At peace

At 5:45 this evening, Oscar passed onto the Rainbow Bridge quite peacefully. Before we went into the room, I was holding him and he sighed a little bit and put his head on my shoulder like he used to do as a kitten. He let me hold him throughout everything, except for the final bits. He needed to be stretched out a bit so the vet could find a vein that worked.

The Vet was super nice and treated Oscar with a great deal of dignity and respect. She explained the procedure even though we've been through it before. She gave Oscar the tranquilizer and left us alone to say our goodbyes before coming back in to give him the second injection.

I gave Oscar all the love I could in those final moments. I told him all about the big fat mice that couldn't run and the damn bird that he'd finally be able to catch. I told him what a good boy he always was and how very much I loved him and that there will never be another cat that will take his place. He'll be my forever baby boy.

And then, it was done. He was happy and healthy and chasing mice and hanging with his buddies again.

We buried him at Mom and Dad's. Dad had a beautiful spot all picked out and M dug the grave. I started to sob when M threw in the first bit of dirt and I couldn't watch as my beautiful baby boy was covered with dirt.

And then M took my hand, lead me back over to the graveside and said "let's say a prayer". And he thanked God for letting us have one of His angels in our lives and letting us care for him for a little while.

I know it was the right thing to do. He's happy now and I'll see him soon. Even if it's decades from now, I'll be with my baby boy again...soon.

Not been around

Sorry 'bout not being 'round lately, whiners. The body isn't playing nicely together. Not one thing, it's another.

But I'm out here...reading, thinking, yes...thinking! *G* ... getting perfumy orders in the mail.

Speaking of which...check out Blooddrops. I tried the order of Dandelion Wine that I received with my order. ZOMG smells like summer. YUM YUM. Do love. Tomorrow I may try the famous "Denny's after Rocky". Just HAD to get that one because...well...those of you who know me well know my love of Rocky. *G*

Off to bed now. Try to make la tum settle down and le migraine go. the. f. away!!!

I figured it out!

Okay, so in the world of "hatemail" or HTML, I can be rather dense.

But, as you can see my faithful Whiners, I figured out that damn cloud tag AND how to re-add my widgets. (actually, the widgets weren't hard. *G*)

But I figured it out after a tantrum the other night in an email to DogMom. *G* She's so very understanding about things...especially when I figure I'm just too stupid to do something. She's always there with an encouraging word. So, thanks DogMom!

And, just 'cause I figured it out...doesn't mean that I understand any of it. I just figured out how to follow the dang directions. *G* But I did it! Yay me!

Yet another day

Nothing remarkable to report for today. Nothing remarkable happened. Nothing earth shattering. Nothing.

But it was a pretty good day nonetheless. Just being slowly busy, took a nap (ahhh) and got a few things done. Sorta. *G*

Update on my Oscar monster...

He seems to be doing well. He visited M in the shower today. He hasn't done that in quite awhile and it used to be a daily event. He asked me for brush-brushes and sat "in" my lap. (between my legs...used to be his favorite spot.) All things that he hasn't done in awhile...so...here's hoping!

Of course, he still looks like and feels like a turkey carcass. I'm afraid to feed him too much protien because of his kidneys but the boy needs some weight put back on him!

The other cats are all doing well. Xander and Willow are slowly becoming friends with Aggie. Or is that the other way around? *G* Aggie is getting more tolerant as she realizes that the kittens will PLAY with her. Of course, when playtime is over (for Aggie) then it's OVER and she'll go into super bitch mode. But while they're playing, all is well and good.

The Bean (Willow) seems to have decided that MOMMY is her new favorite person. She's been sleeping with me and cuddling next to me on the sofa. Of course, this might have something to do with the "power of cheese" since Mommy shares and Daddy doesn't. *G*

Hopefully I'll be going "grocery" shopping at the Farmer's Market on Saturday. I'm tired of paying out the nose for bland tasting food. Granted, some of the stuff I've gotten lately hasn't been too bland, but for the most part I just want to support the local farmers and have fresh REALLY vine ripened tomatoes and other goodness on my plate.

There's a farm stand I want to check out tomorrow with my "chauffeur" J. Down in Eastgate off of Aicholtz road. Coincidentally, it's a part of the Aicholtz farm. *G* (interesting...google spell checker says that "Aicholtz" should be "Nicholas". Wonder how the heck they got THAT!)

