Transitioning

We tend to resist change.  The old way is more comfortable, familiar, and perceived as easier because transitioning is usually more difficult.  This is why we often resist change.  Also, habits are hard to break.

According to Bridges' Transition Model' - "Change is something that happens to people, even if they don't agree with it. Transition, on the other hand, is internal: it's what happens in people's minds as they go through change. Change can happen very quickly, while transition usually occurs more slowly."

I feel like my change in thyroid medication, and the transition of my body from one hormone level to another, has been kind of rough.  There are times when I am just very tired, or I get kind of shaky, and I continue to have troubles keeping on weight.  I’ll need to add more protein to my diet to work on gaining more muscle mass.  Right now I weigh what I did when Joe and I got married almost 40 years ago.  Too bad it isn’t distributed in the same fashion. Ha, ha, ha.  As I hope to start building more muscle mass, I want my transition from relatively easy, short and sporadic workouts to become more frequent, routine, and strenuous.  But I will need to ease into this change.

If we’re going to go through change, it seems to work better to slowly transition into the new way.  Like when riding a horse, you want your transitions from one gait to another, to be smooth.  As for life here around the house, I would like to make a quick change.  I am ready to hang my hat on yardwork for the season, and multiple kitten care, indefinitely.  I picture my fall and winter with days riding my sweet horse and working out at the gym, and sitting by the fire working on a jigsaw puzzle or reading a book with my three cats and one kitten, once it is dark out.  I wonder if this can or will happen, but know there is a lot of leaf collecting and hauling still to occur.

Meet Ellie, formerly known as Lady.  Patty will be adopting her after she has been spayed and gotten her second set of shots.  Patty has given Ellie her cute new name.  Now I need to make the quick transition and call her by her changed name.

A selfie of me and the two girls.


Sat 11/9 - It was 25 degrees while walking before sun up, but not that cold because there was no wind.








This is what I saw when looking down at my lap and key board.  Cuteness overload.




Carol mentioned that I had a rather large number of kitten photos in my last blog.  But we both agree, that isn't necessarily a bad thing.






I can never decide which photo to use, and I think the series captures more of the moment.

The girls were still not eating well and seemed cold, so there was a lot of time spent in my arms... entrapment of me, not by me.  They are so cute and cuddly.

The boys were still up-stairs, going to their foster home in the afternoon, so I didn't spend much time with them or get any photos.  I was glad to see they were continuing to eat well and there were no runny poops in the litter box.








Another selfie later in the morning, and then a view looking down at my lap.

The weaning process was not going well.  Styx would let them suckle anywhere... behind the computer on my desk...









...or on a shelf of the cat tree.
Sometimes Styx would growl and hiss at them when they tried to nurse, and other times the babies would grab a 'bit to eat' when Styx wasn't paying attention.

Periodically she would called them over to the rug on the floor and would lay down and let them nurse.  I was getting worried that they would need to be separated to get them completely weaned.

I continued being entertained by the three girls all morning.  Babe has gotten quite good at going up and down the ladder as she gets on and off the corner shelf.  It appeared as if she was teaching Ellie how to do it.




I tried using treats to lure Mama Styx away from the nursing babies, which usually worked.  Or I would pick her up and hold her to stop her from nursing.  I would rub her belly thinking it might relieve her from the discomfort of being engorged with milk.  She seemed to like it, or at least didn't fight it.








The sun was shining in warm and bright and it was beckoning me to go outside.  I was trying to finish last week's blog, but it was hopeless.  I pulled myself away from it and kitten cuteness and left to do more work down back.

First I checked out the creek condition.  It had taken on more leaves and many were starting to get buried in silt.  The sooner I clean these out, the easier it will be in the long run, but I had planned to do concrete work.









The drainage ditch had a scattering of leaves also.




I cleaned leaves and debris out of the ditch and removed the plastic cover and all the un-fixed rocks.

I ended up working down back for several hours, but never even made a batch of concrete.



I hauled more sand up from the creek and then decided to use the two bags of quick-crete (sets up in ten minutes) to cover the remainder of the ditch 'floor' so the sand would not wash away any longer and it would be easier to concrete in the remaining rocks.  But I had to let that set up overnight.


This photo shows how it looked the following day.

I also worked on the remaining pile of  little rocks with dirt mixed in, that Joe and I had piled on the foot path last spring.  I dispersed it where needed, filling in behind the new wall and in other places where there has been erosion.










Patty came by to say goodbye to the boys and see her kitten just as I was finishing up, covering the wet concrete with plastic.



Patty took this last photo we will have of Renegade.

