Keisling Family

It’s always interesting to watch the tae kwon do competition at the Olympics. This year’s judging was at times questionable. I was glad to learn that it wasn’t just me - many of the delegations have questioned how judges could miss valid hits. Some changes need to be made for the future integrity of the sport. Still, the USA took two silver and one bronze, which is nothing to sneeze at.

I was dismayed by the unbelievable behavior displayed by the Cuban men’s heavyweight competitor in the bronze medal match.

Respect is at the core of the practice of tae kwon do. There is simply no excuse for this behavior. None.

Here are some pictures from Harlam:

1st Session K’far Noar Boys

Rick Recht Concert 1st Session

Photo evidence of Brian’s developing sophistication at pulling pranks. 2nd Session, Opening Day

“How nice, Brian is playing tether ball with his friends at K’far Noar Village.”

“They seem to be having a good time.”

“Hey, what’s that on your shirt, Brian?”

What we want to know is, did anyone buy it?

More 2nd Session Pics. Now Max is at camp, too.

Video chug.

In K’far Noar, line dancing appears to be required.

Recover from the dancing by playing volleyball.

No dancing here.

Israeli Friendship Caravan Concert

Remember the old days of training to do mouth-to-mouth? Gone.

No more worries about expiring because someone was too grossed-out or germophobic to help you.

Here’s the new order:

OOPS.  Link is now dead.  I’ll look for another one.

I think this is SO COOL!

Here’s a video story from the NYTimes about an Irish music teacher who works at a Bronx elementary school. She’s taught the kids Irish dance, and it is a great story.

Ok. Sorry. There’s no excuse for not posting, other than I simply didn’t have the time. Perhaps this will be the electronic version of a kick in the pants to get moving again. Let’s just blame winter sloth, shall we?

In the aftermath Othello’s death, we began the process of bringing a new cat into the family. Fiona was not meant to be an only cat. There is an impressive organization called the Siamese Cat Rescue Center. Quartered in VA, they have an extensive network, a solid organizational structure, and a really excellent website on which they list all the cats available in rescue.

When you apply to adopt a cat through SCRC, you are interviewed so that an accurate match can be made. These folks have been placing cats for years, and they have a very high success rate. So, we went through the process, and have adopted Simon.

Simon is 9 months old as of Thursday, and he is a Blue point Siamese. He’s a big boy, already weighing in at 10 1/2 pounds. Big feet. Friendly disposition. He was fostered in Tennessee and came north just one week ago today via the volunteer driver network known at the Meezer Express. The boys and I drove to MD to pick him up. He’s very sweet and is integrating very well after 6 days in isolation. So far he and Fiona seem to be fine together. So welcome, Simon, to the Keisling family.

Time to get used to writing 2008 on your checks and other items.  It should take me a few months to make the adjustment.  Then I’ll do silly things like writing “2006″ instead.  It’s inevitable.

It was very nice to end the year with the celebration of Eric and Cathy’s 25th Anniversary.  So many people  are cynical about these milestones and celebrate them without truly valuing the relationship they honor.  When we celebrated with Eric and Cathy, we knew we were acknowledging a couple who truly celebrate each other and their children.  It was a warm and honest event.  Eric and Cathy can truly be proud of the legacy they’ve created in their family.

We rang in the new year with fried foods, hors d’oeuvres for dinner and warm chocolate cake that was, shall we say, just a touch more molten than it should have been.  (Hey, the recipe said 6-7 minutes.  Should have been more like 9-10)  Still, one should always usher out the old year and welcome the new with hot chocolatey goodness.

We contemplated 2007, and here are some personal and collective highlights: returning from Israel, Brian’s Bar Mitzvah, Brian’s trip to China and the chance for us to spend some time with Max alone, Camp Harlam, Bret’s new job, Amy’s new vision, and the opportunity to watch Brian and Max continue to evolve into the terrific individuals that they are.  There were some difficult moments along the way, but all in all it was a very good year.

Here is Max’s big break at the May 2007 test. He went from low blue to high blue with this running side snap kick.

