Corn, or Boomerang....which is it?

Boomerang went missing again. He and Little (or Liddell as we call him now) went out the door last night. Liddell came back at bedtime but no Boomerang. No bells jingled all night long. And no show at breakfast. As you know this is very unusual, so we did check the outside bathroom, but I knew that could not be it. And when he was still not back this evening, I took a walk to the neighbor's and asked if she had seen him. "Yes, he is here with his girl," and pointed under the picnic table at the front of the house. And there he was, following her around like she had a little string tied from her to him. He was in his own little world. So my neighbor and I chatted a bit, and while we were talking, then Boomerang realized I was one of the pairs of feet standing there. He ran over to me, and "spoke" to me. I picked him up, and he nuzzled and hugged a little. I told him it was ok, and he could stay, and I put him down, and he went back into his little cat world, following his woman around. Out of curiosity, I asked her, "What do you call him here?" and she said, "Corn. But, he doesn't come here much anymore. And he doesn't know that name." So I told her what I call him, and why, and she and her household had a great laugh over "Boomerang." But they all understood his name....so I came back home,and as I left, I could hear the kids calling him, just to see if he knew his name, "Boomerang! Boomerang!" Really. Does this look like a "Corn"??? Or a "Boomerang!" You tell me.

The Tell-Tale Boomerang

Boomerang went missing yesterday. Late in the day I didn't see him anymore, after Mr. Uan and Khiow had left. And he didn't come into the house last night. Strange. During the night, I thought I heard his "jingle bell" on his collar a few times, but it never lasted long. If he is outside, he will usually go jingling around and around the perimeter of the house during the night, until I notice and let him in. But I heard it once or twice and that was it. And then, he did not come for breakfast this morning. So I knew something was up. The last few days there has been a white female cat around, and Boomerang apparently had his eye on her. He chased her up a tree a few days ago, and fell asleep at the bottom of the tree waiting for her to come down. But she was gone. So this afternoon I started thinking that perhaps he had followed her home.

The other strange thing was, the rest of the "regular" cats of ours (Miss Dufus, Dinkey, Stinkey) were in really good moods today. They were so excited, going in and out, playing. They normally are cautious when outside, because they DON'T LIKE BOOMERANG. I started to think they knew something I didn't, which may have been the case.

After my English students left, we needed to make a run to Takuapa to pick up M's computer. So we did that, ran some other errands, and came back home to make dinner. All the time, me still preoccupied with "what happened to Boomerang?" While the potatoes and cabbage were boiling, I walked to our neighbor's house; the one I claim joint ownership with Boomerang. She hadn't seen him, but I could tell she was concerned also. I said, "He comes and eats at our house EVERY DAY." What I didn't say was that he eats sleeps uses the bathroom intimidates and creates havoc at our house EVERY DAY. She said she would look around for him too.

After dinner, we went outside, like we sometimes do, walked around the yard, M pulling a few weeds and me picking up a little trash. I kept looking to the route I would always see Boomerang travelling between her house to ours (to make sure he made it to both places in time for dinner). And I said to M, you know, Boomerang has been coming here or staying here EVERY DAY for at least the last three months (he was doing this before Ok got sick the last time, and that has been three months). So Boomerang must be sick, or restrained somewhere, or somebody took him away. And I walked back towards the house, near our bedroom window. Then I thought I heard a little quiet "miao." And I said to M, who's that? I hear a cat. M said, oh, it is just Miss Dufus, she is in our room and she is crying at you. I said, NO! That is coming from over here! I was standing near one of the outside bathrooms. We use it for storing gas for the mower and some other lawn stuff. And the miaoing kept up. Mike grabbed the little lock that was in place but not locked, and yanked the door open. And there, in the dusky light, stood a BOOMERANG. Who jumped into my arms and rubbed his head up against me, and then looked over at M, who said, "You're welcome!"

So we had a grand re-union. I guess when I heard him jingling last night, He must have walked around in the bathroom and then given up and laid back down. All I could think of for a while after that is some of the frogs we have found, over the years, that got stuck in a window sill somewhere around the house, and could not get out. A perfectly formed, dried out little dead frog. I just kept telling Boomerang, "I sure am glad you aren't a dried up frog!" Thankfully it was a storeroom/toilet room, so he did have access to water. (yuck)

And I am remembering the Edgar Allen Poe story about the man who bricked up a wall in order to hide a body of someone he had killed, and thought that a cat was back there too. (Is that how it was? my memory fades now.)

