Christmas Crunch!

I can hardly believe there's only 2 days til Christmas!

Where'd the time go?

There's presents to wrap! tidying to finish! last minute trips to Costco and the grocery store!

Christmas dessert to be made!

I work tomorrow, so I'm off to tackle my 'to do' list!

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!

I hope you are surrounded by peace and love!

xoxo

adorable Christmas bauble by fabulous and generous illustrator Tricia-Rennea.

[http://triciarennea.blogspot.com/]

Sigh....

The snow started yesterday, pretty much right on time. I found out the day before that my van needs a 'major engine repair' to the tune of about $3000! Yikes~it's nearly fifteen years old! So, that's not happening, and I don't want to drive it, since it could die at any time. Now to figure out how to afford a new (to me at least) vehicle. Too bad I don't have all those jillions of dollars I'm always winning every day in my spam box! For now tho, I'll be walking to work~it'll be my stress relief! Between my feet, the bus and mr pawprint, I should be OK for awhile...

How she's grown...

18 years ago I was basking in the glow (read:exhaustion) of new motherhood! My beautiful girl turns 18 today! Sometimes it's hard to believe that my 5lb 14oz bundle of awesomeness has grown into such a gorgeous young woman, since it seems like yesterday that she was born. As if I just blinked and she's all grown up...

She's working today but I've taken the day off. There's cupcakes to be baked! And much remembering for me, of the last eighteen years of growing together.

photo by awesome photographer Carol-Ann Loeppky

barnyard cuteness!!

Nicky has settled into her new barn~and so have we! I love to be there night after night, surrounded by these beautiful animals~curious and gentle~well, mostly, anyway! She's a bit of a loner, but I've made some new friends!


This is Amber. She is about 8 years old. Isn't she pretty?






The black horse is Pixel! She's a pony. I always thought a pony was a young horse. In fact a pony is a small horse-height wise. Ponies are always adorable!







What would a barn be without a barn cat ot two? Lena is peeking underneath a locker door, while her brothers Leroy (the ginger) and Leo have a snooze. They are curious but feral, and there are 4 younger kittens about 6 weeks old also. They will need to be caught soon and taken to the vet for spaying/neutering.

International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day ...

I didn't know this day existed until a few days ago. Tonight, October 15th, candles are being lit at 7 PM in remembrance of babies who have died before, during, or after their birth. Truthfully, I lit a candle for my Levi a couple of hours ago, I'll just light more at 7.
[Awesome pencil sketch of Levi by artist Heather Spears]

update...

We received our new rotation yesterday and I'm happy to be able to stay in my dept! I've had to go from part-time to full-time, but my position was just barely part-time anyway. We've lost 2 co-workers, one chose to move to another dept and one to another site. There may still be changes tho, as 'bumping' will start next week. Our area requires specialty training, so we should be safe, but ya never know! Fingers crossed!

Introducing....

'NICKY'

My daughter has a horse! She is a beautiful, 6 year old 'pintabian'. Isn't she beautiful? Right now she's enjoying several acres with about 2 dozen other horses. When we go out to get her for a ride, 4 or 5 males follow us and wait for her. They are all so sweet!

9/11

I remember the night before~there was a HUGE spider in my bedroom. I was unable to catch it (to return it outdoors) and decided to sleep on the couch. My daughter woke me up in the morning~yelling to me that her Dad had called and told her a plane had flown into a building in New York. We turned the TV on to see the horrific image of the second plane flying into the 2nd tower. Never in my life will I forget the sound of that plane or those images. My spider emergency didn't seem like such a big freaking deal anymore.

Wishing everyone a peaceful day of remembrance today...

Finally...

I picked up Poppy's ashes today. It's taken me this long to feel like I could go to the vet's and get them (she died at the beginning of November) They gave me a certificate for the cremation and a copy of 'Rainbow Bridge' which made me cry..

I have Gypsy's ashes too. Maybe one day we'll take them to the park and scatter them along the trail. Or not..

It's holiday time!

It's the hottest summer here ever~at least up to now~just as my holidays have started, so has the rain! WTF is that about?

We spent yesterday at a local Blues and Roots Festival. It was great! There was a bit of rain on the drive, but it cleared up just as we arrived. Awesome music, lots of food, alcohol for those who wanted it. Sharon Jones has incredible energy, and Smokey Robinson has great pipes! Honestly, when he came out in those shiny, skin-tight red leather pants, well, it was just a hoot!

