Dolphin and Elsi

Say hello to Elsi Dodge's charming kitty, Dolphin. You may remember Dolphin's travelmate who joined us during Dog Month, the equally-charming Lady.

I had to laugh at Elsi's sharing that she always wanted a gray kitty. That same desire got me stuck with BadCat!

Sounds like Dolphin could teach BadCat a thing or two!

What kind of cat is he and how old is he? (Dolphin answers this one.)

I am a brilliant saber-toothed tiger, cleverly camouflaged as a tabby cat. I’m almost five, and I’m sure I’m going to learn to drive soon. When I do—and as soon as I’ve conquered the task of opening cat food cans—I’m taking the RV and striking out on my own!

How did your cat become part of your family?
I was on vacation in Florida, swimming with the dolphins at Discovery Cove, when my 18-year-old cat died. She’d been home with a sitter, and Lady (beagle) was in a kennel. Lady was devastated at having her best friend gone; she would search the house, crying. She kept telling me, “If you loved me, you’d get me another kitty friend!”

I thought I’d get a dolphin-colored (gray) kitten and call it Dolphin, or any kitten and call it Mellon (which is elvish for Friend). A buddy called me one evening to say, “There’s a gray kitten at the pet shop; come quick!” I know better than to get a pet shop animal, but Lady wanted a new friend, so I just went to look …

I brought the adorable baby home at once. He barely filled my cupped hand, but had a purr that filled the house! I set him down on the living room rug and said, “Lady, here’s your new kitty friend!”

Lady came over and sniffed him, delicately and respectfully. And Dolphin swore at her! He said … on second thought, I can’t write the words he said, but they were BAD! Lady was devastated.
They’ve reached a mutual cooperation agreement now, but every once in a while Lady looks at Dolphin in utter bewilderment.

What is the most annoying and/or astounding thing your cat has ever done?

Dolphin’s a funny little guy. He was ill with giardia when I got him, and only about five weeks old (which is illegal here). But returning him to the pet store wouldn’t have helped him, so … But he’s an unbonded child, suffering from attachment disorder. He lives in his own world, and tolerates the rest of us. He loves traveling in the RV. He chases the windshield wipers; I’m sure he thinks they’re pterodactyls. He’s apparently a member of Homeland Security, and takes his responsibilities seriously. Without him, we would be overrun by terrorist rabbits, squirrels, and robins.

But with all that, the above picture is still the most astounding thing I’ve seen. I pulled into a gas station, glanced at the passenger seat … and there he sat!

How does your cat’s companionship enrich your life?
I always have something to laugh at when Dolphin’s around. He has his own slant on life, and doesn’t really understand why I don’t see things the same way. He is a happy traveler, loves to go for walks on his harness and leash, slaps the dog when he’s mad at me, bites me in the ankle when I punish him for something (and then we’re even and can be friends again).

What does your cat teach you about God?
Dolphin, my pudgy, strange cat, has always been quite certain the world is his kitty toy. He is confident it was created for his pleasure, and for him to use as he chooses. After all, isn’t the world full of people who want to feed and pat him? And many of them wear dangly earrings, long scarves or belts, fringed sleeves and hems, or floppy shoelaces—all clearly meant for cats to play with. Not to mention keys, coins, and spoons, all sitting on the counter waiting to be batted about, and flies and windshield wipers just waiting to be chased, and birds and squirrels outside the window … oh, it is a wonderful world, and everything in it is intended as a plaything for him!

Dolphin has a strange sense of justice. He will not tolerate being restrained or constrained as he goes through his day. The world has been made for him, and he should be free to enjoy it. He has discovered that his mama (me) has a different attitude and, reluctantly, he makes a few allowances for my prejudices (at least, until he learns to open cat food cans). He doesn’t bite me when I’m asleep, he refrains from walking under my accelerator foot in the RV, and he allows me to retrieve him when he escapes to the great outdoors.

He will not, however, tolerate being held down or squirted with water, no matter how naughty he’s been. For example, he enjoys shredding the side of the sofa, though only when I’m there to be bothered by it. He will scratch, then look to see if I’ve noticed. A flick of his tail says, You’re not the boss of me! Then he goes back to scratching, secure in his knowledge that he’s put me in my place.

When I tell him, “NO!” the tail twitches faster. Yes, indeed, he’s showing me who’s boss!
A firmer NO earns me another look. If I’m threatening him, he evaluates the profit/loss ratio (is it worth it? yes!) and continues. And when I squirt him, he is shocked. How dare you? He immediately stops what he was doing and leaves.