So this is my tale of the tell-tale Boomerang, and thankfully, this "tail" has a happy ending!

what next.....?

well, next thing we knew we had a kitten. Some neighbors must have thought we were animal lovers or something, and dropped him off. I ignored him for awhile and then couldn't stand it any more. I tried to feed him. By the way, he was almost totally black. Tiny bit of white on his face. Cried like a banshee(sp?). Anyways, he would not eat. Only cry. And followed me around. I finally said, maybe we should take him to the temple! That is what everybody else does! I even thought of paying Khiow to do the dirty work and drop him off. But then she says that you have to sneak and do this. You just don't go in and drop the animal off. It has to be sneaky. Apparently, though everyone does it, you aren't supposed to do it. So what to do. Then, my student/friend Jeep shows up, to bring me a little gift. She loves to bring me little gifts. She is just a gift giving person. And I am told she is rich, so I guess she can afford to. I tell her to stop, but she will say, "when I saw it I thought of you." So...Jeep came by with something, and I told her I had a problem (by the way, she loves cats). I told her about the kitty, and she said what do you want to do??? I said, to tell you the truth, I was thinking of taking him to the temple!! So she wanted to see him, and she picked him up, and petted him (it was all over now, you know) and said all he needed was worm medicine, and to be dropped off at a small hotel/boarding room type place where foreigners would take good care.

And she offered to do this! amen, PTL. So Jeep rode off on her motorcycle with this little kitten. First she put him in a plastic bag, but he was not enthusiastic (we can all imagine!) and I brought out my plastic travelling basket that we used to use for the cats before we got a real pet carrier. and off the little fellow went on his new adventure!

But what! She drove back up in less than half an hour. AGHGHGHHH I thought. But she was just returning the basket. Said she had already fed him the worm medicine and found a place for him and everything....oh, how wonderful to have contacts..

ps....Jeep came by with bananas yesterday....kitty had a little trouble, so she gave him another worm med dose, and I had some antibiotic that I had just mixed up for Little (another story) and I gave her that....off again... hopefully he is better as we speak....

snakes alive

I guess I forgot to mention, Saturday morning we dropped the snake off with the police. They really were not that enthusiastic.

I asked them what they would do with it. They said "release it out in the forest." I hope they were lying......and I hope I don't see my plastic jar at the end of my road......open......you know what I mean?

Cobra in the Kitchen

I went into the kitchen this afternoon to make some tamarind juice. And uncharacteristically, for this time of day, Miss Dufus was sitting on a little rug by the back door, looking into the store room. In fact, I scared her when I reached around her to put something in the trash. She jumped back and left the room. So I put the tamarind into the pot, and was a little ways away from the door. I saw the snake. I thought it was one of those green snakes with a red neck band. I hollered at M, "Snake in the kitchen!" He said o.k., and came in, and got a stick. I think he figured he would just get it to wrap around the stick and then he would let it go outside. If they aren't poisonous, he isn't much for killing them. He made a noise of some kind, and I turned around to look, and saw it with a spread out hood. A cobra. Mike said, "Get the camera!" I said, "Why! It's a cobra! Who cares about a picture!" But I got the camera, and through some shaky moments that I cannot describe too well, the snake ended up in a plastic jar. Unfortunately, he wasn't wounded bad enough to die, and is, as we speak, still alive and existing in that plastic jar (lid tightly on, TTL) in the kitchen. It regurgitated the frog it had apparently just eaten. TTL for that too, because if he didn't have a frog in his throat (sorry!) it could have been a worse situation.

In case you're wondering, M is at the hardware store right now, getting the necessary stuff to fix the kitchen door, so that frogs (and snakes) can no longer sneak in underneath.

