It's The Little Things: A Purring Lap Cat

As my longtime readers know, the most amazing man in the world and I have two cats. Both of them rescues from the local humane society. The one in the photo below is named Mocha, although I rarely call her that. I use a few other cute and somewhat silly nicknames, which she actually responds to. I'm surprised she isn't messed up about that considering every couple of years I change her nicknames.

Anyhow, every morning after she's done with her breakfast, she comes over to where I am, jumps on my lap, snuggles up against me and purrs up a storm. Every. Single. Morning. Like she's thanking me for feeding her, caring for her. I've never had a cat do this before; it's the most amazing thing. When she'd done showing her gratitude, she can be found doing this:

The marathon snooze after a hearty meal.

Incidentally, my other cat never ever shows any gratitude after I feed her in the morning. I am here, after all, to serve her.

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Another Week

This week zipped right by. It sure was a busy one. My younger daughter arrived Monday evening and stayed with us until last night. She has this week off from school and she was able to get a few days off from work. As soon as she confirmed that she was coming for sure, I did what I always do: I planned a whole day of cooking and baking. All that culinary madness took place on Monday. By the time we picked her up from the bus station at 8 PM that night, the fridge was full of lunches and dinners and desserts, and I had a meal to be placed in the slow cooker the next morning marinating in the fridge. I even packed a container full of white chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin muffins and lemon bread for my daughter to take back with her. All homemade goodies with healthy ingredients.

I don�t worry too much about her when it comes to nutrition because has good eating habits. She knows how to cook and bake, and she enjoys wholesome foods. Despite being busy with school, a job and a very active social life, she eats healthy. I love that she does this. With busy and hectic schedules, and a huge selection of processed foods available, it�s easy to eat badly. It�s frightening how many �food-like� products are on supermarket shelves with very little � if any � nutritional value in them. When we eat that stuff, we are starving our bodies.

Moving on from lecturing...

We got to spend time together and catch up, which was wonderful. I enjoy listening to her voice her opinion on things and I always love hearing about her news. She is so grownup and yet whenever I look at her, I still see the baby I cuddled, the energetic toddler I chased after and the young child I put on the school bus. All that came and went and POOF suddenly she�s in high school. And that came and went and POOF she's off to university. POOF again and she�s moved to another city with her own apartment, attending the second year in university and holding down a part time job.

What??? When did this all happen? She�s the baby of the family. My older daughter already put me through this a few years ago and I was hoping the younger one would slow down a little. But the clock keeps ticking and time keeps rolling along, pushing us all foward.

Can you think of a song with the word time in it? The first one that comes to mind for me is Cyndi Lauper�s �Time After Time�, which was released in 1984. Coincidentally, I was my daughter�s age that year, only 19.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

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September

Happy new month, everyone! September has arrived. Absolutely insane. I blinked a couple of times in April and WHOOSH here we are. Any day now we should start seeing Christmas decorations at the stores. I'm kidding. Or I hope I am.

Autumn is on its way. Do you like this time of year? I love it. Pumpkins, apples, nice weather...so many things to enjoy. And the beginning of a new school year! Oh, how I loved that when I was a kid. It was so exciting getting back to school and meeting up with friends. This time of year brings all that to mind. It also brings to mind all the priceless memories of my own two girls starting their first day of class around this time. Ooop...there it is again...my heart being squeezed.

The photo above was taken in 2002. My younger daughter on the left, Alexandra (Allie, Alex) was starting her first day of kindergarten and my older daughter on the right, Marie Amanda (Maria, Marie) was starting fifth grade. Fast forward to today and little sister is beginning her second year of university and living in Ottawa with 4 other students. Big sister has graduated from university, is working full time and lives with her boyfriend...and three cats! When did this all happen? HOLY MOLY...time flies.

What about you? Do you have any thoughts, memories, feelings about this month/time of year? Please share below. I'd love to read all about them.

Here's a song that instantly comes to mind when thinking of September:

Wishing you all a great month ahead!

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Chuckles and Chortles

Happy Monday, everyone. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. The highlight of ours  was the visit with my younger daughter. Here are the three of us in the downtown area. Don't I look like a proud mama?

And here's a look at where my daughter is living these days.

Together with four other girls, she is renting the unit with the huge balcony. It's a really nice place in a really nice neighbourhood. And most important of all, she is very happy.

Now, let's get to some funny stuff. This week's humour is all about starting school...

Have a great day!

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What I�ve Learned In My Life So Far

I've learned that one of the best things you can look for in a partner is a great sense of humour.

