FOUR YEARS AGO ... TODAY

Today is the 17th of the month.  It's the day every month that I put Frontline on all three cats. I've got to keep the fleas & ticks off "My Girls".

Since it is the 17th of April, there is also a bit more signiffance to the date:
**  It's the birthday of my friend, Sheila Clark. [I won't give away her age.]
**  Four years ago today, I had my chest sawed open.

My "Heart Anniversary" is not something I take for granted.  Trust me.  It's a life altering event for anyone.

Prior to going to the hospital, I had just completed almost three years of business related traveling ... to Vancouver, Canada & then weekly drives to Memphis, Tennessee.  Add on the fact I had several years of less than stress free working conditions at my job at Maybelline.  Now combine that with years of "road food" & a limited exercise plan, to see that my life & health was not A1 back in 2007.

I had gone into the hospital  for an out-patient heart catheterization on Monday the 16th. Simple enough.  I had two done previously with good results.

This time -- while still in the operating room -- Dr. Davis gave me "the shoulder tap", informing me I had major blockage in my arteries & would NOT be going home, since I needed heart bypass surgery.

I was scheduled for surgery the next morning -- they didn't wait around long, did they ?? -- under Dr. Fred Meddors, one of the top heart surgeons in Little Rock.

Then the "fun" began ... some of which I was a willing partner to & some events I was there ... but not really.

Monday night I got shaved -- legs, groin & chest.  Then a shower with medical soap ... to be "germ free".

Tuesday morning went quick enough.  My friend Bubba showed up to visit with me & even accompanied me to the pre-surgery area, where someone was doing a lot of hollering in the distance.  It provided a laugh to us both.

Then, just past 10 A.M., it was off to surgery.

The main memory I have is of an operating room which seemed ... "bare".  No doctors or nurses, & very little equipment. [All of which arrived after I was ... "knocked out".]  Then, to the best of my knowledge:
**  I was "prepped"
**  My legs cut to procure veins to graft into my heart
**  My chest sawed open & my ribs pulled back
**  A heart-lung machine attached & my heart was stopped
**  Four arteries where redirected using the veins taken from my legs
**  My heart restarted
**  Seven wires where used to draw my rib cage back together, along with internal stitches for my chest & legs.

None of the above do I recall or was even vaguely aware was taking place.  From being sedated until I began to regain consciousness in the post-op area, all seemed instantaneous.  It was as if time did not take place ... as if it all happened -- to me -- in a flash.

Then by Friday of the same week, I was home to recover & slowly get my life back in order.

If I need any incentive to get exercise (daily) or eat the proper foods (most of the time), all I have to do is look at the scars on my legs or the former incision on my chest -- along with the holes where the drain tubes where in my chest -- to keep me motivated.

I am thankful for my health & I hope having gone through this will be a reminder to myself -- & others -- how important our health can be.

I have been given -- so far -- an extra four years of life.  And I want more.
____________________________________________________________________
[P.S. -- The photo I took this past week ... for "effect".  The scars really don't show much.]

GOLDILOCK'S DAYS

I have written previously of my desire for Spring to arrive this year. I am no fan of cold/wet weather -- that includes SNOW -- & the "hints" of Spring appearing locally -- the Bradford Pear trees in bloom, as well as the colorful Red Bud trees are early examples -- have become more prominent.

I have enclosed some photos I took last week, all of which are colorful indicators of the change of seasons.

The Wisteria Vine grows on the far end of my storage building.  It's a favorite of Bumble Bees when in bloom.  And it smells good, too.

 The Lace Leaf Japanese Maple next to the side door to my house is a nice delicate green color.

 The red Japanese Maple 'Blood Good' is a good color contrast to the various shades of green now arriving.

The above photo is not very good, since the two Dogwood Trees -- pink in the foreground & white in the rear -- don't stand out in the picture due to their limited amount of "blossoms" appearing this year. [What we perceive as "flowers" are actually the color of the "bracts" which hold the small & nondescript actual flower.]

The most definite "proof" of the -- finally -- arrival of Spring, is the color of the male Gold Finches on the bird feeders.  The dull, Winter plumage has moulted & been replaced by the yellow/gold color feathers which give them their name.

These are my "Goldilock's Days".  The Winter was too cold & the upcoming Summer will (always) be too hot.  But, Spring in central Arkansas ... "is just right".

BEEN THERE. DONE THAT.

Despite being the only human in the house, I have come to realize over the past few years that my "roommates", like me, have habits & mannerisms which tend to be repeated. Often there are "hints" that something is taking place not in the normal day-to-day realm & for me, these "warnings" need to be recogonized & adhered to.

Today was an example.

Having finished dressing after my afternoon shower, I -- briefly -- left the bedroom.  Upon my return something did not look quite right.  Something was missing. 

The open drawer to the dresser -- yes, it's the "underware drawer" -- looked ... "normal".  Still, it did not seem right.

Rather than push the drawer into the dresser, I removed it & sat it on the floor.

There was Precious -- who had been on the floor next to the dresser previously -- snuggled in the back space where the drawer had been open. 

I'm sure glad I did not try to close the drawer without checking first. But then, this has been one of her habits & it was not the first time she has crawled into the back of an open dresser drawer.

Been there.  Done that.

WHAT'S NEW ???

One of the things I find most interesting about my three cats is not only their ability to enjoy favorite places for relaxing/sleeping -- the end of my bed, the window in the library, my lap when I sit on the couch to read, are good examples --but also their curiosity & ability to recognize -- almost immediately -- any new item introduced into their home & territory.

