Apropos of Nothing v.13

Geez - cauldrons would make excellent containers!!!

I've always wanted one. (Oh nooo! True confessions.)

Maybe a huge cast iron antique one that had actually been used by druid princesses at the summer solstice.

But I imagine that what they sell is the plastic or fiberglass representation . . .

if it is at least 20-24", then it would work.
I'm desperate at this point, and i can't wrap my head around the urban metal garbage can look.
I like it, but it would look weird at my place. oh who am I kidding?

Katye you seem to be in a very good mood tonight. Must be the weather.

must have been the delayed response of homemade chicken broth. very therapeutic for the imbiber.
Not so for the observer.
Willow - i was not able to play outside when i got home from work. Need to play. too much to do - well, except for the vacuuming.

Oh Pixy the shop is so important because it gives us something to gossip about! This is a neighborhood where you go for a walk and end up sitting on someone's front steps having a nice chat. And what better to chat about than the wiccans down the street. Maybe they would have something for you to combat the voles! I love Tarot cards and wish I knew how to read them. Maybe I will go to witch school, get a WPhD - doctor of witch philosophy.

I would love to have a cauldron but I can't go in that shop because I would never make it out alive - they know who I am...

Actually, I now know of 3 dogs besides mine that were attacked by this particular dog. Enough is enough - time for action. I learned tonight that Josie, the latest dog to be attacked, is having a minor surgery to clean out a puncture bite wound that has become infected. I'm glad my vet put Koka on an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory immediately.

This is truly a difficult conversation to keep up with...way too many twists for me to follow this late in the evening, aagh.

Katye: "walked this path and weeded it too" LOLOL so true!! I am vehemently sick of weeding paths, and am determined to keep the wood-chip path mulch very thick to avoid such a thankless task this year.

The people with the dog which has attacked 3 other dogs are a grave concern because they are clearly uncaring about anyone but themselves. They don't even care genuinely about their own dog. If they did, they would be socializing it to get along in the world rather than putting its life in danger because of their own irresponsibility. Sooner or later their dog may attack a child, and then it will be too late to save the dog. I have no prejudice against Wiccans, most of whom are just exercising their religious freedom, but these people are into something else again it seems to me. Something has to be killed to get entrails, and this I find disturbing. Besides there are plenty of harmless ways to do fortune telling (Tarot, I-ching, tea leaves...go for it) so the entrails thing is gross and unnecessary.

Summer, whereabouts in Hyde Park did you live? That house sounds absolutely beautiful, and quite intriguing. Was it a Frank Lloyd Wright house (I know of some others in the city) or some other architect? I grew up in the Northwest corner of the neighborhood in the 60's and 70's. Did you ever stroll down 53rd Street and stop in at Boyajian's Bazaar, a unique international handcrafts store? That was my dad's shop from 1980 to 2006.

I don't have anything against wiccans either. Many people around the world have traditions and rituals that are strange to those of other cultures. But yes, something has to be killed to get entrails, and that is very disturbing. Unless you can go to the supermarket and ask the butcher for his leftovers, or collect roadkill, where do you get entrails?

I used to have no opinion about pit bulls, but after the vet told me that they don't allow them in the waiting room if there are other dogs present but make them wait in a separate area because they are unpredictable with other dogs, and watching as my dog was flung savagely back and forth in the air with her nose and mouth locked in a death grip, I have no fondness for them at all. And I like dogs, all dogs. Now pits scare me.

when I see people with pits, I never approach the dogs like I would with any other dog. The day before Mother's Day I was working the MG plant sale and there were two women at the Greenbank Farm on vacation. Both had dogs, one a flatcoat retriever and one a pit. I went and petted the retriever and the owner of the pit made a point of saying the pit was friendly. So I went over to pet her and she was the friendliest thing. So sad these dogs have the bad rap because so many of their owners raise them to be mean. I felt sorry for that little dog - like the kid with the prettier sister who always gets all the attention or something!

