Hi, Tracy, sunny cooler Sunday greetings to you and your precious Theresa and little Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits, and that you are being able to enjoy this day together.

I'm so glad you have access to medical care again, my friend. I have been in favor of a national health plan, but I must confess from what I am discovering from the current implementation with the Affordable Care Act there is a huge difference in what was supposed to be in effect and what actually is. It has been inconscienable to me that people in this country have not had access to quality medical care due to inability to pay enormous premiums for insurance coverage. As with any new program there are kinks in the ACA that definitely need to be corrected, but I'm very glad to know you now have access to medical care.

It is a quiet day here. My precious Noah is curled up on my lap as I'm writing to you. The birds are chirping but not many sunbeams today as the clouds are beginning to gather for the rain expected later on and continuing through most of tomorrow.

Thank you for your kind thoughts and concern about my eye. It continues to improve as I use the ointment, so this is good news.

I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Sunny and slightly warmer greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope you are both well. I'm glad to hear the ointment seems to be working out.

Yeah, there are parts of the ACA I'm not fond of either (such as the tax fines for being without) But no system is perfect. It's better than doing nothing as many of its opponents seemed to be suggesting. I just wish someone was working as hard on affordable housing (i.e. stop the apartment rental price gouging because the mortgage crisis allows for it) and unemployment.

Speaking of the latter, it's getting harder not to fall into a deeper and deeper depression. Oh I still try to plug away, but there just does not seem to be any joy in even the simplest things such as a warm sunny day, or watching the local critters play, etc. A loss of a feeling of self worth is getting harder and harder to fend off as each day passes.

I try to hang on to the only bright spot that is Theresa and Tang. Both are doing well, by the way. It's only just now getting warm enough to consider opening up the balcony. We'll see if they bite. I hope today is being kind to you and Noah and that you both have a peaceful evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, thank you so much for sharing with us how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing.

I do understand how you're feeling when you share with us in regard to unemployment: ". . . it's getting harder not to fall into a deeper and deeper depression. Oh I still try to plug away, but there just does not seem to be any joy in even the simplest things such as a warm sunny day, or watching the local critters play, etc. A loss of a feeling of self worth is getting harder and harder to fend off as each day passes." One of the things the panel particpants on the PBS newshour included in their discussion is the eventual loss of "self worth" people experience when they are repeatedly unsuccessful in obtaining employment quickly. EVERYONE on the discussion panel agreed the problem is NOT with the person who is unemployed but with the SYSTEM that discriminates against them.

So please, my friend, keep "slaying the dragons" of depression and feelings of "worthlessness" that rise up and try to drag you down into a dark bottomless pit. I know it isn't easy, and it is a battle you cannot fight alone. I hope in some way my support and encouragement, along with LoveMyMickey, and others, will offer you strength and courage as you continue your quest for employment.

Noah is stretched out on my lap taking his nap as I'm writing to you. I hope you and your precious Theresa and little Tang will have a peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening. As always, I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam.

Yes, the support you, DannysMom, LoveMyMckey and others offer is helpful and appreciated and I am very thankful. Even having such a panel validate that it's not my fault, it does not lessen the impact of being is such a precarious and uncertain situation. I keep trying to slay the dragons, as you say for what else can do?

I look at all the people around here who do not appear to keep any regular schedule in their coming and going (indicating, you know, a job?) living way better than me. I have to wonder - what did I do wrong that I have to scrape by while they skate through life seemingly care free? Oh well. Grousing about won't make it any better. At least I have the kittles with me.

Hi, Tracy, cloudy, sometimes rainy Monday greetings to you and your precious Theresa and little Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in reasonably good spirits.

Tracy, I do understand how you're feeling when you share with us: "Even having such a panel validate that it's not my fault, it does not lessen the impact of being is such a precarious and uncertain situation." All the words in the world will not solve a problem - - it takes action from those who are in a position to change the situation - - such as employers offering good paying jobs and having EQUAL OPPORTUNITY to those jobs - - and an actual job offer, legislators ensuring access to services to those who are unemployed and struggling, etc.. It is little comfort to be in a boat with others that feels like it is sinking fast with no evidence of help on the horizon.

But it is those who endure through the dark moments in their lives - - who persevere - - who do eventually enjoy a victory. Just keep doing what you're doing, my friend - - you're doing the best you can.

Not a lot happening around the homestead today. The big desk top is going through its updates and scans, and my precious Noah is here beside me keeping me company as I'm writing to you. It's time to get some lunch in his bowl, so I will get this off to you.

As always, my friend, I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Gray, gloomy and rainy greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope you are both well.

Thank you for the kind words of support. Unfortunately, those in a position to do anything don't really care about the rest of us. This climate has made it very easy for employers to make people jump through hoops and give up any privacy in order to have the honor of getting a job just above the poverty line. I remember it being like this in the 80s and telling myself "It can't stay this way forever" and it didn't. But, I'm afraid the days of hope for change are probably gone forever. All one can hope for these days is the stay above water I suppose.

Theresa and Tang are OK, but not enjoying the gloomy day any more than I am. I started the morning making sure my UE payment had been sent from yesterday's claim. Then after 2 1/2 hours of trying, I finally got through to MUSCL to set up an appointment for May rent assist on Wednesday @ 9:30 AM. After that I did my usual online odyssey of work search with not much luck so far. But, I keep each email in a special folder for my work search records.

The kids are napping in their respective chairs as I am writing. I hope today is being kind to you and Noah and that you both have a blissful evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, sunny gusty windy Tuesday greetings to you and your precious Theresa and little Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in reasonably good spirits.

I'm so glad you have an appointment tomorrow with MUSCL so that you can continue to receive assistance while you need it. Just keep doing what you're doing my friend in your job searches - - you're doing the best you can under very difficult circumstances. Please let us know how things go.

I'm glad to know that your precious companions are doing well. I know so well having them with you keeps you focused on forging forward and mindful of the blessings in your life.

Had a bit of a challenge with this lap top gizmo this morning. Turned it on as usual - - all systems seemed to be working okay. Had to do a restart to accommodate the security updates, but when it booted back up I could not access the curser. This has happened in the past for no apparent reason, so I did the "ctrl alt delete" thing to shut the computer down - - no response. Then I did what a Dell tech told me to do during a previous situation to take the battery out for several seconds, then put it back in and start up the lap top. It took two of these operations to "restore" the computer so that I could once again access the curser. I'm so glad this operation eventually worked because I wasn't looking forward to talking to a computer tech in India.

