My mind is on:

Nov.4 Election

Sermon for Sunday

Deep South Fall Weather

LD at the Holy Ghost Weinie Roast

Mr.C's Office Building

Little Church's ongoing restoration

*Pic of Fish in his ADVENTURE CAT Halloween Costume

What? Is there Anything Else?

St.Casserole

Ike is 300 miles or so from here,on his way to Houston.

The winds are blowing enough to make Sister, the best dog Nanny in the Entire World, jumpy.
Fish, the Backyard Meteorologist Cat, escaped out the back door a few minutes ago. After testing the air with his freckled nose, he returned indoors.

I am worrying about Texas.

Ike is a big, bad storm.


Lord, have mercy.


St.Casserole

Guest Blogger: Fish

For immediate transfer: Dubby, the kitten. Really, folks, I've had it with this boy. He gets attention from Mom, LD, Mr. C. and Sister-our-Nanny.

Whistle loves him. I do not love him.

Whistle plays with Dubby and takes naps with him.

That's my job. Time spent with Dubby means time taken from me.

Come get this kitten. Take his stupid blue kitten collar and that red felted mouse, too.

Up to my whiskers,

Fish

Q. What is joy?

A. Joy is being free to run and jump. Joy is waking up your humans with purrs and sniffs. Joy is using the Booda litter box for the first time, just like Whistle. Joy is being out of confinement with a healed leg.


St. Casserole

Fish injured his back leg 4 months and 13 days ago. 137 days...

FISH IS HEALED! FISH IS RUNNING AROUND OUR HOUSE! YIPPEEEE!

News from the Neighborhood

Our colleague, Edward O'Connor, will leave the Gulf Coast to become Dean of the Cathedral in Jackson. Edward accomplished many things during his time here. I am sorry to see him go. He mentored a clergy pal of mine, calmed his congregation, preached well (so I heard) and moved his congregation forward after the hurricane. One of his great skills is his ability to listen. You know he hears you when you speak. I told Mr. C. that I was going to try to be a great listener like Edward so I cocked my head and stared at Mr. C. Finally, after being silent for several seconds, Mr. C. said, "Now you've gone creepy on me." Let me work on this...

We at Little Church heard from our denominational funders this week about our hurricane rebuilding grant. We received about 1/10th of our asking. I suppose that we didn't receive more because we haven't spent our cautiously saved funds down to zero (how can a tiny church of older people do this???) and have not cleaned our membership rolls since before the storm. We didn't think it wise to notify members that we were deleting them from our rolls after the storm. It would be another loss for them even it they aren't attending.
So, here we are, almost two years from the storm, without the funds to repair our church building. The building is secure and functional but has broken sheet rock, shows storm damage and looks bad. We put in new windows, replaced the roof, replaced the front columns and porch flooring, added ceiling fans and now we need to finish. We waited all this time, having been told that the millions donated by the faithful would complete our repairs. We applied for the money last Fall. We heard this week.
Very little of the needed work can be done by unskilled volunteers.
We are stuck. Pray for us.

The Southern Gulf is getting pounded by Dean the Hurricane. Lord, have mercy on your people there!

Fish the Cat's leg is healing well! Dr. Jen, our dear Vet before the storm, was back at Dr. D.'s Saturday! She watched Fish walk and trot then pronounced "He's doing great!" Fish returned home exhausted but happy that he may have only two more weeks in his Hermitage (confinement pen).

I feel rushed on Monday's to catch up with last week's leftovers, recover from Sunday and get started on this week's tasks. Do you feel the same?

Lovingly,

St. Casserole

Fish the Cat is home from the Veterinary. His total hospital stay was one week including two days in Louisiana where he had surgery to repair the fracture in his leg.

The three pins and bone graft need quiet, restrained time to heal. He's in a mid-sized pen in my study. Post-op instructions mean he'll stay in confinement for six weeks. The size of the pen allows his brother, Whistle, to sleep on top of the pen. Whistle likes to be near his brother.

Fish has an Elizabethan collar to protect him from biting his tiny leg staples. He hates it. When I checked on him this morning, he'd pawed the collar off but hadn't taken out stitches.

Fish is eating and drinking just fine. Being confined is not fine.

Thanks to all of you who pray for Fish's healing. He's home, not happy because of the pen, and learning to adjust to life without his cast (4 months!).

Ever the Nurse,

St. Casserole

Happy Anniversary, RevGalBlogPals!

Today is our second Anniversary! Go celebrate with us at www.revgalblogpals.blogspot.com.

St. Casserole

P.S. For those wanting an update on Fish's health, go to Whistle's blog at www.catzandbestof.blogspot.com.

Two things:

a. Internet access is sketchy. Third world country areas lose access when it rains.

b. Fish is in Louisiana facing having crossed pins put in his fractured leg along with bone grafts to help him heal. He left today. I'm praying for him, the surgeon and all hurt animals everywhere.

c. I can't check my email, so if you've sent me a message, I haven't gotten it.

Yours,

St. Casserole

Fish is in Sister the Dog's Cargo carrier. We use the giant dog carrier when we evacuate for storms so all the animals are running around screaming for batteries for their ipods, flashlights and, for Sister, for her manicure kit.

There is no storm in the Gulf.

Instead, Fish is in the carrier with a small litterbox, some books and his turtle hiding quilt. I feel sorry for the wee cat. He shrieks meows to get out.

