Over the Fence Chat, Dec. 16-22, 2001

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Beyond the Sidewalks : One Thread

Just starting up this thread, since we couldn't get in here on Sunday!

And in response to some of the stuff that was mentioned while on the alternate forum:

I'm sorry Sheepish, about your poor ram, losing an animal is always hard! I have a book on using Flower Remedies for animals. There are several for animals that have "given" up (remembering what you said about them on a previous thread). Are you interested in pursuing that at all? Do you know about Flower Remedies (Bach was the originator, though there are other companies now, with additional flowers)?

Marcia, how do you get anti-biotics into a feral cat? I have trouble enough with the non-feral type. Actually, these two current cats probably wouldn't be that great a problem, but I had a cat that I swear was half-snake the way she could wiggle, and whip her head around! Pilling her was always a chore!

I also got to read the "horse article" thread over at CS. 'Barngoddess' did her posting after I had read it -- yes, I recognize you too! :-P

-- Anonymous, December 17, 2001

Answers

Well, we are having a big string of really yucky, rainy,gray days here in Mich. and I am so glad that I dragged in one of my grow lites and have it in the kitchen "glowing" on me as I work. I know this probably sounds totally wacky, but I will say it never-the-less. When I turn it on I can "feel" something happening behind my eyes and within a short time my mood is improved. I can not explain it or understand it, but I can sure "feel" it. I plan to bring one in and put it in my computer/sewing room also.

Polly, hope you can check in and tell us how you are doing. Hugs to both you and sheepish.

I think, Joy, that maybe we tend to know each others writing styles so well that we have lost the ability to go incognito?? ;>)

Well, there is nothing, except maybe some clutter, to make you think that Christmas is coming soon to our house. For some reason I just have not even come close to getting "in the mood". I have to admit that I have "never" liked all the hoopla, but I have sunk to a new low tolerance this year. Since Sherri is stopping by on Sat. (sure to be one of the HUGE high points of the season) I think I need to clean up my act. (not necessarily for Sherri but gee, can't have Keith think I am as slobby as I really am!!!)

cheers and hugs to all and my hats are off to ANYONE who has successfully "pilled" a cat. I have a book of horror stories regarding my failed attempts.

-- Anonymous, December 17, 2001


Diane don't worry about traumatizing Keith, your computer room and his computer room look a great deal alike! :->

My friend Liz and I are starting a charity needlework group so I've been cruising the 'net looking for free patterns. So far we've made arrangements with Riley Children's Hospital, a nursing home, a no- kill animal shelter, and a group that sends slippers to our servicepeople overseas. I'm pretty fired up about it.

I did my first attempt at making cakes in jars yesterday and they turned out pretty well. I made 8 and only 1 didn't seal properly. I also made up some soup mixes in jars and other things. I'm going to put together some gift baskets as Christmas gifts for my mom and sisters this year. I'm really getting into this "Make Your Own Mix" and cooking from scratch stuff. My first project for the new year is to replace the shelves in my pantry closet so I can store away more food. Right now there's just these flimsy wire shelves in there, if I put more than 4 jars on a shelf it starts to sag alarmingly.

Hey, if you think pilling a cat is fun...one of my cats had a tumor on her eye and I had to put eyedrops in her eye twice a day for a month. I still have scars!

-- Anonymous, December 17, 2001


Gee Sherri, what made you think I was talking about my computer room. I am talking about the whole house!!!!!!!!! It's not a pretty site. (pun intended)

-- Anonymous, December 17, 2001

Believe me...sometimes it's not a pretty sight when I'm "man-handling" a cat (or any animal for that matter!!). I think I become oblivious to the pain when I'm bound and determined to medicate them! Actually, I try to have the feral cats tame enough so that when I put out fresh warm milk or a hot meal, I can bend over them, pet them for a minute, then pick 'em up by the scruff of the neck and slip a needle in. If they need a pill instead, I pick them up and immediately stuff them into my barn cat pen. I starve them for the day or night, mush up the pill in their cat food and...voila!! Mission accomplished. They stay in the pen for the duration of the medication schedual. But I do have many scars!!

Just received my issue of CS today. Can't wait to read it, especially the horse article! This is the first time I've been online today and I haven't read about the big "brew-ha-ha" over at CS yet. Think I'll read the article first then go to CS! What the heck is a "brew-ha-ha" anyways???

We'll be decorating our pitiful little Christmas tree tonight. Actually, it looks a little better...hubby doctored it up by drilling some holes and patching in a few extra branches! Our granddaughter is coming over to "help"!!

Sure hope your weather improves soon, Diane. Constantly cloudy, rainy weather is so depressing! I think I read somewhere that it's a proven fact exposure to light affects something in your head behind your eyeballs, which in turn, cheers you up! Maybe Aunty Em knows!!??

Gotta go...my oven timer is going off...brownies are ready!!!

-- Anonymous, December 17, 2001


Marcia, it's spelled "brouhaha", it's French, and it means 'hubbub' or 'uproar' -- a perfect word for that thread! About the Christmas tree, bare trees are an excuse to hang absolutely EVERY ornament you own onto the tree. That doesn't work if you don't have a lot of ornaments, though. One year, Mom put me in charge of decorating the tree, and I chose to use ONLY the gold, silver, white, and pink ornaments (white fairy lights) and decorations. When I was done, there were enough left over of the reds, blues, greens, yellows, and misc. to decorate another TWO trees. And the one I decorated was over six feet . . . . We NEVER get rid of Christmas ornaments, unless they get broken!

Sherri, what are you making for the animal shelter? Sleeping pads or what? Fuzzy toys? Do you have source for squeakers to put in them? I've never found them for sale, but someone must make them!