Within a minute or two, however, he is back. He walks up to me and nips me in the ankle. Now we are even—I punished him, and he retaliated—and we can be friends again.

Just after 4th of July, I went to Breckenridge with friends. Kaitlyn, 16, bullied Dolphin, rolling him about and forcing his compliance. Soon all she had to do was touch his forehead and remind him, “Calm!” and he would settle down.

To my surprise, this effect has stuck. He allows me to rub his tummy and tousle his ears. He purrs and snuggles. And when he forgets and starts to use his teeth, all I have to do is reach out a finger to the fur between his eyes and tell him, “Be calm,” and he stops!

Oh, I am so much like my cat! I know how the world should function, and I get irritated when it doesn’t work out my way. “That’s not fair!” is often my response when I lose something, when I’m late, when there’s road construction on my highway, when I run out of shampoo.
I panicked when I lost my credit cards, praised the Lord when we were able to replace them, and found myself highly indignant when the replacement cards were delivered late. How dare they interfere with my trip?!

So what am I saying? Maybe I’m quoting Romans 9:14: “Is God unjust? Not at all!”

In any event, I see God, leaning down in love, pressing His finger on my forehead and saying, “Be calm. Be still, and know that I AM God.”

And I roll over, paws relaxed, purring softly—secure in the knowledge that God is in control. I don’t have to worry about making things right. He’s in charge. What happens “does not, therefore, depend on [my] desire or effort, but on God’s mercy” (Romans 9:16).

The Heart of the Matter

Dolphin will be making his appearance later today (and he'll steal everyone's heart) but I wanted to take a moment to point you all to my sister's blog entry on heart disease. Even though I worked for years in a hospital lab and knew all the terms like MI and A-Fib, I never understood what was happening.

Janice's blog explains a lot, and it's the opening round in a discussion on healthy hearts. Please check it out at:

http://cookwellbewell.blogspot.com/

Elsi Dodge's Dolphin is next up. For now, remember a lot of elements go into a healthy heart, not the least of which is a dog or cat to hug to it!

Woman's Best Friend

I've got my share of phobias. Snakes top the list. I scream at brightly-colored ropes and hoses. If I see a dead snake on the path, I'll stay away for weeks.

Anything involved with taxes and the IRS makes me shake. (Ask my husband...it's true.) Tax preparation and submission is a nightmare for me, even though we have a splendid accountant.

My most inconvenient phobia is having my picture taken. I am the most unphotographic person in the world. I don't have good cheekbones, my smile shows too much gum, my eyes are saggy, I have no eyelashes.

DO NOT COMMENT AND TELL ME THIS ISN'T TRUE! I AM NOT LOOKING FOR COMPLIMENTS...I AM STATING THE TRUTH.

The problem with being an author is that publishers are always looking for a photo. I haven't gone to a studio to have one done because it will be agony. I won't photograph well and it will be a waste of money. Steve sometimes does my photos, almost invariably ending in us sniping at each other. I asked Marj to do this latest round and, though we've shot about 50, I still don't have a usable one.

We had tried photographing me after Sunday School, with a red curtain as background. I looked stark white, with too dark lipstick, red-eye, and just stiff-stiff-stiff. I changed clothes and makeup and went to her house to be photographed in front of her lovely bookshelves. My makeup was better but I still looked like someone was setting my toes on fire.

So she sicced Maddie on me.

The photos are a riot, and I don't know if I can even use them (given Maddie's glowing eyes) but clearly, they showed the real me. I needed Maddie to become who I really am, and not who I'm trying to be.

And isn't that what friends do--help you discover yourself?

NEXT UP for Cat Month--Elsi Dodge's Dolphin.

CORRECTION TO MY ENTRY ON 'BOILS.' Marj said: "If it's melanoma and you ignore it, you won't have to worry about old age spots."

Hellyer Takes Center Stage

To kick off "cat month," today we welcome Dineen Miller and her Hellyer. (I have to admit, when I first saw that name, I thought she must have a BadCat of her own...but she'll explain the name as you read.)

Please welcome Dineen Miller and her cat Hellyer, aka Little Bit or Helly Belly

What kind of cat is he/she and how old is he/she?

Hellyer is just a tabby, white and tan. He's a year and half old. How did your cat become part of your family?My husband is an avid disc golfer. One day he was playing at Hellyer Park (that explains the name) on a record 110 degree day and heard a crying/mewing come from the brush. He went down and found this little 10 week old kitten, abandoned. We already had four cats, but he brought him home anyway.

