Introducing Malibu

 We have a new cat. He's not NEW new - we made him "official" back in August - but this is the first time I'm sharing his picture or saying anything about him on the blog. Named Malibu, he came to us in that same stretch of weeks that Josie died, and our garden was still coming in like gangbusters right then, so he had to wait until now for a proper announcement.

This is Malibu asleep on the back of the couch.

This is also Malibu asleep on the back of the couch.

You see the pattern developing? He's totally assimilated to being a fat, happy housecat, and while he does enjoy ripping and romping with Bill, Kinky, and Phoebe, he's far more difficult to photograph when he's awake. Sis used to say that her dog, Bonnie, was growing in her sleep when she was a young dog, and I think Malibu is doing the same thing. He's twice the size he was six months ago, and our vet guessed him at "around a year" when we first took him in for a health check and to be neutered. 

AND while some tom cats have a hard time with being neutered, Malibu didn't seem to even notice what happened.

The other cats weren't necessarily happy when his period of health quarantine was over, but everyone has adjusted nicely. 

COVID19: Vaccinated, Easter on the Farm, Photos of the Girls

Even though the COVID19 is still with us and will be for a long time, I'm not going to preface my titles with it any longer. We've been isolating and taking precautions for a year now, and this is our new reality.

Jack and I have received both rounds of the Moderna vaccine, and while we still have about ten days before we have maximum protection, the relief feels sweet. 

That said, there's still no place I want to go and nothing I want to do other than some serious hanging with Sis and the girls. Mom and Dad and I got huggy last week, and the situation feels overall better, but  news of dangerous variants and Canada on lockdown and young people now at increased danger of illness, death, and transmission have me on high alert. All of us really, and all I can do is hope that everyone stays as safe and well as they can. 

We had Easter on the farm last Saturday (the day before Easter) with Sis, Chris, and the girls coming for a longer, visit with inside-time and a more normal feel to it. Because Jack and I are not quite protected, we had to hang back and refrain from hugs, but that time's coming with a couple of birthdays - Bea's and mine - later in April.

I was so excited about seeing everybody and volunteered to make a beautiful and perfect strawberry cake using a recipe from Jack's side of the family. I filled it with strawberry jam and was on Cloud9 about how much everyone was going to love that cake. Until I dropped it putting it into the car. At least it landed right side up, and aside from some grime from the side of the car that scraped off easily enough with a spatula, it was fine and tasted delicious.

Mom posed with the big spruce tree in the yard. It was our first Christmas tree after we moved into the house 1978. Forty two years now! It's huge and beautiful. When I posted the photo on Facebook, my friend Mike commented, "It's a Christmas tree with the angel at the bottom." 

We all love kitties. This is Mom's cat, Bingo.

COVID19: Friday Night Wrap-Up

PuddyCat is feeling much better now than this time last week. He's still not 100%, but the vet said recovery would take a few weeks, and progress is progress. I talked to Dr. Little today, and he said that as long as Puddy is drinking and peeing, he'll be fine. Both of those things are happening regularly and consistently, and he will have more appetite when he's feeling better. He doesn't love his new prescription food at all, but we have a new plan, and on Monday, we'll stop by the office to pick up a couple of cans of special formula wet food to hopefully encourage Puddy to eat more. 

He's venturing out of the bedroom and spending more time with the rest of us in the great room than has been his normal, and increased socialization a good sign. He uses the regular litter boxes but likes having one handy in the bedroom. Jack and I don't like it so much because we have to constantly sweep the floor, but we'll deal. Maybe this is temporary and Puddy won't need a litterbox in the back part of the house in the long-term. If he does, it's OK. We'll deal.

DeKalb County's COVID19 numbers have increased substantially over the last week, and we're currently sitting at 183 cases. Warren County is now up to 208 or 209, and shit's getting real in these parts. Some folks still contend that this whole thing is a politically-motivated hoax to crash the economy and hurt the president. Others believe it's real but insist that it isn't as serious at is and refuse to wear masks as the CDC and everyone with a lick of public health knowledge recommends. 

WalMart, Kroger, and several other retailers have announced mask mandates beginning next week, and I hope for the best. There have been at least two shootings of store employees in other states involving mask-related disputes. Our governor still refuses to mandate them, and the Georgia governor is suing the mayor of Atlanta to force her to stop the mask mandate there. Critics of mask mandates say it's a loss of freedom, but not wearing a mask shows a lack of compassion and consideration for others. 

My tenth cake of quarantine came out of the oven earlier today. It's a lemon Bundt cake using the same recipe I've used before, but this time I dusted a couple of cups of blueberries (yes, blueberries again) with flour and folded them into the batter. Jack and I haven't tried a slice yet, but when it cools, we're on. It smells delicious and will be fantastic with a scoop of Jack's homemade buttermilk custard ice cream.

Despite all the "good eatin'" we've done since mid-March, Jack and I have both managed to lose some weight. The loss is slow - a pound or less a week - but we both feel a lot better. 

Wakefest is on at the marina this weekend, but the crowd has been way down this year. Normally the Friday of Wakefest is pretty busy all day, but today was quiet.

I hope folks stay home and safe instead of crowding together and possibly carrying COVID home to wherever they live.