September 2014
Irving Berlin
30/09/14 20:01 Filed in: Interests
Irving Berlin is considered the epitome of song writers. He has written so many of our well known iconic tunes. One of the best known and often sung is “God Bless America”. He learned to appreciate the value of America and what it means to those who live here. Besides his super political columns, Mark Steyn is well-versed in musical history. Enjoy his column on Irving Berlin.
“Irving Berlin was a Jew and he endured slights: When he married a society girl, Ellin Mackay, she was dropped from the Social Register; when Ellin's sister took up with a Nazi diplomat in New York and went around sporting a diamond swastika, she suffered no such social disapproval. Throughout his life, fate seemed determined to test to the limit Berlin's faith in both America and the simple certainties of popular song. But he never forgot being a child in Temun, Siberia, when the Cossacks rode in and razed his village, sending his parents scuttling west. About his adopted land, he had no doubts, and his were the words Americans turned to in the wake of September 11th.”
God Bless America Land that I love.
Stand beside her And guide her Through the night With a light from above…
God Bless America My home, sweet home.
“Irving Berlin was a Jew and he endured slights: When he married a society girl, Ellin Mackay, she was dropped from the Social Register; when Ellin's sister took up with a Nazi diplomat in New York and went around sporting a diamond swastika, she suffered no such social disapproval. Throughout his life, fate seemed determined to test to the limit Berlin's faith in both America and the simple certainties of popular song. But he never forgot being a child in Temun, Siberia, when the Cossacks rode in and razed his village, sending his parents scuttling west. About his adopted land, he had no doubts, and his were the words Americans turned to in the wake of September 11th.”
God Bless America Land that I love.
Stand beside her And guide her Through the night With a light from above…
God Bless America My home, sweet home.
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New Cowboy Boots
29/09/14 19:58 Filed in: Family
The smallest wrangler and farm boy of the family, Ryan, got his first cowboy boots. He seemed to do a good job of clomping in them around the house. He certainly can run and motor really well with those boots. It is the cutest thing with his Major Cutie shirt, shorts, and cowboy boots. None of the rest of us could pull that off so well.
Ryan Hello Speak
28/09/14 21:09 Filed in: Family
Thanks to Renee calling this evening, we heard that Ryan was unhappy that he couldn’t talk to someone so she called us. We got to hear his first telephone hello to Grandma and Grandpa. I hope he made his bedtime soon after. We certainly enjoyed the special hello from this little bundle of Ryan energy.
Nicolas is a Cat Veterinarian Trainee
27/09/14 21:19 Filed in: Family
David and Renee took the boys today to the Gilbert House in Salem. The house is set up for kids. It was founded by the man who developed the erector set and he was from Salem. Here is Nicolas set up to do a cat examination as a veterinarian. Renee has video of his giving an injection to the poor kitty. The technique needs refinement to say the least.
Wandering Cows
26/09/14 21:13 Filed in: Interests
In returning a favor to our neighbor to check and feed her horses, Bob caught some neighboring cows visiting her driveway. They seem to be on the loose and were probably checking out the tasty vegetation that she has along the edge.
Hanoi and the Ghosts of Communism
Michael Totten is at it again. Writing about the city of Hanoi in current times, held up to the light against its earlier days of Communism. The system is still there yet not the same. They love America there in spite of the past. Enjoy reading it here.
“The last vestiges of economic communism appear to have been vaporized. Hanoi looks and feels more like a capitalist Wild West than the actual West does these days. But some habits die harder than others.”
“The last vestiges of economic communism appear to have been vaporized. Hanoi looks and feels more like a capitalist Wild West than the actual West does these days. But some habits die harder than others.”
Doh, The Simpsons
24/09/14 21:24 Filed in: Interests
Have you ever wanted to say, “Doh”, like Homer Simpson? I bet you have. I even had it as a phone sound at one time. The Simpsons are 25 years old and still going strong. They still shine and have not taken on any dull behavior. Now if you look at the Thayers........well, they are a bit worn around the edges. 
Just get a feel, a taste of the Simpsons here.
Just get a feel, a taste of the Simpsons here.Winn Recognition
23/09/14 21:04 Filed in: Interests
It was a really good meeting and one that also brought Winn forward to other cat-loving veterinarians. It was a good time to see old friends and have dinner with them. A special moment for me was to have one veterinarian who I know through the IACD group who said she was happy to see me because I was one of the few people she hoped to see at the meetings. It makes me feel great that I can make others enjoy their experience there. They certainly make my day too. Here is a good slide up on the screen to see.
Drew Baby
22/09/14 21:02 Filed in: Interests
My old buddy, Drew Weigner, was at the meeting. He is on the board now of Winn Feline Foundation. We found time to do a little dancing and also to connect up at the Winn booth. He is my other dancing partner.
