holidaze, family pix and other happenstance

I seemed to have missed the holidays, namely, Christmas Eve and Christmas... I rather dazedly walked through them. Much of what remains is a blur which can be explained away because of the steady 102/101 fever. On the face of it... that wouldn't seem to be much but when you have a sub temperature like I do, which hangs out @ 97.2 to 97.7 degrees, it makes a huge impact. Having said all of that I did manage to take a few pics on Christmas Eve at Amanda and Sammy's inspite of the flu and pneumonia:

                                                                   Amanda and Miss Porter

Jeff and I fell in love w/Amanda's newest family member Porter. She is a Weimaraner/Pit puppy. She has a velvety brown weimaraner coat and green eyes and is very sweet. Love her!

                                                                          Cider

Landie's Jack Russell, Cider, also joined in with the holiday family festivities. Although, I had no appetite (where's the holiday fun in that?) Sammy's fish chowder was pretty fabulous.

And, speaking of fabulous... Amanda had created these to die for faux cookies, you take 2 Ritz crackers, spread peanut butter between them and dip in dipping chocolate.

 

 

 

O Christmas Tree

 

 

Emma, Landie, Amanda 

 

 

Sammy, Emma & Erin talking w/Jeff out of camera range.

 

Amanda and Landie

 

 

Zach playing his Christmas video game.

 

                                    Emma hiding from the camera... looks like the camera found her.

Emma and Zach looking to a higher source of inspiration.

 

 

silly Landie

 

I don't remember what Erin was saying but she certainly has their attention.

 

Auntie Amanda gave Emma the curlers she wanted for Christmas... so she had to, of course, set her hair. I hadn't seen these kind of curlers since I was Emma's age and used to wear them.

 

Amanda, Dave & Zach opening gifts.

 

Dave/Erin's gift to Samanda... Aims was laughing because it held what we call "rent a family" generic pics, that happened to be wedding pics, with the colors that Samanda used this past May in their wedding. Aims said that they should keep the "rent a fam" pics and just cut out Samanda's faces and paste over.

Poor Dave! This is how he spends ALL of our family holidays and vacations... repairing computers. He removed a corrupted program from my laptop. This pic  is worth a 1000 words.

 

Glow sticks.

 

"the Fam" hanging out together... our fav part of the holidays.

 

Erin/Aims looking for the first time at Samanda's wedding pics that Mallory shot of the wedding weekend last May. Samanda's home computer isn't working so this is the first time they've been able to see them. They came out beautifully.

 

 

Landie, Emma & Erin

 

I think this was an Amanda story... only judging from Aims and Erin's facial expressions. Over the years Aims will be very animated in a telling of some crazy experience. Erin always looks befuddled, confused, bewildered, but only during the story. Aims will wait for Erin (who is very sharp) to get the punch line, a slight delay, then Erin will crack up. These two always crack the rest of us up...

 

 

Zach & Erin

 

 

Zach & Erin

 

Landie, Erin & Aims

 

Zach

 

Dave & Dave's Famous BBQ Sauce (from Samanda).

Aims, Dave & Zach

50 years ago today... 11.22.63

      

 JFK, Hyannis Port

 

 

It seems an odd coincidence that the 50th JFK's assassination should fall on a Friday, although, I'm sure a few in-between have fallen on a Friday.

It's almost inconceivable that so many years have taken place since then. I was 6 years old. I don't remember the morning of this historic day. I do remember that my friends and I were excited about the weekend. Lunch had finished and I was swinging on the monkey bars in the big kids playground. It was an overcast, sultry afternoon.  I remember next seeing the older girls running towards the girls bathroom crying. Then our principal announced an impromptu assembly where he told us that the president had been shot in Dallas,  Texas and that school was adjourned for the weekend.

I walked home from school and entered our living room to see my grandmother watching  As The World Turns... at that moment Walter Cronkite interrupted the daytime soap opera to announce that JFK had died.

Everyone sat glued to the television that weekend; Sunday morning, while dad, gram and my dad's bff Paul were in the kitchen, I was in the living room watching Lee Harvey Oswald being led underground from the jail to an awaiting car when he was shot on live television.
I remember watching the funeral cortege procession on television.

