Daredevil’s Birthday

Koki

Over the weekend, right after the challenge, my little daredevil, Koki, had her tenth birthday.  It’s hard to believe I’ve had her that long.  Time is flying by too fast.  I can remember the day we found her all bloody behind my back tire.

I don’t know if any of you celebrate birthdays for your animals but I do because they’re my kids.  Usually on birthdays, they get their favorite food.  In Koki’s case, this is cheese, something she got used to when she had a broken jaw as a wee baby.

The vet sewed a baby button on her chin after he wired her jaw shut.

I thought this was amazing.  I'd never seen anything like it before.

  
And I make them a birthday hat if it’s a momentous birthday, which ten qualifies for.  Of course, Koki isn’t one to sit still for a picture of her in a hat so I made her a necklace instead.  She didn’t particularly like that either, but I did manage to get a somewhat suitable pic. 

Koki turns ten-years-old

Later I got to thinking I should have gotten out the wrapping paper and pretended to wrap a package because she loves to get into the curling ribbon and always lets me put it around her neck.  I know this is because she thinks she’s really getting away with something.

Cats are so much like people in that regard.  It’s a whole lot more fun to do something you aren’t supposed to than to do something you’re told to do.

Anyway, my daredevil feasted on cheese because it was her idea.  I have to pretend I don’t notice her eating or she’ll leave the room.  This is her way of staying in control of her situation, or so she thinks.

She has calmed down some but still does some daredevil feats if it crosses her mind.

Happy birthday baby girl.  I hope I’m writing a post for your fifteenth birthday.

My Reflections on the A to Z blog challenge for 2015

We did it!!!

First, let me say I had a blast and can’t believe the challenge is over already.  This was my fourth year doing it and I love it for several reasons.

The challenge forces your mind to think of subjects to use for each letter.  Sometimes you have to get creative, as we all know some letters are difficult.

The challenge forces you to post daily (except Sundays), which is a good thing because it teaches discipline.

We meet many interesting people out there with lots to say.  Without the challenge, we wouldn’t know about the existence of half of these blogs (this is conservative) because the internet is a big place.

The challenge is fun, entertaining and educational.  What more could you ask for?

I know that many times life gets in the way of blogging, so do what I do and write and schedule your posts for the challenge ahead of time.  Once April rolls around you’re ready to go.  I find it fun and easy to read many blogs and leave comments if I abide by this practice.  If I tried to write a post daily and visit blogs, I’d never make it and would find myself stressed.  There’s enough stress in everyday life with unexpected things that come up.  The whole point of the challenge is to meet some interesting people and discover new blogs you want to visit year round.

If you like to write, my suggestion is to plan to do this next year.  If you don’t have a blog, you can start one.  They are free to set up using Blogspot or Word Press.  My advice is to write about what you know.  Put some thought into it and make it worthwhile for someone to read.  It should be at least a hundred words, but not too long.  (I have trouble with the length because I can never shut up)  If you don’t want to blog about your life or hobbies, you can use many themes for blogging.  You can also research subjects for your posts if you have more time.  Don’t forget to proofread before you post.

The other key is to post regularly, at least once a week.  Twice is better.  And always add pictures to your posts.  People love pictures.  Disable the CAPTCHA to make it easier for people to comment.  Once you’re up and running, visit other blogs you enjoy, read what they have to say and leave a comment.  Don’t forget to leave the link for your blog so they can check you out.

You can even post the link to your blog on your Facebook page.  I guarantee you’ll be having fun in no time.

Thank you to all the people who visited my blog during the challenge.  I appreciate you all for reading my posts and leaving a comment.  I look forward to the new relationships I’ve formed and to reading what you have to say during the coming year.

Ziploc Baggies

Ah-hah, I finally thought of something for this letter.  I honestly lay awake in bed with Z words running through my brain, thinking to write a poem with lots of Z words for the finale of this challenge.  Maybe I’ll save that for next year because then it hit me – baggies, something I use daily.

I would actually be lost without these things.  There is such a variety of sizes that it makes them practical for almost any use.

I really like the Ziploc brand because they have a better zipper seal than those other brands.  Oops!  There’s another Z word - zipper.

You can find tiny versions of these bags in the craft stores.  Not only are they good for crafts, but I find them very useful when traveling.  I put my vitamins in them and don’t have to pack the big bottles, which take up way too much room in the suitcase.  I also use them for earrings and other jewelry when traveling.  They’ll slip into your purse easily and the items won’t be tangled.

I use them in the kitchen all the time for various things, from cut up veggies to leftovers for the freezer.  I’ve also put extra parts in them that we need to keep, such as screws, washers, nuts, bolts, etc.  The list is endless.

All this thinking about Ziplocs had me curious as to when they were invented.  It turns out they were developed by Dow Chemical Company in 1968.  Today Johnson and Johnson market them.  To read the Wikipedia article click here.

Yard Sales

I like going to these, but not having one myself.  People are strange where I live and unless you’re practically giving it away, you’re better off to donate your junk or sell it on Craigslist.  That’s certainly better than sitting in the yard for hours waiting for people to come by.

