Small Talk: Out of Genoa

[pearlite]

That kitten is adorable! I'm so glad to hear she's getting better--every best wish and prayer for her!

And Petunia, that is one adorable doglet!

[Cupid Stunt]

19 hours ago, jewel21 said:

On another note, she's slowly getting better and her eyes are now wide open.

Skitty looks better than I imagined. Another job done with love, Jewel.

Have you contacted French or Polish Fraternal Clubs for help contacting an interpreter for your grandmother?

17 hours ago, Petunia13 said:

Heres one of our holiday pics (we also did ones together and in a different set up) 

Merry Christmas, George!

Edited December 10, 2016 by Cupid Stunt

[jewel21]

I have not but thanks for the suggestion, Cupid Stunt. I'll mention it to my mom so she can tell my uncle.

Grandma has had a few people come in. The second person she yelled out and ordered out of the house so they left. The third one she seems better with but she told my mom the other day she's tired of people coming over, she's fine, and she's packing her bags and moving back to Poland to live with her mother. Good luck with that, grandma :-(

Kitty walking about. She's severely ataxic :-( Breaks my heart to watch her struggle. But the foster says she can still live a good life. She loves her a lot and I think she plans to hold onto her. She said it would be too hard to give her up. I don't blame her.

[Cupid Stunt]

18 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

Hugs to you too CS. That's brilliant. Did you do that at work and if so, what do you do?

You've got a good heart, Peaches.

I'm general manager of a radio station. I take the job of programming station observances and show retrospectives for the death of Rawk Dinosaurs, as the young whippersnappers I work with call them.  With Greg Lake, that makes it 29 and December isn't over.

I'm crying again.

[Cupid Stunt]

Season's Greetings from the Reaper's

[peacheslatour]

That sounds like a great job and I bet you're great at it, CS. Shit, now I'm crying again too. :(  Well Twenty Sucksteen is almost over.

D'aww jewel, it's hard to watch her struggle, but by god, she's a determined little soul.

[Snaporaz]

I've seen a few YT videos of cats with a condition called cerebellar hypoplasia.  Is this the same thing?  (I wish I could post the videos, because they're super cute, but I can't figure out how to do it on a tablet.)  Those cats seemed to do pretty well.  

[jewel21]

Cerebellar hypoplasia is a disorder found in cats and dogs in which the cerebellum is not completely mature at birth.

Ataxia (pronounced a-tak-sia) is defined as a loss of muscle coordination (incoordination/unsteady gait). ... There are three types of ataxia in cats, cerebellar, vestibular and sensory. Cerebellar - The cerebellum is a part of the brain responsible for balance and coordination. The cerebellum is the area of the brain responsible for coordination and movement. In pets with cerebellar ataxia, the cerebellum is damaged, and this results in lack of balance and motor control. The damage to the cerebellum is most commonly caused by a degeneration of cells due to a hereditary or congenital defect (one present since birth), though a brain tumor or brain infection can also result in damage.
 

[Cupid Stunt]

 

Hello, Santa six-pack!

[Cupid Stunt]

22 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

That sounds like a great job and I bet you're great at it, CS. Shit, now I'm crying again too. :(  Well Twenty Sucksteen is almost over.

Some days are great, and others days are like herding cats.

 

[pearlite]

Let Pearlite's annual winter snow-bitching begin, ladies and gents!

I loathe snow. A lot. Don't enjoy the damn parka, mitts, and Sorels at all. Hate cleaning the car off. Really hate driving in the crap. Despise shovelling and sweeping it off the front bricks and sidewalk. Don't find it pretty--got no childhood nostalgia about it. I do not play in it, so don't ask if I ski or anything.

Manila of the North, my ass.

[Thumper82003]

42 minutes ago, pearlite said:

Let Pearlite's annual winter snow-bitching begin, ladies and gents!

I loathe snow. A lot. Don't enjoy the damn parka, mitts, and Sorels at all. Hate cleaning the car off. Really hate driving in the crap. Despise shovelling and sweeping it off the front bricks and sidewalk. Don't find it pretty--got no childhood nostalgia about it. I do not play in it, so don't ask if I ski or anything.

Manila of the North, my ass.