I know, trust me. Your warning: BE CAREFUL. Thanks--

puppy

The puppy died this afternoon. Poor little guy, nobody wanted him. He got real quiet today, we thought it was because he finally got warm. Then I realized it had been quite a while since he cried to eat. So I tried to wake him up, and he just was too far gone, I guess. I kept telling him to try to wake up or he wouldn't make it, and I think it was just too hard, too many things against him. I am sure at this point it was the will of God, but you hate to see it. And you probably don't want to hear this all. But the poor little guy just laid in my hands, I talked to him to try to wake him, and he finally stood up and tried to get air, and couldn't try anymore. I know he is at peace now. A short little unwanted life.

the last thing we need

is a puppy. But yesterday some dog came by while we weren't home, and birthed one, right on our lawn. And left it behind, umbilical cord and all. We were blissfully ignorant, until some of the kids coloring at our front doorstoop went out to look at the thing "isn't it pitiful?" on the front lawn. We tried to find the mother, and tried to give it away multiple times since yesterday. We couldn't bear to just watch it die, so now it is drinking hubby's lo-fat milk for the coffee....and sucking on my finger between naps in the shoe box. All the cats are living in fear.

help!!!! We don't want or need a puppy, trust me. A bunch of people told me, "just take it and drop it off at the temple" (that's what they do with unwanted animals, and it is a mess). OOOOOY, what next? I shudder to ask............

Now that I think about it....maybe Khiow wants a puppy. Whaddaya think????

the truth about Boomerang

is that he must be a typical Thai male. He wants/has a family at both ends of his "territory." I started to make this into a philsophical diatribe, but I think I won't try to attach too much meaning to a cat's "lifestyle." Suffice it to say, Boomerang has two households. He shows up here in the evening, stays half the night, takes off, comes back in the wee hours. Always in time for meals.....

But we always know he's on his way, cuz of the jingle bell they installed on his collar......

cat calamities......

Thursday was not a good cat day. We were already planning a day of tourist stuff, and Dinkey was outside. Before long, he and Boomerang came close to a confrontation. Someone who will remain nameless thought he'd break up the fight, and walked in between them. Well...that just made everyone nervous and set everything off. I am not sure who chased who, but both cats ran in the open kitchen door. Then, Miss Dufus stuck her nose in the middle of the business, and something went terribly wrong. Dinkey got confused or nervous (doesn't take much) and he somehow got into a BIG confrontation. But with Miss Dufus. Boomerang was just standing there watching, like "what is going on?" and Dinkey was TEARING MISS DUFUS UP. Fur was going everywhere. How it stopped I don't know, but then Mike grabbed Boomerang (the catalyst, I guess) and threw him outside. Miss Dufus had blood coming from the top of her head, and from her face. She was and still is kind of shaken. I really don't know if Dinkey ever realized who he was tearing up. Miss Dufus' face swelled up last night, but today looks better. Bad ol' Boomerang.

I forgot to mention, that last week we were heading out to run errands and all the cats (including Boomerang) were asleep somewhere in the house. Well, Boomer's owner drove up in the driveway looking for him! She wanted to take him for shots!! I brought him out, and she said, ooh, he is asleep.....does he sleep in the house at night? I said, well, that depends on him.....(answer is yes, most every night....he walks around the house with his jingle bell collar jingling until I let him in.....) So I guess she still "owns" him, although I could tell, right then, she was re-thinking whether she wanted to pay to get him his shots..........

then again....

I am kind of sorry I said this was the "unofficial" side, because sometimes things get interesting and I want to talk about that BUT......

Sarah and I both got chikungunya. For me, it was a second time, for Sarah the first. We had to cancel one day of class. It is the whole thing all over again. Joint pain, fever, full body rash. Now I hear that it takes up to a year to clear out of your system, and that you can get it multiple times. It is kind of a joke around Thap Lamu now, with our students and with us, but it really isn't funny because it really slows you down. The fortunate thing is that you don't worry too much about any body else catching it, because technically they will get it from a mosquito and not from you. HOWEVER, if they are around you when you have it, and the mosquito first bites you and then them, they stand a real good chance of getting it. TTL, we are pretty much over it now, Sarah still has swollen feet. My feet hurt off and on, but I was able to jog yesterday.

As far as I know, we will all go to BKK on Sunday, she will fly out on Monday morning, and we will fly back here. We have been sooo busy with classes, but has been a lot of fun, in spite of chikungunya.......

what's new with you?

