Only problem is I feel trapped on the recliner.  I'm really rather tired of being here and want to get up, but hate to disturb the sleeping cats.

Don never had a problem with such things.  He'd cheerfully and briskly lower the recliner and send cats flying. 

I'm currently listening to Russia's Eduard Kunz play Beethoven's Sonata in "C", Opus 53, and it's marvelous.  Before him was Mariangela somethingorother from Italy who is fabulous.  How the judges are going to be able to pick the finalists, I don't know, it's such a strong set of competitors!

This is a weekend for traveling as Joe is approaching his destination in Michigan (having spent the night in Missouri) while my brother, Louis, just sent me the following photo from his camera:

He and Mary are on Broadway, the lucky ducks.  I'm eaten alive with wicked envy, by jingo.  Someday I may scrape some money together and head up there myself, since Don refused set a foot in NYC again, barring business or passing through one of its airports.  As a pleasure destination, though?  Not a chance.  He loathed it.

I've always liked it, however. 

This afternoon I had the pleasure of showing my newly redone patio to a couple of choir friends, and it was most pleasant to sit and chat with glasses of ice water and the ceiling fan providing a nice breeze.    Thank You, LORD, for this treat!

I'm extremely pleased with how it turned out, and am looking forward to us getting a lot of use from it over the years:

I've ordered a couple of small tables to sit between the chairs and next to the loveseat.

All I need now are the flamingo lights to hang around the perimeter. 

This one is perfect for her, considering how much the kitten looks like Magellan:

If it's not one thing, it's another, as Joe consolingly noted this afternoon.

Now Magellan's all squared away, Zeus had to go back to the vet today.  Fortunately the PetsMart vet is open on Sundays from noon til five so a highly unhappy Zeus-in-a-box and I were there right at twelve.  Yesterday she'd begun limping due to her left hip, and holding her right front paw up (this made walking quite the challenge), meowing, wanting to eat but then refusing to, etc.

After a thorough examination - under light sedation - and a couple of x-rays, it turns out one of the joints where she was declawed a dozen or more years ago has begun growing bone again, causing her chronic pain.  It may eventually have to be removed.  The hip looked fine on the x-ray, so the suspicion is she pulled a tendon the other night when weaving and falling down due to having been put out.  She's got a cyst and a gum infection (along with a tooth so bad it's about to fall out), and that's probably why she's been off her feed the last day or two.

She's on antibiotics and a painkiller, scheduled to go back for a recheck and shortly thereafter have her teeth worked on.

Considering how little the cat's cost us over the last eleven years, I suppose I shouldn't complain too much.  Truth is, I'm vastly relieved that it wasn't anything awful.  Zeus may be a bad-tempered, unfriendly cat, but she's MY bad-tempered, unfriendly cat and I love her dearly. 

It's just a pity Zeus dislikes Magellan so intensely.  Last night she was feeling poorly enough she'd just be laying, and here'd come Magellan to attack her tail.  Zeus did not find that amusing.  She was also unenthusiastic when I brought her home and took her back to the bedroom, leaving her in the carrier as I mulled over how to enclose her in my bathroom (it's one of those two-parters, with the toilet and tub area having a door, while the sink and linen closet area doesn't).  Not only did she want out of the carrier PDQ, Magellan scampered up and sat bang in front of its door, staring at her like an exhibit in a zoo.

Zeus did not appreciate being stared at in that manner, growling fiercely at the kitten.  Finally had to just dump Magellen outside in the hall and close the door.  He's not much for taking "no" for an answer or respecting other's space. 

Magellan has recovered nicely from yesterday's ordeal, but the same cannot be said for Zeus.  She has been behind the other recliner all day long.  That trip to the vet really did a number on the poor thing. 

Speaking of Magellan, here's why I now have to be careful to close my laptop whenever I'm away for even a moment:

He has an eye for the main chance, does Magellan. 

This morning while I was gone to Keller to fetch Bryson, guess what came?  Yep!  The netbook.

Which, once it was up and running and connected, got bagged by said Bryson, who likes the websites PBSKids and Noggin:

Kenny worked hard today (the off-plumb column or whatever it's called gave him fits), and finished framing the back porch:

It's coming along, eh? 

Oy vey.  This morning was the appointment to take Magellan back for a recheck and his first vaccination.  I brought up that I suspected he had ear mites, about which the vet was dubious, but he went ahead and swabbed his ear.  Hmmm...looks like maybe he does have ear mites (which I erroneously theorized he got from Zeus).  The vet took Magellan into the back to clean out his ears, and mercy Maud....!  It was frightful sitting and listening to the agonized kitten shrieks and screams.  Magellan did NOT like having his ears irrigated. 

When the vet returned with a wet, bedraggled Magellan, it was to say that in fact he'd had a severe case of ear mites, to the point he (the vet) thinks he was virtually deaf.  Hundreds had been removed.  Then Magellan had to have stuff put in his ears to kill off any emerging mites from leftover eggs; he was eager to return to the cat carrier, let me tell you.  Anything to escape the House of Horrors disguised as the PetsMart vet office. 

After Dmitry returned home, and after giving everyone lunch, I asked Dmitry and Joe to help me get Zeus into the carrier.  You understand, this is the first time Zeus has left the house since she entered it over eleven years ago.  I told the boys what was needed was steely resolve and firm determination.  Joe had a "how hard can it be to put a cat in a carrier?" expression, which vanished as soon as he tried.  I don't know whether it takes a community to raise a child, but it surely takes one to get Zeus into a cat carrier. 

