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Sunday, September 26, 2010

Sherlock original BBC series picked up by Showcase

Years ago I read the complete Sherlock Holmes series, not so much out of an interest in the character but because it seemed to me that the main characters and supporting characters seemed to be referred to rather often in the TV, movies, and books I was reading at the time

The BBC series Sherlock has thus far impressed me.  Although set in modern times the stories follow the tales set down by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with more accuracy that I expected.  They have not tried to turn Sherlock into a charismatic hero.  This Sherlock is a socially awkward genius, his morphine addiction has been replaced with a nicotine addiction (fed by patches), Dr Watson is a veteran of the current war in Afghanistan as the original was of the same country different time.

Hollywood could learn a thing or two from BBC about how to treat a beloved fictional hero.  The character development of Sherlock is great.  The evolution of the friendship between the two main characters and their interaction with Scotland Yard is great. 

Love it, hope it does not get canceled.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Cutting the crusts of the Sandwich....so to speak

As the fourth of five children, I think I can safely say that by the time it got around to rearing me; Mom was exhausted.  Lunch pails were usually filled with PB & J slapped between two hunks of homemade bread.  Sometimes there would be chicken salad,, tuna salad, or just PB or J slapped between two hunks of bread. 

At lunch time, friends would open up their lunches and nibble on sandwiches cut into halves, or quarters, some with crusts cut off or sometimes the only child girl would have sandwiches cut in the shape of hearts. 

On special occasion's, church functions, ladies meetings, baby showers, wedding showers, or visiting Priests or Nuns, Mom would pull out the Wonder bread, mix things like celery and green onions, salt, pepper and paprika would be added into the salad and the sandwiches would be cut in ways that made heart sandwich girl look unloved in comparison. 

Being my Mothers daughter, Stus dinner usually consist of a handful of pellets in a bowl, more botanical hay on a plate, refill of the water bowl (with some cranberry juice in the water) and his salad: some lettuce (usually endive), some dandelion leaves, 2 or 3 collard or kale leaves, 2 or 3 leaves of some sort of choy, a few carrot tops, some dill and some parsley. None of it is cut up just put on a plate or a bowl and served up to him.  He never complains, he eats it all, and appreciatively shows up for more the next day.

Today at the grocery store I notice that Spring salad Mix is coming up to its best before date and has been reduced by 50 percent.  It has been a long week and I don't want to have to go to the vegetable market after work but the Salad crisper is pretty bare.  So I  decide to pick up a prepackaged salad for Stu. 

As I am struggling to get the top off of the plastic container Stu is circling my legs in excitement.  Once the cover is off I set the container down in front of him and he picks a tiny piece of one type of lettuce, nibbles it down, selects a tiny piece of another piece of lettuce, nibbles it down, ever so gingerly. I finish making the rest of his dinner,  fill a plate with the packaged salad and put the container in the fridge.

Stu reminds me of how I used to feel eating those tiny sandwiches my Mom used to make....I didn't need a sandwich with crusts cut off to know that Mom loves me but they did make me feel special every now and then.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Sooty Puddy Cat

(to the tune or Rubber Ducky)
Sooty Puddy
Your the one
That makes snuggle time so won-
der-ful



Sooty Puddy
Your the Cat
Your so fluffy, And your black
its true



Sooty Puddy
Your so wonderful
Sooty Puddy
Your so wonderful
Sooty Puddy
Your so won-der-ful


Because my conversations are usually about Stu; you may have the impression that Sooty is a neglected cat.  Truth is that Sooty absolutely refuses to be neglected. 

Yesterday was an example of my fluff muffin coming front and centre of what was going on.  Everything I tried to do she was under my feet while I washed dishes, hanging out in the basement while I sorted  laundry or lazing in the backyard while I pegged clothes to the line and folded dry laundry and of course when changing the bed linens she was right there chasing the sheets.  Once she was done helping and her cat bed was in its place at the end of  the bed, she stretched out on he back presenting her belly for a good old belly rub.  While rubbing her belly I felt a lump.......

Sweet Jesus and all the saints, don't let my cat be sick.  I am a very lapsed Catholic and don't remember all  the proper prayers and which saint to pray to for what so I  make up my own prayers.


It still feels like yesterday that Cleo was taken from me....I still come home from work and expect her to be at the top of the stairs, when I am sitting in the backyard I still look for her in the chair across from me.  The thought of something bad happening to Sooty is too scary to deal with.  

Today I call the vet and make an appointment for 2pm, leave work and come home, get the pet carrier from the basement and in order to get Sooty to come I snuggle with Stu.  Sure enough Miss Jealous comes thumping down the stairs and gets her head between my hand and Stu.  Then she turns into a wildcat as I attempt to get her into the carrier.  Amazingly I manage to get her in with no bloodshed.  