Soon I was off to Gay's, (the new foster lady) to deliver the three boys.  I felt like I was dropping the kids off at college, or for a summer at camp.  I took their food, bed, toys, and flower pot.  I had all these instructions for Gay (and here she's the expert) but I felt she needed to know the boy's history.





Gay has five cats of her own and had just that morning taken on another rescue, this cute, 12 week old girl, Calliope.  Her coloring was like a creamsicle, and she was even softer than our fuzzy kittens.  She needed playmates and it was hoped the three boys would work, although a transition period was expected.  The four would be staying in Gay's cattery, a spare bedroom off her living room with a screen door to keep her cats separate from the kittens, but so they could see and smell each other.



I didn't feel as sad as I thought I would about leaving the boys, it was more regret or guilt.  I had been transitioning to this moment and knew life would be good for them and better for me.







The dog and the remainder of the cat family (Styx, Babe, and Ellie) and I hung out here in the sunroom the rest of the evening.






Again I couldn't decide which photo to post, so included them all of Maggie and Ellie cuddling kind of.



I did leave the sunroom (taking Maggie with me because I don't 100% trust her) and I watched Survivor with Joe.

Sunday 11/10 - I was up at 1:30 and finally out of bed an hour later.  What's the point of tossing and turning?

Ellie got stuck up on the corner cat shelf again, like she had the night before.








I tried to show her how to get back down, but she just didn't get it and was too scared to take the big step over the shelf edge onto the ladder.







Styx tried coming to her rescue (video) but Ellie was just too scared.  She was crying much of the time.




I finally had to get up on my desk chair and help her down again.
Ellie was so upset after the ordeal that Styx ended up nursing her and Babe.  I cut it off after a few minutes.  Styx needs to stop letting them nurse!

The attempt at nursing happened a few more times.  All I had to do was shake the treat jar and Styx would jump up and come over for a treat, leaving the babies 'high and dry.'  The babies were relentless, subsequently I moved Styx up to Britney's room and went outside to work.  Babe and Ellie were preparing to nap in the sun.

I worked on the back ditch from 10-1:00, only making one batch of concrete.  First photo, once I had everything cleaned and ready to be cemented into place.









I mix one 60 pound bag of concrete in a 30 gallon tub, easier to clean out than the wheelbarrow but harder to lift and move where I want it handy to get to the mix.


The darker looking cement is wet and what I had just finished with.



I covered both work areas with plastic and headed up to the house.

Look who was watching me - Babe.  Just too cute.















Then Joe, Maggie. and I headed to Judy's house where Patty and Shirley were also meeting us.

Judy and Maggie sitting on a rock by the pond, soaking up the sun, at the end of our work session.



We helped Judy (who had been in a mishap with a horse) clear her yard of leaves.  Joe manned the gas powered leaf blower.




Patty took to the riding mower and mulched leaves.  Where they were blown into piles I gathered them using rake and sheet.







Shirley had a battery operated blower, with multiple batteries to keep going.  She got leaves out from around the house.

Maggie thought she was helping with the sticks, and kept busy the whole time.  She had a blast running around on the farm.

Once finished with the yard, Patty and Shirley went to pick up pizza, while Joe watched some football and Judy and I picked up a few stray sticks.  It was so nice to gather around Judy's table and enjoy pizza and fellowship.

I let Mama Styx be with her kittens while I sat here at my computer a few hours before bed.  I had to keep watching that they didn't nurse, but it happened a few times.

I took Styx back upstairs and slept in Britney's room to keep her company for the night.

Monday 11/11 - Veterans Day.  Thank you to all our Veterans, whether at home or abroad, active duty, reserves, or retired, and especially to those who gave their life.  We appreciate your services to our country.



I brought Mama Styx down from upstairs to be with her kittens and I, while I was sitting in the sunroom, finally getting last week's blog finished and posted.  Several times the two little girls tried getting Mama Styx to let them nurse, and they were successful a few times.




Immediately, I would 'break up' the nursing session by picking up the mom or I would shake her treat jar and she would come running.  When they finally settled in for a nap, I could then concentrate on blogging.






But when they all woke back up, I was distracted by both their fun antics and play; and by watching out for nursing attempts.  I tired of this before ready to shut down my computer for the day, so took Styx back upstairs.  She howled for a few minutes, then gave up.

I headed out to work at 9:30.  I was hoping to get a lot of concrete work done, but I had to pick out, fit into place, and clean up the rocks I was going to next cement into their permanent spot.  So one batch was all I was able to make.  Here is a before photo.  Then the after photo, but you can't see the work I did because the wet concrete was already covered with plastic.





I did spend a fair amount of time filling in lots of the cracks between the rock that were set in concrete several years ago, because the cracks fill with sticks and leaves which then alters the flow of the water.  And they make the ditch look unsightly.



