With a little creativity, a hot glue gun and Hobby Lobby I created these simple 4th of July decorations that can be used to create a mantle scape or stand alone amongst your regular decor.
We have had a few busy weeks around here which unfortunately led to a lack of blogging. Today, I feel I need to get back in the groove as a sort of therapy. You see, I pride myself on being a huge, ginormous, bigger than ever animal lover. I'd do anything for an animal. I've always been this way. I can't explain it. If someone even begins to tell me a sad story about an animal I have to warn them that I most likely will start crying. Don't even get me started on those SPCA commercials with Sarah Mclachlan or Willie Nelson. Those commercials are pure and utter torture for me. No matter what I am doing or who is around I lunge for the remote (turning my head while doing it) and change the channel as fast as I can. Otherwise...tears will ensue. Hey, that's me.
In my adult life I've owned 3 cats. Fat Kitty (whom I found in college) was with me for a little over 10 years. She died November 1, 2010 of cancer. Most. Horrible. Experience. Ever. She had cancer for a year and a half. She hung on longer than the vet expected. I mourned her every single day of her sickness. I was devastated...even more torn apart when she died. I was being selfish. Even on pain medication I could tell she was holding on just for me.
Fat Kitty and I after her biopsy
After she passed away. it was Mia and I. I adopted Mia from the Chico Cat Coalition in 2003, right before I graduated college. Both Fat Kitty and Mia were California kitties who had the crazy experience of traveling on a plane and living in both Illinois and Missouri.
About a month after Fat Kitty's passing I decided Mia and I needed some happiness in our lives. It had been a long and hard year and a half. So...on December 4th 2010 I adopted a kitten...named Laurel. Which I might add is the most formal name for a kitten. So I changed it. But, also having a hard time naming animals I started using nicknames. Unfortunately, Kitten Butt stuck. A horrible name...I know. It is what it is.
The Kitten & Mia
I've never owned a kitten. Both Fat Kitty and Mia were full grown cats when I got them. I was used to chill cats who loved to cuddle and hang out. This was definitely not Kitten Butt. She is crazy! She loves to be on the move constantly. She jumps. She dives. She doesn't care about anything.
The point of this post: I love animals so much and tend to their every need...I never thought I would experience what I did the other day.
You see, we keep Mia and the Kitten in the finished basement at night. They have couches, a TV, a sliding glass door to look out...basically a living room in the basement. During the day, we let them up to roam around with us.
Good Friday, I got up around 6:30am. Usually, I walk downstairs, turn the TV on for the kitties, feed them, and give them attention. This day, I didn't do that. I got up and then decided to go back to bed. I woke up around 9am and made my way to the basement by 9:25am. When I opened the basement door there was Mia waiting for me. The kitten? No where to be found. As I walked down the stairs and turned the corner I heard soft meowing.
I looked to see where the meowing was coming from and what I saw horrified me. The kitten was lodged between the wall and the middle of an arcade game. Her right paw was across her body and was wedged between the back of the arcade game and the wood back of the game. She was hanging there...by her paw.
(We're thinking she jumped on the pinball machine and then jumped over to the top of the arcade game and slid down the slanted roof and fell behind the game).
My mind went blank. I went into action. The arcade was about a foot away from a pinball machine so there wasn't much room for me to get in there. My adrenaline was pumping and I had to move the arcade game with one hand while pushing my feet against the wall for power...while trying to support the kitten with my other hand. Her paw was lodged. I was freaking out inside...but trying to be as logical and smart while trying to not cause her additional pain.
Once I finally freed her...maybe a minute later (felt like 50 hours) I held her...and then proceeded to run around like a crazy person for the next 5 minutes...finding the crate...grabbing a bra and a hat...and making a call to the vet. I was seriously ready to run out the door in my pajama's and flip flops. I could care less.
After a long 5 minute drive to our local animal hospital, I walk in and the staff was waiting for me. The poor kitten was in shock. She was whisked away for x-rays and a warming crate. I was a mess.
I couldn't believe what had just went down in the last 15 minutes. I pride myself on being such a lover of animals how could I let this happen. She could have been hanging there for hours. Why didn't I get up like I normally do? I could have saved her 3 hours of pain and torture? What kind of cat mom am I? How could I let this happen? I majorly failed as an animal owner.
The Vet finally came back in and showed me the x-rays. Nothing was broken. One of her toes was dislocated. The vet wanted to keep her overnight to get her temperature back up and to give her pain medication. As we discussed what was going on the Vet informed me that her paw was swollen and (by the way she was holding it) most likely wouldn't recover. Meaning...if over the next few days we don't see improvement we'll have to amputate her entire arm.
My heart sank. As a responsible animal owner I now have a cat who, because of its living conditions may have one less limb. Guilt x 1,000,000.
Fast forward to the next day and I went to pick her up. She looked good for having gone what she went though. Her right front paw, on the other hand, was not looking good. It was swollen. When she tried to walk on it (if she didn't land right) it would curve inward like she was walking on the inside of her paw.
Fast forward a few more days...and she is doing quite well. She gets pain meds every morning, a warm compress for 10 minutes 3 times a day and is spending her time between the basement bathroom, basement area and upstairs. Despite her issues she is trying to be as active as normal...which I have to control. I'll let her walk around for a little bit, but then put her away so she can rest.
She has started to figure out how to "work" with her issue. Her paw is no longer turning inward...but you can see that her paw is not functioning properly. We go for our follow up appointment tomorrow. We will know by then if things are looking up or if we will need to amputate. I've been trying to read up on kitty amputation and watch YouTube videos to get used to the idea.
I've been taking short videos to show my family in California how the kitten is doing. Please ignore my kitty talk.
I've never failed as an animal owner. It is the worst feeling ever. I know I need to be kind to myself and realize that I can't protect them from everything...but I'm not at that point yet. Hopefully, we'll have good news tomorrow. Until then...
If you are like me andL-O-V-E pasta you'll love this dish. It is simple, healthy and extremely filling. There are days I split this pasta dish into 2 separate meals because I can't finish it all.
You should know it is high in potassium, fiber and protein...and full of vitamins and minerals. Scroll down to see the nutritional information. It will WOW you!
If you're looking for a quick recipe your body will love...check this out.
Servings: 1
Ingredients
1/2 cup to 1 cup of Hunt's Diced Tomatoes w/Basil, Garlic & Oregano
(you choose how saucy you want it)
3/4 cup whole wheat pasta
1 zucchini
1/2 cup chickpeas
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp chopped basil
Begin...
Cook your pasta, drain & set aside...
Follow the below instructions to make your dish...it is very simple!
Time to Eat!
This pasta is so yummy! For some of you it may be a little bland...so if you know you like lots of flavor be sure to purchase additional garlic, basil and/or oregano to take it to (as Guy Fieri would say) FLAVORTOWN!
***After calculating the nutritional information I noticed that the sodium was crazy high. I verified each ingredient and the Hunt's Diced Tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano is skewing the sodium number. The website I used to calculate this recipe has incorrect information. I looked up Hunt's nutritional information for this product and the sodium is 300mg per serving.
***I am not being paid to endorse Hunt's Diced Tomatoes...I just like it.
