Nigel's Mom

SheArt to Plug the Fireplace!

2012-02-12T20:42:00.001-06:00

Cleaning out and packing is not the only activity I have been up to lately. I have been taking an online class over at The Scarlet Lime. Really, this craft "is me". I am not sure what took me so long to dive off into it but now that I have, I cannot stop. I am truly, madly, deeply addicted to it. Christy suggested the first SheArt girl we make should be one of ourselves. I did that but I have not attached the words to myself which is what really makes it SheArt. I took a picture of what I created but I must confess this picture does not do it justice. What I made is like at least 10 times better than this picture suggests. I am really proud of it which I must say is rare for me when it comes to making 'art'. Usually I do not create much to be proud of in that category. But this time, I am really proud of this and will not be embarrassed to hang it up in my house. I wish you could see really how pretty it is. I will take another picture of it after I get her words on her. Just the right words, of course. I love making these things!

Crummy picture of my beautiful art

I have been busy. I believe a person should keep themselves busy working on constructive and learning projects. Never stop learning. Never stop working. Always improve. There is always room for it.

On another completely different front, we had some drama yesterday. After coming home from the store, I walked into the den just to see Nigel take off into the fireplace and launch himself upward. He clung to something I couldn't see then vanished. Gone! I peered up into the fireplace and he had managed to push open the damper. He was climbing up the inside of the fireplace up toward the roof. As you can probably imagine, I was somewhat panic stricken. I could not imagine how I was going to retrieve that boy. He was heading toward daylight! I was yelling up that fireplace "NIGEL!!!NIGEL". The sound of my screams prodded him upward so I stopped yelling and just sat back on my heels perplexed and worried. Seconds passed seeming like hours then, I heard a couple of boom, booms followed by plunk! And there he was, Nigel lying in the bottom of the fireplace filthy yet completely unscathed albeit significantly adled. Suffice it to say, the fireplace hole is exceedingly, adequately plugged now.

Okay, so I Made a Poor Choice

2012-02-10T10:10:00.001-06:00

Okay so NOT all of my mistakes are cool as I have claimed recently. In hindsight, it was probably a mistake to take the fireplace screen down until I had constructed the new one. View the evidence, please.

You must admit though that these little feet prints are cute though, right? Those belong to either Henri, Ollie or Nigel. They do not belong to this guy.

Look at my moon and stars! He shelters me with his heart. Isn't he cute? He has been so good since his surgery. He does not like the fireplace either. He looks at it like it is a big cavernous black bottomless pit. He will not approach it. Good boy, Jakester!

I Am a Pack Mule!

2012-02-09T09:57:00.000-06:00

Guess what I will be doing more of this coming weekend?

Right! More packing! Here I am at Lowe's buying more packing materials. I bought 50 more boxes. That should keep me busy for the weekend. I am an organizing fiend! I will be dragging more stuff out to the curb while anxiously awaiting someone to stop and claim it for theirs. I am really getting into this packing thing. Of course, my garage is running out of room for storage because I really need room for two vehicles in there (according to my sister). I may need to rent off site storage. That might be next week's project. I still have lots of rooms to clean out though so I will continue to be busy for a very long time.

Your pack mule,

De-cluttering and other "de-s"

2012-02-07T13:34:00.001-06:00

Look at this! Anyone familiar with this bookcase will know I really de-cluttered! It was difficult! How do you decide which books you will no longer keep on the shelf? In the library business, we call this weeding. Wow, did I weed! I got it down to a few necessary volumes. By all means, keep the cookie recipe book out! Plus, you never know when you might need to reference a Harry Potter volume or a book about Henry VIII.

I even decluttered the columbarium and made it look more formal. A little insight here, usually more than I freely give; see that urn box on the right with the white cat hugging a pink heart that says "I love you" and the black depiction of Bastet atop it? That is my kitten, Russell Lee in there and I cannot touch that box without tearing up. The energy coming off that box is powerful stuff! I could be blind folded and someone could hand me that box and I would still tear up. I know it seems weird yet it is true. There are odd things in this universe of ours, aren't there? Fascinating too.

Plus, I left a few pictures of a few of my 'human' loved ones in there. Sometimes my humans like to know that I care about them too.

Today is a big 'de' day for Jacob! He is getting as they call it 'de-sexed'. Ouch! It may hurt a little now but he will be a much better cat for it later. The odor surrounding the boy lately has not been that pleasingly fragrant. He is getting microchipped too in case I ever lose track of the little whipper snapper somehow, someway. Look, it has happened before but this time, I will not be caught unprepared should it ever happen again.

Cinder-henri

2012-02-06T13:07:00.001-06:00

I have talked a lot about my house cleaning. Now, I have decided to show pictures of it. In the picture below, everything is going into boxes. I even took off the fireplace screen. I put that fireplace screen and andirons out at the curb later in the afternoon and someone claimed them. Yay!!!

This picture is not related to anything other than it was just a weird phenomenon that I had to include in this post for interest. I kept trying to take a picture of the fireplace after I had cleaned it out. This weird sun thing kept shooting up the fireplace as I would take the picture. There was no sun there! I would snap and then 'woosh' sun! I never could get a picture of it without it. Does anyone know what that is about? It was weird!

Okay, so maybe later in the day Henri became mesmerized by the fireplace-sun phenomenon and started trying to do that shooting thing like the sun did. However, he did not fare so well. Poor Henri! He did not like his bath that I had to give him to remove 5 lbs of soot. Do you think he is considering dunking his head into his water bowl? I don't think he was. He looks mistreated but honestly, I am a good cat mom!

Uh Oh!

2012-02-02T12:27:00.000-06:00

Okay so we are still driving around trying to decide where to call home. We are traveling south now from Seattle and just got to San Francisco. We have shifted places. Ollie is sitting by me now. Nigel is still co-pilot because he is boss after all. Jakester went to the back seat and Henry (Henri has changed into his French beret and recovered from his terror) is sitting in area behind back seat. However, there has been a new development. It just occurred to Jacob that Shoog is not with us!

Are we there yet?

2012-02-01T17:42:00.001-06:00

I spend a lot of time in my home talking about destinations to any visitors willing to listen. My cats hear a lot about Vegas, Seattle, San Francisco, London and a few others but mostly those. The truth is they do not know Vegas from Seattle so they will not know the difference when we get there. In this little depiction, I am at the wheel of our 'red one' showing us on our drive from Texas to Washington. It will be long, right? I mean really, really long, right? The meowing will make one mile seem like one light year. My sister said to be sure to let her know exactly when we are leaving so she can come watch and listen to us depart with all the yowling and scratching going on in that car. This is something how we will look with Jake sitting beside me thinking we are moving to Vegas. That is Nigel in passenger seat acting as co-pilot. Henry is in backseat looking terrified. Ollie is in area behind backseat just being happy because that is what he does best.

Brutally Cleaning

2012-01-31T15:17:00.000-06:00

I signed up for an online crafting class not long ago, then, hardly ever even turned on my computer immediately after signing up for it. This year something happened to me. It is difficult to explain but it was almost tangible. At midnight on January 1, 2012 it seems like something shifted gears or maybe the universe slid sideways. I have felt differently ever since that day. Weird, I know. I had been on a cleaning and throwing away spree prior to that time but now I have ramped it up into high gear. I am cleaning out EVERYTHING! I don't want to craft anymore. I want a clean room instead. I don't want my office room anymore. I want a clean room instead. I don't want to play on my computer anymore...I want to clean instead. Does this sound strange? It is just a life change. People go through those. I have been thinking about renting a dumpster so I will not have far to go to chunk things. Maybe I am just getting ready to drive off into the sunset heading west with my boys. If my blog is never updated anymore after today, you will know that I threw out my computer!

Mister, More Concrete Please

2012-01-24T16:45:00.000-06:00

My house is 34 years old and I suddenly felt as if it needed more concrete. Just sayin'. No really, in my old age, I am just paring down. I do not want any carpet or anything that holds dust. I wish I could get a concrete couch! Might be kind of uncomfortable but would be super easy to clean, right?

A No Zag Life

2012-01-22T21:54:00.000-06:00

Time passes. The days are falling like rain drops. I do not grieve for them. Instead, I think of tomorrow. The bright new tomorrow that will sprout like a tender leaf. Right now it is buried deep in the earth like a dream waiting. My dream waiting to be had. I do not know how many tomorrows I have. I know I have less than when I started.

I am a pensive person. I spend so much time in thought and the older I get the more time I spend inside my own mind. I suppose I must like it there, right? People do not do what they do not want to do. That is human nature. I have always said that people pretty much get what they want. A person will find a way to bring to themselves those things they want. Sometimes they do it consciously sometimes subconsiously but they almost always find a way. Trouble arises when a person does not know what they want. That makes life in a pinball machine, bouncing off the sides, tilting, falling, landing back where you began.

I think back on my life and wonder where did I zig when I should have zagged? I really cannot point to a place. I didn't zig when I should have zagged. Instead, I did not know what to dream. You might say I didn't even know how to zig or zag. How do you know you want a thing that you do not even know exists? That is the quirk of life. When you are very young, you are too inexperienced, ignorant, and naive to even know what to want. Like I said, my dream still waits in the deep earth waiting to be had. If I never reach it, someone will. That is good enough for me. At this late date, no ordinary dream will do for me. I need something completely off the rails. Until then, I have hungry cats here waiting to be fed.

She is thinking about zigging but she should zag.

When Kismet Happens

2012-01-20T12:13:00.001-06:00

Sometimes kismet happens and you perform a good deed without intending it. This is what I mean.

The other night, I was visiting my mom. A knock came on her door and in popped our 96 year old friend, Roberta. She said she wanted to stop by to see if I was there because she needed some help. Her eyesight has been failing her lately. She had handwashed a blouse, hung it out to dry on her balcony as it had been a breezey day and now she could not find the blouse anywhere. I went with her to her apartment to take a look. I looked all over that balcony. No shirt was to be found. Since it was night, therefore dark, I could not see very far off into the distance but I saw no evidence of the hanger it had been on or of the blouse.

I turned to her and said "You know, I fear your blouse has blown away." Roberta said to me "Do you think a dog found it and is running down the road with it now?" We both laughed and I said "We can only hope so if he is in need and that he will make a nice, warm bed out of it."

The Amazing Whiskey Cat

2012-01-17T11:26:00.000-06:00

Remember I said we had the cat gene? If you are in my family and do not have a cat or three, you might want to check your birth certificate to see if you were switched at birth. Watch my 'nephew' or more accurately 'great nephew' play catch. He is extremely talented. He was a Hurricane Katrina rescue kitty. His assistant is his sister, Stella.

Remember Queen Cynthia?

2012-01-15T21:50:00.000-06:00

Remember the dream I had that I was a queen that really knew how to rock an outfit? I was Queen Cynthia of House Grimalkin and I was in a very poor mood for some reason. I have no idea why I would be in a bad mood if I was a queen?

Anyway the Golden Globes got me in a designing mood so I drew up an outfit from memory of one that I had on in the dream. It was a red and black coat dress with leggings, boots and an Elizabethan collar. I drew it then married it to Photoshop. I kind of like the idea of putting something hand drawn with Photoshop. I will try it again soon.

My New Friend!

2012-01-13T14:01:00.000-06:00

I have a new friend! I just have some kind of uncanny ability to make friends. It is quite amazing. I can find a friend almost anywhere. Keep reading. You will understand.

