I could let new Holidailies readers try to figure out who/what/where I am from my posts, but I'll make it easy on you. For those who know--be patient.

Female, 72, retired housewife (aka widow), lives in New Orleans area, and until Katrina I was teaching history part time at Xavier University in New Orleans.

Broke my hip missing a step at a camp on an Earthwatch conservation project in Kenya. (This was post-Katrina.)

Now I work part time processing archival material at the Newcomb College Center for Research on Women (part of Tulane University) in New Orleans. This is a volunteer job which I've been doing since spring '06.

Two children--both in the area--and three grands. And five step-grands and five (at last count) step-great grands. One daughter is a physician, the other is a writer with a book coming out next year. (There's a link to the book over on the left.)

I am owned by two cats--both from a shelter. I went there for just one, but these two were playmates . . . One is black and white and her name is Lady. (Her shelter name was Lady C, but the C didn't stand for anything.) The other is a calimese tabby, named CC, which stands for calic cutie. (Her shelter name was CW--which stood for nothing.)

Calimese??? Well, she is a calico tabby, with Siamese conformation, including vocalization.

They are very generous about their territory and have no problems when Pogo (little wild possum) comes inside to pig out on the cat kibble. They also don't mind the raccoons who come in the evening (and stay outside) where they collect their blackmail offering of dog biscuits.

After Katrina, which really messed up their woodsy habitat, they began coming to my house and knocking the lid off the metal trash can which held dry dog food for my yard dogs. They did this at night, and the sound of a metal trash can lid hitting the cement is not conducive to sleep.

Once I started with the (cheap) dog biscuits, the trash cans (both plastic and metal) were left alone.

The cats ignore the raccoons and vice-versa. When Pogo comes inside they ignore him(?) too.

Go back to yesterday for info on the type of entries I do.

Can I do a "regular" (for me) entry now?

Today was an IUD (Incredibly Unremarkable Day). My cell phone let me know that the problem of a few days ago was not the battery, so I was down at Verizon shortly after nine this morning, where I was given a replacement phone.

From there I went to PJ's, where I did geek reading and decided that the library book I was reading was good enough that I wanted my own copy. My geek reading is related to origins of gender discrimination and hierarchy. I got quite a bit done, to the accompaniment of a cup of coffee (with caffiene) and a chocolate chip cookie.

This afternoon I continued my battle with the (expletive) blackberry bushes. The battle was reasonably successful. I of course made solemn resolutions (which shall no doubt be broken) that I will not let the (expletive) blackberries and dewberries get away from me again.