August 1, 2010

     We have just spent a nightmarish two weeks. One day Tivoli Blackwell, our tortoiseshell cat, was out sunning herself in her own, personal back yard, while Diamond Wilson, the neighbors’ dog, wandered about next door in her own, personal back yard. Tivoli and Diamond had decided long ago to despise one another in a friendly way, and got along fine on that basis, each on her own side of the chain-link fence.

     Into this peaceful paradise a young bulldog came bounding, trailing the chain that had once held him fast. He immediately chased Tivoli up a tree. Such a thing had never happened before. Tivoli had felt so safe in her own yard that, on sunny days, she slept on her back on the patio, all four feet in the air.

     Terry Wilson and Bill chased the bulldog out of the yard and set up a ladder. Terry climbed it, grabbed Tivoli, and handed her down to Bill. Tivoli immediately leapt out of Bill’s arms, inflicting on him a set of deep scratches, and fled to the woodland out back. Diamond Wilson found the whole thing delightfully invigorating and barked happily throughout.

     Well. Poor Tivoli seems then to have confused Diamond with the bulldog. She no longer believed Diamond was safely pent up in the Wilsons’ back yard. In fairness to her, both dogs were the same shade of brown, and it was a hectic moment in Tivoli’s life. Every time she tried to emerge from the woods, Diamond barked at her, and Tivoli in terror went back in hiding. Tivoli was in the woods all that day, in hundred degree temperatures. I finally asked the Wilsons to lock Diamond in the house so I could coax our poor pussycat back in.

     The next days were nightmarish. Tivoli would venture out, hear a dog – any dog – barking, head for the woods and stay in hiding whole days and nights in hundred degree heat, while we tried to coax her in. And, just when she seemed to be recovering, THE BULLDOG CAME BACK, he and Diamond once again cavorting happily along the fenceline. Fortunately Tivoli was inside when this happened, but unfortunately she was looking out through our sliding glass doors and SAW THE WHOLE THING. No place was safe, she decided. The bulldog might even be able to come in our house. She spent the day hiding behind the dishwasher. At one point she reconnoitered down the hallway, decided no hideout in that part of the house was quite safe enough, and went back behind the dishwasher.

     Loudoun County Animal Control found the owner of the bulldog, who lived just down the street. But it was too late for us. We already had a psychotic pussycat on our hands. Bill and I sorrowfully set up a kitty litter box, thinking Tivoli’s outdoor days were past. But Tivoli scorned that solution, as she has scorned so many of our ideas in the past. She decided to go out only at night (the bulldog came in daylight) and go out the front door (the bulldog appeared out back). That way, she felt, she was doubly safe.

     BUT THEN ... yesterday she decided to go out back in broad daylight, Diamond barked at her and she fled to the woods, but she emerged two hours later on her own and calmly came back in. Just now she’s lying on her back in the living room, all four feet in the air. I sing her own personal Tivoli Song, which begins, “She’s a little sweet girl ...” and she is pleased. She can tell from my tone of voice that it’s a compliment, and pussycats adore compliments. It looks like we are going to make it all the way back to sanity.

     Janette

----Table Of Contents----

1. Funny Cats And Icy Dogs
2. Pet Friendly Motels And A Pet Airline
3. Make Photos Of Yourself Look Thinner!
4. My Favorite Blog
5. Can You Spoil A Newborn?
6. 10 Ways To Shape Children’s Behavior
7. Outdoor Fun For Kids
8. Outdoor Craft Projects With The Kids
9. Camping With The Kids
10. Connect With Other Anglers
11. 10 Simple Tips To Eliminate Stress In Your Day
12. Slow Down And Enjoy Your Life More
13. Make A Concrete Birdbath From A Rhubarb Leaf?
14. Dozens More Garden Craft Projects
15. Garden Makeovers

1. FUNNY CATS AND ICY DOGS

     The lady who did these HALLMARKS OF FELINITY cartoons has one spoiled cat. I say this as someone with in-depth experience in that area. Click below for more than a hundred extremely clever cartoons. One cartoon reminds me of a cat I had who knocked a potted african violet off my dresser onto the floor, then peered sweetly down to admire the effect below. Cats know exactly what they can get away with, and the cartoonist’s cats obviously get away with a lot.

