last decade before I retired my gal friend and I had worked on the same project, she as a business expert, me as a technical coder / team lead.  In the process of reconnecting, she shared a recipe for peanut brittle that her mom and mine had learned in that class and I made it that year.  It was a wonderful memory for the taste buds!  Anyway, the memorial service isn't until January, so I have time to hash out the difference between the day/date it said in the notice (it says Friday January 3rd, but the 3rd is a Saturday).  Cancer sucks.

But life is still good.  Spark on!

First measurable snowfall

 

I have a snow-dog.  I have been blessed with a maturing dog who consents to go do her business in the backyard snow and lets me stay inside when I'm not feeling up to either the cold or the slick.

She came back in with visible flakes and both slobber (drool) and snow on her nose.

These were taken Monday morning, after snow events from Friday evening to Saturday morning, then blowing snow all of Sunday, followed by calm winds and light snow all of Monday morning.  I think the final total is less than 4 inches, but the part on the bottom is quite icy.

The cat shares my opinion about the snow and cold and has been cooling his heels in his luxury suite for three days now.  I offer an open door and he says, "nope".

As for my Thanksgiving nasal drip, it lingered and had changing symptoms over Friday through Sunday.  Monday morning it lingered with just tiredness, and the headache started to clear up.  I was able on Monday to clear off the new snow from the sidewalks, and Ember and I took a brief car ride to get Dexter's gas tank filled.

She's getting cabin fever to the extent that she wants to steal mom's stuff... be it gloves or the mail... but she's so much better about giving it back and not completely destroying it that mom forgives her very quickly.  Besides, mom "gets it".  This poor pup had day care on Friday, but she's had no outdoor leash walks over the weekend, only playing on her own in the snowy back yard, and whatever indoor games mom came up with.  Fetch down the stairs, position treats, and treat-dispensing toys.  Oh, yeah, and mom does give her some things deliberately intended for destruction.  Lambchop toy is now about half to two third de-fluffed. 

Good news is she has Day Care again on Tuesday and Thursday, and a new Chewy box will be coming late in the week that has some new toys intended for her delight in destroying.  They were on deeply discounted sale!

Tuesday morning, December 2, 2025

Cold this morning, but not as cold as January is likely to get.  It was 9℉, according to my phone, when I got up.  I delayed taking Ember to daycare and tried to time it when it would not be "rush" hour.  The streets and most of us being cautious and patient drivers did lead to lineups at the lights.  I took a route to avoid the side streets, which have NOT been plowed or treated (because we didn't get enough snow/ice, according to city protocol).  

We made it safely, and the lobby of her daycare was full of workmen, staff, and other dogs and their paw-rents.  Ember was ecstatic, sniffing at everything and greeting everybody, but she was good about keeping her paws on the ground, which made me feel very good.  The workmen seemed to be OK with the canine attention (gee, you'd hate to work at a vet's office/day care building if you weren't OK with this sort of thing).

She sat nicely on the scale, and I'm estimating between the highest and lowest numbers that showed up that she's holding steady around 86 pounds.  That's still 6 pounds over what the vet most recently said she should weigh, but so much better than a year ago when she tipped the scale at 93.  Good girl!  Good girl Mom, for resisting temptation to over-treat the pup, and good girl Ember, too.

And when I got home, I started in on the dog-towel laundry, and found this hidden under the towels on her crate-mat!  In case you don't have a dog who chews on chew-sticks, those are fragments from things she has taken into her crate at bedtime over the weekend.  Well, guess what went into the laundry with the towels?

Life is full of humor, if you let it be so!

Life is good.  Spark on!

Thanksgiving done and dusted

Now we bring out the Christmas mugs!  And we watch the weather between here and son and DIL's Thanksgiving destination, as there's this winter storm in progress.  They were planning to drive back on Saturday.

Probably a bazillion other Holiday travelers, some of whom have no idea what to do when it gets icy on the roads, will be headed homeward, too.  

Ember had an extra day of daycare on Friday. I was still nursing a drippy nose so she had a good doggy day while I recuperated.  I went and picked her up a little early, about 3:30 p.m.    

As predicted, the snow ❄️ started overnight, Friday to Saturday. The grown-up version of Ember did not automatically go into Zoomies mode.  She cautiously went down the steps from the deck to the yard; I followed in my puffy coat. I watched her sniff at the snow and take care of her morning business. 

