Saturday, March 7, 2020

Not much happening here...


There's not been much to write about around here recently.  In fact, things have been so slow this week that even the cats are bored.

A bored Zeus

No excitment in Sophie's day either

Last week I did have a few appointments.  It was time for my annual eye examination so I got that checked off my "To Do" list.  I found out I have wrinkles in one eye.  I knew I was getting old but geez!  Sure, a lot of us have wrinkles around our eyes but in your eye?  This is called a "macular pucker" and they noticed it last year at my checkup and apparently this year it has gotten a bit worse.  There is nothing that can be done about it unless it gets much worse and then they do surgery.  I'm just going to hope it doesn't get that bad because I can do without surgery, thank you! 

I've been organizing family photos from the late 1800's and early 1900's.  I'm getting them ready to scan and I also want to write names and approximate dates on them.  Of course, there are a few of people that I don't know who they are and I'm really wishing my ancestors had written names on the back of their photos.  Hint for the future: please identify your family pictures whether they are printed or digital!  Someone in your future will thank you!   

Tom and I have been shopping for new cell phones.  We no longer keep a house phone so we need reliable cell phones.  We currently each have a Samsung Galaxy S4 and it has been the best phone I've ever owned.  It is seven years old which is truly ancient for a smart phone.  Our phones are still working but need to be replaced soon due to memory problems.  (I hope no one ever says that about me!)  They simply were not made to handle the software and apps of today.  One sales clerk got a big kick out of the age of our phones.  I thought we were doing good to use them as long as possible but I guess many people today trade them in every year.  We went to a couple of different stores and discovered the availability of many of the phones we were considering is now extremely limited due to the coronavirus.  There is a big shortage in electronics and parts for electronics.  Many phones, televisions and other electronics come from China and other countries affected by the virus.  Some of the factories have been closed because of it.  Hmm, we may be using these phones a while longer.   

Spring is at least getting closer for us and that is always a good thing.  Our temperatures may even get up to the 60s F this weekend and that would be wonderful!  We also spring forward this Saturday night so we lose an hour of sleep.  Thanks Daylight Savings Time.  Honestly, I'd just as soon keep the same time all year.  Oh well.  Have a great weekend everyone!



24 comments:

  1. This blog post truly feels like chatting to you over a cup of coffee, dear Bonnie!
    First of all: Cat photos - can we have more of them, please? I'd love to live with a cat again, but being on my own during the week and away most weekends would make it highly unfair to any pet I'd take in. For now, I have to make do with other people's cats and dogs.

    The eye thing: I had a retina pucker in my left eye; surgery was the only option, and I had that done in 2018. I was in VERY good hands; from the professor who operated to the nursers who were looking after me during my four days in hospital - everyone was kind, competent and treated me as a human being, not just like "the retina pucker in room 304". The original problem - every straight line was distorted in my view - was solved by the operation. My extreme myopia remains, of course; that was not the point of the operation anyway.
    So, whichever way things turn out for you, if you need surgery, I wish you the very best.

    You do well in using your phones for as long as it is feasible. I really detest the throwaway mentality of today, replacing things that are perfectly good only because there is a newer, slimmer, trendier model on the market (this applies to things as well as humans!).
    Of course, if functionality is limited in a way that makes it impractical for you, a new phone will be your only choice. I hope you will eventually find one that suits you as well as your current one.

    We've mixed weather in the forecast for this weekend; tomorrow should be much milder than today, but grey. No matter what, O.K. and I will certainly be out and about!

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    1. You are always so kind! Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could have a chat over a cup of coffee! I'm glad you like the cat photos. I've been afraid I'm showing too many but they are a happy part of my life. I fully understand you not having a pet when you are away from home so much. We got these two cats after we retired.

      Thank you for sharing your experience with the retina pucker. I have never talked with anyone that had one and it helps to hear of your positive experience. I don't like the thought of any kind of eye surgery but eventually I'll need cataract surgery so I guess it's part of life.

      Yes, I also believe in using phones or anything else for as long as possible. The throwaway mentality is not only wasteful but adds to the ever growing landfills. I was raised to use things as long as possible and not waste anything.

      I hope you and O.K. have a wonderful weekend and enjoy your walks where ever they may take you!

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  2. I've never heard of macular pucker! It seems there is always something else for us to worry about! I've only ever had one mobile phone that was handed down to me by my son. It is just a pay as you go and I hardly ever use it! In the UK our clocks go forward in about 2 weeks time. I am looking forward to longer days but not if they are cold and dreary! I hope you have a lovely weekend Bonnie.

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    1. Thank you Simone. It's funny, my first cell phone was one handed down to me from my son too. We got rid of our house landline phone several years ago as everyone we knew called our cell phones anyway. I do like the longer days when the time changes but I don't like dealing with the change twice a year. But we just go with the flow and mainly I'll be happy for Spring! I hope your cold and dreary days leave you soon!

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  3. Your cats are adorable. I have a bored puppy. She just got spayed and has to be in the cone of shame for another week. She is actually pretty miserable.

    I have heard of macular pucker. I'm not sure why I've heard of it though.

    I gave up my landline years ago, and we all just use our cellphones. We've been iPhone people - except for my significant other. He has been using Androids since they came out and loves them. I don't even know which phone he has now. Everyone I know who has a Galaxy loves them.

    We are supposed to get some pretty warm weather here next week also. I'm hoping to take advantage of it. We're a little leery here as coronavirus has been popping up near where I live, but it is what it is.

