Happy Thursday everyone! Just a little update on the newest member of our feline family, Leo. We took Leo for his vet appointment on Wednesday evening. Dr. Heather examined him and upon taking a good look at his horrid wounds said, "Wow! These are pretty nasty. He's lucky to be alive!" Mind you, the entire time she is looking at him, he is purring happily.
Indeed, they were much worse than we even imagined, although he surprisingly did not require any stitches. She sedated him so that she could thoroughly clean up his wounds and cuts, neuter him, give him convenia (an antibiotic injection), give him something for worms, and perform a FeLuk test immediately. To our relief, his results were negative. After a few nail-biting hours spent at the vet's (and Leo a bit groggy from being sedated), we were able to take him home with us.
The only problem is that since he is a stray and we do not know whether or not he had a rabies vaccination (highly unlikely), and we do not know what kind of animal attacked him (raccoon, groundhog, other?) we must have him quarantined for up to six months! Meaning, no contact with other animals and even our contact is limited as there is no test available to find out if an animal has the rabies virus.
We will do whatever is necessary to get Leo "the lion heart" back on his feet so that he can join the rest of the family for, Goddess willing, a very long time.
Ah yes, when one thinks of the Valentine's Day celebrations growing up as a child, it is hard not to remember one Lupercalia custom which everyone in my class particiated in (even if we did not realize at the time that it was actually pagan in nature). That long- practiced tradition of exchanging Valentine's Day cards. Even the Luthern Sunday School which my brother and I belonged to at the time allowed all of us children to do so.
In elementary school, we were told to write out a card for each and every fellow student and then place all of the cards into a big box. We all took turns at picking out a card from the box until they were all gone. This way, everyone received a Valentine's greeting and no one was left out ~ making Valentine's Day a group celebration everyone could enjoy.
Unlike the Lupercalia festivals which the Roman's celebrated centuries ago, the evolution of this holiday has changed the way in which we view this holiday quite a bit. For example, instead of making it a community or group celebration, we as a society have turned it into mere commercialism. While receiving a rather expensive bouquet of roses, chocolates and/or a stuffed teddy bear from our beloved may give us a warm, special feeling inside, it hardly does very much for those who spend this holiday at home alone feeling unloved or unappreciated.
Now, I am not in any way suggesting that we hold a lover lottery for all and allow men to chase women around while lightly hitting them with a thong made from a sacrificial animal. All I am saying is that instead of being known as a holiday tradition made for couples only, we should find a way to make this holiday a tad more group oriented to include anyone. And thereby, everyone would have the chance to join in the fun.
For about a month and a half now, hubby and I have been attempting to gain the trust of this stray kitty, whom we have dubbed "Leo." Last night, at 1:15AM in the morning, hubby woke me up from my sleep in order to tell me that he was finally able to bring him in from the bone-chilling cold of which we have all been cursed with this harsh winter, none more punished than poor Leo.
Hubby gently picked him up and took him downstairs, placed him in the huge dog cage with food, water and kitty box. As per usual, we never allow our other fur babies to be exposed to any stray which we bring in the house until they have been thoroughly checked out by our trusty vet. Fe-Luk test, updated shots and all, we will make an appointment as soon as possible and, hopefully weather permittung, get him in to the vets this week.
This is how I found him this morning. So scared that he moved his cat box over in that he could hide behind it. Scared, but very sweet, I believe he should (we hope) make a very nice addition to our cat family.
As you can see, our temporary "holding" cage is rather large and gives Leo plenty of room to move around.
Right after
we brought him in, we noticed a fresh wound just above his right eye. I
cleaned it up with a cotton pad and some hydrogen peroxide. Also, he must have gotten into a pretty bad fight as he has a rather large scab on the left side of
his neck. Another reason we must get him to the vet asap.
We are glad he is inside and safe, but we will not be able to breathe freely until we get an okay from the vet and we pray that his test results all come back fine.
February 2nd was the fabulous Full Snow Moon and featured a halo of rings adorning the bright Lady and planet Jupiter ~ exuberating a gorgeous circle of light! The Snow Moon, which is also known as the Hunger Moon or Wolf Moon, celebrated Jupiter’s coming opposition by joining in a beautiful pairing. Even last night, they were noticeably close together enough to shine big, bright and beautiful!!
