Saturday, December 31, 2011

Goodbye 2011

Not a very memorable year for me unless I count turning 60 as something big. Well it is in a way. Officially joining the ranks of AARP now! oh what fun!


A rather uneventful year but that has its good points. No big highs and no deep lows. Ah peacefulness! So I find myself not that interested in keeping this up yet not letting it go, hence a short rather dull end of year post.


Happy New Year everyone!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Cats!

 Precious sleeping in the cradle
 Mellow waiting by the go-out spot (they all figure that out so fast!)
 Angel has claimed her spot on the cat tree.
BK doing what BK loves best, chowing down.
Not pictured, Fela and Lucky who are outside enjoying the morning!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Grapes!

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Planted three years ago to shade the cat pen I never gave much thought to fruit. It is loaded with lovely clusters and my phone really does not show them well. The birds have finally discovered them though so will no doubt get most. Happy eating birds!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Doodling, now new and improved

Oh the latest thing that has crossed my path has surely got to be an inspired way to kill time: Zentangle®.

Now this is not particularly new. I can find references to it from 2009 and admit I made no effort to look back further. It is new to me and I'm sure many have yet to hear of it or try it. At first I was amused. Then hooked. This is fun! and takes focus if one wants a neat result. Hence the "zen" in the name, as it becomes a way to meditate, focus and relax. Zentangle takes doodling to an entirely new level. Creating tangles can even leave you with a free form drawing worth hanging on your wall or a way to decorate a pair of shoes. Whatever you do with it, you are sure to enjoy it!

You can find information on youtube (of course) and on the web. Just know that the word Zentangle has been patented, so giving credit where credit is certainly due - check out these links!

http://www.zentangle.com/index.php

http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-zentangle

http://www.sakuraofamerica.com/Zentangle

http://www.youtube.com/user/Zentangle

http://www.flickr.com/groups/zentangle/

Friday, June 10, 2011

Alone in West Texas

Temporarily, as son is off in Europe! what a cool trip he has had the opportunity to take. It is a college course affair and they are hitting several cities. I do believe I envy him. It took him a while to decide to go, or so it appeared to me, while I was saying Go Go Go!! Can't wait to hear all about it when he gets back.


So, alone. It's not half bad. Nothing really changed. Same routine. None of his tales of school or biking to entertain me but am pleased to think of him in Europe seeing all the sights and learning.


Meanwhile the cat is having to adjust. No John to pick on. She can't go to the living room and meow for him to let her out, then run around to the back yard, slip in the window and return to the living room to meow for him to let her out. Again and again. No, instead she is harassing me. Not as much fun I am sure since this crabby person refuses to open the front door for her. However with it getting warmer the window is closed so I have to open a door for her. If only I could tune out her little high pitched mew. Which would not really help as the dog thinks the cats should have the door opened for them when they ask and if mom does not notice, she points the situation out to mom. Sigh. I might as well give up.


So, not totally alone. There's four cats and a dog. Amazing how much attention and time they take up!

Friday, May 13, 2011

What do I want in my life?

I read an interesting post a while back. It seemed like a good one to just think about, and to make my own list. Check theirs out:


http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/2010/12/being-satisfied-with-enough.html


I do not want to repeat their list here obviously, so go read it! but much of what is there would be my own desires as well. These days as a widow and soon to live alone (son has been here finishing his Master's) it seems good to give this some thought and action to make it happen!


One we all need/want =



  • a reason to get up every morning


You'd think that would just be built in but the number of people on anti-depressants might be a clue that for a lot of us, it is not. Or perhaps I should say a better reason than just having to let the dog out!


Being 'retired' if I can call it that, not ever having a full time job in years, instead of constructive fulfilling job I will put down :



  • a way to give back to society


Feeling productive usually means greater satisfaction. There is always that need to feel needed, somehow, somewhere. Fortunately it is in our power to make that happen. There are many volunteer opportunites all around us. The group I like to volunteer with is Christian Women's Job Corps.


Then:



  • to keep learning

  • keep family ties strong, by putting love and tolerance into action and the effort required to keep relationships strong

  • to live consciously as much as I can

  • to be faithful in my Christian walk


Enough to keep me busy, or as busy as I want to be! Just have to work on that number one, though perhaps the rest of them answer that one.


What would your list be?

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Fela's new hair cut

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This is what happens when you don't brush :)

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Welcome 2011

Not sure I ever thought about this year back when it was .. oh.. 2000...   I can't imagine 2021 now  so that's not peculiar. What a year 2021 sounds like! Something so far into the future!

Oh well today is now and it is a new year so off we go with New Year type things.

Money.  Always number one with me! I ran across this article and don't we all remember those seven habits books? Being frugal is now the 'in' thing so this is perfect to begin my year with -

7 Habits of Highly Frugal People

With the economy the way it is today perhaps the book will make a comeback and do better than it did in '89!

One sentence in this stands out as I have heard it so many times before - between the stimulus and your response is your freedom to choose your response -  and that applies to money, food, conversations with others, anything we do. Live consciously (another favorite of mine). Make better choices. Choose your response.

Perhaps having a reactive dog it means more today than it did say.. ten years ago or so. Su is 12 now, and we have worked hard to help her be a better dog. Today she is a lovely pet but there is still that underlying issue of the reactive dog. I suppose no matter how much I want to choose more wisely, to stop and think, it will always be something I will struggle with rather than something that is automatic.

So here's to better responses in 2010!

and just because I like pictures here is one of my occasional assistant: