Tuesday, October 14, 2014

A stray in my upstairs bed and breakfast revisited...Please help...

The cat of the upstairs attic bed and breakfast was a blog I did when the blind cat that lived up there  died last year....basically because I could not get her until she was too sick.

(Read http://backstreetmary.blogspot.com/2013/05/stray-cat-of-my-attic-cat-bed-and.html).

Within months of her departure the same mother cat dropped off a kitten that hid under the floorboards in the attic and wouldn't come out.  I fed her by going up and kept the wood stove going to heat her area but could not get her to come out when I was up there.  She was attacked while eating by other cats and I realized she could not see well.  She could recognize my voice and peer at me...but would not come to the snacks and food I tried to entice her with.

Finally this summer she went into heat and was chased by male cats outside and became exhausted and I grabbed her.  Ihad her fixed, shot, and she has turned into the sweetest, loving little cat who just runs around trying to please.

Barbara when she comes over is her favorite.  We both realized that she can see something close to her but obviously things at distance are a blur.

She has suddenly started acting like a real kitten and to see it is funny...but...I have her in a room upstairs and let her down when I am in the front of the house...but there is no heat... and I cannot afford the electric heater for her...and my house is freezing cold.

My cat Rascal will kill her as Rascal does not like other animals...and so I am writing this blog to see if someone can adopt her...even for the winter.

She is skittish as she can't see and is afraid of noises, so she needs a quiet person who doesn't have a dog, kids, or another cat and... she needs some love.

If you can help please email me at backstreetmary@yahoo.com.....she is beautiful and spunky but still not free of her worries about being attacked. She is smart blue eyed and obviously has some Siamese in her.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

History, upcoming cemetery tour, museum and Me!

The Historic Eaton Cemetery is one of my favorite haunts in October...yes it might be for the ghosts of old Eaton....but I think it is for the serenity and the history that lays all around you as you wander around.

This Saturday the 18th I will be doing something I haven't done in a while...a guided cemetery tour.  At 1 PM weather permitting (rain date the following Saturday) will will walk you around and tell you the stories of our Hamlet's former citizens.  The stories are too numerous to tell of course...but on sale will be a book I put together on the cemetery and its many occupants.  I includes the famous lady cooks and their recipes, obits for a number of them, and yes the stories of others.

There will be cider and cookies and of course our museum will be open so you can tour afterward.  The tour will start at 1 PM in the cemetery located on Landon Road just off Rt. 26 in Eaton and it is to benefit the Eaton Village Cemetery Society...so we are asking for a free will donation for my services...

I thought I would include just one of the many stories here...one that I love on a little known person...rather than one of our famous ones...the Rev. Smitzer..

The Reverend John Smitzer who was a minister at the Eaton Congregational Church was also immortalized by Melville Landon “Eli Perkins”  in his books.  One goes as follows:

Elder Smitzer and his special prayers!
Elder Smitzer was famous for making special prayers. In these prayers he used to tell the Lord everything. In fact he used to tell the Lord so much that he would have no space left for asking for the blessing. The elder would go on for an hour informing the Lord about everything in Log City, and in Asia, Africa and Oceiana. Once I took down the Elder’s prayer in shorthand, and it ran thus:
O Lord, thou knowest everything. Thou knowest our uprisings and or downsittings. Thou knowest thy servants’ inner most hearts. Thou knowest, O Lord, what thy servant’s children are doing. Thou knowest the wickedness of thy servant’s nephew, Francis Smitzer,-how he came home last night in a beastly state of intoxication, whistling, O Lord, that wicked popular air (whistling):
Sho’fly, don’t bother me!”
“Thou recognized the tune, O Lord!”

* Reverend Wilson and Reverend Smitzer and Francis are buried in the Historic Eaton Cemetery, as well as Melville Landon, of course.
So come out and visit...donate to you local Cemetery & Museum and enjoy History!