Category Archives: Pets

First Letter to Parents After Move to Pittsburgh

Events, Life, People, Pets, ,

Dean and I started dating in 1979. He moved in with me summer, 1981. We moved to Pittsburgh mid-summer 1981. My parents, brother and cousin helped us move. Here’s a letter I wrote to them.

We had no idea that we would not be able to use the money we put in a bank for two weeks after opening an account and could not cash any checks that were not certified. Not only my parents try to help us out, so did Dean’s. We lived on $40 worth of change that I’d serendipitously been saving since moving into an apartment in Elgin.

The comment about pink, not blue, fingers was because of my Reynaud’s syndrome and stress sometimes made my fingers turn blue.

Also the description of my 25th birthday makes me tired just reading it!

August 26, 1981

Dear Mom, Dad & Kevin,

So — this is the second letter I’ve written. Letter #1 is stale (and besides I’ve already told you everything that’s in it).

Like I said on the phone — the apartment actually is livable now. Each room still has a lot to be done, but at least we can move. Today we cleaned out the desks and put some books away. Our next big project is making shelves for the stereo and albums and the remainder of the books.

We have no hot water yet. The plumber never showed up. I guess it’s quite a job. Ask Dick Palmer why he thinks we are having so many problems. 🙂 (Actually I think our landlady is worried about $$$)

My birthday was really special. Dean made me a wonderful breakfast of strawberries & cream, kippers, pink champagne, soft-boiled eggs, bagels & toast (this was all before we knew how poor we were 😑)

Then we went to a festival downtown at Point State Park. That’s where the three rivers come together. We watched the speed boaters and Dean “frolicked” in the fountain.

For dinner, Dean mad a roast and Yorkshire pudding. It was all very wonderful dean gave me my favorite cologne, a blue rose, peppercorns, kerosene for my lamp, a bottle of wine, and from a small garage sale, a salt shaker and pepper mill sett, directly (long ago) from Italy.

After dinner and cake (yes — he baked a cake, complete with 25 ! candles). We took a long leisurely walk around our new neighborhood.

Cinder has settled in very nicely. It’s almost as if no move ever took place.

We still have to thank you properly. I wish I could have said more in the way of thanks when you left but I was ready to cry at any moment.

Also we owe you money for gas, etc. That will be paid as soon as we can.

Well, take care,
Love,
Dona

P.S. Got the checks today.
Thanks for the loan — I feel awful, asking for the money — thanks so much.

Dona

Hi again —

Enclosed, you have found the two checks. Thanks, but the bank won’t accept it except to go into our account and that won’t be good until the 8th of September. (That’s the $50.00) Then — the $15.00 check — it’s not certified. Seems that certified means the bank guarantees the money. We even went to the assistant manager. But luckily we found out that the book store takes VISA (Dean needs books) and that leaves us with enough cash to get by. There is $40.00 in my change bottle. I appreciate your help very much. If you can’t get your money back (but I am sure you can). Send me the check back and I’ll be able to cash it and send you back one of our checks.

Don’t worry — my fingers are still pink — not blue.

I called the school district and they are sending applications for subbing. One district (Pittsburgh) isn’t accepting subbing applications until next week.

Love,
Dona

New Housemates

Pets, ,
We will prohibit this soon, but they really love the dining room table

Back in June Andrew asked us if we’d consider taking in two adult cats because the owner was moving to Australia. I was immediately for it and Dean said it was up to me.

We met the cats a week later and they seemed friendly and fine, if a little frightened.

Their owner, Dan, dropped them off on July 30 and they’ve been getting used to being here.

Waffle is a female and a very large one at that. She’s probably got some Maine Coon or Norwegian Forest Cat in her. She’s a tabby color. Pony is all white except for a stripe of gray between his ears.

I’m not going to lie and tell you that it’s all been good. The first night, Waffle peed on my leather “cloud” chair. The second night she peed and pooped on Dean’s leather recliner. We washed the leather and floor with soap, then sprayed them with a leather-safe enzyme. We’re also covering the seats when we are not sitting in them.

At the previous owner’s suggestion, I bought a second liter box for them to put in the lodge. That took care of peeing and pooping on furniture, but now Waffle pees around the corner in the kitchen instead of in the box. I think she only does that when there is solids in the box, so I’m always on the lookout for fresh poop.

There is more good than bad, though. They are both very friendly. Waffle has become my shadow and always wants to be in the same room as I am in, often on my lap.

Pony is affectionate too, but more aloof. He’s very vocal when it comes to treats though.

Waffle is a beauty
Rub my belly!
Grooming
Waffle meets Chum and Rupert. Waffle is not impressed
Please put that phone down and pet me
Slightly aggressive grooming

The hair of the cat

Memories, Pets, Things,

Somewhere among my belongings, either in boxes from my mom’s house or in something I already had in Maryland I found a formerly white envelope with the words Cinder Patrick, 1 year written on the front in red or dark pink ink. Inside was a small thatch of black fur.

Cinder was my second cat — my father, a self-described cat-hater, brought her home to me when I was 13. She was a one-person cat and everyone else hated her. We loved each other.

She lived through three moves, from my parent’s house to my first apartment, to Pittsburgh with Dean and me and finally to Alexandria where she died at the ripe old age of 17.

Sorry, Cinder, but this memory is going in the trash — the fur might go in the garden though.