Happy New Year - 2020

Your Heart

My Neighbor's Cat & I Miss "Tabby Cat"

Christmas is over so I'm just filling the time before New Year's Eve with stuff I already have to share. 

I looked out the back door window to see my neighbor's cat sitting atop the gypsy wagon!  :)  Perfectly comfortable and a great view of the neighborhood, I know she's still here looking for her "pal," "Tabby Cat."  I fed him outside on the deck for 4 years.  He adopted us and our yard as his.  I was so happy to offer him food and his own house on the deck, and he had the gypsy wagon and under the sheds for shelter.

He used to stay away for days, but in September he was gone for 8 days - too long to suit me, so we started looking for him and asking neighbors if they've seen him.  I called the local shelter to see if he'd been picked up, maybe as a stray, and the officer checked the records and said she had picked up a gray tabby on September 28th (10 days prior) - he had been hit and was killed 4 houses away.  : (   I'm still not over losing him.  Someone took a picture of him and she emailed it to me...it was my "Tabby Cat."  I asked if they still had his body and she said they did, so I asked my husband to pick him up so we could give him a proper burial.  So my "kitty" did come home - I got to hold him for the first time.  We buried him right away in our pet cemetery and I can visit him anytime I want to.  My neighbor's cat is here every day looking for her friend.  : (  She rests in his little house on the deck but I don't feed her as she has a home across the street.  Unfortunately, she has the same habit he had - catching birds!  I found 2 little snow birds, partial birds, inside the cat house, mostly feathers...the stinker!  Smart...she waits inside the house and pounces on them when they show up to eat from the table right next to the cat house.  I get up earlier now just to open the door so she'll run off the deck so I can save the birds.  Today she came back! :) I sent her away a 2nd time. It's a double-edged sword - you feed the birds but cats are allowed to roam free, so we do what we can to help out both.  And so that's the news at my house.

She got down from the gypsy wagon and decided to see what she could hunt in the field and beyond!

She will be back waiting for her "pal" to show up - I think she thinks now that he's in the house because he's not ever outside.  She doesn't know she passes by his grave site and that he's still here...in Spirit. 

Today is the 3rd month anniversary of his death.

Rest In Peace, "Tabby Cat."

I love and miss you very much.

Stories Yet To Be Written

Yes! I have discovered that writing and typing are the only forms of communication and ways I enjoy  expressing what is in my heart, mind, and Soul. They are my voice. It's my New Year's resolution! :)  To speak with the voice I prefer. 

The one I was born to use.

The telephone is a troublemaker!

Or maybe it's the one on the other end that is the troublemaker and uses the phone to deliver trouble.  The great thing about not talking on the phone?  No one can hang up on you!  :) 

I also figured out that I prefer writing because my mind and thoughts are in sync with my fingers and hand.  My speaking voice doesn't seem to work fast enough with what is in my heart and mind to say.  Makes sense, huh? 

Some people don't like that you change, as I just learned because I recently gave up chatting on the phone.  They may even end their friendship with you because of it - well that would mean they do not accept your choice to change an aspect of your life and way of being. If they leave, you didn't mean that much to them.  It is so important to live the way that feels right to you. If changing something makes you happier, then by all means do it! If people take it personally, don't worry about it.  You can't please everyone - but you can please yourself.  The friends that stay in your life are the ones that roll with your choices and should "shut up" if they don't like them.  

I understand an old friend better now. I respect that she lives the way she wants to live, that she doesn't like to stay on the phone, either, because she keeps herself so busy. I used to take offense when she was up my way and didn't tell me she was here, but she didn't want to see me or call...that was her choice.  I learned an important lesson - that's the way it should be.  It's up to you to decide if you still want to keep in touch on her terms or not.  I choose to.  She can breathe easier as I am not forcing myself into her space which she is the only one who decides who she wants in it at any given time.  She has silently empowered me to be more like her in that sense.  

