There’s nothing to report on the kitten front, and
little on the knitting one. I hope to be able to arrange to get my kitten one
day in the week which will begin tomorrow. My sister and her husband will be
here. She can sit beside me in the car with one of those magic telephones to
show us the way.
I am sure you are right, Tamar and Shandy, that she
will know her own name. Cf T.S. Eliot. There was a touching ad on Gumtree the
other day about a kitten named something or other, where the owner said that
since she paid no attention to her name, you were free to call her anything you
liked. I have never known a cat which “answered” to a name. I call “kitty,
kitty, kitty” and if Perdita feels so inclined, she appears.
I ran into a friend today who told me about a dear cow
he used to have called Penelope. That’s a good one, and unlike Pandora refers
to an admirable mythological figure.
As for knitting, I am afraid I took the coward’s way
out, just as I used to in the olden days. I simply went on with the Soutache,
despite grave errors, assuring myself that at least it would be right from here
on out. Which is probably not true. I think the result is going to be
acceptable. The pattern dips and weaves enough that (or so I assure myself)
erroneous dips and weaves are subsumed in the whole.
Non-knit, non-kitten
The newspapers say this morning that loss of the sense
of smell is a good predictor of dementia to come. I have had that symptom for a
couple of years now. Usually, when I read gloomy statistics, about red wine or
chocolate or whatever, I comfort myself with the reflection that they haven’t
corrected for something-or-other. This one sounded pretty conclusive, until I
thought that maybe they hadn’t corrected for age: perhaps losing the sense of
smell in one’s 50’s indicates dementia to come, whereas in one’s 80’s (=me) it
doesn’t matter so much. I'll hope so.
Brighter news: my grandson Thomas phoned today to say
that another great-grandchild is expected in April. His wife Lucy is feeling
pretty rotten. They’ve had the 12-week scan and all is well. Another of Mrs
Hunter’s shawls? It’s a good pattern.
My cats know their names but do not answer to them. I mean, if I say "Shadow" she looks at me and Streak does not. However, if I say "come here, Shadow" she does not move except to look at me, and he does not move or look at me.
ReplyDeleteAs to predictors of disease I'll just say that if I were you I would not worry. Predictor does not mean much on the small scale. Also there are medicines and treatments that cause a loss of the sense of smell; have you talked to your doctor about it?
I hope we will have kitty pictures next week!
And I forgot to say, congratulations on the new family member and someone to knit for!
ReplyDeleteI'm in a knitting stress point, too. A shawl. I decided not to fiddle with the lace band and just do my own thing, but I had not ripped back far enough and there is a goof that I cannot live with, so it's time to rip back again and . . . begin the adaption again.
ReplyDeleteYou mustn't worry about dementia. You are sharp as a tack and busy with your brain.
Yay for another great grand!
i found that article but its much more complex.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/dementia-signs-symptoms-losing-sense-smell-later-life-scientists-warning-health-elderly-a7973521.html
as with any doom and gloom claim - here they mention five smells:
"Losing the ability to smell peppermint, fish, orange, rose and leather could be an accurate early warning sign of dementia, according to a new study."
and the article further quotes
However, in an editorial in the journal, another expert Dr Stephen Thielke, of Washington University, wrote: “Olfactory dysfunction may be easier to quantify across time than global cognition, which could allow for more-systematic or earlier assessment of neurodegenerative changes, but none of this supports that smell testing would be a useful tool for predicting the onset of dementia.”
And Rosa Sancho, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, stressed there were other reasons why people could lose their sense of smell.
so i would not worry .. but ask your doctor at your next checkup.
the items listed are common enough that you can test... but please dont be too alarmed. talk to your doctor.
Also Congratulations on the news of the expected great-grandchild!
ReplyDeleteMy cat Buttons for sure knew his name - John Arthur Stanley Matthew Buttons Cuddy - but if you wanted him to come, you had to call "Dinner" or "Fish"
ReplyDeleteMy sense of smell has become dimmer of late, but some of the medication does tend to dry up the nasal passages, and I suspect that my have something to do with it. There are so many reasons why it may happen.
Another precious baby to come - wonderful!
I've always held the view that animals already have a name, and my job is to allow it to come to me after I've met the animal. So I've had a couple of unusual ones: Guy and Hatti. All my other animals were already named when I got them.
ReplyDeleteI once found an elderly dog wandering in confusion in my neighborhood. She was in need of grooming and, since I had dogs, she needed shots to be safe around my loved ones. When she went to the groomer's and the vet's, they asked her name. I said, "Qui sait," French for "who knows." That name served well until I found her owner and returned her (after extracting promises about how he would treat her in future).
I'm in awe of your ability to conquer new knitting techniques and accomplish them with persistence and flair.
Good news on the progeny front! More knitting to plan.
ReplyDeleteExciting news on the great-grand child!
ReplyDeleteGlad you can enjoy knitting a new shawl - your baby shawls are incredible works of art.
LisaRR
Not to worry. people lose their sense of smell for different reasons. My daughter in law lost hers due to an infection, and took her two to three years to get a semblance of scent back. Twenty years later she is frisky and sharp as a tack.. ., congrats on the new kitten and the new great��Grand! I just luv it when a cup runneth over.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new kitten. She is absolutely adorable. I hope Perdita comes to accept her soon.
ReplyDeleteDouble congratulations on the impending great grand baby. I am expecting THREE great nieces or nephews in February. Definitely one boy. If the parents of the twins know what they are having yet, they are not sharing. The babies’ grandmother and I have discussed it and she will knit for them and I will embroider three birth samplers. I should probably get started.