They hold garage sales and yard sales here on Fridays and Saturdays.  It’s a no-no- to hold them on Sundays.  This is the first state I’ve lived in where very little business is conducted on a Sunday.

We did well with yard sales in California, but not here.  Tools and baby items are popular in this state, so you’ll get some lookers if you have those things for sale.  You better be prepared to strike a cheap bargain though, if you want the sale.

Looking at yard and garage sales is a completely different thing.  One man’s trash is another's treasure, as they say.  You never know what you’ll find if you’re willing to take the time.  I especially like the sales if the proceeds are going to a worthy cause.  My neighbor holds a yard sale twice a year to benefit homeless animals and the no-kill shelter where I live.  She does very well because people like giving to the animals when they buy something from her.

Do you frequent garage sales?  Have you ever found a real bargain?

Xebec

Here’s a bit of old history.  The xebec is a Mediterranean sailing ship common from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries.

These ships were small and fast, thus ideal for use in warfare or by pirates.  They were useful in raids. 

The Spanish and French Navy used these vessels in the 1700’s.  The early boats had two masts and the later ones three.  In wartime, the ship could hold up to 400 men and 16-40 guns depending on its size.  In peacetime, this ship could transport merchandise.

Drawing of xebec

Xebecs were equipped with a lateen rig (large triangular sail mounted at an angle to the mast).  This allowed the vessel to “tack against the wind” and gave it an advantage when maneuvering around other ships or making a fast getaway.  The bow and stern extended in length over the hull giving the boat a lot of area for sails.  The sails could also be lowered quickly for passage under bridges.

Because of the lateen rig on the xebec, they were most useful in the Mediterranean Sea.  Square sails served better when sailing in the Atlantic Ocean due to the wind.

The Portuguese also used these vessels for long distance exploration.

So there you have it.  I bet this is something you didn’t know about history.

Weird Dreams

I’m the queen of weird dreams.  If I can manage to sleep more than three or four hours a night, I always dream something crazy, usually in the wee hours of the morning.  I don’t know where this stuff comes from.  The things I dream have nothing to do with my recent reading material, current TV shows I’ve watched, or things I’ve read surfing the internet.

I’ve kept a dream journal about all this bizarre stuff for at least the last twenty years.  I keep thinking a pattern will emerge but the only thing concrete at this point is the fact I’m usually around lots of people.

The last week in March, I was dreaming about Sharon Osborne.  I don’t think I’ve ever dreamed about the Osborne’s before.  In my dream, she was running a beauty salon in a western town.  At least all the buildings were western style in architecture.  She must have been in a mall-type situation because there were lots of other rooms and waiting areas in the place, and many people milling about. 

She gave me a purse-type case with lots of wrapped packages inside.  The wrapping paper was old-fashioned, similar to newsprint or an old newspaper, but with small floral patterns on it and each tied separately with curling ribbon.  After I got home, or where I was staying, my husband started opening them.  Some were flat and others were tiny boxes. 

A flat one had an announcement in there that stated Ozzy was going deaf.  My husband asked me if I gave her my condolences and of course I didn’t know, so I went back to talk to her.  She was busy working on someone’s hair so I decided to wait. 

While waiting I saw a man come in for surgery.  He had a bandage on his head and was in a wheelchair.  They wheeled him into another room.  There was a kitchen in yet another room.  A group of people in white clothes was busy cooking fish.  They started washing up kitchen utensils to use in the operating room.  “This will be fine,” they kept telling the man who looked skeptical as they brought in spatulas, big kitchen forks and knives.

I went to the restroom and a large gray, fluffy cat followed me in.  The room was tiny with a sink and toilet and a shoebox-sized litter box.  The cat got in to do his business standing and waving his tail in a flag as he sprayed the entire bathroom and me.  I had my arms up to protect myself.  I saw the cat lounging earlier on a cushion in the waiting room where there were skylights and potted plants all over.

When I came out, I went to another restroom and cleaned up.  This one was bigger and some girls helped me sponge up my arms and legs and change clothes.  I wasn’t mad at the cat because the litter box was too small for him.  Then I went to the kitchen to eat fish while I waited for Sharon.  Then…I woke up.

What do you make of this dream?  Have you ever dreamed anything bizarre?

The Vaccary

I grew up on a farm so this is a fitting word because we had many cows.  I decided to research pastures from ancient times.

The vaccary is an archaic word meaning a cow pasture or dairy farm.  In medieval times, it was linked to grazing land in the moors and valleys of the Pennines in Yorkshire and Lancashire.

 Old vaccary in Pendle UK

 

In the thirteenth century, numbers of vaccaries were carved out of old private hunting chases of nobility, who created them in an attempt to get some revenue back from their holdings.  Vacarries were small-scale commercial cattle farms.  In places around Pendle in the UK (more famous for its witches), you can still see the big stone slab walls that kept the cattle enclosed.

The word is from Medieval Latin, derived from vacca (for cow) and vaccinate (Latin vaccinus) for the cowpox serum used to protect people from smallpox.

This information is from World Wide Words