I'm with you Pearlite. That's why I moved to NC 35 years ago. Here, if we get snow it will melt away in about a day. Ice is more common and more dangerous, especially with transplants trying to drive on ice.

I have memories of walking to school in the snow 4 feet deep. Of course, it was 3 blocks away, then found out school was closed. (No TV, my father called it the boob tube...)

Then there was the time I took a short cut over the ice on the flooded basement of the convent building site. Ice broke, fell in icy water 6 feet deep. My older sister took delight in holding my head above water by pulling my hair, until a couple of teenage boys pulled me out. Thank you Steven Wall wherever you are. They sent me home while they went on to church where the nuns took attendance. I changed in time for the next Mass. So I hate cold and snow.

As I write this the temperature is in the 20s (F) and the birds are frantic on the grass, a sure sign of the S word. Let it pass, please. I'm satisfied with the memories...

[Petunia13]

why do they call it Manila of the north and what is it? 

My knowledge of Canada is mostly from you tubers (they have a big community) and this forum. I don't think a lot of Americans know their geography or cultures

[Capricasix]

Well, Toronto doesn't generally get a lot of snow because it's right on Lake Ontario, so the lake effect keeps the city a few degrees warmer (and, in contrast, keeps parts of the city a few degrees cooler in the summer). Parts of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) that are further away from the lake get more snow. And then, of course, there's the lake-effect snow that comes off Lake Huron and Georgian Bay; that affects areas north, east, and west of Toronto.

[pearlite]

16 hours ago, Petunia13 said:

why do they call it Manila of the north and what is it? 

My knowledge of Canada is mostly from you tubers (they have a big community) and this forum. I don't think a lot of Americans know their geography or cultures

Ah, Petunia, I don't think "they" call Toronto that. It's an old joke of mine from years ago--online friends and family from Chicago and Philadelphia were always sure we were wading around in mukluks, driving dog-teams, and chewing whale-fat. Both places have much worse and more extreme weather than we do. So, I snarked back in an email from the "Manila of the North, where the durians are ripening..."

Capricasix has explained this for you, thanks.

And I live in west downtown, a few blocks from the lake, so we have less snow than other parts of the GTA. That said, streets around me were built in the 1880s, so they're narrow and don't get ploughed. And we have streetcar tracks, which are hell to drive on when it's slushy.

15 hours ago, Capricasix said:

Well, Toronto doesn't generally get a lot of snow because it's right on Lake Ontario, so the lake effect keeps the city a few degrees warmer (and, in contrast, keeps parts of the city a few degrees cooler in the summer). Parts of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) that are further away from the lake get more snow. And then, of course, there's the lake-effect snow that comes off Lake Huron and Georgian Bay; that affects areas north, east, and west of Toronto.

A friend is driving down to New Haven to pick up my daughter today, so we'll hope the New York State Thruway is good in the real snowbelt--Buffalo and the south shore of Lake Ontario...

[Capricasix]

And all the old water mains, which rupture on a regular basis in the cold weather!

[ByTor]

19 hours ago, pearlite said:

Let Pearlite's annual winter snow-bitching begin, ladies and gents!

I loathe snow. A lot. Don't enjoy the damn parka, mitts, and Sorels at all. Hate cleaning the car off. Really hate driving in the crap. Despise shovelling and sweeping it off the front bricks and sidewalk. Don't find it pretty--got no childhood nostalgia about it. I do not play in it, so don't ask if I ski or anything.

Manila of the North, my ass.

Are we the same person, by any chance???

[pearlite]

1 minute ago, ByTor said:

Are we the same person, by any chance???

How refreshing! Normally, people go all "winter wonderland" when I ante up with my opinion. Thanks!

[ByTor]

Just now, pearlite said:

How refreshing! Normally, people go all "winter wonderland" when I ante up with my opinion. Thanks!

