Feline Friday

I've had a super-busy week as we prepare for the holiday season at the store where I teach. This year I'll be doing at least four Christmas classes. Two of those classes will be offered in October, so in order to put them in our October newsletter (which I also create!), I needed to finish designing the classes this week. 

 So I spent a LOT of time in the craft room these last few days, mainly working on a 20-card class for Christmas. (I am not at all a tidy crafter!)

Lucky for me, I had some help from my furry crafting friend, Lily! She's not quite as experienced in this area as sweet Tinsel was, but she's learning!

Like any good SNOOP-ervisor, she helpfully sat with me during important parts of the process...

...especially at lunch time, when she made SURE I stopped long enough to fill her food bowl! This look is known as The Stare. It is generally quite effective in producing tasty noms!

And when it came time to print, she performed the important role of Epson Quality Control. 

Yep, dis looks gud, Mommie! 

 Without Lily's help, who knows what would have happened? WHEW! It looks like Christmas will come after all! 😅

Good job, Lily!

Happy Feline Friday, everyone! 

jp

Feline Friday with Rory

If you return home to find all of your cabinet doors and drawers have been opened, you don't need to look very far to discover...

...the culprit! 😊

See that little brown area on her nose? Her fur is wet from drinking water. And if you're not watching, she'll drink right out of your glass!

Sweet baby girl makes us all smile every day!

Happy Feline Friday!
jp

Ancestral Cemetery Hop!

 

 This massive old tree lives in an old cemetery I recently visited. Just think of the storms it has weathered over the years, yet it still stands strong because its roots run deep. I imagine that this old tree has seen great sadness, yet each spring new growth appears to provide shelter to the many woodland creatures who live there.
 
As I've started working on my family tree, I've found visiting old cemeteries to be helpful and a tangible way to connect with ancestors I never met. Finding their graves makes them more "real" to me, and more than an entry on my family tree.

So far, I've visited four area cemeteries where my ancestors are buried, including the one I'll share in this post. If you plan to do this, I'd suggest that you look on Find A Grave and do a search for your relatives prior to your visit. If there are photos posted, you will at least know the shape of the headstone to look for. In larger cemeteries, you may even find an attendant who can point you in the right direction. Cemeteries can be quite large and without some information, you can easily find yourself wandering!

I stopped by this particular cemetery on a whim as I was passing through the area. Daylight was dwindling so I had little time to find the family plot. The cemetery was a lot larger than I remembered it! Older stones are sometimes in very poor condition and hard to read, and that was definitely the case here. I walked through several rows and almost gave up.

Then I found it! The surname on this headstone is at the bottom, making it easy to miss. This is the grave of my 3rd great grandparents, Nathan and Harriet Lesan Blood. I hope to someday locate a picture of Harriet and Nathan in life but for now, a headstone is all I have.

You can see both of their names on my family tree. Thanks to my grandma, this particular part of my tree is very well documented and goes back a number of generations.

 In that same area, I found a child's grave which is obviously part of our family. But his name is not on my tree, so I'll need to do a little more research to discover where Willie belongs.

 

  I have photos of and many stories about Nathan and Harriet's son Lewis Blood, who was my 2nd great grandfather. He was a creative soul who designed and built many items with his hands, including a rocking chair for each of his children -- using wood from trees he had grown. (Now that's planning ahead!) He also designed a farm implement and received a patent for it, but never had the money to have it produced.

 

One of Lewis' sons was Arthur, my great grandfather. He died just a few months before I was born so I never had the opportunity to meet him. But my great grandmother Ada Martin Blood lived a very long life just up the street from where I grew up. A few years ago, I shared a post about re-upholstering a simple but lovely old chair that belonged to her.

 

 It was my grandma, Ada and Arthur's daughter, who extensively researched our family history and passed all of her work down to me. The more I research, the more appreciation I have for the vast array of family information she kept tucked away in her head. I can't begin to remember the facts and relationships she could share by memory, even at 102 years of age.

  Visiting old cemeteries is just part of the process of carrying on her research. I'm doing my best to build on her solid foundation, and I know she would be pleased with what I've been able to accomplish so far.

If we know WHERE we came from, we may better know where to go. If we know WHO we came from, we may better understand who we are.
Author Unknown

Feline Friday

Lily has recovered nicely from her trip to the vet last week. Although she was no doubt sore from the procedure she had to express her anal glands (EWWW), I think the vaccine actually had the most effect on her. In my experience, kitties have a good 24-48 hours of extreme fatigue after receiving the rabies/distemper shot.

True to form, Lily was absolutely zonked out for about 36 hours. I gave her my sweatshirt to sleep on, hoping it would provide an extra dose of comfort!

