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Archive for the ‘Musings’ Category

A Monday List

Posted in Captain Cavedweller, Musings, tagged , , , on October 24, 2011| Leave a Comment »

1. It definitely looks like fall in our neighborhood today. How did so many of the trees don entirely new coats of color overnight?

2. Because it looks like fall, I just want to stay home, drink spicy tea (thanks, Brandi) and sit by the fire like a warm, lazy slug.

3. I spent the entire weekend repainting my bathroom. A project that should have taken two hours, in my head. Things are sparkly, lovely and completely delusional in my head.

4. Because I spent the entire weekend repainting my bathroom, polishing, scrubbing and putting things back to rights, the rest of my house looks like a stage 3 disaster zone.

5. My BFF brought me pumpkins yesterday afternoon.

6. Because she caught me in the midst of my project, I was completely disoriented by the fumes and even more loopy than usual. I didn’t even ask her to stay long enough for a cup of tea.

7. Captain Cavedweller bought me the most wonderful rug for the bathroom for my birthday.

8. Because of that blasted rug that didn’t match my walls, I had to repaint the bathroom. Which was so much easier than returning the rug for a different color.

9. I’m trying to meet my self-imposed deadline of finishing my two holiday books before Halloween.

10. Because of my self-imposed deadline, I don’t see the disaster in my house getting any better anytime soon. In fact it may get worse as I make the final recipes for my holiday entertaining book and snap some photos.

She Who Isn’t Quite Ready For It To Be Monday

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Real Beauty

Posted in Family, Musings, tagged , , , on October 20, 2011| 1 Comment »


“You can take no credit for beauty at sixteen.  But if you are beautiful at sixty, it will be your soul’s own doing.” 

~Marie Stopes

I read this quote and it really got me thinking about youthful beauty compared to that of later years.

I see beautiful older women who radiate loveliness from the inside out. I want to look like that when I’m 60. My Aunt Robbie is one of those who just gets more beautiful with age, and she is almost 80! I used to think beautiful old people just happened, like some magical transformation.  I now know better.

When I was 16, I thought I was homely, fat and about as far from beautiful as a girl could get. What I wouldn’t give now to look as I did at 16! That was before chicken pox scars, before too many recipes made with butter, before (gulp) middle age started settling in.

Why didn’t anyone tell me how traumatic it was going to be to hit 40? Things you take for granted and have become completely used to just being have suddenly turned on you overnight. Gravity has become an enemy, every single thing you eat shows up not only on your scale, but also in the tone and texture of your skin, and wrinkles… oh, I won’t even get started on wrinkles. Or gray hair.

And for goodness sakes, why didn’t someone warn me about the need to be slathered in lotion a couple times of day in an effort to fight off the awful effects of aging skin? If I put on anymore at bedtime, I might slide right off the sheets.

I’ve come to the conclusion that being outwardly beautiful in middle age or older is a lot of hard work. You can’t just coast along hoping things will go well. You’ve got to dig trenches, arm yourself for battle and charge headlong into the war! It isn’t a fight for the weary or faint-hearted.

It takes fortitude!

It takes strength!

It takes patience!

Which is why I might just go sit a while and think about my game plan while eating some chocolate truffles. Maybe I’ll work on ways to enhance that inward beauty while I’m at it.

She Who Is Not Loving Her Wrinkles Today

 

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Happy 80th Birthday, Mom

Posted in Family, Musings, tagged , on October 18, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Saturday, I drove hours away to help pull off a surprise birthday party for my mom.

My dad and I had been planning it for weeks and were biting our nails in hopes the event would remain a surprise. Judging by the look on Mom’s face as Dad brought her into the room, our mission was successful.

About 80 people joined us to celebrate Mom’s 80th birthday (how ironic is that?). It was so awesome to see friends and family I haven’t seen in years and years.

I so appreciate everyone who came and helped make the party a big success. And those who helped keep the secret. And those who helped keep things running smoothly! You all are so appreciated!

 

The birthday girl with my dad.

 

Some of the family.

 

More guests...

 

The birthday cake, which I was glad to have the bakery make!

 

Flowers for the birthday girl.

 

I think one of my favorite photos I took was of my great-nephew Will holding my cousin's new little guy. There was just something about our baby holding a baby that made my heart melt in a puddle.

 

She Who Enjoyed This Party

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Soldiers and Magicians

Posted in Captain Cavedweller, Musings, Pets, tagged , , on October 12, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Monday night I had to run out to my sewing/craft room (which is not attached to the house, but is across the backyard) to patch Captain Cavedweller’s work uniform. In my haste to get back to whatever I was doing before himself reminded me I promised to patch up his problem, I failed to give the room the usual sweep to make sure Miss Maizy had not sneaked in uninvited.

She has a unique talent of opening doors. It was a challenge all summer once she mastered the ability to open the patio screen door. Then there is the small problem of her sneaking in the back room into my craft room unseen. I will firmly close the door to the back room (which is CC’s domain of weight machines and whatnot) and go into my sewing room and push the door mostly closed. Then the next time I turn around, I’ll be scared half witless, because Miss Maizy will be sitting in the middle of the floor staring at me. She makes no noise, doesn’t announce her presence and I have no idea how she got in.

That is really starting to morph from a small problem to a big problem.

Last night CC ran out to put some chicken on the barbecue and looked over at the back room to see Miss Maizy sitting in the craft room window. Seriously? Apparently she snuck in while I was doing CC’s patching job and I failed to notice her presence before I shut the door.

Fantastic.

When I went running out back to rescue her, she took her own sweet time climbing out of the window and wandering her way outside. As if to say “Oh, there you are. I  wondered when you’d come back.”

Good grief!

I think I will start calling her Houdini.

Drooley

And while she is perfecting her break-in routines, Drooley, the Heinous Cat has been doing his best at pretending he is a soldier guarding the home post.

A stray cat has taken up residence in our neighborhood and attempts to sneak in and steal whatever food Drooley and Maizy leave behind. This covert activity is not settling well with Drooley at all.

Last night he was on perimeter patrols for hours. It was entertaining to watch him march along the fenceline, back and forth.

I told CC he needed to get the cat a little helmet to wear. Maybe a toy gun to carry. We wouldn’t want our little soldier to feel deprived of a full uniform as he defends his post and keeps up the guard work.

She Who Must Tolerate Two Crazy Cats

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