Have a load of laundry going which is ready to be put into the dryer. I have canceled my eye appointment for tomorrow. The inflammation around my eye has significantly improved with the help of the ointment, and since my eye was not involved, there is no reason for me to use another co-pay for a follow up visit with this. I only have two more co-pay medical appointments available this year, and one of them has to be with my medical doctor later on this year to talk about insurance options for next year as to how I can keep him for my primary physician.

Noah is doing well. He is thoroughly enjoying the sunbeams today, as am I. The birds are singing cheerily. I hope you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are being able to enjoy this day together.

I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Partly sunny and cooler greetings to you and your precious Noah. I'm glad he is enjoying the sunbeams. I'm sorry to hear about your laptop challenges but it's good you got it fixed finally. Glad to hear the ointment is helping out.

It would seem that my dark moods from my situation are making their way into my one avenue of escape - my dreams. One day starts to seem like any other with no end in sight. I keep up with my efforts to return to work and get what ever assistance I can. Nothing tangible to report so far

Theresa and Tang are doing OK, and Tang even took a brief jaunt onto the balcony when the sun began to peak out through the clouds. Hanging over the ledge like he was on the prowl I made sure he didn't get to far over though. Both are napping in their chairs at the moment.

Not much else to report. I hope today is being kind to you and Noah and that you both have a most pleasant evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, sunny pleasant Wednesday greetings to you and your precious Theresa and little Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in reasonably good spirits.

When we are enduring major problems in our lives it is natural that our dreams try to reconcile the events happening - - or that have happened. Because of the burden on your heart, Tracy, it is important that you try to find something positive to focus on - - and you don't have far to look to your precious Theresa and little Tang. They are your reasons to keep trying and persevering.

This morning was not blustery windy and the sun was shining brightly so I got into my yard work clothes and raked the back yard to clean up the chaff from the high winds in preparation to get some grass seed down - - which I was able to do. It's the first seeding but it's good to finally have the seed down to take advantage of the early spring rains. It feels good to get this done. With Noah's dental procedure on Friday I could not work outside Friday, and don't want to work outside Saturday while he's still recovering from the surgery. So today was the best day for me to work on this project. I would like to get some organic fertilizer down and have been looking for agricultural corn fertilizer that the Dirt Doctor has mentioned in his segment of House and Home, but so far haven't been able to find it anywhere. I'll keep looking.

Noah is doing well. He is curled up on my lap taking his nap as I'm writing to you. It's nice to be relaxing with him after the activity of the day.

I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Sunny and warmer greetings to you and your precious Noah. I am glad he is well, and hope you are too. I'm glad to hear you got your seed down, and hope you can find the fertilizer you're looking for. Let me know how Noah's appointment goes.

I suppose you are right about dreams; they are funny things anyway. Speaking of Theresa and Tang, they are both doing OK. There has been balcony time with the good weather. Theresa enjoyed some when I got home late this morning, but has been napping since then. Tang has been doing his "pawing" until he can get in my lap at the computer, but is confounded when I stop him there. Right now he is on the balcony prowling and chattering at the local wildlife.

The MUSCL appointment went well, but I misunderstood how it works. Apparently, they have a cap of 300.00 that they will help anybody with; the tenant is on their own for the rest. I think the case worker saw the stress on my face at that, and said there may be another program I can qualify for once the 300.00 is pledged from the churches. So far, I have a 100.00 just starting today. I have several more that I have left messages for and have not yet called me back, and 2 that gave me times to call back tomorrow. Only 3 have been unable to help.

I continue with vigilance my attempts to return to work; that would fix a lot of problems I think. I appreciate all thoughts and prayers to that end. I hope today is being kind to you and Noah and that you both have a peaceful evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, sunny pleasant Thursday greetings to you and your precious Theresa and little Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in reasonably good spirits.

I'm glad your appointment with MUSCL went okay yesterday, although I can feel your dismay about the "shortage" of financial support for your upcoming rent. I hope you will be able to find other sources to help cover the "balance" of funds that MUSCL cannot provide. Please let us know how things go.

I am so very sorry this is a stressful time for you, my friend, and I do understand what a HUGE burden not having a decent job is. I truly wish there was a way I could help provide you with a guaranteed job to achieve this goal, my friend, but unfortunately I do not have this power. The only thing I can offer you is my genuine support and encouragement to just keep doing what you're doing - - you're doing EVERYTHING in your power to obtain another job. Please let us know what happens.

Did the Microsoft security updates today on the big desk top, and upgraded the IE browser to IE 9, as it had been running IE 8 which was installed last fall when my computer guru installed W7. Everything seems to be running okay. Also worked on some financials - - need to keep on top of that.

Otherwise Noah and I are enjoying this day together. He is anxiously awaiting for me to get some lunch in his bowl. He is soooooo funny - - he ALWAYS knows when it's time for a meal.

I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Sunny and warm greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope you are both well. Glad to hear your updates went well.

I always appreciate the thoughts and prayers. Writing about my troubles is just a way of trying to cope I suppose. Since yesterday, I have been able to raise half of the 300.00 goal set by MUSCL. I have a few churches that have not called me back and two more I need to call tomorrow.

On the job search front, I have had more movement than I have been writing about. I just didn't want to jinx it. Last week I had an interview for a M-F night shift for a company here in my area (30 minute walk, tops) The interview went well, and I had high hopes. I emailed about it today and got the standard "no thank you" I have had calls from 2 agencies about jobs downtown today. One is fairly low pay and only a 6 week assignment, but I had her submit me. The second one, I didn't get the agent who called me, but his assistant. We talked for a bit and she is supposed to get back to me. So far nothing yet on either. One more is a direct hire CS for the newspaper downtown. I did the phone screen/interview and must have passed because I go in for "testing" on Monday. I'm not sure what to make of that except that's how it was at LG&E - if you passed you were hired. But that was contract, so who knows.

Theresa and Tang are doing OK and have enjoyed balcony time this morning. I think they have been spooked my the low flying military jets though. Saturday is the air and fireworks show for the opening of the Kentucky Derby festival, and I live across the highway from the airport. Not much else going on but the same old same old (sigh) I hope today is being kind to you and Noah and that you both have a very peaceful evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, sunny warm T G I F greetings to you and your precious Theresa and little Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in reasonably good spirits.

