A Little pre-Christmas and pre-December humor from my Cat Omar

  A kittlie tail…

Ah December, crackling fires in the fireplace to snooze in front of, dreaming of the sleeping catnip patch and spring. Snow falling outside the window we used to jump in and out of all summer long. Alas, no catnip, but when the craving starts in us, we merely wander down to the garden (the flagstones still get warm from the weakening sun) and chew the woody stalks to release the fragrance that fills our minds with summer dreams.  Then back to the fires to snooze, back to the bed to bask in whatever rays of sun come streaming through the windows, back to dreams of gardens to frolic in, stone walls to scamper along, fences to squiggle under and mice to catch. Happy  December and an early but very Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving

Every year at this time I ask myself what I am thankful for. The list seems to get longer every year. I am thankful for my children who all seem to be happy, healthy, and thriving in this turbulent economic environment. They all seem to have found good women in their choice of life companions. I am blessed with a healthy happy grandson who delights me and reminds me of all the wonders I experienced with my children when they were young.

I am thankful I am no longer in the job I held that kept me stifled and depressed though I am not thankful for the lack of a job as a source of steady income. I am grateful for all the friends who support me in my endeavor to carve out a career with the written word. It is because of them I don’t give up.

I am grateful for my dog who’s energy and exuberance takes me on daily walks and bring new friends to my door because everyone seems to love to stop and visit with her as they pass by my house, delivering mail or taking a walk on their lunch break, or whatever errand has them passing by on their way down Route 136.

I am grateful for the Sugar Bowl that hosts the Darien Times editors and anyone who chooses to join them for coffee on Thursday mornings. The conversations are lively and sometime laced with arguments and heat but always I come away learning something new. And I’m grateful that the Darien Times chooses to print my letters week after week. Hopefully, what I say is helping other people even if it is merely to entertain them with a walk down nostalgia lane.

I am grateful for Pelicci’s where I wandered in last night in jeans and a sweater with good friends for a hearty Italian meal and a refreshing, icy cold Gray Goose martini, a wonderful venue to spend a Saturday night chatting, and catching up with old friends and getting to know good friends.

I am grateful to still be in my house despite my lack of income. Somehow the money comes and I’m able to stay month after month continuing my endeavors and working from home where I can combine my creative pursuits with cooking and gardening and just admiring the wonderful world we live in that I see through my windows – the woods that change with the seasons and hold me spellbound. The birds in their vast variety, colors, and songs that always seem focused, self-sufficient and light hearted. The animals not always seen but always there under cover of dark harboring in the same woods – the coyotes, foxes, raccoons, opossums, deer and whatever else I have not yet had the luck to see. I am grateful just to be.

Big Pharma Can Help

With the ever increasing unemployment rate, the economy in flux, foreclosures, medical expenses out of control, food prices rising and now, as we head into fall and cold weather, rising oil prices for heat added to our burgeoning expenses – one has to wonder how do you decide between paying rent/mortgage, buying food for your family, or providing them with health care?

When I unwillingly joined the ranks of the unemployed earlier this year my focus was the loss of medical benefits that coincided with the loss of paycheck. How would I get my much needed medicines, which, without benefit of medical insurance, was costing almost $500/month - where would the money come from?

After researching online I found that many of the big pharmaceutical companies had programs to help people like me. With patent issues frequently precluding generic equivalents, and subsequent lower costs, the manufacturers are often willing to work with people in this turbulent environment to help them achieve a better quality of life. Through my research, I have found that depending on your income and employment situation you can get your medicines directly from the manufacturer. For example, GlaxoSmithKline has the "Bridges to Access" program and Merck has the "RxCrossroads Pharmacy.”

You can go online and find the manufacturers who provide your prescriptions and follow the directions to either receive these medicines free of cost or at a much lower cost via their co-pay program. You will need to fill out their eligibility forms, get a prescription from your doctor for a 90 day supply with three refills and then you are qualified for a year if you meet their requirements. At the end of the year you will need to resubmit your application to re-qualify for an additional year. Have a healthy fall and winter!