Hmm. No other news or ponderings from me tonight. At least, not right now. Have a good night, Whiners. See ya tomorrow.

Fulfillment

So I was talking with M tonight as we were headed home from getting Oscar's medicine. I've been reading blogs from other friends and their friends...and their friend's friends...and it seems like so many people out there are really truly fulfilled by what they're doing in life.

Some are homeschooling their kids and yet still find time to pick berries and make jam and what sounds like an awesome strawberry lemonade concentrate. Others are child free and seem to have hobbies that fulfill them or give them something outside of themselves to perfect and enjoy.

M theorized that becoming fulfilled is easier for extroverts. That they find accomplishment in "outside" things. Not just outside the home but outside themselves. That for an introvert, it's more difficult because to be fulfilled, they need to not only be fulfilled outside of themselves but inside themselves as well.

I'm not sure if I agree with everything that M is saying. But, I have to say that the more I think about the "being fulfilled outside as well as inside [myself]" I can see where he's coming from. I know that, for me, just doing things to be doing them doesn't satisfy me. I want to take something away from the experience or I feel like I've just wasted my time.

But...then the question becomes, "what do I want to do that will fulfill me in a way that nurtures my inside as well as my outside needs?"

And that, my Whiners, is where I get bogged down. I'm STILL working on this dang 101 in 1001 list and...well...it's really going nowhere. I'm feeling so apathetic about things lately. I just don't care and...well...that's not good.

I'm tired of not caring about things. I want to care again but I feel like it's just too much trouble for not enough pay off. And dang it, I'm tired of feeling like that too.

How do you do it? How do you make yourself care again? How do you find just the thing that makes you feel fulfilled? How do you make your life meaningful again?

'Cause, let me tell you, I just ain't feelin' the meaningful.

Mmmm Oily goodnessssss

No no whiners...it's not greasy food...

It's indie perfumer Possets' lovely goodness...

I heard about Possets from some Ravelry mavens and thought "why the heck not?" So I wandered over to the site and...ZOMGoodness...so much lovely I couldn't decide. Besides, Fabienne is a Cincinnati gal...I had to try just to, you know, keep it in the 'Nati.

So I got some Possettes. High Tea, Silver Carnations, Gingerbread Crackhouse and the sister perfume, Gingerbread Whorehouse, Strawberry Heart and her Girl's Love series. (Limeys, Vanilla, Possets, Clubbing and Pink Pepper)I also decided on Maderia and Hyde Park, two of her Cincinnati series.

I fell in love at first sniff. I especially adore Strawberry Heart (no really? *G*) which goes on very very berry and dries down to a nice strawberry incense smell. Not that fake stuff you can get at Wallyworld, but the really good hand done stuff of specialty stores. Mmm.

High Tea smells like a nice big cold glass of Iced Tea with lemon. Some days it smells like Earl Grey...equally nice.

Silver Carnations smells just like carnations. Mom, who is NOT a perfume lover despite being a candle maven herself, sniffed it and said "yeah, I'd wear that!" *G* It's that spicy smell of good homegrown carnations. You used to be able to buy carnations that smelled like carnations but anymore, they've bred the scent right out of them. Pass on the dead blooms and pick up a bottle of Silver Carnations. YUM. You'll so thank me. :o)

I didn't care for Gingerbread Whorehouse. Something about it went "off" on my skin. However, if you like gingerbread and you like the smell of cheap success, this one might be for you. It's not bad...it's just not...me.

The Girls Love...Vanilla is VANILLA and more VANILLA. Yum. I don't like vanilla perfumes for the most part but...smokey bones is this a good vanilla. Smells like the GOOD extract Mom used to get from Mexico. M likes it as well. ;o)

The Girls Love...Limeys is very lime and very fresh. A nice scent that I'm going to have to try again before I make any definite decisions about it.

Those are the ones I've tried so far. I've been wearing Strawberry Heart 'cause I really just can't get enough of it. I'll have to ween myself off so I can try the others. *G*

Next up will be other indie oily goodnesses. Like BPAL (Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab) and Cobalt Blends' Lux Vixen and Blooddrop. (I have an order coming from Blooddrop...she donates a percentage of sales of some of her products to cat charities. How could I resist? Fabienne of Possets does the same with her Penelope and Maggie scents. Maggie is s'more heaven. Penelope is caramel goodness. *happy sigh*)

I think I'm in love...

