my Friday...

I haven't felt well this week. Don't know if its due to a bug, stress, or just plain ol' old age. For the last few days I have had my lower back ache, head ache, and have been extremely tired... so much so that I have spent the days taking Tylenol and sleeping. Luckily since we're retired, I have the both the time and the ability to do this.

Although I'm feeling better today, I didn't have the energy to go to the pottery studio... just wasn't in me to get up and go. And since it's nasty, rainy, and cold, I'm better off here at home. 

This afternoon I decided to make a recipe that I've seen on cooking shows, but never tried. It didn't seem difficult... and wasn't. So tonight we're having Beef Stroganoff. I'll let you know how it turns out.  I have to say that its made with either cream sherry or brandy and I had to taste both to decide which to use. Liked both, but chose the cream sherry. I wonder how it would taste with bourbon? I have cooked with bourbon before and it was very good... maybe next time.

Well, the cookings done and now I'm ready for a nap. So I may possibly take a tiny bit of the cream sherry and grab a book... so much for my day.

Humph....

Oh well...


Thanks for reading!  And feel free to take a nap if the mood strikes you!  

Our backyard sanctuary



Looking through our backyard arbor into the greenback beyond...

 

We don't go back there much anymore.  We did once when we first moved here and the kids were young.  We spent a lot of time down on the lower patio by the creek, lying in the hammock, talking,  and drinking wine.  But now it's pretty overgrown, and English Ivy covers everything (which is pretty, but can also hide copperheads and water moccasins).  The feral cats, raccoons, possums, and box turtles love it!  I keep thinking that one day we will reclaim the yard... but so far, we haven't.  (Another big problem that keeps us from enjoying the area is West Nile Virus, which is prevalent here in Texas.)




One of the box turtles that live in our yard.  He comes up to eat the catfood and figs




This pic is of one of our Mama coons and her 5 kits having supper

We do enjoy watching the wildlife. Like our cats, they make us laugh... and sometimes cry.  But we do what we can for them and look upon it as a way to 'give back'.  But I do worry that one day as we get further into our retirement years, we won't be able to maintain them.  And I do believe that if you can't 'maintain' an animal (give it the food, shelter, and health care it needs), then you shouldn't have it.  I read the question on another's blog once (and I think it was meant to be rhetorical), "Is there such a thing as too many cats?" And I have to say, "Yes!"  We now have 6 inside and a host of ferals outside, and for the moment we are able to maintain all of them.  But there will come a time in the future where it may not be possible financially (or even physically as we age). This does worry me.



Wearing purple?

 

This is the famous "When I am old, I shall wear purple" poem.  But unfortunately, I still don't care for the color.  It has always reminded me of royalty, church officials, and Marti Gras...

Warning

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

However,  the gist of the poem I do like: When I get old, I shall do what I like.

It's taken over 60 years to get to this point, I dare say it's time to enjoy that freedom.

No spring chicken...

Just came back from the doctor's.  Have been a bit dizzy and light headed the last few days and BP was low (100/50), so hubby (and others) thought I should make our family physician aware.  So I did. They didn't find anything. Took bloodwork (again! that's 3 weeks in a row now... but different doctors) and did an EKG. Actually they took 2 EKG's, one messed up (might show an enlarged atrium?), but the second was normal. So we're going to just wait and see...  (which is what I would have done anyway).

My BP isn't so low today... and I'm no longer feeling dizzy.  So, maybe I'm on the mend.  Or as I actually believe - it's just old age reminding me that I'm no spring chicken.  Whatever....

This site is basically about life after retirement, but I find it necessary to mention our cats to any readers that didn't follow my "Cats, Coffee, and Chocolate" website.  Their stories and pictures can be found there. They too play a big part in our retirement since taking care of 6 inside cats and a host of neighborhood ferals (and their offspring), use up a lot of our time.  I should say here that I was once a part of the Veterinary Medical field and hubby and I consider it our contribution to belong to the "catch and release" program.  Thus any animal that wonders into our yard (which is fenced and runs down to a creek) can find sanctuary, food, and water there. And if we can catch them, we will vaccinate, spay or neuter, and release.  However, some are not going to be caught.  That's OK.  We do what we can.