"What Thou Seest, That Thou Beest"

Amy and Me

"I'm gonna get you a MUZZLE," I screamed in frustration at poor BC yesterday after catching her snacking on other animal's Poo (sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, dogs, cats and the occasional deer), I don't know why that's so yummy.  The Vet keeps asking me, "What are you feeding her?"  "Just what you told me, plus cukes and broccoli snacks.  Other than that, shit."

BC's snacks-of-choice and her troubles with diabetes may not be related, but after having yet another scare I can't help but wonder.  It's costing me a small fortune.

Yesterday Amy uttered (to the cashier) an extremely unkind comment relating to a nearby unmasked customer in the Pharmacy area, much worse than my usual, "Inbred," figuring I had a 50-50 chance of waking up in the ICU but I didn't care.  I'd asked the cashier,

"So, do we need to wear masks?"

"YES, it's a State mandate, but 50% of the people ignore it."

That's when Amy made the crack, "Have you noticed..."

A friend sent me a link to an apartment listing, adding the note, "I hope this isn't a scam...time's running out."

Thanks for the nudge but I'm well aware of January 7th looming in the not-too-distant future.  Everything looks BLACK to me after that date and I can't imagine making plans.  After the 7th my chances of finding something solid to live in evaporates. I'd been dreaming of jumping into the shower without first taking 5 minutes to unload everything stored in there; and in addition to my $7.50 Goodwill chair I've picked up vintage culinary items I pretend I'll use, if I had a real kitchen.  They're starting to show up in my Etsy shop.

For new readers, I'll continue living in my RV until I don't, but I'm not jumping on the Section 8 list again because my psyche can't take it; plus it prevents me from exploring other directions.  I'm starting to compare myself to Grandma Jean, an 86 year old woman recently lifted off the streets and into a tiny house at Hope Village; and now about to move into an Assisted Living facility.  Miracles can happen, but not if I'm standing still.

Because Sally was kind enough to send me a note I took a look at the listing, but the ads on this new website were the same as the others.  Apartment complexes, recently acquired and managed by Property Management firms, baiting sudden openings (from evictions?); when what they MEAN is they're open to adding names to their years-long waiting lists because a couple people have moved up the list.  Pets not allowed.  Then there was the one, "Schedule a Tour," with the note, "Better hurry!  8-10 people have already signed up for this listing."  I hit the button out of curiosity and received the same popup as the other site, "You'll be contacted" (with an application link and charge for a credit check that doesn't get processed) but this time I closed the screen.

Considering they're getting $45 per applicant per property, that's not shabby for a free online ad.  I wrote my friend thanking her, but I'm not yet able psychologically to look again.  As I told my uncle the other day, "After getting my hopes up I crash-and-burn and it takes me some time to recover.  I still haven't since the last one."

Kinda hard to find an uplifting diversion these days.  I can't help wondering if any Pro-Life parents of dead children from school shootings don't secretly wish the shooter had been ripped out of his mother's womb, thus preventing their current heartache.  Here's a perfect example of my previous observation, "Not everyone's cut out to be a Mother".

I'm not too worried about going to war with Russia over the Ukraine because I can prove I'm Russian if I have to, read Dear President Putin, I'm just sayin'...

With so much hatred in our world, you'd have to be a stone not to be affected on some level.  What's the big deal about taking a FREE shot in the arm, friends and I wonder?  We take chances with our lives every day.  Did those people say they wouldn't take a shot back in the early days of Covid, when President Trump was taking credit for cutting corners during the speedy development of the vaccine, or was it only after President Biden was legally elected?  I didn't hear their complaints amidst the banging of pots and pans.

I was raised as and remain at heart a Christian Scientist.  Ironically, fond memories remain from 2nd grade in 1963, when P.S. 150 Queens (NY) provided certain shots by law, smallpox I guess. I did catch the measles (I think) and chicken pox but not the mumps, which sounded nasty.  My parents opted us out of some inoculations, probably like today's annual flu shots, which I never get; but they didn't cause a stink about those required by law and meant to protect the entire population. I've got that scar on my upper arm and I always got excited about Tine tests.

I'm no religious fanatic but I was curious whether our Mother Church in Boston required members to refuse the Covid vaccine or not.  I shouldn't have been surprised to read that the church leaves that up to OUR discretion, just like all other medical choices.  No one ever said we'd be cursed or shunned for getting braces, wearing eyeglasses or mending broken bones; and there are Christian Science Nurses to evaluate a medical issue if someone is uncertain which action to take:  prayer or the ER.  Don't believe stories that C.S. parents neglecting thus killing their children is in any way a religious tenet.  Some people are just plain dumb. IMHO.

I think everyone would agree it's my choice to refuse a Mammogram, talk about a nasty-sounding procedure.  I'm not trying to stick around for anyone and it's not as if cancer's contagious.  Tell me it's no longer my choice and I'll go down swinging; but recommend a medical procedure meant to help protect my fellow man and I'll be one of the first in line.  That's the humane thing to do.

So when you hear of people refusing the shot for religious convictions, please don't assume it's Christian Scientists, we get enough flak for our beliefs, thank you.  But if it's not us I don't know which religion they mean.

Which brings me 'round to the title of this post, yet another of Mom's favorite expressions.  "If you see a poor person; an ugly person; an ignorant person; a nasty, selfish person; look into yourself."

Ouch, Mom!  So this morning, caring for my sweet, sweet friend, I said to BC, "I'M the one who needs the muzzle, not you."

Photo note: Portrait painted by my late husband, Tino, in 1994.