Toby's New Reality

Toby, our 13 year old grey tabby had his annual trip to the vet on Friday. Toby has never had a weight problem until our other cat Bacon started getting more attention. Toby is a true alpha cat. Unquestionably he is the center of the known universe... Bacon was very sick last year. He had a surgical procedure at the Emergency Vet which has changed his diet. Now Bacon eats moist food, very few treats, and not much dry food. He won't eat but a few bites at a time which means he gets a lot of attention with feedings about seven times a day.... Toby is jealous...

Toby, while handsome and occasionally sweet, can be a controlling monster. He demands snacks, treats, attention,  whatever he craves until he gets it.

He has  that true bully personality. Our vet bought her first pair of extra length heavy duty gloves years ago just to be able to handle him. Several vet techs have been scratched or worse over the years of trying to keep Toby contained. Toby will by force, sit on the exam table, but his teeth are clenched and his ears are pinned back so Dr D can see nothing. Even covering his head with a towel doesn't slow him down. This year he got his shot before he started making that awful sound in the back of his throat. She's also getting better at getting him to hiss at her so she can see down his throat. Thankfully he seems healthy... did I mention that Toby brushes his teeth? Chews his own toilet brush soaked in baking soda and vinegar... Unfortunately, Toby has gained weight this year... and now he must go on a diet... this is day three of Toby's new reality. Yep, he hates it... I don't like it very much either. He starts carping about 8:30 am for a treat... two small chicken snacks a day... that's all.. and less dry food... life is going to be tough... it is a fact that I have a bigger paw than he does...

watching my garden grow

It's either a blessing or a curse that I have to walk by all of my flower children on the way to my studio. Inevitably I will stop to water, pull a weed, or just rearrange some piece of garden art before I cross the studio threshold. Once inside I am finding that I can concentrate on the task I've set for myself. That's a huge improvement from a year ago. I can't say I'm overly fond of anything I've created except for my buttons. Figures that there isn't a market for them... okay, they sell well at Cozy. One place...

Today I began making blessings bowls. I have a wholesale order for some, along with a selection of purple trays. I call it making old work. It is money in the checkbook, even if I'd rather be working on new ideas. Not much of a surprise, most of the new ideas floating around in my head or in my sketchbook seem to have a floral theme.

Time for Change

I have this thing about Japanese Maples... here's the latest addition to the garden, a ghost maple... It's a bit too sunny but not so much as to damage the tree. It will just blush a bit too much.

This past year I've spent a great deal of time pulling weeds and rearranging the various aspects of my backyard garden. It was the best possible therapy. Nothing is more healing than sticking my hands in the dirt. The money I might have paid a therapist I spent on Japanese maples. Now I have three.... and, I'm okay...