Feline Fixation

Feline Friday: yoga kitty

By Autumn on July 3, 2009 10:18 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

He's in a state of complete bliss, but seriously...who sleeps like this?! I've never seen a cat sleep in the weird ways this particular cat does.

Also, is this just me or might some frustrating female kitty open up Play-Cat Magazine and find this as the centerfold photo? That is, if she has a thing for neuters.

Reasons today wasn't all that fun...

By Autumn on July 2, 2009 7:44 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

River may have thrush. For those of you that don't know, thrush is a yeast infection of the mouth. I noticed the lighter patch on River's tongue a few days ago and didn't think much of it but somewhere in the back of my mind, my tired brain must have been pondering that patch of lightness. The exhaustion by the way is caused by River waking me up every three hours wanting to get out of his crib. Last night 4-5 was spent awake listening to him off and on cry.

So another day goes by and my sluggish brain lets out a spurt of warning. I ask Jason, "Has River always had a light patch on his tongue?" The answer was no. Jason asked, "What could that be from?" and I shrugged and said, "The only thing I know about like that is thrush" Then I went on about my buisness and looked it up online before bed. The only photos I could find showed thrush as white patches in the mouth and River only had a horizontal line of lightness at the center of his tongue. So I shrugged my shoulders and decided to wait.

Sometimes being an optimist is just inconvenient, really.

Now combine a rash in his diaper area I thought was heat rash, because it was also around his neck and collarbone area. I asked another mom to look at it, she agreed it looked like heat rash. Now the fact that airing out is not making it go away and Jason who finds photos and documents saying that thursh can just be in one patch and the fact that said patch looks more thursh-ish today.

Top that off with a sore on the top of my son's penis that looks a little thrush-ish itself and I'm pretty certain my son has a yeast infection of the mouth and the weeny. Tomorrow is a holiday and my mother and her boyfriend are coming to visit and I just wonder, why? Why River? Why a fungal problem NOW?

The plan is to call his dr tomorrow and see when the next available appointment could be due to holidays and if it is too far in the future, calling around walk-in clinics and seeing who takes our insurance.

Also, did you know he can give me a yeast infection of the boob from breastfeeding?Yeah, I'd rather not. If we are right and the child has thursh, then it will take about two weeks of drops in the mouth and cream on the crotch and medicated lotion on my nipples and then daily usage sterilization of all toothbrushes, pacifiers and cups.

Doesn't that sound FUN?

Oh wait, and I forgot something...my bitchy PMS. Yes, I feel like a hulk-monster-horror who is thirsting for blood. I'm starting fights, I'm sensitive, and I want to eat an entire tray of brownies with second helping of another tray of brownies and a light snack of an entire double tier chocolate cake.

Did I mention my mom will be here this weekend?

Wednesday: read Farrago's Wainscot

By Autumn on July 1, 2009 1:57 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Farrago's Wainscot is an online magazine/e-zine that houses experimental speculative fiction or the literary weird. Interprete that as fantasy, horror, or sci-fi that is well written, even beautifully written, but done in a bizarre way. Not mainstream, not always easy to break down, but somehow haunting in its design.

I first met FW when my friend (Nicole Kornher-Stace)'s work was featured in Issue 9. I instantly knew it would be a great home for my story, "Lia's Paperhouse."

"Lia's Paperhouse" is my favorite piece that I've written, one that grew out of a nightmare that left a lingering sense of lose and confusion. From there it was built with ease and enjoyment into a story. A story that is essentially me as most of my art doesn't get to remain. It's dark, romantic, sad, and cold. It's painful and layered and bit too vague. I adore it.

Writers don't always get to adore their art. Art we love isn't always sell-able. Sometimes we force ourselves to create things that we think will sell. But "Lia's Paperhouse" isn't that. I wrote it because I wanted to. I feel blessed that it got to remain in that form and be available to others.

You can read it and other great fiction it is sharing space with, in Issue 11 of Farrago's Wainscot.

I also have to give a shout out to Edward Morris, author of the story "Lotophagi" because that story had me in awe. His word choice and sentence structure was gorgeous. There is a line in there that ends with "cry of wolf" (I may not have that exactly right).

I said it outloud several times because it was so well done. One of those perfect sentence that says something easy in such a lovely way. My husband did not understand why I was chewing over that sentence like it was a delectable piece of chocolate, but other writers will.