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    1. Oh, poor Ivy! I hope she gets out of the cone of shame soon. It has been several years since we had a landline too. It got to the point where we just had spam calls on it anyway. I hope you do get some warmer weather. I am hoping that nicer weather will help cut down on the spread of the coronavirus as people will spend more time outdoors. Have a good weekend Sharon!

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  4. How gorgeous your cats are! Cats sleep so much, don't they? Ours barely stagger to their dishes for meals, then stagger back to bed. It's difficult to get them to be active, and as a result, they are both overweight. Keeping cats indoors has its advantages but also its drawbacks.

    I hadn't heard of a macular pucker before. Hopefully yours will not get worse, but if it does, it's encouraging to read accounts like Librarian's and know that it can be managed with surgery. I've only had surgery once; it was for a retinal detachment, and it was not a problem at all. We are lucky to live in a time when there are solutions for things like these to avoid poor eyesight or outright blindness.

    Good luck with finding a phone. We have very basic flip phones with pay as you go minutes. We have all the internet access we need at home and these phones are so much less expensive for the service we use.

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    1. Our cats will still play a lot with each other and with us but they do have their regular nap times. One of ours is overweight and we try to help her with more activity and less food but when you have two that becomes hard.

      You are right, we are fortunate to live in a time where there are so many solutions for things like the eye problems. I'm glad your surgery for the retinal detachment went well. I've heard that can cause a macular pucker so it's good you got it taken care of.

      I hope you have a good weekend!

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  5. Those kitties sure look comfy! That is kind of scary with the phone. I am not worried about my phone, but just in general it is scary. It does make me wish I had a new computer. Not that mine is having any issues...just to have a backup. LOL

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    1. I know what you mean about computers. I wish computers would last longer but it seems like they get outdated so quickly and they are so expensive to replace.

      Cats do know how to get comfortable don't they! It's relaxing to watch a sleeping cat.

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  6. DST cannot come too soon for me.
    We have not had sixties yet, but the days of fifty were grand. Of course, it snowed overnight.

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    1. I am happy to have the later daylight but just get tired of changing clocks. You had snow again?! Don't you hate it when it snows this close to Spring or after. We have often had snow near the end of March or the first week of April and that is just not right!

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  7. G'Day, Bonnie...I thought I'd pop on over and say "G'day!" :)

    I don't have a cell/mobile phone...I still use my landline.

    Your Zeus and Sophie are not unlike my Shama...she is a tabby, and her brother, Remy, is black and white. Both are very spoiled, of course! And, why not, I ask? :)

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    1. I'm so glad you came by Lee! Your cats are brother and sister? So are mine! Do you have pictures of them on your blog? I'll have to go check. I do love and spoil cats so much! I agree, why not!

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    2. How about that, Bonnie!! :)

      I have pictures posted of Remy and Shama on my post of February 18th. Three posts previous to my current one.

      They were born on 4th November, 2002. They came into my life on 13th December...three days short of them turning six weeks old. My previous much-loved ginger cat, Pushkin, died on 6th November, 2002. He was 15...and had travelled far and wide with me, living on island among our adventures. I was heartbroken. I've had cats all my life from when I was a toddler.

      Remy and Shama are both in very good condition for their age...17 years...they are indoor cats and are very spoiled, of course. Fresh meat late every afternoon for their dinner...fish packet food of sorts for their breakfast. They have healthy appetites.

      They drink water only...and only from a glass tankard on "our" bedside table...alongside "our" king size bed...or should I say theirs...which they allow me to share!! :)

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    3. Oh my goodness! Remy and Shama are such beautiful cats! Shama looks so much like a tabby I had before these two we have now, with the white on the nose. Your cats look so happy and content. I too have loved and been owned by cats all my life and can not live without them. To me it is the greatest honor to love and be loved by a cat. Thank you for sharing the lovely pictures!

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  8. That's what I have in my wonky eye! It was only mildly annoying but not a problem before my cataract surgery but the cataract surgery made it much worse. (Plus now I can't see really close up even with trifocals.) The pucker interferes with my reading in that it quickly tires my eyes and I often have to close the wonky eye to keep the lines from bouncing about. Same with doing my crafts, calligraphy, etc. They didn't warn me that the macular pucker could get a lot worse with the cataract surgery. Maybe it usually doesn't, but mine sure did. What's annoying when I type is if I go back to correct something I think I'm on the right line, but I'm on the line above or below. They said the same to me--if it gets bad enough they can do surgery on it. I may start wearing a pirate patch instead--ROFL!

    Love the pics of your kitties!! Cats can be relaxed in positions that boggle the mind-LOL! :)

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    1. I'm sorry you've had to deal wth that. I'm glad you told me about the cataract surgery making it worse though. I know I'll need cataract surgery in the next few years and I'll ask them about it before I have the surgery.

      Yes, cats do get in some really strange positions and seem quite comfortable!

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  9. There's no real logic behind changing the clocks. The process causes far more harm than good. Regarding "macular pucker" I thought that was a way of describing Donald Trump!

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    1. Hmm, that would be one of many ways of describing that man! I would personally be happy to do away with Daylight Savings Time. It's not like we are actually changing time and we don't have to change our clocks if we want to get up an hour early or late!

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  10. Not much to post about here either. Good we can rely on our sweet kitty cats for a few entertaining pictures. I hate messing with the clocks too. It just adds more stuff we have to adjust to, and it takes me a while to adjust. :)

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    1. Hi Henny! Thanks for stopping by. Yes, our sweet cats are always fun and provide good photos too.

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  11. Old lady eyes! I have heard about those wrinkles. The ctas look like they are good company for each other!

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  12. You are right there - old lady eyes! I knew I had wrinkles but this is getting bad!

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