Vivianne

It has been a bit over 3 months since we lost our Parker.  There are days when it seems like yesterday but overall we are doing OK.  Part of the reason we're surviving is Vivianne; "Cat" as Marty calls her now.  She has helped in ways we never expected.

Parker was here first so he ruled.  They learned to tolerate each other and I believe had a special bond as Parker began to fail.  Vivianne was never far from his side. I think she knew what was coming.  We believe she missed him too.  It was very obvious that she was looking for him those first couple of weeks.

Vivianne has blossomed since she became the Queen of her home.  She talks to us a lot, she's much more playful and her antics helped us laugh, if only for a moment, during those first dark days.  Obviously she has become the center of our world and she knows it.  Don't get me wrong, she can still be as ornery and as solitary as she was before Parker's passing but her personality has definitely changed for the better.

I never thought I'd see Marty 'love' a cat but it's happened and it's been good a good thing for both of them.  He plays with her, talks to her, pets her and pesters her.  They too have developed a special bond.  It's different than the one she and I have.  I hold her (just for a minute) and hug her, brush her, talk to her, let her jump up on my desk (like right now) so she can walk around and see what my fingers are doing.  She sits on my lap when she wants to and occasionally when I want her there!  She's my girl :)

The three of us have weathered a tragedy and survived.  We are starting to come out of the dark.  It's been a rough road and I'm thankful I had Marty and Vivianne to travel that road with me.  We are still family, it's just a slightly different configuration now.

It's that season

Time to get humidifiers ready; cleaned out (just in case you didn't do it before you put it away) filters changed, positioned in the room, filled with water and turned on.  I LOVE my wood burning furnace!  Not always crazy about throwing in wood when it's 10 below, but in my opinion, no warmer heat can be found.  Unfortunately, it also really dries out the air.  Every thing I touch shocks me, even the loving lips of my sweet husband Marty!  He says he never feels it but I sure do, OUCH!   My fat pants stick to my legs, static makes my hair flatter than normal and my already dry skin begins to flake all over everything.  I'm sure I help keep Bath & Body works in business. I love the soft lingering fragrance of Warm Vanilla Sugar or  Sandalwood Rose or Japanese Cherry Blossom body lotion.  Those subtle smells are good aroma therapy for me in the middle of a hectic day.

I fill this old Wagner cast iron tea kettle and enjoy the nice curl of steam, the slowly simmering water pushes out the spout into the kitchen.  When I know I'll have a few minutes to enjoy it, I put a flavored tea bag in the pot.  That curl of steam does double duty then, adds a sweet aroma to the air along with the much needed moisture.
Can't over come winter and it's dry air, so I may as well enjoy it, however I can.

A Grand Night for Singing

My mom and I are in Pittsburgh for our annual mother - daughter weekend.  We're late this year, normally we try to do something when the weather is still nice.  SNOWING in Pgh this  morning!!
We went to the CLO Cabaret Theater to see A Grand Night of Singing -it was a wonderful show.  We had a front row table!  We went out for a nice dinner before the show.  We played a good game of Scrabble before we turned in for the night....my mom kicked my butt :(
During the night I could feel the temperature dropping in our room.  Got up several times to elevate the thermostat without any warmer results.  Maintenance man just came in to say, "your computer board is fried, no heat for you this morning"---- Wonderful news on this snowy morning :)
Memories from another time....almost like being a kid again.  We had very minimal heat upstairs; we'd run downstairs on cold mornings, stand over the big floor register in the kitchen, letting the heat fill our flannel nightgowns as we waited our turn in the bathroom.  Catch another blast of heat, run back upstairs, get dressed under the covers and head off to school.   It was always a circus on school mornings, 7 girls, 4 boys in our blended family.
Planning to have lunch with my niece who lives here and then head home.  If the snow keeps coming down, we might have to share the road with some 'snow crazed' drivers and that could be scary, so we'll head home early!

Last night I did

Run the vacuum throughout the house
Bake the birthday cake
Arrange and set the table
Remove the Cool Whip from the freezer
Cut up celery and onions for the stuffing
Figure out something to wear
Find some colored plastic glasses that look nice on the table
Leave work before midnight
Cook the turkey giblets
Thank my husband for all his help
Get to sleep longer than I thought I would
Remind myself that I am very blessed
Thank my Lord and Saviour for the gifts He has given to me

Why can't I

Manage my time better
Get more done
Not wait till the last minute to finish something I've known about for months
Lose weight
Stay focused on one task at a time
Figure out how to extend 24 hours
Get up and go to church every Sunday
Win the lottery
Find a purse that I really, really like
Remember what this sticky note means
Find pants, bras, underwear that fit
Get a good nights sleep every night
Eat more healthy things
Resist that Peanut Butter Cookie from Tim Horton's
Remember where I left my "fill in the blank"
Keep in touch with my family & friends
Write on my blog more often
Post to Facebook more often
Be rich instead of dependable
Ride my bike back and forth to work
Make time to read the Bible every day
Write letters instead of emails
Learn to use the word NO effectively
Keep up with my online accounting class
Find the bottom of my sewing/mending basket

Marty's tabletop

My very talented husband finished the table top for his bar in the Steelers room. It looks great! It was a tedious process; it took him about a month overall. Sanding, base coat, placing and attaching decals, first coat (not perfect in his mind) second coat, cleaning up edges and reattaching to base. We haven't cleaned the top yet (sanding dust, etc) he wants to be sure it's very dry and the glaze is set. I can't wait till we can sit there to eat and watch the game.
He is so meticulous about things, which, overall, is good, but for projects like this, that trait causes him pain and agony.  This doesn't look right, that doesn't look right, the corner isn't square, the logo is crooked and on and on. Some of the things he points out are valid but really???  Bottom line, he's not going to take the chainsaw to it because the logo has bubbled!  He's going to enjoy the accolades he'll receive on Thanksgiving (always at our house) and be proud of his handiwork.  I'm proud of it and him.  I'm blessed with a husband who cares about the little things:)