I just have to stop in to say hi. We made it to BKK and back safely to pick up our friend Sarah who came for a visit. We enjoyed our tour of the palace and had interesting (required) visits to two jewelry "factories" and a tailor shop. Made it there and back without any major weather, airline or airport excitement, which is extremely good.

Had a good turnout at our meeting on Sunday and made it back home before dark. Today we had our first adult class with good participation.

Kitties are all well. Not fighting TOO much. Boomerang got put outside tonight when he was chasing Stinkey.

We have had lots of rain. I got SOAKED this morning when I went out to jog, most of my neighbors found it pretty entertaining. A neighbor informed me (like I did not know it!) that I was soaking wet!? Two different people in our village did stop and ask me if I wanted a ride (on a motorcycle) back home, which I politely declined.

Had a nice blessing today. The people that wanted to study English wanted a contract, which we told them we could not do, but that they could study for free. They showed up today and donated four good tables for our teaching room and 30 stools.

Sarah has encouraged me to get back to my piano practice. I have no confidence in myself in this area, but at her suggestion I will try to get back into it. I did sit down and practiced a good while last night and a few minutes this evening.

Got a package today from America and was a lovely way to round out the day. See you later!

Banana Oatmeal Nut Bread

Now here you can get something good. I had some really overripe bananas given to me as a gift by a student, and needed to do something with them before they were totally unusable. So I took the classic Betty Crocker Banana Nut Bread recipe and substituted part of the flour (hard on BH's stomach) with quick cooking oatmeal. If I hadn't had some of that on hand (we really prefer the old-fashioned) I would have ground up some old fashioned. Other than being a little more "come-apart-y" than I prefer, it was REALLY GOOD.

So now this is a recipe blog too! Don't you just love it?

Banana Oatmeal Nut Bread

1/3 cup butter or margarine (I used shortening)

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 t. salt

1 t. baking powder

1 cup ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 t. baking soda

1 c flour, sifted

3/4 c quick cooking oats

1/2 c chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cream together the butter and sugar, add eggs and beat well.

Mix together the dry ingredients (except nuts) and add in small amounts alternately with the bananas to the egg/butter mixture.

Stir in nuts, mixing well to ensure even distribution.

Pour into a well greased loaf pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from pan and cool on a rack.

Slice and enjoy.

BH prefers in a bowl with milk, I am a traditionalist, lather mine with butter.

What can I say?

Sometimes things get dull around here. We are busy, but trying to tell it, it sounds boring! Khiow came and worked today. While she worked, I worked on typing and scanning an article that we would like to get translated into B language for a new Christian we know. But scanning and typing is boring news, you know?

Kitties are more interesting. I am concerned about Little, he seems under the weather the last few days, I think we may take him to the vet tomorrow. I am a little fearful if I see anything that remotely looks like a symptom similiar to OK's. After reading a lot about it, I think I would like to take all the kitties off of dry food. I hope that feeding them dry food for my convenience didn't contribute to OK's renal failure. Dry food isn't good for cats. The more I read, the more I see that, and it makes sense. Little's health, I think, has not been good since last year. I think he got hit by a car back then. And in February, when ALL the kitties got that respiratory thing, he was the worst. I thought for sure I was losing him. And now, when you pick him up, it feels like he wheezes or something. So I think we may take him to the vet for a overall health checkup.

I think our B. friend may depart here shortly, just seems like it is the LW. And if that is preventing the found. from completing, then we want to get things squared up with the Lord's plan.

M. is doing well, been real busy because of our new situation in P. Meetings on Sunday there too. PTL. Oops I wasn't going to talk about that.

I think my chikungunya is pretty much cleared up, so I haven't any excuses for anything. My student Jeep brought me a khanom today, and my student Gooey brought me a bunch of bananas. They love to bring teacher presents, even tho' I tell them it isn't necessary.

Two little B. girls just came by tonight, said they don't go to school at all now. I begin to think they just don't like to go to school!

Wish I had a picture to add to this exciting blog! Have a great day!