When we decided to get a dog as a family, we went to the pound. The first dog we brought home was said to be a chow golden mix. She looked to me like she had a lot of golden in her. On the way home, we stopped at two pet stores to pick up supplies. When I walked into each store, with the dog, the very first thing that was said to me was, "Oh, you have a pit bull." I was shocked. To this day, I have no idea what those sales clerks saw in that dog to make them realize she had pit in her.

Well, we got her home and took her to obedience class right away. She was extremely gentle and friendly until she saw another dog. Then she went apeshit trying to get at them. And then our neighbors had a dog and she attacked the fence between the two dogs.

She also was deathly afraid of water from a hose. Wouldn't even drink from her water bowl if she saw that you used a hose to fill it up. Then I learned that dogs who have rabies can show fear of water.

In the meantime, I had done some research on chows and learned they are homebody dogs and don't like to go out in the world (we had wanted to take our dog to the kids' many soccer and little league games, camping, etc.) and that chows aren't the friendliest dogs in the world.

I had also been back to the pound with the dog who assured me the dog had no pit in her, that they didn't accept dogs with pit in them, and to give it time.

By now I was just crushed, crying all the time, etc. I was online with some people in the old compuserve dog forum and one guy who had talked online to me actually drove about an hour to see the dog and give me advice. He sat with me and the dog for a long time (the dog was so loving with people) and said the dog possibly had pit in her because of her reactions to other dogs and that as a family with young kids, and given the way she went after other dogs, he didn't think it was a good dog for us. He also said her reactions to the water/hose thing indicated to him that she had been beaten with a hose at some point in her young life. (so sad)

So the dog went back to the pound. I filled out a paper and said I had it on pretty good authority (I think by now we had even been to the vet who confirmed this) that this dog did have pit in her so that hopefully whoever came to see the dog would read that paper. Legally the pound was supposed to put it in the dog's file but I don't know if they did. Since they had a 'no pit' policy, the way they got around it was by pretending the dog didn't have pit in it.

I did find out that this dog had had a litter and the puppies had been taken away from her immediately, which apparently is really bad for a mama dog (Sofer can chime in here). There was also other shady info concerning her background once I asked insistently at the pound.

That's when we decided to just go to a lab breeder and that's when we got Kenzie.

Even if I found a great dog that was a pit, I don't think I would take it because of people's reactions to pits. When I had that pound dog, I was thinking gee, I don't want to be walking the dog all the time and be known as 'that lady with the pit bull.' Selfish and shallow of me maybe, but I just didn't want a dog that no one liked and was afraid of.

LOL! Oh, yes! Definitely need a shop like this to keep an eye on. I agree with Holly that they are not true Wiccans, but into something fairly damaging it seems. The entrails reading bothers me.
I'm afraid I do have opinions about pit bulls as a rule after a pit mix was dropped off at our house years ago. It was a small puppy and so cute. Someone shoved it under the garage door, which was not quite down on the ground. We kept it until it began stalking our other dogs and attacked our spaniel. She actually stalked them like prey. Fran was terrified. Aussies are not fighters. This was before Skippy. I realized we were all afraid of the dog. Not good. We took it to our vet who understands pit bulls. He thought it was a good dog who needed special training and needed a firm upper hand. He found an owner for it, but I hope we did the right thing. I certainly could not have it in my house. But it was heart breaking because the dog was very attached to me.

We crossposted, Gwen. Sounds like you have a sad story involving pitbulls, too.
Off to work now.

This message was edited May 20, 2010 7:43 AM

What sad stories about these dogs. I feel badly for pits because they are so feared. I think they are unreliable with other dogs but may be better with people. They have certain traits, just like all dogs. And they deserve to be loved and have a good life but maybe that requires a very specific kind of environment - one that can provide strict training and control, does not include other dogs, or kids, or me!

Gwen, Buddy & Kenzie are very sweet dogs, and I enjoyed meeting them. We should have a "dog' party and all our dogs can frolic and play. It's fascinating to watch how they interact with each other.

Sofer, I am so sad for you for all of the plants that you have lost. It has been a rough couple of years for gardeners here, but nothing like that.

