Marge Piercy

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Vet Blues and Birthdays

Last Sunday we had cake and champagne at Tony’s to celebrate his mother Karen’s birthday. It was particularly apt, as Karen has now finally recovered from m a burst appendix that almost killed  her and kept her in the ICU for days upon end and then in rehab. She camae home very weak but is now normal or very close to it.  She will be at the party tonight, celebrating Stephen’s and Karens’s birthdays and of course, mine. 

 

Willow had to go to the vet for her annual checkup and shots Thursday morning. Total chaos, as usual. As somehow she always knows when a vet visit it immanent, Woody had to lock her in the downstairs bathroom before he was ready to struggle her into her carrier.  While she was shut in the downstairs bathroom waiting and occasionally giving off a plaintive meow, her boyfriend Shaman was banging on the door, hurtling his body against it to open it to let her out.  Until Woody shuttled him aside to get her in the carrier, he huddled against the door. Then he followed Woody cas he carried her out.  He stayed at the front door staring and giving little whimpers.

 

When she got home afterward, she hid in her condo in the wall for two hours.  Then she came out and told me she wanted food.  I gave her lunch. Then she said she was entitled to a second lunch.  So, I gave her that, for once Then she said she wanted catnip, which I provided. She ate some and rolled around the living room floor. Home, at last.

 

She is almost entirely silent most of the time. She communicates through body language very effectively.  She acts like a pointer, and looks at what she wanted and makes it clear.

 

My poetry group met this week.  As only four of us came, I was able to get feedback on three poems instead of two.  The next morning, I revised all three from the feedback I received.  Very helpful.  We meet once a month on the last Wednesday.  I am always looking to recruit more serious poets for the group.

 

We had much rain from the storm this week. It was strongest Thursday night, but nothing special.  No flooding here. We’re on a hill. But the spring bulbs grew visibly. Every day, we see more daffodils blooming.