What really happens

After my previous post, I felt a little lightheartedness was in order, along with minimal copy and I am sure Ms K would concur.

We found this while being on FaceBook and thought if you had not seen this before, it might just bring a smile across your face.

What felines really do

Ms K “Guess they’re right” - photographed using an iPhone

PS: Anyone else having the problem with a blogger ‘Anonymous’ who has been spamming? It seems they have discovered all my sites and have for almost one week spamming each blog daily. I just wish Google were able to shut them down. Reluctantly I have turned on ‘Word Verification’ for now in the hope to put a stop to it.

(^..^)

♥

Darkness within the storm

During my absence much has occurred and though it was a difficult decision, I felt compelled to share this with you, so that you might understand that being away has been due to circumstances over which I have had little control.

The second half of last year proved challenging. I found myself going over some digital photographs taken back in 2005, photographs that allowed me to go public and tell my story of abuse and that I am a survivor of child abuse. 

The notebooks

I had chosen to rework these images and post them to The Artist Within Us website, but this time in color, since the first showing in 2005 was as a set of duo-tones. What I did not realize, was that I would relive these memories and go through emotional turmoil and general withdrawal for several months. The result of that period produced notebooks full of words, expressing a gambit of emotions and feelings.

What made this even different from 2005, was that now I focused on writing down these memories and feeling, while—for the first time—being more objective, looking at the events from those of my abuser, also of my father, his job and affairs and how children were raised in Germany back in the nineteen-thirties. The shift in the approached my abuse, allowed for a different perspective and also a better understanding, while not excusing the abuser.

With memories striped bare, stolen innocence still cannot forget

I even began drafting a website Family Secrets Revisited for the purpose of posting from the notebooks and more images in the near future. When I, with fortitude shall return to the notebooks, including the many other photographs take in 2005 and which were never part of any previous exhibition, bringing it all to a conclusion in the form of a book.

———

Once November rolled about I briefly went into high gear, as I love to entertain for Thanksgiving. I was able to mask from family and friends even now what had been going on the previous ten weeks and when the month came to a close, I began to take a downward spiral, however it had nothing to do with the holidays.

I have been suffering from deep depression on and off since my emergency open-heart surgery in 2006, with depression in the first year of recovery being especially sever. However this time, the depths of depression were the worst with feeling of suicide and the medical treatment received this January for the depression, unfortunately made things worst.

After a little over a week I decided to remove myself off from treatment and as January came to a close, I began my slow recovery back to reality. Though things are steadily improving, I remain cautious. What has helped is that for more that a month I have been preoccupied with the neighborhood council, developing a web presence for our neighborhood.

Ms K being awakened from sleep - photographed using an iPhone

As the weather improves, I find myself going more outside, thinking about photography, especially since my son, Armont gave me an iPhone 4S for Christmas and just last week I started to explore the camera’s potential in creating iPhoneography images. What has also helped these last few weeks is that I have re-connected with a few photographers back in Germany who now had a new website, Foto-Live and invited me to join and share my work with a European audience.

Yet I am aware this increase in activity is only a diversion and does not address the issue of depression. I know there is no quick fix to my situation and I can only take one step at a time, while moving forward.

Finally, back in late January, I began making plans to retrace some of my previous steps that were taken back in 1956 when my parents immigrated to the US. We first settled in New York for a few months, then in a deep-burgundy colored Chevrolet to Los Angeles, part of the trip was on Route 66.

Though things will certainly have dramatically changed on Route 66 since 1957, I still have vague memories of New Mexico and Arizona, memories which have left an impact upon me all these years. Now I simply wish to go back and look at the relics before time and the elements take them completely.

Sadly due to the sudden and radical increase in fuel prices, I have reluctantly decided to table the trip. So I am settling for spending time exploring more closely the neighborhood and dismantling the last thirty years of boxes stored in my garage—unburdening my belongings and saving only that which has purpose or meaning. 

Ms K sleeping deeply - photographed using an iPhone

I cannot foretell the future, nor make promises. All I can do is take each day one step at a time and try to keep myself busy with projects. Hopefully there will be also the inspiration and urge to create art and paint again.

So for now I thank you for having stuck by me and my faithful companion Ms K, who has helped me through these months of struggle. I know it will not be easy to reply to such a post as this, for one may not know what to say.

PS: I apologize for the earlier upload of this post. It was in error, since not all images were in place.

(^..^)

♥

Wonderful News

With the holidays behind us, work began by removing the trees ornaments, packing the lights and then cutting the tree, adding the pieces into the green recycle container. There is still more work ahead, at least a full days worth and in the meantime Ms K is was relaxing the couch, watching with eyes half open, the progress that was being made.

Earlier in the morning, before I rose from bed to tackle the day, I was working on the laptop, answering emails, as Ms K relished her extended hours in bed along side of me. 

Keeping warm next to dad in bed

The year 2011 ended on a high note for Ms K and me, having received a wonderful award and a few days later, a package in the mail from Vermont addressed to Ms Kitty.

Our ‘Liebster blog’ award, was bestowed upon us by Mumsy and Furkids. The word Liebster is German and translates to dearest.

Mumsy is a delightful dog and of course Furkids are three  beautiful felines. There is Popsy, Patches and Snookums, who iIam sure have played a game of torment with Mumsy now and then.

Our award

Mumsy and Furkids humans also have another blog, Mumsy’s ramblings and on their last post are pictures of many beautiful red cardinals visiting their garden. I confess, I wish we had this species in our area, but alas, this is not to be so.