If there is a cat within 500 miles, it seeks me out. I don't really understand it but I think my mother might understand it best. She says the same cats are around everyone. I am just able to see them better sort of like some people can see miracles better than others. Sort of like some people see angels better than others. (By the way, I have met several angels.) Your love for a thing just sort of subconciously turns on your radar. Sort of like how a bat sees a bug in the dark. That is me...batty!

Anyhow, this is my new friend. I met him while I was walking to my car one night. Since that time, he waits for me every evening. I bring him treats. Oh yeah, you can make loads of friends if you bring food. That is an important thing to know. See him?

He is very shy. I have to leave his treat before he really comes up close. He thinks I am some kind of evil trickster trying to capture him. Oh no. I just want to spread the love around. My private inn is closed to all future business but my love is not closed. It is wide open to any friend open enough to receive it.

These Shoes

2012-01-12T13:49:00.000-06:00

I love this girl wearing these shoes. I loved her before I knew her. In fact, I loved her years before she was even born.

She is the closest thing to a daughter that I will ever have. I say that without knowing how it feels to have a daughter so I could be all wrong in that assessment. Do you think people should comment on what they have never experienced? I do not think they should yet I do it.

I do know this much. I definitely love her. Memories of her travel across my mind like a strange mix of iridescent bubbles floating across an empty sky.

Peculiar what things form a memory.

Seeing her running to my car after school on a day when I got to pick her up.

Peeking through the blinds at her trying to learn to ride a bicycle and cringing when she falls.

Watching her nonchalant, easy way yet completely effective slamming of a volleyball across the net.

Watching her standing bravely and self assuredly deliver a stand up routine in front of a rowdy crowd of strangers with me looking on like an overly zealous bouncer eager to toss out anyone that did not laugh.

Would you wear these shoes on your wedding day? I so would!

Ollie the Megaphone

2012-01-06T16:13:00.001-06:00

Remember not long ago, I was relaxing in the bathtub when Little Jacob took a dive into it? This morning, I was again in the bathtub which I find to be a very relaxing time of the day that I often look forward to enjoying. I was focusing intently on soaping up my loofah when out of the blue just like a blast from a foghorn, I hear "MEOW".

It almost startled the bejeepers out of me! I do not know what that boy was up to but Ollie had come into the bathroom and was making some sort of extremely loud announcement. I tried to figure it out. I asked him a few questions. I performed an interview on him. He casually softly meowed back a couple of nonchalant answers as if whatever caused his initial earpiercing outburst had passed. Sometimes I wonder about that boy.

Look at My Moon and Stars

2012-01-03T13:07:00.000-06:00

It is so very difficult to make up a bed at my house. My little Moon and Stars likes to play on the moon and stars of my sheets. Those two, Nigel and Jacob, played on that bed for over an hour while I was trying to make it up. I would straighten an edge then leave it because it stirred up such a whirlwind of activity. I would come back and straighten a little piece more. Do you wonder why I do not make them get off of it so I can make it up sensibly? The answer is because I love to watch them play and I love for them to be happy. If it is true that most of the atoms making up your body once were atoms of some far away sun that exploded, my Jacob's, Nigel's, Ollie's and Henry's atoms are from what must have been the most beautiful stars ever to exist in the sky.

The Old Year is Gone Along with some Naivity

2012-01-02T09:57:00.001-06:00

Saturday, December 31, 2011, I begin an early day. I take pictures so I will remember next year what kind of day it was. Do you often find yourself trying to remember the weather and the details of the last day of the year for the year before? Well, here it is for my memory book so to speak.

I am almost to my church where I will be setting up the alter for the next day's communion.

No surprise here. Due to the holidays, I am the only person within sight of anywhere. I like having the church all to myself. It looks small but it actually is quite large. In the picture is just the church and not the outlying connecting buildings.

Just inside the side door.

Heading to alter guild work room.

In the sacristy, getting ready to begin.

You must begin by getting your mind in the right place to begin your service. We take this very seriously. It is the Lord's table and we treat it as such.

I just want to look at this creche. It is beautiful. I should have put my hand beside it so the size of it could be made evident.

Advent candles in front of pulpit.

Beautiful magnolia wreaths.

I begin refilling the candles. There are many.

Taking time to admire this window. The dyes necessary to make this window are no longer mixed. Replacement pieces from Europe will never match again. These windows all tell stories and most every depiction in a window be it a ribbon, pearls, colors, vegetation, robes, whatever is an artistic symbol. You can study these windows for hours. They are amazing.

Refilling a candle and adjusting the wicks.

Refilling a communion candle and polishing the brass.

Obtaining the necessary, corporal, veil, towels, wafers, etc.

Beginning to dress the chalice.

Partially dressed chalice and priest's host.

Fully veiled chalice and host.

Preparing to pour the rabbinical wine.

Complete credence table with wine, ceborium, chalices and wafers.

Yesterday, New Year's Day, my mom shared an interesting and heart breaking story with me regarding the death of her father. She has shared many memories of her childhood with me through out our lives but this one was most poignant for me this time. It was then that I realized, for one thing, that my desire to remove pain does not just only apply to cats. I hated to admit that my bleeding heart does not always bleed across to the human species. Sad, huh? That is not because I am a mean person. I am nice...sometimes. I mean I can be decent if the sun and stars align just right. Mostly, I just figure humans are more capable of fixing their own problems and do not need my commiserations and assistance. Also, no one would ever look at my own life and say "Oh, yeah, I want her to give me advice because she has everything going on so perfectly!" Therefore, I focus on the innocent and helpless creatures. Yesterday was sort of what you would call a watershed moment for me. It was a realization. There is one area in which I would love to help all of us and that is dealing with sorrow. Sorrow is hard. It is heart wrenching. It is unfixable for some people. They will be broken all of their lives. A forever broken person living in a forever broken world. Wouldn't you love to 'fix' someone's heart? Especially someone you love so much like your mother? Wouldn't you love to take that pain away so that it never hurt again for them? If you could only do it for one person, even that would be so magnificent. My mother told me that she still remembers just as clearly as if it happened moments ago, her mother awakening her the morning of January 2, 1933 and telling her that her father had passed away in the night. She was 5 years old. My mom cried yesterday just like it happened only moments earlier. There are no words you can say to someone hurting that much and none you should say. My mom often tells me that I was born with a much greater faith than she has. I am not so certain about that. I thought about the words in the Bible about Heaven. We do not know much but we do know in Heaven that there are no father, brother, sister, mother or husband, wife. Jesus told us that. So I could hardly say to mom "oh, you will see your father again." She may but will she recognize him? Maybe not. I often think of the words that are not in the Bible. Just because it is not in there, does not mean He never said it. It only means that it was not recorded. He may have said exactly what happens, when and how. I don't know and no one else does but I do know this. He will make it all good. So you meet a being in Heaven and it was your earthly father yet you never know it. Will it matter? No. There will only be love and it will all be good. My understanding and knowledge is so small yet this much I know is true.

Happy New Year 2012!

2011-12-30T17:51:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow promises to be a very busy day for me. I will start it off early by watering a few hundred poinsettia plants that are very fragile and losing leaves just from looks at them. The day holds many other projects as well, therefore, I might not make it back to this blog to post my well wishes.

I have many hopes for 2012. One of my hopes is that your new year is a very happy one! Peace and love.

Do You Like Games?

2011-12-29T17:59:00.001-06:00

I came up with this game a long time ago but I have found that I still play it. Have you ever found yourself waiting in a car for someone? Like they just had to run into the pharmacy to grab something or run into the grocery store to pick up something really quickly? Or maybe you are waiting on the wrong movie parking lot to meet someone at the movies? (That happened to Shelly and me.) Anyway, you find yourself trying to match a person to a vehicle. Like you see a man walking out and you try to figure out which car he will get in before he gets into one. It is fun to see how well you do. Will that lady be too cool to get into that old worn out truck? Or will that business attired man get into that van? It is fun to play. Try it out sometime if you haven't already.

Yes, I Am in Love!

2011-12-28T11:00:00.000-06:00

I am in love…again. This time I am in love with Siku which means ice sea in Inuit, this five week old polar bear cub.

No, I do not advocate average, ordinary citizens owning wild animals in their homes. In fact, I am adamantly opposed to it. However, there are many species of animals that would not exist any longer on this planet if not for their presence in a zoo setting.

As I have said so many times here, it is my belief that all life is precious not just human life. Can you create a polar bear? Only God can create a polar bear and God must have a good reason for it. Every day I give thanks to God for creating cats so I could love them. I had no room in the inn when little Jacob appeared on the scene but I am so happy that he appeared! Yesterday, my mother expressed the same sentiment. She said “I am glad little Jake came up on your patio.” She knows he is good for me and that I have received hours of joy out of that little scamp.

There are only an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears remaining in the wild. The melting polar ice caps have severely cut into their hunting grounds which are threatening their existence. One of my new year’s resolutions will be to continue to reduce my carbon footprint and use less energy on behalf of Siku and others like him. I want future inhabitants of this planet to know how beautiful polar bears are not how beautiful they once were.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-26T21:12:00.000-06:00

Just getting around to posting this Christmas Eve picture. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

Run, Run Rudolph Before I Chase You

2011-12-23T11:51:00.000-06:00

Probably everyone is well aware that music seems to set the tempo of my life. On most days, I listen to music for hours on end and if not, then, probably at least an hour those other days. I think you know where I am going with this. Christmas music. But before I get to that, there is something I need to get off my chest.

There is a Volkswagen commercial that plays the song “Rocket Man” by Elton John. It shows bunches of people wrecking the words to that song. Can I share with you that this really bothers me? That song is completely beautiful. Always has been. Always will be. Plus, it is not difficult to understand. EJ clearly sings “Burning out his fuse up here alone.” Now, I do admit I am a bit defensive when it comes to EJ because he can do no wrong in my mind. Okay, I vented. ‘Nuff said.

Christmas music. I love most of it. Notice I say ‘most’? There are some songs that grate on my nerves so badly that I cannot listen to them for a single, solitary second. My all time worst Christmas song if it really is a song at all in the strictest sense of the word is “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer”. And again, someone has turned that train wreck into a commercial! Enough already!! Please stop the pain!

Have you ever heard the song “Run, Run Rudolph” by Check Berry. I can listen to Chuck’s version without too much discomfort but it does make me laugh. There is a version by Brian Adams that I cannot listen to because my laughing goes so out of control. He has changed the lyrics just enough to wig me out. You know when Chuck says “run, run, Rudolph whizzing like a shooting star”? Brian changes that to ‘run, run Rudolph whizzing like a rock star”. I can’t quit laughing. The image of Ozzy Osbourne whizzing on the Alamo comes immediately to mind! I know it is crazy nuts but I do not like the idea of Rudolph whizzing. Couldn’t they have said flying?

Just annoying is “Santa Baby” by anyone but most particularly Madonna.

Finally, I love the song “Last Christmas” by George Michael. Admittedly, George has his demons. He needs to deal with those but the man can really sing. I mean ‘really’ sing. I used to see him and his partner, Kenny quite often. Kenny still lives here. George does not. I might add that Kenny is super easy on the eyes too. I do not like to hear “Last Christmas” by anyone other than George most particularly young female country stars.

Am I officially Scrooge now? Probably. I am signing off for now while humming “Run, run Rudolph whizzing all over the place.”

Just Checking in on My Kids!

