Monday, December 26, 2011

Christmas Day



House sitting leads to some unexpected and memorable times in our lives!
We had a sweet little celebration  alone at my boss's house. When I arrived they had left me a beautiful tree with presents. So sweet and the lights twinkling at night were so lovely! As you can see, when LM arrived on Christmas morning, he got a royal greeting from Sammy, complete with a plea to throw the tennis ball!

LM truly surprised me with the gift of a lovely ring and a beautiful love letter!  Inside the love letter were also two funny Christmas morning pictures of MS G in bed with her two donkey friends (thanks Debbie)!  LM is my perfect match as we share such a warped sense of humor.
You can see my what-looks-like-a-dead-possum fut coat behind me there.  It was cold that day!  I've had the coat for years and only need to take it out several times a year.

LM Loved his new mercury glass lamp for the table beside his living room chair.


This picture of Teddy, taken on his birthday in December was accidently downloaded into this post and I cannot remove it, so here he is in all his sweetness on his 3rd birthday.

The mantle at my boss's house (r)
 below, a very unusual and pretty poinsetia on the coffee table, and the dining room table centerpiece where we later enjoyed a totally indulgent and delicious Christmas dinner of Alaskan king crab legs and broiled swordfish.  It truly was a perfect day for just us!



After we had dinner, and as we were doing the dishes we noticed the sky becoming very dark and the wind picking up, and within minutes we were in a full-fledged snow squall with hail, etc.  It lasted for about 20 minutes.  We hustled out to the car and drove about 1/2 mile to the beach and caught the storm clouds as they moved out over the Atlantic and Pleasant Bay.  You can see the precipitation coming down from the clouds over the water. Very dramatic. 
Below is another shot of the tree....we had a perfect day - simple.  We are so very fortunate to have each other, our love, our families, and to live in such great beauty.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Christmas Eve

Here they are, the stars of our Christmas Eve!
Samantha and Teddy had so much fun and brought us all so much joy. Samantha was so happy to be with her cousin and was a vision all dressed up in a beautiful blue velvet dress.

Alison always makes sets the table so beautifully!
Teddy's "friends" lined up and waiting to greet us as we arived!
LM, complete with bow on his ear, and Kristi, in her Christmas Sweater, enjoying Christmas Eve dinner.
Our dear hostess Alison and LM's daughter, Meggie

Nana with Samantha and Teddy having a great laugh.  They were actually trying to cajole me into allowing them to blow out the centerpiece candle. They did wait until after dessert, but it was  a challenge
Teddy hamming it up as we unwrapped presents.
Sara and Samantha....such a joy to see them happy and have them with us.
Mr technology and Meggie have fun with pictures on the phone. Meg is doing wonderfully in nursing school and you can see on her lap the study guide we gave her as a gift. Below, Teddy caught in a quiet moment with LM's cell phone....so funny.

Samantha's one Christmas wish was for a light-up magic wand....LM makes it work and was her hero.
Teddy with his handmade alligator....he loved it....When you roll it, the mouth opens and makes quite a noise.  I had it made by a man I met at a craft show.
Well, finally I was able to make some sense out of this post.  Blogger is still very obstinate.
We loved this Christmas celebration and it was everything we could have asked and more, just having the little ones and loving family close.


Saturday, December 24, 2011

Naughty and Nice

Ms G thought I should show you her annual tree inspection......


I have a big collection of cat ornaments and a favorite glass bluebird (not within reach of the inspector). The two glass cats below were gifts years ago from my brother, Ev.

Our favorite feline, along with her devoted servants, wish everyone a beautiful Christmas Eve....no matter how or if you celebrate, may you feel peace and love all around and within.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Little Known Facts

I don't think I've ever mentioned that I live on the first floor of a house that has a clock shop in the walkout basement.  My neighbor takes in clocks of all kinds for restoration/repair.  Being home alot the past few weeks as I fight off the respiratory ailment living in my chest, I've been so aware of the clocks as they chime the hour and the half-hour. It is really a lovely ambience and the sounds are so varied.  Once in awhile there will be a cuckoo clock and that will make me laugh, and I love the very deep sounds of the many grandfather clocks.  I love the quiet of no TV or other noises in my own space, and find it puts me in an almost meditative state, thus when the chimes sound, it takes me to the very lovely memory of a yoga teacher sounding her bells to end a meditation. So beautiful and brings one right to present consciousness.  The sounds really touch my soul. 
The main body of the clock shop is right under my bedroom, so at night, there are frequent sounds, although I do think the shop owner silences the noisy ones.  Often I pick up on the sounds of the malfunctioning clocks and they will keep striking continuously for ages and at odd times.  It never bothers my sleep and I am strangely comforted by the symphony issuing from below in the night on the odd occasion that I am not sleeping. My grandparents had many chiming clocks in their house and I loved staying there and hearing the tick tock and the chiming in the night.  It was great fun to go round with my "Di-Di" (grandfather) as he wound the clocks and made sure the time was correct.

