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Kit died on January 16, 2024 at   West Hills Animal Hospital   with her humans by her side. Kit's birth place and date remain a mystery.  She found her furever family in December 2008 when she came to live in our home. The vet estimated her be to between 2 and 3 years old at the time, so our best guess is she was born some time in 2006. Read Kit's origin story here. Kit always brought much personality to any space she inhabited.  She was fiercely independent and just as fiercely affectionate when she chose to be. She gave strong lessons in boundaries! As in respect hers! As in it became a common refrain to remind myself and others "Not without her permission." But, a little conversation usually resulted in cooperation. She generally got bored with toys quite quickly, but she loved her Baby (a stuffed mouse with coloring similar to hers) and Ballie (a soft brown ball). She carried them around the house and cuddled with them often ignoring all the other toys. She would...

Todd (aka Toddy) died on February 2, 2024 at West Hills Animal Hospital with his humans by his side. He was born in California on May 14, 2009 and brought to Oregon by Safehaven Humane Society shortly thereafter and given the name Powder. He chose us as his family in July 2009 when we met him at Safehaven. From day one, Todd was a loving, sweet, gentle cat who wanted everyone - human and cat alike - he loved to be happy and peaceful. He loved both his humans and both his kitty sisters.  He purred so frequently and so loudly that on his first visit to the vet, Dr. Glaze proclaimed "He's purring so loud I can't hear his heartbeat."  He became easily bored with toys but always loved a new one. He loved to run through tunnels and chase dangling things. He would challenge himself by climbing up the six-foot cat tree using only his front legs. Boxes full of packing paper always made him happy. He didn't care for the outdoors though he did give it a try a few times. He...

What now? The end of 2022 is upon us. In a few hours, it'll be 2023. How was your 2022? Funny how I haven't heard that question asked much lately. But then again, I've been housebound due to a foot injury for much of the last few months. As I've stated many times over, I don't really get the big deal about the end of the year and the beginning of a new one. Life goes on regardless of what number is on the calendar. That said, I think 2022 has been both good and bad, like most years. On the professional side, I'm rather happy with the progress I made on my poetry. I'm not as happy with the progress I made on the novel I'm working on. I'm happy with the cards and other products I've created on  Zazzle . I'm not as happy that both this blog and my cooking blog, Vegan Cooking with TLC , ended up rather neglected this year. I'm happy I posted more reviews on Reviews with TLC this year and figured out how I want to approach reviews going forwa...

Often when we long for one thing that craving is simply a mask for the thing we really want.  When I crave Grandma Stamm’s macaroni and tomatoes, boiled potatoes, or chocolate cake, it’s not the taste I want.  No one can ever duplicate her cooking even if they follow her recipes to the letter.  Grandma made those with her special love, and that’s what I really crave.  Grandma died twenty years ago, and I still long to spend time with her. She often expressed her love through cooking.  Every Sunday she fixed favorite dishes for family and friends she expected to visit.  There were no invitations, no RSVPs, no formality.  People wandered in and out of her house Sunday afternoon and into the evening.  They fixed a plate of food from the bowls and platters of food kept warm in the oven, played a game of cards, and chatted about the week past and the coming week.  She’d lay her cards down to greet the newest visitors, and after much protest, retur...

Meme May 7, 2009-March 31, 2021 Meme (pronounced Me-Me) died on March 31, 2021 at Albany Animal Hospital with her humans by her side. She was born Stitch in a Safehaven Humane Society foster home in Oregon on May 7, 2009.  She chose us as her new family in July 2009 when we met her at Safehaven.  From the moment she joined our family, she made her presence known and earned her new name with her adorably sweet "me me me" ways. She was affectionate and opinionated. She was attached to her humans and didn't care for strangers. She hated being outside but would watch our every move (and the neighbors, too) from the window.  She loved dragging her fishy pole all over the house, up and down the stairs, to drop at our feet and demand we play with her. She loved to sit on our laps or to hide under covers with equal devotion. She complained loudly whenever I unloaded the dishwasher. She loved nutritional yeast and catnip. Meme communicated in numerous ways from intense looks, to...

Daddy with a few of the Case tractors he restored Idle Hands (for Daddy )   Never one for idle hands You created and built A lifetime of memories and moments You left behind a legacy Of love and hard work You handed your family The callouses you earned On hands never idle Held to the very end In love and understanding Your hands building and rebuilding Making the old new again Seeing the puzzle of the broken As a challenge to make whole again What others couldn’t see Those hands never idle Even to the very end Taking care of everyone With actions greater than words Rest now Let your loving, calloused hands finally be idle

January 16, 1947-March 22, 2021 Gary “Dean” Cooper, age 74, resident of Tollesboro, Kentucky, died surrounded by family on March 22, 2021 in Maysville, Kentucky.  He was born on January 16, 1947 in Lewis County to the late Arthur and Georgia Cooper. Dean was a devoted and loving husband, father, and grandfather who took great pride and joy in his children and grandchildren. He spent his life connected to the land as a farmer and a logger. He was also a gifted mechanic. Never one for idle hands, he started restoring Case tractors in his retirement and always had several restorations in the works. He is survived by his wife, Glenda, two daughters, T. L. (Loay), and Tonya (Charlie), three grandchildren, Kenisha (Tristan), Kaylee (Austin), and Tyler, and one great-grandson, Brayden. He is also survived by six sisters, and a brother. He is preceded in death by two brothers. If you’d like to plant a tree in Dean’s honor, please visit The Gifted Tree . Daddy, thank you for making me the w...