At first look, we were all smitten by this kitten! Hubby named him Hellyer but I kept referring to the little fuzz ball as Little Bit and it stuck.

What is the most annoying/astounding thing your cat has ever done? (Feel free to answer both.)

Most annoying, he sprays all the time. Good thing he likes the outdoors. Most astounding, he likes to ride on my husband's shoulder. :-)

How does your cat’s companionship enrich your life?

He's kept us laughing since the day we adopted him. He's so unique in his personality and when he mews, he sounds like he's saying no. LOL! He's so much fun!

What does your cat teach you about God?

That God loves us SO much that He actually took the time and care to create these wonderful little creatures for our enjoyment. No other reason! That just amazes me that our enjoyment of life matters that much to God. This makes us treasure our pets even more. Since rescuing Hellyer, we've also rescued a puppy through California Underdogs. And she is precious and has been the best therapy for our daughter. :-)

Thanks for letting me participate!

Blessings,Dineen

* * * *

Dineen A. Miller2007 ACFW Genesis 2nd Place Winner

ACFW Featured Author Coordinator

http://www.dineenmiller.com/

Kittens Come From Eggs— http://www.dineenmiller.blogspot.com/

Designer Girl Graphics—Specializing in the design needs of writers and authors.

Sometimes a Boil is Just a Boil, and Sometimes It is a Blessing

So I came home from Dallas in early October, my arm plated-and-pinned back together, and a small red spot on the interior of my calf.

Uh-oh, I thought. Flesh eating bacteria. (Come on, this is me...)

I followed its progress, watching the purple grow to a little bigger than a pencil eraser over the course of the next month. Finally, it seemed to be settling back into my skin and I thought, okay, I will survive.

Then it turned a toasty brown color. I watched it for a few weeks, decided it wasn't my imagination that it was developing a darker splotch inside.

I emailed Marj and said I thought I either had melanoma or old age spots (and didn't know which was worse). Supportive friend that she is, she reminded me if it were melanoma, I wouldn't have to worry about old age spots.

So I visited my PCP who thought it looked like enough of a concern to send me to the dermatologist. Hm, the dermatologist said, it's probably a sebhorric keratosis. What's that, I ask.

An old age spot.

Kill me now, I thought--ever the ungrateful child.

He biopsied it and was ready to dismiss me when I asked him to look at a spot on my eyebrow. Look is the wrong term...nothing was visible but it felt like a little, dried pimple. (Hope you're not eating...oh wait...you're all dog people so you're tough).

He biopsied that, too, and called me a couple days ago with the results. The thing on my eyebrow is basal cell carcinoma, the most common and least threatening of all skin cancers. 100% cure rate unless you let it go forever and ever. The only issue is the amount of scarring if it's not removed until much later in its run.

And the thing on my leg? Nothing. Not even an old age spot. Just a little inflammation, even though it looked like enough of a concern for a couple of doctors to say hm, better check this out. As the dermatologist was explaining to me that the brown lump that he had excised was nothing, he had this perplexed tone like...why wasn't it at least the sebhorric keratosis? It sure looked like something.

Of course, you and I know the answer to that. I never would have gone to the dermatologist for the tiny, dry spot on my eyebrow.

Sometimes a boil is just a boil. And hm...sometimes it's a blessing.

Welcome to Cat Month (Sorry, pups)

Meet Sultana, aka BadCat. This is not a term of endearment...it's a warning! Note how she disrespects her owner (me) by sleeping on my manuscript. Note the terrifying gleam in her angry eyes. And look at those double paws, all the better to swipe (and strike) me with.

I do hope your cat is a far nicer member of the species than mine is. Whether a purring pussycat or a roaring lion, all cats are welcome this month. Every few days, we'll meet another kitty...and hope our dogs understand.

Send your cat's bio and photo to me at kathrynmackel at aol. Here's some questions to use as a guide.

What kind of cat is he/she and how old is he/she?
How did your cat become part of your family?
What is the most annoying and/or astounding thing your cat has ever done?

How does your cat’s companionship enrich your life?
What does your cat teach you about God?

Good Calories/Bad Calories?

My friend Lisa has become a disciple. No, not of Jesus the Christ but of a book called Good Calories/Bad Calories. It’s a best-seller, written by a Gary Taubes.