I'm very glad to share your news that you do have some employment prospects in the works, and hope and pray that you will achieve employment that will financially sustain you and your precious fur tribe. Please let us know how things go, my friend. And please let us know how things are going with your rent assistance.

I'm sorry your precious Theresa and little Tang are not being able to enjoy their balcony time due to the aircraft traffic. I hope this weekend will not be too stressful for them. One thing for sure - - they have a daddy who dearly loves them and will take care of them.

Noah has come through the dental procedure without any problems. Dr. Bolen is extremely pleased with his pre-surgical blood work: blood glucose was 114 and his kidney values are well within the normal range. He did need an extraction of a tooth that was looking very rough with some infection forming, so he will be on an antibiotic for a couple of days or so to clear that up. Dr. Bolen inquired about my being able to brush his teeth, and I told her Noah had let me know as a kitten that it was not something he would tolerate. She understood completely and confessed that even she does not brush her kitty companions' teeth either - - it is something they just don't tolerate very well. So she agreed the best course of treatment is just to keep a good watch on his teeth and gums, and try to shoot for an annual cleaning regimen if necessary. I can pick him up in a couple of hours.

To keep myself occupied I bit the bullet and did some serious cleaning in the bathroom and dusting and vacuuming. I didn't get everything done that I thought I could, but the worst of the grit and grime in the most important areas is now clean. It felt good to get my shower and I'm having my lunch as I'm writing to you. Of course the best part of the day will be when I'm bringing my little boy home.

My friend, I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Partly sunny, warm and breezy greetings to you and your precious Noah. I'm glad to hear he came through his dental procedure so well; I'm sure that is a relief to you. I hope you are doing well also.

Thanks for the well wishes for Monday. I was chatting on FB last night with a woman I worked with at LG&E who has been with the paper for a year and really likes it. I told her where I was and she said that's a good sign, and that they tend to work fairly quickly. One can only hope as I'm feeling at the end of my rope. But then, when aren't I? (sigh)

I continued chipping away with the MUSCL project. While I was out to the library to drop off and pick up holds, I received a call from them and a church. The messages were basically the same: The one that turned me down for being outside their zip code went ahead and pledged 25.00 which puts me at 175.00. There was another church that wanted MUSCL to contact them for verification and the MUSCL rep said in the message she would. I googled about another 10 churches in my area yesterday and left messages with them too as I have already called all on the list.

Theresa and Tang are doing OK. They both enjoyed some balcony time when I got home. Especially Theresa, which has not happened in a while. She rolled and stretched like she used to do Tang has been doing something cute lately too. When ever I pass the bedroom and he's on the bed, he lifts his head slightly and down again. It almost looks like he's saying "What's up"

I hope today is being kind to you and you had no trouble getting your little man home, and that you both have a very pleasant evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, sunny pleasant Caturday greetings to you and your precious Theresa and little Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in reasonably good spirits.

I'm so glad you were able to talk to a former LG&E co-worker yesterday who is now with the paper, and that she was able to give you some positive encouragement about your prospects with the CS job you applied for. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers that you will be able to get another job, and hopefully this one, quickly. Please let us know how things go on Monday with your appointment at the newspaper, and how things progress on other opportunities you are pursuing.

I truly am very sorry you are having to endure the stress of seeking assistance with your rent, my friend. I'm glad you were able to receive the donation from the church that is not in your zip code, and hope other organizations will contribute to your needs. Please let us know how things go, my friend.

Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers for my precious Noah yesterday. He was still very much under the influence of the anesthesia when I brought him home, but despite this he was very eager to have something to eat, and ate his dinner with much enthusiasm. He was very restless and disoriented for most of the night, but he appears to be more like his normal self today. I'm glad I remembered to put the gates up at the bottom of the basement steps last night, and will remove them later on this afternoon. Since it is a very pretty day here, we are enjoying having the big door opened and gated for the spring fresh air and the symphony of the woodland residents.

I'm so glad your precious Theresa and little Tang enjoyed their balcony time yesterday, and hope they will be able to enjoy some quality balcony time today as well. That is so cute about Tang acknowledging your checking up on him when he is relaxing on the bed. There is no doubt whatsoever he knows you love him.

It's time for me to get some lunch in my precious Noah's bowl, so I will get this off to you. As always, my friend, I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Sunny, warm and breezy Caturday greetings to you and your precious Noah. I'm glad to hear he came through his procedure so well and has a good appetite.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers in regard to the job search and seeking assistance. I need all the help I can get I truly hope things do come full circle. Not just in the fact that I know someone from LG&E that works there, but that it's just about 2 blocks down the road from LG&E.

Theresa and Tang both are doing OK and enjoyed some balcony time this morning before the air show. It was a picture moment, but they are still camera shy and the moment was lost. I myself pulled my comfy cross folding chair out there to read my latest Star Trek novel from the library. The weather was nice and I lost track of time because I finished all 400 pages, and I only picked it up yesterday. Another reason I went out there was because Tang "appropriated" the couch and I didn't have the heart to move him. BTW the "Sergeant" has been promoted to "Lieutenant" As there was a Tang character in this book too

I hope today has been treating you and Noah kindly and that you both have a very peaceful evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi Tracy,

Happy Caturday Evening to you, Lt. Tang, and Princess Theresa. ...I love this weather, I wish it would stay this way all summer. Like I said in my other thread, I saw a small white butterfly flying around in the back yard. Then later when I took some can food out for Smokey, a small dark butterfly flew on the carport and tried to light on me. (Maybe Blackie sent that one.)

We have about 4 or 5 different cats that come by to eat at different times. Hubby sets them out several servings of dry food in the morning and again at night. He said, "If I get to Heaven, I hope my job will be feeding the animals."

I hope you and furbabies have a good evening and enjoy Thunder Over Louisville. .......Good Luck with all the things you have to deal with next week. I'm having to deal with Medicaid (once a year) again for my mother (in nursing home).

God Bless and TTFN....

LMM

Hi LoveMyMickey. Happy Caturday to you, hubby, and the kitties. What a lovely sentiment on his part. Thank you for the well wishes for the coming week.

I'm glad Mickey sent you the white butterfly. Perhaps the darker one was sent by Blackie to say "Thank you kind lady for helping me" The only thing I got today was a hyperactive carpenter bee

As I said, the the kids got some balcony time this morning before the air show. Even so, the fly overs have not been to plentiful. But they sure shook the building when they did The fireworks will start at sundown and I hope poor Tang does not think it's thunder and have flashbacks. He always hides near me - and I swear Theresa teases him, poor baby.

