Dear Mom and Dad,

Dear Mom and Dad,

     I have jury duty today. In fact, I am writing on my iPad in the Jury Assembly room at the Fort Bend County Justice Center. It is a new modern building, not the old county courthouse. Although I had never been here before, I had no trouble finding it. I got the Driving Directions on Google. We have a Garmin which will give you voice guided directions as you drive but I didn't want to bother with it. Anyway, once you get into the building you have to go through a metal detector and scanner. Since I was on my scooter, I just scooted through and the attendant used a hand wand to make sure I wasn't bringing any contraband in. It is air-conditioned (actually a little too cool) and they even have WiFi so I have an Internet Connection. I have a book on my iPad too so i have plenty to keep me occupied while waiting. The only uncomfortable thing is the hard wood benches; next time I'll bring a cushion!

(Later)

Well that was over quickly. They only needed one jury panel and then sent the rest of us home. Under the current system, I won't be called again for 3 years. 

I've been on both civil and criminal juries and found both of them very interesting. I don't recall either of you being called for jury duty. Were you??

That's all for now. Nap time. I miss you both more than words can say. 

Love, FM

P.S. My black cat LuckyDuck is throwing up again.  Don't know what I should do. Wait and see I guess. If he goes downhill, I could take him to the vet for fluids, anti-nauseant, and more antibiotics but that will be a lot of money. OK, wait and see; no need to borrow trouble from tomorrow. 

Eaarth by Bill McKibben

As much as I applaud Bill McKibben, as much as I am certain that climate change is real and that our lives will be altered dramatically by it, the only thing I got out of this book is depressed.  The first half is unrelentingly grim and the second half is not focused on anything concrete that I either didn't already know or on things that, while touchy, feely good, aren't likely to be applicable to me. 

Hurricane Carla, Galveston, 1961

Hurricane Carla

I was born and raised on Galveston Island just off the Texas Gulf Coast. My parents owned a typical small post World War II house on the west part of the island which was not protected by the sea wall. I loved that little house and it was a good place to grow up. There were kids in almost every house and we all played inside or outside each others houses. There was a brand new elementary school just across the street where everyone went to elementary school.  There were occasional storms or hurricanes but the first one that I remember was Hurricane Audrey in August, 1957 when I was 10 years old. My father was a merchant mariner with Lykes Bros. and was at sea at the time. My mother decided that Audrey was probably not going to be much of a problem to Galveston so we would stay in our little house.  During the storm, water from the bay backed up just to the top of the doorstep. The National Guard came by in an big truck and evacuated us. I remember so clearly being carried by the Guardsman through the swirling water to the truck and then to an evacuation center.  

I mention all this to explain why in 1961 when we were watching Carla build up in the Gulf, there was absolutely no question in our minds that we would leave the island. We went to my Aunt Lillian and Uncle Marvin's house in East Texas; my brother Roger who was 15 years older than me, brought his family also.  We sat glued to the television and marveled as Dan Rather reported on the storm and showed the actual radar picture of the storm. If I am not mistaken, this was the first time radar was shown on television. 

After the storm, it was several days before we were allowed back on the island. We were all crammed into one car and that car was very low on gasoline. We were all worried that we would not have enough gasoline to make it over the causeway and to our home.   Driving into Galveston on Broadway, there were piles of wreckage several stories high that had been bulldozed off the street--big boats and piles of lumber. There was one gasoline station where they had a working hand pump and we were able to get gasoline to make it home.

Our house still stood! The brick facade on the front was lying in the yard and there was debris all over the place but my house was still there!  We couldn't open the front door so we had to go around to the back door to get in. Oh what a sight the inside of the house was! There had been about 3 feet of seawater inside and as it receded, it had left a coating of mud over everything. It looked like there was a coating of chocolate over the floors and furniture. But it sure didn't smell like chocolate. 

My brother's house was on higher ground and had not been damaged at all. So we camped out there for 2 weeks while we cleaned out our house. All the furniture and carpets were piled in the yard and hosed down and left to dry in the sun. My mother was constantly worried about snakes as there were many around. We salvaged what furniture that we could. The hardwood floors buckled in places and the sheetrock in the walls had to be replaced.  My parents decided to raise the house about 5 feet to protect it from future storms. There was no help from the government and nor from insurance since the damage was from rising water. 