Ms K’s package contents

Just before Christmas we received an email from PetNaturals® of Vermont, informing us of their products and asking if we would try one of their products and blog about it. In return we would receive a years supply of Calming Soft-chews for Cats. A product I felt would benefit us not only for Ms K on New Years day but especially Oliver, who as you know is with my daughter at UCSC and you shall meet once I visit them in a couple of weeks.

PetNaturals® of Vermont

In general we have not been endorsing any products or services, but this time we were actually looking for something to soothe Ms K and Oliver, when Oliver comes for a visit, since both were very stressed the last time he came for a visit. Therefore, when we received the request from PetNaturals®, it was very timely, so we decided to give it a try and over the next several weeks we will let you know how things are going. In the meantime, please do have a look at PetNaturals® website and see their many products, which available for both cats and dogs. You can also reach them toll free at: 1.888.340.1995 or check their store finder by typing in your zip code.

For now we wish you all the very best in 2012 and we look forward to another wonderful year, sharing stories and experiences between felines and their humans.

(^..^)

♥

Holiday Greetings

             Greetings dear Visitor

I would like to share a little something from our family to yours.

Dad and I wanted this to be posted a few days ago but then decided to wait until big sister came home from UCSC as she was going to bring Olive, AKA: Ole.  Oliver is a male cat, not a year old, who was adopted, more like rescued this last summer and was introduced briefly to Ms K over the Thanksgiving holiday week last month. Unfortunately, Ms K took offense, even though Oliver wanted to play, MS K would not budge. Anyway, the reason for not posting earlier was that late last night the big sister, Ariana decided to leave Oliver with one of her six (male) roommates at UCSC and therefore dad was unable to take a picture of Oliver and introduce him on Ms K’s blog to you all. 

We still remain hopeful that at some point when we introduce Oliver to Ms K, they will get along, especially since Ole came from a home where a woman was ‘hoarding’ cats and so is used to company. In the meantime Ole’s health has improved and he no longer has flies, having had more than 37 at the time dad had a chance to take care of him.

With that said, the following is our e-Christmas card, for which I refused to pose, by always walking toward the camera. Maybe I’ll change my mind when I am amidst all the wrapping paper that once covered the gifts.

At the end of our holiday greeting are a couple of the holiday cards that we received from fellow bloggers that we wanted to share with you.

___

With my brother’s assistance,

our perfect christmas tree, a superior noble was found and finally decorated.

Now boxes were opened and from it is removed a wooden horse,

a big Santa, the Snowman family and other items

to bring the house into the holiday spirit.

We would like to wish you a wonderful holiday season

and the very best in the coming year

Peace be with you

Ms K and the van Dyck family

___

Animal Shelter Volunteer

Wildcat Woods

___

No it is time to get plenty of sleep because tomorrow morning

it is going to be exhausting as I already know

dad has brought me many gifts.

Maybe I’ll dream about a little snow . . .

. . . no, I like it warm

(^..^)

♥

Let me be reincarnated as a cat

Earlier today I came across this article I wish to share with you. It appeared in the on-line edition of the Guardian UK on December 9, 2011 and is written by John Hopper (Rome).

Since I take care of Ms Kitty I know how spoiled she can be, especially when it comes to what she eat, considering never twice in a row the same thing. In other words no left-overs! So when I found this article about a stray cat now being the riches feline, I wonder if he is going to invite any of his friends over.

Now don’t you wish in your second life to come back as a feline?

The article:

Italian cat inherits €10m fortune

Four-year-old stray becomes world's richest feline

after death of 94-year-old mistress

A black cat. Tommaso, a four-year-old stray, has become the world's richest cat 

Photograph: Alamy

Tommaso, a four-year-old, one-time stray from Rome, is thought to have become the world's richest cat.

Since the death of his 94-year-old mistress last month, he has become a property magnate — or perhaps mognate — with flats and houses worth an estimated €10m scattered from Milan in the north to Calabria in the south.

In a handwritten will, signed on 26 November, 2009, Tommaso's mistress — the childless widow of a successful builder — gave her lawyers the task of identifying "the animal welfare body or association to which to leave the inheritance and the task of looking after the cat Tommaso".

  

One of the lawyers, Anna Orecchioni, told the Rome daily Il Messaggero they considered several organizations without getting adequate guarantees of the cat's future comfort and welfare. In the meantime, the old lady met a fellow cat-lover – named only as Stefania – in a park. "Sometimes I'd go to her house so my cat could play with Tommaso," Stefania said.

As the old lady became increasingly frail, Stefania, a nurse, began to take care of her.

"She needed someone to help her move around, shower and eat. I looked after until the end," she said.

Under Italian law, animals cannot inherit directly. But they can be beneficiaries if a suitable trustee is found. The elderly widow decided to entrust the cat – and his fortune – to Stefania.

Tommaso's trustee, who is now looking after him an undisclosed address outside Rome, said: "I had no idea the signora had such wealth."

But the fortune pales by comparison with that of Gunther IV, an Alsatian who inherited from his father Gunther III, the pet of a German countess. According to the Pet Gazette, he is worth around $372m.

The richest cat was previously thought to be Blackie, who was left £9m by his reclusive British owner in 1988.

Do I care about the Italian Gigilo? Na . . . 

I like it here on my throne pillow, so now let me go back to sleep.

(^..^)

♥