I hope you, hubby and the kitties are well and enjoy a very nice evening. TTFN


TTT

I had a good laugh about the "hyperactive carpenter bee."

I hope Tang doesn't get scared tonight.

LMM

Thanks. It looked like a male and they don't even have stingers but boy, are they ever aggressive. (Napoleon Complex?)

Hi, Tracy, sunny warm Sunday greetings to you and your precious Theresa and little Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits.

I hope you and your precious companions had a peaceful evening last night with the fly over activity from the airport. The loud noise of the engines and the rattling of the building from the "g-forces" can be very unsettling for sure. Your precious Tang is blessed to have your loving comfort to turn to when he gets frightened, as is your precious Theresa.

Noah and I are enjoying the big door open and gated again today to enjoy the songs and sounds of the woodland residents. Even though I have a screen on a tension rod hanging across the door frame bees still find a way to come inside. Fortunately most of the time I am able to guide them back out with the assistance of an old broom I keep by the door just for that purpose.

Nothing else happening here today. I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Sunny, windy and quite warm greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope you are both doing well.

As I said, the fly overs were not plentiful and I could not even hear the fireworks later. I don't know if that's because I'm getting older and my hearing is not as sensitive, or if I'm learning to tune it out.

I'm starting to see the bees around here too which is why I kind of bailed on balcony time. That, and it's a very warm 83 and I don't want to have the windows open. Theresa and Tang are doing OK just the same.

I still wanted to get some air, as it were. So I took a walk around the property and the office park next door. I stopped to sit at a bench under a shade tree to read, but the wind really started to kick up making it difficult. I sat there a bit longer watching a squirrel scurry around with some morsel of food. Not much else going on.

I hope today has been kind to you and Noah and that you both have a blissful evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, cloudy very humid Monday greetings to you and your precious Theresa and little Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits.

Glad you had a chance to get out and about a little bit yesterday to enjoy some of the scenery around your homestead. Squirrels are quite fascinating to watch. I hope this outing was able to refresh your spirit a little bit. And I am keeping you in my thoughts and prayers today as you undergo the testing portion of your CS application at the newspaper. Please let us know how things go.

Am doing the security updates and scans on the big desk top today, and have the monthly bank statement to print off in preparation for the checkbook balance-a-thon to do. Although there aren't many sunbeams to enjoy today my precious Noah is curled up on his lamb's wool cushion in front of the window next to the bed listening to the songs of the woodland residents.

My friend, I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Formerly rainy, now just cloudy and breezy greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope you are both doing well.

Well, I started out on my trek with it raining and VERY windy. It stopped when I got on the bus, then started up again when I got off downtown. Then it stopped the minute I stepped into the main lobby of the Courier-Journal. I was kept waiting almost 45 minutes past my appointment time, and found out it was because they only had one testing PC available and the guy ahead of me was taking forever. When I went up, I did the written portion to test tech skills, then the PC test for customer service scenarios.

The HR lady looked very pleased when she tallied my score and grabbed a manager right then and there and asked if he could do an interview (since I had been there so long) We proceeded with that and he handed me back over to the HR lady. She stated "I'm so sorry to have kept you here so long, but I think you will find it worth it. We would like to extend you and offer of full time employment for the roll of technical/customer support agent" I did some paperwork, went 2 blocks down for the drug test, and even got to pick my own schedule since I'm the first to be hired in this round. I picked 8-6 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and 9-1 on Sunday (everybody works Sunday) With Thursday and Saturday off. Oh, as I was getting ready to leave my friend was walking by. So the HR lady had her walk me back down. She told me (in confidence) That I had the highest test scores they had ever seen!

I don't start until 04/28 for 6 weeks of training (M-F 9-5:30) So it's not going to help in my other predicament, but I'm forging forward to get as close to the 300.00 pledges as I can. Then I guess I'll see if I qualify for the other program the MUSCL lady mentioned. Either way, it's going to be very tight until I start getting regular paychecks. At least this is a direct hire with no more of that contract/temp nonsense.

Theresa and Tang are well and enjoying balcony time now that the rain has stopped. I was gone almost 8 hours, but it was certainly worth it. I hope today has been kind to you and Noah and that you both have a most pleasant evening. TTFN

TTT

Thanks LMM

It's been almost 4 years to the date that I have had a direct hire job.

Hi, Tracy, cloudy, sometimes rainy Tuesday greetings to you and your precious Theresa and little Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in VERY GOOD spirits.

CONGRATULATIONS on your new job!!! This is WONDERFUL NEWS!!! I am SOOOOOOO HAPPY for you, my friend!!! I know your precious Theresa and little Tang are celebrating this wonderful news with you, too. While I know there is still some time of financial concern for you until you begin earning a steady paycheck, at least you can begin to see a light at the end of the tunnel - - real hope that you will now have a chance to get your life back on track as you have been wanting to do for so very long. I hope your starting salary will provide you the opportunity to begin this process. I look forward to knowing how things go for you in this new job, and continue to keep you in my thoughts and prayers that you will receive the financial assistance you need through the challenging times that are still before you. Please let us know how things go.

I received a call late yesterday afternoon from the vet's office checking up on how Noah is doing since his dental procedure on Friday. That was very nice of the vet tech to do this, and I was able to give her a good report. He has 4 days left on his antibiotic, including today, and he is being such a good boy taking his meds with the Pill Pockets. He is my precious, sweet boy.

My friend, my heart is soaring with your WONDERFUL NEWS, and I know you must be SOOOO EXCiTED looking forward to a new PERMANENT FULL TIME job. This is a goal you have been striving toward for many a time, and I hope and pray with ALL MY HEART this job will be a blessing to you - - financially as well as providing you an atmosphere of encouragement to succeed. I'm sooooo glad you were able to pick your hours and hope the transportation schedule will be accommodating for you - - particularly on the holidays.

All is well here. Noah is on his lamb's wool cushion taking a little nap until it's time for lunch as I'm writing to you.

I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Cloudy and chilly greetings to you and your precious Noah. I'm glad to hear he is continuing to do well and hope you are also.