Boomerang Doesn't Live Here Anymore

Well, she didn't say "Boomerang," she said "he." For about four days I didn't deliver Boomerang back to his house. Mostly because my feet hurt and it was hard to walk, but also because I was just tired of taking him home. I would take him home, lock him in their room that they had turned into a "cage," leave some food leftovers there for him (and his friends) and come back. He stayed away until they let him out or he wriggled out, and then there he was back at my door. I was tired of it, I didn't feel good, I had just lost OK, and I am unhappy they never listened to me, that they needed to get him fixed to slow or stop his wandering. Admittedly they are not rich folks, but they have at least half a dozen cats! Why take them on if they can't look after them properly? I just don't agree with that philosophy.

So yesterday I took him home again. We were leaving for a meeting, and Boomerang kept following me to the car. I was concerned for his safety, so I said to Mike, Let's just drop him off at his house. I know he wasn't thrilled, but we did it. And the lady there, when she saw Boomerang (she doesn't know I call him that--who knows what his real name is!). When she saw him, she said, "He doesn't live here any more." It just seemed so sad, he had been so easily forsaken. We left him there and went on, but it bothered me. Still does.

People here don't believe in killing animals, that's what they say. They think that the things done in our country (like euthanasia for animals) are horrible. I agree. But it doesn't bother them to take on a kitty, or a dog, and then decide it's too inconvenient, and drop it off at the temple. Or they will bring home an animal to raise, and not be willing to spend the money to have them neutered. Then they have kittens, or puppies, that they can't afford, and they will cast them aside. So, to me, they kill, in their own way, when they "discard" an animal so easily. They just don't have to watch it, or face it.

He was back at my door this morning.

So is Boomerang mine now? I don't know. I just don't know.

---

Bing™ brings you maps, menus, and reviews organized in one place. Try it now.

Chikungunya Hurts!

I remember an old Peanuts Comic strip where Lucy said, "Pain Hurts!" It made me laugh. but it is true!!

Today I am happy to say I think the worst of it is over. I went jogging today---three days last week I could barely walk. Every joint, every knuckle (hand and foot), was swollen or painful. I have really been blessed, because we hear stories of the arthritic pain staying for months. The worst part was my feet. If your feet hurt, nothing much else matters, you know?

Don't mean to complain, I am just glad I seem to be coming out the other side of it. Stay away from mosquitoes. And appreciate your feet.

Chikungunya Fever

no this is not a joke. I think I have chikungunya fever. This morning my joint at my foot and big toe is swollen and sore, as is the joint of my right thumb. I noticed yesterday the feeling of a low grade fever, and just now realized that I have a (pretty much) full body rash. These are things that are not normal for me. I was feeling kind of achey yesterday, and tired too, but really attributed it to exhaustion from our last two weeks with OK. But this morning these symptoms are outside of that, and are in line with what we have heard of chikungunya.

Well, from what I read there isn't much I can do about it, so I will try to take it easy and rest it out. Thankfully I don't think I can pass it on to others, we have to leave that up to the mosquitoes.

MANY people in this area have had it, I mistakenly thought the threat had passed. Well, I have been wrong before.

It's OK. Lament for a friend

"the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away" (Job 1:21). On Sept 5, 2009, about 10PM my dear friend OK surrendered. He had stopped eating ten days ago. I don't think he drank water the last day or so, and how he managed so long is just typical of his spunk. He was the only cat I ever owned that chased dogs out of our yard. (What am I saying? I didn't own him, he owned us!) When OK would see me at the other end of the walkway of our house, he would lope happily to me, miao-ing as he came.

When he first came to our house, more than two years ago, OK was totally unwanted by all of us. He got through to me first, and I started giving him the leftovers of the morning can of food that I shared between Miss Dufus, Stinkey and Dinkey. When I gave him the food, even though he was hungry, he would sniff it, and then before he ate he would walk over to me and rub against my ankles, as if to say "thank you." He slowly worked his way into our hearts, and became so dear to us. The other cats never got attached to him, but they did begin to tolerate him, towards the end. OK understood English perfectly, though he never had one lesson. And when English students came over, he would unashamedly lay down on the table at the front of the class. It was even better, in his opinion, if students would pet him while we studied.

This morning, we buried my friend OK in a banana leaf in our yard. Thank the Lord, it did not rain on him today. OK didn't like the rain. Most of his nine lives (and more) were used up in the rainy season.

