Misty on catnip

Meet the neighbors party band

Life

Tonight is one of those nights where I feel so alone. I'm so tired of being stuck in this apartment with no one to talk to. Not that I have anything to say. I'm not working, so I don't have any work stories, and I can't go very far, so how long does it take to tell someone you went to the doctor or to Starbucks today. After that there's nothing for me to say. So what's the point? I thought getting a cat would help and it does a little, but it's not the same as being with people. I use to hate to go to work, now I long for it. I just wish I knew when I could go back. I wish someone could tell me I'll be well in 3 months, then at least I would have something to look forward to. But all they say is it's going to take a long time to heal my legs and then there's chemo. The more time I have to think about chemo the more I am saying no to it. I don't know if I can or want to go through that.

Oh well, tomorrow is another day, and I can do the more of the same. Nothing........

Misty's blue eyes

Flying Fingers Yarn Shop

I ordered some yarn from this shop in Tarrytown, New York. They have this bus that takes you from New York City to their Westchester store.

Baylands Park

A nice day at Sunnyvale Baylands Park. I thought the wagon built for 2 with the unbrellas was very cute

Great America Fireworks May 25,2008

Watched the fireworks from the living room window. Used the Flip video recorder. Click on title to go to YouTube to watch video

Cobalt Blue Yarn

Well I didn't think I would be able to find Cobalt Blue yarn to knit an afghan for Victor, but I did. I ordered it tonight, can't wait to get the yarn so I can make the afghan for him. The picture shows you the yarn that I bought.

Monterey Sunset

Purple Power Flower

Goofy Victor

At the tuxedo shop

Pismo Beach

Pismo Beach Sunset

Dreaming about catnip

Purple Power Flower Podcasts

Click title to see a couple of Purple Power Flower podcasts I did a year ago.

Catnip

My cat loves catnip, so here's some information on the herb.

How does catnip work?

"Catnip" is the common name for a perennial herb of the mint family. It is native to Europe and is an import to the United States and other countries. The catnip plant is now a widespread weed in North America.

Given to the right cat, catnip can cause an amazing reaction! The cat will rub it, roll over it, kick at it, and generally go nuts for several minutes. Then the cat will lose interest and walk away. Two hours later, the cat may come back and have exactly the same response.

Because there really isn't any scent that causes this sort of reaction in humans, catnip is hard for us to understand. However, it is not an uncommon behavior in animals that rely heavily on their noses. For example, there are many scents that will trigger intense hunting behavior in dogs, and other scents will cause dogs to stop in their tracks and roll all over the scent.

Although no one knows exactly what happens in the cat's brain, it is known that the chemical nepetalactone in catnip is the thing that triggers the response. Apparently, it somehow kicks off a stereotypical pattern in cats that are sensitive to the chemical. The catnip reaction is inherited, and some cats are totally unaffected by it. Large cats like tigers can be sensitive to it as well.

The reaction to catnip only lasts a few minutes. Then the cat acclimates to it, and it can take an hour or two away from catnip for the cat to "reset." Then, the same reaction can occur again. Very young kittens and older cats seem less likely to have a reaction to catnip.

Schmap guide accepted my photo

Schmap guide accepted my photo for publication in their recent online guide. Click on title above to go to Schmap and see the photo.

Cane

Here's a picture of my cane. Who knew at 53 years old, I would own a cane and have to use it.

Flip video

I got this today. It's a Flip video recorder. I heard about it on the radio. They were talking about it as a great Mother's day gift because it's so easy to use. Software features include:
Browse, play and delete your videos.
Save your videos to your computer.
Make custom movies with music.
Capture photos from your video.
Share your videos online or by email.
Upload your videos to AOL or YouTube.

I'll try it out this weekend and put something on YouTube

Relay walk

Each year my sister-in-law does a Cancer relay walk. She helps to raise money for cancer research. I asked her if she was collecting donations as I had not heard from her like I usually do. She sent me the following email. I think it sweet that she is dedicating her walk to me. Here is a portion of her email:

Each year I dedicate my walk to someone. My first year was Gerry...aco-worker who is a 12 year stage 4 breast cancer survivor. Second yearwas Sandy Thomas, a co-worker who died of stomach/pancreatic cancer that year. Third year was my sister-in-law LInda's sister who reached her 5 year milestone as an ovarian cancer survivor. This year, I dedicate my walk to YOU. I know you are battling more than cancer but you are an example of courage and perseverance. Most people, including me, don't really know what you are going through. We can be there to incourage,to help, to do whatever, but we are not the ones who have to live it.Keep fighting Charlene. Be agressive with your treatments. When you feel able have the bone marrow test. Do whatever you need to do to get better because the world needs you and we need you. Hopefully, the small amount of money I collect when added to the money others collect will fund research that will improve treatments for cancer. Today inthe breakroom there is a poster about a spaghetti supper being held to raise money for a 4 year old girl who has neuroblastoma. No child should have to go through this.