It's amazing looking back over this long span of years to what might have been had the assassination not occurred, the things that would and would not have shaped history as we know it. Would MLK or RFK been assassinated had this not taken place first? We'll never know what might had been....

                                              Abraham, Martin & John, by Dion

sunday morning mish-mash

 

 

 

It's a very kicked-back Sunday at our house today. Listening to music, coffee, conversation...

 

 

 

                                             Michael Grimm, You Don't Know Me.

It's a beautiful deep autumn morning w/blue skies, sunshine, low/coolish temps. Jeff, as per usual was up way before me. When Anna Chan and I sauntered into the writing room together, me carrying a demitasse of French roast while Anna made a beeline straight to my club chair, jumping up onto the large, cushiony back pillow rest then deeply burrowing in, curled up, assuming her napping position, Jeff was already multi-tasking at his desk. This week he's been revisiting 2 of his fav books; The Works of Julius Caesar, The 12 Caesars, while watching Rome on his portable DVD player. Jeff's in the process of researching Claudius' invasion of Britton in 43 AD.

I, on the other hand, am not multi-tasking-- I'm doing one thing at a time. Sipping coffee, putting coffee cup down, scrolling through facebook postings, then clicking on to Jane Austin Unbound; a hidden objects online game (I have to say, I am not a games girl. However, I read, a few years back where online video games, et al, are really beneficial to our brains as they create new neuro pathways. This fascinates me as I've arrived at a place in my life, where memory would actually be a good thing. It began w/ going to look for something, waiting a moment to remember what it was, then locating it. This has evolved in to me looking for something, walking into another room to locate it, or better yet, while on my way to locate an item, I forget what it is or where it's at... waiting a moment doesn't help. Now, I have to keep on walking and hope it comes to me. Sometimes it does, and sometimes it just doesn't happen).

                                         Michael Grimm, I'd Rather Go Blind.

We've had breakfast. I love Sunday breakfasts. This morning bacon/scrambled eggs were on tap. Jeff has already started his laundry and is now in the process of digging up 2 of our crepe myrtles that never really took off along with a vine and several pryrcanthas Our summer heat is intense and although plants are recommended for our area, they do much better in the backyard than in the front yard where there is no shade in front of our house in our walkway to protect them at intervals throughout the day.

                                                         Michael Grim, Fallin'

Another thing I love about Sunday's at our house, any day really, but, especially, Sunday morning is music. Today's top pick is Mississippi blues... thought I would share one of my fav bluesman, Michael Grimm, with you-- love his voice.

                            Enjoy your Sunday, whatever you're doing... have fun!

10 Things I'm Grateful for....

  

 

                                                               Kyrie Eleison, by Stellamara


Why did I select the above music for this particular blog? The answer would be because this blog is all about thanksgiving, blessings received and feeling grateful in and for everything, everyday, every week, every month and every year... which as you know is NOT easy. It's easy when the moment is right, when things going well... but, when the rubber meets the road and you are in a difficult cycle... this could anywhere from just having a bad day, to a bad few weeks when things aren't going right, when you are getting slammed from every direction and you just wanna shout out, God, just shoot me now! This is especially when we need to be grateful. I keep a 'blessings' journal that I write in daily; good days, bad days and every day in-between. If you focus on the blessings, more will come your way, and while you are busy focusing on the good the bad will take care of itself and eventually move on.

The music I selected is a prayer simply known as 'The Kyrie' which was composed in 1562 for Pope Marcellus II, who reigned for 3 weeks in 1555. At that time, it was copied into a manuscript @ the Basilica de Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.

The music is a petition and a prayer of thanksgiving. An acknowledgement of what God has done, what God is doing and what God will do. Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy...  it's refined in the parable of the publican in Luke 18:9-14. I thought it appropriate for this blog posting.

SO here are some of the BIG tickets items for which I am most grateful:

1. for God, who created me. The complexity of this thought is beyond enormous in its scope for me to fully ever comprehend.

 

 

2. for having the parents I have and my family. I could not be who I am today without each of them.

