How I Spent the Holiday

People like different things. That makes life interesting. Some people like animals. Some people like kids. Some people like kids and animals. Some people like neither. Some people like vanilla ice cream. Some people like chocolate ice cream. Some people like both. (me!) Some people do not like either one. Who are THOSE people? They are just wrong!

I remember when one of my nieces was about 8 years old, she 'accidentally' marked on the headliner of my car. It didn't bother me. One day, my sister noticed it and asked me who wrote on the headliner of my car and I told her it was her daughter. She asked me if I had scolded her for it and I told her no, that 'her daughter' had explained it was an accident and I had accepted the explanation. My sister gave me a smug look and said "I am glad you do not have kids. They would be in prison by now." In other words, apparently, I am a 'suckah'. I am. I freely admit it.

If I was a 'suckah' with my nieces, I am a complete lump of mush with my kittens. Do they ever do wrong? You bet! They can tear up more than I can shake a stick at. Do I ever punish them or scold them? I might scold but only rarely. I never punish. Usually scolding requires their involvement in something dangerous like trying to jump on the cook stove when there is an outside chance it could be hot. I only turn it on about once a year so that is not likely. I am constantly looking for hidden dangers to them in anticipation so we can detour around it before the situation crops up.

One thing cats love are strings. Some cats are completely in love with strings so much that they would forsake a Thanksgiving turkey leg for a two inch long piece of crochet thread. I do not understand it but they love to chew it then they love to swallow it. I do not have to tell you that eating any type of thread is not good for the digestive system of any animal. The thread has the same effect in the gut as creating a puckering binding of sorts. Thread has been fly in my ointment ever since I began caring for cats. It has caused so much pain and suffering for me and them that  I am ever vigilant searching for thread or strings or anything that might remotely even resemble said objects. Even if I tout myself as being a 'cat whisperer' understanding the minutest nuiasances of the feline mind, I cannot anticipate how the world appears through their beautiful slanted eyes.

I mean, who would have thought this would have been so enticing? Who would have thought this was string nirvana? I should have seen it coming a mile away. Afterall, it is my specialty.

These new blinds had hung unharmed, oh, for about a day. I woke to find them like this. I felt sick but far more worried than any other state of mind. Notice the string is gone!!! My mind was filled with nightmarish visions of surgery,prolonged hospital stays and possibly worse. Fortunately, we may be passed that because I think the string 'passed'. YAY!!!

What could I do to repair this damage though? There were several possibilities. I could sew drapes. Again, not good with cats. That makes the adventures of climbing almost impossible to deny ones little feline self. I could buy more blinds. Isn't that the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results? Okay, so what to do? I decided to repair them myself and 'cat proof' them. Okay, don't laugh.

Using my sewing skills, I created a makeshift blind 'ladder tape'. Admittedly, it is a bit lopsided but this was my first time doing this. I did get them functional again which was the main goal. Then, to cat proof. Again, don't laugh.

If he (Nigel) can figure out how to get those strings out of that, I will eat my hat. But who knows? He is very smart! I mean, look at how he makes me work for him. And by the way, I don't wear a hat so I am not in danger. ;)

Testimony that I wasn't expecting

Wow. Someone I do not even know far away in another state but was aware that I love to investigate ancestry for people sent me this picture and asked me 'Do you know anyone in this picture?'

Actually, the short answer is no. I never knew these people but I know 'of' them. It is a beautiful thing!

The oldest lady in the front holding her hat with a stern look on her face is my great grandmother, Elizabeth. She was a petite lady less than 5 feet tall and wore size 4 shoe. Her father was a presbytarian minister. The ladies surrounding her are her 3 daughters. On her left is Ella, on her right is Corrie. Standing behind her is my elegant grandmother, Erna that I never knew yet I still love. She looks beautiful there and exactly like my mother. Could she be the one in Heaven that loves me? You bet it could be her. It could be someone else that I never knew. Yet I know they are there and love me. How do I know this? Because I feel their love from here.
This picture is a treasure! I come from an ancestry of strong, able, intelligent women. I am blessed.

Testimony from Long Ago

Do you ever stop to think about all of those who have come and gone on this ancient planet of ours? When you do stop to consider it, it makes us all seem so small and inconsequential. I love to find testimonial evidence of a life lived here long ago still standing and still appreciated by someone of today. It does not need to be anyone I knew of, read about or am related to because we are all sort of related in the family of man, aren't we? No one lives in a vacuum.