I will miss him. Today it still hurts, but will get better in time, I know, and be nice memories. The phrase "It's OK" now has a lovely meaning. He was an Orange Kitty, but he was much more than just "OK." To be just "OK" is something special.

I think the Lord wanted a good kitty. Thank the Lord for him. He was a real gift, and a real blessing.

OK isn't OK

I have been deceived. My OK isn't OK. We were fooled by the fish bone weeks ago. OK has feline renal failure and it is a wicked disease. I thought he was going to fool them, when the vet was surprised that he was eating the boiled fish I was fixing him. But it has turned cruel. The next day he ate fish, but on Friday he lost interest. Looking back, I think this disease was already in him when he first came to our house. I have a note in my journal, 19 June, 2007. I used a plastic shelf we had in the house, and made him an "apartment" outside the back door, to protect him from the rain, because the house kitties hated him. Remembering then, he was sick. But I knew nothing of feline renal failure, and blamed it on a weak constitution. OK has been with us for more than two years. And I can't talk more about him just now. He is a weak, and sick, kitty. I have come close to losing him in the past, more than once. And I keep thinking, this is another hoax. Just a kitty, I know. But he is one of the Lord's little beasts ( For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. Psalms 50:10), and we love him.

Boomerangs

Our house is on a corner lot. On the opposite corner lot is the place where they process and sell drinking water for our community. And at a house on that property, at the next corner over, not too close to us but not too far, lives Boomerang. Boomerang is a male Siamese cat, and he is pretty young. I have no idea what his real name is, or if he has a real name. But I call him Boomerang.

One day there was a big cat ruckus at our house, and for the first time I saw this wiry, fiesty little cat. It looked to me like he was picking fights with our cats. They weren't happy with it, and neither was I. When I tried to run him off, he wasn't going that easy. In fact, he turned and confronted me. I was kind of shocked, because most strays run from us. We look different, and they really don't want any kind of confrontation. But Boomerang turned and acted like he was going to attack me. I don't remember how it turned out that day, but he did depart. I hoped I wouldn't see him again, and I really had no idea where he came from.

Not too many days after that, he was back, scrapping again. And this time Mike was not to happy about it. In fact, he was trying to shoo him off with a broom, but that was a volatile situation. This little skinny cat was spitting and snarling. More than once he snuck into our "front room" where we have classes. He got into it with Stinkey, who scared easy, and Mike found the only way out of the situation was to pick the Siamese up by the scruff of the neck. He couldn't turn on him that way. And so Mike picked him up, and to my surprise he took him and sort of flung him out into the field of weeds and grass behind our house. The grass is pretty high, so I think it was a soft landing. But boy, all four feet were out with claws bared; it was an interesting site. Mike said the next time he showed up he would take a stick to him. I am pretty sure he was kidding....but

I really didn't understand why this cat came to pick fights with ours. Dinkey is a lot bigger than him, and OK is a street fighter.

The next time, I decided I had better do something if I didn't want to see more fur fly, so I talked nicely to him and sat down at the corner of the house. I realized that day that he wasn't interested in fighting with my cats. What he was interested in was getting past them and getting to the dish of cat food inside the house. He was just hungry. And that day, that was how he calmed down, was by my giving him a little dry cat food.

He was so thin. But I knew that feeding him was not wise, because he would want to move in. And there are five cats here already, none of whom wanted that. It isn't that they just don't like him. They squall, and fight, and fur flies. Injuries happen. It is not a good situation.

I was pretty sure that he lived at that house at the water plant, so the next time I spoke nicely to him and he let me pick him up. So I carried him back to his house. The man there, took him from me, and I thought I would share my wisdom that they needed to get their cat fixed so he wouldn't wander off. Well, this guy wasn't too happy hearing advice from a farang (foreigner). Not only a foreigner, but a Christian one ( I think he may be M.) And he proceeded to tell me that, yeah, the farang cats came to his house and bothered HIM, with the implication that these were my cats he was referrring to. I was a little upset but said nothing, thankfully, and I just came back home. I hoped I wouldn't have to deal with it further.