3. for growing up in the Bay area-- in a sleepy little valley town named Santa Clara that was filled with orchards; cherry, walnut, apricot trees and open green alfalpha fields during the mid-1950's through the mid-1980's-- the Santa Clara that I grew up in was then in the process of becoming what is now globally referred to as the computer mecca of western civilization as we know it. The stomping grounds of my childhood/teenage years only exist in glowing memories or among faded polaroid pictures. 

4. for being a small child when the Golden Age of television was in it's infancy and being able to watch comic genius and creative storylines in classic TV sitcoms... like the following: Syd Caesar in Your Show of Shows, The Andy Griffith Show, Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Red Skelton show, the Dick Van Dyke show, American Bandstand, I Love Lucy, The George Burn's Show, Ed Sullivan, Outer Limits, McHale's Navy, The Dean Martin show, the Andy Williams show, Mitch Miller, Lawrence Welk, The Honeymooners, Jack Paar, Bat Masterson, The Virginian, Roy Rogers/Dale Evans, National Velvet, The Rifleman, ., Carol Burnett, Walt Disney's Wonderful Word of Color, Wild Kingdom, Creature Features, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, the original Batman series, Superman, the 3 Stooges, Star Trek, Johnny Carson, The Monkeys, Abbott/Costello, Laurel/Hardy, Ma & Pa Kettle, Rowen/Martin's Laugh-In, Dark Shadows, The Mickey Mouse Club, Captain Kangaroo. Saturday Morning Cartoons; The Flintstones, The Jetson's, Tom and Jerry, Popeye, The Bugs Bunny show, Caspar the friendly ghost, Woody Woodpecker, Space Ghost, Johnny Quest, Deputy Dog, Top Cat, Huckleberry Hound, the Pink Panther. And, so many more that there that I have no space to mention, you can fill in your favorites....

 5. for being an American girl who went to the movies and ate a lot of popcorn while watching these movies in a movie theater with an overhead projector: Pollyanna, Mary Poppins, Love Bug, Lady And The Tramp, Cinderella, Snow White, Bambi. The Music Man, The Sound of Music, Love Story, Breakfast At Tiffany's, To Catch A Thief (Grace Kelly),
Gigi (Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier). I'm a movie junkie and have probably seen almost every movie made... these only name but a small handful...

6. for vinyl records. Seriously, I love the memory of walking into a record store, looking for whatever song I was listening to at the time whether it was on a 45 sp or a 33 lp  (high fidelity not stereo-- the record players didn't split the sound). Selecting (walking up/down record aisles), purchasing, then bringing it home and the excitement of opening. What I remember is the fresh scent of plastic wrap as you peeled it off, then the smell of the vinyl record as you pulled it out of the album, then placing it on your record player (finding the center hole and fitting it on just right was always a fun task). Then holding the record(s) in place while you swung the record player arm over to hold them before they dropped down onto your hi-fi record player. For 45's remember you had to place on that thick short stacker? Then the scratchy/static sound you would hear as the needle of the record player rolled over the vinyl record.

7. for 4,5,6 because I cannot imagine how very different our social and personal lifestyles would have been had it not been  for the emergence of Hollywood, television and records. It's unfathomable to me as to what our culture would be like in this Century... instead of an universal pop culture everything would be tightly regional.

8. and this should be placed in the #2 position... for being an American woman and living in a country where I have the right to an education, freedom of speech, freedom of religion,
the privilege to vote, et al. I am very blessed to live in California and be an American citizen.

9. for books. I LOVE READING... exploring the world, ideas, simply the pleasure of learning via the written page. There is something majestically wonderful about words/language and the different meanings they can convey to us. I can easily get lost in reading (good) prose... to me it's utterly magical.
 