http://www.student.ipfw.edu/~osbodr01/
hallmarks/hallmark00.html

     DOG RESCUED FROM ICEBERG. Poor thing. Accidentally stepped on some river ice, which broke loose, and he floated out to sea. There’s a happy ending though.

http://gimundo.com/news/article/
dog-gets-rescued-from-iceberg-and-adopted
-by-the-ship-crew-that-saved-him/

     THIS BLIND DOG AND CAT ARE FRIENDS:

http://www.itchmo.com/blind-cat
-and-dog-the-best-of-friends-4721

2. PET FRIENDLY MOTELS AND A PET AIRLINE

     PET AIRWAYS started up in the pit of the recession, and, when I reviewed it last year, I was afraid it wouldn’t make it. But it did! PET AIRWAYS flies only pets (no people except the crew). They’ll put your pet in the main cabin and treat it like royalty, they say. If you’ve ever had to ship a beloved pet in a plane’s cargo hold, I’m sure you’re glad to know PET AIRWAYS is still in business.

http://petairways.com/content/how-pet-airways-flies-your-pet

     PET FRIENDLY HOTELS AND MOTELS:

http://www.1clickpethotels.com/

     AGING GRACEFULLY; TIPS FOR ADOPTING OLDER PETS:

http://gimundo.com/blog/entry/aging-gracefully
-tips-for-adopting-older-pets/

3. MAKE PHOTOS OF YOURSELF LOOK THINNER!

     At last. A really helpful photography device. SLIMPIC claims that you can insert, into a little thingy on its website, a photo that includes your fat self. And their little thingy program will make you look slimmer in that photo. You simply advise the little thingy program of how many pounds you’d like to take off. As you can tell by my technical description, I haven’t tried it. But it was just too delicious sounding to leave out. If any of you does try it, do let me know how it works. SLIMPIC is free, so you have nothing to lose but your weight.

http://slimpic.com/

4. MY FAVORITE BLOG

     8 PAJAMAS is the site I go to first when I go online. The blog is written by my niece, KATRINA GLIDEWELL. Katrina and my nephew Paul acquired their first three children the usual way; the second three they’ve adopted. The most recent additions to the family are an Ethiopian brother and sister, KEBROM and ATSEDE, whom they brought from Ethiopia to their home in Montana only a few weeks ago. A doctor said Kebrom, the boy, is about three and Atsede, the girl, is about five. Keeping track of the little ones’ introduction to life in the U.S. is absolutely fascinating. Every day they experience something new and learn something new. And they’ve got strong opinions about a good deal of it.

     To begin at the beginning, go to the June posts at lower right, click on “Gotcha! Our first moments with Atsede and Kebrom,” then follow the posts and pictures up to the present, as Kebrom and Atsede make exciting discoveries about American life on a daily basis. The Glidewells live in a semi-rural neighborhood in Western Montana, with Nana and Papa (grandma and grandpa) just down the lane and four little cousins also conveniently nearby. Katrina’s still posting regularly, and I’m her greatest fan.

http://8pjammas.blogspot.com/

5. CAN YOU SPOIL A NEWBORN?

     A newborn can spoil your night’s sleep, but can you spoil the newborn?

http://www.whattoexpect.com/baby-behavior/
spoil-a-newborn.aspx?xid=SU

6. 10 WAYS TO SHAPE CHILDREN’S BEHAVIOR

     DR. SEARS has some interesting thoughts on the subject. For example, he of course thinks praise is good, but believes all praise is not equal.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/6/T061300.asp

7. OUTDOOR FUN FOR KIDS

     FAMILY FUN is full of good ideas for ... family fun.

http://familyfun.go.com/games/indoor-outdoor-games/tool/game_finder_tlp/

     10 MORE OUTDOOR GAMES:

http://family.go.com/entertainment/article-mm-77587-10-fun-outdoor-games-for-kids-t/