Thank you for your kind support on the news. It's the same rate as Refund Advantage but based on 40 hours, not that 37 nonsense. It's been quite some time since I've had to work Sundays, but it's only 1/2 a day. I know I should be doing cartwheels, but I'm somehow not as pumped up as I should be. I don't know if it's the financial juggernaut still ahead of me, or the fact that I have been "at it" so long that it feels unreal or anti climatic. At least I know there is light at the end of the tunnel as you said. I did chat with my friend on FB and she said they had many good things to say about me, and that was encouraging. The commute on Sundays and holidays should not be bad since it's downtown.

Theresa and Tang are doing OK, but it's too cold for balcony time today. There were even a few flurries this morning Both are resting comfortably at the moment. I hope today is being kind to you and Noah and that you both have a most pleasant evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, thank you so much for sharing with us how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing. Sometimes when the journey to achieving a goal has been a long and tiring one it does take awhile for the "good" part to sink it to where it actually feels "real." Hopefully you will begin to know the reality of your "good fortune" when you begin your new job - - and have it reinforced each and every day. For now, though, you can begin to say to yourself with some confidence, "this time next month I will be able to pay this bill on time" and "in "x" number of weeks I'll be able to take Theresa (or Tang) (or both) in to have their teeth cleaned" - - and so on. You can begin to look for the POSITIVES, my friend - - one POSITIVE at a time.

I'm soooo glad Noah and I do not live along the I-81 corridor as those areas are getting snow today. We haven't had any of the heavy rain that has been forecasted - - at least not yet - - but we are getting some moisture for which I am thankful.

My precious Noah is letting me know it's time for me to get some lunch in his bowl, and he's right. Once again, my friend, I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hi moon_beam.

You are probably right about the length of time I have fought this uphill battle, and that it may take a while to really "sink in" The financial challenges still ahead of me until then are probably a factor too. I have left messages with other churches today, and spoke with one just a bit ago. He is supposed to get back to me today or tomorrow.

I hope Noah enjoyed his lunch. I hope you are both having a great day. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, sunny chilly Wednesday greetings to you and your precious Theresa and little Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits.

Thank you so much for sharing the update on how things are going in your queries for financial assistance with your rent. I hope you will receive positive responses from your inquiries. Please let us know how things go.

Today was errand day into town to pick up Noah's food from the vet. I also stopped off at the Lowe's and purchased a re-chargeable battery operated trimmer to use in areas that the mower simply cannot reach. It's a Toro which I have researched online. I had a $25 VISA gift card from Christmas and used that toward the purchase, which helped cut the price in half. Another nice feature about this trimmer is that the line is automatic feed - - so no more pounding the head on the pavement / ground to get the line to feed through - - and most of the time unsuccessfully. I have been wanting something like this for several years now, and it's nice to have this little piece of equipment now in the yard work arsenal. Almost ended up in a fender bender a couple of times with cars trying to pass me on the left side of the car whilie I was clearly signaling to make a left turn. Needless to say I am very, very thankful to be home without any mishaps.

Noah hid when he saw me getting ready to leave, but was eagerly greeting me at the door when I got home. He has had his lunchand is a very happy boy as I'm writing to you, and the timer on the stove is letting me know that mine is ready now.

I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Sunny and cool greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope you are both well. I'm sorry to hear about your near miss in traffic but glad you are OK. Chuckling at Noah hiding when you were leaving. I guess the vet visit is still fresh in his mind, poor baby. The trimmers that you have to pound on the ground to get new cord, sure do bring back memories for me.

It's sunny here, but only made it up to 50 today with wind. I just opened the door to the balcony and Tang stepped out briefly. Today was spent coordinating with MUSCL and churches. The one that was supposed to call me back today didn't. I guess I will try them again tomorrow. Another one called back and said they could not help me again so soon (sigh) When I called the lady at MUSCL, she said she was still waiting to hear back from the one that wanted her to contact them rather than talk to me. What ever I am able to collect will go to May rent. She is also looking into a grant to help. She did say she could extend the time due to the circumstances. Wish me luck.

I really wish I could have started the job next week rather then the following week. It would have helped. But, I still AM going back to work, and that's the main thing. Theresa and Tang are both doing OK. I hope today has been kind to you and Noah, and that you both have a peaceful evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, sunny chilly Thursday greetings to you and your precious Theresa and little Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits.

Thank you so much for sharing with us how things are going with your queries for assistance with your rent. I truly hope and pray your contact at MUSCL will be able to help you obtain a grant as well as help you coordinate with other agencies for financial resources. From what you share with us it sounds like your contact at MUSCL is truly empathetic to your situation and is doing everything she can to help you. It sounds like she is thinking of you as a real person instead of "another case file" to work. Please let us know how things go.

I can imagine your precious Theresa and little Tang are wondering what happened to the warm temperatures - - as my precious Noah is. The good news is that the sunbeams are warmer this time of year than they are in the late fall and during winter - - so hopefully your precious companions are enjoying the sunbeams today as my precious Noah is.

Today was an early start as I had my dental check up this morning. All looks okay. As I was getting ready to leave I saw my precious boy cowering under the bed in fear that I would be tricking him into his carrier - - even though I told him that it was my turn in the dentist chair this morning. When I got home he eagerly greeted me at the door, and we had a good hello hug.

Paid a couple of bills online before I left for my dentist appointment - - did not want to have to take time to do that when I got home. So I'm going to try to get caught up on a few e-mails this afternoon.

I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Sunny, warm, and breezy greetings to you and your precious Noah. Bless his heart thinking it was vet time again. I am glad he is enjoying his sunbeams today. Glad to hear everything went OK at the dentist. I hope you are both doing well.

Well, I am playing phone tag today with churches and MUSCL (sigh) I have left 2 messages with MUSCL. One for general update, and another when I got a 35.00 pledge from another church. Neither has been returned. Today is supposed to be the deadline on my case, but she did say yesterday she could extend it. I mentioned that in my messages to be safe.

I ran a quick errand in the nice weather today - a total 360 from a couple days ago. Looking at various horoscopes, daily Tarot, etc all say things will be rough in the short run but better days are on the horizon. I guess that horizon is just over 10 days away (start job on the 28th) I certainly hope so.

Theresa and Tang are doing OK, and I have allowed balcony time. But neither seemed interested I wish I could find out what seems to be spooking them; it's a beautiful day after all. I hope today has been kind to you and Noah and that you both have a blissful evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, cloudy gloomy chilly T G I F greetings to you and your precious Theresa and little Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits.

I hope you are having better success today in confirming donations for your May rent, and that your contact at MUSCL is continuing to provide you the support and assistance you need. Please let us know how things are going.

