Still Waters Wellness

Still Waters Wellness is my Mother's business located in West Michigan.  She is a reflexologist and also does several other modalities that promote holistic wellness.  She has been helping people for years now but has just recently gotten her web site up and running.  Now we need to let people know about the site.  So, please take a moment and check out  http://www.stillwaterswellness.com/

If you know of anybody who is in the West Michigan area who is dealing with health problems or stress please let them know about her site.  If you know of someone who is not from the area please feel free to direct them to the site as well.  There is a lot of great information about what reflexology is all about.  Perhaps it will help them discover a natural way to heal themselves.

Oh, and I also have to brag that I helped with some of the photos on the website.  

Calico

I noticed in my last post about the barn kitties that the calico was missing.  Today she was around and she is just too cute -- I had to add some photos of her too.  It looks like she has extra toes like her mama.  She needs a name.  If you have any suggestions or if you have a child that likes to name animals, feel free to give me some ideas.  The other two (I think they are male) need names too.  I should know by now not to name the barn cats because they don't hang around too long.  Then again, I can't call them all "kitty".

Last Sunday

Last Sunday Charlie and I went on a short road trip.  The weather was gorgeous and felt like summer.  We drove along Lake Huron to the East Tawas & Oscoda area.  The leaves are brilliant right now.  It was really nice being able to spend time with Charlie on such a pretty day.  I shot a few photos so I thought I would share...

Barn Cats

Ok, this is my final post for the day.  I think four are enough.  On my way out this morning I set out a scoop of cat food for the barn cats.  I stood real still and the little babies came out to get some food.  They are still quite skittish.  This one didn't seem to mind me though.  It gave a big stretch and proceeded to play for a while in the grass.  

His brother is the chunky one in the group and headed straight for the food.  "Grey" is their Uncle and was also up this morning to get some.  Grey is one of the friendlier ones and I am quite fond of him.
An after-breakfast drink from the bird bath.  He it too cute, don't you think?

And here is a photo of one of the babies after I set out some tuna salad that Charlie didn't want (it got outdated).  He put his head down in that tuna and ate and ate.  You could actually watch the kitten getting fat.  He needs to pack on some weight though before the snow starts flying.

Some Autumn Photos

Some seed pods.  I love my macro setting lately!

Some lawn art.  Aunt Mary loves her lawn art.  I happen to like this rooster and how it looks among the dying plants.

This is a sassafras tree across the street and over the train tracks from the house.  A couple of barn cats followed me over there and almost got hit by a car.

Can you guess where I went this morning.  Yup, the local farmer's market.  I bought some Kapow soap and some squash.  I love the texture on some of these squash.

Sassafras

I don't think I've ever really introduced Sassafras in this blog.  She is my beautiful blue eyed siamese mix cat.  She is 7 years old - give or take.  She is the only indoor cat I have.  She is a chunky cat - weighs over 15 pounds now.  She loves her cat nip and laying on her back in the middle of the living room.  She is terrified of strangers so most people don't ever get to see her.  I won custody of her after my first marriage failed.  Charlie sometimes pretends he doesn't like her -- but he spoils her just like I do.  

So, I came home from work on Monday and found her laying motionless on the bed.  She wouldn't purr and was breathing funny.  I was able to get her up but she was still acting very peculiar so I ended up taking her in to the emergency vet.  They checked her out and did some blood tests but the only thing that came up was elevated glucose.  I have a follow up appointment at our own vet (much cheaper than emergency care) to do some more blood work.  They think she may have diabetes.  They also said it is easy to control in cats with just a change in diet (to canned food only).  

The day after she was acting a bit better and by Wednesday you would never have known she had been acting like she was going to die - other than the patches of fur they shaved off to get the blood.  I'm just happy that it wasn't anything too serious.  

Here is another photo of that dahlia.  Sassy helped me with this photo shoot.  She made sure to get in the way and rub up against me.  She sniffed the flower and even tasted a petal or two.  She gave me her approval of the shot and then chilled out in the center of the room while I took a few photos.  

Catching up

I have several different things to write about today so I think I will do a couple of new posts.  I'm trying to catch up a bit.

Shortly after posting my last blog with the dahlia photo I was contacted by a friend from highschool -- Melissa.  She gave me the tragic news that our mutual friend Michelle had passed away the day before and that it was suicide.  I was absolutely shocked that Michelle was gone, but not as shocked about how she left us.  Michelle had always struggled with thoughts of suicide, for as long as I've know her.  I spent many afternoons after school on the phone with her trying to tell her the reasons to keep living.  We had lots of joyful times too though.  Melissa told me Michelle was bi-polar.  I had lost track of Michelle a few years ago and only recently had found her on facebook.  We were catching up with each other and even planning on getting together in November (Michelle, Melissa, Heidi and me - just like old times).  Now she is gone and we won't get that chance. 

 I was quite upset about it at first but it is starting to feel less painful now.  I am trying to focus on the good times we had together and not on the times we could have had in the future.  I'm trying not to beat myself up for the should haves and could haves (should have called her more, could have made more time for her, etc).  If Michelle only knew how much everybody loved her...

Macro

Aunt Mary gave me a beautiful dahlia out of the garden last night.  She was cutting them all because it was supposed to frost over last night.  I don't know if it actually did or not.  I got to sleep in 'til 6:30 AM today.  May not seem like much but it sure felt good.  I had to work a couple of hours today even though it is my day off.  After that I went to my chiropractor, then the laundromat, got an oil change for my car and went to the grocery store (phew!).  I'm home again and took a few photos of my dahlia.  I will have to explore the macro setting on my little point and shoot more in the future.  My first try with it didn't work out right - I had focusing issues.  This time it worked.  I like the results.  

So, I am looking to get a real camera within the next 6 months (hopefully).  I have a good Nikon that got me through all of my photography classes -- but it is a film camera.  Although I love film, I am lacking a darkroom.  Two years ago I got a Canon PowerShot A530.  All of the images on this blog have come from that camera - it does a nice job I think.  I'm just growing out of it.  I want a REAL digital camera -- with a couple good lenses.  Actually, I'd really love one of those medium format cameras with the option of film, digital or polaroid backs -- but now I'm dreaming.  So, any of my photo-taking readers have any suggestions for a good camera?  How about a good photo lab that will still process my black and white film or my medium format color film (shot with my Holga)?  I have a pile of film that needs to be developed by can't find a place around here that can do it.  I'll have to mail it somewhere I guess.