Tuesday, January 05, 2016

Tuesday-9am

Good Morning!
It's 21 degrees and mostly sunny this morning.
No videos or tons of pictures today because I forgot to take any when Leah, Ian and I went shopping yesterday at the Natural Grocers.  But I can show you a few things I purchased.  Used to be the old Office Depot and it was like one huge, extremely well-stocked, natural foods department.  Fun!  I couldn't do all my shopping there so we will have to make another trip over to Cashwise (probably this week) but I really enjoyed it!  Leah and I may go there every other month--well, she does already, so let's just say I might go with her--LOL!  (Another one of my goals for 2016 is to get out of the apartment more often.) 
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One thing I found interesting is that their bulk foods are all pre-packaged and not in bins.  Like the oatmeal you see here.  I am not crazy about that because if you only wanted a smaller amount there is no choice, you know?  Everything you'd find in bulk bins--from spices to nuts--all prepackaged.  They keep all the nuts and a lot of other bulk items refrigerated. 
Ian loves Annie's bunny crackers (and now Gramma does, too) so I stocked up on those. 
The best deal was the Quorn you've heard me talk about.  My meat substitute of choice!  They were a dollar cheaper there!!  Shock!  (Because most things were more expensive since everything is organic, etc--like almost $4 for my celery!)  So I will want to come back every other month and stock up on my Quorn!  The only thing they didn't have was the burgers (see that package is opened).  I'll have to get that at Cashwise...unless they were just out of them yesterday at Natural Grocers?
Not much choice on the Almond Milk.  I was kind of surprised they had Silk since they have very little of what you'd normally find in a regular grocery store--but I don't like Silk.  Too thick and sweet for me.  So I tried this almond milk in the crazy bottle since it was on sale.  Pretty good!
And I couldn't resist a big bottle of this!  Pure cold brewed mocha coffee made with almond milk by the same company.
I used to have a Misto oil sprayer but with my bum arm I couldn't pump it properly.  Then the mister broke anyways and only squirted out a stream of oil.  Leah had seen this Evo brand one over there and thought of me.  It's huge, but is a regular pump sprayer for oil.  (These are instead of buying Pam or something like that and can be refilled with whatever oils you like.)  I decided to try this one.  Should be a lot easier for me.  I will only have to squeeze the trigger to pump with my good arm--tada!   
Anyways, I was absolutely delighted that I made it shopping AND my leg behaved the whole trip!!
Kind of amazing--whoohoo!!  I'm very sore (back) today, but that is totally normal.  So I am one happy camper.  :)  Ian had a nice long nap before we left.  He is such a happy little shopper.  (The one clerk said he gave her baby fever--LOL!) 
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But this morning...
Karma didn't even get up off the chair...that she might have slept on all night because that is where she was when I went to bed.  Totally unlike her.  She gets her morning treat of her bit of canned food and is usually under my feet.   
Granted, I was so tired that I was in bed way earlier than my normal and up way before the sun...but that has never stopped her before. 
Truth is, she hasn't quite been herself since before we moved.  I had chocked it up to her getting older.  (She'll be 11 next month.)  Her appetite comes and goes.  Especially the last couple months.  She walks around complaining sometimes for no apparent reason.  Even in the middle of the night I hear her yowling sometimes.  But Karma has always announced when she's left the cat box, so I just took it that she'd done her business and, no matter what time of day or night, was announcing it to the world, as she is wont to do.
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I got her heaping tablespoon of canned food in her special canned food dish and nuked it for her 6 seconds to take the chill off...she only sat up in the chair, but didn't jump down even.  I brought it in the pantry.  Karma just sat in the chair and meowed to me.  I thought maybe she was extra stiff from sleeping up there all night so I carried her into the pantry.  She ignored the food--sat there a while.  I came back in the kitchen to give her some privacy.  But I watched her go over to the catbox...and pee on the little rug right in front of the cat box!!
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And--no--it wasn't dirty.  
I scoop it every day. 
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I scolded her.  Rinsed out the spot on the rug--and found evidence on the back side that this was the second time she had done this! 
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Meanwhile she came back up and sat in the chair next to me.  We made amends.   When suddenly she made that--I don't feel well, low in the throat--cry.  She jumped down and next thing she is looking for a place to barf.  She did--a couple times.  Since then, she has come back to sleep next to me and I have washed the rug and it is tumbling about now in the dryer.    
This has happened off and on for the past year--the barfing, I mean.  She even peed outside of her box a couple of times (long after her UTI) before we moved, but I figured it was due to the chaos of the move because she hadn't done it since we moved.  That I know of.  Now, I wonder if she has gone anywhere else?  I haven't noticed any odors or spots?  I shall have to pay closer attention in the future.  But I doubt it.  Even when she was so sick with the UTI--and she did pee right outside her cat box then several times and I had plastic and towels down--she always managed to make it to right near the cat box, so I doubt it.  Unless she's going senile, of course.   
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I hope she's okay.  She was never a barfer until the last year or so.  And it's not hairballs.  Just food.  I haven't said too much about it because now she might be okay for a month or two.  But she's not quite been herself, you know?  Sleeps even more than she used to--which I didn't think was even feline-possible--LOL!  She's been a lot stiffer walking the last couple years.  Just getting older, for sure.  
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I really hope it's nothing else.  But you know how beyond stressed and terrified she gets with vet visits.  Even her vets know it is better if I don't have to bring her in.  They didn't even take her out of her plastic carrier last time.  Just removed the whole top half for her exam and I stayed with her head as she is not as likely to bite me--LOL!  They had me pick her up to weigh her.  Karma gets so scared she pants and drools!  Poor thing.  So I don't want to bring her in unless I have something concrete to tell them.  She just had that checkup in July before we moved...
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  I'm going to cut down the entryway scoop in the tub inside the cat box so it isn't as hard for her to get in and out.  That might be the problem with the peeing outside the box?  Maybe when she's extra stiff legged?  (Please ignore the scattered litter--LOL!) 
She has to go in and then up and over. 
So I'll ask Leah what she used to cut that down.
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Sorry to go on about Miss Karma.  The occasional barfing is one thing--but the peeing reminds me of when she was so sick for so long with that UTI and worries me more.  There was no blood or pink or anything though--whew!  I'll keep you informed.  
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Right now she's curled up in her chair beside me.  I already drank this cup of mocha coffee--and it was not bad!  Not exactly iced coffee weather--LOL!  It doesn't say anywhere on the bottle that you can't heat it up, so I might try it hot next cup. 
Meanwhile, my red thermal cup is there right now--LOL!  All of you at T-Stands For Tuesday have seen that a million times.  ;)
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Oh--BTW--if any of you missed my last post--there's lots of Ian pics and short videos of his Christmas adventures (even horseback riding!) and I caught a Jackrabbit Party video, too!
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Well, that's it, I guess.  Except for the Karma concerns, life has been truly excellent.  I still can't believe my leg didn't go wonky grocery shopping--whoohoo!!  I had such a good time with Leah and Ian...even though that wind was freezing cold and thundered against the building last night for hours.  Miss Karma will get extra cuddles today...IF she'll allow it.  Definitely extra chair time.  ;)  She loves the new recliner.
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Hug somebody today.
Two legs or four.  :)
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“Love is like the wind, you can't see it but you can feel it.” 
Nicholas Sparks      