2011-12-22T11:43:00.000-06:00

Remember my adoptive children? I have been very interested in their continued happiness and welfare. They appear to be enjoying their lives together. That makes me very happy. To say this young man was born with a silver spoon in his mouth is certainly an understatement. Still, it must be extremely difficult to lose one's mother at such a young and critical age and in such a visibley public, tragic and needless way. I want him to smile a lot! I want Katherine to smile a lot! I want a happy life for both of them.

Oh and let's not forget my other son! If he was really my son, I would call him Henry, of course, rather than Harry. William is charming, smooth and princely. Harry makes me smile. I love his easy way of talking and the mischievious twinkle in his eyes. They make a good looking bunch, don't they? I sure know how to adopt children!

Lemonade

2011-12-21T17:41:00.000-06:00

I love lemonade. I think it is my favorite drink next to coffee.

I haven't said anything about my Jakester lately. You know Jake, my moon and stars. In case anyone is wondering, I still love him...lots!

As my mom is aging, I am learning so much about her. I suppose what she used to feel she needed to keep close to the vest, she does not anymore. She just spills the beans so to speak. She had four daughters but apparently she did not want ANY daughters or sons either in the beginning. We are not a prolific people. I see now it must be part of our DNA handed down from someone long in our pasts. We are one. Never reproducing or reproducing once. Then die. That is mostly the story of my family. We are shooting stars without spectators. Sparkle then die leaving nothing behind not even a memory.

Help, I have fallen!

2011-12-20T16:34:00.002-06:00

Something is wrong with me. I can't blog. I am stymied. I have nothing to say. My blog is lonely. It misses me.

Do you pay a lot of attention to the music in a movie? I do. The music in a movie can make it or break it for me. Recently, I saw a movie that I had eagerly been anticipating for months. I so wanted the music to be fabulous but knowing who was composing it had me worried. His other musical scores never impressed me that much. He did not improve his reputation with me this time either. I was so let down by this particular score. There was a scene in this movie that could have been pure movie gold had it had the proper music with it but it didn't. In fact, it had no music at all in the scene! What a disappointment for me. Do you think other people think about silly stuff like this? I mean, obviously, some people do because they are paid to think of stuff like that.

I wonder if I will be able to blog again in the New Year? Maybe. I am not sure. You know these blogs do serve as a good diary if you ever need to go back to joggle your memory about what you were doing at a certain time in a certain year. Maybe that notion will inspire me to blog more frequently and perhaps more interestingly too!

A Celestial Bathroom

2011-12-12T15:15:00.000-06:00

Look at my wee lad trying to sleep in the bathroom on a towel! He was looking for some peace and quiet. My lawn was getting an overhaul at this time causing a lot of loud noises that this little fellow was not used to hearing. He assessed this as being a quiet and private place for him. See how only one of his eyes reflects the light? That is because of the situation he was most likely born with. He can see though! That is what matters. He is my moon and stars. He is full of joie de vivre!

Queen Cynthia of House Grimalkin

2011-12-09T16:54:00.000-06:00

Something awakened me unexpectedly this morning. (Probably a back hoe but that is an entire other story.) The memory of a dream pervaded all of my thoughts. So invasive the dream was that I could not even remember in which direction to stumble off to the bathroom. I stumbled around aimlessly possibly looking like a lost duck in a whirlwind to anyone that could have seen me. Not remembering where the bathroom was, I decided I would feed the cats instead. Oh yeah. Where is the cat food? Where are the cats? Who are the cats?

After finding the bathroom, the cats, the cat food, the coffee pot and the sofa, I decided to think about my dream. I dreamt I was “the” queen, “a” queen or “some” queen. I was one powerful queen too. I had all kinds of supernatural powers that I was inflicting on some of my staff that were not performing according to Hoyle. My staff would see me coming down my stairs and duck in the closest door just to avoid my wrath. (Not sure why I was so grumpy. Probably related to my car incident yesterday but again another story).

My most amazing trait, however, was that I designed my own extensive wardrobe. I was a clothing designer queen. I was off the hook with my mad skills! I had created some modern Elizabethan highly festooned ensembles. I must draw up some of these fading images before I quickly forget them all! You never know when I might need a royal frock, right? Right!

Love At First Sight

2011-12-08T17:01:00.000-06:00

A fiction book I was recently reading asked a compelling question. Do you believe in love at first sight? My first response was “I hardly believe in love at all much less love at first sight!” Then, after I thought about it awhile, I realize I do believe in love on some level. However, love is very complex and often what we think is love is not. At times, we mistake guilt for love. Other times we mistake obligation for love. True love is probably an extremely rare thing. You know what I mean…loving someone/something “just because”, knowing you would never get anything back from them in return. There was nothing in it for you except the opportunity to love them not because of anything they ever could or would give back. It is complicated when you really think about it, isn’t it? The answer to the original question is, no, I definitely do not believe in love at first sight. A funnier question is what difference does it make what I think? It is not like I am the Oracle of Delphi. Blogging is silly sometimes that way. Mostly I do it because it gives me the opportunity to make one of these little pictures.

So What About Nigel?

2011-12-06T13:54:00.000-06:00

The name of this blog is Nigel's Mom. Then, why am I always blogging about the Jakester, Ollie and Henri Laurent with rarely a mention of the Nige?

Honestly, Nigel and I have an odd relationship. I must admit the harsh truth. I do not think Nigel likes me. There, I said it. Believe me, he knows how to yank my chain. He is super smart. He seems to regard me with disdain. He knows Jake and Ollie are extremely smitten with me. I see him looking at them like "You silly saps! You are falling for exactly all of the things she wants you to fall for!"

Henri loves me but not with as much fervor as Ollie and Jake. Those two cannot contain their exuberance when we start to play. Nigel will segregate himself from us, watching us from afar giving us looks of disapproval as if humans and cats should never fraternize.

Nigel resorts to vandalism. I have mentioned here before and provided evidence of his mischief. His latest antic was this. Last night, when I got home, I saw him pilfering my purse. He was looking inside it for something to 'lift'. He found my lanyard and was trying to sneak off with it but I caught him and hastily stuffed it into the bottom of my purse again, then, put away my purse. I did not put it away securely enough though.

This morning, I found my lanyard all chewed up. I should have known he was up to something last night when he got right behind me while I was watching television and proceeded to cough, spit, hack, gag and act like a deisel truck was stuck in his throat. I kept turning around looking at him at which time he would glare right back at me as if he was saying 'Save my life, woman! What is wrong with you? Can't you see I need the heimlich maneuver?" Little did I know it was because he was destroying my property.

He looks sweet but he is acting.

Destroyed property

Design Style

2011-12-05T15:35:00.000-06:00

What is your design style? When it comes to home interiors, I love modern. I like the sleekness, the clean lines, the no frills aspect of modern. The more pared down, the more it appeals to me. I love for window coverings to be as simple as possible. I do not like a luxuriously draped window. Fabric hanging about that can catch dust does not appeal to me. I am similar when it comes to clothing. I do not like ruffles, lace or embellishments. I do not like for my clothing to have a lot of needless fabric. I like for it to be sleek. If I was going to buy another house which I am not sure I ever will again, I would get a mid century modern house. I love the lines of those even if they are a simple ranch design. Even galley kitchens appeal to me. I like straight, clean lines. Someday when I move, I doubt I will buy. I am kind of tired being tied to the money pit. I want to be able to leave something easily when I grow bored with it but all that remains to be seen for the time being. We will see what feels right when the time comes.

These houses in Dallas are the types of houses that I like. However, every city has a large section of 1950's houses because most of our American cities are so young.

Be safe. Be happy!

Jake's Window and Jukebox

2011-12-01T14:28:00.000-06:00

My little boy is growing up. It is time for his neutering. I say that in a soft, low voice as not to scare him. However, he does not know what a neutering is. I dread it however. It frightens me because I know they will have to sedate him. His little body is so small. It just takes a wee amount of medicine to knock one down of that weight. He will not have to be under for long fortunately. The surgery will be done in a matter of minutes almost seconds. Another reason I dread it is because he will be frightened.

I wish little boy could stay little and we did not have to do this but time marches on. Marches? Why do they say time marches? Some people say time rolls like a river. I envision time as a circle spinning around like a vinyl record on one of those old record players. The record has bumps, dings and scratches in its surface. When we come back around, we keep feeling the same bumps and scratches. Those are the times you are reminded of something but you do not know why. Why do I keep thinking of the mall when I was 16 years old? Am I traveling over that area of ‘my record’ again? Only God knows things like that. The Creator of it all. We know nothing and are incapable of understanding, therefore, we must trust. We see through a glass darkly.

Do you ever feel like some doors were just never open for you? Like no matter how hard you tried to accomplish a thing, it was always impossible for you to reach that goal? It just wasn’t playing on your ‘record player’. Like in a dream, you ran, ran, ran never gaining on that thing or you caught it in your hand but it crumbled? I used to have a friend that told me all that kind of talk was codswallop. He said you can do anything you put your mind to doing if you want it badly enough. I said “Really? I want to be a Super Bowl quarterback. What do you say to that? I am going to really put my mind to it too!” That song is definitely not playing on my record player. By the way, I was also lying. I do not really want to be a Super Bowl quarterback.

Unless there is an unseen pothole looming up ahead in the road, “The Neutering Song” is the next tune about to drop down in Jacob’s jukebox.

The Same Old, Same Old only Cooler

2011-11-29T14:47:00.000-06:00

I did not think it ever would but it finally did cool down here. Recently, it has been in the lower 30's at night. That is great! I am an ice queen! I love it to be frosty cold. I have not turned on the heater in the house or car yet. I suppose if it gets down in the 20's, eventually, I may turn on the heater. I do not worry about myself because I know I will never get too cold but I do worry about these fur balls. However, they know what to do when they are cold. Find a comfy, snuggly blanket and pile up in front the television! That way mom won't have anywhere to sit and she might walk by some cat food then spontaneously decide to put some out for a snack. I think Little Jake is acclimating to living in the house quite well. Here he is snuggled up with his best friend, Henri. These two can tear a house down when they set their minds to it.

Cats and Water DO NOT MIX

2011-11-21T15:20:00.000-06:00

The little Jacob although wild and rambunctious is somewhat reserved when it comes to venturing into virgin territory. For weeks, he has been interested in the bathtub. He saw Henry and Olliver jump into it and jump back out seemingly unscathed. Therefore, he recently got his nerve up to jump up to the side of the bathtub and look down into it. He did that for several days surveying the lay of the land after I would exit the bathtub from a bath. He found the remaining water remnants mesmerizing. Cats like to look at water. They like to play in small quantities of water. They do not like to be immersed in water. Come to think of it, cats must be Episcopalians.

After many days of jumping into the tub after my exit then using the slick surface to practice his skating skills, Jacob let down his guard. This morning, he jumped into the tub while it was still at least one quarter full. Surprised is not strong enough of a word to describe its effect on him. Shocked would be a better choice. He flailed, swam, rolled, scrambled then lept from the tub in a split seconds time. It took him at least an hour to dry himself.

Cats and Flies Do Not Mix

2011-11-15T13:38:00.000-06:00

When you have a boatload of cats and a fly gets into the house, bad things happen. Let the evidence speak for itself.

Skanky Bites the Dust

2011-11-14T13:52:00.000-06:00

Remember Old Aunt Windy and Skanky Possum? (Old Mother Westwind Knock Off) Well, if you can, hang on to that thought.

