The Cat

Alex, the cat, lives in the garage. He has a box, with a warm, cozy blanket, that works most of the time. On colder days the hood of a car that has just been running is good for warming toes. But some days even that doesn't do the trick.

And so...

He will park himself outside the kitchen door in hopes that it will open. He has learned that it opens quite frequently these days as dear ole Dad once again peers out to make sure that the garage doors are all securely closed and locked and the cars are residing in their proper places. As soon as the slightest crack appears, Alex will swiftly and silently bound into the kitchen, at times escaping the notice of dear ole Dad. However, he does not go unnoticed long by other members of the household and someone is soon yelling, "Who let the cat in again??!!" Dad quite innocently declares it wasn't him, while Mom scowls and Pauline tries to muffle the laughter bubbling up inside.

Now Ann, the cat lover, welcomes him with open arms as he leaps into her lap and purrs contentedly, revelling in the bit of extra attention.

After awhile he tires of that and wanders off to find a comfortable chair in the living room or if he's feeling naughty, he may try sharpening his claws on the furniture. Pauline, who is not a cat lover, takes a newspaper after him, which makes him very mad for he sorely hates to be disciplined. He then turns his attention (as in teeth and claws) to her leg and sends her off yowling and very mad, as well! She yells for Dad (who thinks cats do not belong in the house in the first place) to carry him out. He's had lots of practice and nearly has the technique perfected. This is how it goes.

And so...the house is once again peaceful and quiet, at least until Dad decides it's time for another "garage check"!

Cookie Baking

What better way to spend your night than baking cookies with friends?

I also spent a Saturday baking cookies with five children ranging in age from 2 to 11. I'm sorry I don't have pictures from that day. It was a blast, to say the least.

This Too Shall Pass...

A few weeks ago I was happily putting up Christmas decorations and lights, setting out candles and preparing for my first Christmas in my new home.

Last week those hopes and dreams came crashing down around my head as my house was declared a disaster area and unlivable for a time (how long that time would be, nobody knew).

I got the call Tuesday afternoon..."Bad news!" she said. The first thing I thought of was that my house had burned to the ground for I had been nervous about leaving my electric heater on while I was gone for the day. So when she said it was a flood, I actually breathed a sigh of relief. However, I'm discovering a flood in my house is no laughing matter! The carpet and some sheetrock was the worst, in my case. The furniture had to be removed, the carpet pulled up and the padding torn out and replaced. Some sheetrocking and painting is being done, along with rerouting water pipes so they do not freeze and burst again.

I am sincerely glad I do not own my own home and can leave the repairs to the landlord. They have/are working very hard to get things back into livable condition and for this I am extremely grateful! My hopes are rising that I may be back in before Christmas.

In the meantime, I'm hanging out at Dad and Mom's place, every now and then making treks to my house to collect some more of my belongings, trying to figure out how much I will need and feeling like a lost puppy with no real place to call home.

But I know, this too shall pass...