10. (This is my personal expression and not meant to offend any religious beliefs that you may hold close to your heart.) for my faith and the gift of discernment when it comes to my religious beliefs. The ability to not just follow the crowd, but to listen to the voice of God as he directs me. I was baptized a catholic. My maternal side of the family are Irish and were brought up in the Roman catholic faith; my grandmother, aunts, great-grandmother were convent taught (we're talking VERY old school when mass was given in Latin). My paternal grandmother and her family were Swedish and were Lutheran. As my grandmother/dad raised me (my parents divorced in the late 50's) I was very much exposed to Lutheranism (catholic light as I call it). My great grandfather was a very gifted bible scholar as were his father and mother. This was in the late 1800's. My grandmother was born in 1884 and passed away in 1982. My paternal great-grandfather John, often spoke to her of future events as he knew them from reading the Bible. He told her of how men were going to be able to fly in her lifetime. My dad was a pilot as are a majority of family and extended family members. I was fascinated by the things she would tell me. I finally found (many years later) the passage where my great grandfather discovered this hidden in James 4. My grandmother went from hearing her father tell her of the future event of flying (which was unheard of then) to watching her son and grandsons become pilots, she referred to them as aviators. I am grateful for the exposure to many other religious beliefs that run in my family; Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian, Muslim... a little bit of everything. Which brings me to where I am today with my faith and my bible study... usually, this is something private and outside of my immediate family; Jeff, the kids, and grandkids, I really don't speak of it. Jeff who reads Greek and Hebrew long ago told me if I really wanted to know what the Bible was speaking of I should read it in it's original language. Well, that sounded like a no-brainer, why hadn't I thought of this before? And, what an eye opener it was... it has totally made all of the difference. I am (and have been for the longest time) simultaneously reading the Torah, the Quran, the Bible, using my Hebrew Interlinear as I go along word by word, it's a process (I enjoy an intellectual challenge). It's totally amazing what you can learn this way for yourself. To conclude this portion of what I'm grateful for... I can't imagine going through life without having my faith and knowing that God is w/ me every single moment on my sojourn along this earthly pathway called life.

 

 

Thank you, Dido

 

 

 

 

 

Whatever you're doing this Sunday, enjoy... and, don't forget to turn your clocks back!

 

 

saturday notes

SO, before Jeff tooled off to work this AM, I went outside to give the Outdoor gang their breakfast and discovered it was delightfully COLD which inspired my dinner choice for this evening's dinner since it's my turn at bat. What did I choose? Navy bean soup, well my version, which is as follows:

Sautee onion, bacon and garlic together in a skillet. Add to Navy beans in crock pot that are already covered w/water. Then, this is strictly optional, but, because I like something
green in my soups, just because... I add baby Brussels sprouts. I cut off the bottom so that as it cooks it separates from the original floret and you have independent leaves and not a whole sprout. Season to taste. And, voila! Soup is served. Add buttered Italian bread slices (oven-toasted is my preference) and a glass of wine and you have a perfect dinner.
I love root vegetables! So, when spring, autumn and winter arrive I am one happy girl.

Today, I have to catch up on my family Shutterfly albums, reading, journal, TV shows I missed during the week and a half dozen other things... 

                                                                  This Kiss, Practical Magic


                                         Whatever you decide to do today, enjoy!

What fresh Hell is this?

is a question I repeatedly asked myself yesterday at intervals of like every 5 minutes, literally throughout the day. Friday's are always crazy-- it's become the nature of the beast. Friday mornings are insanity squared, especially, on pay days...  you throw in banking, buying lunches, etcetera, all bets are off. IT was a constant onslaught of one behavior leading into another behavior that led into another behavior non-stop throughout the day. At some point early on I realized it was not going to get any better and to just flow w/it-- it was like riding a tsunami. 

At the end of the day it was on to shopping for weekend groceries and miscellaneous items.  I love grocery shopping, because I love weekend cooking and eating, emphasis on eating
And, I hit such great bargains. I think I spent about $150 and snagged about $300 worth of groceries-- I am like the ultimate frugalnista shopper. I get a lot of bang for my buck.

So, there I was at the end of this insanity inspired day feeling pretty happy w/myself and then I pull into our driveway, park my jeep and exclaim out loud to no one in particular, Are you f'n kidding me?  Our sanitation company has been bought out by another company. They didn't pick up our garbage last week and when Jeff spoke w/them they apologized profusely and told him to go ahead and fill it to the brim and they would take it away w/out extra cost. We have a dumpster, not a garbage can or two. Jeff took them at their word and filled it, overfilled it really. And, guess what? Again, still no pick up. I had wanted to go through more things this weekend and get rid off them, guess that won't be happening.

