Recent Comments

1. 5 days ago on Breaking Cat News

   I’ve had carpel tunnel surgery on both hands twice (it’s a diabetic complication thing, not a reflection on the doctor who did the first surgery. I’ll be a bit surprised if I don’t need it every 10 years or so, unfortunately.) But even with all of my health complications, I came through it fine, and it truly helped both times. Now if I could do something about the neuropathy that’s setting in! But I hope your husband’s experience is no worse than mine, that it helps him, and that he comes through with flying colours.

2. 2 months ago on Breaking Cat News

   Oh my. I’m a Type 1 diabetic, and have been since I was a child, so I understand all too well. Type 1 is an auto-immune disorder (my immune system literally killed the part of my pancreas the produces insulin), while Type 2 is largely about insulin sensitivity – the part of the cell that recognize insulin stops working properly (largely due to genetics), and the body therefore tries to compensate by producing more insulin, and unused insulin turns to fat and makes one crave carbs (true in both types of diabetes), so it can become a very vicious cycle very quickly. If your cousin is sleeping all the time, it suggests that his blood sugars are so high and so poorly controlled that his body isn’t able to create enough energy to function. I went on an insulin pump 25 years ago (or so) after more than a decade of taking injections multiple times a day, and it saved my life. The pumps have come SO FAR just in the past few years, too. Of course, they only work if I’m willing to follow my doctor’s advice, including following a diabetic-friendly food plan. I’m so sorry that your cousin is slowly killing himself, and I hope it’s not too late for him to make better choices, and that he chooses to do so. And I’m so very sorry for him and you and your entire family.

3. 3 months ago on Breaking Cat News

   I guess I’m the odd duck here, because while I don’t listen to a LOT of opera (I do a lot of musicals, and classical, and classic rock, blues, jazz, folk – both modern and current, “alternative” or grunge rock, etc), opera has a special place in my heart. My grandfather sang in the Houston Grand Opera in the chorus for 10 years, and he DID love opera. I remember him singing to me in his beautiful bass voice (he sounded like James Earl Jones) from my childhood, and I still have some of the records from operas he sang in. I pull them out just to reminisce every so often. And I’ve been to several amazing operas in my lifetime, too. I do get that it’s an acquired taste, but…..I do happen to think that the human voice can be an instrument, and a beautiful one at that : )

4. 4 months ago on Pearls Before Swine

   I dunno – I still tend to be disappointed in certain behaviours, but not surprised. Granted, I’m more of a cynic than a pessimist (though I try to start my day by remembering that I am grateful for all the blessings of this life, I’m not a chipper morning person by any stretch of anyone’s imagination), so maybe the pessimists are never disappointed, and the cynics are never surprised when things go to he!! in a handbasket – though I’m always pleasantly surprised when things go well, or even just when they don’t go horribly wrong. And in all of it, I’m still grateful for this life.

5. 4 months ago on Breaking Cat News

   Does anyone else remember pet rocks? I personally think a pet rock would be PERFECT for TW. Maybe even a collection of pet rocks. That could be dusted weekly. And would not mind being on display. I bet she could even find a pet rock that kinda looks like a cat. If you squint just right and the light is a certain way and you hold your head just so……

6. 4 months ago on Pearls Before Swine

   Perhaps if the original commenter had started with “My true joy comes from…” rather than “True joy”, it wouldn’t have been so controversial. Lead by example rather than phrasing it in a way that implies one’s path is the best path for everyone?

7. 4 months ago on Arlo and Janis

   I work with several non-profit companies, and the non-profit tag is a something of a misnomer – even non-profits should seek to turn a profit every year, at least from a cash-flow basis. Any company that operates at a loss year after year has a potential going concern issue. The difference is that in a for-profit company, the goal of the profit is to benefit the owners or shareholders, and in a non-profit, the goal is to serve a specific population, often one that’s been marginalized in some way, or for which adequate social services are not available. Admittedly, there are some NPOs that misuse funds – I will never defend any NPO that overpays its executive staff or spends money on unnecessary expenditures. But the vast majority of NPOs struggle to get by, and they do incredibly important work, especially the small local ones. And if you want to see how a NPO spends their funds, and whether they are acting as responsible stewards, the Form 990 informational returns, which are typically public records and should be made available upon request, are a good place to start : )

8. 4 months ago on Arlo and Janis

   A couple of years ago, my mom’s recliner finally bit the dust (we’d had it since the mid-90s, and it survived 2 or 3 moves, so we more than got our money’s worth), and I went to local thrift stores to see if I could find a decent, gently used recliner, and what do you know? After browsing at several stores, I found just what I was looking for – a very nice, very comfortable leather recliner (soft leather, but easy to clean) for $40! What a find!

9. 4 months ago on Arlo and Janis

   I recently found a teeny tiny t-shirt from when I was maybe 2 years old – it was a custom shirt with the name of my parent’s band on it. Not quite the same since it’s obviously a memento, and I have no illusions about ever fitting into it again, but all the talk about discarding old clothes made me think of it. Still brings a smile to my face through every time I pull it out, and I have to hunt down that old cassette tape with their songs on it. Might have to do that today.

10. 4 months ago on The Buckets

    I sing to myself. I figure it’ll keep ‘em guessing and keep me from inserting both feet in my mouth. The taste of shoe leather never has agreed much with me! And sometimes, people will even sing along if they hear me – or I’ll get a grin. If there’s music on (like at the grocery store) I can just sing along, but if not, no worries! I can sing random songs out loud all day long. It’s a gift.