Eventually the house was raised and repaired and became a home again but it was much hard work and sacrifice. 

Meditation

We do not own the world, and its riches are not ours to dispose of at will. Show a loving consideration for all creatures, and seek to maintain the beauty and variety of the world. Work to ensure that our increasing power over nature is used responsibly, with reverence for life. Rejoice in the splendour of God's continuing creation.

From Quaker Advices and Queries

How do the elderly afford their pets?

Few people doubt the affection and happiness that comes with having a companion animal. The health advantages of lowered blood pressure when stroking a pet are well documented. 

All kinds of medical interventions are available to give our dear companions a long and healthy life. 

But little is said about the cost of keeping a pet when one is living on a fixed and limited income.

 First is the cost of food for the pet. Our local Meals on Wheels provides daily meals for elderly in need but found that many were eating only half their meal and sharing the other half to their pet because they did not have the means to buy food for the pet. (I understand that Meals on Wheels now will provide donated pet food to those who need it.)

Then there is the yearly registration and vaccinations. I've read that some vaccinations can be given every other year. And we found a Veterinary mobile clinic which gives vaccinations and registration at about half the price of our usual vet clinic. 

Lastly, there is the problem when they get sick. How does one afford veterinary care for a sick pet? We ran up a $500 veterinary bill for our cat yesterday and are not sure if the treatment we gave him is going to cure him or not. We have the money to pay it because JMM is still working but when he retires, $500 will be a good chunk out of our retirement income. 

I am wondering how does one afford companion animals in retirement?

My sweet LuckyDuck

LuckyDuck came into my life most unexpectedly 10 years ago.  I was visiting my Aunt Lillian who lived the tiny East Texas crossroads of Etoile. It was a cold and rainy November day. I was in her meticulously clean kitchen, when I heard a tiny mewing sound coming from outside the back door. I looked out and there were two tiny kittens. One was grey and white and the other was all black. Of course, I brought them in, warmed, dried, and fed them and immediately fell in love with them. I named the grey one RagMuffin and the black one LuckyDuck. They were both lucky because I just  happened to be there and hear them. 

However, it seems thatLuckyDuck's luck may have run out because I am almost sure that he has become diabetic. He hasn't eaten since Thursday and has had very little water and he throws up anything that he tries to eat. He is very lethargic and I know he is dehydrated. I call him my Buddha cat because he is always so mellow and peaceable. Like Ferdinand the Bull, all he wants is to quietly smell the flowers. ..and eat dry cat chow and lots of it. Which inevitably has led to him being obese. I have tried to get him to eat Fancy Feast and the dry weight loss chow but he wouldn't. I should have tried harder I guess. 

We will take him to the vet tomorrow.  If he is diabetic, we will most likely euthanize him. I will miss my sweet LuckyDuck. It is going to be a long day tomorrow. 

Our Resident Raccoon

We have a resident raccoon who takes care of all our food waste. It all started with JMM trying to outwit the raccoons. No matter what he did, the raccoons would get to the seed in the bird feeders. Gradually, JMM realized that he was not going to win.  Then we watched a mama with her 4 babies come to eat some cat chow I had scattered by the back flower bed. They were so cute and obviously the babies had been told to stay right with mama.  We both became so enamored with them that JMM built a feeder platform for them on a low branch in the live oak tree. Every evening, he takes any food scraps we have out for them and they are nearby waiting for him. He taps the tree twice to let them know that dinner is served.  I have a birdbath where I keep clean fresh water for them.  I know they wash there because there is almost always dirt in the water the next morning. It is so much fun to watch them play and climb the trees.  

Just today as I was sitting in the shade of the trees reading, a single rather grizzled raccoon came trundling up beside me on his way to climb the tree to wait for JMM to bring dinner. He looked over at me with his dark eyes and masked face but he was on a mission and wasn't to be deterred. Evidently not only does the early bird get the worm but also the early raccoon gets first dibs on dinner.