You would think that would be the end of this day from Hell, but no... more was to come... in the next few moments. I reached for my cell phone to call Jeff and tell him about the garbage when I was redirected to my cell phone carrier. WTH!!!

I opened the front door, changed into my tank top and scrubs, then picked up my cell phone and redialed my carrier. Finally, getting a person on the line I gave all the necessary info and asked a simple question, why have you disconnected me when my bill has been paid and I do not have to make another payment until the end of October? This was greeted w/ the response, Let me see, here's your account. It shows you have a zero balance and will not have to make a payment until October (did I not just say this? It's like listening to myself in surround sound).

Yes, I know, I said, then added... and yet, I have no service. Do you see something wrong w/this situation. If I have a zero balance shouldn't I continue to have cell service and be able to make calls? The response, why, yes you should. How do you suggest I go about doing that? Oh, just hold down the phone for a few seconds until it turns off, wait a few seconds longer and you should be connected. Thank you.

Then I called Jeff, and amazingly was connected. Telling Jeff about the above... his response was... wait for it... Are you f'n kidding me? (I wonder where I get my language?)

After our conversation ended I sat down in my fav comfy club chair, put my feet up on my needlepoint footstool... only for a second, when just getting comfy and unwinding, out of nowhere came a nosebleed like the opening of Hoover Dam. I am not a nose bleed girl. I chalked it up to dry, smokey air of the last 4 weeks. Finally, it stopped and I thought... I am so over today. After dinner, I toddled off to bed early....

                                                   Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah, Allen Sherman

lovin' this holiday weekend!

                                                          Fun w/ Janelle Monae, We Are Young.

I was browsing Youtube for a song that I wanted for today's blog and decided on this because I really like it, and it's upbeat, and it takes me back to the 70's to this song:

 

                                                       The Night Chicago Died, Paper Lace.


Why the correlation? I have no idea, but there it is. Anyway, Labor Day weekend has finally arrived after an intense week of Rim fire and a topsy-turvy work schedule that had to be placed in effect due to the above fire. I think I need a t-shirt that commerates having survived the work week.
I don't know how 35 hour work week could feel like a 96+ hour work week but it did. This crazed week was like one of those dreams where you are in your car, or whatever, and you need to be someplace but you can never make it there and when you finally do make it your dream ends or shifts into another dream or you wake up never having reached your destination. It was kinda like that. Although, inspite of half a dozen things occurring at once throughout each day, I did have moments of accomplishment, pushing forward...
Which brings me to now. Yay (!) I love holiday weekends. There's a different vibe to them. I don't know if it's because our expectation level increases, or it's a carry over from childhood, that unbridled enthusiasm of experiencing the moment w/out looking ahead to the next scheduled event of the day. Whatever it is... I love holidays and their long weekends.
So, after work yesterday afternoon I dashed into Wal Mart for pet food, then into Safeway for corned beef that I will be cheffing up tomorrow so I can make our traditional corned beef hash that we serve up for Labor Day brunch every year-- it's a tradition. Then it was on to Grocery outlet for miscellaneous food items and beverages. Finally arrived home. The temps were a swealtering 96 degrees.
By the time Jeff arrived home I had showered, changed into my scrubs and tank top. Since spaghetti was on our dinner menu we decided to have a late European timed dinner. At 8pm
I began to chef up a tossed green salad w/garbanzo's in an Italian dressing. Jeff started boiling the pasta and placing the garlic bread in the oven. By 9 pm dinner was underway. Temps were still in the lower 90's, the cooler as well as the ceiling and floor fans were on. Dinner was very casual and we enjoyed it so much because we knew we didn't have to get up early and to work this morning.
Our holiday breakfast this AM was waffles w/bacon. I think I love holidays so much because ours are centered around food, family and conversation. Aims is catering an event today and checking in at the Vet clinic tomorrow for work while Dave/Erin get to exhale and enjoy their home without further worry of evacuation-- unpacking suitcases. etcetera. It's Jeff and I this holiday at home and so far we are having much fun. I've moved my laptop into the writing room to hang out w/ him as he's working on an art project-- lots of conversation and ideas floating about.
We have books we want to read, movies to scope out, magazine to get caught up on, writing, art projects...