34 comments:

Valerie-Jael said...

There's been a lot happening at your place. Glad you are getting out and able to go shopping for good things. Sorry to hear about Karma, and hope she soon picks up and feels better, poor old girl. Have a good week, hugs, Valerie

Linda Kunsman said...

Well Rita you certainly are eating right-and healthy too! Nice to have such shops for these things. Sorry to hear about Karma. Reading about her I couldn't help but think another UTI or even a kidney infection. So hard when our dear pets age. Our 14 yr old English cocker has more bouts of peeing and pooping in the house than she ever did if we don't catch her and get her out fast enough. But, she's otherwise pretty good so we just deal with it. Hope Miss Karma feels much better real soon. Happy T day!

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

Sorry to read about Karma. That's a real bummer. I hope this is a passing occurrence and not a symptom of a more permanent problem.

Your cold brew mocha coffee and almond milk sounds wonderful. I'd love some of that, for sure. And I've never heard of Quorn before. HMMM! Of course, we don't get those stores here in Kansas, but I would not like to be able to choose how much of a bulk product I would want to buy.

Thanks for sharing Karma, your mug, and your mocha coffee with us for T this Tuesday. Let's hope Karma gets better soon!

Divers and Sundry said...

I'm glad you've been able to get out and about.

Poor kitty :( We had to take the top of our litter box, because our car got to where she didn't like it. Once we took off that top we didn't have any more trouble.

I hope she gets to feelin' better soon. Happy T Tuesday!

GrandmaG said...

