So, hello all! Happy 2026. How did we get here? Wow! I am a Gen Xer, and remember 1999 being a cool New Year because of Prince. I digress. Hope you all have had a good start.

My start has been interesting. Well, to count a few blessings: I am alive, I have a home, food, job, control over my body, mentally stable, my family is safe and healthy.

I have been sick since around the 29th and am now finally getting to the end of this, I hope! The dry cough keeps me up! I hope that you all don’t have this crud. It really infringed on the last week of my daughter’s Christmas break, but I rallied and went to the city with her a few times before she left for college. So, yay!

I haven’t been on here a while between work, my contract job in the fall, Thanksgiving stuff, and then Christmas. Thought I would check in. Have you guys made any lists or changes or started something new? If so, please, please share them!

I spent 800 dollars at the vet on my cat on  the 5th. He has chronic kidney disease and IBD. Xrays showed that his body was filled with fluid. We can’t tell if it is congestive heart failure or if he has been over-hydrated with sub q fluids we have been giving him 3x a week per doctor’s orders.  So that has been a real wrench in the week. The vet calls back today with answers.

It is ironic. As the New Year came in, I said to God- “Don’t break my heart and have Osc die this year.” And then a few days later, I took him to the vet, and he was in bad shape. My kitty baby was 4 when I adopted him 12 yrs ago in Sept. I think he is 17 or 18 this month, according to his adoption papers. He was in so many shelters, so it is hard to parse together.

The reason I said that to God is because my  Tuxie has had so many health issues, especially this past year. I probably spent 5K on him in 2025 between vet visits, novel protein that he has to eat, B12 shots, probiotics, phosphate binders, etc.

I am not the type who keeps my animal alive for my benefit. But he eats 4 or 5 times a day, though he is now only 5.5 lbs. He goes to the bathroom regularly, and he snuggles. He isn’t majorly active, but to be honest, he never was.

If he could not eat or walk or jump, then I would have had him put to sleep for his sake.  He has been my bed roomie for 12.5 years almost and is near me now. But I never want him to suffer terribly. Kidney disease alone has made him lose weight and have issues, but not enough at this point to tell him goodbye.

Today, they will let me know what type of pleural fluid they drained from his lungs on Monday, and then we will take next steps. If it turns out heart meds can help so he doesn’t accumulate fluid, we will go that way. If it turns out he has cancer, I will keep him comfortable until he has noticeable issues, and then I will bid him adieu.

So, next week I will know what is up with him. Next week, I won’t be up at 4 am. because of coughing. Then, I can prioritize my lifestyle changes and achievements to come. Though I have set the stages for some good things.

I made notes in my notebook with words for the year. I think there are 9. I will share them in a post. And we went to storage and brought home 3 bins. We kept a few things but donated half of what was in them, and I filled them up with more things and had a charity truck pick them up yesterday.

I also got rid of this 700 dollar stationary bike that was sitting around. I couldn’t exercise more than 10 or 12 minutes on it because of the painful seat. We set it out on our landing, and someone is picking it up this morning from Marketplace. I got a stepper for Christmas, no uncomfy butt issues like with the bike. 🙂

So, out with the old and in with the new. Even though I haven’t started my meal prepping or done all of the things, I have an outline and a good start! Let’s hope that trend continues!

Please say prayers for my baby boy Osc and for me to be alright with whatever may come up with his health. It is a tough thing to have face.

I hope you all are having a good week, and I will post next week about my New Year’s intentions.

~simply

Dee