Earlier this afternoon I went upstairs just to do a general look around and discovered some discoloration on the ceiling of the back guest bedroom - - which means there is a definite leak in the roof in that area. So I called the company that installed the gutter guards which also does roofing and one of their inspectors will be here next Wednesday, 4/23, to check it out. I was hoping to be able to go a couple of more years without needing a roof, although I knew this one was getting into its final stages of durability. I do hope and pray this will be the only home improvement / maintenance that I will need to do this summer. Thankfully the stain is limited in area and should be able to be corrected with a good coat of paint at some point in time.

Otherwise it has been a decent day here. Noah is curled up on my lap taking his nap as I'm writing to you. I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Sunny, warm and breezy greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope you are both well. I'm so sorry to hear about your roof, and hope it can be repaired with minimal fuss and expense.

I finally got through to the lady at MUSCL this morning. I was actually leaving a message and she picked up. I have mixed feelings on that because on the one hand, I felt like she was ducking me, but on the other she did pick up when I was giving my information. In any case, she assured me my case is extended with no specific date. She is following up on the church that would not talk to me, and mentioned the grant again. She seemed fairly positive on that. I just hope it's genuine and not putting me off. I'm probably reading between the lines too much in my anxiety. You are likely right that she's really going all out; she did compliment me on my diligence. Let's pray it turns out well.

Theresa and Tang are doing OK, and I have allowed balcony time. Theresa was really enjoying it until I had to call her in because of occasional bees and what I think was a wasp. I wish I could just net the whole thing off. I also emailed the HR lady at the CJ to confirm my start date, etc. So, that's all a go. Not much else going on. I hope today has been kind to you and Noah and that you both have a very pleasant evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, cloudy gloomy Caturday greetings to you and your precious Theresa and little Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits.

It sounds like your contact at MUSCL is really trying to help you. She may have been with a client when your call first came through - - or another line talking to someone. Instead of letting your call go entirely to voice mail, she did pick up as quickly as she could knowing it was a call from YOU. She knows you are trying your best to do what YOU can, - - and it sounds like she is doing everything in her power to help you with the contacts and follow ups and research that you can't do. Perhaps once you get yourself squared away you might want to send her a "thank you" card for all her diligent help.

Bees are a buzzing around already. I know there are ways of screening off a patio / balcony that you can put up and take down without leaving any damage. I find lots of ideas on home projects on the internet - - perhaps when you're financially stable again you can come up with something that will suit your needs - - maybe not this summer but perhaps something you can plan on doing for next summer.

Glad you were able to get a confirmation of your April 28 start date - - I know having this helps to make the job more "real."

Thank you for your thoughts on the roofing situation. Since I can't get up on the roof to check it out I am confident that the company who installed my gutter guards will do a competent job of doing whatever needs to be done. It's a good thing I discovered the situation NOW before the roofing season got too advanced with jobs scheduled. Hopefully whatever needs to be done can be done in the next couple of weeks or so. My primary concern is the stress this will put on Noah. He is doing sooooo well - - I just do NOT want him stressed by this very necessary project. So I will appreciate your thoughts and prayers for him.

Did the security scan on the big desk top today -- so that's done for a few days. Noah is letting me know it's time for his lunch, and he's right, so I need to get this off to you.

I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Sunny warm, and breezy Caturday greetings to you and your precious Noah. I'm glad you feel comfortable with the company coming to do the repairs, and of course my thoughts and prayers are with your little man to not be too stressed during the work.

The bees I am seeing look like male carpenter bees, and my understanding is they can't sting. But, I have also seen a few wasps too here and there I'm not sure what the management of my apartments would allow in the way of screening. Perhaps I should discuss it with them at some point.

You are probably right about the lady at MUSCL. I just left her another message because I got a call earlier from another church pledging 60.00. That puts it to 270.00 - just 30.00 short of the goal. If that other church could kick in the last 30.00 I'll be there. Hopefully I will qualify for the grant for the rest (or most of it) Thoughts and prayers always appreciated there.

Theresa and Tang are doing OK. Theresa is on the balcony now enjoying the beautiful weather, and Tang is sitting at the door pondering going out. I'm keeping a close eye on both - the carpenter bee seems to be uninterested in them. I just hope it IS a carpenter bee in case either takes a swipe at it (no stingers) Oh well, never mind. I got the camera out and they darted back in

I hope today is being kind to you and Noah and that you both have a very peaceful evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, sunny pleasant Easter Sunday greetings to you and your precious Theresa and little Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits.

I am so very happy you received confirmation of another donation which brings you closer to being able to pay your May rent. You and your precious companions continue to be in my thoughts and prayers, and please let us know how things go.

Not much happening around the homestead today. Noah is thoroughly enjoying the sunbeams today, as am I. The trees are really budding now with each day. It's nice to see this instead of the stark bareness of the limbs.

My friend, I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hi Tracy,

Just stopping by to wish you and furbabies a Happy Easter! We all are doing well here, hope you all are too. We got one new kitty, dark gray with fawn coloring throughout. He has long hair and doesn't look like a stray, but he likes our food. The others come by too. some like to fight, but Smokey tries to avoid them.

Tracy, I hope next week treats you and furbabies well. Give them a special pat for me...God Bless....TTFN

LMM

Hello moon_beam. Warm and breezy Easter Sunday greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope you are both well.

It's been pleasant here as well. I have had the sliding door open to the balcony with the screen door closed. Neither Theresa or Tang have expressed any interest in going out though. But at least they could enjoy the fresh air and sunbeams. Both are doing OK.

Thanks for the thoughts and prayers on my pledge drive. It was nice indeed to get that extra kick yesterday. I'll start up again tomorrow with MUSCL to see where we go from here.

There has not been much evidence to the holiday here except the content on TV. To be honest, the holidays (even the big ones like Thanksgiving and Christmas) have not held much meaning for me due to my circumstances in a long while. But, I have to admit I do miss having a "feast" of sorts. But hopefully that will change soon. Not much else happening here. I hope today has treated you and Noah kindly and that you both have a blissful evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi LoveMyMickey. Wishing, you hubby, the kitties, and last but not least Angel Mickey a Happy Easter as well.

I'm sure the new addition to your clientele appreciates the hospitality. He probably is not a stray, just someones "outside" cat. Who probably has been left behind by his "owners" moving - or soon will be (that's pretty much Tang's "origin") I'm glad Smokey stays out of the fighting, he sounds like a very wise kitty. You and hubby's efforts to help these displaced waifs is admirable, and I'm sure Mickey smiles down on you with love and pride from Heaven.