Off to get some more sleep in an effort to rout out my malady.
Looking forward to Christmas eve with Teddy and Samantha and others tomorrow evening.  The joy of children is like none other.

May happiness, peace, joy, love and acceptance abound for you all.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Fighting the Good Fight

.....and oh what a fight. On December 2 at the company Christmas party I began to feel a tiny  bit of swelling and soreness in my throat, and by the next day I was down for the count.  The battle seemed to be going well and after two days at home the following week, I felt  much better.  Within a few days, though, a serious cough began, and worsened  this past weekend and since then I have been at home trying to recover. This morning, I feel strong enough to return to work and am about half-way recovered from laryngitis. 

I didn't let the bout get me down, and have just listened to what my body needed.  The gifts I'd been gathering throughout the year, are wrapped, a meal is planned for Christmas Eve at Jason and Alison's, and I'll do the cookng Friday night overnight in the slow cooker.  Christmas Day will find me mostly by myself with my canine charges - yes, my boss will be away for a few days - and give me more time to rest. LM and I will share a meal sometime that day.

I've missed writing, and I have my laptop touchpad failure to blame for that - mostly.  Last night, dear, dear, LM came over and brought and set me up with a wireless mouse. Ahhhhhh.

Also, in the middle of all this, I managed to buy a new car - a KIA Sorento.  I'd bought a new car almost 2 years ago but it has been a constant problem to me with failures to start, and expensive issues, so now a new car with fantastic warranty is mine.  LM has taken care of all the logistics with the car, including driving to the north shore to find my desired color, and bring it back to Cape Cod KIA. My dark cherry 2012 Sorento LX will be mine later today.

Merry Christmas to all my dear readers, family and friends!!  May you all be surrounded by love, peace, joy and light. 

PS...Ms G sends happy purrs to all, and says she loves her life with LM, especially her days spent under the down comforter!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Preparing for Winter

Starting off December with some sort of cold/flu event just so I do not have to deal with being sick for the rest of the winter (ah, that I really could plan that well!).  While I am home working through the nasty symptoms, I'm keeping myself upright, when gravity really wishes I would stop fighting and just lay down and sleep this off. So far I have managed to sort and cull my entire book collection. 3/4 of it will be given away and some donated to a local charity shop.  I kept my two small collections of cat books (maybe not so small), and my array of Cape Cod books.  What a relief!  Next up, last night when I could not sleep from this plague, I attacked the storage box containing all my important personal papers.  All done, and there were two major trips out to the dumpster - therapeutic - of course, as I took many deep breaths of the cool night air.  What a great feeling to have these huge projects off my list, and I was distracted for hours from thinking about how awful I feel. 
In the process of purging, I was also able to sort out several collections of things I'd been meaning to give to siblings and grandchildren.  They now are ready for mailing.  I also came across bits and pieces of former lives that I find I no longer need to hang on to, and they have been let go.  Freedom for my soul!
So, as much as I do not like being sick, it's not so bad after all!  I'll be already to feel fine through the holidays!

Of course, those doing my job at the office, are probably not feeling so happy, as they are doubly burdened. Alas, I have no voice right now, so I'd not be much help, not to mention, no one needs me spreading this illness. 

Today, I hope to do a little sewing after I win the battle with gravity.  Right now my head does not feel strong to stay upright. Oh well......this too, shall pass.

Hope everyone out there is happy, and healthier.  Love to all!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

No Pity

There are loud complaints heard from the home of a certain cat poacher this evening. Seems she is gazing into his eyes, unnerving the poor thief. There is also talk about how she forces him to remain seated by perching in his lap while purring, and when all else fails she lays on her back with all fours in the air to get attention.
There's an even louder complaint because he's been asked to attend the office Christmas party of the former owner of said feline. Alas, he must pay his pennance for being a stealer of hearts.
We love him just the same, though, and he'll be a perfect party date, no doubt, with nary a complaint to be heard.
If I did this it would not work!