Judi, I applaud you and your neighbors for taking a stand regarding the pit. It is totally unacceptable that people should have to be in fear of walking their dog in their own neighborhood. I don't believe that the owners are true wiccans... I think that they probably use the store the same way that they do owning a pit bull... to project a certain "dangerous" image. As a matter of fact, a dog that attacked others for no reason would most likely be considered abhorrent to people whose beliefs emphasize "Harm None".

Gwen and Pixy, I feel for you both with your pit stories. It is so hard for people who truely love animals to make the decision that one just isn't right for you. Hopefully both of the dogs you mentioned found homes with people who had the time and the situation to give them a loving home.

Judi, I love the image of a "dog party"! It is so fun to watch dogs romp and play together... big doggie smiles!

Hi, It's been awhile. I've hardly been on here for about a month. I've been very preoccupied and had spotty internet connections as well. My mother was diagnosed with a rare form of (very treatable) non-hodgkin's lymphoma in January and spent the first few months of this year resisting treatment and refusing conventional chemotherapy. I've been finding it a little hard to deal with this and haven't known how to talk about it without just feeling like I sound whiny and disrespectful. How do you deal with a situation where your mother has been so convinced by other people that chemo for their harder-to-treat cancers is so bad that she refuses treatment for her own more responsive cancer? A woman who is otherwise still completely functional, independent, strong-willed, working part-time and still driving at 80? (I should add "curmudgeon" as well, if I'm being honest-she can be very difficult-I guess that's obvious after this, huh?)

Anyway, she finally agreed to a variation of treatment that's immuno-based and has been getting treatments every Friday this month. I've been driving back and forth spending a couple of days a week in Seattle all month taking her to her appointments and staying with her in case she has bad side effects. The treatment she's receiving generally has very few side effects, but I've stuck around a day or two afterward to make sure she's OK-she likes her independence, though. Tomorrow is the last treatment while we assess how it's gone for her and what happens next.

So, I haven't been following any threads or anything (I've hardly even been gardening, really), and have a lot of catching up to do with what's been going on. I'll be in and out again probably for another week or so, I'll be back in Seattle tomorrow with spotty internet, but I've been missing everyone and hearing what's going on with all of you and wanted to stop in and say hi. :)

Judi, if you're really curious about that shop, I could probably be a spy for you.....I don't like things that lean toward the darker side, though. I try to stay as far away from that sort of stuff as I can, whatever religion/belief system it's associated with. Still, maybe I could go in there looking for incense, tarot cards, or something one of these days. I wouldn't mind an afternoon in Hawthorne and I also have a Groupon for framing at ArtHeads that I need to use.

Sofer, so sorry for all your plant losses. I've got more baby JM seedlings, I could pot up a couple for you if you like.

Oh, geez... I'm sorry to hear your Mom has cancer, but glad she's finally decided to try treatment. I hope it works well. I can certainly understand why you're frustrated with her initial refusal of treatment.

Susy, we love our mothers but sometimes we have valid complaints! Mine is judgmental and self-centered, and maybe it is disrespectful to say so. But she is who she is, and it doesn't mean I don't love her. So rant on - it's ok. I hope the treatment goes well and that she gets good results. Does she live in Seattle?

I convinced my neighbor to go into the witch shop to have a look-see. But if you want to have a Hawthorne afternoon I can meet you for coffee or something!

Suzy, sounds like you're had a difficult and stressful month, not to mention a lot of driving! I'm glad your mom decided to go with some treatment at least and it sounds like that part if almost over. It's difficult to see a loved one get a serious illness, even if it is treatable.

Susybell, Sorry to hear about your mom's NHLymphoma. Glad she is getting treatment. It can be frustrating!!!

Hang in there susybell. Having gone through this with my mom you just have to realize she is her own person and has the right to do as she pleases. As aggrevating as it is, it's her decision to make and other than gritting your teeth and giving her facts as you know them, there isn't much you can do about any of it.
Take good care of yourself. You are doing a good thing by being with her as much as you can.

Sue - I'm so sorry about your mom. I echo what everyone else has said. I've gone around and around with my folks and my brothers about care options for my folks as well as with them. And my folks get exasperated with each other, too.

It's just plain not easy. But your mom is so fortunate to have you driving up and looking out for her. As independent as she is, I'm sure it is a comfort to her to have someone to rely on (whether she'll tell you that or not).