Found a "new" band today.

Enter The Haggis is an eclectic mix of rock, fusion, bluegrass, traditional Celtic fare, agitpop, folk, even Latin flavors (from their Bio page)

Check them out. I'm just...awed by this group. Rock...with a piper. And fiddle. and traditional rock stuff...

Especially check out "Martha Stewart" and "Marti's Last Stand"

Simon's Cat

I love Simon's Cat. So true...so true.

who am I

Your result for The Camelot Test...

Lancelot

Honourable and passionate. You never back down from a challenge. Your friends are very important to you. You believe in justice and duty far above your own personal security and comfort.

Congratulations! This was the most challenging result to get. You are one of a kind.

Take The Camelot Test at HelloQuizzy

Happy Blog day to me!

Heh...so here it is, Year 2 of my blog.

Where will I go? What will I do? Who will I be when this year ends and year 3 begins?

I wrote some time ago about the meme 101 in 1001. I've been stuck somewhere in the 80s and can't think of other things to put on my list so I've been putting off posting it.

Well, I'm going to take some time tonight and give it a total look see and try to figure out some other things. After that, (tomorrow) I'm going to post it and my start date. (tomorrow maybe. *G*)

Let's see where I'll be in 1001 days.

Wow...

Almost a year has past since I started this blog. I haven't really said anything of importance, haven't made any earth shattering discoveries about myself or really anything else...

But I've had fun. I've rediscovered my love of writing so I'm going to make a challenge for myself.

I will blog everyday for the next year. (well starting tomorrow since that's my blogoversary) It doesn't matter what I have to blog about, I will be out here either posting pictures or just chatting.

Let's see if I can stick with it. *G*

When in doubt...turn to The Word

It always steers me right...1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

NIV:

11 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

ESV: (verse 10b)

But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

The Message (mostly just for fun...but this one does ring with me...)

11-12Stay calm; mind your own business; do your own job. You've heard all this from us before, but a reminder never hurts. We want you living in a way that will command the respect of outsiders, not lying around sponging off your friends.

and

KJV:

11And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

12That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

Now...for the study of these verses and the meditation and prayer to understand just what they're saying to me. (well to everyone...but to me right now.)

Living Simply

I've been doing a lot of thinking over the past few months about simple living. I don't mean sustenance farming or anything like that. Just living simply. Not having to live our lives to the schedule of the TV or to rush from here to there and back again only to rush someplace else.

Looking around on the internet shows a plethora of blogs of women who are living simply. So I go out to look and 9 times out of 10, or even more likely 10 out of 10, the woman has children, mostly under the age of 10.

It's not that I can't learn anything from these women, but, most of their tips are for other SAHMs or even working moms. Homeschooling seems to be a huge topic as well.

So how does a happily child-free woman learn the "simple" life? Especially one that's home anyway (I have an AMAZING husband!) yet doesn't have a concept of where to begin. Nor do I have the strength most days due to (undiagnosed at this time) fibromyalgia.

How does one simplify? What do I give up? What do I retain? How do I go about doing the things I want to do if I can't lift a shovel or sometimes even a knitting needle?

I guess I need to think this out some more. Decide just WHAT I want to simplify and why. (I know that bills will be a BIG part of it!)I need to get a schedule down...sleeping, cleaning, decluttering...one thing at a time.

*sigh* It'll come. I know it will.

WHEW

We are finally married!! Yay!

The day was wonderful. So full of love and life and family...none of the drama that I was terrified would happen, actually happened. *whew*

Married life is an adjustment. M and I never shared a bed even though we lived together for 10 years. We were good! I swear! *G* So of course, having slept by myself for 38 years, it's a total adjustment to start sharing a bed with someone. There are great perks...besides THAT one! *G* I love the "2 am reach" as DogMom calls it. Where, at 2 when you wake up and can't figure out where you are and your heart starts beating a thousand beats a minute and you're starting to freak out and you reach out and...oh happy day!...there he is ready to cuddle you in his strong arms and to chase the nightmares away.

