Dear Friends and Readers,
This has been a hard month on the farm. My rescue horse, Flicker, has had 3 abscesses in her front hoof. She has Cushings disease and is prone to abscesses, but this has been awful for her and for me. There’s an old farm saying—no hoof, no horse. A hoof or foot wound is dangerous and hard to treat because it is so hard to keep the bottom of a foot clean. Thank goodness it appears to be healing. You have no idea how upsetting all of this is to me! Ha ha ha. I am such a crybaby. I hate it when any of my critters are sick, and brother this has been a month of bad health news.
My sister’s little city dog, Pearl, is in decline. Her kidneys are going, but we are doing all we can. She is getting sub-q fluids every other day, and I cook her whatever she wants. Although she is a NYC pup, she loves Southern fried chicken. I get her the tender breast meat, not the skin or crunches. I have to cut it up and soak it in water so that it is tender enough for her to eat. Yes, I am a bonded servant to these critters.
 The diabetes is taking Izzy’s eyesight. |
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Izzy, my other problem child, is almost completely blind now. She has diabetes and Cushings. (Something is wrong with the entire food supply as Americans of all ages are diagnosed with metabolic diseases. Just a reminder—when you eat an animal fed with these chemically treated crops, you are eating THEIR metabolic disorders. No, I am not a scientist, but it makes sense to me.) I am rigid in making sure Izzy gets her shots exactly on time with food. Still, her vision is gone, and I believe dementia is setting in. It’s hard to tell because she is blind. Is it confusion because she can’t see or a mental decline?
Izzy was Cissy Hartley’s beloved pet. When Cissy was dying, she asked me to take Izzy. Of course I did. What kind of a person wouldn’t? I do not understand the heart of someone who would take a loved one’s pet to the shelter. What kind of person does that knowing the shelters are way overcrowded and owner surrendered pets are the first to be put to sleep? Sadly, I see it all the time. Or else they take it to the vet to have the pet put to sleep. There is something truly wrong with the soul of some people. I have made arrangements for my pets, and I am struggling not to take on anymore because I am getting older and it isn’t fair to those left to manage my mess.
The other animals are holding their own. This aging thing is horrid. For humans and animals. I look into the eyes of my dogs who are now slower and declining and I wonder if they comprehend the changes in their bodies. Do they know something I don’t about this process of aging?
There’s a 70% off discount for the audiobook. Kate Forbes has narrated all of my books, I adore her work. You can click on the picture to shop the deal.
On the book front, things are moving along for the release of ODE TO THE BONES. And I am writing the next one as fast as I can! My focus has sucked this last month. Worry about my animals, worry about the world—it takes a toll. And it COULD BE that my brain is old and the two working cells are demanding a vacation!
Please check out the books we recently put on sale on Amazon. The Legend of Blackthorn. They are digital only—reissues of some of the Harlequin Intrigues I wrote. They are fun stories, and they are free in KU. Not expensive if you want to buy the digital files from Amazon. And next month I will reissue one of my favorites—Revenant!
 Here is Piper trying to sneak up and eat the seeds from the bird feeder. She is so bad! |
 Tundra making the best out of the heated cat bed. |
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 I found this leaf by the wheel of my car after getting groceries. Isn’t it exquisite? |
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Now I am off to catch my horses and take Flicker to the barn to wrap her foot. Then my Covid vaccine. The vet says keep wrapping the foot. Flicker is a very easy going girl, but working up under a horse is not my idea of a good day. Yet I’m off to do it!
Here’s a song that’s been on my mind a lot this month. Click on: White Cliffs of Dover. My grandmother taught it to me, and we used to sing it together. My granny emigrated from Sweden when she was six in 1892 (I hope I remember this right). She lived through the Spanish flu, WWI, WWII, The Great Depression, Korea, Vietnam, the space flight, the development of the car, Interstate roads—a million other things. And I never heard her speak a bad word about anyone.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving,
Carolyn and the Critters
P.S. BLUE CHRISTMAS BONES is Bookspace World’s December Book-of-the-Month pick! I’ll be joining readers in Readerspace for a special interview and live Q&A on Wednesday, December 10th at 8 PM ET.
Bookspace World is a private, welcoming platform for book lovers, offering reader connections, author spaces, and exclusive virtual events.
You can join Readerspace for just $1/month or $10/year—your rate stays locked in as long as you’re a member. To learn more about the community and how to join, please visit Bookspace.World.
Hope to see you there.