Taubes is no slouch or shill for the next best diet. According to his bio on Amazon, he “is a correspondent for Science magazine. The only print journalist to have won three Science in Society Journalism awards, given by the National Association of Science Writers, he has contributed articles to The Best American Science Writing 2002 and The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2000 and 2003. ”

The premise is (quoting from Amazon.com) that “everything we believe about a healthy diet is wrong,” and, in regard to the epidemic of obesity and diabetes, “the problem lies in refined carbohydrates (white flour, sugar, easily digested starches) and sugars–via their dramatic and long term effects on insulin, the hormone that regulates fat accumulation–and that the key to good health is the kind of calories we take in, not the number. There are good calories, and bad ones.”

Lisa is thrilled with this book and its approach because, as she lives on cream, butter, and animal protein (including the fat) she’s dropping weight, body fat, and clothing size. Her blood pressure has gone down and she’s anticipating a lowering of her cholesterol and LDLs. (I’m eagerly awaiting that result.)

Still quoting from Amazon.com, here’s a listing of the “good” calories and “bad” calories.”

Good Calories
These are from foods without easily digestible carbohydrates and sugars. These foods can be eaten without restraint.Meat, fish, fowl, cheese, eggs, butter, and non-starchy vegetables.

Bad Calories
These are from foods that stimulate excessive insulin secretion and so make us fat and increase our risk of chronic disease—all refined and easily digestible carbohydrates and sugars. The key is not how much vitamins and minerals they contain, but how quickly they are digested. (So apple juice or even green vegetable juices are not necessarily any healthier than soda.) Bread and other baked goods, potatoes, yams, rice, pasta, cereal grains, corn, sugar (sucrose and high fructose corn syrup), ice cream, candy, soft drinks, fruit juices, bananas and other tropical fruits, and beer.

Kathy again: I struggle with the notion of loading my diet with animal fats while minimizing what I consider healthy starches, such as peas, yams, potatoes, and oatmeal. As a lifetime member of Weight Watchers and the wife/cook for a man with cardio-concerns, I can’t envision a healthy diet without whole wheat or pasta, or without oranges and bananas.

I checked in with my own expert, my sister Janice Freeman.(http://cookwellbewell.blogspot.com/ ) She's a scientist, medical expert, and fitness trainer in her own right. Here’s what she told me:

…I suspect the "scientific' studies quoted in the book are observational or epidemiological. The problem with those kinds of studies is that they can only show correlation, not cause and effect. And the same is true of meta analysis of studies designed to study a particular question, where some one uses the data to try to answer another question. These were the kinds of studies that led us to believe for so many years that post-menopausal estrogen supplements protected women from heart disease. There is great (unintended) bias in such studies. In the case of estrogen, it was probably due to the fact that women who took estrogen replacement took better care of themselves in general. It was not until the first double blind, placebo controlled study of (matched) post menopausal women with and without estrogen replacement was done that the medical community learned that correlation was not cause and effect. And although the famous Framingham study showed higher cholesterol is associated with higher heart disease risk, it was not until the landmark West of Scotland study (double blind, placebo controlled, 5 years), that the medical community became convinced that statins helped prevent heart attacks, even if the individual never head a heart attack.

It is very easy to mislead even relatively scientific minds when quoting "studies." Unless there is a 10 year study of high protein vs. food pyramid eating and weight control, no one can claim to be superior. I am familiar with the good cal concept, and know some people who have tried it. It actually leads to calorie restriction, since people get very tired of so much protein. It is a strain on the renal system when protein is continuously converted to glucose for fuel; the by products that need to be eliminated tax the kidneys.

Kathy again: It seems to me there’s a far larger issue at play here, one with a spiritual basis. If we believe Taubes, the human body is designed to be a carnivore.

But in the first book of Genesis we’re told:

29Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground--everything that has the breath of life in it--I give every green plant for food." And it was so.

This posits us before the fall —humans and animals alike—as vegetarians. The first animal in the Bible was not killed to feed Adam and Eve, but to cover their sin. We see Daniel and his friends prove a diet of vegetables and water to make them vigorous with health but Peter’s vision releasing Christians of Jewish descent from dietary strictures. While the Lord instructed the Israelites to commemorate the Passover with unblemished lamb and bread without yeast, Jesus celebrated the coming fulfillment of this meal with what Taubes might consider "bad calories" --bread and wine.

I’m rooting for Lisa as she works her way to blooming health. No way am I a vegetarian but the notion that bacon is healthier than cheerios just rattles me. I remain convinced of two things.

First, common sense in enjoying all of creation's bounty and giving thanks for that bounty is good.

And second, the path to good health is always broader and smoother when you take a dog along.