K

I'm already on record, having been on the edges of an attack, as feeling that the breed should be outlawed. And you all are right -- wanting to have a pit brings a stigma to the owners in my opinion.

Osita has chow in her (purple tongue), which worried me because they too have bad reputations, but she's pretty gentle. A bit sassy but super-sweet with puppies -- she raises one back leg & then kind of hops around trying to keep cats & small dogs UNDER her for some reason.

Maury, I lived at 1366 E Madison Park, on a 3-block-long private park just north of 51st Street (technically Kenwood, Obama's neighborhood). It was the perfect place to live, just loved it. The architect was Y.C. Wong. My neighbor & good friend across the courtyard was none other than the famous & delightful Mary-Frances Veeck, and she is still one of my dearest friends. The 8 townhouses are in a book called "Chicago's Famous Buildings," if you happen to have that lying around. They looked like storage lockers with huge steel doors from the outside, which suited me just fine. I can picture your father's store but my memories are getting hazy. I was in H.P. the week before I moved to have dinner with Mary-Frances, and so much had changed ... there's a Starbucks now.

Oh, Sue, I didn't see your note till after posting but was just thinking last night that we had let our communication fall by the way side -- now I know why. You're up to yer ears in family & I'm working 6 days a week.

You will, of course, let me know how I can help. Drive with you one of these times, perhaps?

I was just outside and saw how pretty my next-door neighbor's hawthorn tree looked in the golden light, so I grabbed my camera- and just as I was about to take the photo, a rainbow appeared right over it. How perfect is that? :)

Pony! That IS a pretty tree.

Isn't it? And it's *just* past the property line, so it's like it's in the far front corner of our yard... only I don't have to take care of it! hehehe. ;)

Pony that is gogeous! I wish I had recorded the vortex I saw in the clouds over North Dakoda today. I went through the front and passed it going west and it sproughted. It is nice running ahead of the storm but needed to stop and sleep. Oh well rain tomorrow. Now I can drive slow to the east to let it pass. It is nice being with my Mom!

Sue, it sounds like you have your hands full right now. I ditto everyone's sentiments about your mom, especially Willow's. I generally believe people have to make their own decisions, even though that is sometimes extremely hard on others. I hope your mom is responding well to the treatment.
Maybe you need a distraction! A visit to the store for witches of all kinds might be a fun distraction. Julie's point about the true Wiccan way is correct. It's hard to believe these folks are truly Wiccan's. But the store does sound interesting and would make a good field trip type distraction.

Sofer, cool storm story! Weather is so completely nasty here lately.

Susy - take care of yourself. If we get to the point where we don't care for ourselves, we can't care for others. Take portland up on the coffee stop for a chat,it will do you a world of good. Refreshment for the soul, I'm sure.

Dog party would make great photos - I was watching to smallish dogs in the park last week doing a mad chase after each other and just loved how they signalled 'my turn to be in front' with a quick collision and bust up, mouths opened and lots of growlly doggie laughing - then whoosh back into the chase 'tag, you're it!".

Good morning Pix, we crossed.

This message was edited May 21, 2010 6:24 AM

Greetings of the blustery day, Laurie! I'm toddling off to bed just now, but nice 'seeing' you on line!

I'm off to Oregon for Jeff's graduation. Apparently they are holding the ceremony outside even if the predicted thunderstorms happen! Geesh, after spending all this tuition for four years, one would think we could at least get an inside ceremony!

They said if the weather was 'severe,' they would just hand out diplomas and that was it. Nice to know for the parents who flew in from great distances for this! 30% of the school is from Hawaii and most of those parents are coming over.

We're going to meet Jeff's girlfriend's mom for the first time! (Also from Hawaii.) I've talked to her on the phone but this is the first time she's been over here since Danielle started school as a freshman. We're all going out to lunch after the grad ceremony. So we're excited to meet her.

I'm off to garden club for a bit. Today is member tour day. I think I have time for one garden before Jim picks me up and we head out. And this way, I won't be home stressing out because he's taking so long to get ready. He's the worst at that.