Thanks for the well wishes for the coming week. I can always use the support. I hope you folks have had a nice Easter and a very pleasant evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, sunny pleasant Monday greetings to you and your precious Theresa and little Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits.

I'm hoping your contact at MUSCL will be able to help you today in pulling together your rent for May. And I am sooo hoping and praying this will be the LAST TIME you will have to go through this, my friend. Please let us know how things go.

Today has been spent on financials - - printing receipts off, logging payments into the ledger and "closing out" the April accounts in preparation for beginning the May payments. I'm soooo glad I don't make my living as an accountant / bookkeeper - - there is sooooo much work just to keep MY finances straight.

Noah has been keeping me faithful company through all the activity - - sometimes a bit "too much" as he soooo likes to stretch out on the desk right over the papers I'm working on. Still, instead of getting irritated at him I just try to move my papers to another spot on the desk. Right now he is settled next to me as I'm writing to you.

The sunbeams are bright and cheery and the woodland residents are singing their symphony. Soon it will be time for me to get my precious boy his lunch - - a welcome break from the financials.

I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Hazy, warm and breezy greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope you are both well. Chuckling at him needing to be on the desk in the thick if things while you tried to work. I have my fair share of that.

I called MUSCL today for a check in/update and left a message. So far no response. Yesterday I was trolling the internet looking for discounts on Humulin N for Tang because I'm dangerously low (as in the dregs which I don't feel safe giving him) I found one that promised up to 75% off. I even called them, gave then the info for Kroger and what I was getting, and they assured me it would be fine. When I got to Kroger, they ran it 3 times, and while it accepted the info, it didn't take anything off . I called them, the RX tech called them, I even got a new temp ID, nothing worked. While I was there, I even called CVS and it didn't work there either. I ended up having pay full price. What else could I do? Tang needs it. I guess I thought I had more than what I really had until closer inspection (sigh) The only thing I got from this company was "it's not guaranteed" I really don't understand why the Wellness Plans do not include discounts for meds outside Banfield.

When I got home, I found Theresa hiding in the bedroom closet. She hasn't done that for months, but she's been acting odd. Physically she seems fine, healthy coat, her usual energy, she even plays. She also refuses to lay on the easy chair or the couch; just sits on the arm. She finally did come out and jumped on my chest though. Other than that, she's doing fine as is Tang. I allowed Balcony time this morning. That seems to be a time when the flying pests are not around.

I hope today has been kind to you and Noah and that you both have a very pleasant evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, cloudy, humid Tuesday greetings to you and your precious Theresa and little Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits.

I'm so sorry the discount for your precious Tang's insulin did not work out for you. I know this would have help you as I know how expensive insulin is from the one time I had to purchase it for my precious Noah. I must confess I was a bit concerned as to how I would be able to afford it every month. So I can certainly understand your situation. And I fully agree with you that meds like insulin, thyroid therapy, etc., should be included on the wellness plans. I hope you have heard from your contact at MUSCL today, and that you will be able to have your May rent paid without any problems. Please let us know how things go.

Have been doing more work on financials today - - filing receipts from last month, etc.. Tomorrow begins the actual scheduling of online payment activity for May. Have collected quite a bit for the shredder so at some point in time I will need to tackle that project.

Temps are in the 70's today so Noah and I are enjoying having the big door open and gated for fresh air and the songs and sounds of the woodland residents. Rain is in the forecast for today but so far the showers have been going around us - - which is okay with me at the moment needing a new roof.

Need to start getting Noah's lunch ready and something on the stove warming for me as well. I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Warm, sunny and breezy greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope you are both doing well. Let's hope you can avoid any rain until the roof gets repaired.

I was finally able to get through to the lady at MUSCL. Apparently that last donation was from a different volunteer for a church I already have a pledge for. She is going to check to see if they will be OK with that. She's also checking back with the church that would not talk to me. She also seemed fairly confident about the grant - Keeping my fingers crossed and praying it all goes through.

I'm not sure what dosage Noah's vet had him on, or of you got a vial or a pen. I get the vial and it lasts for about 8 months or so given Tang's dosage. It just hit at a bad time is all. But I can ill afford to "cut corners". That has a hard learned lesson for me

Theresa and Tang are doing well, and enjoyed balcony time early this morning before the hovering pest came around. Theresa still refuses to relax on the couch (except for the arms, unless she's snuggling me) or the easy chair. She seems just fine otherwise. It's just odd. Perhaps it's because I kept shooing her off the desk the other day because I was afraid of losing important papers Hopefully she'll come back around.

I hope today has been kind to you and Noah and that you both have a blissful evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, sunny cool Wednesday greetings to you and your precious Theresa and little Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits.

I hope the donation will be accepted even though it's from the same organization. Please let us know how things go. In just four days (not counting today) you will begin your new job, and I hope and pray with all my heart it is the beginning of MANY GOOD THINGS for you, my friend.

Noah was on 2 units of vial Humulin N syringe injections twice a day. If I read the expiration date on the bottle correctly it was only good for about 30 days. I sooo admire your knowledge and expertise with taking care of your beloved Sir Thomas and your precious Tang. I truly felt very incompetent the week Noah was on insulin injections, and there are no adequate words I can think of to tell you how totally relieved I am he no longer needs them. It was your encouragement and support that helped me through that very challenging time with my precious little boy, my friend - - I thank you very much.

It's hard sometimes to understand the "moods" our precious companions have - - such as your precious Theresa's changes as you share with us: "Theresa still refuses to relax on the couch (except for the arms, unless she's snuggling me) or the easy chair." Just chalk it up to her being a "girl" - - the good news is she's eating okay and taking care of her personal needs - - and still snuggles with her daddy.