Fun times are had with the cartons whenever FedEx makes a delivery.  All that is necessary is to place the carton somewhere in the house ... introduce a cat, or cats, into the area & watch them make a bee line for the box. They sniff around, look it all over & climb on & in the box. Each one takes a turn to satisfy themselves with the new item.

Of course, closet doors left open, or open drawers in any furniture, are noticed at once & explored.  On more than one occasion -- with no intended malice --I have closed up a cat in a closet for far longer than they had intented to inquire within it.



Anything "new" outdoors is also inspected & reviewed.  The above photo shows Precious -- my "Momma Kitty" -- on her tip toes, trying to determine what has been added to the top of the garbage can. [It's a bag of charcoal I put there temporarily while unloading my purchases from a shopping trip.]

Note:  Precious attempted to jump up to the top for a closer look, but the plastic surface gave her no traction, nor a secured grip with her claws, -- they seem to work okay on my legs -- in order to pull herself up. She quickly came back to Earth & decided she was no long interested.

If they could speak English, I am sure the most often words used by "My Girls" would be:  "What's new ??"

TURTLE EGG TIME

If & when the weather cooperates -- that means it gets a bit warmer -- I will start to see my yearly migration of local turtles on the roads.  The adults will be seeking mates & prospective nesting sights & baby turtles will be attempting to find any permanent body of water.

It's an annual thing for me to find said turtles.  Depending on the size of the turtle, I usually have several options:
1] Do nothing & let the turtle continue on it's trek
2] Move it off the road, in the direction it was going
3] Remove it & take it to a local body of water (adult turtles)
4] Remove it & take it home to raise until older (babies)

Occasionally, I find female turtles on my land which have selected a spot somewhere in the yard to dig their nest & lay eggs.  Several times I have allowed the female turtle to complete her task, after which I have dug up the eggs & hatched them in my house.  After the babies have grown a bit, I release them in the creek near where I live.

Recently one of the female turtles in my collection -- a rare turtle -- provided me with seven eggs.  I had assumed her odd behavior was an indication of her desire to lay eggs & I provided her the facility -- a large container of sand -- to dig a nest, which she did.

The above photo shows the eggs as they were placed in the nest.  I had to dig down in the sand to "find" the eggs, as the female turtle had completely covered them & smoothed over the surface of the sand.

A total of seven eggs were laid. Of this group, two were infertile/mishaped & were disposed of.  A third egg is a bit oddly shaped as well, but has been retained.  The four "good' eggs are in the top row of this photo.

In the past, I have hatched turtle eggs by placing them in a container in the cabinet above the sink. The light below the cabinet is left "on" 24/7, creating just enough favorable warmth in the cabinet to aid in egg development.

For the current batch of eggs I am trying to hatch -- along with any future eggs, wild or captive hatched -- I have invested in an incubator designed for reptile eggs. I have my fingers crossed this extra effort & expense, will prove successful in getting these latest eggs to produce baby turtles.

Hopefully, in another month or so, I will have "good news" to share regarding another "turtle egg time".

IS IT 4 P.M. YET ??

Well ... after writing several times recently about the advent of Spring weather & the improved conditions for outdoor activities, it all went for naught this weekend. It seems like Winter returned.

The past few days have found central Arkansas with high temperatures in the low-to-mid 40's, with periods of rain & fog. Those are not my favorable conditions for being outside working in the yard.

Other than going for my daily walk at 7 A.M. this morning & refilling all the bird feeders when I returned, this has been a totally "indoor day". Even "The Girls" have not ventured out too often.

On the positive side, I have done all my laundry, rearranged the "kat fud" in the pantry & found an old kitchen appliance I have not used in decades.  Several decades !!

I believe I purchased this crock pot in the mid 1970's.  I've probably used it no more than three or four times & that would back when I first bought it. 

Well ... it came back to life today.

This weather is the perfect time to try out the crock pot by making up a batch of my "famous" chili.

All my ingredients are in & cooking slowly on the counter next to the sink.  It will sure taste good when I have my dinner around 4 P.M.  [That's when old people eat their "early bird dinners".]

I have "tested" my chili & taken "samples" on various -- necessary -- trips into the kitchen.  As long as I don't get a bowl out of the cupboard, or start crumbling up crackers, I am still just ... "snacking".

But, darn !!  Isn't it 4 o'clock ... yet ?? !!

SPRING ... DEFINITELY

Watching the Channel 4 TV station in New York City this past week, much of their local news was coverage of the snow storms -- along with very cold temperatures -- which had arrived following a week where the warm temperatures had everyone thinking ... "Spring".

I remember such early Spring snow storms when I lived in upstate New York. It was always so depressing. Just when it felt like Winter was finally over ... BAM ... the white stuff returned.

The "latest" snow I remember in New York, was one year in the first week of May. Six inches of snow -- which didn't last more than two days on the ground --but still, who wants/needs snow ... in MAY ??

While it is still March -- & we can still get hit with some cold weather -- it looks as if the change-over from Winter to Spring this year is in full force in central Arkansas.

I realize in many posts on this blog I have been less than enamoured with the people of this state & the way "The Natural State" is treated & maintained by it's citizens. Still, Arkansas, like many of the surrounding states in the Mid-South, puts on a majestic show as it renews itself each Spring. Through the revitalized grass, trees & flowers of the landscape, Arkansas comes back to life. It is my favorite time of the year.

The colors of Spring are alive on my property. The grass is green & has been cut already several times. The Eastern Redbuds are flowering, along with the Yoshino cherry trees, as shown with the examples above. Their vibrant colors add much contrast to the landscape.

The Bradford Pears -- which were a mass of white flowers until just recently -- are now green & approaching their full leaf size & color; a sure sign Spring is here.

So ... no more snow or cold weather for me. I'm thinking positive: Spring has arrived ... definitely !!