8. OUTDOOR CRAFT PROJECTS WITH THE KIDS

     Paint a pretty flower pot, or even a nice, flat rock. Toddlers can have fun “painting” with soapy water, and Crayola has colored markers that wash right off of glass. Which, come to think of it, would be nice used indoors on a rainy day.

http://crafts.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Outdoor_Craft

9. CAMPING WITH THE KIDS

     Getting the kids away from the TV and excited about the great outdoors:

http://www.gorp.com/hiking-guide/
travel-ta-camping-hiking-fishing-
paddling-sidwcmdev_055239.html

     MORE TIPS FOR FUN FAMILY CAMPING:

http://www.amazingmoms.com/htm/summer_fun_camping_kids.htm

     And now go to OUTDOORS, ENVIRONMENT, EXERCISE in the lefthand column, and you’ll find a good section on “Camping And Fishing.”

http://tourthesites.com/

10. CONNECT WITH OTHER ANGLERS

     “Swap fishing stories and pictures, share fishing tips, and find fishing guides and services.”

http://www.gofishn.com/

     FLY FISHING EXPERTS SHARE THEIR SECRETS:

http://www.askaboutflyfishing.com/

     And for more fishing videos, including a good one on fishing bloopers, try OUTDOORS, ENVIRONMENT, EXERCISE in the lefthand column.

http://tourthesites.com/

     FLY TIERS PAGE (with 4713 patterns):

http://www.danica.com/flytier/

11. 10 SIMPLE TIPS TO ELIMINATE STRESS IN YOUR DAY

     GRETCHEN RUBIN of the Happiness Project has some embarrassingly simple suggestions, which suggestions actually will increase your happiness if you make the effort to implement them.

http://gimundo.com/blog/entry/
10-extremely-simple-tips-to-
eliminate-stress-in-your-day/

12. SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY YOUR LIFE MORE

     GRETCHEN RUBIN’S Happiness Project also has some really basic things you can do to enjoy your life more. And you’ll notice at the end of her article still other posts that may be of interest to you ... and, now that you’ve slowed down, you have time to read them.

http://gimundo.com/blog/entry/
10-essential-rules-for-slowing-down
-and-enjoying-life-more/

     You notice that, in the lefthand column, there’s an item called PSYCHOLOGY AND SELF-HELP? And the first section in there is called “Make Yourself A Happier Self”? I wrote that title tongue in cheek, but the truth is that a lot of these things actually will make you happier.

http://tourthesites.com/

13. MAKE A CONCRETE BIRD BATH FROM A RHUBARB LEAF?

     Yes, indeedy – and a good use for that rhubarb plant that’s been sitting around lately doing nothing.

http://www.ihanna.nu/blog/?p=473

     And, if your birds don’t like to bathe or prefer to bathe elsewhere, try:

14. DOZENS MORE GARDEN CRAFT PROJECTS

     Scroll down past the ads on the page below ... keep scrolling; there are lots of ads ... and find dozens of garden craft projects, some of which, the maze for example, will keep you busy for years.

http://www.allcrafts.net/gardening.htm

15. GARDEN MAKEOVERS

     Your garden should be looking its best right now, assuming either you or nature has been watering it. Now, honestly, what do you and don’t you like? You don’t have to put up with what the previous owners did with the yard, you know. Just take a good look out back, let your creativity flow, and beautiful plantings may emerge. And if you’re a bit dubious about the latter possibility – and wisely so, I might add – start with MARTHA STEWART’s suggestions in the item after next. She leans on the experts.

http://www.margueritegardens.com/site/epage/24136_503.htm

     BEFORE AND AFTER GARDEN MAKEOVERS:

http://www.bhg.com/gardening/landscaping-projects/
landscape-plans/great-garden-makeover-ideas/

     EXPERT ADVICE FOR A GARDEN MAKEOVER. MARTHA STEWART knows how to make over a garden: she uses other people’s expertise. None of us knows everything, and in the field of garden makeovers, as in so many other fields, experience makes a difference.

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/
garden-makeover-laying-the-foundation