But not too many days hence, guess who was back. So since he had let me pick him up before, I did again, and took him back home. The man was there again, and I was polite. The man showed me they had put a door on the outside room where the cats (he has a bunch) live, and that he locked this one up. He said he had just gotten out, and headed for our house immediately. I said, I guess he likes it there! I thanked him and left.

Next day, guess who. When I took him home, the lady was there, and she said (basically) "You can have him!" I politely declined, telling her that my cats would not agree to this.

What I was noticing on all these visits was that they had a LOT of cats. And in their food dishes? A bunch of leftover rice. No wonder he came to my house. Their cats all skinny and unhealthy looking.

My cats, most of the time, fairly healthy but definitely well fed. In fact, on a daily basis I have to toss some dry food down the toilet. The dry food that isn't quickly eaten gets kind of yucky in the humidity, and since they know that it tastes better right out of an air-tight container, they are willing to wait until I give in and put out some fresh food. Hence, we have leftovers.

So that is how we have progressed to today. A few days ago, I started taking a little bag, with the leftovers, along with me when I take him home. And I started calling him Boomerang, because he just keeps coming back! Now, though, he really looks forward to me picking him up and taking him back home, because when we get back to his house, and I lock him up in his room (I do it myself now, I don't even bother the people-- and they wave me on)-- only then does he get his food. In fact, now, most of the other cats at his house like to get locked up in there with him when we get there! And none of them are quite so skinny anymore.

I was thinking this morning, that I guess we all have our own "boomerangs"--that is, something not too convenient, maybe from a past transgression, that keeps coming back into our lives. We can get angry and frustrated with it, or worse, or we can use the food that we were flushing down the toilet to relieve the situation. And maybe it will help somebody else out.

(Romans 8:28) ........see you next time.....

LOL I wasn't intending to"boomerang" YOU!

Crows

When I go jogging in the mornings, there's usually some birds on the wires along my route. One morning, when it was hot and I was sort of struggling, I noticed some of the sounds the birds make. As I was chugging along, the crows started saying, "walllk, walllk, wallkk!" Or at least, that is what it sounded like. And another bird that is often out was saying "by eek, by eek, by eek!" ("By eek" in Thai, roughly, is "go further.") Seems to me that this is often the way it is when we are trying to "run our own race." Some crows out there tell you, oh well, just "wallkk" and others, the ones who encourage us, say "by eek. by eek. by eek." As much as I may want to walk when I hear those crows, the fact is, I guess I am a little rebellious in that, it makes me want to "by eek" and keep on .....Matthew 26:39.

Remember whose race it is......Php. 2:16....

Happy Cat Day

Well, if you could see Little and OK today, they are doing obeisance to Dagon the fish god (just joking!). I thought you'd enjoy hearing about this.

After yesterday, praying for fish for the cats, or "catfish" as I like to call it, Mae Gae came by this morning (her purpose is another story, remind me to tell you later). Anyways as she was leaving, I mentioned that I wanted to buy some fish for the cats if anybody was selling it (this is the way we don't have to pay high fish prices. Someone walking down the road with a bag of fish probably wants to sell it. You just have to know who to ask.) I knew that trucks had been bustling about the village since sometime yesterday, and I knew the wind was calmer, so there was no doubt some fishing was getting done. So I relied on Mae Gae to put the word in a few ears that somebody wanted to buy some fish. Shortly after that, two B. girls came to my kitchen door. Guess what they had? TWO BAGS of fish. One bag, probably a kilo of squid and a couple small other fishes, the other bag had FOUR trevally (sp?) another one I don't know what, and a small "Eastern small tuna." Talk about hitting the jackpot. I would have been happy today with ONE FISH. So I spent awhile cleaning and getting fishes into the freezer. (Of course, I couldn't get away without boiling a squid and a trevally and de-boning the t. for the cats, and boy were they excited. Little has basically been rolling around (too fat to walk today) all afternoon. And OK no longer looks like the half-dead worn out guy that he looked like last week. He is a Happy Cat. TTL. Shortly thereafter, the neighbor's siamese cat made his morning visit, but that is a story for another time. Remind me to tell you that one later too.

Happy Anniversary, and fun at Immig......