These windows were crafted by artisans long ago. These dyes cannot be created any longer. The recipes are lost. The ingredients can no longer be obtained. They are gone from this planet forever. However, the artisanship of someone who lived and breathed just like we do can still be appreciated on this day.

Over a hundred years ago, someone crafted this glass in Europe. Someone that got up and went to work each day trying to make a living for themselves and possibly a family created these precious pieces. Someone with worries and joys just like us. Someone that was loved. Someone that is now gone and remembered by no one. Still, this glass brings enjoyment to anyone that studies the intricate patterns and fine workmanship provided by someone that is now nameless and gone from this life. That is a beautiful thing to me.



On Friday, I was telling anyone that would listen to me how beautiful I think the peony is and complaining that this flower will not grow in this desert we live in here. Then, on Sunday, our church was filled with peonies! What are the odds? I cannot recall us ever having peonies in church before this Sunday. Someone in Heaven heard me. Yes, they did and I love them for it! Aren't they beautiful?





Feeling Thankful

I have a staggering appreciation for the universe. I become so easily fascinated by the smallest aspects. The falling shadows ever so slightly waving around a lily being brushed by a breeze. The complex yet simple perfection of birdsong. The warm rays on my skin of a perfectly placed sun…not too close but just close enough to bring life to our world. God is an architect. The Grand Designer. There is order to the universe. I find comfort in that. There is reassurance in knowing that I am doing exactly what I was meant to be doing and exactly at this time. It may not be what I wanted it to be when I dreamed of this day years ago but upon arrival of this day, it is what it was intended to be. I love that.


When I write that I am a truly, truly fortunate person I cannot begin to adequately convey the thankfulness in my heart for this blessing. I have been wonderfully gifted and favored through no merit of my own.

My dreams are beautiful. My dreams are a gift and there can be no doubt of that. In my dreams, I experience a lucidity that I can never hope to attain in a conscious state. My life becomes clear, focused and marbled with meaning. I understand completely. A light of awareness casts comprehension across my past in which all becomes as clear as a neatly laid out road map. I understand the whys and wherefores. I know I sound like a bit of a mystic. I suppose I am but this life is a mystery, is it not?

Obviously, last night, I had a dream that is freshly embedded in my memory. Again in a dream, my mysterious visitor came to me to share insight on why I do some things as I do and why I have chosen certain paths for myself. This I know with all of my heart as most assuredly as I know my name. Someone in heaven loves me. My path has not been an easy one but it is mine. I would choose no other. This was the course chosen for me when the world was swirling, forming out of chaos when the Grand Designer put us all in motion to follow each of our individual paths.

It is a beautiful thing that this fellow and I got here to this place at the same time. I am so glad I could be there for him when he needed someone. No, I would alter nothing if it meant by doing so that our trajectories would not have crossed.

JakeyBooBear

Joust!

The other day, we went to a joust. This is our knight, Sir William.

By the way, I am not much into blogging. What I mean by that is that I do not read a lot of blogs. I only travel through cyberspace to a handful of them. However, I did notice a trend recently about 'coming clean' or at least trying to divulge the 'real you' in your blog. I do not have anything to divulge. What you read here is pretty much what you get. Apparently, though there are some bloggers that feel they present their best foot forward when blogging. They might have a natural bent to present a pessimistic posture but fight through it on their blogs to fashion an optimistic point of view. This is the type of "coming clean" I am mentioning. I just put "junk" on here and I do mean "junk" as sort of a diary. It is not meant to be inspirational, informative, creative or anything else worthwhile. It just is what it is.

On to another topic. This is one of those 'this' and 'that' posts. I am a bit worried about myself. I have been watching some weird television lately. I have been watching shows about hoarders. I find these shows to be a bit like train wrecks. I CANNOT avert my eyes no matter what sort of horror they reveal! I have a tendency to maybe go a little bit overboard with the cleaning at times so I suspect that I have an inner fear of becoming a hoarder. It starts small. Like a person might become obsessed with keeping the inner cardboard rolls from the paper towels and then, it grows and grows and GROWS! Since I have seen a few of these shows, I have become ever vigilant on policing myself with tossing items in the trash. I am ruthless. If I can fit it in the garbage, it is GONE. Little Jakey won't be fitting in there anytime soon though. No siree, Bob.