In a news article about Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert resuming production of their programs with or without the writers:

In a joint statement, Stewart and Colbert said: “We would like to return to work with our writers. If we cannot, we would like to express our ambivalence, but without our writers we are unable to express something as nuanced as ambivalence.”

Well, we had almost a month to get used to the idea, but it hits hard nonetheless.

After a valiant effort, Othello rapidly declined over the past week. He struggled to get around, and eventually got to the point where he couldn’t stand any more. When he lost his appetite on Tuesday, we knew the time had come.

The idea of loading Othello into the carrier and dragging him to the vet’s office was agonizing, so I made arrangements with Keystone Mobile Veterinary Service to come to our house. The idea was that Othello could be ushered out in his own space with minimal stress. We had an appointment for 3:00 this afternoon.

Last night, I could tell we were at the end. Othello seemed ready to go, and we all said our goodbyes. When I went to work this morning, I didn’t know what to expect. School was on a 2 hour delay which later turned into a closure, so Brian and Max were home with Othello all day. This was a great gift.

I checked in with the boys several times over the morning, and at about 11:15 Max told me he thought Othello was gasping periodically. I knew what that meant, so I immediately packed up and left work. Brian called Bret while I was on my way home and said he thought maybe Othello had just died. Sure enough, he was gone when I arrived at home.

I am so very grateful that Othello went peacefully, on his own terms, without human intervention. I am grateful that he was not alone, but supported by two boys who loved him and whom he loved. They have been absolutely marvelous throughout this process. Bret came home to say goodbye as well. I washed Othello’s face, brushed his fur, and wrapped him in a blanket to await his next destination.

I’ve had to put down two cats before Othello. One was Koshka, who I had for 12 years. I never felt any conflict about needing to bury the cats before, but with Othello, it is different. It feels wrong to send him off to a mass disposal at the vet. It also feels wrong to bury him here when we don’t know how long we’ll live here, or if we’ll need to dig up that area. So I’ve decided to have Othello cremated and will keep his ashes in a small cedar box. It won’t be displayed or anything creepy, but it will be with us wherever we go, and if we decide down the road to do something with his ashes, we will. It just seems like the right thing to do.

It’s hard to believe he’s gone. 19 years is a very long time. I’m used to him sitting in front of me, looking at me and patting my face with his paw to get me to pet him. I took care of him for 19 years. I am glad he took care of me by slipping away quietly today.

Othello is old. At 19, he has far exceeded the normal life expectancy of the average feline. He has been part of my life for the entire 19 years, coming to me as a puffball of only 8 weeks. He has been deeply bonded to me ever since, and it is terribly difficult to watch him age.

His eyes are clouded with cataracts, and he can’t hear me call him. He tires of grooming, so his fur is matted on his belly. Most importantly, he has slowed down his pace, and it is clearly harder for him to get around.

We went to the vet on Saturday, because he just has not been himself lately. While the results of his blood tests won’t be back until Tuesday, letting us know of any thyroid or kidney trouble, we do know a few things. He’s lost a full pound since last year. He’s a shade under 6 lbs, which is pretty skinny. He’s also got arthritis in his hips and back knees. We now have some medication to sprinkle on his food - hopefully this will ease the discomfort and make walking easier for him. He ate with gusto this morning, so the taste of the medicine doesn’t seem to bother him.

The vet was mightily impressed by Othello’s personality and the fact that he has almost all of his teeth. She thinks that he’s still got plenty of fight in him if we can make his days more comfortable.

I am hoping that the blood work does not show anything too troublesome. I know that I have enjoyed Othello’s company for far longer than most get the chance, but it is hard for me to imagine him not being around. Heck, I’ve had Othello in my life longer than I’ve had Bret!

I’ve had my long lap sessions with Othello - I’ve told him it’s okay for him to go when he’s ready. It doesn’t seem as imminent as it did at the end of last week, but one never knows. It would be so much better to find him peacefully curled up one morning instead of having to go through the gut-wrenching experience of that penultimate trip to the vet. I just hope I don’t have to make that decision for him.