Today, Aug 14, marks a special anniversary. Seven years ago today we got on a plane in Pensacola to head to this country. Funny how some dates stay with you. A friend told us before we left, "keep your sense of humor, and think of it as an adventure." Well he was right and it has been. Sometimes a great adventure, sometimes a tedious one....as in this week. We were due on the 11th to report to immigration for our "90 day" report. Rather than driving there, which is about an hour, we thought we would mail it in, which is acceptable and we did that, last Friday. Special mail so it would get there in time. On Monday the 10th, the Imm. Officer called me. "Khun Jody" she said.....and explained that all the papers were not in order--I hadn't sent some copies of certain pages in our passport. Not only that, it turned out that the stamp on our little piece of paper said 1 August. I thought it said 11 August. (The stamp had smeared a perfect little square next to the "1" which I mistakenly interpreted as another "1" and therefore, the 11th. oops.) And she says, well that means you are "on overstay." Trust me, overstay isn't good, and means a big fine. Nehemiah here. I apologized and said "Excuse me, I am sorry, the stamp is not too clear, I thought it was the 11th. " aghgghghhhhhh. She said, "Oh never mind, you come tomorrow to our office (the 11th) and it will be ok." Trust me, we left bright and early, and went in HUMBLY....and the Lord was merciful. She overlooked our big mistake (you must understand, a blurred stamp that we didn't check into IS our mistake, not the fault of their defective stamp) and not only that, she stamped our next 90 day report as being 90 days from that date (the 11th). Not back to the first. Well, that's what I remember. I think I will go and check again!! Thank the Lord for a good ending to THIS "adventure"!

My Cat is OK

Well, he is for today. For those in the know, OK likes to steal fish. And about two weeks ago, he did steal one, and ate it raw, the whole thing, bones and all. I was thinking his sickness was his usual "raw squid, parasites" thing; when I see he is not well, and a fever starts in, I usually give him antibiotics, and within a few days he is back to his happy, thieving self. But he didn't start getting better. In fact, he stopped eating after about two days, and after five he stopped drinking water. On the morning of the seventh day (no, he didn't rest) he couldn't even pee, so we went to the vet, which none of us enjoy. Turns out he had a fishbone stuck in his mouth, next to a front "fang"-- and from what I gather it wasn't the only one. So they had to knock him out to remove it, and then gave him an IV for three days because he was so dehydrated. He still really likes fresh fish. And I wanted to give him fresh fish to help him recuperate, but this is the rainy season, and this week has been pretty blustery weather. The fishing boats haven't been able to go out, and fish has been in short supply. However, God did bless two days ago. Mr. N's student gave Mr N a LONG squid--at least a foot long--and N, like us, is pretty weary of eating "Pla Muek", so OK and Little reap the benefit, and have enjoyed it for three days. However, this am, it's all gone, but, the weather was good last night, and I know folks were out fishing!

It's Sunday whoo hooo

It's been a busy time. Without going into too many cyber details--in fact, I won't. But today was a good day in the work. Mr. Mang came to church, and BROUGHT A FRIEND! After lunch, Mike began teaching Mr. Mang some Bible. Last week during the message, Mike said "A Christian needs to tell others," and Mang spoke out in the meeting saying, "But I don't know how to preach!" Amen, talk about an answer to prayer. And pray for Joe, the visitor. His first time EVER in a Christian meeting.

Dear Brad Pitt........

That's ok, God still believes in you............(2 Peter 3:9)

Just Waiting.........

No kids today. They all stayed home from Tsunami Fear. These folks are VERY SUPERSTITIOUS. But at least we figured out WHY they are fearing one today. It's because of the solar eclipse. They think bad things will happen during a solar eclipse. And in Thap Lamu, what could be, shall we say, BADDER than a tsunami?

It just means a quiet morning for us.

Here We Go Again........

Well, we heard yesterday that there will be a tsunami tomorrow. The B students asked us about it yesterday, and K. May told me this morning when I went to buy ice; to be careful where I run tomorrow, she saw it on television, that there would be a storm somewhere, and a tsunami here. I told her that I would depend on the Lord, and they of course just politely smiled knowingly.......("she's a nut").......

not here, you won't

what you have all been waiting for, wisdom from me LOL

sorry, you will have to go someplace else..........