I, however, (along with my hubby and mother) was en route to Hamburg to visit my father in rehab and was only able to gaze longingly at her from the front seat of my car. Nevertheless my hubby, whom I must confess takes a vast majority of my Full Moon photos for my blog posts, also could not help but to notice her beauty and simply said, “Wow! Look at how big and bright that moon is tonight!” Not only is the Full Snow Moon directly opposite the Sun, but in mid-winter they’re nearly on opposite ends of the celestial polarity. Another interesting fact is that Jupiter will also be in the “full moon” phase when it reaches opposition this Friday, Feb. 6. From Earth’s perspective, Jupiter and the Sun lie on opposite sides of our planet at 180° apart. As the Sun sets Friday, Jupiter will rise in the east and remain visible all night until setting around sunrise exactly like a Full Moon.
But, what about the moon’s strange effects on our moods when she is full? According to Aristotle, Pliny the Elder, and contemporary authors such as the psychiatrist Arnold Lieber, the theory regarding the full moon’s effects on our behavior are more than likely caused by its’ influence on water. Since the human body is made up of about 80 percent water, perhaps it’s only natural that the moon “works her magick” by disrupting the alignment of water molecules in the nervous system. For centuries, people have been debating as to whether this “theory” is scientifically sound ~ fact or myth? While both critics and supporters alike have pondered over this very subject, I would like to share a few documented statistics which I have found with all of you …
Violence and Aggression:
· 11,613 cases of aggravated assault in a 5-year period: assaults occurred more often around the full moon. Reference: Human aggression and the lunar synodic cycle (1978) · 34,318 crimes in a 1-year period: crimes occurred more frequently during the full moon. Reference: J. Psychology, vol. 93:81-83, 1976.
Anxiety, Depression and Psychosis:
· 18,495 records from patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital in an 11-year period: admissions for psychosis were highest during the new moon and lowest during the full moon. Reference: Lunar madness: an empirical study (1977) · 25,568 psychiatric emergency room visits in a 13-year period: visits increased near the first quarter moon and a decreased around the new moon and full moon. Reference: Human aggression and the lunar synodic cycle (1978)
Animal Bites: · 1,621 patients over 3 year period who were bitten by either a cat, rat, horse or dog: the incidence of animal bites was significantly higher around the full moon. Reference: Do animals bite more during a full moon? Retrospective observational analysis (2000)
So there you have it, my friends! As for me, I am of the opinion that science indeed has its’ place, but it can not “prove” nor disprove for that matter everything in this life … most especially when it comes to things pertaining to the mystical and/or the spiritual realms.
Well, it's official. This morning,Punxsutawney Phil announced his Groundhog Day prediction for 2015 ... six more weeks of winter it must be! No surprise however, since it has felt as if it has been six more weeks already. And, Phil did not seem as if he were very thrilled about the verdict either. The groundhog who is loved by so very many and is usually such a good sport about the whole thing, seemed a tad grumpy this morning. Perhaps it was because the ceremony had to be postponed for a half hour due to rain and so instead of the 7:00AM start had actually begun around 7:30. Nah, it was most likely due to the fact that, well let's face it, it was dang coooold outside!
Phil's handler, Ron Ploucha, coddles Phil
And long time co-handler, John Griffths has Phil's back (or is it the other way around?)
Greetings to all! Well, we are told that we can expectyet another snow storm in and around our area. They are calling for up to a possible 8 inches by tomorrow ...:-p
In any case, I have been cleaning house the entire day in preparation for my Imbolg ritual tomorrow afternoon and hubby is going to pick up a movie so that we can just kick back and relax for the evening. Hopefully, he can find the movie, "Groundhog Day" since it happens to be one of my fav's and it is also perfect for tomorrow's holiday celebrations, both Imbolg and Groundhog Day respectfully.
My hubby and I do not partake in the Superbowl festivities as neither one of us are very big sports fans ~ although I, myself, do love to watch figure skating from time to time. However, that is just where it all ends for me. ;)
As for our ktties, they will also join us in the family room and keep us wonderful company as per usual ... Mr. Midnight absolutely loves his little throw pillows and sleeps on them all the time ...
And so here's wishing everyone a warm, safe, and very blessed Imbolg ~ no matter how you choose to celebrate the holiday!!
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