Well, you know I completely understand how worrisome a sick pet can be. Yes, do look at easier ways for Karma to get in the litter box. Does it still need to be in the toy box now that it's in a separate room? Rupert is now pushing 17 years! He's doing amazingly well after his summer scare and for his age. However, I'm glad we have a semi-finished basement with a large sliding glass door for him. I doubt he could do the stairs several times a day anymore to do his business. So glad you had a good outing! Funny how just going to the grocery store is so much fun for me these days, too. When the kids lived at home and I worked full time, I hated the chore of buying groceries! Yeah, I'm not sold on the whole organic thing. I just went to Aldi's and opted for regular peanut butter over organic and saved $2.00. Just can't justified the extra cost of organic. Take care and sending prayers!

Intense Guy said...

I hope Karma is just stiff and crying since she can't leap and run around like she used to - enlarging the entry way to the poop house sounds like a brilliant idea!

I'm also hoping the new food store was just temporarily out of the Quorn burgers!

Anonymous said...

Hope you & Karma are soon back to normal (whatever THAT is)!!

carol l mckenna said...

Delightful read except for MS Karma not being herself ~ do hope it is just a passing thing ~ Sometimes, my doggie will act weird if I had been away a bit longer than usual ~ Sounds like you are doing well and stay warm ~ xox to Karma

Wishing you a happy week ~ ^_^

DJan said...

Not wanting to eat is worrisome with Karma. I hope she hasn't developed some new thing that will make it necessary to get her to the dreaded vet! Otherwise everything seems well in your world, Rita, but that's a big otherwise. :-(

pearshapedcrafting said...

Ah! Poor Karma, I hope she can cope better with her creaking body tomorrow! A good idea to lower the entrance to her litter tray! I think I would love to visit a shop like that! Wishing you a good week! Happy T day! Chrisx

Lisca said...

I'm sorry to hear about Karma. It sounds quite worrying. It's a shame they can't tell us what is the matter....
That shop sounds like the sort of place I would like to go. Going there every month might be an expensive hobby. If bulk buys are to much for you, could you share stuff with Leah?
Yes, I love Quorn. We have had it in the UK for a long time. Many years ago I was a vegetarian and I ate the Quorn products a lot.(I do eat meat now. I'd starve if I didn't)
Thanks for visiting earlier,
Happy T-day,
Lisca

TexWisGirl said...

i worry about my kids when they don't eat and get achier than normal, too. bless karma.

My name is Erika. said...

I've never stopped by your blog but am glad you came by mine because I enjoyed my visit to yours-which your visit inspired me to do. You have a lot more snow there than we do...and I hope Karma is OK. I lost my cat last summer after 14 years and I am still missing him so much. Maybe she just isn't happy with the winter...and had decided to sleep some of it away!

Janie Junebug said...

Moving must be quite hard on Karma. I hope she adjusts. Milhous the gray tabby used to pee in the potted plants (problem solved with pine cones around the plants). He also took a liking to a fluffy rug in the kids' bathroom. Charlotte peed on newspapers that were stacked up for recycling. The carpets didn't escape her notice, either. I don't know what it is about cats that causes them to use rugs or bathroom sinks or whatever. They lived many years with little bouts of these annoying urinary behavior. I hope Karma's okay and simply getting used to her new environment. My kitties belonged to The Cat Barfers of America club. They practiced frequently. I need a pump for oil. Mine broke. We had a natural foods store nearby. They closed before I could shop there. I don't see many grocery stores now that allow shoppers to scoop food out of bins. I imagine it's the fear of contamination.

Love,
Janie

Linda said...

Awwwww.....poor, sweet Karma. Bless her heart!

Carol Samsel said...

Sure hope things get better for Karma. It ducks when they don't feel well and you can't figure what's up.

Mersad said...

I like the designs on your mocca coffee bottles. I also hope things will get better for Karma. She's the sweetest.

johanna said...

oh, i´m sending good vibrations to Karma... she ´s such a beautiful cat. and i hope you will have a wonderful new year!
happy belated t-day!

froebelsternchen said...

I hope Karma feels better soon - poor kitty!
oxo Susi

TammyVitale said...

oh my! I do hope Miss Karma is ok. I think we humans forget how much animals get into their routine and places. I know Gracie is just now coming around from our losing our Sueno doggie who was always Gracie's guide - they were very bonded.

Quorn!!! My fav - we have such a hard time finding it around here. They keep discontinuing stuff. Daughter has to bring the roasts down from her county if we want to have them.

We beat you the past two nights for cold...and my begonia is still out there blooming.

~*~Patty S said...

Sorry to hear Karma isn't feeling quite right.
That is worrying.
We have bought mostly organic for many many years and think it is definitely worth the benefits.
Quality rather than quantity makes sense to us.
Stay warm and take care Rita.
oxo

Craftymoose Crafts said...