Finally the deed was done and off we went to PetsMart, Zeus complaining every inch of the way.  I had to leave her, as grown cats get sedated to have their ears irrigated.  I was surprised, upon picking her up, to learn her case was mild, especially as compared to Magellan's.  Apparently Magellan's was of a level that reached the point of impressive.

Also had them squirt the flea stuff on her, as I've tried and tried at home but to no avail.  Zeus is not what you'd call cooperative, and she still has those darn rear claws.

As Kenny (who was with me when I collected her) noted with amusement, "That is one stoned cat."  It took awhile for the sedation to wear off, and while Dmitry found the sight of poor Zeus weaving drunkenly around quite entertaining, I didn't.  Poor baby.  She tried twice to jump up on "her" recliner, only to fall back both times.  Finally went ahead and picked her up to put her on it, causing her to meow with bitter recriminations.  She did, however, settle down for a nap.

Speaking of which, when I came home it was to find this:

Magellan had managed to climb up on my recliner and make himself at home. 

BTW, today Kenny got a surprising amount done on the back porch:

See the beat-up bench in the back?  That came from Atwood, Kansas, where my father's from, and his grandfather was the town's doctor Way Back When.  We've had it for years, and many a pumpkin's been carved on it, along with other activities.  It's literally falling apart so I was planning on junking it, but the distressed looks on the faces of various children caused me to rethink that plan.  Kenny is going to overhaul it, including staining it.  The family heirloom is going to be rejuvenated!    Actually, I'd been thinking I need something upon which to put munchies, etc. once the screening is completed, and the bench will do nicely.

As soon as the back porch is finished, Kenny will start on the front porch, which will effectively give me two new "living" rooms.  I'm going to vastly enjoy being able to watch the fireworks this year without being eaten alive by mosquitos, that's for sure.

First was the Harvesters' SS class, which is always edifying (except we in the choir have to leave 20 minutes early), then worship.

This afternoon Elaine kindly hosted the May celebration, with lemonade and Swiss Pastry Shop's (in)famous Black Forest Cake (which isn't actually very well named, seeing as how there's no cherries or chocolate cake involved).  Earlier today Meredith garnered a truly impressive heap of ribbons, medals, and trophies for her work and participation in SS at St. Andrews' Episcopal.  She was the best Scripture-memorizer of the kindergarten-thru-1st-grade group! 

I was a little unclear as to whether Margaret actually earned the medal and trophy she's holding, or those were also Meredith's. Perhaps Mom can remember?

Speaking of Mom, she received a really elegant magnifying glass as a Mother's Day gift:

This is out of order, but here's a good photo of Jeanne, I thought, with Meredith and Elaine:

After the party various family members stopped by to see the updated kitchen, though Kirstin came so Bethany could have a turn seeing Magellan; she made suitably complimentary remarks about the kitchen, to give her her due.  Here is Bethany with the kitten and Bryson playing with the photo-editing program on the DSi:

Her Gran thought that was a good picture of her poppet. 

And here both of them are, saying their goodbyes to the cats, who seemed disinclined to urge them to stay longer:

Matt and Benjamin had to miss because of Cub Scouts, unfortunately.  Being allergic to cats, Matt is likely not anxious to meet Magellan, but I daresay Benjamin would like to have a turn.  Hopefully he'll be able to see the kitten soon!

This evening I began  -  along with quite a few other people, including a few from choir  -  a four week series about Biblical financial principles using material from Crown Financial Ministries.  Don and I were never good about looking at our finances from that POV, and I'm eager to learn.  The first session was definitely thought-provoking and convicting. 

Then it was home to change and spend a few minutes with the Wii Fit.  Magellan really needs to learn to stay away from the balance board when I'm on it, otherwise pussy paws can be accidentally stepped on.

After that I played the Wii game Kirstin gave me for Mother's Day:  Hasbro's Family Game Night (something like that, anyway), which includes Boggle and Battleship!  Very entertaining.  Thanks, Kirstin! 

About time to put the van up and turn in for the night.  Tomorrow begins the screening-in of the back porch!

They both have their points...the ones with the painted pattern cost a good deal less, plus would let me see out the windows.

The Quaker Lace Wisteria balloon shade and valance are pricier, but oh so elegant!

Here's that photo again of the corner with the windows:

I'm giving thought to having a crack at painting the cabinets white, BTW.  Perhaps if I did the lace curtains would be too much white? 

Here's something one doesn't customarily see in the parking lot of SuperTarget, i.e. the Bomb/Arson truck:

Have no idea why it was there for that car to the right; saw the guy talking with a woman who presumably owns it.  When I left, the truck did too, but I saw a police car entering the lot, so perhaps they were swapping places.  Still, the BOMB squad? 

Yesterday evening I let Max stay out in the rest of the house and my goodness, I've known toddlers who whine less than that dratted dog!  Took him out at 6 pm., 8 p.m. then 9:20 p.m. but still he'd lay around, whining and whimpering. 

He even got to climb onto the other recliner, for pity's sake!  And the sofa!  All he wanted was to go out.  I finally gave up and stuffed him back into Dmitry's room.

If there's anything cuter in this world than a kitten in a slipper, I don't know what it is:

As I said, this morning both cats were on my bed, allowing me to take this rare shot with my DSi:

Also took a couple of shots of Magellan and me:

He shifts from side to side, as you can tell.  Right now he's laying stomach up on my lap desk, zonked.