 

So whatever it is that you plan for this holiday weekend... go out and enjoy!

Sick in Sonora

I chose this photo for a reason. The reasoning behind the selection is this (pull up a chair, pour a drink and put your feet up, then precede to read): I decided this AM to just accept the fact that I am really sick and to stop trying to act like I'm not.  Here's the deets: We've had 2 weeks of heavily smoked filled air from fires. This caused my chronic asthma to kick in Tuesday. By Wednesday, it was apparent that something else was seriously going on.
 My voice would come and go. I had/have a sinus headache along w/ ear ache, sore throat, running a fever. It felt and still does like bronchitis. Coughing. I think I've hacked away almost both lungs at this point. The original plan was for me to drive over to Dave/Erin's and pet sit after Wednesday evening's meeting. Which I did. What I hadn't anticipated were my symptoms worsening. By the time I arrived I had no voice left, couldn't stop coughing and was gasping for breath. I was warmly welcomed by Kristopherson, who had been in the backyard stalking deer. He walked over to me, meowed his greeting and followed me into the house where we both were welcomed by Phoenix.  I immediately headed toward the guest bath to take a shower (hoping to be able to breathe better). Afterwards, we all went into the bedroom and fell asleep. Until I would wake unable to breathe due to uncontrollable coughing throughout the night. Yesterday was spent alternately sleeping, waking, hacking. Repeat.This morning were more of the same symptoms. However, I had to force myself to get out of bed because I had to get cat food for the indoor/outdoor gangs and didn't want to do it tomorrow on my way out of town.
Here's where the above photo comes in... as I was looking in the bathroom mirror and wondering just who the heck was that girl w/ the dark circles under here eyes? I reminded myself it is what it is, get over it. So, I brushed my hair, dressed and threw on a pair of the most over-sized sunglasses I could find before heading over to Wal Mart.
My question is this.. Which part of Murphys law is it that says that when you wear makeup you will never ever run into friends or acquaintances, but when you're not wearing any makeup whatsoever, and look like something that the cat desperately needs to drag across an open field and bury that you will absolutely run into almost everyone you know or ever met? What's up w/ that? It's just wrong on so many levels... 
Arriving back at the homestead, pulling into the graveled driveway, a mama doe was casually, or, I should say, indifferently strolling across the driveway to the backyard to lie down in a manzanita patch to nap. I walked past her on my way up the back deck stairs into the house. 
I personally think that when you are really sick that you should celebrate the small things-- here are a few that I am celebrating:

1. That Dave/Erin have the most comfortable bed-- it shapes itself to you-- it's beyond
    wonderful.
2. One of my fav things is the clear winter light we get in the Mother Lode-- it's arrived early
     this year. It's magic. The house is filled w/ this light coming in from the many windows   
     and doors.
3. The sunlight on the many cedars, sugar pines, manzanita, oak trees and foliage is
     breathtakingly beautiful.
4. There's an intermittent breeze whooshing through the treetops making them sway
    gracefully from side to side.
5. The tinkling of chimes from the back deck being carried on the breeze.

Other things to celebrate: When I'm here I seem to be able to catch up w/ the intellectual half of myself. While I didn't have the attention span to watch TV last evening, I did listen to my fav poet/journalist May Sarton w/ her wonderful voice read poetry on Youtube.

                                               My Sisters, O My Sisters, May Sarton.
 

I began to read a few chapters of Harlot's Ghost written by Norman Mailer in 1991.

                                                        Norman Mailer speaking of Harlot's Ghost.


                                       Whatever you're doing this Saturday enjoy!

Melissa Ethridge in concert singing "I'm the only one"

I wanted to share this long version of I'm The Only One from last night's concert since you weren't there to see it. And give you a visual of how much fun we had. Actually, the long version performed last night went on for an amazing 20+ minutes that brought the crowd at Ironstone to it's feet-- giving a 2 minute standing ovation for an encore. Enjoy!

life as art

 

Todays blog will be presenting itself as a bit of a mish mash of thoughts tumbling together that will hopefully come together in some sort of rational semblance.

Work this week has been a chaotic symphony of insanity while my private life has been an idyllic oasis of tranquil solitude. Talk about a experiencing a major dichotomy!

