HANGIN’ UP YOUR HAT

My older son and his wife arrived to our house last night, from Florida.  He quickly made himself at home.

Today they dressed to join their friends, at a dagorhir gathering.

They’ll be here for a few days, and then they’ll be off to visit her family for a while.

 

 

EVERYBODY IS PROMOTING SOMETHING

My cat is promoting Breast Cancer Awareness, or as Bing Crosby says in White Christmas, “Everybody’s got an angle.”

 

I couldn’t decide which photo was best, so I’ll do the Forbidden and Unforgivable:  I’ll post both.

 

 

EMPTIER HOUSE

It’s been 2 weeks since the wedding, since Older Son and Fiance both moved out of our house for good, and the impact of it is starting to settle in.

They will come to visit, yes, but they will never live with us again.  They are gone, and nothing will be the same.

This is what our house looks like:

Empty More space in the closet

Empty More space at the table

Empty More room on the towel rack

Empty Free drawer space

 

Bitter Sweets Indeed

 

XANGA THANKSGIVING SMORGASBORD 2010

I have been invited to a special place for Thanksgiving this year!  ItsWhatEyeKnow invited a bunch of bloggers to come to her site for dinner, and she asked us to write about what we are bringing to the feast.  Because some folks are bringing a dog and a cat, I was asked to bring festive food dishes for them to eat from.

I have just the thing.

Years ago when we lived in the Big City, I didn’t have much of a social life (but then, who needs one when newly married?).  I worked as a school librarian (traveling between three elementary schools) and I became good friends with some of the older ladies who worked at Drake School:  the nurse, two secretaries, and the library clerk.  These four invited me to join them in something they did like clockwork every week without fail:  they made ceramics at Florence’s house. 

Florence had a whole little workshop set up in her basement.  She owned a kiln and poured her own slip, molding it into greenware for us to clean, paint, and glaze.  She charged a small fee for the firing and for use of her various glazes, and we also paid for the greenware itself.

But most of all, we enjoyed each other.  We talked and chatted and told stories and gossiped and laughed up a storm.  How fortunate I was to have their company!

Many of the items I made are for the holidays, so I especially think of them when I get out my ceramics to decorate the house.  And since we often made the same things, I know that they or their families are doing the same.  How I miss them!

So this year, I will share my ceramic pumpkin dishes for the cat and dog to eat from, provided they are mannerly and don’t knock them about:

For the cat

For the dog

In the meantime, I hope you yourselves are enjoying great fellowship with friends and family–some old and some new, some present with you, some far away, and some only in your memories.  We’re thankful for all, aren’t we?

 

FINDING THE POSITIVE

When I was a young mother, I read that we should keep a small diary of one good/interesting thing that happens each day.  It helps to change the attitude of a sometimes hum-drum life, and it helps us to keep a look-out for good things all day long.

I kept a diary like that for quite some time, and now I enjoy reading excerpts from it:

Found a $5 bill in the snow!
Saw a dead muskrat in the parking lot of Walmart.
27 quarts of blueberries.

Because Shining Garnet is having a Blog Challenge this week, asking us to write each day about a certain Positive Thing, with today’s topic being

Write A Positive Poem, Story, Take A Pic, or Draw A Picture          

I woke up eager to see what positive visuals I might find.  It didn’t take long for me to see two very lovely and positive things in my house:

1.   The kitchen chairs poised as if they’re standing in line for something exciting to happen…

2.    ….and it did indeed; we now have a very beautifully waxed kitchen floor.

 

THRILLER

It doesn’t take much to excite us around here, as I’ve mentioned before (carwash story). 

Yesterday a very large garden spider took up residence on the screen door, and he was interesting to see. 

But he had other things in mind.  Today he was dead.

 

He is hanging on a long strand of web, so every time we open the patio screen, his withered body careens back and forth and ALMOST GETS US.

Experience it yourself with this video:

 

KEEPING THE FUN IN ONE PLACE

I was happy when I got my first “very own” desk till I realized that I would have to close the fold-out desktop leaf every time I wanted to get into the top drawer. 

 

Whoever would do that, when there is so much STUFF on it?!  Such as…

A dish of shells from Gulf Shores, Alabama, with a couple of tops from my fingertop collection.  The shells are reminders of so many lovely things, and you always have to keep a top or two handy to set for a spin.

    

My wooden snake:  this comes in handy at speech tournaments–especially those overnight ones.

My pin-point impression toy.

 

Here is my face.  It kinda looks like Uncle Hugh.

 

So the top drawer consists of interesting items I don’t require too often–or that I don’t know what to do with:

My stuffed bear.

A shirt patch from one of my very favorite vacation spots.

A pretty tin that is sure to come in handy some day.  I was disappointed to find it empty when I shook it.  Perhaps I should put something exciting inside for when I visit this drawer again in three or four years.

 

Rocket balloons that make noises when you let the air out.

 

Some great, interesting paper eyeglasses.  These would come in handy for speech tournaments too.  Here am I.

 

Here is my Younger Son.

 

A magnetic bookmark that looks like money.

Helicopter balloons.

A teeny tiny book made by Older Son, given to me years ago.  It is about his favorite subject.

 

 

 

And a windup bug.  OH WAIT!  I just bought him yesterday, at the grocery store!  One of those impulse buys, don’t ya’ know.  Here he is in action:

 

WE LOVE FLOWERS

I wasn’t planning on getting anything for the cat on Valentine’s Day, but I guess my husband did just that.  Wheezy is CRAZY about roses.

He uses the ol’ Grab and Run technique.  He starts at the end of the hall in order to build up speed.  Then he hits the table, grabs a petal, and rip-tears into a different room to play with the prize.  Life couldn’t be better.

It’s comical, but so dratted annoying!

This is where my flowers end up for most of the day.

Title of this painting:  Remembering Flowers

  

 

MISCHIEF AFOOT

Today my husband hollered that Someone has been abusing the toilet paper and got it all wet.

Any ideas who THAT might be?

 

STILL DOING CHRISTMAS

For days and days we have had softly falling snow come down, just like the most perfect Christmas card you’ve ever seen.

Now it’s done.

All we are left with is this:

 

And this:

I will hate to see it go.