I had to pack up my tools by 12:30 so I could get to the vet to get more coccidia medicine.  I decided to take Mama Styx and have her weighed and have her fecal sample tested just to see where we were at with her.

I ended up waiting at the vet for over an hour to get Styx in for an exam.  She was more patent than I was.  Her stool had no parasites in it but she still only weighed 6.2 pounds.  We gave her a second dose of the coccidia medicine and I left with enough for each kitten.  I dropped off the boy's medicine at Gay’s house and headed home as the drizzle that had started about 1:00 turned to a light rain.



By the time I got home the rain had let up for a short while, so I went down back to finish up.  I knew I couldn’t get much more work done so I worked fast.  I raked up the remainder of the pile of rocks and sand that Joe and I had collected in the spring and piled on the foot path.  I distributed it on both sides of the new wall and in some other areas where erosion was bad.  Everything was tidied up for the time being as dark encroached.  I came in wearing wet clothes and went straight to shower.

Patty came over to help me give the two girls their medicine.  They both got all their nails clipped and an ear cleaning while we were at it.

Patty visited with her girl Ellie, (seen right waking up from a nap in one of the cat boxes) while I threw together a salad.  Patty had brought over pizza and we enjoyed another meal with each other.







Tue 11/12 - I usually wake up at 2am, or close to it (some internal body clock), and I take my thyroid medication.  Typically I go right back to sleep, but not Tuesday.  I could hear it sleeting, I got to wondering about my ditch, and mama cat upstairs by herself, and this, that, and the other thing.  So I got up.  It was 20° out.


The house was cold, especially the sunroom, which meant the space heater was appreciated by all.






After my second cup of tea, I took a 90 minute nap upstairs with Styx.  The sun was up by the time I woke back up.

Now I could see the light dusting of snow we got.  The two kittens were staying snuggled together to keep warm.














The sun tried to warm things up, but the high only made it to 25°.  There was some ice on decks and other cold surfaces, along with a little snow, but not the roads.








The deer didn't look too bothered by the cold but were glad to find a little corn left on the rock.



It was tempting to sit here in the sunroom all day and watch my fur babies.

The only productive thing I did do, was go to the gym to workout and take a new dance class that Page teaches.  It is called La Blast, and was a lot of fun.  We were dancing to the oldies and even did some ballroom steps.
Maggie is so good with the kittens.  She even lets them try to nurse off her, (video) although she doesn't seem to know what to think of it.














After nightfall the temperature continued to decline and got very cold (14° the low).  I spent quite a bit of time in the sunroom with the kittens and here at my computer.

Styx did not eat her canned food for the afternoon and night feeding which concerned me.  I decided to sleep up in Britney's room to keep Styx company and also to avoid getting woken up by poker Joe when he rolled in.


Wed 11/13 - I had a peaceful night with Styx asleep by my side all night.  She seemed to want to be close.  She did not eat her canned food again, and as far as I could tell, she hadn't eaten any kibble all night either.  I was getting more concerned.

A kitten, probably Babe, peed on the couch.  It was dried up when I discovered it but I sure could smell it.  I wished I had left the blanket on the couch.  I scrubbed the seat and back cushions well with pet odor eliminator and put the blanket back over the couch.  While I was cleaning the couch, Babe peed in the crinkle tunnel, so I also cleaned it and hung it up to dry.

In addition to the random peeing outside the box dilemma, and the fact that Styx wasn't eating, I was still trying to let her visit her kittens, but they kept trying to nurse, so I had to put her back upstairs all by herself.  I was feeling quite defeated and annoyed.


Line Dance and Zumba class helped lift my spirits but I came home to the same dilemma, difficulties with cats and kittens.  My sister Carol had said kittens would be fun, but I guess she didn't say anything about them being easy.  At least my first seven weeks went very well, and I did not have any fatalities.  Things could be worse.


I stuck to the house other than going to the gym.  The light snow fall had put me in the mood to decorate for Christmas, but it was too early, and I was fairly busy cleaning up after Babe.









I tried giving Styx three other brands of kibble I have and she ate a little bit.  This gave me hope.

Joe and I watched Survivor, which was two hours long, giving Stevie and Monita some much needed time with me.

Thursday 11/14 - The 24 degree morning was not as cold as it had been, but we all were still enjoying the space heater.  I brought Styx downstairs with me.  She still was not eating canned food, and only nibbling on a little kibble.  She seemed so happy to be with the girls, and did a fairly good job of keeping them from nursing.  But I had to really watch closly and intervene when necessary.






Look at the ears on Babe.  This was just after Styx had reprimanded her for trying to nurse.