From mid-week until tomorrow I've been housesitting Dave and Erin's house while they are in Paso visiting family. I've been hanging out with Phoenix and Kristopherson-- who are great company.

Robert Frost famously said, You can never go home again. He was wrong. You can go home again. And, if you're lucky, you can look back to the past to see where it connects with the present as it moves forward into the future. I always think of this sign when I think of this particular house.

                                                                             Infinity

While this house is not my childhood home it is a home that has been in my life since Dad moved into it when Dave was 3 and I was in my mid-twenties. It's a house that still carries the strong presence of my father (22 years after his passing).

Synchronicities: When we lived here we had a black and white cocker spaniel named Courtney. Dave and Erin have a black lab w/a white chest name Phoenix. Dad had a yellow tabby named Ralph. Dave and Erin have a yellow tabby named Kristopherson.

I love that this house is still in the family and that it's hallway walls continue to have family photographs. And, that it's bedroom doors are covered with Zach and Emma's artwork that have long since replaced Dave, Tara and Amanda's childhood artwork that hung there once upon a time.

It's been a rather wonderful gift to be on a mini vacation from life's everyday routine (with the exception of commuting to/from work) gaining a fresh perspective. Being away from home, I've been able to finally conceive a plan on how I want the house and yards to come together over the next few years. Writing/photography projects I want to do.

I've been able to watch documentaries on artists I've long admired: Bill Cunningham (photographer), iconic Iris Apfel (90), etcetera.  Reading, Sophie Kinsella's, The Undomesticated Goddess. Listening to Big Band/Swing.   Whatever you do this Saturday, go out and enjoy!

    

                                                                           Tangerine

this n that

                                                   Chattanooga Choo Choo, Andrew Sisters

It's been a fabulous holiday weekend. We had a blast at Dave and Erin's. Emma and Zach were hilarious and so much fun to be around--  the time passed by too quickly. So, besides hanging w/ family what have we been up to?

Our Sopranos marathon is almost at an end-- we're halfway through the last episode of the 3rd season. Next on our summer list is season 1 of Frazier. The criteria needed to make it on to our marathon list is good dialogue. Fortunately, we have a DVD closet filled w/ good dialogue which makes the selection easier.

Jeff is alternating between drawing and painting small portraits, while I sketch out room designs, and read. At the moment it's The Dark Side of Camelot by Seymour M. Hersh.

Later in the week, I'll be grandpuppy sitting Phoenix, Dave and Erin's 75 lb. labrador, and orange tabby, Kristopherson, at their house, while they're in Paso Robles visiting family. Packing some good books to take w/ me, some DVD's, etc.

 Jeff will be holding down the fort here w/ the indoor/outdoor gangs to keep him company. Anna Chan will have Jeff all to herself and should be in hog heaven w/ that development-- she doesn't like to share.

It's time to catch up on laundry. The weather is beautiful; it has a very mid-September vibe to it. So nice to have that intense heat wave over... that was brutal.
    Happy Sunday!

a magical surprise!

 

 

I was supposed to post this blog last evening... that didn't happen obviously. What's better than a Friday blog posting? Why, Saturdays, of course. So, let's get started.

As you know, our beloved Tortellini, 19, passed away Wednesday evening.

 Thursday morning Jeff and I placed her to rest beneath her fav ancient oak tree that spreads it's massive, graceful limbs across the upper backyard. This is where the story begins...

                                                                         Gracie, out on a limb


Actually, not quite. We have to backtrack several years ago to when Jeff and I moved into our house.  Our elderly neighbors, across the street, had several cats. One of them was Tortellini. She would divide her time between their house and ours. In addition, we soon realized after moving in, that many neighbors had been transitioning away from the neighborhood leaving their cats behind who were literally in the process of starving.
Many were just bones and near death.