I leave you with this thought...just a little something to think about. Has it ever occurred to you that you have never seen me and Charlize Theron in the same room at the same time? Huh? Think about it.

I am not sayin' but I am just sayin'. ;)


And I really hope no one that ever comes across this blog ever takes it seriously.

Then and Now

It is time for another then and now post about JakeyBooBear.

Look at then.

Look at now.

Moral to story. You can drive a cat to a nice, cozy, comfy bed but you can't make him sleep on it.

Melange of Odds and Ends

I do not have anything specific to say yet I feel talkative. Lots of thoughts are floating about in my mind right now. For example, last night a funny thing happened. I awoke about 2 am. Nothing is unusual about that. I awake many times through out the night. I am a poor, poor sleeper. Mostly, I just take little 'cat naps' sleeping for 45 minutes to an hour at a time but never much more than that, then, awakening for 10 to 30 minutes just to fall back asleep for another short 'cat nap'. It does not bother me. I have always slept that way for as long as I can remember. But last night or more correctly, this morning, I awoke from a 'cat nap' with a funny thought in my mind. I remembered a funny event regarding one of my nephews from about 40 years ago. I laughed out loud. I couldn't quit laughing. For at least 30 minutes, I laughed remembering something my nephew had said. I had not thought about it in years but suddenly, in the dead of night, I get on a laughing jag about a long forgotten incident. Something in a dream must have stirred up the dust of that long buried memory.

Another thing, sometimes I play a fun game with myself. Have you noticed that I have cats? We are cat people, my family. Everyone in the family has at least one cat or a hundred. We have been this way for many years now. But back to this game I mentioned,"if I didn't have cats" is the game. "If I didn't have cats and I could have a dog" more specifically, what kind of dog would I get? If I was not the crusader of down trodden felines, what dog might I want? For the longest time, I thought it would be a yorkie. Now, I have decided it would be the French bulldog. However, I really like corgis too. It would be a tough call. Luckily, I do not have to make that decision. The dog I want is still the cat.

That brings me to my next subject. I almost bought a cat once. I almost bought a toyger. I was reading something in the newspaper about a cat show when my sister, niece and myself spontaneously decided to go to it. Those toygers have the most amazing deep aqua eyes. However, no matter how much I wanted a cat, I would never buy one. I have to leave openings for the ones that no one wants at any price.

A relationship with an animal is a funny thing. It is not always love at first sight. Sometimes you do not love them and sometimes they do not love you. I have mentioned here before how Nigel does not really care for me that much even though I love him deeply. It is really great when it clicks for both of you instantly because it is a lifetime commitment. It is a promise. I promise to take care of you forever so you will never hurt again type commitment. All life is precious life.

At the time little Jake arrived on the scene, one of my sisters was actively looking for a male feline youth. She has two females and thought a young male might liven up the mix. When little Jakey arrived on my back patio, I introduced her to him. She thought he was adorable. He is. She said "He is sweet but he isn't for me. You have to keep him." I asked her why and she said "He loves you." and he did as I love him. Somewhere inside I knew he was meant for me and I for him.

Plus, I am really stoked. Saturday is another super moon! She will be fabulous! Why do they see a man in the moon? The moon is a beautiful lady. So strange are these people who make up these sayings and rules. Yes, it must be them that are strange because for certain, it couldn't be me.

Sad looking tiny moon taken with my iPhone peeking over my rooftop

Deep, Bring Your Waders!

In some ways when I think of my life, it has sped by. In other ways when I summon memories, I know I must be at least two million years old. In many ways, I have traveled far and ruggedly. I have been down many roads. I like to believe I am a better person for it. I hope I am.


I have an appreciation for those who can build a sentence that brings tears to my eyes or joy to my heart. When an idea, thought or word can touch my soul, I have nothing but admiration and respect for the person who expressed that thought.

Everyone who reads this blog knows I have a deep appreciation for music, words and especially music with words. Everyone who reads this blog also knows I love the way Bernie Taupin puts his thoughts into words or how he just puts words together for the sole purpose of creating a beautiful sound together. Paul McCartney has a sweet, touching way of expressing love, loneliness and disappoint and any other emotion he wishes to call to mind. John Lennon had an especially clear way of pointedly getting straight to the heart of a matter and expressing it in a way that left little doubt.

