Tag Archives: Depression

May 6, 2016 · 7:43 am

YAY – Painting Project Finished

As promised to my readers but mostly to myself I have finished this project which began on a holiday in Arizona last November 2015.  A more dedicated and experienced painter likely could have whipped it up in a few days however, I am not that person.

This project came together in the midst of ongoing home renovations, Christmas, January blues, ongoing treatment from my car accident in Nov 2014 which includes ice, heat, physio, massage, specific exercises, inflammation and reduction of exercises.  It seems so ongoing and endless.  Currently am in withdrawal mode from my beloved game of Pickleball. Temporarily.

Life with family happens on a daily basis – a son in a career change which brings intense training and gone away for half a year and adult kid travels to world-parts unknown to me which translates into worry, for my mama’s heart.  A daughter in law experiencing solo living while hubby is away in training.  A daughter who loves my back yard and sunny deck loves to pop in and out with tales of her day or week – a revolving door, in the front, then check the fridge, fill the biggest glass with water, out the back door, plop on the lounge chair, chat-chat-chat.  Suddenly it is time to go – with a scramble to gather most of her personal items.  I kid you not there is nearly always something left behind.   Then off she goes, out the fence gate on to who knows what experience or work project.

And, this reminds me – the design, creation then building of a fence around our little yard also happened this spring.  Hubby took care of nearly all the digging, protecting my budding plants (under  the scrutiny of my supervision) and construction and staining – daughter and I put in just enough help to validate our saying “we” built the fence together.

This awesome fence is going to let the wild bunnies know they are no longer welcome to nibble on my baby tomatoes in my veggie garden.  Maybe it will discourage the family of raccoon’s  from coming too close to try and nibble on Thomas the Cat.  There’s a lot of expectation on this fence and I sure hope it can take all the responsibility and pressure as it needs to contain a vast array of shrubs, flowers, climbing roses and other crawly vines I’ve forgotten the names of.  I saw this cool little gadget that fits over fence posts that a potted plant can sit in and  I’d like a couple of those too.

So, all that to say, no wonder it takes me so long to finish a painting….

IMG_4859

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October 27, 2012 · 7:53 pm

Thomas The Cat

Tabby Cat

Thomas the Cat

Picture this: Fall day, fireplace on, cat curled up on floor by the fire snoozing and me curled up in a chair across from him writing with laptop on lap, of course.   Thomas has been my companion for nearly 2 years and he has given me a reason to extend myself to another, to love, feed, nurture and give him a home.  He was rescued from the SPCA who had taken him in after being abandoned by his owner – him, his mate and a litter of babies.  I could only take him.

Some days I worry about him.  I spend equal amounts of time thinking about him, having moved him into that space in my brain, after husband and kids.  I think he needs a companion besides me but where I live, this is not allowed so I buy him toys, things that wiggle, flash lights and roll around and rattle.

I am concerned he may be depressed.  Can cats become depressed?  I sit with him, cuddle, pet, brush and I throw his favorite ratty mouse over and over and he fetches, he really does, then drops it at my feet to throw it again. He sleeps at the foot of my bed, on the bed. He sleeps a lot.

He loves me and I like that.  I like being needed…comes from training I suppose, being so needed when raising little children and it is hard to let go of, so this is my thinking, God created cats for empty-nesting mothers.

Thomas will sit for a treat, he will sit up with paws in the air, and he follows me from room to room just to see what I’m doing.  That is love…or perhaps he just thinks I might also have treats in those rooms too.

But when he lays on the floor, with head on paw and just looks at me as I wander back and forth, sighs and then looks away, that is when I worry and think he is depressed.  But then, I think – I think too much.

I had hoped for less cleaning of the house once the kids left but I’ve discovered this cat sheds a lot of his presence all over the house and it seems I am required to dust and vacuum more than this empty-nester wants.  I even wipe his nose drippings off the windows, more than when I had little kids doing similar face bumps against the glass.

However, having Thomas greet me at the door, with his smile and hello, who runs to his scratching post to work out the kinks he created while sleeping away his time while I was gone, then speak in cat language until I give him a treat or a meal and give me thanks by licking my toes, or walking across the laptop to let me know he’d like to snuggle is so worth a few thousand cat hairs drifting around the house.

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