So, today is Groundhog day. I don’t run into groundhogs in Happy Meadows, but we do have our share of critters, including a recent influx of a few armadillos. What will they think of next? I hear some complaints, but I am all for wildlife diversity.
We have had a mild and somewhat wet winter, but did have a bad cold snap a few weeks ago that damaged a lot of plants. I did not spend much time out of doors for those few days. It has yet to snow here this winter, if I remember correctly. Many of our camellia buds froze when it got so cold, but I think some will open. We shall see. The cherry trees and forsythia in the neighborhood are already in bloom, and the birds all sound like they are in love.
The Berman Center had a nice retirement party for Mike Sunday, but he is still working, so I don’t get it. I suppose they will let him officially retire when they find a new medical director. Mike has signed the contract with the book publisher, Rowman & Littlefield to publish his book, The Twelve Step Pathway: A Heroic Journey of Recovery. It should appear in print and as an ebook later this year. I think he needs a snappier title—something like The Heroic Black Cat. He might take my advice and change it.
He went through all his tests and is still in full remission from cancer. I think he may have nine lives. All the rest of us are well. Mike and Judy strong-armed Magi to the Extreme Vet today to have his claws trimmed. Good grief, he had some shivs! The trick was to capture him and cram his big black self into the carrier. It went surprisingly well, it seemed to everyone but Magi. But the other 3 cats did seem upset and hid behind the sofa in the living room for an hour or two. Mike has been taking Shayna Maidel to the vet every week for subcutaneous fluids, as she has early stage kidney failure. He and Judy tried giving her fluids at home, but she wouldn’t hold still, so they swallowed their pride. I think she is going to be fine. She and Jackson have their fourteenth birthday in April.
What else? What else? Not much, I guess. We send our love and wishes to everyone for good health and peace in their lives. Until next time, so long from Happy Meadows!