Pyewacket (aka Pirate)

This is a sad but true story of my cat, Pyewacket. He used up 7 of his 9 lives this past Saturday. Pyewacket is an awesome cat. We got him about 5 years ago from a friend's farm in Seymour. He has never been a very large cat - he weighs not more than 10 lbs. His claim to fame is his squirrel-sized tail. Anyway, this cat lives to get out of the house. My friend Rick picked me up to go to see a local band called "Haze". To make a long story short, Pyewacket ran out the door not to be seen again until early Sunday morning.

About 7:30 am Sunday, I let Pye in the house. Kirsten (my daughter) was also up and we both noticed that his left eye was kind of puffy. I told him he was a "Bad Kitty" and he lurked off to bed. We all headed off to a friend's house in Shiocton for a cook-out. When we returned around 8:30 pm that evening, Pye's eye was really gross. His eye would not close because of all the (what I thought was) infection built up over the eye. So, of course, I panicked and called my friend's husband. My friend , Dana, answered the phone when I called at 11:00 pm. I have to tell you that I take my cat to a cheap vet and not to my friend Dana's husband (who is not a cheap vet). I really like Dave (the good vet). He has been over to my house and knows my cat. Well, Pyewacket looked pretty bad but we thought we'd wait until the next day and if his eye still looked bad I'd bring him in to have Dave take a look.

On Monday I took the cat in to see Dave. It was pretty bad news - Dave said the eye would have to be removed. Pyewacket had either gotten into a fight or his eye had definitely been exposed to something invasive. The options were to have the surgery to remove the eye or put Pyewacket to sleep. Seeing as money is no object to me (yeah, right!) I went with the "cost is not a factor" approach. When Dave went in to do the surgery, he found that Pye's iris and pupil were still intact. He ended up sewing the inner eyelid to the top of his outer lid. This would give the cornea time to heal.

The picture you see is after his surgery. When the stitches came out, Pyewacket's eye is sort of cloudy. He might not be able to see out of it - we are still waiting to see about if he has any sight in that eye. At least his eye is still there. His pupil seems to be dilating, but when you look at him, his eye is definitely "off". I think he has some kind of sight in it.

The moral of the story is: If you have a cat - do not let him outside! You have no idea what sort of animals they are exposed to. As a domestic cat, they are totally out of their element if they get out of the house. You need to protect them as their are so many bad things they can run into.

I just hope my cat, Pyewacket, will be okay! There is still a 50/50 chance that he will have to have his eye removed.

Summer Farm Market

Our local farm market is beginning this weekend here in northeastern Wisconsin. I am eagerly looking forward to it with great anticipation! For me, the first farmer’s market means the harbinger of summer and brings with it the promise of warm weather and long sunny days. I have been to many farm markets over the years, and I have to say, Appleton does an outstanding job! There is such a variety to be found here. You can find many unique items like authentic falafel, gourmet cheeses (from Wisconsin of course!), handcrafted woodwork, Amish baked goods and the best natural soap around! Of course this is a shameless plug for me but in reality my friend Linda (Thymes Past) makes some pretty nice stuff herself!

Over the years I have developed friendships with many of the local vendors. Michael and Leo of Prospera Farms sell their wonderful organic vegetables one stall over from me. They grow unique things that you can’t find anywhere else. They sell heirloom variety vegetables including tomatoes, fava beans, purple potatoes and even homemade dog treats (the ingredients are so good that Michael eats them).

Karen Keune of Keune Organic Meats sells organic vegetables right next to me. Another unique item she carries is free range chicken eggs. Once you have tried her eggs it is hard to go back to the ones you find at the grocery store.

Jennifer Stephani and Lesia Ryerson sell awesome handcrafted jewelry right next to me. You can definitely find quality, one-of-a-kind items here. It makes me happy that they love my soap and like to trade with me! Jennifer is also the Director for Appleton Downtown Incorporated who sponsors the market.

If you like different meats, Terry Diedrich of Navarino Valley Ranch sells elk and buffalo that he raises on his farm in Shiocton. I am not much of a meat-eater but his Teriyaki jerky is pretty good. Susan of Catleanna Ranch sells grass-fed beef, pastured chickens, pigs and lambs.

Of course, early Saturday mornings would not be the same without coffee from Beaner’s, a Hmong eggroll or a breakfast brat. There are also some local bakeries that sell wonderful breads, pastries and other baked goods. Last year I tried my first shrimp po-boy and it was fantastic!

We have great entertainment Saturday mornings as well. Michael Murphy is a regular and his Chicago-style blues adds just the right ambience. If you are lucky you can catch my friends Rick and Diane showing off their ballroom dancing skills. There are also demonstrations by many local groups. Last year we had Makaroff Youth Ballet (the only pre-professional ballet studio in the area).

The Appleton Downtown Farm Market is located on College Avenue in Appleton, Wisconsin. The market begins on Saturday, June 21st and goes through Saturday, October 25th. The hours are 8:00 am to 12:30 pm.

First Days of Summer

This is my first blog post! In time it will evolve to be more than just my mere ramblings. At first I wanted to focus on my natural bath & body care business, but I think it will mainly be about my family and life in general. Occasionally there might be a political rant or commentary thrown in for good measure.

Summer has finally arrived here in Wisconsin and my kids are all out of school. In fact, my oldest daughter graduated from high school last week. My two youngest daughters are going into 8th and 9th grade next year. Kaitlyn is 14 and has just been grounded for the next 2 days. She thinks she is closer to 21 than 15.

I have a natural bath & body care business that I operated part-time. I sell from my website and at the local farm market. The Appleton Farm Market season begins on Saturday, June 21st and goes through October. I also work full-time as a Representative Payee. I like the work, but I really, really need to make more money!

My passion is ballroom dancing. I've been at it for 2 years now. When I have a little extra money I do private lessons with my friend Randy Wilson. In my opinion (and many others) he is the best around. Many of the local dance studios charge $55 for a 45 minute lesson. They also try and adhere you to a program. Randy goes the entire hour, has a great sense of humor and really gives you 125%. If you are a guy, his business partner, Jenny Lotzer (another great friend!) is an excellent instructor as well. In fact, I try and do lessons with Jenny every month before their dance. Every month the Appleton Ballroom Company has a dance here in Appleton.

Well, it's time for lunch!