Edward Morris, I am beyond tickled that my little story gets to share space with your story.

The whole issue is delicious. Now, go read. Go read because it is free and f-ing awesome!

Published!

By Autumn on July 1, 2009 9:53 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Today is a big day in my writer world. Three publications are going live. These are my last three sales and then I have nothing. No more publications upcoming and no more sales. It really lights a fire under my ass to edit my yet homeless stories and find places to send them.

I also have a couple books I need to work on.

But for now, there are these triumphs!

"Iron Boots" is one of my lighthearted Fantasy stories. With this one I was trying to take the superhero motif and put my own spin on it. You can read it up at Reflection's Edge.

"The Cull" is my one and only Science Fiction story. I made myself write it to get a feel for being outside my comfort zone. It's a long one that is up in Strange, Weird, and Wonderful Magazine.(round-abouts page 102)

My final publication of the day will be up in Farrago's Wainscot.

If only every day could be this rewarding!

Following the family tradition

By Autumn on June 30, 2009 8:17 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

We cut River's hair in the bathtub with a pair of scissors. Okay, his father did but I helped. I don't think there is much point to having a toddler's hair professionaly cut. At least, I can not imagine my son sitting still for such a procedure. In fact, I know personally a mother who took her daughter to have her hair cut and not only did it turn out crapy, but the child bled when they CUT HER EAR.

With River's hair, being precise isn't necessary. We didn't even have to try to be. It just all curls. Jason mainly shortened up the side and back, but left the top longer. It is much easier, much cooler for his scalp, and much neater without that afro mess back there.

It also makes me a bit sad. I can admit that I kept the pile of curls and sealed them into a plastic bag. It's my baby's hair and with it gone, it is only too easy to imagine the years flashing by.

He looks like a little boy. A little boy ready to ride a bike and go to school. A little boy and not my little baby.

I consider our first year to the second--which we are only halfway through and wonder which is better.

I have to say that they were each a challenge in different ways. The neediness of an infant as opposed to the attitude of a toddler. But when I really really consider it, I think the older he gets--the better it gets. I miss my cute baby, but communication is really something. It is beyond wonderful to be able to ask my son a question and get an answer, to be able to tell him what to do and have him listen. Amazing. He has so much personality and joy (so much drama).

When he sits on my lap and we swing at the park, I wonder what he is thinking of.

I think of him, of our fleeting time together, of our time like this--where I am his best friend in the world, his playmate, his comfort, his protection and he, he is my world.

Sybil's Garage No. 6 reveiw!

By Autumn on June 29, 2009 9:16 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

And it mentions my little story!

"Day of the Mayfly, by Autumn Canter, is lyrical and compelling:

It's been a year. A year wrapped up in roots with a bed of rock and mud. A year since her mother screamed her out into the hole, covered her up with her feet, and died bent over her knees. A year dreaming seasons and things she couldn't know. One year only, living on tree sap and ground water. One year, another, and on."

--Cat Rambo, reviewer

Check it out over at Fantasy Magazine.

And here is another review, no mention of my story, but still pointing out the obvious--that Sybil's Garage is worth the purchase. If you haven't gotten it already, well you should.

Review by, The Bibliophile Stalker.

Poor sick child

By Autumn on June 29, 2009 12:45 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

River spiked a rather brutal fever over the weekend. Just his style. His fevers always seem to come on the weekend and always seem to reach up to 103 and higher. I don't recall such brutally high fevers his first year of life, but year two has left me worried enough to wake every hour of his sickness and feel his burning skin.

Sometime around midnight, when his fever hit 104, Jason and I sat with him for thirty minutes waiting for time to pass so we could give him more Motrin. I spent that time bathing him with a damp cloth and blowing air over him. I remember how much I liked that when I was sick as a child. His skin slowly cooled under my touch everywhere it was damp.

After that it was Tylenol every eighth hour and Motrin every sixth to keep the fever at bay. Already he appears better, but the night might bring a fever raging back. We'll wait and see how things go. If the fever remains, we'll make a doctor appointment to make sure it isn't another infection. If it goes it was either a response to his vaccinnations last week or a mild virus that has no other symptoms that we can tell.