At one point we watched an eagle fly overhead with a fish in it's talons~and just before 8 PM hundreds of crows started flying to their roosting spot! there were dragon flies all day. Wasps too, but they were just annoying. Next weekend we're travelling to another festival about 5 hours away, encompassing the entire weekend! I can't wait!

it's an invasion!

Saturday morning I got up to discover a major ant invasion in my kitchen. After taking about a jillion of them outside in shotglasses(I'm a catch and release kind of gal) I googled non-toxic deterrents and discovered that they hate cinnamon-who knew! It looked to me like they were coming in where the water pipes are under the kitchen sink, so I covered the area with cinnamon! Either they are using another entrance or there were lots hiding out, because I've taken at least 30 out today. Honestly, I like ants. They're cool. Just not in my house! And seriously, why does this happen when mr pawprint is out of town??? And don't they ever sleep? It's nearly 1:30 in the morning and I'm still trapping them. Jeez, I'd have a martini, but all my shot glasses are in use...

it's summer!

Man, it's hotter than stink!! I don't want to complain tho~our winters are sooo long here. The biggest challenge (besides coping with the sauna-like atmosphere) is making sure the cat doesn't get out when the doors are open~we've been shutting her in the bedroom, since she usually sleeps there, but she's on to us now and has started sleeping under a desk in the living room! She stays put for awhile once the door is open, then when I'm not looking, she quietly pussyfoots outside and jumps off the deck to eat grass!

It should start cooling off in an hour or so. Then it'll be my fave time of the day~sitting in the cool air with a bunch of candles and some juice or a martini..

Hope everyone is having an awesome summer...

an anniversary....

Yesterday was our 4th anniversary of being together~the anniversary of our first date. For the first time, we didn't celebrate it, or even mention the day. I'm sure he knew~he gets email reminders for all special days~but this year even I didn't feel into the day. I'm not sure what, exactly, we would be celebrating. He remains married to someone else. Never would I have thought, 4 years ago when we started out, that this would be the case at this point in time. I have no feelings that we are moving forward in our relationship. I no longer wear my engagement ring. For the first time, this year we are not having vacation time together. He will be going away at the end of this month for a week and possible two weeks. And you know what? I am so looking forward to it! I wonder how we will both feel when he returns. There are lots of good things about my partner. He is wonderful to my daughter. He is so kind to my Mom and other family. He and my brother get along really well. He cooks. Often! He massages my neck and my feet when they're sore and tired. Again, often.

It's time to make our relationship a priority. We have a weekend away coming up in August. It'd be nice to really enjoy it as a couple. Better get crackin'...

bye, Kitty!!

Yesterday morning I was sitting on the deck having coffee when a car stopped and a man ran over to the mailbox and tore off the sign I'd put up about the kitty. I went in and got the phone right away! It rang in less than a minute and when he said 'bushy tail and tan belly' I knew this was his cat! They had just been on their way to check the animal shelter and are so happy to have 'Izzy' back! As for Julie, we've been telling her the whole thing was a bad dream. She looks at me as if to say "what kitten?" So we are back to normal again...

A tail of new kitty...

Last night I was waiting for Mr Pawprint to get home (working O/T) when I heard someone calling 'kitty,kitty'~couldn't see anyone, but did see the movement of a cat and thought it might be ours~altho had NO idea how she could have gotten out. So outside I went and found the cutest young cat out by the mailboxes. Couldn't leave it for the coyotes to munch on, so picked it up and brought it inside. This is how we obtain most of our pets~thru rescue. Julibelle, our resident cat, has forgotten she was found in the gutter and is not pleased! Hopefully, someone will be out looking for it today~totally a sweet kitten with a hugely bushy tail! Someone must be missing it alot!

Little bird....

I found my lovebird 'Golda' dead in the bottom of the cage yesterday. We hand- raised her and her sibling 'Shamus' from babies~they have always been called 'the babies' and it was a shock to see a mound of yellow and orange feathers so still on the cage floor when I lifted the cover. Shamus was squawking as usual, but was very quiet after I took Golda out. We wrapped her in gold and royal blue tissue~royal colors and fitting for her, we thought, and we'll bury her in the woods next to our house today. Poor wee mite.

This is Poppy~our wonderful old dog! What a character! And so smart!

One summer we painted our deck. No one saw her go out, but the next thing we knew there were paint paw-prints from the kitchen door to the laundry room, stopping right in front of her kibble bag!

Poppy left us a few months ago (Nov 4/08) and the lino has since been changed to tile. It's lovely, but oh how I miss those paw-prints going thru the kitchen!