This morning as I was leaving for work, I looked up into my side yard as I was backing out of my drive way and saw a sight that caused my heart to skip a beat. I saw a dead animal in my yard. I feared it was Puff Daddy, a beautiful young feral Ragdoll. The animal I saw was his coloration and all I could see was its back. I slammed on the brakes and drove back into the driveway. I got out of my car, ran to the side yard but as I approached, I could see this.

Is this poor old Skanky? What do you suppose happened to him? He did appear to have a broken tail but no other significant wounds. Do cats kill possums? I have seen them kill squirrels with one swift break of the neck. This is the third dead possum I have found in my yard this year. He is not 'playing possum' either. When I picked him up to dispose of his body, he was stiffer than a board. I know rigor sets in pretty fast. I estimated him to be dead just over night. Poor old skanky thing. Finding these dead animals is just one of the unpleasant tasks of running a 'nature preserve'.

In an Autumnal Haze

2011-11-07T21:38:00.000-06:00

I haven't been blogging much lately. Why not? I guess I have nothing to say. That isn't it. I have plenty to say but nothing I want to say in a public forum. I just have been quietly thinking as I often do.

Dermatologically Challenged Henri

2011-11-02T17:39:00.000-05:00

I have been busy lately with my "movie thing". You can't really take pictures in a movie theatre. Well, you can but it would be frowned upon and you might get tossed out.

In the mean time, little Henri's skin ailment is clearing up. He is allergic to chicken. From now on, only venison for little Henri.

Henri at last vet visit

Little Jake Just Because

Henri Looking Good Yesterday

20 Forthlin Road

2011-10-27T13:12:00.001-05:00

Source

The other night I saw a movie about John Lennon. It was called “Nowhere Boy”. I have been on a Beatle high ever since. I love being on a Beatle high. Don’t you think it is wonderful to have a passion? Like for me, one of mine is The Beatles. I have many passions. But yeah, back to The Beatles, I love ‘em. Can’t get enough of ‘em. I can talk about them for hours. Fortunately for me, I was born into a pack of Beatle lovers so we have lots of people to share our passion. That is a beautiful thing.

A few years ago, we packed our bags and flew off to Liverpool. That is how passionate we are about ‘our boys’. Well, we didn’t exactly fly to Liverpool. We flew to London first, then, took a train trip up to Liverpool. The city’s name, Liverpool, sounds ugly doesn’t it? I expected a disagreeable place. That does not describe the city at all. In fact, it is an attractive seaside city planted amid gentle, green rolling hills. It is a port city with an abundance of shipping and transportation bustle. And did I mention there is magic in the air?

This magic to which I refer is difficult to explain yet it hits you right in the face like a blast from a fired up amplifier. It is not a subtle thing. To see the city, to breathe the air fresh off the sea, to know this is the birthplace of John, Paul, George and Ringo during World War II, there is no denying that something abides called destiny, kismet, fate or whatever you wish to call it. Do you believe in coincidence? I do not.

We took a tour called The Beatle Experience that left from the Liverpool waterfront at the Albert Dock. There we met many others like us of similar passion. There were a few Americans but lots of British, French, and Germans.

I had often read prior to our trip that The Beatles had financially impoverished childhoods. They did not really. George and Ringo had it rougher than John and Paul but none were what I would call living in poverty. As youths, George and Ringo lived in what are called ‘two up, two down’ small flats with their families. Their quarters were cramped but not unfortunate. John at Mendips and Paul at 20 Forthlin Road had larger, more comfortable homes. Both John and Paul went to an architecturally mesmerizing private school and wore “Harry Potteresque” type uniforms.

Probably the most interesting thing that happened to me while on this tour occurred at 20 Forthlin Road, Paul’s childhood home. The house is open for tours. As we were leaving through the front door, a big cat ran up to me from the yard. He ran up to ME. It is a small thing but what are the odds? Out of all of those people, that cat wanted ME. Do you believe in coincidence? I do not. It is a beautiful thing.

With a Little Help from my Friends

2011-10-25T11:15:00.000-05:00

Jacob has his own doll and he likes it. Lately, he has been playing with his doll quite a bit. His doll is Sylvester. Sylvester looks like Jake a little but Jake is cuter, of course. :)

I do not usually get large segments of time to do house work so I play 'catch as catch can' when it comes to house work. However, I always make a point of doing it. It just doesn't get done all at the same time. Okay, last night, I was vacuuming.

I talk a lot to my kitten boys. We have long chats. Anyone with pets understands this. These conversations are often funny. I should record our conversations. Last night, in between jaunts of vacumming, I was telling them how I really would appreciate it if they would help more around the house. I even suggested to Jake that maybe he could get a 'modeling' job since he is so darn beautiful. Of course, Nigel, Ollie, and Henry immediately got jealous so I had to convince them they were model quality too and could in fact go with him when auditioning for commercials and what not. Henry said he could drive as we had been out in the car a lot together lately. He thinks he has the driving thing down.

So what is all of this leading to? This morning as I was walking past the vacuum where I left it last night, someone (Jake) had propped up Sy against it. I am pretty sure Jake told him to 'get to vacuuming' because no way in heck is a 'real cat' going to work but 'mom needs help around here'.

When I walked back past it about 30 minutes later, it looked like this.

I guess Sy passed out from exhaustion already.

Lights, Camera, Action!

2011-10-23T19:09:00.000-05:00

I have mentioned more than a few times that we are avid readers and we have a deep love of movies especially ones based on books. Do you find it immensely intriguing how you can love the same book genre or movie genre as one person yet completely dislike another genre they like? For example, one sister and I have total fascination for one book genre while my other sister rolls her eyes at us when we get to talking in animated tones about them. Yet that same sister and I have the love of another genre between us that we can completely relate to with each other. One of my sisters and I have a big month coming up in November. Every week promises to bring some fun our way with our books and movies. The beauty of it is we can use it to celebrate our birthdays too. I even plan to win a prize!!! The last time we went to one of these big festivals, she and I were the only two people in the ENTIRE theatre who knew the answers to the prize questions. We both have been studying in anticipation of this years prize. Wish us luck!!!

The Me of Now and The She of Then

2011-10-21T18:17:00.000-05:00

I often wish I could go back in time and speak to the girl I was at 16. She of then needed me of now. She of then could have benefited from my years of experience. She had no one to provide insight to her. Sure, she had people who cared about her that offered much pragmatic advice. She did not need pragmatic advice. She was different. Pragmatic advice would never do for her but she did not know that then.

When she was just a girl

She expected the world

But it flew away from her reach so

She ran away in her sleep

And dreamed of paradise every time she closed her eyes.~”Paradise” Coldplay

I dream of visiting her across the years and walking through the front door to find her listening to her music. Would she know who I was? I do not think she would. She would like me. I would love her. She would listen to me attentively. Even she in her wide-eyed innocence would grasp the weight of what I would share with her. She would know that it could save her. She of then wished for me of now but she did not know it was me of now that she was wishing for then.

When she was just a girl

She expected the world

But it flew away from her reach

And the bullets catch in her teeth

Life goes on, it gets so heavy

The wheel breaks the butterfly~ “Paradise” Coldplay

What would the me of now say to the she of then that could save her? What the me of now would have told her is different from what the me of 10 years ago would have said. The me of now would tell her if the me of now could have that it is understandable not to know what to do with your life at 16 because you do not know yourself then. Me of now would tell her that she will still not know herself at 30 or 40 or 50 even. She will never completely ever know herself. No one ever does. It is a mystery that cannot be known in this world but the important thing is to make your life beautiful and never, ever waste a single second on anything less because this could be paradise.

This or That?

2011-10-17T21:32:00.001-05:00

Which do you suppose is more comfy? This?

Or that?

I can barely bring myself to look at him sleeping on that window ledge. Poor little pitiful baby. Can you believe he stayed outside on my patio for 3 weeks before I took him in??? I cannot believe it. I do remember being exremely worried about his precious soul. I had to watch him for a time though to make sure he did not exhibit any bad signs of disease before bringing him in and remember I was getting out of the 'cat business'. Famous last words, right? I never will forget seeing him for the first time out on that patio that Saturday morning when I went out to feed the ferals. It is raining tonight. I am so glad he has a comfy, dry bed!

Repurposing Cat Litter Boxes

2011-10-16T18:04:00.000-05:00

I have a problem with clutter. My kitchen table is too near the front door and I have a tendency to walk in and dump everything on it. It bothers me but I never stop doing it. Okay, the kitchen table is clean now. Nothing is on it except what is supposed to be there.

Second problem, I love magazines. Magazines can get out of control quickly. Yesterday, I looked down at this and had an idea! I like to repurpose. We use lots of this product around here so I needed to figure out a way to repurpose these boxes.

Admittedly, I could have done a much better job but this was sort of my prototype. Next time, and there will be a next time, the end result will be more "professional" shall we say.

I made one of these type boxes we use at the library for magazines except mine is not that faux woodgrain stuff often found in the library archives. I tried to amp mine up a little bit. It is not great but it works. It serves its purpose.

I could have used a brayer to smooth out the sides a little but didn't. I am not so much into details, ya know? I think I am what is called a '30 thousand feet' person. My boss knows this trait about me. He knows I can fix almost any major issue but do not give me the job of looking for 33 cents because it will never get found. I would rather watch paint dry than mess with details. I could never be a cataloguer.

The magazines are organized and maybe Nigel cannot chew on them so easily. I put some of my little quilted cats by it to make it look better. Next time, I will finish out the inside of the box or maybe paint it even. There are lots of options. Try it if you have a problem with clutter like I do (did).

My Little Peach, Henri

2011-10-13T21:43:00.002-05:00

Having mentioned it previously, I never discuss Henri that much...not sure why though. Maybe it is because he is just always so good. You know he had that low self esteem thing going on and all? Odd, I know, for a cat to have low self esteem but I think it stems from him initially starting out in life running with a pack. He has a sweet spirit and is content to linger behind while everyone else gets their needs met before him. Poor Henri. Long story short here. Henri came down with what I call 'gunchy skin disease'.

He is the second cat I have had that has skin allergies. I was never surprised that Max had them. Max was a purebred and often they have issues. Now don't go thinking that I would ever go out and buy a purebred because I wouldn't. Those that need to buy can buy. But it is my mission to 'save' those that otherwise would not know love. Poor little Maxie was a purebred bought by a family that decided that he was 'demon possessed'. You think I kid but I do not. Some people are weird. Anyway due to his playfulness and feistiness, he was abandoned and in comes me to the rescue. I took the little 'demon possessed' creature right into my home without fear or hesitation. You know what? That demon never, ever reared its scarey head around me. All I ever saw was my playful, out of control Maxie. Well, all of that was to say, yes, it was not a surprise that Max had skin issues.

But my Henri is not a purebred. He is a red tabby. They are hardy. Somehow though that boy has always had skin issues and lately they got bunches worse. He and I had to visit the dermatologist multiple times. We have spent major quality time together lately driving hither and yon. We have long discussions during these drives. We talk music and we listen to music. You know what else? Henri knows without doubt that his mom loves him now. He runs to me first when I walk in the door. He no longer lingers back to let the others reach me before him. He runs right up with that eager look in his eyes as if he is saying "See mom? The one you love so much is here to meet you." It fills my heart with joy to see him so happy and confident. Mission accomplished!