Hahaha me too...to which I always counter "Isn't is gorgeous?  Yep, nothing more gorgeous than car crashes and shoveling heart attacks.  I remember all those times my car skidded on hot, dry sunny roads....oh wait, it never did!" I may annoy people, but at least they avoid telling me about how wonderful snow is :)

[jewel21]

So I was thinking of fostering birds for Perroquet Secours, a site that finds lost birds, and tries to reunite them with their owners. I had filled out the form and was accepted, but then figured I should ask my vet if it was a good idea considering all of Steve's issues, before signing the agreement. She said even with Steve's issues, because the birds aren't tested beforehand, viruses can still be transmitted by air. Also, I would have to do a strict quarantine, which means not only keep the bird in a separate room and wash my hands, but also change my clothing and shoes. She said it would be up to me to determine if I could live with the potential consequences should Steve catch something. And I don't think I can put him at risk. I just wish I could help animals.

Kitty is getting stronger every day. The foster is going to keep her, and she's going to the vet today because she's still congested and they don't want to take any chances. She's eating soft food from a plate like a big girl and starting to play with toys. They're making her walk around more but she still struggles. She's walking on a blanket know and my god she's determined.

[peacheslatour]

Yeah, jewel we don't want to risk Steve's health in any way. Good to hear about baby kitty getting better.

Has anybody here ever been on Depo Provera? My son's gf started it a couple months ago and it's playing hell with her moods, weight and emotional issues. Is this common?

[PatsyandEddie]

Yes it is plt. I used to work on a groindecology unit and it just wreaks havoc on some people. 

[peacheslatour]

Quote

groindecology

Lulz! Anyway she's been all over the place emotionally and my poor son is trying so hard to help, but he doesn't know what to do. Fortunately she's not going to take it again. I know hormonal bc can mess with you but at least with pills you can stop taking them if you get bad side effects, injectable not so much.

Edited December 12, 2016 by peacheslatour

[PatsyandEddie]

Some people would go BSC. Strong stuff!

[peacheslatour]

26 minutes ago, PatsyandEddie said:

Some people would go BSC. Strong stuff!

Yeah, I didn't want to say that, but yeah. I feel for her, she's not that emotionally stable in the first place (horrible family and upbringing) but this has sent her over the edge. Well, this too shall pass. *sigh*

[PatsyandEddie]

Yes, it will Mama. It's hard to watch though.

[Cupid Stunt]

8 hours ago, pearlite said:

How refreshing! Normally, people go all "winter wonderland" when I ante up with my opinion. Thanks!

Are you kidding? The neighbors have their palm trees wrapped in lights.

Very festive.

It's a hoot taking a Southern California Christmas lights tour where they make snow and blow it over their elaborate Christmas village and plastic penguins skating on a fake ice rink. There are some naysayers ...

It's the most wonderful time of the year ...

 

 

 

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

[jewel21]

2 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

Yeah, jewel we don't want to risk Steve's health in any way. Good to hear about baby kitty getting better.

Thanks. Poor guy got a talon stuck in his toy this morning and was freaking out. He kept trying to fly and pull at his leg and I kept freaking out. He eventually got free and thankfully didn't hurt his foot. I wish I knew how to cut his claws but I always bring him to the vet to do it, and it's too cold to drag him all the way down there unless it's an emergency. 

 

And I tried to help a girl who found a dove outside that flew into a window. Apparently she knows someone who keeps pigeons outside in an enclosure and will take the dove. Can doves live outside in the cold? I'm worried the poor baby will freeze. 

[PatsyandEddie]

I have mourning doves all over at my farm. They seem fine outdoors. Or do I have the wrong kind of dove in mind. 

One hit my laundry room window and died. :-( I hate when that happens. My Baba always said it meant bad luck or that someone would die. It spooks me every time. O_O

[peacheslatour]

21 minutes ago, jewel21 said:

Thanks. Poor guy got a talon stuck in his toy this morning and was freaking out. He kept trying to fly and pull at his leg and I kept freaking out. He eventually got free and thankfully didn't hurt his foot. I wish I knew how to cut his claws but I always bring him to the vet to do it, and it's too cold to drag him all the way down there unless it's an emergency. 

 

And I tried to help a girl who found a dove outside that flew into a window. Apparently she knows someone who keeps pigeons outside in an enclosure and will take the dove. Can doves live outside in the cold? I'm worried the poor baby will freeze. 

Our very own jewel21, Sainted Animal Rescuer!