We have Costco and BJs which are bulk type stores--it is rather hard to buy bulk when you are just one or two people though there are certain things we like to purchase in both of these. I have never come across Quorn although I am sure it is a good alternative to meat.

I hope Karma picks up soon and that this is just a passing ailment.

Krisha said...

Poor Karma! I hurts when our pets hurt for sure.
I have gone to coconut milk for cooking for me. DH still wants MILK! Organic is expensive, but worth it in many ways. I buy organic, when possible and have found more and more stores carrying it.
Hope you AND Karma get to feeling better real soon.
Thanks for the T-day visit and the comment

Jenny Woolf said...

Poor Karma. I know that elderly human beings get UTIs when they're just feeling under the weather, I don't know if it is the same for cats. Can you call the vet and speak to him on the phone? My gut feeling is that Karma was really upset at the move. My daughter's cat had to move was really thrown for six months, also was peeing in the wrong places etc. So maybe time will heal this for Karma.
I like wholefoods but sometimes I think they super pile on the prices. Once every couple of months is OK. I am glad your body cooperated.

Serena Lewis said...

Poor Karma...quite worrying. I pray she isn't getting sick again, poor baby. Yes please, do keep us informed. Sending healing vibes to Karma. xo

I can't use the Quorn products any more because they use egg in them so not vegan. I did read somewhere recently that they are going to bring out or make current products vegan which will be great! You get different Quorn products to what we get here.

I haven't seen the Silk brand here but I like the Vitasoy range of non-dairy milks. I'm not a fan of the sweetened ones unless it's like a chocolate flavoured one.

Enjoy the rest of your week.
Love and hugs xo

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

I love shopping and not just shopping for clothes and stuff I like shopping for food as well, I hope Karma is ok

ChicagoLady said...

I hope Karma is feeling better! It's so hard when our four-legged friends aren't feeling like themselves.

SandeeNC said...

I so hope Karma is doing better, it's so hard when they get older and can't tell us what is wrong, just a guessing game. BUT I know you know her well and will be able to read her like a book.

Anonymous said...

Lovely sky shot and adorable Karma. Hope she feels better soon.

Halle said...

Poor baby. I hope she's feeling a bit better now. It could be stiff joints making it hard for her to get into that box. Gracie is a puker. All the time. Drives me crazy. She eats too fast the pukes it up. AGH!!
Happy T day...way late!

Karla B said...

I think Miss Karma is suffering from SAUDADE.It's a word you can only find in my language.I'll try to explain it, using Wikipedia:
Saudade "is a word in Portuguese and Galician (from which it entered Spanish) that claims no direct translation in English. It describes a deep emotional state of nostalgic or profound melancholic longing for an absent something or someone that one loves. Moreover, it often carries a repressed knowledge that the object of longing might never return.[2] A stronger form of saudade might be felt towards people and things whose whereabouts are unknown, such as a lost lover, or a family member who has gone missing, moved away, separated, or died.

Saudade was once described as "the love that remains" after someone is gone. Saudade is the recollection of feelings, experiences, places or events that once brought excitement, pleasure, well-being, which now triggers the senses and makes one live again. It can be described as an emptiness, like someone (e.g., one's children, parents, sibling, grandparents, friends, pets) or something (e.g., places, things one used to do in childhood, or other activities performed in the past) that should be there in a particular moment is missing, and the individual feels this absence. It brings sad and happy feelings all together, sadness for missing and happiness for having experienced the feeling."She misses your old home.I always love your posts.We don't eat much organic food here.I've never heard of mocha coffee either.It's interesting to see how different our cultures are!Happy T day:)!

AliceKay said...

I hope Karma is feeling better by now. It's hard to see your pets when they're sick. They're like babies...they can't tell you what's wrong and sometimes you feel kinda helpless.

Looks like you had a good shopping trip. I'm glad it went well for you. I think you'll enjoy getting out of the apartment more, and going places with Leah and Ian will be a joy.

Loved the quote.

Nordljus said...

That sounds like a very successful shopping trip! I like Quorn too and am glad that I can get it in my local supermarket. I always like going to supermarkets when I'm abroad. I could spend hours just walking through all the aisles and see what they have and I'm always fascinated by those huge ones when I'm in the UK. Although there are also advantages if you don't have a whole aisle of 20 different brands of milk to choose from...
I'm sorry to hear Karma is feeling a bit low. I hope it's nothing serious and that she'll be better again soon.

Far Side of Fifty said...

UTI or maybe crystals in her urine...but cats can be weird....hard to tell what is wrong with them sometimes:)