Only a Blissful Glimpse

2011-10-11T17:51:00.000-05:00

Have you ever experienced an inkling of bliss? I am sure you know the experience I am talking about. The type of experience that feels like you just caught a glimpse of an angel’s wing or that you just tasted ambrosia. I am describing one of those most rare occasions that happens once or twice in a lucky person’s lifetime when he feels as if his heart might explode in a flood of fragile, indescribable happiness.

It is when you think you could die at that very instant in time as a completely fulfilled person never, ever wishing for anything more than what you have already received. It is an overflowing feeling yet at the same time misty, delicate and mercurial. The more you cling to it, the quicker it vanishes. When the sun rises high, shining bright blinding light on those exquisite raindrops of joy dripping from your heart, the mist evaporates. That level of bliss does not linger. It is a temporal gift. At most, it will last a couple of hours maybe half a day if you are uncommonly fortunate. But when it happens to you, you swear that Heaven’s door just opened and you caught a brief sight of what eternity holds.

Woman With Cat

2011-10-09T22:08:00.000-05:00

Look at this vintage picture of a lady holding her cat while wearing only her slip. It is kind of weird. Well, more than kind of...a whole lot of. That is pretty dangerous behavior, I think. Little Jacob or Nigel would scratch me up. Ollie or Henry would not because they are sweet kittens. Those two rarely extend their claws ever. Not that Nigel and Little Jacob are not sweet. They are. But those two boys are rowdy and unpredictable. When my boys are playing and biting me, if I act like it is hurting a lot by crying 'oh stop it, that so hurts', all of them will bite softer. Then they will look at me as if asking 'There. Is that better?' Sweet kitten boys. I do love them so.

Lost Skills Found

2011-10-04T18:26:00.000-05:00

Jake has more songs of his own than any one cat could ever possibly shake a stick at. His latest is "In Love With a Girl" by Gavin Degraw. Boy loves me for giving him a home and lots and lots of fun toys. No more sleeping on the hard windowsill ever again for the little boy. He loves a tempurpedic bed too. I couldn't find any songs about that though...yet. Plus, I brushed off dusty photoshop.

Done and Done

2011-10-02T21:36:00.000-05:00

The dining room chair reupholstery project is complete!

As Tears Go By

2011-09-30T14:47:00.000-05:00

It invariably rocks the worlds of those that fancy themselves as having slightly artistic bents when boldly confronted by the blazing artistry of someone who truly oozes talent in every waking moment of their existence.

Most people grow to become better people as they travel the course of their lives. That seems to be the purpose of life. I like to think I have done the same. However, some traits about a person never change. Again, I am like others in this way. I have always been feast or famine, sunlight or darkness, black or white, introvert or extrovert. My family members always told me that my extremes of personality create strife in my relationships because those that know me never know which ‘side’ of me they will encounter. One side is neither more pleasant than the other but “the sides” create confusion. If you were accustomed to seeing my light side, suddenly encountering my dark side, you would be confused too. You would wonder what happened. The answer would be nothing. I am fickle like that. Just like a secret door, one side suddenly turns to reveal another totally different side. It happens quickly without warning. This is me. This is my nature. All of that is to say that today, I was introspective.

Today, I really appreciated the lyrics of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards for something that I had never appreciated in this way before. I was in a meeting and something the speaker said made me think of the song “As Tears Go By”. (Insert scenes of earthquake here. That is to say my world rocked.) Jagger and Richards were only 21 years old when they wrote this hauntingly beautiful song.

“My riches can’t buy everything,

I want to hear the children sing.

All I hear is the sound,

Of rain falling on the ground.

I sit and watch

As tears go by.

It is the evening of the day.

I sit and watch the children play.

Doing things I used to do,

They think are new.

I sit and watch

As tears go by.”

Tell me. How does someone know at age 21 what it feels like to know that more life is behind you than in front of you? You want to hear the children sing but you never will again because you are so far from being a child that it is all but forgotten. All you will hear is the sound of tears falling on the ground, tears for your youth. How did they know how the evening of the day would feel at the tender age of 21? That is true genius. It puts me in awe.

With A Little Help From My Friends

2011-09-26T11:36:00.000-05:00

Shelly and I embarked on what we thought was going to be a small reupholstery project. In the beginning, I had pie in the sky aspirations. After about six hours of struggling, I decided to come down from the sky and get dirty in the trenches. We changed the plan.

See, here is what happened...see this filthy dining chair seat? I think we all agree it is time to be reupholstered, correct? This chair seat has two rows of welting and I was firm in my conviction that the new seats would need two rows of welting as well to make it appear 'professional'. You must be thinking we are really sloppy eaters around here. No, this dining room also doubles as a 'cat' hang out or dorm room you might say. Anyone who has experience with cats know they are prone to get hair balls. 'Nuff said.

Okay after three broken needles, much angst, coffee, rethinking, replanning, reorganizing, we ditched the welting plan and went for a clean contemporary look. It looks better anyway. Even this part proved difficult getting these stripes to line up.

I stayed up late last night sewing and ironing these babies.

You do agree that they do look better though, right? What was going to be a few hours project will turn into a week long project. The end result will be worth it though.

Nigel Exploits My Weaknesses

2011-09-24T08:55:00.000-05:00

Have you ever noticed that the very thing you love about a person/thing is often the very thing that causes strife? One of the reasons I love my kittys so much is because they are very smart. They intensely yet casually observe me searching for my weak spots planning to self-servingly exploit those same weak spots later.

Nigel has learned that I have 'a thing' for books. He knows that it gets my attention if he pilfers with a book and many books come through here. He particularly learned this one night when I had borrowed a book from a friend and he started pilfering with it. Every time he would start rattling the pages, I would tell him to stop. After all, I did wish to give it back to her in the same condition she loaned it. Later when I was asleep, he would wake me rattling the pages so I had to get up and put the book somewhere he could not reach. He put 2 + 2 together to establish the fact that if he messed with a book that I would get up. If I got up, I might feed him. He was wrong about that fact but it has not deterred him. He knows I definitely will not feed him if I am asleep and there is still 'hope' that I might when awake.

Pilfering has turned into destruction. I try to keep everything I really value in a safe location away from little teeth. Still, he is resourceful. I was keeping this church bulletin from when I was confirmed. I leave it out now because he has fairly torn it to shreds. I do not wish to give him new fodder to tear to shreds. Go for it Nigel! What he does not know is I have another one. Then, there are the magazines. Usually, those are not extremely important to me except magazines are pricey these days. I would still like for them to be readable when I need them.

See what I mean about the very attribute you love becoming a thorn? It is not a great thorn just a little annoying 'sticker'. I cannot complain too much about it though since I ask for it none the less.

It Is a Red One!

2011-09-22T14:12:00.000-05:00

I have explained here before that I am very fortunate to have made some special friends at my mother's retirement home. Most of the ladies there know that I work fairly late into the evenings. They often ask my mother if she knows if I have made it home safely or not. They are so sweet to be interested that way. Last night, I was visiting and one lady asked me what kind of car I had. I knew the only reason she was interested was because she was attempting to determine if it was a reliable one or not. Just as I was about to answer her, mom piped up and said "It is a red one!" Okaaaay. That settles that then. The only thing is that there is a slight variance between red cars if you have noticed or not.

This kind of red one?

That kind of red one?

He jumps, he dives, he jumps!

2011-09-21T11:00:00.000-05:00

Just in case anyone is wondering, I still love baby.

You came from Heaven shining

Breath of God still fresh on you

The beating heart inside me

Crumbled at this one so new

No matter where, how far you wander

For a thousand years or longer

I will always be there for you

Right here with you

~From "Amazing" by Chris Janz

The Preacher Lady Preaches

2011-09-19T12:01:00.004-05:00

See that lady in the picture? Yeah, that is me. She even has the prayer book out. She is probably studying it so she can preach it at someone. Recently, the editor of my writing told me that I have a tendency to be 'a little bit preachy, rather than a story teller'. Whatever he tells me, I am never insulted. He is always right. I knew he was right this time too. I told him about once a long time ago, I took an aptitude test that indicated the two professions that I had the best suited skills were 1. writer 2. preacher. So the preachiness rears its ugly head in my writing.

This is how it goes folks when you are a closet preacher. I do not overtly preach. I preach in my mind and in my writing. I will give you an example. I know I have mentioned here on this blog before that words can ruin a song for me regardless of how beautiful the tune is. If the words stink, I just cannot go there. There is a new song out by Adele that causes me to go off on a mental preaching tangent when it comes on the radio. It is called "Someone Like You". Often while I am driving in my car, I am preaching up a storm in my mind at poor, Adele. That girl!! Will someone get over to her house and slap her??

This song says:

I heard that you're settled down

That you found a girl and you're married now.
I heard that your dreams came true.
Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you.

Okay so poor old Adele's boyfriend dumped her for someone else and she is beating herself up for it. Stop it, Adele!!! What are you a masochist? Okay, the preaching is really about to begin on the next few lines.

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited

But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.
I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
That for me it isn't over

Gee Adele! Grow a spine, girlfriend! Don't let him see you sweat. Get the heck out of there and go find someone new and NOT 'someone like you'. I mean he did dump you afterall, right? See how my preachiness goes? I get riled up about words. Seriously now, I have been fairly joking to this point but I really do believe that the words you listen to are the words you come to believe and live. Those are no good words and I will not listen to that kind of drivel. That comes on the radio, I switch it. Besides, Adele's voice gets on my nerves. ;) So it is along about here that I push in the Beatles cd. "She loves you. yeah. yeah. yeah". Yep, those are my kind of words!

Multitasking

2011-09-14T12:21:00.000-05:00

I like to wear my hair up because I have a natural body temperature of 180 degrees. Do you believe that about my body temp? Okay, maybe I am exaggerating but it feels like 180 degrees. The best part is that when I take my hair down, I have a new curly hairdo. It is a great multitasker, the updo thing. Anyway, I did not get a pix of my entire head because I would have had to include my face and trust me on this one, you do not want to see my face when I first wake up, okay? It is a scary, scary thing. Cats have been known to head for the hills from the sight of it never to be seen by anyone ever again.

Meet Iron Man!

2011-09-12T11:54:00.000-05:00

Do you like Robert Downey Jr? I love him. I am so happy that he seems to have conquered his demons. I mention R.D. Jr. because we have a new cat in the house, Iron Man.

Jacob Blackandwhite, meet Iron Man. Iron Man, meet Jacob Blackandwhite.

Nigel's first response to Iron Man. He knows that cat is a bad #ss! Made out of solid cast iron! Maybe if he puffs himself up really big, it will frighten Iron Man.

Red, White and Blue

2011-09-10T15:31:00.000-05:00

Today was my day to setup up the alter. We are going to have a red, white and blue alter tomorrow.

Remember When?

2011-09-09T12:25:00.000-05:00

Remember when my Little Jacob was trying to insinuate himself inside my house? He was so sweet then.

Okay, now he has completely insinuated himself. He no longer has to try at anything. He is the chief cook and bottle washer. This is his little bucket that used to fit him perfectly. He still tries to cram himself into it while I am getting ready for work. The purring he does while he is in this bucket is hysterically funny. He can no longer fit his legs in with him but he does not mind.

He is so sweet now.

Little Miss No Name Part Deux

2011-09-08T13:56:00.000-05:00

Unbelievable! This is a real doll and James was right. Her name is Little Miss No Name. I thought he was kidding! I am really glad I never had one of my own.