[jewel21]

I'm assuming it's a dove although some are saying pigeon. 

[Capricasix]

Aren't doves and pigeons in the same family? I know that pigeons are called rock doves in some places. The avian in question could be an all-white pigeon...

[jewel21]

I believe they are related. I think that's what some people are thinking, that it's an albino pigeon. The bird rescue site I wrote to though it may be a dove that's released for weddings and funerals. In any case, the woman found someone who has a pigeon enclosure and is supposed to get it to her. Hopefully it'll be okay.

[PatsyandEddie]

That photo really helps. It looks like the kind of dove that needs to be indoors. Pigeons and rock doves can be outside. I had wild pigeons that lived on my porch roof for years. One day they all flew away and never came back. 

Edited December 13, 2016 by PatsyandEddie

[Cupid Stunt]

And an ironic, pastel Hipster Christmas to you!

[Petunia13]

On 12/12/2016 at 7:52 PM, Capricasix said:

Aren't doves and pigeons in the same family? I know that pigeons are called rock doves in some places. The avian in question could be an all-white pigeon...

That is actually true. I know someone who owned white pigeons and they were homing trained and rented them to be released as "doves" at weddings and funerals. 

[jewel21]

I had contacted a bird rescue site when I saw the post, and they thought that might be the case. The gave me a link to a site that releases doves at weddings and funerals so that the girl could contact them to see if maybe it could be one of theirs. However, it looks like she decided to just give it to someone who has an outdoor pigeon enclosure instead. Oh well, I tried.

Marguerite is doing better. She still has the rhino, mostly in her nose, so she'll have to see the vet again. She purrs now when being picked up. She even has her own page with videos and updates. It's only in French though.

http://www.chat-bri.com/marguerite

Edited December 14, 2016 by jewel21

[Cupid Stunt]

Hi, Marguerite!

 

A Christmas Story

[pearlite]

Thanks so much, Jewel! And thanks for the link to the page--it was good to read about little Marguerite!

[peacheslatour]

Such a darling little baby!

[jewel21]

Just found out my uncle had a stroke. Only 60. No idea how bad yet.

[peacheslatour]

Oh jewel. I'm so sorry. Will 2016 never end?

[Tippi]

Marguerite est tres jolie!  (I hope my high school French has not betrayed me here.) I was really touched when I saw that picture of her posted above--the expression on her face and the way her little tail curled up.  Her fighting spirit shines through.  I sure hope that her medical challenges can be overcome.

And jewel, I am so sorry for all the misfortune you and your family are going through.  I'm not much of a candle person, but I will be lighting one for you and your loved ones tonight.

And peaches, 2016 has been awful but I am dreading 2017.

[PatsyandEddie]

jewel ! Warm hugs for you tonight! Offering  prayers for your family. 

[boes]

2 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

Oh jewel. I'm so sorry. Will 2016 never end?

Best wishes to you and yours, it's been an unbelievably tough year.

[NinjaPenguins]

So sorry, jewel.

[miamama]

Hey Jewel! So sorry. What a rough go of it you've had. 

[jewel21]

Thanks, guys. I'm still in shock. The worst part is I don't know how bad it is yet.

He was in Ottawa to teach some class for four days.  He was supposed to be there two weeks ago, but my grandmother ended up in the hospital, so he had to postpone. Today was supposed to be his last day, and right after he was going to make the trek back to Kitchener. He never showed up to teach his class. They contacted my aunt, who contacted the hotel he was staying at, and the manager went in to check on him. They found him unconscious on the floor. I don't know how long he was there. He's in the hospital and my aunt and cousin were on route from Kitchener to see him. That's all I know right now. Crazy. And so sad.

[valleycliffe]

oh jewel, my heart goes out to you...

thankfully the hotel responded to the request and went and checked up on him....

[Cupid Stunt]

21 hours ago, jewel21 said:

Just found out my uncle had a stroke. Only 60. No idea how bad yet.

Lord hear our prayer. Stretch forth Your hand and release Jewel's uncle from the malady that binds him. Grant to him remission through Your great mercy, and if it be Your Will, give to him health and a complete recovery. You are the Physician of our souls and bodies. To the Father, and the Son, and Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.