I was still not feeling my best, so having this calmer dog is certainly something to be thankful for. I remembered about breakfast time that there are these things called over the counter drugs, and took an Advil.  I took another about supper time.

Ember and I took it easy Saturday, with naps on the couch and towel dries in between her going out in the yard.  I ventured out to shovel part of the driveway, at least enough to get down to the mailbox.  Not that there's anything exciting in the mail, I generally see things like bills and invitations to spend or donate money.  

I got messages from the travelers that they were leaving Kansas City in the early afternoon.  Then I caught a FB post by DIL of a house along the side of I-29 in Rockport, MO.  I'm very familiar with that house as a landmark on the drive.  At that point I knew they were getting close to the crossover to Nebraska at that point.  But they delayed sending the "safe arrival" message until they got unpacked and shoveled out at their house.  

I did not worry too much about their safety, even though there were social media posts showing semis jack-knifed on I-80, and another on the South side of town on one of the arterial streets.  Saw friends posting about how bad the streets were in town, so just as well Ember and I were tucked in for the day.  

Ember called me down for her "last call" due to need about 7 p.m.  Now I'm wrapping up to put myself to bed, too.  Hopefully another night's rest and I'll feel up to clearing off tomorrow!

Here's hoping that everyone is safe and warm and dry, whatever the weather is doing in your neck of the woods!  And trust that if you're a US celebrant, you had a good Thanksgiving.

Life is good.  Spark on!

Thanksgiving Day, USA edition, 2025

 

The cheese puffs a-baking on Wednesday.  I managed not to devour them all before Thursday's gathering.  For this I am thankful.

Ember had a day care day that ended early (they closed at 3 p.m. Wednesday).  She was happy to see me.  For this I am thankful.

Thursday morning in the dark and quiet. Ember went out to take care of business in the backyard.  I went with her in my puffy coat and did not freeze.  It was peaceful.  Now she's curled up on the couch next to me, a warm presence.  For all of this I am thankful. 

Christmas decorations and songs have been encroaching for a couple of weeks now.  But I don't mind.  Thanksgiving and Christmas tend to go together, in a Continuum of holidays.  I am thankful for the insights of age, recognizing the rhythm of the year. 

Wishing you all a blessed Thanksgiving in the US and all around the world.

Season of Thanksgiving gratitude day 45

Wednesday November 26, 2025

Today I am thankful for vacuum cleaners, and brooms and dust mops, etc.  All the cleaning tools we have to help us feel civilized!  Tuesday while Ember was in day care, I rearranged the x-pen and cleaned outside the pen, around the edges of the room.  Ahhhh... how satisfying!

The plan is to gradually introduce the furniture again, get it outside of the fence, if you will, as Ember becomes more reliable about not chewing it to bits.  While she's a lot better than she was a year ago, she still chews when anxious if I'm not right on top of redirecting her to appropriate things to chew on.

For the holiday week, she's getting an extra half day in day care, on Wednesday, and I shifted her Thursday appointment to Friday.  

Tuesday evening it was very gusty winds outside.  One of the deck chairs got blown over, so I brought it inside.  I am thankful that Ember let me do what I needed to do.  

I have also been acclimating her to the idea that "mom cooks human food" and puppy sits or lies in her safe "hot zone" and waits her turn.  She gets dog appropriate treats when she does so.

Season of Thanksgiving gratitude day 44

 

Tuesday November 25, 2025

Today I am reminded that a year ago I was racing the calendar to get the kitchen appliances all installed in time to cook for the holiday!  I am thankful it was done last year!  I am thankful for a pup who while she's very interested in what I do in the kitchen, settles down to patiently wait for the oven to do its job!

The final week of the Thanksgiving to Thanksgiving Gratitude challenge: Day 43

 

Monday, November 24, 2025

For an "old man", The Prisoner was looking pretty spry on Sunday, perched safely out of Ember's reach.

Today I am thankful for the advancements in pet pest control!  I remember "flea powder" back when I was a child.  Nowadays, I just have to squirt stuff on the back of my cat's neck once every couple of months and give the dog a pill every 30 days.  

Not only that... Ember likes the pill and gobbles it down like a treat.

Oh, and for balance of humor, here's Ember snoozing in typical labrador sprawl for her Sunday afternoon nap!