Whistle is anxious to hear Fish's meows. Sister feels helpless to comfort Fish.

I'm not happy, either.

The screen printer called to O.K. Whistle's order for 40 black t-shirts with large white letters reading "Free Fish". I agreed to this to hush Whistle but I don't think the message will mean the same to everyone. I understand yard signs with the same message are next.

Getting the call from the local newspaper reporter asking about the "Free Fish Movement" startled me.

I feel so sorry Fish whose leg must rest to heal.

Rather worn out with the emotion of it all,

St. Casserole

Fish

Fish went to see his pawodedic vet yesterday. She put a new cast/splint on his leg.
He spent hours waiting, without breakfast or his morning coffee, to get the new splint.

Vet says he is running around too much. We'll slow Fish down by putting him in my study (a small room) with Calvin's Institutes as assigned reading.

I'm adding a tablespoon of yogurt to his breakfast for extra calcium. He prefers shrimp flavored yogurt, but Dr.Vet said "plain".

Dragging a splint around slows a kitty down. He needs four good legs.

When I pray for him, I put my hand on his cast and ask for healing. Are you surprised? I want to ask you to pray for him, too, but I am unsure if I can be this vulnerable with you.

He was the highest jumping cat I've ever known before the injury. Now he drags his leg in the splint waiting for his body to heal the fracture.

St. Casserole

A. my computer is running faster after the Computer Guy realized that LS laptop takes all the bandwidth when left on. doesn't sound quite right to me, but that's what CG said.

B. Fish's fracture IS healing and he'll get a new cast Monday. Our vet got my firey letter about Dr. Awful, D.V.M. but didn't apologize for my rough treatment from the relief vet. I don't suppose our vet knows how to do this.

C. I miss LD who is up at the sacred (at least to me) Presbyterian conference center in N.C. where at least one adult leader thinks Katrina damaged New Orleans and no where else.

D. Temps are in the 90's here. Hotter than hot this morning at 5 a.m. Yuk. Pass the ice tea!

E. I'm glad to be back online. I've forgotten all the Pulitizer quality blog posts I thought up while I couldn't use my study computer.

As ever,

St. Casserole

Guest Blogger: Fish the Cat to Meleeh the Cat

Dear Meleeh,

Thank you for the beautiful card you made for me. I chewed on the ribbon. Thank you for sending a pic of yourself. I won't hiss at you much if you come to see me. I know what you look like. You are beautiful like Andy. He has black stripes just like you!

I'm doing just fine. My ortho paw ic doctor says that she'll x-ray my leg next week and "clean-up" my splint. I do my best to keep the splint clean by licking it. Can you see my pink toes sticking out of the end of the splint?

I spend hours under my turtle quilt. I think deep cat thoughts there.

I wrote a poem about my splint:

I hate my splint
It stinks. I hate it.
Step-step-step-drag.
Don't call me Gimp!
I hate my splint!

Like it? I'm really good with poetry. Everybody says so.

Your Pal,

Fish the Cat

Guest Blogger: Fish the Kitten

Here I am. I am on my who man beans bed under a cover with turtle print.

I don't feel happy or good or anything.

I am going to the orthopaw this afternoon to check my splint. I

f your splint slips, you are in big trouble.

I don't know if I have a slipping splint.

I hate it.

I dislike it strongly.

I will not send a Christmas card to my splint.

I vote my splint "a fierce, bad thing".

You can have my splint.

If anyone asks you how I feel about my splint, tell them I think my splint is despicable.

Yours,

Fish the Kitten

Guest Blogger: Fish the Kitten

Thank you to Molly, Tillie, Mindy, Cub and Angus my RevGalDogPals for your kind words.

My nanny, Sister the Dog, sends you a internet dog cookie!

Thank you, Littlemankitty, Callie, Lucy, Teddy the Pirate Cat, Truffle and Ouzo my RevGalCatPals for being nice to me and not hissing.

I know I'm better off than most cats. My leg will heal. I have Sister, my dog nanny and my brother Fish to keep me company. My who man beans are kind to me, too.

I'm thinking today about the pets of the Virginia Polytech Institute tragedy whose lives are disrupted and who cannot find their favorite people. I'm thinking about the pets whose homes flooded Up North, soldier's pets and pets in war areas.

I think we need a world where every cat and dog is as well-treated as we are.

Fish the Kitten

Goodnight, Mr. Fish

After a tiring day of being in the orthopawdic vet clinic, Fish the Kitten settles down for a long cat nap in his bedroom.

Please, no calls tonight. Let the poor kitten rest.

St. C.

Press Secretary for Fish the Kitten

Diagnosis: Fracture Above the Knee

Fish the Kitten has a fracture! His orthopedist confirmed that Fish has a fracture right above his knee, a rarity for cats. No bruising, punctures or anything showed up around the injury so the ortho has no clue how Fish hurt himself.

Fish will be wearing the red splint for 8 weeks with weekly orthopedic visits to check the splint.
He will drop out of "Dancing With the Cat Stars", bottle cap soccer and his Tai Chi classes for the duration.

We hope he will learn to be content with the awkward splint and not become depressed as athletes do when required to refrain from activity.

Send your notes and cards to: Fish the Kitten, 3145 A. Washington Avenue, Gulfport, MS, 39507 and these will be delivered to him.

Thank you,

St. Casserole
Press Secretary for Fish the Kitten