Winn Drawing Winner of the Winnie
21/09/14 20:58 Filed in: Interests
Here is our “Winnie Marchin’ In” winner here in Indianapolis. Her name is Rachael Miller and she was THRILLED to win the Jamie Perry print in our drawing. I hope she got it home safely. It would be great to see Winnie in her new home.
South Korea Boogies
20/09/14 20:53 Filed in: Interests
The conference was attended by a young veterinarian from South Korea. He knows Karen from stopping and visiting her practice in Metarie. He is a kick because he stopped at our table and used a photo pole holding his IPhone to take a selfie with them and himself in the middle. Cute gadget and can be the ultimate selfie gizmo, for sure. I was able to catch him on the dance floor dancing to the DJ’s music. For once, I got his photo instead of the one he got of others.
Winn Sponsored Talks
19/09/14 20:48 Filed in: Interests | Animal Kingdom
Winn’s sponsored speaker started today in his lectures. Here is Dr. Webb with Dr. Peter Mundschenk, a friend. Peter is moderating the session. Dr. Webb highlighted Winn and Winn’s research where people really sat up and took notice. Very good talk and a lot of interest. I was able to get a podcast done with Dr. Webb and it went well!
Round Two in Boothmanship
18/09/14 20:35 Filed in: Travel
Spent a lot of the day in lectures and roundtable discussions. Lots of interesting information to absorb and hopefully share with others. The roundtable on diabetes in cats had a lot of worthwhile data on what others are doing in their practices as far as monitoring and treating. Bob got the booth up and running Thursday afternoon while I was in lectures. It looks pretty good and lots of people stopped by and donated today.
Indianapolis Bound
17/09/14 20:35 Filed in: Travel
My time in the mid-west has been mostly centered around Chicago and St. Louis. Maybe parts of Kentucky and Tennessee. I have not been to Indiana and so today was my first visit to the area and Indianapolis. It is flat, very flat to a girl who grew up near mountainous Oregon. The airport is a distance from town, lots of room to grow if they are looking for that. The route to the hotel was very bland and utilitarian. Really not impressive for a city compared to others. Let’s see what develops.
Dueling Birthday Cakes
16/09/14 16:16 Filed in: Family
Sunday Denver and Shasta had their belated birthday party at River Park. It was a warm pleasant afternoon and a good time for all. The kids had fun and both Denver and Shasta had their own birthday cake to highlight their interests--dancing and “boy-type stuff (weird eyeballs)”. Here they are with their dueling cakes and candles.
The New Winn Website Has Launched
15/09/14 16:11 Filed in: Animal Kingdom | Interests
The new Winn Feline Foundation website has launched today. It has been a wish for at least three years and a definite for the past year. It certainly has consumed my time and my life for the past weeks to months. It looks great. I feel like we should take a big bottle of champagne and break it over something much like they do with a ship launching. Though that is a waste of good champagne and be fund drinking it slowly.
The Watermelon Kid
14/09/14 16:20 Filed in: Family
I think Ryan is going to go down as “The Watermelon Kid” much like there is “The Cisco Kid”. That boy does like to eat watermelon and also cantaloupe.
Why Did the Confederacy Lose?
13/09/14 09:11 Filed in: History
One military historian who I find I like to read has a recent article on his views of why the Confederacy lost the war. His analysis can be found here.
“There is an old story, probably apocryphal, about a meeting of the Southern Historical Society in the years after the Civil War. The topic was Gettysburg — what mistakes, large or small, did the Confederates make that led to the Southern defeat? The debate was heated and furious. Tempers were at the boiling point. Finally, one of the participants turned to George Pickett of “Pickett’s Charge” fame. “George,” he said, “you were there. Why did we lose the battle?” to which Pickett replied, “I always thought the Yankees had something to do with it.””
“There is an old story, probably apocryphal, about a meeting of the Southern Historical Society in the years after the Civil War. The topic was Gettysburg — what mistakes, large or small, did the Confederates make that led to the Southern defeat? The debate was heated and furious. Tempers were at the boiling point. Finally, one of the participants turned to George Pickett of “Pickett’s Charge” fame. “George,” he said, “you were there. Why did we lose the battle?” to which Pickett replied, “I always thought the Yankees had something to do with it.””
Cats and Babies
12/09/14 08:52 Filed in: Animal Kingdom
Being a cat lover, I was enamored with this cute video of a cat getting along with a new baby. What a pair! It is enjoyable items like this that prove to me why I love cats. For your viewing pleasure.
Cat Friendly
11/09/14 08:36 Filed in: Animal Kingdom
I went last week to visit where my friend, Marybeth Rymer, works. She gave Bob and I a tour of their hospital. They have set the hospital up to be Cat Friendly. They have tried to set aside a portion of their waiting area for the cats and cat owners. Here is an example of what is being done to be Cat Friendly at a dog/cat practice.