-- Anonymous, December 17, 2001



Well I ain't no expert on SAD, but my understanding is that the hypothalamus is supposedly brought into balance by receiving messages that the lights send through the retina. So I would certainly think that if Diane is very sensitive to what goes on in her body, she could feel this happening. Very cool, Diane!!

As far as holiday gifts, my partner is off spending big bucks on the kids as usaual, regardless of how I feel about it, Its easier to just let it go. They're old enough now to figure it out.

I like Christmas cuz of the purty lights!! One thing I didnt have in the country much; some people go nuts with the lights in town, and it is really amazing to look at. So there.

-- Anonymous, December 17, 2001


Thanks for your kind thoughts, all. The rivers are close to flood stage (we live at 500' so our problems mostly exist when we try to go anywhere off this hill...) Still, the ground is so saturated that it's like walking on sponges around here. So far, the banks are holding everything back and we actually had a day with no rain (or not much...actually some sunshine!) I did, however, slip and totally fall on my (side!) this a.m. It was clear and frozen. I went to chase a hen out of the vegetable garden and slipped on a wooden bed divider! Maybe my name should be "Grace" !!! LOL

Mr. S. buried the ram yesterday. Our cat that has been sick seems to be doing somewhat better. She has started to eat again. We kept her in our bathroom over the weekend and I spent a couple of hours "sleeping" (yeah, right) on the floor in there, trying to keep her from yowling (seems like she is feeling better, if she's vocalizing!) Neither the vet nor I could find anything wrong with her except a low-grade fever (that is, without doing a lot more diagnostic tests) so hopefully, she's on the mend. Regarding the therapies for "giving up"...would that be possible with the shutdown of the major blood/muscles in the extremities (from large body crushing arteries, etc.? I don't know much about it.

Busy with church, work, critters, and our @)(#*( social calendar...how do we fill out these dance cards, anyway?

Still haven't had a chance to catch up here! Hope you are all doing well! May God bless you all.

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2001


My computer is all buggered up! I am so mad! It will not come out of 16 colors so my graphics are all yucky. I reloaded Windows, downloaded a new video driver, downloaded Norton to see if I had a virus...nothing is helping!!! Now my email won't work again..thats nothing new but its usually the ISP. The roof is on the barn!! It all just needs some battening up and finishing touches but for all intents and purposes its done. WHEW! The rabbits have discovered they can bite through the chicken wire of the cage they are in and have escaped a few times. thats always fun. I have 10 more chickens now, 2 of which are roosters. The duck decided that she will now come into the hen house portion of the barn and I am soooo happy. Today we have SNOW. Real SNOW! Not just a flurry and then nothing to cover the grass. Its a winter wonderland out there...about 2 inches thus far. Yay! School was cancelled so a neighbor kid is over to take my guys outsid eto play. Listen all, if I don't get back on before I leave Friday, MERRY CHRISTMAS or whatever holiday you may be celebrating at this time of year. Hugs all around. Hey Wildman, my SIL gave me that Soup Diet Recipe she is using...lemme know if you need it. I'm thinking about trying it when I get back from Quebec. I have packed on a few more pounds and my pants are getting tighter...sigh.

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2001

I like Marcia's spelling "brew ha ha" better, it reminds me of what I'm like after a few beers! :)

Joy, I hadn't thought of putting squeekers in the toys! I get a couple of sewing notions catalogs and I'm sure that I've seen squeekers in at least one of them. We are going to be making snuggle blankets, teddy bears out of that fake lambswool stuff, catnip mice, and little balls with bells in them.

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2001


Alison...there's more snow on the way for you I believe!! So far here in Maine, we have about 7" and it's still coming down. Looks absolutely beautiful!!!! I just came inside after shoveling all my chicken and cat paths. Putting on some dry socks...and off I go again :-)!

Sure feels like Christmas now!!!

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2001



Alison, your computer problems MIGHT be due to that file you deleted on the advice of that hoax email!

Also, check to see if you have TWO versions of the drivers. I had a problem with my display awhile back. When I downloaded the new drivers, I assumed it would overwrite the old drivers, but that was not the case. I had two versions and it was a right mess! But if you can find two versions of you drivers in your files, that could be the problem!

Sherri, let me know if you find some squeakers, please. Julie and I have been looking for them for quite awhile. Various dogs have "killed" the squeakers in otherwise usable toys, and it would be nice to have a replacement supply. Actually, HER little terriers (so far) were harder on the squeakers than my giant hound. She enjoys the squeak but doesn't seem to consider it an imperative to destroy it. When we were on a road trip the other day, I gave her a brand new little "chew man" and all the way home, I'd hear this very quiet little "eeka-eeka-eeka". Maybe you had to be there, but it just cracked me up.

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2001


Thanks Joy. I assumed it would over ride the old driver too. The computer behaved fine until Sunday night...I used it..logged off and shut down.. Hubby decided he wanted to play his game and booted everything up again and thats when the fun began. The display settings are stuck in 16 colors which makes for awful eye strain. It was set at 256. Everytime we reset them to 256 it reverts to 16. All my experts say its the driver but I have done all I am capable of. The new chickens seem to have settled in fine with the rest of the flock..a few squabbles but thats it.. and I borrowed a double hutch from a friend for the rabbits so I will have no more escaping bunnies for awhile. It took 5 trips to the barn to replace everyones water this morning. I am sick of winter already.

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2001

Hi Joy and all,just a quick hello this week.Two babies due.Been to the hospital 4 times for emergrencies and false starts.I am bagged .For Christmas my kids got bedroom doors and their own rooms painted and electrical outlets!!!!YAH!!!Where else could I post that and have folks understand that s exciting!!Take care enjoy your family.....peace teri

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001

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