After Christmas

Annie got into the mints again this year.

 We had a great Christmas this year. Like last year, we didn't travel, but unlike last year, we actually celebrated with some family. We spent Christmas Eve with Ward's family and Christmas Day with my family. On Christmas Eve, the weather was warm (50s) and sunny, so we were able to sit out on our porch and visit. Then, we moved inside for the meal and had a sit-down, family-style dinner. All except Theo that is. He was not comfortable removing his mask around his grandfather, so he chose to eat separately. 

The gloomy clouds never cleared as forecast on Christmas Day, so we stayed inside. Both days were low-key, and it was fun to visit with family again. Someday, we'll be able to have the entire family together, but we'll take what we can get at this point. 

Wally was also visiting for a few days and said he wanted to walk around the yard with me. We did this more often at our old house when I was doing my Second Looks. I was surprised that I still found some color amongst the grays and browns of winter. I've shared pictures below.

Wally has now gone home, and we're all back to work, but we are still enjoying the Christmas decorations and the good feelings that come with the season. We are trying hard not to look too far into the new year when so many things will need our attention. For now, "The present is the present."

Until next time...

Camellia 

Phlox

Spirea

Anemone 

Mums

Nandina berries

Pansies

Turnips

The Holiday Season

The cats are happy living in the moment.

The Holiday Season is in full swing now with Christmas being less than two weeks away. The house is decorated both inside and out. The gifts, while not completed, are under control. The COVID complicated holiday plans are starting to fall into place. All good stuff.

Then why do I feel melancholy? After reflection, I think it is because the holidays remind me of what will be no more. It reminds me of those who came before me who now only exist in my memories. Generally, as I reflect each year on where our decorations came from, I am happy as I remember the stories behind them. But this year, it was different. It seemed like I was living too much in the past and it was time for something new. It's a fine line to walk between memories, tradition, and today. As I try to sort this out, I think about a quote I read once, "It's okay to look into the past and the future, but just don't stare."

So what am I going to do about this? Nothing except pay attention to today because, "The present is the present."

Until next time...

Thankful Sunday--December 17, 2017

I am thankful for a hungry kitty.

Our cat, Lucky, is 17 1/2 years old. Quite a respectable age for a cat. In fact, that's the oldest we've ever had a cat live. However, he is starting to have various problems as he ages. The most serious one was that recently he decided to stop eating altogether.

However, with a new medicine and change in food, he is interested in food again. Hurray! And here's how I know Lucky is really feeling better. About a week and a half into the new medicine, he started to fight me when I gave it to him. Before, there was only the slightest of protest. I have a new set of scratches, but that's okay because our old Lucky is going to be with us a little while longer.

So for a hungry kitty, I am thankful.

C is for Cats

C is for Cats

If you visit here very often, you know that cats are a big part of our family. Currently we have three, Lucky, Annie, and Leo. However, here's a story about another one, Samantha, our very first cat.

Samantha as an older kitten

For my birthday one year my husband, Ward, got me a very special present--a kitten. This was a huge gesture coming from a person who said he didn't like cats. We got the kitten from a "Free to good home" ad in the newspaper and for no particular reason, we named her Samantha. (Okay, maybe I had just watched an episode of Bewitched.)

By the time we got her to her new home, it was now late in the evening and time for bed. We decided it would be best to shut Samantha in the laundry room that night with everything she needed because we weren't sure how well she could be trusted on her own. There wasn't a door, so we blocked her in with a piece of plywood. We thought there was no way that the tiny kitten (6 weeks old at the most) could get over this makeshift door.

However, we were wrong. Soon after we had gotten to sleep, I was rudely awakened by a piercing pain in my leg. Samantha with her sharp, little claws had just jumped onto the bed and was scrambling to gain her balance. The little kitten, who had looked so helpless, had some how managed to escape the laundry room.

We had decided that we didn't want her sleeping with us, so I put her back in the hallway and shut the door. Soon I heard a thump and a rattle. When I got up to investigate, Samantha darted into the room. Trying not to wake a sleeping Ward, I took her out into the living room to try to calm her. I petted her for a while and then she wandered off. I heard a loud mew and then I watched as Samantha backed down the hallway, took a running leap and tried to get her paws around doorknob of the door to our bedroom. It looked as if Samantha was actually trying to open the door with her paws.

I put her back in the laundry room with every comfort imaginable and went back to bed hoping to salvage what was left of the night. So as you can probably guess, soon, the thud, rattle, rattle, started again. But I was determined to win. I didn't want to start the habit of sleeping with a cat, so I laid there for the next two hours listening to her intermittent attempts to join us. Bleary eyed, I finally gave in.  I opened the door and she trotted right in, jumped up on the bed, and snuggled in. However, as soon as, we adjusted around her, she jumped down and didn't come back the rest of the night. She had made sure that I knew who had won the battle of wills, so her work was done. (After that, she only tried to sleep with us on very cold nights.)

Samantha was with us for the next 14 years showing us many times that she was one smart and determined cat. We have had five more cats since then but none of them have ever been as smart as our first cat, Samantha.