I have another old friend who lives in Australia.  After visiting my country at age 19 when he came for a visit after writing for years as teens, I heard from him via email 3 years ago.  He soon stopped the emails maybe because I write long ones?  I'm not sure, but he asked if he and his wife could come for a visit.  I had to say, "no," not at this time because our way of life has changed and we were and are still not in the right place for company.  I don't hear from him anymore.  I got a Christmas card last year...this year not yet.  I can understand due to the awful wildfires close to where he lives. What I know is that if he had wanted to keep in touch, he would have.  He wants to visit me but he doesn't want to call me or write to me.  :)  As old pen pals, I find that strange.  I guess because he visited me, it's strange to him that I don't want company at this time.  There are many reasons which I will not offer here. 

It's just not the right time, and there may not be another right time. 

He either accepts things the way they are now or he doesn't.  

"People Are Funny!"  :)

Dec. 30 - Got a card from my old pen pal today! Mentioned the terrible bush fires and said it is unbearable!  He said he'll be in touch - that's great!  :)

So, YES, I will be writing and typing and I will be happy.  I suggest everyone does what makes them happy, too!  It is everyone's right. 

People will adjust - if not, 

let them go with a smile!  :)

Mannheim Steamroller - "Hallelujah" - San Diego 12/28/16

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

Two Days To Christmas

Merry Christmas

Happy Hanukkah to All Who Celebrate

Peace and All Good Things

The Little Red Schoolhouse

This is where I went to school for 1st & 2nd grade!  :)  It's located in my hometown of Forestdale, RI. It is now used as the Heritage Association of  North Smithfield.

Beautiful in the snow...

I didn't take these - they were posted on the Heritage Assn. FB page and I was told I could use them.

But If We Meet

Empaths

�� Elvis Presley Olivia Newton John - O Come All Ye Faithful ��Christmas ...

One is with us and one is not -

I never heard this before but it is beautiful and made me cry. 

I love them both. 

Little Toy Trains - Glen Campbell

Traffic Sources - xyz? Who Are You?

I'm somewhat concerned about the increase in my blog audience. I always check the countries where people are viewing my blog from. There have been many countries in Europe, UK lately, and Nigeria. Usually Russia and Ukraine were at the top besides the US, but when I check "Traffic Sources," I am seeing weird words and then ".xyz" at the end. That's okay but then I clicked on the traffic sources and am then seeing "area codes of phone numbers" of many states here in the US and Canada...and the first 3 of the 4 digit phone numbers. 

What Is This???

I feel like I am being hacked and don't know what you people are doing and why are there phone numbers on my blog under "Traffic Sources?"  I feel like I have to delete my blog now. 

Every Traffic Source ends in "xyz."  

I have to get someone who knows what's going on to help me know what to do, so whoever you people are, leave me a comment or find another blog to infest!  Mine will be off limits if I find out there's something rotten in Denmark!! (sorry Denmark, your country isn't one who visits my blog lately - it's an American expression) 

5 By 5 Rule

12 Steps For Self Care

To Find Your Tribe

He Enters Through The Heart

Truth...Courage...Common Sense

Love Is All Around

I have been on Facebook this morning, as usual, and found "hearts" wherever I looked! <3 I especially love this one. I love when synchronicity happens and this is the season to be love and spread it all around. 

I have been watching the movie, "Love Actually," and it is on HBO frequently. I am still not tired of it. :)

They sing, "Love is all around us..."

wouldn't we live in a different world...a much happier, non-violent, wonderful world if we were all radiating love until it became a reality that, "love is all around us?"

Christmas Time Is Here - Daniela Andrade

This is so beautiful...

an intimate moment 

between girl & her puppy <3 

Another Anniversary Is Upon Us

The years - too numerous to count!

For me, a dozen roses, a watch, and a $100 winning scratch lottery ticket! 

