Want to come sit a spell?

Has anyone missed me? Nothing is wrong...my niece came down Monday and just left this morning. I just couldn't seem to get on here to visit or to do a post.
I so wish I could have a visit from an old friend or two--and that we had a fireplace or a stove to sit beside. I am just lonesome for them. And there is nothing better in this world for me than to sit by the fire and talk. We actually had a stove, not quite as good looking as the one above when I was a kid. That was what heated our house....needless to say, the back bedrooms were plenty cool in the winter.

I think I have told before about waking up and yelling for my mom to come and get me...and she would come and take me to the kitchen with her where she cooked on an old cook stove. I have been googling and trying to find a photo similar to either the old heating stove or the wood cook stove we had and did not have any luck worth showing. I had no luck at all with a heating stove that looked like ours, but there were a couple tiny, tiny pictures of a cook stove that was similar to the one we had, but they were too small to really see any detail. So I am not going to link to them.

It was always a big deal in the spring/summer when the decision was finally made that we could take the heating stove down because the weather was finally warm enough till we wouldn't need it any more. I vaguely remember my brothers wrestling with it to get it outside...I had the impression that it was really heavy but not sure if I am right or not. I think we got a wood furnace when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade, so my memories of the stove are sort of vague.

I do remember them having to be careful with the stovepipe....not wanting to get soot everywhere. The funny thing is, I have no recollection at all of when it was put back up in the fall...none. What I always remember is that we could rearrange the living room when it was taken down for the summer. Again, I know we had to rearrange the living room when it was put back up, but I don't remember that.
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Lorelei has changed since last week...hard to explain. Just more wiggly for one thing. And she is so interested in what is going on around her that she has a hard time closing her eyes to take a nap. She 'sings' just a little bit every day. Usually when she is laying across my shoulder going to sleep. It is the sweetest sound I know. After she goes home, I will think I hear her wake up and start to go get her only to realize that she isn't even here. And Roger went fishing with one of his buddies Friday, and he said all day he kept thinking he heard one of her toys!

Now, to fill in a little of what else has been happening. Since Cougar was gone that one time for so long, he stayed pretty close to home for a short while. Then he started to roam again. Still, usually home shortly after I would get up of the morn. Then, last week, he left one night was not home the next morn, and did not come home all day....I really did not expect to see him again. As hot as it was, I just did not see how he could survive getting locked in some hot garage.

But after the second night, I looked out the back door, and there he was. Sooo skinny. Nothing but skin and bones...he had lost weight after that first time, but now you could feel and see every bone in his body. You would never dream that he was a much loved cat. He ate two cans of catfood, and went and found a place to sleep.

Next thing I knew, I realized he had a really bad upper respiratory infection. So, took him to the vet when Saturday came and he is now on antibiotics. And he does not want to stay inside at all. He runs out if he gets half a chance.

And remember Bubbie? Since his accident, he had gotten back to normal. One of the most curious cats I have ever seen. The other day, I walked into Roger's fly-tying room, and I have two bookshelves in there that are over 7 ft. tall...he was up on top of them. I think the only thing he hasn't been on top of is my china cabinet and that is because it has never struck his fancy.

Anyway, he basically has been sleeping inside of the day and spending the night out. No matter when I go out, he is usually laying on the front porch or back porch. He doesn't venture far. So, I was surprised Monday morn...he wasn't waiting at the door but he did come in just a second. And he was slinking in, looking back over his shoulder like something was after him.

He went straight to our bedroom, I went and got him and brought him out to eat but he wanted nothing do with food nor water. He finally ate a couple bites yesterday, and actually came out of our bedroom once. Today, he has come out several times...but is still not himself. We cannot find any place where he has been hurt. Nothing seems to hurt him when we press and feel of his body. So your guess is as good as mine as to what has happened to him. I guess he will slowly be back to normal.

I guess I best be going to give Cougar his medicine...before I totally forget!