Well, we had to do something, so that's when I began the outdoor gang; feeding, grooming, caring for those pets who had been left behind by their owners. Vet appointments; neutering/spaying, etcetera. Anyway, Tortellini, became a regular member. At that time she was pregnant w/ our first litter. Beautiful kittens she would share w/ us. Shuttling them back and forth across the street. Out of that first litter, a soft yellow/white kitten, we fell in love w/ and named Dagwood-- sadly, 4 or 5 months later he was hit by a car as he was going home across the street. Over the years we've never forgotten him and will bring him up in conversation from time to time. It was in her second litter of kittens that she had Risotto, Simon, and Michel, who passed away last year. So, while, over the years, Tortellini would shuttle back and forth, giving birth to other kittens, it wasn't until her owner's passed away, that she decided to move in full time w/ us.

This is the part of the story where Risotto comes in..

 

                                                                                   Risotto


Risotto, is our guard cat extraordinaire. Seriously. She can be in the back of the upper back yard and will hear an animal that is not Anna Chan or the outdoor gang walking somewhere on our property and she will began screeching sounds that sound like the cries of a crazed banshee, it's unbelievable really, this proceeds the chase off the property w/ her in hot pursuit, biting clawing and scratching and will literally chase them down the street w/ the poor animal crying hysterically in fear. Ask any of the neighborhood labradors, coyotes, raccoons or possums, who have made the mistake to come on our property, they never make that mistake twice. Neighbors used to come out running to see what was happening, they now shrug their shoulders, realizing it's only Risotto.

Risotto and I have a great relationship. I would never make the mistake of attempting to pick her up. She will come and sit near me, I can pet her (occasionally).  She trusts me implicitly and loves me (on her terms). Well, she loves me to serve her breakfast and dinner, give her fresh water daily and make sure the birdbaths are filled w/ water... she would probably tear my face off if I attempted to go beyond that... it may not be that brutal, but why tempt fate?

Now, that we have that ALL out of the way we can FF back to Thursday afternoon. Arriving home from work I turned the key into the lock of our front door. Stepping inside the foyer, it was odd not having Tortellini welcoming me home. Glancing toward her fav chair in the living room, I could see sitting on Tortellini's chair, huddled together, were ALL of the indoor gang looking sadly forlorn missing their old pal. 

After changing into my scrubs and tank top, I walked barefoot from the master bedroom out to the foyer and into the living room. I stopped, sat down w/ the indoor gang and enjoyed some playtime. Thinking, isn't it amazing how one small animal can fill such a large part of our lives w/ their presence and how much they're missed when they are not here?

So, here's the first clue of what happens next. It will make absolutely no sense to you whatsoever, until the end of the story, but I wanted to hear the song now, and this was as good a place as any to insert it.

 

                                                                     Mellow Yellow, Donovan


Confused? Let's fix that. Getting up from sitting w/ the indoor gang, I told them I missed mamasan (my nick name for Tortellini) too. But, it was time for dinner.

Walking out to the garage to get the cat food, I was surprised to see Risotto, peering into the French glass door that leads out to the patio. I walked outside, greeted her and was more surprised as she was impatiently trying to tell me something. What exactly, I had no clue. She wanted me to follow her. She kept looking back making sure I was behind her. Then stepped aside as I reached the outdoor gang's food bowls, looking very pleased w/herself while waiting for my reaction.
 
What did I discover inside a food bowl? This is what I saw...

Saffron

 

Introducing: Saffron. A kitten that is an exact replica of Tortellini w/ the exception of having long hair. Risotto had waited until this exact moment to introduce me to this very special kitten who is Tortellini's granddaughter. She has 2 brothers. They are a very soft yellow w/white markings. One is an exact copy of Dagwood. So, of course we christened him Dagwood in honor of him. The 3rd kitten we named Bumstead-- both after the classic Blondie comic strip.

 

Life, if you wait long enough does come full circle and can be magical.

 

 

 

Risotto w/ Dagwood

 

left to right: Saffron, Bumstead and Dagwood

 

 

Risotto is graciously sharing Saffron w/me. Yesterday, after work, Saffron came inside w/ me, climbing on my chest, listening to my heartbeat, she fell asleep.

 

 

 

 

 

This morning Risotto was in the upper backyard leading the kittens to foliage, where they could nap. In the first pic they're all in line. The second pic Bumstead is falling behind doing his own thing while Risotto waits ahead for him to catch up. Poor Risotto, if you have more than one child (of any species) they will take turns trying your patience.