Dear Cat

You will note, there is an assembled Christmas tree in the front hall. I wanted to thank you, personally, for leaving it alone for two whole days while there were no decorations on it. You have set such a fine example of willpower, restraint, and refinement in your behavior I cannot help but feel as if I might be able to trust you. In fact, I even pulled out the box of "good" ornaments for use this year.

However, now that it is decorated, I spotted you eyeing it this morning. Please know that each ornament was carefully chosen and placed in an eye pleasing arrangement. It pleases ME. I don’t care where YOU think the ornaments should go. I have also counted them. I know exactly how many are on that tree. I WILL notice if they go missing. The lights, you will notice, are working perfectly. I would prefer they stay that way.

Each package under the tree was wrapped with the utmost care. Do not chew on them. Do not shred the ribbons. Do not use them as launching pads to the upper branches. It is just a small tree and you, um, are not. 

Human family members will be arriving on Christmas Eve and staying until New Years Eve. That is only nine days from now. Surely, you can delay any tree climbing activity, such as you have done in the past, until after that time, Yes?

Good, I'm glad we've got that covered. I'm proud of you. Keep up the good work. I fully trust you will make the right decisions.



“Yeah. Whatever, lady.”

Sweet Cheeks

The new camera has arrived. Now all I need to do is figure out how to use the darn thing.

Tick Tock, Tick Tock… Why is That Clock So Loud?

I am in mourning. I'm not sure how long it will last. When you lose someone so near and dear to your heart, it can take quite some time to get over it. My camera and I had been together for years. Like glue. My best friend. Now she's dead and I'm not quite sure what to do without her.

It seems I'm a visual person. I need the photos in order to write. They are my inspiration. Sure, I could tell you about how Little Joey rubbed noses with me this morning and then tried to eat my coat but, it just isn't the same, because a picture tells 1000 words. Without the photo, you can't see how stinkin' cute he is. Or how much his nuzzling made me swoon. I'd have to use words for that. I'm really more of a picture book kind of gal.

I've placed an order for a new best friend. Not of the quality of the old friend. I cannot afford her greatness (good grief have you priced a DSLR lately?) It seems like it is taking forever for the UPS man to get here with it. That's probably okay. It gives me time to mourn and adjust to the idea. And is certainly a better option than going out and fighting the Christmas shoppers this time of year. Those people are crazy. I'll try not to scare the delivery guy when he gets here by pouncing on him. I can't guarantee anything though.

Everybody Stay Calm

My camera is broken. Do. Not. Panic. Let’s think this through.

OMG.  My camera is broken!

Kaput. Card will no longer read kaput. I used to be able to jiggle it.  Now nothing.

OMG!!!! MY CAMERA IS BROKEN!!!! WHAT AM I GONNA DO NOW?

Somebody hand me a paper bag, I’m starting to hyperventilate.

But It Looks Better on Me

I knit a cowl/scarf to give as a Christmas gift.



The colors look better on me. I’m keeping it.

Oh, PLEASE! Like you’ve never done that yourself!

Five Things Friday

1. The Evil One, aka Turd, peed in my laundry basket, knocked over an entire can of Diet Pepsi, and destroyed the wicker laundry hamper. Yet, he still lives. I can actually hear the brownie points racking up for me in Heaven.

2. The writing suggestions you all have made are excellent. It was exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for. It is difficult for a writer to know if what they have in their little pea brain has translated to the page. Now that I’ve read the comments, it is all blatantly obvious. Thank you. There will be more coming. (Did anyone else, who knows my brother, get a little freaked out by how much he looks like Stephen King?)

3. Did you know that the Kindle can read to you? So you could sit there and perhaps knit or sew and not have to hold the thing or even turn the pages? Where has this device been all my life?! Why didn’t anyone tell me? Imagine how much more I can get done! Oh, Santa…may I please have one?

4. I’m still waiting to hear back from the nice people at “The Farm” commune in Summertown to see if I’m in or not. It seems like it is taking a long time. Maybe I shouldn’t have sent them a link to the blog?

5. Thanks to The Crazy Sheep Lady at Punkin’s Patch, I’ll be spending my weekend in the barn choreographing a holiday extravaganza similar to the one in this video. (Click on the picture for the link.)


Cutest thing EVER.

Do I Want an E-Reader?

Since giving up my high-tech career, I have fought tooth and nail to get away from the technology world. Sure, I use e-mail and, obviously, I use a digital camera and blog, but I tried to set that as my limit. I finally got around to adding a smart phone recently, telecommunications being the bane of my existence for so long I resisted.  Over the past several years, I’ve watched as several family members purchased e-readers and thought I’d never want one. I like books. Real books. I like the smell of books, the feel of books. Why would I ever want an e-reader?

I have since come to realize, I consume large amounts of books. I’ve always resold them after I’ve read them, but the post office recently increased its shipping rates, while Amazon didn’t. Now, to resell books there, you actually lose money. Without the outlet of selling them, I’m getting buried in books. As I type this I have three books on the sofa with me, six books and a magazine on the coffee table, what looks to be about 15 or so books in a basket on the floor, and about 50 lbs of magazines in an old apple crate. That doesn’t include what is on the bookshelves, or the sack of books my mother gave me that is sitting in the corner, or the box of quilting books left over from retreat for that matter.  This is just what I can reach from the sofa in the living room. I’m starting to see the value of an e-reader.

But which one? I don’t just read novels. I read everything, children’s books, how-to books, non-fiction, fiction, photography, quilting, cook books – No, I don’t like to cook but I do like to eat. That’s not the point. What I’m getting at is, I don’t think the el cheapo e-reader would be the right one for me, but do I really need to go to a full-blown color Kindle-Fire or Nook Tablet?

Thoughts? Opinions? Tell me your experiences.