Apparently, she had a removable tear. Read more here if you are interested:
http://www.dollinfo.com/LMissNo.htm

Little Miss No Name

2011-09-07T14:22:00.001-05:00

My friend, James sets up estate sales. It is a lot of work. He has to go through mountains of belongings, price them, arrange them, you get the idea. Recently during an estate sale, he uncovered this doll.

I do not know what kind of effect she has on you but she scares the bejeepers out of me. I can hardly stand to look at her. He has her locked inside a cabinet. Hope she stays there!

Yes, It's A Beautiful Day To Live On the Edge

2011-09-05T08:45:00.002-05:00

My little blog here is slowly dying. It may have reached the end of its normal life span. At any rate, I used to try to save stuff for separate days but now I will just clump stuff together for a post when I can. Today, is a beautiful day. It is the first day in eons that it is not hotter than a frying pan. I love it! Segue into next section here...

Remember way back when I would post my cats theme songs? We (my household) all have them. I honestly did not have to rack my brain for Jacob's theme. From the first moment I ever saw him, I knew what it was. I have been doing housework to this song for almost 20 years now because it just gets me moving. Jacob moves all of the time and he loves to live on the edge (apparently, close enough to the edge that he falls and breaks a toe.) I had this song on last night while I was vacuuming and sure enough Jake loved it. He was running around like a banshee jumping, climbing, rolling, diving. Plus, the part where it says "Something wrong with our eyes" fits him, except I substitute the words "Something is wrong with his eye" when it gets to that part. Do you like to do your housework to music? I love it. It makes housework fun. Music makes most everything fun.

Jacob's Broken Toe

2011-09-01T10:53:00.000-05:00

Have you ever seen a cat with a broken toe? What does a broken cat toe look like you might be wondering? It looks just like that.

Have I mentioned that Jake is accident prone? Well, he is. I do not know how he broke his toe. I probably do not WANT to know. He did it while I was at work. A couple of weeks ago there was an incident with the cuckoo clock. He was playing with the chains and connected them to an electrical plug. Fire blew out about 10 feet and the plugs and lights on one wall blew out. Fortunately, baby was unharmed. I was terrified because I thought he was probably dead. I have tried to kitty proof everything but obviously I cannot protect him from everything. Needless to say, the cuckoo clock is up in a closet now. I can only do my best but sometimes that is just not enough.

Kitty Aardvark

2011-08-30T13:11:00.000-05:00

Look at this funny little picture I took of JakeBoo. It was all set up to be a cute picture until he shoved my hand. He looks just like an aardvark.

Little Dude Gets An Eye Test

2011-08-29T13:01:00.000-05:00

Okay, here we are this morning at the opthomologist. Little Dude got an eye test. They tested how much tears his eyes make and he was tested for glaucoma too. As it turns out, he has something called symblepharon. There is not anything that can be done about it. Sometimes it eventually covers the entire eye. His may have done all the damage it is going to do at this point. That is what we hope. Look at his sweet little profile in that kitty carrier. Everyone always oohs and ahhs over him because he is just so adorable. His little body is so cuddly, sleek and warm. He came to the right home when he found me. I have been running the home for special needs kittens for years now. Funny how they know that instinctively.

BooBear Takes a Ride

2011-08-24T11:51:00.000-05:00

Boobear made his doctor's visit today. He is all vaccinated up. No more shots for baby. His teeth are all in and looking good. The only thing is his little eye is still unhealthy. So we have more doctor visits in our future to an opthamologist.

One of my big pet peeves is to see someone texting while driving. I realize people think they can do it but they just cannot. Just when I thought I had seen it all, this morning when I was driving with kittybooboo, I saw a guy texting on a motorcycle!!!! I tried to get out of his path as quickly as possible.

Baby Boo Update

2011-08-23T15:58:00.000-05:00

You realize, of course, Baby Boo is not his 'real' name. Baby Boo is what I am calling him lately. Sometimes I call him BooBoo. Sometimes I call him BooBear. He is a tiger full of spit and vinegar always moving like a circle saw. He has teeth like a vampire. He loves to use them too. He chews on anything and everything. Here he is chewing on my glasses. I let him chew those because that felt better than my fingers.

Now I have had lots of cats that have shoe fetishes. You know the kind I am talking about. The ones that like to lie on a pair of shoes you just kicked off. They camp out on them like they are their very own beds. Then, when it comes time to put your shoes back on, you have to tug them out from under whomever that shoe lover is. They act all perturbed like 'how dare you take my bed away, hateful mom!' Well, Little Boo Boo is a first for me. He is a purse lover. It actually makes sense that a cat of mine would be a purse lover. Anyway, he scopes out where my purse is and actually gets in it. I am not sure what he thinks he is doing. I think he hopes to be a stow-away but he may just think of it as his own personal house. Not sure about that yet. I am still 'studying' it. Here he is working to get into my purse even though I thought it was pretty well hidden from him.

Tomorrow, he and I take another vet visit together. I will probably have more pictures and tales (tails?) then. I say probably. I never got back here with those painted fingernails the other day. So we will see.

Classic cars and Nail talk

2011-08-21T22:02:00.000-05:00

Remember these old kind of cars? They were huge like yachts going down the highway.

I have been fixated on 50's stuff lately not sure why though. It is strange how the mind works. I am not sure what to do with my blog. It is boring. I have just been doing photoshop stuff for so long that they are not much to look at anymore. I have so many more things that interest me. Like I am about to go polish my fingernails. I want to have pretty nails for the beginning of the week. I may come back here and surprise you with the color I choose. I think I dusted every item in this house this weekend. I was on a dust hunt. Now that I did all that dusting, I need to concentrate on repairing some damage to my hands. I might come back and post a picture of my nails. I cut them off not long ago. I like them to be shorter.

One Cat At A Time

2011-08-18T22:13:00.000-05:00

Sometimes people ask me why I do it. Last year, I had 17 cats in this neighborhood spayed/neutered. This year, fortunately, the numbers have been way down due to the diligent work of last year. I have only had 3 cats spayed/neutered this year but there will be at least one more, Little BooBoo. He is not old enough yet to have his surgery. He is glad about that too! Obviously, there is a breeding queen out there or Little BooBoo would not have cropped up in the first place. I have no idea who or where his mother is. I have been scouting. Obviously, he had a father as well. I have an idea about who he is and where to find him but he is elusive. I was so hoping to get out of the cat business. I keep telling people that I am getting out of the cat business. I am getting older and will not be able to do this forever. Someday maybe…

Back to the question, why do I do it?

Millions or billions of years ago (a long time) when the world was new and the dust settled and the mists receded something went drastically awry. At least, that is how I see it. See, I just cannot imagine a God that inflicts intentional pain. I just cannot. I have tried to imagine that and I cannot. Why create a perfect world and toss pain into the mixture? Masochistic? Could be but I do not think so. So someone or something broke one of the universal laws of creation and caused the train to leave the track. They drove us into the ditch. Something makes me think it was more than eating a piece of fruit too. However, I am admittedly pretty stupid. I understand saying it was a piece of fruit so I can comprehend that a law was broken by someone. But when Eve caused the wagon to lose a wheel by eating a piece of fruit or whatever she did, she also brought death into the world. Unfortunately, she brought death for everything in the world even to the innocents, even to those sweet creatures beyond sin, those beyond thought or comprehension. I do not know how that makes you feel but it makes me sad. Okay, I can take the sin and I can take the punishment because I am human and Eve was human. As her sister, I am willing to take the punishment with her and suffer pain in this world. But see, this sweet kitten here, Little BooBoo never hurt anyone. He never ate fruit nor did one of his ancestors. He never broke that law that set the universe off course that brought death upon us all. Yet, when I met this little innocent creature, he was suffering. He was thin. He was hungry. His eye was cut and swollen. He was a baby, an infant even and he was all alone in this world. Without analyzing it, I knew I could make one thing right. This world is messed up in so many ways but I could fix it for one creature, one innocent, one sweet soul. I could fix it by showing that animal what compassion from a human is.

So that is why I do it. I cannot fix this world. Oh, I wish I could. There is no telling what kind of mess I could get us into if I had a try at fixing things. However, I can show love to one little being that would otherwise never know any human kindness at all. It is small and insignificant. I will not win any Nobel Prizes for it but that is what I do, take pain away from the world one cat at a time.

It Pays to Laugh

2011-08-09T23:56:00.007-05:00

I couldn't quit laughing at work today. I am known for coining phrases but today, I coined a humdinger. It made everyone laugh. We have a dreaded task on Thursday nights that we each must take turns doing. My phrase was describing that task. I do not think anyone will be able to work on Thursday nights now without laughing.

Vino or Vine Vignette

2011-08-08T22:35:00.000-05:00

It is really difficult for me to work on this computer with a little kitten biting my knee cap. I like making these little double vignettes. These do not really make a pair. A bottle of wine does not exactly go with a flower but I was making stamps out of what I had. Plus another thing little kitten does that makes working on this computer difficult; he walks on the keyboard. He turns off the wifi, turns on all caps, turns off the sound. But I love him, so it doesn't bother me that much and he is just so cute while he is cutting capers.

Turquoise Memories

2011-08-05T22:33:00.001-05:00

I am still having turquoise dreams. It is so Palm Springs. It is so 1950's. It is so Frank Sinatra. I am so drunk with heat exhaustion that I think I am doing word association now. I am just enamoured with the color blue at the moment. It comes and goes. This is not the first time I have been in love with turquoise. I have a jewelry box full of the color to prove it. I have been thinking of my turquoise home improvement project all day. That second little blue dress picture is outlined in white but not sure if that is going to show up on the white background of my blog.

Once I stayed in this old elegant hotel in San Antonio built during the art deco period. The bathroom was done in turquoise and black subway tile. It was beautiful. Do you think they make turquoise cars anymore? They used to...remember those two-toned white and turquoise Chevrolets? I think we may have had one. In the mid 60's they put some awesome color combinations together in fabrics like hot pink and orange, turquoise and lime green.

That is Us

My Style

2011-08-04T17:27:00.002-05:00

Okay, okay, I get really excited talking about this. See, I found this picture of what I had been envisioning for my living room and it uses the color that I have been dreaming about lately...TURQUOISE!!! It is just so great that I can hardly simmer down long enough to write about it. Okay, here is my vision. I am seeing my living room in all black and white with TURQUOISE accents just like this! Plus, I won't have to do that much because I already have so much done in white. Hmmm...what to do about the floor though...save that to think about later. Oh, oh, oh and here is the best part. See that ottoman that I circled in red??? I just LOVE that! This room in this picture from House Beautiful was decorated by Jonathan Aldan. The only other person I have ever seen do an ottoman like that was David Bromstad. I have been wanting one of those ottomans just like that ever since I saw him put one in a room on HGTV. David had his custom made and I am betting Jonathan did too. I have to have one and I want mine to be TURQUOISE just like this. Okay, I am going to go stare at this picture awhile now.

Remember the board book?

2011-08-03T23:24:00.002-05:00

Eighteen million years ago, I began the story of my life board book. I made it all the way up to the 1970's. Then, something happened. I lost steam. My engine blew out. So I put the board book on the back burner.