For Tom, a watch and his tickets were all losers!  :)

( not a pretty background but running out of clear spaces in this house! )

 I had the idea to get us each our own little 6" cake from our favorite and famous dairy & bakery, Wright's Dairy Farm! He likes marble and I like yellow. I chose different colors for the roses. Oh, so good!  :)

December 10, 1966
( Yup, we're old now! )
Picture was taken at the small reception at my home in the doorway of the little telephone cubbyhole before we headed out to spend the night in Providence. The next morning we starting driving to Belleville, IL where Tom was to start serving in the Army as an MP.  We were looking around for an apartment and I started crying because I didn't like the first town we were in, (what a great start) but in Belleville we found a 3rd floor furnished apartment in a beautiful Victorian where the owners rented apartments to mostly military families stationed out of Scott AFB. 
We lived there for 18 months and moved back to RI when his service time was over.

It's Looking Like Christmas

The coffee table is getting crowded!

Went to Scituate Nursery for the poinsettia and added angel figurines I used to sell in my art & gift shop.

Ordered snow globes for gifts and kept this one for a new decoration. 

~ Wreaths ~

Between Garage Doors

On the door of the attached room on the right side of the garage.

The front door is hidden by tall shrubs so we just keep a twig "all season" wreath on it.

Our poor shed - needs paint in the Spring but will hang a wreath on it

anyway - for tradition's sake. 

Merry Christmas!

Guardian of the Woods

Beware

Positive Life

Having FUN Getting Ready For Christmas

Had fun wrapping the past two days.

Still have to find boxes for shipping to friends far away. 

And then UPS arrived today with this!

Yup! A glockenspiel.

I put the stand together myself and this is the only place for it right now but may move it into another room. The keys "tinkle" when you strike them...I was surprised the sound sustains.  Having fun playing Christmas carols one note at a time!  :) (Oh yes, and some "Queen" songs, of course!) Closer to Christmas I'm going to sit with it outside at night and play carols to see if the neighbors will come out to see where the sound of bells is coming from!  (haha)

The Second Round - First Snow

We got 4" more overnight with 2 hours of this stuff to go!  I was able to use the broom today to clear a path to the table to feed the birds & squirrels.

The sun will be out tomorrow or Thursday and will start melting this.  Too early for the 1st storm of the season.  Lots of work cleaning up and keeping up with the clearing so we can do what we have to do on the deck and to get the cars out so we can get to the road. 

From the front door - should have trimmed the shrubs in the fall, but this is always my favorite view after it snows.  :) 

First Snow

Oh well, winter has begun.

We got 4" overnight and have been plowed out already, but the snow is heavy and I could only shovel a path to the deck table for the bird seed and nuts for the "wild ones." 

What is falling now is freezing on contact and 3" more expected today before it's "outta" here!

Looks like we're losing our gypsy wagon to age and a takeover by wisteria!  The red overhang fell down. Now I have to decide whether to leave it as is for the animals and birds to use  for shelter or have it dismantled. Then I have to decide if I dismantle it if I want to keep the big metal wheels and undercarriage or get rid of the whole thing.  Decisions...decisions.

Signs of the Season

 

This is what I did today!  This is just a dent in what I still have to wrap, but I love it! 

It's snowing this December 1st.

It will turn to sleet and rain and back to snow tomorrow before it ends Tuesday afternoon.  Joy!

Some Days

When You Have The Courage

Happy Thanksgiving 2019

Our American Holiday that consists of (for our tradition) is the following:

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade at 9 am.

Big turkey dinner at noon, but I don't eat meat, so...

National Dog Show at noon.

First football game at 1 pm. (keep remote handy)

Second football game at 4:30 pm.

A light supper.

"Love Actually" movie at 8 pm. 

A great Thanksgiving has begun.

 A grateful thank you to all who visit my blog, too!

My First Ukulele

 

I needed something new in my life so I decided to learn to play a new instrument - I have a like for Hawaiian culture so after seeing many beautiful and colorful ukuleles I chose this "rainbow" design and love it! Now I just have to learn how to tune it and let the playing begin!  :)

It's a "Balnna" ukulele - love it!!

To be continued...I'm waiting for the other new instrument I ordered.

A Glockenspiel!!!  :) 

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

It's a nice rainy cozy Sunday, so before football started for the day I decided to decorate for Christmas! 

My Jim Shore Santa for the coffee table is hiding. He may be busy making toys - I'll find him somewhere.

When I Am King

Age