We have a family cabin in Oregon and when we lived in Calif, it was a 2 day trip to get there. (12 hour drive so we broke it up into two days because we also had to stop and buy 2 weeks' worth of groceries on the way in, which added another hour and a half.) The very first time we took the kids up, Jesse was 1 and a half, Tim was 3 and Jeff was 5. Thereabouts. Of course, we had to do an hour's worth of errands before we even got on the freeway. The words "plan ahead" are just not in Jim's vocab. So we're pulling out of the post office parking lot just about to *finally* get on the freeway and Tim asks, "Are we almost there?" I about died laughing.

Sue, So sorry to hear about your Mom. I can't imagine how frustrating it is not only to learn of the cancer, but to have her resist treatment. I am glad that things are going better now, and sending warm wishes your way for positive results of the treatment, and strength to you to sustain you through the traveling and stress.

Gwen, have fun! Hope the weather holds for you, but if not.... it's still a wonderful event. The meeting of the girlfriend's folks should be fun too. Lots to look forward to in a weekend! (BTW... I thought I was the only one who had a DH who took forever to get ready to go somewhere.... at least you seem to have known him long enough to know how to handle it well! I am still working on my coping methods....)

Pony, I forgot to say that I love your hawthorne/rainbow picture. I have always loved those trees, and it is the perfect focal point for a beautiful rainbow to accent!

Beautiful photo Pony! Those are lovely trees.

Susy, just let me know when you are coming to Hawthorne. You can visit my postage-stamp garden and we can walk up the street for coffee.

Gwen, have a safe and fun trip. Graduations are special times - whenever I hear Pomp and Circumstance I get shivers. I cried at all my kids' graduations. Enjoy the special time together. Maybe if we all think positive weather thoughts the rain will go away, at least for tomorrow.

Gwen, I am sending a special delivery of some of the weather we had today - just stunning! Blue skies, lovely little puffy clouds, a tinkling breeze and daylight until 9:30. That should take care of the Graduation, and keep the hawiian's happy - and Jim can have time to futz around without anyone angsting "take the pictures before it starts......"

Susy, I know what you are going through and I wish for you the best coping skills. Growing older and dealing with parents who are also growing older is not for sissies!

Gwen, if you want the good weather, I wish for that for you, too. I remember my graduation from the U of MN very well. It was also outside and the rain absolutely dumped. The dean announced "consider yourselves all graduated!" and that was the end of the whole ceremony. Maybe the parents were upset, but those of us graduating were happy not to have to go through a lengthy ceremony. Our diplomas arrived in the mail weeks later.

ROFL. "Consider yourselves graduated." I love it. Now that's practical.

Practical, yes, but sometimes you need a little fanfare!

Yeah - I do get that.

But I like the idea of acknowledging in an extreme situation that everybody is extremely uncomfortable in the rain and foregoing the fanfare. It seems so often that we don't adjust very well to circumstances and end up suffering because of it.

True - you gotta know when to give in. As long as there are parties afterward!

Hi everyone! Thank you all so much for the encouraging words and warm wishes! I feel so much better. :) :) :) I've gotta admit I've re- read everyone's comments a couple of times. :) The hardest part really has been trying to come to terms with the ultimate consequence of my mom choosing not to treat a very treatable condition- (where, with remission, average survival rates are measured in years). It's hard to realize she considered chemo side effects worse than not taking action to take care of herself. :(
But anyway, I'm here at Swedish while she's getting her treatment, which is going rather slowly today. She's being a trooper, though, now that she's doing this.

Summer, I'd enjoy the company, but for now this is the last treatment for her. One thing I would really enjoy is a day away just for me. Maybe I could visit you for a couple hours one of these days?

Judi, coffee sounds really nice. Hm, um, maybe late next week?....not sure yet, exactly.

Gwen, check WSDOT for freeway closures-there are some huge projects on I-5 near Pixy right now that have been causing lots of slowdowns. And for tomorrow, I hope you do get nice weather!

Sharon, Go Gophers, lol! Both my parents graduated from UM. :)

Pony, nice tree-even better that you get to enjoy it without the work. :)