Sooty does not travel.  I take her to the vet only when she is ill because of the stress it causes her.  Today was the worst yet.  During the 4 block drive she turned into a dead weight, not moving and pressed to the floor of the carrier where she had peed.  The vet was held up and we had to wait about 15 minutes,  she did not come around all the time we were there, she cowered on the examination table with her tail under her.  The good news is that her stressed condition made her easy to examine,  normally she would not allow herself to be rolled on her back and have her belly poked and prodded unless it was her idea

The poking and prodding thankfully did not seem to have found anything significant.  Maybe a fatty deposit.  Taking a syringe sample would not likely reveal anything based on the location, so we are going to "wait and see" if it gets bigger surgery would have to be done to remove it, if it stays the same we are not going to worry.  There is no pain or change in her eating ect.  If it were not for the fact that she has not been to the vet for 8 years I think I would have been diagnosed as a hypochondriac.  Fortunately her stress was so apparent that the vet did not give me the usual lecture about how important annual checkups are.

back into the carrier and all the way home she is a dead weight in the carrier, she slithers out when I open the door , then realizing she is home starts rubbing against my leg, walks to the food bowl, and gives me the ultimate statement of love....the tail quiver.

I could not be happier. 


Saturday, September 11, 2010

The Legacy of September 11, 2001

Just when I thought 911 was being slotted to its horrific spot in history the whole Terry Jones fiasco rears up.


This man takes it upon himself to disrespect the faith of somewhere between 1-2 billion "B"illion people because a handful (or less) of that population committed such an atrocity nine years ago. Politicians worldwide have condemned this guy, but lots of people have given him validation.

Last week I was in the lineup at Walmart and read on the cover of a tabloid that President Barack Obama is Muslim. The proof was inside. The people behind me in line were noticing it too and they shook their heads saying that they did not believe it was true. I said that I did not believe so either, but that if he is it is not a crime worthy of such a headline.   After giving it a few seconds thought, they agreed with me.  It took a few seconds for them to realize that being Muslim is not a crime.

It seems more and more an insipid acceptance of racism against Muslim people (or just to be safe anyone with brown skin) is infesting American society.   And American Society has a very strong influence on Canadian Society and I suspect many European societies. 

After the attacks of 911, the United States and the world were numb, but made a conscious decision to NOT  give in to terrorists, to NOT sit in front of the television terrified by the repeated images of towers falling and get on with our lives.  I am hopeful that that same resolve can be recognized to turn us back from the backslide into racism that seems to be permeating popular feelings.

I wish I were only writing to commemorate the lives that were lost or devastated in the attacks 9 years ago, I feel I am committing a slur those lives and the families that have personally grieved, to be writing about anything else.  I honestly wish that this day would be set aside for them. 

This should not be a day for posturing.  Religions have their Holy days, Veterans have their days (albeit not significant enough to recognize their heroism) but today should be about the victims of the attacks, and the Free World that stood up refused to be defeated by those attacks.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

The Mighty Cranberry

It is a well known fact that Stu is a senior Bunny. When his health is well I really don't dwell on the fact, but the minute anything goes wrong I worry like crazy.  The last couple of days have been a little tense for BunnyMummy.  Stu has been suffering a bout of incontinence.  I will forgo the gory details, but for the past three days bunny bum baths have been a requirement in the BunnyMummy house. 


Sunday a full bath with a blow dry, Monday I used Witch Hazel to wipe things clean and noticed some bald spots and put some cream on, Tuesday used Witch Hazel as a poultice on the bald spots that were now looking red and put some petroleum jelly with Calendula to keep the bald spots dry, no blow dry so baby powder.  Stu has tried to be gracious about all this fussing but he clearly does not like it.  As luck would have it I had some Crasins in my desk drawer at work that I had brought home for him and have been giving them to him as a reward for his patience.  Knowing that cranberry juice is recommended for UTI for people I wondered if it might not help bunnies too and added some to his water bowl.

I know there is a Crasin in my Salad
Today I went out and got some new sheepskin bedding for his raw skin to lie in and a new Ionic blow dryer, thinking we are looking at baths a couple of times a week.  Call the Vets office but cant get an appointment till Friday, I book the appointment but decide that if things are not good when I get home I will take him to the clinic across town if they can get him in earlier.  When I come home he is dry, his bedding is dry, his litterbox has been used.  I pick him up and take him outside he hops around then settles down to nibble on some grass.

Sigh,! I am so relieved.  Not sure if I will cancel the vet appointment but for now I am praising the mighty cranberry


Stop taking pictures while I dig for it.