Stained Glass Cats
10/09/14 16:20 Filed in: Interests | Animal Kingdom
Here was one of my favorite parts of the practice. I remember when I had the fellow from Russia who was an artist in mosaics and stained glass. I commissioned him to do this piece to replace the glass side window at the entrance. It is an original and a very nice piece. I wish I still owned it.
Civic Feline Clinic Waiting Room
09/09/14 16:16 Filed in: Interests | Animal Kingdom
Bob and I stopped by Civic Feline Clinic to say hello. We were able to see Teri, Michele, Angela and also Dr. Ellis. It was fun to be in the old stomping grounds. I miss the feel of owning the practice and seeing it grow. I don’t miss the stress. Here is the waiting room with one of the hospital cats.
Genetics and Dr. Leslie Lyons
08/09/14 16:08 Filed in: Animal Kingdom
While at the conference, I was able to do a podcast interview with Dr. Leslie Lyons. She is a renowned geneticist who is now located at the University of Missouri. She has done amazing work in the genetics field of cats. Her lab has found a number of important mutations that they have developed genetic tests to find these mutations. Here is Dr. Lyons talking about some of the early genomic work to sequence the cat genome. Winn Feline Foundation has been active in supporting this area.
Dr. Niels Pedersen's Retirement
07/09/14 16:04 Filed in: Animal Kingdom | Interests
Part of the weekend at the International Cat Conference was to participate in the retirement party of Dr. Niels Pedersen who led the Center for Companion Animal Health at UC-Davis. He has a long history in feline medicine and was very much a pioneer in viral research in cats. Here he is listening to a scientific presentation during the conference.
Winn Feline Foundation at UC-Davis
06/09/14 16:01 Filed in: Animal Kingdom | Interests
Here is Bob in his nice green shirt with the Winn logo. Our Winn Feline Foundation table all set up at the International Cat Conference at UC-Davis.
Old Home For Sale
05/09/14 14:55 Filed in: Interests
Our former home in Walnut Creek is for sale. They are asking $799,000. They have made interior changes though the yard, etc. is not as nice as when we had it. We texted our boys about the sale. Scott asked if we could give him a down payment to buy it. Of course, his comments were all in fun or semi-fun.
California and Tulios
04/09/14 14:46 Filed in: Travel
Traveled down to Walnut Creek, CA today to our old home stomping grounds. Traffic is worse than ever, especially along N. Main St. We met our friend, Marybeth Rymer, at Tulio’s Restaurant across from my old practice. The food was the same and as good as ever. Bob had his rigatoni with meat sauce and I had the chicken caesar salad. Their dressing is the best ever and the one I love the most. It was the same and I could have carried off another salad or more if I could.
Abandoning Military Canines
03/09/14 20:44 Filed in: Animal Kingdom
It is very upsetting to read that a number of the military canines have been abandoned to shelters overseas instead of being brought home. This is not right. The dogs have been trained by us and many have saved soldiers’ lives. They deserve better treatment from this country and more should be done to bring them home to homes here when they retire. Read about it here.
Creole Culture
02/09/14 20:39 Filed in: Interests
I have enjoyed my trips to the city of New Orleans. It is an interesting place to visit and see a different life style. One photographer/writer has chronicled how the Creole culture that helped create part of New Orleans and its look can also be found in Cuba and other parts of decaying Latin America. A look at how that is through his lens.
“While it actually resembles no other city upon the face of the earth,” wrote Lafcadio Hearn of New Orleans, “it owns suggestions of towns in Italy, and in Spain, of cities in England and in Germany, of seaports in the Mediterranean, and of seaports in the tropics.” There’s no better illustration of this than the photographs of Richard Sexton. For four decades Sexton has been playing a transcontinental game of Concentration, pinballing between New Orleans and the cities of the Creole diaspora—Havana, Quito, Cartagena, Cap-Haïtien—documenting resonances in architecture and style. His photographs have now been collected in the gorgeous Creole World: Photographs of New Orleans and the Latin Caribbean Sphere, and are on display this fall in a free exhibition at the Historic New Orleans Collection.
“While it actually resembles no other city upon the face of the earth,” wrote Lafcadio Hearn of New Orleans, “it owns suggestions of towns in Italy, and in Spain, of cities in England and in Germany, of seaports in the Mediterranean, and of seaports in the tropics.” There’s no better illustration of this than the photographs of Richard Sexton. For four decades Sexton has been playing a transcontinental game of Concentration, pinballing between New Orleans and the cities of the Creole diaspora—Havana, Quito, Cartagena, Cap-Haïtien—documenting resonances in architecture and style. His photographs have now been collected in the gorgeous Creole World: Photographs of New Orleans and the Latin Caribbean Sphere, and are on display this fall in a free exhibition at the Historic New Orleans Collection.
The Shirtless Bunch
01/09/14 20:35 Filed in: Family
The young boys yesterday were having a lot of fun near the end on the swings and slides. Even more fun when Grandpa Bob Lewis wets down the slide. All of them went shirtless for the end of the day fun.