I have mentioned the 1980's before here. They were odd for me. They were a learning time. I would liken myself at the beginning of the 1980's to a tree that had never been pruned. I was all willy, nilly with branches sprouting here and there having lots of leaves but lacking definition. By the end of the 80's, all the superficiality (or most of it) had been pruned away. I had been pruned right down to the trunk with only a few limbs remaining but with strong roots. I was ready to grow toward the sun. My goals were more honorable. My intentions were better. Long story short, I was a better person. Growing is painful though.

So why not a picture of a tree here? In retrospect, it should have been. But at that time in my life, I was focusing on my innerself, therefore, the eye is an appropriate symbol too. It is all happening on the inside. Plus, that make up on that eye kind of reminds me of something I might have worn then. It is definitely not something I would wear now. Well, at least, on most days. ;)

Me circa 1985

Me Circa 2011

See the difference?

Nigel as a Carousel Figure

2011-08-02T23:37:00.001-05:00

If my Nigel was a carousel figure, he would look like this except with a short tail.

Carousel Nigel

This is one of those fancy lions that I mentioned in my previous post.

Carousel Lion

I wish I could get a picture of my little baby's teeth. You have never seen anything like them. They are SO snaggled right now. His incisor baby teeth have fallen out. He is getting along well with everyone now after he beat up everyone. Baby is an alpha. Here is Nigel chancing an encounter with him.If Nigel looks hacked off, he is. Nigel is not liking the fact that baby has gotten his throw.

Nigel and baby

All the Pretty Little Horses

2011-08-02T07:50:00.000-05:00

I love carousel horses. I cannot resist watching a carousel. I particularly love the non-horse animal figures on carousels with my favorite being the lion. I love to see a regal lion on a carousel. I also love the rabbits. Sometimes there is a mermaid shaped boat. Sometimes there is a swan shaped boat. My fascination with carousels may stem from a book I read long ago about riding a carousel called "Something Wicked This Way Comes". Depending on which way it was going, you got younger or older. Intriguing idea, isn't it? Today, I would get on that carousel and ride it backwards stopping at about 1963. I wouldn't want to stay there forever, just for a little while. If you could ride a carousel to anywhere in time, where would you stop for awhile?

I made everything on these Photoshop creations with brushes. I am really loving the brushes these days. I can scan almost anything and make a brush out of it. I have so much fun with Photoshop that I have been thinking about getting a Wacom tablet.

Which Way?

2011-07-31T12:53:00.001-05:00

While it has been so ridiculously hot, I have been entertaining myself with photoshop. One day next week, it is supposed to get as hot as 111 degrees Farenheit. That is hotter than Las Vegas and one reason I have never wanted to live in Las Vegas is because of the heat. Las Vegas is in the desert. Supposedly, we are NOT in the desert. However, it feels like the desert, looks like the desert...must be the desert.

In the aqua colored piece, I am typically wishing for rain and cooler weather while pondering what would be the ideal location to live. In the blue piece, I was trying to get myself out from under the fan to go sew an apron. I never made it. I am not sure how well these pieces here will go over when I try to give one of them as a gift rather than a thoughtfully sewn handmade apron.

WhichWay to Move

I Should Sew

It Was an Eerie Night

2011-07-29T18:24:00.000-05:00

Eerie Night

Just a little something I made focusing on one of my many obsessions, the moon. I love the moon. I could live on the moon just as long as they have cats there.

Our First Doctor Visit

2011-07-26T22:45:00.000-05:00

It is official. Little Baby went to the vet today and got his clean bill of health. He does have one problem which I have known about since his first appearance here and it has worried me. He has a bad eye. I feared he might have a bacterial or viral infection in it which can happen with newborn kittens transferred from mom to baby during birth. However, he did not have that. That is a good thing. Those are difficult to cure or put into remission. Instead, he has a very bad scratch on his eye. We are doing all we can to save his little eye. If it does not improve soon with his regular vet's recommendations, I will take him to a vet opthamologist. They have vets of all kinds and we have been to most of them at some time or another. Only a few hundred miles away is an exceptional veterinary university. There is nothing quite like bonding on a few hundred mile drive with your cat unless it is taking one on board an airplane. Did you know that you can take your pet with you on board an airplane in the cabin as long as there are no more than two other people trying to do the same thing? It can get quite exciting! Not to mention loud. I am not planning any plane trips with little baby anytime soon. However a nice long, hot road trip might be in our near future. We are both hoping that eye heals quickly!

Baby at Vet's Office

It's A Supernatural Delight

2011-07-26T08:14:00.000-05:00

"Dancing in the moonlight. Everybody's feeling warm and bright."
Underline warm. I love that song. It is very happy.

Fat Feet

2011-07-24T23:12:00.000-05:00

I have short fat feet. My feet are not pretty like some people who have elegant feet. However, this much is certain. I really love to paint my toenails. I have a 'thing' for nail polish. Lately, I have been searching for the perfect turquoise polish. You know the shade I am trying to find. The shade of turquoise of those kitchen appliances in the 50's. That perfect shade of turquoise of those powder coated candy bouncer lawn chairs of the 50's. Do you become obsessed about finding items like that? Suddenly, I decide I 'MUST' have turquoise toenails then try to move heaven and earth to find it. Next week, it will be something else. But anyway, I have found something else I like. It is called shatter polish in OPI and crackle in China Glaze. It is really cool. You paint it over the top of your base color. It shatters. This is how turquoise shatter looks on my fat little short toes. I should have painted the base coat silver instead of hot pink but it will do. It sort of creates a zebra type effect.

Feeling Exposed in a Happy Way

2011-07-21T23:22:00.000-05:00

"Ahem..." she says as she steps up to the microphone about to make an annoucement to the entire world. Blogging is funny. I can easily write about almost anything in blogs except my vulnerabilities. Exposition does not come easily to me. I make these little art things that show up here because well...that is what 'they' teach you to do. If you have an artistic bent (notice I did not say necessarily an artistic talent), often to find your muse,'they' say switch gears. If you are a writer, paint a picture. If you are a painter, write a story. Yes, that is what 'they' teach you to do to find yourself. If you are a writer, 'they' tell you to change your style by writing on a paper bag. Write on a piece of adding machine tape. You will alter your style to fit the paper. 'They' tell you a lot of things like that. Okay, here is where things get vulnerable. Writing is like, well, majorly important to me. Okay, do not judge my writing by what I write here. I do know how to spell, place punctuation, use the correct tenses of verbs, write in the active voice, draw an action picture with words but admittedly, I do not put it here for several reasons. Here I do not put my blood, sweat and tears.

This week and the next few weeks, I am taking an alternate road. Some of my writing is being submitted to a professional editor for criticism. Ooh, it hurts. Ouch!! It is like walking into a party wearing only your underwear and everyone is examining you with magnifying glasses!!! It is scary. It is like getting a tooth pulled not that I have ever had a tooth pulled except baby teeth. I have had teeth surgically removed. That did not hurt while it was being done because I was asleep but afterwards it hurt like heck. Okay, maybe it kind of hurts like that now. One good thing that has come out of this editing stint so far is that I have learned that I have 'a style'. That is a good thing. People want style, right? Whatever I learn from it is all good. It helps me to grow and that is what I want to do. I will keep you informed of my 'growth' now that I have exposed my true passion that I never share here. If I have kept you interested enough to read to the bottom of this, I have used just enough of my writing skills. Writing makes me happy. Can you tell? Later gators!

Still Thinking of Winter or Something

2011-07-19T22:32:00.000-05:00

I realize this one may seem morbid but I placed some green ivy in it suggesting the circle of life, right? Winter comes but Spring always follows. Winter? Sounds good, doesn't it?

Life on the Sun

2011-07-18T22:34:00.000-05:00

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, summer is my least favorite season. I try to focus on the good aspects of it. Not worrying about icey streets. Not having to keep up with a sweater. And what was that other thing? I can't remember. Summer here in Texas is like winter in North Dakota. However, I know just like all time,this summer time will pass all too quickly. I cannot afford to spend any of my time wishing it was some other time. No, I have to enjoy all of the days regardless of how hot they are.

Vintage Blue and Green Star

2011-07-13T23:46:00.000-05:00

I was playing around in PSE not intending to make anything really and just mindlessly started putting odds and ends together. Look what happened? Mindlessly, I selected blue. Mindlessly, I selected green. Blue and green my favorite colors! I have to tell you another combination I love is blue and purple. I have some vintage jewelry with dark blue and dark purple stones. I just love it. I have noticed that I often put blue and purple together for backgrounds in PSE.

Old Mother Westwind's Uncle Billy Possum Knock Off

2011-07-10T23:08:00.000-05:00

Do you remember those Old Mother Westwind stories? I loved them as a kid. I still love them! I am kind of like an old mother westwind myself.. in a way... in a sense... if you think of me with your eyes squinted and maybe have had one or two drinks.

First, I have the 'old' thing down pat. I can claim that for my own without any qualms or hesitation. Check that one off.

Secondly, I am not a mother but I am an aunt. Okay, I will use that. Check that one off too.

As far as the wind is concerned, I used to work with an old, cantankerous man that insisted on calling me "Wendy" not "Cindy". Almost daily he would say "Wendy, I need to ask you something." and I would correct him with "Cindy" and he would always retort "Whatever". Okay, so I will go with Wendy or rather Windy.

Okay, that is my name, "Old Aunt Windy". And here is the character, Skanky Possum.

Skanky Possum

I realize the quality of the picture is very poor but it is amazing that I got a picture at all considering that it was dark and I only had my phone with me. I lightened it up using PSE.

It is one thing to feed cats but look, I am not going to start feeding every possum in the neighborhood. The profound thing that I was unable to capture in this picture is that Shoog, Petrie, Bella and Bodie were all just huddled up to the side in a tightly knitted pack staring at this skanky possum while he ate up all of their food. If I had yelled 'boo', they would have all jumped 6 feet off of the ground. I did manage to run off the possum unlike some times when they choose to sull and play dead. I know how to beat them at their own tricks though. When one of the possums chooses to use that sulling tactic, I just pick up all of the cat food and go back in the house. When they realize all of the food is gone, they suddenly awake from the "dead" and go back to the trees. And that my friends concludes this episode of possum hunting in the city.

Fireworks All Around

2011-07-08T23:09:00.000-05:00

I don't like to rant. I don't like to espouse my unsolicited opinions. But sometimes situations really get my goat! (By the way, why do I always use animal euphemisms?) How do people get on television as 'experts' in their field? Are any qualifications required? Must they submit a resume? Are their credentials verified?

I am referring to a program that I was casually listening to earlier as I was working on something else that required more of my attention. These 'legal experts' were bantering around the topic of presumption of innocence. One of these 'experts' that I had already and quickly developed a dislike for said "This is America! In America, we are innocent until proven guilty! This is NOT England where you are guilty until proven innocent!" Uh oh. I immediately looked up at the television so I could glare at this woman who made this statement and I could forever identify her in my mind as someone that knows NOT what she is talking about. And I hate to say it but I was angry. I was angry that a person can get on television and spout untruths. Someone that might not know any better might have heard her say that and made the mistake of thinking that in England people are guilty until proven innocent. England has a much older civilization than we have here and most of these ideas that we have adopted along the way such as 'presumption of innocence' came from them. Anyway, I just had to get that out of my system. I just wish that before making a statement especially when many people are watching that people would research their subjects more thoroughly. (Like who was Paul Revere?) As I asked in the beginning, are NO credentials required in any field these days? Okay, rant over. 'Nuff said.

Full of Spit and Vinegar

2011-07-08T11:05:00.000-05:00

Please watch my little Petrie. He is feeling gooooood.

