A Sad Day

In July, I wrote about a stray cat that came to us in June. He was scrawny with scraggly, dull fur; his nose was bloody and he looked beat up.

We took him in and started to feed him. We talked to him and kept an eye on his condition. My family called him "Sick Kitty" but I named him "Bruno."

The scraps of chicken and dishes of canned cat food appeared to make him better. He didn't get any fatter, but his fur got shiny and his nose stopped bleeding. He was spoiled, yet, he still had sad eyes.

Last week, his bloody nose returned. Since it's getting colder, we toyed with the idea of bringing him inside for the winter. Before making the final decision, we took a trip to the vet; we thought he had a respiratory infection and needed antibiotics.

Sadly, after running some tests, we discovered he had the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) also known as feline aids. The vet said cats infected with FIV could lead normal lives when properly cared for, but there is possible risk of transmitting it to other cats. The common advice is that the diseased cat is isolated from healthy cats; unfortunately, we have two indoor cats and this would be a challenge. There are places that accept FIV infected felines; the vet told us they are full and can't take any more. Ultimately, we made the difficult decision of euthanizing Bruno.

He wasn't with us very long, yet he will always have a spot in my heart.

Good-bye Bruno, we will miss you.

My Muse Has Bad Timing

The house is quiet, my bedroom is dark, and I'm snuggled in bed, settled down for the night. Then it begins: the ideas, the characters, and the snippets of dialogue, dance in my mind.

"Stop!" I mentally stamp my foot. "It's eleven-thirty and I want to go to sleep."

The cacophony of thoughts persists. On and on it dances in my head; I can't tame the babble. There is but one escape. I throw back my blankets and sit up. After turning on the light, I grab my pen and paper and begin to write. Words spill onto the page in reckless abandon; releasing them and allowing them their freedom. Black ink flows from my pen, hour after hour. Then, satisfied, the clamor fades; my mind is clear.

I put down my writing tools. After shutting off the light, I crawl back under the covers.

"Why can't my muse visit during the day?" I think before falling asleep.

Have you seen my zucchini?

Fall has arrived and the offerings from my garden are dwindling. It's been an interesting experience.

My tomato plants didn't disappoint, giving an abundance of cherry and grape-sized fruit.

But, the zucchini plants didn't produce.

The strawberries yielded a couple of juicy bites; I have hope for next year. Someone told me the more mature, the more productive and these were first year plants when I bought them.

But, not one zucchini developed.

The herbs are thriving. Even though I haven't cooked with them, they are a lush and fragrant addition to the group.

But, I didn't get any zucchini.

Yes, it is possible to plant several zucchini plants and not have an over supply of squash; I have proved it. The occurrence of many flowers promised the possibility, but the promise was false.

My zucchinis are missing. Have you seen them?

I Tweet

Over the last couple of weeks I've been trying to decide if I should join the masses and become a member of twitter.com. Do I want to join another marketing website; do I have enough time to "tweet," and what should I post? After some deliberation, I took the plunge. You can find me at writer_ruthie. Although I don't intend to spend a lot of time there, I will add links to new entries from this blog and the I Live By Faith blog.
According to the information I read, you don't have to be very involved; you don't even have to tweet, you can sign up and just follow other people's tweets if you want. If you are an artist, writer, or other business guru--or just someone very social--Twitter.com is another strategy to get your name out there.

So, if you want instant notification, come join me.

My Trip to the Dentist

I went to the dentist yesterday because of a broken tooth. Although the appointment was to fix the tooth, it turned out I had to have it pulled. That doesn't sound like a big deal, except the tooth didn't want to come. The dentist tugged and twisted that tooth; I visualized him standing on my chest for leverage. It took almost a half hour to get the root out. My mouth doesn't open up very wide because of my rheumatoid arthritis, so my jaw hurt from trying to fit the tools in my mouth.

The procedure was done at five-thirty and I was still bleeding at ten that night. I was wondering if it would ever quit. There was blood everywhere; it reminded me of a horror picture, bloody teeth and all.

Today I'm feeling very little pain, a couple of ibuprofen is all I need. The biggest challenge is trying to eat on the other side of my mouth. I'm happy that's my only complication.

A Time to Renew

September has arrived. This month heralds the beginning of my favorite time of the year. Autumn is just around the corner, the season of transition from the heat of summer to the chill of winter. The temperature is cool and invigorating; the air is crisp and clean. There is a sense of anticipation in the air, a feeling of renewal.

The students returning to school inspire me; I dream about continuing my education. Online workshops tempt me; writing blogs entice me. I feel the urge to buy new pens and notebooks; my writing muse demands gifts.

Now is the time to organize my desk, set up my schedule, and re-energize my writing. Now is the time to put aside the summer lethargy, embrace the autumn energy and get back to my writing.

Brutus Changed His Name

A few days ago, last week, I believe, I changed our kitties name. I was talking about him and the name "Bruno" slipped out, right away I knew his name wasn't Brutus, it was Bruno.

Welcome to the family, Bruno.