 

I had to check her frequently (especially during the night) to be sure she was still breathing. (She was!) Her appetite was good (no surprise there!) but she preferred to have me bring her meals in bed rather than actually get up and go to the kitchen. Of course, I dutifully complied. :)

During that period of time, she didn't want to be picked up or handled in any way. It was hard to tell exactly what part of her hurt, although I'm sure her bottom was pretty sore. So I just let her be.

Then suddenly at about 3 in the morning, she decided she was totally recovered! She hopped up, went to the drawer where I keep treats in the nightstand (I know...I know...) and asked for some. She had the crazy idea that she needed to get lots of extra treats to make up for lost time! (And she pretty much got her way on that!)

 She's now back to all of her usual activities, which includes napping -- but not QUITE for 36 hours straight!

She has been back on my lap in the evenings, as usual...and on my tummy or legs during the night. She can be very cuddly, but only when she wants to be!

 

 I have noticed a positive difference in her playfulness. She's been quite active in recent days, which makes me think she had been uncomfortable longer than I realized. :( We sure won't let that happen again. 

 

I am so glad everything worked out and my little buddy is back in tip top form!

 Happy Feline Friday, everyone!

jp

Feline Friday: Ewwww!

 Lily had an unexpected trip to the vet yesterday. I had observed her scooting on the floor, which is not typical cat behavior. Lily has done this before, and it always means one thing...clogged anal glands. EWWW! Anal gland (also called anal sac) problems are much more common in dogs than in cats. Of course, Lily thinks she's a dog...

 

It's been at least a couple of years since she's had clogged anal glands but after yesterday's vet visit, I suspect that she's been uncomfortable for awhile. I'm very observant of Lily's behavior and she has seemed perfectly normal but unfortunately, her anal glands were very full. They had to be expressed and even irrigated. Luckily, there was no sign of infection or abscess which can happen in this situation.

 

 Anal glands are normally filled with a brownish liquid which is expelled when the kitty goes potty. But some cats (namely LILY) produce abnormal secretions which are black and tarry and cannot be expelled in the usual way. I know...EWWW!  Eventually the sacs (or glands) become clogged. This is not painful for the kitty but is certainly uncomfortable and leads to the scooting behavior. (Now, if there's an abscess or infection, that's a very painful situation and absolutely must be prevented!)

 Lily had to be sedated for the procedure, which lasted about 20 minutes. While out, she also got a lovely paw-dicure. (She hates having her claws trimmed so it's nice to have that task professionally done!) She's going to be a little sore for a couple of days so she's getting plenty of pampering (salmon juice for breakfast!!!) and rest. 💓

Lily will now be on a 6-month preventative schedule to have her anal glands expressed. This will be much better than waiting for me to catch her scooting on the floor. 

This may be more than you wanted to learn about clogged anal glands but if you're a cat purr-son, it's important to know! If you see any type of scooting behavior, be sure to contact your vet!

Happy Feline Friday, everybody!
jp

Please note that these photos were taken while we were in the vet's parking lot and not while driving! 😊

Adventures in Genealogy

As I've shared in the past, I've been working on my family tree via Ancestry, and it has proven to be one of the most interesting tasks I've ever undertaken. When I first started, I really wasn't sure what I was doing, but I've learned a great deal and feel like I've made good progress. My goal is to trace each line of my tree back to the "homeland", and I'm slowly but surely getting there. I now have 673 people in my family tree!

To supplement my research, I also took a DNA test through Ancestry and linked it to my online family tree. Since I received my results last December, I'm now up to 778 "cousins"!  Interestingly, I have heard from a couple of them with questions about a particular family branch. With my grandma's records, I was able to help both of them with their questions.

I now also have 15 DNA circles, which are groups of family members that are connected via a single relative. In order to have DNA circles appear in your results, you need to have researched back several generations. Having DNA circles is a confirmation that your research is correct, which is a very good thing! DNA circles can provide insights and clues for further research.

 Recently, Ancestry updated my DNA Ethnicity Estimate results based on additional comparison data they've obtained. You really have to take your results as a best-guess estimate. Back in the olden days, populations migrated great distances, so just because you have ancestors in a particular country NOW doesn't mean that they originated there. Your results also depend heavily on the samples available for comparison. Ancestry is constantly obtaining more population samples, so the results will evolve over time.

My results have changed in terms of how they're labeled, but not materially. Ancestry has refined their comparison areas and re-categorized/renamed them. For instance, my original estimate showed that 37% of my DNA comes from Europe West (France, Germany, etc.). This is consistent with my research.

Now "Europe West" is called Germanic Europe, and my new percentage is listed at 23%. But because of how populations migrated, part of the area that was previously considered Europe West is now grouped with England and Wales.

 

 The numbers have changed, but if you look at the old and the new maps, you can see that the circled areas are really just about the same, with a few areas eliminated.  As time goes on, the results will become more defined and specific...and hopefully even more accurate.