At some point, I noticed Babe scratching at the blanket I had put on the couch, and I quick put a halt to the possibility of her peeing, but discovered the blanket smelled of pee, although it was dry, so she had done that sometime overnight.  Shoot!


I had to keep a close watch on Babe to prevent any more accidents.  At one point all three cats fell asleep and I could finally focus on my work here at the computer.

I had looked at the weather forecast for the week, and Friday and Saturday looked like the best days to try to finish up the ditch, but I was going to be busy those two days.

So I decided to try and get it all done during the 'heat of the day' which was from 10 - 4:00 when it was between 39 and 44°.

Before going outside, I devised a plan for Babe - close her in the upstairs bathroom with only the cardboard box they love to play in and a blanket in it for a bed.  This along with food and water, and the litter box.  Unfortunately, Ellie had to be in timeout with Babe.






I focused on my work outside, knowing what I wanted to get done in the limited amount of time I had.  I got the ditch and rocks cleaned up and fitted into place, seen right.






Then I worked fast and furious, making two batches of concrete, and getting all the rocks cemented into place, seen left.  I almost finished this ditch project.  But I ran short about a half a bag of cement and needed a few more hours to really get it completed how I wanted it.



You can see in this close up of the day's work, I didn't get all the cracks between the rocks filled in with cement.  But, they are all cemented down so won't wash away.  For the most part, the ditch is done.  Could I wait to finish in the spring?  I thought not.  By then I would have lost interest and be 'out of steam' for this project.  So I needed to buy another bag of cement and have a few days of warmer weather.





I had forgotten to call my sister Jean and Mom, so called each of them after I got cleaned up.  All was well with both.  Jean was on her way, driving from California to Florida to live with and help out Mom.  I had gone up to get the kittens first, before making the calls, and could smell urine in the bathroom which seemed odd.  I brought the kittens down to the sunroom and was watching them while I talked with Jean.  And in the blink of an eye, Babe peed on the dog bed again.  Then next thing you know, she is in the cat carrier trying to cover up pee which was on the towel I had in it.  So, that's where the smell was coming from.  I had left the cat carrier in the bathtub as an alternative bed for the two kittens, and evidently she peed in it earlier.

I was about at wits end and getting very frustrated.  I was also extremely tired of doing laundry and scrubbing and cleaning up cat messes.  I can hear Joe now, "I told you so."  He wouldn't say it, but I had it coming.

Ellie continued to snuggle with and try to nurse off Maggie.  She is so much calmer and sweeter than Babe.  Babe doesn't sleep as much and is constantly getting into and causing trouble.  She loves badgering Styx, not to nurse, but to play.  As I fell to sleep, I was having reservations about adopting Babe.  She was going to be a handful, and not easy.  I hoped the extra trouble would be worth the additional fun, comedy, and adventure.

Friday 11/15 - As it turned out, there were no accidents or successful attempts at nursing all day, but I didn't know that would be the case, so was still on edge worrying about both occurring.  I watched Babe closely and three times jumped up and moved her to the litter box thinking she was going to pee in the wrong spot.  It made it very difficult to concentrate on this blog.


Styx was starting to dry up and showed no interest in letting her two girls nurse.



I went out mid morning to check on the ditch and do a little more 'clean up' work with the concrete.  When hauling several sticks across the creek, I noticed that a deer had rutted on this prairie willow.  This is why I have the black drain pipes around the trunks of all the little trees I have planted on our hillside.

I also thought this leaf pattern on the salt block was interesting.  It must have happened when two leaves were stuck on it by freezing rain and then as it warmed and continued to rain, the salt around the leaves was dissolved.

This series of photos, of Monita and Stevie, were taken in the afternoon.


I did not take any kitten photos the rest of the day!


I came in from yard work, showered, and got ready to go to Rosemary's wake.  Patty dropped by to play with kittens just as I was getting ready to go.


I can't believe I missed Rosemary's wake.  When I got to the church at 12:50, there wasn't a single car in the lot.  So I thought I had the wrong church.  I called Allen to see if he knew where it was being held.  No answer.  Then a car pulled into the lot and I thought maybe I was just really early.  I asked the guy in the car and he said sorry, her wake was at 10:00.  For some reason I thought it was at 1:00.  I feel both stupid and very sorry.  SHOOT!!



I went to Food City on the way home and then since I was all cleaned up, I lazed around till time to go to the Moonlighter's Dance.







I played in the living room with Stevie and Monita and even took a little nap.

Shirley and Patty joined me at the dance and it was very nice to catch up with them.  We haven't talked in a while.  There were quite a few couples slow songs, giving us 'single' gals a chance to chat.