The rep from the roofing company was here this morning. He took a video of the roof and explained to me that it definitely suffered some damage from the storms that came through the area last summer. The water "ring" on the bedroom ceiling is directly below a roof vent pipe from the bathroom that's next to the bedroom - - which was serviced last year when vent "boots" were installed around each of the roof vent pipes that were showing wear. He inspected the ceiling water stain and said that a good coat of paint will easily take care of it - - no damage to the ceiling itself. He counseled me to contact my insurance company about financial assistance with getting a new roof. I told him I would prefer not to go that route since the storm damage is from last year and insurance companies always complicate matters by having an adjuster come out to do their own inspection and then wanting the client to use one of the insurance company's installers instead of letting the client choose their own. The rep started laughing and said, "sounds like you've had experience with insurance companies before." So we talked technology in roofing. I asked him about the benefit of a metal roof versus a shingle roof - - and he confirmed some things for me that a metal roof is no less prone to storm damage than shingle roofs. The current technology has significantly improved the manufacturing of shingle tiles, and the warranty that comes with the shingle roofing is now between 45 to 50 years - - which will be the last roof I will ever need to put on this home during my lifetime - - barring any major weather events that would damage the roof. It is rated to endure up to 90 mph winds, which so far would be the maximum for this area. I should be getting an estimate in the next couple of days. I just need to pick out the color of shingle tiles I want - - which selecting a color is never easy for me. I think I have a recessive color blindness gene.

The rep has been here before, and he commented on how nice the new railing on the front porch looks. He said it really complements the house very nicely. That was great to hear. I shared with him everything I did to the house last summer, and that it now seems a new roof is the project for this spring. Once I get the contract signed and sent back to the company, installation is estimated to begin in about 7 to 10 days, and should take a good 2 days to complete. He said the roof has no major construction challenges which will help the job go quickly as well as help contain the cost of the job. I will be glad when this project is done - - and hope it is the ONLY project for this year.

Before the rep came I was able to get bills scheduled online for payment, so that's done until the next round of invoices come in. And I started working on the shred box and have made good progress with that. I will make my errand runs tomorrow. And - - according to an article in today's online paper the County supervisors have voted to raise the taxes for both real estate and personal property. Thankfully, though, the hike in real estate is only one cent, so that's not too bad. But I will still be paying more taxes on a home whose assessment is lower than it was 5 years ago, and on a car that is 11 years old with over 137,000 miles on it. Somehow paying MORE money in taxes does not make sense. But government practices stopped making any sense to me a long time ago.

Noah is doing well. He is stretched out in the sunbeams on his window bench in front of the big doors taking a nap as I'm writing to you.

I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon_beam. Sunny, breezy and a bit cool greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope you are both well. It sounds like you have a handle on the repairs to your roof, although it's a shame about the insurance company run around. Sorry to hear about the higher taxes on your car; yet another reason I'm glad I don't have to deal with that.

Sounds like they may have given you an old vial of insulin. The ones I get usually have a code date of about a year if kept refrigerated. I'm seeing an immediate improvement in Tang with the new vial over the dregs of the old and it's a relief. You may be right about Theresa going through a older gal phase. She will play if engaged (and sometimes on her own), still wants cuddles and hugs, eats and drinks normally and is grooming. Still, it's a little disconcerting. Other than that, she and Tang are doing well enough. Both have enjoyed some balcony time this morning.

Thanks for the thoughts and prayers on the MUSCL project. I'm doing plenty of that myself. I also hope the job is the first of many good things to come. It's been a very long 4 years and I'm ready to move on. Not much else is happening. I hope all goes well with your roof repairs and that today is being kind to you and Noah. Wishing you both a most pleasant evening. TTFN

TTT

Hi, Tracy, sunny, sometimes cloudy, cool Thursday greetings to you and your precious Theresa and little Tang from my precious Noah and me. I hope this finds you and your precious companions doing well and in good spirits.

I'm so glad to share your news that your precious Tang is "perking up" on the new, fresh insulin. As I was doing my online research for my precious Noah many articles stated that as the insulin "ages" it does lose its potency. So I am very glad to know the new vial is giving your precious Tang the insulin balance he needs to be happy and healthy.

I know how you're feeling about watching the changes in your precious Theresa when you share with us: "You may be right about Theresa going through a older gal phase. She will play if engaged (and sometimes on her own), still wants cuddles and hugs, eats and drinks normally and is grooming. Still, it's a little disconcerting." Indeed it is, because it's a "sign" our precious companions are aging, and we begin wondering if how they are behaving is "simply" a reflection of the changes due to the normal process - - or if it's a "symptom" of declining health. And both strike fear in our hearts because there is NEVER a "right time" for them to precede us to the angels. Just keep being the GREAT DAD you are, my friend - - your precious Theresa, and little Tang, are so blessed to have you for their Forever Dad.

Did a couple of quick errands this morning, and when I got home I called the roofing company to take care of the matter of the downpayment on materials. So at some point in May the homestead will have a new roof. I finally decided on a color - - and I went with the more conservative darker brown color than the lighter one. If the roof line was higher the lighter brownish / gold color would not have been so dominant. So I chose the darker brown color so that the primary focus would be on the house itself as you look at it from the street. Yeah - - there's all kinds of "technicalities" even with deciding the color of a roof.

Noah is doing well. He has had his lunch and the timer on the stove is letting me know that my lunch is now ready as well. Once I get my lunch together, my precious boy and I will be settling in for an afternoon snuggle.

I hope today is treating you and your precious Theresa and little Tang kindly, my friend, and that you and your precious companions will have a peaceful, blissful, and cozy evening. I thank you for the blessing of your friendship, Tracy, and of your precious Theresa and little Tang. Please know you and your precious companions are in my thoughts and prayers, and that I always look forward to knowing how you and your precious Theresa and little Tang are doing, and to sharing your treasured memories of your beloved Sir Thomas.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Hello moon-beam. Sunny, warm, and breezy greetings to you and your precious Noah. I hope you are both well. I'm glad to hear your roof repair project is on track and you have made the final cosmetic decision. It's a big project that will (hopefully) last many years and you want to be happy with the outcome.

Thanks for the encouragement on Theresa Tang. It's hard to think of her getting older. She still looks the same, and has always been my "rock" in terms of good health compared to Tom, rest his soul, and Tang. I consider myself lucky to have them as my forever fur kids. I opened the balcony up a little after 7 this morning and Tang zipped right out. Theresa went out just long enough to bop him on the butt and run inside with mischief in her eyes Tang took the "invitation" and wanted to engage is some pouncing and romping, but Theresa was not having it. I can't understand why she started it in the first place Perhaps we can chalk up ornery to getting older (sigh)

Not much happening on the home front today. Still praying the lady at MUSCL gets it all together for the rent. I only have today and tomorrow where I have any real free time to deal with it without having to burn my cell minutes. I hope today has been kind to you and Noah and that you both have a very peaceful evening. TTFN

TTT