Now turning to my family tree, I've learned that in general, my family has been in this country for many generations. There are just two lines (through my paternal grandpa) which have been here for a relatively short time. Grandpa's dad's family came from France and his mom's family came from what was then called Prussia. As best I can tell, the immigration took place during my third great grandparents' generation around 1800.

The remaining lines of my family (on both my mom's and dad's side) have been in this country since the 1700's and much earlier. Some immigrated to the early settlements in the colonies back in the 1600's. As such, I have a number of relatives who served in the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.

So, long story short, in order to meet my goal of researching each family back to the homeland, I have to go back a LOT of generations! This project is going to take some time!

 If you haven't jumped into family history research, I would highly recommend it. At each turn, there's a mystery to solve and a brick wall to break through. It's fascinating to learn more about what makes you...YOU!

jp

Feline Friday

 Who can relate to this?

 

I hadn't thought about it before but I typically introduce the flavor as if Lily is dining at a fine restaurant. :) She gets excited no matter WHAT the flavor!

 

And there's this gem from Pickles, which I don't usually read but made an exception because it's about cats. Some version of this has happened to me, possibly with tuna salad. :)

 

Lily will vouch for me on that!

 Happy Feline Friday, everyone! 

Hope your day is filled with smiles and furry friends!

jp

"Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story?"

In July, the long-awaited, much anticipated national touring Hamilton production came to town. I had bought tickets back in December, knowing that we really SHOULD see it but not really understanding what an amazing show it would be. I wondered if it would really live up to the hype and accolades. 

I knew the lyrics contained the story, so I started listening to the soundtrack in January and from the very first listen, I was completely drawn in. I spend a lot of time working on class stuff in my craft room, and the Hamilton soundtrack has become the soundtrack to much of it. 

  I find it helpful to read a plot summary and listen to a soundtrack before seeing any musical, but it's even more important with Hamilton. A few of the numbers are rapped, or at least spoken very quickly, so it's useful to understand the lyrics before you go. In Hamilton, the story is advanced entirely through music, so if you don't understand the words, you're bound to lose details.

Knowing the soundtrack so well, I was actually a little nervous about seeing the show, wondering if it would hold up to my expectations. And of course, the live show blew me away. The actors are not required, nor do they necessarily try, to stay true to the original soundtrack, and I loved the nuanced performances of now-familiar songs.

The first time Spouse and I saw the show, the actor playing Hamilton was not the principal but he did an amazing job. The next time I went, the principal actor playing Hamilton was on and to my amazement, he somehow had the effect of elevating the production that much more with his nuanced portrayal of the main character.

 

The second time, I went alone (found a great deal on a single ticket!) and was seated just 4 rows back from the stage. If you're ever able to do so, I highly recommend seeing a show very close just once. My daughter and I once saw Phantom even closer than this. It brings a completely different perspective when you can see facial expressions, costume details, and even activity in the wings.

 

I am so glad I went a second time as I was able to take in even more of this incredible performance. It was fun to see how a slightly different mix of actors brought their own talents to the production.

 I learned that the cast does a stage door autograph signing immediately after the show so I decided to check it out, just to see what the cast looks like out of costume. When they first started coming out of the stage door, I didn't recognize them. They look like "regular people" -- which of course, they are! They were all very gracious to the crowd, taking time for pictures and autographs.

 

 I have been fortunate to see a lot of Broadway/touring shows, some more than once, because our local Civic Center does a great job of bringing them to town. My expectations are high, and I was ready to compare the show with Wicked, The Lion King, and my all-time favorite, Phantom of the Opera. But Hamilton truly blew them all away (did you catch the Hamilton reference there?). It's an expensive show to see, but it's worth every penny and then some. And the next chance I have to see it, you can be sure I'll be going!

 

I have heard a few people say they aren't interested in seeing this show because "so much" of it is rapped. That's actually not true, and I think you'd be surprised at how the show actually brings out the humanity of our nation's founders. Lin Manuel Miranda's show portrays the messy nature of how our country was built and the degree to which our founders tried to get it right -- so they could leave a legacy to their own children. And he makes the story accessible by telling it in modern-day language with actors who reflect the diversity of America today.

One of the central themes of the show is this: "Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?"  From the first time I listened to Hamilton, I was drawn in to this theme. Hamilton has a sense of urgency in all he does, working non-stop because he fears he won't have enough time to accomplish his goals in life. And sadly, this turns out to be true. Eliza, his wife, becomes the one who ultimately keeps his legacy alive and tells his story.

 

As an avid scrapbooker/memory-keeper (and now researcher of my family history), the notion of "telling your story" completely resonates with me. It's the reason why I'm spending so much time trying to put together the pieces of my childhood. It's why I'm interested in those who came before me -- they're part of my story, too. And it's why I am focused on leaving completed scrapbooks and stories -- OUR stories -- to our daughter. 

Thanks to Hamilton, I'm more determined than ever to make that happen. 

jp 

P.S. Have you seen Hamilton? What did you think? Which themes resonated with you?