I'm married to a goofball.

The most amazing man in the world is also one of the funniest. Whenever I'm not looking, he takes these types of nutty selfies. I have a collection of them.

What trait or traits are attractive to you?

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Chuckles and Chortles

Happy Monday, everyone! How are you all doing? I hope the weekend was good to you. My best friend, Cathy, was here for a couple of days last week. She and I have known each other since we were four. We have been there for one another for the past 47 years and have walked side by side in this journey we call life. We have laughed and played and cried together. She is the kindest, most thoughtful and loving person I know, and I'm blessed and honoured to be her friend. For two days we chatted up a storm and walked for miles. It was wonderful having her here.

Here we are on one of our marathon walks on a very hot and humid day!

Cathy on the left, me on the right.

Do you have a friend who is really special?

While you think about that, here's some funny stuff...

Have a good one!

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Chuckles and Chortles

Happy Monday, everyone, and happy 4th of July to my southern friends. I hope you've all enjoyed a lovely weekend. We were on the go go go for a couple of days. On Saturday we drove to Cornwall, Ontario to explore the area and do some biking. We were pleasantly surprised at the area's extensive and beautiful bike paths. It was a chilly and windy day but we dressed appropriately and had a great time.

Then yesterday...!!!...we drove to Ottawa where my younger daughter is living and studying, and met up at her place with the rest of the family: my brother and his wife, and my older daughter and her boyfriend. Last Sunday my older daughter turned 24 and yesterday the younger one turned 19, so it was a double birthday celebration and a family reunion. Lunch, a visit to the historical ByWard market in the heart of the city, coffee, dessert and a whole lot of catching up. It was the best day. The absolute best.

And now it's time for some funny stuff.

Have a wonderful day!

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Evening Strolls

Do you like to walk? I love to walk. And the most amazing man in the world and I do a lot of that as often as we can. We have a few favourite routes that we take and - coincidentally - every single one ends up passing by a Tim Hortons (popular Canadian coffee shop). Do we stop and treat ourselves? Of course we do. He always gets a half coffee/half hot chocolate mix and - depending on the weather - I either get a cappuccino or an iced coffee. These days it's the cold drink for obvious reasons.

We walk for a very long time and I always take along my little point and shoot camera. I don't aim for award winning photography; I simply enjoy capturing interesting sights along the way and freezing moments. It's almost like keeping a journal but in images instead of words.

Yesterday evening we walked for a very long time and at one point it started to drizzle. There were hardly any clouds in the sky, so it didn't last long. But despite being short-lived, it left behind this beautiful sight:

It's been awhile since I saw a rainbow. What a wonderful surprise this was!

Do you enjoy walking?

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Atonement

I spent yesterday morning making carrot soup for my daughter who is arriving this afternoon from Ottawa for a visit for the weekend. It's a little warm for soup but it's one of her favourite things and I was trying to make up for a blunder I made earlier this week.

On Tuesday morning I sent out a text message to both my daughters that went something like this:

ME: So we watched Game of Thrones episode 9 last night. XXXXXXXXXX...yuss!!!"

(The part with the x's wrote key information about the ending of the episode. I'm not writing it here because I don't want to spoil it for fans of this show that haven't seen it yet.)

DAUGHTER (in Ottawa): MOM I HADN'T SEEN IT YET 

ME: Oh no...sorry

Tick tock. Guilt. Tick tock. More guilt. A few minutes later...

ME: I feel bad now. Can I make you carrot soup?

Much later...

DAUGHTER: That seems fair

And that's the story of homemade carrot soup. To atone for my sin of giving away the most important part of that episode. Small price to pay if you ask me. She could've worked the guilt trip a little bit and gotten a better deal.

Are you a fan of Game of Thrones? And did you watch episode 9 this past weekend?

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It's The Little Things: Being Married To A Goofball

This one:

There are many other goofballs out there but this one is mine! And his sense of humour certainly makes life that much more interesting, and at times, bearable.

Do you have a goofball in your life?

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The Fledgling Has Taken Flight

So we're truly empty nesters now. We helped my younger daughter move out of our home and into her new apartment on May 1st. And again on May 2nd. Huh? Two days in a row? Yes, two days in a row. Because when we tried to rent a truck for May 1st, there was nothing available. Nothing. "Good luck with that" we were told. Followed by chuckling. We'd forgotten that we have a university and two colleges locally, and that all those students would be doing what my daughter was doing...moving out of dorms and apartments, and moving back home or into other apartments. Which meant that every truck was booked solid that weekend. Every single one.

