Soft Kittie Warm Kittie....

Ever had one of those days when you just want to hide under a blanket 

and pretend anything negative in the world doesn't exist?

Yeah, me too.

Spot, however, has no notion of what I'm talking about.

She simply knows that, from her blankie, everything's peachie!!

A Visit from Myrtle

I was beginning to think it would never happen. All other surrounding neighbors have had their yards picked clean of seeds and weeds, but it was like our yard was a large black hole never to be graced by a visit (probably due to our rambunctious Tuckie!

Not any more!

My husband, Lauren, called from outside to "come look!" I hurried to the window, and to my delight there she was!

 Assuring myself Tuckie was still inside, I quickly got my camera, went outside, and started snapping pics. You would have thought Elvis had just visited! Yeah, I'm a dork.

After careful contemplation, she deemed our yard suitable for her presence and descended from the fence to our yard and began dutifully pecking about. Lauren went and got some popcorn seeds and tossed them towards her, of which she was eagerly grateful.

 You're welcome anytime Myrtle. We'll keep some feed handy for ya!

Power of the Pen or Power Cord?

There is always an event that makes your life come to a crumbling halt. Mine was a perfectly working computer.

What was wrong?

I suddenly found myself with a power cord that somehow fried itself, and I could not recharge my laptop. Ergo, no computer.

Wow!

Suddenly I am paralyzed mentally. What am I to do? I can't even write notes on Wordpad. I have thoughts I must get down. I must blog! What am I going to do? I can't download my brain!

Then I see it. It's a ... I think it's a pen. Feverishly I rush to my office desk drawer. I plow through forgotten layers and found a lost friend.... the old style word pad, um I think it's called a note pad... no not that one... this one has paper and you have to physically write on it. I think I did this once or twice in high school.

Oh golly! It's two weeks until my new power cord gets here. Can I make it? My first anxiety attack is already in the making.

Then oddly, thru tactile practice... I started to remember the art of handwriting a journal. It was a lost love. High school English class was when I began to learn the love of writing. Keeping a journal was a class assignment. Going through that process helped me through tough times in those years....a handy one to know.

Now it's a time to re-connect to old-school writing. I put pen to paper and something extra comes out of me. Perhaps it's like today's hip musician who puts down the electric guitar and picks up an old acoustic. I write. The old school wannabe philosopher who writes unabashed about heart-felt ideals. I feverishly jot down my blogging ideas with... no way to upload them. AAARGH!

Sweet harmony... my anxiety fit subsides. That welcome package arrives in the mail. I'm back! The power cord is here! Sweet hubbie's lastest major bout of sainthood, dealing with a wife without her computer, may rest for the time being. He can have back his soulmate who now smiles a bit easier.

Will I still write old school? Quite possibly.

Simple Life: I can still write without a computer.

Simple Pleasure: Having a working computer.

Hide n Seek Kittie

"Ok, I made it... here I am all hidden.
I know Mommy won't find me here.
I finally got her!

Majestry of the Bird World

As we await nights that do not drop to 20 degrees so we can go further in this season's garden projects, we are just starting to see signs of spring. The roses are starting new growth, and the grass is starting to green and the weeds are starting to wake up. Then there's this.



This was taken two minutes from where we live... a precious treat, on our way to get water.

Morning Nap

His fuzziness, sawing little toothpicks.
An occasional twitch, a sleepy doggie grunt.

Shouldn't every morning start like this?

My Top Five Favorite Sounds

There are certain sounds that comfort me. I've heard it said that a familiar sound can change mood or transport to a memory. That made me think... what are my top five favorite sounds?

This is what I came up with.

• Our cat purring. My favorite time is at night, when Spot jumps on the bed, settles herself between Nut's and my pillows, half closes her eyes, and starts purring so hard she actually chirps. It always brings a sleepy smile, and the irresistable urge to bury my face in her fur, which I usually do. She just stretches out a paw, as if to say, "Go back to sleep Mommy, and I'll watch over you." I feel this because she usually has her paw on me, or rests her head on my shoulder. We may not be people of means, but when I think of her as a kitten, born in a log pile... on these cold nights, I'm glad she is content in our little domicile.



• The soothing pitter pat of rain on the roof of our trailer. We get rain so little in this neck of the woods, that it's really a treasured novelty to have that liquid sunshine drenching our water starved earth. I like to think of our carryover winter plants spiritually cheering as they drink in what they will need to sprout this spring.



• The gentle roar of the furnace kicking on. As I said, it's cold out at night this time of year. To conserve propane, we don't have the furnace on at night. This means that it's about 40 degrees in the trailer when we wake up. When the neighborhood roosters start their morning alarm, Nut and I climb out of bed and start the furnace. When that comforting rumble starts, we each choose a heat vent and stand over it, basking in the initial blasts of warm air. Ah...Now our day can start!



• Stick time. Tuckie has a special bark when he's in a playful mood. It's usually when he's trying to communicate to the papa Nut that he would really enjoy some stick time outside. Now, Tuck, being half German Shepard and half Irish Setter, he definitely has his big boy voice, but there are times, when that a shrill coaxing "wooowooowooo" sound escapes him, similar to what I would imagine from a large Chihuahua. It's a whole experience, complete with submissive ears back, paw raised as if to beckon "please? stick?" and then there's that wicked tail, fiercely wagging, enticing the cat into action to attack said tail only to get swatted in the mush half the time. then when stick time commences, there's a unique screaming bark that tells the whole neighborhood, "yes I already have a stick in my mouth, but I'm going after this other one too!". I've told Tuckie so many times not to bark with his mouth full LOL... stick time rocks!



• Nut playing his harmonica. That sound can be obnoxious to some, mainly to his brother who would wake up with early morning voicemails of Nut puffing his puffing up a storm on the harmonica, just to give the right vibe of the day. Then there's those precious moments when H will sit back in his chair and gently, soulfully play a little ditty of nothing particular. I chance a look around and realize when he's playing, The dog, cat and myself are watching him and listening to him play, contentment personified. These moments cannot be recreated. They must be treasured when they happen.

What are your favorite sounds? Please do share in the comments. Nut and I would so love to hear from you.