And we've had our first major appliance failure already. *sigh* Our 'fridge died sometime Sunday night/Monday morning. The very nice gentleman (and he really was a gentleman!) who came to fix it said "after all the parts 'n labor, you'd put in more than 1/2 of what you'd pay for a new one. Probably around the same amount actually." So that's what M and I did Monday night. We got a new Whirlpool fridge, nice and pretty and bright. Deeeeep with lots and lots of space in the freezer and 'fridge part. My favorite part is the in door ice maker. Gives the freezer TONS more space. And we needed it since I tend to buy meats when they're on extreme sale and package them up for later use.

God was good to us because Mom and Dad, those lovely, wonderful parents of mine, gave us a wedding present (besides my KitchenAid mixer that I've drooled over and wanted for ages 'n ages.)that pretty much covered the new 'fridge. So, if you're reading this M&D? THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!

Anyway, it's been a nice adjustment so far. *G*

Is it over yet??

Man. I love the fact that I'm getting married and really, I pretty much like the fact that I'm having a realio wedding.

But damn. Is it over yet?

I'm exhausted.

reviews

I've done reviews on here before. I've done them on my other couple of blogs (see list at the left *G*) as well.

I'm still constantly amazed at the things that people will review that I've never thought of reviewing.

Like nail polish. I found hundreds of sites for nail polish reviews. Even a really cool one called Community Nail Polish Gallery. Check it out...gives you everything you could ever hope for in nail polish stuff.

4 more days

or so!

I can't believe it's less than a week before the wedding!! This Saturday...man...I can't wait.

Of course, M's Mom and Dad aren't able to make it due to Dad F's health. *sigh* Poor M. I know how much he wanted his Dad there. Thank goodness that Captain Spaulding was good enough to step in as "Best Man Proxy". I don't know what I'd have done. As it is, I'm so stressed that I have 2 cold sores and the lysine isn't working and neither is the abreva. So I called the Doc and sniffled at her and she called in some Valtrex for me! Thanks Doc!

Got some Lil 'Kinz tonight for my Webkinz. I now have the 3 shorthair lil 'kinz cats and the black lab puppy lil 'kinz. *G* I'm such a child. But it's fun. If you haven't played with Webkinz...it's a totally safe environment for kids...there's interaction but it's all scripted. And you don't have to interact with anyone. I only do with the nieces and an "adult" (I put that in quotes 'cause SHE has more 'kinz than I do! Something like 39!!) friend of mine.

You can do all sorts of things on Webkinz. My favorite is digging for gems. *sigh* I wish you could do it all the time but alas...you're only allowed to dig once a day. *G* I need one more white gem to get all the white gems for the "legendary crown of wonder!!!"

Okay...off to watch MASH.

Less than a month to go

Well campers, I have less than a month left of my eternal spinsterhood! LOL I can't wait until M and I FINALLY tie the knot.

Pretty much everything is done. Of course, my beloved DogMom, the Honourable Matron of Honor of mine, went and borked herself last weekend. Poor Punkin'.

SOOO, my hopes and dreams for a wedding day where no one was hurt, got cancer, or anything like that went up in smoke. Or down in water. Or whatever. But that's okay. I'm just glad that DogMom's okay and stuff.

Other than that, I've been busy with wedding stuff, ordering things from firemountaingems.com to make presents and my wedding jewelry and just basically lazing about trying to remember what the hell I'm supposed to be doing NEXT.

Oh yes...More James

I think it's about time to post some more pictures of the most delish guy on TV. What do y'all think?



Love this one:



One day I'll see him in concert...



And what are pictures of James without a "Spikeish" one?



That's all for now...I have MANY more to share laters...*G*

I'm so stupid

Yesterday was DogMom's birthday and I didn't even wish her a Hippo Birdie here in my blog. *sigh* I iz sowwy DogMom. No really...see???


see more dog pictures

In other news...not really news but whatever...I'm officially nervous about the wedding. Not about getting married. I'm excited about that. I'm nervous about all the details that are still MISSING.

"Like what", you ask? Well. Frex, I don't have a caterer. I don't have invitations. I don't have favors, my dress (even though THAT is on order), shoes, undergarments...I could go on but my head is ready to explode.

I made M promise to give me ALL of Saturday just for ME to decide what to do and where to go. He's not allowed to complain about anything. I told him he could take the laptop and/or the DS and I'd do the stuff myself, but he's not allowed to complain.

We'll see how long it lasts. IF it actually happens. *sigh*