Since plan A didn't work, we went onto plan B: drive to Ottawa the morning of May 1st in our car, move my daughter out of her dorm room (she had to be out by noon) and into her new apartment. The next morning we picked up the small truck we had rented (any truck you wanted was available on Monday), brought it home, loaded up my daughter's furniture and a whole bunch of other things and drove back to Ottawa for round two.

Two days of loading and traveling and unloading and traveling. Sheesh... By the time we got home Monday night, we were dead tired. But we'd do it all over again if need be. My daughter is happily settled into her first apartment with her roommates and I couldn't be happier for her. This is such an exciting time in her life.

And there was another bonus to these trips, which I'll share about tomorrow...

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Remembering My Brother

Who died five years ago on April 09, 2011  at the age of 47. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him. Not a day goes by that I don't miss him. Thankfully time has helped heal the wound that was once so deep and so raw and so painful I could barely stand it.

Always on my mind, forever in my heart.

As the years go by, I've gotten used to a new normal even though I've never stopped wishing things could have been different. Most importantly, I have reached a point in my life where I've accepted that the questions that once threatened to suffocate me  will never be answered. That there is truly no way I could have prevented his death. And so the pain has subsided with the passage of time even though the ache remains. But an ache that I can live with.

One thing that will never change is my determination to keep his memory alive for as long as I live. And so today I remember my beloved brother, Steve, who left us much too early. The world became a sadder place when he left it. But I am forever grateful to have been given the time I had with him. It was an honour and a blessing.

Perhaps we'll meet again one day...

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Hometown Memories: Christmas Caroling

One of the most nerve-racking interesting things I�ve ever done as a child is go door-to-door Christmas caroling. And of course, my brother, Steve, went right along with me because we were completely inseparable as children and did everything together.

Performing for others wasn�t the easiest thing in the world for me to do because not only was I an introverted child that avoided the spotlight, I was also a painfully shy one, too. But my brother wasn�t bashful by any means, and he was quite the ham, so that made it easier. All I had to do was follow his lead.

Many, many Christmases ago. Steve is all the way to the left and I'm all the way to the right.
My brother may not be with us anymore but I have a lifetime of wonderful memories of him.

We only visited families that we knew, which certainly put me more at ease, and I must admit that it got easier as we went from one home to another.

One of the buildings we dropped in to sing Christmas carols to some family friends.

In fact, I was disappointed when we ran out of homes to visit; I wanted to keep going. Not that being tipped after each visit and amassing a small fortune by the end of that day had anything to do with it. Not at all.

Honest.
(fingers crossed behind back)

Have you ever gone caroling?

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All My Love

�Grief is a room without doors � but somehow, with its tinsel and clich�s, Christmas finds a way in.�

- Simon Van Booy -

I�d like to begin this month�s abundance of Christmas posts with a dedication to my brother who died spring 2011, which my long time blogging pals already know about. The grief of his passing isn't as profound anymore, but when this time of year comes along my thoughts turn to him more often. And my heart aches.

Steve and I were only 11 months apart, what�s known as Irish twins,
and we shared a very special bond.

I was thinking recently about a conversation he and I had a very long time ago about death and grief and moving on; way before we�d ever had the misfortune of experiencing such a thing.

�What do you think it�s like when someone you love dies?� I asked.

He shrugged and said �I guess you�re heartbroken for awhile but you keep on living. And eventually you forget about whoever died.�

I did go on with my life because I must. He was right about that. But he was very wrong about the latter. You don�t forget. Ever.

Many Christmases ago with my two brothers. Steve is all the way to the left.

The song below is for my dear brother who introduced me to Led Zeppelin, his favourite band, when we were teens. His intention was to familiarize me with the wonderful world of rock music, and save me from the �shitty disco� (yes, he wasn't a fan) that was "contaminating" the world at the time. I hope that wherever he may be, he�ll be having a rockin� Christmas this year.

I miss you every day, Steve, for the rest of my life. All my love to you...


Is there anyone you miss this time of year?

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It�s The Little Things: The Sweet Smell Of Basil

My father loved growing vegetables and he was very good at it. He�d wake up early in the morning to tend to his garden, and spend an endless amount of time puttering around his backyard. This is something he enjoyed immensely, especially after he retired. Whenever I visited, he offered me tomatoes and cucumbers and onions and whatever else had ripened. He never was much into flowers � that�s always been my mother�s domain � and didn�t bother much with herbs, but he did favour one: Ocimum basilicum, what everyone knows as basil.