Whenever we get a fever with no other symptoms I fear an infection--the last one lasted a full week. A full week of nonstop fevers, barely any solids, mega runny poops, and crying and more crying and.....more crying.

This is one of the many things people never told me--When you become a parent, your baby will get sick a lot and it will be horrible. A child's sickness consumes your entire world, wrings your heart like a rag, and just plain sucks.

At the same time it makes me think about what my mother did for me and why when I feel sick, my thoughts always go to her. In the end I think every great hurt brings on a longing for your mother.

I'm blessed to be able to reciprocate that love and devotion to my son even if it means I spend most of the day in bed with him going numb from laying still with his hot body flung on top of mine.

Feline Friday: beautiful Babette

By Autumn on June 26, 2009 10:12 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Everyone is always impressed when they see Babette. We have no photos of her kittenhood. She was an ugly kitten with numerous colds-- a runny nose and seeping eyes. She was a farm cat and when the medicine we were given by her mother's owner didn't work, we bummed a ride with my college roommate to the nearest veterinarian and got her the proper medication in a panic because her poor eyes were swollen almost completely shut.

This morning she woke me up with her nonstop mewing. See, River slept in for once (a very rare occurrence) and instead of joining him, my feline alarm clock was going off in the hall--concerned as to why her room privileges were not happening at the normal time.

Babette is the only cat allowed in our room/the only cat that can shimmy her skinny butt between the bars of the gate we have up. Since getting these privileges, she stopped grooming herself to baldness and now has a full, fluffy coat. She is our princess puss.

River as a series of bullets

By Autumn on June 25, 2009 11:47 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

River is obsessed with Sesame Street. I let him watch an hour a day and sometimes his Dad goes to the Sesame Street site and they play toddler games there. He adores Elmo. Cookie is his second favorite. It's nice to have a little free time in the morning to get things done. He's good for about 30 minutes and then the last 30 are spent on my lap. At our recent trip to the bookstore, three of the five book purchases for River were Elmo books. He can't get enough of them. We happen to be a close 2 1/2 hour drive from Sesame Street Place. While I think River is probably still too young to enjoy a theme park, it is happening next summer!

I'm not trying to force my son to behave by his gender, not at all but the child loves tools. He is intent and focused when he has a screwdriver in hand and up his father's butt every time Jason is taking apart a computer or putting together furniture. He is always looking for screws to fiddle with. We really must invest in a toddler tool table of some sort.

Phase two of sleep training is in progress. River had been putting himself to sleep for most of the month and it was time to transition him to the crib--which you can see we set up by our bed. The first night went well and the second he woke up about 4 times crying for me. I usually sooth him by touching him through the bars. Once sleeping in the crib becomes the norm, an easily accepted norm, we'll move the crib across the room and eventually out of our room entirely and into his own. I do miss the cuddles so this morning I pulled him out at 4:00 when he woke up and wanted to nurse and didn't put him back in. The next two hours were spent being rolled on and waking up every 15 minutes.

Wednesday: read Puff the Magic Dragon

By Autumn on June 24, 2009 7:57 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Why do kids love Puff the Magic Dragon so much? Someone, please, explain this to me. Jackie Paper certainly was not dedicated to Puff or he wouldn't have gone and grown up, leaving his dragon to sulk in a cave while he went out to pursue women (one must assume).

If you haven't heard the lyrics to this depressing song, you should go read them. It's the sad tale of a depressed Dragon. Kids eat it up. I loved it as a child, though strangely I could only recall the refrain. Probably because I was so tickled that my name was a part of it.

My sister Angie bought this book for River. One of the many she bought him that he adores. You can blame it on the fact that she has two boys of her own and knows what books toddler boys insist you read again...and again...and again...and again.

Only recently has River had the attention span (and probably the language) to sit still for longer picture books. When I pulled this one out, after only a couple days, he was shouting out "Pup! Pup!" at one glance of the cover and nodding his head slowly and with great conviction when he pointed to each image of a large green dragon.

The creators of this book try their best to bring a positive ending to an otherwise sad tale. River doesn't care how the book ends yet, but he loves the big green dragon. I have not been brave enough to play the attached CD of the song for fear River will start singing out loud--mocking a Dragon's heartbreak.

Some other great picture books that Aunt Angie has given him are Brown Bear, Brown Bear and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.