In the Heart of the Milky Way with Petrie

2011-07-06T22:44:00.000-05:00

I have been busy lately because well...uh...yeah...a new baby has arrived in the backyard animal sanctuary. I do not know where he came from but methinks Shoog had something to do with him. I honestly think Shoog might have 'catnapped' him. Anyway, Petrie is very small but just as cute as a button and wild as a deer. So far, I have gotten many hours of entertainment out of him. He was scraggeldy and thin when he first appeared but he is looking fine now. I got him some kitten food and his own fresh watering station. All of these things are very important for the little ones. Their little systems are fragile. I am going to help him grow up into a big, strong boy. I see him outside climbing a tall tree right now. More about Petrie later though...

I love the stars. I love the moon. I love the Earth. I guess you could say that I love all of creation. I am not that crazy about snakes but hey, they even have their place...as long as they stay in their place, I am cool with them. I was just thinking about the Milky Way tonight so I created this little piece as if it is in the heart of the Milky Way.

Happy July 4 and other things

2011-07-04T13:42:00.000-05:00

I had to change the background of my blog as I found the pink too busy. I liked it for awhile but it got old very quickly. I would not describe myself as pink person. I would describe myself as a blue-green person or earthy colored person. I am more of a forest creature with a pulse on nature.

It is the 4th day of July yet my mind wanders to royalty. Perhaps that is natural. It is the day we achieved our Independence after all. I love my country. I love my ancestral country too. I have NO idea why I find such a fascination with British history yet there is no denying that I do. It is part of my DNA. I believe there are many aspects of ourselves that we have no control over because they are part of our DNA so to speak. For example, I hate eggs. I loathe eggs. Often depending on how my stomach is feeling, I cannot stand the smell of eggs. I must remove myself from an 'egg' situation. I learned by speaking to a friend of my father's family that this was a familial trait. I had no idea that is where this loathing of eggs originated. I mean I so badly hate eggs that I will often not eat a cake if I 'see' someone put an egg in it. That ruins it for me. Any good cake is going to have an egg or two or three. I can eat it if I am certain of the quality of those eggs but if there is any doubt, no, I cannot go there. So long story short, perhaps this fascination with all things British is another factor of my ancestry. I do know it is not anything I picked up from my mom. My mom had many interests while she was young but British history and British literature was not part of them.

Another reason I believe that I may have a fascination with royalty is that I can confine it in a picture and I have trouble envisioning large concepts. One such concept that I continually grapple with trying to get my hands around is the passage of time. Time is so very fleeting. We are here one moment, gone the next. Is this really life? Is life something that lasts a brief second in the vastness of all time? These royals were as big as life can get during their brief moment on planet Earth yet they are gone. They are dust. The sadness of life is that my beautiful Kate and Will are youthful now but tomorrow, their young lives will be past them. Such is the nature of life as I know it. That is with what I am continually reckoning. I will not reckon long though because in seconds it seems, it will all be over. I will be a memory for a short time, forgotten completely for a very long time. Is that life? I am not smart enough to know.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

The Duke and Duchess of York and baby Lilibet

My Adoptive Children

2011-06-30T18:47:00.000-05:00

Do you want to know something particularly funny? I sort of think of these two as 'my kids'. I am very protective of them in my mind's eye. As in always being interested in their welfare and searching for signs of continued happiness. I want them to be happy...forever...just like I would my own kids. This may seem odd yet I am betting I am not the only woman out there that feels this way. Catherine is particularly lovely in blue.

Gecko Bath Salts

2011-06-28T23:44:00.000-05:00

You know how they say things happen in 'threes'? Oh, dear. I am worried already. Remember how I said I always keep the bathroom door closed? That also includes when I am in there. Okay, where to begin? The beginning, I suppose.

Often when it is stifling hot as it is, I take a bath in the evening to cool myself down some. Tonight, I did just that. After returning home late tonight from visiting my mom, I went in and drew up a nice, cool bath. I was in there relaxing and enjoying the cool water applying some body scrubs, putting a mask on my face. The bathroom door was almost closed but not quite. The catch was not completely in the lock. A slight push would have flung it wide. As I said, I was relaxing, enjoying the coolness when suddenly I hear some cat(s) barreling down the hallway like a run-a-way train. With a major shove, the door flies open and in tears Ollie as if he was running to a fire! He had something in his mouth. Oh no, on closer inspection I see he has caught one of those geckos!! He runs up to the bath tub and throws it in on me as if he is attempting to drown it! His plan must have worked because it was just lying there in the water lifeless and floating upside down. Ollie with his front paws up on the edge of the tub stared at me as if he was saying "Close call but fast thinking was the answer." Needless to say, my relaxing bath was over. Let's hope things do not really happen in 'threes'. I say that is just an old wives tale.

Ollie Wants a Toothbrush

2011-06-28T08:39:00.000-05:00

Usually I keep my bathroom door shut all of the time because there are too many tempting baubles in there for little curious paws to confiscate. For example, I had a beautiful, plush make up brush that was almost brand new only having used it a few times. Once, I forgot to close the bathroom door and went off to work. I came home to find my beautiful make up brush all spit covered and extremely dirty with lots of hair torn out of it. I washed it and still use it but not for its original, intended purpose.

The other day, I came out of the bathroom and left the door open...again. I was planning on going back in there shortly so I thought it might be safe to leave the door open for a short time. Wrong! In no time at all, I heard 'goings on' in there...little, tinkling sounds, moving, scraping...something falling. I had left a pair of earrings in there that I am particularly fond of so I immediately went to check on them thinking I would probably find them missing perhaps permanently. When I arrived into the bathroom, my earrings were right where I had left them. Good. But what was that noise I had heard? What was missing? I saw my toothbrush laying on the base of the toilet. Ooogey!!! No way was I going to use that again. Fortunately, I always keep a spare. (Note to self: buy another spare toothbrush.)

There have been times when the vet has told me that I needed to brush my cats teeth. I have tried and well, to say it is not an easy thing is a bit of an under statement. I suppose there is hope they can brush their own teeth now.Apparently, there is at least an interest in the possibility.

Fool on the Hill

2011-06-26T23:12:00.000-05:00

This reminds me of the Beatle song, "Fool on the Hill". That song has an odd lyric in it that I have always wondered about. "And nobody seems to like him. They can tell what he wants to do." What did he want to do?

Nowhere Woman

2011-06-26T07:21:00.000-05:00

Maybe I can do better with my posts this week than I did last week. Folks, I am telling you that Summer + Me = Complete Lethargy. I just do not do well with it. Summer just began though so I have a good three months of this ahead of me and more than that, really. Along about mid-October, it will begin to feel cooler again. Someday (two years and 4 days), I will no longer have to post this type complaint because I will be someplace cooler. Yippee!

Don't you wish some decisions were as easy as the one depicted here? A directional sign pointing to the obvious choice?

A Man and his little Hippo

2011-06-19T19:52:00.001-05:00

It is Father's Day. Maybe that is why the last dream I had before I awoke this morning was of my dad. My dad is no longer of this life. He has been gone from it for 10 years now. He is in another life now one I cannot begin to comprehend.

My dad speaks to me a lot via dreams. At least, that is what I believe. In this dream I had this morning, I was sitting all alone in a big stadium. I was up high in the stands. I could have been sitting in the front row after all, all of the other seats were empty. But no, for some reason I preferred the midway up the stadium seats. I knew a rodeo had just ended at this stadium. I do not think I was at the rodeo. I had no memory of it yet I knew a rodeo had just concluded. Then, I see a man coming out one of the gates ambling along in a manner slowly. He was leading a baby hippo. They slowly walked to the middle of the arena and the man lead his little hippo around in some circles and was speaking to it in a kind and soft way. I realized the man was my dad and this hippo was his new pet. I tried to call to him. "Daddy, hey, I am up here!!" He did not look up. I yelled louder. "Hey, daddy, did you get a hippo???" He did not respond. Suddenly, I hear a voice over the public announcement speaker. It is the voice of my mom. My mom says "Cindy, he cannot hear you where he is." I can't see her but I talk back to her "Yes, he can mom. He hears me. Look, he is looking at me." and he was. Again, I call down to him "Daddy, did you get a hippo?" and he said "Yes, he is my new pet." I call down, "Ah...I love him!! Daddy, I always knew you loved animals just like me." then, he called up to me "I named him Trap." Then, in the dream, I thought to myself "There is just nothing cuter than a man and his pet baby hippo."

A New, Fun Game...for Me

2011-06-19T07:10:00.000-05:00

Long after refrigerator poetry has gone the way of many trends, I discover it! I am having so much fun with it, thanks to Linda. What do you think of it? The words are unpredictable. You get what you get and make what you can. I made the PS piece to put it on. Bathing is the only way I can stay somewhat cool this day.

Listen Up Sports Fans!

2011-06-16T22:48:00.000-05:00

Around here, we are sports fans. Long ago, some kind of professional sporting event could hardly garner any of my attention. I had bigger fish to fry as they say. Who are they anyway? You know, those that say 'bigger fish to fry'? I digress. Who are 'they' is neither here nor there, back to the subject at hand, sports.

My history with sports began back in the glacial age. I was only a toddler when the woolly mammoth still roamed the earth. That is probably why to this day, I have issues with 'heat'. It is a difficult transition tolerating the 100 degree weather that I live in today having been born in an igloo during subzero temperatures. Most likely my love for felines came from having a pet Sabre-tooth tiger as a small child. Again, I digress. The point of all of this background information is that I am old. K? I just do not want anyone to laugh at this ancient picture of one of my early favorite sports teams.

Ancient Texas Rangers

This picture was taken back when they threw a boulder instead of a ball. As you can see though, they are posing for pictures.

The next type sport that I developed an interest in was football. I 'had' to develop an interest in football. It was either that or be an outcast in my family. Back in the days when my family was young, they all "lived and breathed" football. Pretty much, they still do. The biggest fan passed away last year though so now when the subject of football comes up, as it often does, a long shadow falls. Even so I have very happy memories of being at the game where Emmitt Smith became the Cowboys leading all time rusher and it wasn't just because it was my birthday. I do love that team..not so crazy about the owner though. I wish I had a picture to insert here but I do not. Next year, right?

Almost simultaneously I developed a passion for hockey and basketball. I love these games!! I love the speed with which they are played. You cannot take your eyes off of the ice while watching hockey or you might get hit by a puck. It can be dangerous for the fans as well as the players.

Maybe because they play in the same venue but I also developed a passion for basketball which is another fast game. Seeing the professionals play whether it is football, hockey, basketball or baseball is awesome. It is a thrill and I love it.

All this to say, my basketball team is pretty awesome and I am very proud of them. Go Mavs!

My sister and niece at Mavs parade

Dirk and Kidd at Convention Center

Do Cats Dream of Elephants? Yes.

2011-06-14T23:38:00.000-05:00

Look at this cat. It appears he fell asleep while reading the paper and having a cup of tea. He removed his spectacles then quietly drifted off to lala land. Appearing on his dream horizon is a camoflauge elephant made from... yes, another PS brush. By the way, it is still very hot here. Expect more brushes.

Twilight in Paris

2011-06-12T20:01:00.000-05:00

It is no secret that summer is my least favorite season. So when things begin to heat up and grass begins to turn brown, I begin to dream of cooler climates. I begin to dream and make some more brushes. I made one of the Eiffel Tower.