My father and my older daughter in his beloved garden.

For as long as my father had his garden, he had basil growing in it. And every now and then he would lean over and take a deep whiff of the lovely smell that this plant emits. I came to associate this scent with him, and the first spring after his passing, whenever I ran across a basil plant in the supermarket or in the garden centre or in someone�s garden, I felt an ache in my heart, remembering his love for it, and how much I missed him.

Not a year goes by that I don't grow basil in my garden in memory of my father.

My mother plants basil on my father�s grave each spring as soon as the weather permits. Because the location is warm and sunny, the plant thrives and by late summer it is quite large. On breezy days, the air surrounding my father�s grave smells wonderful as the basil leaves dance in the wind. I like to think that my father catches a whiff of that heavenly smell wherever he may be.

Is there a particular scent that you associate with someone?

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My Daughter�s Dedication To Animal Welfare

"People who say that 'money can't buy happiness' have never paid an adoption fee."

My daughter contacted me earlier this week to email her a better quality version of an image I had taken of her cat, Daeny; a beautiful female calico that she adopted from a local shelter right here in Kingston when she stayed with us for a couple of months in 2012. (Adoption story here.)

My daughter's beautiful cat, Daeny. (This is not the image my daughter requested.)

She�s using the image for a banner she�s designing for the cat rescue that she volunteers at. She and her boyfriend foster cats, and she attends the adoption days that the rescue organizes to help find �furever� homes for all the sweet furballs in foster care.

Right now, this precious calico in her care is waiting for a permanent placement:

This sweet female kitten is hoping for a furever home. Might it be you?

Throughout their young lives, I taught my children to be gentle and compassionate and charitable with animals. Thankfully, the lessons were absorbed, and now that my older daughter is living on her own she has taken it even further by actively participating in animal welfare.

Daeny and the kitten are best buddies.

It is gratifying to know that with so many people dedicated to abusing, abandoning and neglecting the helpless and vulnerable creatures we share this world with, my daughter is dedicated to helping them. My heart is full.

Wishing you all a beautiful weekend!

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Question Of The Day

Who was your first best friend?

From the moment I was born, I already had my first best friend lined up: my brother Steve. We were Irish twins (less than a year between us), and we were inseparable when we were children. From morning to night, we were always together; practically joined at the hip. We ate together, slept at the same time, woke up at the same time, played together, shared everything we had with one another, and never fought. We went so far as mimicking each other�s actions. If he left three peas on his plate, I did, too. If I drank only half my glass of milk, so did he. If he didn�t want to put on a scarf, neither did I. We were two peas in a pod. And my childhood was that much more amazing with my brother - my first best friend - in it.

We were best buddies.

Your turn...
Who was your first best friend?

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Ten Glorious Years

�Love is a force more formidable than any other. It is invisible - it cannot be seen or measured, yet it is

powerful enough to transform you in a moment, and offer you more joy than any material possession could.�

- Barbara de Angelis -

Today marks a very special occasion in our home as the most amazing man in the world and I celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary.

�At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet.� - Plato -

It�s hard to believe that a whole decade has passed when it seems like only yesterday that we said �I do�. Our relationship continues to thrive year after year because of the simple things we honour.

�I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.� - Roy Croft -

We are faithful and genuine and honest and patient. And admire and respect each other.

"When someone else�s happiness is your happiness, that is love." - Lana Del Ray -

We never fight or yell or blame. We listen more than we speak. And never take each other for granted. Each day together is a gift that we cherish.

"We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly." - Sam Keen -

We play and laugh together. The hearty sense of humour we share keeps us young and vibrant, and adds joy to our lives.

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." - Lao Tzu -

We appreciate our similarities as well as our differences, support each other in every way, and make necessary compromises. We strive to meet halfway when needed, but also go the extra mile if we have to.

"Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place." - Zora Neale Hurston -

We are not just a couple, but also the best of friends. Meeting each other�s needs, and doing things to make each other happy is not a sacrifice, it�s a pleasure.

�True love stories never have endings.� - Richard Bach -

And most importantly, we don�t just love one another, we are also in love.

�Love is when you look into someone's eyes and you see their heart.� - Unknown -

Every year is better than the last, and I am eternally grateful for crossing paths with this amazing man, and for the incredible journey we are on.

�Two souls and one thought, two hearts and one pulse.� - Halen -

I wish you all a beautiful day.

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