I guess I left my bad-tempered rant post up long enough. I had to chuckle at the number of views I received…lots more than any regular post about writing or the writing life.
To offset my complaints, I’d like to offer up a few of the good things going on in my life these days:
1. Katie Kitty (also now known as Miss Kitty or Miss Katie) is doing really well. The only medicine she has to take is Pepcid AC. We still make her stand vertical to eat and hold her vertical about five minutes after she eats, but she’s used to it now (and so are we). I’ve been practicing on her with my new camera, and here’s the latest face shot.
2. Writing and revising are going well. I’m mapping out my writing time on a calendar so I don’t let myself get sidetracked. Apparently the article about writing 500 words a day that I posted at Chiseled in Rock was a good reminder to myself. Focus. Stay the course.
3. The High Park Fire in Northern Colorado is fully contained and most communities in the area around Fort Collins are no longer threatened. There are still folks who are displaced, and there are still firefighters doing their hard work in high heat, but the community has come together as it does in times of disaster. Fundraisers keep increasing, volunteers are stepping up, and the donations keep flowing.
4. We can run our air conditioner when needed, unlike many folks in the East who are suffering with no power and very high temperatures. I hope they get relief very soon.
5. And finally, the hot sun in Colorado is great for brewing sun tea. Since that sun is burning up some of my garden, I had to find something useful for it to do. I’ve been adding fresh peppermint (which seems to thrive in this heat) to my tea mix, so it’s especially refreshing.
I loved your comment about finding something useful for the sun to do besides burning up you garden. I made sun tea for the Fourth. It’s great that Ms. Katie is doing well.
Pat – I know what you mean about focusing on the good stuff as well as the annoying things in life. It’s truly good to hear that your little Katie is doing so well. And of course, I am delighted to hear that that terrible, terrible fire has been contained. Living where I do, I know all about wildfires…
And I had to search back to find the rant! That’s because I have been trying to catch up after a visit from No 2 daughter and have shamefully neglected the blogs I follow. It obviously did you good to get all that off your chest!
Katie Kitty is looking good!
thinking of everyone there and hoping things are much better soon–that tea sounds very relaxing
Rob-bear, the only fires I’ve seen up close and personal happened when I was a kid. One was a wheat field fire put out by all the farmers and folks passing by. The other was our huge barn…and that was scary. Those things alone make me admire the men and women who fight these massive forest fires and do it so well. They’re awesome.
PT, it does seem funny to have an animal with acid reflux, doesn’t it? However, it’s a lot less troublesome than dealing with the mega esophagus problems which almost killed poor Katie when she was still a kitten. I’m glad we were able to save her because she’s now a very important part of our life.
Thanks, Medeia. Even though our fire was a horrific experience, the fire down in Colorado Springs took more houses and scared thousands of people into running for their lives. I can’t even imagine how awful that would have been.
Glad that Katie Kitty is doing better. Hate it when people or animals suffer.
Also glad to hear a fire has been continued. I’ve fight fires, and they are nasty critters.
Meanwhile, I hope things do cool down for folks. (No, I won’t go into a long chat about global warming.)
And 500 words a day. That’s an average story length for an article in a good newspaper. Or a couple of pages of a university essay. A good day’s writing. I hope you have fun doing that.
It’s great that Katie Kitty is doing well with you and is accustomed to this routine.
I’m glad people are volunteering and donating for the people who lost homes in the fires. My thoughts are with them.
Cats get heartburn? I did not realize that. I’m glad the power hasn’t gone out where I live (yet) because when it’s over 100 degrees every day it would not be much fun to have no power. Anyway, with massive fires and power outages and record heat it makes me start thinking I need to work on a bomb shelter.