COMMUNITY SERVICE

Last night I went to a neighborhood meeting for our development. I'm a member of the Architectural Committee which helps to interpret infractions of our covenant and also reviews requests for homeowner changes. For 81 homes that can get to be a busy job, but fortunately most of it is able to happen by email. Last night was a very animated positive meeting where people expressed opinions in quite a civil way. A lot of progress was made on some very important issues and I am thankful for that.

I first volunteered for this committee when an all-neighbor request was sent out for members. I saw it as a way that I could do a civil duty and help make decisions that directly affect the value of our home. I also knew that I had the ability to look ahead and see if things could become problems in any in terms of our covenant. To explain a covenant; it is a legal document that indicates that each homeowner will comply with the rules of the document that they sign at the closing on their home. So, here I am in a wee bit of a sticky mess about a very large infraction to our covenant, but our job is just to interpret whether an infraction has been made. No legal action has to be made unless the homeowners want it to happen. At this point it looks like people want to go forth with the legal action. We will see how a vote comes out to be seen some time next week.

I encourage each an every one of you to find a way to help in supporting your community. There are a lot of small jobs out there and even people with lots of health problems like me can still participate. In the end the feeling of being connected to your community outside of church connections becomes very strong.

JUST AN ORDINARY DAY

Well, it really isn't ordinary, it is spectacular! The sun is shining, the thirty or so rhododendrons are blooming, the pink fairy colored columbines have begun to bloom and the birds are singing. Actually the birdsong has died down a bit, because everybody has babies to tend. I have about six birdhouses out on our deck wall, but of course they don't get visitors, but the hanging one at our back patio has chickadee babies in it.

We got a little patio table for two and I was proudly setting it up where I thought it should go and all of a sudden I was in trouble with the chickadee family. Oops! I quickly moved the table and two chairs to the other side of the patio. We do love the birdsong here and there are a few new ones that we didn't hear in Portland. This morning I saw a Rufus Breasted hummingbird. They don't go to Portland. They aren't territorial like Anna's hummingbirds so it isn't unusual to see several of them together at once.

I'm slowly improving. Currently the idea is that all of these episodes of flu have been Lupus like events. I'm to see a Rheumatologist soon. I've seen so many specialists my head is spinning and I can't remember all of their names. Hopefully someone will be able to explain what has been going on.

Beignet has suffered from my sickness. She gets bored when I have to sleep. I've begun taking naps on the couch now. She had a deformed feather that died and caused her some discomfort. From that one thing she began digging at her tail area until it was a scabbed mess. She had to have surgery again to close the wound. During two of the surgeries she has had breathing problems. During the first she had a complete respiratory arrest. During this one I noticed that her breathing was becoming shallow and they gave her drugs to help her ramp up her breathing. It is a tricky thing doing surgery on tiny things. Dosages have to be micromanaged.

I have been fortunate (some might not agree) to be able to be with her during surgery. The vets know that I have an interest in biology and I'm not wimpy about blood. They said when I was calm during her respiratory arrest that I passed the test for being able to attend surgery. I just want to know what is happening to Beignet and to be present for her. I think she senses that, because she doesn't act angry about the surgery. She just doesn't like the collar.

I've been hand feeding her for almost a week now. I think she milks the hand feeding routine because I've seen her eating on her own. The issue is that having a collar on makes her lose weight and it is already low. We have to keep caloric intake high for her. You can see that this is like having a child in terms of love and care.

AN IDEA

I'm done posting Ten Things Tuesday until my health improves. It is hard to think of how exciting my life is when I feel like *^#+!%! I am doing a few fun things, but they just sound really wimpy compared to what I think they should be.

A note for all of you who follow my blog: I have a new blog which has not real posts on it, but it will be solely for art. It is www.openeyedart.blogspot.com

I hope to be posting photos of some of my work and some of my doodles and even some sketches. I have to get that camera busy.

We had a bobcat, two deer, and a bunny all that should have registered on Bob's critter cam. Lo, he had a card in that couldn't be written on because a little button was in the wrong place. Drat! The deer that we have seen so frequently didn't have babies this year and one of her twins is missing. I'm afraid the cougar was hard on wildlife around here last winter.

Google slipped out the front door a couple of weeks ago and has been WAILING about wanting to go out again. We got the cat stroller down, but the zipper has a rip that needs repairing. Soon Google, soon.