I traveled a road many years ago with my sister. My sister is a huge, huge, huge fan of Bruce Springsteen. I am a fan myself; however, my ardency pales in comparison to hers. My sister and I went all over the place to see Bruce together. If he was performing anywhere on the continent and it was at all possible for us to get tickets, we went. Bruce is another that can put words together in a way that touches the very heart of my soul. I so admire his talent. He is a poet of the Bob Dylan ilk.

Bruce used to sing a song only in concert. I loved that song so very much because I felt as if Bruce had looked straight into my heart and had seen my vision of heaven. Recently, he recorded this song for an album which was something he said he would never do. I think he probably did it because two people appearing in this video are no longer with us, Danny and Clarence.

If you have never heard the song “Land of Hope and Dreams”, please listen to it now. I promise you will not be disappointed. It will touch your heart. No, it will touch your soul right down to the core. All of us know someone who rides on this train. All it takes to get on board is faith despite what else you may be, saint or sinner, fool or king. We have all said goodbye to someone who travels on this train. We do not know where they are going but we know they will never be back. Leave behind your sorrows. Tomorrow there will be sunshine. Big wheels roll through fields where sunlight streams. Meet me in the Land of Hope and Dreams.

This is My Life

This is my life. I am an odd person. I say that but I know it is not true. I feel odd. I know that is a common feeling. Talk to a bunch of people. They will all tell you that they are odd in some fashion. It all goes back to the old question 'What is odd? What is normal?'

Everyone lives very different lives but the feelings we share are all the same...happiness, sadness, disappointment, fulfillment, pride, embarrassment and so on.

Today, I am saying I am odd because yesterday I was sick. That is not odd, you say. I agree, it isn't. It is somewhat unusual for me. Normally, I am a very hardy soul. I fight through illness. It is rare when I am completely side-lined. I was more than side-lined yesterday. I was benched, sent to the locker room, down for the count. The only illness that can incapacitate me this way must be stomach related. I can work through anything else...a raging fever, a massive headache anything else but not stomach woes. In those instances, I have to lie down usually in the bathroom trying not to move at all. Trying desperately not think about my waves of nausea. That was me yesterday. After I was stricken with my malady, I had my mile trek out to my car. I could have asked my manager to go get my car for me. I should have in retrospect. He gladly would have but I was being strong, see? That is me. I repeated to myself as I put one foot in front of the other, staggering weakly to my car "I am not sick. I am not sick. I am not sick." Finally, I arrived at my vehicle and fell into the driver's seat wondering how I could possibly make a 30 minute drive to my house but knowing that I would regardless of the consequences.

I sat there 'girding my loins' as they say trying to muster the strength to turn the key, to turn my head to back out when I spied a bird! A bird in desperation no less. I kicked myself as I said to myself 'and I thought I was having a bad day'. This bird had somehow entangled himself in the high line wires and was dangling upside down by one foot like a bat would do. In fact, the thought occurred to me "Is that a bat?". No, it was a bird. Periodically, he would gather all of his strength and frantically attempt to free himself. My mind was no longer on my ailing tummy. It was on that bird! I thought for awhile wondering what I could do for him/her. What if it was a she? What if she had a nest of young ones waiting for her return? I had to do something.

 I know you are thinking about me by now even if you were not before 'yeah, she is odd! No, she is just flat out a lunatic'.

I was sick, remember? I thought about getting a ladder. I thought about calling the fire department. But I just sat there like a bump on a stump and prayed. Yes, I prayed for a bird. My prayer went something like this "God, I don't care that I am sick. You can let me die if you can only help one of us. I won't even pray for myself but would you please help that bird?" I just kept praying that over and over for at least 10 minutes. At this point, the bird was dangling in a fashion that appeared as if  life had long left it. I thought to myself. "Well, hell! Another unanswered prayer!" when all of a sudden that bird just flew into a flurry of activity. It tried to free itself by coming at the wire from another direction and guess what? It worked!! The bird flew away!!!!! IT.FLEW.AWAY! All I have is gratitude now. Thank you God for answering my prayer. You helped two of us by doing that. You freed the bird. You helped me know you were listening.

Am I odd for praying for a bird? At first blush, it seems weird yet I know many, many people who would have done exactly the same thing.

Oh yeah, here are some more wedding pix. Scanned polaroids. We are a family of entertainers. Yes, we are.